Life and death are determined by fate

"Has the ancestor taken the medicine?" Shujia asked Concubine Tong softly.

Concubine Tong was a widow in the palace, and she was already bored to death. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager always had a good impression of her, and she had always served her attentively, so she moved with the Empress Dowager every year. When the Empress Dowager went to Changchun Garden to escape the summer heat, she followed her there.

Yinreng had always been indifferent to Kangxi's concubines, and he didn't bother to pay attention to those who didn't cause trouble. Shujia and Concubine Tong had always had a good relationship. In the past, Shujia had deliberately befriended Concubine Tong, the Imperial Concubine, but now it was Concubine Tong, the childless Concubine Dowager, who was deliberately befriending the Empress.

Concubine Tong was well aware of her current position and had diligently fulfilled Shujia's request to take better care of the Empress Dowager. Since she could no longer offer any assistance to her family, she could only strive to fulfill her duties and ensure a stable life for the rest of her life.

Hearing Shujia's question, Concubine Tong replied, "I've already taken the medicine. They said it was bitter. I also ate two pieces of candied fruit and then went to bed." After a pause, she said, "The old ancestor has been sleeping longer these days and complained that his teeth are not working well."

How old is the old lady? If she is still in good health, eats well, and is full of energy, it is too unscientific to say that she is aging in reverse.

"Please comfort him. Since the death of the late emperor, the old ancestor has not been in good health."

With Shujia's words, Concubine Tong's worries, which had been weighing on her heart, came to the fore again: What would she do if the old lady could not hold on any longer and died? While the Grand Empress Dowager was alive, she could serve her everywhere, but if she died, she would just die of old age in the palace.

Concubine Tong hoped that the Empress Dowager would live a long life. When she heard Shujia say, "In two months, the palace maids selected from the minor selection will enter the palace, and after the New Year there will be another major selection. I hope your mother will take good care of this, Old Ancestor." She was also willing to take good care of the Empress Dowager and agreed.

I couldn't help but think: If a person is blessed with good fortune, nothing can stop them. This Empress has been married into the Eastern Palace for at least twenty years now. Preventing her husband from taking a new concubine is beyond the reach of ordinary means. But she's getting older, and there's no telling how much longer she can keep the Emperor captive. Forget it, why should I dwell on this? She already has five sons, so even if a new concubine enters the harem, what good will it do? My priority is to serve the Grand Empress Dowager well.

Shujia didn't know that Concubine Tong was already worried about her marital problems after she got old and ugly. What she was worried about now was her own children.

Yinreng had already decided to confer upon Yunqi's daughter, the third-ranked princess in the palace, the title he had snatched from his adopted father. The Ministry of Rites proposed many auspicious titles, but Yinreng ultimately settled on "Rongshou." While the marriage still needed further consideration, it had already been decided on Mongolia. Shujia understood that this was national policy, and that princesses were often conferred upon foreign vassals. Judging by the lives of Kangxi's daughters, as long as their husbands weren't too reckless, they could all lead comfortable lives. There was no point in arguing further, so he decided not to force her to stay in Beijing.

The real worry, however, was for her two married sons. There was still no news about their wives, and she couldn't help but worry. If Hongtong wasn't too anxious, Hongdan was the one with the most pressing needs. Shujia didn't want to find a concubine for Hongdan herself by next year.

However, if Hesheli still had no concrete news by the end of the grand selection next year, she would be forced to act. The Crown Prince couldn't remain without a child for too long, otherwise it would easily lead to speculation. If there was no news next year, she would have to wait another three years. Even if Hesheli could afford to wait, Shujia couldn't.

What makes her even more worried is Hesheli's crisis public relations ability, which is truly sigh-worthy.

She was so surprised to have the idea of ​​bringing a maid into the marriage! Shujia was quite disappointed with her daughter-in-law's political consciousness. Hesheli was a good lady from a prominent family, well-educated and amiable, and she was no less attractive than others when she was chosen. But her shortcomings were revealed after she married. Hesheli's approach was perfect, as long as she didn't marry the crown prince and didn't want to become empress in the future.

However, can a position in the imperial family be granted to anyone so easily? Can you arrange the people around the prince at will? If she can't even see through this, then this daughter-in-law's ability is limited. Shujia couldn't say these words to anyone around her. Her confidants, such as Hongxiu, were all part of the dowry, and she was afraid of disappointing them if she told them. However, the fact is this. It's not a matter of whether you want to be promoted, but whether you can be promoted.

She couldn't even say anything about Shuyi or Shuhui. Once she expressed her dissatisfaction with her daughter-in-law, things would be awful. She was in the upper hand now, but in a few years, unless this daughter-in-law died or was deposed (the likelihood of this was almost zero), the mother of the country would have to be replaced.

Shujia really couldn't feel at ease with such a daughter-in-law.

After much deliberation, Shujia decided to bring her daughter-in-law with her to advise her from time to time. She clapped her hands and said, "Go to Wuyi Zhai."

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In Wuyi Zhai, Hesheli was worried. She didn't want another woman to share her husband's property, even if that woman was her maidservant. Her husband and mother-in-law both rejected the idea, which made her feel relieved. But then she thought about it again. The big election would be next year. The crown prince had only one wife, even worse than his father. Regardless of whether she got pregnant next year, another concubine was almost certain. She couldn't help but feel worried again: it would be better for her to find a concubine for Hongdan now.

After thinking about it over and over again, she realized that she was the one who suffered the loss! The loss was that she didn't have a son, but how could she give birth to a child? Hongdan didn't have anyone else, and the two of them had been close since their wedding. What went wrong? Hesheli was a little confused for a moment. At this moment, there was applause outside. Hesheli was startled: "Who is coming?" Her maid had gone out to see once, and came back hurriedly and said: "It's the master and the lady."

Hesheli was startled. She quickly stood up and checked her appearance in the mirror. Seeing that everything was fine, she rushed out to greet him. She was a daughter of a wealthy family and well-mannered, so she wouldn't be so impatient. It was just that she had no children after marriage, which made her a little impatient.

But I was wondering in my heart: What is this for?

Shujia saw Hesheli come out to greet her. This daughter-in-law was very considerate in her etiquette. After Hesheli bowed and carefully came up to help her walk into the house, she said, "Don't be so busy. Your sisters are all in class, and I was bored sitting here, so I thought of Wuyi Zhai."

Hesheli helped Shujia into the house and invited her to sit in the seat of honor. She then took the tea from the maid's tray and served it to her personally. Then she smiled and said, "Since I moved in, I've found this place so comfortable that I've been lazy and haven't changed anything. Mother, you know how to tidy up the house. Please teach me."

Shujia took a sip of tea and said, "What's so good about learning how to clean a house? If you see something that's not nice, just fix it immediately. With time, you'll naturally get the hang of it. If you're worried about that, why not think about something else?"

A daughter-in-law is not a daughter. She is someone who has been raised in another family for more than ten years. Of course, she will have her own ideas. If you want to teach her from the beginning how to dress and eat until she is in step with you, it will be a hundred times more troublesome than giving birth to a daughter and teaching her from scratch. Shujia didn't want to do that either. Hesheli was not a person who didn't understand everything. She just had a string in her head that was not twisted correctly. If you break this window paper, she might not be unable to figure it out.

Shujia had made up her mind. She didn't want to use Hesheli as a puppet. Even if she held her hand now, could she really live for a thousand or eight hundred years? Since she couldn't control her for her entire life, she simply let her go and let her grow on her own. All Shujia wanted to do was to enlighten her on this most crucial issue so that Hongdan could live a more comfortable life.

Hesheli was even more uneasy. "Think about something else"? What was she thinking about? Her own worry was that there was still no good news, and she was worried that a concubine of decent status would come in and steal the favor and give birth to a son. As she thought about this, her face couldn't help but look grim.

"My wife is stupid, what does mother mean?"

Shujia sighed, "I came here just like you, so I don't know your difficulties." She patted the couch and said, "Come and sit down."

Hesheli sat down nervously. Her mood was completely different from when Shujia sat next to the Grand Empress Dowager. With a hint of timidity, she called out, "Mother."

"You've done a great job over the past year."

Hesheli was getting more and more confused, but she still said modestly, "My wife has a lot to learn."

Shujia shook her head: "It's not bad. You have done enough as a daughter-in-law."

"this……"

"These words come out of my mouth and enter your ears. Remember them and pass them on to your daughter-in-law later." Shujia smiled. "As a royal daughter-in-law, it's not enough to just be a good daughter-in-law. You also have to remember the meaning of the royal family. Especially for the Crown Princess. Only when you do both can you be truly good. If you only think about being a daughter-in-law, you'll end up pitiful. If you focus on the word "royal", you'll appear hateful. Remember this very much."

Hesheli understood a little, but was also a little confused. However, she felt that what her mother-in-law had said to her was quite heartfelt. She was young and had a good memory, so she memorized it and planned to slowly comprehend it later.

Seeing her like this, Shujia knew that she still needed to think about it, so she said, "It's hot, and I'm a little tired. You should take a break too." Then she got up and left.

How could Hesheli still sit still? She stood up to see her off and walked her out the door. As she turned a corner and disappeared, she came back to think carefully about the content, expression, and tone of her mother-in-law's words, trying to figure them out bit by bit.

Shujia walked away, sighing. She had already prepared for the worst for Hesheli. Hesheli's luck was truly unfortunate. Shujia didn't have a mother-in-law, but she did. Shujia had a son, but she didn't. This wasn't about whether you wanted to or not; it was simply a matter of circumstances. Unless you wanted to rip your relationship apart, be branded a jealous woman, and be deposed.

If I were in this situation, of course I would say anything. After all, I have my mother-in-law, and the Crown Princess can't interfere in the matter of finding a concubine. I just have to wait and see. It's not like I just sit there and wait for death. As long as I can keep my husband, no matter how many concubines he has or how many children he has, that would be the real "surrogacy". According to the rules of the Qing court, childlessness was not a reason to divorce or depose a wife. How can I rush to find a concubine for my husband, and she is also my own dowry?

Who can guarantee that the people you've assigned won't eventually turn against each other for personal gain? Why not be a bodhisattva? Let your subordinates fight it out. You should be the referee, not roll up your sleeves and join the fray. That would not only lower your status, but also put you in danger.

This kind of life is certainly not as comfortable as a couple with children, but it is a second best option and a better way to stay.

He didn't like concubines, and unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want to give his son a concubine. He just hoped his daughter-in-law would be able to do well. More precisely, he hoped his daughter-in-law would be able to conceive. Otherwise... even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to keep this daughter-in-law. If they didn't have children for a long time, Yinreng would definitely get restless.

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As for the issue of the crown prince's heir, whether Yinreng could sit still or not was a matter for the future. Anyway, he had not paid much attention to this point for now, as political affairs occupied most of his mind.

The Qing army in Tibet and the Zunghars once again reached a stalemate, with the two Ce Lings integrating their forces. It's true that the same force can have different effects in different hands. With the same 6,000 troops, the Great Ce Ling could have eliminated Lazang Khan, while the Small Ce Ling would have been forced to defend. However, if the leadership of these 6,000 troops became a collusion between the two Ce Lings, it would become a major problem.

The elder Celing was a cautious and farsighted man, while the younger Celing was quite brave. The sum of their strength was greater than their own. Facing a Qing army that outnumbered them, there were even signs of a stalemate. Yarjiang'a, writing a memorial to the capital, discussed countermeasures, and submitted a report requesting that the central government pay attention to supply.

Yinreng, observing the current situation, knew that a single victory was impossible, so he resolutely prepared for a protracted war. However, in his mind, this protracted war would only last two or three years. The Qing army had been on a long expedition, and so were the Zunghars. The Zunghars were even weaker than the Qing, and a delay would ultimately lead to their demise. Furthermore, the Zunghars had Russia as their hostile neighbor.

He stroked his chin. If it weren't for the mess he was having back home, he would have really wanted to take this opportunity to wipe out the Dzungars in one fell swoop. He had finally seen through it all. Of all the Mongol tribes, the Dzungars were the most troublesome. They kept coming back one after another, going back and forth without stopping.

What a pity! The long-planned tax-sharing reform had not yet been implemented, but he was full of confidence in this reform. Looking at the salt law alone, so much more silver could be generated every year, and the number was on the rise. This war did not increase the financial pressure on the country much, which was indeed the result of the salt law.

If this momentum continued, and his policies were effectively implemented, he would have accumulated enough capital to defeat the Dzungar Khanate in one battle. This would not only be a great achievement in expanding territory, but would also eliminate a major hidden danger for future generations, who would no longer have to worry about the Dzungar Khanate ever emerging to attack Beijing.

As long as he could pacify the Dzungar, even if his life was a bit more demanding, Yinreng would do it. However, his immediate priority was to drive the Dzungar out of Tibet and bring Tibet under direct central government control. This was a major reason why Yinreng was so eager to take action against the Dzungar: Xinjiang and Tibet were very close. If the Dzungar were not eliminated, they might one day, needing to digest their food, go to Tibet and then, under the guise of a Living Buddha, advance eastward.

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish, especially one with a vast territory, a complex ethnic composition, and diverse local conditions. A one-size-fits-all approach is the worst. Having long held the reins of state power, Yinreng knew the rigors of the situation, so he took it one bite at a time, preparing to expand the salt law reform nationwide this year.

In reality, he had no choice but to promote it. Since Lianghuai Salt Administration reform had already taken place, and Lianghuai was a major salt-producing region, the reform of the salt law in this region brought a thriving salt industry. Even if the policy was limited to Lianghuai, it could not resist the merchants' pursuit of profit. With their burdens lightened, merchants, with all their might, even dumped Huai salt in surrounding areas. Regions that had not yet reformed their salt laws were unable to compete with Huai salt due to institutional reasons, and memorials from the Imperial Salt Inspector and others rushed to Yinreng's desk.

It's time to roll it out nationwide.

This was a good idea, but the first to raise objections was Prince Yong, who was eager to fill the treasury. Upon hearing his fourth brother's objection, Yinreng asked, "Why do you say it's not feasible for now? You know the success of the salt law reform in Lianghuai and other places. Why can't it be implemented nationwide?"

"The year is already halfway over. If we hastily change course, wouldn't the salt already released under the old system be lost? By September, all the salt will be sold, and all that will be left is accounting. It would be better to stick with the old system this year and start using the new system next year."

Yinreng thought for a moment and said, "That's good. It gives me more time to prepare. This way, I can earn more from the salt tax next year, and it will be easier to deploy troops in the northwest." He then muttered to himself, "I just hope Yarjiang'a can perform well and conquer Tibet soon. This will free up my hands to implement the new tax law."

Prince Yong's personal military prowess was relatively low, and his military insights were not particularly insightful. His strength lay in civil administration, and he hoped to capitalize on this opportunity to establish his own achievements. He was very active in promoting the equalization of land tax and levy, but—military deployment in the northwest! How could he easily change the fiscal system at this juncture?

"You should go to the back and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager. She has not been feeling well lately." Yinreng gave his fourth brother relatively generous treatment.

King Yong quickly expressed his gratitude.

Meeting an old lady in her twilight years, one who had little influence on government affairs, had no real benefit, but it did indicate an attitude. Yinreng used this to show that he valued Prince Yong, and Prince Yong naturally understood and understood.

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Not to mention that the Crown Princess was trying to comprehend the Queen's ambiguous words, nor was it mentioned that the Emperor and Prince Yong were worried about the military pay and tax reforms in the northwest.

This October, the Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching. Yinreng, concerned about the Empress Dowager's health, decided not to move back to the Forbidden City during the winter, and the whole family stayed in Changchun Garden until the winter.

Shujia sat with the Grand Empress Dowager, her heart skipping a beat as she watched the maids beside her pick up their powder boxes and handkerchiefs. Then she looked at the Grand Empress Dowager, whose movements had slowed. She was listening to Prince Ping's wife tell a joke, and she burst into laughter mid-sentence, drooling from the corners of her mouth. Two maids hurried over, one wiping the saliva while the other applied more powder.

How much longer can the old lady hold on?

Shujia returned from the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet with a heavy heart, her mind preoccupied with this matter. As a time traveler, she didn't know how long the Empress Dowager would live, and it was even more impossible to know afterward.

She sat blankly in front of the dressing table, letting Hongxiu and the others remove her jewelry. Seeing Shujia like this, Hongxiu was about to speak up to remind her, but she heard hurried footsteps outside. Hongxiu frowned and gave a look. Huamei was her apprentice, so she understood and left.

"big--"

"Shut up!"

“@￥…………”

Shujia had heard it: "What's the matter?"

Huamei came in smiling and said, "The Master and His Majesty are so happy! The Fourth Lady is pregnant! You are going to be a grandmother."

The Fourth Lady? Damn! Prince Yong is really capable! Eh? No! This is talking about Hongtong's wife.

It took Shujia a while to realize that this Fourth Lady was the wife of her fourth prince Hongtong, not the daughter-in-law of Kangxi's fourth son.

Shujia smiled unconsciously, "Great, great, reward him! Zhao Guoshi, go to Danning Residence and tell the Emperor that this is a great event." She was about to go see Borjigit. Hongxiu said, "My Lord, you have already removed your makeup. Put it on and change your clothes before you go. I will call for the sedan chair."

Zichang and the others also surrounded Shujia to congratulate her. Now that the princes had sons, it was more worth celebrating than the Queen herself giving birth to a son. Xiuniu said, "Master, when you reward the Fourth Lady, will I give her the same as the Second Lady?"

Shujia paused: "I understand."

When she arrived at Borjigit's place, she found Hesheli had already arrived. Shujia's joy immediately waned as soon as she saw the two daughters-in-law: if Hesheli was the one who got pregnant, all the problems would be solved!

Hesheli, a close friend of Borjigit, was filled with mixed emotions when she first heard the news. Only after a palace maid reminded her did she regain her composure. She ordered the preparation of gifts and invited her sister-in-law, Gegentana, to join her in congratulating her younger sister-in-law. When they arrived at Borjigit's residence, she was overjoyed for her.

Gegentana's mind was much simpler. She had nothing to worry about herself, and as for her brothers and sisters' affairs, she didn't want to get involved. If she talked less, did less, and made fewer mistakes, she would have a prosperous and peaceful life in the future, right?

Faced with such a happy event, Shujia never mentioned the fact that Hesheli had not received any good news yet. She only told Borjigit to take a good rest and gave the reward, saying, "I'll ask your mother to come and talk to you tomorrow."

Then, rewards were also bestowed upon Yinreng. However, there was no movement from the Empress Dowager's side. The person who went to report it came back saying that the old lady had already gone to bed and no one dared to disturb her.

Shujia said, "That's sensible. There's absolutely no reason to disturb the Grand Empress Dowager. It's getting late, everyone should go back and rest."

Borjigit's pregnancy had indeed caused considerable trouble for Hesheli. Shujia was simply anxious. When Yinreng came over that evening, she first gleefully declared that Hongtong was promising, then added, "Is there still no news from Hongdan? The selection will be held next year. Please make sure to choose two concubines for him who are good at bearing children."

Just like Kangxi’s idea, the daughter-in-law should bear the main responsibility for not being able to have children.

Shujia had no choice but to answer: "I know."

However, the trouble was not over yet. During the routine pulse check in October, the imperial physician actually said "congratulations" to Shujia with a happy face, saying that she was pregnant again!

Shujia's eyes widened as they grew bigger than marbles: "What?!" Damn it! If she and her daughter-in-law were both pregnant, maybe one of them would be smaller than the other. Shujia's face flushed red with embarrassment.

This awkwardness turned into a sigh when they met Hesheli, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other in bewilderment. The one who wanted to get pregnant couldn't, and the one who didn't want to get pregnant got pregnant again.

For Yu Shujia, if she became pregnant at this time, the question of whether to expand her harem next year would become a difficult one. For Yu Hesheli, if she still failed to get pregnant at this time, the family would inevitably have to have more concubines next year.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both groaned in their hearts, and Shujia felt more understanding and sympathy for Hesheli.

This dilemma was resolved by the death of the Grand Empress Dowager. On the fifth day of the first lunar month in the sixth year of the Changtai reign, she passed away in Changchun Garden. Even before the New Year's celebrations had subsided, the nation was informed of the Grand Empress Dowager's passing, and all festive items were hurriedly put away. Mourning was to be worn for 100 days, marriages were forbidden in the families of officials for a year, and theatrical performances were banned nationwide... and so on.

A fast horse set out from the capital and arrived directly in front of the Tibetan army. Hongxi and Hongsheng were ordered to return to the capital to attend the funeral, and the rest of the people remained stationary. The army withdrew and was on guard against the Dzungar Khanate taking advantage of the funeral to attack.

The author has something to say: Rest in peace, old lady who is naturally cute...