Meet the future Fourth Lady

The Empress Dowager was smiling, and so were everyone in Ningshou Palace.] Shujia hadn't expected so many people to be here at this moment. How could there be so many people in the Empress Dowager's palace?

Being the Empress Dowager was actually quite lonely. While she could just close her eyes and fall asleep at night, the days were a real struggle. Most women in secluded quarters could visit neighbors and see a play, but the Empress Dowager couldn't understand the play. While she wanted to visit neighbors, where could she go? And who would dare let her?

She could have gone to the Cining Palace for a walk, but now, no one dared to mention it. Kangxi was so heartbroken when he thought of it that he refused to even pass by. Besides, there was no place in the palace where she needed to go—the empress, when she was dying, was worthy of labor.

It's not that Cixi didn't have state affairs to deal with, nor that Xiaozhuang didn't have the ability to grasp the overall situation.

Of course, she could chant, but she wasn't a professional nun. Concubines had to curry favor with the Empress Dowager, but her real job was to curry favor with the Emperor. Kangxi dedicated his two children to her, and she had to attend classes during the day. No one was fighting in the palace, and she didn't have the skills to do so, so she just stayed home.

It's as lonely as the first snow.

Under these circumstances, the Empress Dowager's palace would only be filled with people during grand ceremonies and celebrations, with ladies of honor coming to pay their respects and chat with her. Normally, a few visits with plaques would be considered a welcome sight. The Empress Dowager couldn't hold parties in the palace every day.

Fortunately, her relationship with the Emperor had been improving over the past two years, and the Emperor was willing to discuss family matters with her. One of these matters was Kangxi's decision to marry his son-in-law. The Empress Dowager naturally had to screen the matter, ensuring that the grandson's wife was at least compatible with her.

The Empress Dowager hadn't been wanting to continue chatting with a few young ladies recently, fulfilling the Emperor's assigned tasks. Who told Kangxi to lose another empress? Regardless of whether Kangxi truly loved these three women, this question is a damned test of his intelligence. Asking him who he loved more deeply and argued over is a complete waste of thought—the death of three wives is truly not a good thing. For Kangxi, a man who pursued perfection, it was a truly unspeakable matter.

If you count the deaths of several children including his parents, Kangxi himself was worried.

So, while the palace mourned the passing of Empress Xiaoyi, no one dared to say anything else. The palace simply stopped talking about it, leaving Kangxi to mourn if he wanted to. The Empress Dowager was smart enough to handle the matter, so she kept it to herself and tried to dissuade everyone from dwelling on it.

The day before yesterday, Empress Xiaoyi went to Fengxian Hall, and after the ceremony, the Empress Dowager wanted to liven up the atmosphere in the palace. With the New Year approaching, it wasn't a good idea to keep things so sullen. Especially since this involved the Emperor's personal attributes.

Seeing the Empress Dowager like this, the concubines naturally came to flatter her. Add in a few people the Empress Dowager wanted to see, and it became quite lively.

The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the table, her appearance remaining largely unchanged. However, the people seated below her were a diverse mix of appearances. Shujia glanced around and could discern their identities based on their clothing. Those wearing Manchu clothing were likely imperial concubines, while those in formal uniforms were likely women from outside the imperial court.

This is quite understandable. When concubines came to the Empress Dowager's place, they were considered part of her family. Women from other courts came to perform official duties. The current imperial concubines' attire was quite simple. As the saying goes, it's not a problem if you don't know the goods, but it's a problem if you compare them. Even the simplest ones could be divided into first, second, and third tiers. Five of them were dressed much more elaborately than the others.

A quick glance, without a closer look, revealed Shujia and Guan's greetings to the Empress Dowager. In front of the Empress Dowager, everyone was a nobody. The only people who could accept greetings from the Empress Dowager were probably Kangxi and the Crown Prince. After Guan and Shujia finished their greetings, the Empress Dowager offered them seats, not giving them time to greet anyone else.

Guan got a seat, a little further back, and Shujia followed her. Then a female voice said, "Is this the girl you were talking about?" The voice was crisp, and although it was an interruption, it didn't feel abrupt or annoying.

Who is this? Before the Empress Dowager could ask, Shujia looked up and saw one of the five people sitting near the front. The Empress Dowager clearly liked this person and smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I haven't seen her for several months, and I miss her a little. I just asked her aunt to bring her over to see her."

As the Empress Dowager spoke, Shujia surveyed the room. Thanks to her transmigrated soul, her vision was now excellent. She could discern that among the people speaking, four appeared to be about the same age, in their late forties. Another, younger than them, was around twenty. All wore a faint smile. They wore few ornaments, mostly white jade. The younger one even had a jade dragonfly pinned to her collar.

Shujia recalled what she knew about the palace. There were more than just the Four Heavenly Kings in the palace now. There was also another guardian deity—Tong Jia, the younger sister of the deceased Empress Xiaoyi and another daughter of Tong Guowei. She was truly a beauty, graceful and charming, her eyes eloquent. To have a younger sister come to smile after her older sister had just died—this palace was truly a place of shame.

Of the Four Heavenly Kings, Concubine Hui and Concubine Rong are the older, probably around thirty-six or thirty-seven. Concubine De and Concubine Yi are a few years younger, also in their thirties. They've been well-maintained, and compared to the truly youthful Tong Jia, they clearly show the traces of time.

The person speaking is probably one of Concubine Yi or Concubine De based on their age, but who it is remains to be determined.

Below the five people, there were several women who were dressed better than the palace maids, but not as well as the five people. Some were young, some were old, some were sitting, and some were standing.

There were also ladies from outside the court dressed in court robes. Among them were some Shujia knew, including Tong Jia, the wife of Soetu, and He Sheli, the wife of Yisan'a, whom Shujia had just met. There were also a few unknown ladies. Next to one of them stood Dong E, a woman she considered familiar. Shujia guessed that this must be Pengchun's wife.

There was another woman dressed in the attire of a woman of lower rank, accompanied by a young girl, about seven or eight years old, who looked to have had her hair cut recently. Shujia couldn't help but wonder, "Could this be another reservist?" This girl also gave off a dignified and graceful vibe, and her appearance was what one might call auspicious. It was hard not to be attracted to her.

She smiled and nodded at those she knew, a greeting she'd considered. Shujia continued to stand behind Guan, like a statue. If it were just the Empress Dowager, she could be more relaxed, but with these women who'd been navigating the palace and the court for years, it was better for her to be honest. Less work, less mistakes, right? It would be best if they all looked down on her, thought she was dull and boring, and simply gave up.

The Empress Dowager had already beckoned: "Come, come, girl, come here, let me see you, you seem to have grown taller." Shujia walked over, holding the handkerchief, stopped after three steps, and bowed again. The Empress Dowager looked up and down and smiled: "You look more and more like a grown-up girl."

"You're in puberty, aren't you growing fast?" Shujia felt a little uneasy—all eyes were fixed on her, and she felt like she was being roasted. The Four Heavenly Kings, along with the Mountain Guardian Tai Sui, sat on the Empress Dowager's left and right arms, like goose wings. Shujia stepped in front of the Empress Dowager, and she was caught in their encirclement.

Everyone was indeed observing her, smiles still plastered on their faces, but their gazes were already thick with assessment. If there had been some drama before, as the number of young ladies summoned by the Empress Dowager dwindled, these women, trained in the deep palace, had already guessed about 60 to 70 percent—probably choosing a wife for the Crown Prince or the Third Prince.

Concubine Tong had no son of her own, and her sister's adopted son, the Fourth Prince, returned to his biological mother. She was completely free of pressure and just watched the show.

Rong Fei's mind raced. Which one was better? Seeing that Dong E's family was a duke, it seemed a bit higher. Dong E's uncle was also a commander-in-chief... Alas, I'm afraid such a good opportunity won't be for Yinzhi, Rong Fei felt very sorry. Although the Guarjia family was not bad, as a famous Manchu surname, it was still inferior.

Concubine Hui was deeply troubled. Her daughter-in-law had given birth to two girls in a row and had fallen ill afterward, and was now recovering. Kerkun had also been dismissed from office, and the eldest prince's family was already in dire straits. If the crown prince gained a powerful foreign supporter, the eldest prince's life would be even more difficult.

Concubine De didn't care. She wasn't close to her eldest son, and even if the Fourth Prince came under her care after Xiaoyi's death, Yinzhen was only eleven years old. It wasn't the right time yet. Concubine Yi had similar thoughts. Even if things seemed good now, the situation might change in two years, and her flirting might be in vain.

Everyone was wondering what the Empress Dowager meant. It was obvious that she seemed to have a crush on the Guarjia maid, but she never let on, which was incredibly frustrating. The Empress Dowager had her own way of navigating the palace, and wouldn't interfere in matters like the Emperor's, where the Emperor had the final say. At most, she'd openly express her affection for someone when the Emperor asked for her opinion. If the Emperor disagreed, that was fine; he could just call her over for more frequent conversations. The Empress Dowager wouldn't get into a fight with the Emperor over anything.

In fact, the person in the room who was most concerned about this matter was Tong Jia from the Soetu family. In the autumn, he was sent by Emperor Kangxi to negotiate with the Oros to discuss border issues. Before leaving, he gave Tong Jia many instructions, and among them was this one thing.

————————————I am the dividing line of the flashback————————————

Before leaving, Suo Etu said to his wife, "We should have received news this year, but unfortunately, our mistress has passed away. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are not looking for a concubine for the Crown Prince at this time, but they will definitely step up their search. There's no way they'll decide on the future Queen Mother in just a few days."

Tong Jia thought this made sense: "It takes a year or two for a family like ours to find a daughter-in-law, let alone a family like the Emperor's. But what does this have to do with the master going north? Since there's no rush, why not wait until you come back?"

Suo Etu shook his head and said, "You don't know that even a centipede is still alive after death, let alone Mingzhu. Although this matter is the master's decision, there is no guarantee that the subordinates will have thoughts that they shouldn't have, which will not benefit us."

Suo Etu was no fool, not foolish enough to think he could decide the future queen mother. What Suo Etu meant was that they couldn't decide the selection of the Crown Princess and the wives of the princes, but there was one thing they could do with some effort: to prevent those with whom they had a bad relationship from becoming the emperor's in-laws, especially from occupying the position of Crown Princess.

No one is perfect, especially a family of one, who can possibly make a mistake? If they dig deeper, it's normal that they can't undo the mistake. But if they dig up some old scores and stir up trouble, they can ruin this great opportunity.

At the same time, while it was true that Suo-etu and the Crown Prince shared common interests, he also had to worry about whether the Crown Prince would be influenced by his wife's family and become estranged from him once he married. Suo-etu could not live without the Crown Prince as a role model.

So Soetu's task for his wife was this: "Watch out! If there's any interest in the palace, keep an eye on these families. If there's anyone who's not friendly towards us, ask Ling Pu's family to speak to them and send a message to Yuqing Palace, telling the Crown Prince that this person is unreliable."

Before this, Suo-etu had already taken action. The prince's dislike for Qi Shi was genuine, but Suo-etu had contributed to his dislike of Peng Chun. Peng Chun was recommended by Mingzhu, and Suo-etu was extremely worried.

Mingzhu's downfall coincided with Soetu's suspicion that Pengchun, despite Mingzhu's recommendation, hadn't had a close relationship with him. He also considered Pengchun's family influence and tried to curry favor with him. However, Pengchun hesitated. Mingzhu's demotion made him fear being labeled Mingzhu's ally, or rather, fearing being considered "participating in a clique" by Emperor Kangxi. Since ancient times, cliques have been known to be executed rather than released when relationships such as teacher-student, fellow townsman, in-laws, or recommendations were involved. Under these circumstances, he was intent on appearing a loyal minister, barely able to defend himself, and dismissed Soetu's flirtatious glances as deadly.

Suo Etu was very angry. It was true that Peng Chun had some relationship with Ming Zhu, but Suo Etu added fuel to the fire. He spoke skillfully: "Ming Zhu has done him a favor, but now he stands by and watches. It's really cold-hearted." This person is too unreliable.

Yinreng's dislike for Pengchun was not that deep to begin with, but after hearing what Soetu said, his dislike became even worse.

Tong Jia knew about this and nodded, saying, "Don't worry. I'll ask my daughter to go out for a walk with me in a couple of days. My son-in-law has been busy with his work and hasn't been home much, so it's a good opportunity for her to go out with me to relax."

This son-in-law, Suo Etu, had been carefully selected, and all aspects of his qualifications were excellent, except for one thing: he wasn't very willing to roll up his sleeves and help Old Taishan in a fight. However, having such a son-in-law was a significant supporter of the Suo Party, and he looked quite intimidating.

Suo Etu said, "That's good."

Tong Jia originally thought that this matter was not urgent, but now that Suo Etu had mentioned it, she followed suit and asked, "Master, do you have any candidates in mind?"

Suo Etu laughed and said, "Even the Crown Prince can't make the decision on this matter, let alone me?"

"I mean, what's the rough model?"

Suo Etu pondered for a moment: "She can't be too beautiful, look too smart, or lack the bearing of a mistress. And her family can't be like... that Qi Shi."

Tong Jia understood. She couldn't be a beauty who would instantly captivate everyone, as that would be a disaster. After some pillow talk, the prince abandoned his maternal uncle for his father-in-law, leaving Suo Etu in tears. Suo Etu added that the prince's father-in-law could remain indifferent; after all, since his daughter had married the prince, he was a member of the prince's faction. But he must not harbor selfish ambitions, especially a lust for power that would threaten Suo Xiang.

After explaining these, Soetu went to negotiate with satisfaction.

——————————————Turn back——————————————

Everyone present had their own thoughts, and Shujia had already begun answering the Empress Dowager's questions. The Empress Dowager first asked, "What do you do at home?" Shujia replied, "I help my sister-in-law with the housework." The Empress Dowager was surprised and amused, then turned to Concubine Tong and said, "I just said she has grown up, and she really has."

Concubine Tong smiled and said, "She looks quite old. How old is she?" Shujia paused and said, "She's thirteen this year." The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "She's a grown-up girl. Your mother has gone south. Has there been any letter?" Shujia said, "It's probably going to be soon. There's still no letter. My family did send someone south with a letter, but there's no reply yet."

The Empress Dowager asked, "So far? It's been at least two months, right? Fuzhou is farther than Hangzhou?"

The Empress Dowager was geographically illiterate, her knowledge limited to the locations of Zhili, Mongolia, and Fengtian. Without the Crown Prince present, Shujia dared to speak up: "Fuzhou is still south of Hangzhou." She knew the general direction. Seeing that the Empress Dowager was still a little confused, she drew a map on her palm to show her.

The Empress Dowager was old and farsighted, so she could see clearly without having to look closely. "Now I understand," she said. She then asked what Fuzhou was like. Shujia thought, "How would I know?" She could only reply, "I've never been there, but I hear it's warm there. It doesn't snow much in the winter."

The Empress Dowager was surprised. "Is there such a place?" Shujia thought, "That's right..." Fujian is quite hot, and a look of confusion crossed her face. She was really worried about this person consulting with her grandson, who had a walking map.

The other concubine who had spoken earlier spoke up again: "That's different from the capital. When we were in Fengtian, we always heard about people having their ears frozen off in the winter." Fengtian... Shujia knew what it was. When the aunts introduced her, they had mentioned that Concubine Yi's family was in Fengtian, right? When Lao Kang went to Fengtian, he even stayed at their house.

Concubine Tong said, "One is in the north and the other is in the south. Fengtian is colder than Beijing, and Beijing is colder than Fuzhou. It seems that Fuzhou is warmer." The Empress Dowager nodded in surprise: "Yes, yes, you still explain it clearly."

Old Ancestor, you are the only one who doesn't understand. Shujia saw that they were talking to each other and tried to shrink to the side.

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager's surprise faded, remembering that the little girl should have been with her parents. She had been the one who had left them behind, and she began to feel embarrassed. She also began to worry about their daily lives. Shujia could only continue answering questions: "Brother Mafa and his wife are in Beijing, and everything is the same as usual. It's my father and mother who are away. Everything is the same as before, but I miss them a little bit."

The Queen Mother felt a little ashamed: "Oh, my, I'm so talkative. Tell me if there's anything you want to eat or play."

Even if she really wanted it, she wouldn't dare ask you for it. Shujia could only say, "My sister-in-law is very caring. Everything is the same as when my mother was here. Recently, she has even learned to make soup and snacks by herself." The topic turned to eating again. The old and the young had a great chat. The old lady liked to eat sweet and soft food. She introduced several kinds of cakes and suggested that Shujia go home and try them. Finally, she said, "Oh, it's hard to explain it to you. Go home and ask your grandmother. She must know."

The conversation was lively, and the concubines were quite surprised. They really didn't expect that a girl of her age could talk to the Empress Dowager. The fact that a non-Mongolian could speak Mongolian was a bug in itself, especially now that the emperor valued Sinology and Manchuria. But who was her grandmother?

Also, these two are really... foodies!

The two foodies started talking about soup again. Shujia said black chicken soup was good for the body and recommended it, saying that food supplements are better than medicine. The Empress Dowager remembered and said to one of the concubines, "The eldest wife is ill now. Tell Weiwang to make this." The concubine was not young, and since she was talking about the eldest wife, it must be Huifei. Huifei bowed and said, "Tell them to make it when we get home tonight." She thanked the Empress Dowager on behalf of the eldest wife.

The eldest wife is quite pitiful. She gave birth to two daughters in a row and fell ill after giving birth to the second daughter. She has been ill until now and has not recovered. A spoiled girl, married at a very young age, and gave birth to two children in a row in the true sense. She is not even twenty years old yet. During this period, her father was dismissed from office. All kinds of unfortunate things happened to her. It would be strange if she didn't get sick.

Shujia wanted to cry. In this place, with everyone watching, the Empress Dowager, completely oblivious to others, was just talking to her. She felt like she was being glared at. She wanted so badly to experience Hakka culture, eat lychees, see the sea, and try some seafood.

The Empress Dowager finally finished chatting about food. At this point, she regained her confidence. There were many snacks and foods in the palace. Even if they couldn't cook them, she could eat them. She taught the little girl earnestly: "Don't drink greasy soup in the evening, and use seasonal fruits and vegetables..."

The little girl listened eagerly, nodding as she listened. The Empress Dowager felt a special sense of accomplishment. This feeling of...nurturing is wonderful. The Empress Dowager raised a fifth prince, but he didn't do as well as his younger brother in school and exams. It was extremely embarrassing. Now teaching and educating people!

Finally, she finished her words and paused for tea. Seeing Shujia's sweaty forehead, Tong Jia laughed and said, "Grandma, you let this child stand in front of you like this? Her aunt must be jealous." The Empress Dowager then let Shujia return to her seat. Guan gave Shujia a questioning look, and she nodded slightly.

Coming to her senses, the Empress Dowager remembered that there were other girls in the room. She hadn't taken care of them. After reflecting on her situation, the Empress Dowager went back to talking to Pengchun's daughter. She was a very talented girl, well-versed in poetry and prose.

The Empress Dowager also asked, "What have you been doing lately?" Dong E said, "I've been reading a few books, doing some needlework, and talking to mother." There are only so many things a young girl can do these days, and the Empress Dowager had an inherent impression that this girl's words were too profound and she could hardly understand them.

A little, indeed. Dong E was a good girl, capable of everything, and there were few cultural quirks that could stump her. The problem was, there were plenty of Chinese idioms that could stump the Empress Dowager! If she'd said an idiom in Mongolian, or expressed it inaccurately, or used Chinese directly, the Empress Dowager might not have understood.

The Empress Dowager was in agony. She had no choice but to turn her attention to another young girl. Shujia then realized that this was the daughter of the Feiyanggu family, a member of the Ulanara clan. She knew this: the future Fourth Lady. Tears streamed down her face. Finally, I knew it!

Well, the census officials should not be wrong about this, right?

The young girl was extremely composed, looking no less impressive than Dong E. She wore no lingerie and walked with a steady hand. Although a little nervous, she spoke clearly and with a coherent mind, which was quite remarkable. Talking to the Empress Dowager was usually disorganized, as she spoke whatever came to mind, completely devoid of logic.

She has a future! Shujia sighed inwardly. Even if the clerk was wrong, this girl definitely has a future.

The second young lady, who praised others for their promising future, had no idea that at this moment in the not-too-distant Qianqing Palace, someone was deciding her own future.

Kangxi called out to Liang Jiugong, "How is the Empress Dowager doing in the Ningshou Palace these days?" Liang Jiugong bowed and replied, "It's very lively here at the Empress Dowager's. Several nobles have arrived, including the wife of Prime Minister Suo, the wife of Grand Secretary Yi, the wife of Grand Secretary Fei Yanggu..." He promptly reported all the attendees.

Kangxi hummed a sound: "The Empress Dowager asked the maid to come in and talk again?"

Liang Jiugong replied "yes" and stood with his hands lowered and bowed.

Kangxi thought for a moment and said, "Next time the Empress Dowager summons Madam Dong'e or Madam Qishi to speak, or calls on the maids from the Shi family or the Pengchun family, please report to me immediately."