The Emperor is never simple

"Last year, Fujian was hit by a drought. Fuzhou and Zhangzhou had no harvest... The grain transport was cut off..."

"Bang! Ding-ding-dang-dang."

Hearing this crackling sound, Yunzhi quietly glanced up to see his brother's reaction. The emperor, who was listening to the report, showed no reaction at all, continuing to calmly follow Li Guangdi's mutterings. The report wasn't very pleasant. The world had been suffering from a severe drought for some time. Since the Lunar New Year this year, more than two years had passed, and not a drop of rain had fallen in the capital.

At this time, I hate to hear any noise that disturbs my peace. There is construction going on not far behind the Qianqing Palace. The noise is disturbing!

Yunzhi lowered his head again. Tsk, tsk, this emperor is really something. He's one of those people who gets into fits of tantrums. He's not stupid, but he always finds the right time to flatter his superiors, like submitting a petition to change his name. And when you think he's being scheming, he'll act out, like breaking the rules at a funeral. I really don't know if he's a con man or just a rookie.

Yunzhi was a well-read man with a wide range of knowledge, possessing a wealth of bizarre and fascinating insights. This time, Yinreng seized the opportunity to renovate the Kunning Palace and even temporarily move his wife into the house across from the Qianqing Palace. Strangely enough, the reason for the Kunning Palace's renovations had become widely known. He would have been unconvinced to suggest that his good second brother hadn't been behind this.

Second brother, you are so tall!

However, this day does have one advantage: it facilitates construction and various ceremonies. Look, the bells have started to jingle again.

Rolling his eyes in boredom, Yinzhi continued to pretend to listen attentively, but his heart was already at home. His birth mother, Concubine Rong, had moved into his Chengjun Mansion, and a series of renovations had been carried out there. Modeled after the palace, the west wing of the mansion had been renovated and converted into Concubine Rong's residence. The other brothers who had taken their birth mothers in had probably followed the same path.

Yunzhi was still thinking that since he had to observe mourning this year, he probably wouldn't be able to go on a tour outside the Great Wall. The late emperor died in the summer, and if he did, he wouldn't be able to attend the anniversary ceremony in person. It would be fine at other times, but on this first anniversary, the emperor must personally offer sacrifices.

Then I won't be able to go out and see Princess Rongxian. Princess Rongxian does have close relative leave, which is sixty days a year. When she comes, she will definitely come to see my mother. I wonder if my niece will come with her?

While he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Yinreng ask from above: "What do you think?"

What were we talking about? Yunzhi tried to recall. Oh, right, we had already talked about the drought and the fact that the late emperor's anniversary was coming soon and the emperor would go to the mausoleum in person. Yunzhi said, "Your Majesty is very filial. I am willing to accompany you."

Yinreng certainly noticed his brother's distraction, and he felt somewhat helpless. Yunzhi had done him a great service. It was he who exposed Yunti's evil deeds and sent his greatest enemy to prison. It was also he who initiated the change of the "Yin" in his brothers' names to "Yun" to avoid the new emperor's name.

Yunzhi's shortcomings are also obvious. He has a bit of the temper of a sour scholar, is a bit nagging, a bit petty, and a bit out of tune.

Here we go again! People who don't make big mistakes but keep making small ones are the most difficult to deal with.

Speaking of the word "again", it is naturally because there are other similar characters who have made contributions to the new emperor, but they themselves have shortcomings of one kind or another that make them useless, which gives Yinreng a headache!

Today, Yinreng was listening to the report from the Grand Secretary in the East Side Hall of the Qianqing Palace. Of course, some of his brothers and sons were also present.

Our old friend Li Guangdi, thanks to his outstanding performance, still holds a seat in the current cabinet. Traditionally, one seat was reserved for the Manchu Banner, currently held by Ma Qi. Yinreng also added a favored member, Wang Xian, to the cabinet, forming the new cabinet alongside Wenda and Xiao Yongzao.

Overall, it did not change the overall situation of the Kangxi period.

Everyone in the court breathed a sigh of relief. They had assumed the new emperor would usher in a major change of leadership! Back in the Ming Dynasty, when the factional strife was rampant, it was a bloody mess. A change in power meant a purge. The factional strife was gone now, but even a rotten boat still had three pounds of nails, so at least a few useful ones had to be left behind, right?

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, there was another person who was just as weird as Cao Yin, who held a good position but could never pay much money. This person was Soetu.

Soetu's judgment in selecting people is truly... sigh-worthy. It's not that the people he chose were idiots; in fact, some of them were quite capable. However, competence was secondary. Those who hung out with him, regardless of their ability, were completely devoid of integrity.

Let's not talk about Soetu himself. If it weren't for Yinreng's quick thinking, he would have been demoted by Kangxi. His teammates were also quite skilled in the officialdom, such as Qi Shiwu, the current Minister of Justice, and Tuoheqi, the commander of the infantry. Another example is Galin, the Governor-General of Liangjiang. He served as the Governor of Shanxi for ten years, was promoted to the rank of Vice Minister, and was appointed Governor-General of Liangjiang last year.

These were officials who rose through the ranks of Emperor Kangxi after Soetu's retirement. They were quite capable, but on the other hand, they were also very good at doing bad things.

Bribery and corruption are nothing. These days, who in office doesn't want to make a little extra cash? They'll also spare no effort in cracking down on dissidents. If you make a mistake and someone impeaches you, they'll find an opportunity to get you killed. Sometimes, they'll even gang up on you!

MD! Sooner or later it will be your turn. It’s hard to find a three-legged frog, but there are plenty of people with two legs!

However... governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; it's done one step at a time! Don't assume that just because these sudden, sudden reforms appear to be ordered overnight, they were simply made on the spur of the moment. Successful reforms are always the result of repeated deliberation and planning; hastily issued orders are rarely successful.

Yinreng was waiting, waiting for an opportunity. Before that, he just carefully extended his tentacles into the relevant fields little by little, and when he had a clear understanding of the situation and completed the layout, he would strike with lightning speed.

For example, now.

Li Guangdi reported, "Left Vice-Chief Censor Qingde is in mourning. The position is vacant. We have drawn up a list of princes to fill the position. Please, Your Majesty, make your decision."

Yinreng took a quick look and suddenly became interested. He learned from his father and, in addition to appointing Qingde, the Manchu Left Vice-Chief Censor, he also made a major reshuffle of the six ministries and nine officials. In the end, the Left Vice-Chief Censor was transferred, and Wang Fan, originally a Shangshu, was promoted to Grand Secretary. This left a Shangshu rank vacant, and it was a Han official.

Yinreng casually said, "Originally, Zhao Shenqiao of Pianyuan was appointed as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Censorate."

Hearing this gave me a headache. Zhao Shenqiao? The guy who was always looking for trouble and kicking trees everywhere? The one who was so angry about the late emperor?

Yinreng knew that Zhao Shenqiao was not to blame for this, as others said he was demanding. Yinreng said in his conscience that the bad habits of his subordinates should be cured!

Yinreng looked at his brothers again and sprinkled a handful of bait among the threads he had buried before: he was going to assign his brothers another task.

Everyone knows that working under one's biological father is completely different from working under one's half-brother. When a prince joins a ministry to gain experience, he usually gets a lucrative position and is respected. Suddenly becoming the emperor's younger brother still puts him in a superior position, but his situation is a little worse.

Now the new emperor has actually expressed his intention to continue employing them, which is great news. The third brother, of course, joined the Ministry of Rites, while the fourth brother was given a lucrative position by his second brother: the Imperial Household Department! As for the younger brothers, the emperor said he needed to reconsider.

The morning meeting ended, and everyone went about their business. Those preparing to visit graves did so, those preparing to provide disaster relief did so, and those preparing to issue personnel appointment and dismissal orders did so. The emperor was left in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where he leisurely closed his eyes amidst the noise pollution of construction. What was his next move?

He did not issue orders randomly. Appointing Zhao Shenqiao as the Left Censor-in-Chief was a signal: People below, you have made enough trouble, so please restrain yourself a little, otherwise I will report you to someone else. But I will protect you.

Of course, letting the fourth brother take charge of the Imperial Household Department was also for this reason, and the third brother's appointment to the Ministry of Rites was just a cover-up. Yinreng knew that his younger brother was a bit paranoid, or perhaps, naive.

If Yinreng had lived through the 21st century, he would probably have understood that his brother was just like the type of person you see online: arguing over trivial matters, he'd have to argue about who's who. Even if someone says, "Let's seek common ground while reserving differences and coexist peacefully," he'd chase them down and chatter, determined to eliminate the "difference."

Although he was paranoid, he wasn't a particularly cruel person. Those who were separated from their families initially engaged in some illegal activities to supplement their household income. For example, they would open a shop outside or seize someone's property. People like Yunti, relying on his status as the eldest prince, could force people to death. Today's rising stars like Yunlu also engaged in similar behavior. However, Yunzhen was a bit better at "stealing money but not killing." As long as he could make a living, he wouldn't push people too hard if they had no grudges or hatred against him, and would always leave them a way out.

Serious, yet too cruel.

Let him take charge of the Imperial Household Department.

With the administration being so chaotic, who should we appoint? Yinreng fell into deep thought.

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"Grandfather, what do you think of these girls?" Shujia was in Ningshou Palace at this time, accompanying the Empress Dowager to select palace maids. The atmosphere around them was full of joy.

The maids were thrilled. Many of them had been waiting to return home this year, and with the new arrivals coming soon, they could mentor and train them until they were ready for their posts, then hand them over to the newcomers before they could leave. According to the original regulations, they wouldn't have been able to leave this year, but thanks to the Empress's suggestion and the Emperor's benevolent policies, they had unexpectedly been given this opportunity, and they were all overjoyed.

The Empress Dowager was not very interested: "Just look at it carefully, my eyesight is not very good, I can't see clearly."

Shujia raised her chin to Huamei, who waved to the waiting maids below, "Come a few steps forward."

The Empress Dowager randomly pointed at a few: "You, you, you, you, that's all."

Shujia nodded: "Leave their brand."

The Grand Empress Dowager said to Shujia, "You need more people too. Select them quickly and have them take good care of you. Oh, your illness has made me so worried. Don't overwork yourself. Get some rest. Oh, Kunning Palace isn't finished yet. Where are you going to live?"

The concubine had just moved out. Although she hadn't fled for disaster, the palace she left behind was a bit messy. It needed to be renovated before it could be used as a place for people to live, and there were also things that needed to be added. Neither of them was very comfortable to live in.

Shujia smiled and said, "Zhaoxiang Law Firm is pretty good."

The Zhaoxiang Residence mentioned here was located behind the Ningshou Palace, where the imperial daughters lived, separate from the princes' quarters. As Kangxi's daughters died or remarried, the residence became vacant. During the initial construction of the Ningshou Palace, the Imperial Household Department, under the emperor's orders, also renovated it and furnished it beautifully.

The Imperial Household Department did not dare to neglect it. The emperor now had only one daughter, Princess Gulun, who must not be offended.

The Empress Dowager said happily, "It's much closer to me."

"Yes, you can come visit more often."

"Yes, bring Wu Yunzhu too! I miss her! It's more lively with more children." The Empress Dowager began to miss Kangxi's harem. There were so many people, so she never lacked someone to play with. Although they were sometimes quiet (huh?), it was still lively.

Shujia agreed.

The Empress Dowager casually expressed her thoughts: "I wonder how the mothers of the third, fourth, and fifth sons are doing."

"If you want to see them, just call them in."

"Right, right! Tell them to bring some of their children along. It'll be more lively with more people!"

"Whatever you say is what it is."

After a few more conversations, Shujia returned with Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi to handle the affairs. The main task was to select personnel, both palace maids and eunuchs. The Empress's quota of ten palace maids, fifteen eunuchs of all ranks, plus internal supervisors and other servants, all of whom needed to be selected. The other two also needed to be filled in for the service. Let's take a look at Shujia's intentions.

The two had been notified of their promotions beforehand, and a sense of finally having made it came naturally. Li Jiashi was lucky; she had a son and a daughter-in-law, and she was already a concubine, with grandchildren on the horizon, so her ambitions were somewhat tempered. The other concubines were also trying to imitate them, hoping they could leave the palace and become old queens in their old age. They should strive to live two more years, striving for a long life, without competition or loss.

When selecting people, Li Jiashi prioritized honesty and dedication, seeking only those who were suitable for the job. Furthermore, once a concubine was granted the title of consort, she would become the head of a palace, with a seat at the table. She could legitimately accept the gifts of her son and daughter-in-law and manage their affairs. Hongxi's servants would definitely need to be increased, so Li Jiashi naturally had to keep an eye on her son.

Li Jiashi, however, had other ideas. A woman's main concern was having someone to rely on. She was a few years older than the Crown Princess. By the time the Emperor was out of mourning, she would be nearly forty, and seeing she couldn't have children, she came up with the idea of ​​borrowing a womb. She intended to pick two good-looking ones and keep them, recommending them when she had the chance.

The palace maids were of low birth and might not necessarily have a prominent position even if they had children. At the beginning, they could only be given the rank of "Yingying" or "Changzai". If they were lucky enough to give birth to a boy, they would be promoted to "Guiren". They were not qualified to raise the children. If they begged for help, they might be able to get this little face because they were senior.

Shujia watched coldly, but in her heart she was thinking, there are so many eunuchs on hand, how should they be assigned positions? There are only three supervisors among the fifteen eunuchs, and the rest are just soldiers.

Zhao Guoshi, needless to say, was the chieftain of the seventh rank. The difficulty lay in the fact that there were two other eighth-rank attendant chieftains. Who should he give the title to? Shujia thought to herself, why not just hand this matter over to Zhao Guoshi?

As for palace maids, they still needed to be strong and capable. Shujia even considered lowering the age for leaving the palace after a while, perhaps even to twenty-three.

Because there were so many vacancies and it was unreliable to fill them all at once, Shujia selected a "big girl" and sent her to Hongxiu for training, concluding the day's interviews. Wu Yunzhu came over with a shambling figure, followed by a string of nannies and wet nurses. Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi greeted the princess and tactfully withdrew.

Shujia clapped her hands and opened her arms. Wu Yunzhu giggled and rushed over: "Mother, I missed you."

"Where did you miss me?"

"Everywhere!" he answered firmly.

Shujia picked her up. This little girl was not as heavy as her brothers, which made Shujia feel fortunate: "Come, mother, let's see if our Wuyunzhu has remembered yesterday's homework."

"Awooo~ Memorizing again..."

Shujia raised her hand and spanked her little butt: "You're being naughty again. Come here, let me tell you a story~" (Don't hold out hope for her teaching methods. These modified fairy tales are really bad for children.)

While the mother and daughter were playing parent-child games, the concubines who were living outside the palace suddenly received a call from the Empress Dowager: Come and play with me and make me happy~

Not only do they have to go themselves, but they also have to bring their grandson along. People often talk about the Eight Banners' dandies, but in reality, such statements are somewhat one-size-fits-all and not entirely fair. Many banner families, such as the current royal family, place great importance on their children's education. It's truly astonishing that these children find it harder than their peers: their academic workload is even heavier than that of adults who must pass exams on the Four Books and Five Classics. It's truly incomprehensible! History proves that the talents of this family weren't cultivated through academics, but rather through the experience of engaging in various forms of quarreling.

However, Emperor Kangxi used his sons to prove that his educational method could produce talents, so it was continued in use.

Therefore, when Kangxi's grandsons reached adulthood, they were forced to endure the hardships of studying in the palace. This hardship was seen by others, but in the eyes of themselves and their parents, attending the palace was a matter of honor. Due to the large number of candidates, those who were not selected to enter the palace cried bitterly and were filled with envy and resentment. Responsible parents would also hire famous teachers at home to teach their sons the same methods used in the palace.

That is to say, among the boys, all the school-age children are studying, and the ones who are free at home are preschoolers.

It was time to visit the Grand Empress Dowager again, and the concubines unanimously chose to bring their eldest granddaughter. Firstly, she was older and more familiar with the rules, so she wouldn't make a fool of herself. Secondly, after the mourning period ended, they had to prepare for an arranged marriage, and after two years of preparation, the formalities were almost ready.

Needless to say, the young girls in each mansion were yearning for the opportunity to enter the palace and meet the Empress Dowager, and their mothers were also thinking about it.

Speaking of which, the concubines lived a very comfortable life outside the palace. Huifei knew Yunsi and his wife well, and they were extremely polite to each other, a sense of distance creating beauty. Huifei didn't interfere with the affairs of Yunsi's palace, but simply stayed in the courtyard specially prepared for her (?), chanting Buddhist scriptures, or occasionally going out for a walk. Most often, she would visit and talk with Defei at the Yongwang Mansion next door.

As for Concubine De, Yinreng still hadn't released his brothers from the palace, repeatedly delaying it, finally setting a date after the first anniversary of Emperor Kangxi's reign. Concubine De had only one son outside the palace, and she didn't want to wait for the Fourteenth Prince outside the palace. The Fourth Prince felt it was too embarrassing, so after much hesitation and with the strong invitation of his daughter-in-law, he finally went to the Prince Yong's residence.

The Prince Yong's residence had been meticulously prepared for her arrival. The newly renovated courtyard, planted with flowers and trees, and a small Buddhist shrine, showed Yunzhen's aesthetic taste was truly remarkable. Upon her arrival, Concubine De fell in love with the place. She also noticed her daughter-in-law was quite nice, and her grandson was adorable. Her son, though a little awkward, was something she could tolerate since they didn't see him often.

With nothing to do, Concubine De just chanted some Buddhist scriptures. The next day, she found several large, handwritten Buddhist scriptures and a string of prayer beads on her desk. The dark color of the beads shone with a hint of precious light, a calm and mysterious feeling that brought peace of mind to her hands.

Concubine De recognized the handwriting on the Buddhist scripture; it was written by her son. Concubine De was a self-taught person, having slowly acquired her knowledge during her long career in the harem. With a long sigh, she closed the scroll and pondered. This son was indeed thoughtful.

After receiving the order from the Grand Empress Dowager, Concubine De couldn't help but make some plans for her grandchildren. The oldest girl in the palace was the Second Princess, born to the concubine Li (the eldest princess died young). She was seventeen years old this year. If her grandfather hadn't passed away last year, the marriage ceremony would have been completed this year.

Take her there!

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Defei and Huifei agreed to go out together. Huifei was a bit special, as she was bringing Yunsi's biological daughter. She would rather have brought her own grandson and granddaughter, hoping that the Empress Dowager would have compassion and release the children. However, after weighing the pros and cons, she swallowed her words. Of course, she didn't know that she would be pleasantly surprised later on.

Arriving at Ningshou Palace, he brought his granddaughter to pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager. The Grand Empress Dowager was delighted: "Come quickly, come quickly, let me see. Is this the fourth prince's daughter? Is this the eighth prince's daughter? Come and see, the third prince's daughter, the fifth prince's daughter, and the seventh prince's daughter are here too."

Indeed, these three needed no connection; they had already arrived. Concubine Rong brought her own granddaughter, the second daughter of the Third Concubine (the eldest daughter was also deceased), who was eleven years old this year. Concubine Yi brought the Fifth Prince's eldest daughter, born to the concubine Liu Jia. She was fourteen years old. Concubine Cheng brought Yunyou's eldest daughter, whose mother was the favored concubine Nala. She was sixteen years old this year.

Except for Yunsi's daughter who was still young and was held by her wet nurse, the other princesses performed the ceremony themselves.

The Empress Dowager was pleasantly surprised: "Oh, so many people!" She then said to Wu Yunzhu in her arms, "Do you recognize them?"

Wu Yunzhu slipped down from the old lady's arms and greeted the concubines one by one, but she didn't recognize any of her cousins. Shujia sat opposite the Empress Dowager and beckoned her over, introducing her to each one. Wu Yunzhu was also sweet-mouthed, calling out to each one, "Hello, sister."

This creature was new to her, and she was full of enthusiasm for it, especially Yunsi's daughter, who was of the same age, a few months older, and a perfect companion.

The Grand Empress Dowager was also not idle. She handed out some greeting gifts and asked each of her great-granddaughters one by one: "How old are you? What do you do at home?"

The princesses mostly read, embroider, and do their boudoir homework, but the Grand Empress Dowager had no interest in any of this. However, she was quite touched by the interesting stories about the outside world that the concubines told her. She left her great-granddaughter behind and chatted with her daughters-in-law.

The princesses were also busy, trying to memorize and reflect: So the Grand Empress Dowager liked to say these things. Grandmother had reminded them, but even if the concubines had, the princesses' education had made it difficult for them to grasp the meaning. This personal experience was truly profound. They pondered for a long time, but simply couldn't follow the old lady's train of thought.

Seeing they were somewhat bewildered, Shujia knew that the old lady was not someone who could handle a first meeting. She asked them about their lives and their reading experiences. The girls were well-educated and had sharp tongues. Shujia happily gave each of them a small gift: "Come and pay your respects to the Grand Empress Dowager often, and talk to me, too."

The Empress Dowager had been a bit short of energy since Kangxi's death. After a while of excitement, she tired out and sent everyone out to play. Concubine Yi and Concubine De both had sons in the palace, and their wives also brought their children of appropriate age to join in the fun. The Empress Dowager was in a good mood and waved her hand: "You can also go sit with the Ninth and Fourteenth Princes."

The princesses who were able to enter the palace were also secretly holding back their efforts. Who wouldn't want to perform better? Moreover, being able to enter the palace would make their sisters at home envious.

Everyone received rewards from the Empress Dowager and the Queen, so it would be a great honor to go back, right?

What they don’t know at this time is that the better they perform, the more they will be separated from their family!

This year marked the sixtieth anniversary of the death of Emperor Kangxi, and Yinreng made extraordinarily thorough preparations, personally attending the ceremony. By the time he returned, it was already late March, just as the Kunning Palace had been completed for renovations.

Kunning Palace had already been renovated for several months, and the painted walls and other decorations were all new, so there was nothing to touch. It just needed to put the furniture in storage and modify the doors, which shouldn't take that long. The doors were already there, so they could just be removed and installed in the center after the walls were built.

However, Kunning Palace originally had another function: offering sacrifices to the gods. Moving this location would have been a major undertaking. Li Guangdi, with his intellectual prowess, resorted to various methods to force the relocation of the sacrificial site to Yuqing Palace, adjacent to Fengxian Hall. As for the crown prince, he could work in the East Palace, in the front hall, and sleep in the back hall, living a life of seclusion.

Yinreng, who really wanted to build the Kunning Palace, naturally hypocritically called people to discuss it, and then decisively rejected all objections and approved it.

Now, the Crown Prince’s office has been moved as a whole, and then all the sacrificial items in Kunning Palace have been moved to Yuqing Palace, and then the decoration work will begin.

When the renovation was completed and the furniture was about to be moved in, Shujia intervened and redesigned the furnishings of Kunning Palace with only one decorative principle: to be different from the past.

The brand new Kunning Palace has a different feeling.

For this reason, the emperor ordered the wives and ladies of state to come and pay their respects to the empress again and visit the Kunning Palace.

After the Kunning Palace was renovated, Shujia was again worshipped here, and the maidservant was changed to Ma Qi's wife. Ma Qi himself had been appointed as the Zhanshi of the Zhanshi Mansion by Yinreng earlier - following his father's style.

Next, it was Li Jia and Li Jia who received the tribute. These two finally made it out of the shadows: Concubine Mao Li Jia was relocated to Yongshou Palace, while Concubine Qian Li Jia was relocated to Yikun Palace. Ordinarily, the matter would have ended there, but then, everyone was stunned by another imperial decree.

In order to show his sincerity in treating his brothers well, the emperor decided to share some of their financial problems even though he himself was a little short of financial resources: he helped several of them raise their daughters, and of course, he also paid for the dowry, and the son-in-law... he was also the one who chose one!

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The second daughter of Yunzhi, the second daughter of Yunzhen, the first daughter of Yunqi, and the first daughter of Yunyou all won the bid, without exception.

I specifically mentioned that the legitimate daughter was taken away because the others were all illegitimate. I have to mention Kangxi's arranged marriage method to cheat his daughters-in-law. First, the concubines were arranged. Some concubines took advantage of the time and place and could make a good relationship through their own efforts. Then, the legitimate wife died tragically and the concubines gave birth to the eldest son and daughter.

Now, a second emperor has emerged, plucked the hearts of these favorite concubines one by one. Not only are the daughters taken away terrified, but the others in the palace are also terrified—the emperor's own daughter is too young! Concubines naturally have face and are a little more beloved, giving them more confidence to cry and make a scene. It's not like the wife has to maintain a stable image and be magnanimous.

Just cry, even if crying won’t make you stop, you have to act like a good kid.

Wherever the decree was issued, ghosts cried and wolves howled.

The chosen ones hugged their birth mothers and cried like pigs. Entering the palace was one thing, but leaving these girls to their parents was another. Adopting an imperial concubine meant they were Heshuo Princesses; this was common sense. Everyone wanted the honor of a princess, but the pain of separation from their parents was much harder to bear.

What? You said, "Master, the Emperor must have adopted our daughter because she is young and is waiting for someone to pacify Mongolia. You can't just watch our daughter eat sand!"

You see, someone actually said it. It was the seventh prince's concubine. She was quite favored. It would be good for a daughter to be called a princess, but marrying her far away was too sad!

Yunyou scolded her anxiously: "You know shit!"

Nala had never been scolded like this before, and she cried even harder, feeling a little aggrieved. She timidly asked, "What do you mean, Master?"

"Bah! Even if you don't send her to the palace, the higher-ups have arranged a marriage for her and told her to go to Mongolia. Can you still disobey the order? You're getting married anyway, so why not marry her decently? You're far from being a princess or a county lady!" Look, after all, she came out of the palace, so her awareness is different.

The one who was speaking was Concubine Yi. She was scolding her son's concubine. Why was she crying? She was crying so hard that her head hurt!

What an idiot! These people are the granddaughters of the Emperor Kangxi after all. They are different from those who Kangxi once said, "If you can't afford to support them or prepare a dowry, just send them to me and I will even provide shipping." Those princesses have fathers of low rank and their families have autonomy, so they can marry in the capital.

But Kangxi's granddaughters, according to the law, should be reported to the Imperial Clan Court when they reached a certain age, and the emperor would give them different levels of titles at his discretion. And then... most of them would be arranged to marry! Where else could this be arranged? Many people chose Mongolia.

The princess has her own palace, and my lady, it’s up to you to decide whether you have a palace or not!

All the other princely palaces likely experienced similar situations, with the Cheng Palace being the only exception. Yunzhi was rather impulsive, saying, "She might not be able to escape the Mongol pacification. This is all for the best; at least it's more respectable." The Third Lady thought about it and agreed. As the legitimate wife, she could visit her daughter frequently. Concubines, those who hadn't received the title of Concubine, should take better care of themselves.

But the girl cried: "From now on, Ama is not Ama, and E'mother is not E'mother."

Yes, from now on I can only call my biological father uncle and my biological mother aunt.

If you count carefully, you will find that the emperor never does business at a loss. He would collect a daughter as interest for releasing a concubine. Concubine Hui was a special case. Her granddaughter could not become a princess no matter what, but she had to take care of Mongolia.

Even in such a situation, there were still those who were envious, jealous, and resentful. One representative example was the Seventh Concubine. Why? That little devil had given birth to both sons and daughters, while she only had a daughter. Originally, after Kangxi's reforms, there would be a difference in rank between legitimate daughters and concubines' daughters when they were canonized, which would have made the Seventh Concubine feel better.

Now, the concubine's daughter has become a princess, and the legitimate daughter can only be a princess. The Seventh Lady is jealous. My daughter! What will happen to your future? Mother is so wronged for you!

Even so, everyone still had to happily send their daughters to the palace. Those who weren't chosen are feeling a little sad, and you, the chosen one, are crying. No one sympathizes with you except yourselves. You're so hypocritical, you're so ungrateful after getting the advantage.

Concubine Yi's words are spot on. Do you think changing her tune means she won't pacify Mongolia? Higher status is actually a form of security. Shunzhi adopted a daughter and married her to the Three Feudatories; Kangxi also adopted a daughter and pacified Mongolia. These are both established precedents.

Under the evil feudal autocratic system, people would be thanked and praised for the emperor's grace for snatching someone's daughter. This kind of gratitude was relatively sincere, at least there would be no complaints in the heart. It was also a strange sight.

To demonstrate his brotherly love, Yinreng also allowed Yunti's eldest son to continue his education in the palace. Before he married, he was placed in the care of the empress and lived in the collective dormitory for the princes. He also sent teachers to Yunti's confinement to teach cultural courses to his other sons.

I'm convinced! I'm really impressed.

At least Shujia was truly impressed by Yinreng's generosity. Perhaps, centuries later, someone will say: "Drawing circles was the prince's conspiracy. Look, he fought with the eldest prince for so long. Do you believe he didn't plot against the eldest prince?" The third prince who exposed the truth was a member of the prince's faction, and Kangxi couldn't even see that. And then, look, his subsequent generosity—wasn't he just trying to make amends out of a guilty conscience?

But Shujia knew that wasn't the case. Did she need to defend herself? No, future generations would judge her merits and demerits.

I'm convinced! Yunsi also said so. I finally understand why Concubine Hui was sent to me!

The author has something to say: **, try smoking again!

Comes with a mini-theater:

One day, an elder from the imperial clan tactfully advised: "Your Majesty, the harem is so empty and deserted, it's like the set of a horror movie, isn't it a bit unpleasant? Shouldn't you fill up the harem?"

Emperor: Have you ever read a book?

The answer is: I have read it.

Emperor: So you can write?

The answer is: Yes.

Emperor: All right then. Go back and copy Feng Yansi’s “Visiting Jinmen” 120 times and hand it in.

[Huh? Why is that?]

[Fuck you!]