The prince and his wife who are short of money

Kangxi was a bit strict with his sons, rarely giving them any vacations, including winter and summer vacations, but he did grant them wedding leave. Yinreng and Shujia were deprived of honeymoons, but they still had a few days of leisure to enjoy their newlywed life without interruptions.

The above is just in theory.

The couple had only been enjoying each other's company for a few days, chatting and getting along harmoniously, when something unexpected happened. Kangxi suddenly decided to go on an outing—ahem, a "tour of the imperial court." As the crown prince, Yinreng had to handle some of Kangxi's government affairs while he was away. Thus ended their honeymoon.

Yinreng rubbed his hands and went to work honestly. Before leaving, he said to Shujia, "Khan Ama wants to tour the capital, and I have to take care of some chores. When you are free, you can go to Ningshou Palace and talk to the Empress Dowager. If you want to read the books in Yuqing Palace, just send someone to get them."

Shujia said, "That's all right. Just go and do your business. I have plenty of ways to kill time. I can just tidy up and read a book."

Yinreng said, "Yes, I was wondering if there was something I'd forgotten!" He called Eunuch Cui over and said, "Bring the Crown Princess the lists of the maids and eunuchs in Yuqing Palace and Xiefang Palace, the utensils used in various places, and the records of the storerooms."

He had intended this from the beginning. After the eldest prince married, all matters were handled by the first wife, keeping everything in perfect order. No matter how much he hated the eldest prince, Yinreng had to admit that the wife Kangxi had chosen for him was indeed capable of managing the household. If the first wife could manage the household well, his own wife certainly couldn't be any worse!

It was just a newlywed thing, so he just forgot about it for now. Now he was about to start work, and it just so happened that his wife also had some serious work to do.

Shujia accepted this assignment. Men were responsible for external affairs, while women were responsible for internal affairs. This was the rule of the game in this era. She also wanted to familiarize herself with the situation in both Yuqing Palace and Xiefang Palace as soon as possible so that she could think about what to do in the future.

Before leaving, Yinreng gave her two instructions: "Of all the places in the palace, just visit Ningshou Palace more often, and also visit Su Ma Mama's place. Don't visit the other concubines' mothers too much, especially Hui Fei's mother. Just give her face..." He kept nagging for a long time. So far, his wife had never suffered any harm, and she had even cheated others. But they couldn't bear to live in this palace together forever. If they got their feet wet by the river, it would be embarrassing.

Shujia nodded, "I won't have to. Don't worry." She stood up and straightened Yinreng's clothes. She stepped back and looked at him carefully. She asked, "Now that you've finished your work, where are you going to have breakfast? After breakfast, should I go to Ningshou Palace or Xiefang Palace? Or should I stay in Yuqing Palace? Is the Zhanshifu coming to Dunben Palace to do some work?"

Yinreng paused and said, this is a good question.

As mentioned earlier, Yinreng lived in the palace newly built for him by Kangxi, next to Fengxian Hall. It was rectangular and...not very spacious. It was fine before he married, as his concubines were kept further away. He had his office in the front and his bedroom in the back. Now that he was married, his wife couldn't live in Xiefang Hall. Was she supposed to stay in the back hall all day?

To explain, Xiefang Hall was located in the area of ​​the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, designed when the Forbidden City was first built (remodeled into the Southern Three Palaces during the Qianlong Emperor's reign). It was a side hall and currently housed Yinreng's concubine. The original Eastern Palace's main halls, from front to back, consisted of Duanben Hall and Duanjing Hall. During the Qing Dynasty, perhaps for some reason, Emperor Kangxi no longer resided in the Crown Prince's residence, and the original palace designation was removed. This place certainly couldn't have been used as the official venue for the Crown Prince's wedding, nor could it have been the residence of the Crown Princess.

But the former Eastern Palace had one advantage—when it was designed and built, its function was to be a 'Crown Prince's Residence', integrating work, living, and leisure—it was spacious enough! At least much larger than the Yuqing Palace, it could accommodate the Crown Prince's staff and offices, and also settle down the Crown Prince's family.

Yuqing Palace wouldn't work. It was a narrow strip with two doors running horizontally across the front. The Crown Princess couldn't possibly move out of this symbolic place; she was the mistress of it. If someone came in to work, the Crown Princess wouldn't be able to function properly in the back. She'd either have to leave early and stroll around for the day, or stay in the back all day. Obviously, neither option was feasible. If we opened a side door or a back door... you were asking the mistress of the house to use a side door?

Yinreng twitched his lips. "Khan Ama is going on a trip, so I shouldn't bother him with this. I'll report to him when he returns and listen to the emperor's decision. I won't ask them to come over for the next two days." He was already thinking about a solution. He also felt that this place was... too cramped. The living conditions of the Qing Crown Prince were worse than those of the Ming Crown Prince. How cramped!

Shujia calculated that she had a lot of things to do during the day, especially in Xiefang Palace, as she needed to scout out various locations. Yinreng also had work to do, so he probably wouldn't be free until the afternoon, when the officials in the Zhanshi Mansion would have finished their shifts. This wouldn't interfere with his normal life. While she was speculating on a final solution, she sent Yinreng to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Today was Kangxi's departure day, so Yinreng had to go there to hear the instructions.

Shujia's first stop was, of course, Ningshou Palace. Finally free from formal attire, she donned a vibrant red Qi (Chinese flag) makeup, a string of southern pearls dangling from her neck, and a tiara on her head. These were the palace's gifts for newlywed Crown Princesses. They were inlaid with a double happiness symbol carved from red agate, the crown jewels adorned with kingfisher dragons and phoenixes, and the tiaras themselves adorned with various pearl flowers. The heels of the palace shoes were half an inch higher than those worn at home. Wearing them forced her to walk slowly, relying on the hands of palace maids and eunuchs when necessary—not for show, but for safety.

Shujia paid close attention to physical exercise. She had known for a long time that a common problem among homebodies was sub-health. She had been very careful even when she was at her mother's house. When she arrived at the palace, she measured the distance between Ningshou Palace and Yuqing Palace and was very satisfied. She took Hongxiu's hand and said, "Let's walk."

The young eunuch was waiting for her with the sedan chair on his back, and was stunned when he heard this. That was not a very close distance!

Shujia didn't care. Walking like this had many benefits. It not only gave her fresh air but also gave her exercise. It improved her physique and figure. Standing more often kept her from getting a belly.

Walking to Ningshou Palace, the Empress Dowager had just finished dressing up when she saw Shujia coming and was delighted: "The second daughter-in-law is here?" Shujia was sweating, but she had to answer: "Old Ancestor~"

The Queen Mother said, "I was just thinking about you, and you came. It's just right that none of them came, so you came to talk to me."

Shujia thought to herself, I came here just to talk to you.

The two began to gossip, and the Queen Mother said: "Oh, the eldest brother's wife is sick again."

"Sister-in-law is not feeling well? What's the reason? Did you tell the imperial physician that he's gone?"

"Of course it was spread, how else would I know? You silly child!"

"..." Being called stupid by the Empress Dowager, this...

The Empress Dowager transformed into the Goddess of Lightning, also taking on the role of Thunder God. She began to strike thunderbolts, leaning towards Shujia and lowering her voice, like a student whispering in class: "Hey, they were all here the other day, and I didn't bother asking... but... how is the Crown Prince treating you? He doesn't seem like a bad person, so I just asked."

Shujia's eyebrows twitched and she gave a standard answer: "Very, very, very good."

"Then I'll be relieved. I'll have a great-grandson to hug me. Oh, I've been looking forward to this day for so long..."

Shujia: ...I don’t have such plans now!

The Empress Dowager added, "The eldest daughter-in-law is also suffering. She has been sick for the past two years. Oh," she reached out and took Shujia's hand, "I tell you, give birth to a son as soon as possible! This is more important than anything else. Otherwise, it will be suffering. Women without children are miserable."

She was speaking her mind. She had been in the palace for decades and knew better than anyone what it felt like to not have any biological children. Shujia felt goosebumps spreading all the way up her legs. "Is it my turn to have a son, or a child?" she asked.

After a few private words, the concubines arrived one after another. Shujia stood up to greet the mothers of the concubines, and the concubines all stepped aside. The Empress Dowager brought up the old subject again, asking Huifei, "What happened to the eldest wife?" Huifei's heart was almost twisted into a heap. Any woman could guess what the eldest wife's "illness" was: too many children had damaged her health. Now the eldest wife was desperately trying to get her pregnant again, preferably with a son. How could she recover after all this trouble?

Concubine Hui felt a strange feeling permeating the room, as if she had been stripped naked in broad daylight. She forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your concern on behalf of the child. It's too hot, and she's weak. It's just a common ailment."

The Empress Dowager stopped asking and turned to talk about Kangxi: "The Emperor is going out again. It's so hot, he must not get sunburned." The topic shifted, and the concubines began to discuss Kangxi's trip.

They didn't need to think about it; the Imperial Household Department, the chief eunuchs, and others had already thought of everything. Most of these people were just stating their stance. If anyone had thought of something that others hadn't, it would be an unexpected gain.

Shujia was surprised to find that the imperial concubines were quite knowledgeable in medicine. They knew the effects of some common medicines and could even recite many commonly used prescriptions. She couldn't help but praise them, "My mother knows so much."

Concubine Yi smiled and said, "It's nothing. It's just something I eat every day. Just remember it. Who doesn't have some cinnabar pills and poria paste on hand?"

Shujia took note: the people in the palace were not very healthy. Before she traveled through time, she had basically never taken any medicine. She caught a cold every one or two days, and didn't have a fever for three to five years. After traveling through time, she took some care and rarely got sick.

I made up my mind to walk to the Empress Dowager every day, rain or shine. Once in the morning and once in the evening, a walk after dinner would be wonderful!

From then on, one of the fixed items in Shujia's palace life schedule was walking.

Concubine Tong asked Concubine Yi with concern, "Speaking of cinnabar pills, I just remembered that our Eleventh Prince hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days. What's wrong with him?"

Concubine Yi dismissed it as a nausea: "It's just the heat. It's nothing serious." The situation had returned to its former self; every palace master took medicine. Concubine Yi's three sons were now stable, and while she was concerned, she wasn't desperate.

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After returning from Ningshou Palace, Shujia didn't leave on her own, but took the sedan chair. She needed to think things over slowly. Huifei's performance today was already very good. If the whole world didn't know that the Crown Prince and the eldest prince were not on good terms, Shujia would have applauded her. She was indeed a person who could keep things stable.

And then there's Concubine Yi. If you didn't know that Old Nine was a die-hard supporter of the Eighth Prince, someone who would stay with her until death, this woman would truly be a comforting person. Talking to her is just so straightforward. But... Old Nine is only thirteen this year. It's not like she's already committed to Old Eighth Prince for life, is it?

No, that can't be the case. If you think that way, everyone in the world is your enemy. The eldest brother is already a die-hard anti-Princeling Party member, and the eighth brother is a potential anti-Princeling Party member. And he's also dragging in the ninth, tenth, and fourteenth brothers. The fourth and thirteenth brothers are the ultimate winners... Kill them all? That's too stupid, isn't it? Even Yinreng wouldn't have such a crazy idea.

My head hurts.

As for Yinreng, Shujia saw no sign that he had the potential to be deposed. He had a son, and his wife—herself—was also well behaved. Not to mention Yinreng himself, Shujia's most critical view of him was that his greatest flaw was his extravagant lifestyle. This extravagance was permitted by Kangxi.

Perhaps the biggest reason was clique formation? Soetu?

Shujia couldn't understand one thing - why was Yinreng so close to Suo'etu when he was the sixth son of Soni? And why wasn't he close to his uncle's family?

This was the real headache. As the crown prince, he couldn't be foolish, as the emperor would be displeased. Nor could he overdo things, as the emperor would be suspicious. Pulling Yinreng away from Soetu? Shujia pondered this possibility—how could she distancing Yinreng from his maternal uncle, who had protected him since childhood and opposed Mingzhu, the eldest prince's number one supporter?

This is really killing me! As a woman, it is unacceptable for me to interfere in a man’s affairs! Shujia roared in her heart.

Before she could come up with an idea, she got home.

The officials in the Imperial Household Department were more sensible, knowing that the Crown Prince was still on his marriage leave, and hadn't come to disturb him yet. Furthermore, since the Emperor was away, the Crown Prince was currently sorting through memorials from various places in his former residence in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, so they hadn't yet come to the Yuqing Palace to join in the fun.

Shujia dismounted from her sedan chair at the front gate. Eunuch Cui was already waiting there. He personally came to help Shujia up and said, "My lady, the Crown Prince may be a little late for breakfast tonight... I have already prepared the lists of people and belongings in Yuqing Palace and Xiefang Palace and sent them to the back for you."

Shujia knew that Yinreng had been in charge of internal affairs, and now that she was here, he had been demoted. She didn't know what she was thinking. He had been with Yinreng for more than ten years, and he should be used to sitting on a chair, not to mention a person. If she threw him out now, she would be an idiot!

Shujia said, "There's no rush. I'll wait for the prince to come back and then we can discuss it slowly after dinner."

Eunuch Cui smiled and narrowed his eyes: "Yes." Having said that, he helped Shujia into the back hall. Seeing that Shujia had no intention of taking action immediately, he took the initiative to introduce the composition of the people and things under Yinreng's name: "The palace maids and eunuchs in the two places, the eight palace maids and twelve eunuchs serving the prince in Yuqing Palace..."

Summary: Yinreng had eight palace maids and eight eunuchs. Shujia included the four maids she brought with her as a dowry, totaling eight palace maids and eight eunuchs. In Xiefang Palace, Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi each had two palace maids, and the servants of the two young princes were not included. In addition, there were also Su La and maids who provided rough service.

Generally speaking, the population was not large, even less than the total number of servants of the Shi family. This was also because living in the palace, such as sewing and food were arranged separately.

Shujia thought to herself that just because there were only a few people didn't mean they were all reliable. She didn't believe Kangxi was unaware of what was happening with Yinreng unless someone else told her. As for the other concubines, if they truly needed to place one or two people in the palace, it wouldn't be difficult if they were determined. Furthermore, those on the eldest prince's side definitely had every incentive and every means available, whether through bribery or selection.

Therefore, the first step in cleaning up the harem is to select reliable people. As for the two people living in Xiefang Palace, just follow the rules. They did come to pay their respects a few days ago, but it was just to pay their respects. The new Crown Princess is very busy and has no plans to use them. These two can only stay at home in Xiefang Palace. They don't have the qualifications to go out and visit others - what qualifications do they have?

The palace rules had already trapped them in Xiefang Palace, and with Yinreng now tied up in Yuqing Palace, what else was there to worry about? Their brains didn't need to rust. They were being fed and pampered in Xiefang Palace, so they were either stupid or twisted. There was no third possibility.

As for the possibility that he had too much free time and figured out a way to control Yinreng, that was a possibility. However, if Kangxi knew that his son was being controlled by his concubine... Shujia couldn't imagine what he would do.

Am I going too far? Shujia asked herself quietly. She could certainly take the two of them out for a walk, but considering the sour words spoken about the eldest concubine in the palace, she was genuinely afraid that if they went out, they would instigate unrest in the household and leave a bad impression on Kangxi. But for a princess like the Crown Princess to leave without a few people and to effectively put the Crown Prince's concubine under house arrest wasn't a good idea, was it?

Shujia frowned. Palace intrigue and family feuds were truly meaningless. A decision was made. Word was passed down: "If Li Jia is free, she'll be allowed to see the eldest prince once a day." As for Li Jia, she wasn't in the mood to see Yinreng's concubines hanging around. To be discussed. I'll provide you with good food and drink, so don't cause trouble, or we'll have no end in sight.

Eunuch Cui repeatedly praised the Crown Princess as "kind." Shujia smiled as he continued to explain how much Yinreng had. Even he, the person in charge, couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was too much. Basically, whatever Yinreng wanted, Kangxi gave it. Even if Yinreng didn't think of asking for something, Kangxi thought he needed it, so he gave it to him freely.

Shujia said, "We'll talk about those after the prince comes back."

Eunuch Cui thought to himself that this master was easy to serve and very kind to others.

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Yinreng came back with beads of sweat on his forehead. As soon as he entered the room, Eunuch Cui took his hat in a servile manner and took the wet towel that the young eunuch had prepared to take credit for it. Yinreng didn't even look at it, wiped his face, and saw that Shujia was still sitting there: "Did everything go well today?"

Shujia stood up and watched him take off his formal attire. The back of his inner gown was soaked, and the top button was buttoned. "Everything is fine. I heard that my eldest sister-in-law is ill again. Eleventh brother is also a little worried. I was wondering if I should send someone to send something later? Or go and see him myself."

Yinreng curled his lips. "It's good enough that we've been polite to the eldest brother. Eleventh brother... I'll ask the Imperial Hospital for their opinion later. You can prepare some herbs. Take what we have in our warehouse. What do you think is best?"

Shujia took his imperial beads and said, "I haven't had time to look at the things in the warehouse yet. Since we have to ask the Imperial Hospital, why not ask them what's suitable?"

Yinreng said, "Just take two old ginsengs," and glanced at Eunuch Cui, "Why didn't you tell the Crown Princess?" He was dissatisfied, very dissatisfied, "You dog slaves, I'm used to your temper, and you don't listen to what I say!"

Giving ginseng in the middle of summer? You… "I just got back, and I have a lot to do. I need to take my time."

Eunuch Cui wiped his sweat off his forehead. The pressure was indeed much less with the Crown Princess around. He said hurriedly, "I have prepared the list."

Shujia said, "It's so hot, I'm sweating all over. Why don't you change your clothes before eating?"

After changing Yinreng's clothes, they sat down to eat. The palace food was very tempting in terms of color, but the taste was different. Let me correct you: even though it was the Qing court, they didn't always eat the legendary Manchu-Han banquet. You couldn't eat whatever you wanted.

Everyone in the palace had their own meal quota, with instructions for how much pork, mutton, chicken, duck, goose, rice, and vegetables to eat. Generally speaking, it was high in protein, and in the summer, when it was hot, the food was generously portioned and greasy. At first, eating was like experiencing palace life, but after a few days, it was completely unappetizing.

Although hungry, she ate very little. Shujia asked tentatively, "Are there any appetizers?" Eunuch Cui, thinking he needed to cling to the Crown Princess's thigh, quickly said, "What kind of food would you like, Master? There are a few people in the kitchen who can cook light dishes."

Yinreng asked her, "It doesn't suit your taste? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Shujia said, "That's just what I said. I don't think you eat much. If you don't use your energy, how can you have strength? In the summer, there are a lot of melons and vegetables. They are more appealing than meat and go well with rice. I just don't know if you can get used to eating them."

Yinreng was in a period of giving face to his wife. It felt good to have his wife take care of his life, so he asked, "What's delicious?"

Shujia thought about it and decided that rice with water or sour soup would be good in this season. "They're easy to get, and the most important thing is that they taste good."

Yinreng agreed, and they were to be had for dinner.

After dinner, Yinreng stayed. Shujia asked curiously, "Have you finished your business outside?"

Yinreng said, "Khan Ama isn't going far away. I've reviewed the important matters and written a summary and sent it over quickly. Khan Ama finished reviewing all the backlog yesterday and hasn't been very busy lately."

Just then, he returned, and Shujia took inventory of the family property with him. They filtered through the people again, but Yinreng didn't care: "If you're short of people, tell them to send more." Eunuch Cui shuddered. You know, the main reason why Yinreng was short of people was probably because the Crown Prince was upset and ordered him to be beaten with a stick, but he forgot to order the number of strokes and beat him to death.

In the eyes of the courtiers, this was the perfect prince. As for me, he truly treated me like a slave. A slave's life was worthless. Palace maids were better off, but eunuchs, while those who fared well enjoyed a comfortable life, those who fared even less well were living in peril. Yet... the emperor thought the prince's actions were perfectly justified.

Eunuch Cui carefully introduced the resumes of each eunuch: "This one has always been with the Crown Prince, this one was transferred from the tea warehouse last year... This one was originally assigned to Xiefang Palace from Qixiang Palace..."

Shujia looked at Yinreng, who looked as if it was natural, and thought to herself, "You're stupid! You've finally been stupid! Originally, when you moved in, Kangxi and the Empress Dowager were both there, so the people they picked for you should have been pretty good. Plus, the eldest prince was still young, and the concubines were still young, so your people were all reliable."

When you lose your temper and kill someone, you need to add more people. It's hard to say what the background of these replacements is. One or two old men might still intervene, but after a while, they'll treat you like expendable goods and won't pay much attention to you anymore. At this point, it's only natural to add one or two people with ulterior motives, or those who have received favors from others. If they don't do this, they'll be sorry for your foolishness.

Eunuchs are different from palace maids. They stay in the palace for their entire lives. Moreover, palace maids may become your concubines and become more loyal to you. As for eunuchs, if their family members are settled outside, they are dead.

These words could only be buried in my heart for now. Now that I had told Yinreng, whether he believed it or not was one thing—and it was very likely that he did. The problem was, even if he did, what could he do? Complain? I doubt he would. Chop them all down and replace them? There was no guarantee that the people chosen in such haste were honest. Or, perhaps, he simply didn't care—which was quite possible; he was overconfident. And if Shujia spoke out, and there was no evidence to support it, it would alert the undercover agent, and she would have made an invisible enemy. Yinreng's impression of her would also be affected.

I had no choice but to observe slowly, starting with myself, letting trustworthy people do everything. Then I would inquire and investigate from various sources, and pick out those who were untrustworthy.

Then there was Xiefang Palace. Yinreng cared even less about it. In his opinion, it was just a place to keep his concubines and to relieve his boredom. He didn't need to pay any attention to it. He left it all to Shujia: "You can do whatever you want."

Seeing him completely indifferent to that, Shujia felt a mixture of emotions. It was good that he looked down on his concubine, but wasn't that a little too cold?

Little did Yinreng know that she was a concubine, and there was nothing wrong with a little affection. After all, she had given birth to a child, so she was different from other people. However, etiquette was as important as heaven, and no matter how different, she was still a servant. The Crown Princess was the mistress, and of course she had the right to do what she wanted with her—provided she didn't go too far. It was a consensus that a concubine's status was inferior to that of a bastard's. Concubines were servants to both the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, the only difference being how they were used by their respective masters.

Yinreng was a complete novice when it came to household chores. His father had taught him civil and military affairs, and the hardships of the people, but he hadn't taught him the intricacies of the backyard. First, he couldn't give examples, and second, Kangxi himself wasn't well versed. So his approach was simple: follow the rules and regulations. Kangxi knew a bit about the hardships of life, but Yinreng had only one problem: he had no mother. Otherwise, his treatment was incredibly good. He was completely unaware of many human relationships, so if a eunuch wasn't to his liking, he'd replace him, or even kill him and send someone else in. Of course, this wasn't a huge waste, only one or two a year. So, he felt his wife was the one to handle this.

Kangxi was a prince who knew nothing about the harem and let everything go, which was a good thing for Shujia.

Next, take stock of the newlyweds’ non-human possessions.

Shujia broke out in a sweat. The Crown Prince wasn't lacking in wisdom, but money. He was short of money! Very short of money!

Kangxi loved Yinreng and treated him differently in every way. Yinreng's status also determined his uniqueness. The trouble was caused by this uniqueness.

For example, when a prince married, he was given a zuoling (colonial commander) title. He also had a mansion and 230,000 yuan in silver to settle down in, along with farms, shops, and other properties for his bondsers. In Yinreng's case, he married and had a zuoling title, but... he couldn't get a separate mansion! So, while others had money, he didn't.

Take the eldest prince, for example. While he still lives in the palace, it's only a matter of time before he's granted a title and a separate residence. Once he's in a separate residence, he can manage his own businesses, whether through mergers or expansions. The remaining money is his own, free to spend as he pleases. Whether it's buying people's hearts or paying a writer to write a propaganda piece titled "On the Inevitable Demotion of the Crown Prince and the Inevitable Ascension of the Eldest Prince," there's always a budget. Even now, he's been given official business and can leave the palace, so he can hold meetings on his own.

What about Yinreng? He could only stay in the palace, by Kangxi's side, his every move under his watchful eye. Aside from his changing mindset, nothing escaped Kangxi's gaze. While the eldest prince could secretly meet Mingzhu, Soetu had no choice but to come to the palace, leaving Kangxi to witness this man seducing his son and causing him to lose his studies.

Kangxi was extremely generous to Yinreng, allowing him to take whatever he wanted from the Imperial Household Department. Yinreng could live a luxurious life, but he didn't have much money. He was like a salaryman who handed over his salary to his wife every month. His daily needs were well taken care of, but he had little extra cash. If he wanted to have a few drinks or hang out with colleagues, he had to save some money.

As everyone knows, it's easier to persuade the King of Hell than to deal with the little devils. Under two thousand years of patriarchal rule, those who favored the Crown Prince might have been able to gain his favor if Yinreng behaved well. However, many "villains" in key positions were not so easy to deal with. For example, the young eunuchs in the palace, forced to work to support their families, were forced to join the palace. Survival was paramount, and without money, they couldn't be manipulated. No matter how good you treated them, they... would hardly let their entire family starve to death outside for you.

There were also some eunuchs who were already very rich, such as Liang Jiugong, Wei Zhu, and Eunuch Lu. Even Kangxi had to give the latter some face, and he could not get rid of him with a small amount of money.

For example, some ministers are capable but greedy for money! What can you do? There are also those you favor and want to support, but you're not the emperor. A prince can make a fortune with a single word, but not much else. For most of these, you'll need to invest.

For example, if the Crown Prince wanted to give gifts to Kangxi, the Empress Dowager, and others, he couldn't just take them from the Imperial Household Department, right? It's like a working person going through his father's wallet, taking money out and putting it in a red envelope as a birthday present for his father. Are you kidding me?

All of this costs money! Real money! And it's not cheap.

So even though the Yuqing Palace's storehouses were overflowing with treasures, and the Crown Princess brought countless dowries, better than anything the Emperor could afford, it still couldn't change the harsh reality of their lack of money! Having priceless treasures without sufficient hard currency was like having pink Mao Zedongs in a flood, needing only water and bread. It was ridiculous to think about it, but it was the reality before their eyes—they couldn't just smuggle the contents of the storehouse out and pawn them, could they?

From an outsider's perspective, a Crown Princess's duties entail three things: the Crown Prince, servants, and sons. As for the Crown Prince, it seemed like there was no problem at the moment. The two concubines among the servants already had a plan for dealing with it. She was grateful that Kangxi had placed Yinreng in a place that couldn't accommodate any more people, and she knew if there was a spy problem. As for the Crown Prince's sons, considering the age difference between them and Yinreng... as long as Yinreng didn't die young, they had no hope.

Shujia held her forehead with her hand. In her eyes, the first and most important task of a Crown Princess was to make money.

The prince just frowned and said, "That's something for the servants to worry about." He had a lot of servants under his command, and the targets who could be blackmailed were also very good, so he didn't think there was anything to worry about.

Shujia was stunned: "You really don't want me to take care of it? I'm away, and the housework is the women's job. My dowry was also decided by my mother." Have you thought it through?

Yinreng hesitated for a moment, then said, "How could a woman in the palace worry about such a thing?"

Shujia dismissed the crowd and said, "If Khan Ama needs anything, the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Revenue will take care of it. What about us? For Khan Ama's birthday, what should we give him? Should we take things from Khan Ama's treasury and then honor him? Every blade of grass and every tree here was given by the old man. It's not enough to express our gratitude."

Yinreng laughed, "What am I talking about? Khan Ama knows my situation. What you said makes sense. If there's anything I need, I'll just ask the subordinates to do it." He then listed, "Soetu is away, and there are Tong Bao and others. What can't be done?" Shujia said seriously, "It's not a big deal anyway. They are ministers in the court and should do serious things for you."

Yinreng waved his hand, signaling the end of the topic. He believed letting his wife worry about money was a sign of a man's failure, and he felt he hadn't reached that stage yet. Shujia was speechless, still believing it was better to be prepared. She would come up with a plan when she got home and tell Yinreng when he was in a better mood.

Yinreng then said something else: "I haven't seen everything in the storehouse yet. They also have some things for you to use. Do you want to go and take a look?"

Shujia smiled and said, "That's great. It just so happens that my third and fourth brothers are getting married soon, so we should choose something to congratulate them. We are brother and sister-in-law, so the things we present should look presentable."

Yinreng jokingly said, "Now you don't say that everything was given by the old man?"

Shujia wanted to roll her eyes: "That's different."

Yinreng thought with a smile: "Let's go." He reached out and grabbed a folding fan, opened it and waved it, "If you ask me, you should stop busying yourself for now and think about... what rewards you want to give when you return home."

Shujia paused. Yes, the ninth day is just around the corner. The money-making plan, the investigation of Xiefang Palace, and the investigation of Yuqing Palace personnel all need to be arranged as soon as possible.

The author has something to say: The prince treats his new wife well because she's his wife, because she's new, and because she's not a bad person and her family is okay. However, when it comes to people of lesser status, he actually... seems a bit disrespectful. Look up at the sky, Crown Prince!

This pair of idiots have a lot of valuable things but not much hard currency.

Finally, the girl is going home!