Things before the tour

Before leaving the palace, concubines were required to kowtow and bid farewell to their masters—no matter who they were assigned to, the Empress Dowager was always considered their master. Ningshou Palace was like half a home to Shujia. Her son rested there when he was tired, and she would eat and nap there when her husband was away on business. She would share her delicious meals with the Empress Dowager, and so on.

With such a lively event taking place in Ningshou Palace, the Empress Dowager hadn't forgotten to call the Crown Princess to come and watch. While the concubines hadn't arrived yet, the room was already full of concubines and wives. Because Kangxi hadn't kept anyone else, the concubines were particularly cheerful and cheerful. Concubine Yi said to Concubine Tong, "Time flies by! Just before the Lunar New Year, I was saying how busy we'd be this spring and summer. And in the blink of an eye, it's all gone."

Concubine Tong said, "That's right, it's almost June."

The Empress Dowager smacked her lips. "Has another half a year already passed? How come I haven't noticed any changes at all?"

This old lady's cultivation had truly reached a certain level. A line suddenly popped up in Shujia's mind: "There are no sixty years in the mountains, and the years pass by unnoticed when the cold ends." She smiled faintly and said, "That's because you've been concentrating on the past six months. When people are busy, they don't notice how quickly time flies."

Rong Fei sighed, "Never mind the past six months. When I saw these young girls, I suddenly remembered the time when I entered the palace. How many years have passed in the blink of an eye?"

De Fei sat close to her and pushed her: "You are the one who thinks too much. I think you don't have to worry about anything, so you are imagining nonsense."

Concubine Yi clapped her hands and said, "Exactly, exactly. Others are so busy that they forget the time, but you're so idle that you miss the time. You're truly a person without worries. Princess Rongxian and the Third Prince have both started families and established careers, and they're living comfortably. They don't require a mother like you to worry about them, so doesn't that give you some free time?"

The Empress Dowager's feeling of disappointment at Rong Fei's words was dispelled by De Fei and Yi Fei. She pondered, "It seems I'm too idle. Starting tomorrow, I should recite the sutra once more every year."

Everyone rolled their eyes in their hearts. You really are so bored that you have to find something to do.

Everyone laughed and joked for a while, and no one below the rank of imperial concubine dared to interrupt. This was the concubines and the Crown Princess entertaining the Empress Dowager. Their status was slightly lower, so they couldn't be so tactful as to tease someone of higher status in person. They all listened with a smile, occasionally widening theirs when the concubines laughed. The smile was somewhat feigned, yet also somewhat genuine. It wasn't because the concubines were amusing, but because... the first group of people arriving would be the Eighth Prince's concubines.

The person who was most pleased was probably Concubine He. She and Concubine Wang were the two women Kangxi had greatly favored in recent years, and Concubine Wang was the younger one. However, Concubine Wang already had three sons, and she had given birth to a daughter who died young, so she naturally hoped for the chance to have a son. Those who were named were chosen by the emperor himself to join the harem, and since no one had been named this year, the first wave of those who arrived were the princes' concubines. How could Concubine He and other childless people not be happy?

The order of concubines leaving the palace, or rather, the emperor's arranged marriages, was as follows: first on the list, second to the prince, third to the royal family, and finally to the unsuccessful. Even if a concubine had entered the palace as a noble, she would still be ranked before the prince's wife. Similarly, if a concubine was assigned to a poor prince as a concubine, and the unsuccessful one was eventually betrothed to a powerful official as his wife, this concubine would still be ranked before the legitimate wife.

Although Shuyi is the future wife of Prince Yu, theoretically her husband is inferior to the prince. That is, Yinsi is still only a Beile now, and he has the advantage of being a prince, so he is ranked above Baotai.

When the Eighth Prince's concubine entered, Concubine Liang's eyes widened. Although she was the head of a palace, she had many mountains weighing on her head. In the harem alone, there were one imperial concubine and four concubines. She had no say in the selection of concubines. But she also cared about her son, so even if she could see a concubine a few more times at this last moment, it would give her some peace of mind.

Kangxi said to Concubine Tong and the Empress Dowager: "It is a little difficult for the Eighth Prince to have children. It would be better to choose two girls who have the appearance of being suitable for bearing a son."

Concubine Tong and the Empress Dowager had indeed chosen their daughters according to this standard. Just looking at these two fifteen-year-old girls made Shujia feel festive. They had round faces and round eyes, and their noses weren't the pointed, cute little ones, but rather a slightly rounded tip.

What a pity that he met the Eighth Concubine. I wonder if she will still be able to smile after entering the mansion?

The two came in and kowtowed to the Empress Dowager, who smiled and praised them: "You look like a blessed child. Go show her to your Master Hui and Master Liang." She also did not forget to let the mother-in-law see her daughter-in-law, although this daughter-in-law had to be discounted.

When Concubine Hui saw that these two were obviously different from the two given to Yinzhi, she swallowed a sigh and said to Concubine Liang with a smile: "Look at them too, they are honest children."

Liangpin also took a look and was quite satisfied with their appearance. She smiled and said, "They are both good children." As she said that, she nodded to Huifei and Tongfei.

After these two stepped aside, it was Shuyi and the others who were being betrothed to members of the imperial clan. Shuyi had the best prospects of any of the selected women, while the others, including the two concubines mentioned earlier, were less promising. The other women who had come in with Shuyi were being betrothed to princes and dukes, and generally speaking, it wasn't as grand as in previous years, with the frequent appearances of princes' wives and imperial concubines.

After the ceremony, the Empress Dowager said to Shujia, "From now on, you sisters will be a family again." Concubine Tong also smiled and said, "Among the Empress Dowager's granddaughters-in-law, there will be another pair of sisters." Concubine De said to Concubine Yi and Concubine Rong, "You two are so lucky." The Third Lady and the Ninth Lady are cousins.

The Empress Dowager became interested and counted on her fingers, saying disappointedly: "There are only these two couples, no others." There were three couples in Kangxi's palace, but it was not appropriate to talk about them at this time.

The concubines weren't very familiar with the imperial clan, so only Shuyi was mentioned a few times. The Empress Dowager simply instructed them to return home and make good preparations, continue studying the virtues of women, and live happily with their husbands after marriage. Shujia took the opportunity to ask the Empress Dowager for permission: "Grandmother, I have something to tell her. She shouldn't go out much after this trip. How about asking her to wait a while and I'll talk to her?"

The Queen Mother agreed without a second thought.

When the next group of eliminated concubines came in and kowtowed, they saw the most outstanding one in the group standing behind the Crown Princess.

Every year when the Empress Dowager met the unsuccessful candidates, she would only say a few words: "It's because we are not destined to be together. Go back and live a good life. It's best to live in harmony."

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As soon as the farewell party at Ningshou Palace ended, Shujia took Shuyi to the East Palace. Today she walked again, and Shuyi followed half a body length behind her. After leaving the Ningshou Palace gate, Shujia said goodbye to Concubine Tong. Concubine Tong said to Shuyi, "Your sister has been very depressed these days. She wanted to call you over to talk, but she was afraid that it would break the rules and people would think you were frivolous, which would ruin your future. So she had to send me around to see you. Now, you two sisters can have a good talk."

Shujia said, "Thanks to my mother for taking care of her these days. Have you thanked me?"

Shuyi took a step forward and bowed to her mother: "Thank you, Imperial Concubine."

"Seeing how clever she is, what are you still worried about? You need more instructions. Okay, I should go back now. I'm afraid those who are doing something are already at my place and blocking the door."

"Respectfully send off my mother~" "Naughty." Shuyi took another step back and watched Concubine Tong get on the sedan chair with Shujia. Hongxiu, who had followed Shujia to Ningshou Palace, stepped forward and said to Shuyi, "The third lady is very happy."

Shuyi lowered her head shyly. "You're teasing me, too." Shujia said, "We'll talk when we get back." Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Shuyi's status had changed. Last time, she'd been the Crown Princess's younger sister. This time, while still the Crown Princess's younger sister, she had a new identity, a level of legitimacy that seemed more legitimate. While the ceremony hadn't yet taken place, and the official decree still needed to be received by Shi Wenbing, with the palace having already issued the order, her status as Prince Yu's Consort was confirmed.

The Eastern Palace, however, did not need to change its protocol for the future Prince Yu's wife; they would treat her the same way they had treated her last time. Despite her changed status, the hierarchy between her and the Eastern Palace's masters remained unchanged. Everyone in the Eastern Palace felt no pressure regarding Shuyi's return; they continued to proceed as usual.

Shuyi felt much more relaxed when she stepped into the Eastern Palace again. It turned out that what her family had always said, "Prepare well, you'll have great luck. Don't let the cooked duck fly away, or you'll be embarrassed." This was what they meant! The Prince's wife!

She was born out of wedlock, so becoming a concubine would benefit her biological mother. Furthermore, an arranged marriage had the advantage over a family marriage in that it was decided by the emperor and had legal force, making divorce practically impossible—unless the emperor divorced her again. With the formality of an arranged marriage, one could hold their head high even in front of their parents-in-law.

Arriving at the Duanyi Palace, all the palace maids and eunuchs recognized Shuyi and came up to congratulate her. Shuyi shyly accepted the offer. After a moment of rejoicing, Shujia signaled Qingjin to bring a tray of gold and silver ingots: "At least they congratulated you once, so give them a reward."

Shuyi had a few purses in her sleeves, but she could hide less in her clothes in the summer. At a glance, she saw that the number of people serving the Crown Princess exceeded the number of purses in her sleeves, so she didn't take them out. She was regretting it in her heart. After hearing what Shujia said, she raised her head in surprise. Qingjin had already walked forward and stood beside Shuyi with a plate in her hand. Shujia raised her chin: "Hurry up, I'm waiting for you to speak."

Shuyi bowed to Shujia and then stepped forward to share the reward money. Hongxiu smiled and said, "Master, you are not often so generous."

Shujia said, "You heartless person! It's Hongdan's birthday, Hongtong's blooming, Laowu's hundredth day, and even my own birthday. When have I ever failed to reward you?"

Hongxiu put the gold ingot into her sleeve and just smiled at Shujia.

After Shuyi had distributed the rewards, Hongxiu came up and helped Shujia to the study in the west warm pavilion. Shuyi hurried to follow. Shujia did not sit on the throne, but on the small couch in the study. The newly rewarded palace maids and eunuchs moved more quickly, setting out snacks and serving tea in a flash.

Shujia sat on the couch and pointed to the seat opposite: "Come sit here, it will be more convenient for us to talk."

Shuyi thanked the waiter and sat down with her back leaning forward. Then she heard her sister ask, "How do you think you've lived there for the past two months compared to where I live?"

Shuyi gave a standard answer with a standard smile: "My sister's place is better. Life is more relaxed. Although there are a few people I can talk to over there, it's a bit noisy."

Shujia raised an eyebrow: "How is my place compared to home?" Shuyi paused: "I don't know why, but I feel like being with my sister is just as homely as being at home."

"Oh? How do you think living in Qixiang Palace compares to home?"

Shuyi paused for a while, then made up her mind and said, "The palace has a royal atmosphere, and home... is where I grew up, so I'll get used to it."

"Is it different this time?" Shuyi's nerves immediately tensed up when she heard her sister's joking voice.

Shujia remained silent, fiddling with the covered bowl. Shuyi couldn't help but whispered, "Second sister..."

"Why do you think I'm telling you so much?" Shujia stood up, and Shuyi followed suit.

Shujia took out a booklet from the table and handed it to her: "These are just horses, take a look. The most important thing is to find a flat road so that you don't get bumpy."

Shuyi said solemnly: "I understand. Be filial to your superiors, be kind to your children, and treat your husband with courtesy."

Shujia said, "I knew you were a spiritual person. Let me give you one more thing... If you have a good horse, a good carriage, and a smooth road, you'll be comfortable when you rest, right? Don't make it look bright and glorious on the outside, but cold and hard on the inside. Be careful not to freeze yourself when you rest."

Shuyi knelt down and kowtowed three times: "Thank you, sister, for teaching me."

Shujia pulled her up and said, "You are my sister. I will tell you everything I know. It is my duty. Why should I thank you?" She pushed a strand of Shuyi's hair behind her ear and said, "Thank you for your help."

Shuyi said, "This is also my blessing. So many people have begged for it but couldn't get it."

Shujia asked Shuyi to put the book away: "It's just some personal relationships, just look at it yourself."

Shuyi understood and put the booklet in her pocket. After chatting for a few more words, Shujia let Shuyi go. "It's getting late. I'm afraid my family must be waiting anxiously. You should go home early too. From now on, I'm afraid you and I will see each other more often than anyone else in the family."

After Shuyi left, Zishang quietly came over and massaged Shujia's shoulders: "Master, please teach the third young lady this little bit of truth. Can she do it? She should be kept by your side for a while like the fourth young lady." Having seen a lot in the palace, Zishang made an assessment and felt that the third young lady had good qualities, but wasn't the situation she faced a little too difficult?

"She's a thoughtful person. I've said too much. If I've led her astray and made her think about things she shouldn't, she'd be going in the wrong direction. The fourth girl is different from her. She's a bit rigid. She needs someone to carve a flower on her board to liven it up."

There are many people in this world who are too clever for their own good and end up making mistakes the more they do.

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The day when the concubines were released from the palace happened to be a day off, which was also convenient for the men in each family to pick them up and take them home. The task of picking them up fell on Guanyinbao. His father and brother were traveling in a rather large manner, so he had to let someone of lower rank show up.

The family had already known the news, so Guanyin Baoye only asked, "Has anything happened?" Seeing Shuyi shook her head, he asked Shuyi to get in the car and said, "We'll talk about it in detail when we get back."

Upon returning to the Shi family, Shuyi received a grand welcome. She entered the main room of Xiluo Te's family. Shi Wenbing was also there, with several of his brothers and sisters-in-law standing by. Shuyi's biological mother stood behind Xiluo Te, her face full of anticipation.

Xiluo Te first asked Shuyi, "How are you living in the palace? Are you used to it? You haven't lost a lot of weight."

Shi Wenbing wanted to hear Shuyi's confirmation, but seeing Xiluo Te's nagging, he had no choice but to hold back his attention. It was Shuxian, who had returned to her parents' home to see her younger sister, who was asking, "Third sister, what happened?"

Shuyi nodded with a strange expression?

"Is it Prince Yu's wife?" He nodded again. Others might have been fine, but Shuyi's biological mother, standing behind Xiluo, was practically crying with joy.

A few days later, before Kangxi departed, the official letter of appointment, bearing the official seal, arrived, confirming Shuyi as Prince Yu's successor. Shi Wenbing was the one who handled the matter, and Shuyi remained in her courtyard, while servants kowtowed and congratulated her. Shuyi followed all the rules, not daring to be arrogant with Xiluo Te or Shi Wenbing. "My second sister, after being appointed Crown Princess, treated my parents with respect, so how much more so with me?"

The Shi family was busy entertaining various visiting relatives and friends. However busy it was, it was nothing compared to the time of the Crown Princess's wedding, yet they managed it without panic.

Shuyi was betrothed and seldom left the house. She stayed in her room, reading the secret manual given by Shujia and doing various embroidery works, preparing the odds and ends she would need after her marriage. Xiluo Te would often tell Shuyi, "Before I went home, my second sister taught me some things."

Xiluo Te finally felt relieved and went about her business. The Crown Princess, who had mentored her younger sister on her mother's behalf, was also very busy. Last time, Kangxi wanted to take them to the grasslands to show off, but the Crown Princess became pregnant, so they had to cancel. This time, they had to go. She had to pack her luggage and, before leaving, she had to oversee the training of the new palace maids.

According to the observations of several senior officials in the Eastern Palace, there were only four palace maids who were suitable to be trained as the Crown Princess's arms, not the six as Shujia thought.

Kangxi selected Xiuniu and the others based on a single criterion: no ties or connections. This didn't mean they were cut off from all kinship, but rather that their families had no ties to any powerful factions, thus preventing them from causing trouble within the Eastern Palace. This, combined with the Crown Princess's skill in managing her subordinates, allowed them to become trusted confidants.

Kangxi could use national resources to investigate, but Shujia did not have this ability. She could only select people based on her own methods, and the results were naturally not as expected.

"Let's teach them together first. When I come back, I'll see their children." Shujia quickly recovered. If it doesn't work this year, there's always next year. Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi entered the palace a few years before Shujia. The maids around them will expire next year. Can the people who leave here be assigned there? Then use these vacancies to exchange for spots for next year's selection.

It wasn't like a maid could immediately serve her master once she was assigned to a palace, unless the master was of a very low rank and only had one or two servants. The Crown Princess wouldn't be short of people, so the young maids had to learn from their aunts before they could step forward.

Shuyi's marriage was arranged, and she rarely left the house. She stayed in her room, reading the secret manual given by Shujia and doing various embroidery works, preparing the odds and ends she would need after her wedding. Xiluo Te also frequently visited Shuyi to provide pre-marital guidance, one of the key topics being the conduct of the second wife after her marriage.

Hongxiu agreed and went out to continue teaching her students. When she reached the steps of the Duanyi Palace, she saw Yinreng coming from the front. Hongxiu stopped to greet him, and Yinreng asked casually, "What is your master busy in there?"

"Your luggage, the master's luggage, the princes' belongings, our Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince cannot accompany you and have to stay, so we also need to take care of them..."

"Forget it, I'll go check it out myself." Despite what Hongxiu had said, Shujia was busy but not chaotic. She had a few sheets of paper in front of her, listing everything everyone was supposed to bring. Just follow the list. This was the custom in the palace. With so many people and so many things to do, and so many things to do, mistakes couldn't be made. Following the list was a tradition of the elders.

"You're fiddling with these again." Yinreng wiped his face with his hat. "This is my first time going out to the border, so of course I have to bring more. Huh? You've been there before."

"You just remembered?" Yinreng threw the paper in his hand and fastened the button he had loosened when wiping his face and neck. "I heard some big news today. Do you want to know?"

"You've already told me the big news. Is there anything I don't want to know? I love hearing news the most." Shujia teased him cooperatively.

Seeing her nonchalant expression, Yinreng shook his head and said, "My eighth brother is finally going to be my father!"

"Huh?" This is really big news. "I just met my eighth brother's wife yesterday. She looked..." He tried hard to recall.

Yinreng sneered: "How can it be her? She is the eighth prince's concubine."

"Well?"

"He's finally figured it out," Yinreng commented. "He's a good prince, but he has to look after Prince An's house and is afraid of his wife. That's why we've only just heard the news."

Yinreng's thinking was typical: You're so close to your wife's family (the Eighth Concubine's family is OVER, she was raised in the Prince An Mansion, and it's almost the same as saying the Prince An Mansion is the Eighth Prince's wife's family) and you're still trying to ride on their influence. And you don't have children. It's fine if your wife can't have any, but neither can your concubine. This is clearly henpecked! A typical representative of feudalism like Yinreng looked down upon men who were henpecked.

Being afraid of your wife is already weak enough. You are so afraid of your wife that you dare not get close to your concubine or let her give birth to a child even when she is unable to give birth. Lao Ba, you are too weak!

This is definitely what this person is thinking! The biggest reason His Royal Highness the Crown Prince now despises the Eighth Prince is this. As for whether anyone else holds the same idea, or whether anyone will think the same in the future, that's hard to say.

"This year, Khan Ama appointed two more concubines to his family. I think it was for the sake of his offspring. Now that he has a child, he won't need to appoint more next time, right?"

Yinreng didn't take it seriously: "Whether he points or not is Old Eight's own business. What does it have to do with us?"

"Why not?" Shu Jia silently calculated that it would take at least two months for a pregnancy to be diagnosed, which meant the baby was less than eight months away. "Next spring, I'll have to prepare a whole set of ceremonies again, including the third day bath, the full moon, and the hundredth day..."

Yinreng laughed at this and said, "So, Eighth Brother has saved us a lot of money over the years?"

Shujia glanced at him and said, "Don't talk nonsense." "Huh? What did I say?" "Okay, okay, if you have time to waste on me, why not send someone to check on Su Ma's mother."

"Is Mama Suma's condition still not improving?" Shujia nodded, a little worried. "How old is she? It's not easy to recover from illness. I went to check on her today after leaving Ningshou Palace, and she doesn't seem to be getting better. She's been ill for a month. The 12th Prince was originally taking care of her there. When Masika died, Khan Ama asked the 12th Prince to go and see Masika. I was also wondering if you should go to Qianqing Palace and tell Hongdan to go see Mama Suma before he leaves. When Hongdan was a child, I often left him with Masika."

"It is necessary to go. The departure time is still a few days. I will go to the Ganqing Palace tomorrow... no, I will go to it now." Yinreng originally wanted to postpone the matter until tomorrow, but when he thought of Su Malagu's age, he felt it was not safe. What if she died at night?

He hurried to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where Kangxi had just turned over the name card and was waiting for Hepin to come. But before Hepin could come, the Crown Prince arrived.

"Why are you here?" Kangxi's tone was a little subtle. "You're sweating all over!" Yinreng said, "My son has something to ask for your permission." "Huh?" His brows furrowed. "What could bring you here at this time?"

"I just learned that Mother Suma seems to be seriously ill, and my twelfth brother was originally looking after her. But my twelfth brother was assigned a task because of his close relationship, so I came to ask for your permission. Should Hongdan go and see Mother Suma? Hongdan's mother said that when Hongdan was little, she often left him with Mother Suma, and that Mother Suma also taught Hongdan how to write Chinese."

Su Malagu was another soft spot in Kangxi's heart: "This is a good idea. After the morning service tomorrow, just ask Hongdan to visit her."

Yinreng received the imperial edict and was just wondering whether to go to his son's residence to wait until the get out of class was over when Kangxi spoke up: "You seem a little strange today. Is there anything else?"

Yinreng moved his lips and took a step forward, then said casually, "Khan Ama, do you know... my eighth brother is going to be Ama now?"

"Oh?" Kangxi was interested. "How did you know?" "I told my tenth brother today. He and my ninth brother are neighbors. My ninth brother would go outside the palace whenever he had free time, and he would go to my eighth brother's house the most. My ninth brother came back and told his wife, who then told his wife, and then my tenth brother knew... and everyone knew."

This was said as if the Tenth Prince was a gossip radio station. Kangxi smiled and said, "The Eighth Prince is finally doing something."

Yinreng rolled his eyes inwardly and was about to say something when he was interrupted again. This time it wasn't Kangxi who was asking questions, but a young eunuch at the door who seemed to be about to come in to report something, but was stopped by Wei Zhu. "What do you want? His Majesty is discussing something with the Crown Prince!"

Is His Majesty gossiping with the Crown Prince? The young eunuch said with a worried look, "Your Majesty turned over the card with the master today, and now the master is about to arrive, only an arrow away..."

Yinreng fled in panic and even forgot to visit his son.

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That night, no one told Hongdan that he would go to see Su Malagu the next day. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was no longer fat, reviewed his lessons, finished his homework, and previewed tomorrow's content, and slept peacefully.

The next day, after morning classes, Wei Zhu informed him, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince asked the Emperor for permission yesterday, asking you to visit the sick after morning classes today. Mother Su Ma is ill."

Hong Dan blinked and said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? How can I go to visit a patient empty-handed? An Da, wait a minute. I'm going to get something from the room."

Wei Zhu stopped him and said, "That one won't take medicine, so don't take it. It's almost too late, and you still have to go back to class. Just going there will be more effective than anything else."

Hongdan refused to listen and rushed into the classroom to get his homework book, then ran to his residence to get a rosary. Then he hurriedly got on the sedan chair and went to Su Malagu's place.

Su Malagu was remarkably resilient. At least she survived that night and was now sitting against the headboard. Her ears were still sharp: "Did I hear something? Is any of the masters coming over?"

The little palace maid went out to take a look and said, "It's the prince." "Help me up." "You are sick, you can't be bothered." "The master has come to see me, how can I not get up?" Su Malagu insisted. The little palace maid had no choice but to go forward and help her. She was still muttering, but she shut up after Su Malagu gave her a look.

Before he could stand firmly, Hongdan came in, holding a notebook in one hand and a rosary in the other.

"Why did you get up?" This was Hongdan's anxious voice. "Why did the master come in like this?" This was Suma Lagu's panicked voice. Hongdan took a few steps forward and said: "Can you lie down on the bed and let's talk? I brought something, let's take a look together." He pulled Suma's sleeve to the bed, and the little palace maid refused to help Suma up.

Su Ma helplessly leaned against the bedpost, sitting on the edge of the bed. Hong Dan complained: "You were sick, and no one told me. If I had known earlier, I would have come here earlier."

"I am ill, and it is of no consequence. How could I possibly alarm the Crown Prince? You still have to study. The Crown Princess came to see me in person, and the Crown Prince also sent someone to come. I am deeply grateful."

"But I don't know," Hongdan muttered. "Look at this. This is my homework notebook," he said, showing off. "My Chinese writing is much neater now. And this one is in Chinese. Mafa has circled many red circles around it."

Su Ma smiled and said, "Okay, okay." Hong Dan told Su Ma some interesting stories about school. Seeing that Su Ma was not in good spirits, he said goodbye: "Mother Su Ma, I will go out of the border with the emperor in a few days and will not be able to come to see you. This is for you." It was the rosary. Nowadays, the Buddhist atmosphere is very strong in the palace, and the crown prince must have high-quality things.

"Is this ivory?" "It's beautifully crafted," Hongdan said, his expression completely indifferent to the things he was wearing mirroring his father's. "My mother gave it to me, and I think it would be perfect for you, too."

"How can this be possible?" "I say it's possible," Su Ma was forced to put it on, "Don't struggle, I can't beat you." "Ah, be careful when you go out of the border with the emperor, it's cold there at night, don't be afraid if you meet those princes..." Su Ma couldn't help but give Hongdan some more advice when she heard that Hongdan was leaving.

"I don't need to. You should take care of yourself too. I'll come see you when I get back." The imperial princes accompanying him on this trip included the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, the Fifteenth Prince, and the Sixteenth Prince. The Crown Prince brought his family, while the Fourth Prince, due to the illness of his eldest son Honghui, had his fourth wife stay behind, so he only brought his concubine, surnamed Wu. The Thirteenth Prince brought his first concubine, surnamed Guaerjia, and the Fourteenth Prince brought his first wife, surnamed Wanyan.

The fifteenth and sixteenth princes were still young and played with their nephew, Crown Prince Hongdan - this was also one of Kangxi's purposes.

There were some minor setbacks before the trip began, and the worst of it was for the Fourteenth Prince: the day before the trip, Kangxi shaved his father-in-law. Not to say he was shaved into a blank slab, but at least he looked like a tire with the tread worn out.

"Minister of Rites Luo Cha had a bad reputation when he was in prison in Sichuan. When he was Minister of Works, he was unable to do his best to eliminate corruption, so he was ordered to be transferred as a bannerman." These were Kangxi's original words.

Bringing up old grievances, dear! This is Kangxi. When he's still not disgusted with you, he's incredibly kind, willing to forgive any mistakes you make. Don't mistake this for a good thing; he has a good memory, saving it all for you. When it reaches a critical point, he'll probably dislike you no longer. Once he dislikes you, he'll unleash it all on you when he gets angry.

Holding your breath underwater for one minute a day or even a year is no problem, but try holding a person underwater for 365 minutes at a time! In your next life, you'll be reborn as the son of a martial arts family and practice tortoise breathing.

So, the Fourteenth Prince went on a trip with his wife. As a man, he couldn't go back on his word with his wife after he had already agreed to something.

If this wasn't enough, another incident was enough to change the personnel arrangements: the day before the trip, the Fourth Prince's eldest and only legitimate son, Honghui, died...

The author has something to say: Little Honghui...