What a family reunion!

Kangxi passed away again, and the Forbidden City entered a busy construction period.

Once the emperor left with his army, there were fewer people in the palace. Fewer people meant that the construction work would not disturb too many masters, and most importantly, it would not disturb high-ranking masters.

The Forbidden City typically undergoes routine maintenance work during the summer, such as plucking grass from the eaves, cleaning up faded murals, and clearing moss from the cracks between floor tiles. Due to its civil engineering, the first two tasks are more important.

However, since it had to be done every year, the work didn't take too long, only a few days. Kangxi would usually stay in Changchun Garden with the Empress Dowager, and when he returned every few days, everything would be done - only the Crown Prince and his family would be there to supervise the work every year.

It is the same this year, but there is an extra project added: the renovation of Xiefang Palace. Last time, they only finished half of the renovation, but the Crown Princess became pregnant, so they had to stop the work. Then all kinds of problems got in the way, and when they wanted to resume the renovation, she became pregnant again. Now is the time to start the renovation before she gets pregnant with her third child!

"Renovations are starting again? They're living in a beautiful place... could it be that something's broken in Hongyang and his family's house?" Shujia was slightly surprised. Living in a place for a long time naturally makes you feel attached to it, especially when it's comfortable. She wasn't so eager to move into Xiefang Palace anymore, so naturally, she wasn't too concerned about the renovations.

Hearing this news at this time, it is inevitable to be a little surprised: Where did this come from?

The one who came to report was Gao Sanxie, who reported point by point: "This project was originally halfway done, but we stopped it because we were afraid it would cause a conflict with you. Now that the emperor's grandson has been born, there is no need to be taboo.

"That was the former Eastern Palace of the Ming Dynasty. Even the young princes were not allowed to live in the main hall, so they were given two side halls and rooms. Originally, they were still young, and their master was kind enough to allow them to live with their birth mother. Now that they have grown up, it's time to expand their living quarters."

Oh, there's another reason? Shujia felt a little regretful. She hadn't even considered the issue of Hongyang and Hongxi's cramped living quarters. This crampedness also varied from person to person. Take the two young princes, for example. How much space could they afford? But their attendants, especially their personal servants, had to live with them. As they grew older, they needed to expand their study and other areas, and the original house would no longer be enough.

"I see. I remember when we last started construction, we weren't allowed to move around during the day. Is it still like that now?"

"In reply to your question, sir, it is indeed true. It is not a problem. The two young princes had already left for their studies early in the morning before the craftsmen returned. When they return in the afternoon, the craftsmen should have left as well."

"It's summer, it's too hot. Where are they going to go for lunch?" Shujia was a little embarrassed. Xiefang Palace was definitely not suitable. "Clean up two rooms here and let the two brothers take a rest at noon."

“Yeah.”

It's not over yet.

When Yinreng came back for dinner, he mentioned the matter again: "I sent Gao Sanxie back first. Do you know about the reconstruction of Xiefang Palace?"

Shujia nodded: "I thought about clearing out two rooms here for them to rest for a while. Hongxi is fine, but Hongyang is a little weak and can't handle it."

Yinreng expressed his agreement: "Okay, which one should we clean up?"

Shujia said, "I was just saying that I originally asked Hongdan to live in the east wing hall here, and planned to ask Hongtong to move out of the west wing hall in two years. Now, it's a good opportunity to give this place to the two brothers for use first, as I'm afraid it's a bit too narrow." The fat brother and the fat brother were also present. One of them had been asked by his mother to practice eating by himself, and the other one, although he was breastfeeding, was brought out to feed him. The second fat kid didn't understand what was said and was just grinning foolishly. When the little fat boy heard his name, he quickly raised his eyes to look at his parents, and continued to lower his head to struggle with the vegetables in the bowl. Eating with chopsticks is harder than writing with a pen!

Yinreng thought to himself, this house was the right thing to build! "That's not a problem, since we were going to live here first. Khan Ama meant that we should just live here for a while, and when Xiefang Palace is completely rebuilt, we can move in together."

"Huh? Move it all together?" Shujia was surprised. The little fat boy was also half-comprehendingly surprised.

Yinreng said, "Have your meal first, and I'll explain it to you in detail later."

Don't talk while eating.

Shujia was preoccupied and lost her appetite. The little boy struggled to eat. Although he ate less than an adult, it took him quite a while to finish his meal. His father teased him, "It's harder for you to hold chopsticks than a stick!"

After dinner, the child was taken for a walk in the courtyard by his parents to help digest his food. The prince and his wife watched their son strolling reluctantly while chatting with each other.

"You've only said half of what you were saying. What do you mean by moving together? Are you going too? What about here?" Shujia looked around and was a little confused.

Yinreng said with a hint of pride: "Don't you think about it? We are running out of room here. Hongdan and Hongtong are growing up and need to live on their own. It's okay for just the two of them, but what if there's another one? Where will they live? That's why Khan Ama said before he left..."

Before leaving, Kangxi summoned the crown prince for a private briefing and work arrangements. The crown prince had been carefully minimizing his presence at court, keeping a low profile and avoiding the perception of his father as aggressive. This made Kangxi feel comfortable—comfortable, in the sense of relaxed, free from the feeling of being held back. This greatly reduced his tendency to indulge in unbridled thoughts, and he continued to provide the crown prince with patient, amiable care and guidance.

Yinreng knew Kangxi was in a bad mood. First, his favorite concubine died, then Yinzhi committed adultery, and finally Kangxi's wet nurse, Guaerjia, passed away. With so many things happening so fast, it was hard to believe he would be in a good mood. Therefore, Yinreng was extremely cautious when he met Kangxi.

He simply asked his Khan Ama: "After the Khan Ama leaves, will the ministers still report all matters of the court to him as usual?"

"It's natural."

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs has made all preparations for Prince An's new wife, and the Imperial Observatory has chosen a date. However, the Tong family and Prince An's palace each have their own preferred dates. I wonder what Khan Ama has to say?" Because it was related to the daughter of the Tong family, Yinreng asked this in person. Otherwise, as a Marhun, he really wouldn't have to ask this question. He could have just written a memorial when the time came.

Kangxi thought for a moment and asked, "Has the date been chosen by the Imperial Observatory?"

"We have several options, all auspicious dates. Both sides want to wait until it's cooler, but the exact date hasn't been decided yet. I'm thinking it's better to ask Khan Ama to make the final decision." Orondai isn't very reliable. He shares his father's temperament: a certain arrogance, a need for adulation and flattery. He hopes Marhun will humble himself and sell himself well. Marhun, too, was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, and his feelings for his late wife remain strong. If you're going to give me a break, I... well, I can wait for your sister until she's old enough to see if you're impatient.

Kangxi said helplessly: "The girl from the Tong family is not very old, so she can stay for a while. Orondai and others have to accompany me, so we can't have a wedding in these two months. Let's talk about it after I come back." Orondai, you only cause trouble for me! I... endure it!

“Yeah.”

"By the way, after I leave, you must pay more attention to the palace. I intend to renovate Xiefang Palace as well."

Yinreng was surprised and asked, "Hasn't this been mentioned a long time ago?"

"It's not just the Xiefang Palace, there are also the Duanben Palace and Duanjing Palace of the former Ming Dynasty."

"Huh?"

"I've noticed you're very thorough, but why don't you think things through when it comes to your own affairs? If you and the Crown Princess give me another grandson, will there still be enough space in Yuqing Palace?" He couldn't help but feel a bit proud when he said this, feeling that his son and daughter-in-law really satisfied him on this point. "It will be too late to renovate it when it becomes too full, so why not finish it now? From now on, Yuqing Palace will be used exclusively for your studies and meetings, and the one to the east will be your living quarters."

Yinreng thought about his territory and found that the place he lived in was too small. The per capita living area was far from meeting the standard. If he had children and servants in the future, he would have to build illegal buildings if he wanted to continue living there.

Kangxi had thought of all these things first, and Yinreng was really touched. In fact, as long as he didn't offend anyone, his Khan Ama really had nothing to say to him. "This... son, thank you Khan Ama."

Kangxi smiled and took out a roll of paper and handed it over: "Take a look."

When Yinreng opened it, he saw that his father had already secretly prepared the blueprints, and they were still the work of Yangshilei.

He was absolutely in charge of the Eastern Palace. There were only rules, etiquette, and a touch of subconscious superstition. There was absolutely no negotiation, no questions like "What do you want to add?"

Opening the map, I saw that it was much larger than the Yuqing Palace, with a main hall in front and bedrooms in the back, surrounded by small courtyards, equipped with kitchens, teahouses, storehouses, and so on, and a small garden in the back. Kangxi's treatment of his prince was truly beyond words.

Yinreng was moved. He rolled up the drawing again and placed it in front of Kangxi's desk with both hands: "Son, son, I never expected that Khan Father would treat me so well..." He choked with excitement.

Kangxi waved his hand pretending to be calm and said: "This is nothing. Can't I build a house for my son? Your brothers have grown up, made great achievements, and have been awarded titles and established their own mansions. Your Yuqing Palace is also prosperous and there is not enough space to live in it. Naturally, you have to find a way. Yuqing Palace is connected to Fengxian Palace. It is a place I chose myself and it will not be easy to expand. Xiefang Palace is the former East Palace of the Ming Dynasty after all. The feng shui is suitable and it is just right to build it. Don't waste such a good place. Fill up these courtyards as much as possible." The more he spoke, the more his lips curled up. Yinreng could only sniff and agree.

Kangxi finally suppressed his smile and said, "There is one thing you should know. Once the building is completed and everyone is moved in, it's time for the children to be vaccinated."

Yinreng was stunned: "Khan Ama, smallpox is very dangerous, and they are still young."

"He's not young anymore. You were five when you got the smallpox. How old is Hongxi now? Even Hongdan wasn't young anymore. Hongyang is weak, so let's wait and see. I'm going to start vaccinating not only the princes in Yuqing Palace, but also your nephews. This is the most important thing. You all live in new houses, so there's no accumulation of dirt, so it's easier to vaccinate."

Yinreng thought about it and agreed: "It's all up to Khan Ama."

"Take it back and have a look."

After hearing this, Shujia's heart skipped a beat. So, was Yuqing Palace still Yinreng's office? It was just that the residential area had been moved to the former Eastern Palace? This way, she would be further away from Yinreng! And besides, she wasn't the only one living there! Originally, the prince and his concubine were separated. He rarely saw her, and he was too lazy to run errands for her.

What about now? Living in a large square box every day, just lifting a leg... It's not that she didn't have confidence in Yinreng, but her demands couldn't be directly expressed in this era, especially in this palace. Furthermore, the space was small now. Kangxi didn't squeeze anyone in, and even if he did, he could just throw them out and have peace of mind. But what excuse would he have to deal with them in a more spacious place?

Don't blame me for being cruel. Who in my world would happily let another woman sleep with their husband? And then maybe have a bunch of children, and then maybe challenge the Crown Prince like Yinzhi? When she can't see him, she can pretend he doesn't exist. After all, her husband is with her. If they see each other all day and have to compete for his attention, how can she live like that?

They had to move because they didn't have enough space. Kangxi also said that the possibility of them having another child was very high, and it was inevitable that they would not be able to accommodate him.

It is true that they moved in a very short time. The construction of the palaces of the kings also took only about a year. This fully proves that the efficiency of the Imperial Household Department, the Ministry of Works and other places is still very high when they need to work hard and want to work hard.

What should I do?

And, vaccination? Shujia wanted to cry: "Vaccination?" These days, it's human pox, not cowpox, which is very dangerous! What's even more hateful is that her only knowledge of the less dangerous cowpox method is the two shots she got as a child! Damn! If I don't get vaccinated, I might die of smallpox. If I get human pox, I might die too. But for cowpox, where would I even get the syringe and vaccine?

"It's okay," Yinreng reassured his wife. "It's just that the adults are a little worried. Most of our children who have been vaccinated have survived. Only after being vaccinated can we feel at ease. I was taken care of by Khan Ama himself back then, and I have always been healthy. Our son has a blessed appearance and will be fine. Come, let's see how we divide this yard."

"Oh." It has to be done. The fat boy's physical fitness should be able to handle it, right?

Two troubling issues suddenly arose. Shujia now needed to calmly consider her own position. Was she determined to stir up trouble in her own little backyard, or did she have higher aspirations? If it was the former, she would have to control her concubines completely. No, she would have to keep Yinreng by her side and prevent him from looking at other women. She had been very successful at this in recent years.

This success is the product of many factors, including her own hard work and other factors. But she must face the seven-year itch, which, in this imperial city, can be shortened to five or even three years. When that happens, what will she do?

Fighting with women?

No! Wrong! We must help Yinreng ascend to power, and then our son! Shujia felt very upset. What the hell was going on? Her husband was still planning: "Give this to Hongdan. It's close to where I live. I can teach him more before Khan Ama steals his daughter from me. This one's for Hongtong... This one's close to the garden, so it's for our daughter..." (Your daughter hasn't even shown up yet!)

she……

She couldn't open her mouth, couldn't say: "You're not allowed to look at other women." She had to endure it, to think through everything as thoroughly as possible, to come up with a solution before she could speak. She had already thought about it. With the eldest son's enthronement and Soetu's retirement, the situation in Yuqing Palace would enter a cold winter. She had to stop hiding and making insinuations. At least she had to let Yinreng know that she had opinions, could discuss things with him, help share his burdens, and relieve his stress. Now that they had two children, they could be honest with each other.

But now, she hesitated. The foundation of their marriage itself was problematic. The problem was that many men couldn't do what the Crown Princess wanted even three hundred years later!

"From now on, with so many of us living together, we will truly be a reunited family. I will be happy when you are having fun." Yinreng came to the conclusion that for a man, if his hard work can make his wife and children live comfortably, it is also a great achievement and motivation.

What a family reunion!