The Qianqing Palace.

Crown Prince Bao Cheng is still living with the Emperor in the West Warm Pavilion. Although there are many voices in the court that the Empress should be asked to take care of the Crown Prince or to move him to the Prince's Nursery, Kangxi has not agreed to this for a long time. He has also arranged for the Minister of the Imperial Household Department to study the location of the Crown Prince's palace and plan to rebuild the palace to house the Crown Prince.

Of course, given Kangxi's meticulous nature, even after working tirelessly since the end of last year, no specific location has been finalized, let alone construction of the Crown Prince's residence has begun. It seems the day when the Crown Prince moves out of the Qianqing Palace is still far off. While the Hesheli clan is pleased with the situation, it has also sparked discontent among many concubines and officials of the imperial clan.

For example, Consort Hui and Consort Rong.

Both of their children were raised outside the palace. At least Consort Rong had her eldest daughter by her side, while Consort Hui, besides burning incense and praying to God for her health every day, inevitably harbored some resentment towards the Emperor's favoritism.

The emperor did not notice these minor grievances of the palace concubines and officials.

After all, the four-year-old crown prince was still a little darling. Forget about moving him to a separate palace; Kangxi practically wanted to keep him close to his body, hanging him on his belt. If any audacious minister dared to say a word against it, Kangxi would be happy to tell him why the flowers were so red.

After finishing his state affairs in the East Warm Pavilion, Emperor Kangxi stretched his arms in rare relaxation and walked lightly back to the West Warm Pavilion to rest. He also planned to have some intimate interaction with the Crown Prince, such as testing Bao Cheng's studies or rewarding him with something new.

As for failing the assessment?

How could this be?! Bao Cheng is naturally quick-witted and intelligent; there's no way such a situation would occur.

Emperor Kangxi had a strong bias towards his young crown prince, and his self-confidence was off the charts.

He had just entered the West Warm Pavilion when Crown Prince Bao Cheng appeared before him, bouncing and skipping. Bao Cheng happily greeted him, then got up and hugged Kangxi's arm, chattering away excitedly, focusing on his joyful playtime with his younger brother.

Emperor Kangxi was in a very good mood.

The young crown prince grew up surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids. Compared to the palace servants who dared not even try to win, the Ninth Prince Wanfu was his first playmate. Emperor Kangxi had initially been somewhat worried, but seeing the crown prince's innocent, romantic, and happy appearance, his worries finally dissipated.

Kangxi's expression softened instantly. He reached out and ruffled Bao Cheng's hair, then deliberately asked, "You seem so happy today. Did you do something bad to curry favor with me again?"

Bao Cheng, feeling guilty, said, "Your subject did not do anything wrong!"

Kangxi raised an eyebrow: "Wasn't it you who led Wan Fu to pluck the plum trees bare before?"

Bao Cheng's eyes darted away.

He covered his ears and pretended not to hear, then hopped back home.

Kangxi grabbed him.

He picked him up and slapped Bao Cheng's butt: "You run away when I say something you don't like, right? If I were to say you're smiling like a thief, then you have ill intentions!"

Bao Cheng cried and struggled, "No! Your son didn't cause any trouble! At most, I went fishing for a koi with Wan Fu and learned how to make grilled fish."

Of course, this kind of thing cannot be told to Khan.

Bao Cheng's eyes darted around, but who was Kangxi? Just by looking at his little expression, he knew this kid was definitely up to no good. Kangxi was both amused and exasperated, and at the same time, he was pondering Wan Fu's early education. Bao Cheng used to be so obedient; it was only after playing with Wan Fu that he became mischievous.

You're the culprit!

While munching on fried chicken in Xianfu Palace, Wan Fu inexplicably felt his body become much heavier, as if something was pressing down on his head.

This is roughly the weight of the black pot, right?

Prince Bao Cheng's little feet kicked haphazardly, and his already loose lambswool slippers dangled from his feet, falling to the ground with a thud as he wobbled. Liang Jiugong quickly bent down to pick up the little prince's shoes, but as soon as he bent down, he froze: "...What's this?"

Kangxi looked down.

The shoes in front of me looked somewhat similar to wooden clogs and slippers, but there were some differences. For example, wooden clogs were usually made with interlaced straps and were commonly found in various parts of Jiangnan, so the bottom was raised to prevent water from getting in. Slippers, on the other hand, were made of cowhide, palm fiber, or even straw, with higher-end ones made of brocade. Emperor Kangxi would also wear them when he was resting indoors.

Of course, this was the first time Emperor Kangxi had ever seen something made of lambskin like this. The black and white lambskin pieces were pieced together to form the shape of a little lamb, and the whole thing looked soft, fluffy, and chubby.

Liang Jiugong picked it up and presented it to the Emperor with both hands.

Emperor Kangxi took a look and nodded: "The design is ingenious and unique, worthy of praise. Liang Jiugong, reward him."

The reward is a reward.

Changing the subject, Kangxi appeared slightly displeased: "It's just that this is rather crudely made. Even if Bao Cheng likes it, he should have ordered the Imperial Household Department to remake it."

After saying that, he instructed Liang Jiugong to take the lamb slippers away.

Crown Prince Bao Cheng panicked and quickly called out to Liang Jiugong, "Father, this wasn't made by a maid, it was made by Consort Wan. My son and brother each made a pair!"

Kangxi's expression froze.

He then smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "This is... made by Consort Wan? Why would she suddenly make shoes for you?"

Why would Wan Changzai make things for the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince's personal belongings were naturally carefully inspected and selected, and absolutely could not be taken casually. Moreover, how could a stepmother with whom he had little relation give anything to the Crown Prince? Kangxi frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

Could it be that Wan Changzai is planning to use the Crown Prince to rise to power?

If favorability ratings could be visually estimated, you could see countless minus signs appearing above Kangxi's head right now. His previous favorability towards Wan Changzai had essentially dropped to zero, and was even showing signs of falling into negative territory.

The indoor temperature dropped significantly.

Liang Jiugong and the palace servants in the West Warm Pavilion lowered their heads, staring intently at their footsteps, their hearts filled with unease.

Prince Bao Cheng did not notice anything unusual about his father.

He struggled free from Kangxi's grasp and contentedly stuffed his feet back into the soft sheepskin slippers. He shuffled around Kangxi with his little feet, showing off his beloved sheepskin slippers before loudly proclaiming, "Today, I went to Xianfu Palace to play with my younger brother and happened to see Consort Wan making insoles."

Emperor Kangxi was taken aback.

He subconsciously remarked, "Are all the people at Xianfu Palace so fond of making insoles?"

Why do I have such a vivid memory of shoe insoles?

After all, this was the first time Kangxi had encountered a concubine who was quite proud of the insoles she had made for him, and who specifically wanted to present them to him. Therefore, Kangxi made a note of this person—Xu Changzai of Xianfu Palace. The important point was that the insoles were made in a very ordinary and common style, even showing signs of being rushed. Heaven knows why Xu Changzai was so proud of them. In any case, Kangxi later rewarded Liang Jiugong without even letting him try them on.

“But Wan Changzai said that Khan Affather instructed her to make insoles.” Bao Cheng tilted his little head, a little doubtful.

Kangxi looked completely bewildered.

He instinctively denied it: "Nonsense! When did I ever have her make insoles?"

Emperor Kangxi and the Crown Prince looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liang Jiugong, however, recalled this matter from his mind: "Your Majesty, where was Consort Wan last time we went..."

Kangxi's expression gradually became strange, and finally he fell silent.

He clearly saw gloves that fit him on the snowman, and since he thought Wan Changzai was timid, he casually offered a suggestion.

How did it become that I made Wan Changzai make shoe insoles when he was here? Kangxi was speechless with frustration, wanting to say something but stopping himself, and finally concluded that Wan Changzai was indeed a fool.

Since she's a fool, perhaps the Crown Prince's actions really were unintentional? Kangxi muttered to himself, but still decided to get to the bottom of it by grabbing the Crown Prince: "Even if it was just insoles for me, what does it have to do with the lambswool slippers you're wearing?"

Bao Cheng, hands on his hips, answered loudly, "Of course it's related! After all, most of the materials in the shoes I wear come from my father's insoles!"

Emperor Kangxi looked bewildered.

Bao Cheng chattered on and on about the whole story. The key point was that Wan Changzai embroidered two male mandarin ducks. Wan Changzai breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that she didn't need to embroider anymore, and she took them apart to make shoes for them.

The thoughtful Crown Prince Bao Cheng even concealed the fact that Consort Wan had taken off her shoes—Hmm! I'm such a thoughtful child, have a couple more fried chicken nuggets tonight! Hmm!

Compared to the smug Bao Cheng, Kangxi was inexplicably a little displeased.

Although he knew that Consort Wan was the one who made the mistake first, and that the shoes were changed to be worn by the princes because of waste, Kangxi felt inexplicably bad when he thought about how he hadn't even received a pair of insoles for the New Year.

Why should I?

Why?

"Do you even respect me anymore?" These three questions clearly revealed Kangxi's anger.

It's not wrong for him not to care about the concubines in the harem.

It was a grave mistake for the concubines in the harem not to care about him. Kangxi's face darkened considerably, and the coldness he had just suppressed resurfaced. Liang Jiugong hung his head and raised his hands in a miserable manner, almost kneeling on the ground.

Prince Bao Cheng did not notice.

Even in his naive and romantic state of mind, he plunging Kangxi's heart into another wound, proudly proclaiming, "Consort Wan also said that she would make two more pairs for your son later!"

Kangxi, you've completely lost your composure today!

With a dark expression, he grabbed the smug-looking Crown Prince Bao Cheng and asked, "Bao Cheng, have you finished your homework for today?"

Bao Cheng belatedly realized that something was wrong.

He was like a kitten being grabbed by the scruff of its neck, weak, pitiful, and helpless. Bao Cheng was dragged into the study, and although his father usually praised him eight or nine out of ten times, today there were far fewer of those words. He was scolded until he was completely dejected, and in the end, he still didn't know what he had done wrong.

Bao Cheng felt wronged.

Bao Cheng only feels happy when his younger brother kisses and hugs him!

---

Busy Wan Anran sneezed.

She took out the various materials she had hidden away. The previous version of the lamb wool slippers was just a clever trick; it was clearly not perfect in terms of details.

Since she was going to do it anyway, Wan Anran decided to make a few more pairs.

For example, we could make matching slippers for parents and children, one for Nala to match Wan Fu? Oh, right! Let's make another pair for Consort Xuan... Hmm, or maybe we could just make a set of slippers for everyone in Xianfu Palace?

Wan Anran counted carefully on her fingers.

These lambswool slippers are unique in the palace. Shouldn't the Empress also have a pair of these unique items? Thinking of Empress Niohuru's long-standing care for her, Wan Anran also made a note of it.

Once you become Empress, how can you not also become Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager? Unless you want to be treated unfairly! Therefore, Wan Anran also noted down the roles of Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager.

The total number of slippers needed to be made had increased several times over. Fortunately, slippers didn't require much material, and lambskin and cashmere products had a slight odor, so not many masters in the palace preferred to use them. Wan Anran sent Ju Bai to the Imperial Household Department to inquire, and soon the Guangchu Department's leather warehouse delivered a large quantity. The delivery eunuch even said that if Wan Changzai needed more, they could send some more.

More than just lambskins were delivered.

Perhaps feeling that the lambskin was not very useful, the Guangchu Company also sent a batch of cashmere products.

This was an unexpected surprise.

Wan Anran carefully examined the velvet-colored fabric and cashmere yarn. These were made from so-called combed cashmere, with a very faint odor, and dyed in various colors with madder, safflower, indigo, gardenia, turmeric, and other herbs. The velvet-colored fabric felt delicate and smooth, and the cashmere yarn was fluffy and soft to the touch. In later generations, the raw materials for a single pure, comfortable cashmere sweater would likely fetch a five-figure price tag, yet here it was casually piled before her, as much as she desired.

Of course, this was also the treatment given to imperial concubines.

In the palace, she was just a lowly concubine, yet everything in the Qing Dynasty was dedicated to supplying the imperial power. What outsiders considered priceless treasures were nothing more than things that the masters in the palace found offensive and difficult to wear.

Wan Anran touched the fabric and then the ball of yarn.

If I had two more knitting needles, I could have made some cashmere sweaters, right? Unfortunately, it's spring now, so even if I made them, I wouldn't be able to wear them for long.

Wan Anran felt a pang of regret.

She first piled up the cashmere yarn and fabric, then turned her attention back to the pile of lambskin. To remove the odor, she would have to wash it with salt water, then place it in the sun to dry and comb it…

Wait, you want it to be sun-dried?

Glancing at the sky outside, Wan Anran immediately looked dejected. In this gloomy weather, processing lambskins was simply a pipe dream!

Okay, all the initial plans are now back to zero.

Wan Anran had no choice but to turn her attention to cashmere yarn again.

"Alright, alright, let's practice first?" She instructed someone to fetch a few thin wooden sticks from the Construction Department, which were then sharpened into a pointed shape and thicker at the back to serve as knitting needles. Wan Anran then picked up the knitting needles and began to ponder them.

To be honest, she noticed quite a few problems from the very beginning.

First, the cashmere yarn is too thin, but that's easy to solve by using three or four strands wound together. The second problem is the biggest one.

Wan Anran couldn't remember how to knit either, cough cough.

It should be like making a loop and tying a knot... right? Or maybe wrapping it three times and then around your finger and tying a knot...?

Wan Anran fumbled through the last bits of memory in her mind, struggling with the yarn balls. After most of the day, instead of knitting anything, she had just turned several balls of yarn into a pile.

When Kangxi pushed open the door, he thought that Consort Wan had just adopted a kitten, otherwise why would the room be so messy? He frowned and scanned the room. After standing there for a moment, it was Liang Jiugong's cough that made the busy master and his three servants realize that the emperor had arrived.

Wan Anran was startled.

She quickly put down what she was holding, stepped forward, and curtsied, saying, "This humble servant greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Kangxi nodded casually.

He walked to the soft couch and sat down. Hai Tao quickly got up and poured a cup of tea, presenting it to the emperor with both hands.

Emperor Kangxi reached out and took the tea.

He took a sip and then placed the teacup on the table. Kangxi did not speak, but sat on the soft couch and looked around the entire east wing.

Wan Anran was somewhat confused.

Has she... done anything wrong recently? Suddenly, a thought flashed through Wan Anran's mind, and she walked to the antique shelf in three steps: "Your Majesty, this concubine has put all the treasures you bestowed upon me on the shelf this time."

His tone carried a hint of boasting.

Wan Anran looked at Kangxi with sparkling eyes, her left cheek saying "Praise me" and her right cheek saying "Hurry up."