With the Emperor gone from the capital, the Crown Prince, who remains in the capital, is currently overseeing the country and handling state affairs.
Of course, this system of handling government affairs sounds good in theory, but it's actually quite superficial in practice, because the crown prince has no authority to handle matters that are too big, and he doesn't need to handle matters that are too small at all.
Therefore, the Crown Prince is merely a mascot, placed in the capital to serve as a symbol of the court, and incidentally to warn certain restless forces not to try to cause trouble while the Emperor is away, as the Qing Dynasty has no shortage of suitable successors.
Some timid people will naturally be intimidated, while others will choose to ignore it and continue with their work.
Naturally, the crown prince was dissatisfied with such treatment.
The dissatisfied crown prince could not be persuaded even by Suo'etu, and was determined to cause trouble while Kangxi was away.
Because the crown prince was causing trouble, the inner palace was naturally not peaceful either.
Originally, the relationships between the concubines in the harem and the crown prince were not close. Consort Ping and her son, both from the Hesheli clan, had passed away, and Noble Lady Xi had long since lost her power. Consort Rong did not acknowledge the marriage to the Guarjia clan at all.
Therefore, it was good that Xiuning handed over the power of the palace to Consort Hui and the others. Consort Hui would definitely cause trouble for the Crown Prince according to her own ideas. Only when the two of them quarreled could Kangxi feel at ease, and only then could Yinti and Yinreng fight to the death.
...
Since the Emperor left the palace, Xiu Ning relinquished her power and became even more leisurely.
Ning Chuge would occasionally visit the palace to accompany Xiuning, but as the beginning of the month approached and Ning Chuge was about to return to Khorchin to prepare for childbirth, there were many things to arrange, so Xiuning couldn't keep her in the harem for too long.
There was no other way; she couldn't trouble her own daughter, so she could only seek companionship from Consort Rong and Consort Wang.
When Consort Rong wanted to adopt a child, Xiu Ning took the opportunity to connect Consort Wang and Consort Rong.
As time went by, Consort Rong and Consort Wang began to see each other more frequently.
Although Consort Wang is not currently pregnant, she is young and beautiful, and is expected to be far more promising than the other less outstanding concubines in the harem. With Xiu Ning acting as guarantor, Consort Rong simply made a bet, hoping that Consort Wang would give birth to a child for her to raise.
Consort Wang had no complaints about this, because her status meant she was not allowed to raise children. Rather than entrusting them to other concubines in the harem whom she was not familiar with, it was better to choose Consort Rong, which would be good for her and for her future children.
People are naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm; it's easy to tell which side is more beneficial to them.
Consort Rong and Consort Wang were invited over by Xiu Ning.
The two were a little confused at first, but when Xiuning started chatting with them, they immediately realized what was going on. They started talking and agreeing with each other, treating Xiuning like their boss and trying to please her with their witty remarks.
If Xiu Ning is happy, then Consort Rong and Consort Wang will be able to live well, because the Imperial Household Department still has to be mindful of others' moods, even though Xiu Ning doesn't have much power in the palace now.
"Sister Rongpin, do you think the Emperor will be displeased if he finds out that Consort Jing is acting so recklessly?"
Another sunny day. After leaving Qixiang Palace, Consort Wang couldn't help but tentatively ask Consort Rong a question.
Originally, Consort Wang was not so bold, but the good nature of Consort Rong and Xiu Ning these days gave her some confidence.
Consort Rong glanced at Consort Wang upon hearing this, "Whether the Emperor is pleased or not, he won't blame us. You don't need to worry about these things."
Furthermore, the fact that we are living a good life now is all thanks to Consort Jing's help.
"I advise you not to do anything futile and anger Consort Jing, or you'll find it difficult to survive in the harem."
Consort Rong only spoke up to remind her because Consort Wang was the future mother of her child; otherwise, she wouldn't have said a word to anyone else.
Consort Wang's expression changed drastically after hearing this, but she didn't dare to continue the conversation. She simply whispered that she understood and said no more.
Regardless of whether Consort Wang truly understood or not, Consort Rong walked to the palace gate and smiled as she bid farewell to Consort Wang.
Consort Wang respectfully saw Consort Rong off, but once she was gone, she immediately panicked.
The maidservant supporting her was not a trusted confidante brought from Jiangnan, but rather someone assigned by the Imperial Household Department. However, after spending a long time together, the two were able to share some heartfelt words.
"Liu Lü, is what you said about Consort Rong true?"
The royal family didn't blame them, but since Consort Jing suffered, they weren't much better off. Besides, she was hoping to gain favor and have children, but without offspring as a bond, her relationship with Consort Rong was still unstable.
“Your Majesty, Consort Rong would not lie to you. Besides, you have already agreed to Consort Rong’s request. She will definitely protect you if she has the ability to do so.”
With Consort Jing and Consort Rong acting as guarantors, if Consort Wang still fails in the end, she can only accept her fate. After all, the other concubines in the harem are not easy to deal with, and turning to a side hustle is easier said than done.
Consort Wang nodded upon hearing this, "You're right." Even for the sake of the child, Consort Rong would lend a hand to make things easier for her.
With so many concubines in the harem, besides Consort Jing and Consort Rong, who else could she turn to for refuge?
The images of Consort Hui and others flashed through Consort Wang's mind.
In the end, Consort Wang shook her head. No, these people were not as reliable as Consort Jing and Consort Rong. If she really went to them, she might not even be able to have children.
"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. Let's go back to the palace first."
I have an appointment with Consort Rong for tomorrow, so I can't keep her waiting. Remember to wake me up beforehand.
Consort Wang spoke in hushed tones until the figures of the two, mistress and servant, disappeared from sight.
...
Outside the palace, Kangxi led his soldiers on a journey and joined the main force in less than half a month.
Faced with the overwhelming force of the Dzungar army, Emperor Kangxi showed no mercy.
Although he could not personally go to the battlefield to supervise the battle, and for safety reasons he could only command from behind the scenes, Kangxi still endured a lot of hardship. He was accompanied by several ministers and generals he had brought with him, and they observed the geomantic maps from earlier every day.
The geomantic maps are not detailed in some places, and they are not as accurate as those of later generations.
However, when two armies are at war, they can see some terrain information from geomancy maps, which are very useful for the army. If used properly, they can also cause huge losses to the enemy.
"...According to the previously agreed-upon strategy, we will lead our troops to attack from this position from both the southeast and north sides."
Emperor Kangxi pointed to two locations on the geomantic map, and then summoned several military officers to continue the analysis.
He wasn't a professional warrior, but Kangxi had studied the art of rulership and possessed some skills in both literature and military strategy. He was quite adept at seizing opportunities, which earned him the respect of the officers and soldiers on the front lines.
Just now, after Kangxi finished speaking, the military officers looked at the geomantic map but found no major flaws, and then turned around and began to flatter Kangxi.
After all, this is their top boss, whose words can decide their fate.
Now that the big boss has come to the front lines to oversee the battle, they have no choice but to put on a good show.
If you perform well, promotion and wealth are just around the corner.
"Alright, capture Galdan. There will be rewards for everyone when we return to the capital."
With the war progressing smoothly, Emperor Kangxi smiled much more often.
Looking at the throng of ministers around him, he didn't forget to casually make empty promises.
To be a qualified leader, one must have sufficient confidence in what to do and when.
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