Xiuning asked in surprise, "Are you sure? You want to stay in the capital?"
Over time, Ningchuge's control over Khorchin and Mongolia weakened, which made it difficult for her to regain power in the future.
Ning Chuge put her hand on Xiu Ning's shoulder and leaned closer to her. "Mother, those things originally belonged to the child. It's just that the child wasn't grown up yet, so I was taking care of them for him."
Now her children are all grown up and even have their marriages settled.
It's time for her, the person in charge back then, to step down and make way for a more capable person.
Xiu Ning hadn't expected Ning Chuge to be so insightful about power.
In this respect, he is unlike Emperor Kangxi. If Emperor Kangxi had had the same mindset as Ning Chuge, he wouldn't have ended up in the current situation where he can only lie in bed and become a useless person.
“Ning Chuge, you’re right to think this way,” Xiu Ning patted Ning Chuge’s wrist. “This time you’re back, stay a little longer to be with your mother.”
"Then my daughter and I will live together at Changchun Garden. It's a huge place; your father, the Emperor, is truly exceptional when it comes to enjoying life."
He never deprived himself of food, clothing, or daily necessities. Especially in recent years, Emperor Kangxi would spend a large sum of money from the national treasury every year on his eastern and southern tours.
Regardless of whether they went out for work, they enjoyed what they were entitled to, and every year countless Han women entered the imperial harem.
Although most of them could only be assigned as concubines, the beautiful and charming women were there, and just looking at them was pleasing to the eye.
Xiu Ning smiled and patted Ning Chuge's hair. The mother and daughter had spent very little time together after Ning Chuge got married, but now they could make up for it.
From this perspective, there's nothing wrong with Kangxi becoming the retired emperor.
Ning Chuge also thought that going to Changchun Garden was a good idea. Living in the princess's mansion was too lonely, and it was not good for a married princess to return to the palace to live.
After much consideration, it's still best to go to Changchun Garden with my mother.
Besides, Mother is about to become the Empress Dowager, the highest-ranking concubine in the harem. If I go there, who would dare to say anything? They would all try to curry favor with me and please Mother.
Ning Chuge smiled and nodded, "I will listen to my mother in this matter."
The mother and daughter quickly arranged their accommodations. After all, Changchun Garden was quite large, and when Kangxi went there, he would bring 70% of the concubines from the harem. Xiuning definitely wanted to avoid him as far as possible.
"Go back and rest first, and wait for Mother to make arrangements."
Xiu Ning patted Ning Chuge's hand and watched the child leave.
When Ning Chuge left and returned, it was already the day of Yin Yi's enthronement ceremony.
Ning Chuge stood outside the main hall, watching Yin Yi, dressed in a dragon robe, walk step by step to sit on the dragon throne.
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
"..."
Everyone knelt down to pay their respects. At this moment, whether they were court officials or princes, everyone had mixed feelings.
I never imagined that it would end like this.
Yin Yi finally sat on the dragon throne as he had wished. He looked around at his brothers and court officials kneeling on the ground, and his heart was filled with turmoil. No matter what, he was the one who had finally achieved his goal.
A simple "No need for formalities" laid the foundation for their future positions.
One thought came to everyone's mind: the era of Kangxi had officially come to an end.
...
With Yin Yi's enthronement ceremony completed, the next step was for Xiu Ning to lead Kangxi away.
Xiu Ning had nothing to take, and the arrangements for the concubines in the harem had already been discussed with her brothers before Yin Yi's enthronement ceremony.
Consorts like Yifei, Depin, and Huipin, despite having the title "Tai" added to their rank, did not need to live in Changchun Garden like other concubines without children. Instead, they could live with their sons who had established their own residences outside the palace. On a daily basis, they did not need to come to the palace to pay their respects. They could simply visit each other during festivals as a token gesture.
To be honest, this arrangement is a really good thing for the concubines in the harem who have children and grandchildren.
Even the court officials couldn't say anything, since many of the concubines in the harem were relatives and family members of the officials. They had endured most of their lives and could finally enjoy a peaceful life without having to suffer anymore. Who would want to live in Changchun Garden under the watchful eyes of the retired emperor?
And so, as Xiuning boarded the carriage and set off with Kangxi and others for Changchun Garden, the concubines in the harem who had grown up also took the opportunity to leave the Forbidden City.
The concubines living in the Twelve Palaces of the East and West were all gone in an instant. Looking at the vacated palaces, Yin Yi finally had the mind to bestow titles upon the women in his own backyard.
It should be noted that due to time constraints, including Yin Yi's wife, Shumulu, they were still living in their residences outside the palace. When they were busy, they could only enter and leave the palace by carriage, which was even more arduous than Yin Yi's work in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
However, no matter how much hardship Shumulu endured, it was all worthwhile in the face of Yin Yi's imperial edict of investiture.
Because Shumulu was a Fujin (a high-ranking concubine), she directly became the Empress.
As for the rest of the harem members, those below the rank of Consort and above the rank of Attendant, Yin Yi was more generous than Kangxi in this regard. As long as they weren't the troublemakers, he was very generous in granting them ranks.
Shumulu Shi was not dissatisfied with this. Everyone had lived in the backyard for many years and knew each other's thoughts. As long as they didn't go too far and challenge her authority, Shumulu Shi remembered her mother's words when she got married and focused on herself.
...
In the tenth year of Zhenghe, at Changchun Garden.
Xiuning sat in the rocking chair that the Imperial Household Department had made, basking in the sun idly.
The weather in April was just right.
Xiuning, dressed in a loose-fitting cheongsam, squinted as she listened to Chunyu chatter about the big and small events at Changchun Garden.
Since Yin Yi's ascension to the throne, Xiu Ning has not entered the palace except for holidays.
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