In mid-September, Hongli could no longer delay and finally returned to the palace slowly with his concubines.
Because Consort Xian and Consort Ling were born at an inopportune time, and their postpartum confinement period coincided with the annual Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.
The Emperor, considering his two newborn children and his reluctance to travel back and forth, and also because he found the palace too cramped and not as spacious and comfortable as the Yuanmingyuan, decided to hold this year's festival banquet at the Yuanmingyuan.
Now that they've finally returned to the palace, it's also because the Yuanmingyuan Garden has cooled down, and people's bodies couldn't stand staying there for too long.
However, the main reason was that Hongli had neglected state affairs for several months and was so frightened by the accumulated palace affairs that he had no choice but to return to work.
"Tch, it always ends up like this. The Empress Dowager doesn't dare to criticize the Emperor, and we concubines who haven't done anything end up being the ones who suffer in the middle."
Chen Yuwei rarely complained. It was unclear whether the Empress Dowager was experiencing irritability due to approaching menopause or because she felt frustrated by the departure of Niohuru from the precarious Dzungar Khanate. The Empress Dowager's emotions had been quite unpredictable lately.
To put it nicely, this is called having a distinct personality; being straightforward and clear-cut.
To put it bluntly, he's a mad dog, irrational and driven entirely by his mood.
Within its line of sight, it bites anyone it encounters, friend or foe alike.
Chen Yuwei was afraid of such things and tried her best to avoid them, but she still couldn't escape being targeted by the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager may be trying to get back at Consort Hui."
The incident involving Consort Ling caused Consort Hui and Lady Niohuru to suffer greatly.
Even the princess whom Consort Hui raised was forcibly sent to the princess's quarters by the Emperor. It's rumored that the princess's husband is being sought in the Dzungar Khanate.
The Dzungar Khanate has recently been experiencing internal strife, with one Khan after another dying in a short period of time.
At present, the Qing Dynasty cannot clearly see the situation of the Dzungar Khanate.
But everyone could have imagined that once a new Dzungar Khan successfully ascended to the throne and stabilized the turbulent Dzungar Khanate...
Given that the Qing Dynasty was unwilling to use force, it had no choice but to resort to marriage alliances.
The princesses of the Qing Dynasty were the best candidates for marriage alliances.
Chen Yuwei turned her head and glanced at Xia He, "Where did you hear that from?"
"Consort Hui's little princess is still so young. By the time she grows up smoothly, the Dzungar Khanate will be doomed."
If I remember correctly, Consort Hui's little princess is twelve years old, right? She should only be a little older than Empress Xiaoxian's youngest daughter.
"Your Majesty, although the rumors sound exaggerated, the important thing is the Emperor's attitude."
The Emperor is unlikely to marry Consort Hui's youngest daughter back to the Niohuru clan, thus strengthening family ties.
This was Consort Hui's idea all along. She thought that it wouldn't be safe for the princess to marry anywhere, so it would be better for her to return to the Niohuru clan. At least the spoils would stay in their own home and not benefit others.
Chen Yuwei: ...
Chen Yuwei looked at Xia He thoughtfully, then nodded. No wonder.
"Now that the Qing Dynasty's territory is unstable, His Majesty's first thought is to implement a policy of appeasement."
This wasn't because Hongli was cowardly and dared not send anyone to fight them head-on.
It was because war cost money, the national treasury was empty, and Hongli was reluctant to spend money, thinking it was too expensive.
With just this back and forth, the silver in the national treasury would be drained away like flowing water.
Reaching out to touch her chin, Chen Yuwei pondered Hongli's sinister intentions. He probably wanted to make Niohuru completely submit and not let them get involved with the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was his own mother, and Hongli was at a loss as to what to do with her.
But others didn't have this get-out-of-jail-free card. This time, Consort Hui's father was caught in the crossfire of the mother and son's argument. He was seemingly implicated and sent to the Dzungar Khanate for a trial, but in reality, the Niohuru clan had no choice. The Emperor just wanted to teach them a lesson.
Chen Yuwei knew in her heart that even without the conflict between Consort Hui and Consort Ling, the emperor would still deal with the heads of the Niohuru clan for their dispute.
However, the final choice is unlikely to be Consort Hui's father.
Tsk tsk
Thinking about it this way, Consort Hui was truly a virtuous person who put righteousness before family.
No matter what, the Emperor should go and spend two days with Consort Hui to show off his imperial favor.
However, when the Emperor arrived, Consort Hui felt even more aggrieved. She wanted to give him a hard time, but she couldn't, because he was the emperor of a country.
The thought of this bizarre scene made Chen Yuwei burst out laughing.
Hahaha, this is so funny!
Xia He was still a little confused when she saw her master suddenly smile.
However, she cooperated with Chen Yuwei. Since her master was laughing, she must have thought of something interesting, so she laughed along with her.
There was no one around in public, otherwise, if the master and servant's behavior were seen, people would surely gossip about the abnormality of Yikun Palace behind their backs.
There's no way around it; Yikun Palace is the bellwether of the harem and a prerequisite for generating traffic.
If you just say something in private, spread some dubious rumors, and include the name "Yikun Palace," it will surely spread quickly throughout the entire harem.
Although Chen Yuwei's situation in the harem is not as glorious as it was a few years ago, her children have all grown up, married, and had children of their own.
The remaining two smaller ones, the Princess's Residence and the Prince's Residence, were not just for show. Chen Yuwei handled these matters properly upon returning to the palace, and now she felt completely relaxed, without any burden whatsoever.
Such a state was extremely conspicuous to others. At least some of the concubines who had been in the palace for a long time and whose minds had become twisted unconsciously were very jealous of Chen Yuwei's luck.
Although they were timid and afraid of trouble, and dared not confront Chen Yuwei openly, they were still willing to ruin her reputation and kick her while she was down behind her back.
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