In the first month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, Hongli formally issued an edict in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, bestowing marriages upon several children in the palace.
Among them were Consort Xian's two children, who chose to marry into the Ulanara and Huifa Nara clans respectively, just as Consort Xian had hoped.
Hongli once complained to Chen Yuwei that he wanted to change the consort for Yaliqi, but when the time came, he didn't change it to someone else. Perhaps he was afraid that Consort Xian, who had gone to the underworld, would be dissatisfied and come back to find him.
As people get older, they tend to believe more and more in these dubious tales of ghosts and spirits.
The Baohua Hall, where incense burns constantly in the inner palace, invites many eminent monks from outside the palace to chant sutras and pray for blessings every year.
Even the Empress Dowager in Cining Palace would get involved, with the mother and son emphasizing that everything was credible and that there would be a response to everything.
In addition to Consort Xian's two children, Chen Yuwei's two children were also betrothed.
Yongwei had chosen a candidate for the imperial concubine herself and asked Hongli to grant her his wish, while Wuyunzhu was acting preemptively, fearing that Hongli might harm her later.
In short, Emperor Qianlong's decree of marriage has already been issued, and any further changes to the decree would only be possible if there were problems with the chosen candidate.
"The candidate is problematic? The royal family has plenty of underhanded methods; it wouldn't be difficult to resolve this quietly?"
If the problem is discovered before the marriage is officially granted, that's one thing, but if there's still a problem after the marriage is granted, then the marriage should be annulled and a new marriage should be granted.
The royal family's reputation could not be compromised. Historically, most of the chosen princes' wives and princesses' husbands, as long as they did not make any major mistakes, were able to ascend to the throne peacefully until their death. A small number of them died prematurely without knowing why.
This premature end was quite a delicate matter for those who had experienced the ruthless methods of the royal court.
Chen Yuwei met Wuyunzhu, who had come to pay her respects, in the main hall of Yikun Palace.
Just as the saying goes, "A person is in high spirits when they have a happy occasion," Wu Yunzhu, holding the imperial edict, has been in high spirits lately.
He was chatting and laughing with his mother, looking forward to married life.
Chen Yuwei shook her head helplessly, "The prince consort is two years younger than you."
"Wu Yunzhu, are you sure he won't make any changes? This man is no simpleton."
Niohuru Heshen was a notorious corrupt official and treacherous minister during the Qianlong era.
There was even a saying that circulated in later generations: "When Heshen fell, Jiaqing got his fill."
Before his death, Emperor Qianlong deliberately left behind the corrupt official Heshen to pave the way for his own son to ascend to the throne and establish his authority.
This demonstrates the extent of Heshen's favor with Emperor Qianlong and his level of greed during the Qianlong era.
Can Wuyunzhu really control this person? He might just be digging his own grave.
Wuyunzhu nodded, "Mother, don't worry, the situation is in my favor now."
Leaving aside the distant past, I now share the same goals as Heshen and we cooperate happily.
No one can predict the future, but my daughter believes that some things require taking a gamble.
If they win, Wuyunzhu will make a fortune. Heshen and his brother, who came from humble backgrounds, were able to rise to prominence. There's no reason why they wouldn't be able to succeed with her support.
“Mother, Father Emperor likes Heshen. Although he has no official rank or wealth yet, the imperial examination is about to begin, and with his abilities, he will surely be on the list.”
Chen Yuwei: ...
The more Chen Yuwei listened, the more something seemed off. She had to remind Wu Yunzhu that her behavior was very much like that of a noble lady from a storybook.
In modern terms, it's about a "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success) and a "
Even though Heshen had considerable potential for future development and rose to the position of a powerful minister.
But at present, Heshen cannot change his background and status as a nobody.
Wuyunzhu and Heshen, with the woman being superior to the man, might not have had a good relationship even in modern times, let alone in ancient times where there were many more obstacles.
Wu Yunzhu shrugged. "From another perspective, he is the prince consort and has no way to control his daughter's behavior."
My daughter's ability to take the initiative in her actions is a rare and valuable trait.
If it were any other Manchu nobleman, Wuyunzhu would never have had such an easy time.
As for powerful and influential families, they have a lot of trouble. Wu Yunzhu would rather let the Phoenix Man bleed for a return than invest in a stagnant noble family. There's simply no need to save those people.
"Everything has two sides; it's up to you to choose."
"Looking back now, you've thought things through very clearly," but she's been a bit simplistic in her thinking.
At least he wasn't just blinded by male beauty; he had seriously compared the merits and demerits of the Manchu bannermen and Heshen.
Wuyunzhu accepted all the praise from her mother, crossed her arms over her chest, and put on a smug look, which made Chen Yuwei unable to help but smile.
...
To be honest, Wu Yunzhu's choice of a consort was quite unexpected for Chen Yuwei.
Heshen's reputation was exceptionally high during the Qianlong era, and unexpectedly, he ended up becoming her son-in-law.
Hopefully, Wuyunzhu can truly restrain Heshen; otherwise, the probability of Wuyunzhu suffering a loss is extremely high.
With her youngest two children's marriages settled, Chen Yuwei seemed even more relaxed.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, after finishing the bestowal of the marriage, did not forget to continue his pleasure-seeking.
As Jiangnan was a place that Hongli was very interested in, he maintained a frequency of visiting it every two or three years. This not only brought a sense of security to the officialdom in Jiangnan, but also brought many concubines from the south into the harem.
Consort Rong, Consort Yu, and Consort Ling, who accompanied Hongli on his journey to the south of the Yangtze River, performed their duties well, which sometimes made Chen Yuwei feel sorry for them.
Oh my!
The Emperor is really something. Not only does he indulge in his own pleasures, but he also dumps all the work on others and acts like a hands-off manager, completely ignoring the concubines who are gradually falling ill in the palace.
"I really don't know whether it's the luck of leaving early or the luck of lingering on."
Looking out the window at the gray sky, Chen Yuwei spoke with a touch of melancholy.
Yongwei got married a few days ago, and Wuyunzhu's wedding is next.
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