Chapter Twelve
"What? Tens of thousands of taels?" Upon hearing this amount, Consort Fucha exclaimed in surprise. This was no small sum.
“Mother, that’s still an understatement. It must be tens of thousands of taels. If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Now that it’s so murky, all the fish are dead.” Chen Jialu shook her head and said, “Mother, the person in charge should be changed frequently. Don’t let one person stay in the same position all the time.”
Hearing her daughter's naive suggestion, Fucha Fujin chuckled and shook her head, "Silly child, not everyone understands many aspects of business."
“Mother, the Qing Dynasty has tens of millions of subjects. Finding someone to do our work would be a piece of cake!” Chen Jialuo thought her mother was just sentimental. “I don’t care, Mother. These people have embezzled so much of our silver. I’m going to hand them over to the authorities.”
"Mother, if you don't believe me, check these accounts again, and you'll see how outrageous they are." Chen Jialuo said angrily, perhaps still holding the mindset of a petty, narrow-minded citizen, thinking that that money could buy so many things.
"Alright, alright." Seeing her daughter's sullen face, Fucha Fujin chuckled helplessly again and took Chen Jialuo's hand. "Jialuo, your mother has taught you not to show your emotions on your face. You can't let the people below know what you're thinking from your facial expressions."
This is one of the methods of managing subordinates, but it's still not authoritative enough, sigh...
It's alright, she can learn slowly. The Ministry of Rites hasn't set a wedding date yet. Under her guidance, her daughter will surely become an empress.
The Ministry of Rites is having a headache over the Crown Prince's marriage. There is no precedent for the Crown Prince's marriage in the current dynasty, and they dare not use the old precedents from previous dynasties. They have to ask the Emperor for instructions.
Emperor Kangxi was in his prime, and the Crown Prince was still young. He had personally taught and raised the Crown Prince, and was the emperor's favorite son. So how could he possibly be wary of him? Naturally, he was dissatisfied with the various methods proposed by the Ministry of Rites.
This won't work, that won't work, change them all!
The Minister of Rites felt like he was losing half his hair. If the Emperor were to change it according to his wishes, it would be almost as grand as the Emperor's wedding to Empress Yuan (Empress Hesheli). How could that be allowed?
They then narrowed down the selection process, and regarding the date, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was still determining an auspicious day based on the birth dates of the Crown Prince and his consort, Lady Fucha. They had to choose the best possible day.
Anyway, that's what the Emperor ordered.
One is June 6th next year, one is December 1st next year, and one is August 15th the year after next...
Looking at these three dates, Kangxi thought of the Empress Dowager, whose health was not very good. He asked the Imperial Observatory, "These are the three auspicious days?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, we need to calculate the dates for the future as well." The Imperial Observatory then launched into a long explanation of whether birth dates and times clashed with certain dates, just to let the Emperor know that they had put a lot of effort into selecting auspicious days.
Kangxi nodded in agreement, thinking that his grandmother seemed to be in good health now, and that she had only caught a cold by accident last time. "Let's set it for the sixth day of the sixth month next year."
He felt he had plenty of time to prepare, with more than half a year to go.
This would make the Empress Dowager happy, and besides, the eldest son always liked to compete with the Crown Prince for the birth of a legitimate son, which left Kangxi helpless. However, since the Crown Prince was not yet married, the eldest son took advantage of this to bully Bao Cheng.
Thinking of this, he shook his head helplessly. As far as Kangxi was concerned, he felt that his two sons were just playing around. This little thing was just giving them a fair chance to compete.
Soon, he put this matter aside because he had to deal with national affairs. He was also busy with the winter snow disaster. The reason he could spare so much attention was because of Bao Cheng's wedding.
As for the fourth son...
With Consort Tongjia around, Kangxi was perfectly content to be a hands-off manager, since Baocheng had lost his mother at a young age.
At this moment, Lady Tongjia, who had been left to fend for herself by Emperor Kangxi, was summoning Lady Guarjia, the future wife of the fourth prince.
As a member of the Guarjia clan, who was selected by the emperor from among many candidates to become the Crown Princess, Tongjia had to nod in approval. Indeed, she was quite good; her standards of palace etiquette were perfect, and she spoke in a very orderly manner.
She's not much worse than the one from Ulanara's family; in fact, she's much better.
"Mother." The fourth prince, Yinzhen, who was only ten years old, was still a young boy. He was dressed in a dark casual outfit and had a half-grown crescent-shaped hairstyle. His voice came before he appeared.
As soon as the voice fell, both Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia and Princess Guarjia subconsciously looked towards the door. When they saw the Fourth Prince Yinzhen, they both showed gentle smiles.
The Imperial Noble Consort is truly gentle. Now that she knows she has no hope of having a son, she is bedridden with illness. Her only hope is that the prince she has raised will be able to live a better life.
Princess Guarjia spent a long time trying on herself in front of the mirror at home. She knew that she was not as beautiful as the other concubines, only dignified and pretty, so she could only bring out her best side.
As the principal wife, she cannot treat people with her beauty like a concubine. She can only act as a gentle, dignified, understanding, and empathetic woman. What is so difficult about that?
After being poked in the back several times by the maid behind her, she remembered that she was no longer the Crown Princess. She quickly stood up and said, "This servant, Guarjia, greets the Fourth Prince."
The Fourth Prince knew, of course, that the princess bowing to him was from the Guarjia clan, his future wife. He wore a faint smile on his face, though he wanted to smile, but his habitually stern expression made him look somewhat awkward.
Seeing her son like this, the Imperial Noble Consort couldn't help but laugh. If anyone was to blame, it was the Emperor. Little Fourth Prince wasn't like this when he was young. He was lively, cheerful, and outgoing. Later, because the Ninth Prince cut off the fur of one of Yinzhen's dogs, he angrily cut off the Ninth Prince's braid. The Emperor scolded him for being "unpredictable." Because of this, he always kept a straight face and coolly protected himself.
"Zhen'er, this is Princess Guarjia." The Imperial Noble Consort summoned the Fourth Prince so that the young couple could get to know each other better.
A marriage bestowed by the Emperor means that unless one of them loses their life, they must be together for life. Naturally, the Imperial Noble Consort is very concerned about this.
The Fourth Prince looked at Princess Guarjia. Although he had only met her once, he had a good memory and looked at her politely, "Princess Guarjia."
Princess Guarjia looked at the once cold and imposing Prince Yong, now just a young and innocent boy, and smiled gently with a hint of shyness, "Fourth Prince..."
The Imperial Noble Consort, seeing their behavior, still didn't understand? Well, she had talked enough with Princess Guarjia, and it was time for the Fourth Prince to escort Princess Guarjia away from the palace.
This can be considered their method of 'cultivating feelings before marriage'. After all, with the dogma and etiquette in place, they couldn't actually hold hands and talk about love like in later generations. Being able to say a few words was already considered good.
Princess Guarjia had already anticipated many things at home, including the possibility of meeting the Fourth Prince. She had already thought about how to 'exchange' feelings without seeming abrupt.
"Fourth Prince, I've been learning etiquette and needlework at home lately, and I've embroidered a purse for you, which will match your everyday clothes today..." Princess Guarjia shyly took out the purse she had embroidered from her sleeve. In fact, she had prepared two or three purses in different colors.
Opportunity favors the prepared mind. She absolutely had to... establish some connection with the Fourth Prince to gain favor, as for the women in the harem...
We'll talk about it after she marries into the Fourth Prince's household.
The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, looked at the gentle, elegant face with a light smile, and naturally had no idea of the vicious thoughts hidden in the young girl's heart.
This is her first time facing the Fourth Prince, who is to be her future wife. She hasn't had enough to deal with yet. For example, her ears are still slightly red. Looking at this purse, she knows that her needlework is quite good.
He took it, his expression remaining indifferent and calm. "Thank you."
"Fourth Prince, the Imperial Noble Consort is so gentle and elegant. Before she summoned me today, she was quite nervous, but now..." Princess Guarjia was particularly good at opening a conversation with people, and she noticed the Fourth Prince's expression as soon as he entered the hall.
The look of admiration he gave to Consort Tongjia shows that he truly regarded her as his mother, or at least someone he respected.
Therefore, after Princess Guarjia brought up this point, the Fourth Prince's expression softened considerably. He nodded and they began to chat.
When Princess Guarjia was sent out of the palace, she had a faint smile on her face. See? She just didn't lower herself. The Crown Prince is nothing but a blind man. He's not as good as the Fourth Prince, Yinzhen. He's much better.
In the future, I should sit on the throne of the Empress...
I don't know when we'll get married.
While Princess Guarjia was pondering this question, the Imperial Noble Consort was already discussing it with her nanny.
She is currently suffering from a chronic illness and is unlikely to recover. She knows that she was first weakened by giving birth to the eighth princess, and then the early death of her child caused her unbearable pain. Now she is just barely clinging to life.
After all, this was a child she had raised for over ten years. "Granny, please ask the Emperor to come to Chengqian Palace tonight."
She doesn't have long to live, and she wants to watch her fourth son get married and grow up.
When Emperor Kangxi learned that his cousin had invited him to Chengqian Palace, he did not flip the green-headed plaque. Instead, he went to Chengqian Palace after finishing his official duties.
The delicate and pitiful cousin was looking forward to him. As soon as she saw Kangxi arrive, she rushed forward, inquired about Kangxi's recent life, and then began to bring up the matter of the fourth prince's wedding.
“Cousin, I may not be able to stay with you for much longer. With my current health, and Zhen’er now having a future wife, I only have one wish: to see Zhen’er get married before I die.” Lady Tongjia was very direct and not tactful.
Kangxi immediately put on a stern face, "Nonsense, you're going to be with me to watch the fourth prince get married and have children, and in the future a bunch of grandchildren will surround you and call you Imperial Grandmother."
Lady Tongjia didn't want to hear this at all. Imperial Grandmother? She didn't know whether she would side with Consort De or herself in the end!
However, her face didn't betray her feelings; instead, it remained gentle and tender. "Your Majesty, please grant me this request. I ask for nothing else..."
Because she knew that even if she begged, the Emperor would not agree, fearing that the fourth prince would rely on the Tong family's backing to compete with the Crown Prince.
While Emperor Kangxi and Lady Tongjia were discussing the wedding date of the Fourth Prince Yinzhen, the Fucha family was checking the account books of other shops and discovered that... no shopkeeper was honest or greedy; they just took a little more or a little less.
Fucha Fujin was furious. Did they think they were easy targets?
So, a ridiculous thing happened in the capital recently: the Fucha family sent the manager of one of their shops to the government office.
They thought it was a joke, that the Fucha family was petty and arguing with their servants over such trivial matters. But when the stewards were confiscated, their homes were found to contain hundreds of thousands of taels of silver (including gold, silver, jewelry, and fertile land)...
Note: It's one, not the total.
This immediately caused a sensation, prompting investigations into the managers and other personnel under their own families. It was clear that the Fucha family wasn't the only one daring to embezzle!
(End of this chapter)
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