Chapter 36 The two talked for a while... Hui Mingui...
The two had been talking for a while when Consort Min was about to leave when a palace maid announced that Lady Guarjia had suddenly arrived. Wen Shan and Consort Min exchanged a glance, then slapped their foreheads in annoyance: "I've been so busy having fun these past few days that I completely forgot about this young lady."
She had already arrived here. Lady Wang, who had come with her, had already been favored by the emperor and granted the title of Noble Lady, while Lady Guarjia had been ignored. No one had said whether she was to be conferred a title or to be sent away. No wonder she was anxious and came here directly, leaving the young lady like this.
It would be a bit much to say we'd send them back once we reached the capital, since we were about to return to Jiangnan.
As expected, Guarjia's visit to see Wenshan this time was only to seek arrangements; otherwise, she would be anxious every day, unsure of where to stay.
Wen Shan comforted her, saying she would find an opportunity to mention it to Kangxi and see what he thought before making a decision, so as not to delay her.
Lady Guarjia wept, her face streaked with tears, and thanked Wen Shan with a mixture of grievance and pity. She then subtly expressed her desire to enter the palace to serve the Emperor, hoping Wen Shan could help her. Wen Shan couldn't make any promises. Except for the daughters of powerful families who were obligated to enter the harem in the early years, Emperor Kangxi's selection of concubines was entirely based on his own preferences. Especially now that he held absolute power and completely controlled the court, Kangxi acted entirely according to his own whims. If Kangxi wasn't interested in her, she couldn't offer any help.
After Lady Guarjia left, Consort Min sighed and said, "Your Highness will have to work hard again."
Wen Shan waved her hand. Now that they were out and about, she was in charge of the household affairs. If she didn't do it, who would?
Moreover, Wen Shan wanted to lend a hand to such a lovely young girl. She asked if Kangxi wasn't interested in her and suggested sending her home while they were still in Jiangnan.
Wen Shan kept this matter in mind and sent someone to invite Kangxi to lunch at noon. Wen Shan did not often send people to the emperor, so when Liang Jiugong mentioned that Consort Xuan wanted to invite him to lunch, Kangxi knew that there was probably something going on. So after finishing his business in the morning, he went to Wen Shan's place.
When Kangxi arrived, lunch had not yet been prepared, and Yinzhen and Yinsi were still in class and had not yet returned.
Wen Shan hadn't expected Kangxi to arrive so early. She was busy embroidering a sachet that she had started a few days ago. Before Kangxi could announce her arrival, he saw Wen Shan sitting cross-legged on the couch, sighing over some needlework.
Is this something that a human could actually embroider?
Isn't her hand a hand?
Wenshan picked up the embroidery hoop and looked at it from left to right, but she couldn't figure out what was wrong. Why did the flowers not look like flowers and grass?
This was simply the biggest blunder in her career as a master craftswoman at Xianfu Palace.
Wenshan was frowning, pondering how to improve the situation, when she suddenly heard a man's laughter behind her.
She was startled and turned around to see Emperor Kangxi standing behind her with his hands behind his back, looking at her masterpiece with great interest.
Wen Shan hurriedly got off the bed, and was about to greet him when Kangxi helped her up.
"What is the Imperial Concubine embroidering?" Emperor Kangxi picked up the embroidery hoop and examined it carefully for a while, but he couldn't figure it out.
What is this patch of green with a few red spots and some yellow mixed in?
Wen Shan forced a smile: "It's a painting of flowers blooming and wealth."
"..."
"Ahem, the Imperial Concubine's skills still need improvement." Kangxi couldn't help but laugh, and could only pick up his tea to cover it up.
Wen Shan looked at him resentfully. It wasn't even a gift for him, so why was she making such a fuss?
Even if he came, he might not be able to embroider as well as she did!
After Kangxi had finished laughing, he said, "What brings you here to see me?"
When Kangxi brought up the topic of Wen Shan, she took the opportunity to speak, saying, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask how to accommodate Lady Guarjia, who came with Consort Mi?"
Guarjia clan?
Emperor Kangxi genuinely didn't remember this person. Only after thinking carefully did he recall that the governor of Jiangsu had indeed sent two women over.
Emperor Kangxi had never met Lady Guarjia before. Upon hearing Wen Shan's question, he put down his teacup and asked, "What does the Imperial Concubine think?"
Kangxi carefully observed Wen Shan's expression. He noticed that her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she looked quite troubled. Recently, he had been doting on Consort Mi. He wondered if Wen Shan might be a little jealous than before and unwilling to let Lady Guarjia enter the palace.
Wen Shan was indeed a little troubled. If it were up to her, she would naturally not want such a lively and lovely girl to waste her life in the palace. However, Guarjia's own intention was very clear, and she could not interfere with other people's decisions.
So Wenshan could only tentatively suggest, "Why doesn't Your Majesty go and meet Sister Guarjia before making a decision?"
Let Kangxi decide for himself.
Unexpectedly, Kangxi waved his hand dismissively and said, "Even if she enters the palace, she will only be a low-ranking concubine. You are a Noble Consort, so it is not inappropriate for you to decide her status."
"..."
Wen Shan hesitated for a while but ultimately chose to respect Guarjia's own wishes.
"I think that Sister Guarjia is beautiful and charming, and well-educated. If she enters the palace, she will surely be able to serve Your Majesty well."
Kangxi neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying that Wenshan should handle it as she saw fit.
Wen Shan had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask Kangxi what rank he had assigned and whether he had any titles. She couldn't possibly decide that herself.
For some reason, Kangxi's attitude turned cold again, and in the end he just said to grant him the title of "Consort".
Looking at Kangxi's cold face, Wenshan thought that his assessment of Yinzhen as unpredictable was more fitting for him.
Emotional stability is indeed a rare quality.
Fortunately, this awkward silence didn't last long, and Yinzhen and Yinsi returned.
The two brothers didn't expect to run into their father, the Emperor, here. Kangxi was curious about what they had bought when he saw that they had brought back a lot of things, so he beckoned Yinzhi over to show him.
Yinzhi obediently introduced the trinkets they had bought to Kangxi one by one, while Yinzhen stepped forward and truthfully reported Tian Wenjing's matter to Kangxi.
This was the result of a discussion between Yinzhen and Yinsi on their way back. They figured that their father would find out about what happened on the street sooner or later, so they might as well confess honestly first and help Tian Wenjing out at the same time.
Emperor Kangxi was playing with a small wooden carving when he heard this. He looked up and hummed in response.
"Tian Wenjing?"
Wen Shan, who overheard this, was also surprised. What a coincidence! Yinzhen went out for a stroll and just happened to run into his future trusted minister.
Yinzhi and Yinzhen exchanged a glance, surprised that Kangxi would remember Tian Wenjing.
Tian Wenjing was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 22nd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. The Kangxi Emperor met him once during the palace selection process, but at that time, the Kangxi Emperor did not particularly like this stubborn young man.
To put it nicely, they were upright officials; to put it bluntly, they were fools who didn't know when to advance or retreat and acted recklessly.
However, Tian Wenjing does have some talent.
Therefore, Emperor Kangxi assigned him to a place outside the capital to start as a county magistrate, wanting him to gain experience and temper his character. Moreover, Tian Wenjing's personality was suitable for governing a local area and benefiting the people.
Today's events seem to confirm Kangxi's thoughts.
Tian Wenjing was indeed a good official who wholeheartedly served the people.
However, Kangxi did not say anything in front of Yinzhen and Yinsi, only saying that he knew and would send someone to investigate.
Emperor Kangxi would not ignore such acts of abusing power for personal gain and oppressing the people, so Yinzhen was somewhat relieved.
Sure enough, the matter was settled before Kangxi left Suzhou. Kangxi personally investigated and verified that Gao Su, the governor of Jiangsu, had committed several serious crimes of favoritism, abuse of power, and disregard for human life. He was directly dismissed and investigated. His brother-in-law, Zhao Ying, also had several murder cases on his hands and was executed along with his brother-in-law.
Emperor Kangxi's style was swift and decisive. With his thunderous methods, he quickly rectified the officialdom in Suzhou, and before many Suzhou officials could react, the city had changed dramatically.
As for Tian Wenjing, it seemed that Emperor Kangxi deliberately ignored him, giving him no reward and barely mentioning him at all.
His colleagues felt sorry for him, as he had missed such a great opportunity to show his face in front of the emperor.
Tian Wenjing remained unperturbed by the praise or criticism, showing no concern whatsoever.
He was simply doing his duty as a county magistrate, and there was really no reason for him to be rewarded.
The Emperor is fair in his rewards and punishments; there's no problem.
However, he did owe a debt of gratitude to the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince. If the two princes had not spoken up for him before the Emperor, he would have been in trouble, possibly losing his official position or even his life.
In November, Emperor Kangxi began his journey back to the capital, and by the end of November, this southern tour, which lasted nearly three months, finally came to an end.
As soon as Wenshan returned to Xianfu Palace, she immediately collapsed onto the bed and lay down for a while. It was definitely more comfortable at home.
After taking a nap, Wen Shan got up and, together with Pearl and the others, sorted out the gifts they had brought back and prepared to send them to the various palaces. Yinzhen and Yinsi also had a rare day off from going to the Imperial Study and could rest. The two brothers were sitting on the couch playing chess.
This southern tour not only didn't lose any people, but actually gained two more. News always spreads very quickly, and before Wen Shan even returned to the capital, the palace already knew that the Emperor had brought back two new concubines on this trip, especially one of them, Consort Mi, who was quite favored by the Emperor.
After returning to the palace, Kangxi specially designated Changchun Palace for Consort Mi to live alone, while Guarjia was given the title of Lady and allowed to live with Consort Rong.
In the three months that Wen Shan was away, quite a few things changed in the palace. Consort Niohuru, because the Tenth Prince was born with a weak constitution, sought advice from Consort Yi on how to raise children and they made peace. The two are now very close. Consort De, taking advantage of Kangxi's absence, also focused on recuperating and recovered from the misfortunes of her father and brother. Now she has rallied and is preparing to return to her position as a favored consort. Moreover, for some reason, Consort Hui has allied with Consort De, and the two have fought against Consort Niohuru several times.
At first, no one knew how to deal with the newcomer, so for a while after she returned to the palace, no one made a move against Consort Mi. Of course, another reason was that Emperor Kangxi also favored Consort Mi after returning to the palace. Emperor Kangxi was in high spirits, and no one dared to offend him.
After recovering, Consort De took the Sixth Prince to the Hall of Mental Cultivation several times. With her gentle and obedient nature, she cried a few times and apologized to Emperor Kangxi, and gradually she was no longer treated coldly.
Thus, the situation in the harem became that Consort Niohuru held the reins of power, had sons, and was favored, making her the most powerful. Consort Yi, with three princes and consistently favored, could not be ignored either, although recently these two seemed to be joining forces and had a good relationship. Consort De and Consort Hui, both with deep experience, formed one faction, while Consort Tong and Consort Ding maintained their stable alliance. In addition, there was the newly promoted favorite, Noble Lady Mi.
On the afternoon of her return to the palace, Wen Shan went to the Cining Palace with many bags and packages to visit the two old ancestors.
The Fifth Prince also accompanied the Empress Dowager on the southern tour. She missed her eldest grandson terribly after not seeing him for three months and held him tightly, refusing to let go.
The Empress Dowager looked better than before. Although Wen Shan had left, she left the recipe for medicinal cuisine to the small kitchen in Cining Palace, instructing them to make it every day. At that time, the Empress Dowager scolded her with a stern face for not paying attention to the things that should be paid attention to, but wasting her time on this old woman.
Before entering the room, Wen Shan secretly inquired with Su Ma La Gu and learned that although the Empress Dowager always complained, she actually ate these medicinal meals well every day.
"After being away for a few months, you are indeed different from when you were in the palace. You are much more energetic." The Empress Dowager looked Wen Shan over and gestured for her to sit down.
Wen Shan leaned forward and took the Empress Dowager's arm, saying, "Your Majesty, do you think I've lost weight from traveling day and night?"
"You've gotten thinner? I think you've gotten fatter!"
Wen Shan grinned and said, "I see that the old lady has also gained some weight. That would be great if we could both grow together."
The Empress Dowager laughed and poked her forehead.
"I really don't know what to say about you."
The Empress Dowager also said, "Thanks to your care for Yinqi during this southern tour, I can see that Yinqi has grown quite a bit taller."
The Fifth Prince nodded vigorously in the Empress Dowager's arms, chattering about how many delicious foods he had eaten and how many fun activities he had played along the way.
What are all these things in this area?
The Empress Dowager looked around; the things Wen Shan had brought were piled up on the table.
Wen Shan smiled and said, "These are some little trinkets that Yinzhen and Yinsi brought for the two ancestors. They were all carefully selected by the two children."
"Yinqi also brought some back and just showed them off to us." The Empress Dowager patted the Fifth Prince's head and said, "Our children are all filial."
The Fifth Prince chuckled: "My Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother always took me along to play, and we had a wonderful time in Jiangnan."
After saying that, he tugged at the Empress Dowager's clothes, tilted his head back, and asked, "Grandmother, may I take Black Bean and Black Ball to Xianfu Palace to play with Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother?"
"Okay, go ahead."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand helplessly. This child is just getting harder to keep under control as he gets older.
After watching the Fifth Prince run out, the Empress Dowager asked, "Why didn't you bring Yinzhen and Yinsi with you today?"
"They're still asleep after the long journey, so I didn't have the heart to wake them," Wen Shan said with a smile and a wink. "It's perfect timing to have Fifth Prince go and wake them up."
Yinzhi was alright, but Yinzhen's morning grumpiness was notorious, even the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager had heard about it.
So the Empress Dowager was both amused and exasperated: "You really are... never mind, let these children do what they want."
"By the way, I heard that His Majesty brought back a Consort Mi during his southern tour?" The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea and brought up this matter.
Wen Shan nodded: "There's also Guarjia."
"That's nothing, it's just that Wang, a Han woman, is so favored by Xuan Ye." The Empress Dowager was somewhat displeased: "Wen Shan, keep a close eye on her and make sure nothing goes wrong."
What could she do if Emperor Kangxi wanted to favor Consort Mi?
So Wen Shan could only say, "His Majesty knows what he's doing and never loses his composure in matters of the harem."
For Emperor Kangxi, the imperial concubines were merely a source of entertainment; he devoted most of his energy to the court, making him a true "spoiled prince."
Even so, he still managed to have so many children, and Wenshan was completely in awe of his energy.
It was truly a case of both the imperial court and the harem flourishing.
The Empress Dowager seemed unconcerned as she stretched her shoulders, and Su Ma La Gu immediately began to massage them.
"Emperors are human too, and humans have emotions and desires," the Empress Dowager said. "The ancients said that lust can cloud judgment. Even the most brilliant emperor can lose his head sometimes. Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman, can they?"
Wenshan muttered softly, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it."
The Empress Dowager glanced at her and said helplessly, "I didn't ask you to do anything. Just keep an eye on the Emperor and make sure he doesn't go too far."
She was well aware of Wen Shan's abilities and didn't expect her to do anything. Besides, other concubines would always try to stir up trouble over Consort Mi's affairs.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand and said with a smile, "The Emperor himself is the one who makes the decisions, so I think we shouldn't worry about it."
Wenshan nodded in agreement.
The Empress Dowager could only helplessly agree.
After speaking of Consort Mi, the Empress Dowager began to tease Wen Shan.
"I heard that the emperor favored you for a while on the way to Jiangnan?"
Wen Shan's toes dug into the ground; it was just too embarrassing to bring this up in front of her elders.
The Empress Dowager glanced at her and said slowly, "She was forgotten as soon as Wang arrived; she's useless."
"..."
Having barely escaped from Cining Palace, Wen Shan felt utterly humiliated.
Fortunately, no one in the harem paid much attention to her; all eyes were on the current favorite, Consort Mi.
Consort Yi and Consort Niohuru have been seeing each other frequently lately, and after Wen Shan returned to the palace, their gatherings turned into a three-person chat.
Wen Shan was also recognized in the palace as someone who knew how to raise children, so even Consort Niohuru humbly sought her advice.
Since the arrival of the Tenth Prince, Consort Niohuru has indeed changed a lot. She no longer focuses all her attention on vying for the emperor's favor as before. Now, most of her attention is on the Tenth Prince, and she has become much gentler.
On this day, Consort Niohuru brought the Tenth Prince to Xianfu Palace again, and also invited Consort Yi to bring the Ninth Prince along for a visit.
"Sister Niohuru has been too idle lately." Consort Yi teased the Tenth Prince, who could already laugh, and said, "The Emperor just returned to the palace and I thought you would be busy serving him."
Consort Niohuru scoffed, "Now that Consort De is busy clashing with Consort Mi, it's rare for me to have a moment of peace."
Once Consort Mi understood her temperament and realized that she was soft-hearted and lacked initiative, Consort De decisively took action.
"Consort Mi is new here and young, she looks rather pitiful," Consort Yi said sarcastically.
Wenshan, who was cutting pastries with a small knife, said upon hearing this, "Then why don't you help her?"
"No way, I don't have that much kindness or that much free time."
Xiao Jiu and Xiao Shiyi are enough to keep her busy.
Consort Niohuru wiped the drool from the groggy Tenth Prince's mouth and said, "I have something to tell you, but don't tell anyone else."
Upon hearing that there was some gossip, Wen Shan immediately perked up, and Consort Yi urged Consort Niohuru to speak quickly.
After whetting the appetites of Consort Wenshan and Consort Yi, Consort Niohuru said, "Noble Lady Mi's ability to gain favor is somewhat similar to that of Empress Xiaocheng."
Empress Xiaocheng, of the Hesheli clan, was Kangxi's first empress. She married Kangxi when he was only twelve years old in the fourth year of his reign, and died in childbirth in the thirteenth year of his reign when she gave birth to the crown prince.
Wen Shan had never met Empress Hesheli, and Consort Yi, who entered the palace in the sixteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, had never met this former empress. Logically speaking, Niohuru, who entered the palace even later, should also not be very familiar with Empress Hesheli. However, Empress Hesheli's grandfather, Soni, and Consort Niohuru's father, Ebilun, were both among the four regents of the Kangxi Emperor in his early years. They were all noble ladies from prominent Manchu families. Although Consort Niohuru was a little younger, she had been associated with the Hesheli family since childhood with her older sister, Empress Xiaozhao, the second empress of the Kangxi Emperor.
So the group got to know each other when they were still young.
Later, Empress Hesheli and Empress Niohuru entered the palace at almost the same time, but the position of empress eventually fell to the Hesheli family.
"Empress Xiaocheng and my sister Empress Xiaozhao were close friends, so when I was a child, I often went to the Hesheli family with my sister." Consort Niohuru sighed, "Thinking about it now, it feels like a lifetime ago. I never imagined that they both died young."
Consort Yi thought for a moment, somewhat puzzled.
"Although there are few concubines in the palace who have seen Empress Hesheli, there are some. For example, Consort Rong entered the palace early on and accompanied Empress Hesheli for many years. How come I haven't heard anyone spread such rumors?"
Moreover, Consort Rong was also on this southern tour. If it were really because Consort Mi resembled Empress Hesheli, Consort Rong would have made a fuss about it long ago, given her personality.
Thinking about it this way, Consort Yi's curiosity was piqued, and she asked Consort Rong what her reaction was when she first met Consort Mi.
Wen Shan thought about it and didn't have any special reaction, just like the first group of women who were sent here.
It can't be that Consort Rong has forgotten what Empress Hesheli looked like because she has been dead for so long, right?
Consort Niohuru was in a good mood today, rocking the cradle of the Tenth Prince surrounded by a pile of toys and said, "They don't look alike, but their temperaments are somewhat similar, and some of their behaviors are very similar. Consort Rong and the others were just concubines back then, so how could they be close to the Empress? It's normal that they didn't know."
Even Consort Niohuru only remembered the method of grinding ink after she happened to meet Consort Mi in the Hall of Mental Cultivation when she went to pay her respects to Emperor Kangxi.
Nowadays, there are only a few people in the palace who have seen Empress Hesheli, but the only one who is familiar with her is probably Consort Niohuru, her childhood playmate. Although Consort Ping is Empress Hesheli's younger sister, the two are far apart in age. Empress Hesheli entered the palace not long after Consort Ping was born, so she was naturally not familiar with her elder sister.
Empress Hesheli had been gone for a long time, and Consort Mi was a newcomer with a humble background and no connections. Consort Niohuru did not think that Consort Mi was deliberately imitating the late empress. She only sighed that she never expected that there would be people in the world who were so similar in certain behaviors and habits.
As Wen Shan listened, she realized something was amiss. Could this be the plan that Yinzhen and Yinsi had come up with?
When Yinzhen and Yinsi returned from the Imperial Study that evening, Wenshan dismissed the palace servants and confronted them, asking if they had deliberately had Consort Mi imitate the late Empress.
Yinzhen and Yinsi never expected to be discovered, even though there hadn't been any news about it in the palace until now.
It wasn't until Wen Shan said that Consort Niohuru had noticed it that Yinzhi suddenly realized that he had overlooked Consort Niohuru, who had been acquainted with Hesheli since childhood.
It was Yinzhi who first proposed this method. In his previous life, Consort Mi was also very favored. He vaguely heard his mother mention that his father had praised Consort Mi for having a similar temperament to Empress Hesheli, and for having a similar charm.
Although I don't know why Father Emperor seems not to be very interested in Lady Wang in this life, since she is somewhat similar to Empress Hesheli, I might as well add icing on the cake and go all the way down this path.
Yinzhi said that he helped Wenshan manage palace affairs and knew that there was a palace maid who had served Empress Hesheli and was now accompanying her on the southern tour. He suggested that she go and give Wang some pointers. She didn't need to learn much, just one or two similarities would be enough, anything more would be too deliberate.
Yinzhen also thought this method was good; it was not easy for others to discover and would not be investigated, except that there were two similar behaviors.
So the two hit it off and did just that.
As expected, Lady Wang, who already bore a resemblance to Empress Hesheli and now bore an even stronger resemblance, suddenly became the most favored.
Wen Shan was a little worried after hearing this. Since even Consort Niohuru could see it, wouldn't Kangxi, who was so suspicious, become suspicious as well?
Yinzhi reassured Wenshan with a smile and said, "Newcomers to the palace are supposed to be taught by palace servants. That palace maid is supposed to do that. It just so happens that she was assigned to teach Consort Mi."
Moreover, according to Yinzhi's intelligence, Kangxi had already investigated this matter.
Yinzhen said, "Since Father Emperor didn't pursue the matter, then it's all over."
Wen Shan was relieved to hear Yin Si say that.
Emperor Kangxi's favor towards Consort Mi continued until the following spring, when Consort Niohuru and Consort Min were diagnosed with pregnancy one after the other, at which point Kangxi shifted his interest from Consort Mi to these two.
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