Chapter 5 Yinzhen leaned on her shoulder, looking sullen…
Yinzhen nodded listlessly, resting his head on her shoulder. Yinzuo was still crying and fussing, and Consort De was holding him in her arms with heartache. The palace maids were busy cleaning up the broken glass on the ground. The room was a complete mess. Wenshan carried Yinzhen and left Yonghe Palace without saying anything.
Not far from Yonghe Palace, Yinzhen seemed to have recovered. He grabbed Wenshan's cloak, turned around, and said, "Your Highness, please put me down. I can walk by myself."
Empress Xuan looks so slender and delicate, what if she gets exhausted carrying him this far?
Wen Shan heard that he still sounded a little sullen, so she lifted Yinzhen up a little more and said with a smile, "It's okay. It's hard for Consort Xuan to carry you. Yinzhen, eat more and get stronger, and Consort Xuan won't carry you anymore."
Wen Shan's stamina is really good. She usually exercises when she's bored in Xianfu Palace. The distance between Yonghe Palace and Xianfu Palace is not far. You just have to walk through the Imperial Garden to get there. She can carry Yinzhen for a while without any problem.
Moreover, pearls and amber were carefully protecting it from the side.
"When we get back to Xianfu Palace, I'll ask Consort Xuan to make you something delicious, like melon shaved ice, okay?"
"The Empress Dowager has given us many good things. See what you like, and Consort Xuan will make it for you."
Hearing Wen Shan's gentle and caring voice, Yin Zhen hugged her neck, buried his face in her neck, and held her tightly.
Wenshan patted his back, coaxing him to say a few more words.
"Does Yinzhen like honeydew melon? How about I make you some persimmon?"
"I like honeydew melons."
"Oh, how about adding a bowl of small glutinous rice balls, with osmanthus filling?"
"Okay, I like it too."
"So, does Yinzhen want to make some with Consort Xuan later? Consort Xuan will teach you how to make small glutinous rice balls."
"good."
Pearl and Amber exchanged a smile as they watched their mistress patiently coaxing the Fourth Prince. Their mistress was truly perfect for raising children.
After returning to Xianfu Palace, Wen Shan placed Yinzhen on the couch, took off her cloak, and helped Yinzhen remove his outer garment. Xianfu Palace had ample food and clothing, and the room was warmly heated by the underfloor heating. It was indeed quite hot when you came in from outside.
"Master, the goat milk is ready. Please have some with the Fourth Prince." Baoquan brought the warmed goat milk into the room and, seeing the Fourth Prince looking somewhat sullen, quickly smiled and stepped forward.
"Oh my, what's wrong with my young master?" Yesterday, Baoquan spent the afternoon making kites with Yinzhen, and the two became much closer. Now, seeing that Yinzhen was unhappy, he felt genuinely sorry for him and went up to tease him: "Is it too cold? From now on, I will dress you in thick clothes and carry you out."
Pearl and Amber couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're making yourself sound like an old ox."
"What's wrong with the old ox?" Baoquan continued with a smile, "I'll transform into anything as long as my young master is happy."
Jade also came in from the outer room and presented some of the fruits bestowed by the Empress Dowager.
"The Fourth Prince said he liked honeydew melons, so I went to prepare some."
Looking at the concerned crowd before him, Yinzhen felt a warmth in his heart. He forced a smile and politely thanked them, trying to put aside what had just happened at Yonghe Palace: "Thank you, Sister Emerald."
Emerald was so flattered that she almost dropped the plate she was holding. Baoquan, on the other hand, immediately started acting and complained that it was unfair. How come Emerald only brought out a plate of fruit and received a thank you from the young master? The group's banter successfully made Yinzhen laugh.
Wen Shan watched with a smile as Bao Quan and the others tried to make Yin Zhen happy. She then instructed Zhen Zhu to fetch some ingredients for making glutinous rice balls, as she had promised Yin Zhen that she would make them with him.
Pearl responded and came out of the house with Baoquan.
"Pearl, why is Master back so early?" Baoquan turned around and glanced at Wenshan talking to Yinzhen before lowering his voice to ask.
Wenshan went to Cining Palace to pay her respects today but didn't bring Baoquan with her, leaving him to watch the dishes simmering in the small kitchen. Baoquan figured that his master would have to take the Fourth Prince to Cining Palace, and Chengqian Palace and Yonghe Palace, so they wouldn't be back until noon. But they returned much earlier than he expected.
"Don't even mention it." Pearl lowered the curtain and chatted with Baoquan in the corridor: "After leaving Cining Palace, we went to Consort De's place. Consort De only cared about the Sixth Prince and gave our Fourth Prince a hard time. The Noble Consort said early this morning that she was not feeling well and the Emperor was with her in Chengqian Palace, so the Master did not take the Fourth Prince with her."
“I was wondering why the Fourth Prince seemed so downcast when he came back.” Bao Quan said knowingly, “I don’t know what Consort De is thinking. The Fourth Prince is her own son too…”
“That’s enough, this is not something a servant should say,” Pearl interrupted him.
Baoquan realized what had happened and slapped himself a few times: "Look at my mouth, I really deserve to be slapped."
Consort Xuan was kind and treated them well. She was very approachable in their daily interactions. Although they were servants, they were still human. They naturally wanted to repay their mistress's kindness a hundredfold or a thousandfold. They couldn't help but feel sorry for Consort Xuan and the Fourth Prince.
The two didn't say anything more and went to do their own work. Making small glutinous rice balls is simple; all you need is glutinous rice flour and water. Wen Shan helped Yinzhen make one, and Yinzhen's interest was clearly piqued. He rolled several more, and his face was covered in flour, making him look like a little kitten.
It seems they've completely forgotten what happened this morning.
Children forget things easily, and Wen Shan deliberately didn't want Yin Zhen to remember these things, leaving only pain.
After quickly making the small glutinous rice balls, Wen Shan went to the small kitchen to make the melon ice cream and osmanthus glutinous rice balls that she had promised Yinzhen. This was not a formal meal, but a snack between breakfast and lunch.
When Wen Shan entered the room again, Yin Zhen was reading a book intently on the couch.
She leaned closer and saw that it was homework assigned by the teacher in the study.
There was also a small line of comments on the side, which Wen Shan looked at carefully and saw that it read "Gu Badai".
"Yinzhen, have something to eat." Wenshan called to him, and Yinzhen obediently climbed down from the bed and sat down in a chair.
It was the first time Yinzhen had eaten something he had made himself, and Wenshan served him a bowl, which he drank all of.
After having a snack, it's almost time to go to the study. I come back from school around lunchtime, so I don't need to go in the afternoon.
Pearl and Amber cleared the table of pastries, and Yinzhen's mood suddenly became somewhat gloomy again. After hesitating for a long time, he looked at Wenshan and asked, "Your Highness, is His Highness the Crown Prince in the study today?"
Wen Shan was taken aback. Remembering the information the Empress Dowager had told her earlier that day, she said gently, "The Crown Prince is fine. He woke up yesterday and should be attending school as usual today."
Yinzhen said "oh" and then fell silent. Wenshan hadn't asked Yinzhen about the conflict between him and the Crown Prince yesterday. She thought it was normal for children of that age to have disagreements, especially between brothers, and the Empress Dowager clearly didn't care, so she hadn't taken it seriously. But seeing Yinzhen's expression, she realized that things might not be as simple as children throwing a tantrum.
"Could Yinzhen tell Consort Xuan what exactly happened yesterday?" Wen Shan tried to communicate with him.
Fortunately, Yinzhen was not resistant to her question and only hesitated for a moment before telling her everything.
The problem turned out to be with that Gu Badai.
The princes had two teachers in the Imperial Study: one was Zhang Ying, who was later the only Han official to be honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the other was Gu Badai.
Both of them were renowned scholars of both Manchu and Han descent, otherwise they would not have been chosen by Emperor Kangxi to be the teachers of the princes. However, Gu Badai was too upright and honest. He not only refused bribes and did not curry favor, but he was also very strict when teaching the princes and did not treat them as nobles. Therefore, the other princes did not like him very much.
Especially the crown prince, who grew up being pampered and adored since childhood.
However, Yinzhen was very fond of this teacher and often got close to him, which displeased the Crown Prince. Yesterday, the Crown Prince directly ordered Yinzhen to stop associating with Gu Badai and said some insulting and demeaning things. Yinzhen naturally did not listen to such an unreasonable request. Respecting teachers is a matter of etiquette and he did not feel that he had done anything wrong.
Furthermore, the eldest prince, Yinqi, fanned the flames from the sidelines, which eventually angered the crown prince, leading to the events that followed.
"Your Highness, I have done nothing wrong." Even at this moment, Yinzhen remained unmoved.
After listening, Wen Shan patted his head and said affirmatively, "You did the right thing by protecting the teacher. Just go to the study as usual later, don't worry."
Yinzhen nodded. After all, he was young and had been scolded and punished by Kangxi yesterday, so it was impossible for him not to be afraid.
"When you finish school, Xuan Niangniang will come to pick you up."
Yinzhen nodded as he looked at the smiling Wenshan.
Wen Shan personally escorted Yinzhen to the Imperial Study, but after only an hour, she was too lazy to go back and forth again, so she simply took a stroll in the Imperial Garden.
They happened to run into Lady Niohuru and Consort Rong, who were out admiring the late plum blossoms.
Niohuru was the younger sister of Empress Xiaozhaoren and came from a prominent family. She was granted the title of Consort just after entering the palace last year, but without a formal title. People in the palace called her Niohuru Niangniang, who was the future Consort Wenxi.
Speaking of which, Empress Xiaochengren's younger sister, of the Hesheli clan, also entered the palace last year, but was only granted the title of Noble Lady Ping. The fact that the two empresses' younger sisters entered the palace in the same year means that the tension between them was already palpable from the moment they entered.
However, Consort Ping's title was "Ping" and her favor was "Ping". After entering the palace, she found that she was not favored by Emperor Kangxi, so she devoted all her energy to her nephew, Crown Prince Yinreng. Meanwhile, Consort Niohuru was more favored by Emperor Kangxi than her sister, Empress Xiaozhaoren.
Niohuru was very pretty, with a charming and innocent look. Her face was oval and her eyebrows were delicate. Every smile and frown of hers was lively and charming, bright and cheerful.
In the palace today, only Niohuru can rival Consort Tongjia in terms of favor and rank. So, after discovering that Consort Ping was useless, Niohuru immediately turned her attention to Consort Tongjia.
Today, Lady Niohuru went out for a stroll in the garden wearing a crimson palace dress. The butterflies on it were embroidered with gold and silver threads and looked very lifelike. She also wore a thin veil over it, which made her figure look even more slender. On her head, she wore a butterfly hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers and gold gemstones, which was very lively.
Consort Rong entered the palace at a younger age than the others. She gave birth to Princess Rongxian, who was nominally the third daughter of the emperor but was actually the eldest daughter of Emperor Kangxi, and the third prince, Yinzhi. Compared to the younger concubines, she had a more mature charm. Her attire today was very low-key, with a light blue cloak and a simple blue qipao. Her headdress was also simple and elegant.
Consort Rong greeted her, and Wen Shan and Lady Niohuru exchanged greetings. After the formalities, Lady Niohuru raised an eyebrow while holding a hand warmer and said, "Sister Xuanfei is in a good mood today. She doesn't usually go out much."
"I just saw Yinzhen off to the Imperial Study. The weather's nice today, so I came to take a stroll," Wenshan said with a smile.
Niohuru and Rongpin exchanged a glance. Niohuru covered her mouth and smiled, "Sister Xuanfei is still so kind-hearted. The Fourth Prince was reprimanded by the Emperor for being unfilial and disrespectful, yet you still take such good care of him."
Wen Shan's persona in the palace has always been gentle and unassuming. She neither competes for favor nor flatters the emperor. She usually stays in Cining Palace or Xianfu Palace. Therefore, although she comes from a good family and has a high rank, she has a low profile in the palace.
Because of her good nature, Niohuru, who had only recently entered the palace, felt that she was timid and cowardly, so she spoke a little more freely.
Unexpectedly, Wen Shan's expression immediately darkened upon hearing this, and she said coldly, "Sister Niohuru, is it a rule taught by Lord Ebilun to speak ill of the prince?"
Niohuru paused, never expecting that Consort Xuan, who was usually mild-mannered, would confront her over a prince who wasn't even considered an adopted son and had just been severely reprimanded by Emperor Kangxi.
Consort Rong tried to smooth things over, saying, "Your Highness, please calm down. Consort Niohuru was just saying it casually. After all, this matter has been widely discussed in the palace."
"Making a huge fuss?"
Wen Shan frowned. Kangxi had indeed reprimanded Yinzhen in Cining Palace, but this was a royal secret. The Empress Dowager had warned the palace servants in Cining Palace not to utter a single word. How could it have become such a big deal in just one day?
"Rumors always have a source." Wen Shan's expression was cold and imposing: "Where did the news come from?"
"I don't know about that, I just heard it gossip." When Consort Rong saw that Wen Shan was really angry, she didn't dare to say anything more. After all, this was the Empress Dowager and a member of the Empress Dowager's family, and she held a very high position.
Niohuru, who also came from a prestigious family, was not like Consort Rong at this moment. She simply said, "If Consort Xuan wants to know, she should investigate quickly, otherwise, with so many rumors circulating, how will she find out?"
"I will naturally investigate. Farewell, my two sisters." Wen Shan nodded slightly with a cold face and turned to leave.
Pearl and Amber were also extremely anxious. After walking some distance away, they asked anxiously, "Master, what should we do?"
If these words were to get out, how would the Fourth Prince maintain his position in the palace?
"Go to Cining Palace."
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