Chapter 60 The Emperor's personal campaign was, after all, a major event...
A personal military expedition is a major event, and there are many things to prepare. Moreover, Kangxi was determined to win a great victory this time, so he made arrangements for the court well in advance.
After Kangxi left the capital, the Crown Prince took over the reins of government, and Kangxi also appointed the Third Prince and Yinzhen to assist him.
The eldest prince got his wish and first held a grand wedding with Lady Irgen Gioro. Not long after, he went on a military expedition with Emperor Kangxi.
However, before leaving, Kangxi remembered the sachet that Wenshan had promised and made a special trip to Xianfu Palace to ask her for it.
"It's been almost two months, and I haven't been urging you at all. It should be ready by now, right?"
Three black lines appeared on Wen Shan's forehead. She thought that Kangxi had forgotten to prepare and was just trying to get by!
Wen Shan often made fan pendants, and she finished them for him within two days of Kangxi mentioning them. However, this sachet was a bit of a challenge for her.
Wenshan tried it for two days, then scratched her head and tossed it aside.
The embroidered pattern looks exactly like it's crawling.
Sending it out would be utterly shameful; how could she, the Forbidden City's top craftswoman, ever face the world again? So Wen Shan covered her face and ultimately decided to give up.
It's unbelievable that even when Emperor Kangxi was busy as a spinning top every day, he still had time to think about this unfortunate matter.
In the end, Wen Shan could only say with a bitter face that it would be soon.
Two days later, they actually sent one to Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi looked at the sachet, which, though not particularly exquisite, was still presentable, and a look of suspicion appeared on his face.
"Did you really make this?"
His skills have improved by leaps and bounds.
Of course, she didn't do it.
Or rather, not entirely.
Kangxi noticed that something was wrong when he saw Wen Shan just smiling and not responding. Upon closer inspection, he realized that only the eagle embroidered on top, which looked like a sparrow, was her masterpiece.
So Kangxi deliberately put on a stern face to tease her: "I'm asking you a question, why aren't you answering?"
To say it would be deceiving the emperor, and she dared not say it.
"I suppose so." Wen Shan thought for a moment and said, "If I were to do it all by myself, Your Majesty would lose face if you wore it out, and I cannot bear that responsibility."
Kangxi shook his head helplessly and did not pursue the matter. He simply put the sachet away and then assigned her an assignment: when he returned from his campaign, he wanted to see a sachet that she had made herself, without having it made by anyone else.
Wen Shan was so worried that she almost grabbed Yin Zhen and the others and asked if there was any way to make Kangxi never come back.
Yinzhen and the others were stunned. They thought to themselves, just a few days ago, Mother only wanted Father Emperor to be unable to have children, but today she has already gone so far as to want Father Emperor to die directly?
But no matter what, the day of Emperor Kangxi's personal expedition finally arrived. After seeing off the army at the city gate in the morning, Wen Shan instantly felt incredibly relaxed. Her carefree and cheerful expression stunned Consort Niohuru. Those who didn't know knew that the Emperor had just gone to Mongolia for a personal expedition, but those who didn't would have thought that the Fourth Prince had ascended the throne and Consort Xuan had been promoted to Empress Dowager.
After Kangxi left, Wenshan was practically celebrating with gongs and drums, finally able to have some peace and quiet for a while.
As a result, the two dogs and a tank of fish in Xianfu Palace were fed food that could be considered a state banquet. When Wenshan was in a good mood, she liked to cook, and everyone was happy to have a share.
Wen Shan now visits the Empress Dowager every two days to have a meal and admire the flowers with her. After that, she stays in Xianfu Palace to make some trinkets that she likes, and also begins to prepare for Yinzhen's wedding.
A month ago, Yinzhi officially moved to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi and lived next door to Yinzhen. This made it easier for the two to meet secretly. On the surface, they seemed a bit estranged. To outsiders, it was clear that Yinzhen was wholeheartedly assisting the Crown Prince while Yinzhi's ambitions could no longer be hidden.
Yinxiang also complained to Wenshan that the fourth and eighth brothers had become addicted to acting and were ready to have a dramatic showdown anytime, anywhere.
"Aren't you two being a bit too dramatic lately, always at odds with each other?" Wen Shan peeled oranges for her brothers and fed a segment to Yinzhi, who was writing furiously nearby.
After all, the two of them had a good relationship since childhood, and all the princes knew that Yinzhen doted on Yinsi.
Today, both Yinzhen and Yinsi had time to come back for lunch. After resting for a while, Yinzhen would go to the Crown Prince's office to discuss matters. Although Yinsi still had to go to the Imperial Study, he didn't stop his secret activities. After making contact with Tong Guowei, it became much easier for him to do things.
"Don't worry, Mother." Yinzhi ate the orange that Wenshan fed him very naturally, and said without looking up, "Fourth Brother is fair and upright, and he never lets personal feelings interfere with public justice. Everyone knows that."
"So while my fourth brother and I keep our official business separate, we still go back to Xianfu Palace together in private as usual."
Yinzhi said there was no need to worry about that, as Yinzhen's public image was too solid, so at least for now, no one felt anything was wrong.
"The main thing is that Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother weren't even blood brothers to begin with," Yinxiang added from the side. "Fifth Brother and Ninth Brother were both born to Consort Yi, and one of them liked Fourth Brother, while the other liked Eighth Brother."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhi's face fell: "Thirteenth Prince, if you can't speak properly, you can shut up."
He didn't like hearing these things. How could he and his fourth brother not be biological brothers?
If he's not a blood brother, is he a blood brother of the fourteenth prince?
Yinzhen, who was rarely dragged into being teased by Yinxiang, was also quite helpless.
"Who offended you today?" Yinzhen asked Yinxiang.
Yinxiang was indeed doing it on purpose, and when he was exposed, he only snorted.
Yinzhi thought to himself that he had been so busy these past few days that he hadn't had time to provoke the thirteenth prince, so it must have been the fourth prince who did it.
Wen Shan, who was making pastries nearby, looked up and asked, "What's wrong, Yinxiang? Did you suffer any injustice in the Imperial Study?"
Half a month ago, Yinxiang also officially started going to the Imperial Study to take his daily oath and begin his studies.
After asking Wen Shan, she thought to herself, "That can't be right. Yinzhen and Yinsi are both in the Imperial Study. With the two of them there, how could Yinxiang possibly suffer any grievances?"
It would be good enough if he didn't climb over the heads of the other princes and act arrogantly, after all, his two older brothers, who watched him grow up, doted on him without limit.
Besides, Yinxiang wasn't really a three-year-old child; who could possibly upset him?
Unexpectedly, Yinxiang actually nodded seriously.
Wen Shan panicked a little. These children were usually only away from her when they were in the Imperial Study. When she heard Yinxiang say that he had been bullied in the Imperial Study, she quickly asked what had happened.
Yinzhen and Yinsi were also completely baffled, as they had never heard Yinxiang mention this matter.
Especially Yinzhi, who spends every day in the Imperial Study with Yinxiang, while Yinzhen has been absent recently because the Crown Prince sometimes calls him over to discuss state affairs.
So Yinzhen frowned and pondered for a long time but couldn't figure out which prince in the Imperial Study could make Yinxiang angry.
With the eldest prince away leading troops, and the crown prince and the third prince also absent, almost everyone else followed Yinzhi's lead. How could anyone possibly bully Yinxiang?
Yinzhi thought the same thing, but he couldn't figure out what was going on no matter how hard he tried.
When pressed by the crowd, Yinxiang became unusually hesitant and refused to answer.
How could he admit that he felt uneasy seeing Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother and Eighth Brother being so close?
Especially since Fourth Brother isn't here, staying in the Imperial Study is really boring.
However, apart from Yinxiang being forced to attend school because he was old enough, the other people in the palace lived quite comfortably during Kangxi's absence.
After the Empress Dowager passed away, she moved out of Cining Palace and into Ningshou Palace. Emperor Kangxi also sealed off Cining Palace.
When Wenshan found out, she thought it was for the best, since the Empress Dowager was getting older and it would prevent her from being reminded of painful memories.
After Kangxi went on his expedition, Wenshan was initially worried that the Empress Dowager would miss him while he was away on the expedition, so she spent half of each day in Ning Shou Palace chatting with the Empress Dowager, afraid that she would overthink things and scare herself.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager remained even more composed than she was, as if Kangxi had gone on a trip rather than a war.
Since the Fifth Prince officially started school and was dragged along by Zhang Ying and Gu Badai to cram for his studies, he hasn't had much time to take care of the two dogs. At first, the Fifth Prince was extremely worried, not trusting anyone to take care of these two beloved dogs that he had raised since they were puppies. In the end, it was the Empress Dowager who took over the job, saying that she would personally take care of the Fifth Prince, and only then did he feel at ease to go back to his studies.
The Empress Dowager promised her grandson and took good care of him. At first, she didn't know how to take care of him, so she specially asked Wen Shan to come and help, and asked her to bring Fuqi and Laifu to Ning Shou Palace to play together whenever she had free time.
Wen Shan responded that good fortune is fine, but bad luck is not, because she fears that if bad luck comes, it will be like three heroes fighting Lü Bu.
As a result, Fuqi's visit was cut short by Yinzhen, because Heidou started sidling up to Fuqi again, trying to repeat the same criminal behavior from years ago. Fortunately, Wenshan noticed in time and separated the two dogs.
Fuqi is already six years old this year, and it would be dangerous for her to get pregnant again. Therefore, Yinzhen firmly disagreed with letting Fuqi go to Ning Shou Palace again so that Heidou would have another chance to make a move.
They also said that if they really went, they should bring Laifu along, because Laifu could beat the two male dogs that the Fifth Prince kept to a pulp, leaving them no time to bother Laifu.
Yinzhi also expressed his disagreement.
"Fuqi doesn't even dare to bark twice. The fish that Mother raises are more powerful than it. In the end, Fuqi will still be able to fight two of them by itself. This deal is a complete loss. We're not going!"
Yinzhen looked at Fuqi, who was huddled to one side licking his fur, and fell silent. It seemed that this was indeed the case.
After thinking for a while, Yinzhen finally found a reason: "Isn't it only right to protect one's own mother?"
Yinzhi retorted, "It seems quite natural to help one's mother beat one's own father and brother."
Wenshan and Yinxiang watched the commotion from the sidelines.
"Is this how they usually act when they're out?" Wen Shan asked Yin Xiang.
It really does look like a head-on confrontation.
Yinxiang nodded: "It's even better than that."
But when she heard the last part, Wen Shan scratched her head and stopped the farce.
“Helping Mother beat Father and Brother.” Wen Shan repeated, frowning in confusion: “Is this a call to action against me?”
"..."
She was just joking; she didn't really intend for them to harm Kangxi!
Both Yinzhen and Yinsi fell silent, as if the words were indeed quite ambiguous.
Yinxiang burst into laughter and then urged Wenshan to bring the two dogs that the Fifth Prince kept to their Xianfu Palace. He would make them exercise intensely every day, and they would be so exhausted that they wouldn't even recognize Yinzhen and Yinsi, and would want to run away at the sight of people.
I heard that Yinzhen and Yinsi almost beat him up together.
As the weather gradually warmed up, the situation on the front lines became clearer. The Qing army advanced smoothly with successive victories. However, the eldest prince was sent back to the capital by Emperor Kangxi after only a little over a month with the army. The reason was that the eldest prince was young and impetuous and had a conflict with the commander-in-chief, Fuquan. Emperor Kangxi reprimanded him and ordered him to return to the capital to reflect on his actions.
After the news spread, Yinzhi and Yinxiang both said that it was true that it was easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. No matter how many times he was given a second chance, the eldest prince was still the same eldest prince. He had made a mistake on this very issue in the previous life. They thought that Yinzhi's early rise in this life would put pressure on him and the crown prince and make them more cautious in their actions, but he still fell into all the same traps as before.
"Actually, this is also Father Emperor protecting my elder brother," Yinzhi commented. "If he stays on the front line now, there's a high chance he'll cause more trouble, so it's better to send him back."
Both Yinzhen and Yinxiang nodded in agreement.
The people here could see clearly that Kangxi did not actually blame the eldest prince, but once the concubines in the harem found out, they began to retaliate with sarcastic remarks against Consort Hui.
It's all Consort Hui's fault. Ever since the First Prince accompanied the Emperor on his campaign, she's been getting too cocky. She doesn't even respect Consort Niohuru. Every few days, she goes out for a stroll and takes every opportunity to brag about how, out of all the princes, Emperor Kangxi only selected the First Prince to accompany him.
Even someone as simple-minded as Wen Shan could understand that the reason Kangxi only took the eldest prince as his care was because he was the only one of suitable age. The crown prince was to oversee the country, and the younger princes were too young, so he could only take the eldest prince as his care.
So this whole thing didn't fool anyone; instead, it fooled Consort Hui herself.
But no one expected that Consort Hui's triumph lasted only a little over a month before the eldest prince was sent back from the battlefield.
Now, Consort Rong and Consort Yi finally had a chance to return with their sarcastic remarks, and the tide of battle turned, with Consort Hui now staying indoors and refusing to see guests.
Wen Shan didn't join in the fun. As usual, she got tired of staying in Xianfu Palace and went to Ningshou Palace to talk to the Empress Dowager.
"News came back from the front a few days ago that the Emperor has won a great victory and Galdan is retreating one after another. It seems that he will be able to return to the capital soon." Wen Shan was arranging silk threads for the Empress Dowager and watching her embroider while also learning a few tricks herself.
The Empress Dowager never liked to interfere in the affairs of the court. After the Grand Empress Dowager passed away, she hardly cared about the affairs of the inner palace, leaving everything to Consort Niohuru.
So when she heard Wen Shan's words, she just nodded slightly and then said, "The emperor is a lucky man and will naturally be fine. But I heard that the eldest prince returned a few days ago?"
Wenshan said, "Yes, I've been back for two or three days. I haven't seen many people since I was at the Fifth Institute of the Western Regions. I should rest well for a few days after just returning from the battlefield."
Although the eldest prince was already married, Emperor Kangxi did not mention bestowing a title or a palace upon him, nor did he mention building a mansion. Therefore, the eldest prince simply moved to a larger courtyard in the Fifth Palace of the Western Regions, where he lived with his primary wife and secondary wives.
"Is it because she's young or does she need more experience?" the Empress Dowager said. "Although I don't go out much, I've heard that Consort Hui has been showing off her power all the time recently. It's time to give her a warning."
Wen Shan thought for a moment and said, "On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. The Emperor is also worried about the First Prince. As for Consort Hui, you don't need to worry about her. Consort Niohuru knows what she's doing and there won't be any trouble in the palace."
After finishing the last stitch, the Empress Dowager looked up at Wen Shan and glanced at her carefree expression: "You speak so confidently, leaving all the palace affairs to Consort Niohuru and going off to enjoy yourself."
Wen Shan smiled and said, "You already knew I didn't have that ability, so why don't you step aside?"
"When the Empress Dowager was alive, she was always furious with your good-for-nothing behavior. I think you are the truly blessed one." The Empress Dowager stood up, and Wen Shan helped her to the corridor.
"It is said that hardworking people do not age easily, but I think it is the lazy people who do not age easily."
Wenshan has indeed gotten older in the past two years, but she doesn't look tired at all. On the contrary, she looks healthier and more charming.
The Empress Dowager thought that it made sense for Xuan Ye to favor Wen Shan some time ago. She was pleasing to the eye and had a good temperament. Xuan Ye had simply been blind to her beauty before.
When the Empress Dowager was mentioned, Wen Shan's expression became somewhat melancholy. In the years since the Empress Dowager's passing, she sometimes felt disoriented, as if she were walking and suddenly found herself at the entrance of Cining Palace, always feeling as if the Empress Dowager had not left.
When the Empress Dowager was mentioned, she smiled and said, "If my mother were still alive, seeing how good your relationship with the Emperor is, she would definitely be urging you to have a child again."
Wen Shan: "..."
You know what, the Empress Dowager really could do something like that.
However, the Empress Dowager never urged her to do so.
The Empress Dowager herself had no children, so she wasn't too insistent on this matter. Seeing Wen Shan's embarrassed expression, she smiled and said, "I've never had any children in my life, and I'm quite content with that. This is a matter of fate and can't be forced, so don't worry about it too much."
Wen Shan thought to herself that she didn't care at all.
"Alright, it's almost noon. Let's call Su Ma over so we can have lunch together," the Empress Dowager said, beckoning a palace maid to invite Su Ma La Gu.
Since the passing of the Empress Dowager, Su Ma La Gu has volunteered to go to the Fifth Prince's residence in Ganxi. With Su Ma La Gu taking care of him, the Empress Dowager felt at ease and granted her request.
"Send someone to the Imperial Study to bring Yinxiang over," the Empress Dowager said after thinking for a moment. "Yinzhen and Yinsi are probably having their meal in the Imperial Study, so let's save them the trouble of going back and forth."
Wen Shan had already delivered the food boxes for Yin Zhen and Yin Si early in the morning. Upon hearing this, she nodded and asked Zhenzhu to go to the Imperial Study to bring Yin Xiang to Ning Shou Palace.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Imperial Study was somewhat tense.
The reason was simple: the eldest prince, who hadn't shown his face since returning to the palace, had come to the Imperial Study. Of course, he wasn't there to attend classes with Yinzhi and the others, but rather to participate in government affairs with the Crown Prince and Yinzhen.
Although it was said that the Crown Prince was in charge of the country, in reality, the vast majority of government affairs were handled by the Crown Prince's maternal uncle, Suo'etu, who had been reinstated, with the assistance of Tong Guowei, Ma Qi, and others.
Tong Guowei was quite dissatisfied with this. Logically speaking, he was now the Grand Secretary and should be the one to assist the Crown Prince in overseeing the country. However, since Suo'etu was the Crown Prince's confidant, the Crown Prince naturally took precedence after Kangxi's death. With Suo'etu assisting him, he couldn't say anything.
But no one expected that the eldest prince would come and, on the grounds that he had just returned from the battlefield and was familiar with the situation, wanted to hear their political discussions.
The Crown Prince was naturally unwilling and immediately asked, "May I ask if my elder brother has a written edict from Father Emperor?"
The eldest prince said matter-of-factly, "I only wanted to share His Highness the Crown Prince's burdens. I heard that we are discussing the supply of provisions for the front lines today. May I ask, who among you here knows more about this than I do?"
Suo'etu stopped the Crown Prince, who was about to refute the First Prince, and stroked his beard, saying, "What the First Prince said makes sense, but the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince's regency is all by imperial decree. It is really not appropriate to listen to important matters of state without the Emperor's decree."
“That’s right, eldest brother has come back from the battlefield with great merit and should go back to rest as soon as possible,” the Third Prince couldn’t help but say.
The phrase "hard work and great achievements" was clearly a sarcastic jab at the First Prince, and sure enough, the First Prince's expression changed abruptly.
Tong Guowei deliberately remained silent, intending to leave this mess to Suo'etu to handle.
The eldest prince is clearly coming with great force; let's see how that old fox, Suo'etu, handles it.
Unexpectedly, a palace servant came in to announce that the Eighth Prince had arrived.
Crown Prince: "..."
One eldest prince wasn't enough, so the eighth prince joined in the fun.
However, given that Yinzhen was present, the Crown Prince still allowed Yinsi to enter.
It was almost lunchtime, and the Crown Prince and the others had long since finished their political discussions. If it weren't for the First Prince suddenly coming over and causing trouble, they should have already been eating by now.
"Eldest brother is here too." Yinzhi was slightly surprised to see the eldest prince, then said, "I saw it was lunchtime and wanted to come and have lunch with fourth brother. I hope I haven't disturbed His Highness the Crown Prince's political discussion?"
When the eldest prince saw Yinzhi arrive, he immediately sensed that the situation was not good. Fearing that he would be attacked from both sides by the crown prince and Yinzhi, he quickly made an excuse and left.
The Crown Prince was even angrier when he saw this. It was obvious that the eldest prince didn't take him seriously and was instead so wary of the young Yinzhi.
Soetu had long ago raised the level of danger posed by the Eighth Prince. It was clear that he, like the First Prince, coveted the position of Crown Prince, and his intelligence was far superior to that of the First Prince. In two years, he would definitely become a formidable rival to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince looked at Yinzhen, whose face darkened as he said, "Eighth Brother, let this servant relay the message. It's best not to come and go casually in the important Imperial Study."
Although Tong Guowei and Ma Qi didn't say anything, their minds were constantly wandering, their thoughts lingering on the princes.
During this period, he worked with the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince to govern the country. The two of them have almost confirmed that the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince are not on the same side.
Even the Fourth Prince often expressed his dissatisfaction with the Eighth Prince, just as he does now.
The Eighth Prince, on the other hand, never showed any signs of affection and remained close to the Fourth Prince. However, the Eighth Prince had quite a few close brothers, including the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, with whom he was even closer.
So Yinzhi just smiled and said that he had learned his lesson and that he had been reckless this time and would never do it again.
After Yinzhen took the lead, the Crown Prince felt a bit better, so he took on the role of the good cop and stepped forward to say that it was alright, as they had already finished their discussion.
As the event was about to end, Tong Guowei found a quiet moment when no one was around and spoke a few words to Yinzhi.
“Eighth Prince, although the Fourth Prince was raised under the care of Consort Xuan along with you, they are not on the same page and cannot work together. The Crown Prince values the Fourth Prince so highly, you should be aware of that.”
This was a reminder for him to be careful about what he said and did in front of his fourth brother.
It wasn't easy for Tong Guowei to take the initiative to speak to him, so Yinzhi nodded and smiled, saying, "Thank you for reminding me, Lord Tong."
After the younger princes outside learned what had happened inside, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince stood up for Yinzhi.
"Fourth Brother is really something. Eighth Brother kindly invited him to dine together, and he didn't break any rules," the Tenth Prince said indignantly.
The Ninth Prince was also somewhat angry, but he didn't seem that agitated: "Fourth Brother has always been like this. It's such a pity that Eighth Brother was so devoted to him."
“That’s right, spending all day with the Crown Prince is really…” the Tenth Prince whispered. The Ninth Prince pulled him back, indicating that Yinxiang was still there.
The thirteenth brother was clearly closer to the fourth brother, which made the ninth and tenth princes even more indignant on behalf of the eighth brother.
Yinxiang heard what the two were saying but didn't take it seriously, pretending not to hear it.
The ninth and tenth brothers are just like that; in Mother's words, they are the only ones who are truly devoted to the eighth brother. He's long been used to it.
So when Yinzhi returned, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince surrounded him.
"Eighth Brother, don't mind Fourth Brother. He's stubborn and not worth it."
“That’s right. Ninth Brother and I have always been on your side. When we move to Ganxi Fifth Institute, we’ll also live next to Eighth Brother. Otherwise, Eighth Brother won’t even have anyone to talk to.”
Yinzhi's neighbor is now Yinzhen.
Yinxiang couldn't help but laugh out loud when he heard this, and immediately the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince looked over with displeasure.
"Eighth Brother, Mother asked me to go to Ning Shou Palace to dine with the Empress Dowager, so I'll be going now." Yinxiang strolled past Yinsi and said, "It's getting hotter these days, and having too many people isn't a good thing. It's so stuffy."
Yinzhi: "..."
The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince thought that Yinxiang was mocking them, and just as they were about to get angry, Yinxiang had already slipped away.
Hmph, these two are completely fooled by the myna bird. They have no idea that the myna bird sneaked into Fourth Brother's room last night for a private talk and even rested there.
It made Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother look both pitiful and somewhat funny.
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