Chapter 64 Even Emperor Kangxi had a headache from the noise…
Emperor Kangxi was also getting a headache from the noise, and seeing the Crown Prince standing helplessly to the side made him even more frustrated.
So, relying on his years of experience, he could only suppress the matter for now, announce the end of the court session, and discuss it again later.
The Crown Prince, looking dejected, went to Suo'etu to discuss countermeasures. Suo'etu was also at a loss and could only tell him to go and apologize to the Emperor again, hoping that the Emperor would protect the Crown Prince once more.
The Crown Prince knelt in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation for two hours, but Emperor Kangxi did not call him to get up. Finally, when it was time for dinner, Emperor Kangxi came out from inside.
The Crown Prince crawled two steps on his knees: "Father, I have come to apologize to you. I have acted improperly and caused you worry."
"You still know you've acted improperly?" Kangxi rebuked him in a low voice, "You've made a disgrace!"
"If you like kneeling, then kneel here and reflect on your actions."
After saying this, Kangxi turned and left.
The Crown Prince was a little dumbfounded. This was the first time that Emperor Kangxi had treated him like this. Emperor Kangxi had always doted on him since he was a child. In the past, his father would let him get up after kneeling for less than an hour. This was the first time he had been punished to kneel in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and he didn't know how long he would have to kneel.
Liang Jiugong observed Kangxi's expression and asked, "Your Majesty, which palace are you going to? This servant will bring you a sedan chair."
Just now, Kangxi read some memorials and came out without saying what he wanted to do. Liang Jiugong thought that he was going to wake up the Crown Prince, but Kangxi left the palace without saying a few words to the Crown Prince. Kangxi walked towards the Imperial Garden and waved his hand, saying, "Why send a sedan chair? Go to Xianfu Palace."
It really is Xianfu Palace.
Liang Jiugong thought to himself that Consort Xuan had been in the palace for more than ten years without making a name for herself, but now she seemed to be the most favored concubine in the palace.
As a result, Kangxi arrived to find no one there. Wen Shan was not at Xianfu Palace; she had gone to Ningshou Palace to talk with the Empress Dowager.
Only Yinzhen and his two brothers were in Xianfu Palace. They were eating pastries that Wenshan had just made while chatting about the Crown Prince.
Upon hearing the servant announce that Kangxi had arrived, Yinxiang's brow twitched: "Oh no, Mother isn't here."
In the past, when their mother was around, she could help them out, and they would be driven away without having to say a few words to their father. But now that their father had suddenly come, the three of them had to step in.
When Kangxi entered and saw his three sons standing there, he assumed that Wenshan was busy in the small kitchen again. He casually raised his hand to let them get up, then lifted his skirt and sat down on the couch.
"Where is your mother? What is she busy doing again?"
Yinzhen replied, "Father, Mother has gone to Ning Shou Palace to talk with Grandmother."
"Father has arrived. Shall I send someone to inform him?"
When Kangxi heard that Wen Shan had gone to see the Empress Dowager, he waved his hand and said, "No need, let the Consort keep the Empress Dowager company for a while."
After saying that, he looked at his three sons and pointed to the chairs below: "You sit down. We happen to have some free time today, so let's have a chat as father and sons."
The three exchanged glances, knowing full well that it was probably still related to the Crown Prince.
Yinxiang was still young and resembled Emperor Kangxi, so Kangxi took extra care of this youngest son, holding him in his arms and playing with him. He mainly chatted with his two older sons.
"Yin Si, what do you think about the Crown Prince's matter?"
Emperor Kangxi fed Yinxiang a piece of pastry and then called out Yinsi's name first.
"The Crown Prince is both the heir apparent and my elder brother, so it's not appropriate for me to comment," Yinzhi said, dodging the question.
Kangxi was unmoved by Yinzhi's answer. His eighth son had always been worldly-wise and tactful, and there was no fault in his manners.
You might not hear the truth from this kid even if you beat around the bush for a moment.
"It's alright. Today there are no rulers and subjects, only fathers and sons. You can all speak boldly."
Emperor Kangxi was also somewhat hurt by his two sons, the Crown Prince and the eldest prince. The Crown Prince, whom he had carefully nurtured, now seemed to be all bark and no bite, while the eldest son, whom he had loved since childhood, was trying to kill his younger brother in every way. The way the two were fighting was definitely contrary to the scene of fatherly love, filial piety, brotherly affection and respect that Kangxi had imagined.
Yinxiang felt very uncomfortable in Kangxi's arms. He smelled the ambergris on his body and thought that it was indeed not as pleasant as the fruity fragrance on his mother.
Kangxi felt Yinxiang squirming in his arms and then lifted him up, trying to make him sit still.
Yinxiang: "..."
This makes it even more uncomfortable!
Yinzhen and Yinsi also felt sorry for their thirteenth brother and could only silently shed a tear.
However, it was clear that being questioned was not a pleasant experience for Yinzhi.
Fortunately, Yinzhi knew how to respond appropriately.
“Then I will speak frankly.” Yinzhi stood up and said, “In the end, it is indeed true that the Crown Prince has acted somewhat rashly, which has damaged the reputation of the royal family. This is undeniable. However, how to deal with this matter is actually a family matter for Father Emperor. It is inappropriate to discuss this matter in the court.”
Yinzhi's words struck a chord with Kangxi.
What he cared about was his reputation. Discussing such a shameful matter in the court was not only a loss of face for the Crown Prince but also for the entire royal family. This was what angered him about the First Prince. Did the Crown Prince feel any pride when his scandal was made public?
That's utterly absurd.
"Yinzhen, what do you think?"
Kangxi's gaze then turned to Yinzhen.
“Since Father Emperor went on his campaign, I have often been with the Crown Prince in governing the country. I have personally witnessed that the Crown Prince has always been conscientious and dedicated to the affairs of the country. Although he was a little confused this time, his merits and demerits have balanced each other out.”
Emperor Kangxi chuckled upon hearing this: "Merits and demerits cancel each other out; only Yinzhen could say something like that."
It was obvious that Kangxi still wanted to protect the crown prince, so they could only go along with that line of reasoning.
They all stood on the side of handling things gently.
The fact that Yinzhen and Yinsi were so sensible brought some comfort to the heart of the old father, Kangxi.
At least he wasn't like Yinqi, who clearly came for the Crown Prince, making a scene and disregarding everything else.
Yinzhen and his brothers managed to calm Kangxi down, and Wenshan also discussed the matter with the Empress Dowager at Ningshou Palace.
The Empress Dowager had just finished her Buddhist rituals when she received the news that Emperor Kangxi was about to return to the palace and that the princess had been diagnosed with pregnancy.
The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time after hearing this, never expecting that such a big mess would be caused in just a few days.
"How is Yun Dai now? Have you gone to see her?" the Empress Dowager asked.
"Not yet. I heard that the princess has been depressed and doesn't want to see anyone since her miscarriage," Wen Shan said.
The Empress Dowager was slightly annoyed: "Now you dare not face anyone, weren't you very bold when you did it before?"
There weren't many concubines from Mongolia in the palace, and the Empress Dowager hadn't been back to her hometown for a long time. She initially felt quite fond of Princess Yundai, a Mongolian girl who had just lost both her parents, and specially instructed the Imperial Household Department to provide her with all the supplies according to the rank of a Heshuo Princess. However, she never expected that the princess would give her such a big surprise.
"How foolish! She didn't listen to a word I said before."
Seeing the Empress Dowager's anger, Wen Shan quickly stepped forward to persuade her, "Your Majesty and Consort Niohuru kept it from you because we were afraid that you would get angry and harm your health. Now that the Emperor has returned, let the Emperor make the decision."
They really don't have anything to say anymore.
"Has the Emperor said how he intends to deal with her?" the Empress Dowager asked after sitting down for a while.
Wenshan shook her head.
After the princess's miscarriage, things calmed down for a few days. At that time, Emperor Kangxi's intention was probably to let it pass quietly.
They just gloss over the issue and pretend everything is fine again.
Unexpectedly, the eldest prince acted rashly and brought the matter up directly.
I heard that the censor he instructed was later given a severe scolding by Emperor Kangxi on some pretext and was dismissed from his post.
"Well, I can't worry about that now. I can only let her fend for herself."
Although the Empress Dowager said that, when Wen Shan was about to leave, she still asked her to go to Yuhua Pavilion to see the princess, after all, she was still a child from Mongolia.
When Wen Shan returned to Xianfu Palace after visiting Princess Yun Dai, it was already 7 PM. The palace was lit but quiet. Wen Shan casually asked Amber, who was tending to the flowerbed, "Have Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to Qianxi Wusuo?"
When she left in the afternoon, Yinzhen and Yinsi had just returned from the Imperial Study. The prepared dinner was kept warm in the small kitchen before she went to Ning Shou Palace.
Amber put down what she was holding and replied, "The Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince left half an hour ago, and the Thirteenth Prince went with them and said he would be back tomorrow morning."
Wen Shan inexplicably felt that Amber's expression was a little tense, as if she was hiding something from her. Amber urged her to come inside, saying that the weather was getting cold and she was afraid that she would catch a cold.
Wen Shan took Pearl's hand and walked towards the main hall: "What's wrong with Amber today? She's acting so strangely."
Pearl smiled and said, "Perhaps she did something wrong and was scolded by the Fourth Prince."
The most impartial person in Xianfu Palace was the Fourth Prince. If a palace servant made a mistake, he might be able to get away with it if the Eighth Prince happened to be in a good mood, but if he encountered the Fourth Prince, they would be in big trouble. He would definitely handle it impartially and show no leniency whatsoever.
As for the Thirteenth Prince... Yinxiang has recently taken to playing dumb, thinking it's the best way to live comfortably. He lets his Fourth and Eighth Brothers handle things while he and his Mother stroll around the garden and cook, living a very happy life.
However, the happy little thirteenth brother is unaware that his two older brothers, thinking he is still young, are already counting down the days until they drag him over to work.
Wen Shan thought about it and felt it made sense. That's just how Yinzhen was. He was more domineering than Yinsi, and he could intimidate people when he had a cold face.
Inside the main hall, candles were lit, but the bedroom was dark. Wen Shan never liked having too many palace servants in the inner room, so she didn't find it strange. She sat down, drank some water, and started talking to Pearl about her visit to Princess Yun Dai.
"When I went in just now, I saw that the princess had lost a lot of weight and didn't seem to be in much spirits. She didn't say much either. She was indeed quite pitiful."
It's truly heartbreaking that such a bright and beautiful girl has turned into this in just a few months.
As expected, the feng shui of the Forbidden City is truly unfortunate.
“Your Majesty, I must say something I shouldn’t, but this is all the Princess’s own fault.” Pearl said, “You and the Empress Dowager both gave her such advice that day, but the Princess wouldn’t listen.”
"No woman in this world has it easy."
Wen Shan flipped through the embroidery frame on the table. On it was a sachet that Kangxi had specifically requested before his expedition. She found it too tiring to sew even one stitch a day, so she had been putting it off. Fortunately, Kangxi hadn't asked her for it.
She's now feeling a bit like she was doing holiday homework when she was in school, just trying to put it off for as long as possible.
Anyway, it's open for business.
"Now that the princess has lost both her parents and has no brothers to help her, it's inevitable that she's panicked and afraid when she comes to the capital all alone. She's just choosing what she thinks is the best path for herself."
So why be so harsh?
If Yun Dai were a man, she wouldn't have experienced so much helplessness.
Pearl still didn't understand: "Didn't the Empress Dowager already tell the Princess that the Emperor would adopt her as his goddaughter and bestow upon her the title of Princess Heshuo, arranging a grand marriage for her? Why does the Princess need to..."
This is clearly a more comfortable path, a path paved for her by her parents with their lives.
At least in Pearl's opinion, this was already a very good choice.
Whether she marries a minister or a member of the imperial family, she will be a proper principal wife, with the emperor and empress dowager backing her up, so she will not have a hard life.
But this is precisely what Wen Shan likes most about Yun Dai.
"The princess doesn't want to hand over her fate to others; deciding her own destiny is a very happy thing."
Wen Shan thought for a moment and then said, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and tell them to prescribe some more tonics and send them to Yuhua Pavilion. Follow the precedent set by Xianfu Palace. I saw today that the princess is still not feeling well. Regardless of how the Emperor handles the matter, let her recover first."
Pearl praised Wen Shan for her kind heart and then left to carry out her orders.
Wen Shan sighed. What she had done was hardly kind-hearted; these little things wouldn't be of any help to Yun Dai now.
After a busy day, Wen Shan was unusually tired and wanted to lie down in bed. She slowly took a candle and lit the bedroom light when she was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled onto the bed, where she fell into the soft quilt.
Wenshan was startled and just as she cried out, someone covered her mouth.
There are assassins in Xianfu Palace!
Fortunately, she had learned self-defense techniques for a while for safety reasons. Without thinking, Wen Shan tried to break free by elbowing someone behind her, but was instead restrained and pulled back even closer by the person behind her.
But the hand covering her loosened, and just as Wen Shan was about to call for help, she heard a helpless voice behind her.
"Stop calling me that, it's the Emperor."
"..."
Holy crap! I really want to swear!
Kangxi calmly released her, looked Wen Shan up and down, and said, "You Mongolian women are indeed quite skilled."
She didn't know if Mongolian women were skilled in martial arts, but she certainly had a strong fist now.
"Your Majesty, don't you know that people can scare each other to death?"
Wen Shan said quietly.
She really thought there was an assassin in Xianfu Palace just now; it almost scared her to death.
Kangxi leaned back and said, "I was just teasing you. You made me wait for so long, shouldn't I get some interest in return?"
Wen Shan knelt up and lit the palace lanterns. She thought to herself that it was fortunate that Kangxi had some sense and did not pull her away when she lit the lanterns, otherwise her Xianfu Palace would be a fire scene now.
Yinzhen and Yinsi no longer need to go through all that trouble; they can simply pack up and prepare for their ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kangxi found it somewhat amusing to see her with a stern face: "I haven't even investigated your unauthorized visit to Princess Yundai yet, and you're already throwing a tantrum."
Wen Shan rolled her eyes inwardly. She hadn't even realized what was happening when this guy was eavesdropping. He was so insidious!
“His Majesty didn’t say we couldn’t visit, and I was going on the Empress Dowager’s orders,” Wen Shan said matter-of-factly.
Although Princess Yun Dai was under house arrest, there was no official decree. The whole matter was ambiguous from beginning to end. Issuing an official decree would damage the royal family's reputation, while not issuing one would leave the situation in such an awkward state.
Wen Shan now understands why Amber was so nervous just now. It turns out that Emperor Kangxi was in the room, and he probably gave an order not to let the palace servants of Xianfu Palace tell her.
He's so cunning; he even tried to outsmart her.
Thankfully, she didn't say anything she shouldn't have.
When Kangxi heard her mention the Empress Dowager, he casually asked, "Did the Empress Dowager say anything?"
"The Empress Dowager said to leave it to the Emperor to handle. She's been busy with Buddhist rituals lately and can't manage these matters," Wen Shan said honestly.
Indeed, the Empress Dowager had always been like this, never interfering in the affairs of the inner palace or the court, quietly enjoying her old age. The Empress Dowager herself felt at ease, and Kangxi was also pleased.
"From what you just said, I feel quite sympathetic towards Yun Dai." Kangxi knelt down, propped his head up with his left arm, and looked at her.
"Your Majesty, I only said I could understand, not that I sympathized with you."
Kangxi was too lazy to correct Wen Shan's phrasing and asked directly, "Then, based on your understanding, how should she be dealt with?"
Wen Shan was already feeling uneasy when she saw Princess Yun Dai today, and being frightened by Kangxi only made her more annoyed. When she heard his sarcastic probing, her temper flared up immediately.
“Your Majesty asked me what I did, but my answer doesn’t count.” Wen Shan rolled her eyes at him and continued, “Besides, this wasn’t something the Princess did alone, so we should see how Your Majesty deals with the Crown Prince first.”
Wen Shan immediately regretted it after saying it; how could she have spoken so quickly!
Why did you have to say what was on your mind?
Seeing Kangxi's darkening face and somewhat cold eyes, she instantly lost all her previous imposing manner, shrank back, and asked awkwardly, "Can I take back what I just said? Your Majesty, please pretend you didn't hear it."
Unexpectedly, Emperor Kangxi burst out laughing.
"After all these years, your courage is still only this small." Kangxi raised his hand and gestured. "I was just teasing you. What you said earlier makes sense. The Crown Prince is indeed guilty of this matter."
Wen Shan was surprised; it was truly rare to hear a bad word about the Crown Prince from Emperor Kangxi.
"I've also been given a difficult problem by Yinreng and Yinti," Kangxi said, also feeling a bit of a headache. "These children are all so troublesome."
Wenshan deeply agreed with this sentiment; her three children were growing up day by day, and sometimes the things they did gave her quite a headache.
For example, the seemingly mature and composed Yinzhi would secretly take Yinxiang to the icehouse to steal the fruit she had prepared, and the two of them would get diarrhea together and still enjoy it.
On several occasions, they even dragged Yinzhen onto their pirate ship.
When Kangxi saw Wenshan nodding with a serious expression, he asked her what was wrong. Wenshan, unusually, grabbed her husband and complained about her sons who were becoming more and more childish as they grew older.
Emperor Kangxi burst into laughter after hearing this.
“Yinzhen and Yinsi are usually very composed, but they only act like children in front of you,” Kangxi sighed. “Sometimes I think it would be nice if they could stay young forever, without so many thoughts and schemes, and the brothers could always be so close. Unfortunately, fate is always against our wishes.”
“If they really never grow up, the Emperor will be worried again. Wouldn’t there be no one to entrust with the eternal foundation of the Qing Dynasty?” Wen Shan said.
Kangxi's smile faded, and his gaze softened considerably as he looked at her: "I am increasingly enjoying talking to you now. Both Consort Niohuru and Consorts Hui and Rong are reserved; they would never say such things."
Wen Shan thought to herself, "Isn't that because you're always so ambiguous? Who would dare to say anything out of line?"
If she had the cunning of Consort Niohuru, she wouldn't have said those things.
Isn't it because our strength doesn't allow it?
"What you said earlier makes some sense. Yun Dai is an orphan, so to avoid any accusations that the royal family is mistreating her, I will not do anything to her. Once she recovers, I will still give her the title of Princess Heshuo. It is better for her to marry back to Mongolia."
The Empress Dowager had just told her at the Ning Shou Palace that Mongolian women have never really cared much about chastity. After all, they live a nomadic life and are very free-spirited. Divorce and remarriage are common, and some tribes still retain the tradition of father-to-son or brother-to-brother succession.
This is why Princess Yun Dai chose to do this. She didn't care about these things at all, but since the matter had spread, arranging a marriage for her in the capital wouldn't work. The best way was indeed to arrange a marriage for her with a Mongolian family.
"As for the Crown Prince..."
Emperor Kangxi pondered for a while but ultimately said nothing.
Let Soetu figure it out; he's too lazy to clean up this mess.
It was rare for Emperor Kangxi to have such thoughts about the Crown Prince's self-abandonment.
After dealing with these troublesome matters, Kangxi looked up at Wenshan and mentioned the assignment he had left before his expedition.
"Where is my sachet? Is it finished?"
"..."
Well, just what I feared most has come to pass.
Wenshan brought over the half-finished embroidery hoop from the table for Kangxi to see.
After reading Wen Shan's masterpiece, Emperor Kangxi surprisingly showed a hint of satisfaction.
"There has been some progress compared to before; it seems they have put their heart into it."
Wen Shan: "..."
Could it be that his eyes are damaged after he went out to fight a war?
How is this different from before?
However, since Kangxi said so, Wenshan immediately accepted the offer.
"That's why the embroidery is a bit slow. I will definitely present it to the Emperor once it's finished."
Just wait and see; if she receives it next year, she'll be in a good mood.
Kangxi didn't make things difficult for her and chatted with Wenshan about her earlier statement about taking control of her own destiny.
"If you were given another chance to choose, would you still go to the palace?"
Wen Shan was also arranged to enter the palace by her family, and she had no say in anything.
Therefore, as soon as Kangxi heard her words, he couldn't help but think of this question.
"meeting."
Wen Shan spoke decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
Kangxi's mood immediately brightened. Wen Shan was not one to lie; when she did lie, it was quite obvious. Now, she was clearly telling the truth.
It seems that although Wen Shan was forced into the palace, she was still content.
One reason why Wen Shan was so determined was that she had a relatively comfortable life after entering the palace, and with Yinzhen and a few others by her side, she was quite content.
Although she didn't have much freedom, she did enjoy the royal life, which was supported by the resources of the entire nation. One shouldn't be too greedy, and she was quite content.
Wen Shan's words clearly pleased Emperor Kangxi.
Seeing that Kangxi was in a good mood, Wenshan wondered if Kangxi thought that she had entered the palace willingly because of him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
