Chapter 65 Wen Shan now has no choice but to open...
Wen Shan now has to start to take Kangxi's attitude towards her seriously.
Since the passing of the Empress Dowager, Emperor Kangxi had been visiting Xianfu Palace much more frequently. In the past, she hadn't paid much attention to it, partly because she was rather slow to notice things. But today, Kangxi was actually subtly asking her if she regretted entering the palace, which made her feel that something was amiss.
Upon further reflection, it's clear that Kangxi has been quite tolerant of her lately; she doesn't seem to get angry at anything she says.
Could it be...? Probably not.
Kangxi chuckled at the changing expressions on Wen Shan's face, then reached out and pinched her cheek before pulling her down to lie beside him.
"What are you thinking about? Are you making up stories about me in your mind again?"
Judging from her ever-changing expression, it's definitely not something good.
Wenshan felt a little awkward and wanted to sit up, but Kangxi wouldn't let her.
"Lie down with me for a while before we talk."
In fact, Emperor Kangxi put in a lot of effort during this campaign and was exhausted after returning to the Forbidden City. However, he could not show his exhaustion to anyone, let alone the fact that the Crown Prince and the First Prince had prepared such a great gift for him.
He almost got a grandson.
In fact, Kangxi handled this matter rather haphazardly and carelessly. Wen Shan hadn't expected it to turn out this way, since Kangxi was always ruthless and decisive in his actions.
“Since I returned, the Crown Prince has come to see me many times, but he has never pleaded for the Princess,” Kangxi said. “Yinti, on the other hand, has mentioned it a few times.”
Wen Shan didn't know how to evaluate it. In some ways, the princess had schemed against the crown prince and caused him a lot of trouble. It was normal for the crown prince to dislike her and not plead for her. But from another perspective, the princess was pregnant with his child at that time.
It's often said that even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes, and this is certainly true.
It's all a mess.
Wen Shan looked up at Kangxi and felt that he was quite conflicted. He wanted the Crown Prince to be able to stand on his own, to be ruthless and decisive, but when the Crown Prince was really ruthless, he began to feel dissatisfied.
Kangxi glanced at her sideways: "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"I don't know what to say."
Wenshan answered honestly.
"Just saying. I haven't heard you say what you think about this matter yet."
Perhaps it was because Emperor Kangxi was in such a good mood tonight, and Wen Shan also felt a strong urge to confide in him. Wen Shan lay on the bed, looked up at the intricate patterns on the ceiling, blinked, and pondered where to begin.
After a long pause, he suddenly blurted out, "If His Majesty had taken the princess into the harem back then, perhaps none of this would have happened."
"..."
"As expected, you're making fun of me. What are you thinking?"
Emperor Kangxi was both amused and exasperated.
Wen Shan said confidently, "What I'm saying is the truth. The princess wants to marry the crown prince because she hopes that if he ascends the throne in the future, she can become a concubine in the palace. If the emperor takes her as a concubine, wouldn't that be the same?"
It also saved Yun Dai the trouble of going back and forth, allowing her to get things done in one go.
"So, according to you, it's my fault?" Kangxi found it somewhat unbelievable, not expecting Wen Shan to think that way.
And upon closer examination, it actually makes some sense.
"I didn't say that. Didn't His Majesty ask me to have a chat? You mustn't be angry." Wen Shan immediately tried to salvage the situation and ensure her personal safety.
Emperor Kangxi said calmly, "When have I ever been angry with you?"
Wen Shan scratched her head and thought carefully. It seemed that Kangxi had never really lost his temper in front of her.
The sound of cicadas chirping came from outside the window, and the dappled moonlight shone through the window screen. Wen Shan suddenly had a different feeling.
"What would the Emperor do if he were in the Crown Prince's current situation?"
"If it were me, this wouldn't have happened."
Wenshan persisted, "What if it actually happens?"
Kangxi glanced at her helplessly, pondered for a moment, and said, "If that were the case, I would probably ask to marry Yun Dai. Since things have come to this, it's better to be open and honest."
Wenshan felt that Kangxi might be bluffing her, which was not like his usual style.
"Just now the Emperor said that the princess's mind was not pure and she should never be betrothed to the Crown Prince, so how come he's the one who's going to marry her?"
Moreover, although Yun Dai is the daughter of a prince, her family is practically devoid of talent, and marrying her would offer no political advantage whatsoever.
Kangxi turned to look at her: "One should not shy away from difficulties, nor shirk responsibility."
In Kangxi's view, there were many ways to resolve the situation for the Crown Prince. He could have cut off the connection with the Princess decisively, or he could have taken on the responsibility and bravely shouldered it. However, he was stuck in a dilemma, unable to decide whether to accept a high position or a low one, which led to his current awkward situation.
Wen Shan sighed, "That's why the princess chose the wrong person. If only the emperor had taken her as a concubine."
"..."
How did we end up back here again?
Kangxi now suspects that Wen Shan's apparent wisdom is all an act. He was the one who initially asked her questions, but now she's leading him by the nose.
"Do you really want me to take new concubines?" Kangxi asked her leisurely.
She always seemed very excited when he mentioned taking new concubines into the palace.
"Anyway, the sisters in the harem are all familiar with each other, so it's good to have a few more people to make it more lively."
Wen Shan was absolutely telling the truth; she was getting tired of watching those people fight all the time.
To be honest, Emperor Kangxi didn't really select many concubines. The court was busy with wars year after year, so Kangxi didn't have the time or want to spend the money. He preferred to save the money to prepare more grain and fodder.
“Then your wish can be fulfilled.” Kangxi said slowly, “I plan to bring Tong Guowei’s second daughter into the palace, which will probably be next month.”
Wen Shan already knew about Xiao Tongjia, so she wasn't surprised and just nodded.
If you think about it carefully, once Xiao Tongjia enters the palace, the sisters of the three empresses will truly be gathered together.
Consort Niohuru, Consort Ping, and Lady Xiao Tongjia each had an older sister who had been an empress.
"I'm thinking of giving her the rank of a concubine, so I'll let her live in Empress Xiaoyi's Chengqian Palace," Kangxi said.
"It's only natural; His Majesty's arrangements are very thoughtful."
Emperor Kangxi was displeased again by her nonchalant demeanor.
"Are you really that generous? Not jealous at all?"
"Not being jealous is a virtue of concubines," Wen Shan said in a serious tone, thinking that the disgusting female virtues and precepts she had been forced to memorize for so long when she first entered the palace were finally going to have a use.
Then Wen Shan successfully angered Kangxi, who gave her a cold look the next morning and went to Consort Niohuru's place the following day, not returning to Xianfu Palace for a whole month.
Yinzhen and the others also found it all very strange.
Yinzhi asked her if she had argued with Kangxi that night.
Wenshan shook her head and said mysteriously that they didn't understand.
"Anyway, Mother won't be bullied. I think it's good that Father Emperor doesn't come as often." Yinxiang stood on Wenshan's side, eating the cake that Wenshan had just baked while directing the little eunuch to fetch fruit from the ice chest for him.
"Alright, it's time for dinner soon, so don't eat anymore." Wen Shan said helplessly, "Today we have your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs, if you eat any more, they'll all end up in your myna's stomach."
Upon hearing this, Yinxiang immediately gave up his iced fruit.
Yinzhi said with dissatisfaction, "Mother is not fair. Fourth Brother clearly eats more than me."
Yinxiang made a face: "Fourth Brother never takes food from me!"
"You little rascal," Yinzhi rolled up his sleeves, "Have you forgotten who led you to sneak over the wall in the middle of the night to find food? Would your fourth brother lead you to do something like that?"
Wen Shan gave each of them a flick on the forehead: "Is this something to be proud of?"
They even dared to say to her face that the two of them had been having stomach problems every day during the hot weather a while ago, which almost scared her to death.
Fortunately, they finally caught the two petty thieves.
After dinner, Yinzhen mysteriously said he wanted to show her something good. Wenshan initially thought it was some rare gemstone and was already eager to make a bracelet or a hairpin. But then four eunuchs carried in a machine covered with a red cloth.
Yinzhen stepped forward and lifted the lid, and Wenshan's eyes widened suddenly.
"This is a steam engine, it's finished?"
Yinzhi smiled and said, "After struggling for more than half a year, we have finally made something that looks decent."
"Following Mother's instructions, I first pondered the steelmaking process for a month or two, and then spent more than half a year researching it before finally making this machine a few days ago." Yinzhen had someone light a fire. This steam engine was not large and was the simplest version, connected to a boiler for boiling water.
Wen Shan stepped forward and touched it, finding it incredibly amazing to see such a thing during the Kangxi era.
Once the water boiled, the steam engine officially started operating, and overall it was considered a success.
Upon receiving the news, Yinzhen and Yinsi risked everything to sneak out of the palace yesterday and didn't return all night. They only brought the machine back into the palace early this morning.
Wenshan was also very excited; this was the real deal!
"Master Yuan said that the finished product could be improved, and he has already figured out some of the key points."
Yinzhen was also very happy. When he and Yinsi arrived yesterday, they were full of praise for the machine that their mother had described. They only understood what their mother meant when she said that the machine was far superior to human power after it started operating.
No wonder the West has developed so rapidly.
"Moreover, the steel forging process is becoming more and more sophisticated." Yinzhi said with a smile, "It benefits the country and the people, it's truly a great thing."
Yinxiang also stepped forward and looked around for a while, his heart pounding with excitement. Surely this time it wouldn't be as humiliating as before?
They not only caught up, but they even beat them to it!
Wenshan watched the steam engine run for a while, then suddenly asked, "How do you plan to use this thing? When will you use it?"
Should we offer it now, or wait until Yinzhen ascends the throne and everything becomes easier?
"Mother, we won't hide it from you." Yinzhi sighed and helped Wenshan into the house, instructing the eunuchs to carry the things away first.
"My fourth brother, thirteenth brother, and I initially planned to push this machine forward after my fourth brother ascended the throne, but we only understood why you were so emotional back then after it was actually made."
Yinzhen replied, "This is a major event that benefits the country and its people. If we delay the national economy and people's livelihood because of our own selfish interests, how are we any different from the Qing Dynasty of the past?"
Yinxiang nodded in agreement, saying that any struggle for the throne had to take a backseat to the eternal foundation of the Qing Dynasty.
Wen Shan thought to herself that these three did indeed have a strong sense of ownership.
Yinzhi said, "The court still has several major battles to fight. Although it is about expanding the territory, it is the common people who suffer. If the steam engine can be promoted, it will definitely alleviate some of the burden."
"And their steelmaking techniques also make their weapons incredibly sharp," Yinxiang added.
Wenshan understood what they meant and said with a smile, "I don't care what you do, but just one thing: protect yourselves and don't cause any trouble."
"Mother, rest assured, your sons will not take it out without thorough preparation," Yinzhi said.
As a result, Yinzhen and his brothers became exceptionally busy during this period. Even Yinxiang was conscripted for the first time and was often taken to the Fifth Palace in Ganxi to work late into the night with his two older brothers to come up with solutions.
This also resulted in Yinzhen and Yinsi not being in good spirits when they were in the Imperial Study.
"Eighth Brother, what's wrong with you lately? You're always feeling sleepy and dozing off," the Ninth Prince asked, leaning closer.
The Tenth Prince followed behind the Ninth Prince like a little tail, blinking his eyes as he looked at Yinzhi.
"It's nothing, I just stayed up a bit too long reading," Yinzhi said with a yawn.
Last night, he and his fourth brother sneaked out of the palace again, returning just as the palace gates opened in the morning. After washing their faces and eating something, they were ready to go to class again.
Yinxiang was sitting close to Yinsi, and seeing his eighth brother looking so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open, he began to worry about his fourth brother's condition.
The Crown Prince and the First Prince have already entered the court and are no longer in the Imperial Study. The Third Prince and Yinzhen were just summoned away by Emperor Kangxi, and no one knows what it was about.
Gu Badai had just finished his lecture and left the princes for a quarter of an hour to rest.
The Third Prince and Yinzhen returned shortly afterward.
Yinxiang immediately went to Yinzhen's side and asked him what had happened.
Yinzhen said softly, "Father asked about the state affairs handled by the Crown Prince during the Emperor's personal campaign."
The Third Prince and Yinzhen were assisting the Crown Prince at that time, so they were summoned over.
Yinxiang looked at the dark circles under Yinzhen's eyes and his flat mouth and said, "Fourth Brother, you and Eighth Brother also need to take care of your health. Working so hard all day long is not a good way to go."
"It'll be soon. It's a crucial time, so Eighth Brother and I have gone out a few more times." Yinzhen patted Yinxiang's shoulder and looked at Fourteenth Prince, who was sitting at the back. "Fourteenth Brother hasn't caused you any more trouble, has he?"
"Trying to cause me trouble? He's far from being that capable."
After Kangxi returned to the palace, the Fourteenth Prince finally came to the Imperial Study for his studies. Their seating arrangement was based on age, and the Fourteenth Prince sat next to Yinxiang.
Yinxiang and the Fourteenth Prince were at odds in their past lives, and it's the same in this one.
The Fourteenth Prince's hostility towards Yinxiang can be traced back to his first day in the Imperial Study.
The Fourteenth Prince didn't want to sit at the back and insisted on sitting at the front. Yinxiang was so annoyed by him that he said a few words to him. From then on, the Fourteenth Prince never gave Yinxiang a kind look.
Consort De had kept a close eye on him since he was a child. Apart from his two older sisters who were also raised in Yonghe Palace, the Fourteenth Prince was not familiar with the other princesses and princes. Moreover, the Imperial Study had long since been divided into factions and their own cliques, so few people were willing to talk to this little brother who had just arrived.
Although the Fourteenth Prince betrayed him in the last life, Yinzhi still took care of him out of consideration for their past relationship. The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who always regarded Yinzhi as their leader, showed some goodwill towards this younger brother, the Zhanye Team. The Fourteenth Prince gradually integrated into Yinzhi's group, and then became even more at odds with Yinxiang.
It is well known that the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince had conflicting ideas, and the Thirteenth Prince, who was raised together in Xianfu Palace, was closer to the Fourth Prince. Therefore, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were united in their hatred and felt that Yinzhen and Yinxiang were working together to exclude their Eighth Prince.
The Fourteenth Prince was the same. He and Yinxiang were in close proximity and he would occasionally make some small moves. Yinxiang would ignore him and only discipline him when he went too far.
Because of this incident, Yinzhi specifically told the Fourteenth Prince not to keep provoking Yinxiang.
Unexpectedly, he wouldn't listen, and the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were even fanning the flames from the sidelines.
“They dare to act like this in the Imperial Study, which shows how they usually bully the Eighth Prince in Xianfu Palace,” the Ninth Prince said emphatically.
"..."
Actually, in Xianfu Palace, he bullied the thirteenth prince more, and the fourth prince sometimes even took his side, cough cough.
The remaining two younger ones echoed this sentiment. Yinzhen was now half-studying and was often summoned to the front hall by Kangxi. Moreover, Yinzhen always had a cold face and was so tough that they were somewhat afraid of him. Therefore, only Yinxiang, who looked like an honest man, was left to let them stand up for their eighth brother.
Because the Fourteenth Prince was young, the Ninth and Tenth Princes often encouraged him to cause trouble for Yinxiang.
Yinzhi was still very protective of Yinxiang, so he initially scolded the group severely. In the end, Yinxiang privately told him not to worry about them, since studying was rather boring anyway, and these people wouldn't cause any trouble. He could just treat it as a bit of fun.
Yinzhi was helpless, but thinking that since he was still in the Imperial Study and nothing serious should happen, he went with Yinxiang.
So Yinxiang started entertaining the three of them all by himself, and he did it every day with great pleasure.
The Fourteenth Prince's attitude towards Yinzhen was also awkward. He knew that the Fourth Prince was actually born of the same mother as him, but he had never been raised by his mother's side since childhood. Consort De rarely mentioned Yinzhen in the palace. The Fourteenth Prince only learned from the private discussions of some palace servants that he not only had a Sixth Brother who died young, but also a Fourth Brother who had been raised by someone else.
However, since the fourth brother changed his imperial genealogy, he was no longer considered his mother's child in terms of official status.
However, unlike the Sixth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince was somewhat curious about Yinzhen, but he usually didn't dare to approach him.
Yinxiang was talking to Yinzhen when he turned his head and saw the Fourteenth Prince peeking around. He smiled and said, "Fourth Brother, the Fourteenth Prince is very curious about you."
Yinzhen glanced at it calmly and then looked away.
To him, apart from Yinzhi and Yinxiang, the other princes were no different. He treated the Fourteenth Prince and the Sixth Prince the same as the other princes, neither being overly affectionate nor cold-hearted.
Just then, Pearl arrived, carrying two food boxes.
Since Yinzhen and Yinsi have grown up a bit, Wenshan has been giving them extra meals, sending someone to deliver snacks to them in the morning.
Yinxiang ran over and eagerly opened the food box to take a look.
"What delicious food did Mother make for us today?"
Pearl smiled and said, "These are all dishes that the princes love to eat, but His Majesty instructed the Thirteenth Prince that you cannot eat too much, otherwise you will not be able to eat lunch."
Yinzhi walked over and took it, nodded and said, "Fourth Brother and I will keep an eye on him. Thank you for making the trip, Sister Pearl."
Pearl waved her hands repeatedly: "Eighth Prince, you flatter me. This is my duty."
After finishing her sentence, Pearl specifically pointed to one of the dishes, yam and red date cakes, and said, "The master instructed that this yam and red date cake is the best for the stomach, and that the Fourth Prince should have more of it."
Yinzhen smiled slightly, a rare occurrence for him, and said, "I understand. Don't worry, Mother."
Yinzhen's meals have been irregular lately. When he gets busy, he forgets to eat and his stomach feels a little uncomfortable. Wenshan took him to see the imperial physician, who said that there was nothing serious and that he just needed to rest well before she felt relieved.
Wen Shan had also criticized Yin Zhen at that time, saying that Yin Si never forgot to eat on time even though they were busy together, and that he was the one who worried her the most.
Yinzhi thought to himself that he was able to eat on time thanks to Yinxiang, who always dragged him to the small kitchen to sneak bites.
But it's best not to tell Mother about this.
However, the scene was not so harmonious in the eyes of the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince. When Consort Xuan brought out the snacks, she specifically instructed the Thirteenth Prince and the Fourth Prince, but showed no concern for the Eighth Prince.
So when Yinzhi returned carrying one of the food boxes, the two of them surrounded him, and the Fourteenth Prince also came over.
"Shall we share some?" Yinzhi looked at the three of them helplessly and said, "Mother's cooking is very good, let's share some."
The Tenth Prince wanted to say something, but the Ninth Prince stopped him. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for the Eighth Prince in public if he said something at this time?
Yinzhi had no idea what these people were thinking; if he had known, he would have been both amused and exasperated.
In fact, Yinxiang always complained that his mother was becoming more and more biased towards him. For example, when she brought food, his mother would prepare two food boxes, one for Yinzhen and Yinxiang, and one for Yinsi himself.
This was naturally because he had three little tails to feed, and Wen Shan was afraid that he wouldn't have enough to eat. The three of them had different tastes, and Wen Shan sometimes worried a lot when preparing dinner, not knowing what to cook more of, so she would often take extra care of Yin Si.
Because he is the most picky eater.
Even if the dishes weren't their favorites, Yinzhen and Yinxiang would still take a few bites, but Yinsi wouldn't touch a single bite unless he liked it. So Wenshan had no choice but to cook two or three more dishes that Yinsi liked.
And no one knew about these things except the three brothers.
Yinzhen and the others have been busy outside the palace lately and have no time to deal with the Crown Prince's affairs. Kangxi's intention is to suppress the matter as much as possible. So, although there was an impeachment by the censor, Kangxi sent the Crown Prince to the Confucius Temple to offer sacrifices to Confucius, which delayed the matter. When the ministers saw the emperor's attitude, they followed suit and tacitly stopped mentioning the matter.
By the time the Crown Prince returned from Qufu, more than a month had passed, and things were finally about to calm down.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened.
The Crown Prince actually sent someone to assassinate Princess Yun Dai.
Wen Shan learned of this news from Pearl, which means that it has now spread throughout the entire harem.
"What about the princess? Is the princess alright?" Wen Shan asked hurriedly.
"Rest assured, Master, the assassin has not gotten close."
Wen Shan thought about it for a long time and still found it strange: "Why would the Crown Prince go and assassinate Princess Yun Dai if he had nothing better to do?"
The matter was suppressed by Emperor Kangxi and dragged on without being mentioned again. Although it seemed that Kangxi wanted to teach the Crown Prince a lesson that day, he probably wouldn't make a big fuss about it, so it looked like the matter was about to be forgotten.
Even if the Crown Prince couldn't understand it, Suo'etu should have reminded him.
Wouldn't taking action at this time be a death sentence?
Even if you hate her, you should at least wait until the princess leaves the capital and returns to Mongolia before taking action, right?
"Where is Yinxiang? Has he woken up from his nap?" Wenshan asked.
Pearl said she had just helped the Thirteenth Prince to sleep, and estimated that he would not wake up for another half hour.
With neither Yinzhen nor Yinsi present, Wenshan could only ask Yinxiang for any information she wanted.
After Yinxiang woke up, Wenshan dragged him over and asked him if he knew about the Crown Prince sending someone to assassinate the princess.
Actually, I wanted to ask if these brothers were behind it.
"Huh? What did you say, Mother?" Yinxiang had just woken up and was still a little dazed.
Judging from his expression, Wen Shan knew that it was probably none of their business.
Yinxiang was no less surprised than Wenshan when he heard the news.
"Has the Crown Prince completely gone mad?"
"That shouldn't be happening. This is just too stupid. Could it be that my elder brother framed him?"
Yinxiang muttered to himself for a moment, then realized what Wenshan meant and quickly said, "Mother, I've been busy with the steam engine with my fourth and eighth brothers lately, and I don't have time to deal with the Crown Prince's affairs. Please don't wrong an innocent person."
Wen Shan thought about it and realized that the three of them had been so focused on those machines that they really didn't have time to get involved in the Crown Prince's affairs.
However, this was really strange. There were many rumors in the harem. The Crown Prince was summoned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation early in the morning and did not come out until night. No one knew what had happened inside.
When Yinzhen and Yinsi returned from the Imperial Study, they were also unusually confused.
“We haven’t been keeping our minds at the palace lately, who knew there would be such a big spectacle to watch,” Yinzhi said coolly.
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