Chapter 71 Kangxi has been gone for some time…
Emperor Kangxi hadn't visited Xianfu Palace for some time, and his sudden visit on New Year's Eve certainly startled Wen Shan.
On New Year's Eve, Emperor Kangxi always spent time with the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. After the Grand Empress Dowager passed away, the Empress Dowager and Emperor Kangxi would keep vigil together, and occasionally Su Ma La Gu would be called over.
"Why is only Yinzhen here? Where are Yinsi and Yinxiang?"
When Kangxi entered the main hall and saw the festive red decorations, he couldn't help but feel a little more at ease. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that only Yinzhen was among the three children, so he asked curiously.
Seeing Kangxi's overly familiar manner, Yinzhen secretly thought to himself, "My father is too overly familiar."
They've only come a few times in the past few months, yet they act like they're old friends.
Wenshan gave Pearl a wink, and Pearl understood and went to serve tea and fruit.
“Consort Min is pregnant, and Consort Liang has been feeling unwell lately, so Yinzhi and Yinxiang went to visit them.”
Wenshan tidied up the mess on the table.
After listening, Kangxi thought for a moment and realized that he had indeed not seen Consort Min and Consort Liang at the palace banquet today.
Pearl quickly and efficiently served the tea, snacks, and fruit.
When asked about Consort Min's pregnancy, Emperor Kangxi thought for a moment and said, "Consort Min is eight months pregnant now, isn't she?"
Wen Shan nodded: "The imperial physician said that she should be able to give birth in the first month of this year."
Emperor Kangxi: "A birth in the first month is indeed a good omen."
Wenshan smiled.
Even Yinzhen, who was standing to the side, felt a little awkward about the atmosphere.
Kangxi coughed and then asked, following Wenshan's words, "What's wrong with Consort Liang?"
Wen Shan took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Consort Liang has been experiencing some discomfort in her legs lately, with frequent soreness. She needs to rest and recuperate for a while."
Consort Liang's legs had been in bad shape since the beginning of winter, but Emperor Kangxi was completely unaware of it.
"Then let the imperial physician take good care of her," Kangxi said rather dryly. "I will also go and see her another day."
Yinzhen: "..."
It seems that whenever the Emperor has a tiff and doesn't come for a while, this is the scene: the Emperor tries hard to start a conversation, but the Mother remains indifferent.
He was getting anxious just listening to this.
Why is the Emperor coming here to cause trouble during the Lunar New Year?
Wen Shan was too lazy to continue chatting with Kangxi about these pointless topics, so she went straight to the point and asked, "Why did Your Majesty come to Xianfu Palace today? Don't you usually stay up with the Empress Dowager to celebrate the New Year?"
It would have been better if this hadn't been mentioned, because as soon as Kangxi's face was brought up, he darkened up.
"There was a slight mishap at today's banquet. One of the dishes on the Empress Dowager's table used chicken oil, which broke her fast."
Wen Shan thought to herself, "Just as I suspected," and then pressed on, "Did the Empress Dowager summon Consort Niohuru just now for this very reason?"
Emperor Kangxi nodded: "Consort Niohuru made such a big mistake in preparing this banquet, so the Empress Dowager naturally had to ask her about it. After all that, the Empress Dowager lost interest in staying up for the New Year and went to rest, so I came to see you."
When the palace banquet ended, the Empress Dowager summoned Consort Niohuru and severely reprimanded her in front of Emperor Kangxi, making Consort Niohuru look pale and sickly. No one had ever reprimanded her like this since she entered the palace.
This was naturally the first time such a big mistake had occurred under her supervision.
Wen Shan felt sorry for Consort Niohuru, thinking it was impossible to guard against her. She never expected that she would tamper with the oil. It was impossible to tell from the dish's appearance alone, so the dish was served on the table in such a blatant way.
"The Empress Dowager has been fasting for almost half a year in order to recite the Lotus Sutra. She was about to complete her merits, but she broke her vows. It's inevitable that she will be angry," Wen Shan said.
Although she didn't really believe in these things, the Empress Dowager had indeed been sincerely practicing them for almost half a year when they were ruined at the last minute. Anyone would be upset about that.
The Empress Dowager, who was usually quite indifferent to right and wrong, couldn't help but reprimand Consort Niohuru this time.
"Isn't the Imperial Kitchen responsible for preparing the dishes for the Empress Dowager?" Wen Shan asked after thinking for a moment.
If the wrong oil is used by accident, then just find this chef. Although Consort Niohuru is also guilty of poor coordination, she is busy with many people and things, so she can't be let off lightly.
Emperor Kangxi had been listening to Consort Niohuru's explanation for half a day in Ning Shou Palace, and the matter still gave him a headache.
"It seems that the Imperial Kitchen did not send anyone specifically; I listened for a long time but still couldn't hear clearly."
"..."
Wen Shan thought to herself, how could there be anything that Kangxi couldn't understand? He just didn't care.
He didn't care whether the Empress Dowager was angry or Consort Niohuru seemed to have been framed or sabotaged, and let the women of the harem make a fuss.
This is also what Wen Shan finds most annoying about Kangxi.
It's most unsettling when a smart person pretends to be stupid.
Yinzhen, who was standing to the side, understood that Kangxi did not want to continue talking about this matter, so he tugged at Wenshan and gently shook his head at her.
Wen Shan naturally understood that, in the end, this matter had nothing to do with her, and she had no intention of defending Consort Niohuru. She had only asked a few more questions out of curiosity.
Emperor Kangxi picked up a piece of pastry, examined it closely, but didn't eat it. He looked at Wen Shan and asked, "This doesn't look like your handiwork."
The pastries were shaped into various forms, including gold ingots, lucky bags, and koi fish, symbolizing abundance year after year—all auspicious wishes for the New Year.
However, the quality varies greatly; some are beautifully made, while others are oddly shaped and can only be vaguely discerned.
Emperor Kangxi immediately realized that this was not the work of Wen Shan, or rather, not entirely the work of Wen Shan.
Because some of them look quite exquisitely made.
Because of the New Year, many pastries and fruits were made in Xianfu Palace, so Wenshan didn't notice which plate Pearl served. She only looked at it carefully when Kangxi asked her.
"Your Majesty, this was made yesterday by me and several others, including Yinzhen. The one you are holding should have been made by Yinsi. It was just a way to bring good luck during the New Year."
Wen Shan felt a little sorry for having served this dish. Yin Zhen and the others were very busy these days. It was only yesterday, the end of the year, that the Imperial Study had let out an hour early and came back to make some snacks with her.
Yinxiang, in particular, was reluctant to eat it and asked Wenshan to save it for him.
Pearl was in a hurry and didn't pay attention, so she served up what the young masters had made.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi looked at him with great interest and said, "Yinsi's skills... still need further improvement."
He raised his hand and called to Yinzhen, asking which ones he had made.
Yinzhen pointed to a few, and Kangxi smiled and said, "Yinzhen is much better at it than Yinsi."
After saying that, he picked up the most oddly shaped one and said, "This should have been made by Yinxiang, right?"
Wen Shan nodded. When Yinxiang was making these things, it was as if he had just finished training his limbs. No matter how he tried to shape them, he couldn't get them to look the same. He wasted a lot of her materials.
Kangxi smiled and shook his head: "It seems that Yinxiang is not good at this. In the future, let him stay away from these things."
Yinzhen said, "Father, some of these have been filled with grains, symbolizing a bountiful harvest and good fortune. Would you like to try one?"
"Is that so? Then I'll have to choose one carefully." Kangxi picked out a gold ingot made by Yinzhen with great interest. When he bit into it, he found that it was filled with a mixture of grains.
Yinzhen said, "Father is indeed a man blessed by Heaven. It seems that next year our Great Qing will surely have favorable weather and abundant harvests."
Emperor Kangxi was naturally pleased to have selected pastries containing five grains, but he still asked, "Yinzhen, you're not lying to me, are you? Does every single one of these contain grains?"
Normally, such things are just for good luck and Kangxi wouldn't investigate whether it was intentional or not. However, Yinzhen was always upright and unyielding, and he disliked these kinds of auspicious omens, thinking they were just superstition. This was one of the things Kangxi liked about him, so he asked this question, not wanting Yinzhen to go astray and become as pretentious and frivolous as the eldest prince.
“If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, you can pick up another one and see,” Wen Shan said from the side.
His son was trying to bring him good luck during the New Year, but he was such a spoilsport. No wonder the princes don't get close to him; they all act like mice before a cat.
Kangxi picked up another one at random, broke it open, and sure enough, it was pure glutinous rice inside, without any other grain filling.
"Indeed, it seems to be a good omen," Kangxi said with a smile.
Wenshan, considering it was the Lunar New Year, also offered a few auspicious words.
Kangxi enjoyed the pastries made by his sons, and it was a rare moment of family time. It was just a pity that Yinzhi and Yinxiang were not there.
"How did you keep vigil for the New Year in previous years?" Kangxi asked Wenshan with great interest.
Emperor Kangxi wondered if Yinzhi and Yinxiang had previously visited their respective biological mothers. If so, then Wenshan was truly magnanimous.
“In previous years, I would invite Consort Min and Consort Liang to Xianfu Palace. It was lively with many people. I would cut paper flowers and chat with the three children, including Yinzhen.”
Kangxi nodded, "This is quite thorough."
No wonder Consort Liang and Consort Min were so close to Wen Shan. When he occasionally saw the two of them talking about Yin Si and Yin Xiang, they only praised Wen Shan.
Fortunately, Consort Min and Consort Liang didn't come this year. He came today to talk to Wen Shan because there were too many people and it was too noisy.
When Wen Shan saw that Kangxi had no intention of leaving, she immediately sensed that something was wrong. Could it be that Kangxi was planning to stay up all night at Xianfu Palace?
How uncomfortable she and Yinzhen must have felt that night!
Sure enough, Kangxi changed his position and leaned comfortably on the couch, then asked about Wen Shan sending hundreds of cattle and sheep to those in-laws.
Wen Shan couldn't say that Bandi sent too much food for her to finish; she just wanted to send something unique since it was the first year of holiday gifts.
"You've been raising those hundreds of cattle and sheep in the garden for almost three years now, haven't you?" Kangxi teased her. "I think you're just reluctant to spend that little bit of money on fodder."
"..."
He knows all of that.
When the conversation turned to this, Kangxi naturally brought up the matter of Yinzhen's wedding.
"Yinzhen will be fifteen next year, so you'd better start preparing. I can only promise you that you can wait until you're sixteen to get married at the latest," Kangxi said. "If you delay any longer, Consort Rong will never let you off the hook."
When the topic of his marriage came up, Yinzhen was unusually uncomfortable.
The marriage between the Third Prince and Yinzhen had been arranged long ago and would be held together.
Upon hearing this, Wen Shan whispered, "Then you can let the Third Prince get married first, after all, he is the elder brother."
Why do we have to put them together? Do we really want to have double happiness?
Emperor Kangxi said calmly, "Yinzhi and Yinzhen are only one year apart in age. Let the Imperial Observatory choose an auspicious day to hold the ceremony together, which would be a double celebration. Besides, doing this too often would cause a lot of trouble."
"..."
She probably thinks the important thing is that doing too many things will cause a commotion.
Now that things have come to this, Wen Shan has done her best. Sixteen years old is still acceptable, better than fourteen.
Then Kangxi said, "Yinzhi will be twelve next year, so it's time to start making preparations. You and Consort Liang can also discuss finding a few suitable ones."
Wen Shan: "..."
Didn't they just bestow a marriage upon Yinzhen? How come it's Yinsi's turn so soon?
Upon closer reflection, Wen Shan realized that Kangxi wasn't just making trouble for no reason; Yinzhi was only three years younger than Yinzhen...
This year, the Fifth Prince's marriage was also arranged. The Empress Dowager personally chose the person for him. His primary wife is the granddaughter of the Governor of Shaanxi, from the Tatara clan, which is also a prestigious family, but not too outstanding. This fits the moderate approach that the Empress Dowager planned for the Fifth Prince.
Next up are the Seventh Prince and Yinzhi, who are only one year apart in age.
These princes were all born in succession, and they were all only a few years apart, so their marriages naturally happened to be around the same time.
Wen Shan understood and nodded: "I understand, Your Majesty. I will take it to heart."
Yinzhen was pondering Yinsi's marriage. He himself did not want to change it, and there shouldn't be any major problems.
"After the wedding, you can leave the palace and build your own residence. Since Yinzhen and Yinsi are such good brothers, why don't you build your residences together so that it will be convenient for you to visit each other?"
Kangxi suddenly brought up this matter out of the blue, which surprised even Wen Shan. The eldest prince had been married for more than a year, but Kangxi had never mentioned letting him leave the palace to establish his own residence.
Originally, the eldest prince cared about this matter quite a bit. Later, someone suggested to him that the emperor's refusal to let the eldest prince leave the palace was actually a sign of his high regard for him. The crown prince has always lived in the palace, but the crown prince has always lived in Yuqing Palace, and even after his wedding, he will remain in the palace.
To his astonishment, the eldest prince believed him.
The statement that Kangxi pointed to a palace instead of having the eldest prince, his wife, and his concubines squeeze into the five palaces in Qianxi would be more credible.
Emperor Kangxi stayed in Xianfu Palace for more than an hour until midnight, which was the beginning of the new year.
In previous years, Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinxiang would all go to the garden to set off fireworks at this time. This year was no exception; everything had been prepared, but only Yinzhen went to set them off.
Wen Shan was feeling a bit cold lately, so she didn't go out and just stood at the door watching. Kangxi stood beside her to keep her company.
"It would be even more lively if Yinzhi and Yinxiang were here as well."
Wen Shan smiled as she watched Yinzhen running around in the courtyard with sparklers, a rare display of childlike behavior. She said gently, "Yes, the three of them have been close since childhood, and it's always the liveliest when they're all together."
“Yinxiang is straightforward, but Yinsi is a bit too calculating.” Kangxi looked at Yinzhen in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, then turned his head to look at Wenshan and said, “I told you before to take good care of Yinsi, and it’s the same now.”
Wen Shan pursed her lips and couldn't help but speak up for Yinzhi: "Isn't Your Majesty's prejudice against Yinzhi too deep?"
Emperor Kangxi always seemed so wary of him, as if Yinzhi were some utterly wicked villain.
This was the first time Kangxi had ever seen Wen Shan speak to him so angrily, and he found it rather amusing.
"You like Yinzhi that much?"
It seems that in Wen Shan's eyes, Yin Si was some kind of pure and harmless little white flower.
For Wen Shan, each child was different. Yinzhen was the first one she raised, while Yinsi was the first one she raised from a baby who could only suckle. Yinxiang, needless to say, was the most lively of the three children and talked to her the most.
However, the most considerate one was Yinzhi. Yinzhi was much more sensitive than Yinzhen and Yinxiang. He could sense many of her emotions and even took care of many things for her in advance.
So when Wen Shan heard Kangxi's evaluation of Yinzhi, even though she knew that Yinzhi was deliberately behaving this way in front of Kangxi, she still couldn't help but feel indignant on his behalf.
So after Kangxi asked the question, Wenshan nodded: "Yinsi is a very considerate child."
Kangxi didn't say anything more, only smiled slightly as he watched Yinzhen return after the fireworks display.
After midnight, the New Year's Eve vigil was over. Yinzhen respectfully took his leave and went to Yanxi Palace to pick up Yinsi so they could return to Qianxi Wusuo together. Yinxiang also sent word back that he would stay overnight in Consort Min's palace.
Suddenly, only Wen Shan and Emperor Kangxi remained in Xianfu Palace.
There's no morning court tomorrow, but Kangxi still has to go to the Heaven Worship Ceremony and the Ancestral Temple, as well as the Grand Court Assembly where he'll receive the homage of the officials. It's no less demanding than a normal day. Although Wenshan doesn't have as many things to do, she's already tired by this time, so she's thinking of resting as soon as possible.
After changing into his sleeping robes, Emperor Kangxi suddenly looked at her and said, "What about the sachet you promised to make for me? I heard you've almost finished it."
"..."
It must have been Consort Yi who leaked the secret!
She happened to run into her that day.
Fortunately, Wen Shan had managed to finish the job quite well in the past few days and wanted to complete it as soon as possible. She didn't want Kangxi to keep nagging about a broken sachet, so she rummaged through the sewing basket on the table and found it.
Kangxi took it and looked at it. Although the stitching was still rough, it was indeed much better than before.
"Was it Consort Yi who spoke to the Emperor?" Wen Shan asked resentfully.
Kangxi put the sachet away and said, "Consort Yi came here specifically to speak well of you, so why do you look so bitter and resentful?"
Consort Yi was clever and realized early on that Kangxi wanted to make peace with Wen Shan but had no way to do so. So she did this favor to repay the kindness of the Eleventh Prince when he was vaccinated against smallpox, and also to curry favor with the Emperor.
"Tomorrow, the wives of princes and ministers will come to the palace to offer their congratulations. I have sent Lady Fucha to pay her respects to you and let you meet them."
After turning off the lights and lying down, Kangxi closed his eyes and said...
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wen Shan said softly.
When Kangxi came this time, it was indeed Consort Yi who offered him a way out, and he quickly accepted it. Wen Shan could still sense that many of his words were somewhat ingratiating.
Moreover, Wen Shan had never actually met her future daughter-in-law before, and was quite curious about her.
After a while, just as Wen Shan was about to fall asleep, Kangxi spoke again: "I have already decided on Princess Yun Dai's marriage. Let her marry back to the Western Desert. The Khalkha Prince has a son who is about the same age as him, which I think is just right."
Wen Shan, who was already half asleep, heard the name "Khalkha Prince" and felt it sounded familiar. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Did my cousin marry this Khalkha Prince?"
"..."
He couldn't even remember his own in-laws. Kangxi patiently said, "The one I chose is your cousin's second son."
Wouldn't that make Yun Dai her nephew's wife?
Emperor Kangxi did indeed choose this person carefully out of consideration for the Empress Dowager and Wen Shan. Marrying Wen Shan's cousin's son would put Wen Shan and the Empress Dowager at ease.
Moreover, he specifically chose the second son, who would not have to inherit the title in the future and would not face any political pressure, making him a suitable match for marrying Yun Dai.
Kangxi specifically pointed this out because he was worried that Wen Shan, being so dense, wouldn't understand his good intentions.
Wen Shan naturally understood Kangxi's meaning. Although her relationship with Yun Dai was only so-so, she accepted Kangxi's kindness out of consideration for her. She thanked him politely a few times, and Kangxi was satisfied.
Kangxi considered this as a reconciliation between the two, and he was in a good mood when he left early the next morning. Yinzhen and Yinsi came to wish her a Happy New Year right after Kangxi left.
"Did you two send someone to keep an eye on you again? You only came in after your father left?" Wen Shan asked, hands on her hips.
Yinzhi touched his head, feeling a little guilty that he had been caught out.
But Mother herself couldn't see it, because every time Father Emperor came to Xianfu Palace, he felt that the three of them were standing there in the way and wished they would leave as soon as possible.
As sons, they should at least have some sense.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the two of them dressed up festively and wished Wen Shan a Happy New Year. After that, they received red envelopes that Wen Shan had carefully prepared for them. Yin Xiang had not returned yet. Judging from the time, he should have finished breakfast at Consort Min's place before returning.
Today, the princes were allowed a day off and didn't have to go to the Imperial Study. Yinzhen and Yinsi took the rare opportunity to play Ludo with Wenshan on the couch. The two of them weren't very interested in this game, which mostly relied on luck, but they were very supportive and played along with Wenshan, enjoying herself immensely.
Not long after, Yinxiang, dressed in bright red, returned.
"Mother, I'm back!"
Yinxiang ran into the room and saw that his fourth brother and eighth brother had already arrived. He then looked at the table and found that breakfast had already been cleared away.
"Mother, you didn't leave me any food."
Wen Shan looked at Yinxiang's puffed-up little face and said with a smile, "Mother thought you had already used it at Consort Min's place. Why didn't you come back for dinner?"
Yinxiang took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, saying aggrievedly, "I came back early this morning, but I was delayed because I ran into my tenth brother on the way."
"Tenth Prince? What's he doing out so early in the morning?" Wen Shan asked casually as she wiped Yinxiang's face.
Yinzhi fiddled with the dice and looked up, saying, "Mother, don't you know? Yesterday, the Empress Dowager punished Consort Niohuru by making her kneel in Baohua Palace all night to reflect on her mistakes. She hasn't been allowed to get up yet. I guess my tenth brother went to see his mother."
"Didn't Father Emperor tell you last night?" Yinzhen also asked.
Wen Shan shook her head. Kangxi hadn't said anything. She thought the Empress Dowager had only reprimanded her yesterday. After all, it was New Year's Eve, and she should at least give Consort Niohuru, the most powerful woman in the harem, some face. She didn't expect the punishment to be so severe.
"Tenth Brother asked me to pass on a message to Eighth Brother, saying that Eighth Brother should ask Mother to plead for Consort Niohuru on her behalf," Yinxiang continued to relay.
The Empress Dowager didn't specify how long she would have to kneel, so it wouldn't be over until she calmed down. This was especially ridiculous during the Lunar New Year; she really threw Niohuru Noble Consort's dignity to the ground and trampled it underfoot.
Kangxi didn't care, it really was...
Wen Shan suddenly remembered that a while ago, Consort Ping and Consort Hui had a fight, but Kangxi scolded Consort Niohuru. When she put these things together, she realized that Kangxi was deliberately making things difficult for Consort Niohuru.
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