Chapter 4: The princes officially began their studies at the age of six...
The princes officially began their studies at the age of six, and Yinzhen, now three, had also begun his early education. However, unlike his older brothers, he did not need to get up at dawn to study day and night; he only needed to go to the study at noon to read for an hour.
The next morning, Amber accompanied Yinzhen, who had already dressed and washed, into the main hall. Yinzhen was wearing a light green double-breasted casual robe, embroidered with many green bamboos. The collar and cuffs were made of fine, glossy hair, which made his small face look extremely fair and tender.
After greeting Wen Shan, Yin Zhen was pulled up and sat down. Breakfast was already laid out on the table: several plates of pastries, a basket of steamed buns, and a bowl of fragrant millet porridge.
"Yinzhen, later Consort Xuan will take you to Cining Palace to pay your respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager."
Wen Shan took a handkerchief and wiped away the little bit of rice soup that was stuck to the corner of Yinzhen's mouth.
Yinzhen blushed and said, "Your subject understands."
Seeing that he liked jujube paste cake, Wen Shan put another piece on his plate and said, "The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager love children the most. Your fifth brother is also in Cining Palace. It's perfect that you two brothers can go to the study together."
Wen Shan spoke gently, her eyes smiling. Yin Zhen was indeed somewhat reserved in front of the two matriarchs of Cining Palace. The relationship between Consort Tongjia and Cining Palace had never been very harmonious, which meant that Yin Zhen did not visit often.
But seeing the gentle yet firm gaze of Consort Xuan, he seemed less afraid.
After breakfast, Wen Shan took Yin Zhen to Cining Palace. As soon as they entered Cining Palace, they saw Su Ma La Gu urging the small kitchen to serve breakfast.
"Greetings to Consort Xuan, and best wishes to the Fourth Prince." Su Mala Gu greeted them with a smile as soon as she saw them.
Wen Shan quickly helped her up: "Auntie, you're too polite. Haven't the two elders eaten yet?"
"The Empress Dowager slept in a bit today and only just now ordered the meal to be served."
Su Ma La Gu glanced at Yin Zhen, who was standing next to Wen Shan, and quietly tugged at Wen Shan's sleeve, saying softly, "Last night, Consort De requested an audience with the Empress Dowager, crying and begging her to bring the Fourth Prince to Yonghe Palace."
Wen Shan was taken aback. Not to mention that Consort De was more biased towards her youngest son in history, in the two years she had been here, she had personally witnessed that Consort De was always indifferent to Yinzhen, especially after Yinzuo was born, she could almost say that she ignored Yinzhen as her son.
Of course, this was also due to the deliberate obstruction of Consort Tongjia.
It's already a messy, unresolved issue.
Now, who is this nighttime complaint to Cining Palace meant for?
Since Yinzhen was still present, Wenshan simply nodded and said gently, "After all, she is Yinzhen's birth mother, and blood ties can never be severed."
Yinzhen's hands clenched slightly beneath his sleeves, his brows furrowed, and he pursed his lips without speaking.
Su Mala Gu smiled as well. Just then, the Fifth Prince Yinqi, wearing a red rabbit fur jacket with auspicious cloud patterns, ran over from the side hall, followed by two palace maids who were anxiously chasing after the young prince, afraid that he might bump into something.
"Fourth Brother!"
Yinqi ran up to them. The two-year-old Yinqi spoke in a babyish voice and wore a tiger-head hat. The youngest prince in the palace was the seventh prince Yinyou, born to Consort Cheng. Both Yinyou and Yinzhu were born in the nineteenth year of Kangxi's reign. Although Yinyou was only one year younger than Yinqi, the two younger brothers were raised in their respective mothers' palaces and only knew how to eat and cry. Therefore, he preferred Yinzhi and Yinzhen, who were only one or two years older than him.
Yinqi was lively by nature. As soon as he saw Yinzhen arrive, he dragged him to see the little pug he had just adopted a couple of days ago. Yinqi was raised by the Empress Dowager and was the little tyrant of Cining Palace. Even Kangxi couldn't do anything about this son, so he was somewhat spoiled. Regardless of Yinzhen's wishes, he dragged Yinzhen to his room.
Yinzhen had no choice but to let his younger brother pull him away.
As soon as Yinzhen left, Sumalagu continued, "Your Highness, please rest assured. The Empress Dowager is perfectly clear-headed. She knows exactly what that person is planning. You can rest assured and take care of the Fourth Prince."
Wen Shan and Su Mala Gu were already quite familiar with each other, so she spoke more directly: "This disgusted both the Imperial Concubine and me, while also showing a motherly heart in front of the Emperor."
Emperor Kangxi was raised outside the palace from a young age to avoid smallpox and did not enjoy much family affection. His mother passed away two years after he ascended the throne. Parental affection was something he always lacked and longed for, so he would naturally appreciate Consort De's actions.
Sumalagu nodded approvingly. Consort Xuan was intelligent and insightful, but she never devoted her attention to the Emperor.
"His Majesty heard about this matter early this morning after leaving Chengqian Palace, and bestowed many gifts upon Yonghe Palace. I heard that the Consort was feeling very unwell, and just now at breakfast, she invited His Majesty over again."
Wen Shan: "..."
These two have been bickering like this for years.
Having learned about today's events from Sumalagu, Wenshan thought to herself that since Kangxi had rewarded Consort De today, it seemed she had no choice but to take Yinzhen to Yonghe Palace to pay her respects.
"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were just saying that you should come over." Aunt Heyu lifted the curtain and came out from the inner room. She saw Wenshan and Sumalagu standing under the corridor and walked over with a smile, bowing to them.
"Then let's hurry inside, lest we keep our ancestors waiting," Su Mala Gu said with a smile.
Wen Shan nodded and entered the hall. The hall was filled with calming sandalwood incense. A dozen palace maids stood respectfully on both sides with their heads bowed, carrying fresh flowers and fruits. The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were already having their meal at the table.
The palace servants greeted Wen Shan, and Wen Shan also politely bowed to the two people at the head of the table.
"Get up quickly, sit here." The Empress Dowager raised her hand, and seeing that no one was behind her, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where is Yinzhen? Didn't he come with you?"
Wen Shan sat down and said with a smile, "I ran into the Fifth Prince outside the palace just now. He took Yinzhen to see his new puppy."
Su Ma La Gu stepped forward to serve the Empress Dowager food and said with a smile, "The Fifth Prince is in a very good mood today, so I suppose he has fully recovered from his illness."
A few days ago, Yinqi had a bit of an upset stomach and kept vomiting whatever he ate, which worried the Empress Dowager a lot. In order to coax this little darling to take his medicine, she finally agreed to let him bring over a puppy from the dog kennel.
The Empress Dowager shook her head indulgently: "Yinqi is too playful, he's like a little monkey all day long."
"He'll be fine when he grows up. Besides, he's a prince, so it's alright if he enjoys himself a bit." The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea and said, "As long as he's not inherently bad and doesn't go astray, that's fine."
Wen Shan nodded silently in her heart. This Fifth Prince, Yinqi, had indeed lived a peaceful and wealthy life as a prince, and he was undoubtedly a winner in life.
Wen Shan turned her head to look at the things in the hands of the palace maids on both sides and chatted idly, "It's not even spring yet, where did all these fruits come from?"
"I knew you were only thinking about eating." The Empress Dowager tapped her forehead.
"The Emperor sent it early this morning, saying it was just delivered to the capital from the south by fast horse, as a way to enjoy something fresh at the start of spring."
After drinking half a bowl of porridge, the Empress Dowager felt that was enough. She rinsed her mouth and said, "Later, pick out some of your favorites to take back to Xianfu Palace and make some fresh food to show your respect to me and my mother."
Wenshan readily agreed; having just survived the harsh winter, she was also a little tempted by all the fresh fruits and vegetables.
"Don't just focus on the food. Did you know that the Emperor also bestowed Yonghe Palace upon you this morning?" The Empress Dowager looked up at her.
Wen Shan nodded obediently: "Aunt Su Ma already told me about it just now."
Sumalagu said, "Consort Xuan is incredibly intelligent and quick to understand."
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly: "The Noble Consort is spoiled by the Emperor's favor, and Consort De is not someone to be trifled with either. She's using my Cining Palace as a stage for a show late at night. You should be careful so you don't fall into their trap one day."
The Empress Dowager had finished her breakfast and washed her hands. Wen Shan then hugged the Empress Dowager's arm and said coquettishly, "With the Empress Dowager doting on me, I'm not afraid of anything."
Based on her experience over the past two years, Wen Shan discovered that the Empress Dowager was very fond of her coquettish and silly antics. This was probably because all three of her daughters had married far away to Mongolia, which made her particularly fond of girls clinging to her and acting coquettishly.
Sure enough, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh out loud and poked her forehead: "Then you'd better bring more good things, otherwise I won't care about these things."
Wen Shan readily agreed, making the Empress Dowager overjoyed.
After chatting for a while, the Empress Dowager said seriously, "There are not many Mongolian concubines in the palace now, and the princes and princesses have no children. I entrusted the Fourth Prince to you to raise because I wanted to find someone to rely on in the future. I hope that Yinzhen will remember the days you took care of him and will be able to support you in the future."
The Empress Dowager also said from the side, "Take good care of Yinzhen, so that the Emperor knows that you are a good person. If any lower-ranking concubines give birth to children in the future, you can take them and raise them."
The two of them have indeed gone to great lengths for her.
"However, having your own child is still the most reliable thing." The Empress Dowager changed the subject and began her usual urging for children: "You've been in the palace for quite some time now, and you're beautiful and intelligent, so why don't you like to appear in front of the Emperor?"
"Tell me yourself, how many times has the emperor visited you this past month?"
Not even once.
Ideally, there shouldn't be any next month either.
The Empress Dowager was disappointed in her son, but the Empress Dowager was more open-minded: "Never mind, Your Majesty, children and grandchildren have their own blessings."
The Empress Dowager sighed softly. Even this master of palace intrigue was helpless against Wen Shan, a mere novice in the game.
Fortunately, Yinqi and Yinzhen entered at this moment, breaking the awkward situation that had been making Wenshan feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.
The two little ones bowed and greeted them respectfully. As soon as they called out to Yinqi, they rushed into the Empress Dowager's arms. The Empress Dowager held her beloved grandson and smiled from ear to ear, coaxing him to eat a piece of pastry.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were also very kind to Yinzhen, asking about his daily life and comforting him not to take yesterday's events to heart. In the end, they each prepared a generous gift for him.
Yinzhen was flattered. The Empress Dowager had always been rather cold to him, and he had never seen her so kind.
After leaving Cining Palace, Wenshan led Yinzhen to Yonghe Palace.
Just now at Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager had specifically instructed her that she should take Yinzhen to Yonghe Palace today, even if it was just to put on a show in front of Kangxi.
Upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, they knocked on the door, and soon Consort De's personal maid, Xia Yun, came out to personally welcome them inside.
"Consort De misses the Fourth Prince so much that she's been waiting since early this morning. Our mistress said that Consort Xuan is very proper and would definitely come today."
Is this a veiled criticism of Consort Tongjia for being unreasonable and domineering?
Yinzhen became visibly nervous as soon as he entered Yonghe Palace. His face was tense, and although he tried his best to hide it, Wenshan still saw a hint of expectation in his eyes.
She's still just a child, and deep down she still longs for her mother's love.
Especially after hearing about Consort De's late-night complaint to Cining Palace.
Upon entering the main hall of Yonghe Palace, Consort De was indeed already waiting for them.
"Your Majesty, this concubine greets Consort Xuan." Consort De bowed and greeted her with her eyes lowered.
Wen Shan helped her up: "Please rise, Consort De."
Yinzhen also performed a deep bow: "Your subject greets Mother."
Consort De helped him up with a loving expression.
"Let Mother see, I've grown so tall."
Yinzhen's tense face relaxed slightly: "Mother..."
Consort De took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, and pulled Yinzhen towards the table: "I don't know what you like to eat, so I prepared some snacks. Take a look and see what you like to eat."
Just then, a palace maid came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince has woken up and is crying and looking for you."
Upon hearing this, Consort De's expression immediately changed, and she hurriedly let go of Yinzhen's hand.
"When Yinzhuo wakes up and doesn't see me, he cries for a long time. I'll go check on him first."
He left in a hurry without waiting for Wenshan to reply.
Yinzhen looked at his empty hands and a look of disappointment appeared on his face.
Wenshan stepped forward, squatted down, and patted his head: "Your little brother is too young to be separated from his mother, so naturally your mother is worried."
Yinzhen nodded, and after a moment he mustered his courage and said, "May I go see my younger brother?"
Wen Shan smiled and nodded, then called over a palace maid to lead them to the Sixth Prince's residence.
The Sixth Prince lived in a side hall of Yonghe Palace, which was just across a corridor. As he walked to the door, a palace maid came out carrying a glass ornament. She was looking down and didn't look where she was going, so she bumped into Yinzhen, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
Then there was a crisp sound, and the glass ornament fell down and shattered right next to Yinzhen. Wenshan was startled and quickly went to hug Yinzhen, afraid that he would be cut by the shards.
Consort De turned around upon hearing the voice and her expression changed instantly.
"What kind of servant are you!" Consort De got up and hurried over, her mind focused on the broken ornament: "This was Yinzhuo's favorite; you couldn't pay for it even with ten lives!"
The young palace maid cried and begged for mercy.
Just then, Yinzhuo, who had just turned over in bed, saw that his beloved toy was broken and burst into tears.
"Mother... the little tiger is bad."
Consort De couldn't help but glare at Yinzhen, who was sitting blankly to the side. He was a jinx, born to bring her bad luck.
Then she hurriedly picked up Yinzhuo and patiently coaxed him.
Yinzhuo watched helplessly as his mother gently coaxed his younger brother while holding him, and his heart sank to the bottom when he recalled the disgusted and impatient look in his mother's eyes earlier.
Although he was young, he was more precocious than ordinary children because he grew up in the palace.
He can distinguish between genuine feelings and mere pretense.
Wen Shan sighed, picked up Yinzhen, and ignored Consort De: "Yinzhen, shall Consort Xuan take you back to Xianfu Palace?"
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