Chapter 76 (Waiting for Yinzhen and Lady Fucha...)
When Yinzhen and Lady Fucha returned, Yinsi and Yinxiang had already gone to the Imperial Study. Yinzhen had a wedding leave, but the two of them did not and had to obediently go to study.
So Yinzhen and Lady Fucha came together to have lunch with Wenshan.
Just as Yinzhen and Lady Fucha arrived, Sumalagu suddenly appeared.
Sumalagu entered with a smile in her eyes, carrying a sandalwood box.
"This servant greets Consort Xuan, Fourth Prince, and Fourth Princess Consort."
Wenshan quickly helped Sumalagu up.
"Auntie, what brings you here? We were just about to have lunch, would you like to have some with us?"
Since the passing of the Empress Dowager, Su Ma La Gu has devoted herself to taking care of the Fifth Prince, rarely going out and meeting Wen Shan much less often.
"Thank you, Your Highness. This servant is delivering some things to the Fourth Prince on behalf of the Empress Dowager."
Yinzhen took two steps forward and looked at the box: "Did Mother Wuku leave this for me?"
Su Mala Gu nodded: "I haven't congratulated the Fourth Prince and his wife on their wedding yet. This was specially instructed by the Empress Dowager before she passed away. I will give the Fourth Prince a gift when he gets married."
Sumalagu opened the box, inside was a crystal-clear jade cicada.
"This jade cicada was a lucky charm personally blessed by the Living Buddha when the Empress Dowager was pregnant with the late Emperor. The Empress Dowager placed it under her pillow every day and indeed gave birth to the late Emperor safely. Today, I present it to the Fourth Princess Consort, hoping that you two will soon give birth to a son."
Even though Empress Fucha had seen many rare treasures and received countless royal gifts, she was still somewhat shocked by the jade cicada that had protected the late emperor's birth and was personally consecrated by a Tibetan Living Buddha.
For a moment, she didn't know whether she should accept it or not, so she looked at Yinzhen.
Yinzhen nodded slightly: "Since it is Mother Wuku's kind intention, we will accept it."
Yinzhen took it and carefully put it away.
Wen Shan also showed a trace of sorrow. Since she entered the palace, the person who loved her the most was the Empress Dowager. She considered everything for her and made countless arrangements for her, both openly and secretly, paving the way for a smooth and successful life.
Su Ma La Gu was also pleased to see Yinzhen get married, and said, "Before the Empress Dowager passed away, she was still thinking about the marriage of the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince. She wished that both princes would have many children and much happiness."
Yinzhen's eyes also stung a little. He had often visited Cining Palace since he was a child, and his mother, Wuku, sometimes treated him even better than the Fifth Prince.
In a few days, on the anniversary of his mother's death, he should personally go to offer incense and tell her that he has gotten married.
Wen Shan wanted to invite Su Ma La Gu to stay for a meal, but Su Ma La Gu waved her hand repeatedly, saying that the Fifth Prince was still waiting for her, and insisted on leaving.
"Please keep the Empress Dowager's gift carefully." Wen Shan touched the jade cicada with reminiscence, then handed it to Fucha.
Fucha was flattered and carefully accepted the gift.
The three of them then sat down to eat again.
“Since Yinzhen turned six, Mother has hardly had lunch with him more than a few times.”
Wen Shan sighed, "There's no way around it. Emperor Kangxi was just too strict with the education of his princes. Once they reached a certain age, they spent all day in the study and training grounds, with hardly any free time."
Yinzhen straightened his sleeves and said, "Father Emperor gave me a few extra days off, and I've been bringing Lady Fucha to visit Mother these past few days."
"Yes, Mother, just don't mind your daughter-in-law bothering you." Fucha said with a slight smile.
Wen Shan served food to Lady Fucha and gave Yinzhen a reproachful look: "You only have these few days of free time to spend with your wife. Once you get busy with court affairs, you'll probably disappear again."
The campaign against Galdan is imminent. Yesterday, Yinzhi told her that judging from Kangxi's actions, it would probably be another two or three months.
He should spend more time with his new wife before going to war, especially since he married three women at once and is already too busy to manage everything.
Yinzhen thought for a moment and said, "If I get busy in the future, I will ask Lady Fucha to bring Lady Magiya and Lady Ulanara to visit Mother more often."
Now that Yinzhen is living in Chonghua Palace, it's convenient for the Fucha clan to come and pay their respects.
Wen Shan had never met her two remaining daughters-in-law before. When Yinzhen mentioned them, she casually asked if Ma Jia and Ulanara were getting along well.
This was Fucha's reply.
"Both of my younger sisters are considerate and well-mannered, and they are very easy to get along with. I'm sure Mother will like them too."
After talking with Lady Fucha for a while, Wen Shan had a pretty good idea of what Lady Fucha was like. She was a girl who had been raised to be the most standard primary wife. She was not jealous and would not compete for favor. She was generous and proper and would probably be very good at managing household affairs.
To be honest, it reminded her of Empress Fucha, Emperor Qianlong's beloved concubine. It seems that the Fucha family put a lot of effort into raising their children, whether sons or daughters.
When this was mentioned, Wen Shan also asked about the recent situation of Li Rongbao, the father of Empress Fucha.
"My fourth uncle just got married last year, and he and my aunt are a harmonious couple," Fucha said with a smile.
Although the Fucha family was a large family, the relationships within the family had always been very close. Mi Sihan’s sons were all very close, and the children of each branch of the family also had a good relationship.
Li Rongbao was the youngest son of Mi Sihan. Although he was Fucha's uncle, he was only a few years older than Fucha. Fucha had a good relationship with her uncle when she was at home.
Wen Shan nodded and urged Fucha to eat more. Fucha and Yinzhen were both just sixteen years old and already married. Wen Shan couldn't very well stop them from consummating their marriage, so she could only give them more nourishing food.
"These were all made by your mother. I don't know your taste, so please tell me what you like and dislike. I'll make some of your favorite dishes next time you come over." Wen Shan scooped a bowl of soft red bean and barley porridge and handed it to Fucha.
Fucha was flattered. Before marrying the Fourth Prince, she had only met Consort Xuan a few times. Although Consort Xuan was very kind when they met, it was common for a mother-in-law's attitude to change before and after marriage, let alone Consort Xuan. However, what Fucha did not expect was that Consort Xuan had indeed changed compared to before the marriage, but she had become more kind. The love in her eyes was genuine.
Moreover, after Fucha tasted Wenshan's cooking, she understood why Consort Xuan, despite her indifferent nature, had enjoyed the Emperor's favor for decades. It turned out that she had such excellent culinary skills, and the Emperor must often remember this dish.
Just as Fucha was thinking this, Emperor Kangxi happened to come over for a free meal.
"It seems I'm a little late. You've already started your feast."
With both sons married, Emperor Kangxi was in a good mood and entered the house with a smile without being announced.
Wen Shan quickly stood up, greeted the emperor, and then offered the seat of honor to Kangxi. Kangxi pressed her shoulder and made her sit down, and then sat down next to Wen Shan himself.
"Yinzhen, how are you doing in Chonghua Palace? Are you settling in?" Kangxi asked.
"Thank you for your concern, Father. I am doing well."
Kangxi nodded: "From now on, you will live in the palace and your wife will come to Xianfu Palace more often to show filial piety to your mother."
When Kangxi said this, both Yinzhen and Empress Fucha felt something was amiss. Did their father mean that they should stay in Chonghua Palace indefinitely?
When Emperor Kangxi arrived, Yinzhen and Empress Fucha could not stay long and took their leave after lunch.
Seeing that Kangxi clearly wanted to take a nap in Xianfu Palace, Wenshan skillfully helped him change his clothes. Kangxi took her hand and said, "No rush, let's talk for a while longer."
Wen Shan nodded and sat up straight, waiting to see what Kangxi wanted to say to her.
Kangxi was immediately amused by her: "Yinzhen just got married yesterday, don't you have anything to say to me?"
Wenshan honestly shook her head.
What's there to say? The marriage is already arranged, and the bride has been brought home.
"Fucha is dignified and generous, which is quite good. Ma Qi is very good at raising his daughter. With her by Yinzhen's side, I feel much more at ease," Kangxi said. "Yinzhen has been stubborn since he was a child, so it is good to have someone by his side to take care of him."
After listening to Kangxi's rambling on for a while, Wen Shan tentatively asked, "Has Your Majesty decided when to launch another campaign against the Dzungars?"
Since Yinzhen would also be going this time, she often thought about it.
Kangxi glanced at her: "You are not allowed to discuss state affairs."
"..."
They've started putting on an act again.
"I am not speaking out of turn about politics, but how can I not worry about Yinzhen going to war right after his wedding?"
Wen Shan blinked and stared at Kangxi, who was defeated.
"Alright, there's still some time to go. No matter when we set off, it's a matter of national importance. How can we let personal feelings interfere with national affairs?"
Kangxi scolded her with a stern face, but in reality he was a little jealous of Yinzhen. When he personally led the expedition against Galdan last time, Wenshan was carefree and didn't ask a single question. It was only when Yinzhen was about to go that she became so worried.
Wen Shan had no choice but to smile and try to appease her. After saying a few words, Liang Jiugong announced from outside, "Your Majesty, Consort De has sent someone to report that the Seventh Princess is not feeling well and would like you to come and see her."
Kangxi frowned, turned over and sat up. Wenshan had someone come in to help Kangxi change his clothes, and Liang Jiugong also came in from outside.
"What happened?" Kangxi asked.
Liang Jiugong said, "Just now, Consort De's maid came to invite the Emperor. She looked very anxious and couldn't speak clearly. From what I heard, it seemed that the Seventh Princess was ill and unconscious."
"Why didn't you report the princess's illness sooner?"
Emperor Kangxi had a gloomy face.
Although Emperor Kangxi was fiercely competitive with his sons in raising their children, he was very fond of the children in the palace, especially Consort De, whom he would visit every few days. He also had a fatherly affection for the Seventh Princess.
This daughter has been in poor health since childhood. Even though Consort De takes meticulous care of her, she still falls ill every few days. However, Consort De has never used her child to curry favor, so her hasty visit to Xianfu Palace to invite her here suggests that the Seventh Princess might not be in a good position.
Kangxi rushed over, and Pearl came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince sent Xiao Shunzi back with a message, saying that you should remind Consort Yi that the Seventh Princess's serious illness may be related to her."
Wenshan: "What?"
Yinzhi never speaks without reason. The Fifth Prince and the Ninth Prince both had good relationships with Yinzhi, and Consort Yi had always been on good terms with Wenshan, so Yinzhi would lend Consort Yi a helping hand as a side effect.
After thinking for a moment, Wen Shan could only send Pearl to tell Consort Yi to be careful.
We'll probably have to wait until Yinzhi and Yinxiang return to find out the specifics.
Fortunately, there was no commotion in Yonghe Palace in the afternoon. The Seventh Princess was indeed seriously ill. Wen Shan thought it sounded like asthma. She said that the Seventh Princess's face was flushed, she had chest tightness and shortness of breath, and her body was burning hot.
It's pitiful that such a young child has to suffer like this.
When Emperor Kangxi visited the Seventh Princess, he sensed something was wrong with her condition. In the end, he could only stay with her for a while and have the imperial physician do his best to treat her before leaving.
There were still a lot of things to prepare before the expedition, and Kangxi really couldn't leave.
When Consort De heard this, she wept uncontrollably, and Emperor Kangxi even sent her mother, Lady Uya, to the palace to visit her in order to comfort her.
Overall, things seem calm and peaceful.
After Yinzhi and Yinxiang returned from the Imperial Study, Wenshan hurriedly asked what had happened.
“Mother, please don’t worry. Consort De is just trying to make a fuss about Seventh Sister’s illness.” Yinxiang obviously knew about this as well, and said, “Seventh Sister’s illness was something she was born with. Since there’s nothing we can do to cure her, we can only use this to do something.”
The Seventh Princess and Yinxiang were born in the same year, only a few months younger than each other. Although Xianfu Palace and Yonghe Palace had never had much contact, Wenshan still felt uncomfortable seeing children of similar age suffering like this.
Wen Shan knew that the Seventh Princess did not live to adulthood, but she didn't remember the specifics clearly. Yinxiang added that the Seventh Princess had lived to the age of twelve and died in the thirty-sixth year of Kangxi's reign.
“Isn’t it only the thirty-third year of Kangxi’s reign?” Wen Shan frowned. “How could he suddenly fall ill?”
Judging from the severity of the Seventh Princess's asthma, it seems unlikely that she can last more than three years.
“In the past, Consort De was favored, so there was no need for her to make a fuss about her child,” Yinzhi said slowly. “Now, Consort De’s status in the palace and in Father’s heart are not what they used to be. She has to think of some ways to save herself.”
Wen Shan thought about it and still felt that Consort De was not the kind of person who would risk her own daughter's life to set a trap. Although Consort De was sometimes ruthless, she had always loved her children very much.
Princess Seven has been in poor health since childhood, and Consort De has taken good care of her. Although Princess Seven and Princess Five are certainly not as important to Consort De as the Fourteenth Prince, Consort De would not treat her daughters like dirt.
This is also why Wen Shan's impression of Consort De was not as bad as that of Consort Yi; at least Consort De was considered a qualified mother.
Of course, this only applies to Yinzhen.
Wen Shan, who was supporting Yinzhen, naturally wouldn't have any affection for Consort De. It just goes to show that people can be complicated. The two of them had kept to themselves for many years. Consort De had considered taking action against Xianfu Palace in her early years, but with Yinsi around, all her efforts were in vain. After suffering a few losses, she became more docile.
For some reason, Yinzhi seemed to have not eaten all day. Before even having formal dinner, he had already devoured most of the two plates of pastries on the table. He wiped his hands and said, "Mother, you don't need to be surprised. Children, especially princesses, are often just tools for them to compete for favor and power. Consort De didn't intentionally mistreat her; it's just that her life isn't as smooth sailing as before. In the past, when Seventh Sister was sick, Consort De didn't have any ulterior motives but took good care of her. But now..."
Yinzhi didn't continue speaking, he just shrugged.
"Alright, we've delivered the message. Consort Yi should understand."
Wen Shan waved for the palace servants to begin serving dinner.
Yinxiang was unusually talkative today, perhaps because he had gotten a lot of information from Yinsi. He started to spill the beans to Wenshan: "This time, Consort De's actions weren't due to personal grudges. This time, she and Consort Hui joined forces to set a trap for Consort Yi."
Consort De and Consort Hui have indeed been getting closer in recent years, and Wen Shan has heard about it.
By this point, the old men in the palace had lost interest in vying for favor and were mostly focused on scheming for their sons' sake.
This time was no exception; Consort De and Consort Hui targeted Consort Yi mainly for the sake of the First Prince and the Fourteenth Prince.
Once Consort Yi is convicted of plotting against the imperial heirs, her three sons will also have a fatal stain on their records, essentially jeopardizing their chances of ascending the throne. Furthermore, the fact that the Fifth and Ninth Princes are on good terms with Yinzhen and Yinsi will also weaken their power.
Yinzhi commented that Consort Hui and Consort De's tactic of breaking through from the flank was quite effective.
After all, the long-standing discord between Consort De and Consort Yi is quite misleading.
Seeing Yinzhi's nonchalant demeanor, Wenshan knew that there wouldn't be any major trouble, so she didn't ask for any more details.
The conversation then turned to Fuqi, who is twelve years old this year and is already an elderly dog. Fortunately, Yinxiang used to take Fuqi and Laifu to military training, which keeps them in good physical condition.
But given her age, she's become increasingly inactive lately, spending her days lazily lying in her bed. Laifu occasionally nuzzles Fuqi, and it seems to sense that its mother is getting old.
Wenshan has been spending a lot of time with Fuqi lately, grooming it and making it soft dog food. Fuqi's teeth have started to fall out, so it can't eat anything too hard anymore. These past few days, it often lies down all day and doesn't eat much.
Yinzhi and Yinxiang were also saddened to hear this, for birth, aging, sickness, and death are not only inevitable for humans, but also for animals.
As they were talking, Yinzhen arrived.
Yinzhen was the one who raised Fuqi and was closest to her. Fortunately, Yinzhen has been very busy lately and has had less time to visit Xianfu Palace. When Fuqi sees him, she usually feels more energetic and circles around him. So Yinzhen just thought that Fuqi was getting old and was a bit lazy compared to before.
Wen Shan cheered and asked with a smile, "Why did you come alone?"
Yinzhen came alone, without Lady Fucha by his side.
Yinzhen sat down next to Yinsi, served himself a bowl of soup, and then skillfully snatched the spoon that Yinsi hadn't used yet.
Yinzhi: "..."
This is outrageous!
"Fucha, Ulanara, and Magia were having dinner at Chonghua Palace when their son came over."
Wen Shan: "...You've only been married for one day, so forget it, whatever you want."
Over the years, Yinzhen had gotten used to coming to Xianfu Palace in the evenings to eat with Wenshan, Yinsi, and Yinxiang. When it was time to eat, he would get restless. Fucha Shi was a very observant and considerate person. She had long noticed that Yinzhen was close to his two younger brothers and his mother, so she took the initiative to suggest that he have a private chat with his two concubines. So Yinzhen came to Wenshan's place.
Yinzhi shook his head and said, "Mother has assigned Master Zhao to Chonghua Palace, and Fourth Brother is still trying to steal our food."
Master Zhao had worked as Wen Shan's assistant in the small kitchen of Xianfu Palace for many years and had now learned some of Wen Shan's skills. When she was cleaning up Chonghua Palace, Wen Shan was worried that Yinzhen would not be used to the food, so she sent Master Zhao over there.
"Fourth Brother, how is your stay at Chonghua Palace?" Yinxiang asked with a grin.
Ever since Fourth Brother moved to Chonghua Palace, Eighth Brother has been the most depressed. When they were in Ganxi Wusuo, the two were neighbors and often secretly met in the middle of the night. Now that Fourth Brother has moved into Chonghua Palace, Eighth Brother has been gloomy for several days.
Yinzhen: "It's acceptable. Before I came, the Crown Prince went to Chonghua Palace."
Yinzhi, who was engrossed in his meal, looked up and asked, "Hmm? What did the Crown Prince go to do?"
"He sent some gifts, but didn't say anything." Yinzhen didn't take the Crown Prince's sudden visit seriously, because the Crown Prince had also gone to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi to send gifts to the Third Prince as well.
"By the way, Mother, when I came in just now, Fuqi seemed a little listless." Yinzhen said with some concern, "A few days ago when I came, it would run over, but today it just glanced at me and then stopped moving."
Yinzhen sensed something was wrong, and thinking about Fuqi's young age, he became even more worried.
Wen Shan originally didn't want to tell Yin Zhen. After all, Yin Zhen would be going to war soon. But now she thought that if Fu Qi couldn't make it through these few months, Yin Zhen would probably be even more unable to accept it when he returned. It would be better to spend some time with Fu Qi during these few months.
So Wenshan told Yinzhen the truth about Fuqi.
"Don't worry, the doctor has seen Fuqi and he's fine. It's just that he's getting old, and it's inevitable." Wen Shan comforted Yinzhen, looking at his sad expression. "Fortunately, Fuqi isn't seriously ill; he's just a little too lazy to move around."
Yinzhen pursed his lips and nodded: "Mother, may I take Fuqi to Chonghua Palace to raise?"
Wenshan nodded quickly, "Of course, that's the right thing to do."
After taking Fuqi back, Yinzhen played with it for a few days. When the wedding leave ended, Lady Fucha took good care of the dog that Yinzhen had raised since it was a puppy.
Half a month after Yinzhen's wedding, Wenshan gradually figured out the personalities of her daughters-in-law.
Lady Fucha was dignified and gentle, Lady Magia was charming and lively, and Lady Ulanara and Yinzhen were somewhat similar in temperament, both being upright and proper. The three of them were indeed easy to get along with and had no bad intentions. Lady Fucha often brought the two of them to Xianfu Palace to pay their respects to Wenshan.
Wenshan sighed with relief that she finally had someone to play mahjong with again.
As expected, Lady Fucha was also very good at managing internal affairs. There were many people watching Chonghua Palace, and Yinzhen and Yinsi had naturally taken many precautions. However, they still had to rely on Lady Fucha to keep things under control in Chonghua Palace. After observing for a few days, Yinsi had to admit that Lady Fucha was indeed a very qualified primary consort. Yinzhen hardly had to worry about any matters in the inner palace.
Even the daily lives of Yinxiang and Yinsi in the Fifth Palace of Ganxi were managed by their elder sister-in-law, Lady Fucha. Lady Magiya and Lady Ulanara were also very well-behaved. For a time, Chonghua Palace was as solid as a rock, and those who tried to insert their hands or spies into it all failed.
Empress Fucha did her best, and Yinzhen would not treat her unfairly. He gave her everything a primary consort should have, and promised that Empress Fucha would wait until she gave birth to a legitimate son before allowing Empress Majia and Empress Ulanara to become pregnant, ensuring that no illegitimate eldest son would stand in her way.
Kangxi's only grandchildren are his eldest son and the daughter of the Irgen Gioro clan. Now that Yinzhen and the third son have both gotten married, it is expected that grandchildren will soon spring up like mushrooms after rain.
I never imagined she'd become a grandmother at only thirty-five...
Wenshan felt both happy and melancholy when she thought about it.
Yinzhi and Yinxiang have been busy with something behind Yinzhen's back lately. Yinzhen caught them several times, but they refused to say a word, as if their mouths were sealed shut.
A few days later, before Wen Shan knew what Yin Si and Yin Xiang were up to, Consort De and Consort Hui made their move against Consort Yi.
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