Chapter 54 The Empress's Position...
The death of Empress Tongjia was different from that of Imperial Noble Consort; many of the funeral arrangements prepared beforehand could not be used.
Apart from Consort Rong, who was still under house arrest, the other consorts, along with Wen Shan and Consort Niohuru, were all busy running around. Even so, it was all too rushed, since Empress Tongjia had just been conferred her title and then passed away just one day later. There was simply not enough time to prepare many things. Wen Shan and Consort Niohuru had no choice but to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to apologize to Emperor Kangxi.
"The late Empress's passing was sudden. The Imperial Household Department has expedited the preparation of court robes, coffin, and other items. However, the Imperial Household Department prepared some of the funeral rites and other items according to the regulations for Imperial Noble Consorts, and now it is really too late," Consort Niohuru said with difficulty.
The busiest person in the past two days since the passing of Empress Tongjia has been Consort Niohuru. It is truly unspeakable that she was suddenly conferred the title of Consort Niohuru before her death, and most of the funeral arrangements that had been prepared could not be used.
Therefore, Consort Niohuru has been working tirelessly day and night these past few days, and she looks very haggard.
Wen Shan and Consort Hui often worked until midnight, and during the day they had to go to Chengqian Palace to mourn Empress Tongjia. With the three-day mourning period about to end and the funeral procession to move Empress Tongjia's coffin to the funeral palace the next day, Consort Niohuru and Wen Shan discussed and counted that there were some things that they really didn't have time to prepare, so they came here.
When they arrived, Emperor Kangxi was writing a poem to mourn Empress Tongjia. After hearing what Consort Niohuru had to say, he was very understanding.
"The Empress has passed away suddenly. You have made excellent preparations and worked very hard. Please get up."
Consort Niohuru breathed a sigh of relief and said considerately, "It must be hard for His Majesty to do everything personally. I imagine that if the late Empress knew this in the afterlife, she would surely be grateful for His Majesty's kindness."
Emperor Kangxi suspended court for five days and personally went to Chengqian Palace every day to mourn, each time shedding tears of deep sorrow.
Consort Niohuru never expected Emperor Kangxi to be so grief-stricken. After all, Empress Tongjia did not die suddenly from an illness; she had been bedridden for three or four years. Emperor Kangxi had not actually cared much about her, only visiting her occasionally. Otherwise, Empress Tongjia would not have been so inconspicuous in the palace before her death, given that she was an Imperial Noble Consort.
In the palace, Consort Niohuru had long been implicitly regarded as the most honored, and everyone knew that the title of Imperial Noble Consort was merely a figurehead.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly bestowed the title of Empress on the day before his death, catching everyone off guard.
Kangxi sat down and gestured for the two of them to sit as well. He then looked at Wen Shan, who had been silent all along, and asked, "How is Yinzhen? Has he recovered a bit?"
Yinzhen kept vigil for Empress Tongjia for two days and nights without stopping. He refused to eat or drink and even fainted twice from crying. It was only after Yinsi and Yinxiang went to persuade him that he was able to rest a little and eat something.
"When Yinzhen woke up, he had some lunch. The imperial physician also examined him and said that he fainted because he was overwhelmed with grief and had not eaten or drunk anything all day. He was prescribed some medicine to help him recover. Just now, he insisted on going to Chengqian Palace to keep vigil for the late Empress Dowager."
Wen Shan frowned slightly and said helplessly, "His Majesty knows that Yinzhen is a stubborn child and no one can persuade him."
Emperor Kangxi sighed, "You should just take good care of Yinzhen's health. After all, the Empress raised him for several years, and Yinzhen should fulfill his filial duty."
Only in this way can we not have let down the Tongjia clan's painstaking efforts for him.
Consort Niohuru's eyes darted between Wen Shan and Emperor Kangxi. Because the fact that Empress Tongjia had been made empress and then suddenly died was too great, many people did not pay much attention to the other decree issued by Emperor Kangxi along with the imperial edict for the empress's investiture. The Fourth Prince was now the legitimate son of Consort Xuan.
Next year, once the ancestral temple is renovated, we will add the name.
After Kangxi spoke a few more words to Wenshan and dismissed them, the two of them did not board the sedan chair and prepared to walk to Chengqian Palace. At that moment, Consort Niohuru suddenly said, "Although it is a bit inappropriate at this time, since it is just the two of us here, I still congratulate you on having another son."
Wen Shan glanced at her and said, "It is indeed inappropriate, as we are still in mourning."
When the Empress passed away, the whole country mourned. Princesses and the wives of ministers from the Eight Banners had to gather every day to mourn. Concubines and even Emperor Kangxi had to change into mourning clothes and observe mourning for ten days before they could remove their mourning garments.
With such strict regulations for the funeral procession, no one would mention Yinzhen's alteration of the imperial genealogy; it would be inappropriate to bring it up. However, this was for the best, as Yinsi and Yinxiang also thought it best to take advantage of the situation and slip by without attracting attention.
Anyway, the imperial edict has already been issued and cannot be changed.
Consort Niohuru clearly had no affection for Empress Tongjia. Despite her outwardly respectful demeanor and the exhaustion caused by the funeral arrangements, she didn't really care about Empress Tongjia. So she just smiled and changed the subject to Yinzhi.
"The Eighth Prince is truly showing the demeanor of an elder brother now. When the Tenth Prince comes back, he often tells me that the Eighth Prince always takes care of him in the Imperial Study. Now that all the princes are observing mourning for the late Empress, it is thanks to the Eighth Prince that they are looking after her, otherwise I would be even more overwhelmed."
Consort Niohuru genuinely liked Yinzhi. She thought the Eighth Prince was gentle, intelligent, and sensible, and most importantly, he cared about the Tenth Prince. The Tenth Prince often said he liked playing with his Eighth Brother. Consort Niohuru, out of love for Yinzhi, also frequently took care of him.
At this time, Yinzhi was indeed very busy in Chengqian Palace.
Not long after the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were born, Empress Tongjia fell ill and rarely went out. Therefore, the two princes had only seen Empress Tongjia a few times and could not be said to be particularly grieving. The Ninth Prince was good at pretending, but the Tenth Prince was truly innocent by nature. Although he knelt obediently, he kept making small movements. Yinzhi was worried that Kangxi might come at any time, so he could only keep a close eye on him to prevent any trouble.
Fourth Brother is overwhelmed with grief, so we have to keep a close eye on him to make sure he eats and drinks on time and doesn't faint again.
The funeral left Yinzhi utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, after the time Yinzhen fainted from crying, his emotions calmed down a lot. Although he still didn't say much and would kneel for a whole day, at least he could eat.
While worrying about his brothers, Yinzhi also sincerely prayed for Empress Tongjia to observe mourning, wishing her a peaceful and happy passing.
Wen Shan had already told them about her conversation with Kangxi that day. The fact that Fourth Brother was able to be registered under Mother's name was a great help from Empress Tongjia, saving them a lot of trouble in the court and the harem.
She has passed away; all we can do is wish her a peaceful and blissful life.
The funeral rites only came to a temporary end when Empress Tongjia's coffin was officially moved to the palace. Various sacrificial ceremonies were subsequently held at the funeral palace.
After Empress Tongjia passed away, Yinzhen was depressed for a long time before he slowly recovered. Yinsi and Yinxiang were anxious but had no way to comfort him, so they could only stay by his side silently.
However, after the mourning period ended, Emperor Kangxi suddenly became unusually fond of one woman, unlike the emperor who usually showered his favor on all women in the harem.
However, the object of his exclusive favor was Consort Xuan of Xianfu Palace, who had just given birth to a son.
The funeral of Empress Tongjia had passed, and apart from Yinzhen, there were few people in the palace who were truly grieving. After the formalities were over, everyone's gaze returned to Wenshan.
Even Consort Ping, who had no connection with Wen Shan and didn't care about Kangxi's favor, made sarcastic remarks about how things were different now. Consort Xuan had a legitimate biological son and two adopted sons, and now she was favored by Kangxi, which was something they couldn't compare to.
Then many concubines in the harem suddenly realized that Consort Xuan had become a deeply entrenched and undeniable force in the palace.
Now that Lady Tongjia has passed away, Consort Xuan and Consort Niohuru are now equally respected in rank. Although Consort Niohuru still manages palace affairs, Consort Xuan has been assisting in the management of the six palaces for many years without any mishaps.
In terms of offspring, she now has the Fourth Prince, just like Consort Niohuru, who has only one son. However, Consort Xuan also has two adopted sons.
The Eighth Prince was exceptionally intelligent, and the Emperor praised him publicly many times. Although the Thirteenth Prince was young, he was also favored by the Emperor because he resembled him somewhat. All in all, the three princes under Consort Xuan's care were quite remarkable.
Not to mention Consort Xuan's background; if you really want to compare, she's no less than the Niohuru clan, whose entire family was of noble birth.
So when everyone did the math, they actually started to think that Consort Xuan's position was even more secure than Consort Niohuru's.
However, Wen Shan's personality remained the same as before. She didn't like to meddle in other people's business or talk too much. She didn't interfere in palace affairs, which were firmly in the hands of Consort Niohuru. In the past, everyone in the palace thought she had a good temper and was easy to talk to, but now they were all more or less jealous of her.
She has a position, a son, and is now pampered. She's always cheerful and carefree, which makes one's eyes water.
In reality, Wen Shan, the person involved, had no idea why Kangxi had suddenly stayed with her for more than a month. Although he didn't come every day, he always went to Xianfu Palace whenever he entered the inner palace during that month. The other concubines gradually became numb to it.
Consort Niohuru even began to plan to bring in some new concubines to liven up the palace, but it was not feasible to do so because the mourning period for the Empress Dowager and Empress Tongjia had not yet ended, so she had to put it aside for the time being.
“Mother, Tong Guowei and Father Emperor are discussing the Dzungar Khanate in the Hall of Mental Cultivation today, so I don’t think they will be coming.”
As Wen Shan's thoughtful and good son, Yin Si helped Wen Shan find out Kangxi's whereabouts every day.
"Really?" Wen Shan was overjoyed and excitedly prepared to make some fruit for them. Yin Si then playfully asked if he wanted sweet and sour fish, and Wen Shan happily agreed, going off to prepare the delicious food for them.
Yinzhi shook his head helplessly, still somewhat puzzled: "Why is Mother so annoyed with Father Emperor?"
As native ancient people, Yinzhi and his brothers were actually somewhat puzzled.
While the other concubines longed for the Emperor like they longed for rain, even though the Emperor had many concubines and could not be devoted to one woman, he was still their lifelong support.
Every time the Emperor was about to come over, Mother sighed, as if she had returned to the time of the Southern Tour. Back then, Yinzhi could still pull out Lady Wang to take the fall, but now, although the Emperor does not have to observe mourning for the Empress, and only needs to wear mourning for the Empress Dowager for twenty-seven days, which does not interfere with the Emperor's favor towards the concubines, it is still not appropriate to introduce new concubines.
While Yinxiang was making toys for Consort Min's newborn princess, he and Wenshan had learned how to make some rattan rabbits and kittens to amuse his little sister. Yinzhen, who rarely had free time today, lent a hand.
While concentrating on tying up the kitten, Yinxiang casually remarked, "Perhaps Mother had a childhood sweetheart before entering the palace, and being forced to separate meant she could only think of him from afar. Naturally, she wouldn't care much about Father Emperor."
"..."
"Thirteenth brother, from now on, don't let your mother tell you those strange and unusual stories," Yinzhi said sternly.
It was clear that the thirteenth prince's mind was going further and further astray.
On the contrary, it was Yinzhen, the most conservative of the brothers, who said something reliable: "There are many couples in the world who are only superficially compatible. It is probably like this: although they are destined to be together, they are not meant to be. Mother has never made any mistakes in terms of rules, so why force her to have her way?"
"Fourth Brother, how could you say such a thing?" Yinzhi clicked his tongue in amazement. "No wonder Mother dotes on you the most; your thoughtfulness surpasses that of me and Thirteenth Brother."
Yinxiang, who was struggling with the cane, looked up in confusion. How did he get dragged into this too?
His mother clearly loves him very much, okay?
Yinzhi said in a pretentious manner, "Alas, now that Fourth Brother is Mother's rightful son, Thirteenth Brother and I can't compare to Fourth Brother at all."
Yinzhen smiled helplessly, and gently tapped Yinsi's head with the book in his hand: "What are you saying?"
However, people are strange like this. Before Kangxi officially issued the decree, Yinzhen always felt that it didn't matter whether the imperial genealogy was changed or not. He had been raised by Wenshan's side for many years and had long recognized her as his mother. Whether she had this title or not made no difference.
But when it actually happened, he realized it was completely different.
In the ancestral temple, his and his mother's names will be engraved together, forever closely intertwined and passed down from generation to generation. A hundred years later, in the eyes of others, they will be a mother and son connected by blood.
This feeling made him feel happy.
After joking around, Yinzhi and Yinzhen continued their unfinished conversation.
“Father Emperor is never one to indulge in romantic feelings, but why do I feel that he really treats Mother Emperor differently?” Yinzhi pulled Yinzhen and Yinxiang aside to discuss this matter.
To be honest, Yinzhi never expected that his fourth brother's alteration of the imperial genealogy would be so easily let go by his father, the Emperor. The three of them remained safely in Xianfu Palace, without any movement.
Although Wen Shan relayed Kangxi's words from that day to them, as if he had finally remembered that he was their father, these words could only fool Wen Shan. Yin Si and Yin Xiang had both experienced Kangxi's ruthlessness firsthand. The saying "there are no fathers and sons in the imperial family" was not just a joke.
Not to mention their Emperor, who will start to torment them in a few years. Even the Crown Prince was almost driven crazy by him, let alone them.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Yinzhi finally came to the same conclusion he had reached when the thirteenth prince was brought to Xianfu Palace.
It seems that Father Emperor treats Mother Emperor quite differently.
Of the three, only Yinzhen was a genuine eleven-year-old and had no right to speak on matters of love. The thirteenth prince stroked his chin and pondered for a long time before surprisingly agreeing with his eighth brother's words.
"Mother is such a good person. If Father doesn't like her, then Father is blind."
"..."
A moment later, Wen Shan came in and said that she had made two extra fish and asked Yin Si and Yin Xiang to deliver them to Consort Liang and Consort Min, since they hadn't seen Empress Tongjia for a while and should go and visit her after her funeral.
Yinzhi and Yinxiang agreed and got off the bed, then dragged Yinzhen out for a walk as well. The three brothers walked through the Imperial Garden, just to relax.
Winter has arrived, and in just over a month it will be New Year's Eve. The red plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden are in bloom, their reflections shimmering like a rosy sunset. Yinxiang, in high spirits, said he would pick some to take to his mothers. Yinzhen and Yinsi were picking plum blossoms with him when they heard a series of footsteps in the snow. Turning around, they saw Consort De leading the Fifth Princess Wenxian through the plum grove.
The Fifth Princess is six years old this year. She is naturally beautiful and lovely. She is wearing a pink cloak with fluffy white feathers around her little face, which is very cute. Consort De obviously did not expect to meet Yinzhen here. She hesitated for a while before stopping.
The Fifth Princess, being led by Consort De, also curiously peeked over to look.
Yinzhi reacted the fastest, immediately pulling Yinxiang over, and the two of them greeted Consort De.
"Greetings, Consort De."
Yinzhen paused for a moment, then quickly bowed slightly: "Greetings, Consort De."
Consort De was slightly dazed. Yes, she was no longer Yinzhen's mother, and he could only address her as Consort De.
A cold winter wind swept by, carrying the scent of plum blossoms and a chilly atmosphere. After a moment of silence, the Fifth Princess called out to her mother with a hint of grievance.
Consort De then seemed to wake from a dream and relaxed her grip on the Fifth Princess's hand.
"I still need to take Wenxian back to Yonghe Palace, so I'll take my leave now."
He left in a hurry after saying that.
Yinxiang stopped picking plum blossoms, feeling that it was unlucky for him to come out today. He thought that if he had known he would run into Consort De, he would not have brought his fourth brother along.
Now, Yinzhen has no connection with Consort De in terms of status or daily upbringing. Especially after Empress Tongjia worried about him before her death, the little bit of loneliness that Yinzhen had kept in his heart for many years has gradually been smoothed out.
He was raised in Xianfu Palace with his eighth and thirteenth brothers, each with their own biological mother. However, Consort Liang and Consort Min still loved Yinzhi and Yinxiang as much as ever. Only his mother, whether it was Consort De or Consort Tongjia at the time, did not like him.
It's impossible to say there was no sense of loss.
Therefore, Wen Shan always cared for Yin Zhen very much at that time, and Yin Si and Yin Xiang would sometimes say that she was biased towards the fourth brother.
But these were just jokes. Both Yinzhi and Yinxiang were mature enough to understand why their mother doted on their fourth brother so much.
Aren't they the same?
When the brothers returned from delivering sweet and sour fish to the various palaces, they found that Emperor Kangxi had come again.
Yinzhi stood at the palace gate in silence for a long time.
"Fourth Brother, let me stay at Ganxi Wusuo with you for the night."
Yinzhi looked up at Yinzhen with a rather pitiful expression.
Oh no, oh no! He told Mother that Father Emperor wouldn't come!
This has now become a case of reporting false military information!
Yinzhen chuckled: "Then you still have to go in and pay your respects to Father Emperor and Mother Emperor."
They can't just go inside and then turn around and run away.
With a look of anticipation, Yinxiang followed Yinsi, who was unusually dejected, into the house.
Emperor Kangxi and Wenshan had already begun their evening meal.
When Yinzhi saw that his father had already eaten half of the sweet and sour fish he had personally ordered, he felt even more disheartened.
Just now, Wen Shan estimated that the children would be back soon, so she put the food on the table in advance and waited for them to come back to eat. However, Kangxi walked in leisurely.
He's been coming over often lately and doesn't act like an outsider. He took off his cloak, tossed it to Liang Jiugong, and sat down at the dining table.
"It seems I have come at the perfect time today, having prepared so many dishes."
Wen Shan was speechless, what could she say? She could only force a smile and tell him to eat more.
Fortunately, Kangxi wasn't so hungry that he immediately started eating. He washed his hands first, then roasted them by the charcoal stove, and chatted with Wenshan, asking where the children had gone.
Wenshan said that she had some free time today, so she made some extra food and asked them to each send a portion to Consort Liang and Consort Min.
Kangxi listened thoughtfully and nodded, saying, "You are quite generous, allowing Yinzhi and Yinxiang to visit their birth mothers often. Many concubines who adopt children avoid their birth mothers like the plague."
“Women endure ten months of pregnancy with great hardship, and we should naturally be grateful. Yinzhi and Yinxiang are both good children, and we concubines are all in the harem, so why can’t we be harmonious and peaceful?”
Emperor Kangxi sighed, "If everyone in the harem were like you, my ears would be much quieter."
Wen Shan glanced at Kangxi but didn't say anything.
She naturally knew what Kangxi was referring to.
Recently, Consort Niohuru, Consort De, and Consort Hui got into a fight over the princes' education.
The incident began when the Crown Prince's marriage was about to end.
Since Emperor Kangxi established Yinreng, the son of Empress Dowager Yuan, as the crown prince according to the Han Chinese custom of primogeniture, Han Chinese officials in the court have been advocating that Kangxi should follow Han Chinese tradition and allow the crown prince to leave the palace and receive instruction from Confucian Han Chinese officials. This matter was first proposed by Han Chinese officials in the eighteenth year of Kangxi's reign when the crown prince was only five years old. However, although Kangxi valued the unity of Manchu and Han people, he could not accept that his crown prince was controlled by Han Chinese officials, so he overruled the objections and postponed the crown prince's departure from the palace.
It wasn't until two years ago, when Shen Quan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, submitted another memorial to Emperor Kangxi, that the Crown Prince finally agreed to leave the Imperial Study and go to the Wenhua Hall to listen to lectures by Han Chinese officials.
It can only be said that Kangxi's education of the Crown Prince over the years has been somewhat effective. After the Crown Prince went to the Wenhua Hall, the Han officials responsible for lecturing on classics stared at each other, seemingly at a loss for what to say.
Because the Crown Prince was already thoroughly familiar with every word of these Confucian classics.
Emperor Kangxi also went to the Wenhua Hall several times to listen to their lectures to the Crown Prince and said that the Crown Prince had already memorized all of these things by heart when he was not even ten years old.
The Han officials who came to give lectures were drenched in sweat.
The emperor was practically pointing at their spines and saying, "Is that all?"
With this level of knowledge, you think you can teach my crown prince?
I am far better at teaching than you all.
Therefore, the Crown Prince's departure from the palace has only lasted for about two years before it came to an end.
The Crown Prince will soon return to the Imperial Study. He is almost fifteen years old now and will be able to attend court in two more years. Therefore, after returning to the Imperial Study, Kangxi's intention is not only to have the Crown Prince be taught by Zhang Ying and Gu Badai, but also to have Aling'a, the current head of the Niohuru family and the younger brother of Consort Niohuru, teach the Crown Prince some current affairs.
It was called instruction, but it was really just a short talk after class so that the crown prince could familiarize himself with the affairs of the court.
After this news spread, Consort Hui also wanted the eldest prince to attend the classes. Wasn't the emperor's arrangement just an attempt to push the Niohuru family closer to the crown prince? Of course, Consort Hui was not happy about it.
However, when she asked Emperor Kangxi for help, he dodged the question and deliberately misled Consort Hui.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Consort Hui could only plead with Consort Niohuru, since he was Consort Niohuru's younger brother.
Consort Niohuru isn't stupid. She didn't even think of putting her own son, Yin'e, along with the Crown Prince, so why is it the eldest prince's turn?
Consort Hui's temper is just like that of the First Prince. In the past two years, she has become increasingly arrogant and self-important. She believes that her son is the only prince who can rival the Crown Prince. Now that the Crown Prince's birth mother, Empress Hesheli, has passed away, she should be the most honored woman in the harem because of her son.
Consort Hui didn't care at all about Consort Xuan's incompetence. Although Consort Niohuru had a son, he was still young, and one could tell a person's future from the age of three. The Tenth Prince obviously had no talent. Therefore, according to Consort Hui's logic, she was the real number one person in the harem.
After the emperor passes away, won't all these women respect her?
This is, of course, based on the premise that she has already tacitly agreed that the eldest prince can overthrow the crown prince and ascend the throne.
Consort Ping also fanned the flames from the sidelines, and Consort Niohuru had long been unable to tolerate Consort Hui. The two of them began to openly and secretly sabotage each other.
Originally, this matter had nothing to do with Consort De, but since Consort De and Consort Hui had joined forces before, she was unwittingly dragged into this mess.
Emperor Kangxi didn't care about such matters. Even if the roof tiles were torn off in the harem, he wouldn't bother with it as long as it didn't involve state affairs. He let them make a fuss, as he considered it just minor squabbles between women that were harmless and insignificant. He had neither the time nor the need to interfere.
But ignoring it is one thing, while having your ears hurt from the noise is another.
Wen Shan rolled her eyes at Kangxi when she heard his complaint: "Your Majesty seems to be enjoying it quite a bit."
Otherwise, Emperor Kangxi could have resolved the matter with a single sentence.
Kangxi was not annoyed and pulled Wenshan to sit down at the table to prepare for the meal.
"Both Consort Niohuru and Consort De are well-behaved and won't cause any major trouble." Wen Shan: "..."
The only one not named, Consort Hui, was already implicitly acknowledged by Emperor Kangxi as someone who lacked discretion.
"Your Majesty, the Yinzhen brothers will be back soon. Why don't we wait for them a little while?"
Why did the two of them start eating before the children even came back?
Unexpectedly, Emperor Kangxi had already started eating.
"Those brats eat here every day. I finally make it here, and I have to wait for them?"
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