Little Swallow also sensed something was wrong; the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Even the usually lively Little Swallow was now silent.
Ziwei stepped in to smooth things over, tugging at Fu Erkang's sleeve to remind him not to forget the purpose of their visit. "Alright, alright, we're here to congratulate Ertai. Congratulations on becoming a battalion commander."
Ertai simply nodded slightly, offering no further comment. Based on his understanding of them, if he were to speak now, they would immediately take advantage of the situation.
Ziwei was a little embarrassed, and at this moment she had to rely on Xiaoyanzi to control the situation.
Little Swallow hopped and skipped to Ertai's bedside. "Ertai, you're something else! I, Little Swallow, am truly impressed with you." After saying this, she turned to Ziwei and said, "Hey, I can actually use idioms now!"
Ziwei smiled and nodded gently to Xiaoyanzi.
Seeing that Ertai remained unmoved, Xiaoyanzi intensified her efforts. "Ertai, you're now a favorite of Father Emperor, you...you..." Xiaoyanzi felt that this request was a bit too much and couldn't bring herself to say it.
Fu Erkang couldn't hold back any longer. He pulled Xiao Yanzi back, looked down at Ertai on the bed, and, feeling that he couldn't overpower the other man, straightened his back. "Ertai, you only saved the Emperor and yet you got a sixth-rank official position. When you return to the palace, people will inevitably say something."
Ertai quietly looked at Fu Erkang, wanting to see what his "good brother" would say.
Feeling somewhat intimidated by Ertai's stare, Fu Erkang coughed lightly. "Why don't you go and talk to the Emperor and ask him to resign as battalion commander in exchange for a pardon? That way, even if Xiao Yanzi tells the truth, the pardon will save everyone's lives," Fu Erkang said imperiously.
"Finished?" Ertai said calmly. He truly had no expectations for so-called family ties now. His own brother had schemed against him like this; if he were to still care about so-called blood relations, he would be the biggest fool in the world.
Fu Erkang nodded, but to his surprise, Ertai simply said, "Take care and don't bother seeing me off."
Fu Erkang was somewhat annoyed. "What do you mean by this? Don't forget that our entire Fu family is involved. You can't escape responsibility either." Fu Erkang felt that his younger brother was becoming increasingly disrespectful.
"No need for you to worry about that, brother. I still have a wound on my chest, so I won't see you off." After saying that, Ertai lay down directly, closed his eyes, and stopped looking at them.
According to Ertai's understanding of Fu Erkang, Fu Erkang was now extremely anxious, but his pride would absolutely not allow him to ask his younger brother for help again.
As expected, Fu Erkang and Xiao Yanzi left in a huff after only a short while.
The moment they left, Ertai silently opened his eyes and curled his lips into a mocking smile.
*
"An'an is here, please sit." As soon as the Emperor saw An'an come over, he immediately made her sit next to him and poured her a cup of tea.
An Ke casually picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Uncle, if there's anything you need, please speak frankly." Why would someone come here without a reason? He must have something to say, he couldn't possibly just be here to taste the tea, could he?
Without further ado, the Emperor pulled out two memorials from behind him and handed them directly to An Ke.
An Ke raised an eyebrow, not surprised at all. She took it casually; in fact, she had become somewhat numb from reading memorials so many times over the years. Some of the memorials she had even reviewed based on the Emperor's handwriting.
The first book is about the Mongol prince Ziker who is bringing his daughter, Princess Saiya, to the capital.
The second book tells the story of the second prince of the Dzungar Khanate who has seized the throne and is now about to launch an attack on the Qing Dynasty.
An Ke quietly put down the memorial, her mind racing with thoughts. "Is Uncle preparing for his return to the capital? After all, Ziker is bringing Saiya with him."
The Emperor sighed. "Yes, life outside the palace is pleasant, but I cannot neglect state affairs. The arrival of the Mongol prince in the capital is a very important matter. I must receive him." Although the Emperor wished to continue his incognito travels, the reality was that he had to return to oversee the overall situation.
"The letter says that they are still some time away from arriving in the capital, and we can rest here for at most two more days," An Ke stated calmly.
The Emperor considered it carefully for a moment and nodded. "We will depart for the capital in two days."
"Regarding the Dzungar rebellion, who does Uncle intend to send?" Anke pondered who would be suitable to lead troops to Dzungar to quell the rebellion.
After much deliberation, I still couldn't think of anyone. Should I send General Zhaohui? But someone needs to be in charge in Burma. Should I send Lord Fuheng? But Lord Fuheng has just returned, and besides, Old Madam Fu is quite old and needs her son by her side.
"Is there anyone suitable for An'an?" The Emperor picked up his teacup, took a sip, and appeared quite calm.
“An’an can’t think of anyone. General Zhao Hui has his duties, and Lord Fu Heng can’t be sent out for missions in the next few years. The other generals are all fulfilling their duties. An’an really can’t think of anyone else.” An Ke frowned, a thought flashing through her mind: if there really was no one else who could do it, she was willing to go to the front lines to fight the enemy.
Upon seeing An Ke's state, the Emperor's heart tightened. This girl had looked just like this when she went to the front lines with Zhao Hui without a word. He immediately spoke, pulling An Ke back to reality.
"Fuheng suggested sending his son, Fu Kang'an. Zhao Hui also suggested sending his son." The Emperor stroked his beard with satisfaction.
"But can they handle it?" An Ke had some doubts. The most important thing was Fu Kang'an, who was Fu Heng's only son. What if something happened to him? How could Fu Heng accept that?
"No rush, I will have Hailancha and Yue Zhongqi take them with me." The Emperor is so shrewd and calculating, how could he fight a battle unprepared?
Hearing this, An Ke nodded in relief. With these two adults in charge, the battle should go more smoothly.
"After we return to the capital, Fu'ertai's injuries should have healed by then, and he will go with the army." Before An Ke could even breathe a sigh of relief, the Emperor dropped another bombshell.
An Ke thought she might have misheard and looked at the Emperor in disbelief. "He has never been to the battlefield before. Is it appropriate to send him?" An Ke frowned. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ertai, but the battlefield was a place of ruthless swords and bloodshed.
"There's nothing we can do about that. If he wants to marry the princess, he can only use his military achievements to ask me for her hand in marriage." The emperor laughed heartily upon hearing this.
An Ke blushed with embarrassment. She hadn't expected her uncle to figure it out so quickly. In the drama, he was clearly pairing people up randomly.
"Besides, how can he marry my niece so easily? Even if I agree, would your father agree?" The Emperor felt a headache coming on when he thought of his younger brother. "It just so happens that your father will be back after we return to the capital. It's good that Fu'ertai is going to the battlefield, so your father can have some time to prepare."
When An Ke heard that her father and mother were going back to the capital, her eyes lit up. Although they were heartless and had abandoned her like a burden, she still cared about them.
When An Ke thought of her father's protective nature, she silently lit a candle for Ertai. She hoped he could withstand her father's test.
Afterwards, An Ke chatted with the Emperor for a long time. It wasn't until dinner time that An Ke remembered something she had forgotten.
Afterwards, accompanied by Qing'er and Yongqi, she visited Ertai again and conveyed the news that she would be returning to the palace soon, so that they could prepare as soon as possible.
Two days passed quickly, neither fast nor slow. Ertai, being strong and healthy, recovered remarkably fast. By the time he returned to the capital, he was already able to ride a horse.
That way, Anke could feel more at ease when he went to the battlefield. Yes, Anke had already informed him in advance that he was going to the battlefield.
When he learned that he could earn merit in battle, he was so excited that he almost jumped out of his skin. If he succeeded, he could ask the princess for her hand in marriage. He was one step closer to his dream.
When they returned to the capital, Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei were no longer as excited and cheerful as they had been when they left. They looked as dejected as eggplants that had been hit by frost.
An Ke pretended not to see anything, chatting and laughing with Emperor Qing'er along the way, and sometimes lifting the curtain to chat with Ertai outside the carriage.
The joyful journey was always short-lived; after returning to the palace, there were still many battles to fight.
He rushed back to the palace as fast as he could.
As they approached the palace gate, Anke and the others changed into palace attire, appearing quite proper and respectful.
After all, they had to enter through the main gate. When the emperor came out on his tour, all the civil and military officials, as well as the seventy-two concubines of the harem, would come to greet him. They could not afford to lose their composure and dignity.
An Ke was dressed in a purple palace gown. Purple is a symbol of nobility, so wearing a purple palace gown indicates that she holds a high position in the palace.
Qing'er, dressed in a light blue palace gown, appeared so gentle and virtuous, with a proper smile on her face, but the anxiety in her eyes was already showing. Having been away for so long, Qing'er truly missed the Empress Dowager.
Little Swallow was dressed in a light red outfit, which was in line with her usual style.
However, Ziwei behind her was a bit unconventional. Xingxing next to Anke was wearing the same color as Anke, and Shuangxi and Qing'er were also wearing the same color.
Ziwei, on the other hand, was quite out of place with Xiaoyanzi. Dressed in a pink palace dress, she stood out conspicuously in the group.
An Ke merely glanced at her without saying a word. Anyway, she'd be reminded by the Empress Dowager. She wasn't going to waste her time reminding her; she didn't want to be a good person and get no reward.
The Emperor alighted from his carriage first, followed closely by An Ke, Qing'er, and Xiao Yanzi. Standing back inside the palace, An Ke felt as if being outside had been a dream.
Upon seeing the Empress Dowager leading the way, the Emperor strode over, with Anke and Yongqi following closely behind.
"Your son pays his respects to the Empress Dowager, and I apologize for causing her worry." The Emperor, who values filial piety above all else, naturally placed the rules of propriety first.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager quickly helped the Emperor up. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Then she looked at An Ke and Qing'er behind her with a beaming smile. "An An, Qing'er, come up here and let me see you."
Upon hearing this, An Ke and Qing'er quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager pulled the two girls up again. Having been away from home for so many days, she naturally missed them. She held their hands and looked them up and down, left and right.
"Hmm, you've lost weight. Did you not eat or stay well outside the palace?" The Empress Dowager held the hands of the two maids with some concern.
An Ke laughed and said, "Grandmother, you are worrying too much. An An and Qing'er are doing very well outside the palace thanks to the care of the Imperial Uncle. An An even feels like she has gained weight! Her clothes are almost too tight." As she spoke, An Ke rested her chin on her hands and pinched the flesh on her cheeks.
"Alright, alright, I really feel unaccustomed to the palace without you, my little rascal." The Empress Dowager looked at An Ke with amusement.
The Empress also stepped forward to carefully examine An Ke, but did not rush to the Emperor's side immediately. This shows that while the Empress harbored some resentment towards the Emperor, she also genuinely loved An Ke.
"She has indeed lost weight. She should take good care of herself after returning to the palace." The Empress instructed Rong Mama, who was standing beside her. "After you return to the palace, Rong Mama, have the kitchen send An'an a nourishing soup. Take good care of her. Look at her little face." The Empress's heartache was undisguised.
Rong Momo readily agreed, and the Empress Dowager was extremely satisfied with this.
"The Empress should act this way!" The Emperor was somewhat surprised and glanced at the Empress. It was truly unexpected.
Looking at the concubines before him, who cared about this and that, he suddenly felt a surge of irritation. "Your Majesty, let your son accompany you back to the palace." He had no choice but to use the Empress Dowager as a shield.
The Empress Dowager glanced at her son discreetly, but didn't say anything that would make him feel uncomfortable.
As she was leaving, the Empress Dowager took a closer look and asked, "Little Swallow, who is that palace maid behind you?" Among so many people, the Empress Dowager spotted Ziwei immediately; she was simply too conspicuous.
During their time on the imperial tour, they were exposed to the wind and sun, and inevitably became a bit tanned. Anke and Qing'er, however, remained as fair-skinned as ever.
This is all thanks to Anke, who was willing to tinker with all sorts of bottles and jars just to go out.
In addition, she was often in the carriage, and even after getting off, she would carry an oil-paper umbrella when the sun was shining brightly. As a result, Qing'er also became more proactive in sun protection because of her.
Now, in the Empress Dowager's eyes, Ziwei had turned black, yet she was still wearing a pink outfit that flattered her skin tone. The Empress Dowager's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. After Xiaoyanzi answered the Empress Dowager's question...
"If I remember correctly, before you left the palace, His Majesty specially sent tutors to teach you etiquette at Shufangzhai. Is this your achievement?" the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice.
"Go back and change into these clothes." Before Ziwei could apologize, the Empress Dowager finished speaking and turned to leave.
Fu Erkang was still relieved that the emperor had forgotten to punish him.
The next moment, the Emperor's cold voice rang out, "Fu Erkang, go to the Department of Punishments to receive your punishment." Fu Erkang felt his recent relief shatter into pieces.
With heavy steps, he headed towards the Imperial Prison. Behind him followed a young eunuch sent by the Emperor to observe the executions.
Most importantly, this young eunuch was entrusted by both Li Yu and Xiao Luzi to inform the people of the Censorate not to show any mercy.
So when Fu Erkang was lying on the board, he was still thinking that he was, after all, the son of the Fu family, and wouldn't be beaten too badly.
The paddle struck him hard, and Fu Erkang couldn't help but yell, "You lackeys, do you know who I am?"
"This servant knows, but this servant is acting on His Majesty's orders, so I can only ask Young Master Fu to bear with it." The guards remained unmoved, continuing to beat the child with the board without expression.
Fu Erkang was initially crying out in pain, but he gradually became exhausted from the beating. His voice also weakened.
The young eunuch stepped forward and checked Fu Erkang's breath. Knowing he was still alive, he said to the two guards carrying out the execution, "It's alright, keep beating him, he's still alive!"
The two guards were relieved. By the time Fu Erkang had received the full fifty strokes of the cane, he was barely breathing. Then, his attendant Qingye carried him out of the palace.
According to the palace maids and eunuchs who saw it, Fu Erkang's clothes were stained with blood.
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