Chapter 59 The Fortieth Year of Kangxi
"Bamboo Breath".
"This servant is here."
"I... never mind." Wuya Chengbi waved her hand, said nothing more, dismissed the palace maids, and went into the inner room alone with the letter from home.
Sitting in front of the dressing table, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in the mirror, Wuya Chengbi felt somewhat dazed. Wasn't she just acting? How could she have genuinely elevated Rouze to such a high position?
She clearly allied herself with the Ulanara clan initially, partly to deliberately oppose the Tongjia clan and partly to increase her own power. It was clearly just an exchange of interests, so why has she suddenly become so concerned about the Ulanara clan's glory?
If they want to regain control of Yinzhen's inner court, why can't they remember their own niece Fang Ning and only focus on promoting Rou Ze? Even if Rou Ze rises up, will it benefit the Wuya clan?
Why is that? She wouldn't have done something so thankless before. Her sharp edges and overt ambition must have made her a laughingstock in the palace.
If she had always acted this way, she would never have been able to rise from a bondservant maid to the position of Consort De. So, what happened to her?
Uya Chengbi stared at her reflection in the mirror—a face that, while always gentle and kind, unconsciously revealed a hint of malice—and was utterly bewildered. Clearly, the Fourteenth Prince was already drifting away from her; why couldn't she understand why she would choose this moment to scheme against Yinzhen's inner court?
She's scheming so obviously, which is completely unlike her usual slow and gentle approach. Is she possessed?
Uya Chengbi was utterly bewildered, and could only assume it was due to her sudden fall from favor and demotion that she was struggling to cope. The deed was done, and now she needed to find a way to mend relations within her family. Otherwise, without the support of the Uya clan, life would become even more difficult.
"Bamboo rests, grinding ink."
"yes."
Uya Chengbi sat down at her desk, preparing to write a letter home. After a moment's deliberation, she learned that her family had been struggling because of what she had done recently, and that they wanted to revive the Uya clan. Fang Ning…
However, there have been too many moves lately. In order to allow Fang Ning to move more smoothly, we cannot rush to make a move and must wait for a while.
As she wrote, Lady Wuya recalled what her mother had said: Fangning was exceptionally beautiful and had been cultivated to be charming and lovely... However, speaking of looks, Rouze was indeed the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, the kind of woman that men would find most attractive in every way. She really didn't believe that Yinzhen would not be moved...
"Zhu Xi, send the letter out and tell the family to calm down." Wu Ya closed the letter and handed it to Zhu Xi.
"yes."
"Also, I remember there's a piece of brocade in the storeroom that would be perfect for making a dance costume. Send it to Rouze and tell her to do her best."
"Huh?" Zhu Xi was a little confused. Did Master still not intend to give up on Princess Rouze? Even if he didn't give up, the manor had already sent a letter, and now he was sending gifts at this time. Wasn't that a slap in the face?
"Zhu Xi, what are you thinking about?" Wu Ya frowned, looking at the unresponsive Zhu Xi, her eyes revealing a fierce look.
"Ah, Master... didn't the old lady just send a letter..." Zhu Xi boldly comforted him.
Upon hearing Zhu Xi's words, Wu Ya paused for a moment, looking at the letter in her hand, and said, "You don't understand. Fang Ning is still young and not as useful as Rou Ze at this moment."
"Yes, I understand." Seeing that her mistress had her own ideas, Zhu Xi stopped trying to persuade her and withdrew.
When Wuya was alone in the inner room, she got up from her desk and walked around thinking. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Fangning was only 14 years old and very young. There was no need to rush. After all, Rouze was more beautiful. With the support of Ulanara, she was not afraid that Fangning would not go far in Yinzhen's backyard.
As long as there is gentleness, she can find a way to get revenge on either Yixiu or Yinzhen... Wuya passed by the mirror, her profile flashing in the bronze mirror, blurry and full of hostility and scheming.
...
At the beginning of the 40th year of Kangxi's reign, the court was calm and nothing major happened. However, the conflict between the Crown Prince's faction and the First Prince's faction became increasingly apparent.
Prince Yong remained neutral, but everyone knew he was appointed by Emperor Kangxi to Crown Prince Yinreng. Therefore, under the guise of Yinzhen being "the reincarnation of Bao Zheng" and "the reincarnation of the mythical beast Xie Zhi," the Crown Prince's faction quietly grew stronger. Already respected by Han officials for his legitimate status as the Crown Prince's legitimate son, he now used this opportunity to connect with many upright and capable officials, overwhelming the First Prince's faction to the point of being almost powerless to resist.
But at the crucial moment, Kangxi stepped in, promoting the Eighth Prince Yinzhi and the officials of Mingzhu's faction, assigning some tasks to the First Prince, and praising him greatly after they were completed.
At the same time, he repeatedly criticized Suo'etu for his poor performance in court. Suo'etu had no choice but to retire due to old age, and Kangxi agreed.
With this, Hesheli Songgotu, the leader of the Crown Prince Party, withdrew from the court and moved from the forefront to the background, significantly diminishing the Crown Prince Party's arrogance. This restored a balance of power between the Crown Prince Party and the newly elevated First Prince Party.
In early June, Emperor Kangxi announced his intention to tour the northern frontier. This time, he would again leave the Crown Prince to oversee the country, assisted by the Third Prince Yinzhi and the Eighth Prince Yinsi. He would be accompanied by the First Prince Yinti, the Fourth Prince Yinzhen, the Fifth Prince Yinqi, the Seventh Prince Yinyou, the Ninth Prince Yintang, the Tenth Prince Yin, the Twelfth Prince Yintao, the Thirteenth Prince Yinxiang, and the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen.
This was the largest number of princes Kangxi had ever brought along. At the same time, Kangxi also brought along Songgotu, who was retired and living at home.
Upon learning that Prince Yongzhen was going to travel beyond the Great Wall, every woman in the inner quarters of the Yongjun Prince's residence wanted to follow him.
The backyard has changed quite a bit in the past six months.
With the help of the eldest prince, Yixiu remained firmly in control. Qi Yuebin, relying on his alliance with Yixiu and some favor from Yinzhen, also lived a relatively smooth life.
Song Wan'er had just given birth to a little princess and was promoted to concubine. She is currently still in her postpartum period.
Concubine Mei Qiyue was three months pregnant and, enjoying the privileges of a princess, stayed quietly in the courtyard to rest and prepare for childbirth.
Rouze had the support of the Uya clan, Liu Qingxue clung to Yixiu's coattails, and Li Jingyan was favored. These three were the most fiercely competitive and also the ones who most wanted to travel with Yinzhen this time.
The remaining Yuan Yuxiu had no interest in being favored, as she was preoccupied with the pregnancy of Lady Mei. Lady Niohuru and Lady Geng, who lived close by, received roughly the same amount of favor, and the two had a good relationship, often going out together like sisters.
It just so happened that Yinzhen came to the main courtyard to rest that day. The couple discussed the trip, and Yixiu asked thoughtfully, "Your Highness, we don't think we'll be back for two or three months. Which of our sisters do you think should be arranged to go?"
"Going to the borderlands isn't for sightseeing, so there's no need to bring too many women. You can arrange it," Yinzhen said casually, not really caring.
Because the eldest prince was not yet a year old, and given the situation in the palace, neither Yinzhen nor Yixiu felt comfortable leaving the child alone in the residence. Therefore, the two agreed that Yixiu would not stay at the residence to look after the house.
Of the remaining people, Song Wan'er and Mei Qiyue were definitely out of the question, Qi Yuebin was still recovering and couldn't withstand a long journey, and Rouze was someone Yixiu naturally didn't want her to go. As for the rest...
Seeing that Yinzhen had no objections, Yixiu slowly considered the matter herself. Just as she was pondering the pros and cons, she suddenly heard Yinzhen say, "It's a pity I can't make it back for Yuankang's first birthday banquet..."
"It's alright, the young prince knows his father cares about him." Yixiu smiled. It would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed, but the imperial decree could not be disobeyed, so Yixiu naturally wouldn't cause any conflict with Yinzhen over such a matter.
"Thank you for your hard work, Xiaoyi."
"I am not suffering. For you, my lord, for the children, I am willing to endure it all..."
The candlelight cast the shadows of the two people nestled together on the window, creating a particularly warm and cozy scene.
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