Chapter 106 Can a person really have it both ways?: "Today is your son An's first birthday party, and you still have to come all this way to listen to me say all this."...
"Today is your son An's first birthday party, and it's kind of you to come all the way here to listen to what I have to say."
“Under normal circumstances, Your Majesty would not be in such a bad mood. You would not say these things to me, and I would not have the courage to say so much to you.”
Shi Qionghua had a good cry, so much so that her makeup was ruined. Beneath her delicate makeup, her skin appeared somewhat dull and lifeless, and she looked utterly listless.
However, the repression and stubbornness in his eyes when he first entered the room had, if not completely gone, at least more than half gone, so it was clear that the crying had been effective.
"You figured it out? Of course, someone as smart as you would have noticed."
"I won't talk about those empty and fake things. The fact that I can't get pregnant has become a real worry for me. During that time, I couldn't even think about you. I was happy for you when you gave birth to Yi'an, but after that, I became jealous."
"It's strange. The Shi family and the palace have had children born one after another in the past year or two. Even the First Consort of the Fifth Palace in Gandong gave birth to a princess. I haven't felt any ripples in my heart at all."
Not to mention the First Consort, even the two concubines in Yuqing Palace who became pregnant last year, Shi Qionghua, did not feel a trace of jealousy.
It wasn't that she was born magnanimous, but rather that from the day she learned she was going to become the Crown Princess, she knew what she should care about and what she shouldn't be attached to. If she insisted on being serious about issues of men, women, and offspring, she would only end up hurting herself.
"But the thought of you having a child makes me feel sour and uncomfortable. I know it's my fault, but I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself and take it out on you if I see you, which is why I haven't summoned you to the palace for so long. Now I really can't take it anymore, and I can only rely on you to relieve my pain."
That's how people are; they either stay close and affectionate or drift apart, and inevitably, a knot will remain in their hearts.
Shi Qionghua distanced herself from Shen Wanqing during the Chinese New Year period, when Shen Wanqing gave birth in July and finished her postpartum confinement in August.
From August to the end of the year, she got busier every day. In addition, the caravan business in the Northwest was booming, and she also had a lot of things to do.
If Shi Qionghua didn't summon her, she wouldn't either, which saved her a lot of time. When others asked why she hadn't gone to the palace to pay her respects to the Crown Princess, Shen Wanqing simply brushed it off by saying that the Crown Princess was too busy at the end of the year.
Until this spring, when she brought peach blossoms to the palace to pay her respects to Shi Qionghua, outsiders didn't really notice that the Crown Princess and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family had made such a fuss.
On the contrary, Shi Qionghua couldn't help but feel awkward when she saw Shen Wanqing again. She felt that she was jealous of her, which was not a good thing for Shi Qionghua.
"That must be because Her Majesty treats me like one of her own. Only when it comes to someone you care about, will you care about how good or bad she is."
That's just how people are; they hope those around them are doing well, yet they also hope they're not too much better off than themselves. On the other hand, whether those people are unimportant are doing well or not is their own business; what does it have to do with me?
I'm afraid my brother is suffering, but I'm even more afraid he's driving a Land Rover. This is a joke, even a slightly sarcastic one, but Shen Wanqing has never felt that it's shameful.
That's just how human nature is. If you can be like Shi Qionghua, knowing that you have emotions and are worried that you can't control them, then you should avoid seeing yourself or yourself as much as possible. Once these emotions pass, you'll be fine.
"I considered you a confidant, but you didn't treat me like a friend. I'm heartbroken and don't know what to do, while you're outside the palace and haven't been affected at all. You still treat me like a master and flatter me. Am I right?"
These words startled Shen Wanqing. She truly hadn't expected that despite her excellent pretense, Shi Qionghua had still seen through her. But then again, just as Shi Qionghua had said about herself, she was such an intelligent and perceptive woman, how could she not see through her thoughts?
"Your Majesty sees me very clearly. Standing in front of Your Majesty, I can't help but flatter and fawn over you. I always hope that when Your Majesty thinks of me, she will only think of my good points, so that I can live a better and better life."
"But I flattered Your Majesty, and I truly wished Your Majesty well. Your Majesty and I are of such different statuses that I dare not be your confidant. If I were to be your confidant, I would inevitably lose my composure one day, and then I might lose my head."
These words brought tears to Shi Qionghua's eyes again. She was a young girl who was not even twenty years old. She had not been born and raised in the Forbidden City, a place where one could enter but not leave. The saying "the higher you climb, the colder it gets" was just a few words. Only Shi Qionghua herself knew what it was really like to stand on that high place.
How could she not understand the meaning behind Shen Wanqing's words? It was precisely because she understood that she knew Shen Wanqing wasn't fooling her; she genuinely wanted what was best for her, but she also knew she couldn't truly be her best friend.
"Tell me, what's the point of living like this?"
"So it's normal for Your Highness to feel upset and sad. If you're sad, just cry. If you're upset, just vent your anger on the Crown Prince. That's all you need to do to get rid of these unpleasant feelings."
"Why are you coming back to this again? You have to get this on my mind today, don't you?"
"That doesn't make sense. I just said whatever came to mind. Saying a few more words will make Your Highness feel better, and it won't be a waste that I was entrusted by the Crown Prince to come to the palace today to comfort you."
Friends or not, Shen Wanqing felt that she hadn't made a single friend in all the years she'd been here. Talking about such a heavy topic was too hurtful; it would be better to talk about when she could have a child.
"The Crown Prince has been very busy these days, and I haven't spoken to him for quite some time."
“How could I dare to talk nonsense about the Crown Prince? Gao Laixi subtly mentioned it to me on the way to the palace. I also saw the Crown Prince when I passed by Dunben Hall when I entered Yuqing Palace.”
“Through the room, when I looked over, the Crown Prince was frowning in his study, putting on a very convincing act. But when I turned my head, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the Crown Prince was looking this way. I’ll bet you, Your Majesty, that the Crown Prince is either outside the door right now, or he has someone guarding the door. Do you believe me?”
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about betting. I haven't prepared any prizes for you."
Shi Qionghua knew she hadn't been in a good state lately, and she also knew that the Crown Prince had been silently enduring her inexplicable and fluctuating emotions. When Shen Wanqing said that, Shi Qionghua's face turned red with embarrassment.
At the same time, Yinreng, who was listening intently through a window from under the corridor to outside Shi Qionghua's room, was startled by what he heard inside. His legs reacted faster than his brain and he ran away, causing He Yuzhu, who was eavesdropping with him, to run after him as well.
The master and servant ran out of Shi Qionghua's courtyard in a flash and stopped a long way away. They looked like thieves in a panic. Several palace servants who happened to be passing by knelt down and lowered their heads, not daring to look. What had the Crown Prince done in his Yuqing Palace that he could make such a commotion?
Yinreng finally realized what was happening. Why was he running away? He was the Crown Prince; he could listen to whatever he wanted, and who could do anything to him? He had inexplicably become guilty about something he shouldn't have been guilty of, and it had actually become his fault.
Fortunately, just then, a eunuch came to the Qianqing Palace to deliver a message, asking Yinreng to go there, which saved the Crown Prince from the predicament.
The Qianqing Palace knew about Shen Wanqing's entry into the palace the moment she stepped into the Yuqing Palace. Now, regardless of the reason, all the civil and military officials of the previous dynasty are indeed keeping a close eye on the fact that no child has been born in the Eastern Palace.
Emperor Kangxi had hinted several times not to rush things, but people are living beings, not objects. Even as the Emperor, he couldn't make everyone and everything go his way. So the matter remained deadlocked.
“Shen is a sensible person. It would be good to let her come to the palace to persuade her. Otherwise, she will only end up in a dead end and hurt herself and others.”
"Your Majesty is right. It's all thanks to Censor Fan for being so meddlesome. The Crown Prince has only been married for a short time and he's already sending a memorial to urge us on. How tactless of him!"
"You old servant, how dare you speak ill of court officials in front of me!"
He verbally rebuked Liang Jiugong for his audacity, but his face showed no anger whatsoever. Kangxi knew, of course, that the censor was meddling, but the censor's job was to supervise all officials, not just major court affairs. They could handle and even submit memorials about things like marital discord, unfilial children, and favoritism towards concubines over wives.
If the censor is reprimanded this time simply because the memorial concerns the Crown Prince, it's hard to say whether there will be any more censors submitting memorials impeaching similar 'private matters' in the future. The censors' authority cannot be too broad, nor can it be too restrictive; striking the right balance is difficult.
"This servant knows his mistake and begs Your Majesty to forgive him this time."
The master and servant exchanged a few casual words and neither took it seriously. The young eunuch who went to Yuqing Palace to invite the Crown Prince returned dissatisfied, and soon after, Yinreng also entered the warm pavilion study.
Kangxi glanced casually in Liang Jiugong's direction, and soon everyone in the study was led away by Liang Jiugong.
This was a new habit that the father and son developed after returning from the battle against Galdan last year. At that time, Kangxi found a batch of notes and memorials that Yinreng had written during his regency, and opened them one by one to tell his son where his decisions were wrong.
These are words that no outsider could hear, not even Liang Jiugong. After many such encounters, the father and son, who had once been extremely close in the Qianqing Palace but later drifted apart due to Kangxi's suspicion and distrust after moving to the Yuqing Palace, now seem to have slowly found a way to balance things out.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty."
"Get up."
"Thank you, Father Emperor."
Yinreng got up and sat down casually. He knew that the reason for summoning him at this time must be about Shi Shi and the offspring. Yinreng had been prepared for this for a long time, so he appeared very natural at this moment.
Sure enough, after sitting down, Kangxi looked up at his son after saying only a few words: "Those officials outside are urging you to take a concubine every day. I heard that the Crown Princess is even thinking about having you take a concubine. I want to hear what you think."
“Your Majesty, I am not in a hurry. When I was young, there were concubines in Yuqing Palace who were pregnant. So it is not that I cannot have a child. If I did not have a child, it is only because the time was not right and the time was not right. When the time is right, the child will come naturally.”
"As for the son of the secondary consort, we don't need him for now. Before Shi was chosen as the Crown Princess, which of those powerful families didn't want their daughters to compete for that position? Now that things have finally settled down, it's best not to cause any more trouble."
A secondary consort is a mistress, not a slave. She can be formally conferred a title and be included in the imperial genealogy. Many secondary consorts requested by princes and nobles come from families whose backgrounds are not much worse than those of the primary consort.
If the Crown Prince were to take a concubine, her position would become even more precarious. To put it bluntly, even the principal wives of ordinary princes and nobles might not be of a high enough social standing to become the Crown Prince's concubine. The situation in Yuqing Palace and the entire court had finally stabilized, and Yinreng did not want to disrupt it for the sake of a concubine who might not even be able to bear children.
"Are you really not in a hurry?"
"Father, I am not in a hurry."
"It's alright if you're not in a hurry. If you're not in a hurry, go back and persuade the Crown Princess properly. You are the Crown Prince and still young. You have plenty of things to do. The matter of having offspring is not important."
Seeing that Yinreng was truly not in a hurry, Kangxi's mood improved even more. If the Crown Prince were to give birth to a legitimate son now, the court officials, especially the Han officials, would surely be eager to pledge their loyalty to the Crown Prince.
For scholars across the land, legitimate succession was of paramount importance, and Emperor Kangxi did not want his crown prince to grow up too quickly.
I'll just keep going like this until one day I'm too tired to continue, and then I'll naturally take the initiative to help the crown prince ascend the throne. No rush, no rush, there's still plenty of time.
Shi Qionghua could never have imagined Kangxi's intentions, but Yinreng was not surprised at all. After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Yinreng waved his hand to refuse the sedan chair and slowly walked back with the eunuchs.
The Emperor wasn't dissatisfied with his position as Crown Prince; it was just that his position wasn't perfect in every aspect.
The Crown Princess and the Shi family are certainly good, but Yuqing Palace already has a noble lady like the Shi family, which is enough. The Crown Princess's previous idea of choosing another Manchu noblewoman to enter Yuqing Palace as a secondary consort has disrupted the Emperor's plans.
As for the children, it's entirely up to them whether or not to have them. It would be better to have them two years later than now, and if they were to have them, it would be better to have a princess than a prince. The prince coming later is definitely not a bad thing for Father Emperor.
However, Yinreng did not intend to tell Shi Qionghua these things, as she, as the Crown Princess, had already borne enough.
Before, when there was no Crown Princess in Yuqing Palace, the Crown Prince himself bore all the blame, good or bad. Now that there is a Crown Princess, everyone's attention is focused on her when something messy or troublesome happens in Yuqing Palace.
Yinreng sometimes thought that if he, the crown prince, were to kill a servant in Yuqing Palace, people outside would say that the crown princess had mismanaged Yuqing Palace, which was why he, the crown prince, had gotten into trouble.
Given the current situation, if he were to tell her that the Emperor both wanted Yuqing Palace to have a child and didn't want it to happen so soon, and that he couldn't suppress the previous dynasty's covetousness and interference in Yuqing Palace, he felt that this would be putting Shi in a very difficult position.
Let her focus on having a child as soon as possible; she can worry about everything else. Once the child is here, he doesn't believe his imperial father can do anything to his own grandson. At worst, he'll be criticized a few times, but he's used to that; it's nothing.
When the Crown Prince returned from the Qianqing Palace, he bumped into Yu Lang, who had come to the palace to pick up his eldest mistress, at the entrance of the Yuqing Palace.
Seeing his flushed cheeks and lingering smell of alcohol, Yinreng kicked him in the backside. He dared to come to the palace in this state! It was only because he was in Yuqing Palace that no one bothered him; if someone else had seen him like this, he'd be lucky to escape punishment for his indecent behavior!
Yu Lang deliberately dodged towards Shen Wanqing after being kicked. Only then did Yinreng see Shen Wanqing coming out from Shi Qionghua's place. He originally wanted to say a few more words to Yu Lang, but he swallowed them back.
"This humble woman greets Your Highness and pays her respects."
"Get up. Your Yulang can come and go from Yuqing Palace as if he were at home. You don't need to be so reserved in Yuqing Palace from now on."
"Yes. Your Highness, please rest assured, I am already quite at ease."
"Alright, alright, don't be shy. It's getting late. Yulang has come to take you out of the palace, so I won't keep you any longer."
In about half an hour, the palace gates would be closed and the keys would be put away. Yu Lang led Shen Wanqing along the palace path, and the two of them tried to walk as fast as possible while maintaining proper etiquette.
"Have all the guests left?"
"After you left for a while, the Crown Prince sent people to deliver a lot of rewards to your residence. They knew that you had been summoned to the palace by the Crown Princess, so they all left."
"Where is Yi'an? He wasn't making any noise in the front yard, was he?"
"No, your son is a silly and brave boy. He doesn't cry no matter who holds him. I was going to the palace to pick you up, and your father said he would take Yi'an back to stay for two days. This silly boy was carried out by my father-in-law and he even smiled at me."
"Alright, let him go over and play for a couple of days. He's been making a ruckus at home all the time."
The two talked about their children the whole way. As for why Shen Wanqing was summoned to the palace by the Crown Princess today, Yu Lang didn't ask her a single question, and Shen Wanqing didn't say a single word either.
The Forbidden City is like a chasm. Inside, everyone talks about matters of national importance, even whether the Crown Princess has children becomes a matter of life and death for the country. Outside, all that matters is the daily grind of earning money and raising children—trivial and troublesome things, yet they bring a sense of fulfillment.
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Kangxi: I want...and I want...and it would be best if I also wanted...
Yinreng: Hehe.
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