Chapter 128 A Dramatic Turn: With the Empress Dowager ill, the concubines in the palace all became much more subdued. Even their clothing changed to a simple yet elegant style…
With the Empress Dowager ill, the concubines in the palace all became more obedient. They even changed their clothes to a simple yet not bland style, for fear that wearing bright and colorful clothes might inadvertently displease the Emperor.
Because the Crown Prince's position in this world is much more stable than in the timeline Shen Wanqing came from, the power dynamics among the concubines in the harem have also changed significantly.
The so-called four consorts are now preoccupied with their own affairs. Apart from Consort Hui, none of them have ever thought of helping their sons compete for the throne. They are all concerned with their own little world.
Princess Rongxian is scheduled to return to the capital with her husband at the end of the year, and Consort Rong is currently busy overseeing Yinzhi's management of the princess's residence.
Since his last southern tour, during which he offended the Crown Prince, the Prince of Zhi, and even the Emperor with his loose tongue, Yinzhi has been quiet and well-behaved for the past few years. Apart from his job of compiling ancient books, he at most asks a few retainers and advisors to write a few sentimental poems, and dares not say anything more.
Originally, Consort Rong and the Third Prince's wife, Lady Dong'e, both thought this was fine. They reasoned that since Prince Zhi's household had fallen out of favor, why was he still trying to climb the social ladder? They suggested he just stay put and that when the Crown Prince ascended the throne and bestowed favors upon his brothers, Yinzhi would certainly receive one as well.
It wasn't until news came from Mongolia that Princess Rongxian had returned to the capital with her husband to visit her family that Yinzhi was pulled out of his old books and ordered to find someone to properly clean up Princess Rongxian's residence.
Yinzhi originally wanted to push the whole matter onto Yinyou, but this year's inspection of the Yellow River works revealed many problems, and Yinyou simply couldn't spare the time.
All that could be done was to assign a group of skilled craftsmen and two managers to Yinzhi. The implication was that all the people were prepared for you, Third Brother, and that there were people to do the work and people to manage it. You, as a mascot, could just go and take a stroll every now and then.
To everyone's surprise, even for such a small matter, Yinzhi was extremely reluctant. He went, but it was really just a visit; he would only stay for a quarter of an hour before having to return.
When Lady Dong'e finally had a chance to go and take a look, she discovered that the requests Consort Rong had made to Yinzhi and her had not been mentioned at all to the craftsmen in charge of the Ministry of Works.
Enraged, Lady Dong'e didn't return to Prince Cheng's residence. Instead, she got into her carriage and went straight to the palace to complain to Consort Rong.
Dong E's father was the daughter of Peng Chun, the Commander-in-Chief and Duke of Qinyong. Her family background was more than enough to make her the consort of Prince Cheng. However, when she arrived in front of Consort Rong, she didn't give Yinzhi any face at all, and talked non-stop until her mouth was dry.
Consort Rong, who was initially angry at her son for being insincere and perfunctory, turned around and comforted her daughter-in-law. She even opened her own private treasury and picked out several pieces of jewelry that Emperor Kangxi had bestowed upon her in previous years before sending her out of the palace.
From then on, Consort Rong not only had to worry about when her daughter would return to the capital, but also about her son, Yin Zhi, who was always pretentious and obsessed with literary pursuits and wished he could ascend to heaven.
Originally, Consort Rong thought that compiling books was a refined and elegant job, but she didn't expect that having too many scholars around would also be problematic. Yin Zhi was almost being swayed by them to the point of losing his footing. Consort Rong thought and thought but couldn't come up with any other ideas, so she could only devise a plan to find Yin Zhi a more down-to-earth job.
Didn't Consort Rong refuse to manage Princess Rongxian's residence? Yet Consort Rong insisted on forcing this task onto Yinzhi.
After all, if he continues to waste his time like this, he won't be able to handle any tasks that come his way, and the Chengjun Prince's Mansion will decline in just a few years. He not only has a son but also a grandson, and for the sake of his grandson's well-being, he has to train his son no matter what.
For this reason, Consort Rong specially had someone keep an eye on the time when Yin You entered the palace. She timed it perfectly so that when Yin You went to Yongshou Palace to visit Consort Cheng, she would bring the coral ornaments she had prepared in advance to find him.
Yongshou Palace was originally inhabited by Consort Wenxi. After Consort Wenxi passed away, no other concubines were assigned a position there. Consort Cheng originally lived in a side hall of Yongshou Palace. Later, after she was promoted to the rank of Consort along with Consort Wei as a concubine, she moved to the main hall of Yongshou Palace.
Yinzhi had already heard this joke about Yinyou, and when the palace maid said that Consort Rong had arrived, he got up to hide. His leg, which was originally a little lame, moved very fast, so fast that Consort Cheng was even momentarily dazed: Who said my son's legs were not working properly?
Yinyou exited through the side gate of Yongshou Palace, while Consort Rong entered through the main gate. The two passed each other, infuriating Consort Rong. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything to Yinyou, so she could only turn around and continue her fierce confrontation with Yinzhi.
Consort Rong was busy outwitting her son, while Consort Hui devoted herself entirely to her granddaughters and grandsons.
In the past few years, the First Princess Consort gave birth to four daughters and one son, which took a toll on her health. In the past two years, she has been sickly for half the year. The eldest and second princesses in the Prince's mansion have reached the age where they can be betrothed and married.
In recent years, Prince Zhi's situation has not been difficult. He still manages most of the affairs of the Ministry of War, and he is not overlooked in any important political matters. Even Yinreng's attitude towards him is different from that of previous years. Yinreng can now speak to Yinzhi properly.
But precisely because of this, everyone knew that Prince Zhi had nothing to do with the throne anymore. Sometimes, it doesn't take a person's departure for things to cool down; when officials judged whether a master or a patron was useful, the most important thing was whether that person could bring them benefits.
Clearly, without the possibility of competing with the Crown Prince for the throne, Prince Zhi's influence and prestige among the officials immediately plummeted by more than one level.
Those Mongol princes, dukes, and taijis who used to say things like "I must ask the prince for the hand of the princess in his household" when they met Yinzhi in the capital all forgot about such a thing when they saw Prince Zhi again.
Apart from the First Princess Consort, there were no concubines or princesses of high birth who could manage the affairs of the Prince's residence or be promoted to the rank of Second Princess Consort. As a result, only Consort Hui could worry about many things for her son and daughter-in-law.
But one is outside the palace and the other is inside. Consort Hui can choose a few capable nannies to go and watch over the affairs of the inner quarters of the Prince's mansion, so as not to let the servants in the Prince's mansion take advantage of the First Princess's poor health to do anything reckless. But she really can't make decisions about the children's marriage.
After much deliberation, having no other choice, they could only plead for a favor from the Emperor, asking Yinzhi and his wife to send their eldest and second daughters to the palace, ostensibly to keep their grandmother company, but in reality to ask the Emperor for a favor.
Your eldest son has fallen from grace and is no longer as glorious as he once was. But at least he served as a whetstone for you back then. Now that the Crown Prince's position is more secure, more and more people will try to trample on Yinzhi. After all, who told you, the Prince of Zhi, to lose a contest with the Crown Prince?
Stepping on you wasn't really about any particular purpose; it was a show for Yinreng. By stepping on you, I was severing ties with you, which was a pledge of allegiance to the Crown Prince. Even if the Crown Prince didn't need these things at all, it wouldn't stop my subordinates from acting on their own.
Therefore, Consort Hui was convinced that she could not leave these princesses to be married off to Yinreng. Consort Hui's idea was to take advantage of the fact that Kangxi's health seemed to be still good and quickly arrange the marriages of her granddaughters.
It's acceptable to grant marriage to a descendant of a meritorious official, as long as she marries into a woman from the southern desert. If she really has to go to the northern desert, she shouldn't go to a very remote place. This would be considered a great favor from His Majesty.
The reason for bringing his granddaughter to live with him now is to let her see the Emperor more often. The Emperor has had so many grandchildren in recent years; if they don't see each other, their relationship will suffer. Seeing him more often might be very useful when it comes time for a marriage decree.
The two oldest high-ranking concubines have begun to worry about their sons and even grandchildren's future, and the younger Consort Yi and Consort De are no less concerned.
"How is the situation with the Empress Dowager?"
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Princess have each sent people to guard inside and outside Ning Shou Palace, and this servant has been unable to obtain any information."
Upon hearing this, Consort De immediately deflated. None of the four consorts wanted anything to happen to the Empress Dowager, but Consort De was the one who wanted it the least. Next year, the Fourteenth Prince would be marrying a consort, and only after that would the Emperor consider allowing the Fourteenth Prince to leave the palace and establish his own residence.
Originally, it was planned that the twelfth and thirteenth princes would leave the palace to establish their own residences next year, and Consort De wanted her sons to go with them. However, this matter was only mentioned briefly when the Emperor visited Yonghe Palace, and Kangxi immediately shook his head and refused.
The reasoning is sound: the Fourteenth Prince is unpredictable and unmarried, and if he is released now, he might cause trouble outside the palace. It would be better for him to stay in the palace for a few more years to study and mature before leaving.
Having missed the last opportunity, Consort De was filled with regret and immediately tried every means to get the Emperor to finalize the marriage of the Fourteenth Prince.
The emperor wanted the fourteenth prince to marry before establishing a career, so Consort De urged him to do so. Once the prince was married and had children with his primary wife, it would be natural to bring up the matter of building a palace and residence.
Consort De was in such a hurry because she knew that her eldest son had set his sights on the Ministry of Revenue. Yinzhen wanted to recover the debts owed by the imperial family and officials over the years, and the Crown Prince was behind this.
If Consort De doesn't settle her youngest son before His Majesty has the final say, then the Fourteenth Prince will have to rely on others and live under the new emperor or even his own brother.
Consort De always claimed that she treated the fourth and fourteenth princes the same, showing no favoritism. Yet, everything she did was clearly seen by everyone.
Consort Yi, of the Guo Luo Luo clan, often laughed at Consort De for her lack of common sense, saying that she seemed shrewd but was actually a fool. She also had two sons, but she would never claim to be impartial.
The eldest son was sent to the Empress Dowager at birth, while the younger son was raised by her side from birth. If you said she wasn't biased towards the ninth son, even a ghost wouldn't believe it.
Even if she was biased, she had nothing to say about the fifth prince. This time, when the Empress Dowager was ill, Consort Yi was the most attentive of all the concubines, making sure to visit Ning Shou Palace every morning and evening.
When the Empress Dowager was not in good condition, she would stay by her bedside to serve her. When the Empress Dowager was in good condition or there were people around who did not need her, she would kowtow outside the Ning Shou Palace and then go back. She would never leave behind anything that would be in the way or make people feel annoyed.
Consort Yi, who has always been a radiant beauty, has looked quite haggard lately. Ultimately, all of this is for the sake of the Fifth Prince. Yinqi was raised by the Empress Dowager, and now that she is ill, not only must Yinqi fulfill his filial duties, but she, as his mother, cannot shirk her responsibilities either, or what will others think of her?
The Empress Dowager's illness was truly dangerous. Not only did it not get better for a month, but her condition even worsened after a month. The Emperor, along with the empresses, concubines, princes, and their wives, had to take turns going to Ning Shou Palace to attend to her.
Especially Consort Tongjia and the Crown Princess, one of them was in charge of the harem and the other was the future Empress. As long as the Empress Dowager's side was unstable, they had to guard her with trepidation. In particular, Emperor Kangxi would come to Ning Shou Palace every day after court, and Consort Tongjia would accompany him every day, afraid that she might do something wrong and displease the Emperor.
A few years ago, Consort Wenxi passed away. Now, Consort Tong, who is Empress Xiaoyi's younger sister and the Emperor's other cousin, is in charge of the inner palace.
This cousin has been in the palace for quite some time, holding the rank of Imperial Concubine but without having borne any children. Because she hasn't had children, yet is a woman of the Tong family, she is able to manage the harem. Imperial Concubine Tong Jia is particularly strict in handling harem affairs, fearing that any misstep will bring shame upon the Tong family.
The Empress Dowager's sudden and severe illness not only made Kangxi feel once again the ruthlessness of time and the impermanence of life, but also revealed a sense of desolation and indifference in the reactions of the people in the harem.
The concubines were all very attentive, and everyone was afraid that the Empress Dowager would die. They were even more afraid that if the Empress Dowager died, the Emperor himself would be affected by this and something would go wrong.
His heart was indeed good, and he hoped that he, as the emperor, could truly live to be ten thousand years old. But the most fundamental expectation of this wish was never for himself.
The women in his harem each had their own hopes and their own worries, but ultimately, none of these schemes had a place for him.
Kangxi, who was already deeply affected by the death of his elder brother and the serious illness of his stepmother, suddenly realized this truth one night. He was so weak that he couldn't muster any energy. He was fine when he went to bed at night, but when Liang Jiugong went to check on him in the morning, he was too sick to get out of bed.
Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is slow and gradual. The Empress Dowager's illness hadn't subsided when the Emperor fell ill, causing genuine panic throughout the court.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince has a living father-in-law, and Shi Qionghua's younger sister has already married into the Prince Yu's mansion, becoming the wife of Baotai, who has now inherited the title of Prince Yu.
One was a close advisor to the emperor who held significant military power, and the other represented a close branch of the imperial family. Both of these forces were under Yinreng's control, and the Ministry of Revenue also had Yulang and Yinzhen.
Even the Firearms Battalion and the Five Cities Garrison had already surrendered to the Crown Prince through Yu Lang, Akdun, and Shen Wenyuan. At this point, when Yinreng led his men to find Ma Qi and Aling'a, he didn't say a single unnecessary word and immediately reached a consensus that the Crown Prince should oversee the country.
Previously, when the Crown Prince was in charge of the state affairs, it was always when Emperor Kangxi was about to leave the capital that he would offer to leave the Crown Prince to oversee the affairs. This time, however, the Crown Prince was in charge of the state affairs after the Emperor fell seriously ill, and the imperial family, nobles, and ministers unanimously and tacitly refused to allow the Crown Prince to oversee the affairs. The difference between these two situations is enormous.
Yinreng had already made this preparation, and there was no turmoil in the court because the emperor was unable to handle state affairs due to his illness.
For nearly three months, from July to September, everyone had become accustomed to reporting everything to the Crown Prince at Yuqing Palace, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's illnesses seemed to have become less important.
Some people were even secretly wondering whether the Emperor's illness was real or not. Was the Crown Prince imprisoning the Emperor under the pretense of serious illness, and was the Emperor about to pass away?
Not only do outsiders think this way, but Shen Wanqing herself has also thought so. However, seeing how busy Yulang is every day, she thinks it's probably not that bad.
The turning point came in October. Perhaps it was because their lifespans had not yet ended, or perhaps it was due to the lingering historical inertia, but in any case, both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager's conditions were slowly improving.
However, the Empress Dowager's condition improved day by day, and she was able to get out of bed and walk around within ten days. On the other hand, the Emperor encountered a problem. The imperial physician diagnosed him with numbness in his hands and feet caused by a lingering ailment from his heart disease, commonly known as a stroke.
When Yu Lang came back and told Shen Wanqing about it, Shen Wanqing was really stunned for a long time with her mouth half open, unable to find what expression to use to face him.
It wasn't until Yi'an called out "Mother" several times that she snapped out of her shock. What followed wasn't even ecstasy, but rather an indescribable sense of relief.
For so many years, ever since I came into this world, the fate of the princelings and the princes has been like a knife hanging over my heart. No matter how much has changed because of me over the past ten years, I still feel the same fear and worry.
Only at this moment did Shen Wanqing feel a sense of relief, as if she had finally broken free from some unknown constraint, similar to the feeling of having won a long-running battle royale. Damn it, she finally didn't have to go to Siberia or Hainan Island.
"Mother, are you even listening to what my father is saying?"
"Huh? Ah! I heard it, I heard it, of course I heard it. It just said that His Majesty has contracted a stroke, and the Crown Prince will still be in charge of the affairs of the court from now on."
“This happened two years ago. I know you’re happy that your father is getting promoted again, but you can at least take care of my affairs, okay?”
"What do you want? What are you up to now? I just got you a Tibetan Mastiff last month, what else do you want?"
Ten-year-old Yi'an is different from three years ago; he can already be seen in the outline of a young boy. In the past three years, he has practiced kung fu very well with Agudu, and although his grades are not very good, he has passed the minimum. Apart from having taken up hobbies such as raising horses, dogs, cats, and crickets, he has no other problems.
"It's not what I want to do, it's what His Majesty wants to do."
"Father said that His Majesty wants to bring the eldest prince, the second prince, and several princes and nobles from their residences to the palace so that they can all study in the Imperial Study."
“The Crown Prince has already agreed. Now we need to select study companions for the princes. Hongxi specifically named me and asked me to go as well.”
Yi'an's face showed reluctance as soon as he mentioned this. His family was so well-off, why did he have to go to the palace to study? He didn't even plan to become the top scholar, so why should he have to suffer like this!
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