Chapter 60 Firearms Battalion?: Shen Wanqing never expected that her impromptu prank would scare Niu Hulu so much that he turned and ran away. ...
Shen Wanqing never expected that her impromptu prank would scare Niu Hulu so much that he turned and ran away.
Originally, I just wanted to play the victim and teach Niohuru a lesson so that she wouldn't hide from me when something happened, and then act all high and mighty like an elder or the first wife when nothing was wrong. It was quite pointless.
Now look what happened, she was so scared that she ran away in a flash! Shen Wanqing couldn't even get up, so she could only grit her teeth and continue to feel dizzy, while Qiuwen and Qingshuang helped her back to the East Courtyard, where she lay on the couch, swaying weakly in the breeze, waiting for the doctor to come.
As the weather gets cooler, the Luohan bed has been fitted with a thick sheepskin rug, under which is placed a thick layer of felt and a cotton-padded mattress. The sheepskin rug is placed with the sheepskin side down and the satin side up. Behind it, there are also short-pile soft pillows and backrests. Oh, the comfort is indescribable.
Shen Wanqing went from being a little nervous, afraid that the doctor would find out that she was faking fainting, to being so comfortable that she relaxed and lay sprawled on the couch, too lazy to even move a finger. By the time the doctor actually came, she was already asleep on the daybed. It was only after Qiuwen called her twice that she was awakened.
"I'm fine now, I was probably just tired."
Shen Wanqing looked up and met Qiuwen's worried eyes. She wanted to ask if Qiuwen hadn't heard what she said, and that she was just pretending, but she felt too embarrassed to say it, so she could only emphasize that she was really fine.
"How could it be alright? My heart sank when Grandma collapsed."
Shen Wanqing tried to get up, but Qiuwen pressed her down and wouldn't let her move. Of course, she heard what Shen Wanqing said to her, but what did it matter? She was dizzy, so what was the point of talking about whether it was real or fake?
“Grandma is so capable, we just follow her like fools. We do whatever you say, and we’ve completely forgotten how busy you’ve been lately. You’ve been taking care of so many things at home and outside. If this continues, even a person made of iron can’t take it.”
"It's not that exaggerated. I'm just busy with what I need to do. You guys take care of my food, clothing, and daily necessities."
Shen Wanqing didn't really think she was as busy as Qiuwen claimed. The Hesheli family's affairs were troublesome, but in the end, they were all just a matter of talking and thinking.
Most of the time, I don't even need to humble myself and beg anyone. I just tell my subordinates what to do. If they are obedient and capable, they will do it; if they are disobedient, incapable, or really no good, I will just replace them. There are plenty of capable people out there.
Three meals a day were served to her, someone would comb her hair and dress her up in the morning, and a maid would iron her clothes in advance as soon as she said what she wanted to wear. The old woman would take away her dirty clothes, shoes and socks. She didn't have to worry about anything at all. If this wasn't a comfortable life, then what was a comfortable life? Shen Wanqing couldn't think of anything else.
"We're not as good as Grandma says. Stop saying that, or we'll all get cocky."
Shen Wanqing had only said it casually, but the more she talked about it, the more she realized how lucky she was to have those women around her, saving her so much trouble. No wonder everyone wants to get rich; only a fool wouldn't want to live such a good life.
“I’m just telling the truth, why is Miss Qiuwen blushing?”
"I'm not going to banter with you anymore, young lady. Please lean on me and I'll go fetch the doctor."
The doctor who came was Dr. Peng, who was usually used by the Hesheli family. It seems that many people were guessing that she was pregnant after she fainted, otherwise they would not have invited Dr. Peng, who was good at gynecology, from so far away.
"Doctor, I've been working hard patrolling the fields these past few days, and I didn't eat much this morning, so I'm feeling a bit dizzy. Is it anything serious?"
"Grandma, please be patient. Please don't speak while I'm taking your pulse."
By observing, listening, inquiring, and feeling the pulse, the old man knew as soon as he entered the room that there was nothing serious today. He took out a pulse pillow and placed it under Shen Wanqing's wrist. Before he even put his hand on her, this old lady Shen had already diagnosed her own illness.
"oh."
Shen Wanqing was actually a little afraid of going to the doctor. In the past, she would always dawdle and drag her feet when she went to the hospital for a check-up, and she would only go when it was the last time.
And when an employee at work gets sick, she, as the manager, has to visit them. Every time she gets to the hospital entrance, her legs go weak. Now, watching the senior doctor take her pulse face to face, she's a little glad she didn't insist on sitting up earlier, because this time, her legs were genuinely weak.
"Grandma, don't be nervous. It's just a pulse check; there's no need for acupuncture."
Dr. Peng had been going in and out of the West Courtyard a lot lately, and had heard countless rumors about the First Mistress of the East Courtyard. According to the maids and servants in the West Courtyard, the Second Mistress had fallen to such a state, unable to leave the inner courtyard all day and forced to lie in bed to protect her pregnancy, all because she had been angered and driven to this point by the First Mistress.
Doctors have heard this kind of talk far too often, and they've seen far more people in their lives. Especially since Doctor Peng mainly treats women, he's all too familiar with the stories and conflicts that happen in the inner quarters of a household.
He couldn't say for sure whether this Granny Shen was a good person, but after entering the East Courtyard, just by looking at the spirit of the servants and Granny Shen's appearance, Dr. Peng felt that what the West Courtyard had said was probably not true.
Now, looking at Shen Wanqing, who was taking pulses and had a tense expression, even slowing down her breathing when told not to speak, and whose pulse was getting faster and faster, it was clear that she was a young woman who was really scared. So I felt that I could only believe two or three parts of what the West Courtyard said at most.
"Don't worry, Grandma. Your pulse is fine. You must have just been tired when you fainted today."
Shen Wanqing's pulse was still good, and there was no illness to be seen. "However, the eldest madam has some heat in the upper body and cold in the lower body. Usually, her hands and feet are always warm, but when she has her period, she has a dull pain in her lower abdomen."
"A little, but thankfully it only lasted a day or two before the pain subsided."
Shen Wanqing nodded; the original owner did have this problem. Last time this body had its period, she hadn't even gotten it yet. It should have come a few days ago, but it was late, and she hadn't truly experienced how much pain it caused. If she hadn't realized she was faking it today, she would have thought she was pregnant.
"Not feeling pain doesn't mean everything is fine. But Grandma is still young. If she takes good care of herself for the next two years, she'll be fine in a few years."
"You still need to recuperate, right? You don't need to take medicine, do you?"
Shen Wanqing didn't want to take the medicine, which surprised Doctor Peng. He thought that her internal weakness and coldness might affect her ability to conceive, and that his words would make this lady anxious. But judging from her appearance, she didn't seem to care about having a child in the next two years.
"No need. Just pay attention to your diet. Don't get cold in winter or eat too much cold food in summer. If your stomach still hurts when your period comes, then you can consider taking medicine."
This means that if you're not seriously ill and won't die, you can enjoy yourself for a few more years while you're young. If you can't conceive when you really want to, you can then seek treatment and take medication.
Shen Wanqing understood and happily agreed. She had Chunxian wrap a large red envelope and give it to Doctor Peng before sending Laixi to hitch up the carriage and send the person back.
"Ningxiang, I won't eat lunch now. Just make some congee with preserved egg and lean pork and steamed dumplings and heat them up in a clay pot. The steamed dumplings should be filled with pure meat. I'll eat them after I wake up from my nap."
Shen Wanqing wanted to enjoy this kind of life for another two years, where she could eat meat and not have to have children. After Dr. Peng said that, she felt a little more at ease. After seeing the doctor off, she pulled over a wool blanket and carefully covered herself up. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep and not do anything else.
After seeing Doctor Peng off, Chunxian waited patiently until Shen Wanqing was sound asleep before leaving the East Courtyard and heading towards the Main Courtyard. She told Tongjia that Doctor Peng had personally told her that the eldest mistress had fainted because she was tired. She then added that the eldest mistress wanted her to go back to the Shen family when she had time, and asked if the old lady had any other instructions.
Hearing this, Tongjia's temples throbbed. She quickly told the nanny to open her own little storeroom and picked out several kinds of mountain delicacies and medicinal herbs for Chunxian to take back to the East Courtyard. She also repeatedly told Chunxian not to let Shen Shi get tired these few days before reluctantly letting Chunxian leave.
“I told you she would be fine. I’m not lying, old lady. I was eight feet away from Shen Shi when she suddenly collapsed. Can you believe how frightening that was? I really didn’t do anything. My maids and servants can all testify to that. Don’t try to pin this on me. This has nothing to do with me.”
After Niohuru ran back to her own courtyard, she immediately realized that she shouldn't have run away. But she didn't want to go to the East Courtyard to see Shen Wanqing, and she felt bad about just staying in her own courtyard to wait for news. After thinking it over, she had nowhere else to go, so she had no choice but to come to Tongjia's main courtyard.
"You still have the nerve to say you didn't do anything? Your daughter-in-law helped you take back control of the household from the second son's wife as soon as she married into the family. As the first wife of the East Courtyard, you didn't even say a kind word to your new daughter-in-law, let alone help her."
Niohuru spoke with such conviction that Tongjia felt her vision blurring. Before, when Niohuru was younger, although she was also easily angered, she was at least obedient. Now that her husband was gone and her son had grown up, how could she have become so dull and foolish?
“Mother, I am the mother-in-law. Even though Shen Shi has taken back the power of managing the household, she has never come to her daughter-in-law to show filial piety. Since she calls herself the head housekeeper of the East Courtyard, why does she need my help?”
"You idiot! You're such a fool."
Tongjia understood why her eldest daughter-in-law had been sitting on the high platform with a stern face, not caring about anything, but hearing her say it herself still made her furious.
“You are only from a collateral branch of the Niohuru clan. Even if you were the apple of everyone’s eye when you were a girl at home, and they gave you all the best things, you have been married for many years now. In two more years, you will be holding your grandson. Do I, an old woman, really have to explain such a simple truth to you?”
"Who do you think you are, some big shot? You think we should give you whatever you want? And if we don't, you just give up and ignore us? Who are you trying to spite? No one will hand over power to you just because you're angry."
Furthermore, what's this talk about Madam Shen taking back the power of household management to curry favor with you? Does she even dare to give it to you? And if you did, could you manage it well? During the two years the eldest son was still alive, was it you, the first wife, who managed the household, or was it me, this old woman, helping you, the first wife? Have you forgotten all that?"
Let alone whether she can manage the affairs of the second son's wife and those stewards and officers outside, just look at the women from Daijia and Fuchang's family who came to the house just now. They would rather sit here waiting for Shen to come over than mention going to the east courtyard to pay their respects to the eldest wife, Niohuru. Isn't that enough of a slap in the face for her?
Back then, Niohuru's eldest daughter-in-law was chosen by Tongjia. The reason she was chosen was because she was good-looking and had a good temperament. The fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl sat there motionless and looked particularly calm.
Now it seems she's not calm at all; she's practically a blockhead, with an empty head and no sense of responsibility. She's so stupid that no one even wants to reason with her anymore.
"You're so stubborn. You might not listen to anything this old woman says, but you have to listen to me whether you want to or not."
"Shen is capable and shrewd. If you want Lang'er to be well, you'd better stay put. If you really displease Shen, she might even leave you with Lang'er, and you'll be crying then. Since you're a Buddhist, just focus on your Buddhist practice. Let Shen handle things outside; don't interfere anymore."
These were harsh words, and although Niohuru didn't say it aloud, she was indignant. Her son had come from her womb, and he could never be separated from her.
Even if Madam Shen is good, it's only because her son is in a good mood that he does whatever she says. But men are all the same; after two or three years, when that novelty wears off, Madam Shen won't be as glamorous anymore.
Niohuru's resentment was written all over her face, and Tongjia didn't even bother to glance at her or say a word. Let her do whatever she wanted; she wouldn't be the one suffering later.
Lord Yu, who had made quite a splash, was unaware that the Crown Prince had sent a reward to his home, nor did he know that Shen Wanqing had placed high hopes on him, and had even given his own mother a good fright. While Gao Laixi was restless at the Hesheli residence, he was accompanying Yinreng in practicing calligraphy.
The prince's calligraphy was honed from childhood under the tutelage of a great Confucian scholar. At first glance, it appears sharp and incisive, like a knife cut and an axe stroke, exuding a fierce and unrestrained style. However, the lines lack fluency and smoothness, resembling an inexplicable stagnation at a bend in a great river, and even the sharpness and vigor seem to have lost their momentum.
Since the eunuch who was in charge of grinding ink for the Crown Prince was not around, Yu Lang took his place and served the Crown Prince while he practiced calligraphy. He had practiced calligraphy since he was a child, but he was just too restless to sit still. When Erhe was alive, there was someone to keep him in check, but after Erhe passed away, no one could control him. He didn't even know which table leg the calligraphy books in the house were used to prop up.
"how?"
"The Crown Prince's calligraphy is of course excellent."
"Can you understand it?"
"I only have a superficial understanding, and I can't explain it clearly, but I know it's good."
That's just flattery.
Although Yinreng said Yulang was flattering him, he was clearly quite pleased. Yesterday's incident involving the Seventh Prince couldn't be kept secret from the Qianqing Palace; in the evening, he and the First Prince were dragged over and given a severe scolding. The scolding mainly focused on the First Prince, while he was the one accompanying him.
Then Kangxi first sent Yinzhi back to reflect on his mistakes. When it was just him and Yinreng left, he told Yinreng again about Shi Wenbing's return to the capital. According to the pace, the messenger who was going to Fuzhou to deliver the message should arrive in a few more days.
The Shi family doesn't have much time to prepare; they should be able to arrive in the capital by the winter of this year at the latest. Once the Shi family is settled and it's confirmed that the chosen Shi girl is healthy and in good condition, the announcement of her appointment as Crown Princess to Yinreng should be made public.
The fact that Yinreng protected Yinyou also led to Kangxi learning about Yinreng's diligent checking of the princes' studies in the Imperial Study. In Kangxi's view, this was not only because Yinreng was patient with his younger brothers as an elder brother, but also because he was pleased that even though he was being cold to Yinreng, Yinreng was still able to keep himself in check and knew what he should do.
As for the eldest son, Kangxi smiled helplessly to himself. After all, he had never intended for his eldest son to succeed him from the very beginning. Yinzhi was too impatient and straightforward. As a son, Kangxi liked this eldest son very much, but as the crown prince, if Kangxi wanted the Qing Dynasty to continue for several more generations, Yinzhi was truly not up to the task.
Yinreng was in a great mood after receiving confirmation from his father again, and he was even happier to see Yulang, who had stood up for him.
"The Emperor plans to establish a firearms battalion next year. Do you have any capable men under your command?"
Originally, Yinreng had planned to send Yulang over once the firearms battalion was established, but now he was somewhat reluctant to part with him.
After all, the regulations for the Firearms Battalion were likely similar to those for the Vanguard Cavalry Battalion and the Vanguard Battalion. The commanders and even the wing commanders at the top could only be the emperor's confidants, positions that Yu Lang couldn't attain. As for the lower-ranking positions, he felt they were not worthy of Yu Lang.
Furthermore, after Yu Lang's recent moment of prominence, the label of a princeling has become even stronger, and it might not be a good thing to let him out rashly.
“Yes, when I was serving in the Guard Battalion, I had a good relationship with two Blue Feather Captains. Also, there was a Cavalry Captain under my command who always managed the affairs within my command. All three of them are people I can trust.”
"Just these three?"
"Yes, Master, there are only these three."
Three aren't enough? Being a confidant to the Crown Prince isn't like being a vendor in a market where the more the better. Yu Lang mentally went over the list again, making sure he really couldn't find anyone he could trust, and then nodded.
“The formation of the firearms battalion is not something that can be done overnight. If I say it now, it will probably not start until next year. Make proper arrangements for these three people you have in mind. Don’t let them show their faces in the next year or two. Once the firearms battalion is almost fully organized, I will find a way to squeeze them in.”
"Then can this servant tell them in advance?"
"Needless to say, once they go to the firearms battalion, they will be loyal subjects to His Majesty. If possible, I hope they will remain loyal to the Emperor for the rest of their lives."
"Yes, this servant understands."
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