Chapter 87 The Grand Wedding: News of Shi's visit to the Hesheli family spread the next day, but Shen Wanqing and Yu Lang didn't seem to care. ...
News of Shi's visit to the Hesheli family spread the next day, but Shen Wanqing and Yulang didn't care. Since everyone had already left, it was too late for Tongjia and Shumulu to regret not having been able to pay their respects to the Crown Princess.
On the contrary, when Yu Lang returned to the palace to work the next day, E Shan, who was his closest friend, didn't say anything, but just patted him on the shoulder to show his closeness and gratitude.
Yesterday, when the carriage of the Shi family stopped at the side gate, Lady Zhaojia was also there. Although she only accompanied Shi Qionghua and said a few words, after returning home, Lady Zhaojia was still happy to heat up a pot of wine and prepare braised beef and side dishes. The two of them sat facing each other and ate it all up.
The Crown Prince casually inquired whether Shi had been surrounded at the Hesheli residence. Having heard about Shen Wanqing's arrangements for Shi Qionghua, he jokingly added that if such a thing happened again, he would request permission to leave the palace to join in the fun.
Perhaps it was because the Crown Prince's reaction to Suo'etu's complaint against Yulang that pleased Kangxi, so in recent months Kangxi has been calling on Yinreng to hold small meetings after court sessions.
Except for secret memorials, all the memorials submitted by court officials would first be sent to Yuqing Palace for the Crown Prince, Grand Secretaries, heads of the Six Ministries, and ministers of state to discuss. Then, a small note would be attached to the memorial with their opinions and suggestions written down, and the memorials would be sent to Qianqing Palace together.
The Crown Prince could even review ordinary greetings memorials himself, and then send them to the Qianqing Palace in a separate pile. Emperor Kangxi would not read these unimportant memorials again.
Even though his opinions might not be adopted most of the time, it was a signal to the civil and military officials that the emperor was finally going to make the crown prince the true heir apparent.
This was a devastating blow to the eldest prince. All the previous preferential treatment and vague hopes vanished like smoke in the wind.
Mingzhu's faction has also been unusually sensible and low-key lately, no longer engaging in a head-on confrontation with Suo'etu over everything.
Of course, half of this was to please His Majesty. The Emperor was so clearly favoring the Crown Prince that even if Mingzhu, a shrewd person, placed all her bets on the First Prince, she wouldn't do anything against the Emperor's wishes at the moment.
However, the other half is because Suo'etu took sick leave, and his rivals couldn't find him. What could Mingzhu do? He couldn't lower himself to vent his anger on Suo'etu's 'underlings'; if he did, what would become of his own face and reputation?
At first, no one took it seriously. However, Su Zhongtang was summoned to the Qianqing Palace for something and was scolded by the Emperor for almost half an hour. So what if he was scolded? Which minister hadn't been scolded by the Emperor?
The very next day, Songgotu did not attend court. Everyone thought Songgotu was incredibly audacious, daring to feign illness right after being scolded by the Emperor. Did he feel wronged, or did the Emperor scold him incorrectly?
Soetu was so arrogant because he was relying on the Crown Prince's power that everyone was waiting to see how he would be scolded and punished when he recovered. It was possible that even the Crown Prince would be implicated.
But what happened next was clearly beyond everyone's expectations. Regardless of whether Suo'etu was really sick or not, his sick leave seemed to have no end. For so many years, the powerful and influential Lord Suo had been staying in his residence without ever showing his face.
None of the students, former officials, subordinates, and servants who went to visit him under the guise of inquiring about his health saw Suo'etu. When pressed, they were told to go home and stay put, as Lord Suo wouldn't die anytime soon.
Even Mingzhu was undecided, and ordered all his officials and lackeys to keep a low profile for the time being. They were told to stay put if possible and not to keep thinking about causing trouble for Suo'etu's faction.
He hoped that Suo'etu was really sick, preferably so sick that he couldn't get out of bed and would be useless for the rest of his life, so that perhaps the position of Crown Prince could really be replaced by another prince.
But instinctively, he felt it was impossible. That was Suo'etu, who had fought with him for most of his life. Just a few days ago, he was perfectly fine, with a booming voice that seemed to shout straight into people's ears. How could he suddenly fall ill?
Every time Mingzhu and he had an argument, he would have tinnitus for half an hour. Now that there was no one to fight with, he had become much more listless.
So during this period, the eldest prince wanted to move but dared not, Mingzhu kept the eldest prince from moving, and the crown prince was so busy that he was constantly dealing with the memorials sent from the Qianqing Palace, and he couldn't care about anything else.
The entire court presented a strange and fragile yet exceptionally prosperous and peaceful atmosphere.
However, there are always some blind people in this world. The day before Fu Xuan left the capital for Jingzhou, she made a special trip to the residence of the First-Class Duke and the residence of Suo'etu.
The First-Class Duke's wife invited her in, served her a cup of tea, and let her sit for a while. However, Suo'etu didn't even let her in through the door. Only the gatekeeper gave her a few perfunctory words before letting Fuxuan return.
Fu Xuan's original intention was to have these two relatives give her face before leaving the capital, since she could no longer rely on her own family, the Shen family.
On his wedding day, the Crown Princess came, but she insisted on keeping it a secret from everyone. She blocked him from getting any benefit from such a good opportunity to show off and make a name for himself. How could he rely on her in the future?
Who knew that Shen, that cunning and treacherous woman, was unreliable, and even her own relatives with the same surname were unreliable. That day, Fuxuan returned home dejectedly, not knowing what had happened. In any case, Decheng's smile seemed somewhat unnatural on the day of her return visit, and Fuxuan looked extremely angry.
"Luckily, she went alone that day. If Decheng and Dong'e's family had gone with her, it would have been incredibly embarrassing."
"From now on, if your aunt sends you letters, just pretend you don't know anything about them unless the old lady mentions them, and don't worry about them."
Yu Lang wasn't home the day Fu Xuan left the capital. When he returned from his shift at the palace, there was already one less person in the house. Seeing that he wasn't in a good mood, Shen Wanqing told him about it. Yu Lang frowned, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Don't worry, the Dong'e family also knows about the Crown Princess's visit to our house that day. Even if we don't care about the monk, we can still give her some face. It doesn't matter if the Suo family refuses to let our little aunt in."
"It's not like she's the only one who couldn't get in. So many high-ranking officials in the court are also waiting outside the Suo family's house every day but can't get in. Dong E De Cheng won't neglect his aunt because of this."
Yu Lang was worried that Fu Xuan's personality would be seen through by her in-laws as soon as she married into the family, but Shen Wanqing felt that this might not be a bad thing.
Fu Xuan was beautiful; just looking at her features, Shen Wanqing thought she was even prettier than herself. Her own features were too delicate, while Fu Xuan was a truly striking beauty with bold, striking features.
At twenty-one, she was at the prime of her youth and maturity; in later times, she'd look good even if she wore a burlap sack. Such an appearance would undoubtedly be overwhelmingly appealing to most people.
Everyone loves beauty; this kind of impact is the most primal and irresistible, but when it disappears, it's also the most decisive and irreversible. It's the same reason why, no matter how much Shen Wanqing loves eating crabs, after finishing the whole basket that Decheng brought from Dongting Lake, she doesn't want to touch them again this year.
"If your aunt shows some signs soon, your uncle will be able to respond accordingly."
If we find a way to take the initiative and suppress Fu Xuan as soon as possible, given Fu Xuan's bullying nature and unwillingness to endure hardship, if someone can subdue her, the two of them might actually have a better life together.
If Fu Xuan were allowed to gradually reveal her true nature, then the affection she felt for her appearance would be completely worn away.
"Forget it, forget it. We agreed not to bring this up again. She's already back in Jingzhou, and there's nothing we can do about it. Life is long, and she has to live it on her own."
"It just slipped out; we started talking about Lord Suo and ended up here."
Shen Wanqing didn't necessarily want to talk about Fu Xuan; she was just curious about Suo'etu's intentions. Although she didn't know the course of history, Suo'etu hadn't fallen from power or died so early. Now that the Shi family was about to rise, why was he avoiding the limelight? This didn't make sense.
It is said that the triangle is the most stable triangle. When Shen Wanqing was alone, she also pondered that if Shi Wenbing had not died and the Shi family had survived according to the original historical trajectory, the court would have been a three-way balance of power between Suo'etu, Mingzhu and the Shi family after the Crown Prince's wedding.
This is much more stable than polarization. As long as the Crown Prince can keep the Crown Princess in check and give birth to a prince for the Eastern Palace, many noble families will definitely not have the patience to wait for the next prince to grow up. They will choose sides, and then the Crown Prince will naturally be safer.
But the three-way power struggle cannot afford to end with Suo'etu. If he falls, the Shi family will become his replacement. I have just secured the Crown Princess's favor, and the Shi family cannot become the new pillars of power so quickly.
"Last time you went to the palace, you said you wanted to find out something. Did you find out anything? Is Lord Suo really sick or is he faking it?"
"He fell ill from fright."
Soetu went to the Crown Prince to complain about Yulang, but unexpectedly, he was scolded by the Crown Prince instead. The Emperor was very satisfied with the Crown Prince's reaction after learning about this. In Kangxi's view, this not only meant that the Crown Prince did not hide his personal feelings from him, but more importantly, that the Crown Prince chose him, his father, over the Hesheli family.
Everyone was satisfied with the outcome, except for Suo'etu, who had dug his own grave. How did he know what Yulang had reported to the Emperor in the Qianqing Palace? What gave him the right to know these things? He couldn't explain himself.
"Spying on the Emperor's tent at night" was the most sensitive and core charge when the Crown Prince was first deposed, but in reality, such things are hard to say. The Qianqing Palace and Emperor Kangxi were right there; who wouldn't want to inquire about news from the Emperor's bedchamber, and who hadn't inquired about news from the Emperor's bedchamber?
How come all those eunuchs in the Qianqing Palace are so well-off? It's all because their subjects are feeding them silver. Did Emperor Kangxi not know this? He just didn't bother to care usually.
Now that Suo'etu has violated a taboo, His Majesty is just about to give him a warning, so he dragged him to the Qianqing Palace and asked him only one question.
"Since you, Suo'etu, know what I said and what he answered when I summoned a guard, now it's your turn. You might as well think about what I want to ask you and how I want to deal with you."
"What should we do?"
"Tsk, His Majesty was just trying to scare him. How could he just deal with so many people under Aso'etu like that?"
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; if there are too many monkeys, it's not good to forcefully cut down the tree. Shen Wanqing certainly knew that Kangxi wouldn't really do anything to Suo'etu right now; she only asked one more question because she was enjoying Yulang's story.
"Song'etu was frightened and is under house arrest, right? He won't be out until at least after the Crown Prince's wedding, will he?"
This was essentially Kangxi using this as an excuse to push Suo'etu down, giving the Crown Princess and the Shi family more time to take their place. As for how long Suo'etu would remain ill, that depended on how long it took for the Shi family to be seated.
When the Shi family gains a firm foothold, or when they become arrogant and ignorant, or when they are unable to handle Mingzhu and are overpowered by him, Kangxi can always reinstate Suo'etu or the Hesheli family.
In short, by pulling one in and cracking down on another, a diverse and vibrant system can ensure longevity. What an emperor needs to learn is how to manage these ministers who form cliques and pursue personal gain, rather than being blindly dragged down and controlled by a particular faction.
"Next year, I think it will be next year."
The two sat across from each other at a small table on the kang (a heated brick bed). Yu Lang held his grandmother's hand tightly, constantly picking at her newly made henna nail polish.
This time, Shen Wanqing added ground seashells to the nail polish, making it extra shiny and beautiful. Shen Wanqing doesn't like using nail guards, so she trims her nails just right and leaves the nail polish area for application.
Yu Lang reached out and started fiddling with Shen Wanqing's plump, round fingers, only stopping when he annoyed her so much that he slapped her hand on the back of his hand.
"It's true, the firearms battalion has been set up this year, and muskets and cannons are being added one after another. Next year or the year after, His Majesty will most likely have to fight Galdan again, and the Shi family and Songgotu will have to go."
"Alright, that's all for the future. Whether or not we fight Galdan isn't up to me. Tell me about the matter of sending the Crown Princess to be married. What's going on?"
"It's done, it's finally done! If it hadn't worked, my ears would have been calloused."
"That's good. The Shi family has sent people to ask me several times if there's any definite answer to this matter. How can I give them a reply if you don't agree? Now that's settled, I'll tell the Crown Princess about it tomorrow."
"Madam, you have a good hand. The Shi family is urging you, so you urge me instead. When the master entered the palace, he just stood in front of the crown prince, and the crown prince had a headache just looking at me."
"If you're going to be a favored courtier, you should act like one. Don't you even have that much self-awareness, sir?"
"How can you talk like that? I'm a servant, and I'm known for my skills."
"What do you think? I'm just a nobody, and I don't even know which noble family's wife I was sent to escort the bride. We're just lackeys who flatter and bully the Crown Prince and Crown Princess."
"What 'lackey' or 'lackey'? That sounds awful. The old lady you replaced doesn't have many people left in her family. Her only advantage is that she's of a high generation."
The gifts the Crown Prince bestowed upon her family this time were enough to sustain them for a year. Rather than spending an entire day traveling with the wedding procession at her advanced age, she would rather take the gifts and stay home to recuperate.
The noblewomen and wives who would serve as bridesmaids for the Crown Princess were all pre-selected by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department. When Yu Lang asked for one, Yinreng casually threw the brush in his hand at him.
Yu Lang has been in Yuqing Palace for over a year, and this is the first time he has actually asked for anything. He chose the guards himself and is content with what he has; now that Yu Lang has come to him for help, is it really not okay?
After Yulang finished speaking, he didn't mention it again. Instead, Yinreng kept it in his mind and pondered it over and over again until the wedding was just a few days away, when one of the noblewomen, a member of the imperial family, fell ill.
The Crown Prince's wedding was on the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month, and the capital city of Tianjing had already seen several rounds of snowfall by the eleventh month of the lunar calendar. Catching a cold and falling ill was common, and the old lady of the palace hadn't taken it seriously, thinking that a royal physician would come to examine her and she could take some medicine and be fine.
Unexpectedly, the people from the Ministry of Rites arrived faster than the imperial physicians. In the name of Yuqing Palace, they bestowed many gifts upon the old lady and made a lot of polite remarks, persuading her to relinquish the position of lady-in-waiting and replace her with Shen Wanqing, a daughter-in-law of the Hesheli family.
The old lady's decision to relinquish her position wasn't out of reluctance; as Yu Lang said, her family had no one else to rely on. Even if the old lady had made an appearance before the Crown Princess as a bridesmaid, it wouldn't have helped; it was better to accept the Crown Prince's reward. Yu Lang and Shen Wanqing would still owe her a favor.
This led to the following day when Shen Wanqing went to pay her respects to the Tongjia clan, the Tongjia and Shumulu clans were even more attentive than before, and even Niohuru clan, who spent most of the month worshipping Buddha, came early.
"The Crown Prince's wedding is not far off. These next few days, have your second aunt keep an eye on things at home for you, and I guarantee nothing will go wrong. You can focus on the Crown Princess's affairs. What do you think?"
"It would be great if my second aunt could help me for a few days. I'll leave Fang Liang here, and if you need anything, just ask him."
Last year, Shen Wanqing was determined to risk everything and lose face to avoid competing with Shumulu for the power to manage the household. But in just one year, the tables have turned, and Shumulu has happily agreed to it. This made Niu Hulu, who was sitting on the other side, freeze with a smile.
She had been waiting since last year, but instead of seeing Shen Wanqing fall from grace, she watched as Shen Wanqing's power and influence grew. The West Courtyard, though impoverished, had risen again, and with the second son gone, Shu Mulu was doing quite well raising her child alone.
Now that Madam Shen is going to escort the Crown Princess to her wedding, she can still enjoy being in charge of the household for a few more days. On the other hand, she herself has not seen anything from beginning to end, and her courtyard is becoming more and more deserted, now truly becoming a Buddhist shrine for worshipping Bodhisattvas.
Shen Wanqing had no time to find out what Niohuru was thinking. With the Crown Prince's wedding imminent, everyone was getting busier and busier, and other matters were temporarily put aside.
As a lady-in-waiting accompanying the Crown Princess, Shen Wanqing also had to wear special auspicious robes. Fortunately, Shen Wanqing was a Zuo Ling's wife, which meant she was a noblewoman of rank. Although she was the youngest and least experienced among the ten wives accompanying the Crown Princess, she didn't stand out when she put on the auspicious robes.
Before dawn on their wedding day, Yu Lang and Shen Wanqing left home together, one going to the palace and the other to the Shi residence. As a first-class guard to the Crown Prince, Yu Lang naturally couldn't leave today, so the couple each had their own business and didn't delay each other.
“I sent someone to look for you, asking you to come to my residence to keep me company yesterday, but you refused. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t see you. I thought I wouldn’t even have time to say a word to you today. It’s good that you’re here. I feel at ease with you here.”
"Your peace of mind is the most important thing. Today is your best day, so you must cheer up."
Shen Wanqing arrived a quarter of an hour early. At this time, the other wives and concubines who were accompanying the bride had not yet arrived, so the two of them could still chat. Once everyone arrived, they would start dressing and grooming Shi Qionghua, and Shen Wanqing would not dare to say anything out of turn.
"What do you think the Crown Prince is like? Is he short-tempered? Is he easy to talk to? When I see him, should I smile first or not? Mother said that the rules I learned before entering the palace are no longer rules. I have to follow the Crown Prince's rules. Is that true?"
Shi Qionghua had never asked Shen Wanqing this question before, even though they had known each other for so long. The fact that she suddenly asked it now meant she was genuinely nervous.
"I've never met the Crown Prince either, but he should be easy to talk to. You see, my master isn't exactly a steady person, but he's been serving the Crown Prince for over a year without being punished or scolded. I suppose it's because the Crown Prince is very tolerant of him."
At this point, all we can do is say nice things and not make Shi Qionghua too nervous. As for whether Shen Wanqing is well-behaved or not, it's hard to say. Shi Qionghua's mother is a member of the imperial clan, and she certainly knows the temperament of her family better than anyone else. What she said makes sense, but it's not entirely true either.
People can be sycophantic and follow the crowd on the surface, but they must stick to their own rules in their hearts, otherwise they will have lived in vain.
Shen Wanqing remained silent for a moment before boldly taking the hand of Shi Qionghua, who had been formally conferred the title of Crown Princess: "Your Highness, it is a rare opportunity to live a lifetime. Please follow your heart. Such a good person as you should not be tarnished or obscured."
"I understand what you mean." Shi Qionghua truly understood Shen Wanqing's meaning. Life is not easy, and one must live the life one wants. If one lives well, the Crown Prince will naturally like it. If he really doesn't like it, there's nothing that can be done, after all, one can't pretend forever.
While they were talking, other brides arrived. As the brides arrived one after another, palace maids and the most senior and prestigious prince's wife helped the Crown Princess with her hair and makeup. Shen Wanqing, who was personally placed there by the Crown Prince, only got the job of standing aside with a plate, specifically responsible for handing things to the old lady.
The Crown Prince's wedding ceremony was incredibly complicated. As a noblewoman accompanying the bride, Shen Wanqing was required to go to the palace, but officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory were responsible for guiding and reminding her of where to go and where to stop.
It was freezing cold that day; even without snow, it was still chilly enough. Shen Wanqing was the youngest of these noblewomen. At first, she stood at the back, pretending to be obedient and docile. But by the time she entered the palace after dark, she had to help the older ladies-in-waiting keep watch.
First, they had to make sure all the old wives could hold on and not collapse before the ceremony was over. Second, after entering the palace, the noblewomen had to guide the Crown Princess to alight from her sedan chair, hand her the prepared treasure vase, and then help her step over the saddle to enter the Yuqing Palace for the ceremony.
These things were initially done by the old wives, but by the time they finally helped Shi Qionghua to sit cross-legged on the wedding bed facing the Crown Prince, it was Shen Wanqing who handed her the wedding wine.
Under the red veil, nothing could be seen except for Shen Wanqing's hands, which Shi Qionghua could recognize. She took the wine cup of Heqin wine from Shen Wanqing's hand, and her heart suddenly calmed down.
The ceremony was complete. As the noblewoman accompanying the bride, Shen Wanqing followed the custom and left Yuqing Palace. Tonight, the palace gates of Yuqing Palace would not be locked, and Yulang, as a first-class guard, would patrol all night until the next morning.
"Then I'll head back now?"
"Let's go back first. After these two days, the Crown Prince will grant me a few days off. Then I can go home and be with my grandmother."
Under the pretext of sending the woman out of the palace, Yu Lang escorted her far from Yuqing Palace without looking back. It was only when Shen Wanqing tugged at his sleeve that he stopped him.
"Let's go back."
"Okay, you go first. I'll go back after you turn the corner up ahead."
They had just left home together that morning, but for some reason, they suddenly felt a little reluctant to part. However, the palace was not a place where rules could be disregarded, so even with her boldness, Shen Wanqing could only secretly squeeze Yu Lang's hand before turning around and following the noblewomen out of the palace.
Yu Lang stood there for a long time, not knowing why. It was supposed to be the Crown Prince's wedding, but he was so worried about his own grandmother. He didn't know why.
Only when he heard footsteps behind him did he let out a long breath, turn around and go back to Yuqing Palace. Gao Laixi, who had been guarding the entrance of Yuqing Palace, saw the whole silent and very interesting scene.
When Yu Lang stepped through the gates of Yuqing Palace, Gao Laixi couldn't help but whisper a joke, which made Yu Lang blush as much as the groom. Then he smiled and told him that there were pots and hot wine prepared in the duty room, and that no one could sleep tonight as long as the palace gates were closed. He said that filling his stomach was the most important thing.
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