What did Kangxi mean by this action?
After the Crown Princess went through the ancestral rituals of paying respects to her elders and peers, she was already a true daughter-in-law of the Aisin Gioro family. However, Kangxi took Hongzhao to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the grandfather and grandson were happy together throughout the process.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation was a workshop of the Imperial Workshops, specializing in the production of items for the imperial court.
If Hongzhao took a fancy to something, Kangxi would have it noted down and then sent to Hongzhao's courtyard.
Such a generous reward was something even Yinreng had never received.
Before long, the strict rules and numerous eyes and ears of the Forbidden City learned that even though the Crown Prince's wife had arrived at Yuqing Palace, Prince Hongzhao was still the most favored grandson of the emperor.
Despite her status rising due to her son, Consort Tong still had to be well taken care of, and everything had to be sent to her in the best way possible, just like always.
Tong Wanyan had been lying in bed all day yesterday, and today, while taking a walk in Yuqing Palace, she felt that the servants around her were looking at her strangely.
There's a feeling that my core values are unstable.
She didn't have the energy to discipline the servants, so she simply led a large group of people to Ning Shou Palace.
The Empress Dowager's eyes instantly reddened when she saw Tong Wanyan, who was heavily pregnant, saying, "I'm so sorry to have wronged you, child."
Tong Wanyan felt helpless, not expecting that the Empress Dowager shared the same idea.
"Father, the Crown Princess chosen by Father himself must be very good. Your granddaughter-in-law came here because she missed you, not to complain," Tong Wanyan said coquettishly to the Empress Dowager.
There was indeed no trace of sorrow or sadness on her face; her smiling eyes shone brightly with vitality.
Feeling guilty, the Empress Dowager smiled kindly and said, "I'm relieved that you're alright. Don't stand there. The imperial physician said your due date is in the next two weeks, and you could give birth anytime soon. I was worried about you running so far."
Tong Wanyan sat on a cushioned chair with a lumbar pillow behind her back, which was very comfortable.
The snacks served with the milk tea were just to Tong Wanyan's liking.
Ning Shou Palace was like her maternal home; she felt comfortable there without any suspicion whatsoever.
Holding a sweet milk cake and munching on it, Tong Wanyan's chubby little face was incredibly adorable.
“Except when I first found out I was pregnant, he was a bit restless in my belly, but he was very well-behaved in the following months. Grandmother, please be kind to me and let me stay here with you. It’s a sure thing that the Crown Princess will marry into Yuqing Palace. When they look at me, they all have worries in their eyes, making the South Courtyard feel very oppressive.”
"Honestly, which concubine lives as comfortably as I do? I don't know why they feel sorry for me," Tong Wanyan said, making no attempt to hide her pout.
The Empress Dowager laughed out loud: "Isn't it because I care about you that I'm worried about you? It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. The same principle applies to feelings. Before, no one in Yuqing Palace could surpass you, but now that there is a Crown Princess, it's inevitable that I'm worried you won't be used to it."
"Father, is the Crown Princess beautiful?" Tong Wanyan couldn't help but ask curiously.
There was no trace of jealousy in her words or eyes, so the Empress Dowager told her with relief, "She is dignified and poised, with the bearing of an empress. Her appearance is not as beautiful as yours, but she is a good mistress. The Shi family's upbringing and the teachings given by the Emperor's men are quite excellent."
Tong Wanyan nodded: "I think so too. It will definitely be better for Master to have someone to help him with the affairs of the inner quarters than for me."
"You're belittling yourself again. Granny Ling told me that you're very good, just a bit lazy," the Empress Dowager said reproachfully.
Tong Wanyan stuck out her tongue, her eyes sharp: "Father, please spare me. I'm not destined to be a hard worker, and I don't like those things."
"It's a good thing not to have power; it's less tiring," the Empress Dowager agreed.
The Empress Dowager's weariness stemmed from two sources. First, physical exhaustion, as the affairs of Yuqing Palace were numerous and the accounts complex, making management difficult. Second, mental exhaustion, as prolonged exposure to power inevitably led to an imbalance in mindset, and excessive greed easily caused mental fatigue.
"When Mother came to the palace last time, she said it was a good thing that I married into the royal family. Putting everything else aside, other people can't stand my lazy nature." Tong Wanyan said the nice things to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was indeed pleased to hear this: "Your first half of life was full of hardships, but you are destined to enjoy a blessed life from now on. I will live for another ten or twenty years, and you and Tana will have my protection."
Tong Wanyan sat in Ning Shou Palace for a while before returning to Yu Qing Palace.
Hongzhao was kept by Kangxi and had lunch at the Qianqing Palace.
Yinreng felt empty inside after not seeing Tong Wanyan all night.
Upon returning to Yuqing Palace, he quickly headed towards the South Courtyard.
Shi Xiuzhu looked curiously towards the south courtyard. She had never seen the legendary beautiful and charming Consort Tong before, and she was extremely curious.
What a beautiful woman she must be to have captivated such an outstanding prince.
"Xiao Lian, what do you think about me going to the South Courtyard to see Consort Tong?" Shi Xiuzhu asked the maid who was supporting her arm.
Xiao Lian carefully helped her step over the threshold: "You are the Crown Princess, the mistress of Yuqing Palace. Shouldn't it be Consort Tong who comes to pay her respects?"
Shi Xiuzhu automatically ignored her words, and she held her neck: "This outfit is really tiring to wear. I thought it was just yesterday that the phoenix crown was heavy, but now I realize that for any important occasion in the future, I will have to wear all kinds of gorgeous clothes and ornaments."
Xiao Lian said sweetly, "You look beautiful, Master."
"It is quite beautiful. It's a pity it's on my body." Shi Xiuzhu sat down in the chair and drank several sips of tea to recover from the fatigue of traveling for half a day.
Having served Shi Xiuzhu for over ten years, Xiaolian had grown accustomed to hearing her mistress ramble on about random things.
"Change me into some lighter clothes. I still want to go see Consort Tong." Shi Xiuzhu had rested and her mind was starting to wander.
Beauty, beauty, she loves beauty the most.
Xiaolian knew she couldn't persuade her, so she gave a wink to the old woman next to her.
The old woman lowered her head, pretending that she knew nothing.
The Crown Princess's methods are not simple; why should she bother to stop her?
With the Crown Prince in the Southern Courtyard, and the Crown Princess not being a jealous person, it's alright for her to see Consort Tong.
In Yuqing Palace, the biggest rule is to keep Yinreng happy; the key is to please him.
No one stopped Shi Xiuzhu, and he became increasingly able to do things his own way.
She is open and honest, and not afraid of being misunderstood.
Yinreng went to the South Courtyard, only to find it empty.
A black bird flew over from behind the artificial hill carrying a flower in its beak, chirping and mocking him: "The beauty has gone to see the Empress Dowager, and you've been abandoned by her."
Yinreng was caught off guard and hit on the head by a flower, which suddenly gave him a headache.
He grabbed a flower branch and put it aside: "Xiao Yan didn't take you with her, so you're the one who got abandoned."
"The birds are making a racket; we can't disturb the Empress Dowager. You can't fool the birds. The beauty loves birds the most." The black bird flew around Yinreng's head, extremely arrogant.
Yinreng sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Today, not only was Shi Xiuzhu tired, but he had also been walking around performing ancestral rites for half a day, which had left him exhausted.
"Thick-skinned, flat-haired beast." Yinreng laughed and scolded it, then casually grabbed a handful of shelled pine nuts in his hand.
The black bird had never heard these words before and did not know that he was being insulted.
Smelling the fragrance of pine nuts, it instantly forgot its feud with Yinreng over a beautiful woman and happily perched on his wrist, pecking at the pine nut kernels.
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