While chatting with his wife at night, Yinreng mentioned his mother. The next day, he went to see Emperor Kangxi and said he had dreamed of his mother.
The father and son held hands, tears welling in their eyes. Facing the portrait of Empress Hesheri, they sat pitifully on the small steps, reminiscing about the past, almost as if they were about to take out a small bottle of wine to drown their sorrows.
After sending the clothes to Shi Xiuzhu, she waited for almost half a month until the weather warmed up before she finally tried them on indoors.
When she tried it on, she specifically called Tong Wanyan over.
Only when she put on the wide-sleeved robe did Shi Xiuzhu feel grateful that she had been born a girl.
What beautiful long hair! Wearing the jade crown, she looks so energetic and spirited.
Sitting on the nanmu chaise longue, Tong Wanyan couldn't help but recall Yinreng's evaluation of Shi Xiuzhu. "It's as smooth as a bluestone slab; it does indeed look quite nice."
As long as Shi Xiuzhu's ear piercings are properly covered, no one will mistake her for a woman when she goes out.
As dignified as green bamboo and as elegant as orchids, one should be like the slender bamboo and stone, just as one is now.
"You even made wooden clogs?" Tong Wanyan noticed the shoes she was wearing.
Shi Xiuzhu smiled brightly: "A long robe with wooden clogs, that's more appropriate."
"Does that mean we have to burn incense and play the zither?" Tong Wanyan asked with interest.
Shi Xiuzhu's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped out in his wooden clogs: "Come on, come on, I'll have someone tidy up the back garden and play the zither for you."
The small garden behind the courtyard has few brightly colored flowers, but it is planted with bamboo, orchids, and strangely shaped rocks.
The sound of the zither soothes the soul. Tong Wanyan herself loves playing the zither, and she especially loves listening to Shi Xiuzhu's zither playing.
Their skill in playing the zither is like that of a master and a toddler learning to walk; Tong Wanyan is naturally the toddler.
However, Shi Xiuzhu was extremely strict about playing the zither. It depended on her mood and the environment; if anything was slightly unsuitable, she wouldn't play.
She was unusually happy today, and Tong Wanyan couldn't be happier.
Yuqing Palace is so small, but the sound of the guqin is extremely penetrating.
Walking on the bluestone path near Yuqing Palace, listening to the sparse and expansive sound of the zither, it was as if a crack was suddenly torn open in the oppressive atmosphere of the palace.
The First Princess Consort, who was on her way to pay her respects to Consort Hui, heard the clear sound of a zither from the corridor several walls away from Yuqing Palace, and her eyes were filled with envy.
"Consort Tong is a lucky person," the First Consort whispered.
The palace maid who was leading the way paused, pretending not to hear, and continued to walk ahead respectfully with her head bowed.
Everyone in the palace said that Consort Tong of Yuqing Palace was a very lucky person, but they didn't envy her.
Consort Tong's path was so smooth because she was intelligent. If an ordinary person had been in her shoes, they would probably have been half-dead or dead.
We can't just think about how well others are doing now and forget how difficult things were before.
Tong Wanyan learned about the story of the Grand Consort's visit to the palace to listen to Consort Hui's ramblings a few days later when she went to Ning Shou Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
It is said that Consort Hui had a nightmare the night before, dreaming that Yinti was in danger in Fuzhou, which frightened her so much that she dared not sleep all night. The next day, she hurriedly summoned the First Princess Consort to the palace and scolded her for not being able to keep her man, making Yinti unwilling to even stay at home.
The First Princess Consort felt extremely wronged; was it easy for her to stay alone in the capital?
Not only did she have to remember to go to the palace to pay her respects to her mother-in-law, but she also had to take care of her four daughters and Yinti's concubines in the household. In addition, she had to write letters and send things to Yinti in Fuzhou every month, fulfilling her duties as a virtuous wife.
Did you think that was all?
As the mistress of the house, she also had to manage the shops under her name, increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. There were dozens of shops, and just listening to the shopkeepers' reports would take two or three days.
With Yinqi not in the capital, as his primary wife, she had to be mindful of etiquette. She had to be careful about what gifts people gave her, avoiding anything that might offend them, and ensuring the gifts were appropriate to their tastes. Just because she was the wife of a prince didn't mean everyone had to fawn over her.
There are quite a few old princes in the imperial clan, as well as important officials in the court and protégés of Yinti. The relationships between these relatives and colleagues must be well maintained and not allowed to become estranged.
Even though servants lent a hand and did the rough work, there were still many things that caused the First Princess Consort to rack her brains.
She used to be able to discuss things with Yinqi, but now she does everything herself, and she's lost a lot of weight, which is much more effective than starving herself to lose weight.
When the Empress Dowager told Tong Wanyan about it, she also recounted all the grievances of the First Princess.
Tong Wanyan nodded in agreement, saying that the Empress Dowager had thought things through very well for her granddaughter-in-law.
But what good would all that meticulous planning do? The Empress Dowager wasn't Kangxi's biological mother, so she couldn't interfere in the affairs of Kangxi's harem. At most, she could bestow a few gifts and praise the Grand Consort for her filial piety when she entered the palace; that was all.
After the Empress Dowager finished complaining, Tong Wanyan smiled sweetly and said, "Even if you're a little tired, at least you'll feel more at ease. With my two older brothers in Fuzhou, the First Prince will be safe. If he were in the capital, Consort Hui would definitely be urging him to have a grandson every day. Now that he's not in the capital, Consort Hui can't urge him."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager clapped her hands and said, "That's right."
The old lady looked at Tong Wanyan with a kind and benevolent expression, full of relief: "Fortunately, you are a blessed person. You entered the palace with twins, and two years later you had Hongsheng. Whether in the palace or outside, those with offspring are always better off than those without, and those with sons are always better off than those without sons. Especially the royal family."
Tong Wanyan also sighed, "That's true. If it weren't for Tana and Hongzhao in the beginning, who knows what our situation would be like now."
Who knows, she might actually be a concubine's daughter from a collateral branch of the Tong family, and she'll have to wait until her next life to be recognized as a member of the main family.
Tong Wanyan and the Empress Dowager always got along very well, whispering in Mongolian, which the palace maids serving in the room couldn't understand. They only knew that the Empress Dowager was in a good mood, and was able to eat a few more bites of lunch because she didn't want to trouble the imperial physicians.
Princess Jiarong came to Ning Shou Palace at this time to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
The powerful princess's younger sister married the emperor's favorite minister, and Princess Jiarong's life was smooth sailing. Except for the fact that she went to the palace less often than before her marriage, everything else went well for her.
The Empress Dowager was also very pleased to see her; she liked girls with cheerful personalities.
After having a meal with the Empress Dowager, Princess Jiarong and Princess Shuo returned to Yuqing Palace together.
"I haven't seen you for several months after the New Year. Have you gained weight?" Tong Wanyan pinched the soft flesh around Jia Rong and Gege Shuo's waist and said bluntly without any formality.
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo gave her a coquettish glare, their faces, which had changed from oval to elliptical, were full of the comfort of a peaceful life.
“You’ve been spoiled rotten by the Crown Prince. My master says I’m plump and beautiful, and quite attractive.” Jia Rong and Princess Shuo were there to show off their affection.
Tong Wanyan, who spends all her time showering others with sweetness, isn't jealous of her at all: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When you complained about being heavily pregnant, didn't your brother say you looked your best?"
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo smiled broadly; she enjoyed hearing those words.
"I've come to tell you some good news. I'm pregnant." Jia Rong and Gege Shuo touched their barely visible bellies and smiled, their eyes crinkling.
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