The next day, Consort Yi suddenly invited Tong Wanyan to meet her at Yikun Palace.
At that time, Tong Wanyan was in Ning Shou Palace talking with the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had a good impression of Consort Yi, and thinking that the harem was still ruled by Kangxi's concubines, she sent Tong Wanyan.
In front of Tong Wanyan, Consort Yi never acted like an elder.
She now commands the air of the head of the four concubines, and her word is practically law in the harem.
However, she knew in her heart that she was merely a woman favored by Emperor Kangxi, while the Crown Prince was the apple of his eye, the continuation that Empress Hesheli had brought to the emperor.
Throughout his life, Emperor Kangxi truly loved only two women. One was Empress Hesheli, his childhood sweetheart who had weathered the storms of fighting against Oboi and assuming power alongside him. The other was his cousin, Lady Tongjia, who was his childhood sweetheart but could not bear him any children.
The Crown Prince doted on Tong Wanyan, and Tongjia also loved her younger relatives when she was alive.
Emperor Kangxi loved Tong Wanyan so much that he extended his affection to her as well.
Knowing that Tong Wanyan's future was unattainable, Consort Yi's attitude was naturally kind and approachable.
When Tong Wanyan entered and bowed to Consort Yi, she was helped up before she could even squat down.
Consort Yi laughed heartily: "You honest girl, there are no outsiders here, so there's no need for such formalities. Come and sit next to me, you must be tired from the journey."
“You are my elder, and I cannot be rude to you,” Tong Wanyan said with a gentle smile.
Consort Yi's smile deepened, and as Tong Wanyan sat down, the palace maids in the room were dismissed.
"I heard that someone sent someone to the Crown Prince?" Consort Yi whispered.
Consort Yi's words made Tong Wanyan's heart skip a beat.
What people in the palace hear is basically the absolute truth. They're only saying it to avoid making any absolute statements, just to have a way out.
Tong Wanyan was inwardly turbulent, shocked by the source of Consort Yi's information, but she didn't show it on her face, maintaining her gentle and dignified demeanor.
Consort Yi nodded approvingly. This was truly the demeanor of a great lady; no wonder the Crown Prince liked her.
“You don’t need to panic. This is news from my family. You know that the Guoluo clan is an old Manchu surname, and large families have close ties through marriage. As long as it’s not something that’s being kept secret, it’s very easy to find out. But if I may say something, in the current situation, the Crown Prince should be cautious. Although the Crown Prince is upright, if too much mud is thrown at him, even if you wash away the mud, the marks will still remain.” Consort Yi spoke frankly.
Tong Wanyan smiled faintly and remained silent. Even though what the concubine said was touching, she still didn't show any emotion.
Consort Yi had no choice but to continue, "I have two sons. The Fifth Prince was raised by the Empress Dowager, and you have met him. He speaks Mongolian fluently, but his Manchu and Chinese are halting. He'll be content to be a prince without a job for the rest of his life."
"The other little one, although only five years old, is always causing chaos and climbing on the roof, which shows he is not a steady person. I shouldn't be telling you these things, but there is a connection between people. From the first moment I saw you, I liked you very much. Your high regard for the Crown Prince was conveyed to me, and thus I made a good connection."
With such skillful maneuvering, Tong Wanyan had to admit why Emperor Kangxi doted on her so much.
She's cheerful, bright, and knows her limits—who wouldn't like her?
Tong Wanyan smiled slightly: "Perhaps there is some misunderstanding. Our master is very upright and has been so busy lately that he has no time to spare for beauties. Even if he has a little bit of free time, he goes back to Yuqing Palace to accompany the two little devils. You don't know, that child Tana is just as lively as the Tenth Prince. She has been incredibly lively since she was little."
"You're still young. It's better for the child to be a little mischievous and strong!" Consort Yi followed Tong Wanyan's lead and changed the subject.
When the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were mentioned, Consort Yi spoke at length about them.
The two princes were born in the same year, only differing in month.
Somehow, the two little babies hit it off from birth.
Every time the Tenth Prince saw the Ninth Prince, he would grin happily, and without the Ninth Prince even having to ask, he would willingly become his shadow.
Logically speaking, the concubines in the harem would not want their sons to become dependent on another prince. However, Consort Niohuru was happy to see this happen and did not feel that it lowered the status of the Tenth Prince.
When the topic of Consort Niohuru came up, Tong Wanyan was puzzled for a long time.
According to historical facts, she should have been made a Noble Consort at the end of the 20th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
However, when Lady Tongjia was conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort, she remained a concubine.
Fortunately, she was the younger sister of Empress Xiaozhaoren, from a powerful family, and there was also a concubine named Xiaotongjia in the palace, so she was not looked down upon.
"Just remember this: when children misbehave, it's mostly because they're spoiled. A good beating will do the trick! No matter how precious a prince or princess is, they still need to be taught properly."
In the end, Consort Yi used her years of experience to give Tong Wanyan a wise summary of how to deal with unruly children.
"I've learned a lot," Tong Wanyan sincerely thanked Consort Yi.
"I'm the mother of several children, so I know more than you. Come visit me more often in the future, and I'll tell you more," Consort Yi said with a smile.
Unaware of what was happening in Yuqing Palace, Tana and Hongzhao had no idea that their mother had learned a new trick. Now she was still causing trouble for people, laughing incessantly.
After leaving Yikun Palace, Tong Wanyan looked up at the white clouds in the sky, with the sun hiding behind them, and smiled contentedly.
With a hint of intuition, after Tong Wanyan returned to Yuqing Palace, Tana and Hongzhao were incredibly well-behaved. There was no reason for her to even try the new tricks she had learned from Consort Yi.
The twins were incredibly cute, with fair, round faces and big, smiling eyes that were so sweet they melted your heart.
Tong Wanyan coaxed the two little ones for a while until they fell asleep before looking at the accounts presented by Granny Ling. Yuqing Palace was not large, and even with Consort Li's assistance, managing it was not a simple matter.
When Yinreng returned, the moon was already high in the sky and the night was deep.
He pushed open the door and looked at Tong Wanyan, who was sitting on the tatami reading a book, with surprise: "Xiao Yan, you're not asleep yet?"
The dim lighting made Tong Wanyan, with her serene face, appear even more like a fairy or a spirit.
Tong Wanyan smiled faintly and tossed the book aside: "Master has worked hard all day, I want to wait for you to rest together."
What touching words! Yinreng almost shed tears of happiness.
“It’s alright if I’m a little tired. It’s worth it for Xiao Yan,” Yinreng said.
Yinreng looked touched: "It's alright if I'm a little tired."
Looking at him like this, Tong Wanyan thought for a moment and then told the truth: "Actually, I ate too much at night and I was so full that I couldn't sleep."
What a painful truth! Yinreng clutched his chest, feeling as if he had been shot through the heart by an arrow.
“Xiao Yan, sometimes you don’t have to be so blunt,” Yinreng said helplessly.
Tong Wanyan winked mischievously: "My father taught me from a young age that a good girl shouldn't lie. Even so, my heart truly belongs to you, Master!"
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