After finally returning to the palace and enjoying a few days of luxurious life, Ruyu's beauty had not yet recovered when she was sent to the remote North Third Palace to be confined for life.
Consort Tong had no time to spare for Lady Chen; she was on the verge of tears.
She wanted to make a scene and protest, but a glance from Kangxi silenced her.
Consort Tong was politely asked to leave Yuqing Palace, while Lady Chen was directly led out of the palace by a eunuch, and from then on, she would have no further connection with the Forbidden City.
Before Tong Wanyan could finish showing off her power and utter a few quick words, everything was easily resolved by Kangxi.
She stared at Kangxi blankly, her sullen and dazed expression amusing him.
"Yuanbao looks beautiful in this outfit, so lively and adorable. I remember a while ago the Jiangnan textile workshop sent a batch of fabric to the palace; the colors are vibrant. I'll have someone send it over to you later." Emperor Kangxi was incredibly fond of Tong Wanyan.
Fortunately, Consort Tong wasn't here, otherwise she would have been so angry that she would have vomited three bowls of blood on the spot.
Tong Wanyan blushed and said shyly, "I'm already a mother of three. It's not really appropriate for me to dress up so flamboyantly."
"I think you're still quite childish. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have protected you very well. In a few years, people might even think you and Tana are sisters," Kangxi joked.
Tong Wanyan tugged at Yinreng's sleeve, winking mischievously, "Sisters are not allowed. Even if we change the generational ranking, we shouldn't be sisters."
Yinreng instantly understood. He smiled wryly and pleaded with Kangxi, "Father, please do something about your little cousin."
Shi Xiuzhu, who had been observing from the sidelines, had never seen Kangxi like this before.
In her memory, Kangxi was a cold-blooded monarch and a stern father. Except when he was being affectionate in front of his grandchildren, he was always a ruler and an emperor.
But thinking about it, the so-called grandparental affection seems to only extend to Tana, Hongzhao, and Hongsheng.
Although Yinti's daughters were quite adorable, Kangxi always treated them with a certain distance, unlike the three chubby boys in Yuqing Palace who were much more affectionate towards him.
Kangxi spoke a few words with Tong Wanyan and Yinreng before belatedly noticing Shi Xiuzhu sitting there.
His eyes flickered awkwardly, and he managed to stammer out, "The Crown Princess has done a very good job managing the harem for Bao Cheng."
Shi Xiuzhu revealed a standard royal smile, and said dignifiedly and modestly, "This is what a daughter-in-law should do, and I don't deserve your praise, Father Emperor."
Shi Xiuzhu performed her duties as Crown Princess so well that she was impeccable, which made Emperor Kangxi feel guilty.
If it were Yinreng favoring someone else, Kangxi could have given him a few words of reprimand, but when it came to Tong Wanyan, he simply couldn't bring himself to say those words.
Never mind, the Crown Princess didn't complain to him or her family, so let's just accept it.
Kangxi feigned ignorance and said, "I have asked the Imperial Concubine to send you a few old ginseng roots."
Ginseng is a good source of energy, and Emperor Kangxi treated Shi Xiuzhu like a subordinate.
Shi Xiuzhu smiled gently and said, "Sister Tong gave your daughter-in-law several ginseng roots of excellent quality. Your daughter-in-law has enough here."
After thinking about it, Emperor Kangxi realized that the ginseng he was going to give as a reward did not seem to be as effective as the ones Tong Wanyan had.
He appeared dignified, but inwardly embarrassed, and said, "Yuanbao'er's things are all good. Ginseng is a medicine, and accumulating too much of it is actually unlucky. In that case, I will bestow upon you something else."
Shi Xiuzhu unexpectedly received a reward from Emperor Kangxi and made a fortune; he couldn't help but smile.
"My daughter-in-law enjoys playing chess," Shi Xiuzhu casually reminded her.
Emperor Kangxi had just acquired a set of chess pieces made of jade, which he greatly admired.
Judging from Shi Xiuzhu's implied meaning, it seemed that he had his eye on his favorite.
Kangxi's tense face stiffened slightly: "It's a good thing that you enjoy playing chess; it's a sign of refinement."
Yinreng stepped forward at the opportune moment to act as a caring son, saying, "Father, the Western flowers planted in the newly opened garden of Yuqing Palace in early spring have already bloomed. Would you do me the honor of going to see them and see what my taste is like?"
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