Relieving her envious feelings, the First Princess Consort slowly and deliberately said, "He is my father's eldest brother."
Yinreng frowned: "The patriarch of the Irgen Gioro clan?"
Yinreng, being a man, wasn't very familiar with the inner workings of his subjects' families, but Tong Wanyan immediately recognized who it was.
She gently nudged Yinreng with her hand, signaling him not to get agitated.
“The First Lady must be referring to Lord Irgen Gioro’s youngest legitimate daughter,” Tong Wanyan said.
Given her current status and Tong Ruita's promising future, the title of "Imperial Daughter and Grand Consort" is something she cannot bring herself to say.
Could it be that the Crown Prince's first concubine's half-brother can only marry a concubine's daughter from another family? Is this disrespectful to the Crown Prince?
“The concubine Minhui is indeed that girl. Her birth mother is a second wife, not of higher status than the first wife’s daughter. Her uncle dotes on this youngest daughter, whom he had in middle age, and is unwilling to marry her off to a family that is not good for living a good life,” the First Consort said slowly.
The status of a second wife's youngest legitimate daughter is indeed awkward.
In a family, the eldest daughter holds the highest status and often marries the best. The eldest son of a prominent family usually marries the eldest daughter as his principal wife. This is a form of marriage between equals.
According to the First Princess Consort, the head of the Irgen Gioro clan would certainly not be willing to let his youngest daughter marry his good-for-nothing second son. The promising ones are either already engaged or too young to be a suitable match.
Thus, Tong Ruita was chosen by someone by chance.
Thinking back to a letter from a few months ago in which Tong Fujin expressed her concerns about Tong Ruita's marriage, Tong Wanyan was somewhat inclined to accept what the Grand Fujin had said.
The First Princess Consort clearly saw the stirring in Tong Wanyan's eyes.
She pressed on, saying, "My cousin is well-behaved and gentle. Although she is a little spoiled, she is sensible and not willful. As for her talent and virtue, her mother grew up in Jiangnan and learned a lot of poetry, books and needlework from the Han people. Not only that, she is also very pretty and stands out among the girls in the family."
The eldest princess's cousin was perfect in every way, without a single flaw, as beautiful as a celestial being.
Take only seven-tenths of the self-praise as gospel. Tong Wanyan said, “Such a good girl is fortunate to have taken a liking to my second brother. However, I am already married and can no longer make decisions at home. If the First Princess doesn’t mind, I will send a letter to my father and mother to let them know.”
“That’s enough. We’re both just messengers; as for how things turn out, it’s up to them. I don’t usually like doing this, but the concubine is upright and of noble character. A family that can raise such a daughter must be good.” The First Consort spoke tactfully.
The lively conversation between the First Princess and Tong Wanyan highlighted the good relationship between the brothers Yinti and Yinreng.
Emperor Kangxi would occasionally glance at Yinreng, inevitably drawing his attention.
He recalled that whenever Tong Wanyan and the First Princess were present at a banquet, Yinreng and Yinti were always much more well-behaved.
The brothers watched with bated breath, heartbroken, even though it was all Kangxi's own doing.
After serving several new dishes, Kangxi said, "What are the Crown Prince and Baoqing talking about so happily? Hongzhao and Tana are not here today, and the eldest son's maid is nowhere to be found either."
Yinti felt a pang of sadness. The Crown Prince's children all had names and surnames, while his family only had maids.
Feeling distressed, Yinqi was unable to respond to Kangxi's words immediately.
Consort Hui, who was nearby, answered for him: "The eldest princess of Baoqing's family caught a cold a few nights ago and was feeling unwell. Although she is better today, she is still a child, so we didn't let her come."
Emperor Kangxi nodded in agreement. He didn't care that much about his granddaughter; he just needed to know that she didn't have any major problems.
"By New Year's Eve next year, Hongzhao will be able to run away, as will Baoqing's. Our family will be even more lively then," Kangxi said with a smile.
“There’s no need to wait a year. In another six months, Hongzhao and Tana will be able to walk and make a fuss. They’re already capable of tearing the house apart. My son is even afraid that in a few years, Yuqing Palace will be destroyed by them,” Yinreng said loudly.
"If you demolish it, I will build you a better one. It will be a blessing for you that your children can be lively and healthy," Kangxi said.
What a generous and doting father he was, apart from Yinreng, no one else could laugh.
We should cherish every grain of rice and every bowl of porridge, remembering how hard it was to obtain; we should remember the difficulty in making even the smallest thread or strand of cloth.
These words were written by Emperor Kangxi on New Year's Eve three years ago, to admonish the Eight Banners descendants not to live extravagantly and to remember to practice frugality.
The difference in treatment should be done discreetly, not openly in front of everyone. It would only make them feel worse.
Yinti drank a cup of wine with a bitter feeling in his heart. Even the wine at the New Year's Eve banquet was low-alcohol yellow rice wine. You could forget about the strong liquor that people could use to drown their sorrows.
"My lady, did Father Emperor ever say such a thing to our family?" Yinti wanted to tell the First Lady that Emperor Kangxi was biased.
The First Princess skillfully comforted him: "It's my fault for not being able to give you a son. Boys are more lively, unlike girls."
"Don't blame the First Princess, it was I who conceived the seed, how can you blame the First Princess? I'll keep trying when we get back tonight, and I'll make sure you give me a legitimate son." Yinqi felt sorry for the First Princess and said some rather reckless things.
The First Princess blushed with embarrassment, but fortunately, Yinti was quite sober and spoke softly, so that only they could hear him.
Tong Wanyan, being quick-witted, overheard the First Princess's words.
She thought to herself, "The culprit behind Yuqing Palace is the chubby girl Tana, not the little fat boy Hongzhao."
Emperor Kangxi was exceptionally talented; at the end of the New Year's Eve banquet, he composed a poem on the spot.
Tonight, a banquet is held under the red curtains, where dear relatives gather in large numbers. The offering of tangerines is fitting for this festive season, and the stroll along the reeds is a joyous celebration of spring. The fragrance of red snail shells wafts heavy, and the light of newly lit candles flickers. There's no need to sing of the dew-kissed moon; the bright moon is enough to keep us here.
The free and unrestrained calligraphy, written on rice paper, drew genuine applause and admiration from the crowd.
As night deepened, the palace gates reopened, and everyone took their rewards home to offer as sacrifices.
Yinreng and Tong Wanyan got into the sedan chair together and went back, while Yinti also returned hand in hand with his primary wife.
Emperor Kangxi looked at the expectant concubines, but did not summon any of them.
He missed the time when Hesheli was by his side, and even when his cousin came to be with him later, it still couldn't compare to the tacit understanding between the young couple.
Emperor Kangxi suffered from insomnia for most of the night, and finally fell asleep when dawn broke, he was so tired that he could hardly sleep.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Emperor Kangxi resumed writing and seal-making.
Early in the morning, Emperor Kangxi took a black lacquered brush with the inscription "Bestow Blessings upon All Living Beings" and dipped it in cinnabar to write the character "福" (blessing).
As was customary, the first "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character written by Emperor Kangxi was solemnly sealed away and never opened, to symbolize the preservation of good fortune.
The next character written, "福" (fortune/blessing), was bestowed upon princes and ministers according to their closeness or distance in relation to the emperor.
Yinreng was the first to receive the "Fu" character, and the remaining "Fu" characters were then sent out by the eunuchs in a carriage.
When Tong Wanyan woke up, she felt something hard against her side.
She groggily opened her eyes, threw back the covers, and immediately woke up.
"Is there any lucky money this year?" Tong Wanyan asked with a beaming smile.
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