When the Emperor returned to the capital, the city became even more bustling, but this bustle seemed to inadvertently bring Yuqing Palace to the forefront.
After His Majesty returned to the capital, Empress Dowager Cining Palace spoke on behalf of the Crown Prince, saying that since it was His Majesty's birthday, His Majesty should grant him the temporary release from confinement and allow him to leave Yuqing Palace to celebrate with his son.
But His Majesty seemed not to understand, only saying that on His Majesty's birthday, the Crown Prince need not reflect on his mistakes, but should enjoy the pleasure for now.
What else is there to be happy about?
On the day of the emperor's birthday, the quiet Yuqing Palace seemed out of place amidst the sleeping, majestic palace of the Forbidden City.
On March 18th, Li Chenjiao naturally entered the palace, and the women from each family brought their children.
The group first arrived at Cining Palace, but there were so many noblewomen from various families that people like Li Chenjiao could only wait in the side hall of Cining Palace, as could women from the Zhaojia clan, the Cao clan, and the Guarjia clan from the Fifth Prince's residence.
However, the group didn't dare to speak much while standing together, since there were quite a few women in the side hall, and they couldn't chat as casually as usual.
After finally managing to chat and laugh, Li Chenjiao recognized quite a few people with the surname Guarjia, so she asked Guarjia for their names.
Guarjia exclaimed "Oh dear!" once, then, feeling embarrassed, spoke up anyway.
"...Yun Niu." Her family all called her Yun Niu.
In Manchu and Mongolian cultures, calling one's daughter "Niu Niu" is a way of showing affection and tenderness. Li Chenjiao had known several girls named "San Niu," "Wu Niu," and "Niu Niu" when she was still a young lady.
It sounds especially warm and familiar now.
After leaving Cining Palace, Li Chenjiao pulled the Second Princess and called out with a smile, "Man Niu, Man Niu."
The little girl, though confused, responded crisply to her mother's call. Her childish voice prompted the Fourth Prince to respond softly as well.
Hearing this, Li Chenjiao pinched his shoulder: "Oh dear, where's our playful girl? Playful girl, play..."
She was laughing heartily as she spoke, her face beaming with joy.
At first, the Fourth Prince would respond a few times, but later, as if he noticed something from the expressions of Granny Qiu Hu and the others behind him, he became sullen and stopped responding.
Upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, it was naturally bustling again, and Li Chenjiao, as usual, stood aside as if she were invisible.
Apart from being a little more lively than usual, Yonghe Palace was no different from other places.
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony at the front, there was singing and dancing, and various Mongol tribes presented birthday gifts, which greatly pleased the Emperor.
However, the Fourth Prince, sitting at the lower end of the table and observing the ceremony, suddenly frowned halfway through.
The list of birthday gifts presented by the various Mongol tribes was something the Fourth Prince had already seen before his father, the Emperor, returned to the capital. He had glanced at it once while at the Ministry of Rites, and then looked at it more carefully during the two days he spent at the Court of State Ceremonial, confirming that there were no items that would offend or offend the emperor.
So, as the birthday gifts were being presented one by one, the Fourth Prince keenly sensed something was amiss.
The birthday gifts were fewer, most notably from the Duerbote tribe, Xilin Gol tribe, and Khorchin tribe, as well as some smaller tribes. Fourth Master had a vague feeling that something was missing, but it was just some small items.
However, the few large items missing from the first few tribes were too conspicuous, and Fourth Master could tell something was wrong with just a glance.
Looking down at the Minister of Rites and officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, the Fourth Prince noticed from afar that the expressions on the faces of several of them were not quite right.
That proves that it wasn't that the Fourth Prince misremembered, but rather that the birthday gifts presented by the various Mongol tribes were indeed less than expected.
It's unclear whether the Emperor has seen the gift list or not, but his expression remains normal at this moment.
The Fourth Prince didn't quite believe that anyone would dare to embezzle the birthday gifts that the various Mongol tribes were offering to the Emperor. He raised his hand slightly and made a gesture, and Su Peisheng, who was behind the Fourth Prince, quietly withdrew.
The Fourth Prince was on tenterhooks over the luncheon. All the officials were present at the luncheon, while the dinner was more like a family banquet, with only some relatives and princes and grandsons of the emperor.
After the luncheon, the Minister of Revenue found the Fourth Prince. Although he was not from the Ministry of Rites, he had connections in the officialdom. Since it was inconvenient for the Minister of Rites to come to the Fourth Prince, he naturally asked the Minister of Revenue to come to the Fourth Prince.
"The items were all complete when they were sent out from the Court of State Ceremonial, but somehow some were missing when they arrived at the palace. Fourth Prince, what should we do?"
The Fourth Prince waved his hand to interrupt the Minister of Revenue: "Was it the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial who delivered the birthday gifts? Who handled them in between? Were the people detained? The gifts couldn't have vanished into thin air. What roads did they travel along the way?"
The Minister of Revenue wiped the sweat from his brow: "Ah, the people have been detained, and the route has been searched. But as you know, Fourth Prince, those were all large items. It's really hard to believe they just vanished..."
The Fourth Prince frowned and asked again, "Have you reported to Father Emperor?"
The Minister of Revenue fell silent, only shaking his head quietly.
The Fourth Prince now understood the situation. He pondered for a moment and said, "Keep the person detained. I will report to Father Emperor later for a thorough investigation. The Court of State Ceremonies and the Ministry of Rites cannot escape responsibility for this matter. First, prepare a memorial of apology."
Even the Fourth Master didn't have the extraordinary means to save the person.
The Minister of Revenue breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, I understand. I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Fourth Prince. I take my leave."
It was already quite remarkable that Fourth Master would step forward to explain this matter.
At this moment, there were quite a few court officials who had gone to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to offer their birthday wishes. After all, since the birthday gifts concerned the Emperor's face, the Fourth Prince was not in a hurry to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to make his point.
The Minister of Revenue left quickly, leaving only Su Peisheng by the Fourth Prince's side.
"Is everything alright at Yuqing Palace?"
Su Peisheng said, "It's been a bit quiet these past two days."
The Emperor's attitude determined everyone's attitude, and Yuqing Palace inevitably became deserted.
However, the Fourth Prince suddenly felt uneasy. He calmly headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but as he approached it, he realized that the unease he felt was called panic.
He stopped in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, only to see Liang Jiugong walking quickly outside.
Fourth Master's heart skipped a beat again, and his unease intensified.
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