Emperor Kangxi was deeply impressed by the delicious hot pot meal he enjoyed.
That evening, as usual, he sat at his desk reviewing memorials, but found he couldn't concentrate on reading them. His stomach felt bloated, and the incense had a magical effect that made him drowsy.
Emperor Kangxi looked up and drank the tea that Liang Jiugong had served. He then turned to Liang Jiugong and said, "This hot pot is quite interesting. Go and find out where it came from and from whom?"
Normally, he wouldn't have bothered with such a trivial matter, but considering his current relationship with Bao Cheng, and the pleasant dinner he had enjoyed, he naturally became interested.
Bao Cheng has become increasingly close to him recently. The two used to be somewhat distant because Emperor Kangxi didn't know how to get along with him. In addition, he was busy with official duties and usually appeared serious, which made him intimidating.
But now Bao Cheng is becoming more and more sensible. As he grows older, he also starts to act spoiled in front of him. This childlike appearance makes Emperor Kangxi happy.
"Yes, sir." Liang Jiugong went down.
After thinking it over, Emperor Kangxi decided that since he couldn't continue reviewing memorials, he might as well take a stroll in the Imperial Garden.
Fortunately, Jingrou had already prepared an excuse, saying that she had accidentally found the recipe in a book. He was still young, and even if his speech was a little incoherent, it wouldn't arouse suspicion.
Jingrou's father, Lord Guo Luoluo, had traveled to many places in the past, accumulating several boxes full of strange and unusual books, all of which Jingrou brought back after Lord Guo Luoluo passed away.
Jingrou was illiterate, of course, but with a literate maidservant by her side, she was able to recognize a few characters.
Prince An and the others didn't touch those books; they piled them all up with Jingrou, waiting for her to grow up so she could read them properly.
However, it's not surprising that Jingrou likes to mess around with strange things. Her wet nurse was also specifically instructed to give Jingrou her own private space, so no one found it strange and accepted the reason without question.
Because of Prince An's control over the dissemination, others wouldn't care who the recipe came from. However, this couldn't be kept from Emperor Kangxi's special investigation, and the matter was brought to Emperor Kangxi's desk the next day.
Meanwhile, the weapon made using Prince An's blueprints had also been researched and perfected. When its power was first tested, it astonished everyone, and they became fervent in its presence.
The Minister of Works and the Minister of War were overjoyed. The Minister of War even came to Emperor Kangxi three times in just one week, fearing that he would stop the research from continuing or give it to someone else, which would annoy him to no end.
The Minister of War wanted to ensure that this matter was clearly resolved so that this powerful weapon could be used in the campaign against the Dzungars.
Although the blueprints were provided by Prince An, he did not claim credit for them, and Emperor Kangxi had no intention of attributing such a thing to Prince An—this kind of thing, which was like a secret weapon of the Qing Dynasty, could not be used to further enhance Prince An's reputation.
"Is she Princess Nalan's daughter?" Emperor Kangxi pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke. He hadn't expected that such a young girl would be the one to propose something like this.
He did remember this little girl; he hadn't expected her to be three or four years old and so intelligent…
"Your Majesty, that's right! I heard that Little Princess is in good health and has become even more lively and adorable. When she last entered the palace, the Empress Dowager was very fond of her!" Knowing that the Emperor intended to praise her, Liang Jiugong also complimented her.
Emperor Kangxi nodded. The young girl had also come to the last banquet, but Emperor Kangxi hadn't paid much attention to her.
He turned the ring on his finger, and it seemed that the thing he had been thinking about earlier was starting to make sense.
If Prince An truly dotes on that little girl, he wouldn't hesitate to bestow a favor upon her.
But thinking about it, it's obvious that the person who took her to Prince An's residence to be cared for after Princess Nalan's passing must have doted on her very much...
He went to see Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang that very day.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also had some impression of Jingrou.
"Minghui is four years old now, so the two of them are the same age," Emperor Kangxi said thoughtfully.
Princess Minghui was the daughter of a concubine, but the concubine died in childbirth. The young girl had a difficult life in the palace and was neglected by the palace servants. Later, the Empress Dowager happened to see this and took pity on her. Now, she is being raised by the Empress Dowager's side.
For the busy Emperor Kangxi, he had little impression of his daughters, except for Minghui, whom he was somewhat familiar with and cared for.
“Mingying is six years old…” Compared to Emperor Kangxi, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was more familiar with those girls.
Emperor Kangxi nodded, "Although it's a bit early, it's time to discipline them... It won't do any harm for these princesses to study for a few years..." Emperor Kangxi attached great importance to Confucianism, not only for the princes who started learning to read and write at the age of three, but also for the princesses, he had long prepared to leave space for them in the study.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded in agreement. In the future, the vast majority of Qing princesses would be sent to pacify Mongolia. They would study more and take better care of their health so that they would not be deceived in the future and would not be unable to endure the environment in Mongolia.
"Princess Nalan has been gone for so many years, her daughter should also be granted a favor." Prince An's daughter could certainly be called a princess, not to mention that Princess Nalan was bestowed the title by Emperor Shunzhi.
However, after that, there was no rule that any title had to be given; everything depended on the monarch's favor.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded. Whether it was the favors they owed to Prince An's lineage, the crucial blueprints, or the little girl's liveliness and charm, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was willing to grant her such an honor.
“Princess…” Then we should consider what kind of honor to bestow upon her.
Emperor Kangxi shook his head. Last year, the Qing Dynasty arranged two marriages with the Khorchin, sending away the daughter of another prince. That princess was only granted the title of princess upon marriage. The prince had a fiery temper, so it would be unreasonable to grant her the title of county princess without cause, and it would also easily cause the clan to become disunited.
Of course, she wasn't granted the title of princess without reason, but that's how it was perceived by others, since the real reason couldn't be made public.
However, it is certainly not enough to only appoint one county lord.
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