Chapter 211: Madam Qi’s Second Army Arrives in the Coldest December…
The army set out in December, the coldest month of the year. Qi Buchen did not go to watch the fun, but only heard from those who came back that the farewell ceremony was grand and spectacular, and Fourteen was wearing armor and looked very high-spirited.
The second half of the sentence was said by Yinzhen, and Qi Buchen always felt that there was something strange in the way he said it.
"Are you cold?" Qi Buchen touched the back of his neck, which was warm.
Yinzhen sat cross-legged on the couch: "This winter is not that cold."
That's true. After living in Beijing for so many years, this winter is rare to be warm, mainly because there aren't so many biting winds.
Qi Buchen sat down opposite him and said, "There's news from the palace. The Emperor is planning to confer titles on the harem before the New Year."
Yinzhen wasn't surprised. The seventh and twelfth sons had been assigned to the Eight Banners, and the fifteenth and seventeenth sons had been married for several years and had children. It was time to mention their biological mother's identity: "Prepare the gifts for me."
Qi Buchen nodded. This matter had always been her responsibility. "I was thinking of giving Honghui's wife sick leave during the New Year holiday this year and not letting her enter the palace."
Entering the palace every year is a hassle for many people. Now that it is the early part of the month and it is the coldest time of the year, Fan Zhengya dare not make any trouble.
Yinzhen didn't care: "I'll listen to you."
After chatting a little more about preparations for the New Year, the two went to bed.
Before New Year's Eve, Kangxi's decree to confer titles on the concubines in the harem was conveyed to all places. The first one to be conferred was not the biological mother of any prince, but Hepin, the most favored concubine in the past ten years. Oh, now she should be called Hefei.
After them came Concubine Cheng, the mother of the seventh prince, and Concubine Xuan, the niece of Concubine Dao of Emperor Taizu. The rest were all concubines, including Concubine Ding, the mother of the twelfth prince, Concubine Mi, the mother of the fifteenth and sixteenth princes, and Concubine Qin, the mother of the seventeenth prince.
With three concubines and three imperial concubines, the gifts could not be simple. Moreover, since it was the New Year, another 30% was added to the original gift list and sent to the palace.
Fortunately, because it was the New Year, the newly promoted queen could not move the palace, so Qi Buchen didn't have to run a few miles during the New Year.
After the New Year, Qi Buchen took a good rest for two days before she recovered, which forced her to admit that she was indeed old.
"Mother is not old at all. She looks just like my sister." Fan Zhengya has been pregnant for three months. The imperial physician said that she is doing well, so she is no longer overly cautious and often comes to the main courtyard to pay her respects.
Qi Buchen scolded her: "Your mouth is really smeared with honey."
Fan Zhengya smiled and said, "That was also the honey given by my mother."
Qi Buchen snorted and laughed, not wanting to argue with her. He asked with routine concern: "How are you? Are you feeling unwell? Or is there anything you want to eat, play, or do?"
Fan Zhengya's smile widened: "Everything is fine, mother, don't worry about me, you should worry more about my three younger brothers."
Qi Buchen was confused: "Huh?"
Fan Zhengya covered her mouth and laughed, "Mother really forgot." Seeing that her mother-in-law was still confused, she talked about the people from her family who came to see her a few days ago. "My mother said that the doorstep of our house was almost broken by people during the first month of the year. They all came to my mother to inquire about the marriages of my three younger brothers, and some asked my mother to help them mediate."
Qi Buchen suddenly realized that before she knew it, the triplets were already sixteen years old. As a mother, she certainly felt that her children were still young, but in the eyes of others, they should be getting married at this age. It just so happened that this year was the once-in-three-years talent show, so she must be anxious.
She was not exaggerating, her three sons were now the best marriage candidates in Beijing, and countless ladies in the house were eyeing them.
In fact, there have been many people who have been trying to please her in the past two years, but she dismissed them all on the grounds that their children were too young. Unexpectedly, they all went to Fan Zhengya's parents' home to find connections.
"Thank you for your hard work, mother-in-law." Qi Buchen said with a smile, "Later, I should ask Honghui to go and fix the threshold for Master Fan himself."
Fan Zhengya smiled and said, "Mother is right. As the elder brother, my husband should shoulder this responsibility."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were very unhappy about working together to trick Honghui. After Fan Zhengya mentioned this, she didn't say anything more, nor did she say that her relatives from her mother's side also wanted to marry into Prince Yong's palace, and her mother didn't let her say it.
When Yinzhen came back, he saw a table full of names laid out by his wife.
"What are you looking for?" He picked up a book and flipped through it. He found that it was a list of gifts given to various families a long time ago. He was a little puzzled, "What are you looking through?"
Qi Buchen pounded his waist: "It's all for your son."
Yinzhen raised an eyebrow: "Have Hongyu and the others caused trouble again?"
Qi Buchen snorted: "That's not the case."
Yinzhen sat down beside her, put his hand on her waist, and waited for her to speak.
"Hey, isn't the talent show in May? Hongyu and the others are sixteen years old. I'm afraid we'll have to decide this time." Qi Buchen sighed, "I just want to see which girls of the right age will be selected this year."
Yinzhen frowned, looking at the gift lists: "...Looking through these?"
"Yeah." Qi Buchen said as a matter of course, "Let's see which families have girls of the right age and ask around in advance."
The corners of Yinzhen's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but say, "Isn't the Imperial Household Department's list more convenient than this?"
Still turning the pages here.
Qi Buchen: “…”
"Does the Ministry of Internal Affairs have a list?"
"otherwise?"
"Can I have it?"
"Why not?"
The two looked at each other, and Qi Buchen got angry: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Yinzhen: "...I don't know that you don't know...Okay, it's my fault, it's all my fault, calm down, calm down."
After much coaxing and promising to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in person to get the list, I finally passed this hurdle.
After wiping off the non-existent sweat, Yinzhen looked at Lin Changqing, who had been there for a while and had been trying to suppress his laughter. "What's the matter?"
Lin Changqing straightened his already serious expression and said, "My Lord, someone just came to deliver a plain note to Duke Cheng'en's residence. Duke Cheng'en passed away this morning."
Tong Guowei is dead?
Qi Buchen was a little dazed. She had rarely heard this name in recent years and almost forgot about this person.
Yinzhen frowned slightly: "I understand, go and arrange the time."
Tong Guowei was Kangxi's uncle after all, and was considered their legitimate elder, so he had to go and burn incense in person.
Qi Buchen followed along.
Stepping into the gate of Duke Cheng'en's Mansion, Qi Buchen looked around. She had not been to this mansion many times in all these years. Now the whole yard was covered with white cloth, and she could not see anything.
After turning a few corridors, we arrived at the mourning hall, where Longkodo was.
"Fourth Prince." Longkodo bowed and led the two of them to pay their respects.
After offering incense, the host family would serve vegetarian meals according to custom, and at this time, separate tables for men and women. Longkodo turned around and beckoned, "Madam, come here."
Qi Buchen's eyebrows jumped when he saw Li Si'er sitting in the wheelchair made by his family.
Longkodo continued, "Go sit with the Fourth Lady."
It was clearly a funeral, but Li Si'er smiled warmly: "Fourth Lady, please come this way."
Yinzhen's face looked grim. If he wasn't in front of Tong Guowei's spirit at this moment, he would definitely have turned his face away and walked away.
Qi Buchen curled his lips, not even glancing at Li Si'er. "Master Tong, why isn't Hesheli Fujin here? Has she gone to rest because she's too sad? I'll go see her. And the wife of Duke Cheng'en should also pay her respects. Master Tong, please ask a maid to lead the way."
Li Si'er's face fell in shock, but Longkodo remained calm. "Hesheli has been bedridden for many years and cannot see guests. My mother is so sad that she is still in a coma and cannot see guests either. Fourth Lady, please come and sit with my wife. Please."
Li Si'er immediately said, "Fourth Lady, what do you mean by this? Do you think I am unqualified to receive you? But these past two days, I have received all the officials sent by the Emperor to handle the funeral. I don't understand. Could it be that you, Fourth Lady, are more valuable than the Emperor?"
Yinzhen's face turned completely black. What kind of person is this? He dared to mention the emperor all the time and even dared to use the emperor to pressure his wife.
He raised his eyelids and said, "Master Tong, the mansion of Duke Cheng'en is so big, but now they can't even find a lady who can receive guests? Duke Cheng'en just passed away, and the mansion has fallen into such a state. If the emperor knew about this, he would be so sad."
Longkodo narrowed his eyes and said, "Fourth Prince is right. The Emperor is currently busy on the front lines, working day and night. He really shouldn't be bothered with such trivial matters."
The two looked at each other, and sparks seemed to flicker between them.
Qi Buchen didn't want Yinzhen to be upset because of someone like Li Si'er, so he said, "Master, since the host family is not convenient, we should be understanding. Now that we have paid our respects to Lord Cheng'en, why not return home?"
Yinzhen summoned his last bit of reserve—he bowed and said, “Goodbye.”
Longkodo hadn't said anything yet, but Li Si'er was visibly anxious: "Hey, how can you just leave like this? Even the vegetarian food is useless. You are still the princess, how can you be so rude!"
Qi Buchen finally gave Li Si'er her first proper look of the day. She raised her chin slightly and looked down at Li Si'er sitting in the wheelchair, her tone full of undisguised contempt: "Who do you think you are? How dare you talk about 'courtesy' to this princess?"
Yinzhen directly grabbed Qi Buchen's forearm, turned around and left without even looking at the two people in front of him. Qi Buchen, of course, followed his husband's lead.
Li Si'er's angry voice came from behind: "Master, look at them, they clearly don't take you and Ama seriously!"
Qi Buchen laughed sarcastically. Calling him "Ama" was really easy. He didn't know whether Tong Guowei would agree in the underworld.
After leaving the gate of Duke Cheng'en's Mansion, Yinzhen let out a long sigh. If he hadn't been so well-mannered over the years, he would have had someone drag that Li Si'er away on the spot.
Sitting in the carriage, Yinzhen's face was uncertain: "Longkodo, now he is becoming more and more arrogant and domineering."
Yinzhen was a man who attached great importance to rules. In his eyes, someone of Li Si'er's status was not even worth a plaything. But now she was openly attending the funeral of a national hero as a "lady of the imperial court". How could he not be angry?
What made him even more dissatisfied was the attitude of Longkodo reflected behind this. Longkodo clearly did not take the royal family seriously at all. If he had any respect for the royal family, he would not dare to call Li Si'er "Fujin" in front of him.
Qi Buchen was also angry, not because of the rules or her status as a concubine, but simply because of Li Si'er and the "Hesheli" who had been bedridden for many years in Longkodo's words.
She frowned and said to Yinzhen, "Have someone check what's happening with Longkodo's wife, Hesheli. Is she really bedridden, or is she letting Li Si'er..."
Yinzhen frowned and said, "You think too much. Hesheli's family is not easy to deal with."
Normal people would think this way these days, but unfortunately, neither Longkodo nor Li Si'er were normal people, and Hesheli was not normal either, which created the "second Concubine Qi" in history.
Qi Buchen sighed: "Let's check it out."
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