"As soon as Eunuch Liang left, Zhao Lihe from Cining Palace went to convey the Empress Dowager's edict, instructing Consort Yi to properly educate Wuya Shi and to rectify palace discipline. If any concubine dares to speak ill of the Crown Prince again, then she is incompetent and should not hold the palace power."
Yinreng could imagine how Consort Yi must have felt after being warned in turn by the two powerful figures in the Forbidden City.
The reason they didn't kill Wuya was because of Yinzhen's sake.
"Tell the fourth brother about this, so he's aware of the situation. Uya... it'll probably be within the next few days."
When Yinzhen heard about the latest developments of Lady Wuya, he showed no other expression but shock.
Su Peisheng, who was standing to the side, reacted very quickly. He first thanked the Crown Prince for informing him, then gave He Yuzhu a bag of silver before finally sending the man away safely.
When he was about to return to the study to serve, he found the study door tightly closed.
He sighed helplessly and could only stand quietly to the side.
Fortunately, Consort Ulanara came over carrying bird's nest, and Su Peisheng immediately recounted what had just happened.
Ulanara pondered for a moment, then whispered, "You stay outside and serve them. Don't go in unless you're called."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and went inside.
In Ulanara's memory, Yinzhen was always a person who never showed his emotions.
But the man who looked up at her at that moment had tears streaming down his face, his eyes red and swollen from crying, yet he forced himself not to make a sound.
Ulanara put the food box she was holding aside, then stepped forward and hugged Yinzhen tightly.
Although the couple did not speak, all their emotions were conveyed in the instant their eyes met.
Su Peisheng stood guard outside the door until midnight, when he discovered that the candle inside had been extinguished, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
A few days later, news came from the palace that Consort De had passed away due to illness. Emperor Kangxi granted Yinzhen permission to go and burn incense, but forbade him to keep vigil over her body.
A once high-ranking concubine fell to the bottom overnight. She thought she could still struggle, but she died in just a few days.
Inside Yuqing Palace, Hongxi was accompanying Yinreng in handling official business.
To be precise, it was Yinreng who was handling official business, while Hongxi was practicing walking on the side.
He can walk quite steadily now, but in order to occasionally keep up with his sister's leaping pace, he has decided to practice more.
So, whenever Yinreng got tired of reviewing memorials, he would glance at Hongxi's clumsy little body and feel all his fatigue disappear.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has arrived," He Yuzhu reported as he entered. He then withdrew after seeing Yinreng nod.
Before long, Lady Guarjia entered carrying a food box. "This concubine greets Your Highness."
Yinreng smiled and waved his hand, "Why did you come at this hour?"
Guarjia held up the food box in her hand and said with a smile, "I brought some lotus seed soup for Your Highness and Hongxi."
After saying that, she reached out and picked up Hongxi, while Wenying brought out two bowls of lotus seed soup.
One bowl was handed to Yinreng, and the other to Guarjia.
Guarjia held Hongxi as she sat down, feeding him lotus seed soup while saying to Yinreng, "The Empress Dowager will bring the Empress Dowager back in three days, and a palace banquet will be prepared for that time."
Yinreng nodded.
The matter of bringing back the Empress Dowager should have been carried out long ago, but after the death of Lady Irgen Gioro and the execution of Lady Uya, the Grand Empress Dowager felt it was somewhat unlucky, so she postponed the process.
"This matter has been entrusted to Consort Yi. If she needs your help, please do so without hesitation."
Guarjia nodded.
At this time, there was no empress in the harem; the two imperial concubines were in charge.
However, because of the incident involving Niohuru Yuhe, she incurred the displeasure of the Empress Dowager, which meant that although she held power in the palace, her influence was always suppressed by Consort Yi.
Even with the tacit approval of the Empress Dowager and Emperor Kangxi, the palace affairs she managed were not as extensive as those of Consort Yi.
In the end, only Consort Yi and Lady Guarjia were truly in charge of organizing the palace banquets.
According to the procedure, the Empress Dowager was brought back to Shou Kang Palace at noon. After a short rest, she first received the greetings of the concubines in the harem, and then received the greetings of the imperial consorts and noble ladies.
After going around the circling, it was almost time for the dinner.
Throughout the entire process, Yinreng held Hongxi in his arms and sat below Kangxi, watching the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager talk to each other, and occasionally glancing at the wives who came to the palace to pay their respects.
Hongxi was a person who had lived a second life, and he was familiar with all the people he saw.
So every time a new concubine came in, Hongxi couldn't help but complain a bit.
While holding Hongxi, Yinreng listened to his complaints while eating tea and snacks, and surprisingly learned a lot of gossip that he didn't know before.
For example, after the Third Prince's wife, Lady Dong'e, finished paying her respects, she went straight to Hongxi.
"Greetings to my second brother, the Crown Prince." Dong Eshi Xiuwan had a gentle smile on her face, clearly showing the demeanor of a tolerant, magnanimous, and wise matriarch.
"I wonder if my sister-in-law could hold Hongxi?"
Although Yinreng was the crown prince, he did not put on airs with his brothers and sisters. As long as they did not look down on him, he would greet them with politeness and a smile.
So Yinreng handed Hongxi over, and Dong'e Xiuwan immediately and carefully held him in her arms.
Hongxi was already quite heavy at this point, and it would be difficult for an average woman to lift him up.
Dong Eshi Xiu Wan hadn't expected the little guy to be so heavy. She almost couldn't hold him when she first took him. Not only was she startled, but Hongxi himself was also taken aback.
[My goodness, when will my third aunt change her habit of considering thinness beautiful and skipping dinner every night? Starving to death is a small matter, but it would be a real problem if he fell and died.]
Yinreng silently lowered his head and drank his tea.
Dong Eshi Xiu Wan steadied herself and immediately began to shower her with compliments.
"Hongxi is so handsome! He's not only beautiful but also fair-skinned, and his chubby little body looks very healthy. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess really know how to raise a child."
[Sigh, Third Aunt has had a tough time. She hasn't been able to conceive since giving birth to Hongsheng. Seeing all the babies being born in the backyard, she's been searching everywhere for folk remedies to help her have a child. This time, she specifically asked to hold me; I wonder which shady expert came up with this idea.]
Yinreng glanced at Dong Eshi as if it were an accident, and sure enough, he saw her looking at Hongxi with a face full of eager anticipation, not like she was looking at a child, but like she was making a devout offering.
Actually, my third aunt will have a daughter this year. Although she only has one son and one daughter in her life, both of them died peacefully in their old age, so she can be considered blessed.
"Oh, isn't this Third Sister-in-law?"
A slightly sharp voice rang out, and as Dong Eshi Xiuwan turned around, Hongxi saw the speaker, who was none other than the Fifth Prince Consort, Tara Shi Liu Hui.
Hongxi snorted rudely and reached out to Yinreng.
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