Chapter Eighteen
The three powerful figures in the palace were discussing how to change the practice of deceiving the emperor based on ancestral rules in Cining Palace. After much deliberation, they came up with many suggestions, but they were always rejected by various reasons and ideas. Emperor Qianlong said with a headache that this ancestral rule should be abolished. Although the Empress Dowager said it was inappropriate, she did not refute anything else. The Empress looked at He Wan's appearance, and then at the Fourth and Fifth Princesses sitting to the side. Her mind was stirred, but she dared not say anything.
"Father, if we do this for Hewan, she will be uneasy. How can ancestral rules and etiquette be abolished so easily?" Hewan's thoughts were complicated. Although she hoped that these ancestral rules would no longer exist, she also knew that these ancestral rules could not be abolished so easily.
Emperor Qianlong sighed, “Empress Mother, tomorrow I will speak with the ministers of the Ministry of Rites and ask them to come up with a solution. Abolishing the ancestral system is not entirely impossible; my ministers will praise me for being kind to the people and loving the world.”
The Fourth Princess, sitting next to the Empress Dowager, twitched her lips. "Qianlong, are you dressed up? What kind of joke is this, 'benevolent and loving towards the people'?"
"I'm old, you can handle this matter yourselves! We can't let my granddaughter suffer any more injustices. After all, a princess is different from other princesses." The Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling everyone to disperse.
Emperor Qianlong came out with a few people and looked at the Empress, saying, "Empress, those old women are now in your care."
"It's the twelfth lunar month now, and the New Year is just a few days away. It's not a good time to draw blood."
"Then exile them!" Qianlong said angrily, but he couldn't just leave it at that.
"Let's go plant trees in Xinjiang! That way, there won't be any sandstorms there all the time," the Fourth Princess blurted out.
Emperor Qianlong and the Empress both looked at the Fourth Princess. "Fourth Princess, what did you say?"
The Fourth Princess stared blankly at Qianlong and the Empress. Had she spoken out?
"Sister, what is a sandstorm?" Lan Xin asked the Fourth Princess.
“A sandstorm is when a lot of sand and dust is blown in by strong winds. That kind of weather is terrible; when you breathe, your mouth tastes like sand. How did you know that, little sister?” Hejing looked at the Fourth Princess, who had only found out on the way to Mongolia.
"My sister is so smart, she knows everything," Fifth Princess said proudly. "She even knows that the fireworks used to set off fireworks can be made into gunpowder."
Listening to the Fifth Princess boasting about herself, the Fourth Princess's lips twitched. When she looked up at Emperor Qianlong and met his thoughtful gaze, a chill ran down her spine. She hoped Emperor Qianlong wouldn't mistake her for a monster and burn her alive. "This sandstorm is just as Sister Jing described. Planting trees was my own idea; I've always wanted to try it, but I don't know if it will succeed."
"Oh, tell me about it." Qianlong became interested. Only then did he remember what Hongzhou had said: "It's a pity that the Fourth Princess is a girl. Otherwise, the Qing Dynasty would be very fortunate."
"Father, look at that tree. I don't know how old that tree is, but I do know that the soil under it has solidified because of the tree roots." As she spoke, she pulled Qianlong to the tree. "I don't know how to stop the sand on the surface from flying away, but the sand underneath doesn't move."
Emperor Qianlong looked at the spot Si'er pointed to and said, "Si'er, this is a good idea. I have also had trees planted here, but none of them survived."
That depends on what you plant. In a place like the desert, the only trees that can probably be planted are poplar trees, and they have to be propagated from seeds; cuttings rarely survive. Fourth Princess thought to herself, but she didn't say it aloud. She didn't want to be seen as an oddball.
"However, Fourth Sister's idea is good. Those servants can go to the forest; even if they die on the way, it's their bad luck." Qianlong turned around with a smile. He was certain that Fourth Sister was clever and had the same idea as him. It was a pity that Fourth Sister was a girl. "Hewan will stay in Kunning Palace today. Let your Empress Mother carefully select a few close confidantes for you. Hejing, deal with any of those around you who are disloyal to their master. Hahaha..." Qianlong left with his hands behind his back, leaving the others looking at each other, one of them twitching at the corner of his mouth.
~~~~
He Wan stayed in the palace. Having resolved her inner conflict, her complexion looked much rosier than before. Fourth Princess, Fifth Princess, and Lan Xin often surrounded He Wan, telling her about the customs and culture of Mongolia. With the three young maids by her side, He Wan seemed much more lively, and a smile was often on her face.
The Emperor vented his anger on the ministers of the Ministry of Rites. What, did those dead ancestral rules have to cost his daughter her life? He'd just realized that those short-lived princesses might have all been bullied to death by those servants. No wonder so few of the married princesses had children; how could they conceive without sharing a bed?
There were too many pedantic old men in the Ministry of Rites. Of course, these old men would not agree to abolish the system of rites. They knew that the emperor was being polite, but they still voiced their opposition, since it was not his daughter.
Emperor Qianlong was furious. "Fine, if you won't allow me to abolish this position, I'll take it out on your daughters!" he declared. "From now on, daughters of officials of the fourth rank and above must be accompanied by a governess upon marriage." Fuming, Qianlong strode from the Hall of Mental Cultivation to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Before the Empress could even speak, he relayed his imperial edict. The Fourth Princess inwardly thought, "Well done!" Outwardly, she maintained a dutiful facade, following the Fifth Princess as she fetched tea and a brazier for Qianlong.
After listening to Qianlong finish his outburst, the Empress finally spoke, "Your Majesty, will this method work?"
"Hmph, let them talk without understanding the situation, one by one challenging me. Tomorrow I will arrange marriages for them. Go find some capable nannies, and I will even prepare governesses for them. I want them to beg me!" This time, Qianlong was determined to abolish that useless ancestral rule, even if it didn't care about the princesses, it was for his own face.
~~~~
Emperor Qianlong's edict was issued swiftly, leaving the ministers bewildered. The ministers of the Ministry of Rites, however, knew the Emperor was acting because of them. But ancestral rules couldn't be easily abolished. The ministers of the Ministry of Rites remained silent, heads bowed. They never imagined that the Emperor would target them first within days, issuing an edict to hasten marriages already arranged for the New Year, adding a touch of festivity to the occasion.
The imperial decree was issued a few days before the New Year arrived. It was the first time that the Fourth Princess, the Fifth Princess, and Lanxin were celebrating the New Year in the palace. Also celebrating the New Year in the palace was Xinyue, who had been forgotten by the people.
At the family banquet on New Year's Eve, the Empress, with her slightly protruding belly, sat beside Emperor Qianlong. She had taken his pulse that morning, and the imperial physician was certain it was a prince. Qianlong was overjoyed and bestowed many gifts. Upon hearing the news, the Empress Dowager also gave generous gifts, and the Fourth and Fifth Princesses received similar gifts as well. The Empress Dowager, seated at the head of the table, surveyed the large family, then the Empress's protruding belly, her grandsons on either side, her sensible granddaughter, and then… the Empress Dowager's face froze. She saw Qing'er sitting beside Xinyue, the two chatting amiably. Looking at Xinyue's attire, the Empress Dowager frowned. Looking at the princes, she didn't see Keshan, so she summoned Granny Gui and gave her a few instructions.
Granny Gui left quickly and returned just as fast. After whispering a few words in the Empress Dowager's ear, she returned to her place. Emperor Qianlong frowned, watching the Empress Dowager's actions. Had something happened?
"Your Majesty, I am tired." The Empress Dowager, not wanting to spoil everyone's happy mood, took Gui Mama's hand and returned to Cining Palace.
Emperor Qianlong was naturally worried about going out with the Empress Dowager. The Empress had already noticed the new princess, Xinyue, brought by Consort Ling, but didn't say anything. Consort Jia and Consort Chun ate elegantly, the women vying for the Emperor's favor busy cultivating a relationship with Consort Yun. Consort Ling, however, was unaware of the grave mistake she had made by bringing Xinyue. Only after being reprimanded did Consort Ling realize that Xinyue was supposed to be in mourning. Looking at Xinyue in her bright red qipao, Consort Ling knew she couldn't find a reason to deny her wrongdoing and could only curse Xinyue in her heart as an unfilial child. Bringing Xinyue out was intentional; she wanted the Emperor to see that she knew her mistake. Moreover, she had used forceful methods these past few days, and Xinyue had become much more well-behaved, her manners more appropriate. But while her calculations were in full swing, she forgot the occasion.
When Emperor Qianlong returned after escorting the Empress Dowager back to Cining Palace, his gaze towards Consort Ling shifted repeatedly. Then, looking at Xinyue, who was chatting animatedly with Qing'er, Qianlong was furious. The Empress patted Qianlong's hand, "Your Majesty, Fourth Son, Fifth Son, and Lanxin have prepared gifts for you."
Emperor Qianlong withdrew his gaze from Consort Ling and looked at the three princesses approaching. Why were the princesses raised by the Empress's side better than Consort Ling's? They were both observing mourning, but Lanxin's clothes wouldn't displease the Empress Dowager. And looking at Xinyue's all-white attire, Qianlong felt uncomfortable.
"Father, this is something your daughter embroidered for you. May you have a long and healthy life and good fortune in the new year!" The three of them presented a long roll of cloth.
Wu Shulai, who was beside Emperor Qianlong, immediately presented the scroll to the emperor with both hands. Qianlong opened the scroll, and on it was... a landscape painting he had drawn, along with a poem he had written. Qianlong looked at it and laughed heartily. "Haha, whose idea was this? I guess it must have been Fourth Prince's idea, and Fifth Prince and Lanxin embroidered it!"
“Father, Fourth Princess also embroidered. She embroidered that poem.” Fourth Princess protested, saying that she had patched her hands many times to embroider those few words.
Emperor Qianlong looked at the Empress, who nodded. "This is the first time I've seen Si'er's embroidery style, but the finished product is quite impressive."
"It's definitely different from your embroidery style. That's cross-stitch, the simplest embroidery method." Fourth Princess thought to herself, but seeing Emperor Qianlong happy, she felt pleased too. Fourth Princess was waiting for Emperor Qianlong to reward her! It would be best if he could reward her with a few estates.
"Fourth son is so thoughtful, reward him!" Qianlong laughed heartily. He was increasingly convinced that his younger brother was right, but it was a pity that the girl was born!
"Thank you for the reward, Father Emperor!" The three little maids knew they would only find out what the reward was when they got back, so for now they could only express their gratitude.
We happily bid farewell to the eighteenth year of Qianlong's reign and welcomed the nineteenth year.
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