Chapter Thirty-Eight
The first stop on his trip to the south of the Yangtze River was Jinan. During his stay in Jinan, Emperor Qianlong took Consort Yu to Daming Lake. Of course, Daming Lake was surrounded by soldiers.
When the Fourth Princess heard this, Emperor Qianlong's entourage had already reached Suzhou and Hangzhou. The Fourth Princess was exasperated by Qianlong's occasional lapses in judgment. She pursed her lips, thinking of the three princes overseeing the government, and the Fourth and Fifth Princes assisting him. She wondered if the Fifth Prince would anger the three princes.
Fifth Princess teased Seventh Princess and Yonghui with a rattle drum. Fifth Princess didn't know what her sister was thinking. She was ignorant of politics, only knowing that her third brother had accompanied their father on the southern journey. She was concerned about the gifts her third brother had promised to bring back. Yongxing and Yongqi naturally didn't stand out as much as the other princes in the Imperial Study. The Empress didn't care. Fourth Princess looked at her two younger brothers and patted their bald heads, saying, "Just do your duty."
The two princes were puzzled. "Fourth sister, what is our duty?"
"Let me think about it. At your age, the proper thing to do is play. Go outside and get some sun," Fourth Princess said with a smile, looking at the two adorable little ones.
Fifth Princess can now run alongside her two older brothers, while Fourth Princess stays in the courtyard with the three of them, watching over them to prevent them from falling. Lan Xin has been invited to Prince He's residence for a few days, as the Emperor had agreed before his departure. Fourth Princess thinks the Emperor will likely approve of Lan Xin and Yong Huan's marriage; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Lan Xin to stay at Prince He's residence for a few days. Qing'er accompanied the Empress Dowager on her journey south. Fourth Princess is unsure how Qing'er's marriage to Fu Ling'an is progressing, but then she thinks, how could Fu Heng possibly defy the Emperor's decree? There shouldn't be any problems with this matter.
Unbeknownst to the Fourth Princess, after her trip to Jiangnan, Qing'er returned as the Fifth Prince's secondary consort. The incident stemmed from Amursana's surrender followed by rebellion, Zhang Tingyu's death, and the Fifth Prince being entrusted by three princes to deliver a message to the Emperor. No one knows what the Fifth Prince looked like when he finally caught up with the Emperor's entourage, nor how he suddenly took a liking to Qing'er, dressed in ordinary clothes. Emperor Qianlong was truly a good father, always granting his son's requests. While rushing back to the capital, he also swiftly betrothed Qing'er to the Fifth Prince as his secondary consort.
There was no ceremony for a concubine entering the residence. After returning to Beijing, Emperor Qianlong hastily instructed the Empress about the Fifth Prince taking a concubine. The Fourth Princess listened to the Emperor's words, her lips trembling. Consort Yu had only been dead for less than a year, and the Fifth Prince was already taking a concubine—wasn't he afraid of being impeached by the censors? If it were just a concubine, that would be acceptable, but a concubine entering the residence…
The Empress opened her mouth, watching the Emperor's departing figure, and immediately had Rong Mama help her walk towards Cining Palace. The Fourth and Fifth Princesses followed immediately; how could they miss such a spectacle?
Upon entering Cining Palace, the Empress immediately knelt before the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was startled by the Empress's actions and quickly instructed Granny Gui to help the Empress up. After all, the Empress was pregnant; how could she be allowed to suffer any mishap?
The Empress rose, still pleading for forgiveness. The Empress Dowager was puzzled; what had the Empress done that made her so guilty? After a careful inquiry, the Empress finally spoke, "Your Majesty, how long has it been since Consort Yu was introduced? If we were to allow the Fifth Prince to take a concubine now, wouldn't the censors already be submitting memorials against us?"
Huang Taibai finally understood that the Empress had come about the Fifth Prince and Qing'er. The Empress Dowager looked at He Rui and He Ya, "He Rui, He Ya, you haven't seen Qing'er for a long time. Qing'er brought you some things back. Go and see them."
The two princesses, knowing the Empress Dowager wanted to speak privately, flicked their handkerchiefs and withdrew. Only the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and two elderly nannies remained in the room. The Empress Dowager then spoke, "Empress! I understand your predicament, but about Qing'er and Yongqi, alas..." The Empress Dowager didn't know how to begin. She was the first to know about this matter. That day, she had almost killed Qing'er; if Yongqi hadn't been kneeling before her, she would have had Qing'er wrapped in a mat and thrown out.
The Empress naturally knew there was more to the story, but no matter what the reasons, it couldn't be discussed at this time... Even if she didn't consider Yongqi and Qing'er's reputation, the royal family's reputation was something they couldn't afford to lose.
The Empress Dowager felt uneasy seeing the Empress's serious expression, but the moment the Empress spoke, the Empress Dowager immediately realized she was being senile. What was Qing'er compared to the reputation of the royal family? "Your Majesty," she said, "I know you have deep feelings for Qing'er, but if we send Qing'er to Yongqi as a concubine now, where will the royal family's reputation stand? Or perhaps we could wait until Yongqi finishes his mourning period before sending her over?"
"Your Majesty!" The Empress Dowager finally spoke after much deliberation. "Qing'er is frail and shy, and there are some things she finds difficult to say, but I understand. Qing'er's marriage has always been a source of worry for her. Yongqi arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou late that night, and Qing'er was enjoying the scenery in the courtyard. I don't know who was so reckless as to bring her wine instead of tea. After Yongqi informed the Emperor, he saw Qing'er alone in the courtyard and went over to ask her a few questions. Later..." The Empress Dowager sighed again. She felt quite unsuccessful; how could she have raised a princess like Qing'er?
The Empress's heart skipped a beat. What kind of mess was this? At best, it was an unlawful act; at worst, it was a scandalous affair within the palace. Thinking of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's attitudes, the Empress felt a tightness in her chest. The Emperor was far too indulgent with Yongqi, and the Empress Dowager… "Empress Mother!" The Empress struggled to suppress the turmoil in her heart, "If this gets out! Not only Yongqi, but Qing'er…"
"I know, Your Majesty! I was confused. For Yongqi's sake, even if she is a princess, if she is lucky and Yongqi dotes on her, she can become a secondary consort in the future."
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart remained unsettled. "Yongqi, you are only fit to be a scapegoat for my princes. I will not let your shameful deeds be covered up."
After returning from Cining Palace, the Empress fell ill. The Fourth and Fifth Princesses cautiously probed Rong Mama for information. Rong Mama only told the Fourth Princess privately, and the Fourth Princess was shocked. Yongqi was truly audacious. No wonder Qing'er was different when they met; she always had a shy smile on her face.
Qing'er entered Jingyang Palace as a princess of the imperial household. However, she didn't enter under her original identity, but rather as Hu Cunzhu's daughter, Hu Shi. Meanwhile, Qing Gege, who served the Empress Dowager, died suddenly from smallpox. The Emperor didn't comment on the matter, only coming to see the Empress and saying, "The Empress has suffered."
After the Empress recovered, the concubines came to pay their respects. The Fourth Princess looked at Consort Yi and a thought suddenly occurred to her: what role did Consort Yi play in Yongqi and Qing'er's affair? The Fourth Princess didn't believe Consort Yi was innocent, yet she couldn't pinpoint Consort Yi's role, only subtly reminding her to be wary of her.
The Empress looked at the Fourth Princess with suspicion, a thought flashing through her mind. Yongqi and Qing'er had known each other for a long time, and she hadn't seen Yongqi and Qing'er be close before Consort Yu's visit. How could they suddenly be like this...? Thinking of this, the Empress truly began to suspect Consort Yi. The Empress thought Consort Yi was an honest person, but she didn't expect her to be no ordinary person either.
~~~~
Recent events have created some confusion. In fact, the Emperor issued an edict to remove Ortai from the Temple of Worthies, forbidding him from being enshrined there. The Fifth Princess's marriage has thus attracted much attention, and the censors from the Ministry of Rites cautiously inquired whether the construction of the Princess's residence should continue. This infuriated Emperor Qianlong. No one could fathom what the Emperor was thinking.
No one could fathom what Emperor Qianlong was thinking. The changing situation would inevitably have some influence on the inner palace, and everyone could guess what was going on, but no one dared to mention the Fifth Princess to the Emperor. Qianlong visited Yongshou Palace more often than usual, each time only staying briefly before returning to Yangxin Hall in the evening. After a month of this, the Emperor issued an edict: the marriage of Princess Guren Heya and E'yue was set for the sixth day of the sixth month of the twenty-first year.
The fourth princess was taken aback. She herself was not yet married, but her younger sister was getting married first. Wasn't that a bad thing? She looked at her younger sister with some worry.
The Fifth Princess didn't think as much as the Fourth Princess. She had a premonition about getting married these past few days; her father had asked her about it before, and there were still some days until the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. Although the Fifth Princess didn't know what had happened before, she understood that the Emperor's decision naturally had its reasons.
After the Fifth Princess's wedding date was set, the Empress busied herself teaching her how to manage the household. The Empress also carefully selected the nannies to serve the Fifth Princess, regardless of the Emperor's regulations; she chose nannies who held the power to control the family's fate. The Fourth Princess also learned household management alongside the Fifth Princess. Privately, the Fourth Princess, worried about the Fifth Princess, carefully instructed Jin Suo on how to assist her. After dismissing all the servants, the Fourth Princess stared intently at the Fifth Princess and said seriously, "Ziwei, do you know that the princess's personal maids will become the prince's concubines? If you don't want Jin Suo…, you should marry her off to one of your servants as soon as possible."
Fifth Princess stared wide-eyed at Fourth Princess, "Sister, what's going on..."
"Ziwei, I won't lie to you. Everything I've said is for your own good. Do you want to compete with Jinsuo for the emperor's favor in the future?"
"No!" Fifth Princess retorted excitedly. She knew perfectly well who Jin Suo was, and who she was. How could she possibly...
"Then we'll betroth Jin Suo to you. We'll make plans for a concubine when you're pregnant. Be careful when choosing a concubine. Ask the nannies around you. The nannies the Empress Mother chooses for you won't be as trustworthy as the ones He Wan had before." Seeing the Fifth Princess nod, the Fourth Princess held her hand. "Don't say anything directly to Jin Suo. Be tactful. Jin Suo is reasonable and somewhat blindly loyal to you."
"Sister, I feel a little scared." Fifth Princess leaned against Fourth Princess, tears streaming down her face.
"You little rascal, you're usually so clever, what are you afraid of now? You just said that to Jin Suo..." Fourth Princess whispered in Fifth Princess's ear.
Fifth Princess nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparkling. What did Fourth Princess teach Fifth Princess? Fourth Princess merely repeated what Ziwei and Jin Suo said in the original drama, such as hoping that she would have a perfect love of her own.
The days passed slowly as they busied themselves preparing the Fifth Princess's dowry. During this time, Consort Ling was promoted to Imperial Concubine for copying a hundred scriptures for Empress Xiaoxian, a gesture of gratitude from the Emperor. Consort Ling, now back to her Imperial Concubine rank, should first thank the Empress. The Empress's suspicions of Consort Yi grew stronger, and Consort Yi's pregnancy made the Empress uneasy. Consort Yu, since the Eighth Princess's departure, had not conceived. The Empress consulted the imperial physician, who gave a vague answer. However, Physician Li, who had examined Consort Yu once, reported back to the Empress that Consort Yu might have ingested something harmful, and if not treated promptly, it might…
The Empress was startled. The people in Yongshou Palace were all her own, so she didn't need to worry. But the people around Consort Yu were a mixed bag. The Empress summoned Consort Yu and carefully examined Xia, the old maidservant beside her. Xia was a veteran of the palace, not a fool, and immediately understood what the Empress meant. Although Consort Yu was a talented woman, she understood the Empress's implication that she should be wary of her servants, but she couldn't quite grasp what the Empress meant by being careful.
When they left Yongshou Palace, Consort Yu asked Granny Xia what the Empress meant.
Xia Mama whispered something in Yu Fei's ear. Yu Fei listened with a look of terror on her face and hurriedly asked what to do. Xia Mama gave Yu Fei a reassuring look.
That night, the Emperor, who had visited Chang'an Palace, was inexplicably furious. He punished some of Chang'an's servants, even beating some to death. The next morning, Qianlong went to Yongshou Palace and unleashed his anger. The Empress listened with her eyes lowered. After seeing the Emperor off, the Empress busied herself assigning servants to Chang'an Palace. The Empress's misfortune was only revealed when the other concubines paid their respects to the Empress. No one dared to openly inquire about the cause; some twisted their handkerchiefs, while others wore unnatural smiles.
On her way to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, Consort Ling swayed and fainted. After being taken back to Yanxi Palace, the imperial physician diagnosed her with pregnancy.
Without batting an eye, the Empress bestowed many gifts upon all the concubines, and they were all large items.
When the Emperor arrived, he was listening to the Empress reciting the gifts bestowed upon her. He raised an eyebrow; these were items the Empress rarely used. Only after she finished reciting the gifts did the Empress hear the announcement of the Emperor's arrival. Turning around, she saw him standing behind her. The Empress immediately led the concubines in bowing and paying their respects to the Emperor. For some inexplicable reason, the Emperor personally helped the Empress to her feet, a gesture that made the concubines envious. The Empress felt a chill run down her spine; what was the Emperor's intention?
Emperor Qianlong did not stay long at Yanxi Palace. After giving a few instructions and mentioning the rewards, he took the Empress and boarded the imperial carriage to Cining Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
Consort Ling gritted her teeth in Yanxi Palace. The people in the inner chambers were gone, and today she hadn't been able to keep the Emperor. "Dongxue, deal with that servant."
Author's Note: Taking a break. I'll try my best to update more frequently.
There's a chance I might be delayed by trivial matters, and updates might be interrupted, but I'll try my best to make time for updates.
My mind is clearer today; the real show is about to begin.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
