Chapter Thirty-Four
Having gained some valuable experience from their trip out of the palace, the four princesses arrived at Princess Hejing's residence with smiles on their faces. Hejing, seeing the three princesses serving the Empress, didn't dare show any displeasure towards Qing'er. After exchanging some pleasantries, Hejing ordered that lunch be prepared. Seeing Hejing's visibly pregnant belly, the Fourth Princess remembered the Empress's instructions before leaving the palace and immediately instructed the maids who had followed her to fetch the items. They were all things needed during pregnancy, and the Fourth Princess wasn't sure what they were.
Hejing's belly was already quite large. The four princesses looked at Hejing's belly and asked, "Did the imperial physician say whether it's a prince or a princess?"
"The imperial physician says it's a prince," Hejing said, her face glowing with maternal warmth. A few days ago, Sebutengbaljur had been granted the title of Prince by her father, the Emperor, who intended to keep them from returning to Mongolia. Hejing knew that the Empress must have spoken on her behalf to the Emperor, and coupled with his favor towards her, this was why she was allowed to remain in the capital. Since the Qing Dynasty entered Beijing, no princess had ever received such attention from her.
The sisters chatted for a while before leaving Hejing's residence for Princess Hewan's. Inside, Prince Deleke was wrestling with several Mongolian warriors in the courtyard, while Hewan entertained the four princesses in a pavilion on the other side.
"Sister Hewan looks much better than before," Fifth Princess teased Hewan with a smile. The others joined in the laughter, and Hewan graciously let her younger sisters tease her. When she saw Qing'er, Hewan felt a little awkward, but she didn't show any dislike.
Fourth Princess kept looking towards the wrestling match. "Sister Hewan, are those people all Mongolians?"
"The outer ring consists of guards assigned by the Emperor, while the inner ring consists of guards brought back to Beijing by Delek; they are Mongols."
The Fourth Princess nodded. "The Mongols are quite rugged," she remarked. After her initial assessment, she turned to see Qing'er staring blankly at the group. Following Qing'er's gaze, she saw a handsome young man with an extraordinary air standing behind Delek. The Fourth Princess turned to Hewan. "Sister Hewan, who is that person standing behind the Prince Consort?" The Fourth Princess's words immediately drew the attention of the other princesses. Qing'er blushed and turned her head away.
He Wan looked up and said, "It's Drek's brother."
The Fourth Princess didn't ask any more questions. He Wan also noticed Qing'er's expression. The other two princesses naturally didn't say anything. Everyone in the capital knew about Qing'er's marriage. It was probably another imperial decree, and getting married would be a problem. The four of them sat for a while, then took their leave and returned to the palace.
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Upon returning to the palace, the Fourth Princess told the Empress about Lan Xin and Qing'er. The Empress was initially delighted to hear about Lan Xin, but her expression darkened when she heard about Qing'er. Qing'er's marriage had become a laughing stock in the royal family, and according to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, it seemed that Qing'er's marriage would have to be delayed for another year or two.
That evening, the Emperor dined at Yongshou Palace and asked the three princesses if they had encountered anything interesting outside the palace. The Fourth Princess hesitated for a moment before recounting the story of Lanxin and Qing'er. She was very direct; originally, she had considered first probing the emperor's intentions, but then thought that the emperor's heart was unpredictable, so it was better to be straightforward. Regarding Lanxin's matter, it would likely be kept under wraps for several years. The Emperor wouldn't allow the Empress's influence to grow too strong. The Empress had two legitimate sons and one adopted son, three legitimate princesses, and one adopted daughter. If several princesses married quickly and became powerful, the Emperor might feel threatened.
After speaking, the Emperor remained silent for a while, saying nothing. The Fourth Princess thought the Emperor wouldn't stay at Yongshou Palace that night, but unexpectedly, he stayed.
The next day, the Empress went to Cining Palace to pay her respects and asked the Empress Dowager whether she wanted to keep Qing'er for a year or six months. Then she whispered that Qing'er had taken a liking to the younger brother of Princess Hewan's husband at Princess Hewan's residence. She had asked the Emperor last night, and the Emperor did not object to giving Qing'er to Borjigit, but only asked her to come and ask the Empress Dowager for her opinion.
After thinking for a moment, the Empress Dowager instructed Granny Gui to summon He Wan to the palace. She needed to find out whether Deleke's brother had a wife and what his character was like.
After the four princesses returned to the palace, He Wan knew she would be summoned today. Yesterday, she went to Princess Hejing's residence to inquire about Hejing's opinion. Hejing didn't offer any advice, only telling her to ask Deleke what his brother thought and whether there was a marriage agreement. She also told Deleke about Qing'er's matter, knowing he would find out later anyway. After returning to her residence, He Wan closed the door and had her nanny summon Deleke, explaining the possible events and asking him to inquire about Wogedai's opinion.
Upon seeing Gui, the nanny serving the Empress Dowager, He Wan immediately led her entourage into the palace. Delek had made it very clear that, given the Borjigit clan's status, two princesses could not be married off. He Wan was well aware of this, but if the Empress Dowager was determined to arrange this marriage, even her father, the Emperor, might not be able to stop it.
Upon entering the palace, He Wan remained hesitant, harboring some resentment towards Woge Dai for not staying in his room the previous day. After paying her respects to the Empress Dowager, He Wan understood the Empress Dowager's intentions. After considering the matter in her mind, He Wan informed the Empress Dowager of Woge Dai's character, and whether there was a marriage agreement would only be clear after consulting Xingdelek.
Hearing Hewan speak of Wogedai's character, the Empress Dowager was very pleased and rewarded Hewan with some gifts. She then instructed Hewan to inquire about Wogedai's marriage arrangements and whether his family had a second wife. Hewan left the palace with some unease in her heart.
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Under the shade of a tree, the Fourth Princess and the Fifth Princess began plotting their revenge against the Fifth Prince. Just then, the Fifth Prince, who never visited Yongshou Palace except for regular greetings, stood outside the courtyard. The Fourth Princess nudged the Fifth Princess, who followed her gaze and gave a slight smirk. A eunuch from the Yongshou Palace gate entered and announced to the main hall that the Fifth Prince had come to pay his respects.
The Fourth and Fifth Princesses stood up, nodded to the Fifth Prince at the door, and then went back into the room. The Fifth Princess glanced at the Fourth Princess, who shook her head. The Fourth Princess felt that making enemies with the Fifth Prince at this time was not a good thing, but framing him was something she could do. Both of them were very curious about the Fifth Prince's visit to the Empress, so they went into the side hall to eavesdrop.
Yongxing and Yongqi had just woken up and saw their two older sisters squatting on the ground. Yongqi rubbed his eyes, stood up, and pounced on Fourth Princess, asking, "What are you looking at, Fourth Sister?"
The Fourth Princess, who was nearly knocked over by Yongqi's bump, was startled. She breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Yongqi's voice, pinching his nose. "You little rascal, Yongqi, trying to scare me! See how I deal with you!" The Fourth Princess picked up Yongqi and carried him to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed). After placing him on the kang, she tickled his skin. Yongqi rolled around on the kang, begging for mercy.
Seeing that she couldn't hear anything, Fifth Princess joined Yongqi in bullying Fourth Princess. Yongxing looked at Yongqi, then at her two older sisters, and finally pounced on Yongqi. The four of them were making a ruckus, their laughter clearly audible even in the main hall. The Empress looked at Rong Mama, who immediately went to a side hall. Soon after, Fourth Princess and Fifth Princess came out, "Your Majesty!"
"Yongqi said he wants you to come and see Consort Yu. Today is Consort Yu's birthday. Please come and have a seat."
"Yes!" The two men, waving their handkerchiefs, half-squatted down.
Fourth Princess was pondering Yongqi's intentions. Upon entering Consort Yu's Yonghe Palace, Fourth Princess and Fifth Princess chatted idly with Consort Yu. Before long, they heard a eunuch outside announcing, "The Emperor has arrived!" Fourth Princess immediately understood; it seemed Fifth Prince was using them as a pretext to lure the Emperor to Consort Yu's birthday celebration. Fourth Princess was displeased. She had become someone else's pawn; who would be happy in that situation? This time it was Consort Yu, but what about another consort next time?
The Fifth Princess, who looked down on the Fifth Prince, was furious, and her face immediately turned ugly.
The Fourth Princess pinched the Fifth Princess's waist, and the Fifth Princess lowered her head, biting her lower lip. "Fifth Prince, if Yongqi doesn't avenge this, I'll take your surname from now on." The Fifth Princess thought about it and then realized it wasn't right; she already shared the Fifth Prince's surname. Although the Fourth Princess understood the Fifth Princess's thoughts, she could also sense that the Fifth Princess harbored an even stronger desire for revenge against Yongqi. The Fourth Princess was now somewhat regretful; perhaps things would have been better if Ziwei had been more saintly.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Hearing Qianlong's footsteps, the two princesses wondered why the Fourth Princess, who usually had little contact with Consort Yu, had suddenly been invited by the Fifth Prince. The Fourth Princess looked up with a smile, "Your Majesty has come for Consort Yu's birthday, hasn't he? Sister, quickly prepare some tea for Your Majesty." She paused deliberately. "Oh, I forgot, this is Yonghe Palace, not Yongshou Palace. Sister, I don't know where Your Majesty's favorite tea and snacks are kept."
"Consort Yu really likes Fourth Prince and Fifth Prince!" Emperor Qianlong patted Fourth Princess's hand and looked at Consort Yu meaningfully.
"The Fourth and Fifth Princesses are exceptionally intelligent, how could this servant not be pleased? A few days ago, this servant was thinking of inviting the two princesses to Yonghe Palace for a chat. I mentioned it to Yongqi, and who would have thought that Yongqi would invite the two princesses here today?" Consort Yu replied slowly and deliberately.
She had always thought that Consort Yu's rise to the rank of Consort was solely due to having a capable son, a case of a mother gaining power through her son. She never imagined Consort Yu was so extraordinary. The Fourth Princess now felt that every woman who rose to a higher position in the palace was exceptional. Regardless of the methods she used to catch the Emperor's eye, it meant she possessed considerable skill; otherwise, how could she have risen to such a position among so many women?
"Fifth Brother is so filial. I wonder what Fifth Brother has prepared for Consort Yu?" Fifth Princess looked at Consort Yu with a smile.
"Oh!" Qianlong looked at Consort Yu, who had her head bowed. He didn't completely believe Consort Yu's words. Hearing the Fifth Princess's words, he said, "Consort Yu, tell me what Yongqi sent."
"They're just ordinary trinkets." Consort Yu immediately ordered the maid beside her to fetch the items.
"Sister, why do I feel like the colors and patterns of this embroidery look familiar?" What Yongqi gave to Consort Yu wasn't anything special, just a piece of fine embroidery. But even something ordinary, the Fourth Princess could describe in great detail.
"Now that you mention it, sister, it looks familiar too, but I can't quite place it." Fifth Princess carefully examined the pattern. "Sister, isn't this..." Fifth Princess stopped speaking after that. The Empress had instructed her not to mention anything that happened before entering the palace. Fifth Princess bowed to the Emperor and said, "Father, I'm feeling a little unwell. Please allow me to take my leave."
The Fourth Princess originally intended to make something of the embroidery, but she didn't expect that the item really had something to offer. Upon hearing the Fifth Princess's words, the Fourth Princess immediately asked the Emperor for permission to resign, as she didn't want to stay there.
"Granted." Qianlong looked at the embroidery in Consort Yu's hand with suspicion. Consort Yu gritted her teeth. Wasn't this a slap in the face? "Wu Shulai, bring that embroidery to me for me to see."
Wu Shulai deftly handed the clothes to the Emperor.
Emperor Qianlong held the clothes in his hands and examined them carefully, but found nothing amiss. What was wrong with the two maids?
Back in Kunning Palace, the Fifth Princess threw herself into the Empress's arms and burst into tears. The Empress was completely bewildered by the Fifth Princess's crying. Later, the Fourth Princess was also puzzled by what Consort Yu had said.
"What's wrong, Fifth Princess? Tell me." The Empress comforted the Fifth Princess, gently patting her back and asking softly.
"Empress Mother, the things I embroidered while I was outside the palace to make a living somehow ended up in my fifth brother's hands. The embroidery he gave to Consort Yu today was embroidered by me," Fifth Princess said, her voice filled with grievance. Fourth Princess's eyes widened in surprise. "Is what you're saying true, sister?"
“It’s true, only I, Jin Suo, know that needlework technique. How could I not remember something I’ve embroidered myself?”
The Empress patted the Fifth Princess, "Could it be that it was embroidered recently and was left behind when moving things, and Yongqi picked it up?" The Empress felt that Yongqi wouldn't have the audacity to take something from outside the palace and give it away. "Don't mention this to each other yet." Just as the Empress was coaxing the Fifth Princess, the Emperor walked in with the embroidery that had caused the Fifth Princess's expression to change.
"Fifth son, I've made the decision for you. I'm giving this to you. You can do with it as you please." Qianlong slammed the embroidery on the table. What was Yongqi up to? Did he know about the two maids' backgrounds? How did he find out? Qianlong looked at Wu Shulai suspiciously.
Perhaps it was because Wu Shulai had done too many wrong things, but when Qianlong looked at him, Wu Shulai stiffened and lowered his head as low as he could. Wu Shulai vaguely guessed that the two princesses' backgrounds were not as they were stated. The emperor's gaze was somewhat frightening, and Wu Shulai carefully braced himself to keep from trembling.
"Your Majesty, this matter needs to be considered." Whether for the sake of the Fifth Princess or for her future son, the Empress wanted to ensure that the Emperor harbored resentment towards Yongqi.
Everyone had left, and no one knew what the Emperor and Empress had discussed. Neither the Fourth Princess nor the Fifth Princess had eavesdropped. The Fourth Princess pulled the Fifth Princess towards their room, leaving Baozhu and Jinsuo to guard the door. "Ziwei," she said, "I ask you, did you really embroider this?"
"Pfft... Yes and no!" Fifth Princess threw the embroidery into the brazier and burned it.
"What do you mean!" Fourth Princess did not stop Fifth Princess's actions. If it was a fake, then there would be no way to prove it.
“Sister is so smart, how could she not know what I mean?” Fifth Princess looked at the embroidery that had turned to ashes. “Trying to use me? No way.”
The author has something to say: Thank you all for your concern. It's so cold in Northeast China that everyone in the hospital has a cold. Luckily, there are nurses who come to my home to give me IV drips.
It's just a cold, nothing else, but... I've heard that the cold is the root of all illnesses, so I'm a little scared...
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