"Hmm?" Qian Shengyan was almost asleep and couldn't remember who Nian was.
Yinzhen chuckled, said nothing, and gently patted her: "It's alright, go to sleep."
Qian Shengyan then fell asleep.
When she was clear-headed the next day, Qian Shengyan suddenly remembered Yinzhen's words and immediately understood—Shan Xiu was dead.
In just one day, Wanxia acted incredibly quickly, and the case was already reviewed and clarified.
Upon further reflection, Yinzhen probably wanted to discuss this matter when he summoned her yesterday.
Qian Shengyan thought absentmindedly, not caring much anymore. Historically, November of this year was the day Consort Hua was to die, and now that Yinzhen had decided to bring Lady Nian back, she was probably already terminally ill and not far from death.
It's not convenient to transport someone into the palace, but we can send someone to the garden first, and then move Consort Hua's carriage out of the Forbidden City later. Who would know if there was anyone in the carriage? The real Consort Hua will appear in the Yuanmingyuan Garden.
Before the previous court could even discuss the matter of the Third Prince being imprisoned in the Fengxian Hall for making a mistake, their attention was diverted to the selection of young princes.
Although Xiaoxuan is selecting a palace maid in bondservant status, palace maids are still the emperor's women! Not to mention the distant past, the late Empress Dowager was originally a palace maid who lifted curtains. She was favored by the late emperor at first glance and was blessed with great fortune, rising to the top in one step. And who can say that this person entering the palace this time will not have such good fortune?
Not to mention the few concubines in the harem whose families had designs on the palace, even the dowager concubines and imperial concubines had their families send out notices requesting an audience.
After Qian Shengyan consulted with Yinzhen, he did not object to any of them and agreed to everything. However, he became even stricter in selecting people for the Imperial Household Department and took the opportunity to remove several of the concubines' confidants and replace them with newly recruited palace maids.
Yinzhen and Qian Shengyan had similar ideas: even if a concubine was indeed unruly and had connections everywhere, they should replace everyone around her and see if she still had connections.
Amidst a chorus of curses from the harem, Qian Shengyan dusted herself off and moved to the Yuanmingyuan with her children.
When Yinzhen went to the Yuanmingyuan, he did not bring Ulanara. He claimed that he would let the Empress take charge of the selection process. However, the list of candidates had already been drawn up and the assignments to each palace had been decided. Only Ulanara was left to do these thankless and offensive tasks.
Lady Li remained secluded in the palace; while Consort Hua, though not fully recovered from her miscarriage, was not forgotten by Yinzhen and was taken to the Yuanmingyuan Garden with him.
However, before leaving the palace, Yinzhen issued another decree, once again demoting Nian Gengyao's title by one rank.
In addition, he brought along Lady Geng and Lady Guo, as well as Hongli and Hongzhou, who were still under house arrest.
As for Hongshi, he still kneels in the Fengtian Hall every day, facing his ancestors to reflect on his mistakes.
"You're not staying at Jiuzhou Qingyan?" Yinzhen asked again, somewhat displeased.
Qian Shengyan: "...Your Majesty..."
Isn't Jiuzhou Qingyan the Emperor's residence? What would she live in?
She still wanted to live back in her original Peach Blossom Village, which is now Apricot Blossom Village, but Yinzhen said that it had been reclaimed as farmland and he wouldn't allow her to live there.
Qian Shengyan then compromised and wanted to stay at Wanfang Anhe, but Yinzhen said that staying at Jiuzhou Qingyan was better than staying at Wanfang Anhe, since it was newly built and was large and spacious.
"But where can the concubines go to the Emperor's residence..."
"Who says that Jiuzhou Qingyan must be the Emperor's residence? The Imperial Concubine resides in Jiuzhou Qingyan, while I live in the Lotus Pavilion," said Yinzhen.
Qian Shengyan: ...
“Look, I usually hold court in an upright and honorable manner, and I am diligent and close to the virtuous when reviewing memorials. Wouldn’t it be just right for me to live in the Lotus Pavilion?” Yinzhen pointed to the map and showed it to Qian Shengyan. “The children live deep in the cave, not far from me. If you are in Qingyan in Jiuzhou, it will be convenient for you to visit them.”
This time, when moving to the Yuanmingyuan, Yinzhen simply had Hongshan move to the Prince's Residence as well, which was located deep in the grotto in the southeast corner of the garden.
Qian Shengyan was initially worried, since Hongshan was only three years old, but after asking for his opinion, the little boy was very willing to live with his brothers. The wound on his forehead had also healed by about 70-80%. Children have a fast metabolism, so wounds heal quickly. Moreover, Qian Shengyan observed that there were no aftereffects of a concussion, so she was somewhat relieved.
As for Ferguchun, she also insisted on living deep in the cave. Qian Shengyan glanced at the map and guessed that she thought it would be very convenient to enter and exit from the southeast corner of the cave through the Fuyuan Gate. She immediately rejected her request without hesitation and still took her to live with her.
“As Ferguchun gets older, she can live on her own.” Yinzhen pondered, considering allocating a palace for his beloved princess. He traced a line with his finger, “Nian Shi is still living in Ying Shui Lan Xiang, and Geng Shi and Guo Shi are still living in Dan Bo Ning Jing. In that case, Ferguchun can temporarily stay in Wu Tong Courtyard—it’s not far from you.”
“She will have to manage the princess’s residence herself in the future, so why not let her practice in a courtyard first?” Yinzhen advised.
Qian Shengyan thought that this made sense, sighed, and agreed.
They were talking about something, but when they arrived at the Yuanmingyuan, Qian Shengyan was dumbfounded—all of Yinzhen's things were sent directly to Jiuzhou Qingyan. What about staying at the Lotus Pavilion? What a liar!
"It's a good thing that His Majesty is willing to stay with his master." Qingxue smiled as she tidied the bed, placing two pillows and two quilts on it.
Qian Shengyan: ...
Well, the general election is coming up soon anyway, and after that... she can relax and wait to become the Empress Dowager.
The Yuanmingyuan Garden was much more spacious than the palace. The Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall alone consisted of three main halls: the Yuanmingyuan Hall, the Fengsan Wusi Hall, and the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall. Qian Shengyan was currently residing in the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall.
"Yanyan, what do you think of the construction of this palace?" Yinzhen was quite satisfied. He pulled Qian Shengyan to stand under the north corridor, pointed to the lake and smiled, "When Mid-Autumn Festival comes, we will take a boat to Shangxia Tianguang to admire the moon; if you have nothing to do on weekdays, you can go to the goldfish pond to see the fish, or go to the peony pavilion to admire the flowers, or go to Ciyun Puhu to worship Buddha."
Qian Shengyan: ...
Okay, so it turns out the emperor built a landscaped area around his residence.
"Qinghui Pavilion is just to the west, and Wutong Courtyard is right next to Ciyun Puhu. It's not far whether you take a boat or walk." Yinzhen introduced it, his interest undiminished, and then took Qian Shengyan's hand to take a boat trip.
Qian Shengyan looked at the busy palace servants, hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse, and followed Yinzhen to take the boat.
Upon entering the Yuanmingyuan Garden, she separated from the children, leaving only Yinzhen by her side. Originally, she had planned to visit her daughter at Wutong Courtyard after touring the garden, but Yinzhen became increasingly happy as he toured, and simply ordered several princes and Fuerguochun to come over for a meal on a large boat on the lake.
Foerguchun, who lived nearby, arrived the fastest. Upon seeing Qian Shengyan, she exclaimed excitedly, "Mother! The garden is so much better! We can take a boat right away! Let's not go back to the Forbidden City!"
"Nonsense." Although Yinzhen said this to her, seeing that Foerguochun really liked the newly renovated Yuanmingyuan, he smiled even more smugly.
"Your Majesty, Prince Yi requests an audience," Su Peisheng reported with a pained expression. He really didn't want to be the spoilsport, but, "Your Majesty, Prince Yi says he has important matters to discuss with you."
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