Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Very tacit understanding
Qianlong hadn't opened any doors in the past few days and planned to go to Changchun Palace in the evening.
The Queen's words a few days ago were like a thorn in his heart. He felt that he should be angry. After all, the Queen's words were obviously full of resentment.
But he couldn't get angry, he just felt more guilty and scared.
He couldn't imagine that the queen would die before him. Although Gao's death made him sad, it had little impact on his life.
His wife and children were all there, and there was only one empty room in the harem. In the future, Jiapin or Chunpin would take over the position of Imperial Concubine and help the Queen manage the harem.
But if the queen is gone, there is no one in this palace who can replace her.
Whether intellectually or emotionally, Qianlong did not want any rift between the couple and he had to put that unpleasantness behind him as soon as possible.
The queen was also a knowledgeable and tactful person, and she stopped at the right time. Over the past two days, the two of them have resumed their former love.
Just as Qianlong was about to go out, Yonglian arrived.
Qianlong asked, "Where did this come from?"
"From Changchun Palace," Yonglian said, "The Empress Dowager has been busy arranging the selection of concubines for the past few days and has no time to pay attention to me."
"I'm not free either." Qianlong said deliberately.
Yonglian glanced at the desk and said, "There aren't many memorials today."
Qianlong snorted, "Do you think these are all the things on the table? There are more in the box over there. Being an emperor is not as easy as you think."
Yonglian stepped forward to massage Khan Ama's shoulders, acting very servile.
"Do you have something to ask me?" Qianlong asked with a smile.
Yonglian hummed, "Well... the selection begins tomorrow. I heard you're choosing a wife for your son this year."
Upon hearing this, Qianlong couldn't help but look back at him and said, "Oh, what are the standards for Second Prince? Let's choose according to Second Prince's standards tomorrow."
Yonglian smiled and said, "I heard that you and mother have already chosen a candidate. Can you tell your son about it?"
Qianlong said, "It doesn't matter which one we favor; what matters is what you think."
"Khan Ama, you are so kind!" Yonglian couldn't help but say.
"The legitimate wife is the one you will spend your whole life with. If the relationship is not good, the whole family will be affected." When Qianlong said this, there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
Khan Ama had said something similar to him back then, and also allowed him to see several beauties who had passed the preliminary selection. He immediately took a liking to the dignified Fucha.
Yonglian must also have the power he enjoyed in the past. And this kid came here eagerly, so he must have some ideas.
Yonglian walked around to the opposite side of Qianlong and said solemnly, "I don't have any standards. After all, people's appearances change, and their temperaments and personalities cannot be understood in a day or two. I can only judge them by their family background. Master Shu has taught my son for many years and has done his best. Not to mention the family tradition of the Shumulu family. His grandfather Xu Yuanmeng was highly valued during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. Most of his family members are well-educated. Although they are prominent, they have never bullied others. I think a girl like this is also well-educated and well-mannered. My son wants a girl from the Shumulu family..."
Qianlong: “…”
Yonglian noticed that Khan Ama had a strange expression on his face, so he stopped talking and looked at him cautiously.
Qianlong couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Yonglian looked puzzled, "What are you laughing at?" His excuse was clearly a serious one. When choosing a wife for a prince, wasn't family background the first consideration?
Qianlong laughed until he had enough and then said, "Your mother and I have already thought of all that you can think of."
Yonglian was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on. He asked in disbelief, "Could it be that the girl you and mother have set their eyes on is from the Shumul family?"
Qianlong smiled and said, "How is it? This is the tacit understanding between blood relatives."
Yonglian jumped up happily, "Khan Ama, you have such good taste!"
Qianlong said proudly, "No one knows a son better than his father. Even if you don't tell me, I can guess your preferences."
Yonglian chuckled and diligently handed tea to Khan Ama.
As long as it's Nanxing, Yonglian doesn't want Nanxing to lose her creative freedom after getting married. However, most men in this era would not allow their wives to write novels. Even if the husband supports it, the rest of the husband's family may not support it. Even if the husband's family supports it, it will be difficult for them to help her conceal her identity.
But Yonglian could do it, as long as she wanted to create, he was willing and able to support her.
Qianlong drank a sip of tea and revealed to his son, "I have seen that girl before. She is graceful and has good handwriting. Her handwriting is better than yours..."
When Yonglian realized he was talking about the cowpox vaccination, he said, "It's been a few years now, and my son's handwriting has improved."
"Then how do you know that his handwriting hasn't improved?" Qianlong snorted.
Yonglian thought about it and agreed. Nanxing wrote manuscripts all day long, so even though his handwriting was not good, it had improved.
When he thought that he would be Nanxing's first reader in the future, he narrowed his eyes happily.
"Alright, alright, stop being so silly." Qianlong said disdainfully, "We'll select the members of the Plain White Banner the day after tomorrow. I'll let you take a look from afar then."
Shu Nan finished "The Romance of Heaven" before the election and has been revising it these past few days. She'll send it off for proofreading and printing once the draft is over. This will probably be her last novel as Nan Xing. She's been revising it very carefully.
As the general election approached, her father and mother invited an old maid from the palace to teach her the rules and regulations, and there were also strict requirements on her daily routine and diet.
The audition will be held the day after tomorrow, so in order to make her look rosy, she was asked to lie down early.
Shu Nan couldn't sleep, remembering what her father had told her, that the emperor might make her the prince's wife.
The eldest prince is already married, and the third prince is still young, so the second prince is the only prince who will choose a wife this year.
The royal family chose her, perhaps because her father was the second prince's teacher, and the emperor hoped that her father would continue to assist the second prince in the future.
She felt very lucky. At least the Second Prince would not be dissatisfied with her for writing novels, because it was the Second Prince himself who encouraged her to write novels in the first place.
But no matter how sensible the Second Prince was, as the Prince's wife, she should devote herself to serving the Empress, the Second Prince, and taking care of the household chores. Continuing to create was impossible.
I still have many stories I want to tell, and I will tell them to my children and grandchildren in the future.
Thinking of this, the little girl couldn't help but bury her hot cheeks in the quilt.
The selection was presided over by the Ministry of Households. The eligible women from each banner had already been registered and sent to Emperor Qianlong. Some of them were marked as having been favored by royal princes.
The next morning, the concubine entered through Shenwu Gate.
Qianlong began to read after the morning court session.
If there is no designated brand in a certain column, he will just look at the appearance and choose the one he likes.
After the first day of the examination, Qianlong selected concubines for several princes of the imperial clan. He also found a wife for Mingrui, the daughter of Tongjia Changsheng.
The girl's appearance was striking, and her graceful, graceful demeanor was a perfect match for Mingrui. Qianlong had someone make inquiries and learned that she was a talented poet and painter. The empress agreed, and the marriage was finalized.
The next day, the selection of the Plain White Banner and the Bordered White Banner was made. Today, Qianlong was most concerned about looking at the girl from the Shumul family.
Yonglian was a little absent-minded in today's math class. The content he was learning was already very difficult, and he would not be able to keep up if he was distracted for a moment.
Yonglian was always focused in math class, so it was rare for him to be distracted today. Yunlu was initially puzzled, but after a moment's thought, he suddenly understood. "Oh, right, today is the election day."
Yonglian came back to his senses and responded.
"Your Khan father is choosing a wife for you." Yunlu said with a smile.
Mingrui also looked at Yonglian. He didn't know that he was about to have a wife, and was only concerned about the second prince's marriage.
Yonglian was a little shy, but tried to act calm, "Yes, Khan Ama also asked me to go take a look later."
Yunlu clicked his tongue twice, "No wonder you don't have the energy to do the math."
Yunlu himself had many wives and concubines, and was not at all conservative about such matters. He joked with his nephew, "Don't lose your mind after reading this."
Mingrui couldn't help laughing. Yonglian blushed at the teasing. "No... no way." He picked up the pen and said, "Calculate the problem."
Yunlu laughed twice and continued to explain the problem. A moment later, Ma Rui poked his head in and said, "Second Prince, time's up."
Yonglian immediately put down his pen and said, "Sixteenth Uncle, I'm going to go see my future wife first." Then he ran away.
Yunlu: "..."
Qianlong was in the Jiangxue Pavilion in the Imperial Garden, reviewing the concubines. Yonglian ran over from the Shangshufang, just as a Manchu concubine from the Zhengbai Banner was emerging. This timing was calculated in advance.
Yonglian unexpectedly met Yongqi who was running and playing outside on the road. He was embarrassed to tell his brother that he was going to see his wife, so he said that Khan Ama wanted to see him for something.
Little Yongqi wanted to play with his brother, so he said he was waiting for him here.
Yonglian was afraid that his fifth brother would be cold, so he asked him to go to Changchun Palace and sit for a while, and he would go to find him later.
Yongqi agreed and skipped away.
Yonglian quickened his pace. When he reached the Imperial Garden, he saw the Manchu ladies of the Plain White Banner being led out. The young eunuch beside Qianlong was already waiting for him there and pointed him in a direction. "Those over there are those with names. The tall one on the far left is the daughter of the Shumul family."
Yonglian looked over, but from a distance he couldn't quite make out her profile, he could only make out her general figure. The morning sunlight enveloped her, outlining a beautiful and tall silhouette.
She was wearing a lilac dress, had a dignified demeanor, a slender neck, and the pendants on her ears swayed slightly with her steps.
Yonglian watched her go up the corridor, but his mind was filled with the laughter, anger and scolding in the "Journey to the West". If he hadn't known Nanxing's identity long ago, he would definitely not have connected Nanxing with the girl in front of him.
The eunuch in front of Qianlong said, "Don't worry, my lord. The Empress will send someone to take care of the girl."
Yonglian nodded. He was not worried about this matter. Nanxing would definitely take good care of herself.
He asked Ma Rui to tell his sixteenth uncle, "I'm taking a quarter of an hour off to pay my respects to my mother."
In Changchun Palace, the Empress was talking to Concubine Ling, while Niu Lun took Yongqi to play in the open space in front of the rear hall. Concubine Ling was once a maid in Changchun Palace. She was favored by Emperor Qianlong and was quickly promoted to Concubine Ling this year from Concubine Wei.
The imperial edict conferring the title of Concubine Ling and the imperial edict promoting Gao to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort were issued by the same emperor.
This incident made many people in the palace feel that the emperor was heartless.
The concubines who used to have a good relationship with the Imperial Noble Concubine looked at Concubine Ling with some displeasure.
Fortunately, Lingpin was a good person. The Empress was the boss of the palace, and her current position was inseparable from the Empress's guidance and guidance. Therefore, pleasing the Empress was the most important thing.
Someone came to report that the second prince had arrived. In order to avoid suspicion, Concubine Ling immediately took her leave and left from the back.
Yonglian greeted his mother, and the empress asked with a smile, "Did you see anyone?"
Yonglian said, "I didn't see it clearly."
The queen glanced at him and said, "It's good enough that I let you take a look."
Yonglian pursed his lips and smiled, "My son believes in my father's and mother's judgment."
Qianlong told the empress that Yonglian had the same idea as him and had also chosen the girl from the Shumul family. The empress felt that her son seemed heartless, but in fact he was very calculating and knew how to find support for her.
Shuhede's ability and character are obvious to all, and he is also someone the emperor trusts; otherwise, he wouldn't be in charge of the Infantry Command Office. He is also Yonglian's teacher. This is to make it clear to the emperor that whoever you trust, I trust.
There wouldn't be two separate teams between father and son. The emperor was naturally happy.
As for the girl from the Shumulu family, the Empress heard that her mother had died young and that she had been delayed in getting vaccinated. She was quite pitiful. She would definitely take extra care of her in the future.
"Since she is the girl chosen by both your Khan Father and you, you must cherish her and live a good life with her." The queen advised her son.
Yonglian nodded repeatedly, "Mother, I want to tell you something." He moved to the Queen's side, "I don't plan to have a concubine or a maid in the future, so please don't worry about this for me."
Queen: "It's too early for you to say that now. You won't say that in two years." Even a man as devoted as the prince has two concubines.
Yonglian knew his mother didn't believe him, so he said, "Then don't worry about me for the next two years. If Khan Ama wants to make arrangements for me, please help me block them."
The Queen said, "Okay, okay, we are not that tactless. Do you know when I released someone from your brother's courtyard?"
"Mother, you are the best." Yonglian bowed to his mother.
At this time, Yongqi ran in. Niu Lun followed behind, "Hurry up and take Lao Wu out to play. This kid never stops playing. He's tiring me to death."
Niu Lun sat down and asked the palace maid to pour tea.
Yongqi ran to Yonglian and said, "Brother, play slingshot with me."
"Let's go!" Yonglian said as he stood up and took Yongqi out.
Several beautiful ladies with their names on their names lived in Chuxiu Palace.
The concubines all stayed in their rooms obediently, not daring to walk around or talk nonsense.
Shu Nan was bored, so she chatted with the maids who looked after them. These ladies who had left their names on the list might very well become their own masters in the future, so the maids couldn't afford to neglect them. Moreover, Shu Nan was very interesting, and the topics she talked about were also of interest to the maids.
The next day, Qianlong and the empress found out that their future daughter-in-law was a talkative person.
Qianlong was not surprised at all. Shu Nan had kept a diary while receiving a smallpox vaccination in the palace, and he was not at all reserved when meeting him. His strong desire to express himself was simply uncontrollable.
Nowadays, girls should be dignified and quiet. A personality like Shu Nan's does not really meet the criteria for choosing a queen.
But Qianlong now had his own preferences for his daughter-in-law. This girl had a cheerful personality, which at least meant that the couple's life wouldn't be dull. She would also be able to please the Empress Dowager and the Empress in the future. She was better than the one who couldn't talk.
During the re-election, the Queen Mother and the Empress also met Shu Nan.
They were both very satisfied, and the Queen Mother even said to the Empress: "The child is in good health and has the appearance of a person who will live a long life."
The Queen smiled and said, "Your Majesty is always so good at judging people. That's wonderful. Health is most important."
As long as his wife is healthy and they have a child, the family will be stable. Otherwise, even if Yonglian doesn't want a concubine, the emperor will definitely arrange one for him.
A few days later, the imperial decree for the marriage came down. Yonglian went to the Shangshufang that morning, and Mingrui congratulated him.
A moment later Shu Hede came and Mingrui congratulated Master Shu again.
Shu Hede now faced Yonglian with a different mood. In the past, he was the future crown prince with high hopes, and now he was also the future son-in-law.
He couldn't look down on his future son-in-law, after all, he was the one who taught him.
Although the Second Prince was somewhat lazy, he was a man of noble character and a kind heart. He had encouraged his daughter to write novels back then, and he wouldn't dislike her for this in the future. Shu Hede felt relieved to entrust his daughter to him.
When officials in the court learned that Shuhede's daughter was betrothed to the second prince, they all came to congratulate him.
Shuhede urged his family to be more cautious in the future and never to take advantage of their royal connections to become arrogant. They should learn from the positive examples currently available, such as the Empress' brothers. They should especially emulate Fuheng, who was more diligent and conscientious than ordinary officials. Only then would they be worthy of the Emperor's care.
No matter how much Madam Shu disliked Shu Nan, she had to treat him respectfully now. This woman would most likely be the mistress in the future, and her own children would have to rely on her to raise them.
Shu Nan seemed the calmest, submitting her manuscripts as planned and waiting for her new book to be published. Meanwhile, she was concerned about her dowry, trying to match it with the first wife's, but at least not exceeding hers in appearance.
The wedding date is set for next autumn, which is more than a year away, so there is plenty of time for the Imperial Household Department to prepare the wedding for Yonglian.
The Second Prince's marriage was settled, which meant he could go out to work. Hai Wang proposed to Emperor Qianlong that he wanted to resign from his position as the director of the Manufacturing Bureau.
In fact, from the moment he took this position, there were people waiting to take over his job. Although many people disdained the work of the Imperial Household Department, the annual profits of the Manufacturing Bureau were there, and the position of the Manufacturing Bureau Director was a lucrative position.
Moreover, the position of the Manufacturing Bureau in the court will become increasingly important. Although the Manufacturing Bureau is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department, its status is comparable to that of the Ministry of Works.
Nianqin wanted to take over this position, but was declined by Qianlong. He did not intend to let Nianqin stay in the capital, so of course he would not let him run the manufacturing bureau.
The other brothers of the Niuhuru family were not good either, as their cultural level was too low. The only one who could study, Aibida, was sent to Jiangxi by Emperor Qianlong.
Many officials in the Ministry of Industry who possessed technical expertise were either inadequately qualified and difficult to convince, or were assigned to the Railway Department. While the craftsmen in the Manufacturing Bureau possessed technical expertise, being a general manager required more than just technical expertise; they also had to negotiate with local officials. These craftsmen were inferior to the officials and were therefore unsuccessful.
Qianlong asked Haiwang if he had any promising successor.
Hai Wang said, "I have thought about this for a long time, and apart from Prince Hui, there is no one else in the court who is qualified for this task."
He explained the reasons for choosing Yonglian, but in fact, Qianlong had already agreed in his heart without him having to explain it.
Yonglian was already very familiar with the affairs of the Manufacturing Bureau and had even designed the steam engine from the beginning. He was able to get started immediately after replacing Haiwang.
Moreover, Qianlong was not at ease if he handed over such an important department to other members of the imperial clan. Only when he handed it over to his own family did he feel at ease.
Qianlong nodded and agreed to Haiwang's request.
That night, he discussed with Yonglian and decided to let him learn to walk in the Manufacturing Bureau this year, and after the wedding next year, he would officially take over Haiwang's job.
Yonglian thought about it and realized that he was old enough to take on an official position. The affairs of the outer court were too troublesome, and he didn't want to get involved with those old officials.
The Manufacturing Bureau was the most suitable for him, so he readily agreed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
