Chapter 87 Newlyweds
The next day, before daybreak, the newlyweds got up and washed.
Today, the two of them will wear auspicious clothes and go to the palace of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress to pay their respects.
It would be fine to go to the Empress Dowager. The old lady is free all the time except when she needs to see Emperor Qianlong in the morning.
But the emperor and empress were both very busy. Yonglian and his companions had to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation before Emperor Qianlong began to summon officials, and to the Changchun Palace before the concubines paid their respects to the empress.
Therefore, time was a bit tight. The two sat opposite each other and ate a few bites of food. Then Shu Nan asked her personal maid to take the gifts for the Queen Mother and the Empress, and then she went out.
Yonglian knew that the quarrel lasted a long time last night, and was worried that his wife was not feeling well, so he wanted to support her.
Shu Nan glanced back and whispered, "This isn't good. We won't be able to walk anywhere."
After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but glance at Yonglian with a look of reproach. Now she knew how to feel sorry for him.
Yonglian smiled ingratiatingly at his wife, knowing that he was wrong, but he would dare to do it again next time.
When the two arrived at Shoukang Palace, the Empress Dowager, Concubine Yu, and Concubine Qian were already waiting for them.
The two of them knelt three times and kowtowed nine times to the empress dowager. The empress dowager felt relieved when she saw that the couple had smiles on their faces and their eyes were filled with sweetness when they looked at each other inadvertently.
Shu Nan gave the Queen Mother a soft pillow that she made herself.
The Empress Dowager was delighted, praising Shu Nan's needlework and the beautiful color combination of the pillow. She immediately placed it on the kang, saying, "I usually like to lie on the kang and talk with the concubines. This pillow is so practical."
The Queen Mother naturally prepared a gift for Shu Nan, and took off the jade bracelet she had worn for many years from her wrist and gave it to Shu Nan.
"This is the jade bracelet given to me by Empress Xiaogongren. I've worn it for years, and now I give it to you."
When Shu Nan heard this, he tried to refuse and looked at Yonglian again.
Yonglian smiled and said, "Just wear it since the Empress Dowager gave it to you. Let's also share in the Empress Dowager's blessing."
Everyone laughed, and Concubine Yu said with a smile: "It's obvious at first glance that the Second Prince loves his wife very much."
Shu Nan lowered her head, acting shy, and the empress dowager took her hand and put the jade bracelet on her fair wrist with her own hands.
After a few more words, Yonglian and Shu Nan came out of Shoukang Palace and went to the western warm room of the Yangxin Palace.
After the two of them paid their respects to Emperor Qianlong, he smiled and said to Shu Nan, "When you entered the palace to be vaccinated against smallpox, you probably didn't expect that you would marry into the palace in the future, did you? This is fate. Yonglian is a bit careless about some things, and you need to worry about him more."
Shu Nan said hurriedly: "Supporting the prince is the duty of a daughter-in-law."
Qianlong glanced at Yonglian again and said, "I have already told you everything I should have told you. Do not bully your wife. Only by discussing things with her can we live in peace."
Yonglian also hurriedly stood up to receive the lecture, but he couldn't help muttering, "You don't know my son's temper. He has never bullied anyone."
Qianlong thought about it and realized that Yonglian had always been kind to eunuchs, palace maids and nannies since he was a child, and was also close to his brothers and sisters. He was also very sweet-mouthed and could make his elders happy.
He had asked for this concubine himself, so he should not treat her badly.
What Qianlong was actually worried about was that Yonglian listened too much to his wife. After all, his wife was obviously a person with her own ideas.
However, he naturally couldn't say this in front of Shu Nan, so he just said, "It's good to know. Once you get married, you're an adult. You can't be like a child, not just letting everything go. You have to learn to make decisions on many things. Before making a decision, you don't just have to consider yourself. You also have to consider your wife and children..."
Yonglian agreed with a smile.
Qianlong sent the two of them to pay their respects to the empress.
The maid in Yonglian's courtyard had already quietly reported to the Queen that the two had consummated their marriage last night, ordering hot water twice. It didn't stop until the hour of the Raven.
While the Queen was relieved, she also blamed Yonglian for not knowing how to care for others.
Fortunately, Shu Nan looked rosy and energetic.
Shu Nan made a rabbit fur hand warmer for the queen, which would be useful in a few days.
The Queen praised her for her thoughtfulness and invited the two of them to have tea, snacks and cakes.
"How did mother know that we didn't have a proper meal this morning?" Yonglian said as he picked up the cake. The cake had now become a snack in the ration.
"I don't know what you had for dinner this morning, but I know you certainly didn't eat much yesterday." The Queen asked, "I heard your Khan-Ama went out yesterday?"
Yonglian nodded. "Khan Ama didn't even inform us in advance, so we were caught off guard. We had no choice but to have him sit at the same table with the uncles. Later, when we were going to write couplets, we invited our twenty-first uncle to come as well."
Niu Lun was also there, and upon hearing this he laughed and said, "My second brother got married, and Khan Ama wrote seven or eight poems."
"Then when all our brothers and sisters get married, Khan Ama can compile another collection of poems." Yonglian smiled.
Shu Nan tried hard to hold back her laughter. If she teased the emperor, the three people present, mother and son, would laugh, but she certainly couldn't.
Niu Lun pulled Shu Nan aside again and asked her what she did for fun at home.
Shu Nan said, "I just read some miscellaneous books and do some needlework. When I was young, I learned some riding and archery from my brothers to keep fit, but I only practiced at home. I'm really a layman. I'm not very good at poetry, nor am I good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting."
Niu Lun smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you are too modest. When you were in your teens, your handwriting was very good. Your handwriting must be even more beautiful now."
Shu Nan was stunned. How many people had read the draft of his novel that he had left in the palace? How come even the princess knew about it?
The queen couldn't help but smile when she thought of the manuscripts Shu Nan wrote when he was a child. It seemed that the child's hobbies had not changed and he always liked to read miscellaneous books.
Niu Lun smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Second Brother also likes to read miscellaneous books. You'll see if you go to his study today. He has rows of novels, stories, astronomy, mathematics, and books on architecture and construction, while the serious Thirteen Classics are shelved."
Yonglian: "Hey, hey, hey! What truth are you talking about?"
Everyone laughed, and Shu Nan said, "My brother works in the Manufacturing Bureau, so it's only natural for him to read books on astronomy, mathematics, and architecture."
When Yonglian heard his wife defending him, he raised his chin proudly towards his sister.
Niu Lun: "What about the novel?"
"Since I am in charge of the National News, I naturally have to read some popular literary works so that I can understand how to educate the people in a way that they can accept." Yonglian argued cunningly.
Niu Lun started to act coquettishly to the Queen, "Mother, please help me. I can't win against the two of them alone."
After she finished speaking, she couldn't help laughing and made a shy face to her second brother.
As they were chatting and laughing, the wet nurse came over carrying little Yongcong who had just woken up.
The queen took her son and said with a smile, "Our little Yongcong has come to pay his respects to his brother and sister-in-law."
Shu Nan quickly took out the gift for Yongcong, which was a gold necklace.
The gifts for the first wife and several princesses were delivered yesterday.
Yonglian often came to visit his younger brother, and Yongcong would smile at him and reach out for a hug.
Yonglian hurriedly took it, and Shu Nan also came over curiously to play with the baby.
Yongcong was very considerate and smiled at his sister-in-law, babbling a few syllables as if to say hello to her.
As they were talking, the eldest wife arrived, and Yonglian and Shu Nan hurriedly bowed to their sister-in-law.
The eldest wife took Shu Nan by the hand and said, "Our courtyards are next to each other. Come and talk to me when you have time."
Because she is not in charge of palace affairs, she can't help Shu Nan with anything he needs, so this is all she can say.
Shu Nan agreed with a smile.
The Queen said, "Yonghuang and Yonglian grew up together and are very close. You two sisters-in-law should also visit each other more often and help each other."
The two of them quickly responded.
Yonghuang and his first wife had been married for two years with no good news. The first wife was very worried and could not even hold her head up in front of her elders. She had already agreed with Yonghuang that if there was no news this year, they would choose a concubine for him next year.
Now that Shu Nan has come into the family, the first wife is afraid that Shu Nan will be pregnant next year while she still has no news. Then she and the eldest prince will definitely be laughed at.
The Queen also knew that Yonghuang and his first wife were under great pressure, so she hinted to Yonghuang that he should accept a concubine. When the concubine had a child, the child could be raised by his first wife. If he kept dragging it out like this, his father-in-law would definitely assign him a concubine in the next selection.
Palace maids and nannies came one after another to report on palace affairs. The queen became busy, so Yonglian and Shu Nan took their leave and left Changchun Palace.
After returning to their own courtyard, the two went to the inner room to change into casual clothes. Yonglian asked Chen Fu to call all the servants in the courtyard to come and pay their respects to the concubine.
Shu Nan asked his personal maid to prepare the reward.
Yonglian's place was full of eunuchs and maids, with no palace maids. He glanced at everyone with a smile and said, "From now on, the affairs of this courtyard will be decided by Fu Jin. Anyone who dares to fool Fu Jin is fooling this prince."
If nothing unexpected happened, the Second Concubine would be the future Empress Dowager. Who would dare to neglect her? Hearing what the Second Prince said, everyone became even more alert.
Although the Second Prince usually has a good temper, he is well aware of the servants' tricks to fool their masters. It is not easy to play tricks in front of him.
Everyone responded respectfully, and Shu Nan introduced to Yonglian the maids and nannies she had brought with her.
Yonglian also gave them rewards and asked Chen Fu and Ma Rui to take good care of them.
After the servants left, Yonglian whispered to Shu Nan, "Chen Fu is Khan Ama's man and often complains to Khan Ama. When you write something in the future, avoid him, and tell the people around you not to let anything slip."
Shu Nan agreed at first, then said, "Now that I'm married, I don't plan to write novels anymore."
"Why not?" Yonglian asked, then explained, "If you have the energy and still want to create, feel free to do so. I'll keep it a secret for you. I have a few trustworthy people in the palace. If you feel unsafe in the palace, I can find a way for us to move out in the next two to three years."
Shu Nan: "...But, but after a woman gets married, she should focus on taking care of her husband and children."
Yonglian said, "Then we can have two fewer children, and you won't have to worry about it. As for me..." Yonglian chuckled, resting his chin on Shu Nan's shoulder, and shamelessly acted coquettishly, "I'm very well behaved, and I don't need Fu Jin to worry about me."
Shu Nan: “…”
Shu Nan pushed his head away and said with a blush, "Let's talk about serious things. What is the prince saying?" The second half of the sentence was obviously a joke, and the first half was even more outrageous. Who doesn't like to have many children and be blessed?
She could feel that the Second Prince liked her very much, and this certainly did not mean that he did not want to have children with her.
Yonglian put away the smile on his face and looked at Shu Nan seriously, "What I said is true. We want to live together for a long time. I can't let you suffer any grievances. Do whatever you want. If you want to write novels, write them. If you don't want to write, you can cultivate other hobbies, or do nothing. Chat and play cards with your sisters-in-law are all fine. Although you married me, your life is still your own..."
Although I can't make all the decisions, I will try my best to let you make about 70% of the decisions. At least you don't have to consider my feelings. I don't use those rules and regulations to restrict myself, so how could I use them to restrict you? "
Shu Nan was stunned when he heard this and didn't say anything for a long time.
Yonglian poked her cheek and said, "You definitely don't believe it now, but you'll know later. I'm not saying this to cheer you up."
He took off his shoes and climbed onto the couch by the window. "Come and lie down too. Let's read together."
Shu Nan's mind was originally in a mess, but when he heard him talking about reading, he immediately came back to his senses and subconsciously asked, "What book?"
Yonglian pulled out a copy of The Romance of Heaven from under his pillow and waved it in front of her eyes. "I'm reading it for the second time."
Shu Nan had never read her own book with others before. She wanted to hear Yonglian's feelings about the book, so she lay down next to him.
The sunlight from outside poured in through the glass, making the couch warm. The two leaned against each other and read. Yonglian would occasionally ask Shu Nan why he wrote like that.
Shu Nan told him the source of his inspiration, and occasionally brought up gossip in the Manchu noble circle.
At noon, the two got up and had dinner. Yonglian asked Shu Nan about her taste and asked the kitchen to add a few dishes according to her preferences.
Although the ingredients are fixed, the cooking method can be modified. You just need to give some money to the people in the small kitchen.
Yonglian didn't have much to spend money on, so it was worth spending it on this just to enjoy the food.
After dinner, Shu Nan watched the servants pack up their things while Yonglian continued to lazily lie on the couch in the inner room, reading.
It was a rare three-day wedding leave, and he didn't feel like doing anything serious. He just wanted to lie here and there.
Before the wedding, the Jingshifang sent a booklet. Yonglian flipped through it casually at that time, but after last night he realized that he should still learn about this matter to avoid causing trouble for his wife.
He found the booklet and read it again.
Shu Nan was busy in the outer room for a while, and only after watching people put away the things she brought in did she go into the inner room.
Yonglian quickly stuffed the booklet under his pillow and replaced it with "Romance of Heaven".
Shu Nan saw him patting the place beside him and motioning her to lie down over. She thought it was the same as before, leaning against each other to read, so she went over and lay down.
Unexpectedly, the person next to her immediately put down the book, came over and hugged her tightly.
Shu Nan noticed something and opened his eyes wide in disbelief. "My book doesn't contain any romantic stories. Why are you..."
Yonglian couldn't help laughing. "Fujin's book is good, without all this messy stuff. It's me who is too bad, my head is full of pornographic garbage..."
"What is yellow waste?"
"that is……"
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