With the arrival of the princes, Qingyan was completely confined to her residence. The Ulanara residence was surrounded by soldiers of the Plain Yellow Banner, and Yin was also sent to the residence. Every time she saw Yin reading, she could only sigh longingly at the gate.
"Little darling, what's wrong today?" Yin looked at Qingyan, the little guy's face was not good.
No!
It should be said that the little guy's complexion has never been good since the day he was confined to his home.
"How can you be in a good mood when you're confined to a square place?" Qingyan's small hands tightly gripped the embroidery hoop, which was decorated with a design she had personally created. This was a scarf she had prepared in advance, which she would be able to use in the fall.
Yin put down his textbook and sat down behind Qingyan. She had been lounging on the soft couch for several days and had rarely even gone into the greenhouse outside.
He looked listless, which made Yin feel uncomfortable.
"My dear, there are still 20 days left. After these princes leave, I'll take you hunting at the Summer Palace." Yin recalled that in previous years, Emperor Kangxi would have already prepared to go hunting at the Summer Palace by this time. This year, it was probably because the Empress Dowager was not feeling well that the trip was postponed.
He heard from the Dragon Guards that Cheng Gunzebu had hidden himself in the Ulanara residence on the first day he arrived in the capital, keeping a close eye on Xiao Guai's affairs. This annoyed him greatly, as Cheng Gunzebu was a shrewd man who saw things more clearly than his brother.
Qingyan glared at Yin's, holding a scarf adorned with blooming flowers. It was a gift she had prepared for Consort Tong. The design was novel, and while the embroidery in the palace certainly couldn't compare to that of the palace maids, it was a token of her goodwill.
"Fourth Sister, once you're able to leave the manor, you'll have to leave too!" Qingya hasn't come out since. These days, she's basically representing the Ulanara manor at those socialite gatherings, as many of the legitimate daughters of the manor are ill. "What brings those Mongolian princes here?"
In fact, Qingyan had several close girlfriends who sent her letters, telling her that she absolutely must not attend the socialite gathering and let the illegitimate daughter steal the spotlight.
At first, she didn't understand why these girls would say such things, but looking at Yin's furrowed brows, she made some guesses.
"Little darling, what do you think?" Yin looked at Qingyan. She had grown up, and there were many things that couldn't be said directly. He had to let her see things for herself, otherwise, these kinds of things would keep happening after she left the palace and established her own residence.
Qingyan had an arrogant look on her face, as if she was looking down on him. Some of the princes were keeping an eye on the Ulanara residence. She was in charge of the new house and had discovered early on that there were servants who had been bribed. Qingyan secretly transferred those people to unimportant positions, and some of them were even sold off directly.
The mansion appeared peaceful and serene, but beneath the surface, countless people were being plotted against.
"Fourth Sister, who are these people who came to propose marriage?" The eldest daughters all hold important positions in the mansion, and their future prospects are limitless when they participate in the imperial concubine selection. Therefore, the elders of the family are using their power to protect them.
Yin smiled faintly. Xiao Guai was smart; with just a brief reminder, she understood. Among the eligible young ladies, Qingyan was the most eye-catching. Not only was she Fei Yanggu's most beloved daughter, but Emperor Kangxi, Prince Yu, and others also treated Qingyan as their own princess. The Mongolian princes weren't stupid either; if they could marry such a daughter-in-law, their future would be very good.
When Qingyan set off for the expedition, his abilities impressed the princes even more.
Disasters frequently struck the grasslands, and every year the emperor would receive memorials from these princes pleading for help. Of course, how much self-interest was at play was anyone's guess.
"Is Father planning to send Qingya over there?" Qingyan knew that he couldn't show any sympathy at this moment. Qingya's stubborn nature would actually make her live better there.
Yin picked up Qingyan, their overlapping figures enveloped in the sunset. In a corner of the courtyard, a teenage maidservant glanced at Qingyan's somber reflection on the window, inwardly despising her.
This year, she had just been assigned to Qingyan from the Imperial Household Department. When Qingya left, her red and swollen eyes and aggrieved look reminded her of herself. In order to treat her mother's illness, she had accepted Qingya's money and passed on some useful information to Qingya.
Both of them were princesses from the Ulanara clan, yet their behavior and mannerisms were so different.
At this moment, Qingya had just returned from an afternoon tea party. She felt that something was wrong lately, as most of the women attending the banquets were illegitimate daughters, some of whom were quite beautiful.
As she walked toward the main courtyard of the Jue Luo clan, she recalled her actions at the banquet.
Some of the concubine's daughters, having finally gained their father's attention, would show a hint of excitement on their faces. Qingyan, having been protected by Feiyanggu since childhood, never attended these kinds of banquets, while Qingya was a regular guest at them.
The ladies' ambiguous glances at Qingya made her wary.
"Qingya, you're back?" Jue Luo didn't stop Qingya from going out. She felt that the daughter she had raised was definitely better than the rough and uncultured Fei Yangguna.
In particular, recently, outsiders have been praising Jue Luo Shi, saying that Qingya is becoming more and more like a lady from a prominent family, while Qingyan seems to be hiding in the background.
"Mother, I'm back." Qingya bowed to Jue Luo Shi and then served her a cup of hot tea.
Her obedient appearance greatly pleased Jue Luo.
"Hmm, how have the gatherings been these past few days?" After being confined to her residence by Fei Yanggu, Jue Luo rarely had the opportunity to leave the mansion, so Qingya could only attend the gatherings alone.
Qingya nodded slightly. Originally, she felt that she was somewhat inadequate. Looking at the girls attending the party, none of them had better manners than her. That sense of self-satisfaction slowly filled Qingya's heart.
"Next year, you will be entering the palace for the imperial concubine selection. You must train yourself well in manners. If you can catch the eye of the imperial family, that would be a great blessing!" Although Lady Jue Luo could not change Emperor Kangxi's decree, she did her best to arrange a good place for Qingya, so that her careful upbringing would not be in vain.
"Mother, I understand. Recently, a large number of Mongols have arrived in the city!" Qingya was very worried, as her destination would be the grasslands.
Before the expedition, because of the banquet, Kangxi severely punished the former prince and heir of Khorchin. If she went to the grasslands, wouldn't those people vent their anger on her?
"Yes, the Empress Dowager's health is not good. The imperial physician said that it will be a while before she recovers. Those people are there to see the Empress Dowager." Only the primary consort, secondary consort, and legitimate daughter are allowed to enter the palace to mourn. Daughters of concubines will not be allowed to enter the palace.
Therefore, Qingya felt relieved. She knew that the wives of the princes would definitely come to the palace to mourn. Once they saw Qingyan, they would not let go. At that time, even if the Fourth Prince protected Qingyan, he could only watch helplessly as Qingyan suffered.
Every time Qingya thought of Qingyan's arranged marriage on the grassland, she felt exceptionally happy.
"Mother, shall we pray for the Empress Dowager?" With Qingyan gone, if Kangxi wants to win over Fei Yanggu, he'll definitely have to offer him some benefits. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.com to read.)
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