As dawn broke, numerous caravans appeared at the front lines of the Mongol tribes. Just as Qingyan had predicted, the chieftains summoned their principal wives, who were sent by the Qing Dynasty for marriage alliances.
They were all betrothed by imperial decree issued by the Empress Dowager. No matter how high the princess's status was, they were generally not valued in their husband's family, unless they were the Empress Dowager's own daughters.
Inside the carriage, Atu closed his eyes to rest. Since the Empress Dowager left, Atu had rarely contacted the capital and didn't know much about the princes. Yinzhen was considered the most capable among the princes, and some even believed that Yinzhen would succeed Kangxi.
Back then, the Empress Dowager had always told Atu that the Crown Prince would definitely be Kangxi's successor. Therefore, Atu always stood behind the Crown Prince, and even her children stood by her side, ready to follow the Crown Prince.
In recent years, the Crown Prince has become increasingly unreliable, and Atu felt it was time to choose another prince. Among the princes, Yinzhi and Yinsi both extended olive branches to the tribe, but Yinzhen remained silent.
This time, Yinzhen sent out invitations to the banquet, saying that only the principal wife could attend. The favored Mongolian concubines were embarrassed. Atu gripped the armrests tightly with both hands, and her face became even more gloomy. In the past few years, Kangxi had paid special attention to the princesses who were married off to Mongolia and had the intention of sending them back to the capital.
At this moment, Qingyan sat inside the tent. Seeing that Yinzhen looked serious, she told the twins and Batu Buhe to wait in the side hall first.
"Little darling, you'll be facing Atu later, is that alright?" Yinzhen asked Qingyan.
"Don't worry, I can definitely handle it," Qingyan said, patting his chest.
Without saying much, Yinzhen led Su Peisheng to the study next door.
Atu's carriage stopped in front of Yinzhen's tent. She got off the carriage defiantly and barged into the tent without waiting for Sulan's permission.
Now, Atu still has the confidence to barge into the tent, but once Yinzhen actually takes that position, it certainly won't be the same.
"Fourth Princess Consort, you didn't even bow to me?" Atu was the eldest princess with the highest status, and in most cases, the princess consorts treated Atu with great respect.
"The Fujin is the primary Fujin of Mongolia. Logically speaking, shouldn't we be calculated according to the status of the primary Fujin?" Qingyan looked coldly at Atu.
Every time Atu went to the capital, Consort Tong would feel unwell for a few days, and her words would be somewhat barbed.
The younger generation teased her about her situation several times, but she never refused the Eighth Prince's wife's request.
"Fourth Princess Consort, what do you mean?" Atu sat down at the lowest seat on the left and looked up at Qingyan: "What is your purpose in coming here this time? Why did you require all the principal wives to attend? Don't you know the situation in the Mongolian tribes? The concubines who come with the chiefs actually have more say in the tribes."
Qingyan looked at Atu: "I am the principal wife. Am I supposed to sit with the concubines? Consort, are you lowering the status of the royal wife, or are you making me demean myself?"
Atu was furious. Was Qingyan trying to humiliate her? If the Empress Dowager were still alive, no one would dare to disrespect her.
“I’m not trying to belittle you, I’m just trying to make you understand the situation of the Mongolian tribes,” Atu said nonchalantly.
"I can't tell you, but Father Emperor mentioned that as long as all the widowed aunts and great-aunts return to the capital, the royal family can still afford to support them," Qingyan said, looking at Atu.
To be honest, Atu is being a bit out of line, actually thinking of getting the royal family to compromise at this moment.
With the Empress Dowager gone, no one could control Emperor Kangxi anymore. The princesses who had married out of the capital began to hope that they could return to the capital. Their lives on the grasslands had been very unsatisfactory, and if they could return to the capital, they would be able to exchange letters.
"Fourth Princess Consort, you are too naive. You actually think of sending your married daughter back. Even if the royal family doesn't care, aren't you afraid of a rebellion on the grasslands?" Atu sneered.
"Let's wait and see. Don't the leaders all feel that the principal wife is a constraint? So, we brought back the principal wives and let their beloved concubines manage everything. Nothing has changed. We just removed someone who had confined them. They're not in the way..." Qingyan sneered. Many principal wives brought their concubines in, and a glint of light appeared in the eyes of the principal wives.
After everyone paid their respects to Qingyan, Qingyan simply smiled and said, "Grandma, aunts, please rise quickly, I still need to pay my respects to you."
Qingyan stood up from his seat and greeted the wives directly.
The concubines did not dodge; they stood up directly following the primary wife, and some even stood side by side with her.
Tu Lichen and Yu Mama, who was by the side of Consort Tong, appeared at the tent entrance. Seeing the actions of the concubines, the faces of the newcomers darkened.
"This servant greets the Fourth Prince's wife. His Majesty has dispatched the Firearms Battalion to protect the Fourth Prince and his wife. Granny Yu received an imperial decree from the Imperial Noble Consort to instruct the concubines on proper etiquette. For a mere concubine to dare to receive the courtesy due to a Prince's primary wife is truly remarkable." Tu Lichen sneered. "It seems His Majesty's secret decree is about to be announced. This servant and the leaders will inquire about it."
“Alright, I’ll go with you along with the other wives.” Qingyan looked at Tulichen, stood up, and smiled sweetly at the princesses who were getting married. “Grandmothers and aunts, let’s go together. From today onwards, you should be able to go home.”
Hearing Qingyan's words, the concubines' hearts sank. They no longer cared about the primary wife; they were the women who held real power in the tribe. Just now, when the young fourth wife, who was only twenty years old, spoke, they were speechless.
"Fourth Princess Consort, we..." The concubines wanted to take their leave.
“Wait a minute, the tribe is basically managed by the concubines. They should be with me to discuss matters. It’s not that the chiefs think the primary wives don’t understand the situation. It’s that the concubines are putting pressure on the primary wives. Rules are rigid, but you are flexible. What you say is certainly reasonable.” Qingyan said to the concubines.
Qingyan led the women into the main hall. Seeing the leaders kneeling on the ground, Tulichen held the imperial edict and questioned them one by one. Each word was like a nail, hitting the leaders' hearts hard. They knew that if they dared to object today, the people from the firearms battalion outside would make sure they never returned.
"Your Highness, how are you doing here?" Qingyan walked up to Yinzhen and politely greeted him.
"Grandma, read out Mother's decree. My consort is a prince's consort. Among you, except for one who is a prince, the rest of you are all of lower rank than me. Even the primary consort receives only half the proper etiquette, while the secondary consort receives the full etiquette. What a fine rule indeed. No wonder, in the tribes, the secondary consort is above the imperial princesses sent for marriage alliances." Yinzhen said angrily.
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