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As evening fell, Yin and Qingyan returned to Changchun Garden under the sunset. Kangxi and Consort Tong were talking with the twins. Around lunchtime, Kangxi received news that the Crown Prince had gone to Yuanmingyuan to find Yin. He had been observing Yin's actions. Yin only tried to persuade the Crown Prince. Qingyan cooperated with Yin to drive Shi Wenbing and his wife away.
"Fourth Prince, have you gone out?" Kangxi asked, looking at Yinzhen.
"Yes, Shi Wenbing asked the Crown Prince to come and see me. We arranged to meet at Linglong Pavilion!" Yin believed that the matter was not what the Crown Prince wanted, and it would be unfair to make him bear the blame.
After speaking, Qingyan glanced at Yin and followed Consort Tong into the flower hall.
"Little darling, what does Lady Guarjia want with you?" Consort Tong had heard rumors that Lady Guarjia wanted to send her illegitimate daughter into the Fourth Prince's harem, and that she had even used Lady Guarjia to hide in Cining Palace.
"Mother, it's for the headdress that Princess Guarjia will wear when she goes to the palace." Qingyan was stunned. Could it be that there was something else Han Yi needed for the audience at Cining Palace?
Consort Tong snorted coldly, wondering what that woman was thinking.
Shu led Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen to wash her hands. After watching the child leave, Consort Tong told Qingyan the news she had heard. Qingyan frowned. The news of her pregnancy had stirred up many people's thoughts. Some even said in front of her that they were getting old and gray.
"Mother, Fourth Prince knows what he's doing!" Qingyan can't offend the officials' families casually, lest he bring trouble to Consort Tong.
The woman in Cining Palace was always causing them trouble, and Qingyan was really having a headache. Kangxi was in a difficult position with the Empress Dowager. If she went too far, it might provoke opposition from the Mongol tribes. On the other hand, the Empress Dowager's actions would become increasingly unpredictable.
"Little darling, you can only help the Crown Princess as you see fit. Shulu is pitiful. The Guarjia clan is preparing to abandon the Crown Princess!" Consort Tong told her some news that happened while Qingyan was not in the capital. The Crown Princess's family believed that since the Crown Princess had not given birth to a legitimate son for the Crown Prince, her position would definitely become the domain of a concubine.
Therefore, to avoid a similar situation from happening, Guarjia clan directly asked the Crown Princess to choose a close cousin to secure her position.
The Crown Princess argued that she would agree to this method, and her half-sisters dressed up in their finest attire to visit Yuqing Palace. These half-sisters believed that if they gave birth to the Crown Prince's son, he would surely be enrolled under the Crown Princess's care, and if the child achieved great success in the future, their status would definitely be transferred to An Gao. They looked down on Shu Lu even more.
The Crown Princess was naturally displeased that several people had looked down on Shulu, and she directly had a falling out with the family.
"Mother, is this true?!" Qingyan asked in surprise.
The women of the Guarjia clan are so unkind. The Crown Princess is struggling to survive in the palace, and her family is plotting against her. She really has no way to express her suffering.
"Yes, it's confirmed." Consort Tong nodded.
Qingyan sat in the chair, comparing the actions of the Guarjia clan and the Gioro clan. Relatively speaking, her own mother was much better.
"During the winter solstice, most of those who brought their female relatives into the garden were instigated by the Guarjia clan. The Empress Dowager even used a pawn, constantly whispering in her ear that if a suitable person could be found for Yinzhi and Yinzhi, the two would definitely want to join the Mongol tribes!" Consort Tong shook her head and said.
Qingyan felt that the Empress Dowager was blinded by kinship, and that the Mongol princes and their wives were more interested in taking from her than in repaying her.
"Mother, did the Empress Dowager really do it?" In Qingyan's memory, the Empress Dowager listened to the Grand Empress Dowager and Su Mo'er.
Logically speaking, Su Mo'er should have advised the Empress Dowager, so why didn't she say so this time?
"Granny Su is completely unmoved. The more she says, the more the Empress Dowager feels that Granny Su is hindering her from helping her maternal family and is not doing things according to the wishes of Imperial Grandmother Lin Zhongqian." Consort Tong sighed, wondering if the Empress Dowager had become senile.
Qingyan took a sip of warm water from her teacup, secretly relieved that the Empress Dowager was becoming increasingly muddle-headed and disorganized.
"Mother, don't you think the Empress Dowager's change of heart is too rapid?" Qingyan felt that the Empress Dowager was doing it on purpose.
It is said that the Mongol wives would take advantage of the winter solstice holiday to visit the Empress Dowager's palace. The way the wives arranged things would surely persuade the Empress Dowager to favor the Khorchin.
"Sigh..." Consort Tong sighed. The number of people placed on the Empress Dowager's side had increased, and although Emperor Kangxi had tried to stop them several times, it had not been effective. Instead, it had caused the Mongol princes to gather together and submit memorials to persuade Emperor Kangxi that the Empress Dowager was getting old and increasingly wanted to see her family. Therefore, she suggested that some eligible princes and princesses be presented to the Empress Dowager.
To prevent these people from causing trouble, Emperor Kangxi had no choice but to compromise and allow the Empress Dowager to meet with the Mongol wives.
"Mother, do you have no other choice?" Qingyan knew that with a princess of marriageable age, even the Empress Dowager would have to compromise.
Emperor Kangxi repeatedly refused the marriage proposals from the Mongol princes, and it was hard to guarantee that those princes wouldn't resort to desperate measures.
"Little darling, take Thirteen and his two younger sisters with you this time," Consort Tong said directly.
The two girls were still young, but they were targeted by the leaders of Mongolia, and the two troublesome princesses dared not go out.
Although the Thirteenth Princess was raised by Consort Yi, she still lived in the Eastern Third Palace. Every time she went to pay her respects, she would encounter some ignorant princes.
"Mother, really? How did those people get into the inner palace?" The princes are all of marriageable age, so it's time to avoid any impropriety.
"To pay homage to the Empress Dowager, one must pass through the inner palace. They even bribed the servants to find out when several princesses paid their respects, including Xiao Jiu and Xiao Shisan." Consort Tong was very annoyed.
The reason the Mongol princes dare to be so bold is because they are relying on the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager were not in the Cining Palace, they wouldn't dare to come in.
During his visit to Changchun Garden, Emperor Kangxi deliberately moved the Empress Dowager to the front, preventing the princes from wandering around and making it impossible for them to bump into the princesses.
Those who tried to break into the backyard were apprehended by the Imperial Guards, and Kangxi gave them a severe beating, throwing them back to the Court of Colonial Affairs and ordering the leaders to discipline them strictly. If they offended again, it would not be enough to just give them a beating.
"Mother, I understand. I will take the three siblings with me." Qingyan nodded and said, "Fourth Brother said he wants to send some things to Consort Min. Mother, do you think we should send them now?"
Recently, Consort Min's health has not been good. When Consort Min was feeling unwell, Consort Tong specially sent some of the medicinal herbs and pearl powder prepared by Qingyan to her, and Consort Min's health improved somewhat.
"Send him there, so that Yinxiang can go to the military port in Guangdong and Guangxi with peace of mind!" Once Kangxi made a decision, no one could object.
As long as Consort Min is healthy, Yinxiang will not have to worry about either side. A good man's ambition lies in all directions!
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