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Before lunch, the Empress Dowager moved from the courtyard to Zhan Huai Hall. Consort Tong and others were waiting inside. The Empress Dowager, supporting Su Mo'er, walked step by step into the hall, and everyone knelt to pay their respects. (From the novel)
After the Empress Dowager took her seat, she did not tell everyone to get up. Everyone knelt down with their heads bowed. Outside the courtyard, the sound of the Emperor's whip rang out, and the Empress Dowager could no longer change her mind.
Emperor Kangxi strode into the main hall and respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager," Kangxi said, standing up after bowing. "You may all rise and kowtow."
Kangxi waved to the concubines and wives of his sons. Among his daughters-in-law, both of his primary wives were pregnant. Although it was not the first trimester, it was still best to be careful.
Emperor Kangxi immediately helped Consort Tong to her feet and had her sit down behind him. Seeing that she could not take the opportunity to cause trouble, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to suppress her anger.
"Your Majesty, are you angry again?" Kangxi led his princes, princes from beyond the Great Wall and Mongolia, and members of the imperial clan over. They saw the Empress Dowager's actions in the courtyard and frowned, feeling that she had gone too far.
Among the women, many were pregnant, and two of the princes' concubines from beyond the Great Wall were about to give birth. If they knelt for too long, it wouldn't be good for the babies.
"Your Majesty, I think it's time to properly teach the princes' primary wives manners and teach them to respect their elders!" The Empress Dowager believed that it was Lady Yin Genjueluo and Qingyan who stirred up trouble; otherwise, the Fifth Prince's wife wouldn't have been able to cause such a big disturbance.
The Empress Dowager's words made the women feel that she was clearly making a false accusation. The women were all eyewitnesses, and the Empress Dowager had directly accused someone else of the fault, which was obviously a slap in the face for the women.
As soon as she finished speaking, the women's faces darkened, and they felt even more uncomfortable. There was no doubt that the Empress Dowager was prepared to fight to the end.
"This is the Lesser New Year, so everyone should refrain from making a ruckus," Kangxi admonished. "Li Dequan, prepare for the feast!"
Emperor Kangxi stopped everyone from complaining and told them to shut up. The Empress Dowager was speechless and could only remain silent.
"Empress Mother, let the younger generation handle their own affairs. If the principal wife has no power, the household will be in chaos!" Kangxi said with a hint of unease.
The Empress Dowager did not speak, but the women all understood that His Majesty was referring to the women of the Fifth Prince's residence, which made Yinqi feel humiliated.
Qingyan sat beside Yin, looking at the food on the small table, feeling a little sentimental.
On the dining table, there were many dishes that pregnant women in their early stages of pregnancy should not eat, which was clearly aimed at Qingyan.
If Qingyan had a miscarriage before the New Year, it would have been a sin. Of course, if she had a miscarriage, when Yin returned to the military port, he would have no female relatives to accompany him, and Kangxi would definitely have chosen a few concubines for him.
He frowned slightly and pressed down on Qingyan's hand, which was preparing the divine chopsticks, telling her to stop using them.
"Fourth Prince, if we don't use it, the Empress Dowager will definitely say something!" Qingyan used the spatial communication system to communicate with Yin.
"Even if you say it, nothing is more important than the child!" Yin firmly opposed Qingyan eating anything. If she did, there might really be problems. If Imperial Physician Yuan diagnosed that the child was fine, the Empress Dowager would definitely have doubts.
The Empress Dowager had been keeping a close eye on Qingyan's actions. The food on that table was prepared by the Imperial Kitchen at the Empress Dowager's behest, and it was also the suggestion of the Mongolians. After all, most of the noble ladies of Mongolia were betrothed to members of the imperial family. If something happened to Qingyan at this time, one of the noble ladies brought by the Mongolian Princes of Qin would definitely be able to squeeze into the Fourth Prince's residence.
The result was disappointing. After all, Qingyan had given birth once and knew very well what foods to avoid. In addition, 300 years later, some ancient people even listed the list of those who framed others online, which allowed Qingyan to escape being framed time and time again.
"I understand!" Qingyan compromised under Yin's gaze. Kangxi and Consort Tong were somewhat relieved to see this.
"Fourth Prince's wife, is the imperial cuisine not to your liking?" the Empress Dowager questioned directly.
The Empress Dowager's words implied to everyone that the banquet held at the residence was more luxurious than the one held in the palace.
"Grandma, you've wronged me. I was in the flower hall and got a bit hungry, so I ate quite a bit and can't eat anymore!" Qingyan didn't say anything more, knowing that the royal family would inevitably speak ill of her.
The women all had eyes, and when they looked at the various delicacies on the Fourth Master's table, they noticed that some of them were absolutely unsuitable for pregnant women. As a result, everyone felt puzzled.
Who targeted the Fourth Prince's wife?
The Empress Dowager's questioning drew everyone's attention to the Mongol people. The Mongol princes and their wives were somewhat annoyed; the Empress Dowager's methods were quite ruthless.
Emperor Kangxi frowned. He was watching the Empress Dowager's actions closely, and he was very satisfied with Qingyan's behavior.
"Alright, if Xiao Guai doesn't like it, go back and eat it again," Kangxi said tolerantly. "Eldest daughter, if you don't like it, don't force yourself!"
The fact that his two primary consorts were pregnant made Emperor Kangxi very happy. He was very annoyed that his sons had few children. If they were all like the Empress Dowager, when would his sons' children ever be able to stand on their own?
Relieved, Yin Genjue Luo put down her chopsticks to express her gratitude. She had been picking and choosing what to use earlier, but now she was finally able to stop using these things.
Kangxi made a few more polite remarks, and the hall was outwardly bustling again. However, no one dared to approach the Prince of Qin of Mongolia, for fear of incurring Kangxi's wrath.
"Fourth Prince, do you think it's the Empress Dowager's idea, or the princes' idea?!" Qingyan was a little curious. The Mongolian princes seemed to be very reckless, so how come they were so scheming here?
"It should be the Empress Dowager. Those princes won't care about these things. As long as the Empress Dowager brings them benefits, that's enough!" Yin understood the Mongolian princes; they always prioritized profit and didn't care about anything else.
Qingyan's lips curled up slightly. Sure enough, as she had predicted, some of the primary wives looked miserable. These primary wives had never had a son, and the princes never went to their tents except when they were meeting with Emperor Kangxi.
Today, Kangxi made it clear that the primary consort must be given face. In addition to the fifth consort, this was also a warning to the Mongol princes.
While everyone was having their meal, a song and dance performance was taking place in the main hall. The Mongolian princes exchanged glances, hoping that the other would suggest giving their daughters a chance to perform.
Qingyan noticed and nudged Yin's arm to let him see the looks in the eyes of those princes. Kangxi had also noticed, but he didn't give them any room to speak.
"Wait and see, Father Emperor has made his own arrangements!" Yin noticed a smile on Kangxi's face, so he said no more and just let her watch the show.
Qingyan smiled, she loved watching plays and such.
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