After breakfast, Qingyan put on a light blue palace dress embroidered with cats and butterflies. This brocade was specially made in Jiangnan by Yin. When Kangxi heard the people in the imperial workshops mention it, he couldn't help but purse his lips. He then went to the private treasury to select jewelry for Consort Tong.
With such a son, the father must not lag behind.
Qingyan pointed to the peony headdress with pink diamonds as petals and golden pearls as stamens, feeling very pleased. She liked the Fourth Prince's meticulous paintings, and after entering the palace, many of the headdresses she used were personally designed by the Prince.
"Sulan, let's go to Mother's place." Before leaving, Yin instructed Sulan that lunch should be eaten at Chenggan Palace, which probably had his reasons.
After getting ready, the group slowly made their way to Chengqian Palace. As they approached, they saw many servants standing at the palace gates, peering inside. Their faces were deathly pale. Xiao Guai's curiosity was piqued...
As expected, the Fourth Prince was not lying. Something had happened in the palace. The sedan chairs of the Crown Princess and a prince's primary wife were parked at the entrance of Chenggan Palace. The Crown Princess had done something wrong.
Since entering the palace, many people have said that the Crown Princess was the one who made a mistake. She was unwilling to compete with others, which made the ladder fee's behavior increasingly arrogant.
"Suxin, you wait outside!" Qingyan went outside and saw the cane of the Trial Division.
"yes!"
"This servant greets the Fourth Princess Consort!" The servants on the periphery noticed Qingyan's arrival and quickly and respectfully paid their respects. Inside, the servants serving the Crown Princess were being interrogated, and if they were not obedient, they would surely suffer the same fate.
When the servants paid their respects, they automatically made way for Qingyan, allowing her to see the situation inside the courtyard.
On the stone steps sat a grand chair, where Consort Tong, dressed in a bright yellow imperial concubine's palace gown, sat upright. Shu and Shu Zhu accompanied her with grim expressions. The Crown Princess and the Third Prince's Consort knelt on the left side of the courtyard, with their maids behind them. In the middle of the courtyard, ten wooden benches for caning were placed side by side. Qingyan looked at the people's clothing.
They were either their nannies or first-class palace maids; this was quite a grand affair.
"Daughter-in-law greets Mother!" Qingyan walked up to Consort Tong, bowed respectfully, and looked puzzled.
Consort Tong sighed. What should be done about Xiao Guai's predicament?
"Get up and sit down," Consort Tong pointed to the chair below the stone steps, telling Xiao Guai to sit there. "No interrupting!"
Qingyan quickly became obedient, but Consort Tong's face showed no smile, which made Qingyan feel very uncomfortable.
She noticed that the Crown Princess's face grew increasingly grim as she appeared, so she shed a tear of sympathy for the Crown Princess. The maids around her who were not behaving themselves were immediately punished by being made to kneel.
"Guarjia, the governesses around you were personally dispatched by His Majesty. I have always been very confident in your management of Yuqing Palace. Today, if it weren't for Li Jia's governess coming out to report, I wouldn't have known you had such audacity!" Consort Tong slammed her teacup down on the table.
Thump~
A muffled thud made the Crown Princess shudder.
Qingyan became suspicious. Weren't they all having a barbecue together yesterday?
"Fourth Prince's wife, you listen up too!" Consort Tong warned, seeing Xiao Guai's confused expression.
The Crown Princess lowered her head, believing that she had upheld the dignity of the royal family and had not done anything wrong.
"What, you're not convinced!" Consort Tong also had a headache. The timing of Li Jia's diagnosis of pregnancy was too coincidental. It was exactly the day she was to take off her mourning clothes. Although she was still in the mourning period, it was only a few days away from the end of the mourning period.
"Your Majesty, I have done nothing wrong. To be pregnant during the mourning period and act so indecently—I cannot allow that child to become a stain on the Crown Prince's reputation!" The Crown Princess raised her head, looking at Consort Tong with disdain. Qingyan's attire further provoked the Crown Princess. "Fourth sister-in-law, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but a legitimate wife can't wear just any color. Pink is the color for concubines. Aren't you just lowering yourself to the lowest level?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Tong narrowed her eyes, and Xiao Guai stood up and walked to the Crown Princess.
“Your Highness, I don’t believe I’ve offended you,” Qingyan’s dark almond-shaped eyes startled the Crown Princess. “We are sisters-in-law, and we should help each other. I never expected you to say such a thing!”
Concubine!
Doesn't the Crown Princess have any manners? Speaking ill of her sister-in-law in front of outsiders.
The servants around her were practically deaf; had the Crown Princess gone mad? How dare she say such a thing?
"You..." The Crown Princess glared at her resentfully. "You're nothing but a vixen!"
She spoke the second half of the sentence very softly, so that only the Crown Princess, the Third Prince's wife, and she could hear it. Qingyan looked on with surprise.
A vixen?!
What makes you say that?
"You used a magic wand!" This was the only possibility Qingyan could think of.
Dong E clenched her fists. The two women were in the same predicament. Dong E Wan Ning was sent to the Third Prince's backyard by the Emperor, while Qing Ya was sent to Mongolia.
The disparity between the two fueled Dong Eshi's resentment.
The Crown Princess turned her head away, not giving Qingyan any explanation at all.
Before the morning court session, Emperor Kangxi was furious. He slammed the secret memorial on the table and informed Consort Tong that all the maids and first-class palace maids serving the Crown Princess and the Third Prince's wife had been beaten to death.
“Your Highness, you should be familiar with the palace rules. As your wet nurse, what was Yang Mama planning to do after the gate was opened?” When Consort Tong heard Kangxi’s words, she was full of disbelief. The women and concubines in the palace all knew that after the gate was opened, the Yangxin Hall and Qianqing Palace were forbidden areas for women.
The Crown Princess was taken aback. The nanny had gone out without asking where she had gone. After breakfast, she was summoned by Consort Tong, who, without saying a word, made her sit on the ground.
Waaaaah~
When the Crown Princess's wet nurse tried to speak, Consort Tong had already had her mouth gagged.
"I don't know!" The Crown Princess's eyes filled with sorrow. The lives of the entire nanny's family were in the hands of her clan.
She had no way to stop the nannies from doing whatever the family wanted.
"Stubborn to the end?!" Consort Tong gave Shu a look, and the gag in the nanny's mouth was removed. "Speak!"
"This servant deserves to die. It was the master's order that if Consort Li Jia was pregnant, inform the servant in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and have him bring the news back to the mansion!" Granny Yang dared not think too much and told the truth directly. Originally, Granny Yang kept her mouth shut, but later, when Kangxi threw the blood-stained swaddling clothes of his grandson in front of her, she finally gave in to her selfish desires.
The Crown Princess looked at Granny Yang in surprise, completely baffled as to why her most loyal nanny would betray her.
Xiao Guai held her teacup, took a sip of jujube tea, looked at the master and servant in front of her, and began to imagine a little drama.
Hehehe!
Granny Yang's mournful laughter sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
"Your Highness, do you remember what you promised me?" Granny Yang stared at the Crown Princess. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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