Three days later, Consort Tong, dressed in a golden riding outfit, led her primary consorts to Qiu Mi.
Qingyan was reluctant to go; if it weren't for the fact that several of the wives were going to participate, she definitely wouldn't have gotten involved.
She mounted Moyan and followed behind Consort Tong. She noticed that the women of the Yin Genjue clan and the Dong E clan were riding ordinary horses.
“Sister-in-law, looking at your horse, it must have been personally selected by the Fourth Prince.” As soon as Dong Eshi saw Qingyan appear, she saw the majestic Mo Yan and its powerful physique, which clearly indicated that it was an excellent warhorse.
In the Qing Dynasty, warhorses were extremely rare. Generals would keep some excellent warhorses in their mansions' stables. Fei Yanggu's stable had some, and Dong Eqi should have had some as well.
"This is my dowry from Father!" Qingyan looked at Dong Eshi with disdain, telling her not to attribute everything to Yin.
Lady Dong'e's face stiffened; this was not among the dowry prepared by the Dong'e family...
At the mansion, Dong Eqi had carefully raised warhorses, and besides giving one to Dong E's concubine, another one belonged to Dong E's concubine's younger brother.
"Hmph," Dong Eshi said coldly, "It's a waste to keep such a warhorse in the stable all the time. It should be sent to a better place."
After Dong E finished speaking, she turned to look behind her. The Empress Dowager came out later than them and happened to hear what Dong E said.
"Where have the rules gone?" The Empress Dowager, dressed in a bright red riding outfit, sat upright on her horse, with Su Mo'er following behind her.
Upon arriving at the grasslands, the Empress Dowager was in excellent spirits and spent several days chatting with the local wives.
"Grandma Empress!" Upon seeing the Empress Dowager's arrival, the several wives quickly became respectful and proper.
"Lanya, you and Xiaoguai will stay in the camp." The Empress Dowager believed that it was better to have someone in charge. Originally, Kangxi had planned to have the Empress Dowager in charge, but with the outbreak of the incident involving the nanny, many of the Mongol wives were very disgusted with what she had done.
It's best to keep Qingyan away from dangerous places as much as possible. With Consort Tong in charge of the tent, there will be an excuse to keep Xiao Guai here, preventing outsiders from noticing anything amiss.
"Yes!" Consort Tong replied.
Originally, Emperor Kangxi had mentioned to Consort Tong that during this period, they should try to keep Xiao Guai within her sight.
Qingyan pouted, dismounted, and walked back with her maids. Dong'e's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of frustration in them. Qingyan didn't miss Dong'e's gaze, and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "It seems Dong'e is about to cause trouble again."
"Eldest daughter, you stay here too, and help the Imperial Concubine!" The Empress Dowager has finally come to the grasslands, and she certainly won't miss the opportunity to hunt.
Not all the princes came, so the noble ladies who arrived one after another would have an audience with the Empress Dowager or Consort Tong on the same day.
"Yes!" Lady Yin Genjue breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, she didn't like spending too much time with Lady Dong E.
After dismounting, the three respectfully saw the Empress Dowager off before returning to their camp.
"Mother, why does the Empress Dowager want us to go back?" Qingyan felt that the Empress Dowager's back looked like she was fleeing in panic.
Consort Tong smiled. Recently, the leaders of the Khorchin tribe have not come yet. This time, six or seven leaders of the Khorchin tribe will come, as well as two princes from the northern desert. Their wives are the sisters of the late emperor.
The Empress Dowager's relationship with them was even more strained; they would avoid seeing each other whenever possible.
“Those wives are not to be trifled with. They have many demands. Eldest son, no matter what you and Xiao Guai see, you must not plead for them.” Consort Tong sighed helplessly. At first, she did not know the true nature of those wives. Seeing their sorrowful expressions, she would speak well of them in front of the Empress Dowager. In the end, she was severely reprimanded by Emperor Kangxi.
Afterwards, Kangxi whispered to her about the personalities of those people, and she exclaimed that she had been tricked.
After the three returned to the tent, Consort Tong revealed the identities of several of the visiting consorts, some of whom were particularly difficult to deal with.
"Mother, it can't be that scary, can it?" Qingyan was completely bewildered. How could even Consort Tong be afraid of her?
Consort Tong smiled, and it turned out that Lady Yin Genjue Luo had met one of them before. When Xiao Guai glanced in her direction, her face darkened.
"She's being too nagging!" Yin Genjue Luo rubbed her forehead.
Inside the Cining Palace, she spotted the Empress Dowager's family members, which was truly a headache.
"Huh?!" Qingyan still didn't understand.
"My lord, the Crown Prince's wife from Khorchin has arrived!" Shu whispered as he reported.
Consort Tong and Lady Yin Genjue Luo's expressions instantly turned sour. Oh dear!
Qingyan looked curiously towards the door, where a woman dressed in a sky-blue Mongolian robe barged into the tent. She stared in astonishment at the newcomer; was it really okay for just anyone to barge into a tent meant for hired laborers?
"Your Highness..." Qingyan finally saw the true face of the Crown Prince's wife. She was over thirty years old and was the adopted daughter of the late Emperor. She had been sent to Khorchin by the Empress Dowager.
"You..." Before Consort Tong could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the crying of the Crown Prince's wife.
Qingyan slightly opened her mouth, looking at the Crown Prince's wife's tearful appearance, which made her feel very strange. Why did she suddenly start crying?
She took small, hesitant steps toward the Imperial Concubine, looking completely bewildered.
"Little darling, come with me to change your clothes!" Consort Tong, seeing the Crown Prince's wife in her sky-blue robe, decided it was better to change back into her qipao. "Eldest daughter-in-law, you stay here with the Crown Prince's wife!"
Qingyan was completely out of sorts. There were still many things that needed her help with. Previously, the Crown Prince's wife was not expected to arrive until tomorrow, but she never expected to arrive so soon.
Having witnessed the Crown Prince's wife's crying skills firsthand, Lady Yin Genjueluo did not want to face it here.
"Mother, that person..." Qingyan asked in a low voice as soon as she entered the inner chamber.
She was genuinely frightened. She wasn't exactly beautiful, more suited to the image of a Manchu princess, but her teary-eyed appearance seemed so out of place.
"She's from the Empress Dowager's maternal family, and their relationship isn't good. Try to mention her less in front of the Empress Dowager," Consort Tong whispered to Qingyan. Shuzhu quickly helped Tong Guihuan change into a pale yellow qipao and casually styled her hair into a ruyi bun with a jade ruyi hairpin.
She patted Qingyan's back twice before helping her walk out of the inner chamber.
"Your Majesty, why isn't the Empress Dowager here?" The Crown Prince's wife thought she would see the Empress Dowager. She remembered her husband mentioning that he should observe the Fourth Prince's wife carefully and try to persuade the Empress Dowager to send the family's legitimate daughter to the Fourth Prince's residence.
"Your mother has gone to Qiu Mi!" Consort Tong said with a smile.
The Crown Prince's wife frowned. Could it be that the Empress Dowager knew their intentions and was preparing to hide?
The Empress Dowager had been gone for several years, and Kangxi's care for the Khorchin had become increasingly indifferent. Their former glory was gone, and the leaders of other tribes often ridiculed them.
"When will the Empress Dowager return?" The Heir Apparent's wife asked Tong Gui while glancing at Qing Yan. (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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