Around noon, Shu made a special trip over. It was said that Consort Tong had invited Qingyan to her courtyard, and the Mongolian women had gone there, intending to make things difficult for Consort Tong.
Because Consort Hui often chatted with Consort Tong, she was also cornered in the courtyard by the Mongolian women today, and there was nothing she could do to escape.
She was sent to invite the Fourth Prince's wife, while Shuzhu went to invite Liu Jin, intending to let the Third Prince's wife decide for herself which Mongolian noblewoman should enter the Third Prince's harem.
Upon hearing Shu's explanation, Qingyan quickly changed into a bright red palace dress, styled her hair into a small double bun, and wore a set of five-treasure six-phoenix gold hairpins. She then helped Sulan into the carriage, while Suzhu was left to look after Hafeng.
"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine said that no matter what the Mongolian princess says, you must not let Princess Hutulifengsheng Zhalafen show up. Those people definitely have ill intentions," Shu said in a low voice.
In this courtyard, the Mongols must have bribed many spies. Just as Consort Tong instructed the Third Prince's wives to consider placing Mongol noblewomen in his harem, the Mongol wives learned of this and said that Consort Tong was tipping them off.
Today, Consort Tong is being denounced by the Mongol princesses, two-thirds of whom are of Mongol descent. They no longer have many reservations and have directly begun to denounce Tonggu'e, saying that Consort Tong looks down on noble Mongol women.
Those princesses who were betrothed in the capital basically stopped talking, occasionally helping the other Mongolian wives so that when they returned home, they couldn't say that they were biased towards this side.
Consort Tong held her teacup, a hint of seriousness on her face. Listening to the Mongolian wives' accusations, even Consort Hui couldn't escape them. Yin had once been a key figure in the campaign against Galdan, and many of the Mongolian leaders had been dealt with.
Inside the palace, Consort Tong and Consort Hui exchanged a glance. Both Shu and Shu Zhu had been dispatched to handle the matter for the parties involved.
"Your Majesty, the Third Princess Consort has come to pay her respects!" Shu Zhu entered the hall and respectfully greeted Consort Tong and Consort Hui.
The noble ladies of Mongolia quickly changed their appearance, presenting their best selves to the Third Princess Consort, since they would be living under her command.
Dong Eshi entered, her heart pounding. On either side sat Mongolian wives, and behind them stood Mongolian noblewomen. Rumors were circulating in the imperial procession that these noblewomen had all taken a liking to Yinzhi, which surprised the Third Princess Consort.
Mongolian noblewomen used to value military achievements, so why has this changed?
"Third Prince's wife, all these wives are looking for you!" Consort Tong pointed, and the Mongolian wives all turned to look at Dong E Shi, while the noble ladies behind them all had the best angles.
They displayed exceptional docility, a stark contrast to the noble ladies of Mongolia, which piqued the curiosity of Consort Tong.
"Your Highness, what's going on? Your mother isn't here, you can't just ignore everything, can you?" Dong Eshi understood that it must be the Mongol wives who had caused trouble for Consort Tong. Since Consort Rong hadn't accompanied the emperor, this matter couldn't be left unresolved.
Qingyan sat to the side, listening to Dong Eshi's questions, and couldn't help but feel a little strange. These Mongolian wives seemed to be targeting the Third Prince's family, but in reality, they were pushed into the limelight by Consort Tong and Consort Hui.
"Third Consort, that's too harsh. Your mother had no choice. The Mongol consorts said they wanted you to decide who would enter the manor, and your mother didn't dare to make that decision on her own, which is why I invited you here!" Qingyan couldn't stand people talking about Consort Tong and directly retorted.
As soon as she finished speaking, the Third Princess Consort was slightly taken aback. Qingyan had actually meddled in other people's business.
"Fourth sister-in-law, it seems this matter has nothing to do with you, doesn't it?" the Third Princess Consort sneered. "It's not like we're going to Fourth Brother's backyard, so of course you're just talking without understanding the situation!"
Qingyan held the teacup, took a sip, put down the teacup, and slowly rolled up her handkerchief.
"Third Princess Consort, it's alright, but what you said doesn't respect Mother, and I just can't stand it!" Who knows when she can act on her whims and prevent outsiders from finding fault?
Consort Tong smiled, knowing that Qingyan was using this incident to give Dong E a warning.
These past few days, the Third Master's residence has been frequently hosting banquets, which have been attended by all the officials' families.
The Third Prince's wife, known as "Noble Mother," was pondering what had struck a nerve with Emperor Kangxi.
"You can choose for yourself. At the very least, choose one that pleases you, so that you won't feel unhappy," Consort Tong said directly.
The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly oppressive. The Mongol wives began to introduce the merits of their noble ladies to the Third Prince's wife, mostly saying that the noble ladies were gentle in nature, knowledgeable in Chinese studies, and able to get along with Yinzhi.
"Alright, what you're saying won't work. I need to hear it for myself!" Dong Eshi said angrily.
Qingyan sat to the side, also observing these Mongolian noblewomen. Their expressions were somewhat unpleasant, as if they felt their status had been insulted.
On the grasslands, they could choose whoever they wanted; now, their situation is reversed.
"Fourth sister-in-law, why don't you help me choose some too?" Third Princess said to Qingyan.
"No, Third Sister-in-law, this is your future sister. What kind of situation would it be if I interfered?" Qingyan firmly objected, believing that Dong Eshi's involvement in the affair was ill-intentioned.
Seeing that Qingyan wasn't fooled, Dong'e felt helpless and had to start selecting herself. Each noble lady had an unpleasant expression, but still performed at her best.
"Third Sister-in-law, these people all have very important identities!" Every word Qingyan said struck a chord with Dong Eshi.
Consort Tong and Consort Hui exchanged a glance. Qingyan was preparing for revenge. That was for the best, as they couldn't intervene, since they were, after all, her elders.
As evening approached, two Mongolian noble ladies were selected to enter the Third Master's residence. They would be sent there directly for next year's imperial concubine selection.
"Mother, it's really tiring. Those Mongolian wives actually find it too much work and are still not satisfied?" Qingyan discovered that most of those Mongolian wives wanted to obtain a higher position.
Consort Tong scoffed, "She's got her sights set on the position of Third Prince's Consort, but Lady Dong'e is no pushover either. With a single sentence, she completely silenced everyone!"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law worked together to completely resolve a storm. The Mongols and Ma Jia had devised a plan that, for the Mongols, was a sure-fire way to manage affairs, but for Ma Jia, it was a disaster.
"Little darling, hurry back, the fourth prince should be going back soon!" Consort Tong said directly.
Qingyan nodded and left Consort Tong's courtyard directly.
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