As evening approached, Qingyan fell asleep nestled in Yin's arms. The noise outside made her groggily open her eyes. She tried to look out, but Yin pulled her close.
She looked up at him, her face dark and her gaze icy.
"Go to sleep!" Yin picked up the earplugs from the side and put them in her ears, then picked up the silk quilt and covered her with it.
The commotion outside had been going on for half an hour. He tried hard to make out the sounds and overheard some inside information. Those were just villagers from Fujin's village who had been driven out of their homes by the government officials, which had even slowed down the autumn harvest.
They set up simple tents along the road, intending to wait until the dignitaries left before returning to harvest the autumn crops, as instructed by the county magistrate.
As time went by, these honest farmers couldn't wait any longer. If there was even the slightest negligence during the autumn harvest, they would be the ones who truly suffered.
Not long after, Li Dequan arrived at the Fourth Prince's carriage, intending for the two to wait on the imperial palanquin.
The carriage was surrounded by tall guards on both sides, making it impossible for the frenzied villagers outside to see the people inside.
When Qingyan alighted from the carriage, he looked down outside and, sure enough, most of the people outside were kneeling on the ground, pleading loudly for the noble person to have mercy.
The banners of the Eight Banners fluttered in the wind. These ordinary people were unaware that the nobleman blocking their way was the current emperor, and that the road ahead had been blocked by villagers living on both sides.
Upon hearing the guards' report, Kangxi ordered the convoy to continue along the side road instead of taking the main road designated by the government as originally planned.
As they stepped onto the imperial carriage, Kangxi's expression was not good. Consort Tong shook her head at the two of them and pointed to the seats below, indicating that they should sit down.
Tulichen had already sent someone to fetch the county magistrate. In order to ensure that the emperor's arrival would not be disturbed and that the farmers who were harvesting in the autumn would waste their time waiting, Kangxi was very annoyed.
Some people in the south have not yet pledged allegiance to the emperor. These people are content as long as they are fed and watered, and they don't care who the emperor is.
The old man kneeling at the front looked at the bright yellow dragon carriage being revealed, and his aged face showed fear.
"We commoners dare not presume to challenge the Emperor!" These peasants, bewildered and confused, filed a petition with the Emperor!
The old man was the oldest among the villagers, and they all listened to his words.
Some women secretly peeked at the noblewoman's female relatives. Yingenjueluo and Qingyan stood on the carriage shaft of the dragon carriage, and they also peeked. The exquisite jewelry on their heads made them feel hot.
They could only watch with envy; what could they do if they hadn't been born into a good family?
"Li Dequan, invite that old man up here, and his female relatives to the inner tent," Kangxi shook his head. They had already been stopped here, so they should resolve the issue before leaving. "Lanya, those female relatives are yours to take care of."
Consort Tong led Lady Yin Genjue Luo and Qing Yan to the back. Qing Yan sat to the side with a stern face, her heart filled with anxiety.
Won't it cause problems if someone of such unknown identity is allowed to enter the imperial carriage?
"My dear mother, could there be something wrong with those people?" Yin Genjue Luo Shi asked worriedly. This Xi Ren's arrival was unclear; could he have been bribed by those people from the south?
Consort Tong gave a bitter smile. What His Majesty has decided, who can change?
"Shu, you all stay here." The Shu-generation palace maids around Consort Tong all came from the Phoenix Guard. They were extremely skilled and could handle anything that happened.
"Yes!" Shu and the other six bowed slightly and stood aside, ready to strike at any moment.
"Shuxin, go to the box and get a thousand taels of gold." Kangxi had just instructed that this gold be given to the people to make up for the losses caused by the delayed autumn harvest.
Qingyan sat in the chair, her little head constantly darting to the side. The curtain swayed twice, and three women entered. An elderly woman with snow-white hair and a face full of wrinkles walked forward with her head bowed. The two women behind her were also in their thirties or forties. Although their clothes were made of coarse cloth, they were very neat and clean, indicating that they were hardworking.
"This humble woman greets the noble ladies!" The old woman had never seen the female relatives of such nobles in her life. After hearing what her old man said, she realized that the noble ladies in front of her were of a higher rank than the county magistrate's wife.
Consort Tong wore a golden phoenix robe, her hair was styled in a straight line, and her jet-black hair was adorned with a pomegranate-shaped gold hairpin made of rubies. She also wore three pearl earrings on each ear.
"Grandpa, please calm down. We've come at an inopportune time, just in time for the autumn harvest. We've taken up your time!" Consort Tong smiled. The three women were the old man's wife and daughters-in-law.
Consort Tong's gentle voice put the three of them at ease.
"Don't say that, esteemed people. It's what we should do!" The old woman didn't want to say the wrong thing and cause the villagers to blame her.
"Shu Hui, go and brew three cups of tea!" Seeing her maids standing to the side, Consort Tong quickly instructed, "And these two are..."
Consort Tong sized up the two women, noticing their cunning expressions. The younger one immediately began examining the inner tent upon entering, causing Lan Ya to frown.
"Your Majesty, these two are my youngest daughters-in-law!" The old woman said repeatedly as she looked at the seats, but the two daughters-in-law were not as discerning as the old woman, and greed appeared in their eyes.
Qingyan frowned. These rural ladies were the most difficult to deal with. Their eyes were fixed on the two colorful gold hairpins with auspicious and longevity symbols on Qingyan's head. These hairpins were specially designed for Qingyan by Yin. They were not only small and exquisite, but also inlaid with various gemstones and jade. In the eyes of these wealthy people, they were definitely a luxury item.
“Your Highness, we’ve been sent away by the magistrate for several days. If we don’t go back soon, the crops in the fields will be ruined.” The youngest woman ignored the old woman’s gaze, shifting her attention from the hairpin in Qingyan’s hair, and spoke to Consort Tong.
As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze returned to the present.
Instantly, the atmosphere inside the tent became awkward. Qingyan disliked others eyeing her things. Even her headdresses and jewelry were designed exclusively by her. Once she decided what she wanted to use, she would not let Linglang Pavilion design them again.
"Young lady, you don't understand. If we don't harvest the wheat quickly, we won't even have enough food for a year. I'm telling you the truth, so why are you frowning!" Seeing that Qingyan looked down on her, Madam Qing attacked without saying a word.
The old woman tried to stop her, but it was too late.
When Yin Genjueluo wanted to speak up in defense, Qingyan patted her hand, telling her not to say anything more.
"Really?" Qingyan took the gold hairpin with the auspicious symbol of good fortune and longevity from her hair and placed it in her hand. "This item is a masterpiece from Linglang Pavilion. I noticed you've been eyeing it ever since you came in. Do you want it?"
Qingyan felt upset and started staring at other people's faces as soon as she arrived, showing no manners whatsoever. (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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