Inside the private room, she could hear the sounds of Suzhou storytelling outside; the soft, gentle tone characteristic of Jiangnan made her feel completely relaxed.
No wonder the powerful ministers of the Eight Banners could not resist the advances of the "skinny horses." With such a soft, sweet voice and a coquettish tone, it was hard for anyone to resist. Nowadays, many officials in Jiangnan have traces of "skinny horses" in their residences.
"Fourth Brother, do you think these court officials also keep people who sing Pingtan in their homes?" Qingyan tilted her head, somewhat puzzled. These Pingtan singers are usually two people, unlike Peking Opera troupes, which are all together.
The soft, gentle sounds of Suzhou storytelling outside gave Yin a headache. He had seen many plays from Jiangnan in the homes of court officials, some of which were quite explicit.
The Cao family's opera troupe was the best in Jiangnan. He had once been fortunate enough to see one of their performances, but to say the least, he didn't understand a thing about it.
"Little darling, do you understand?" Pingtan is sung in the dialect of Jiangnan, how could Little darling understand it?
Qingyan shook her little head. If she could understand, she wouldn't just be watching the show.
Yin shook his head in frustration. If she liked Pingtan (a type of storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect), Yin wouldn't mind keeping a few Pingtan performers in his mansion in the capital, just to enjoy the entertainment.
"Si Si, I was just listening to the excitement. Is the Qixi Festival competition you mentioned also held in the two pavilions next door?" Qingyan looked around and saw two four-story pavilions, which were probably the tallest places on this street.
He followed her gaze and, sure enough, saw two towering boudoirs, seemingly built with funds from a large family. These boudoirs were usually kept closed to the public.
“Yes, there are many young ladies from prominent families in Jiangnan. They are also divided into different ranks. The highest-ranking young ladies compete in these two elegant pavilions, while the rest compete in their family carriages, which is much less prestigious,” Yin explained. “That day, this street will be closed in the afternoon, and Cao Yin and the others will be responsible for the safety of the young ladies. Their greatest duty that day is to ensure the safety of the ladies.”
Qingyan was astonished. It turned out that the Qixi Festival competition was so grand that it even attracted the attention of the government.
"The legitimate daughters of officials in Jiangnan will all attend, but the Cao family is an exception. On the Qixi Festival, the legitimate daughters of the Cao family are not allowed to appear; only the illegitimate daughters of the Cao family can attend," Yin whispered to Qingyan. The legitimate daughters of the Cao family usually marry into the families of powerful officials, so they do not need to show their faces in public.
"Fourth Brother, isn't the legitimate daughter even inferior to the illegitimate daughter?" Qingyan looked at him in surprise. Outsiders said that the Cao family's legitimate daughter was very capable, and that she was trained to be like a young prostitute, and that she also had the demeanor of a noble lady.
The desire for the two to merge has attracted the attention of many court officials. Fortunately, Cao Yin does not have many legitimate daughters. One has already been sent to the Prince's residence, and the other two are still too young to bear such a heavy responsibility.
"Yes, Cao Yin is the most trusted court official of the Emperor. Many members of the imperial clan have already passed away. If they want to gain real power, some of them want to take this path: marrying the daughters of powerful officials. Most of the loyal ministers of the Manchu Eight Banners are betrothed to princes. Cao Yin's eldest daughter was overlooked." Yin smiled coldly. They schemed in the court, and even the marriage of their offspring was a calculation.
"The principal wife is just a decoration; one can marry several concubines," Qingyan said sourly.
Yin didn't mind, he just poured Qingyan a cup of Green Willow Spring tea. This tea was very common in teahouses, and the one they used was considered top-grade.
"My dear, a subject's eldest son must think about the future, and his wife must shoulder even greater responsibilities. They will not refuse their father!" Yin couldn't help but feel amused when he heard Qingyan complain.
Qingyan pouted. "Those people outside aren't all like that."
“Not everyone is as lucky as us. Father Emperor allowed us to develop feelings for each other, but it’s different for others!” Yin sneered.
The Eight Banners soldiers who were favored by Emperor Kangxi were all betrothed by imperial decree, and the two parties in the betrothal may never have even met.
"Fourth Brother, could my Ah Hun and the others be in the same situation?" Qingyan was dumbfounded.
She had heard many people complain about arranged marriages in novels, but after living in the palace for so many years, she understood the rule of the supremacy of imperial power.
Even Emperor Kangxi himself had to abide by such rules.
“Besides us, isn’t everyone like this? Even Father Emperor’s first two empresses were chosen by the Empress Dowager herself!” Yin was very dissatisfied. Kangxi had complained to him before. Back then, if it weren’t for the Empress Dowager’s obstruction, Kangxi was prepared to give the position of empress to Consort Tongjia.
"Could it be Mother...?!" Qingyan's eyes widened, her face completely bewildered.
Yin nodded. Kangxi and Consort Tong were a few years apart in age. When Kangxi was preparing for his wedding, Consort Tong was not yet old enough. She would not be old enough to be selected for the imperial concubine selection until at least her third wedding.
"Empress Hesheli...is she really favored by Father Emperor?" Qingyan's eyes flashed with gossip. Historically, it is said that Kangxi's three favorite women were Empress Xiaochengren, Empress Xiaoyiren, and Consort De, of the Uya clan.
After she arrived, she had been eager to see the gossip. Now, Uya had been completely relegated to a cold courtyard, Empress Xiaochengren had died young, and Consort Tongjia had been by Kangxi's side for over a decade, enjoying his favor and being constantly by his side. The other concubines were very jealous, but none dared to challenge Kangxi's authority.
Pfft!
Yin spat out his tea. Empress Hesheli was never favored at all. Previously, the most favored were Consort Hui and Consort Rong. Empress Hesheli was only in the position of Empress because of the Empress Dowager's reputation, and also because of Sony's power at the time, which forced Kangxi to compromise.
“You said it! Consort Hui and Consort Rong had more children than Empress Hesheli. Even though none of those children survived, Empress Hesheli was still more fertile than those two.” Yin was the last child.
"Everyone outside says that Father Emperor really likes Empress Hesheli, which is why he made the infant prince the crown prince!" Qingyan whispered in Yin's ear.
"Shut up! How dare you say such a thing?" Yin glared at Xiao Guai. "It was due to circumstances at the time. The Empress Dowager was still alive. Who would allow us to disobey her orders?"
Yin did not want to be as domineering as the Empress Dowager, and wished he could return to the noblewoman of the grasslands and her dominant position in the palace.
"I know, they're just curious and want to ask one more question." Qingyan, with her small mouth, sat down next to Yin.
"Little darling, just pretend you didn't hear about the Crown Prince's matter. No matter who asks you, just keep quiet." Yin didn't want Qingyan or even Ulanara to get involved in the Taizhi vortex. Fei Yanggu and his two sons were Kangxi's capable assistants, and Kangxi was determined not to let anyone frame them behind his back.
If Suo'etu and his men can't find them, they'll definitely implicate the censors and try to frame E'shuo and Saituo. After all, they're still young and their methods aren't as cunning as Fei Yanggu's. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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