With Qingming Festival approaching, the palace servants are busy preparing for the festival. Following the example of Qingyan, Consort Tong directly distributed some items to the servants, allowing them to receive extra pay.
"Your Majesty, seventy percent of the preparations for Qingming Festival are complete," Shu reported as she approached Consort Guo.
Consort Tong looked at her in surprise. In previous years, the servants in the palace workshops would not finish everything until the day before the deadline.
"Have all the bounties been distributed?" Consort Tong asked.
"That's about it, we've saved a lot of money." Shu admired Qingyan very much. Every year during the New Year, Qingyan prepared things very quickly.
"Sigh," Consort Tong sighed helplessly, "If this is done often, the chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department will surely object. Those servants are all very greedy, and besides, His Majesty only uses people he trusts."
As Qingyan was speaking, she was about to step into the hall when her foot paused in mid-air. Consort Tong noticed this and waved to her.
"Come in quickly," Consort Tong said to Qingyan.
"Mother," Qingyan smiled awkwardly, "Perhaps we've come at the wrong time!"
Qingyan's words made Consort Tong burst out laughing.
“How could it not be the right time?” Consort Tong quickly denied.
Inside Chengqian Palace, Shu brought over a cup of warm tea and quickly vacated the hall for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Consort Tong and Qingyan were talking about things related to the Qingming Festival.
"Those servants in the Imperial Household Department are really slippery; they even procrastinate when doing things!" Consort Tong told Qingyan that the servants, thanks to the reward money, completed all their tasks extremely quickly.
"Mother, let's try not to say anything. The stewards of the Imperial Household Department know perfectly well, but we'll have to give them more money!" Qingyan said directly.
A hint of seriousness appeared on Consort Tong's face. Even Emperor Kangxi could not control the Imperial Household Department. In the past, in order to protect Emperor Kangxi, the Empress Dowager had placed many servants in the Imperial Household Department. These people thought they had watched Emperor Kangxi grow up. Although they were loyal, they still had to consider the mood of the Cining Palace.
Within the Cining Palace, Su Mo'er was the only one who could mobilize the head of the Imperial Household Department, and Emperor Kangxi rarely bothered her.
Fortunately, Su Mo'er is a sensible person and knows when to do what.
"Little darling, let me tell you, even with the extra reward, it's still much lower than the price quoted by the Imperial Household Department!" Consort Tong was getting annoyed with the stewards of the Imperial Household Department. They did nothing but want to take more money for revenge. Who could use such servants?
"Hehe, there's nothing we can do about that. If someone isn't favored, even those people probably won't budge!" Qingyan said coldly.
The servants were selective in their service, depending on who they served. At the time, rumors were circulating that other women would be chosen for Yinzhi, so the servants of the Imperial Household Department were not very attentive, and some even embezzled the allowances for the banquet.
"Hehe," Consort Tong sneered.
"Back then, when people outside said that Mother was going to find someone for Yin, those people fawned over me, and all my things were confiscated!" Qingyan felt a little depressed when she thought of those days.
"Next time, if you encounter something like this, just tell me directly!" Consort Tong didn't want her children to suffer any injustice.
Qingyan pursed her lips and said, "Mother, we've grown up now and can handle these things ourselves. We certainly won't be as helpless as before!"
Consort Tong said she didn't care; she was only truly happy because the children were always under her protection.
"Alright, your mother won't say any more. This Qingming Festival, we're going to the area outside the Great Wall to pay respects to our ancestors. Go back and prepare your things. Fei Yanggu and his two sons, along with your mother, will all be going!" The ancestral graves of the Ulanara clan are also outside the Great Wall, so Kangxi wanted Fei Yanggu and his two sons to go with him so that they could also pay respects to their ancestors.
Ugh!
Qingyan was stunned. Last year, Kangxi had taken everyone back to worship their ancestors.
"Mother, when are we leaving?" Qingyan asked after hearing the decision and calculating the time; they should be leaving in the next few days.
"The day after tomorrow morning, after you leave the palace, quickly pack your things. The imperial edict will be issued tomorrow, so you should tell Yin about it first." Consort Tong specifically called Qingyan over to inform her of this matter.
Qingyan nodded: "Mother, are you going with us this year?"
Qingyan had little recollection of ancestral worship, but if Consort Tong had gone along, she would have had someone to rely on.
"Yes!" Consort Tong nodded. "I will go with her, and the Empress Dowager will go with her too!"
The Empress Dowager was being harassed by the various Mongol tribes, which Emperor Kangxi found extremely distasteful. He would often take the Empress Dowager out with him, hoping that the Mongol tribes would stop causing trouble.
"The Empress Dowager is going too?" Qingyan was slightly taken aback. Last year, the Empress Dowager caused quite a stir outside the Great Wall. The wives of the various Mongol tribes whispered in her ear, and after a while, the old lady became a little confused.
“Yes, Su Mo’er will be going with us this year, unlike last year!” Consort Tong quickly said.
As soon as she finished speaking, Qingyan felt relieved. At least the old lady wouldn't arbitrarily matchmake anymore, which was good.
"Mother, we're leaving early the day after tomorrow. How long do we need to prepare?" Qingyan asked curiously.
Consort Tong pondered for a moment. It was really hard to say when. Emperor Kangxi hadn't given a specific date, but she would probably stay somewhere for a while.
"Prepare a few extra things in case His Majesty decides to go somewhere else on a whim!" Consort Tong instructed a few times before letting Qingyan leave the palace.
Qingyan sat in the carriage leaving the palace, leaned back on the cushion, and let Bayan drive the carriage to the new residence.
Inside the new residence, Lady Jue Luo was still instructing the stewards on what to prepare at the mansion when she heard Akdun say that Qingyan had returned. She quickly went out to greet him.
Qingyan entered the hall, quickly dismissed the servants, and seeing Jueluo's bewildered expression, relayed Consort Tong's words without uttering a single word.
"Are we going to the border region to worship our ancestors again?" Jue Luo asked, puzzled.
Qingyan nodded: "Mother, you've been going to the Northeast to worship our ancestors for two years in a row?"
In fact, Qingyan found it strange that Kangxi's actions were different from those in Qing history, in which Kangxi did not often go to the area outside the Great Wall.
"We need to prepare more supplies. After all, the area beyond the Great Wall is where our fortunes rise and fall. It seems there will be war again next year," Jue Luo sighed.
Qingyan was astonished that Jueluo could glean so much information from such a small amount of data.
"Mother, why do you say that?" Qingyan was stunned.
“Whenever there is a major war or some important event, His Majesty will go there. This year’s fire on the Emperor’s birthday was just left unresolved on the surface, but in reality, His Majesty will definitely go to the border to apologize!” Jue Luo Shi analyzed bit by bit.
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