Upon arriving at the palace gate, all the other cars stopped. Yingenjueluo, carrying the sleeping Songkelierha, quickly stepped forward after Qingyan alighted from the car.
"Sister-in-law, why did you bring Songkelierha here?" Qingyan thought that Yingenjueluo would come alone, and today, Dong'e would definitely make a scene.
Yin Genjue Luo said helplessly, "The little guy said he hasn't come to see Consort Tong for a long time and insisted on coming to see Grandma Gui."
Songkelierha and Consort Tong had an excellent relationship. Every time Consort Hui entered the palace, she would take Songkelierha to play in Chenggan Palace, hoping that Songkelierha would find a good home.
"The matter with Third Sister-in-law hasn't been resolved yet. Won't Songkelierha be frightened if she goes there?" Qingyan was a little scared. Dong Eshi's tearful complaint was indeed quite frightening.
The First Lady shook her head. Songkrilha would eventually have her own family. Having been exposed to these struggles since childhood, she might have more ways to deal with them.
Many royal princesses who married into the royal family experienced unhappy lives, not only failing to have children but also dying young.
“Little darling, the princesses have to rely on themselves for their lives,” Yin Genjue Luo Shi said softly.
Qingyan nodded. The princesses of the Qing Dynasty lived better lives than the princesses of the Ming Dynasty. At the very least, many of them lost their lives when they were young.
At the entrance of Cining Palace, Su Mo'er was waiting for everyone early on. Yingenjueluo handed Songkelierha to the nanny.
"Grand Madam, please pay your respects to the Empress Dowager first. This servant will take the eldest princess to the side hall to rest." Su Mo'er liked Songkelierha and Qingyan's children very much, and she would personally take care of the two children.
"Thank you, Granny!" said Madam Yin Genjue Luo gratefully.
As royal consorts, they held Su Mo'er in high esteem.
Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong would address Su Mo'er respectfully as "E'nei". Su Mo'er was a person close to the Empress Dowager. Now she was by the Empress Dowager's side. On the one hand, the Empress Dowager was worried about the Empress Dowager. Since the Empress Dowager entered the palace, the Empress Dowager had always protected her and not let her experience too many setbacks.
The Khorchin's power in the Qing Dynasty weakened year by year. Without strong support, the Empress Dowager would likely be exploited by the concubines.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager/Grandma!" Consort Tong, along with the other concubines and wives, paid their respects.
The Empress Dowager, dressed in a light brown palace gown, sat in the main seat, her hair styled in a long Mongolian braid.
"Third Prince's wife, you've caused trouble at Qingyan's residence?" The Empress Dowager also had informants around her, and upon hearing about the matter at the Fourth Prince's residence, her face darkened.
Dong Eshi quickly came out and knelt down to admit her mistake. In the past few days, she had people keep an eye on Qingyan's movements. Apart from taking care of the two children at the mansion, she had not entered the palace. Apart from going out to buy things as usual, the other servants had not left the mansion.
These actions put Dong E's mind at ease. The Empress Dowager had received the news so quickly; it seemed that she had spies outside the palace.
"Grandma, your granddaughter-in-law knows she was wrong!" Dong Eshi understood that the Empress Dowager thought she had made a big fuss. It was a very bad thing for the Emperor to have such a reputation, and she couldn't let Yinzhi take the blame.
Admit your mistake?!
Qingyan couldn't help but wonder if he had misheard. Dong Eshi was actually the first to admit her mistake?
Didn't she keep emphasizing that Yinzhi was abusive? The noisy officials' wives all knew what Yinzhi had done. Many of the young ladies-in-waiting sent their families to the Chenggan Palace to pay their respects before the selection of the imperial concubines, hoping not to be betrothed to the Third Prince.
"Is that so? You've ruined Yinzhi's reputation. How many noble ladies will be able to enter your Prince's residence in the future?" The Empress Dowager treated all the princes equally. Even though Yinzhi received more attention because of Xiaoguai, the Empress Dowager did not show him much favoritism.
Dong Eshi panicked and quickly winked at Yingenjueluo and Qingyan, hoping they could help her out of this predicament.
The Empress Dowager, who had been watching Dong E's gaze intently, grew increasingly annoyed. Xiao Guai and Yingenjueluo were both well-behaved, and the idea of going to the Fourth Prince's residence must have been Dong E's idea.
Nowadays, the Empress Dowager always links Dong E clan with Consort Dong E. The girls of the Dong E clan are indeed different from those of other families. They are all equally ruthless and insist on making others take the lead in battle when necessary.
"No! Grandmother, I really didn't mean it that way. My sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law had a heart-to-heart talk with me." Dong Eshi was trying to save herself, as Consort Rong had long been dissatisfied with her.
The princesses selected this time all come from good families. If they have children, they should be able to secure the position of secondary consort. At that time, her status will be even lower. Dong Eqi has raised several concubine daughters, and even her youngest sister has been sent to a governess in the hope that she will have a better future.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened. Xiao Guai and Lady Yin Genjue dared not answer. After all, it involved the dignity of the royal princes, and saying more would only lead to more mistakes.
“Little Darling…” The Empress looked at Qingyan.
"Grandma, Third Sister-in-law went over for a heart-to-heart talk..." Before Qingyan could finish speaking, Yingenjueluo wanted to say something, but she suddenly stopped her, "She hadn't even said a few words when Third Sister-in-law started crying, and the bruises on her face were impossible to hide, so I told Sulan to quickly apply medicine to Third Sister-in-law!"
Qingyan's innocent big eyes convinced everyone, even Consort Rong thought her daughter-in-law was too scheming, even the Fourth Prince's wife had been tricked.
Thump!
The Empress Dowager slammed her teacup heavily onto the table beside her, her eyes as cold as ice.
"Dong Eshi, do you know your mistake?" For many years, the Empress Dowager helped Kangxi maintain the face of the royal family. Even though she had no children of her own, she raised Yinqi according to Kangxi's wishes.
"Granddaughter-in-law knows she was wrong!" Dong E felt wronged. She was the one who was hurt, so why did everyone say it was her fault?
Does this mean she has no choice but to live with the abusive Third Prince, with no chance to resist at all?
"You admit your mistake?!" The Empress Dowager gave a cold laugh. "If you knew your mistake, you wouldn't have spoken ill of Yinzhi. Consort Rong, how did you raise your daughter-in-law?"
The Empress Dowager cared about the dignity of the imperial family. Since it was difficult for Kangxi to govern in the court, the Empress Dowager had nowhere to vent her anger.
"Yes, this servant knows her mistake!" Consort Rong quickly knelt down to the side and said softly.
Consort Rong had long harbored resentment towards Consort Dong'e. In terms of bearing children, she was not as capable as the Fourth Prince's Consort; in terms of virtue, she was not as good as the Crown Princess; and in terms of affection, she was not as good as the First Prince's Consort.
"You all say you know you're wrong. It's not easy for Lan Ya to manage such a large harem. If you all knew the rules, things wouldn't be so difficult for you. Do you even need Lan Ya to personally manage your daughters-in-law?" the Empress Dowager said angrily.
The censors submitted memorials one after another, saying that Yinzhi's domestic violence had caused the royal family to lose face and should be dealt with seriously.
The Empress Dowager is old, and seeing such a thing must be very upsetting. Regardless of whether Yinzhi is favored or not, he is still a child of the Aisin Gioro family, and the Empress Dowager will certainly not let anyone who is slandered get away with it.
"Yes, this servant was wrong!" Consort Rong dared not test the Empress's patience and said directly. (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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