Later that evening, Li Dequan arrived with Emperor Kangxi's imperial edict. He boarded the carriage and found Fei Yanggu already in it.
"Fourth Prince, His Majesty has instructed that you, the Fourth Prince, take turns leading the Imperial Guards, and that the Prince of the First Rank will be in your group," Li Dequan said directly.
Qingyan brought a cup of tea, stood up, and handed it to Li Dequan.
"Anda, please have a cup of tea first." Qingyan looked at Li Dequan and realized he must have traveled a long way.
Li Dequan smiled faintly. The Fourth Princess Consort was the most considerate. He had visited three places in a row, and apart from Lady Yin Genjue Luo preparing a cup of tea, the Crown Princess and the Third Princess Consort acted as if it were all perfectly normal.
"Anda, is it time for a meal? Xiao Guai has prepared it here." Yin also stood up and looked at Li Dequan.
Su Lan quickly took two food boxes from the small kitchen carriage, one containing the meals for Emperor Kangxi and the other containing a small food box for Li Dequan.
Other wives were usually presented to Kangxi, but Li Dequan and other officials on duty ignored them all.
Qingyan is different; she takes everyone into account, so she can tell at a glance whether the wives are good or bad.
"Then thank you, Fourth Master and Fourth Princess!" Li Dequan replied with a smile.
Su Lan brought over two food boxes, one large and one small. Soon, everyone would be eating. The food prepared by Qingyan's small kitchen was warm and delicious, unlike the marching rations supplied by the Imperial Kitchen.
"No need, it's you who have worked hard, An Da." Yin and Qingyan saw Li Dequan off and then turned to sit down at the kang table.
“Father-in-law, judging from Eunuch Li’s appearance, he must have come to deliver the news in person,” Yin asked.
Fei Yanggu smiled and nodded, saying, "His Majesty doesn't trust anyone around him; Li Dequan is the only person he can trust."
Qingyan was curious about the commotion at the imperial tent. It seemed that His Majesty no longer trusted even the Imperial Guards and instead demanded that several princes personally take to the field.
In recent days, news has been constantly coming from the capital that Emperor Kangxi has received repeated inquiries about the Prime Minister's movements.
The fact that even the Imperial Guards had betrayed them caught Kangxi off guard. He decided to return to the capital at the last minute, and he could do whatever he wanted with his rest and whereabouts.
"You all need to be extra careful these next few days, and make sure you don't cause any more trouble. Also, try to minimize your interactions with the Crown Prince." Qingyan's relationship with the Crown Princess was not good.
Sometimes, much of the harm Qingyan suffered came from the Crown Princess. Guarjia only treated the Crown Princess as a pawn, while Qingyan was protected by her family. The difference between the two was quite significant.
"Hmm, won't the Crown Princess advise against it?" Qingyan leaned on his shoulder, her small face looking at Fei Yanggu.
"Advice? The Crown Prince is always arrogant; he won't listen to a woman's advice," Yin said directly.
Fei Yanggu agreed with Yin's idea, saying that the Crown Prince was too arrogant. Even if the Crown Princess was wholeheartedly for the Crown Prince's good, the Crown Prince was even less capable of managing money.
Recently, the Crown Prince has become more fond of the Mongolian women he has collected. He rarely enters the Crown Princess's tent, and they even ride in separate carriages.
"Hmph, he'll be ruined by a woman sooner or later," Qingyan sneered.
The Crown Prince's eyes were immediately drawn to the stunningly beautiful woman. From the very beginning of the selection process, his gaze kept drifting towards her. However, after she was betrothed to Empress Yin, his gaze gradually became more restrained.
"Alright, do you know what you should say and what you shouldn't say?" Fei Yang Gu Jin waited for Qing Yan, the little guy was spoiled rotten by Yin.
Qingyan lowered her head, looking as if she had done something wrong.
Fei Yanggu reached out and patted her little head. She was showing a good attitude in admitting her mistake, but she was still unrepentant.
"Yin, you must tell Xiao Guai that your situation will be even more dangerous after you return to the capital," Fei Yanggu repeatedly instructed.
Xiao Guai lived in the Prince's Mansion, and apart from going there to eat, Fei Yanggu spent the rest of the time alone with his wife.
"Yes, father-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of Xiao Guai and make sure she doesn't act too impulsively," Yin said directly.
Qingyan pouted and looked at Fei Yanggu with a reluctant expression. She was no longer a child. In front of outsiders, how could she not know what was important?
She sat cross-legged on the cushion, her little face scrunched up, and said, "Father, it's fine if you treat me like a child, but what about Yin?"
Every morning at court, Yin had to mingle among the ministers. She could hide by Consort Tong's side and not often meet with the ladies of the court. After leaving the palace, Lady Yin Genjue Luo was often troubled by her own family and had to mingle among the ladies of the court.
Whenever the two of them met, she would listen to Ingenjueluo's complaints.
"Alright, as long as you two are well," Fei Yanggu said. "I'll head back first; I can't stay in your carriage any longer."
After explaining everything, Fei Yanggu got up to take his leave. He would only make contact within the limits that Kangxi could tolerate, and would not give the censors any leverage over him.
As time went by, the Prime Minister kept a closer eye on the families of the princes' wives. His Majesty had instructed that they could socialize within a certain range, and even after their primary wives married, they could not completely cut off contact with their families.
"Father, aren't you having your meal here?" Qingyan was stunned.
Fei Yanggu shook his head. Li Dequan would tell Kangxi when he got back, so he couldn't delay any longer.
“No need. Let your father-in-law take the food box with him when he leaves,” Yin and Fei Yanggu exchanged a glance, understanding Fei Yanggu’s concerns. “Sulan, go and prepare a food box for your father-in-law.”
Now, if Fei Yanggu stays here for even half an hour longer, it will be disadvantageous for him.
"Yes!" Su Lan hurriedly went to prepare, while Qing Yan pursed her lips, her face full of unhappiness.
“Little darling, isn’t your father still here? When you have a day off, your father will come to see you!” Fei Yanggu dotes on his daughter and takes every opportunity to see her and Hutu Lifengsheng Zhalafen. The two women have looked very alike since birth.
The censors also had some reservations about Fei Yanggu's actions, but when they reported back, Kangxi didn't care and insisted that they were being a little too cautious.
They didn't keep an eye on corrupt officials, but instead focused on the ministers whom Emperor Kangxi trusted.
Soon, Su Lan brought the food box. Although it was not as big as Emperor Kangxi's food box, the food inside was enough for Fei Yanggu and his two sons.
"Father cannot keep it all to himself. I have already told Ah Hun that dinner will be sent to you as well!" Qingyan's small kitchen prepared a lot of food for both Kangxi and Fei Yanggu.
The small kitchen became increasingly busy. The imperial meals prepared for Emperor Kangxi by the Imperial Kitchen were mostly consumed by Tulichen and others. The chefs in the Imperial Kitchen also heard that Emperor Kangxi did not need imperial meals, so they would create new dishes. However, they planned to develop these dishes on the way back to the palace and then cook them for Emperor Kangxi.
"Aren't you afraid your two brothers-in-law will come after you for saying that to your father-in-law?" Yin tapped her little nose and said helplessly. (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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