On New Year's Eve, Changchun Garden was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Emperor Kangxi specially ordered the Shengping Department to arrange a play so that the Empress Dowager could watch it and relieve her boredom.
Inside the palace, there were very few things that could amuse the women. Apart from children, watching plays was the only other option. The Empress Dowager rarely came out of the Cining Palace and mostly passed the time by watching plays.
"Lanya, the plays we've been watching are all outdated. We should have the biography book prepare some fresh scripts!" The Empress Dowager was already getting tired of the plays being prepared.
Consort Tong glanced at the people on the platform and quickly responded.
Not many of the imperial concubines came out. Emperor Kangxi said he wanted to recuperate peacefully at Changchun Garden, so he brought very few female relatives with him.
"Empress Mother, if possible, let's go to Beiyuan Mountain Village for a few days after the New Year?" Kangxi enjoyed those days very much; Yin's little village was quite nice.
The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up instantly: "That's great!"
The days in the remote mountain village made the Empress Dowager feel as if she had returned to the grasslands, where she could be free and at ease. It was truly wonderful.
Upon hearing this, Consort Yi quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I must go with you! That brat Ninth Prince is never home these days. If I go, I can enjoy being a mother-in-law for a few days and force him to come home!"
"You, Ninth Prince, are doing something serious, so don't cause trouble!" Kangxi shook his head. "I sent him to do business himself!"
Yin was able to obtain this position by requesting it from Emperor Kangxi. The imperial family needed a prince to be involved in the business world so that when the imperial family needed the support of the business community, it could provide maximum assistance.
"Yes, if the Ninth Prince can really help His Majesty, this servant will be truly happy," Consort Yi replied with a smile.
"Mother, why do you always slander my image outside!" Yin couldn't help but feel annoyed after hearing Consort Yi's words.
"Hmph!" Consort Yi snorted coldly and turned her head directly to look at the stage.
Yinsi sat to Yin's left, his ears twitching. Kangxi had actually sent Yin directly to the business world, which caught Yinsi somewhat off guard.
"Mother, that's not what the Ninth Prince meant!" Yinqi's relationship with his younger brother had improved a lot, so he quickly spoke up to help.
Yin sat to the side, serving food to Qingyan. The three children were all kept beside the Empress Dowager and Kangxi, behind them, while no one else was there.
"I am preparing to lift the sea ban. I have dispatched merchant ships to sail at sea for a period of time! The navy can protect the merchant ships, which will make the Qing Dynasty's trade more prosperous!" Kangxi said directly.
I have been busy with matters concerning the naval port. Even today, I did not return to Changchun Garden, but instead went to Tianjin Naval Port to offer my condolences.
"Why isn't the Tenth Prince here!" Upon hearing Kangxi's words, the Empress Dowager quickly turned to look for Yinzhi.
"Your Majesty, I have sent the Tenth Prince to visit and comfort the soldiers at the naval port," Kangxi said directly.
After hearing Kangxi's words, the Empress Dowager said no more. After all, these were matters of the previous dynasty, and if the Empress Dowager interfered too much, she would be in a bad position.
"Grandfather, has Tenth Uncle gone to the naval port again?" Yiken'e stared wide-eyed at Kangxi.
"Yes! Yiken'e, you want to go too?" Kangxi was very good to this grandson, and he would give him anything he wanted.
Yiken shook his head. If he couldn't go with his father and mother, then he shouldn't go to the military port.
"Grandpa, Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen loves the seaside, but it's so cold there in winter!" Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen spends the winter in the naval port and doesn't go out all day!
Pfft!
Kangxi was amused by Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen's words. The twins were still young at the Tianjin naval port, so neither of them had ever gone out.
"Next time, let's not let Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen go to the beach in winter. We'll only go in the summer, okay?" the Empress Dowager asked, looking at Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen.
The little girl nodded happily: "Sister Songkelierha wants to go too! Angguma, it's really fun there. Angguma will go too!"
"Alright, I'll go with you!" The Empress Dowager quickly agreed, looking into the little girl's clear eyes.
When Yinsi heard the voice from above, his face turned somewhat ugly. All of his younger brothers had things to do, but Yinsi, after being reprimanded by Kangxi, hadn't had anything serious to do.
"Tomorrow, we will begin the banquet for the court officials. Empress Dowager, Lady Guoluo will be coming to the palace!" Kangxi no longer cared much about his former Eighth Prince Consort. Yue Le's lineage had really gone to great lengths for that child.
"Really? She's doing quite well in Mongolia!" The Empress Dowager had specifically asked people to keep an eye on her, and it was confirmed that Lady Guoluo was indeed doing well.
"Yes, I heard she gave birth to twin boys!" Looking at Guo Luoluo's current state, Kangxi felt that it was truly Yinsi's bad luck; otherwise, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
When Yin heard the Empress Dowager and Kangxi's conversation, he couldn't help but look at Yinsi. If Yinsi knew that the person he hated the most had actually been able to have a child with him, his self-esteem would definitely suffer a great blow.
"Elder brother, when the people from Mongolia arrive, you must personally receive them!" Kangxi entrusted this task to Yinzhi.
After all, Yin had spent several years there and knew the most people there.
"Father, I understand!" Yin rose and replied. "The Ministry of War has given us information that the Mongols are gradually coming for firearms!"
Upon hearing this, Kangxi revealed a cold smile: "Give it to them, find problems with the warheads. Send all those test warheads over!"
Previously, the Ministry of War had tested many bullets, but these were somewhat unstable. Kangxi decided to send them over there so that the people there would receive them and feel that their training was not good enough.
"Mother..." Kangxi had just finished speaking when he turned to look at the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, I am first and foremost the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty, and only then a princess of Mongolia!" the Empress Dowager quickly advised Kangxi.
Kangxi was relieved. The Empress Dowager was different from the Grand Empress Dowager. If the Grand Empress Dowager were still alive, Kangxi would definitely be quite impressed. Even firearms could not have been developed so rapidly!
"Mother, once things are over, I will take you back to visit!" Kangxi understood that the Empress Dowager wanted to go back the most, but now that the two sides were at war, it was best for the Empress Dowager not to go back.
"Alright, I'll wait for the Emperor to take me back!" The Empress Dowager longed for that day to come.
Having married into the Qing Dynasty decades ago, she has never returned. The grasslands have become an obsession in the Empress Dowager's heart, one she can no longer let go of.
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