As dawn broke, Yin held Qingyan's hand and strolled along the beach, waiting for the sunrise. Qingyan turned to look at him. Yesterday, after their private conversation, Yin hadn't been feeling well.
"Little darling, to put Fourteenth's mind at ease, after we return to the palace, you should send some things to the Cold Palace every month for Uya to use. As for me and Fourteenth, we definitely won't have any more contact!" Yin hoped that Kangxi would understand their actions. Giving things to Uya was simply to prevent the censors from thinking they were cold-blooded.
"Fourth Brother, what did you and Fourteenth Brother say?" Qingyan asked.
The longer the Fourteenth Prince stays by the side of Lady Wuya, the better their relationship will become. Yin's relationship with Lady Wuya is quite cold. Yin entrusted this matter to Yin, hoping that he could help.
"Little darling, Fourteenth Prince hopes to bring Lady Uya back to the mansion after Father Emperor is gone!" Yin sneered.
Qingyan stared at Yin in astonishment. If the Fourteenth Prince could control Wuya after establishing his own residence and prevent her from causing trouble, the next emperor probably wouldn't have any demands.
"Fourth Prince, I think you shouldn't interfere. Although Uya is your biological mother, and Father has already changed your imperial genealogy, what will Mother think if you interfere too much in Uya's affairs?" Qingyan's feelings for Consort Tong ran even deeper.
During the time she lived in the palace, Uya caused quite a bit of trouble. If it weren't for Consort Tong protecting her, Qingyan would definitely have been dealt with by Consort De.
"I know, that's why I'm having you do it secretly. Just let Father Emperor know, no one else needs to know. Father Emperor will help keep it from Consort Tong," Yin said softly.
Qingyan became curious: "Would Father Emperor help cover it up?"
"Yes, Father Emperor will definitely help cover it up." Yin nodded.
"Why? Mother manages the palace affairs, and all matters in the harem should be decided by Mother!" Qingyan asked, puzzled.
"Fourth Prince, tell me, what exactly are the concubines fighting over? How could they use their own children like this?!" Qingyan shook his head helplessly. "Look, the relationship between eldest brother and sister-in-law is getting better and better, and Doshihun and Songkriyirha have become more confident. I remember when I first met Songkriyirha, she always looked timid."
“Yes, back then, my elder brother doted on his concubine, and my sister-in-law had a hard time!” Yin nodded. “But now, things have finally turned around!”
On the beach, the two of them rarely had the leisure to talk; since the birth of their children, they had had less and less time together.
"What do you think the concubines would do this for? It should be for their families. We don't have many opportunities to see the sea anymore, and we have even fewer opportunities to watch the sunrise!" Yin reminisced about the year he spent at the base in Guangdong and Guangxi, where he didn't have to think about anything or pay attention to any more conspiracies.
As the Crown Prince's actions became increasingly outrageous, Emperor Kangxi could no longer tolerate it, and ultimately, Yinzhi had to be brought back.
“Yes, the time we spent at the naval ports in Guangdong and Guangxi was really relaxing. No one bothered us. During the Dragon Boat Festival, the concubines dressed up beautifully, hoping to catch the Emperor’s eye. As for the children, it was simply to have more leverage in front of Kangxi.” Yin looked at the horizon, his kidneys feeling weak.
"Fourth Prince, your mother has always loved you dearly. She is definitely different from the other concubines!" Qingyan comforted Yin.
Yin smiled and said, "Little darling, you're right. Your mother is very good to me, out of a mother's love for her child. The concubines don't have that kind of love. Consort Yi probably controls the fifth and ninth princes. Do you remember that Consort Yi and her sister entered the palace one after the other?"
Qingyan nodded: "Didn't you say that Consort Guoluo's health is not good?"
"No, back then, when Consort Yi gave birth to the Fifth Prince, Noble Lady Guoluo was very favored and her status was not much different from Consort Yi's. Moreover, the Emperor was just using the fact that the two Guoluo women were pregnant at the same time as a bargaining chip. Whoever gave birth to the prince would definitely be the one Kangxi favored the most. The status of the concubines was just a matter of Kangxi's words."
"Noble Consort Guoluo gave birth to a daughter, while Consort Yi was a prince. So, Emperor Kangxi took a liking to Consort Yi?" Qingyan said, looking at Yin.
The two sisters of the Guo Luo Luo clan were a model for the imperial concubines. Many patriarchs of powerful families wanted to follow the example of the Guo Luo Luo sisters in order to expand their families, and sent their own sisters to the palace!
“Yes, although Yinqi was born, Consort Yi did not receive much attention. When Father Emperor mentioned that he hoped to have a little prince by the Empress Dowager's side, Consort Yi was the quickest to react. After Father Emperor spread the word, Consort Yi directly sent the child to the Empress Dowager's side, and thus, Consort Yi gained her current status.” Yinhe Qingyan told Qingyan about the news of the palace concubines.
"So, Yinqi was a pawn sacrificed by Consort Yi?" Qingyan was stunned.
Both Yinqi and Yinqi hoped that their mother loved them the most, so they overlooked many details from their childhood.
“Yes, Yinqi was the pawn that was sacrificed,” Yin nodded and said.
Qingyan looked at the sea not far away. He was a son who had been used by his mother. Even now, he still believed that his mother had sent him to the Empress Dowager's side entirely for his own good.
"As expected, the palace concubine's methods are extraordinary. I will not use my son to do anything!" Qingyan, as the mother, had a very different idea from Consort Yi.
Qingyan found Consort Yi's series of actions difficult to understand and did not want her child to experience them.
"Do you remember when you first married me, the Third Princess Consort was always making trouble for you?" Yin recalled that time when Qingyan felt really aggrieved. Every time the sisters-in-law gathered, it was the Crown Princess and the Third Princess Consort who joined forces to directly humiliate Qingyan.
During that period, Qingyan would feel very unhappy every time she returned to her courtyard after attending a banquet.
"Of course, there was even one time when they took advantage of the Fifth Prince's wife!" Qingyan remembered that the Fifth Prince's wife's first child was schemed against by the concubines. One of them was supported by the Crown Princess and the Third Prince's wife. The other party was very arrogant and even tried to shift the blame for the Fifth Prince's wife's miscarriage onto Qingyan.
Qingyan was even confined to her quarters by the Crown Princess. Later, Yinqi suddenly realized his mistake and stopped caring about that woman. Only then did the Fifth Prince's wife gradually feel better.
“Yes, the Third Princess Consort reached an agreement with the Crown Princess that after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, she will not allow her daughter to be married off to Mongolia.” Yin gently revealed the deal between the Crown Princess and the Third Princess Consort.
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