Before the banquet began, Kangxi instructed Li Dequan to summon Consort Tong, Yinzhi, Qingyan, and the wife of Prince Zheng. Just now, the one brought back by the imperial guards was the heir apparent of Prince Zheng; he had actually proposed marrying the princess from the Fourth Prince's residence.
Qingyan sat next to Yin, her little head lowered, her whole face scrunched up.
"He's taken a fancy to my wife?" Yin was slightly taken aback when he heard Li Dequan's retelling. "Father, Xiao'ai was staring at the Crown Princess at the second gate, but who would have thought that the Heir Apparent would just barge right past her."
Upon entering the residence, Yin made it clear that there would be many female relatives present that day, and specifically told them not to wander around. Yet this young master was able to sneak from the study into the backyard, and he had managed to evade the spies sent by Tulichen and Erlu.
The prince broke out in a cold sweat. He had originally planned to meet a young woman of similar age and use this method to make a direct commitment.
"Your Majesty, it was my fault. I was just going to relieve myself, but I ended up going to the second gate instead," Prince Zheng's son quickly said. "After I went out, I saw that the little Sulas of Yuanmingyuan were all busy, so I thought I shouldn't cause them any more trouble."
Prince Zheng and Fusuli Yierha looked at their son Jile with worry. The position of heir apparent had just fallen to Jile, but the youngest son was still too young to pass the heir apparent examination. If Jile were to be dismissed, Prince Zheng's mansion would once again have a struggle for the position of heir apparent. The children of the two concubines were only a few months younger than Jile, and the mother and son would never give up any opportunity to ascend to the top.
"This will not be repeated!" Kangxi nodded and said directly.
Qingyan frowned slightly, but Yin squeezed her small hand and instantly put on a smiling face.
Consort Tong took in all of Qingyan's expressions and felt a pang of emotion; this little girl was really growing up.
Prince Zheng left with his wife and children, and Kangxi's face immediately darkened as he watched their retreating figures.
"Tulichen!" Kangxi called out to the sky.
Immediately, Tulichen appeared in the hall dressed in black. He knelt silently on the gold bricks, waiting for Kangxi's question.
"Did Gile bypass your sight?" Kangxi looked at Tulichen, more concerned about just how skilled Gile was.
Jile is the heir of a prince with an iron cap, and he will succeed Prince Zheng in the future. He will guard the border for the Qing Dynasty. It would be good if he had high martial prowess. However, it would be a big problem if he used his martial skills against the royal family.
"I only went around to the garden area; I didn't see it in the study," Tu Lichen replied.
The guards in the flower garden assumed that this man was merely going to the garden to get a sneak peek at the finest chrysanthemums and peonies, and that during the banquet, only the women would be able to admire the flowers up close, while the men would have to stay in the study.
Qingyan felt a chill run down her spine. This person had bypassed the mansion's guards, and none of Erlu's men had noticed him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Yin's expression had become even more unpleasant. In his garden, someone had come and gone without a trace.
"Fourth Prince, this is a lesson!" Kangxi looked at Yin. In his eyes, Yin was still young, and it was understandable that he would make such a mistake.
Fortunately for Yin, Erlu made a mistake and failed to do everything perfectly.
"Father, I will try my best to improve." Yin stood up and quickly admitted his mistake.
Kangxi smiled and nodded, "Yin is someone who can be trained."
"Alright, let's go over there first. The Crown Princess and the others should have arrived by now." Consort Tong came to her son's rescue, got up, called Qingyan, and left for the garden.
Qingyan helped Consort Tong, and the two of them walked slowly towards the garden on flowerpot-soled shoes. The scenery in Yuanmingyuan was closer to nature than that in Changchun Garden, and Kangxi and Yinzhi had some differences in their aesthetic views.
"Little darling, be more careful about the safety of the backyard in the future. It's good that Jile didn't go in, but what if he had? Your reputation would be ruined. Even if Yin can withstand the pressure, His Majesty will take action." Consort Tong liked Little darling and didn't want her to be defeated by these schemes.
"Mother, I will be careful," Qingyan quickly replied.
As they walked, Consort Tong admired the beautiful scenery of the Yuanmingyuan Garden and asked which part of the Qingyan Courtyard had the best views.
"My little darling, this arrangement is really nice." Consort Tong expressed her satisfaction. Yin had always had a good sense of aesthetics since he was a child, and to be fair, she shared the same aesthetic sense as Yin.
"If Mother likes it, then come often, shall we?" Qingyan enjoyed spending time with Consort Tong and learned a lot from her.
Consort Tong shook her head. The distance from Changchun Garden to Yuanmingyuan Garden was short, but she couldn't come here often unless Emperor Kangxi came and she could find an excuse to follow him.
Many imperial concubines came randomly from the palace, including several high-ranking ones. The sons' villas of Consort Rong, Consort Hui, and Consort Yi were all nearby, but they couldn't go to their sons' villas. Her coming to Yuanmingyuan was a great favor.
"Mother, why have the wives of the Iron-Capped Princes come here?" Qingyan remembered that she had not invited Fusuli Yierha, and since they had come ahead of time, she did not say much.
Consort Tong looked at Qingyan with a serious expression, regretting that she had spoken out of turn.
"It's because of the imperial concubines, my dear, you mustn't say more!" Consort Tong briefly explained the reason. "Besides, these wives are not easy to get along with. Fusuli Yierha is from the capital and knows the rules. The other five are different; they are noble ladies from beyond the Great Wall and speak more directly."
As Qingyan listened to Consort Tong's analysis, she wrote down the preferences of each of the Fujin (principals).
"Mother, I understand. I won't let Yin down," Qingyan replied firmly.
Consort Tong found that Qingyan was full of fighting spirit, so she took Xiao Guai to the garden with peace of mind.
At this moment, the garden was very lively. The Crown Princess and others had all arrived. When they saw Fusuli Yierha and the others coming over, they quickly went forward to talk to them.
The families of princes with iron caps rarely come to the capital. This year, due to certain circumstances, the wives of the princes, hoping for a smoother marriage for their eldest sons, have all followed their husbands to the capital, hoping to achieve their wishes through the imperial concubines.
"Your Highness, Her Highness has arrived." The maidservant beside the Crown Princess noticed Consort Tong appearing at the garden gate and quickly went to report to the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess looked up and saw Consort Tong and her mother-in-law, Qingyan, appear. The two figures, one in yellow and one in blue, came into view. The Crown Princess quickly got up, walked down from the pavilion, and led the ladies of the court who were attending the gathering to stand on both sides to welcome Consort Tong.
"Guarjia pays respects to Your Highness!" The Crown Princess bowed respectfully.
Qingyan quickly hid to the side to prevent anyone from saying that she was disrespectful to the Crown Princess.
Fusuli Yierha caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye and felt a pang of emotion; the Fourth Princess Consort was someone who knew how to behave properly. Qingyan noticed the Crown Princess's disappointed expression and felt a chill run down her spine. Even in front of outsiders, the sisters-in-law couldn't get along peacefully. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)
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