Later that evening, the princes' primary wives gathered together. Apart from the illegitimate son brought by Yinzhi, none of the other wives brought their children.
The Laba Festival banquet lasts quite a long time, and the children are all too young to finish it all.
After lunch, Consort Tong served Emperor Kangxi his afternoon nap. The sisters-in-law sat in the side hall chatting. Apart from the Crown Princess and the Third Prince's wife, the remaining wives chatted about raising children.
Qingyan coldly observed the smiling faces of her sisters-in-law. How many of their smiles were genuine?
The complaints from the sisters-in-law were largely a way to relieve their worries.
"Fourth sister-in-law, where are your twins? You didn't bring them on such an important festival as Laba Festival?" The Crown Princess looked at Qingyan's obedient appearance and really wanted to tear off Qingyan's mask. Even her family said that Qingyan was the best role model. She could not only take care of her own family, but also win the prince's heart.
At this time, the Crown Princess was greatly affected, and her family almost abandoned her. In Yuqing Palace, Consort Li not only received the Crown Prince's favor, but also had a son by her side. Hongxi was the third generation of the Emperor, second only to Yiken'e in favor. In addition, Hongxi was older than Yiken'e. Before the birth of the twins, Hongxi was the most favored and was always kept by Kangxi's side.
As Hongxi grew older and Yiken'e was born, Kangxi paid less and less attention to Hongxi.
From that time on, the Crown Prince's desire for a legitimate son grew stronger. He even asked a trusted Crown Prince about the matter.
"Your Highness, the child is still young and cannot maintain his energy all day. Bringing him here would only cause trouble for Mother." Qingyan spoke very directly, making Dong Eshi even more embarrassed.
Yin Genjue Luo smiled, those who knew Xiao Guai were fine with it, but those who didn't would think she was always ready to argue.
“Hongxi is very well dressed, and the Crown Princess takes excellent care of him,” said Lady Yingenjueluo.
Her sincere gaze left no room for doubt. Dong Eshi kept complaining about how difficult it was to teach illegitimate sons. They all knew in their hearts that no one wanted to teach illegitimate sons. As the principal wife, these were their responsibilities.
“Yes, Hongxi is very intelligent. Father Emperor also reminded the Prince that he must study hard in his early education. Yiken’e is still young, so it is only right that Father Emperor favors her.” The Crown Princess took a roundabout approach and finally revealed that Yiken’e’s favor was only due to the time when Yiken entered the Imperial Study. Therefore, Yiken’e was able to come into the Emperor’s sight.
The sisters-in-law sat together, exchanging sharp words, but Qingyan ignored them completely, not taking them to heart at all.
They already didn't get along, and now, the Crown Princess and Consort Dong'e's extreme views have become even more pronounced. The concubines were not originally on the same side as them, but the methods and behavior of the two primary consorts were not much different from those of the concubines, which is why people complained.
"My darling, the festival is coming soon. Can the jewelry from Linglong Pavilion be ready in time?" The Crown Princess used her private funds and spent a huge sum of money to order two sets of exquisite jewelry.
Qingyan was taken aback. She hadn't personally reviewed any of the orders from Linglong Pavilion. Apart from the designs for Consort Tong and her own, she had handed over the rest to the craftsmen at Linglong Pavilion.
"The shopkeeper manages it, I haven't asked much. Did the Crown Princess reserve jewelry?" Qingyan asked, puzzled.
The Crown Princess nodded. She had been keeping a close eye on Qingyan's every move, hoping to find evidence of her competing with the people for profit as soon as possible. After several attempts to get information out of her, things turned out to be more difficult than she had imagined, and Xiao Guai simply wouldn't take the bait.
"Crown Princess, ladies, His Majesty has awakened. Please proceed to the side hall." Consort Tong was attending to Emperor Kangxi during his afternoon nap, while the princes and their wives waited in the side halls on either side of the courtyard. From the morning onwards, Laba porridge was continuously distributed from the palace to the outside, and the officials and their families who received the porridge were required to enter the palace to express their gratitude.
In the afternoon, the princes' wives had to accompany Consort Tong and entertain the officials' families.
The Crown Princess led the other consorts to their feet, straightened their clothes, and walked with elegant steps to Consort Tong.
Inside the palace, Consort Tong changed into a pale yellow palace dress, embroidered with a large number of water magnolias. The light purple under the petals and the gold thread flower trim complemented each other, giving people a sense of wealth and dignity.
"Greetings to Your Majesty/Mother!" Apart from Qingyan, all the other wives felt their eyes light up.
Consort Tong has turned thirty. In modern times, this would be the prime of her youth, but here, it's considered the age of an old woman.
"Begin the kowtow." Consort Tong was very satisfied with their expressions; it was a style specially designed by Xiao Guai.
What woman doesn't love beauty, especially when everyone thinks she looks good? After her afternoon nap, she washed and dressed herself, and a look of amazement flashed in Kangxi's eyes.
Instantly, Consort Tong was very satisfied with Xiao Guai's design. That look of amazement made Consort Tong feel as if she had returned to the past. After many years of companionship, Kangxi and Consort Tong were too familiar with each other. Although they often surprised each other, they lacked originality.
"My dear mother, this headdress and clothes are extremely beautiful!" Dong Eshi also liked this set of magnolia headdress. Carrying it with a novel look, she walked up from the Linglong Pavilion.
Consort Rong often mentioned the Linglong Pavilion of the Qingyan Banquet to her, which was a thorn in her side.
"Really? I think it looks good too!" Consort Tong pretended not to understand. The Linglong Pavilion was doing well, and if anyone else went to place an order, it would be too late. So she decided not to cause trouble for Xiao Guai.
Shu entered from outside and announced to Consort Tong that the ladies-in-waiting had come to pay their respects.
The first group to arrive were Kangxi's important officials. Qingyan looked at his mother's figure and couldn't help but feel extremely emotional. Despite the trouble caused by the Jue Luo clan and his mother's best efforts to stop them, she couldn't win over his father and his children.
It had been three months since I last saw Jue Luo Shi, and her face showed some signs of aging.
Jue Luo and her daughter Qing Yan exchanged a glance. Jue Luo felt slightly relieved; her own family had caused her no shortage of trouble.
The ladies-in-waiting complimented the taste of the Laba porridge, paying no attention to the banquet, which was merely a reward and honor; the focus was not on the porridge itself.
Each residence would exchange Laba porridge. In the Yuanmingyuan alone, the amount of Laba porridge received was much more than before, and there was even some specially prepared for the two children. Qingyan couldn't help but sneer.
The twins were still young, and there was very little rice or beans available. The porridge was basically ground into a paste, and the contents were unidentifiable. If the children had any problems eating it, everyone would have their own excuses to avoid it.
"With the year drawing to a close, everyone is busy preparing for the New Year. We must be vigilant against any potential troubles." News of Kangxi's reorganization of the Imperial Household Department spread throughout the capital, and everyone began to purge their servants. Sure enough, some corrupt officials were indeed punished.
"We will remember Your Majesty's teachings!" Everyone quickly rose and bowed.
Consort Tong smiled, waved her hand, and said, "It was just a casual remark, a few words of reflection." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
