In the early morning, Qingyan was packed into the carriage by Yin, the curtain was lowered, and they prepared to wait at Xuanwu Gate. The children had left, and they finally had a rare moment of leisure.
Yin sat cross-legged on the back seat, flipping through the memorials in his hands. These memorials all needed to be processed in advance, and some of them even involved the issue of the southward journey. Because of Kangxi's southward journey, some memorials were submitted to the Ministry of Revenue, and they were basically all about money.
Yin issued some instructions, but mostly awaited Kangxi's decree.
Later, the carriage stopped in front of Xuanwu Gate. Yin did not get off in a hurry, but went around the screen and entered the inner chamber. She was sleeping soundly with her little mouth slightly pouting.
"Little darling, we've arrived, it's time to get up!" Yin, sitting beside Qingyan, called for her to stand up.
Before coming in, Yin glanced at the time; it was almost time for her to get up.
Qingyan opened her eyes and saw Yin sitting on the edge of the bed in his everyday clothes. She looked at the curtains and realized they had arrived at the carriage.
"Get up quickly, Father's imperial carriage will be here soon." Yin pulled her into his arms, picked up the prepared palace dress, and helped her put it on.
"Little Darling, are you there?" Yin Genjue Luo called out from in front of the carriage.
At this moment, Qingyan had just finished washing and grooming, her hair was simply tied up in a small bun, and she wore a set of swallow-themed headdresses.
"I'm here, I'll be right down," Qingyan shouted.
Yin straightened his court robes, took her little hand, and they got off the carriage together.
Yin and Yinzhi approached the carriage. They noticed that Yin's carriage was parked there, but no one got out. The four waited for a while, and Dong'e's face darkened, a hint of scrutiny appearing in her eyes.
Upon seeing this, Lady Yin Genjue worried that Lady Dong E would ruin the reputation of Qingyan, so she spoke up first.
After speaking, Yin gave Yingenjueluo a look of approval. Yin was a good younger brother. He also remembered that Songkelierha was able to grow up healthily, thanks in part to Qingyan.
Qingyan slowly stepped off the carriage, her cheeks slightly flushed. Every time she came out, she would fall asleep before leaving the mansion. Dong'e's makeup was better than both Yingenjueluo's and hers, so she must have spent a lot of time preparing it.
"Eldest sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, you've come too?" Qingyan smiled. "Third sister-in-law, you're dressed very elegantly. It looks like you spent a lot of time preparing."
Both Lady Yin Genjue and Lady Qingyan brought their children out. The heavy headdresses could injure the young children, but Lady Dong E did not have so many worries. The two young princes she brought into the palace during the New Year still died young, and Lady Dong E also contributed a lot to the effort.
"The headdresses for my sister-in-law and brother's wife are a bit small. This set of mine took a long time to make." Dong Eshi sent someone to Linglong Pavilion to order the headdresses. At that time, Qingyan was not in the capital, otherwise, she would not have let the people of Linglong Pavilion take the order.
Qingyan smiled. Linglong Pavilion is a business, and it will definitely accept orders normally. She wouldn't talk to her about these small matters anymore.
Dong Eshi was unaware that Linglong Pavilion had grown and expanded, and that the design of headdresses was gradually being taught to those below her.
"Sister-in-law, thank you for making such a fine headdress," Dong Eshi said, raising her voice slightly as she saw the guards patrolling over.
Qingyan glanced at her disdainfully and said sarcastically, "Third sister-in-law, what you said is interesting. I no longer care about anything at Linglong Pavilion. The people who design the jewelry are just craftsmen. Are you saying that I am competing with the people for profit, or do you want to treat me like a slave?"
Qingyan's words left Dong E speechless.
Many of the guards came from prominent families, and upon hearing Dong E's words, they wished they could leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, knowing they would obviously be used as cannon fodder.
"What?!" Dong Eshi screamed in disbelief.
“A year ago, I married into the royal family, and I haven’t had any orders for Linglong Pavilion since. Apart from my mother’s and my headdresses, everyone else’s were made by Linglong Pavilion designers. You’ve thanked the wrong person,” Qingyan said bluntly.
Yin Genjue Luo was stunned. Didn't Qingyan have another plan?
For the Chinese New Year, the headdress she ordered was designed by Qingyan.
That's enough! Qingyan's words are likely a rejection of Dong Eshi.
"Your sister-in-law has already explained what you're doing, so don't gossip outside," Yin Zhi scolded.
The guards' gazes towards Dong E changed. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell from Dong E's words that something was amiss; she was clearly treating Qing Yan like a servant.
Even the words of thanks were laced with traps. It seems the rumors of discord between the Third and Fourth Prince's wives are true; even among the royal sisters-in-law, there is sordidness.
"Yes." Dong Eshi quickly nodded in agreement.
Qingyan noticed that Dong Eshi's eyes were too sinister, and she involuntarily shivered a few times.
Last night, the princes all received news that Emperor Kangxi had instructed Li Dequan to bring the twins to the palace early. The other two princes present did not mention the twins.
Dong Eshi shook her head, as if searching for something.
Qingyan caught a glimpse of her actions out of the corner of his eye and chuckled inwardly. The twins weren't so easy to spot, and besides, Songkelierha hadn't even gotten off the carriage, so Dong'e couldn't cause any trouble.
"Brother, shall we ride around the imperial carriage as usual?" Yin Zhi asked.
For Yinzhi, each imperial tour was nothing short of torture. Guarding the imperial carriage was an honor for the prince, but when he returned to the carriage or tent at night, his body felt like it was paralyzed, and every part of his body was in pain.
“No need this time.” Yin was in charge of the guards, and he dispatched the strongest guard team. There was no need for the princes to suffer in the open.
Yinzhi and Yin were secretly pleased. Among the princes, these two were the worst riders. Under Qingyan's guidance, Yin's riding and archery skills gradually improved.
In contrast, Yin Zhi was getting worse. Dong E Shi did not ask Yin Zhi to improve his riding and archery skills, but Fei Yang Gu and his two sons told him a lot of things to pay attention to.
The two men were from similar backgrounds; both Yue families were military families. In fact, even their archery and horsemanship skills were among the worst before they went outside the palace to avoid smallpox.
"Third brother, you need to work on your health. Yin's health is better than yours. If you don't work hard, we'll have to accompany you on your imperial tours in the future. Don't complain." Yin looked down on Yin Zhi, thinking he was too frail.
When they went to the grasslands, Yin heard that Yin Zhi had said many times that it was unnecessary for the princes to accompany them, as it would only make the problem more complicated.
Yin smiled sheepishly. His good health was largely thanks to Qingyan; riding and archery were his weak points. After arriving, under the tutelage of Saito and Eshuo, Yin gradually accepted the lessons in riding and archery.
During his two consecutive inspection tours, Yin demonstrated excellent horsemanship and archery skills.
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