The worship at the ovoo was delayed for two days. The Mongolian women were very curious about the banquet and sent invitations to the Fourth Prince's tent, saying that they were inviting the Fourth Prince's wife to a gathering they were hosting.
They completely disregarded the Empress Dowager's warning. In their eyes, even the prince's primary wife wouldn't dare to be presumptuous in front of them, let alone Qingyan.
On the day of the banquet, all the women were disappointed. Qingyan did not attend any of the banquets, but instead went to the Empress Dowager's tent.
While the wives were feeling annoyed, the Empress Dowager was happily telling Qingyan about the beautiful scenery of the grasslands. Yinzhi, Yinxiang, and Yinzhi were all by her side. Kangxi noticed that the Empress Dowager was in a rare good mood and was talking to the children.
He didn't care much. Whether Yin and Yinxiang were on duty by the Empress Dowager's side or not, Qingyan was a good person and took good care of the three brothers.
Of all the people in Qiu Mi, except for Yinzhi, Yinxiang, and Yinzhi who gained weight, everyone, including Kangxi, lost weight to some extent.
"Si Si" was so flattered by the Empress Dowager's praise that she had nowhere to hide, her little face flushed and full of smiles.
Today, she specially brought some easy-to-eat pastries for the Empress Dowager. When Imperial Physician Yuan saw them, he also praised Qingyan's thoughtfulness, saying that these were most suitable for the Empress Dowager's age.
"Little Darling, have you sent it to the Emperor yet?" The Empress Dowager had become familiar with Qingyan and also called her Little Darling.
"Grandma, don't worry, I've already sent a copy to the Imperial Household Department. Father should be able to use it now!" Yin came out early, one copy was sent to the Imperial Household Department, and the other copy was brought over by Qingyan.
The Mongolian women began their banquet, and the women accompanying the emperor each chose a banquet to attend, with the Qing banquet being an exception.
"Why didn't you attend the banquet?" The Empress Dowager was quite shrewd; seeing Qingyan's obvious reluctance, she was secretly delighted.
Ugh!
Qingyan gave an awkward smile. After all, the Empress Dowager was of Mongolian origin, and if she talked about the problems of the Mongolian wives, she would probably be criticized in return!
"They all invited you, so you probably don't know which one to go to, Madam," Su Mala Gu said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.
Qingyan nodded and said, "It's true that you have a discerning eye, Granny. I rarely go out for social events in the palace. Except for when my mother insists that I go, I have basically never gone out. My mother also told me to keep an eye on Sisi and not let anyone ruin his reputation."
Qingyan's words made Su Mala Gu realize that Consort Tong was right; almost none of the female relatives accompanying the emperor did not set up camp.
During the hunt, the men schemed against each other, while the women gathered in the rear, where they inquired about things that no one talked about.
“Your Majesty, look how much the Fourth Princess Consort resembles you back then. If it weren’t for the Empress Dowager forcing you to come out, you probably wouldn’t even have performed the annual rites on the 5th and 10th anniversaries!” Su Ma La Gu said with great concern for the Empress Dowager.
Qingyan tilted her head, looking at the Empress Dowager with a gossipy expression.
The Empress Dowager merely smiled. Back then, she could only calmly play the role of a pawn. She made the right choice by siding with the late Emperor, which is why she has been able to live peacefully until now.
The palace intrigue of that time was still fresh in the Empress Dowager's memory, and the reason why Emperor Kangxi has shown her such respect over the years is related to that day.
"Enough, why bring up those old stories?" The Empress Dowager's heart was not with the royal family, much less with Khorchin.
Driven by self-interest, they were willing to assassinate a living person like that; what other heinous acts await them?
“It’s right that Xiao Guai didn’t go!” Although Su Mala Gu smiled at the Mongol wives, how could she not know their little schemes?
Sumalagu was an old woman who had served three dynasties. Facing all kinds of dangers, she never backed down and always followed her masters to bravely move forward.
"The wives on the grasslands have also said that when I was young, I had a childhood sweetheart on the grasslands. That relationship was very pure. Back then, when the late emperor came, he even said he would arrange a marriage for us. It was just a cruel twist of fate," the Empress Dowager said, seemingly unconcerned.
Yin and Yinxiang were slightly embarrassed; the Empress Dowager's gossip was not something anyone could hear.
"You four don't need to be so reserved. There are so many unpleasant rumors going around. I was just chatting idly. I'm completely at peace with them now." The Empress Dowager didn't care at all. It was her loss if the children heard those things.
Those gossipy women never let her off the hook. After years of widowhood, she devoted herself to Buddhism. The deliberate harassment from the princes and concubines only made her feel more disgusted.
Every year when she came to the grasslands, the Empress Dowager felt as if she had returned to his side, as if she had become several years younger.
When the Empress Dowager was still alive, she ordered Kangxi not to allow the Empress Dowager to return to the grasslands. During the autumn harvest, the Empress Dowager would always be away from the imperial tent for a few days, and Kangxi could only secretly send the Empress Dowager there.
Twenty-eight years later, the Empress Dowager would come here almost every year to spend some time with the boy she once knew.
"Little darling, when you're young, don't be afraid of getting hurt. Only by trying will you know which one is more suitable for you!" Qingyan is like a little turtle. Whenever she encounters danger, she slowly retreats into her shell and never comes out again.
She sheltered herself in a safe environment; Yin was a good person, protecting Qingyan's existence.
What about the other princes?
Their female relatives were by no means kind; at gatherings between sisters-in-law, they could easily start arguing and belittling each other over a single word.
“Grandma, I know that, so I rarely touch these things.” Qingyan gave a wry smile.
Emperor Kangxi helped his sons raise their wives. The first few princes and their wives had very good relationships. In the eyes of others, the primary wife was always just a figurehead.
"You don't need to pay attention to what those women say, such as that not finding concubines for her husband means that the principal wife is not virtuous." The Empress Dowager enjoyed watching Yin and Qingyan interact.
If she hadn't gone to the capital, she probably would have had the same happiness.
At this time, the Empress Dowager was very satisfied with the relationship between the two. When they came to the grassland, the wives of the princes had caused a lot of trouble, always trying to send their female relatives to the princes' beds.
"Grandma, just a few days ago, the wife of the Prince of Khorchin said she wanted your help in arranging her marriage. Now you're directly undermining her?" Qingyan covered her mouth and laughed.
The wives of the Khorchin were extremely arrogant. As long as the Empress Dowager was around, these women felt as if they had found a powerful backer.
"Hmph, who cares about those people? The more you meddle, the less they'll know their place." The Empress Dowager sneered. If she couldn't handle it herself, why would she expect others to help her? "From now on, when you see those primary consorts, just go around them."
"If you do this, my lord, those people will go to His Majesty to complain," Su Mo'er said helplessly.
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, "The Emperor is sensible and knows who is right to protect."
“Grandma, we understand, we won’t cause any trouble for you and Father,” Yin quickly said.
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