He Zhuo led everyone to the palace to attend the birthday banquet. Among the princes' wives, He Zhuo's entourage was the largest, with eight children and a secondary wife.
The Crown Prince only has two young princes, one of whom is quite sickly.
There wasn't a single one at Third Prince's place. Third Prince's wife was both envious and jealous of First Prince's wife's arrangement. Consort Rong had already given her an ultimatum, giving her another year, or else the contraceptive medicine in the inner courtyard would be stopped. Third Prince's wife had been married for four years, and Consort Rong had been bestowing medicine on her in the inner courtyard ever since. Even the Dong E family had nothing to say this time, only blaming their daughter for being useless and not even getting pregnant.
The Fourth Prince did have a daughter, born to Consort Li. She had also given birth to a daughter before, but she died soon after. The Fourth Prince only hoped that this daughter could be raised well. He was quite envious of his sister-in-law's string of children; he also wanted a legitimate son.
The Fifth Prince had just gotten married, so naturally he had no children yet.
The Empress Dowager was delighted to see the First Princess Consort arrive; being of advanced age, she always wished for many children and blessings. However, thinking of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, she did not beckon the First Princess Consort over, but instead sent the Crown Princess over.
The Empress Dowager was an easygoing person. After marrying into the palace, she followed Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Now that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had passed away, she continued to follow Emperor Kangxi's wishes. Emperor Kangxi doted on the Crown Prince, and she also liked the Crown Prince the most.
Before the Crown Princess married into the family, she liked the First Consort the most. The First Consort spoke good Mongolian, was kind and approachable, and her little treasure was lively and adorable. She even gave birth to three great-grandchildren for her.
However, this happened before the Crown Princess entered the palace. Now, the Empress Dowager's favorite person is the Crown Princess. Fortunately, the Crown Princess speaks Mongolian fluently and is also filial. The Empress Dowager glanced at the Crown Princess's belly, hoping for good news soon.
The eunuch began chanting the rites.
A white jade Guanyin statue,
A white jade ruyi
A Hainan amber bracelet…
Emperor Kangxi was a filial son, and every gift he sent was a masterpiece. The Empress Dowager said that they were too precious and that the money should be spent on more valuable items.
Emperor Kangxi said that nothing could compare to his son's filial piety and the peace and prosperity of the country.
The Empress Dowager was just saying that casually; she never usually contradicted Emperor Kangxi.
Next, the Crown Prince presented his gift, having found 108 large, round pearls from the East.
He Zhuo didn't like to show off, so he presented things in a standard and unremarkable way, which pleased Min Yu and the others.
The Fourth Prince loved Buddhist scriptures and presented them with his own handwritten copies in Mongolian and Manchu, written in large characters. The Empress Dowager praised his filial piety, saying that he had made a small contribution without seeking the limelight.
The birthday banquet was also organized by the four concubines. The weather turned cool in November, but it hadn't snowed yet, so the banquet was held in the garden.
"It's quite a lively place here today, sister-in-law. The master has eight children, while the crown prince only has two." That fool, the third wife, is at it again, trying to sow discord.
He Zhuo took a bite of food, then slowly wiped his mouth: "We've all grown a few years older, and in a few years, you'll all have sons and daughters."
The Crown Princess is the most prestigious at our table: "Eldest sister-in-law is indeed enviable, but we will all have it too. Third sister-in-law, I heard that third brother has recently acquired a guqin."
When the Third Princess Consort heard this, she couldn't be too proud in front of the Crown Princess, since she had always been favored. So she just smiled and let it go.
Seeing the Third Prince's somewhat smug expression, the Fourth Prince's wife felt a pang of bitterness. Although the Fourth Prince treated her well, he couldn't compare to the First and Third Prince's wives. She had heard that the Crown Princess was also greatly favored after entering the household. She could only compare to the Fifth Prince's wife. Sigh...
After several rounds of drinks, the imperial grandchildren, still young, were arranged to rest in a side hall of the Empress Dowager's palace. Since the children were small and needed the care of wet nurses and nannies, there was nothing to worry about. When He Zhuo arrived after the banquet, the children were all asleep.
Going out while asleep could easily lead to catching a cold, so Hezhuo woke up all the children to refresh themselves before leaving the palace. Consort Hui suggested that the children stay with her, so Hezhuo took several of her illegitimate children back home, while her legitimate children stayed with Consort Hui.
Because He Zhuo often left his children with Consort Hui, who had a place for them to stay, and Consort Hui had a deep affection for the children.
After the banquet, everyone was exhausted and remained silent on the way back. They all went home, washed up, and rested.
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