Chapter 6 Princess's Mansion? From the time of Fumen's imperial decree to the time of marriage...
From the time the imperial decree came down to the time of her marriage, Mu Xue surprisingly found that she was living quite well. She recited Mongolian all day, looking forward to the day when she would leave the palace, and she felt a long-lost sense of security.
The Forbidden City in autumn is at its best. Sometimes when she is tired, she will gaze out the window. The sky is as clear as the sea, without a single cloud.
On the eve of the Golden Award Ceremony, Concubine Yi brought her good news.
"The mansion south of the imperial city has been prepared. I've seen the map. It has three courtyards and two plum trees in front of it. When you move in, the fragrance will fill the courtyard. You will definitely like it."
Mu Xue was a little surprised: "I thought we would go directly to Mobei after getting married."
"Silly child," Concubine Yi laughed, "It's freezing cold, who wants to rush over right away? Since we've chosen this day to get married, we should wait until the ice and snow melt and the weather is clear before setting off."
She thought of something, leaned close to Muxue, and whispered, "What if you get pregnant in the past two months? You can stay in the capital for two more years before leaving. Your second sister did that."
No, is there any way to delay like this? Mu Xue was dumbfounded.
If you think about it carefully, it makes sense. When the princess is pregnant and about to give birth, the emperor or any of his ministers would have to be crazy to urge the pregnant woman to set off to the distant grassland quickly.
However, she would rather set off for Mobei early than take advantage of such a loophole.
Seeing her standing there in a daze, Concubine Yi thought she was shy and said, "There is nothing to be shy about. Sex between husband and wife is a matter of great importance. Shouldn't the nanny have taught you this?"
What is true is that the nanny gave her some fire avoidance drawings to study.
But...Muxue didn't want to consummate her marriage with her husband at all.
It was not a good idea to tell Concubine Yi directly, lest it cause other problems. Mu Xue pretended to be shy, lowered her head, and said "hmm" softly.
But I was thinking about another thing. I already had a mansion in the capital, so what about the princess's mansion in Mobei? If I were to build a princess's mansion, it would take two or three years with the current manpower and resources.
Somehow, she felt a little uneasy, so she asked directly: "Mother, do you know what the situation was like in the princess's mansion when I went to Mobei?"
"The princess's mansion in Mobei?" Concubine Yi raised her eyebrows slightly. "The Tushetu Khanate you are going to marry into has always been a nomadic place. They live in yurts. I have never heard of any princess's mansion."
No princess palace?
Mu Xue asked hurriedly: "Don't the eldest sister, the second sister, and the third sister have princess mansions too?"
Concubine Yi hesitated for a moment and said, "That's not true. They all married to Mo Nan. I heard that they built mansions one after another after arriving in Mo Nan. It's just that Mo Nan is close to the capital, so if there is anything needed to build a house, it can be easily transported. But Mo Bei... in comparison, it is indeed too far away."
Mu Xue tightly grasped the corner of the rosewood table, feeling uneasy. She had no recollection of what she had talked about with Concubine Yi afterwards, as if she had talked in a dream.
As the night deepened, Muxue curled up in a corner of the bed, eyes open, completely unable to sleep.
The night scene of the Forbidden City weighed heavily on Muxue's shoulders like a mountain, making her unable to move.
As for leaving the palace to Fu Meng, her expectation was to have a place that belonged to her alone, even if it was a little small or far away, it didn't matter, anyway, it was a home that belonged to her completely. There would be no "master" pressing down on her, and she would not be oppressed to follow all kinds of inexplicable rules.
In the end, is it just a delusion?
In nomadic areas, that doesn't mean she has to follow her husband. Wherever he lives, she will go there. In this situation, isn't she still living under someone else's roof and depending on him? It's just that the father's house where she lives has become the husband's house. Even if she is a royal branch and green leaf, Dorji has to respect her and not touch her easily. But the sky is high and the emperor is far away. If there is any friction, can she be stubborn and not bow her head in someone else's territory? Or should she bet that he is a good person and that she has super good luck?
I couldn't sleep all night.
When daybreak approached, she turned over and got out of bed, startling the head palace maid Rong'er who was on guard.
"Princess...what's wrong?"
"Do my makeup for me." Mu Xue said calmly.
The red walls and corridors outside the Ningshou Palace were cleaned spotlessly by the palace servants early in the morning, without a trace of dust.
The current Emperor attaches great importance to filial piety. As long as he is in the palace, he must pay his respects to the Empress Dowager every few days. It has become a routine.
Today is the day that Kangxi pays his respects to the Empress Dowager.
The court meeting was over, Kangxi was a little tired, and he sat on the sedan chair with his eyes closed to rest. Suddenly he heard a voice of "Khan Ama".
He opened his eyes and was somewhat surprised to see that it was the Fourth Princess greeting him.
Usually, the fourth princess always seemed a little afraid of people, rarely approached him, and rarely dressed up. But today, she put on makeup for the first time. She stood there gracefully, with a bit of the demeanor of Concubine Yi.
Kangxi nodded: "Are you going to pay your respects to the Queen Mother?"
"Yes, I have just paid my respects to the Queen Mother, and she praised me for my Mongolian speaking skills."
Mu Xue raised her head and looked at Kangxi intently. Although her heart was beating wildly in her chest, she still spoke out, her voice trembling slightly: "Khan Ama, later... can I talk to you alone?"
A few seconds seemed so long. Her clenched fists were soaked with sweat.
Kangxi's expression did not change. He just nodded again and said, "Okay, wait until I pay my respects to the Queen Mother."
The yellow brocade carpet was soft and made no sound when stepped on. Mu Xue lowered her eyes and followed Kangxi closely.
This should be the first time she spoke to Kangxi alone since she traveled through time.
Just as he was getting nervous, he suddenly heard Kangxi say, "Liang Jiugong, bring some steamed buns for the fourth princess."
The eunuch took the order and left. Not long after, he brought back two full fruit tables. The small square rosewood tables were piled with various cakes, desserts and seasonal fruits.
Mu Xue stood up to thank him, politely picked up a piece of snow-white milk cake and took a small bite.
Kangxi said: "When you were little, you loved sweets. Whenever you came to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, your little hands would grab a steamed bun. Later, when you grew up, you gradually distanced yourself from your father."
Mu Xue was stunned, holding the piece of milk cake, not knowing what to say in response for a moment.
Kangxi sat on a bright yellow cushion and picked up a string of prayer beads. He looked very relaxed: "What's wrong? Is there something on your mind? Father is here, just tell me."
"Yes," Mu Xue agreed softly, and whispered, "My daughter wants..."
After a pause, she almost bit her tongue and forced herself to say: "I want a princess's mansion on the grassland."
Once you really start talking, the rest of the words will come easily.
"I read in history books that during the Three Kingdoms period, in order to strengthen the alliance between Sun and Liu, a daughter of the Jiangdong Sun family married Liu Xuande. Madam Sun built a city by Liu Xuande's side. At first, I didn't understand why, but later I gradually understood. Madam Sun remembered that she came from the Eastern Wu, and even after getting married, she still didn't forget her mother's family. She built a city next to Liu Xuande as a stronghold, and all the people who came and went were from the Eastern Wu. This not only strengthened the alliance between Sun and Liu, but also brought the power of Wu to Liu's territory."
She tried to speak louder: "I am a princess of the Qing Dynasty. The Aisin-Gioro family comes first in everything, and that will never change. The situation in Mobei has just been settled. I, your son, only hope to maintain the friendship between Manchuria and Mongolia, spread the kindness of Khan Ama throughout the grassland, and make the people submit to me and bring peace to the area."
"If we have a princess's mansion as a base, it will be much easier to do things." Mu Xue paused, and suddenly spoke faster, "In addition, I also need a mansion. Living in the Forbidden City since childhood, it is really difficult for me to adapt to nomadic living."
Kangxi smiled and said, "The latter part is also true. I am very pleased that you have such insight."
He turned his rosary beads and said, "I have actually thought about it, but Khalkha is too far away. It is not like Khorchin in the south of the desert. It would be very difficult to mobilize people to build the princess's mansion. It would consume manpower and material resources."
You also know that it is too far, so why don't you just throw your daughter there?
Mu Xue was afraid that she could not control her expression, so she lowered her head and continued to say the words she had been thinking about for a long time:
"In fact, it is not necessary to build the princess's palace in the Khalkha royal court in the northern desert."
"What do you mean?" Kangxi asked.
"I think we can build a princess's mansion in Guihua City."
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