Read Unconventional Qing Dynasty Transmigration

A consistent deception

The eldest wife wasn't a bad person. In this day and age, being a bad person required talent, like her husband. But no matter how unkind the eldest prince was, there was one thing that Shujia admired: he treated his wife very well.

Of course, Shujia had criticized him for his impatience with childbirth. The First Lady's illnesses were definitely directly related to not recuperating after childbirth and then giving birth again. But... this guy's chastity was so infuriating! In this respect, Yinreng was nothing compared to him.

Shujia's hand holding the tea bowl shook, and then she put it down.

"Master, Sufu has been found."

The eldest wife and Shujia were sisters-in-law, so naturally they had to show some respect. Since Shujia was the Crown Princess, her respect was slightly less than that of the other princes' wives. However, the four young princes of Yuqing Palace all dressed up like the other grandchildren to make an appearance.

Li Jia and Li Jia both changed into plain clothes and came to report. They were often seen in front of me, so there was no reason not to take them with me.

Li Jia's eyes were filled with worry. Children are innocent, and Hongyang is weak. Would he be disturbed by something unclean at the funeral? She couldn't bring herself to say this. The Crown Princess had already ordered the Third and Fourth Princes to dress up and be taken away. Why shouldn't she let her nephew cry for his aunt again?

Shujia was also a little nervous. Even if you are not superstitious, you would not want to let your children go to a funeral. There would be crying and shouting, which could easily cause psychological trauma.

She repeatedly warned, "Mammy, stay with them closely. Don't let them get too close. If you encounter any noisy places, stay away. Walk with the others and don't be left alone!"

Things like making noise also need to be considered in appropriate circumstances.

For example, before the large group of mourners arrived, the followers of Yinzhi, a member of the Bordered Blue Banner, wept as if their own mother had died. By the time the crown prince arrived, they could only sob. Although the adult princes all lived outside the family, the funeral of the eldest wife followed official regulations, organized by the Ministry of Rites, with set times for various procedures. The eighth prince would come and ask if there was anything he could do to help, and everyone else, upon receiving the notice, would arrive on time.

The eldest brother's face was gray and haggard. He was working on the construction site, and no matter how good the conditions were, he couldn't withstand the wind and sun. He had only lost some weight and his complexion was a little dark, which made him look energetic and healthy. Now, after this blow, he turned dark, thin and emaciated again.

Yinreng also suppressed his mocking mood at this moment, and said hypocritically: "Brother, I am sorry for your loss." But the regret in his tone was genuine. The eldest wife had never offended him before.

The death of a concubine isn't funny, but the death of the eldest prince is... hush—this is just fantasy. Even if the crown prince is in power now and can deal with Yinzhi at will, he can't be so cruel. The reputation of killing brothers is really not good, but reducing his power, killing his people, and making him frustrated is acceptable.

When Yinzhi saw Yinreng, his radar went all out: a natural enemy, a Pavlovian reaction! He wasn't the only one who felt this way. Yinreng didn't say anything out of the ordinary, so Yinzhi could only vaguely respond.

Then, the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth... all the way to the tiny seventeenth came. All I could say was a few words of comfort.

Yinzhi's eldest son, Hongyu, was still a child, and he had cried until his eyes were red after searching for his mother. With him around, the arrangements at the Prince of Zhi's mansion were very careful and would never frighten the children of his age.

Hongyang and Hongxi were older and could now hold the incense with a certain composure. The atmosphere in the funeral hall was truly eerie. Hongyang felt a chill on his skin and shivered. Of course, cremation was gradually becoming less popular, and in the summer, preserving the body was a technical task.

The eldest consort was an adult and held a noble title, so the funeral couldn't be rushed, and the coffin would remain for a long time. To preserve the body for such a long time, cooling measures were essential. The room was ablaze with black, white, and blue, with long, cool-colored banners draped from the ceiling and a symbolic straw mat spread on the floor... quite eerie.

After lighting the incense with a slight shiver, Hongyang rubbed his arms. Hongxi, who was in good health, didn't feel the cold, but just felt uncomfortable. The two of them bowed and left.

The remaining children were so small that even the act of holding the incense was done by others. They simply came over to kowtow, then took the lit incense, bowed a few times, and then handed the incense to others to offer.

As for the female members of the household, the first wife had been the head of the household, but now, with her death, there was no one to receive her. The eighth wife had been willing to help, but it was a matter of state, and Kangxi had already issued instructions. Officials from the Ministry of Rites drafted a procedure, and eunuchs from the Prince of Zhi's mansion also worked together to handle the first wife's affairs.

The women of the family gathered at the home of the eldest consort, but their host had unfortunately passed away. The only women in the entire household who were qualified to receive the wives of these princes' wives were the eldest consort's daughters. The eldest princess, dressed in white, led her sisters to pay their respects to the aunts. Yinzhi's concubines followed behind them, also paying their respects.

Shujia ran to the Prince of Zhi's mansion and sat on the main seat: "Good boy, get up quickly."

A closer look revealed that the eldest princess's face was sallow, her eyes were as red as walnuts, and her nose was red with traces of water. The second, third, and fourth princesses were even more so, one next to the other, just trying to hold on.

The sisters-in-law exchanged glances, and Shujia raised her hand: "You must be tired, poor thing, please sit down and talk to us."

The four princesses bowed together before sitting down.

Shujia asked in a long and short manner, "Who is in charge of the family now? How are you and your sister doing these days? Are the servants doing their best to take care of your mother's important matters?"

The one who answered was mainly the eldest princess, who answered them one by one and said, "Thank you for asking."

The Eighth Lady said, "You are the legitimate eldest princess of this mansion. Who would dare to disobey? You should take charge of the matter first. If there are any troublemakers among the people, just tell them and your father will be able to deal with them. If there are any bad people who dare to cause trouble, tell the aunts and we will naturally take care of it for you."

This is not good or bad, and it is a very clever way of saying it. Perhaps it refers to the concubine? Anyway, the Eighth Lady's glare was slashing at everyone below her.

The Fourth Lady said angrily, "Aren't you afraid of scaring the child? Stop talking nonsense."

The Eighth Lady sneered, "What I'm saying is for her own good. If your mother passes away, some people won't feel sorry for you, but will instead see it as an opportunity. If you don't suppress them now and let them cause a commotion, you'll see what happens in the future."

It makes people feel cold.

The Fifth Lady also came out to smooth things over: "The eldest princess and the others are the daughters of the emperor's grandsons who are listed in the imperial genealogy, not to mention Hongyu, the eighth brother's wife."

Shujia said, "We are all the children's aunts. Since we are worried about them, can't we check on them from time to time?" Then she said to the eldest princess, "You, the most important thing is to take good care of your brothers and sisters."

Several women were cutting and hitting each other, and no one knew who they were hitting.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Back at Wuyi Zhai, Shujia ordered, "Tell them to make some calming soup for the brothers. Also, wash your changed clothes and send them back so they'll be easy to wear next time. All of you, after changing your clothes, go to the small Buddhist temple at the back and burn incense."

As the arrangements were made, Li Jia nodded quietly: her son was going with her, and he would be just as dedicated. Over the years, she hadn't shown any ill will towards her son.

Even if they changed their clothes, they were not allowed to wear bright colors. The children were all dressed formally in dark blue casual clothes with four-legged hems, which made them look much older.

Yinreng came back a little later. He sent his sons away first and stayed for a while longer, talking with his brothers and familiar officials before coming back.

The death of the first wife was not a cause for celebration. The atmosphere was a little depressing and I ate the meal in a depressed mood.

After finishing the meal, Shujia saw that Hongyang looked unwell and asked, "Have you taken the medicine just now?"

"To answer my mother's question, I have already taken it."

Shujia frowned. "In that case, we're all tired today, so let's all rest. Take another dose before bed."

Yinreng listened quietly to Shujia's words before asking, "Is he still taking the medicine?"

Shujia said, "When I get back from outside, have them all take a dose of tranquilizing soup. I think he hasn't fully recovered yet, so have him take another dose before he goes to sleep."

"Hmm." It was a good arrangement. Yinreng stopped asking questions, his expression suggesting he was waiting for the room to be cleared. Everyone left, and the fat boy looked around before staggering off to the west warm room to review his lessons.

Shujia looked at him and remembered that Hongyu was about the same age as him: "Hongyu was so young and he lost his mother." She was really a little shocked.

Yinreng said, "I only know that Prince Zhi will need a wife." He was quite worried about this. Next year would be the year for selecting concubines. If Kangxi found another good wife for Yinzhi, he would have a headache again.

Shujia asked Yinreng, "The eldest princess is thirteen this year. It looks like she'll have to stay for another three years."

Yinreng's headache was growing! Yinzhi had four daughters who could be arranged for marriage, and the worst part was, they were all grown up! He could sell them off one after another! His two daughters were both dead, and his eldest son was only ten years old. It would take at least four or five years for him to get officially engaged. Adding and subtracting, Yinzhi had at least a two-year head start on him!

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Because of this incident, your birthday won't be celebrated well. I'm sorry to have wronged you this year," Yinreng explained. "Even though they can't get in our way, it wouldn't be nice to have such a grand celebration just after my sister-in-law passed away."

"I don't need to. I've been with my sister-in-law for so many years. Now that she's gone, how can I have the heart to enjoy myself?"

"Next year, when we move into our new place, I'll give you a birthday celebration, okay?"

"Okay! I'm waiting. I will come to collect the debt when the time comes. If you forget, I will not allow it. Hey, you have to remember it now." There must be a limit to knowing the general situation. If you are too easy to talk to, your sense of presence will be weakened. Don't cry if people don't take you seriously in the end.

“Hmm~”

Shujia stood up, took his hand, and walked towards the west warm room: "Go see your son. He is so young and has never been to school properly. After what happened today, he needs some comfort."

Teach my son together.

The fat kid was still confused: "I won't be able to see my aunt anymore?" I hadn't seen her many times before! Every time she pinched my face, it hurt! But I still had to smile at her.

"Yes..." Shujia hesitated, wondering how to begin. Did he forget his way home? Or did he go somewhere far away? Or did he become a star, watching over us from the sky?

Yinreng took immediate action and picked up his son: "She has gone to see the ancestors."

Shujia: ...Aren’t you being too direct?

"Meet the ancestors?"

"Yes, she went to see her ancestors and serve them. She will not come back. When her descendants reach old age, they will go to serve her, and she will begin to enjoy happiness."

Shujia: ...You - you are a big liar!

———————————————————Flashback—————————————————————

Bluffing is a skill that cannot be inherited but can be taught.

Yinreng learned all this deception from Kangxi.

The prince who is already three heads tall asked: "Khan Ama, where is my mother?" He glared at his elder brother who was hugged by his mother, and he smelled so good!

Young Master Kang sniffed and said, "Your mother went to serve the ancestors and fulfilled her filial duty on behalf of Khan Ama."

The Crown Prince, who was even smaller than the current little fat boy, said nervously, "Are you on duty? When will you be back on your day off? Is it tiring?"

Master Kang, who was almost in tears, said: "I am not afraid of hardship in serving my ancestors. Wait... your mother has suffered enough, and there will be people who will serve her later."

"My mother is also the master, right? Tell the servants to serve, but don't tell my mother to go~" He pulled her sleeves in various ways, "I have more servants than I can use, tell them to help my mother! Khan, I'll send someone! Get my mother back!" He said the last sentence with great momentum, which fully met Master Kang's requirements for the prince's majesty.

Master Kong was really devastated and started crying while hugging his son.

Childhood memories are becoming increasingly blurred as he grows older. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has completely forgotten how he was so irrational and unreasonable that he made the emperor cry. Master Kang is also committed to making his son live a more comfortable life so as to minimize the negative impact of losing his mother, and rarely mentions this topic.

When the prince grew up, no one reminded him, so he put this episode in a corner and turned it into dust. He only left behind the good excuse of "serving the ancestors", thinking it was his own original idea.

————————————————End of flashback————————————————————

Fortunately, nothing out of the ordinary occurred at the funeral. The eulogy was drafted by the Ministry of Rites, and all other matters were handled by the authorities. The deceased's relatives also behaved well, and the third brother, who had been beaten last time, behaved very well this time. The eldest wife was still young, after all, and without married daughters or daughters-in-law, some matters were handled by members of the imperial clan of the appropriate generation. Everything went smoothly.

Because of their close blood relationship, by the end of the funeral, Kangxi's sons, those who had married, had brought their families with them, while those who didn't, alone, had returned to the funeral home several times. His brothers watched Yinzhi grow increasingly haggard—a bit too haggard—and couldn't help but sigh: This guy is actually a romantic?!

Yinzhi's deep devotion to his wife won Kangxi's favor and earned him many points. Kangxi was a sentimental man, and Yinzhi did not neglect his duties in favor of his wife, which pleased Kangxi. During the funeral, he sent several people to express his regards and promised Yinzhi: "Not only will the funeral arrangements of your wife be properly handled, but I will also take care of any children left by your wife."

Yinzhi received the imperial edict with a gloomy face and thanked the emperor for his kindness. He watched his wife being buried and his children being looked after by the emperor. Relieved, he ran to Baoen Temple to light candles for his wife, chant sutras, and offer alms to monks to pray for her.

They had been married for over ten years, and had committed no serious offenses during their lifetime. In death, he only remembered her kindness. After all these years of living together, when she was gone, it felt like he was half dead too. Yinzhi feared he hadn't been devoted enough to his wife, and he felt these monks weren't highly virtuous enough to protect his wife's spirit. To provide some comfort for himself, he continued to recruit monks in various ways.

Influenced by its own ethnic history, the Qing court's faith in Buddhism encompassed not only Central Plains Buddhism but also Lamaism from Mongolia, Tibet, and other regions. Compared to Central Plains Buddhism, Lamaism possesses a more mystical quality, and people tend to exaggerate the significance of mysterious and unknown things. In need of psychological comfort, Yinzhi disregarded these concerns and diligently sought to recruit lamas versed in Buddhist teachings to support him.

He actually found one!

Bahanglong came to Beijing to make a living because he saw that it was not easy to survive in Mongolia.

The Qing imperial family had a tradition of believing in Tibetan Buddhism. By the time of Emperor Kangxi, both Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism had large numbers of followers within the imperial clan. From the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, through the princes and down to the yellow and red belts, there was no one who did not believe.

This place is easier to hang out.

Originally, Mongolia was a privileged place for lamas. Unexpectedly, Kangxi had recently spoken out, telling Zhang Ge, the Left Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who had gone to Mongolia to investigate the case of bandits like Hao Qite, "The Mongolians are lazy, foolish, and insatiable. They cannot be governed by the laws of the interior. Only by gradually guiding them in accordance with their nature can we achieve any benefit... Moreover, the Mongolians only trust lamas and disregard everything else. This custom must be changed urgently. If any lamas break the law, you will punish them according to the law and serve as a warning."

It turns out that we can ignore everything else but the lama must be dealt with!

Bahanglong had done all sorts of shady things, and no one in Mongolia would offend him, but once the central government officials arrived, his actions would be illegal. Rather than waiting to be labeled a typical fence-sitter, it was better to flee and find someone who could protect him.

When he first arrived in the capital, he did not seek refuge in any temple he saw, but rather acted like a hermit, displaying some magical powers—Mongolian medicine for external injuries was very effective—leading many to say that this foreign lama had some special abilities.

Now, he was summoned by Yinzhi.

Bahanglong actually had some attainments in Buddhism. After chatting with Yinzhi, Yinzhi, who also had good academic performance, felt that Bahanglong was not an ordinary swindler, so he invited him to contribute to the diversified development of Baoen Temple.

Just what I want!

Bahanglong settled down in Baoen Temple.

The author has something to say: Apart from playing it again in "You Shuo Hua", I... have no other way to deal with Jinjiang's beatings.

Jinjiang is so exciting, my classmates are so nice to me, I feel bad for making everyone refresh it over and over again because of the anti-piracy measures, so I’ll just post it directly.