A punch on cotton
"Look at what you said. Aren't you disliking your son's daughter-in-law?" Shujia rolled her eyes at Yinreng. She really didn't expect that the most petty person in the world is not the mother-in-law but the father-in-law! Ahem, in fact, the father-in-laws in the royal family are usually quite reasonable. It's just that Hesheli is a bit unlucky. For no reason, she got married for a year without any news of marriage. Yinreng, who always valued orthodox status, was unhappy.
Yinreng felt bored after hearing her say that, and said in a deep voice: "It's good that you know about this matter. Tell me what it is."
"If a child really comes out one day, I'm afraid it will scare you," he hesitated for a moment and then said, "I still think this is a bad thing. I need to think about it again." The embarrassing existence of the eldest son of a concubine not only makes it difficult for the parents, but also the child himself.
Yinreng refused to intervene: "Just take care of it. How is the Empress Dowager?"
Speaking of the Empress Dowager, Shujia felt a little worried: "She is old, what can she do? She can only be nursed back to health slowly. It's winter now, so it's inevitable that she will get sick from time to time." The old lady is just trying to get by now.
Yinreng still had some affection for his grandmother, but after hearing what Shujia said, he felt sad: the old generation has almost died out! He said bitterly, "Take good care of her. Do your best to fulfill whatever she wants."
The Grand Empress Dowager, however, never made excessive demands. Although she sometimes believed rumors from those around her, doing things that made people laugh and cry, she was truly a quiet person. The old lady had never made any undue demands. When Shujia heard Yinreng's words, she suddenly felt an inexplicable feeling of sympathy for this old ancestor.
As the year drew to a close, Yinreng's affairs became increasingly numerous. After a short conversation with Shujia, he would return to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to attend to government affairs. While the army was away on the expedition, everyone had to receive a travel allowance, and now that it was the Chinese New Year, an even more generous holiday allowance was required.
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Prince Yong's forehead throbbed with a vein upon hearing Ma Qi's suggestion. Ma Qi believed that the army must be treated generously while on the move. He felt it would be unfair not to pay them more than they deserved, as they couldn't go home during the Lunar New Year holiday and had to risk their lives in the freezing cold to help you kill people.
Furthermore, Ma Qi suggested: "Every household with a man accompanying the army on the expedition will receive an additional two taels of silver for the New Year. For every additional person in the household who is over seventy years old, an additional one tael of silver will be given."
Prince Yong was gloomy. He had to pay the bill, and he had to accept it. But if the war continued, Prince Yong would become a bandit and rob the money. So, Yongzheng tried to suggest: "Wait until next spring, when the army will have adapted to the weather and it will only get warmer, and we can take advantage of the thaw to march our army into Tibet and annihilate the entire country in one fell swoop."
Prince Yong's military prowess was truly lacking; all he cared about was sweeping the enemy wherever they went. He was quick to react and preferred quick solutions, but he didn't fully consider the consequences.
Yinreng's abilities weren't great either, just much more cautious than his brother, but he had to give his fourth brother some face and brushed the subject off. "That's next year. If Tsering Dundup has already entered Tibet, we might be caught off guard if our army rushes in. Besides, they're already entrenched in their stronghold, making it difficult to attack. Sending more powerful generals over there, with these artillery pieces, we can reduce casualties in our siege."
Everyone was positive about this. Although casting cannons cost money, it was well spent. Li Guangdi then said, "We can't neglect the tents and winter clothes for the winter at the front. Besides, we also need horses. The Imperial Household Department should strictly follow their duties..."
Prince Yong also has something to report today. He oversees all the taxes in the country, but he can't collect them all. In a country with such a vast territory and complex terrain, famine is inevitable every year. If taxes can't be collected, it would be pointless to force families to break up and rise up in rebellion, so he must apply for a tax exemption.
Yinreng was used to this sort of thing; he had often encountered it when he was still the Crown Prince. So he asked, "Is the disaster-stricken area in Gansu?"
"Just now, 28 counties and garrisons in Gansu, Ningxia, Jingbianwei, and other places were affected by disasters."
Gansu is very close to Qinghai and is also on the road to Tibet. Many of the army's supplies have to pass through its territory, and the people here are a bit tough. What if the disaster victims are left hungry and the army's supplies are robbed halfway?
"Relief should be distributed to the impoverished people affected by the disaster in Gansu, Ningxia, and other places, based on the number of people present, and will cease with the summer harvest next year. However, if the impoverished people have migrated to other prefectures and counties, the local prefectures and counties where they have moved will be ordered to use their granaries to provide relief. If this is insufficient, granaries in nearby prefectures and counties will be used to quickly transport relief."
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While Yinreng was handling state affairs, Shujia wasn't idle either. The harem had relatively few matters to deal with, and they all followed a routine with little change. She was preoccupied with the affairs of the Eastern Palace. In front of Hesheli, she said, "I don't care." How could she truly be at ease when it came to her children and grandchildren? She had no choice but to call Hongxiu to inquire about the situation.
Hongxiu sighed inwardly: This Crown Princess is so foolish! Others are too busy trying to catch their husbands, but she wants to help others have a child. However, it has been a year and there is still no news. She can't help but be anxious.
He replied respectfully, "That girl is the dowry girl brought by the Crown Princess. She looks quite honest."
Shujia muttered to herself, "A dowry maid," and wanted to say something, but then she remembered that Hongxiu was also a dowry, and her mouth felt a little bitter. Hesheli and Hongdan seemed to get along well, and if this continued, Shujia would not stir up trouble to destroy their relationship.
Hongxi also had a child some time after marriage, but since he was not her biological son, she naturally did not have the same anxiety as she did now. Moreover, for an ordinary prince to have children late in life was not a serious problem compared to the Crown Prince who had no children at all.
Just let Hongdan give birth to a bastard? Shujia scratched the armrest: "Not yet! Go see when Hongdan is free and ask him to come over."
Hongxiu smiled and said, "Master, have you forgotten that the Crown Prince comes to pay his respects to you every morning and evening? When he comes out of the Qianqing Palace, he will come to our Kunning Palace."
"Look at me, I forget everything when I'm anxious. Go to the East Palace and tell the Crown Princess not to have any stupid ideas!"
Hongxiu agreed and headed for the Eastern Palace. As they walked, they pondered, hoping it wasn't too late, and that the Crown Princess had already secured everything. It had to be said that the Crown Princess's move was quite clever. The maid she had brought with her as a dowry was a household slave, holding the entire family in her hands. Furthermore, her status was low, so even if she gave birth to a son, it wouldn't be enough to cause trouble. Compared to being accused by the Emperor and Empress of having a clean background, and perhaps even being a concubine of an official family, a dowry maid was a much better option.
Unbeknownst to her, Shujia was thinking: If I accidentally already have one, I'll have to take good care of it. If I'm just planning, then don't execute it. Even if she had some egalitarian ideas in her heart, she still felt a little uncomfortable with asking her grandson's grandparents and the entire family to be slaves from other families. A bastard's level was already low, and with such an outsider, he'd have almost as many teammates as pigs.
If Hesheli was truly infertile, the title of the eldest son would be even more important. The eldest son's mother had to be of at least the rightful Eight Banners descent, right? Only when the Eighth Brother was at his wit's end in search of an heir did he become less picky about status. Even the maids in the Eighth Brother's household were mostly bondservants, not bannermen.
When Hesheli heard Hongxiu say, "The Master said the Crown Princess shouldn't have any foolish ideas," her face paled. Naturally, she hadn't told the maid about this. Things like this needed approval from the higher-ups. If they had other ideas, and she had already let them know, it would inevitably leave a bad impression. Unexpectedly, her worry came true.
Hesheli's voice trembled slightly. "Aunt, what do you mean?" Could it be that her mother-in-law wanted to appoint someone? Was there a concubine with a name tag last year? Oh no! If she were to send another one in, there would be some complications. If she had already given birth to a son, it would be fine, but she was afraid that the newcomer would use the child to gain power, and things in the backyard would become chaotic. Outside the palace, concubines were sold off after giving birth to sons, but this would never happen in the palace.
Hongxiu understood Hesheli's intentions from her expression and continued, "The Master and His Majesty probably have something to say to the Crown Prince. Just before she sent me over to talk, the Master said, 'Not yet.'"
What does this mean? Hesheli's heartbeat quickened, and she suppressed her anxiety and said, "Thank you for making this trip, aunt." She was also very polite to the people sent by the emperor and empress, and always gave them red envelopes. Hongxiu also accepted them with a smile: "I thank the Crown Princess for the reward."
Hesheli sat on the kang in a daze. Her mother-in-law disapproved? She disapproved of giving her maid to the prince, and... not giving him a concubine? How could that be possible?
It's really possible!
In Kunning Palace, a mother and son exchanged pleasantries and began practicing Tai Chi. Han Shujia couldn't help but speak first: "How are you and your wife doing?"
"Very good." Smile.
Shujia glanced at her son suspiciously: "Really?"
"Of course." Smiled slightly.
"That's good," Shujia nodded, paused, and then suddenly asked, "Do you want to have someone else in your room?"
Hong Dan clenched his right fist, put it to his lips and coughed, "Why did you think of this?"
"Well, it's been a year since you got married, and she still hasn't given any good news..."
Hong Dan's face was a little embarrassed: "!" He lowered his voice and said, "We are still young and there is no rush." No wonder! Hong Xi was ranked first and had three sons. In comparison, how could he not be anxious? But this matter really could not be rushed, so he had to pretend to be relaxed, "There are too many things going on in the court, how can a son have the time, cough cough." Could it be that Hong Xi gave birth to two sons this year because he was very idle?
Hongdan had his own thoughts. He had to be careful with the Crown Prince's son. He had benefited greatly from his position, so he naturally understood the intricacies of the situation. Furthermore, he wasn't yet at the level of his eighth uncle, so he still had time to wait. He wanted the Crown Princess to bear his first son. If the Crown Princess gave birth to a son, the outcome would be sealed!
Of course, he wasn't about to cling to the Hesheli family. If Hesheli could successfully conceive within two years, he wouldn't mind emulating his parents and becoming a model couple. If there was no news within two years, he wouldn't wait any longer. The selection would be held the year after next, and there would be no shortage of beautiful women.
It's truly unfortunate that the Crown Prince has no children. Since he has several brothers from the same mother, the country might not suffer, but he himself would certainly be unhappy. This isn't good, it's not good. But his brothers are all pretty well behaved right now, Hongtong doesn't have a son yet, and his other brothers are even younger, so he can still remain calm.
This last bit of his heart was something he couldn't bring himself to confront his mother about. He could only offer excuses: "My son is doing well now... Don't be too impatient. Having a child too early wouldn't be good for both the parents and the child, wouldn't it? Having a child later would make it easier to raise them."
Shujia glared. If she were to focus on finding a concubine for her son to have children, she would be shooting herself in the foot! She patted her chest. This guy is too mean! Does he value his wife so much? Love? As a mother-in-law, she felt a little jealous.
He snorted coldly, "You've been telling me all these things, but you're telling your wife all these things! She came to me begging for help, saying that she was uneasy and wanted to have someone else for you."
"Ah?" Hong Dan was a little touched and a little proud. "Well, she's also nosy."
"..." Shujia curled her lips. "Alright, I don't want to get involved in your affairs anymore. I've already sent Hongxiu to tell your wife. Since you're so concerned, go back and talk it over with her. Don't always come to me to sue me."
Hongdan showed an honest smile: "As you wish, son." He stood up and bowed deeply.
"Go away, go away. Just looking at you is annoying."
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In the Eastern Palace, Hong Dan explained Guan Wan's grand excuse to his wife, "Don't overthink it. I know all this stuff. I told you back then that having a child too young wouldn't be good for the child. I'm not in a rush. Have you sent Aunt Wang over?"
Hesheli heaved a sigh of relief: "."
"What did you say?"
"Tell me not to think too much."
"At once!"
After comforting my wife, I started to work hard to have a baby.
The Crown Princess finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, feeling nourished by love. The next day, she ran to Kunning Palace with a rosy complexion to talk to her mother-in-law. Shujia asked, "Are you relieved about this?" She simply smiled sheepishly and lowered her head.
Borjigit had no idea what her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were talking about. She was filled with doubts, but she didn't show them on her face. As the army made no progress, Hongtong's anxiety gradually subsided. Instead, he felt that not participating in such a confusing war that would drag on for who knows how many years was not such a bad thing. With his mood improved, he had the energy to pay attention to things he had previously neglected, such as his wife.
This reminded her of how he hadn't been very kind to his new wife. Feeling a little guilty, she became more considerate. Borjigit thanked all the gods and Buddhas in the universe and settled down to living with her husband, though of course her mother-in-law couldn't help but flatter her.
The rules of Kunning Palace were not too strict. Unlike those outside the palace, daughters-in-law were not required to wait on their mothers-in-law for meals every day before returning home to eat. Only when there was some food left over would they symbolically spread out a dish and then return to their seats to enjoy the meal.
After being ignored during her wedding, Borjigit had matured a lot mentally and become more calm. She seemed to be a little better than Hesheli. This could be said to be her own unexpected gain. Seeing that her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had a little secret, Borjigit blinked and pretended not to know.
Shujia brushed it off. Gegentana, accompanied by Concubine Mao, had already arrived, along with Concubine Qian. They exchanged greetings and, after settling down, chatted only about small matters. The harem was so small, gossip was limited, and after a moment's pause, they drifted back to the topic of the army's departure.
Mao Fei and her daughter-in-law knew that Da Jun was in hibernation and there was no new news. They felt at ease just by saying his name. Mao Fei still regretted, "He can't come back this New Year."
Shujia said, "A true man has ambitions to travel far and wide. If he doesn't venture out while he's young, he'll look back later and think his youth was boring and meaningless. What's the point? Not only is he in Qinghai, but King Jian, King Ping, and his uncles are all there too. There are a lot of people there. If a whole family gets together, it might not be any less lively than here."
The Queen's words were indeed true; the Qinghai military encampment was bustling with activity. Prince Jian's bamboo cudgel crackled loudly: With the New Year drawing to a close, everyone was receiving their bonuses. Some were drinking heavily, others were visiting brothels; these two things were the most provocative, and a disagreement could lead to a brawl. Before the great battle, military discipline was quite strict, and those who violated military law were subject to reprimands.
In the end, things got so out of hand that Prince Jian had to call a meeting with his relatives to discuss a solution: "Last night, we caught three more people staying out all night. This is the fifth time this month. How can we put an end to this?"
Yunzhen himself was having some romantic thoughts, but because he wasn't in charge, he didn't dare to go too far. He sneered, "There's no fighting, and they have extra money. Holding them back would be harder than going all out to wipe out the Zunghars now. Just turn a blind eye."
Yunxiang saw Yarjiang'a's face darken and quickly tried to smooth things over: "We can't ignore military discipline. It's better to open up than to block."
Yaerjiang'a asked in a stern voice, "What do you mean?"
"Reiterate military discipline, and those who violate it will be punished. Just... give them leave during the New Year."
This is not a bad idea. Everyone agreed. Yarjiang said, "Let's do it this way. We can't give them all a day off. Let them take turns to rest. Those who need to rest should rest. Those on duty should train honestly. If they violate our military law again, they will not be forgiven!"
When the order was issued, the whole camp cheered and called friends. You still owe me a drink. The girls in the brothel are pretty and chattering, it is more lively than a vegetable market.
Hong Xi and the other juniors listened silently throughout, not saying anything. It wasn't that they didn't want to speak, but they truly didn't understand the difficulty of leading troops. They were slaves, but they also had their own thoughts. With the passage of time, the bannermen had become increasingly lazy. Soldiers already had a reputation for being "soldier ruffians" and "slickers," not to mention that these, notably despised warriors, were part of the privileged class.
No matter how many ambitions they had, they were tortured to death by these scoundrels. Their tempers became worse, they started to curse people, and they no longer cared much about food and clothing.
"When can we have a battle?" This was the cry in everyone's heart. These soldiers were not obedient at all, but if they showed the same spirit as when they were drunk and pretending to be crazy or jealous, this battle would not be fought.
Hong Sheng smiled bitterly and said, "I was so happy when I came here, but now I feel a little homesick. Every festive season makes me miss my family even more! I wonder what my son looks like now."
Hong Xi thought to himself, you only care about one son so much, and I have three sons!
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Not long after the younger generations had been eagerly waiting, after the New Year, the ice and snow melted, and the scouts brought shocking news, which shattered their expectations.
Winter wasn't a good time to send troops, so with nothing to do anyway, everyone held a regular meeting to chat. Of course, adhering to the principle that "machines rust when unused, and brains grow dull when inactive," King Jian frequently urged everyone to keep an eye on developments in Tibet. Not just in Tibet, but also in Dzungar itself. While the freezing weather delayed information, it was still better than nothing.
No more valuable news was obtained - the place is located on the plateau, and once it snows, the roads become difficult, there are fewer people, and movement is inconvenient. After the spring, this custom has continued.
This act of killing boredom, however, picked up a big pie that fell from the sky today: the scouts caught a group of passing merchants, and the merchants provided intelligence. The good friends (? ) of the Oross people, who had fought bloody battles with everyone in the Northeast, saw that Tsewang Abutan sent troops into Tibet, and also saw that Tsewang Abutan also sent troops to fight against disobedient forces in Junggar. After estimating Tsewang Abutan's strength, they sent troops to invade!
Tsewang Abutan is attacked from all sides, this is a great opportunity!
The high-level meeting at the military base became lively again.
After Yaerjiang'a briefly explained the situation, the room suddenly exploded with a buzz. Yaerjiang'a knocked on the table and said, "Stop arguing, stop arguing, and talk one by one."
After he said this, everyone shut up again.
Fu Erdan looked around and was the first to speak: "This needs to be reported in writing, right?"
Qingde said, "If we rashly report this without knowing its authenticity, we will be considered reckless. The most urgent task is to confirm the authenticity of the news."
Fu Erdan said, "It's spring now, and there are more people walking around. We can just catch a few and ask them."
As they were talking, a report arrived from Tibet. Yarjiang'a hurriedly called in the spy, dusty and exhausted, with a secret report. Yarjiang'a didn't bother to use a paper cutter to remove the fire mark, but tore it up directly. After taking a look, he laughed and said, "Really!"
It turned out that Da Tseringdun Dobu had already set out for the north, and his younger brother Xiao Tseringdun Dobu was ordered to enter Tibet to replace his brother.
"Big Ce Ling is a man of strategy, Little Ce Ling is a man of courage. The Junggar are in urgent need of help. Tibet has been conquered. It is a dangerous place, and one brave general is enough to defend it."
Everyone in the room had a happy look on their face.
Yun'e laughed and said, "Back when Galdan was plotting rebellion, the imperial court and Tsewang Abutan made a plan to attack Galdan from both the east and the west, thus securing the overall outcome. Now... perhaps we can conquer the Dzungar tribe and Tibet in one fell swoop!"
What a godsend! What a great achievement!
The foundation of Tibetan Buddhism, with two great living Buddhas presiding over it, "rescued" them and restored the kingdom to this place. What a great achievement! The Dzungar tribe occupied the Western Regions, making it impossible for the country to actually rule here. Taking this place would be a feat of territorial expansion, a feat that will be recorded in history!
Everyone's breathing became a little uneven.
Yunxiang said, "This matter must be kept secret. If the news leaks out and the Zhun army gets wind of it, they'll be on high alert and that'll cause us trouble."
Yarjiang'a slammed the table and stood up. "Everyone, return to camp and prepare. Order your rations, check your weapons, horses, and tents. This is a routine inspection. Pick out the troublemakers these days and form the vanguard. I'll submit a report immediately! Before the imperial edict comes down, let's discuss our route. This time, we must ensure our success!"
Everyone responded in unison.
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Not to mention how excited the Qinghai garrison leaders were in the spring of the fourth year of Changtai. Another incident occurred in the capital: Tong Guowei died.
After all, he was Yinreng's stepmother's father, so no matter how much he disliked him, he still had to do the things that would save face. He asked the Ministry of Rites to write the inscription and, as usual, to allocate funds for the funeral. Death is like the extinguishing of a candle, yet the funeral of the once-prominent Tong Ban Dynasty was not yet quiet.
The Prince An's Mansion, which had been silent for a long time, came to help. The Tong family's relatives, who were spread across the court and the country, were also present. Even Prince Yong came to pay his respects to the adoptive mother's father, which made Concubine De, who lived in his house, a little unhappy.
However, that was the end of it. It was impossible to hold a funeral as grand as Tong Guogang's. Yinreng issued an order: everything should be handled according to Tong Guowei's rank, and no additional grace should be given.
In accordance with his vengeful nature, he also issued a special decree: Yi Sun Yuzhu's desire to return to Beijing to pay his respects was allowed, but after the funeral, he would return to his original place of exile and be escorted by selected officials.
Comparing the distance between the capital and the place of exile, the funeral was over here, but Yuzhu probably hadn't arrived in the capital yet. When he arrived in the capital, he would visit the grave and burn paper money before being taken back.
You really can’t afford to offend a creature like the emperor!
The angry emperor's mood improved because of an urgent secret report from Yarjiang'a: The Orus, who had been causing trouble for the Qing Dynasty all day long, this time caused trouble for Dzungar!
That’s great!
What else do you want? Fight when you're ready. "I've promised you the position of general. You'll make decisions based on the situation, and I'll handle the situation."
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