Everyone has matured
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the anniversary of Emperor Fulin's death, the officials sent to offer sacrifices to the mausoleum had not yet returned, and the Empress Dowager had died. The national system was now largely complete, and a funeral for the Empress Dowager had been held over twenty years earlier, so there was no need to dwell on this point.
It's just that the poor Imperial Household Department has worked hard. It is an institution that is full of trouble. Its tasks are much more arduous than those of the neighborhood committee aunties. Moreover, if the neighborhood committee aunties cannot do something, they can only make a self-criticism at most. But if the Imperial Household Department fails to do its job well, they will be dismissed from office, and may even be demoted in title, fined in salary, etc.
Every advantage has its drawbacks. The Imperial Household Department is a lucrative government agency, dealing most with the imperial family. It's perfectly convenient for currying favor with the emperor and his family. Since I've got this benefit, I might as well keep busy. This was definitely the sentiment of Yunyu, a newly appointed official who hadn't encountered any major events in the past few years.
Yunyu changed into mourning clothes, took off his tassel, rolled up his sleeves and went to work.
He and his fifth brother oversaw the Imperial Household Department. Yunqi was an honest man who disliked trouble. His greatest passion was seeking land and property, leaving a legacy for his descendants. As for court struggles or vying for favor, he had given up hope since his father became emperor. When he was partnered with the twelfth brother, he never challenged any work that the twelfth brother offered. Now that he had a fifteenth brother to "do the hard work" for him, he was happy to relax.
The fifteenth prince's wife is the queen's sister, and Yinreng wants to promote Yunyu. Yunqi is not in vain to be a villain, and he just understands his intention.
Yunyu was eager to get started. He immediately summoned Empress Xiaozhuang's funeral rituals and ordered the Imperial Household Department to open its treasury to obtain white cloth for the making of mourning clothes. The Empress Dowager's coffin could not be kept in Changchun Garden and had to be transported back to Ningshou Palace. He also recruited eunuchs and craftsmen, and obtained bamboo, paper, and cloth to build a shed. He also sent people to make paper figures, paper horses, and paper money.
Imperial family members, ministers, and ladies of state each mourned in two separate places. The Empress and the Fourth Prince's wife, though both pregnant, were still far from their due dates. The funeral of the Grand Empress Dowager wasn't as elaborate as the Emperor's, so they could handle it. There were no major incidents in the palace, and the Emperor's harem was mostly empty, so there was no room for unrest.
Hong Xi and Hong Sheng, both far away on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, also rushed back on horseback. Both were young, good riders, and had spent considerable time abroad training, so they were quite capable of enduring hardships. Braving the wind and snow, traveling day and night, they finally returned before the Empress Dowager's funeral was over.
The Empress Dowager's coffin was prepared long ago, and the burial plot was also selected, and she was buried with Emperor Taizu. Her posthumous title was also no problem, as all empresses' posthumous titles followed the emperor's, so she was called Empress Xiaohui Renning Duanyi Chunde Shuntian Juesheng Zhang.
There was nothing wrong with any of this; the problem arose during the coffin-making process. Empress Xiaohui had no children or grandchildren, so her funeral arrangements were left to others. Chinese people tend to prioritize everything, and this was no exception.
It's a well-known fact that Kangxi was born out of wedlock. Even after he became emperor, his mother was posthumously recognized as the Shunzhi Empress. Shunzhi only had one legal wife, Empress Xiaohui, though Shunzhi himself disliked her. As for Empress Xiaoxian, well, she was a figure everyone in the Qing court tried to forget.
Now the question arises: Kangxi's biological mother, Empress Xiaokang Zhang, had died decades earlier and, of course, had already been enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. After the death of an emperor and an empress, Shunzhi naturally married Kangxi's mother. Now that Empress Xiaohui is also dead, who is ranked first and who is second between her and Empress Xiaokang?
For this reason, the court officials put aside the war in the west temporarily, cleared their throats and had a big argument about it.
To please one's superiors was a natural duty for officials, but to give the emperor's grandmother a back seat inevitably evoked unpleasant associations, such as the fact that she was not the legitimate heir. Of course, this excuse could never be made public. This did not faze these well-read ministers, who found a reason: Empress Xiaokang had long been enshrined in the temple and could not be moved lightly. Since everything was based on first come, first served, they should put Xiaokang first and Xiaohui last.
To be honest, Yinreng was still hesitant to take this suggestion. The Empress Dowager was a lovely old lady, and the Tong family's relatives were also very annoying. However, when it came to matters of righteousness and reputation, and also related to his own interests, Yinreng's brain was still fresh.
Although he thought so, Yinreng could not speak it out loud, so he just said, "Let the Grand Secretary and the Nine Ministers discuss it."
He regretted saying this, and as soon as he said this, Grand Secretary Wang Fan, upholding his usual attitude, pointed out sternly: "The late emperor was a saintly and filial emperor. When Empress Xiaozhuang and Empress Wen were enshrined in the temple, they did not rank her above Empress Xiaoduan. Now, are you willing to rank Empress Xiaokang above Empress Xiaohui?"
As soon as he expressed his opinion, people who wanted to flatter the emperor rose up to oppose it.
While the ministers could object, Yinreng, as a symbol of propriety, had no choice but to concede that Wang Fan was right. Not only did he have to follow Wang Fan's opinion on this matter, he also had to praise him. While he resented Wang Fan's meddling, he also had to acknowledge his integrity on this matter. While Wang Fan might not be a pleasant person, he was a man of integrity who could be trusted with important matters.
When he came back, he jokingly said to Shujia, "Fortunately, our son doesn't have to worry about such things."
This matter ended with the emperor receiving a cold stare from the empress in the harem, and the ministers in the court agreed that the order of promotion in the future would be the first wife, the second wife, and the original wife. The focus of the empire returned to military and national affairs.
Although there was a lot of noise in the court, the matter was over and the person who was truly deeply touched was Crown Princess Hesheli.
Kangxi and Yinreng's filial piety to Empress Xiaohui was obvious to all, but even so, they could not stop a group of "villains" behind her who were eager to curry favor with the emperor and disrupted the moral principles, trying to place the first wife and the concubine below them. The reason for this was probably because the concubine gave birth to a son, while the first wife had no children.
Hesheli was horrified. The trick of surrogacy could be hidden from herself but not from others. After all, the adoptive mother and the legal mother were not as close as the biological mother!
These days, she'd been breaking down and pondering her mother-in-law's words, finally savoring some of their meaning. If she'd previously felt a bit resistant to the phrase, "Royal daughter-in-law, it's not enough to just be a good daughter-in-law; you must also remember the meaning of the royal family," it was probably her mother-in-law's warning to her, telling her not to overreach and that the royal family wouldn't tolerate her reckless behavior.
After the issue of the order of Empress Xiaohui's coffin was brought to court and debated for nearly half a month, she finally gained a deeper understanding of the word "royal." Tong Fahai's fight for his mother's burial was countered by Tong Guogang and the patriarchal system. And in the royal family, if the emperor agreed, who would dare to argue? It was the emperor, thin-skinned and deeply influenced by Confucianism, who shyly accepted Wang Xian's words. What would be the point of Wang Xian's protest if the emperor didn't insist? The court was filled with people who wanted to please the emperor!
How cruel is the imperial family?! This is the place in the world that should be the most reasonable, but it is the place that disregards reason and law the most.
Her mother-in-law told her the truth! She had misunderstood it before!
However, childlessness was a source of worry. How should she deal with it? She didn't want to die childless, leaving her first wife as a concubine. However, she couldn't even tell Hongdan about her worries, and her family couldn't help, unless she could be like Empress Xiaoduan...
Shaking her head, Hesheli also felt that this idea was really fantastic. The times had changed. Back then, the laws and regulations were not complete, but now it was impossible.
Unable to ask, she had to find the answer herself. The Hesheli family was a refined and refined family, and she had read a fair bit of literature. After pondering the answer, she found it in the books. Previously, she hadn't considered "learning from history" or "applying what she had learned." Now that she had begun to think about it, she realized that every word in the history books was true, and every detail was worth learning from.
The Eastern Palace had a family library under Shujia's management, and Hongdan was accustomed to such a layout. Although the books were later moved to the Kunning Palace, Hongdan asked for permission and applied for a batch of books to fill the library. He also had some collections of his own, and the content of the books was extremely rich.
Hesheli read the biographies of concubines from all dynasties, and the more she read, the more insights she gained.
When she came across the story of witchcraft, she was horrified again. Hesheli had already been desperate, praying to countless gods and Buddhas and making countless aspirations. If someone suggested that shaman dances could work, she might actually try one secretly.
Closing the scroll, Hesheli was still trembling all over. She had almost made a big mistake. In this palace, you can use your cunning and be clever, but this is the only thing you can't do!
This reminds me that when people are forced into a desperate situation, they will grab at any straw, without ever considering whether there is a trap behind the straw, which will put them in an even more dangerous situation.
Never rush to seek help when you are sick. I picked up my pen and solemnly wrote down a few things that I must never do.
The taboos Hesheli had noted down had actually been told to her long before, whether by her parents at home or by the maids sent by the Imperial Household Department before she entered the palace. However, once pushed to that point, there was only poison to quench thirst. Didn't those caught drawing circles in the palace know that it was a capital offense?
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With her own rules, Hesheli was like a different person. She was still well-mannered, but her words and deeds were more relaxed. There wasn't much going on in the Eastern Palace. A woman whose husband wasn't incompetent could have a leisurely life without the palace intrigues.
Hesheli devoted all her spare time to Kunning Palace. The Empress was pregnant, and the Emperor had decided to move to Changchun Garden as soon as the funeral of the Grand Empress Dowager was over. After Hesheli had sorted out the mess in the Eastern Palace, it was natural for her to go to Kunning Palace to help her mother-in-law.
"This year, my mother will celebrate her birthday in Changchun Garden." When Hesheli said this, all the wives and ladies in the hall agreed with her with a smile.
This year marks the Empress's full birthday. She's thirty-nine, but according to current age calculations, she's forty. If it weren't for the death of the Grand Empress Dowager, the celebration would have been even more grand. Now that Shujia is the sole mistress of the empire, all the ladies-in-waiting and concubines need only visit one place to pay their respects. Those who previously relied on the Grand Empress Dowager's connections should now also make more overtures to Kunning Palace.
Shujia said lazily: "It's better to go to the garden. It's not nice to see people in my current state." She was already very tired at the funeral of the Empress Dowager. She was pregnant, and she had to cry at the funeral, and she was afraid of hurting the fetus. It was really hard.
She no longer had any interest in birthdays. Every Qianqiu Festival was a reminder that she was another year older. Although Yinreng was older than her and had begun to grow a mustache, there was no age limit for the emperor to take a concubine!
The Eighth Lady's outspokenness remained unchanged. She immediately said, "I wonder how many people envy you for looking like this? Why can't you show it to others?"
Shujia was speechless, and Hesheli was sad.
Prince Ping's wife quickly tried to smooth things over: "This is indeed a joyous occasion, but it's a pity that Second Prince has to rush to the front of the army again, so he may not be able to kowtow and wish the master and his wife a happy birthday. I wonder when Second Prince will leave?"
Shu Jia was happy to change the subject: "The day after tomorrow, the emperor will leave the capital early in the morning."
Cao Jia said, "I wanted to ask the Second Prince to take a letter home. The boys at home miss their father very much and have written a few words. I wonder if you can accommodate me?"
The topic shifted, and a group of women began to count whose husbands and sons were in the army, and asked to help deliver the message, and the original topic was forgotten.
In the Qianqing Palace, Yinreng was also giving Hongxi a lecture. On Hongxi's first day in Beijing, he had met Yinreng and was then kept there to question him about military matters in the northwest. Yinreng was filled with regret when he heard that the messenger had arrived late, causing the Qing army to be exploited by Da Celing and failing to achieve victory, and that the situation had been so tortuous and bizarre.
Similar summons to meet were still common during the Empress Dowager's funeral. Hong Xi also recounted that before his departure, the Qing army and the Dzungar had been battling it out, but overall, the Qing army held the upper hand, slowly chipping away at the Dzungar territory. The more deplorable thing was that the Dzungars also had artillery, which had recently entered Tibet alongside two thousand Dzungar soldiers, causing considerable losses for the Qing army.
Fortunately, Little Celing received the order and returned, while Big Celing led his troops to withdraw, and the Qing army was finally able to pay their respects to the Living Buddha. As the Qing army had already made contact with Lhasa, they finally learned that Lazang Khan was dead and his two sons had been killed by the Dzungar.
Now that Hongxi was about to leave, Yinreng compared Hongxi's descriptions with the reports from the front line one by one, and he had already formed a rough idea of the war. Now that Hongxi was leaving, Yinreng was no longer just understanding the situation, but giving instructions in person.
"Now that you know Lazang Khan is dead and his two sons were killed by Tsewang Arabtan, go back and tell King Jian that a simple sacrifice is all that matters. Don't mobilize too many troops. He and Qinghai fought fiercely for the Dalai Lama. The court still has use for Qinghai, and we must not lose Qinghai's heart for the sake of a useless Lazang Khan."
"Tibet is vast and sparsely populated. Giving up a little bit of land is not a big deal. What's important is the two Living Buddhas. Protect them well and don't let them be harmed by the Dzungar."
"When you arrive at the army, watch more, learn more, and talk less. Don't be like the King of Zhi."
"Protect the troops well. The Junggars also have artillery... Report back after detailed investigation."
…
Finally, having given all the necessary instructions, Yinreng let Hongxi go. Two days after Hongxi left for the northwest, Yinreng moved everyone to Changchun Garden, a vibrant expanse of flowers and green willows, a scene of enchanting beauty. Even though he still had to wear plain clothes and observe varying degrees of mourning for the Grand Empress Dowager, the sight of this scene made him feel much better.
Yinreng's mourning period was supposedly three years, but neither he nor his courtiers mentioned it. In Yinreng's heart, the Empress Dowager was ultimately less important than Kangxi's. The courtiers, citing Kangxi's example of mourning for Empress Xiaozhuang, did not push him. Yinreng went along with it, agreeing to a one-year mourning period and not having a private residence. He continued as usual, though he made some adjustments to his clothing and entertainment.
There were obviously fewer people who moved into Changchun Garden this year. Shujia invited three or five people including Concubine Mi and Concubine Tong to accompany her on the pretext of companionship. As Concubine Tong had predicted, the rest of the emperor's concubines stayed in the Ningshou Palace, whose main hall had been sealed, to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures.
The Empress's fortieth birthday was, of course, celebrated in Changchun Garden. As it was a time of national mourning, Shujia submitted a petition requesting that the banquet be cancelled. Yinreng's approval was understandable.
In reality, the Queen received as many gifts as ever on her birthday. Everyone understood that from now on, this prince would have the final say in the palace, so how could anyone dare not curry favor? Even when Prince Jian and his men were away on military missions, they collected many local products and presented them as gifts. The most convenient and thoughtful gifts, of course, were the numerous ritual implements blessed by the Living Buddha.
The generals stationed in Tibet, you begged, I begged, and after we finished begging, we all sent our requests to the capital, making it seem like a Dharma assembly was about to be held in the Queen's residence in Changchun Garden!
Xiluo Te said tremblingly: "My mistress is a little old for giving birth to this child. With these magical instruments, I can rest assured."
Shujia: "..." Looking down at the pile of instruments that were impossible to obtain even by asking for them outside, Shujia picked out a prayer wheel and said, "This is for Mother." Like most elderly women of her time, Xiluo Te's faith in gods and Buddhas grew stronger with age. Unfortunately, her age made kneeling, chanting, and other activities difficult. Turning the prayer wheel was more convenient, however.
Xiluo Te's eyes showed a thousand willingness, but her expression was trying to restrain herself: "This is their filial piety to you. Besides, isn't it still useful for you?"
"How can I use all these?"
Since the division had already been made, Shujia decided to be generous. She already had a good number of magical instruments, numbering in the double digits. Several concubines received some, as did Concubine Mi and Concubine Liang. She also gave an additional rosary to Prince Yong's legitimate son, Hongzhao, saying, "Wear it for blessings and longevity." This made everyone envious, and the rest were carefully stored away, to be given as gifts in the future.
Upon hearing this, Yunsi said bitterly, "This is just a reward for the fourth son's tireless service to the Emperor." He still only had one son and one daughter, and despite his best efforts, no other results were forthcoming. He was extremely anxious. His son was the one who needed a longer life the most, yet it had been given to the fourth son, who already had several sons. No wonder he felt the Emperor and Empress were partial.
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While the emperor and empress's partiality is true, Prince Yong's achievements cannot be overstated. While he didn't draw the same attention as the great army, his accomplishments were substantial. This year, the salt law reform was implemented nationwide, and with the military on the line, there was no time for slacking off. Prince Yong's hair is turning gray, and while he looks energetic, he's lost a lot of weight. He should be rewarded in many ways.
On the other hand, the Lifanyuan under Yunsi's supervision was certainly important, but due to the war, many of its affairs were transferred to the Ministry of War. Yinreng still had some resentment towards him and was reluctant to use him. He felt that his talent was not being recognized.
Actually, he was relatively well off. His ninth brother, for example, was in an even more depressing situation. It was no exaggeration to say that Orondai had a grudge against him. After Old Orondai arrived in Guangzhou, many of the Ninth Prince's businesses suffered losses. The merchants he had previously suppressed revived and seized the market. The Ninth Prince dug a hole and buried himself in it.
The Ninth Prince was currently scrambling to figure out how to shut down the Oron Loan and regain his influence in Guangzhou. Having run this business for so long, it felt a bit of a shame to let it go all of a sudden. Especially now that the Dutch were under restrictions, Western goods were becoming increasingly scarce and valuable, leading to higher profits. As for the salt trade, he couldn't find a suitable agent and didn't dare to force his way forward.
Coincidentally, his relatives who lived in Changchun Garden gave him an excuse.
On May 13, the Empress gave birth to a son in Changchun Garden. Earlier, on May 6, Hongtong's wife, Borjigit, also gave birth to a son.
Ami Doufu, if you can build good relationships with the Empress, are you still worried about not being able to remove Orondai? Orondai's comeback is due to the Crown Prince's efforts. If you can curry favor with the Empress, removing Orondai from Guangdong shouldn't be difficult. We don't have to destroy Orondai. Why not transfer him to a local position?
The Ninth Prince's abacus was clattering loudly.
Meanwhile, Orondai was also making great strides in Guangdong. The Tong family had suffered a major setback, losing their rank, their positions, and their influence. The people vying for their respects had all but vanished. While the family's livelihood was no longer a concern, they needed money if they wanted to advance. Previously, others had given them gifts, but now they had to give gifts to others. With both inside and outside, money was running out. Yunluo had also cut off one of Orondai's sources of income, leaving him even more strapped for cash.
Once in office, he dared not take more than his share of responsibility. Orondai inevitably began to think about these Western goods. He was now considered a local tyrant, and who would refuse to cooperate with merchants? Occasionally, merchants engaged in smuggling, but he turned a blind eye. At the same time, he also contacted the Guangdong Sea liaison office to request Yinreng to lift the ban on the Dutch.
The Guangdong Customs simply claimed that tax revenue had decreased, and without expanding trade, they could not pay more. Orondai responded, "Merchants are driven by profit, and even severe punishments cannot stop them. The imperial court's order to sever trade with the Netherlands might not have been forthcoming, leading to smuggling. Maritime travel is inherently illegal, and the imperial court's ignorance and inability to protect it has led to pirates and plunder, while merchants dare not speak out. Pirates use these funds to either cause exile or purchase firearms, further disrupting the maritime borders."
Although these two people have selfish motives, their vision cannot be said to be short-sighted. It is always better to open up than to block.
After Yunlu found out, he instigated people to impeach Orondei, saying that he had selfish motives.
Orondai did not speak directly, but instead complained privately, claiming that the cessation of trade with the Netherlands was purely due to Yunlu's dishonesty.
Neither of them was a good person! Yinreng scolded them harshly. Forced by the situation, both Yunlu and Orondai had no choice but to confess their wrongdoings before Yinreng. They then slandered each other behind Hongdan's back: Orondai accused Yunlu of being disloyal, while Yunlu accused Orondai of being dishonest. Hongdan, overwhelmed by their annoyance, acted as a mediator between the two while Orondai was returning to Beijing to report on his work.
Both of them were sensible and reluctantly agreed in front of Hongdan. Hongdan's suggestion was: "You two should work together! Just don't cause any trouble."
Unexpectedly, the two men initially just wanted to give the Crown Prince a face, but as they worked together, they discovered the joy of it. Historically, these two served under the same Eight Princes, which clearly shows their ability to get along. If they were at loggerheads, they would have wanted to devour each other alive. But once they worked together, they discovered that by cooperating, they were also bullying their opponents, a truly joyful partnership.
Why are we fighting each other? If we had cooperated like this earlier, we would have made a fortune! This was the common sentiment of the two people.
A few years later, a governor with an unusually ruthless temper arrived in Guangdong, and the three of them stirred up another disturbance in Guangdong. But that's another story.
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