Everyone should clean up the snow in front of their own door
While the saying "no one knows a son better than his father" may not be entirely accurate when applied to Kangxi and his son, Kangxi did have a certain understanding of the Crown Prince's character. For example, he knew Yinreng wouldn't be so attentive to his children's marriages. As a man, Kangxi himself wouldn't pay much attention to such family matters as age and fertility. He would simply observe if a family didn't have children, assuming there were issues with their wives and concubines, and then add two more.
After thinking about it, Kangxi had an 80% guess: Maybe it was the Crown Princess who thought of it?
People are like this. When they have a good impression of someone, they can come up with a reason for everything they do. When they have a bad impression of someone, they will doubt everything they do. The Crown Princess had a very clean criminal record with Emperor Kangxi and had a very good impression of her. Therefore, she was evaluated as caring for the concubine's son.
At the same time, Kangxi was also seriously considering the issue of the timing of his marriage.
In fact, by the time Yinreng came along, it was already quite late for both the royal family and the imperial clan to officially marry. Kangxi himself married at the age of thirteen, but his first few children suffered heavy casualties. This was something Kangxi had to consider.
What the Crown Princess said makes sense. Moreover, it is not just a problem on the father's side. If the mother is young, it may also be detrimental to the health of the children.
Kangxi had already noticed this problem. His princesses were always married after the age of eighteen, considering the difficult conditions in Mongolia. He was worried that his daughters wouldn't survive if they married there too young. It seems that delaying marriage to increase survival rates isn't just important in difficult places, but it's also important in places like the capital.
This created another difficulty: in order to meet the needs of reproduction, the age of the Eight Banners selection was between thirteen and sixteen. Those over fifteen were still okay, but girls of thirteen or fourteen were indeed a little young.
It took longer for a prince to marry, unless he was in mourning, and the longest period was two years. The lower the status, the less complicated the process, and the shorter the period. If a thirteen-year-old girl was betrothed to a Beizi, she might have been married at fourteen, which still made her look very young. For concubines, regardless of the intended marriage, the timeline was even shorter, and it was normal for the marriage to be arranged and married the same year. How old can a child born from a stepfather and stepmother live?
As an emperor, Kangxi also considered the interests of his entire family. With so few bannermen, reproduction was a major task. What good was simply having more children? If the children didn't survive, it would be worse than not having any at all! Birthing ten children and eight dying, or giving birth to five and five surviving, which is better?
Kangxi was not a cold-blooded emperor in these matters. He did not have the idea of "giving birth as much as possible, as long as a few live, it's a gain, and the survival rate will be higher when they grow up." After all, men's energy is limited, and the body cannot be exhausted.
So, would the age limit for the selection be changed? Kangxi was troubled. Should the lower limit be raised from thirteen to fourteen or fifteen? If the lower limit was changed, the upper limit would also have to be changed. Early marriage was common among the Manchus, as evidenced by the age of the selections: girls were considered married at the latest at thirteen. Would it be appropriate to let people keep their daughters until they were in their teens?
Kangxi's temples were throbbing with pain. The problem had now expanded from the imperial clan to the entire banner class, and he had to be careful.
While experience clearly indicated the need for improvement in infant and child survival, a blanket order was not an option. This placed Kangxi in a difficult position. Rubbing his forehead, Kangxi decided to proceed gradually. For the next selection, he would prioritize slightly older concubines and members of the imperial clan. Concubines aged thirteen or fourteen would be sent home and allowed to compete in the next selection. If he did, the prevailing sentiment would shift within a few rounds. By then, issuing the decree would ensure everyone was prepared. He also avoided raising the minimum age requirement at once; simply lowering the selection age to fourteen to seventeen-year-old women of the banner class.
That's it.
Having made up his mind, Kangxi did not miss a single word and just went on his tour of Jiangnan as planned.
Kangxi and the Crown Princess exchanged a move through the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess won this round.
Without fully understanding the Crown Princess's intentions, Kangxi achieved her goal. The Crown Princess was clearing obstacles for her sister and also for her son's family happiness and physical and mental health, with many selfish motives. Kangxi only saw the Crown Princess's righteous side and the benefits it would bring to the royal family's population.
The Crown Princess also exploited a psychological blind spot in Kangxi's mind: the Shi family's plan to appoint a 15th wife meant delaying the Fourth Lady's appointment, making it more vulnerable to complications. This made it seem like she was being considerate of her husband's family, not her own. How could Kangxi know the Crown Princess was targeting the concubines? This was a difference in their professional fields: Kangxi's expertise lay in maintaining checks and balances at court, while the Crown Princess's forte was in the harem, where she executed assassins without leaving a trace.
The Crown Princess is a typical example of selling someone out and then asking them to count the money for her.
Judging from Kangxi's subsequent actions, he really fell for it.
This year, Kangxi's birthday fell during his southern tour. The gifts the Eastern Palace had prepared for the Emperor's birthday, which had been prepared during the previous year's New Year shopping, had to be handed over to Beijing. Shujia was careful to pack a few fine items, especially a ruyi. She also took some forging materials and personally sewed several garments and small items like purses along the way. She also instructed the Thirteenth Concubine to prepare them early.
Forget about delicate work like embroidery; a fine piece of clothing would take a skilled embroiderer months to create. She chose material that already had a longevity and happiness pattern, so she could use the pattern to create a simpler design. With help around, the work wasn't too difficult.
In terms of needlework, the Crown Princess was an expert, but she was only good at small items; large garments were done by her own needlework staff. The needlework at the Wanshou Festival was the result of "hands-on work."
Kangxi, being away from home, naturally skipped the Beijing banquet and simply wrote a letter to the Empress Dowager to pay his respects. There was no extravagance at this out-of-town banquet, just a small one. He drank heartily, and when he saw the Crown Princess's needlework, he praised her profusely, describing her as "filial, kind, and friendly," "tirelessly hardworking," and "virtuous and virtuous."
Shujia was so flattered that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into: Old man, actually I have a lot of opinions about you.
The emperor also gave the Crown Princess a banquet and awards on her birthday, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.
On the way back to Beijing, Kangxi continued his "Cultivating the Eastern Palace Plan" and once again promoted officials with Eastern Palace backgrounds: he promoted Mu Dan, a cabinet scholar and the Chancellor of the Chancellery, to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Shujia's heart nearly sank to the bottom of the sea. In recent years, the emperor has been constantly increasing the influence of the Eastern Palace within the court. While this may seem like a good thing, it actually carries significant risks! If Kangxi still has seven years to live, that's a good sign. The problem is, he can only live for seventeen. In the remaining ten years, you're going to let the emperor watch as the crown prince's cronies spread throughout the court?
Even if he didn't have the intention of deposing and enthroning the crown prince, he would still make things difficult for him, right? Once everyone saw that the emperor was making things difficult for the crown prince, it was hard to say what the court officials would do.
Kangxi's fate of being able to be emperor for sixty years was unlucky for his prince.
All the Crown Prince and his wife can do is to be cautious and work hard to make a living.
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As they approached the capital, the Crown Princess's relationship with the Thirteenth Lady gradually improved. Shujia's reminder of the Thirteenth Lady's birthday gift was purely out of moral obligation, not any fondness for her. The Thirteenth Lady had no mother-in-law and rarely visited the Eastern Palace, so the Crown Princess had no reason to befriend her.
This trip, however, had changed Shujia's opinion of the Thirteenth Lady. Zhaojia was a typical lady from a wealthy family, well-educated, well-mannered, and reserved in her speech, yet she possessed a certain tenacity. Perhaps it was her unsatisfactory married life that had given her a certain stubbornness in her demeanor.
Everyone knew that the Thirteenth Prince treated his concubines better, but his wife never complained, always considering him for her own good. When Shujia reminded her of the Wanshou Festival gift, her first thought was of the Thirteenth Prince: "Our master's gift is ready, but it's in the capital, and I'm afraid it won't be easy to find in such a hurry. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask Yu to copy some scriptures. I wonder what scripture the Crown Prince wants to copy? I'm afraid it might be too much."
In fact, the Thirteenth Prince had also accompanied the Emperor during this period, and before leaving, he had already told his wife to prepare. The Thirteenth Prince had packed a few exquisite items to take with him, and after being reminded by the Crown Princess, she realized that "making them by hand" was a better way to please the Emperor.
This is the essence of "husband and wife as one," and it's also the tragedy of being a wife: knowing he's treating someone else well, you still have to consider him, hoping he'll change his mind. In fact, without a little frustration, it's hard for a man to discern which woman is truly worth his lifelong companionship.
Shujia lowered her eyelids. It was difficult for her to get a word in about the Thirteenth Prince's family affairs. The Thirteenth Prince was a very opinionated person. The relationship between the Crown Princess and the Thirteenth Lady had just begun to heat up, so it was not appropriate to talk too deeply about it.
She also has another "brother's" family matters to worry about.
"The third lady of the former Zhiwang family has reached the age of marriage, but her two older sisters have not yet found their marriages. I think no one will pay attention to this matter this year, so you are the only one who can go and talk about it." When Shujia mentioned this to Yinreng, Yinreng was thinking about the upcoming provincial examinations this year, and he wondered who the chief examiners would be in various places.
After hearing what his wife said, Yinreng instinctively frowned at the people, things, and events related to Yinzhi. Fortunately, his political literacy was still there, and he quickly got into the state: "This matter, I am not the only one who should speak out, I must speak out!"
"Well?"
Shu Jia was silent, only to hear Yinreng say again: "This is still considered good. What if someone says it out loud with a 'righteous' attitude? What do you think Khan Ama will think of me? Although people don't say it out loud, they all think so in their hearts: the eldest prince is the prince's mortal enemy. Whoever speaks for the eldest prince is against the prince..." It's like a concubine acting aggrieved in front of the wife. Nine out of ten people who see it will think that the wife is too powerful.
"If it was a court official who brought it up first, it would be fine. But if it was one of my brothers, well, I'd have no choice but to serve him, or I'd just hold a grudge."
The Crown Prince concluded: "It's really boring."
No matter how boring the task is, you have to do it. Do you still want to be the prince?
Yinreng took advantage of Kangxi's good mood and said that he had returned to Beijing just in time for the Crown Prince's birthday: "I didn't celebrate my Wansheng birthday in the palace, and Hongdan's birthday was also celebrated outside. It's a pity. Fortunately, your birthday can be celebrated in time. Let's have a good time with the Empress Dowager."
Yinreng thanked him first, then said, "Khan Ama mentioned Hongdan's birthday, and I remembered something. Khan Ama was originally scheduled to tour the frontier next month. I was wondering if you could take all the imperial grandchildren over seven years old with you? They can ride horses and wield bows, and it's not good for them to be confined within the palace walls and mansions all day long."
"You're thoughtful. This is a good idea."
Yinreng also wanted to kill two birds with one stone. This way, Hongxi, Hongdan, and Hongtong from the Eastern Palace could all accompany him, and he would also gain the reputation of caring for his nephew. Then he said, "The day of the trip is approaching. Since we are taking the imperial grandchildren with us, we must ask the subordinates to report their names so that the Ministry of Internal Affairs can arrange their expenses."
This was a thoughtful thought, and Kangxi became interested, discussing the boys from each family with Yinreng one by one. Yinzhi was a figure that could not be avoided. Kangxi glanced at Yinreng and saw that he did not look unhappy, but his brows were slightly furrowed. Kangxi saw Yinreng frowning, and his brows furrowed too. What was going on? Was Yinreng taking his anger out on Hongyu?
"Khan Ama, my eldest sister-in-law gave birth to four daughters before she had Hongyu. Now... my nieces are all grown up, right?"
Huh? What did he say that for?
"Their father has been imprisoned. Without the Khan's approval, no one dared to speak up about this marriage." He counted on his fingers, reminiscing painfully. "The eldest princess' birthday, as I recall, was the 27th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign. I can't quite remember the second princess's. Calculating by Hongyu's birthday, they were both quite old," he blinked. "If we don't get it done now, it will be too late."
After he said this, Kangxi also took it seriously: "That's what I mean." He wrote a note as a memorandum.
Then he discussed the issue of the Chancellery with Yinreng: "With Mu Dan's promotion to Vice Minister, the Chancellery is short of one Chancellor. Which of the shortlisted Chancellors do you think would be better?"
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The 44th year of the Kangxi reign was a leap year, and in the intercalary April, the emperor returned to Beijing.
Immediately thereafter, a flurry of imperial decrees came pouring down, almost too fast to register. Two items directly related to the Eastern Palace's backyard: first, in May, the following month, the Emperor would tour the outer reaches of the Great Wall, and the Crown Prince and his wife were to accompany him; second, all grandchildren over seven years of age were to attend.
As soon as the decree was given, there was a burst of joy inside and outside the palace. Hongtong ran around the room and said, "I can go too~"
The Fourth Lady shed tears secretly: "If Honghui were still alive, he would surely be able to accompany the Emperor this year, right?"
Furthermore, several official promotions and transfers at court were linked to the Crown Prince's position. Besides Er Ge filling the position of Chancellor, another, Wang Jin, formerly of the Chancellery, became Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Furthermore, Nian Gengyao, a Hanlin Academy reviewer and a distant relative of the Crown Prince, became the chief examiner of the Sichuan provincial examinations. The legendary General Nian, known for his unlearned, brutal, and disrespectful behavior, now appeared as a refined gentleman.
Afterwards, Kangxi arranged a marriage for his granddaughter. Yinzhi's eldest daughter was betrothed to Khorchin Taiji Dorji Seleng, and he ordered the Imperial Household Department to handle the relevant matters.
Yinzhi was a difficult person to mention, and everyone unanimously avoided this dangerous topic.
In comparison, another decree made the women in the harem enjoy gossiping: Cao, the daughter of Jiangning weaving manufacturer Cao Yin, was promoted to the rank of imperial concubine, and Cao Yin was ordered to send his daughter to the capital, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs was instructed to select a skilled nanny to teach her.
Cao, oh, now Cao Jia, what kind of person was she? What was the emperor's intention in sending her to the capital? Unless it was a great favor, either a title of nobility or an arranged marriage. Taking her into the harem would be a serious problem, adding a powerful competitor. Kangxi was quite close to the Cao family. If it was an arranged marriage, who would it be? Who would need the Imperial Household Department to select Jingqi Mama?
Could it be that the one being referred to as the Fifteenth Prince was not the Crown Princess's sister, but this Cao Jia? The one who was most concerned about this matter was Concubine Wang.
The Fifteenth Prince was her son, and marrying the Crown Prince's sister-in-law was definitely better than marrying the daughter of a textile manufacturer. Another way to think about it was that Kangxi only promoted the Cao Jia clan, while Cao Yin's entire family was still bondservants. Concubine Wang still had a complicated relationship with the Cao family, so a daughter-in-law of lower birth would be easier to discipline.
However, Wangpin herself was of low birth and her son was still young. In the past two years, Kangxi had preferred Gao. Wangpin's heart was swayed, and in the end she still hoped that the fifteenth prince would marry someone from a stronger family.
The Empress Dowager was not in a hurry. Kangxi had already told her the truth: the choice of the Fifteenth Consort would remain unchanged; Cao Jia was destined for Prince Ping. Upon receiving the news, the Empress Dowager summoned the Crown Princess to discuss the matter: "What is the Cao family's daughter like? Haven't you seen her?"
After she reminded them, the concubines in the palace also remembered this and asked about it.
Shujia naturally couldn't say anything bad about Cao Jiashi. In fact, in her impression, this little girl was not bad at all. She only picked out the good things about her.
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "If you say it's good, then it must be good. I can rest assured to give her to Prince Ping."
I see!
The concubines knew exactly how Cao Jia would be treated in the future imperial examinations, and they had a plan in mind. Little did they know that Kangxi had no intention of allowing Cao Jia to participate in the imperial examinations. What did the names on the imperial examination boards say? "Daughter of someone under a certain captain of a certain banner." Cao Yin was still a bondservant, so what group did he belong to?
The imperial edict arrived quickly, and the Cao family was no slouch either. After receiving the decree, they packed up their daughter and sent her to the capital before the emperor left for his tour of the outer frontier. The Cao family also had a house in Beijing, where Cao Jiashi lived. The Cao family also had relatives in the capital, holding positions within the Imperial Household Department. They had no choice but to help pass on the message, as they had no ulterior motive.
The next day, Cao Jia was quickly sent to Ningshou Palace for everyone to watch and observe.
Cao Jia is another amazing existence.
The young girl from the Cao family was strikingly pretty: dressed in a pink Manchu dress, with a flower-pot bottom, her hair neatly styled in a bun, and two or three jade hairpins of exceptional quality, her ears adorned with jade pendants of the same quality. Her complexion was crystal white, and her earlobes were almost transparent, appearing to blend seamlessly with the pendants. With an oval face, curved eyebrows, large eyes, a delicate nose, and a cherry-like mouth, she was truly a beauty.
She is beautiful but not frivolous. She has a decent smile on her lips and a steady gaze.
Upon entering the room, kowtow to the Empress Dowager and pay your respects.
The Empress Dowager fell in love with her the moment she saw her. She beckoned, "Get up, come over and talk. Give her a seat."
Cao Jia thanked the host again before slowly walking forward and sitting on an embroidered cushion in front of the Empress Dowager. She placed her legs together and folded her hands on her knees. She looked up and saw an elderly woman with silver hair sitting there, wearing an old-fashioned cheongsam embroidered with auspicious patterns. Her hair was thinning, and it was pressed against her forehead by a bandage, and then covered with a hairpin. The hand that had greeted her earlier wore long nail caps, and a rosary of beads peeked out from her wrist.
The Empress Dowager was a Buddhist, and Cao Jiashi knew what was going on. She glanced at her and then lowered her gaze. The Empress Dowager asked, "Are you Cao Yin's daughter? How old are you this year? When were you born?"
Cao Jia raised her head slightly and replied with a smile: "I am thirteen years old this year..." Then she glanced at a young woman sitting next to the Empress Dowager. She was still young, but her clothes were second only to the Empress Dowager's. This was the Crown Princess.
The Cao family was in charge of weaving, and Cao Jiashi, through her father's influence, naturally learned some ways to distinguish clothing. Although the Crown Princess's dress was not embroidered much, Cao Jiashi had heard from her father that the material was so good that even Imperial Concubine Tong Jia might not be able to wear it, given her rank.
The concubines watched coldly with smiles on their faces.
From the moment she entered, Cao Jiashi kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, her gait steady and steady, without a single sway in her body. It was obvious she'd been well-trained. A bit nervous at first, she thanked the table and answered a few questions, then relaxed and spoke with ease. She spoke her age, her zodiac sign, her family, her itinerary... She spoke at a steady pace, without stumbling or stumbling.
Compared to the Crown Princess's fourth sister, she was surprisingly not much worse, and even a couple of points better in terms of appearance. Regardless of her background, she was indeed worthy of being a county prince's wife, and the emperor had already arranged this for her.
Shujia was also a little surprised. She had thought this girl was nice the last time they met, but she hadn't expected her to be so well-rounded. The future wife of Prince Ping was so imposing that even the mention of "baoyi" was an insult to her. Seeing this pretty and well-mannered girl, she felt... the Cao family was really courting disaster.
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"Why do you say that?" Yinreng still had a good impression of Cao Yin. Although he was favored by Kangxi, he still adhered to his duties. How could he be said to be 'seeking death'? "Look at his daughter, why did she say that about her father? Didn't you also say that this girl is very good?"
"The problem lies in this 'very good'." Shujia emphasized the tone of "very good".
"Can a good thing turn into a bad thing?"
"This girl is so young, yet she has developed such a dignified demeanor," I said honestly, "not only is she as good as Shuhui, but she's even better than many of the princes' wives. Temperament is innate, but manners and bearing are cultivated."
"I don't understand what you are saying anymore." Yinreng threw down the book in his hand and pretended to listen. His wife usually spoke to the point, or she simply didn't talk nonsense.
As long as you have money, magnanimity is not a big problem, at least that's what Shujia thinks. Magnanimity is also built on money. With that condition, you will naturally have the confidence.
Shujia's own experience proves this point. She is a tragic grassroots who traveled through time and space and ended up in such a family. After being influenced by the aristocratic life for so many years, she has the style of a quasi-mother of the nation.
Even before the time travel, in a supposedly egalitarian society, if you put a child raised in the countryside and a child raised in the city side by side, you'd be able to tell which was which. Different environments bred different temperaments, and this wasn't about praising one over the other; the facts were there. And let alone in this unequal feudal era, how could one have the same bearing without the same environment and experiences?
How can I say this about the Cao family...
Shujia thought for a moment and slowly explained, "My family, raising the Crown Princess and the Fifteenth Consort, was never something I could have dreamed of. But it's understandable—our family background is quite impressive. Looking at it from a broader perspective, it's quite impressive. Aside from the five great aristocratic families, it's considered one of the top families. Isn't that a boast?"
Yinreng smiled and nodded: "That's right. It's your luck and my luck as well."
"But that was earned by several generations of people fighting on the brink of death for decades. My great-grandfather followed the emperor into the pass, and my grandfather joined the army to pacify the Three Feudatories. To be honest, they benefited a lot." The wealth was accumulated by generations of soldiers and ruffians.
This was common sense, and Yinreng was not unaware of it. He nodded again and said, "What does this have to do with the Cao family?"
"The Cao family started out as bondservants, or... captured and made bondservants. Even if they were good at first, how much wealth would be left? Yes, starting with Cao Xi, they've had officials, but how does that compare to generals?"
"It's a world of difference." This wasn't a compliment to his wife, it was just a statement of fact. "What are you doing compared to this? Isn't that lowering your status?"
Shujia asked again, "Even if Khan Ama showed sympathy for his old ministers and wanted to give Cao Yin some respect, could he have betrothed this girl to an iron-hat prince from birth and asked the Cao family to devote all their resources to raising her?"
"How is this possible? There are so many ways to give him respect! Raise the banner, promote him, give his son a birth, give his second wife an imperial decree..." Yinreng listed several ways without thinking.
"Khan Ama probably came up with this idea after seeing this girl. It seems that this is how the Cao family usually raises their children. A child raised in this way, and raised to look like she could become a prince's wife, don't you think the word "normal" is strange?"
Yinreng also sensed something was amiss: "It's indeed a bit strange."
"To put it bluntly, it's just six words: 'raise a girl to move her body, live in a place with ease'! How did the Cao family produce such a dignified daughter? Even if her grandmother had been in the palace, had knowledge and knew the palace rules, and didn't have maids and servants to pamper her, and didn't have mountains of gold and silver to offer, she couldn't raise a girl like this who would make the Khan Ama want to choose her as a prince's wife the moment he saw her. Look at my fifth brother's wife, she's also from a famous family, but compared to this girl from the Cao family, she's just a fool. Tell me, what can the Cao family use to raise her? What can they use to live in?"
Yinreng's expression turned serious: "You mean, Cao Yin is not so clean?" There are many dirty things in the officialdom, but after the Crown Princess said this, the Cao family seemed to have gone too far.
Cao Yin's mother served as Kangxi's wet nurse. While her current status may sound glamorous, it's a testament to the Cao family's humble beginnings. When Kangxi was born, Shunzhi wasn't particularly favored, favoring someone else. Even now, the princes' wet nurses can only assert themselves after their sons have achieved power and influence. Even Ling Pu only became the head of the Imperial Household Department after Kangxi intentionally favored Yinreng. Ling Pu, too, was corrupt and ultimately captured. The Cao family's rise to prominence occurred after Kangxi ascended the throne.
Anyone would have suspected that the deficit in the weaving business wasn't just due to the emperor's visit; the Cao family itself was also tainted. This was the reason they could afford to build such a large mansion, create a seemingly lavish scene, have a multitude of servants, and raise a daughter with such elegance.
"Who knows? To put it bluntly, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Even officials in Beijing offer gifts of ice and charcoal. Where does the money come from? Everyone knows the number. Just don't go overboard. But..."
A family that raises a prince's wife under ordinary conditions has probably exceeded the warning line for official investigation.
Just as Cao Jia had observed the Crown Princess, the Crown Princess also saw clues in Cao Jia's clothing. Being low-key was always the most impressive way to show off: "That girl's jade hairpins and bracelets are worth hundreds of taels in total, and the material of her clothes is also extraordinary. This outfit alone is worth several years of her father's salary."
Considering the dowry required to become a wife of a noble, this was a significant sum. While Cao Jiashi herself was a high-ranking official, her parents were not high-ranking, so to preserve her reputation, her dowry could not be shabby. I met Cao Jiashi several more times later, and while I can't say the girl wore a completely different outfit or jewelry, she did have quite a few variations. A single season's worth of jewelry for a young woman could be worth one or two thousand taels.
This Cao family is really... looking for trouble. The Cao family's raid wasn't really unfair. Shujia knew the country's finances were already a bit tight, and the country was struggling. If you're still like this, who else are you going to raid?
Shujia didn't want to think about what would happen to the Cao family. She was so disillusioned. She had thought they were being scapegoated by Kangxi, that they had chosen the wrong side in the imperial princes' power struggle and were being retaliated against. She had even felt sorry for the Cao family because of Cao Xueqin.
Holy shit! What a waste of emotion!
Returning to the Eastern Palace, Shujia wiped her face and gathered her small notebook, preparing hundred-day gifts for the sons of the Fifth, Seventh, and Fourteenth Princes. She also had to pack a box of gifts for the eldest princess of the eldest prince's family. She would soon be accompanying the emperor on his journey to the Great Wall, and her luggage needed to be sorted. This time, many of the emperor's grandchildren would be traveling with her, so she also needed to prepare some things related to them...
I'm already so busy with my own affairs, how can I care about others? Let's just take care of ourselves.
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Expressionless face: I drew again, no updates are shown in the favorites, even the total word count remains unchanged = =!
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