I rushed forward with my back bent
Giving birth is a very exhausting thing. Just because Shujia had a smooth birth doesn't mean she wasn't tired. After giving birth, Shujia had no strength left and didn't care about the sweat all over her body. She just wanted to have a good sleep. The midwives prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs had all undergone pre-job training. Seeing that the woman hadn't fainted, they brought the wrapped baby up and said, "My master, it's a white and chubby little prince."
None of her sons are not white and chubby! When she raised them, they were very round, but when they were in the hands of the child's grandfather, they became much thinner.
Shujia forced herself to take a look at the child. He was indeed a chubby little boy, though he hadn't grown up yet, so his face was a little wrinkled. However, his features were well-proportioned. Very good, as long as a boy has regular features.
Hongxiu brought a bowl of ginseng soup over to feed Shujia: "Master, I have to ask you to be more alert and help out outside."
Shujia was extremely thirsty and sleepy, but she knew Hongxiu wasn't the type to stir up trouble, so she took her hand and drank half a bowl of soup. Seeing that she had already drunk a little, Hongxiu said without her asking, "The master of Chengqian Palace is outside, and this time it's all thanks to her. Those two are here too, but they can only leave after the master's permission. Prince Hongxi has also returned from class, and I heard there's a new little prince, who is also waiting outside to pay his respects. Prince Hongtong won't be able to sleep well without seeing you."
The people in the East Palace were easy to send away, since she was a new mother, but Concubine Tong had to be thanked for coming to take charge. Shujia asked Hongxiu to go out and express her gratitude, and also asked her to wrap the child tightly and take it to Concubine Tong to see.
Concubine Tong had been on edge for hours outside, and the reason she hadn't gone back to rest was to stay a little longer to make sure the Crown Princess was also safe. When the child was brought out, saying it was the Crown Princess who asked her to bring it out, Concubine Tong knew that Shujia at least seemed to be fine.
Reassured, Concubine Tong smiled at Hongxiu and said, "Your mistress is too serious. This is my job. Tell her to have a good rest. I will send someone to tell the princes outside to report the good news to His Majesty, and also let the Crown Prince know. Two of you should go with my people to Ningshou Palace to announce the good news to the ancestor." After giving instructions, she hung up a pair of bows and arrows and made arrangements for the follow-up matters.
Her voice was neither loud nor soft, and Shujia, not fully alert, could only vaguely hear it. Fortunately, someone came to pass the message. Shujia had no objection, but a thought suddenly occurred to her: This child's father is away on business, and there's no one to write in his diary...
Outside, Concubine Tong played with the newborn for a bit. This one was her grandson! It was plump and tender, and quite adorable. Concubine Tong looked at it for a while and said, "Take it in. Be careful with it. Newborn babies are especially delicate. Tell the Crown Princess that I'm coming back soon. It's time to get married. The Crown Princess is not available these days, so I'll just let her know. I'll come back tomorrow."
Hongxiu thanked her repeatedly and sent Concubine Tong back.
Shujia then told Zishang to pass on the message, saying that Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi had worked hard and should go back to rest. There was no need to set rules early tomorrow morning. She also gave Hongxi a few more words, asking him to rest well and attend classes on time tomorrow. The three of them left Duanyi Palace together and bumped into a fat ball.
Hongtong was bundled up tightly, his round face visible through his furry, trimmed woolen clothes. He wore a small melon-shaped hat on his head, and his eyes were watery. Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi both knelt in front of him. Hongtong held his hat with one hand, looked up and smiled, and first greeted Hongxi: "Second brother, am I a brother now?"
Hong Xi nodded: "Mother has gone to bed too, please don't bother her. Can you come back tomorrow morning?"
Hongtong still has a childish heart, how can he wait? Finally, he is no longer a tiny guy, a little ball, or a little bad boy. Even if he wants to be a bad boy, it is more impressive to be a big one!
"I'll go see my brother and then go to sleep," he said with a silly and smug smile, "Ah, second brother, you go to sleep, you have to get up early to study tomorrow." The last sentence was something he often heard his mother say and he had memorized it.
Really... you don't know how to worry! Hong Xi was afraid that he would continue to make trouble, so he had to coax him: "Then you go in quietly and don't make any noise. Mother is tired and has fallen asleep in the east warm room. You must not go in there for the next two days. Aunt will keep an eye on her." Qing Jin had been following Hong Tong all the way here. At this time, she bowed and said, "Don't worry, brother."
Hongxi then went back to his room, and Li Jia and Li Jia also went back.
Hongtong dove into the house, sneezed a little, and peeped in cautiously, "Where are my mother and brother?" He controlled his voice, but the mention of 'brother' made him excited. Qingjin smiled and said, "The young prince is in the master's room, you can't see him right now."
Hongtong, bored, finally made it to the inner room door, peeking through the crack and tilting his head to peer inside. He looked left and right, still seeing nothing, so he clung to the wooden lattice on the door, swinging back and forth with the crack as his axis. In the distance, he could only see a large ball rolling back and forth against the door panel.
If he could see this, the door craftsman would lose his job!
Qing Jin went over to help him move away a little, amused. "Brother, we've been here before, are we going to sleep?"
Hongtong's eyes were full of disappointment, and he looked at Qingjin with accusing eyes.
The door creaked open and Hongxiu flashed out: "It is indeed Prince Hongtong who has arrived. The master was just talking about it."
Hong Tong was delighted and jumped straight through the crack of the door.
Bang! The two maids blocked the door and he almost bumped into their legs!
Holding his hat and looking up, Hongtong took three steps back before putting his hand down and saying, "Let me in."
Shujia's voice came from inside: "Listen to Hongxiu!"
Hongxiu squatted down and came over: "Brother, according to the rules, you can't enter here. The young brother is asleep, but... the master has said that when Brother Hongdan and you were young, the master and the prince kept diaries for you. Brother Hongdan can write by himself now, and you have started to write by yourself. Now that the prince is away and the master is tired, can you help your younger brother write?"
Hongtong didn't bother to complain and nodded seriously: "Okay!" Then he tilted his head and asked, "What to write?" Writing a diary is painful! You can't afford to hurt a three-year-old who can't read! If there are words you can't write, you can only use pinyin instead!
Hongxiu took Hongtong away and went to the west room. She moved two more lamps with glass lampshades, ground ink, and took out the blank book she had prepared earlier.
Hongtong carefully took a piece of paper to feel the texture, then asked, "Which words should I write?" I hope it's not something I can't write.
Hongxiu looked strange: "I'm coming too."
Helping his brother write a diary gave Hongtong great satisfaction. The handwriting was very simple. He practiced on paper first to get a rough idea of the style before writing in a notebook.
When she was satisfied, she closed the book and said eagerly, "Aunt, can you show it to Mother?"
Hongxiu wanted to say, "Your mother has to go to bed." Just then, water was brought out from inside. The Crown Princess had just finished washing up. She nodded helplessly and went in, carrying the notebook. Hongtong followed her eagerly, clinging to the doorframe and hearing a voice from inside: "Very good." There was also a laugh.
He said loudly: "Mother, I will come over to write for my brother tomorrow!"
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The hectic day passed, and the next day, the two people who had said they would come tomorrow actually came. Hongtong couldn't wait to write another diary for his brother, and Concubine Tong came to visit the mother and inquire about the arrangements for the third day bath.
Hongtong was not very excited when he learned that he would have to write a summary of his diary at the end of the day. Shujia, who had a good night's sleep and a full meal in the morning, was full of energy and told him, "Go and pay your respects to the ancestors on behalf of your mother. When you come back, learn a few more characters. Today's diary is long."
Then he jumped and skipped to Ningshou Palace.
Concubine Tong came over after Hongtong left. She first went to Ningshou Palace to pay her respects and reported that she would come to the East Palace today. She came over after registering with the old lady.
Hongxiu received Concubine Tong, asked her to sit down, and served her tea. When Concubine Tong asked, "You have also experienced the third day bath, have you made any preparations?"
Hongxiu replied, "The master has prepared some things. We have a rough idea of what we will use and the guests we will invite. We still need your approval."
Concubine Tong didn't refuse. She asked for the list and looked at it. She thought the Crown Princess was indeed very attentive and had everything prepared. She finally suggested only one thing: "Add Shi Wenying's wife to the list. Your master's family must be invited. Even if the Earl's Mansion is inconvenient, it's reasonable for someone from the side branches to come and take a look."
Then Concubine Tong ordered the good news to be announced to all palaces, and told the prince on duty today, and also informed all the princes' palaces to prepare to participate in the third-day bathing ceremony, and also to notify them in advance: you also have to prepare for the full moon ceremony and so on.
With Concubine Tong's help, Shujia felt a lot more relaxed. For the next month, she would just lie down, walk around her room, and play with her son. Her husband was away, so the problems of getting along with her and preventing him from cheating could be put aside for the time being.
The busiest person wasn't Concubine Tong, but Hongtong, whose learning efficiency had greatly improved. Engels once said that when society demands a product, this demand is more powerful than the impact of a hundred universities. This also applies to Hongtong. He racked his brains, diligently learning to write the Chinese characters he thought he might need, and he was extremely busy.
Gao Sanxie was proficient in both Manchu and Chinese characters, and Yinreng was not in the palace, so he was drafted into the army by Hongtong.
After Hongtong wrote "washing the third day and being beaten by onions" in his brother's diary - the character for "onion" was too complicated and he couldn't write it well, so he had to use pinyin instead. When he got home, he wrote a whole page of "onion" characters - he was given a more difficult task.
Gao Sanxie found his workload growing heavier. This prince not only kept a diary but also helped write letters home. Gao Sanxie reassured the Crown Princess that she was simply having fun with her son. Looking around, he saw that Prince Hongtong hadn't yet mastered the small regular script. It wasn't as big as a bucket, but it was still about an inch in diameter. Well, a letter home took six or seven pages, totaling only two or three hundred words. Fortunately, the formatting was correct.
If Shujia had something to say, she wouldn't have asked a four-year-old to write it, since he couldn't even recognize all the characters. She just didn't want Hongtong to feel left out. She had already asked Hongxi to come over and dictate the formal text through the wall.
From a distance, Yinreng received letters from home. When he opened them, he found one was written by Hongxi. The content was dictated by Shujia, saying that everything was fine at home, thanking the child's uncle for helping as a messenger, saying that Concubine Tong took good care of everyone, Hongxi studied very hard, and the letter was written by him, and so on.
After reading this, he took out the envelope and found Hongtong's handwriting. Hmm, it was quite childlike. Kangxi laughed. Yinreng said to Hongdan, "You can go back." Then he wrote a letter to his wife, with words of comfort, and put a piece of paper in Hongxi, asking about his homework in detail.
In addition to his father's oral instructions, Hongdan also slipped a note to his brother: "You must learn to write well."
In addition to telling his mother the story orally, Hongtong also enclosed a note for his brother: "I am four (nominal) years old, and you are six (nominal) years old." The word "year" was written in particularly large characters, and the traditional Chinese version of this word was really difficult for Hongtong.
This exchange of letters continued until mid-December, when the emperor returned to the court.
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After returning to Beijing, Kangxi and the Crown Prince soon became busy with various year-end summaries and sacrificial activities.
Kangxi's primary concern was his sons' behavior. Yinreng also had to consider his wife and son. They had been away for less than a month, so even if there was anything noticeable, it was quite limited. However, the father and son were keenly aware of a slight shift in the way people stood in crowded settings.
When people get close to each other, they unconsciously move closer. "Moving closer" isn't just an abstract concept; it's a tangible manifestation of the two of them standing closer together. Maintaining a safe distance of one meter from others means keeping a foot away from him.
Yinreng narrowed his eyes and said, "Aling, don't be too close to Old Eight. There are eyes everywhere in the courtyard of the Qianqing Palace."
Alinga tilted his head and saw the prince. So what?
Who in the imperial court wouldn't want to be closer to the next emperor? Even someone with a strong background like Alinga wouldn't have any reason to go against a comfortable future, right?
This is a historical issue. Alinga met Yinsi's worried gaze and curled his lips: "I'm used to it."
Indeed, the Crown Prince has always been very arrogant. When he was young, he had little contact with the court officials. As he grew older, he became a prince waiting to be served. Think about it, I'm a shareholder too, and I'm a bit arrogant too. You, you, you, you, actually treat me like a temporary employee.
This was a lingering effect of the Crown Prince's overly pretentious childhood. He ignored people, and they ignored him. Eventually, apathy became a habit. Everyone figured, "Even if you're the chairman of the board, you can't fire me. At most, we'll just have a small quarrel." Respect, sometimes, has to be mutual. This is probably why many nobles avoid the Crown Prince.
Just like Kangxi would never behave like Fuquan, although Yinreng had restrained his temper a little, he could not let go of his pride even when he was asked to show goodwill for no reason. Reconciliation is a long and arduous journey!
Kangxi certainly saw what Yinreng saw, but he wasn't worried. How could such a good prince be left alone? Kangxi just wanted his sons to be a little more independent, especially the Eighth Prince, so he wouldn't be led astray. He had put a lot of thought and effort into the Eighth Prince, not wanting him to follow the eldest son's lead and instead wanted him to remain steadfast in his mission of gathering the Zhenglan Banner for the emperor.
It's still necessary to give the sons more room to develop and test their talents. Those with ulterior motives should be discouraged or even punished to prevent them from causing trouble. Those without ulterior motives should also be observed in practice to allow them to display their talents. This process can also reveal the character of the court officials, truly achieving multiple goals with one stroke.
Kangxi was thinking, "Next year I'll have to go on two more tours. Who should I take with me? And how will the rotation be?"
Yinreng's depression deepened. Forbearance brings peace, but retreating is like falling into an abyss. Grinding my teeth, I endure! I charge forward, crouching low! Hongdan, you're quite familiar with your Egong, right? Let's talk while we go home to see our mother and brother.
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Shujia was already halfway through her postpartum confinement. This time, the confinement period was more difficult, as Xiluo was not allowed to attend her in the palace. However, Concubine Tong, under the Empress Dowager's orders, came to look after her from time to time. Since the Empress Dowager could not come in person, she would appoint someone else to take care of her. Concubine Tong was the highest-ranking concubine in the palace and was favored by the Empress Dowager, so she was chosen.
Concubine Tong was also happy. Childless and high-ranking, she still had to maintain a good relationship with the Crown Prince, right? She and Shujia seemed to have similar personalities, both meticulous and unobtrusive. It was rare for them to discover that they shared similar interests.
In those days, few women were educated, and the same was true for the Eight Banners women. Except for those whose families were well-off enough to hire a teacher, the others were lucky enough to know how to write. Coincidentally, both of them came from well-off families and had read a lot of classics and history. Concubine Tong's father, Tong Guowei, had even been ordered by Emperor Kangxi to host Western missionaries, so he knew a lot.
Concubine Tong was amazed to see the people in the Eastern Palace act with moderation, only showing a slight panic during the Crown Princess's delivery, but returning to order the next day. As a concubine, she rarely had the opportunity to set foot in the Eastern Palace, and her impression of the Crown Princess was limited to the conversations she had with them in Ningshou Palace and the word-of-mouth about her virtues.
Now that we have the opportunity, we must find out the truth and think of a response strategy.
According to Concubine Tong, the Crown Princess was a very easygoing person. She treated no one harshly, and even when she allowed Li Jiashi to care for Hongyang, she praised him as "smart" when Hongyang died. She had no responsibility for the child's death, yet she still carried a reputation for being magnanimous and devoted to her mother and child.
Now, Hongxi is healthy in all aspects, and the Crown Princess even allowed him to comfort Li Jiashi's grief over the loss of her son. This shows that she is truly magnanimous. After all, they already have three biological sons, so why be so petty?
The two concubines, even when they appeared, did so quietly. However, judging by their attire, they were both of the highest quality, within the bounds of the imperial rule. From the occasional snippets of information, it was clear that the Crown Princess had given them generous allowances.
Concubine Tong thought she had finally understood the Crown Princess: "Don't cause me any trouble. I will ensure your prosperity and safety." This was a good outcome. She didn't want to compete with the Eastern Palace for anything! She felt at ease in the days ahead. Smiling, she took off the sachet from her waist and gave it to Hongtong to play with: "This is an imitation Tang Dynasty incense ball. No matter how you shake it, the fragrance won't come out. If you like it, take it and play with it."
Hongtong looked at Shujia, and after getting her consent, he happily took it: "Thank you, Concubine." He took it aside and used it to entertain his brother who had just opened his eyes.
Shujia pointed at him and said to Concubine Tong, "Look at him, I've spoiled him."
Concubine Tong said, "Don't be afraid. Our children are all sensible. The emperor is coming back today, and the prince is coming with him. I won't stay any longer."
Shujia smiled and said, "Thank you for your help these days, my dear mother." The annual gift will be increased by one year, and the prepared needlework will be increased by one cent. Little Hongtong packed up and went to ask for a red envelope.
As soon as Concubine Tong left, Yinreng came in and sniffed: "Have you changed your scent?" Then he climbed onto the stroller to look at his youngest son who had fully mastered the hibernation skill.
Shujia said, "You have a really good nose. The concubine mother of Chengqian Palace just left."
"She?" Yinreng was shocked.
"Of course it's her. You and Hongdan haven't been by my side these days, and I have no backbone. It's really thanks to her. I was thinking of going to thank her in person after I finish my confinement. By the way, I think she seems to like Hongtong. The child is still young, so I can bring him to her to play." This is a good step, why don't you step on it quickly! There is no harm in getting closer to Concubine Tong!
Yinreng thought to himself, "Great! My dear, you are so lovely!" He sat down by the bed and said, "You decide. And thank me on my behalf. Well, I'll send someone to thank you today. Do you think that's appropriate?"
"Well?"
"My mother-in-law is taking care of my wife and children. Shouldn't I thank her?"
"Okay," he paused, "what about me?"
Yinreng's brows relaxed, he stood up, and imitated the movements of singing opera, bowing deeply: "My wife, you have worked hard." He then dragged out the tone, "Thank you~my~wife~"
The author has something to say: I did two things at work that affected my mood during the day.
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