It's better to have a biological son
In today's environment, we must consider the political significance of where we live.
This is likened to a romance novel: the hero loves the heroine, so much, so much, but what happens? He leaves her outside the palace as a concubine. The silly girl lives there, pure and innocent, peacefully enjoying the special favors. The reader also feels that the hero disdains his wife, that he's in Cao's camp but his heart is with Han, while he even writes about the wife's bitterness, feigning strength, and feeling envious and jealous.
Love her so much that she is not worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with me, this love~
With this explanation, you probably know the meaning behind these "vulgar" things like address and identity.
What? You mean you shouldn't put her in a position of being a target? You believe that nonsense? Let me put it this way: if you die, everything you have will belong to the woman you don't love. You'll be buried in the same grave with her. The one you love will have nothing left. Do you understand? So, in real life, countless mistresses fight tooth and nail to get a marriage certificate protected by "secular" society, hoping to share in the inheritance.
As the crown prince, Yinreng was confined to the palace, where he could pursue worldly interests, not the ethereal "favorite." This certainly had its drawbacks, namely, it was difficult to contact ministers under the emperor's watchful eye. But it also had its advantages: everyone knew you were the heir! More importantly, it made you a force to be reckoned with. This gave him ample time and space to maneuver and bribe his way through the core of power.
The East Palace has always been next to the Imperial Palace, or even within the palace walls. This is the purpose, for the world to see.
Yinreng must live in the palace, and Yuqing Palace is too small to accommodate him, so he must move to a larger place. No matter how much they complain about the inconveniences of the palace, the Crown Prince and his wife will not choose to move out of the palace to build a residence. Even if they think their brothers' titles are a major threat, they will not object to their moving out of the Forbidden City. Even if the objection is effective, it must not be raised. No matter how reluctant she is, the Crown Princess must be prepared to move in with her husband and children and a concubine.
So, although Shujia was feeling queasy in her heart, her body was already expressing her surprise quite well. "Really? When they said they were going to move there two years ago, I was looking forward to it, but it's a pity they never made it. Now, I don't have to hide from the Zhanshi Mansion with the kids at the right time anymore."
The Crown Prince's Chamberlain, whose prominent positions were held concurrently by imperial officials, served as a form of protection for his son. Lower-ranking officials, however, held this single position, and those favored by the Emperor, considered future pillars of the nation, were assigned to work alongside the Crown Prince. Each was incredibly hardworking, with tardiness and early departures a rare occurrence, and even more so, collective absenteeism. Gender differences were a factor, and the Crown Princess could only avoid them.
Yinreng put down the blueprint, put his arm around his wife, patted her on the back, and comforted her: "You have worked hard over the years. We will save ourselves the trouble in the future. Come and take a look. How do you think this room should be furnished? The things in our warehouse can come in handy." At the same time, he led the person in his arms to the table.
Shujia looked down at the blueprints. The design of the new East Palace was modeled after the Forbidden City. The center section consisted of three main halls. The front hall was where Yinreng entertained guests, the middle was where he lived, and finally the Crown Princess's quarters, each with its own side halls. The east and west sections mimicked the layout of the East and West Six Palaces. The gardens were positioned the same, behind the Crown Princess's quarters. Only the warehouses had been slightly relocated. The tea and forging warehouses of the palace were now east of the East Six Palaces and outside the Yanxi Palace. Here, in a square format, the small courtyards housed the quarters for menial servants and night watchmen. The East Five and West Five buildings of the palace served as the East Palace's warehouses.
"The east courtyard should be reserved for our sons, and our daughters should live in the west. The children are still young, so they'd better rely on us. We can only feel at ease if we keep an eye on them all the time." "Further out are the small courtyards for the concubines. We should do as much as we can with physical isolation. "There's no room for the emperor's grandchildren in the palace, so the children will have to live with us. It's not reassuring to have children who haven't grown up living near the outer edges, close to the servants."
Yinreng gestured on the blueprint and decided that placing the children's courtyard closer to the center would be more reassuring. As for the concubine, he hadn't yet noticed. Besides, no one would speculate on the emperor's lifespan, but subconsciously, one would wonder: Will you live long enough for your grandson to marry and have children? In Yinreng's mind, he, his wife, and their children would live here, and while they were there, the children would still be minors. Minors needed close parental care.
"Let Hongxi and Hongyang live here first. I will arrange for his mother to live in the yard next to Hongyang. Although there is a wall between them, it will be convenient for her to take care of him. What do you think?" Shujia pointed to the location. Li Jia had always been arranged by her to take care of Hongyang, so there was nothing wrong with her continuing to do so.
"Very good. What kind of trees do you think we should plant in this garden? I'll finally have a garden where I can wander as I please!" Yinreng felt the pleasure of a liberated serf. "In the Imperial Garden, we always have to be wary of the concubines. They live in the back and rarely have the chance to wander around, let alone me."
The palace was overflowing with things, especially the various gates and alleys. At a fixed time each day, the gates at the entrance to the alleys were locked, leaving only the faint of heart to escape. The gates and alleys within the harem were especially noticeable. For the sake of appearance, the gates were always left open. The harem was like a circuit breaker: open one, and those coming from the front could pass through to the Imperial Garden. Close it, and even if you could sneak in, the other end would be locked. Conversely, the other circuit remained open, allowing for unimpeded passage.
As the crown prince, once he reached adulthood, he had to avoid the imperial concubines and his mother. He also had a father who gave people the impression that "no fun was allowed." If he wanted to behave, he had to stay still and not run away. Even if he wanted to stroll, there was only this little space. It was so suffocating!
Shujia smiled and said, "Let's not talk about anything else. As long as there is water, just build the railings higher. The children are still young, and I'm afraid they might get naughty."
"In that case, I have no choice but to go fishing in Changchun Garden." Yinreng joked in a relaxed manner.
"Speaking of which, what does Changchun Garden look like?"
Yinreng said with a hint of surprise: "Yes, you haven't been there yet!"
You just thought of it?
"Nothing much, just a more comfortable place to live. Well, Khan Ama even ordered some rice to be planted outside the study. He also told me about Jiaxuan's affairs."
“I wonder when I can go and take a look.”
"Changchun Garden is right there. When Khan Ama returns and takes the Empress Dowager there, you can go with him." Yinreng didn't think this was a big deal and turned to comfort Shujia, "Once this small garden is renovated, the scenery won't be bad either. So, of all the large areas, this is the only place we can decide to renovate. You should think about it carefully, and I should think about it too. Let's make it more comfortable. How about it? Our new home is not bad after all."
Yinreng's words weren't entirely wrong. The new house itself was quite satisfactory. It was spacious, well-planned, of high quality, and the environment was excellent, especially considering it was completely newly built. If one ignored the issue of who was living with them, everything was satisfactory.
Shujia could only cheer up and discuss the interior decoration issues with him.
Yinreng was quite proud: "When you add it all up, it's not smaller than their palace outside. What's rare is the good location!" He continued to show off its geographical location, "This is a place for growth."
His words touched Shujia's heart.
Compared to Yuqing Palace, this place is more suitable for the crown prince to live in. Even if you are not a firm atheist or a firm believer in the bearded man, you have to admit this fact: Feng Shui can sometimes be quite mysterious.
The original design envisioned the crown prince's residence as the East Palace, also known as the Spring Palace. The Eastern Green Dragon symbolizes the growth of all things, signifying the growth of the wood element. The square and spacious East Palace was where the crown prince resided during the Ming Dynasty. With the exception of Chongzhen's unfortunate son, virtually everyone who lived here became emperor.
Let's look at the fate of the crown prince who lived in Yuqing Palace during the Qing Dynasty (sweat my sweat, it's history, history). Emperor Kangxi abandoned the existing Eastern Palace and placed his son in Yuqing Palace. Yes, it was closer to him, but Yuqing Palace was adjacent to Fengxian Hall, and while it housed ancestral tablets, it was also eerie. It was also a long, narrow space, feeling cramped and depressing.
Come to think of it, she had lived there for such a long time and hadn't gotten into trouble yet, she was really lucky. Oh no, no, she had to stay here until she moved to her new home. She couldn't dwell on this. It would send chills down her spine, and the negative effects would make her want to scratch the wall.
No, there was something she had to think about.
That unfortunate Kunning Palace originally had its main entrance in the center. Most Ming Dynasty empresses lived a respectable life and enjoyed a happy ending. Even the two deposed empresses, one sat above the new empress while still alive, and the emperor, upon his death, somewhat regretted deposing her, and her status was restored by subsequent emperors. The other was eventually taken in and raised in honor by the succeeding emperor.
By the Qing Dynasty, the gates had been redesigned into pocket-style, with the main entrance no longer in the central position. What was the outcome? Shujia didn't know the second half of Qing history. There are five of them, counting on her fingers: the first, she was deposed. The second, she was nearly deposed, childless, unloved, and now a widow. The third, her eldest son died young, and she died giving birth to her second, who never became emperor (according to history). The fourth, she died after living here for six months. The fifth, she died before she even started living there...
Anyone who has visited the Forbidden City knows that the West Wing was rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi, and then… the Qing Dynasty was doomed. So, don't build recklessly! Renovation is a technical job! Even if the building materials meet the standards, and load-bearing walls aren't damaged or plumbing and electrical wiring are not dug up, there could still be a host of other problems. (The above paragraphs are purely random ramblings by the author, so don't take them too seriously.)
Before going to bed at night, Shujia had already established two beliefs: first, it would be nice to move there; second, I have to find a way to get them to renovate the house and move the door around.
After the discussion, they went into the house and went to bed, and there was no conversation all night.
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The palace was very quiet throughout the entire month of August. This quietness refers to the personnel aspects, not the physical sounds. After all, building the East Palace was a huge project.
On this day, Shujia once again sent the fat boy to Su Malagu's house, and also brought some fruits and vegetables to thank her. Su Malagu held a high position in the palace, but her share was still that of a servant, no more than that of a master. It was less than everyone else's.
Shujia's gifts to her were never always expensive. More often, they were practical things like seasonal fruits and vegetables, pens and paper, or a pair of glasses for Suma, as she was getting older. In Shujia's words, it was just a temporary gift, but instead of biltong, she'd give her something practical to show her appreciation.
Every time, when they got to the door, he would ask the fat boy to take it from the eunuch and personally hand it to Su Ma. It was a bit solemn.
Today was the same. Su Ma took it as usual and said, "I'm sorry to bother you again, young master." Facing the serious face of the little fat man, she felt a little helpless, but also quite relieved. Ever since one day, when the little fat man had to bow to her, Su Maguai told the truth: "Mother said that we must respect our teachers. Su Ma's mother is our enlightenment teacher. We must respect our teachers from now on."
Su Ma protested to the Crown Princess: "A slave is a slave. How can you ask the master to salute the slave?"
The Crown Princess replied, "Nothing is more precious than a royal family. However, etiquette must not be abandoned. We sent him here to learn the truth. In everything, we should not only listen to what others say, but also observe their actions. Otherwise, if he memorizes a lot of books about sages and then becomes a thief, what's the point? Even the Khan Ama has a seat when the teacher lectures. Can he be more precious than the Khan Ama? Just sit still. I won't care about other things, but he must understand this principle now."
From then on, Su Ma and the fat boy, a master and a disciple, got along well with each other. The elder taught more wholeheartedly, and the younger one took it more seriously.
Today's usual treats arrived again, and she accepted them earnestly, without protest. Then she sent the Crown Princess off to visit relatives, and taught the fat boy Manchu, adding Mongolian lessons lately. Sometimes she'd also go over some etiquette, recounting stories about the childhoods of Shunzhi and Kangxi, and discussing Empress Xiaozhuang's life. Like all children, the fat boy loved stories, absorbing them quickly. His favorite was Su Ma's storytelling.
I have to say, the Crown Princess is damned shady! Who was Su Ma? A shrewd woman who had lived through three dynasties, and had spent decades in a key position. Even when she was telling stories, as long as they weren't rehashing myths, they were just anecdotes from the past. These events all took place within the treacherous palace walls, with all sorts of conspiracies and plots, some not even recorded in history books, yet recorded by those who experienced them firsthand.
Su Ma has always been on the side of the victors, and given her loyalty to Xiaozhuang's family, the story must center on the wisdom of these towering figures and their experience of victory. These are things that cannot be bought with money or prayed to the gods.
Su Ma clearly raised two people: Kangxi, who was already favored by Empress Xiaozhuang and considered the heir apparent among her grandchildren; and Yinlu, the twelfth prince, whose mother was not prominent. The result? Each lived a successful life. The favored one is now emperor. The less prominent one among the brothers doesn't stick with the group, living his own life and occasionally making a few misdemeanors.
The growth trajectory of the little fat boy who was sent here by his mother to be brought up since childhood can now be guessed.
After today's study, we talked about the story of Kangxi capturing Oboi. The fat boy summarized it by saying, "A gentleman is slow to speak but quick to act." The subtext: one must be mean and mean to be a good person.
Su Ma thought about it and said, "Really, the young master said it clearly." The little fat man said seriously, "It wasn't me who said it, it was the saint who said it."
Su Ma smiled amiably, "Even if it was said by a saint, if you remember it, it's yours. Truth is meant to be learned. However, sometimes you shouldn't be too frugal with your words."
"What do you mean?" The little fat boy's seriousness disappeared, and his curiosity was aroused. He pulled Su Ma's sleeve and asked her to continue.
Su Ma said: "Speak when you should speak, and be quiet when you should be quiet."
I don't understand. Keep asking.
Suma then continued to tell the story...
By the time the Crown Princess came back from visiting friends and picked up the child to take home for dinner after school, the little fat boy had already learned a lot.
The mother and daughter strolled back while chatting.
"What did Suma's mother say today?"
"It's about the old stories of our royal ancestors."
"Really? What's going on?"
Questions and answers, reviewing homework. Shujia didn't care much for the fat boy's academic performance. Whenever he went back to review, Yinreng would personally check his work, and Shujia could tell his level at a glance. And these little stories, Shujia believed, were even more important than his homework. Don't you see, even the Eighth Master's poor handwriting couldn't hinder his good reputation? Emotional intelligence is sometimes more important than IQ.
After listening to what Su Ma said, Shujia nodded and praised the little fat boy: "Baby, you said it very well. I only heard these accidents from outsiders before, but no one said it as detailed and beautifully as you do." Encouragement, keep listening carefully and understand it seriously next time!
After picking up the little fat boy, we had tea and rested. At the same time, I teased the second fat boy. The second fat boy was quite respectful today and called out honestly, "Dede." The little fat boy was so happy: "Mother, he called me, he called me, you good boy, call me another one for mother to hear."
Erpang turned around and gave his brother a two-head-tall back view. He ate more rice candy and stopped crying. Shujia smiled and hugged Erpang, and the little fat boy gave his mother a smile without hesitation. Shujia said to the little fat boy, "You haven't finished reviewing your homework yet."
The little fat boy went to review his lessons with a little happiness and a little regret. Shujia teased the little fat boy for a while and then went to do the housework.
According to reports, the roads in Guangzhou are all promising, and the shops in Beijing are also in their favor. He is just waiting for others to make a move, and the prince will follow the crowd.
Unfortunately, the masters outside haven't made any moves yet! Qing Jin reported, "I received a message from outside, and those masters haven't made any big moves yet. The shops are still being rented out, and the farms haven't been cleaned up yet. These days, the wives are busy meeting with the housekeepers and taking stock. The Prince Zhi's Mansion is making a lot of noise, but it's just spending money to build temples and hire monks, and there's no profitable business."
Shujia remained silent after hearing this.
"I'm not afraid of that, but what about the person? What's important is that he's reliable and doesn't act arbitrarily and domineeringly. That would only ruin his reputation."
"We're still selecting. We need someone who knows the inside story and is reliable, which will take some time. We've only found four so far. The fourth old master from the south did recommend one, but it's still not enough."
"We still have plenty of time, so if we can spare a bit of money, we can ask them to buy some samples. We can test their taste and see if they're reliable. We can say we want to prepare some New Year gifts."
“Yeah.”
After finishing all that, I took another look at the inventory and thought about my future home furnishings. The fat kid finished his homework and ran over to try to pry open the fat kid's mouth and get him to call me "brother" again. He failed.
At this time, Jia Yingxuan came over and said, "The Crown Prince wants the Third Prince to come to the front. The examination is about to begin."
Shujia patted the little fat boy on the head and said, "Why don't you pack up and go over?" The little fat boy reluctantly sorted out his clothes and went to the inner room to look at his homework books. This habit was due to the dual teachings of Su Malagu and the Crown Princess. If it was important and he did something himself, he had to check it again before submitting it for inspection.
Today's inspection went smoothly, and all three brothers passed. Yinreng brought them over for a snack, then a short break before continuing work in the afternoon.
Everything was going well, but after finishing his snack, Hongyang didn't go to bed immediately. Instead, he asked Shujia, "Mother, can you ask me to stay with you at noon?"
Shujia was surprised, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she asked Hongyang with a smile, "Is it because your mother has always been with you, and you can't sleep well in a different place?"
Hongyang shook his head. "No, everything is fine here, Mother. My son and I are happy. But yesterday, I heard from the palace maids that there was a lot of noise there during the day, and Mother and the others couldn't get any peace. Father and Mother love us and asked us to come here to rest at noon, but... thinking of Mother still there, my son feels uneasy."
After all, they are my biological children!
Shujia felt very depressed.
Don’t worry, you have your own children too.
The second fat man wasn't very good at fighting, but the little fat man was still okay. This kid said very sensibly, "Then my brother and I will stay at Mother's house and give them my room." Be generous, you must be generous, don't worry about the gains and losses of a city or a place. Su Ma's mother said that those in power should be generous, be kind to brothers, and give face to their mothers. Mother said, the things are yours, so what if you lend them to him just to make him covet them?
Besides, I must squeeze the word "brother" out of that little fat boy again today! If he doesn't, I won't let him sleep!
The little fat boy rolled his eyes and sincerely asked his mother.
Agreeing to this would be foolish. How could a concubine's mother live in the legitimate son's room? Although palace transfers do happen, Empress Zhang lived in the Eastern Palace during the Ming Dynasty, but those were all done through formal transfer procedures and then transferred back. This was absolutely unacceptable.
Mr. Yinreng was furious: "Both of you are fooling around!" He looked at Hongyang and said, "When the six palaces in the east and west were being renovated, your grandmothers were also forbidden to leave during the day. I have never heard of any of them going into hiding. Could it be that my concubine is even more pampered than the main concubine in the harem?"
Yinreng was furious. Throughout August, he hadn't found anything to report specifically to Kangxi. Every memorial he wrote was filled with the same old clichés. With his brothers now moved out, he no longer had to act as a ghostwriter, currying favor with his brothers and father, or reporting the good news on their behalf.
The interaction between the crown prince and the emperor was in an awkward situation where there was nothing to say! He was anxious at the thought of Yinzhi's tongue. The letter was short, and the reply was aimless, making it impossible to infer whether Kangxi's attitude had changed.
After slapping one out, he slapped the other: "And you, even though you're young, you still have to know the rules and not break them. How can you let your stepmother live in your room?"
He turned to Gao Sanxie and said, "Who's in charge of Xiefang Palace? Is Lu Yougong? Why didn't he stop her? You go there yourself and tell Li Jiashi how she could let her child make such a fuss. Ask her if there's room for her in Yuqing Palace!"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince needs stability and unity. The top priority of the Eastern Palace’s internal affairs now is to maintain stability. No disharmonious actions such as petitioning are allowed!
"If Xiefang Palace can't accommodate her, I will..."
"Okay," Shujia finally recovered from the shock of her son's fighting ability. "The children are worried about their mother, don't take your anger out on them. Filial piety is a good thing. The two children are sensible and would be wise to meet Li Jiashi. How could they do such a stupid thing? You're overthinking it," she said to Gao Sanxie, "Don't go."
Yinreng glared and said, "Go to bed!" This was considered his agreement.
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In the west side hall, Hong Xi, feeling somewhat surprised and ignored, asked Hong Yang in dissatisfaction, "Mother is not feeling well? Why didn't you tell me? And you came here alone to tell me. Did Mother tell you to? Why didn't you tell me?"
Hong Yangmo, a child with poor health, was a bit thoughtful. He swallowed his words and turned his head away.
Hong Xi said bitterly, "Isn't that my mother? I am her son too, why didn't you tell me and instead called you..."
Hongyang threw back the quilt and said, "That's what I wanted to say. It's none of my mother's business." It was really what he thought. He was closer to his biological mother, unlike Hongxi, who felt a little neglected and was not so obvious about the closeness between the two sides.
Hongxi paused and complained to Hongyang: "You should have told me that. If I had known, I wouldn't have done it like this. Mother almost got hurt."
Hongyang stopped talking, and the maids came over: "Master, it's time to settle down, there are classes in the afternoon." By the way, these two are old enough to take riding and archery lessons.
Meanwhile, the fat boy's wish to torture his brother was dashed, and he returned home unhappy. Well, it was good news that his room was still his, so he should be happy.
The little fat boy's parents, however, had a different conversation. Shujia grumbled softly, "Children shouldn't criticize their parents."
Yinreng snorted and didn't want to talk.
"I didn't think it through. I was so focused on the two children that I forgot about their mother. Doesn't Yuqing Palace (referring to Yinreng's bedroom) have two side halls? One is for storing books (at the Crown Princess's instigation), and the other can be cleaned up..."
"Stop talking! I have another use for the other place!" That place was where Yinreng would invite officials from the Imperial Household Department who were more inclined towards the Crown Prince and could become his confidants to come for tea. Zhang Ying had this privilege. Sitting in the west side hall, opposite the library, it showed that the Crown Prince was studious and not interested in jewelry and beauty.
"How come I don't know?"
"Sleep." Of course, it was the prince's own idea. He simply opened the locked side hall and cleaned it. It was a matter of a word, without asking his wife. He didn't come to discuss with his wife whether this would be a good way to win them over.
After waking up from her nap, the Crown Princess ordered that no one should tell anyone about what happened at noon. Then she said to Hongyang, "Just focus on your studies. I'll think of a solution for the matter you mentioned."
The two brothers left.
In the evening, Yinreng's temper had subsided. Shujia said to him, "I almost forgot to tell you. I asked the seniors from the south to come over and see if everything is alright. We still have to wait for the shop. Are there any signs of movement in those mansions outside?"
"It's been half a year, and there's still no movement?"
Don't worry, it will be done soon. Just to build a garden for the Rongguo Mansion and hire a troupe of twelve young girls would cost thirty thousand taels of silver. If the Prince of Zhi built a temple, he would definitely need more than twelve monks.
"Monks also need clothes to wear and food to eat, as well as ritual implements and scriptures. How much does that cost? Even buying land and building it would be another considerable sum. Even if one is frugal, it would still cost tens of thousands of silver."
Yinzhi had a meager sum of 230,000 yuan, which he had to pay his servants and give his wife and children pocket money. He also had other expenses, such as gifts and favors. Those who had their own residences were different from those who lived in the palace, and thus had to spend more money.
"I estimate that before the end of this year, Yinzhi will find that half of his treasury is gone. Besides," Shujia smiled slightly, "the dowry for the eldest princess of the Prince of Zhi must be saved from now on. Even if the Khan is generous, he will not be stingy."
Your family has a group of four people waiting to get married, Shujia thought silently.
When Yinreng heard the good news, his face looked its best that day.
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