Pregnancy after returning from tour
Kangxi and the other princes were incredibly attentive to Su Malagu's funeral arrangements. Kangxi ordered a funeral for Su Malagu, accorded the rank of a concubine. Prince Yinlu, the 12th Prince raised by Su Malagu, even requested a wake, a hundred-day meal, and chanting of Buddhist scriptures. Kangxi approved all of his requests.
However, the dead are gone, and life must go on. Kangxi continued to pave the way for his crown prince, constantly promoting various individuals with experience in the imperial court. Some were appointed to the central government as assistant ministers of the six ministries, while others were appointed as provincial examination examiners. In a rare development, Shi Wensheng was promoted from Governor of Guangdong to Governor-General of Huguang.
Huguang, Yunnan, Zhejiang... These are all very familiar place names for Shujia. Basically, her great-uncle stayed there and then her uncle came back. Well, her father also lived in Zhejiang.
Emperor Kangxi did look at the Shi family differently, which made her feel very conflicted.
The Fourth Lady came over to discuss something with her again: "The Emperor's Birthday is coming up soon. I wonder what your plans are for this year?" The Fourth Lady's point was, let's talk it over so we don't have too many duplicates. Normally, everyone would give Buddha statues, bodhisattvas, and the like, so it wouldn't be a case of anyone duplicating their gifts. But since we're back on the grasslands this year, it's only natural to bring back some grassland specialties. It's best to avoid being too similar in these local specialties.
The two of them checked this part of the list and found nothing missing, so they put it aside and chatted. The Fourth Lady noticed Shujia's behavior was a little strange. Why was it like this... Hey, it was a bit like her own? Suspiciously, she asked, "Are you... pregnant again?"
Shujia hesitated a bit: "I think so, but the time is a little short, and I didn't find a safe pulse last time. I'm just being more careful now. Whether it's there or not, the safe pulse will come out next time."
She was just taking precautions. In everyone's opinion, the Crown Princess being pregnant again was nothing new. The Fourth Lady also expressed excessive congratulations, saying, "She is on her way back to the capital. Please be careful not to get too tired or bumpy.
The journey wasn't particularly arduous, with the team covering only a few dozen miles a day. The Crown Princess's treatment was top-notch. Her biggest job was sorting through the items she'd acquired and preparing the gifts for the people in the capital. She brought help with her. Zhao Guoshi was a reliable man, Hongxiu was a seasoned and capable maid, and there were several other maids and eunuchs who helped out with miscellaneous tasks. The Crown Princess wasn't burdened at all.
The emperor had to return to the palace first, and go to Changchun Garden first, where the Empress Dowager was still staying. He went to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager again.
The Empress Dowager had been quite lonely these past few months. When she arrived at Changchun Garden, she hadn't brought all the concubines with her. Concubine Tong, Concubine Yi, Concubine De, Concubine He, and Concubine Wang also took their places, while the others were all staying in the palace. It wasn't lively enough, with just a few people. Furthermore, because Concubine Tong had been asked by the Crown Princess to watch Honggui learn to read, the Empress Dowager was unhappy that she hadn't had a chance to play with her great-grandson.
Su Malagu died again, and the Empress Dowager counted the days more and more as time went by: "When will the Emperor return?"
Now that the emperor has arrived, there is not much to do. The emperor just went to the empress dowager to pay his respects after arriving, and the old lady's anxiety was instantly calmed down.
The Empress Dowager was at peace, but it was the Crown Princess' turn to be uneasy: her youngest son seemed to not recognize her very well!
Although the Fourth Lady was pregnant, she still wanted to see the Empress Dowager. The Crown Prince had a residence in Changchun Garden, but the Fourth Prince, who lived in a separate residence, did not. Shujia took the Fourth Lady to Wuyi Zhai to rest and change clothes. After seeing the Empress Dowager, she would send the Fourth Lady home.
When they arrived at Wuyi Zhai, everything inside had already been packed. Shujia and the Fourth Lady went in together. Honggui was about to pounce on them, but when he saw two people coming in (he treated the palace maids and eunuchs like a backdrop), he stopped abruptly and said, "Greetings to Mother, and to... Auntie."
The Fourth Lady looked at the little boy with great curiosity. Perhaps out of empathy, she smiled very kindly: "Honggui has grown taller again." Honggui secretly lifted his little chest a little higher.
Shujia smiled and said, "It's been four months since we last met. You've grown taller, haven't you?"
Before the Emperor's departure, he had come to Changchun Garden on the orders of the Empress Dowager to escape the summer heat. Shujia had entrusted her sons to the care of the Empress Dowager and Concubine Tong. When the two arrived at Changchun Garden, Honggui and Hongchen naturally followed. Honggui was relatively well-behaved, having already begun to remember things. Hongchen was less than two years old, and after not seeing him for four months, his mother barely recognized him.
Hongchen was a stubborn kid, too. He barely remembered his mother, and no matter how the nanny coaxed him, he refused to open his mouth. (Can you just call her "Mom" casually?) The wet nurse was practically going crazy. "Little ancestor, aren't you usually quite the chatterbox?" She chanted so many incantations that the Empress Dowager fainted... (The truth behind the Empress Dowager's eagerness for Honggui to come play)
According to the rules of the Eastern Palace, once a child can walk and stand on his own, he is not allowed to be held by the wet nurse. The wet nurse bent over with great pains to persuade Hongchen, who was standing on the ground, and almost broke her old waist. Honggui was anxious on the side: "Little fool, mother is back. Did I tell you yesterday for nothing?"
The Fourth Lady laughed and said, "He is becoming shy."
Hongchen felt wronged. His brother had only told him that his mother was coming back, but he couldn't remember what she looked like. He wouldn't open his mouth, no matter how hard he tried.
Hongxiu came up and said to Shujia, "My lady, please wipe your face and change your clothes before you speak slowly. Your Highness has gone to see the Empress Dowager. When she comes out, you and the Fourth Lady must go and pay your respects."
Shujia took a sip of tea and said, "This is the only way." She reached out and touched Honggui twice more. "Your body is strong now. There's water everywhere. Did you run around?"
Honggui complained, "My son, I do miss you. The imperial concubine has people watching me every day. She's afraid I'll fall into the basin while washing my face."
Shujia was amused by his mischievous behavior and reached out to pinch his chubby face. "Naughty boy! Your Mafa and father are back. They are at the Empress Dowager's and will be seeing you soon. Don't run around." Seeing Honggui nod obediently, the palace maids escorted him inside to change clothes. The clever maids in the East Palace quickly moved the screen in the inner room to create a temporary dressing room for the Fourth Lady to use.
It was September, the time to wear jackets. Shujia had no objections to the clothes or jewelry, but simply said, "Don't give me the ones with flower pot bottoms. Give me the ones with gold ingot bottoms." Hongxiu was startled, but quickly obeyed. Shujia looked at her hands. She was traveling with the emperor without holding the child, and her nails had grown longer. With a child at home, she needed to trim them.
She put on light makeup, nail caps, and looked in the mirror again. Hmm, the fatigue had washed away, and she looked presentable. When she left the inner room, Honggui was crawling on a chair, hugging the backrest, eagerly waiting for his mother to come out. His nanny stood by with outstretched hands, afraid that the young man would hold the chair back too hard and fall.
Seeing Shujia coming out, Honggui was very happy: "Mother, mother, mother, mother looks so beautiful like this."
This little flatterer, Shujia tilted her head and looked at him: "Really?"
"Of course!" Then he showed off, "Mother, have you seen the letter I wrote?"
"I see." Each letter went into great lengths to describe how well-behaved he was, how hard he studied, and how much the imperial concubine praised him.
Honggui tried to make his eyes shine brighter and looked at his mother closely: Won’t you express your gratitude?
Shujia couldn't hold it back and smiled, "You're very good. Mother and your father brought a lot of things this time. We'll let you pick them out when we get back, okay?"
Honggui grinned happily, then said tentatively: "Mother, my son is so well-behaved, can you take him out with you next time?" His voice became softer, "I miss you..."
Shujia's smile faded. "Isn't mother back?" Hongchen beside her murmured twice. She didn't want to be separated from her son, especially this kind of separation where she'd be gone for months and her son wouldn't even recognize her when she came back! "Let mother figure out what's going to happen next, okay?"
Honggui was happy again and explained, "My brothers can all follow my father and mother. I want to do that too." Shujia said softly, "Yes."
Hongchen's nanny was a little anxious. The Crown Princess had returned, but the Sixth Prince hadn't shown any sign of intimacy. They were quite suspicious of dereliction of duty. Just as they were getting anxious, the Crown Princess looked over and said, "Give Hongchen to me."
Shujia, wearing nail guards, carefully avoided the child's delicate skin and held her son in her arms. Hongchen struggled twice, his little nose wrinkled, his eyes narrowed, and his facial expression moved closer to "crying". Suddenly his nose twitched, and he moved twice in Shujia's arms, stretched out his two chubby little hands, grabbed Shujia's front, and pushed his whole head forward and buried it in Shujia's chest. He raised his head, his round eyes were full of confusion, this smell, this touch, it's really familiar~
He stopped crying, and his face, which had been wrinkled like a bun, returned to its normal shape. Shujia smiled and touched him, and he smiled again. After teasing him for a while, Shujia asked him, "Do you still remember your mother?" Hongchen actually cooperated and called out, "Mother."
This wasn't the Fourth Lady's territory, so she was a little slow in her movements. When she came out, she encountered this scene and said with a smile, "That's a really nice sound."
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief, and those who could speak began to flatter: "After all, they are mother and son. They haven't seen each other for months, and they have forgotten everything in a moment." Honggui, unwilling to be left out, ran over to join in the fun, jumping up and down on the ground: "I want a hug too."
Hongxiu was sweating with anxiety. She was the Crown Princess's personal maid and confidante, and she knew her physical condition—she was suspected of being pregnant. She quickly stepped forward to help: "Fifth Prince, you will see the Emperor later. Don't jump. It would be disrespectful to mess up your clothes."
Honggui pouted at her, Hongxiu smiled, and said to Shujia: "Master, you need to tidy up your clothes. I think someone from the Empress Dowager will come to deliver a message soon." Hongchen grabbed a handful of nice clothes, and it would be better to tidy them up.
Shujia handed her son to the wet nurse, and Hongxiu helped her up and smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes. The informant also arrived: "The Emperor has come out from the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince has asked Prince Honggui and Prince Hongchen to come to the Danning Residence to see him."
The wet nurses quickly checked the ornaments on the two children and then excused themselves to the Crown Princess. Shujia said to the Fourth Lady, "It's just right, we should go see the old ancestor."
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The people returned, and the Empress Dowager was in good spirits. She waved to Shujia and said, "You two should go out for a while. It seems to be getting darker." Shujia smiled and said, "Really?"
The Queen Mother laughed: "My granddaughter-in-law is beautiful no matter what she looks like."
The two of them greeted Concubine Tong and the others. Concubine Tong felt relieved, relieved. God knew how worried she was about Honggui, the monkey from the Eastern Palace. The little creature loved to jump around, and Changchun Garden had plenty of waterfront areas—she was really worried about something happening.
Concubine Yi gossiped about the Fourth Lady, looking her up and down: "Your good news is so timely." She was not without a hint of teasing. But because it was a happy event, no one thought she was being rude when she told it.
Concubine De was still in shock. "Finally I'm back. I haven't slept well in the past two months. You said it's not like being at home. Everything is inconvenient outside."
The fourth lady said to her mother-in-law with a sweet look on her face: "My wife is very careful, and my second sister-in-law is looking after her."
Shujia said hurriedly: "How can I help? Just don't mind me causing trouble."
The topic shifted from skin color to having children, and time passed quickly as they gossiped.
In Danning Residence, the first half of the meeting was quite harmonious. Honggui was a mischievous boy, but when he met Hongtong, they still followed the rules. The atmosphere between the two was very lively. You pulled my clothes, I pinched the back of your hand. They were close in rank and stood together. It was not until Kangxi started asking questions that the two little boys calmed down.
Kangxi saw that the two of them were quite sensible, so he turned a blind eye and pretended not to see anything. Hongchen was standing at the end, and the nanny led him to the door. Honggui took his hand and led him to the queue. After putting his younger brother in place, he went to play with his older brother.
Everything was going well—questions and summaries—until Kangxi summoned Hongchen to his presence. Danning Residence wasn't actually very large, but letting a child under two years old leave felt a bit inhumane. The nanny, who had retreated to the side, quietly came forward, carrying him forward.
When they got there, Hongchen's mother didn't even recognize him, let alone his grandfather...
Fortunately, due to the long journey, Honggui and Hongchen were both carried here. Because of the farce of not recognizing their mother, the maids and Tonggui gave Hongchen intensive training along the way, and Hongchen then called out "Mafa".
Having met everyone he needed to meet, Kangxi sent those who needed to go home and those who needed to rest to rest, leaving behind the princes, the crown prince, and the grandson of the emperor to discuss important matters. Among the matters that needed to be addressed was the funeral arrangements for Su Malagu.
The atmosphere suddenly dropped.
The 12th Prince had originally requested to wear mourning clothes, but Kangxi hadn't approved. He'd been feeling down while on duty earlier, and now tears began to fall silently, his breathing becoming a little unsteady, drawing everyone's attention. His tears wouldn't have been a big deal, but Hongdan couldn't contain himself either.
After all, he is a child, and his emotionality is more pronounced, so he suppresses it.
Kangxi did not scold him, but simply told the twelfth prince to go back and rest: "You have been tired for days, go back." He then said to Hongdan, "You haven't seen your mother for a long time, go to Wuyi Zhai."
Hong Dan looked at him with tears in his eyes: "Grandson wants to go back to the palace with Uncle Twelve, woo woo."
Kangxi disagreed this time: "You have just returned, it is not appropriate for you to travel back and forth. I will return to the palace the day after tomorrow, and you will go with me."
That's it.
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The Crown Princess's pregnancy was only confirmed after she returned to the palace. By then, all necessary matters had been handled, gifts had been distributed to the various palaces, and gifts for the Emperor's birthday had been prepared. The Crown Princess could rest assured that her pregnancy would be safe and sound. The Eastern Palace had developed a well-developed method for dealing with pregnant women: sharp objects were put away, the woman's clothes were washed and aired, and flat shoes were found... everything was in perfect order.
There is also a small episode in this.
Even though Concubine Hui had been the one who reported Yinzhi for his disobedience, she still loved her son and his family. When Hongyu came back to pay her respects, she saw that he looked good. After asking, she learned that the Crown Prince and his wife had taken good care of him. When the Crown Princess sent someone to send a gift of the scenery outside the Great Wall, she also conveyed a special message of thanks.
It was Zhao Guoshi who went to deliver the gift, and when he brought back the message, Yinreng happened to be at Shujia's place. Yinreng touched his nose, thinking that he had some selfish motives in taking care of Hongyu.
Yinreng treated Hongyu well, firstly to show his magnanimity, and secondly because the child was not a threat, and finally because he felt that Hongyu was indeed a little pitiful. This show also had two meanings: first, to show it to Kangxi; second, to show it to the court officials, and also to appease the Mingzhu faction, saying, look, I have treated Hongyu like this, and his father still cursed me, you just give up and follow me to the end.
Shujia said, "I understand. From now on, no matter who you meet in this palace, you must be polite."
Zhao Guoshi agreed.
Yinreng put the matter aside and said to Shujia, "Li Guangdi is about to come to Beijing. I hope you have some information on this."
"Li Guangdi? He's not in charge of Zhili anymore?" Li Guangdi was the Minister of Personnel and concurrently the Governor of Zhili. To ensure he could handle Zhili's affairs, Kangxi, despite granting him the title of Minister of Personnel, still had him work in Zhili. The Manchu and Han heads of the Ministry of Personnel, favored by the emperor, were both away from Beijing, a blessing for the Zhili officials.
"Khan Ama's intention is to transfer him to the capital to serve as a Grand Secretary."
Shujia took a breath and said, "He's almost seventy, right?" Even if a politician's golden age of career begins late, we should also take into account the current life expectancy, right?
Yinreng also lamented that others would have retired by Li Guangdi's age, but Li Guangdi had already reached a new level in his career. He was also thankful that his relationship with him had improved in recent years. "Prepare one first."
"When will he enter the capital?"
"Maybe another month or two. Although Zhili is close to the capital, the journey won't take long. He still has to finish the work he's doing. No one else knows about this. You know the truth, but don't tell anyone. Nothing can be leaked."
"Don't worry, even if I want to speak, there has to be someone who listens."
Shujia was in charge of the Eastern Palace's social affairs and had a passing knowledge of Li Guangdi's relationship. Although Li Guangdi had taught Yinreng, he was somewhat different from Xiong Cilü and others. While Xiong Cilü had also engaged in conduct that challenged his character, he was generally considered a gentleman, someone who could be confided in and moved. Li Guangdi, on the other hand, was a bureaucrat with a wealth of character issues, a keen observer of the situation, and a relentless clinger to the Emperor's influence. The Eastern Palace had no way of tying him down, and could only maintain a neutral relationship.
Yinreng couldn't help but nag a few more times: "You are pregnant again, so don't work too hard. Leave some things to the people below you."
"I know what's going on. Don't worry too much."
Both promised not to dwell on the issue, and the situation seemed to be going smoothly. However, this situation was broken after the Emperor's birthday celebration, and at least Yinreng had another worry.
In October, the Ministry of Justice and other government offices reported the results of several months of investigation into Li Guangdi's report implicating Zhang Lin, the former Yunnan Provincial Governor, who had been dismissed from office. Zhang Lin had amassed over 1,617,800 taels of silver through the smuggling of salt. He had also allowed his sons, Zhang Xun and Zhang Tan, to indulge in licentious and lawless behavior. Zhang Lin should be executed immediately, his property confiscated by the government, and Zhang Xun and Zhang Tan should be caned as compensation.
Kangxi only changed Zhang Lin's immediate execution to beheading in the autumn.
The country was short of money, and Zhang Lin's property was confiscated. Selling illegal salt was wrong in the first place, and the profits were just pocketed. He was just a provincial governor who came from a salt merchant background, and yet he had such wealth? Rebellion! Rebellion! The salt administration must be reformed!
Another achievement in the crown prince's small notebook. He possessed determination and courage; without it, money was essential! But finding the right people and methods to execute the plan was crucial. Yinreng's gaze swept through the court officials. The result was a minor failure. His father's current style of governance was a leisurely pace, focused on maintaining stability. Radical officials were unpopular; those who emerged were suppressed, and those with ulterior motives were subdued.
Yinreng was so angry that he felt uncomfortable seeing others ruining his family. He would chop all of you to pieces sooner or later!
Okay, Your Highness, you'd better calm down for now. Your teacher Li will be coming to Beijing soon, and this old guy is not easy to deal with.
Li Guangdi was indeed a slippery man. He entered the palace, thanked the prince, and was gentle when he met the prince. Yinreng was really impressed by him. In the end, he had to admit that this kind of neither cold nor warm but polite relationship was just right. No matter how kind he was to him, he was moved at the time. After a while, he came back.
You give a gift, they accept it and express their gratitude. You say polite words, they listen and respond. But if there's no sincerity in their eyes, what else can you do?
The Crown Prince and his wife remained silent.
Finally, Yinreng said, "That's it—Baotai's marriage is almost here, right?"
It has been a year since Prince Yu's wife died, and it is time to deal with the real affairs.
The author has something to say:
Would I casually tell everyone about something like brushing reviews? Serious face.
TT, Aixinjueluo Baocheng (I feel a bit emotional when I call you that, but I'm actually talking about the classmate who left a long comment), thank you for coming to discuss with such a serious attitude when Jinjiang is so pumped. You are still working hard to register when Jinjiang is so pumped, which really makes me admire you. Jinjiang is too pumped, right?
A certain meat-style communication is as follows: (wiping sweat, it feels like giving a report again)
First, the position of crown prince is such a bummer! Especially during the Qing Dynasty, the crown princes were all left to cultivate their own power. The eldest and eighth brothers were too cruel, and even if others had evil intentions, they didn't take any action until they were deposed. These two took direct action, one drawing a circle, the other directly recruiting assassins, although they ultimately failed.
Second, Mr. Hongxi. This is due to the setting. Taking the Crown Princess, a mere figurehead, and planning on giving her a good life, from the moment the setting was established, Mr. Hongxi became a backdrop. Sweat. PS: The "Di" in Hongxi's name was coined by Emperor Qianlong.
3. The prince’s personality problem.
In fact, I personally think that there is no problem with the prince's ability. Judging from the historical materials left behind, his ability to handle government affairs has been affirmed in all aspects, whether it is from Kangxi or court officials, or from the analysis of memorials and the comparison with other people's handling of affairs.
There were many reasons why the crown prince was deposed. In addition to his cruel brothers, the initiative to depose and enthrone the crown prince actually lay in the hands of Kangxi. His eventual dethronement was largely due to his failure to properly handle his relationship with Kangxi.
I don't know if I've expressed myself clearly, but I think it's because of my emotional intelligence. My personality became increasingly irritable towards the end, which at least made others feel annoyed.
So we had to suppress his personality.
PS: Actually, I wrote him in a very frustrated way, and I felt a little frustrated too. His character would have exploded, but I still didn't write it. The little monsters were not my goal, my goal was to write a big boss.
Fourth, the character of the second girl. She was a bit of a cynic from the beginning, and there are definitely some unpleasant aspects about her. Regarding this character, there are cheat codes, but I... will try not to overdo it.
Is there anything I missed? Check back tomorrow. It's a bit late today, so I'll post first.
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