Pregnancy tea and chat
Shujia was originally very happy. It was Mid-Autumn Festival, and without Kangxi hanging around, she felt relaxed and happy. It wasn't that Kangxi had done anything to her. Apart from giving Yinreng two concubines before she got married, Master Kang had never done anything to make things difficult for her.
Due to their status as daughter-in-law and father-in-law, their encounters were rare. Kangxi didn't even see his nominal mother, the Empress Dowager, every day, so naturally, he couldn't have much contact with the Crown Princess. Even so, the expenses for Yuqing Palace (including the Crown Princess's accommodations) were of an exceptionally high standard, with Kangxi's explicit and tacit approval.
During Shujia's pregnancy, even when he was away, Kangxi kept dropping by inquiries in his letters. After the birth of their son, the family was highly praised by the authorities, and Kangxi treated the little boy with great kindness. Kangxi also always had a favorable view of the Shi family. Although taking her father and brother to the front was somewhat dangerous, they were brought back safely, adding a glorious chapter to their resumes.
No more complaints.
However, Shujia had a natural fear of Kangxi, for some reason. She was happy to be able to live without his oppression.
In this way, she happily prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival. This time, even the reunion with Yinreng's concubine and illegitimate son's family could not completely destroy her good mood.
At the dinner, the fat boy was only brought to the Empress Dowager for once. The Empress Dowager said reluctantly, "The weather has become cold, and the heating hasn't been turned on yet. Hurry up and take him back to the house to prevent him from catching a cold." After that, she quietly reached out and pinched the fat boy's chubby face, but was hit on the wrist by the fat boy's powerful arms.
It was another Mid-Autumn Festival without the emperor, and just like last year, the palace was preparing to leave early. Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened. Just as everyone was about to leave, two people showed signs of being amiss.
One was Chen, one of Kangxi's concubines. She was still only a noble lady. At a banquet like this, with the Four Heavenly Kings and the Tonggiya clan, who was slightly superior to them, just one step away from being canonized, and the other concubines, a mere noble lady was nothing. In terms of favor, Wang, also a noble lady and the mother of the emperor, was still favored. Combined with these two factors, her position was somewhat out of the question.
But today she was destined to shine: she was showing signs of pregnancy. Everyone present had seen this before, had experience in the palace, and had a vivid imagination. They immediately summoned the imperial physician to take her pulse. Pregnancy! She was about two months pregnant.
Before the chaos had settled down, another bomb was dropped.
The second person who was not right appeared: the Fourth Prince's legitimate wife, the legitimate prince's wife, Ulanara, also showed the same signs as Chen just now.
The women were once again in a flurry of activity. Only Shujia felt puzzled. She had only vaguely known of Chen's existence, and Kangxi was quite fond of her, so she had difficulty obtaining more detailed information. However, rumors in the palace were more prevalent about Wang's being Kangxi's favorite.
To her surprise, the Fourth Lady was also pregnant. Well… she remembered that Yongzheng's son was Qianlong. Counting on her fingers, Kangxi reigned for sixty-one years, Yongzheng also had a dozen or so. Qianlong himself had been emperor for sixty years and had also served as the Supreme Emperor. Now it was the thirty-fifth year of Kangxi's reign. This child was born in the thirty-sixth year of Kangxi's reign…
No, absolutely not. This child is not Qianlong! Unless he lives to be ninety or a hundred years old.
Thinking of this, Shujia's heart sank. This child was either a girl or she would die early. She pursed her lips, pushing her depressed mood into a corner. She smiled and said to the Fourth Lady, "Congratulations."
Yinreng was outside when he heard reports of a commotion in Ningshou Palace. Thinking something had happened, he hurried over and met the imperial physician, who revealed that he was about to have another brother. He was speechless and asked the heavens for help.
If you ask Yinreng what he is most annoyed about now, there is only one answer: brothers!
Then the imperial physician told him that in addition to having a brother, his brother would also have a son. Yinreng's mood matched his wife's.
After the commotion, those in good spirits, such as the Empress Dowager, Consort De, the Fourth Lady, and Chen, returned home contentedly. Those feeling a bit gloomy, like Consort Tong (who was also young and childless), also returned home. The Crown Prince and his wife, each with their own thoughts, also returned to Yuqing Palace. The family banquet had just begun.
Li Jiashi was so worried about her child that she was unwilling to give up her son. She took care of him but he never got better. As for Li Jiashi, she herself was in poor health and had a dark background.
The eldest prince of the Yuqing Palace still looked unwell. Even with his biological mother "looking after" him, Li Jiashi didn't dare to break the rules and interfere too much with him. The second prince of the Yuqing Palace was lively and energetic, clamoring to see his younger brother. This child was healthy, and seeing the child made her feel good. Shujia smiled and said, "He's still young and has fallen asleep. You can play with your brother."
Yinreng was a little impatient and said with a stern face: "You only know how to play! When I was your age, I was already writing ten large characters every day, and you still need to look up books."
Shujia said, "They said they wanted to find a master last year, but now they don't have one, so I can't blame them." They had agreed to wait for Kangxi's return to ask for permission, but when Kangxi returned, there was so much to do. The child's father was so busy with intrigue that he forgot about this matter.
Yinreng did not think he had failed in his duty and even said, "How can I send the eldest son to school when he is in this condition?"
"We can't delay it. How about this: after the festival, let them go and try it out. If they're not feeling well, they can just recite for a while and don't get up too early. How do you think?"
Under the gazes of Li Jiashi, who was both reserved and expectant, the eldest prince of Yuqing Palace, who was eager, and the second prince of Yuqing Palace, who was curious and excited, Yinreng nodded! "I will write a memorial to Khan Ama tomorrow. Now that you have started studying, you must be sensible!"
Well, the rule in their family is to embrace grandchildren but not sons - Yinreng and the fat boy are the exception - and a father should be a little harsh on his sons. Yinreng didn't care that it was Mid-Autumn Festival, and he talked about the hardships he had experienced when studying: "Studying requires the ability to endure hardships and sit still."
The two children were so frightened that they agreed stupidly. Yinreng's mood suddenly became better and he signaled them to start appreciating the moon and eating fruit.
The two children were a little depressed after being frightened by him. Shujia was helpless and began to think about how to educate the fat boy when he grew up so that he would not be psychologically traumatized by Yinreng since childhood.
Then, Shujia belatedly realized a question: "They are all going to school, and I still don't know their full names."
It's normal not to know, because they don't have names. Yinreng was biting a grape when his mouth froze, his teeth already stuck in the flesh, and grape sweat flowed down his lips without him noticing - this is terrible! His son has no name!
Eunuch Cui quickly presented a clean handkerchief. Yinreng's face shuddered, and he quickly pulled it over and wiped it roughly: "Let's write the memorial together tomorrow. Please ask Khan Ama to give me a name!"
Shujia then realized that it was not that she was ignorant and did not care about the illegitimate children, nor was it that Hongxiu and the others were irresponsible and did not find out. It turned out that the two children were about to go to school but still had no names.
Seeing the Crown Princess's confusion, Li Jia explained in a low voice: "Our eldest prince was born weak, so we didn't give him a name for fear that he wouldn't grow up..." And then this tradition continued? Sure enough, the little fat boy also had no name. However, he was still young, and Shujia didn't decide on the name, so she just called him "darling", "baby", and "little fat boy" at random. Yinreng was even simpler, just hugging the child and saying "son~".
Yinreng added: "Anyway, we are the only family with a son, and no one else has asked for permission, so it has been delayed." His tone was gloating and complacent.
The atmosphere of the reunion dinner gradually became better. After the banquet, Shujia instructed: "Open the storeroom tomorrow and pick out paper and pens for the brothers. Oh, and they will read, so beads are indispensable, and the people who follow them must be smart..."
Seeing his two sons' eyes flickering, Yinreng couldn't keep a straight face anymore. No matter how unfamiliar they were, they were still his own sons, and a fatherly kindness emerged: "You decide. If you can't find someone to do it, just ask the Imperial Household Department to do it. They can do it too. All the pens and paper needed by the children in the palace for study are provided by the Imperial Household Department."
Shujia lowered her head and said, "Okay." She stretched out her hand to rub the back of the Second Prince's neck. "It's getting cold by the time the decree comes out. We need to prepare hand and foot warmers for going out. I'm just afraid there won't be enough charcoal. I'll ask the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs tomorrow."
Well, the warmth between them made her feel strange, and being able to behave like this was already very good. On the other hand, her husband's mood actually calmed down and was no longer depressed.
The next day, Yinreng wrote a letter, first to inform Kangxi of the good news and to congratulate his fourth brother, and secondly to ask, "Look, my son is about to go to school, but you haven't named the child yet."
After sending the letter along with the memorials on various events in the capital, Yinreng finally put his mind at ease and began to think about how to plant a stake in the eldest prince's future residence. The thought that he had taken the first step made Yinreng very happy.
The good mood of Mid-Autumn Festival ends here.
Qingde's letter was passed through Xiluo Te's hands and then to Shujia's hands.
At this time, Shujia was preparing gifts for the Fourth Lady. Since she had just been diagnosed with pregnancy, she didn't need anything too expensive; she'd probably just give her some edibles. However, she was debating what gift to send to Chen. After much effort, everything was finally settled, and Xiluo Te's application to enter the palace was approved.
The Imperial Household Department did not dare to stop her, and the Empress Dowager and the concubines also gave her face, so Xiluo Te came in smoothly.
Her face looked normal, even a hint of a smile, so Shujia assumed there wasn't any bad news. She took Xiluo's hand and said, "How's Mother these days?" Since Xiluo had to explain the reason for her report, Shujia took the opportunity to ask, "What goodies did my second brother bring me?"
Xiluo Te smiled and said, "You're already a mother, yet you're even more playful than before." As she spoke, she handed over the list and a letter. "It's late, and the festival has passed. After all, it's a token of your appreciation. Just consider it a way to entertain you."
"It's hard to say for others, but the things my second brother sends are always unexpected and must be interesting." Shujia said, accepted the things, and then chatted with Xiluo.
From Wendu's father being praised by Kangxi and having the hope of promotion, to Shuxian being pregnant again, and finally to Fu Dali's headache of isolating his son from his grandfather to prevent the child from being influenced by Hua Shan, it was enough that he had an unreliable Mafa and a younger brother who followed Mafa's example, and he didn't need another son to add to the trouble.
Shujia laughed. "Don't worry, big brother. If that kid of his is half as smart as Mafa, nothing bad will happen. Wasn't it Mafa who petitioned for our family to raise the banner?"
Xiluo Te thought about it and laughed, "It's okay. He's always been mature. It's good for him to be anxious about something. Cursing the sky and the earth is what young people do."
The Crown Princess is not the only mother who enjoys seeing her son make a fool of himself.
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Shujia smiled as she saw Xiluo off. She returned to the western warm room and casually opened Qingde's letter. As she tore through it, she wondered what it was about. Had someone made a fool of themselves? Or had he played a trick on someone again? The letter was thick; it must be filled with stories of Brother Qingde's achievements.
As she expected, the story began with her experiences. Besides describing the local customs and practices, it also included a story about how they had done something naughty, getting someone they disliked drunk and then sending him running almost naked.
Only someone like Qingde would tell such embarrassing things to his sister. If it were Fu Dali, even if he did such a thing, he would feel it was indecent and should not be told to the female relatives.
Shujia's face was frozen with a smile when she saw the last page. Swish, her face turned flat!
What the hell!
God is so fair. She hinted to Yinreng to set a thorn in Yinzhi in the palace, and Yinzhi put pressure on Yinreng in the camp!
Shujia's mouth twisted into a sinister grin, and the hand holding the letter couldn't help but tighten, squeezing the paper until it creaked. Qingde was a careful man, and he wrote several pages. The first few pages were indeed normal letters, but the last page was the key.
"Burn the last page after you finish reading it." My second brother's advice was absolutely true.
Shujia's hands trembled slightly as she pulled out the last page and placed it upside down on the table. She called Qiao'er, "Iron the letter, fold it, and put it away in the middle drawer of the cabinet on the west wall. There's a small box inside."
Hongxiu smiled and said, "Master, what's wrong? Qiao'er is used to it, so don't worry. Even if it's a letter from the Second Master that you'd like to read, there's no need to keep it so closely."
Shujia smiled and said, "It's because he wrote it that people can't just read it casually. A horse can come out of his mouth."
Zichang came in with a tray and replaced the cold tea. "Oh, you don't like to listen to all the talk about horse racing? You feel better, don't you? You've been closer to the Second Master since you were little."
After chatting and laughing for a while, Shujia returned to the bedroom with the letter in her hand and sat on the bed, staring at the page in a daze.
After thinking for a long time, she raised her eyebrows, folded the letter carefully, put it in her purse, tightened the opening, hung it on her body, and stood up to entertain her son.
Evening, after dinner, Yinreng would do some homework while Shujia brewed tea. Shi Wenbing had spent a long time in Fujian and had brought back a number of fine tea sets. Shujia also had two sets in her dowry. It was perfect to use them. In this vast world, one must cultivate some interests to avoid being bored and relegated to idle pursuits.
Yinreng was doing homework in the inner room. After finishing a page, he tilted his head. Light shone through the lattice partitions. It was Shujia trying to make tea. He smiled. Since marrying his wife, life has become increasingly comfortable, even though she is rather dull and doesn't understand the intrigues. Fortunately, simple people have good fortune. They behave properly and keep everything in order.
Well, brewing tea and chatting at night is really an elegant thing. This silly wife can always bring him surprises, and from time to time there are fresh suggestions that he likes. Marrying a wife is also gaining a confidant and close friend. It is rare that she can understand everything he says and can talk to him.
Turn over another piece of paper and continue writing. Can you speed up your progress so that we can chat more?
His wife first boiled water in the outer room. The water was spring water brought from outside the palace by a waterwheel early that morning. The charcoal in the small red clay stove was good, not emitting a trace of smoke. She casually stuffed the folded paper into the stove and burned it. Qingde's calligraphy was thus destroyed.
Boil water, brew tea. It's tribute tea. With autumn already here, green tea isn't very healthy for women; oolong or black tea are better. Coincidentally, the tribute tea from Fujian is the perfect choice. For men, it's also a good drink in autumn and winter.
Smiling and turning her head, the water was boiling and her husband had almost finished his homework, so it was time to start making tea.
Yinreng rubbed his wrists and walked out. He smiled and sat down: "Why did you think of this?"
"You don't like it?" It doesn't look like it?
"That's not the case. I've never seen you do this before." He looked around curiously. Isn't this teacup a little too small?
"That was because I didn't have time before, but now I have time." First get married, then get pregnant, give birth to the child, schedule a period, and take care of the child. How can I have the time to deal with all these?
"I haven't done this much before, but I think it's interesting," he said, making tea. "I'll taste it slowly, bit by bit. It's bitter at first, but sweet afterward."
"Really?" Then I'd give it a try. It's a great way to while away the time, without having to think about anything, just letting the taste on my tongue turn from bitter to sweet.
"Is the smell too strong? Maybe we should put less tea leaves next time?"
"Well, it's okay. I can put more next time."
Research, research together, there are many joys in life, the key is to keep developing.
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Far away, Kangxi was also drinking tea, though not with the standard-issue teacups of the palace, like his son and daughter-in-law. He also had someone to chat with, but that person wasn't a beautiful woman, but a younger relative by marriage, the fat boy's second uncle—Jun Qingde.
Qingde was a little nervous, afraid that he had revealed his true identity. Later he found out that Kangxi was just chatting about family matters. Emperors are the most lonely creatures and they are the most afraid of loneliness. Every day you come and visit me, oh, it is to see him, it looks lively, but it is actually exhausting. Especially when Kangxi wants to win over others to follow him to chop people with weapons, he has to pay more energy to deal with it. It is very tiring.
After dealing with that group of people, he was free and felt lonely again. He asked Li Dequan, "Where are the brothers?" Li Dequan immediately counted on his fingers and reported, "The eldest and third brothers have gone to meet the Mongolian kings under the order of the emperor. The fourth and fifth brothers haven't finished their homework yet. Please ask them to finish and then come to pay their respects..."
Kangxi walked around in a bored manner. The guards stood at attention. Seeing that he was about to move, a team of people immediately came to follow him. Kangxi was used to it and walked around with them.
When the emperor moved, the crowd, centered around him, rippled like a stone dropped into a lake, yet each tried to avoid his gaze. He waved his hand, signaling not to disturb the others; he wanted to observe the natural state. In reality, it was a aimless stroll, a chance to see what everyone was doing. If he discovered something, it was a bonus.
Today I unexpectedly met classmate Qingde.
Qingde was chatting with everyone, reiterating the Bannerman system: wherever you landed, you stayed there, and you weren't allowed to leave without permission. Qingde, incidentally, had just traveled south to pick up his mother and sister. He was quite eloquent, his words so eloquent that those who didn't know him would have thought he was from Hangzhou. It didn't seem like he'd just come south in early spring, when the trees were still bare and the flowers hadn't even budded yet.
Kangxi looked at the crowd gathered around him, then took another look. This man looked familiar. Qingde, right? It just so happened that I was bored. You are quite good at fooling people. Come, let's chat.
Kangxi had always thought Qingde was a reliable child, and the entire Shi clan was quite reliable. Huashan, though, was a quirk, a special case. He was curious about why Qingde was so talkative this time. The Shi family had always been known for its honesty, so what was new about him recruiting so many people?
Qingde was brought here.
Sweat was already breaking out on his back when Kangxi asked him, "What are you talking about? What do you all want to hear? Tell me so I can listen too."
Qing Decai regained consciousness and chuckled, "I was just trying to fool them. They haven't seen what Jiangnan is like, so I've been there once and told them about it. Master, I've been to Jiangnan, so how dare I show off in front of you?"
"Oh..." After hearing what Qingde said, Kangxi began to miss the Jiangnan water town. "You... well, go and get your mother."
Qingde's hair stood on end. Isn't this memory too good? He was more careful when answering. He heard Kangxi say, "I have been there. It was a few years ago. At that time, Rong Ruo was still there and wrote many good poems."
Qingde heard his tone was a bit bleak, so he shrank his neck and listened with his ears!
Kangxi stopped talking about Jiangnan and changed the topic of conversation: "Do you know Nalan Xingde?"
Qingde nodded honestly: "I know, I have read his poems, they are really well written. I am a melancholy traveler in this world, I know why you are shedding tears..."
Kangxi laughed: "You are so young, why are you so sad? His knowledge is first-class, but you should not imitate his serious thoughts. It is not good."
Qingde, deeply impressed by Kangxi's benevolent demeanor, grew bolder. Kangxi had always been lenient with those around him, rarely punishing them. Qingde shamelessly lied, "Was this written while accompanying the emperor on his eastern tour? A true man's ambition is to travel far and wide."
Kangxi commented with a smile: "Both sentences are correct, but they are out of place when put together."
Qingde chuckled and said, "Master, as long as the meaning is right." Then he took the opportunity to make a request. Galdan is not dead yet. Can we go and see him for ourselves?
Kangxi was a little surprised. He hadn't expected him to bring it up like this. "What made you think of this? Oh, last time your father, your uncle, and your brother all came along, but you were the only one missing. What's the matter? Do you want to try something new?"
Qingde waved his hands repeatedly: "I just think that if a man has never fought in the battlefield and killed people, he is missing something. Besides, he is also serving the country, isn't he?"
Kangxi was very fond of young people who would serve the country, and he had high expectations for the younger generation of bannermen, but unfortunately, the bannermen's martial spirit was becoming increasingly weak. Thinking of this, Kangxi's expression softened a little, and he asked Qingde, "Have you read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"
"I read it when I was a kid, both in Mandarin and Chinese."
"Then do you know how Zhuge Liang selected the soldiers who remained after his six expeditions to Qishan?" Kangxi answered without waiting for Qingde to respond. "If both father and son were in the army, the father would return. If both brothers were in the army, the elder brother would return."
"Isn't that perfect?" Qingde pretended to be dumb. "This rule is tailor-made for me."
Kangxi couldn't help but pointed at him and said with a smile: "Why do I feel that you look like your Mafa now? No, this is a bit unreliable."
Qingde opened his mouth wide, then quickly closed it. Of course, making such a request was his own wish. He saw that Fu Dali would undoubtedly inherit the title, and as the second son, he felt awkward. He might as well seize the opportunity to achieve more merit. A major war like this only happened once every twenty years; the next one would only come in a matter of years.
On the other hand, Hua Shan also said: "If you are not completely stupid, take advantage of the master's happiness and try to follow the army. Galdan is a grasshopper in autumn. If you don't take advantage of it now, you are a fool!" Then he recounted how arrogant Galdan was in the past, but now he has been crippled by Fei Yanggu and is now a soft persimmon.
"If you don't take advantage of an opportunity, you're a bastard!" Hua Shan said without any guilt. "Our family is not like that fool Suo San, who is like a fence-sitter. From the beginning, our family has always been what the master says and does whatever he asks us to do. There is no need to worry about the master saying that you are trying to take advantage of the opportunity."
Qingde swallowed his saliva and pretended to be stupid: "I haven't come to my senses yet, have I? You took my father and brother away, and I am the only one left at home to glare at Mafa every day. If I don't act tactfully, I won't be able to persuade old Mafa..." He felt so wronged.
Kangxi laughed: "Are you blaming me? Well, if you want to go, just go wherever you want, who are you following?" Kangxi was in a good mood because of the funny guy, and he was very easy to talk to.
Qingde said seriously: "As long as I can go to the battlefield, I will not be picky about where to go."
"Think it over carefully. Your brother and your father might still be gone. How about I send you to escort the grain?"
"The army hasn't moved yet, but the food and supplies have already been sent. Okay! But, can you..."
"You said you weren't picky—you're all young." It was rare for Kangxi to have the patience to speak to someone who wasn't his crown prince. He warned Qingde that war was dangerous and that he should be cautious when entering the profession.
Qingde touched his head and said: "Well, I have three brothers, and my younger brother Guanyinbao has already enrolled in the official school. My elder brother and I already have sons, so please don't take my elder brother down, okay?" We are not afraid of cutting off the incense. Tut, when has our Mafa ever been missed?
Shamelessly striving for advancement! Kangxi couldn't help but look at him differently. He looked at him thoughtfully: "Okay, okay. I agree, you can go."
It was a great comfort to a monarch to have a new generation of loyal, patriotic, and ambitious subjects. The next day, Kangxi received a letter from the crown prince, informing him that he was still as vigorous as ever. He embraced his son and his spirits were high.
Then he read the prince's request and thought to himself, "Yes, my grandson can go to school now." The Aixinjueluo family is really flourishing and prosperous, and his mood has improved.
It's just that naming his grandson is a bit of a hassle; he needs to think about it. There will be more and more grandchildren in the future, so it's better to sort out the generations and establish a structure. This is a bit of a headache, and I need to think about it for a few days. Well, even if it's a worry, it's a sweet worry!
He wrote in his pen, "I understand. As you requested, I will study with Prince Zhaoxiang. I will decide on the name of my grandson after I have had a drink."
Kangxi, in a good mood, continued his autumn outing with his men.
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