Silently cheating you without negotiation
The palace and the government were bustling with activity.
First, the Empress Dowager's birthday was approaching. The old lady was no longer in good spirits, and she spent most of her time resting. Whether it was her daughter-in-law, granddaughter-in-law, grandson, granddaughter, or great-grandson, she couldn't guarantee she would listen to the whole conversation. She would often lose focus in the middle of a conversation, and then fall asleep.
But! The old lady's birthday still had to be celebrated. Not only that, but in order to demonstrate the royal family's role as a model of respecting the elderly and loving the young, it had to be celebrated seriously. All the palaces, the various prefectures outside the palace, the governors of various regions, the Mongolian vassal states, and so on had to prepare gifts and send them to Ningshou Palace.
Of course, everyone still has to go to Ningshou Palace in groups to kowtow to the old lady.
On the day of the kowtow, the Grand Empress Dowager dressed neatly and took her seat in the palace. The Emperor, accompanied by the princes and ministers, and the Empress, accompanied by the ladies of state and gentry, came in their turn to offer their congratulations.
The Grand Empress Dowager also did a good job today and actually stayed until the end of the congratulations. Yinreng also issued a statement to everyone in the form of an order from the Grand Empress Dowager: Everyone should go back and take a shower and go to bed.
The Empress Dowager's birthday is now like the Emperor's: all in, no out. I'll accept the gifts, but there's no banquet! Even if there were, the old lady couldn't wear a heavy dress and sit through the entire ceremony. Exhausting her for a birthday celebration is simply not worth it.
Sure enough, as soon as the ceremony was over, the Empress Dowager said a little stiffly: "Take the crown away from me." Such a big hat would be uncomfortable for someone like Shujia who was in good physical condition and not very old, let alone an old lady?
After a quick change of clothing, the Grand Empress Dowager finally felt comfortable: "We're all family, don't feel restrained." She even invited the Emperor and his family to dinner. The old lady, probably exhausted from the day, managed to stay awake while eating, much to the Emperor and his wife's relief.
The Grand Empress Dowager enthusiastically recommended various elderly favorite foods to the Emperor and Empress, who had become grandparents. This made the two twitch violently, and the old lady kept urging them, "Try them, they're delicious."
The old lady's teeth are not as good as they were when she was young, and the food she eats is cooked very soft, which is obviously not to the taste of young people.
Finally, the old lady had eaten and drunk her fill, and was so exhausted that she wanted to take a rest. The poor emperor and empress then escaped from Ningshou Palace surrounded by their children.
After leaving the palace, Yinreng said to Shujia before getting on the sedan chair, "There's a lot going on up ahead. I have to go take a look."
Shujia smiled and said, "You go ahead. I'll go see Hongxi's wife and then come back."
"Well, I'll talk to you later this afternoon."
"good."
After seeing Yinreng off with a smile, Shujia took Concubine Mao and Concubine Qian to see Gegentana.
Gegentana has not yet finished her confinement, so of course she cannot attend the Empress Dowager's birthday in person. She is currently at home looking at her sleeping son, and she is as satisfied as she can be.
When she heard that the mothers-in-law were coming, she quickly asked someone to comb her hair.
Shujia and others walked over slowly. On her left hand was the eldest princess, on her right hand was the second princess, and behind them were three daughters. They were all hitchhiking to come and play with their little nephew.
The fragrance in Gegentana's room was a little strong. The woman was in confinement after giving birth, the room was not well ventilated, and her personal hygiene was a little poor, so she had to burn some spices to cover up the smell.
Waving Gegentana away, Shujia looked at her "grandson" once more. The baby's face had grown a little, and he looked a little cute. Shujia reached out to play with him, but found his nails were quite long. Smiling, she withdrew the baby and let the wet nurse hold him, saying to the princesses, "You guys, a gentleman should use his words, not his fists! Wu Yunzhu, I'm talking to you."
Wu Yunzhu stuck out her tongue and said, "His face is so soft." Then she poked her own face and sighed, "I'm getting old~"
Her nanny's face turned green: "Princess." The voice was very short.
Shujia scolded lightly: "Just go ahead and do it." Then she turned to ask about Gegentana's situation.
Gegentana had already sat up with the help of her maid. Unable to get down, she knelt on the bed and said, "Mother, please forgive me. I kowtow to you now that I have finished my confinement."
Shujia smiled and said, "No hurry, no hurry. You have to go out to join in the fun today. We will come to your place to have some fun." She glanced at the head of Gegentana's bed and found that the makeup of this maid was different from others.
The maids in the Qing Dynasty always dressed simply, without makeup, with simple hairstyles and plain clothes. But this one—two pairs of silver bracelets on her hands, and her hair tied up in a bun with two silver hairpins inserted in it.
Noticing the queen's gaze, Gegentana smiled and explained, "This is Xizi, who asked our master to take her in during the summer."
Xizi hurried over to kowtow to the empress. Shujia narrowed her eyes and said, "So it's her. She's been to my place with you a few times before. Now that she's changed her attire, I couldn't recognize her at first glance." She turned to wait for Concubine Mao, who was attracted by the commotion here, and asked, "Have you seen her?"
Concubine Mao had heard some rumors, but as a relatively sensible mother-in-law, she knew her son was not having an affair, so she didn't pay too much attention to it - her daughter-in-law was already pregnant. She smiled and said, "She was originally a maidservant of my daughter-in-law's dowry. I have seen her before. Hongxi, this child!"
Gegentana was rather helpless; she hadn't wanted to overly praise Xizi. When she was pregnant, not knowing whether it was a boy or a girl, she kept a low profile, no longer showing off her daughter. After giving birth and recuperating after the baby's birth, she wanted to delay the birth of her illegitimate child for a few years.
Paying respect to the elders, that means you have a clear path. Needless to say, Xizi has registered with the elders, which has also increased his status. But man proposes, God disposes, and he still ran into it.
Shujia raised her eyebrows and said, "Raise your head." After saying that, she broke into a sweat. This tone was so dandy.
The maid named Xizi was quite pretty. She glanced at Shujia, then lowered her eyes honestly, looking uneasy.
"Get up." Shujia couldn't tell what she felt about her. Looking at Gegentana again, her smile seemed a bit perfunctory.
She cannot be "insolent because of her favor" and stop serving her mistress, and you cannot throw her aside to "fend for herself" because she is an eyesore.
So miserable!
Just as miserable!
Shujia smiled softly: "Whose child is this?"
Xizi's parents were the dowry given by Emperor Kangxi to the third princess. When she was born on the grassland, the third princess chose a dowry for her daughter and brought her back.
Shujia let out a long sigh and said to Hongxiu with a smile, "Reward her."
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The Empress Dowager's birthday falls on the third day of the tenth lunar month. Tenth month marks the beginning of winter, and the arrival of winter signifies the approach of the final sacrificial offerings. After the sacrificial offerings are completed, everyone is free.
The Imperial Household Department was incredibly busy, keeping Yunqi and Yunlu busy and rarely getting a good night's sleep at home. With the emperor's mourning period over, the new ruler was leaving his temporary residence in the East Wing of the Palace of Heavenly Purity and officially moving into the palace. It had been the place where the deceased emperor's body had rested, and it had been uninhabited for over two years, so it needed to be renovated before the new ruler could move in.
Everyone in the Imperial Household Department would constantly hear Yunqi shouting, "Where have you all been?! We need to get everything in order today!", "Where are the furnishings for the Palace of Heavenly Purity?", "Put away this hanging screen. The Emperor said he wants to take the one with rice beads and hang it there."
Or perhaps Yunlu was yelling, "Don't you all use your brains? You're going to make a scene right now, while the Emperor is still staying in the East Wing! And then you start making noise while the Emperor is paying his respects to the Grand Empress Dowager!"
No one in Ningshou Palace dared to disturb the Grand Empress Dowager, fearing that mentioning the "late emperor" would upset her. Kangxi, her son, held a greater weight in her heart than Shunzhi, her husband. They avoided mentioning him if possible. Instead, they secretly prepared the items under the direction of the chief eunuch.
Kunning Palace and other places were also secretly preparing to renovate their decorations—which couldn't be brought outside—and new clothes for the palace maids. With the new clothes arriving soon and the mourning period over, the maids would be able to wear bright red dresses for a few days—these would have to be tailored, and while there was no rush at the moment, the sizes and materials had to be prepared. This also involved the Imperial Household Department, keeping them busy.
The five families of Gandong and Ganxi were also in turmoil, as Yunqi, Yun'e, Yunlu, Yunxiang, and Yunzhen were all forced to move to the palace. Although Yunxiang was punished to guard the mausoleum, his residence remained there, and Yunqi and Yunlu were kind enough not to neglect his new home.
Yunlu asked Yunqi to make some fine adjustments to the garden, which made him even busier.
Besides this, the various palaces were busy cleaning their houses and preparing the furnishings. Prince Cheng and his descendants had been in mourning for their father, so naturally their homes were kept very simple. Now that the day had arrived, they had to tidy up a bit, right? Prince Yu and Prince Cheng were also about to marry their daughters-in-law.
Ah! By the way, Yunsi is still trying to gather his strength, preparing to have his midwife, Concubine Liang, come out to take care of her. And Yunzhen has been trying to challenge his fourth brother to a fight, hoping to have his mother live alternately with both families.
What a mess!
That wasn't the end of it. Yunqi and Yunlu's biggest headache was receiving an order from their second brother: "Hurry up and take care of the affairs of my sixteenth and seventeenth brothers!" It would be best if the sixteenth and seventeenth wives were included in the procession when the empress received the New Year's greetings!
Oh my god! The two people who were already overwhelmed burst into tears.
Yinreng's reason for this order was nothing more than the Empress Dowager's health. The old lady's health was deteriorating day by day, and who knew when she would die? If she died, the emperor would be obliged to observe mourning, and his brothers would also have to observe mourning for an additional year. If they delayed their marriage for two or three years, they would become unmarried young men of advanced age, which would easily pose a social risk!
Especially the sixteenth prince Yunlu, he is older than all his nephews except Hongxi. If he doesn't get married and his nephews get married first, it will not look good if it is made public.
Yunlu received the imperial edict in person, and when he came back he slammed the table and said, "Where are the people?! Hurry up! Go to Teneng and Alinga's house and measure the sizes of the two wives!" They need to make clothes!
Ma Wu was the newly appointed Minister-in-Chief of the Imperial Household Department. Though new to the position, he was more experienced than either of the other two. He spoke slowly, "Don't worry, Twelfth Master. As a rule, whenever a prince or member of the imperial family reaches marriageable age, the Imperial Household Department will have everything they need prepared in advance. There's no need for last-minute purchases. The Imperial Household Department had already made preparations for the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Masters' weddings, even when the late Emperor was still alive."
There were always weddings of royal relatives, wasn't there? Anything you could find on the street was available. Only weddings of the emperor or the crown prince required special approval for certain items, like bright yellow fabric.
Yunqi then wiped his sweat and said: "Thank goodness you are here! I never thought that the Imperial Household Department would also have to deal with such important matters." Originally, it seemed that it was responsible for minor elections, royal food, clothing, housing and transportation and other trivial matters, but he did not expect that he would be responsible for so many things as soon as he took over.
Ma Wu smiled. He was the second head of the Imperial Household Department in his family, the other being Ma Sika. It was natural for brothers to share information. With a cough, Ma Wu said, "That's easy to say, but the emperor is about to move, and getting this important matter done is our top priority."
Yunqi said, "Yes, yes, that's right. Just forty days."
Yunqi was counting the days. In another place far away, his thirteenth brother was also counting the days: "According to the rules, it will be the sacrifice in forty days. I don't know..." Can I take a look at the response? He looked down at the dry treetops.
The Thirteenth Lady was a little worried about his dejected look and could not help but comfort him, "Master, you are the late emperor's son after all. How could we not call you for such a big event?"
"You don't know, I was a little confused at that time." Yunxiang said in a deep tone.
The Thirteenth Lady wanted to say that even your elder brother had gone out to see what was happening, and compared to him, your case was nothing but a drizzle. Suddenly, a young eunuch came to report: "Someone has arrived from Prince Yong's mansion."
The Thirteenth Lady smiled and said, "Look, last time Fourth Brother sent someone to say that he has already made arrangements for you with Prince Cheng. This time he comes back, maybe something good will happen."
Yunxiang let out a long sigh and patted his wife's hand: "I'll go see him. It's cold outside, you should go inside quickly."
Yunxiang knew the man who came. He was from Prince Yong's palace. It was him who brought the news last time. He greeted them first: "This servant greets the Thirteenth Prince."
Yunxiang raised his hand pretentiously: "Stand up. How is Fourth Brother?"
"In reply to the Thirteenth Prince, the prince is very good. The prince asked me to tell you that the emperor intends to let you return to the capital next month. When the time comes, please let me know what to do." If you perform well, maybe you can move back.
"Go back and tell Fourth Brother that I, Old Thirteen, thank him."
"Uh... the prince said that the sacrifice will be held soon. Apart from mourning, you probably won't have to guard the mausoleum anymore. As for what happens after you return to the capital, that's up to you."
Yunxiang narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips: "I understand."
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Yinreng really wanted to make the best use of his brothers. Yunqi and Yunlu were honest, but he was not satisfied with their efficiency, especially when things were complicated and numerous, which made their lack of ability more apparent. So when Prince Yong suggested recalling Yunxiang, he really considered it.
Prince Yong had a lot of affection for his Thirteenth Brother. He wasn't particularly close to his half-brother, the Fourteenth Brother, but he treated the Thirteenth Brother like a teacher, and they got along quite well. Prince Yong was also aware of the Thirteenth Brother's pettiness. He was from the Imperial Household Department, so it was convenient for him to inquire about the Thirteenth Brother's situation.
Knowing Yunxiang had secretly made preparations and would not jeopardize the late emperor's important mission, Prince Yong was willing to speak up for him. He was also expressing his own thoughts: "The Thirteenth Brother had no intention of causing any trouble. He simply wanted to trick Third Brother—who did have something to hold against him. Now is the time to use people. As the saying goes, brothers fight tigers together, and fathers and sons fight in battle. It's a pity that Thirteenth Brother, with all his skills, was wasted. The root of this matter still lies with Concubine Min. Both sides are in a difficult position. Thirteenth Brother, this is filial piety..."
After repeatedly praising Yunxiang, Yinreng felt a headache. Speaking of the incident with Concubine Min, no one else would have been able to just laugh it off with the Third Prince. "He's so thoughtless! Can you joke about Khan Ama's affairs?"
"He's really lost in his thoughts," Prince Yong was also angry about this, "but he's been punished. Now that they're both on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, we're even. It's no use letting them keep fighting like this."
Yinreng frowned and said, "I'll think about it."
It's good to be willing to think about it. King Yong took the opportunity to ask whether he should let the Thirteenth Prince return to Beijing to visit when his service was over.
Yinreng thought for a moment and said, "Call him back!"
Prince Yong was delighted and flattered his second brother, saying that he had a deep brotherly love, and would not give up on his brother who made mistakes. He would seriously correct his mistakes and help him turn over a new leaf. He said that he was a really good brother, and that our father in heaven would be pleased to see him like that.
Yinreng was at a loss for words. "Are you just practicing your rhetoric in the Ministry of Revenue? What's the situation down there?"
Prince Yong said, "The Yellow Book and the Fish Scale Book have been checked and are awaiting your instructions."
Yinreng smiled a little grimly: "Okay, okay!" There will be a tough battle coming up, so let's get our weapons ready after the battle!
Prince Yong took his leave; it was almost the end of the year and things were busy. Yinreng didn't try to entice him to stay, instead going back to his room to think over his plans. Li Guangdi's student, Yang Mingshi, was quite capable. While he might take sides and protect the vulnerable, he wasn't a fool. Even the veteran officials in the yamen couldn't match him; he was a man of use.
Smiling, Yinreng picked up his pen and wrote a public letter of praise to Yang Mingshi.
When Li Guangdi gestured to send the letter, he was pleasantly surprised. Yinreng simply said in a profound tone, "Next year, when Yang Mingshi comes to Beijing, you should talk to him more and ask him to do his job well." The benefits were enormous! Li Guangdi, delighted in cultivating his favorite student, spoke humbly on his student's behalf and flattered the emperor.
Yinreng listened, smiled, and said nothing. After Li Guang finished speaking, he said, "Huang Shulin and Yang Mingshi were classmates. Wasn't he also your student?" This was nonsense.
Li Guangdi agreed seriously. Yinreng thought about it and actually sent Huang Shulin to a post of academician: "Let's issue a clear decree together."
Looking at Li Guangdi's back, Yinreng smiled triumphantly.
However, this pride did not last long, as the good mood was ruined by a secret letter.
Tsewang Arabtan is acting strangely! He often sends small groups of troops to harass his neighbors, stealing things and people.
Damn it! I knew the Junggars were restless!
Tsewang Arabtan was a meritorious official, as he colluded with Kangxi, or rather, with the imperial court, to cut off Galdan's retreat. The two factions attacked from both sides, and Tsewang Arabtan also aggressively poached Galdan's followers, which led to his swift downfall.
According to the Marxist law of contradiction, when old contradictions are eliminated, new ones arise. Galdan and Tsewang Arabtan harbored a deep grudge for murdering their brother and for usurping their throne, creating a major conflict. This is why he collaborated with Emperor Kangxi. Naturally, after Galdan's downfall, his wrath ran afoul of the Qing court's ironclad defenses.
Tsewang Arabtan was already old, with a son and a daughter who had grown up. He found a son-in-law for his daughter, but he was the son of Lazang Khan. When the son-in-law came to marry him, he detained him, saying, "This son-in-law is very cute, please let him stay and live with us."
Oh my god! That Tsewang Arabtan is no good! Yinreng wanted to slam the table. He had wanted to welcome the fake lama (Tsangyang Gyatso) back then, intending to use this "living Buddha" to control Mongolia. Now Lazang Khan has two sons, and you kept one, while the other is still stationed in Qinghai and not with the old man. What do you mean by that?
The Mongol tribes weren't always at peace with each other, but this one was the biggest threat. They'd robbed each other a bit, but never as brazenly as he did, and it only got worse! If things continued to develop like this, he'd be another Galdan.
Yinreng finally slammed the table! He knew how wicked Galdan had been, forcing Kangxi to personally lead the army. This Tsewang Arabtan was not to be underestimated. Sending troops now to nip the problem in the bud? That would seem like an overreaction, unsettling the Mongol tribes. All he could do was prepare.
What irritated him most wasn't the Dzungar rebellion, but the impending implementation of his economic reforms, which necessitated a stable environment! Reform itself was inherently turbulent, especially when it came to taxing those who had been refusing to pay. The difficulty was obvious, and he needed to go all out. And now, someone had arrived to disrupt the situation!
If the new policies weren't necessary, Yinreng wouldn't have been so sensitive about Tsewang Arabtan. He'd just wait and see. If he dared to make a move, he'd be beaten back! His current worry: if the new policies were implemented domestically, and there were minor unrest, Tsewang Arabtan would return and attack. With both internal and external troubles surging, the country might be seriously damaged.
I'm already short of money, and you're still messing with me. Honey, are you rich? War is a game that burns money, it's very dangerous! If you mess around, not only will I have to spend money on you, but you'll also hinder my ability to make money!
Yinreng urgently called Prince Yong back and said, "Put that aside for now and gather the silver on hand. Send another person to the west. The person you are looking for should be sent to do the same thing as Khan Ama sent Ehai back then!"
Prince Yong was startled: "What?"
Yinreng showed the secret document to his brother with a sullen face: "This matter must be kept secret."
What Yinreng didn't know was that Tsewang Arabtan had the capital to be arrogant. Like Galdan, he was unrivaled in his vast territory, and recalling the glory of the Mongol Empire, he set out to challenge the Qing court. It must be said that China's current prosperity is one of the highest in the world.
Tsewang Arabtan, a loyal friend of the Qing Dynasty (who had paid tribute and worked together to betray Galdan), made his presence felt by killing the elite cavalry of Tsarist Russia and demolishing its fortresses.
However, he was prepared. If he didn't know, then he didn't know. Amen.
While only a few people knew about it, and most were still thinking, "It's almost New Year, time to buy New Year's goods," the emperor and his brothers had already completed their mourning period. After the sacrifice, they were completely free to flirt with girls and drink wine as they pleased. Ahem, they could start their life as a slut.
Concubine Mao and Concubine Qian were thrilled, wondering if they could finally turn over the cards. They also had a sneaky thought: there weren't enough green cards. To make things look better, the Emperor would have to add a few more. What would the Empress do then?
Little did he know that the emperor didn't even look at the green card and went straight to Kunning Palace. After coming out of Kunning Palace, he gathered a bunch of unknown people and held a small meeting.
Liang Jiugong wiped his sweat. The emperor's harem was too... well, he was too embarrassed to take the plate to it. But Jia Yingxuan was smart enough to go up and ask the emperor where he wanted to rest.
Classmate Yinreng had a habit of staying at home. When someone asked him where he was going to rest, the subtext was not "where are you going to rest with your wife/concubine", but "are you staying in the office or going back to your wife".
The two eunuch leaders immediately feigned deafness and silence, refusing to mention the emperor's concubines. Liang Jiugong silently put away the plate of green cards. If the emperor himself didn't think about his concubines, then others should be more honest. Even speculation depends on the target. If the empress had no son, we could have speculated, but now... we're old bones, so let's not get involved. The emperor can do whatever he wants.
On the first day of the following year, veteran comrades such as Liang Jiugong and Wei Zhu realized more clearly that their original choice was correct.
The author has something to say: The former Dzungar Empire was actually very powerful.
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