The biggest nemesis of the East Palace
Others didn't know what the Crown Princess said when she dragged the Fourth Lady into the Eastern Palace, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Fourth Lady was gradually regaining her spirits, her eyes brightening, and her demeanor becoming more lively. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; the New Year was approaching, and everyone needed some cheerful news.
Concubine De was very pleased. Her relationship with her fourth son had become increasingly distant. When they lived together in the palace, they would see each other occasionally, which was fine. Now that the fourth son had set up his own residence, the opportunities to see each other became even fewer. The mother and son, who were not close to begin with, were drifting further and further apart. On the other hand, the fourth wife came to the palace to see Concubine De more often and was very kind. Concubine De seemed to care about her daughter-in-law.
Seeing that the Fourth Lady's mood had improved, De Fei's opinion of the Crown Princess also improved. Shu Jia raised her glass from a distance, and her eyes widened. Then she raised her own glass as well. The two women smiled at each other. De Fei smiled and looked away, but Shu Jia was sweating inwardly.
Originally, she and De Fei just got along well. De Fei's sudden gesture of goodwill made Shu Jia's heart skip a beat.
Shujia never denied that Concubine De was a peculiar woman. She might not be able to tell the ages or names of the princes' children, but she knew the history of the palace masters by heart.
Ever since marrying Yinreng, the name "Yinzuo" given birth to by Concubine De has become a major source of confusion for Shujia. Did Kangxi truly intend for this newborn child to be called "Yinzuo," or did he simply pick a random name that turned out to be so frightening?
Well, whatever the reason, the Sixth Prince's death was a matter of dust to dust. Unfortunately, the shadow left in the hearts of the East Palace residents was not so easily dispelled. Therefore, the Crown Princess's feelings towards Consort De were very complicated. There was Yinzuo, Yongzheng, and then there was the general Wang, who was said to be favored by Kangxi...
Shujia almost made a detour to Defei's mother! Meanwhile, she mentally raised her middle finger at Kangxi. "Master Kang, where did you find this extraordinary person to fill your harem?" "You're bullying me, so much bullying!" The Crown Prince's mother isn't even here, and you're giving a bastard a name like that. Yinreng was only six when Yinzo was born, and Defei was made a consort shortly after Yinzo turned one! What's your point? You're bullying a motherless child to death, right?
Six years old, Hongtong's current age. If anyone had let her son experience such cruelty, Shujia swore she would bite him to death! Even if she became a ghost, she would never let him go! Eating his flesh and sleeping on his skin would never ease the hatred in her heart! If a crown prince asked someone else to "inherit the throne," he would only be treated worse than dirt. If Yinreng was so perverted by the shadow of his childhood, it would not be surprising.
If anyone says that Kangxi was good to Yinreng again, I will beat him up!
Yes, this is the main reason why Shujia’s impression of Kangxi has never improved.
The Crown Princess cursed the current Emperor incoherently in her mind, but everyone only saw the smile on her face getting deeper and deeper.
The Emperor's Birthday Festival concluded successfully, and the attendees dispersed home in groups of three or four. The Fourth and Eighth Concubines went together, first escorting their respective mothers-in-law home, then agreeing to return home together. Joining the Fourth Concubine was the Fourteenth Concubine, escorting Concubine De. Two daughters-in-law escorting one mother-in-law was a fairly normal situation, but the Eighth Concubine had to escort both Concubine Hui and Concubine Liang. Thanks to her, Concubine Liang was polite enough to accompany Concubine Hui along with the Eighth Concubine.
De Fei remained silent all the way until she entered Yonghe Palace, where the Fourth and Fourteenth Concubines came to help her down from the sedan chair. De Fei said to the Fourteenth Concubine, "You are pregnant now. Be careful. It's getting late. Go home and rest." She then ordered the palace maids to light the lamps and escort the Fourteenth Concubine back.
The Fourth Lady felt a pang of grief in her heart, but she also smiled and said, "Mother is right. It's winter now, and the wind is strong outside. My sister-in-law should be careful."
The Fourteenth Lady repeatedly refused until Concubine De gave the final word: "Old Fourteen is a spontaneous person. Don't get drunk. Go and take a look."
The Fourteenth Concubine then bid farewell to her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, returning to her own quarters, surrounded by a throng of palace maids and eunuchs. She had, of course, witnessed the events at the banquet, but… every family has its own worries. The Fourteenth Concubine's joy for the Fourth Concubine was only fleeting before her own worries began to arise. Her family, with a illegitimate son, Hongchun, born to Shushu Gioro, and a pregnant woman from Irgen Gioro, whose belly was even bigger than hers, was incredibly difficult. Perhaps Defei had mentioned something similar when she had kept the Fourth Concubine.
After watching the Fourteenth Lady and her group walk away, the Fourth Lady came up and helped Concubine De walk in. Concubine De shook the Fourth Lady's hand and asked, "Do you feel better now?"
The Fourth Lady's arm stiffened, and then she replied softly, "Better." There were some things that she couldn't tell her mother-in-law directly.
De Fei patted the back of the Fourth Lady's hand and said, "I'm relieved now." She then gave her many instructions, mostly concerning the Fourth Prince's food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Knowing that the Fourth Lady couldn't stay long, De Fei let her go home after giving her instructions, and also told the people accompanying her to keep the lights on and be careful on the road.
When the Fourth Lady arrived at the palace gate, the Eighth Lady had already arrived. This was not surprising. Thanks to the fact that Liangpin had once been a tenant in Huifei's palace, it was not that difficult for the Eighth Lady to do her job, sandwiched between two mothers-in-law. Huifei was not talkative nowadays. She said thank you for your hard work and let the two go. Liangpin did not want to give the Eighth Lady more instructions. These two mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law truly respected each other like guests. Liangpin wanted to say something about the Eighth Lady, but after she was left by the Eighth Prince, she wanted to open her mouth several times, but held back. Why didn't she have a daughter-in-law with a better personality?
The Fourth Lady and the Eighth Lady met. It was like two frustrated people looking at each other, and it was difficult for them to comfort each other. Their situations were equally troublesome. After saying hello, they each got into their cars. It was time for the men's banquet to end and go home.
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Shujia suppressed her budding dissatisfaction with Kangxi and took Yinreng back with a nonchalant expression. Yinreng seemed to be in a good mood today. At least the princes did not dare to get drunk when Kangxi was present. Yinreng's cheeks were only slightly red.
Shujia took his hat and asked, "Are you in a good mood today?"
Yinreng took off his court beads from his neck. Fortunately, there was only one set of them for his ceremonial attire. "I see you're in a good mood too." He wiped his face and listened to Shujia say, "I came back to see our sixth brother today." He paused, thinking this ranking was a bit tricky. "I brought my fourth brother's wife with me as well."
Yinreng took the towel off his face and threw it into the basin: "Fourth brother should thank you for your help in enlightening his wife."
Shujia asked with a smile, "How do you know it will succeed?"
Perhaps Yinreng was a little drunk, as his words were particularly sweet: "Who wouldn't feel comfortable being with you?"
Shujia pushed his big head and said, "I think you are really drunk." She despised Kangxi again.
Communication between husband and wife is beneficial to both physical and mental health, but you both have work to do tomorrow. Shuxian and his wife's departure was scheduled for after the Emperor's birthday, but it couldn't be too far later. They, or more precisely, Jiang's husband, had to bid farewell to Emperor Kangxi, then return home to pack some luggage, say goodbye to his parents, and pack up his wife, children, and bedding to head outside the Great Wall.
Shuxian came to see Shujia after the audience with the emperor and before he left.
To be honest, winter isn't a good time to be in Shengjing. If it were during the spring and summer, when temperatures are generally high across the country, the Northeast, no matter how hot it is, wouldn't be as hot as the south, which would be quite comfortable. Then, after summer and autumn, winter would gradually acclimate. But suddenly heading north in winter is incredibly cold!
No matter how cold it is, you have to go! It's a promotion!
So, after the audience with the emperor, Shuxian and his wife went to the Eastern Palace. It wasn't the first time Brother-in-law Jiang had met his brother-in-law, but the pressure was a bit too much. Why was his brother-in-law so scary? The Crown Prince was one, and Prince Yu was about to become another brother-in-law. Father-in-law, who are you going to marry my fourth sister-in-law to?
The meeting at Yuqing Palace was somewhat apprehensive, but Brother-in-law Jiang quickly discovered that the Crown Prince was actually a decent person. The Crown Prince was familiar with the officials in Shengjing and offered him some advice. "Brother-in-law Jiang," he said, "Oh, Commander Jiang listened attentively, taking careful note." Hearing the Crown Prince say, "The borderlands are the birthplace of the dragon. You must proceed with extreme caution. You are a military officer; do not get involved in local affairs." Commander Jiang nodded repeatedly.
The Crown Prince had also been to Shengjing and knew a lot about the local living habits, and reminded him of many precautions. Jiang Ting never thought the Crown Prince would say this. He didn't expect the Crown Prince to be so attentive. His internal organs warmed up, and his expression was also full of surprise and excitement that he couldn't hide.
Seeing this, Yinreng smiled silently, his tone still very kind: "I heard from the Crown Princess that you are going to take the children with you this time?"
Jiang Ting stuttered a bit at first, but as they chatted, his speech became smoother. However, the prince's concern for him made him stutter again: "To answer your question, Your Highness, I have three sons and one daughter. My eldest and second sons have already enrolled in the official school within the banner, and my youngest son and daughter are going to go together."
"You have to take good care of it. The weather in Shengjing is no joke."
"Are you going to take the two little ones with you? Is there anyone to take care of the two older ones?" At the same time, in the East Palace, Shujia and Shuxian also talked about this topic.
Shuxian was more relaxed in front of her sister than Jiang Ting was in front of the prince. She smiled and replied, "They're both almost ready to get married. They're still with their grandparents and studying, so I'm relieved." She lowered her voice and said, "I've already told them that if they really have any difficulties, they can go to my maternal grandparents' house."
Shujia raised an eyebrow. Shuxian had thought about the clan affairs, but there was another thing: "After you leave, I don't know when you can be transferred back. I estimate that it will take at least two or three years. By the time you come back, the child will definitely be an adult. Don't you find someone to keep an eye on him? He's getting older, don't let some foolish person take advantage of him and ruin him."
Shujia was already considering Hongxi's marriage and was quite sensitive about it. It wasn't that she was too worried; Hongxi was only eleven, and the boy's uncles were already thirteen or fourteen, so there were too many people in the house. If something went wrong without her careful attention, it would definitely not be explained away.
Shuxian said, "I've thought of that too. We've sent away everyone we can. We've also discussed it with my mother-in-law," her voice cold. "If anything really goes wrong, it'll be difficult for my brother to get married."
"What about my classmates? Those who attend government schools have to study, but socializing with them is also inevitable."
Shuxian's face changed: "Thanks to you for saying that, otherwise I really wouldn't have thought of it!"
"It was when Guanyinbao was about to go to school that I heard from my family that after entering the government school, I had to be more diplomatic with my classmates. That's when I first learned about it. You were already married at the time, so it's normal that you didn't know."
Shuxian's face turned serious, and she had obviously taken note of this.
The other topics were quite light. They talked about Shuyi's marriage, about which Shuxian knew a bit more. "The other day I went back to see my father and mother, and from what I heard, they said we had to meet with the family of the previous Prince Yu's wife. Really... my father and mother are a bit wronged. Although my third sister's marriage is an honor, it also means she has to endure some grievances."
This was the first time Shujia had come into contact with matters related to second marriage. The only person around her who had remarried was Yinzhi, and she didn't have to take care of it, so she didn't know there were many things involved. Shujia knew that the second wife was lower than the first wife.
She had forgotten that there were also some awkward moments between the families of the second wife and the first wife. Baotai's first wife, Meng Jia, was the daughter of Zhongshu Chang'an. Zhongshu wasn't the same as the Secretariat of the Tang Dynasty; it was a position of only about seventh rank during the Qing Dynasty. Shi Wenbing, a third-class earl, a general, and the former general of Fuzhou... Any one of his sons would have held a higher rank than Zhongshu!
Shujia and Shuxian both looked unhappy. Their relationship with their step-sister was mediocre, with only a small affinity stemming from blood ties. This blood bond had to be split in half, as they were from different mothers. The thought of their parents socializing with others just because of the title of step-consort was truly unpleasant. Shujia felt even worse than Shuxian, as her parents were willing to make excuses.
After a while, Shujia said, "It's not like we visit each other often, so it's enough to just save face."
What a P! Meng Jiashi left behind three sons. Her maternal grandfather died, and she also had an uncle. As the stepmother's family, how should the Shi family handle this relationship?
Kangxi really knows how to give people difficult problems!
Shuxian also coughed and said, "I'm afraid I can't see my third sister off in person when she goes out."
"At least we have to wait until Prince Yu's wife has finished mourning before Third Sister can start getting engaged," Shujia calculated. "Since the imperial decree has already been passed, there's no need to rush. I'd like to ask her to hold off for a while until Prince Yu's sons have finished their mourning period."
Shuxian said worriedly, "That'll take three years? How can Prince Yu's Mansion be without a concubine to manage the household? I'm afraid we can't wait that long."
Shujia was a little resentful: "How can the child feel good when his stepmother comes into the family while he still has filial piety towards his biological mother? How will the mother and son get along in the future?" Kangxi was getting more and more annoyed!
Shuxian's heart tightened. Even if they weren't close, she was still her sister. "Everyone has their own fate. I'm going back home tomorrow. Please give my third sister some advice, mother."
"I'll try to think of something too. When you get there, write back often so I can keep informed of your progress and feel more at ease."
In addition to the sadness of farewell, there is another worry.
Kangxi is truly the biggest nemesis of the Eastern Palace! No doubt about it!
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