The calm before the storm
The Fifteenth Prince got married, and a formal wedding was held according to the standards of a prince, adding a pair of sisters to the royal sisters-in-law. The Third and Ninth Concubines were also cousins, but their fathers were not on good terms, not as close as the Fifteenth Concubine and the Crown Princess.
With the Crown Princess in charge, the teasing of the bride became much less frequent, and within a few moments, everyone was talking about the time to sit down and go outside. Shujia deliberately walked a few steps late, and told Fangniu and Yuanniu: "You should serve attentively."
The ladies heard her lecturing and said, "I really feel sorry for you, sister." Then they filed out.
Shujia then said a few words to Shuhui in private: "Things between husband and wife also depend on how they are handled. I have said everything I should say and done everything I should do. Now it's up to you. Don't be so shy."
Shuhui blushed, lowered her head, and nodded twice with her heavy hat.
Shujia said, "I should be leaving soon. We'll see each other more often from now on. Remember, tomorrow when you come out of Ningshou Palace, go sit with Concubine Wang. Then when you're free, come to my place. Don't mix up the order. Forget about that. I'll be going to Ningshou Palace tomorrow, too."
Shuhui said: "Second sister, I... can do it."
"That's good. By the way, when you meet the princess tomorrow, you should treat her like your mother-in-law. She is in the imperial concubine's palace, but she is also the biological mother of the fifteenth prince."
"I remember that."
It only took Shujia a few words to finish her speech. When everyone took their seats, they had just arranged their seats. The chair at the head was naturally reserved for her.
Women's priorities are always different from men's. The sisters-in-law chatted and laughed, each one of them wondering: "The Fifteenth Prince doesn't have a concubine, right?" Well, neither does the Sixteenth Prince, nor does Hongxi. This... this is truly a perfect time. Among the sisters-in-law of the past, even the Crown Princess was a bride and a mother at the same time.
Shujia smiled and glanced down. Across the table was Shuyi, who had just given birth to her second child and was talking to the wife of Prince Kang with a cheerful expression. With the exception of Shuxian, her sisters would all be able to gather together for holidays. But it was hard to say who was happier, Shuxian or her sisters.
The Third Lady on the side was saying, "The Crown Princess is so blessed with good things. My sister has found a good home, and now she's going to be a mother-in-law. Once Hongxi's matter is settled, the Crown Prince will have his marriage arranged next year."
She was praising the Crown Princess's good fortune, but Shujia felt a little upset when she thought of this. Hongxi was a concubine's son, and she couldn't show her unhappiness. She pointed at the Third Lady and said to the people at the table, "She wants me to talk about her too. Hongsheng will be thirteen next year, and it's time for our children to have children one after another."
After this, the wives were all thinking differently. The Third Wife was feeling one way; the Eighth Wife, whose son was still young, was feeling another; the Fifth and Seventh Wife, who had no sons of their own, were feeling another. After a brief silence, they began discussing which daughter was the best and which family's daughter they had met last time in Ningshou Palace was truly remarkable.
Amidst the lively gossip, the Fifteenth Prince's wedding banquet was over.
The Crown Prince and his wife returned to the Eastern Palace with their entire family, excluding the two youngest children, who were briefly carried and swung at the beginning of the scene before being brought back. The rest of the family, led by Yinreng, followed by Shujia, and then Hongxi and his other brothers, had to return to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
When they returned to the Eastern Palace, it was not too late yet. Yinreng told his sons the same old things, such as asking them to review their lessons well, and sent them off to review their lessons before discussing business with his wife.
"Another matter is settled." Yinreng said very happily. After he understood the meaning of Kangxi's marriage, he had nothing to worry about.
"After finishing one thing, another comes up. Hongxi's betrothal ceremony will be held in two days, and this important event of his must be completed before the New Year. My daughter-in-law is a decent person, and the third prince-in-law is really a headache." He is not a person of low character, and he is not very loyal to the central government.
Yinreng stretched out a hand and waved it weakly twice. "This is not a big deal. It's the two 'uncles-in-law' who are fighting over things that give me a headache. I don't know what Alinga is up to. It doesn't make sense! Khan Ama hasn't even spoken to me yet, so why is he acting so confident?"
"What about the other side?" Shujia asked with concern. There were also many top-notch people in Empress Xiaokang's family.
"That side is even stranger. It's completely motionless. Alinga is still leaning forward, but over there, it's so quiet and still that it's hard to figure out what's going on."
Something is wrong, at least it is inconsistent with the Tong family's previous behavior.
At the beginning of this year, Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi released several palace maids who had reached the age limit, replacing them with newly selected replacements. Qiao'er and Xiaoman also left Duanyi Palace. Qiao'er was even forced into service by Orondai through Qingde's connections. Hongxiu, who had been ordered out of the palace to visit Shuhui, who was still waiting to marry, reported that she had run into Qiao'er and exchanged a few words, suggesting that the Tong family was indeed among the candidates.
Shujia gave up and said, "It's useless to guess now. No matter what they are thinking, they will be exposed in the end. The Khan Ama is standing in front of us. Even if they have some ideas, they have to hide them from the Khan Ama first."
Yinreng held out a hand, motioning Shujia to be silent. He muttered, "There are no more rumors circulating in the capital. Alinga seems to be confident... Tong Guowei is pretending to be a fool..." He suddenly laughed, "We don't have to worry about our son getting a free ride from these two families! Tong Guowei must have set a trap for Alinga, pretending to be indifferent to the world to appease him. But he forgot that Alinga has never been a good person. If pushed into a corner, he can jump out of it on his own!"
Clapping his hands, Yinreng said, "Don't bother with them. Let's pack up and get settled early today. Fifteenth Brother will be coming tomorrow. Have you prepared the gift for him?"
Shujia joked, "Why should I prepare anything more? I've already given Fourth Girl a lot of things for her when she got married. I've even taken out the dowry book for Wu Yunzhu."
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Shujia was still worried about Shuhui, wondering how her wedding night went. The next day, she woke up early and reported to Ningshou Palace. This caused the Empress Dowager to tease her: "You've never come this early before. Are you worried about your sister?"
"It's so unfair! I've never been late. That's my sister, isn't she your granddaughter-in-law? Am I the only one who feels sorry for her?" Shujia rudely pestered the Empress Dowager.
At that moment, the imperial concubines and wives also arrived. Concubine Yi said to Concubine Shujia and Concubine Wang, "The bond between you two is growing stronger and stronger."
Perhaps due to the loss of her son, Concubine Wang's face was often filled with a hint of sadness. She was still young, which gave her a unique charm. But today, she shook off the gloom and smiled softly. She whispered that Concubine Yi was "making fun of you," and added that she had also seen Shuhui, who was not bad-looking and had a good temperament. This was the good fortune of the Fifteenth Prince.
While they were chatting, the Fifteenth Prince and his wife also arrived and paid their respects to the Empress Dowager. The Fifteenth Prince was now an adult man and had no right to stay among the concubines and wives of the imperial family for long. Today was an exception, and Shuhui also met Kangxi and others today.
Shujia glanced at Shuhui from the side and saw her cheeks flushed slightly, while the groom also looked satisfied. She raised an eyebrow slightly, relieved. The Empress Dowager had already asked the newlyweds questions, mostly about whether they were comfortable living there.
The meeting at Ningshou Palace was brief. The Empress Dowager, having learned from experience, presented a gift—in pairs, as all gifts were for newlyweds—and then sent the newlyweds to speak with the royal concubine. With the protagonists gone, Ningshou Palace became even more lively, with people remarking that the Fifteenth Consort had the airs of a Crown Princess.
After talking for a while, it was almost time for dinner, and everyone stood up to take their leave. Shujia also hurried back to the East Palace to prepare.
When she returned home, Yinreng had already returned. A short while later, the newlyweds also arrived. Shujia hadn't seen the Fifteenth Prince much, so this rare opportunity gave her a careful look at her brother-in-law. The Fifteenth Prince, dressed in a standard uniform, was relatively thin, with fair skin and fine eyebrows and eyes. He wasn't ugly, but he hadn't inherited the good looks of the concubine.
The Fifteenth Prince was more reserved. He couldn't look closely at his sister-in-law's face. Yinreng laughed and said, "Why don't you get up quickly? You'll be even closer from now on. If you do this to me again, I'll beat you!"
The Eastern Palace had also prepared a pair of gifts for the occasion, from purses to ornaments and accessories. At Shujia's command, four young eunuchs filed out. The Fifteenth Prince and his wife thanked them together, and the eunuchs who followed them came forward to accept the gifts.
Shujia smiled and said, "From now on, we'll have one more place to move around."
Yinreng said angrily, "You just love to stroll around and make your brothers and sisters laugh at you."
The Fifteenth Prince felt a little pitiful, not knowing how to respond. Shuhui continued, "That's not the main issue. I was only visiting my niece before, but would you let me visit her today?"
Shujia clapped her hands and said, "She's talking so much nonsense now. She's always talking nonsense. If you don't mind, come with me to see her."
Shujia pulled her sister to the back to ask about her post-marriage thoughts, and Yinreng stayed in Duanben Palace with the Fifteenth Prince to talk about some topics between men.
When Shuhui entered the room, Wu Yunzhu didn't recognize her and studied her warily for a long time before relenting and letting her hug him. Shujia asked, "How about we talk seriously?"
Shuhui put down the small box containing Wu Yunzhu and nodded with a red face.
"But what did he say?" Shujia felt like a worried old woman, gossiping to death.
"Oh, sister."
"Seriously, be careful when you speak. What did you say to the princess today?"
"Don't worry, I know everything. When we meet, I call her mother. I've followed all the necessary rules. There are so many eyes watching. If I don't do it well, wouldn't I be embarrassing myself? I've caged her well, so how could Master Fifteen not know?"
Shujia tutted her tongue twice. "That's quite mean of you to say. Remember, it's not 'also', she 'is' your mother-in-law. From now on, get up early and go to Chengqian Palace first, then stay with the Imperial Concubine and the Princess in Ningshou Palace to pay your respects."
Shuhui quickly straightened her expression: "Sister, what time is it?"
"I'll give it to you later. And Fifteenth Brother, the most important thing for a man is face! You can't embarrass him. If he's unhappy and treats you coldly, you'll have nowhere to complain. Do you understand?"
Shuhui smiled slyly, "I see. If we can get away with it, why not just be harmonious?"
"That's well said."
The conversation between Yinreng and Yinyu was quite different. There was no talk of starting a family, of becoming brothers-in-law, or even of him saying, "If you work hard for me, I'll give you some benefits." The crown prince simply invited his younger brother to chat, discussing his extracurricular interests and hobbies, and catching up on interesting court anecdotes.
"Pianyuan Governor Zhao Shenqiao and Huguang Admiral Yu Yimo have been accusing each other, giving Khan Ama a headache. Zhao Shenqiao is a decent person, and what he says is probably true. It's common for generals to receive salaries without working, but for a provincial governor, 35 dan of grain is a bit ridiculous. So Khan Ama said Zhao Shenqiao was too demanding..."
Yinreng spoke, and Yinyu listened attentively. He said that he would be attending the court and it would be beneficial for him to learn more about state affairs. He would interrupt and ask a question or two when he encountered something he didn't understand, and their relationship became closer.
The meeting was a success, and the relationship between the Fifteenth Prince and his wife seemed to be going well. The onlookers applauded and cheered, and the royal family life was very happy and harmonious. In this harmonious atmosphere, the Second Prince of the Eastern Palace also received his betrothal gift, and they only waited for the wedding day before the New Year.
Part of Gegentana's dowry was provided by the Imperial Household Department, with the Third Princess and her husband also bringing a substantial gift. She brought four maids and two nurses, who were now considered the oldest women serving in the Eastern Palace. The male servants were placed on the dowry farm, which the Third Princess had specially purchased after arriving in Beijing.
Shujia looked at the list she had handed her and reduced Hongxi's maids to two. She then ordered the decoration of the bridal chamber, the erection of the wedding tent, and the arrangements for the wedding banquet. She also took Li Jiashi to inspect Hongxi's courtyard, waiting for the delivery of the trousseau before the wedding.
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While the East Palace was ablaze with red, the Tong family was in dire straits. Tong Guowei was ill, very ill. After the old man staggered upwards for a while, Kangxi could no longer sit still and sent the imperial physician to treat him.
In reality, Tong Guowei was in excellent health, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he could easily live another ten or eight years. He feigned illness and then wrote a petition requesting his ashes. The content of the petition was exceptionally moving, beginning with a recollection of his life and gratitude for the emperor's grace, which had allowed him to achieve his present glory. His children and grandchildren also benefited from the emperor's grace, securing good positions, and Shun Anyan even married a princess.
But! He was old and could no longer work like a slave, which was a real shame. He said he knew that some of his children and grandchildren were not serious about their duties and had limited abilities, and he felt really ashamed of himself. He said he could protect them while he was alive, but what would they do after he died? If his descendants really couldn't do their jobs well in the future, he hoped that the emperor would leave them a way out for Empress Xiaokang's sake.
Before Tong Guowei submitted his application, one person had already submitted his retirement application and it was approved.
Shi Wenbing's report had been prepared long ago and was written with great sincerity. He expressed gratitude for the emperor's trust over the years. His daughters had married so well, and his family was already very satisfied with the emperor's grace. Now that he was old and could no longer serve, he asked not to delay the emperor's work.
Kangxi had a very good impression of Shi Wenbing and specially summoned him to talk.
Shi Wenbing spoke very frankly, taking off his hat and putting it on the ground: "I should have reported this long ago. Since that year, I have been often ill. But... I am ashamed and have harbored some selfish thoughts. I want to wait until my daughter gets married before I beg for my bones." So that his daughter can marry in a more beautiful way.
A look of shame: "In my entire life, I have never been fair in this matter. Now I feel uneasy thinking about it."
Kangxi expressed his understanding, mainly because Shi Wenbing did not delay his work and taught his daughters well. He also comforted Shi Wenbing with a sentence: "The love of parents in the world is pitiful."
Then he approved the retirement report quite readily.
Unexpectedly, this approval was like giving a girl the name "Zhao Di", and it really brought another one.
As Kangxi aged, he became increasingly conflicted, his heart becoming more susceptible to family ties—as long as they didn't harm his own interests. After reading Tong Guowei's memorial, Kangxi's protectiveness for his mother's family intensified. He felt a growing desire to provide more care for them, and the swaying balance in his heart shifted further and further toward the Tong family, tacitly selecting Tong Guowei's great-granddaughter, the granddaughter of former Imperial Envoy Ye Keshu, as the Crown Prince's Consort.
Alinga was really badly cheated by Tong Guowei.
Tong Guowei has been "ill" and recuperating at home, and the Tong family has kept a low profile. Alinga hasn't noticed anything yet. The Empress Dowager is still looking for young girls, and the girls from the Nianhulu family are quite popular. In fact, the emperor's grandchildren are growing up, and there are many princes waiting to find wives. Why would the palace stop looking just because the Crown Prince's Consort has been decided?
Until Hongxi's wedding banquet, Alinga still had a satisfied smile on his face, which made people's hair stand on end.
The Crown Prince wasn't in the mood to pay attention to him that day. As the host, Yinreng had to greet his brothers, connect with the royal princes, and have a few drinks with his husbands. The Crown Princess was also busy; even if she didn't have to work herself, she still had to supervise the progress. In comparison, the main character of today's wedding had a relatively leisurely time.
That night, Shujia said to Yinreng, "How come you're even more exhausted after all this work than when we got married?"
Yinreng was a little tipsy today and said vaguely, "Hongxi must be tired tonight."
Shujia spat, "You're starting to act indecently."
"Behind closed doors, it's better to be informal."
The frivolous crown prince smiled cunningly, and the bright red background made him look very harmonious.
The next day, Shujia realized something was seriously wrong. She had thought Hongxi's marriage would give her less to worry about, which was a good thing. But when the young couple came to pay their respects and Gegentana seriously laid out the rules in front of her aunt and mother-in-law, Shujia realized her private space had been significantly impacted.
According to the rules, a daughter-in-law should serve her mother-in-law at meals, but Shujia was used to eating with Yinreng to build their relationship. A daughter-in-law should keep a distance from her father-in-law.
For this reason, Shujia had to set aside extra time for her eldest daughter-in-law: "You are still newly married, and Hongxi and you don't see each other all day. From now on, you can send Hongxi to come to my place after breakfast - you can eat together before coming. I will be happier than anything else if you take good care of him." When she said the last sentence, she felt guilty, as it was obvious that she was trying to turn off the light bulb.
With this excuse, she could handle anyone. The Third Princess stayed in Beijing until her daughter and son-in-law returned home. After listening to her daughter's story, she said that she had a good mother-in-law: "This is because the Crown Princess is kind, but you should not be so frivolous. People respect each other. She is the elder, and it is not easy for her to treat you this way. You should be more sensible. Your father and mother are far away, so you have to rely on your husband and mother-in-law."
Gegentana nodded repeatedly, very impressed, and from then on Feng Shujia became even more respectful. Concubine Tong also said: "How did you marry a daughter-in-law? You actually got a daughter."
From then on, the Crown Princess was followed by a daughter-in-law. If the family gatherings got bigger, her younger sister would also be there. If the gatherings got bigger, another sister would come to help out. It was like a gang leader showing off with his younger brothers.
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Life in the Eastern Palace was very happy, but Kangxi's life was a bit difficult. His in-laws retired, which at most caused him to sigh about his age, but his relatives made people feel painful.
First, in June of this year, the eighth princess died in childbirth. Then, in December, just before the Lunar New Year, the tenth princess died. While he claimed he wasn't greatly affected, the pressure of losing two daughters was immense. Tong Guowei requested retirement again, and the memorial was so heartbreaking that Kangxi was beginning to feel the strain.
In addition, the government was somewhat chaotic, and strange phenomena unheard of before the 35th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign began to emerge, causing the elderly Kangxi a lot of headaches. The only thing that cheered him up was the large family and grandchildren. Thinking of arranging a marriage for his grandson next year, Kangxi felt a surge of satisfaction in his heart.
This sense of satisfaction prompted him to cheer up and comfort Tong Guowei: "You should recuperate first. Old people get sick in winter, but they will be better in spring. Then you can return to work. The country still needs you." Just in case, he called back Longkodo, who he had originally bid farewell to, and reappointed him as a general.
Tong Guowei lowered his profile even further, ordering the family members to remain silent. He also personally summoned the captains and asked them to report Longkodo's daughter to mourn: "Well, Longkodo's first wife's mother had died, and she was also this girl's grandmother." As soon as this happened, Si'er fell ill again. Longkodo served her by her bedside without taking off his clothes, more attentive than his own son.
Tong Guowei sighed repeatedly, hoping that these two guys would be quiet for a while.
Alinga also heard the above news, and felt a sense of satisfaction that his plan had paid off. The aristocratic families in the capital were watching the show with great gusto. Alinga, just make a fuss. Even if the Tong family is really in decline, we won't make any efforts so early. We can't let you take advantage of it.
For a moment, Niuhulu felt as if she was looking down on all the other girls, until the selected girls passed the re-selection and entered the palace to stay overnight.
Kangxi personally summoned several beautiful women, from all sorts of families. In the old man's view, the crown prince needed a marriage, and the emperor's grandsons, such as Hongsheng, had grown up under his watch. The princes outside the palace were also in need of wives. Baotai's son was not young anymore, and there were also those from the various princely palaces. Prince Jian's family had not only a son but also a younger brother, Prince Ping also had a younger brother of age, and then there was Prince Shuncheng's family...
The demand for concubines was high, and he hadn't seen any one of them specifically; they all came from relatively good backgrounds, making it difficult to guess. For example, when Kangxi awarded Hua Shan the three-eyed peacock feather, everyone could guess a little. Both the Nianhulu and Tonggiya clans were from powerful families, so such a reward wouldn't be necessary, so the target was unclear.
Then, the old man thought about it and wrote a list. In addition to the women named above, the second item was that the daughter of the Tong family was assigned to Hongdan, and the daughter of the Alinga family only got the title of Beile's wife.
As mentioned before, once this kind of briefing-style note is sent out, someone will immediately copy and paste it to sell for money.
When this post came out, public opinion was in an uproar. Many people thought: It’s a good thing I didn’t follow Alinga’s tricks!
Alinga was immediately furious.
What's the point of hiding behind the scenes? You only feel good when your plan succeeds. Otherwise, you're just a coward, possessing ideas but not daring to execute them. All ideas are false; only the results are real. Alinga leaped to his feet and went straight to the main event.
"I'm from the Empress's family, a hereditary family, a descendant of the Five Ministers, so I'm considered a shareholder. What I've said is completely true. Even if I stand up and the Emperor dislikes me, I can't let you, an old bastard, take advantage of me. You're hiding in your bed, laughing at me, right? You're having fun playing me like a fool, aren't you? I'm fighting for my dignity. Others don't dare to intervene, so I'll do it! The enmity has already been sown, and this is a fight to the death."
In Alinga's heart, he was generous and others were petty. If Tong Guowei didn't cause trouble, and his daughter took the throne, he wouldn't embarrass the Tong family. But Tong Guowei, this two-faced old bastard, pretended to be pitiful in front of others but plotted against them behind their backs. He was too vicious. If he succeeded, he would bully his family to death. He had to fight!
Alinga, who said at the funeral of Concubine Wenxi more than ten years ago that one brother molested another brother's wife, is back again.
Once this scene came out, the atmosphere became lively.
Alinga was also quite capable. The gist of his memorial was as follows: "I've heard rumors that someone's daughter is going to be appointed Crown Prince's Consort. What a delusion! How could they know this when the imperial decree hasn't been issued yet? This is pure nonsense! Your Majesty must clarify this. How could your wise emperor designate someone like that as Crown Prince's Consort? This is a complete insult to your intelligence and emotional intelligence—what did this girl's great-uncle Longkodo do? Their family lives together as a clan and hasn't split up."
He presented the memorial in front of everyone, appearing to be as righteous as the sun, his face filled with indignation: "Such behavior is truly a disgrace to the state! How could the Crown Prince's Consort come from such a family?"
At the end, he shed tears of excitement.
Yinreng was silent. It worked! He still wanted to pretend that he was hearing it for the first time, and he started to rebuke it: "How could such a shocking thing happen in the world? You have no evidence, how can you insult the uncle of the emperor? What kind of family is that? Hmm?"
Alinga wiped away a tear and said, "I dare to submit this memorial because I have evidence. Everyone knows that Longkodo's family is run by a concubine, and the wife lives like a servant. If we drag someone out, we will know for sure."
There was a calmness before the storm on Kangxi's face.
The author has something to say:
It's such a headache... Actually, I'm worried about the failure of writing Tong Guowei not because of Si'er's problem. In the official history, he didn't do anything to this woman on this issue; well, I'm just worried that the behavior and personality in the writing won't be consistent.
Today I hope the plot is not unreasonable.
PS: I saw a very tall building and am organizing my words to reply.
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