The second girl's sense of crisis
Even a judge can hardly settle family disputes. The difficulty lies in the fact that the husband has his own reasons and the wife has her own reasons. Sometimes, they are fighting and bleeding one moment and hugging each other the next.
Sometimes kinship matters, sometimes it's nothing! Look at Pengchun, wasn't he also tricked by Qishi? These two are close relatives that can be clearly found in the family tree. However, when asked by Kangxi about Pengchun's daughter, Qishi's wife still answered very kindly: "My niece? She is a good girl. She is good at everything. She can read, paint, and sew very well. Recently, she has also been learning to manage the household from her mother, and she is doing well."
Borjigit had another way of describing Shujia: "I'm even more distant from her family. In previous years, she was young, so I didn't see her often. But recently, with her mother away in Beijing and her sister-in-law ill, she's the only one who's been around. She's very well behaved. She's a good girl, good at needlework, and very sensible. She seems steady and doesn't talk much."
As Kangxi questioned her, the Empress Dowager was present. After both sides finished listening and the person being questioned knelt in greeting, the mother and son continued their discussion. As time went on, even the less perceptive ones began to understand the emperor's intentions. The Empress Dowager herself, having received cheat sheets from the emperor, knew Kangxi was about to choose a daughter-in-law, so she quickly jumped into the topic.
The Empress Dowager spoke to Kangxi much more casually at this time and asked directly: "Emperor, are you going to choose one of these two girls?" Kangxi pondered for a moment and said: "My son wants to take a closer look. They are still young." He always felt that perfection should be achieved, and he never dared to make a decision easily when choosing a wife for the prince, for fear that it would not be appropriate in the end.
The Empress Dowager said, "Neither girl is bad. The Emperor can decide." The opinions of the parties involved were clearly ignored. Kangxi hesitated and asked the Empress Dowager, "What if... we look at other families?" As the saying goes, "When you're close to home, you're afraid." The closer it got to making a decision, the more hesitant he became.
The Empress Dowager said the same thing: "It is up to the Emperor." After thinking for a while, she added, "I think these two girls are not bad either." Needless to say, the Shi family was good, and even Dong E would utter a few sentences that she could not understand, but her attitude and appearance were also very good.
After Kangxi left Ningshou Palace, his brow furrowed. It was still because of the eldest prince's incident. Although the couple had a good relationship (?), and had been having children since their wedding, there were always some minor incidents, such as the father-in-law scratching his father-in-law until he was as thin as a white board.
Of course, this was also for the good of the eldest prince. Kangxi, a man who was extremely lacking in fatherly love, did not grow up to be twisted, but instead wanted to let his son feel his father's love, which was not an easy thing, especially for an emperor. So he loved the crown prince very much, and also loved the eldest prince. When he found that the Ming and Suo factional struggles were having an increasingly negative impact on the relationship between the two sons, he decisively took action and beat Mingzhu's faction to a pulp.
From this, it can be seen that no matter how many other factors are involved, he is still more inclined to the Crown Prince. This does not mean that he does not consider the eldest prince. Weakening Mingzhu without killing him can not only continue to use Mingzhu to contain Soetu, but also weaken the eldest prince, reducing the threat to the Crown Prince, weakening the contradiction between the two and allowing them to live in harmony.
Kangxi, as an emperor, was no fool. He was clearly aware of the factions within the court. He also played a role in balancing the factions and enjoying the pleasures of power. He was the one who fueled the factional struggles, a testament to the emperor's scheming.
At the same time, he was a man who pursued perfection. He could not casually shave the crown prince's father-in-law. The crown prince was not only his beloved son, but also held great symbolic significance. Kangxi was determined that for the sake of his son's reputation, his daughter-in-law's family must not be involved in the factional struggle.
To meet this requirement, a thorough investigation is required.
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"How is it?" The questioner sat at his desk, writing and scribbling. His back was straight, and every button on his clothes was buttoned tightly. It was December, so it should be like this. But this was in the Crown Prince's room, protected by the imperial decree that "no one should be without him." The heat from the floor made it impossible to wear a jacket, and yet this man could still dress like this? It was a true achievement.
There are currently only two people in the Qing Empire who have reached this state of mind. One is currently in the Qianqing Palace, and the remaining one is the master of the Yuqing Palace. Sitting in this position, others can't relax even if they want to.
The person who answered the question was working very hard, sweat on his forehead: "The master ordered the transfer of the files from the Ministry of Revenue. Shi Wenbing, Peng Chun, Fei Yanggu and others have all been transferred here..."
Yinreng raised the corners of his lips: "I understand."
He knew that he had no say in his marriage, but he could raise objections, but he had to be tactful. He didn't know what the girl looked like, but he knew what her father looked like.
Influenced by Suo Etu, Yinreng was resistant to Pengchun becoming his father-in-law. Simply put, if Pengchun were an ordinary court official, he would be able to accept his behavior. However, if he were... his evaluation criteria would be different.
So when Yinreng "accidentally" mentioned it when he met his father, Kangxi took it to heart.
Throwing away his brush, Yinreng frowned slightly, examining the words he had just added. His handwriting was always excellent; this was for the New Year's report to Kangxi. He was almost done. He took the wet towel offered by the eunuch, wiped his hands, and sat on the throne. He sipped his tea, his mind slowly pondering.
The person who responded moved his lips but did not leave. Yinreng raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Master Chuxiu Palace..."
"Hmm?"
"The Tenth Prince has been ill these past two days, and the Master of Chuxiu Palace is taking care of him, Master...is that right?"
"Has anyone seen it?" His slender fingers casually drew circles along the rim of the tea bowl, his voice lazy.
"The eldest prince, like you, sent gifts. The third prince, the fourth prince, the fifth prince, the seventh prince, the eighth prince, and the ninth prince have all been there..."
"knew."
Is that all? Even so, I didn't dare ask any more questions. The person sitting above me was really not a good person.
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Shujia was very busy, calculating profits from the farm and shop, distributing year-end bonuses to the servants, and collecting and sending annual gifts. She also had to schedule regular doctor visits for Wendushi's follow-up visits. Wendushi felt ashamed that she wasn't as thorough as her sister-in-law. She also thought of herself as someone with a certain amount of pride, always wanting to do everything well to prove her ability and ensure her husband's family wouldn't look down on her. Now, in comparison, her competitive spirit had faded.
Shujia also had to visit her uncle's and aunt's homes. Strangely, when she was there, some people always looked at her.
Shujia was feeling a bit depressed and whispered to her grandmother, "They...look at people in such strange ways." Her grandmother laughed and said, "Of course they'll look at you more."
"?"
The old lady was very proud. Some people had already speculated privately that the girls who had been frequenting Ningshou Palace recently might be future imperial daughters-in-law, but the rumors hadn't spread widely. Regardless, this was a testament to her granddaughter, and with her daughter away, the old lady cared even more deeply about her.
At this time, he didn't point it out, but just said: "You are already a grown-up girl, and naturally many people will look at you. You must behave more decently in the future."
The three words "old girl" have recently been blacklisted by Shujia. These three words often mean: you are old enough to get married, which is really depressing!
After finally getting through the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month, the busy New Year period was finally over. I watched everyone putting things into storage, and before I had time to catch my breath, the Empress Dowager had called in to speak again.
This time, a real distinguished guest came to the palace.
Princess Balin Shuhui, the biological daughter of the Grand Empress Dowager, is currently a widow. While princesses of the Qing dynasty who married outside the capital were not allowed to return to Beijing, this princess was a special case. First, she had a good mother, and Emperor Kangxi treated her well out of respect for the Grand Empress Dowager. Second, as a widow, she was not bound by her husband's responsibilities. The Grand Empress Dowager had three daughters and one son, and this was the only one left. Emperor Kangxi had specially brought her home when Empress Xiaozhuang fell ill. Princess Balin Shuhui was older than the Empress Dowager, her hair was gray, but her face was peaceful.
Princess Heshuo Duanmin was the adopted daughter of the Empress Dowager. The biological daughter of Prince Jian Jidu, she was raised in the palace by Shunzhi, under the name of the Empress Dowager, who was then still the Empress. She was a spirited woman, looking to be in her thirties or forties, though Shujia didn't know her true age. However, her true nature, as Hua Shan described it, was "arrogant and extremely unreasonable."
He thought it was unreasonable, which showed that she was indeed difficult to deal with. Hua Shan, who dared to speak frankly and say that Princess Duanmin was arrogant and unreasonable, was not someone to be trifled with.
Princess Duanmin looked down upon very few people. As the legitimate daughter of Jidu, she was raised under the name of the Empress, who was also her aunt. Therefore, she looked down upon anyone whose title didn't have the character "duke" in their name. The current Prince Jian Yabu was her half-brother, and he had endured her wrath quite a bit. It's likely that even before Kangxi ascended the throne, she had pinched his face and twisted his ears.
What’s going on?! ! !
The Empress Dowager was still cheerful: "Oh, the girl is here. Come here and meet people."
She had spoken, so they bowed, first to Princess Gulun Shuhui, then to Princess Heshuo Duanmin. Their gazes, one gentle, the other sharp, were fixed on the person. Shujia, her eyes fixed on her nose, her nose on her heart, stood aside, her handkerchief clutched, waiting for the superior's words.
The Empress Dowager really spoke: "Don't stare at other people's children all the time, they are scared." She waved Shujia to sit closer to her and talk.
Shujia was puzzled. What was going on? Princess Duanmin was already continuing the conversation with the Empress Dowager: "Since I was at home, I've been thinking about your pastries. They're so stupid, they can never make them taste like this."
The Empress Dowager was a person who was easily satisfied. Hearing her daughter's words, she smiled and said, "I've already given you the recipe. If it doesn't work out, it's not my fault. How about... I talk to the Emperor and have him give you one of the chefs?" Finally, she hesitated. Princess Duanmin grumbled, "Look at you, you sound so reluctant. Your daughter is the only one who honors you. Why would I ask for help from you?"
The Empress Dowager was very happy. It was not that she was reluctant, but... Duanmin's relationship with Kangxi was indeed not that close, and she was afraid that Kangxi would be embarrassed after she told it.
Princess Shuhui also knew a little about the relationship between the two, so she changed the subject: "Everything else is fine, but the food in Mongolia isn't as varied as here, and there aren't as many fruits and vegetables." Duanmin curled her lips and said, "Even if there's less, it's not enough for you or me. I did have people grow some for me, too. But they're not used to eating these."
Princess Shuhui nodded. "We all have luxurious living conditions, what could we possibly lack? The hardest part is not being able to get used to the place. We're better off than you, who've been raised in the palace. That's the hard part."
Duanmin smiled and said, "Aunt, what you said reminds me of the house I used to live in. Shall we go take a look?" Princess Shuhui said, "Okay, my bones ache from sitting for so long." Duanmin gave Shujia a straight face and said, "Mother, let's ask this girl to walk with us. Seeing her makes me feel young at heart."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Very good."
Shujia didn't show it on her face, but she was already scratching her head in her heart: What the hell is this all about? ! !
I had to stand up, say goodbye to the Empress Dowager, and go to observe with the two real ladies.
Princess Shuhui and Princess Duanmin exchanged glances. Princess Duanmin became more critical, watching Shujia walk. Her shoulders didn't move, her head didn't shake, and her steps were light and steady. Princess Shuhui suddenly asked, "Is the third sister of Uncle Fifteen your mama?"
Shujia quickly calculated in her mind and finally figured out that this person was her grandmother's cousin. Your sister! A distant relative, even now, was finally open. She had long forgotten her family had such a distant connection to the Forbidden City. She tilted her head and nodded slightly, "Yes. It's just that Mama died early, and Ama didn't let anyone spread the news."
Princess Duanmin continued her assessment, turning her head as she answered, her movements not slow, her rhythm slowing. Duanmin scoffed, "Is it shameful for a princess to be born?" Shujia replied, "Not really... I'm afraid of bringing shame to my uncle's family. There are so many nobles in the capital." Princess Duanmin continued, "Too cautious."
Princess Shuhui laughed and said, "You thought they all looked like you? Oh, here we are."
After entering the room, Princess Duanmin paused and took a quick look. "It's just the same as before." Shujia also glanced around. There were quite a few good things in this room. Palace rules dictated that unused items had to be filed away, but this place was still as it was. It seemed that Princess Duanmin was a very powerful figure in the palace.
Princess Duanmin's tone softened considerably when she spoke to Shujia again. She observed that the girl, upon entering the room, didn't startle at the sight of the things in the room, and her gaze glided slowly as she surveyed the surroundings. As she crossed the threshold, she naturally extended her hand to support Princess Shuhui, who was struggling to step over it, and then naturally lowered her hand once she was across.
Then Duanmin would speak Mongolian and Manchu from time to time, interspersed with each other, and talked about the interesting things that happened when she lived here. Princess Duanmin's childhood was indeed very free and unrestrained. Shujia was a little dissatisfied after listening to the unfortunate history of the palace maids and eunuchs.
But when she heard someone say, "Back then, I was even younger than you are now," she lost her temper. Who hasn't been naughty as a child? Even she herself had tricked a little Monkey King into climbing a tree and couldn't get down, so she quietly slipped away when someone was crying for their parents.
Princess Shuhui looked at Shujia and saw the corners of her mouth slowly curl up into a smile. Her handkerchief covered her eyes, and her eyes narrowed. She thought to herself, this girl is so pleasant to look at when she smiles.
Kangxi put down his red brush: "Oh, she didn't find any fault? That's rare, there are times when she can't stump people." Wei Zhu lowered his head and pretended to be dead. He was Kangxi's favorite child and grew up with Kangxi. Naturally, he had seen the style of Princess Duanmin.
Above him, Kangxi chuckled softly, clearly in a good mood. "Go to Ningshou Palace and bring a table full of my meals for tonight."
Wei Zhu repeated it once, making sure everything was ready, and then he went to do his job quickly.
"E Hai, I seem to remember that you are related to Shi Wenbing?" Kangxi asked this to another person standing nearby.
"My Lord, my daughter is marrying Fu Dali, the eldest son of the Shi family."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"Originally, this marriage seemed too high for me, and I was worried my daughter would be wronged. But after hearing that their family was lenient and harmonious, I finally agreed."
"Really?"
E Hai used examples to support his point, such as how his stepmother treated his concubine's daughter well, how the servants in the household were well-behaved, and how his daughter was ill and the family took good care of her. Finally, he added, "These are just things I heard from my wife. Women are good at this. I just saw that the Shi family has many sons and nephews, all of whom are well-educated, martial artists, and have served the country. They are all people who have done practical things, and I haven't heard of them committing any crimes. I feel at ease, so I decided to marry them."
Of course, you should speak well of your relatives. After all, you are telling the truth. Besides, if you speak ill of your relatives, you are being unkind and giving people a bad impression.
"Hmm. Except for Hua Shan, the Shi family has never been impeached."
E Hai was sweating in his heart, Your Majesty, that is a special kind.
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Shujia finally sensed something was amiss. The breakthrough came when the Empress Dowager invited her to dinner.
It was the end of May, and Wendu had given birth to another boy. After the confinement period, Shujia readily handed over the household chores. She knew how to do them thoroughly, and she didn't have to monopolize them and cause trouble. Only with time off did she realize the value of leisure. Even being summoned by the Empress Dowager became more pleasant. Lately, the Empress Dowager had taken a liking to her speaking, two or three days a month. Shujia had become very familiar with Ningshou Palace, and she had grown increasingly familiar with the Empress Dowager, to the point of sharing meals with her.
The dining table in the palace was made up of two short tables stacked together. The Empress Dowager would look at it, move her chopsticks a few times, pull out the upper table, and replace it with a new one.
Don't expect to eat your fill when dining with the boss! She didn't have to toast or serve soup here, but it was quite difficult to eat under those searchlight-like eyes. After the meal, she was thankful to be only 60% full. The characteristic of the palace food was that it looked dazzling but tasted bland. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager's treatment was high, and the food was always hot.
Shujia was careful not to choose anything with bones or thorns that might require spitting out the core, and she also left dishes with a lot of soup alone to avoid dripping oil onto the table or, worse still, onto her clothes. Otherwise, she was fine; her etiquette was impeccable, and she had long been silent while eating.
After dinner, I thought I could go back to take a shower and sleep, but then Kangxi came!
Shujia felt that everything she had eaten was stuck in her stomach, making her feel uncomfortable.
After a round of greetings, Kangxi jokingly asked the Empress Dowager what she had done today. She replied that she had come to tell everyone a joke. The Empress Dowager wasn't very good at learning jokes, so she laughed before she could even tell the joke. This made Kangxi, in awe, laugh heartily while adapting to the situation. Shujia thought, are you trying to show me a picture of royal harmony?
Then, she was questioned by Kangxi. Kangxi looked at her for a few more times before asking the Empress Dowager: "Is this the girl from the Shi family? She looks a bit older."
The Queen Mother said, "Yes, yes, it's like being a few inches taller when you can't see it."
My dear, that’s because the heels are too high.
Kangxi first asked some polite questions, and then asked Shujia if she was still studying. Shujia answered honestly: "I still read a little every day when I have time."
Next, Kangxi actually... wanted to test her!
Could someone explain to her why Kangxi had memorized the Four Books for Women? Why did he remember so many Tang poems? He even asked her about allusions! After asking her about her reading of classics and history, Kangxi also asked her about stories from the Records of the Grand Historian.
If it weren't for the twenty years of exam-oriented education, Shujia believed that she would have been completely defeated today!
It wasn't over yet, he asked her to write. One large piece, one small piece, the content... just her own! No assigned topic!
Even the civil service exam was not this bad!
"Write Yan?" He also harassed the candidates!
Kangxi liked Dong Qichang's calligraphy, but Shujia practiced the Yan and Liu styles. Dong's calligraphy was only recently added to Mr. Jiang's curriculum, so it was better not to show off her skills.
Shujia paused, and wrote the first word a little distortedly: "I have just learned to write, and the teacher said that the foundation is important." Slowly calming down, the more she wrote, the smoother her writing became.
Kangxi commented: "It is gradually getting better."
When Shujia was first tested, she was completely bewildered. Anyone would be bewildered if tested in front of a national leader. Now that she's adjusted and senses something's amiss, is there a solution? If she were a man, then we could say she performed better and had a promising future. If she were a woman, the word "prospect" truly carries a lot of weight!
She still had some remnants of her past notions—she wasn't old enough to get married. But now… recalling her grandmother's kind eyes, which had been increasingly focused on her recently as she walked around, Shujia shuddered.
She finally came to her senses. Putting the whole situation together, it seemed like... she was evaluating her daughter-in-law. When her mother was choosing a daughter-in-law, she had also mobilized a large number of people to observe her behavior, her conversation, and her various abilities. She also asked around, but she didn't use a written test.
Don’t they need to worry so much about Kangxi’s concubines or his wife from other families?
Kangxi, damn it! Your daughter-in-law is such a lousy position!
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