The veteran comes out to fool people
On a February day with a strong spring breeze, the old man, having recovered from the loss of his son, took his sons to relax in the suburbs of Beijing. This happened to him almost every year, so it wasn't too surprising.
The emperor has left the capital, and those who remain are enjoying themselves. With the boss away, more employees are looking to take advantage of the situation. Spring has arrived, and people's minds have changed. The big boss is away, so let's gossip.
In an era without the internet and with government-run newspapers used only for internal purposes, writing big-character posters or distributing small leaflets could lead to serious arrests. Generally speaking, there were few channels for spreading gossip; it was essentially just "spreading rumors."
When the Bannermen first entered the country, the population was small, and it wasn't difficult for adult men to get a job, big or small. Everyone had something to do and didn't have much time to wander around. Now, with the population booming and the civil service establishment unable to expand indefinitely, there are many idle people. These idle people have government pay to ensure they won't starve to death, so when they have nothing to do, they tend to hang out in teahouses or something. But going to a teahouse isn't just about drinking tea; wouldn't that make them useless? So, they gossip.
Rumors, especially those involving erotic and provocative people, always stir people's nerves and spread with their own twists. In this sense, Alinga's trick was truly despicable; anyone with a lesser motive could have been killed with a single blow.
The problem was that the Tong family wasn't just "lesser-than-average"; it was the Tong dynasty. Gossip circulating in the streets had a difficult time reaching the palace. The idle bannermen who heard these rumors might also have relatives with officials, and thus spread to the upper echelons of the family.
This step is easy, but the next one is difficult - no one who can reach the level of being able to talk to the emperor is stupid, and who would really be so full of himself that he would go and report and expose others?
Kangxi's support for the Tong family was evident to all. The person who wrote the epitaph for Tong Guogang was beaten by the emperor for his honest portrayal of his life, which displeased Kangxi—he didn't even praise my uncle more. Tong Guowei is still alive.
Alinga waited for nearly half a month, but no one came forward to impeach him. He was so angry that he cursed at home, "Are all the people in the Censorate dead?! Longkodo is so unruly, and no one has reported him for his lack of discipline!" He then asked the housekeeper, "Is there no movement from the Shi family?"
The housekeeper said bitterly, "There's some activity in their house, but they've been taking inventory and moving all sorts of things into the warehouse. After His Majesty returns, it's the date the Fifteenth Prince will be married, and the wedding isn't far off. They can't take care of that for now."
Alinga choked so hard that his eyes almost popped out: "What about those families?"
"ah?"
"Stop playing dumb! I don't believe there's anyone in the Plain White Banner or the Bordered Yellow Banner who wants to marry their daughter to the Crown Prince!"
"There's really no movement on this, sir. Perhaps they're waiting for His Majesty to return to the capital. If we submit a memorial now, the Tong family will intercept it halfway..."
The housekeeper's guess seemed to make sense. Alinga smiled strangely: "You are quite capable, old man! You can even think of such things."
The housekeeper smiled and said, "I just followed the master out and got a little bit of the fairy spirit."
Alinga's smile faded, and he looked resentful again. How many people in the capital didn't know about Longkodo's misdeeds? Just because he often supported his concubine and asked her to attend social events, it seemed that every prominent family had complaints. Even now, I've exposed everything, and no one has come forward to impeach him!
This shows how powerful the Tong family is!
The Tong family is a huge obstacle in the selection of concubines.
Alinga's original plan was a brilliant one: he'd spread the rumor, someone would hear it, and impeach him. When the memorial reached the emperor, Kangxi, given his character, would have launched an investigation. Since it was already a fact, he wasn't afraid of an investigation. Furthermore, judging by public opinion, the vast majority of people still sympathized with the first wife, which would have intensified the spread, making it impossible for the emperor to keep quiet.
The emperor is outside, and the spatial distance is sometimes the key factor in whether something is successful or not.
Unexpectedly, even though I had taken everything into consideration, I didn’t expect that no one in or outside the capital would take action!
Alinga gritted his teeth and decided to wait and see for another two months. If no one came forward by then, he'd have to arrange for someone to step in. Next year would be another year for the big selection, so the sooner this sort of thing was done, the better. Besides the Tong family, there were many other prominent Manchu surnames.
How should I deal with him pacing back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back?
Tong Guowei's forehead was twitching. How could he deal with it?
By the time the Tong family learned about this rumor, it had already spread throughout the capital.
The Tong family boasted a reputation for being a powerful dynasty, and members were divided into different classes. Tong Guowei was undoubtedly at the top of the hierarchy. The idle members of his family, upon hearing the news, dismissed it with indifference. Originally, the Longkodo affair was well-known to everyone, and had never been a major concern, hadn't it? Who was so full of themselves as to tell the old man about his son's faults?
It was not until the rumor spread more and more widely that the clan members hurriedly told Tong Guowei: After Alinga's polishing and disclosure of the information, the situation inside was too exciting. It could not be ignored. The impact was too bad and would affect the whole family.
Before, not everyone, including the family, knew Si'er's origins. They only knew that Fourth Master Long doted on this woman. Now, everyone knew she was a stolen slut. Eight out of ten people laughed at Longkodo, wondering if the son was his. The other two, more sleazy ones, wondered what this woman looked like. How much sex could she have to have captivated Longkodo like this?
Wipe your saliva, stop laughing, and go show off your achievements to the old man.
Tong Guowei was truly racked with worry. For a rumor to spread at this juncture, it must have been someone stirring things up. Otherwise, why had no one spoken out about it for years, only for it to erupt at this critical juncture? But rumors, the more they were suppressed, the more they became believed.
Tong Guowei was so angry that his hands and feet were shaking. What a bastard! "Tell that bastard to come see me!"
Longkodo was very busy, trying to get an imperial decree for his fourth son while the emperor was away, and during this time he inevitably resorted to some deceptive tactics under the banner of his father. Today, things finally began to work out, and just as he was about to return to show his achievements to his concubine, he was welcomed by the housekeeper into Tong Guowei's study.
Upon entering, Tong Guowei was enraged by his cheerful expression and threw the tea bowl at him. The bowl landed in front of Longkodo, shattering the delicate white porcelain into pieces that flew everywhere, spilling the tea. Longkodo was startled, "Father, what's wrong with you?"
He doesn't know yet!
Tong Guowei pointed his finger at Longkodo and said, "You did a great job!"
"What's wrong with my son? He has been very well behaved since the last time the emperor reprimanded him."
"You're being honest!" Tong Guowei, who always presented a gentle and amiable image, couldn't help but curse. "What have you done?"
Did the old man know? Longkodo smiled flatteringly and climbed up, then went to explain to Tong Guowei: "Yuzhu is about to get married, but his mother is still not of high status, so it won't look good when the marriage is announced. I, your son, am doing this for the sake of our family's reputation, so I'm trying to ask for a decree for her..."
Tong Guowei didn't know about this yet. He had a mouthful of phlegm stuck in his trachea and his face turned red.
Longkodo hurriedly patted him on the back. Tong Guowei spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm and spat fiercely at Longkodo: "You beast! This family is going to be ruined in your hands!"
"What's wrong with my son..." Longkodo muttered, still unconvinced, "It's just like that—"
"Shut up!" Tong Guowei saw that he was no longer in a relationship with him, so he threw the current situation on his head. "It's spread all over the place. Your concubine is not from a legitimate family. You favor your concubine over your wife. It's said that there is something wrong with our family tradition! You haven't woken up yet!"
Longkodo was shocked: "Not that small, right?"
Tong Guowei didn't play along: "Which one you favor is your business, I have never interfered. If you mess up the family business, I won't forgive you! That bitch was so arrogant earlier, I didn't expose her or make a fuss about it for your sake and my own face. After all, it's a woman's business and it won't affect the big things. Now she has already affected the family's reputation, you have to clean up your mess for me, don't make me do it!"
In the end, I still managed to save some dignity for my son.
"She's been with her son for almost twenty years, and now she has another child..."
"My Tong family has a reputation spanning hundreds of years, and we now have hundreds of relatives. Isn't that more important than a concubine of yours?!" Tong Guowei waved his hand. He was most afraid that Longkodo would make a mistake. A concubine was easy to deal with, but his own son was a problem. "Listen carefully, I don't want to hear any more news about this bitch flaunting herself everywhere! If you want her to be well, then make her behave herself."
"It's obvious that someone is behind this! Father! You must not..."
What an injustice! How could this guy catch his own son? He used to be worried about his son, but now he has deeper concerns and can't do it. Killing this guy is more like confirming the rumors. Tong Guowei had a headache: "If you know someone is playing tricks, tell her to be more restrained and not give them any evidence! If there is anything in the future, ask your wife to come forward. Sending a concubine away is not right!"
Longkodo was frightened by his father's rare anger and responded hesitantly.
Back in his own little world, he pondered over it all, realizing someone was plotting against him, and there was nothing he could do about the rumors. He also had to tell Si'er that since she was in the spotlight, she should not go out and further spread the rumors.
Si'er's face turned pale, and Longkodo felt distressed. "Just for a while, just for a while, you can play at home as you like."
Si'er's voice trembled: "You got scolded for me. Don't do that again."
What a reasonable man! Longkodo was deeply moved: "Please bear with it for a while. Once the news dies down, I will snatch an imperial edict for you! This is how rumors spread. When new ones come out, I will throw this one away."
Si Er was depressed for a while, then took the maids and servants and went straight to Longkodo's main wife's room to play. "Congratulations, Fourth Madam, congratulations, Fourth Madam, the old master has stood up for you. Are you happy?"
Meanwhile, Tong Guowei had already called on his students and friends, asking them to keep an eye on the memorials and suppress any reports of his son. He hadn't yet realized that Longkodo and Si'er were plotting something serious; he simply thought his son's madness had reached a new level, doting on his concubine to no end.
Tong Guowei's greeting at this moment was redundant - as long as Alinga did not take action, those who had not taken action would remain calm.
Everyone was waiting to see which way the wind would blow. Longkodo's actions were something everyone silently despised, but was Alinga's character truly worthy of silent respect? Thinking back, no one wanted to be a pawn. Everyone wanted Alinga to take the lead so everyone could take advantage.
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"It's good that you know this. Don't get angry with the Tong family. If that happens... the Emperor might not be happy." This was Shuyi who was speaking. She was living a good life and was now pregnant with her second child. She was in high spirits. She had heard some gossip outside, and since it involved her nephew and cousin, it made no sense not to flatter her sister.
Today Shuyi came to the palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. Since Yinreng had not returned yet, Shujia invited her to sit in the East Palace, to visit her niece, and to talk and discuss things.
Shujia took a gold hairpin out of the box, examined it, and threw it back in. "Why would I argue with the Tong family? How many people, from top to bottom, know about Longkodo's misdeeds? Is it worth getting angry over him?"
Shuyi still gave a polite word of advice: "After all, the Tong family is a two-generation family with good upbringing. Apart from those two, the girls in the family are pretty good. If you really want to give her to the crown prince, then... well, it's not bad."
So that’s what you’re talking about!
Shujia curled her lips. Speaking of this, her whole family felt very aggrieved. As parents, they didn't have much say, and the person involved was directly deprived of the right to speak. The most annoying thing was that Kangxi made multiple-choice questions, and no matter whether it added points or deducted points, in the end, their family had to bear the consequences.
But what can we do? The Emperor has said it, so you must agree. Let's focus on the present. As for what happens in the future, isn't that in our hands? At this point, the Crown Princess hadn't yet connected these rumors to her son's choice of a wife. The relationships between the great families in the capital are complex, and there might be something else going on. It's impossible to confirm.
Shujia said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Hongdan's wife is still nowhere in sight, and Hongxi's wife is about to be sent to the capital. Once the fourth girl's matter is settled, it will be his business. By the time Hongdan gets married, there might be some unexpected events, so how can we choose a family now?"
Shuyi tilted her head: "That's right. Second sister, look at what this is used for? It looks quite novel." When the two of them were together, Prince Yu's wife was very firm in calling the Crown Princess "sister".
Shujia handed her the box in her hand and said, "Take a look at it. Is it acceptable?"
Shuyi took a look and said, "Second sister, are you going to give this to fourth sister? It's okay to give it to others, but it seems a bit inferior to give it to fourth sister," she said carefully, "It's not very expensive, you might not like it?" After saying that, she regretted it. Doing such things was totally unlike the style of the Crown Princess. Even if she really gave this to Shuhui, it was because of other considerations. She was really a talker.
"The maids around me are old enough to leave the palace. Whether they leave or stay, I have to show some appreciation," Shujia said without caring about Shuyi's expression. "Each of them will receive four boxes of gold and jade jewelry, ten rolls of silk, and one hundred taels of silver."
Shuyi took a deep breath and said, "That's quite a lot! Even an ordinary family wouldn't have this much in their possessions outside."
"They have been with me for more than ten years. Why should I care about such little things? It can be regarded as giving them something to keep themselves with. Those who are married can add to their dowry. Those who are invited to worship can also have some things to keep themselves with. The ones left with me... If they dress up beautifully, I will feel comfortable too, right?" Eight people, fully dressed, spent less than two thousand taels of silver. It was a big expense for more than ten years. What was there to be reluctant about?
Shuyi smiled and said, "After all, she is my second sister. Who do you plan to let go and who do you plan to keep?"
"I haven't decided yet. They're all different in age, just one or two years apart. Starting next year, I'll be busy."
Shuyi let go of the topic and turned to talk about family matters. "As for our family, we don't care about anything outside. We just focus on taking care of Fourth Sister's affairs. We've already received most of the dowry, and the accounts of the dowry farms and shops have been settled. Now we just have to wait for the emperor's return so that we can take care of things. Speaking of which, I know where the Third Princess's house in Beijing is. They sent their daughter to the capital for marriage, and the dowry is being moved into the house like water."
Shujia asked, "Listen to what's happening over there. What's the situation?"
Shuyi frowned and said, "The Third Princess is a quiet person. Under the Emperor's feet, the Third Prince Consort must behave himself even if he is not."
"That's not all."
"Let's not talk about these annoying things. Where is our princess?"
Speaking of her daughter, Shujia smiled and said, "Hong has been playing with her for a long time." She asked them to bring both children over.
Hong had already paid his respects to his mother and aunt. Shuyi smiled and said, "Seventh Prince has grown up so much."
Shujia said, "He can't wait to grow up a little bit. His brothers are all away at school, but he's been scratching the walls of his house all day."
The words "scratch the wall" seemed to have touched Shuyi's funny spot, and she laughed out loud: "You think he is a kitten."
This wasn't the first time Hongzao had come to see this aunt and uncle. Seeing that Shujia didn't say anything, he took the initiative to say, "My sister is the cat. She's the one who tickled my father..."
Child, telling the truth will lead to retaliation.
Shuyi couldn't stop laughing again: "That's her, let's try tickling someone else!" After laughing for a while, she picked up her niece and teased her, "Our princess is so well-behaved, how could she tickle others?"
Shujia hugged her son and rubbed him for a while, then said to Shuyi, "She really tickled me. I almost got blamed for it."
Shuyi paused and quickly handed her niece to the nanny: "Grape trellis?"
Shujia poked her forehead with one hand: "Just keep talking nonsense, do you think it's a good thing?"
Shuyi held her sister's fingers and said, "Good sister, please forgive me. Seriously, on the day when Fourth Sister gets her makeup done, will you go back to see her?"
"Not only I should go, you should go too. This isn't about marrying off our younger sister, this is about marrying off our younger brother's wife."
Shuyi understood: "Fortunately, the date is not too late. It is in September and I have already finished my confinement."
Shujia and Shuyi talked for a while. Shuyi thought carefully. It was no longer news that the daughters of noble families were taking extra classes. She also mentioned several marriages. "That's about it. Sister knows. My eyesight is not very good, so I can't move around much."
Shujia said, "I am relieved, but it is not easy to move around. We are evenly matched."
The two chatted and laughed for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, Shujia let Shuyi go back: "Be careful on the road."
After sending Shuyi away, Shujia asked about Hongzao's homework and let him play with his sister on the kang. She held her forehead and thought: How can I find someone for Hongxi?
With the marriage, Hongxi's staff will need some changes. Gegentana will definitely come with a dowry, so there's no need for additional maids, but two more eunuchs will be needed, otherwise there won't be enough. This matter still needs to be reported to the Imperial Household Department. As for whether they're reliable... that's not something to worry about.
Standing up, Shujia straightened her body, tilted her head back slightly, and stretched her muscles. The only thing that made her unhappy was that her daughter-in-law had come into the family, and she was about to become an elder. She was being urged to age, which was one of the things that made women unhappy the most.
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"Hahahahahaha~~~~~" Yinreng pointed at his wife and laughed until he couldn't breathe.
It was March, the afternoon of the day the Holy Father returned.
This time, the Ministry of Rites quickly drafted the uniforms and wedding ceremony for the emperor's grandson and his wife, and sent them to the Imperial Household Department for production. When Yinreng talked about this with Shujia, Shujia couldn't help but sigh, "I can't wear the new waistcoat I made this spring. What a pity!"
This look of reluctance yet having to let go made Yinreng laugh: "You are still you. So, you wear bright-colored clothes, and give your wife an even brighter one. That way it won't be noticeable."
"hehe……"
When Shujia lowered her head, she saw her little girl, whose teeth had not yet grown, sitting on the kang. She pointed a finger at her mother and laughed at her with her chubby little arms and hands, which could not even be straightened. She shrugged her shoulders and looked very much like the child's father.
Yinreng picked up his daughter and said, "My dear daughter, you really look like your father..."
"...You can't speak yet, but you smile so brightly!" Shujia glared at Yinreng and began to scold her daughter.
The little baby didn't understand anything and leaned against his father, showing no sign of repentance.
Yinreng said with a smile: "Why are you angry with her?" His son was getting married, and he felt a little sad that time was not forgiving. But when he saw that this pink and tender baby was his own daughter, he felt that he was still very young.
"Little white-eyed wolf, it was so hard to give birth to her, and she still laughs at me."
Yinreng hugged his daughter and kissed her: "You will definitely be a filial and good girl in the future, right?"
The little baby girl was tickled by him and was laughing and moving her limbs around.
"Isn't that right?" Yinreng proudly presented the treasure. "By the way, is there any news in the capital in the past month?"
Shujia thought for a moment and said, "There is one thing, I don't know if it counts as the truth, but it was Prince Yu's wife who told me about it."
"oh?"
"The rumors are very fierce. It's about Longkodo favoring his concubine and killing his wife."
Yinreng's eyes turned cold: "So that's it." Children are very sensitive. Wu Yunzhu looked up at her father, and Yinreng carefully put her aside.
"What?" The look in his eyes was not right.
"You'd never guess that these are the 'pillars of the country' working here."
"?"
Yinreng thought about it and finally let his wife know: "This matter is related to our son's selection of a concubine. No matter what you hear about the Tong family or the Guoyi family recently, don't get angry. Just pretend you don't know."
——————————————————Flashback dividing line————————————————————
Qingde noticed that the number of non-combat casualties among his men had been increasing. As a leader, he couldn't ignore such a thing. The investigation was quite tortuous, and Qingde first discovered part of the truth: everyone was hiding from the truth.
Further questioning revealed that it was Alinga who had hinted at someone to impeach the Tong family. No one was stupid; who would mess with the emperor's uncle? They happened to run into the chief officer, who, by chance, was also the crown prince's uncle. Okay, this matter barely counts as a family affair, so it's perfectly fine to hand it over to you. Let's make it clear: I can share the inside story with you, but once this happens, I won't take responsibility.
Qingde nodded and agreed.
Then, the other party started talking: First, there were rumors swirling in the streets, and then, Alinga indicated that he must impeach someone for "failing to manage the family properly" and "not maintaining the curtains properly."
Qingde was also happy. He was in charge of the imperial inspectors in the capital, making it easy to investigate rumors. Since two powerful families were implicated in this incident, Qingde refused to believe the words of one person and continued to investigate. When he was done, he cursed loudly: "Fuck Longkodo! Fuck Alinga!"
The person spreading the rumors and causing trouble for him was Alinga, and considering his character, this was undeniable. With this target locked in, his purpose became clear: to exploit Longkodo's incident to discredit the entire Tong family. As for his purpose, considering the status and conflict between the two families, as well as the delicate timing, Qingde could already guess the reason: the struggle for the position of Crown Prince's Consort.
You're talking about some risqué gossip, but you're insisting on bringing up issues with their family traditions. That's definitely a problem. Given the Tong family's reputation, who would bother to bring up an entire family? And then you're calling for impeachment. Isn't that a clear-cut goal?
This matter was of grave importance, and confronting either family head-on was unwise, but it was also extremely infuriating. Qingde returned to report to Shi Wenbing, who was also furious: "How can this be! They're choosing a concubine for the Crown Prince, and they're choosing a lady. The girl hasn't even noticed anything yet, and this family's elders are so rude!"
"Father, Alinga won't let this go. What should we do? If he convinces one or two censors, it'll be hard to explain to Tong Guowei." If it were just a trivial matter, it would be fine. Everyone understood that even the most powerful commander couldn't know everything about his subordinates. But with something as serious as this, Tong Guowei couldn't guarantee he would still have his sanity.
Shi Wenbing thought for a while: "Your brother is accompanying the emperor now. Send a suitable person to tell him about this matter and ask him to report it to the prince. As for the rest, we just have to handle it impartially. Whether the Tong family can produce a princess depends on the emperor's opinion. It seems that it is not appropriate for their family now. If the princess will not be born in their family, we don't have to care about this trivial matter." If he had to intervene, it was not the time. The situation was too chaotic and he couldn't see clearly. He was afraid of being used as a pawn and feeling guilty.
Qingde swallowed his anger and agreed, "Son, I'll do it right away. I hope the matter hasn't been reported to the emperor yet. With so many people here, not everyone will necessarily obey."
Shi Wenbing sat quietly in his chair for a while, then pulled out another memorial. This was his retirement report, which had been finalized after several revisions. He handed it over as he was only concerned about his youngest daughter's marriage.
Qingde, however, selected his trusted aides and pursued the emperor. Coincidentally, Fu Dali was in charge of the security, so he received the intelligence without alerting anyone else. He quickly reviewed it and immediately came to find Yinreng.
The Crown Prince had been hiding his temper lately, but that didn't mean he had lost it, especially when it came to something that offended his dignity. Yinreng gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry about it for now. Don't let Alinga get away with it." Yinreng sneered, "Tell Tong Guowei a message."
The Crown Prince has a strong dislike for both families. Both stepmothers' families are quite annoying. Now they're plotting against his son, which is even more annoying. When choosing a daughter-in-law for the royal family, improving your own qualities and performing well is one thing, but setting up a trap like this is another. It's a matter of attitude!
The Tong family, having produced a bastard like Longkodo, still wants to marry into the Imperial Palace? How audacious! Alinga is even more disgusting. Pulling out such a despicable trick, are you using my son as a prize?! You're courting death! I'll mark you in my little notebook. Don't you just love to be scheming? Then just criticize each other. It would be best if Tong Guowei retaliated, leaving both sides in disarray.
If the two families start fighting, they will inevitably hurt each other, which will make it easier for the royal family to control the court.
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"So that's how it is?" Shujia felt ashamed. She really didn't care about politics at all. "Did Aling really think that without the Tong family, their family would be theirs?"
Yinreng sneered and said, "You were right that time. Let's just wait and see."
Shujia smiled bitterly, "What else can I do? At least, the Khan Ama will also look at the character of the child and what their family is like..." It was precisely because she believed in the requirements for the royal daughter-in-law that Shujia was willing to stand by and watch. The quality of the prince's wife was still quite good.
Yinreng narrowed his eyes: "You should also take a careful look. It would be best if one of the Khans is satisfied and we are satisfied too." He was irritated by Alinga. He had originally planned to let Kangxi choose, but now he wanted to do something, at least not to let those two annoying people be chosen.
Shujia's eyelashes twitched. "Okay." Even now, she couldn't quite discern Kangxi's opinion. The only person she had access to was the Empress Dowager, and she always said yes to every young woman. There were so many candidates for the Ningshou Palace audition that Shujia was a little overwhelmed.
After thinking for a while, Shujia decided to ask Yinreng if there were any precautions. Yinreng thought for a while and said, "Let's put everything else aside. The girl's father and brother must be in line with the rules! If you forgot their names and they are someone's daughters, come back and tell me and I'll check."
"good."
From then on, the Crown Princess couldn't help but look at her daughter-in-law with a little more seriousness. To be honest, both the Niuhulu family and the Tong family still had a few good girls, but unfortunately... there were too many top-notch girls in their mother's family.
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As Shujia was looking at her daughter-in-law and teaching her daughter how to speak, the day for the Fifteenth Prince to be engaged passed.
The prince's wedding ceremony had its own set rules, requiring the prince to be accompanied by a number of eunuchs and guards to the wife's home for the ceremony of engagement. Such a festivity was not suitable for the Crown Princess to join in. Her mere presence would make her the highest-ranking person, stealing the spotlight from the main characters. And the betrothal ceremony itself was a far cry from the fact that the prince didn't even get to kiss her.
In March, the written agreement will be signed, and in April, the betrothal gifts will be paid. As for the wedding, it will have to wait until the emperor returns from his tour of the frontier.
After the fifteenth prince's engagement ceremony and the acceptance of the bride price, it was Hongxi's engagement ceremony. The third princess had sent her daughter to live in a house in the capital to acclimate herself to life there while waiting for the engagement. The formalities were handled smoothly. Hongxi did not attend the engagement ceremony in person; instead, Yinreng sent an official from the Eastern Palace as an envoy.
Kangxi's point was that delaying the marriage was for the sake of his successor, a necessary measure, as he was already quite anxious. To ensure efficiency, the marriage should be done as soon as the couple reached the required age. Before then, all necessary procedures must be completed.
The capital was surprisingly peaceful during this period, as if nothing had happened between the Niohuru clan and the Tonggiya clan.
This wasn't because Alinga had changed his ways and realized his actions were wrong, nor was it because Tong Guowei had reflected on himself and was stricter with his children. It was just that Alinga had overlooked one thing in all his calculations: in March of that year, after the fifteenth prince's engagement ceremony, Emperor Kangxi once again granted titles to his sons, and at the same time, officially issued titles to his daughters-in-law.
With the exception of the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh princes, who were promoted to princes, and the tenth prince, who was granted the title of beile, the rest were all beizi, all the way up to the fourteenth prince. Their wives also received certificates of their respective ranks. The Imperial Household Department was swamped with work. Custom-made clothes and the casting and engraving of imperial seals were essential, but now there was another challenge: each of the five princes, from the ninth prince onward, would have their own residences, and they needed to find places to build them.
With the court in such a state of turmoil, it was not a good time to bring up this kind of impeachment article: it would be easily overlooked and wouldn't cause any waves, while organizing an impeachment with grand rules would be a bit difficult, and his influence would be slightly insufficient.
Alinga was so anxious that he jumped up and down, but he couldn't make a move. His character was a little low, his tactics a little cheap, and his brain wasn't completely broken. It would be fine if he offended one or two people, but when a group of people were celebrating, he came to pour cold water on them. Wasn't that asking for trouble?
The grand selection will be held next spring, and if he doesn't do it now, it will be too late. While he was scratching his head, he received the notice to accompany the emperor on his journey to the frontier. In the past, he would have been overjoyed, but now, he wanted to curse. If he stayed in the capital, he could calmly arrange things, at least influence a few frustrated censors, promise them benefits or arouse their indignation, and the matter would be settled.
Now that he was under the emperor's nose, Alinga was sure that Tong Guowei had taken precautions.
Even more unfortunately, Tong Guowei was also accompanying the emperor this year, making matters even more difficult. Alinga still didn't want to take action himself, and pushing the situation behind the scenes was the style of a great man. Gritting his teeth, Alinga noticed that Qingde was also accompanying the emperor, and his eyes swirled as he came up with an idea.
Traveling is boring, but having someone to talk to makes it less tedious. Alinga found Qingde. Luckily for him, Orondei was away. Alinga's rumor book flowed freely, and he gave Qingde a bombshell: "You didn't know, did you? Longkodo wants to send the girl born to his concubine to the Eastern Palace to be chosen as the Crown Prince's consort."
Qingde resisted the urge to hit him, and said with a forced smile: "You can't just say that." You are the one who is meddling.
Alinga said mysteriously, "My dear nephew, you don't know," and looked around, "You can't tell this to Orondei. Look, Longkodo asked for an imperial decree for his concubine, not earlier or later, but now. Isn't it obvious?" In the end, he even believed it himself.
Qingde was also somewhat skeptical.
Of course, turning around, Qingde sobered up: "Don't joke, Tong Guowei is not so stupid, what you said is not true! I have an insider, Tong Guowei's wife did not bring Longkodo's daughter into the palace!"
I have to say that Alinga's brain waves are really at the same frequency as Longkodo's.
Qingde thought for a long time and tactfully reminded Orondai that it would be better to deal with the little trouble in your uncle's family. Brother Qingde still couldn't forget the shame this family had brought to his family. He would try to trip them up no matter what. Orondai gritted his teeth and said, "You think I don't want to? If this gets out of hand, the whole family will suffer. Just wait and see. Once this is over, I will beat this bitch's brains out!"
Qingde swallowed his saliva, lowered his head and said nothing.
Tong Guowei hadn't been idle during the journey. He'd gotten some cryptic information about Qingde back in Beijing, and his family had taken the initiative, temporarily controlling the flow of information. But this wasn't a big deal; if the situation wasn't addressed at its source, there would be hidden dangers.
Tong Guowei scolded Longkodo again and said he wanted to make peace with Alinga. Both of them served as the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Guard, so they were colleagues and had frequent contact. Tong Guowei invited Alinga to drink, and during the meal, Longkodo came over to ask his father something, but Tong Guowei scolded him back.
Longkodo lowered his head and hid the hatred in his eyes. It was all because of this Alinga that he was in this state!
Tong Guowei scolded his son and sent him away, then sighed to Alinga, "What a sin! This guy is useless!"
Alinga pretended to say, "Brother Shi was merely reprimanded by His Majesty and lost his job. He's still a first-class guard now. His Majesty has reprimanded countless people, but after a while, he always calls them back and gives them new jobs. Don't worry, I'll laugh at you, but I've lost my job too."
Tong Guowei shook his head, his old face filled with shame. "That's not what I'm talking about. This guy can't even manage his own women," he mumbled, recounting how Longkodo had been bewitched by a bitch. "It's made my whole family lose face. Next year is the big selection period, and I just hope... my granddaughters can put down their names and return so I can find them some honest families - after all, we can control it - so they don't have to marry into wealthy families and suffer because of their reputation."
Aling Axin said, I won't be fooled: "With the emperor watching over you, you can rest assured, nothing will happen."
Tong Guowei said, "Your Majesty, I know that he hates things that go against the rules the most."
The two of them exchanged words, and finally Tong Guowei said, "I've told my family to be careful. Don't bring the maids into the palace without permission. If they point fingers at you, it will be troublesome."
Ah Ling said, "That's such a shame. Rumors are just rumors. There's no truth to them. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater."
Tong Guowei didn't argue with him about the choice of words; he was completely determined. If Alinga succeeded, his entire family's reputation would be ruined. He had no choice but to keep Alinga in check. As long as a Crown Prince Consort emerged from his family, everything would be smoothed over. Otherwise... the whole family would be implicated. Originally, it was to preserve his wealth, but now he had to fight tooth and nail. Later, he would have to find a way to impress Kangxi. What a miserable fate.
Tong Guowei hinted to Alinga not to shirk his responsibility. In his opinion, besides his own family, the girl from the Niuhulu family was qualified to be the Crown Prince's Consort. As for others, "It's useless if the children are good but the adults in the family are not motivated enough." He praised Alinga a little and asked Alinga not to forget to take care of the Tong family in the future. "I am old and dying, and my son is in such a state. Please take good care of him."
We have definitive evidence that Alinga was fooled by Tong Guowei. If she didn't try to get close to the higher-ups, the palace would have already had enough of the girls, waiting for the emperor's return. The emperor was still away, so what difference would it make whether she went inside or not? Furthermore, Tong Guowei believed that Longkodo hadn't learned his lesson, and Alinga's character was also poor. Based on this, his daughters should be eliminated.
The family reputation is Tong Guowei's lifeblood. It is a good reason to decide to withdraw for the sake of the family's reputation. The problem is that you, Alinga, have already begun to ruin their reputation, and Tong Guowei has chosen to find another way to restore their reputation: royal certification.
Of course, Alinga hadn't thought of this yet, so he didn't take further action against the Tong family. Instead, he focused his attention on the other families. These days, no one is stupid. When they see the situation is not going well, they all shrink back even more than anyone else: "The Tong family has withered? That's impossible!" It would be truly strange if the Tong family could swallow such a blow!
Regarding family traditions, even though everyone knew about Longkodo, as long as the truth wasn't revealed, it was acceptable to pretend to be deaf and dumb. Once that was revealed, the reputation would be damaged, and that would be a family affair. Alinga did it on the first day, so why wouldn't Tong Guowei do it on the fifteenth?
Let them make a fuss, we'll just wait and see, maybe we can even get something out of it. Everyone unanimously showed a low profile, and for a while, the Niuhulu clan was very popular.
Alinga was so happy that he stayed quiet for several months. There were no more troubles in summer and autumn. After returning to Beijing, he happily attended the wedding of the Fifteenth Prince.
At the Fifteenth Prince's wedding banquet, Alinga had a seat near the front. Yinreng was deeply puzzled: had Alinga changed? With his typically harsh nature, how could he have shown some generosity? And become more affectionate towards him?
The author has something to say:
I hope I didn't write Tong Guowei off...
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