Things after the summons
It's true that the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager looked at the wives of their great-grandsons and grandsons, but that didn't necessarily mean they had to choose a particular one or family. Would the emperor's son still worry about not having a wife? These two were just two candidates, and it wasn't certain who would be a good match for whom.
Don't try to guess what the boss is thinking. No matter how much you try, it's hard to predict the outcome. In the Cining Palace, those who came to pay their respects returned, and the family members began to talk.
To accommodate the Empress Dowager, they began speaking Mongolian. Kangxi asked the Grand Empress Dowager again, "Did your morning snack taste delicious? Did you sleep well last night?" The Grand Empress Dowager replied, "I was able to digest the snacks." Kangxi then engaged in a discussion with the Grand Empress Dowager about the fillings of the snacks, discussing everyday matters that most people would not expect Kangxi to be so rambling.
The Empress Dowager understood now, but she felt like dozing off.
After finally finishing this, Kangxi addressed the Empress Dowager with his usual greetings. The Empress Dowager wasn't one to start a conversation, so after a dry reply, she fell silent. She listened, waiting for the other two to say something else. Knowing her temperament, the other two shifted the conversation, naturally revolving around the two young girls.
They are all young and girls, so it is impossible for them to have any earth-shattering deeds to be reported. People only look at their looks and manners.
The Grand Empress Dowager said, "It looks good, but the older one is a concubine's daughter, so it's not quite right. The younger one looks too young, so it's better to keep her for now."
Kangxi smiled and said, "Of course, we should always take a closer look."
It was true that the Empress Dowager liked Shujia very much, but she had no say and could only listen. The Grand Empress Dowager wanted to ask her opinion: "What do you think, Empress Dowager?"
After all, the Grand Empress Dowager loved her niece's daughter, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, she wanted to improve the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Especially since her health had been getting worse recently, she hoped that the family relationship would be harmonious and close.
While Kangxi wasn't as close to the Empress Dowager as the Grand Empress Dowager, he still managed to do a very good job. Considering the number of sons he had just a few years ago, he even entrusted the Fifth Prince, born to Concubine Yi, to the Empress Dowager's care. The Empress Dowager's abilities—in every aspect, from wifely duties to guardianship to childrearing—were truly appalling. The Fifth Prince's Chinese was so poor that he could barely speak or write, and his condition was expected to worsen, with little understanding. Yet, Kangxi tolerated this. It was truly a struggle!
The Empress Dowager really likes Shujia; she speaks Mongolian. What a shame! She's a little too old, otherwise she could have been given to our Fifth Prince. Age is a big issue; any difference wouldn't make them a good match, and even more so would be like time travel. The Shi family believes Shujia's current performance isn't important because she's five years younger than the eldest prince, meaning she'll have absolutely no role to play next year.
The Empress Dowager was at a loss. She said with regret, "I think the little one is not bad either." The Grand Empress Dowager asked Su Mala again, "What do you think of Gege?" Su Mala, whose original name was Su Mol, was later changed to Su Mala. Others in the palace called her Su Malagu with respect, while the Grand Empress Dowager's confidants called her "Gege". Kangxi simply called her "Ene Mama".
This man was a man of great insight and prudence. He knelt and bowed as he listened to her question. "If the masters say it's good, then it's certainly not bad. It's rare that all three masters think so well of it. I just heard her reply, and she speaks both Chinese and Mongolian quite well. I wonder how the Mandarin is doing?"
The Empress Dowager said, "Call her over next time and let the princess talk to her." Su Mala bowed in response.
The Grand Empress Dowager commented on Shujia's performance, agreeing that she knew Mongolian. Kangxi also remarked, "I see her face and she seems blessed. I've recently met her father and two brothers; they're all good people, well-educated."
Finally, the Empress Dowager made the final decision: "This is the one. While I can still see, I will look at a few more maids and then discuss it."
After that, I saw a few other girls like Peng Chun's daughter Dong E, who were "approved by all three masters," and I basically had a similar idea. The reasons were also very legitimate, such as Peng Chun being sent to the Northeast to fight against Russia, and the palace wanted to summon his wife and daughter.
Among these girls, the granddaughters of Irgen Jueluo and Samuha were more suitable for the eldest prince in terms of age. Not surprisingly, the eldest prince's wife was chosen from among these people.
As for the Crown Princess, none of them had reached a decision. Kangxi believed the selection was a matter of great importance, so it would be better to wait a few years before deciding. The Grand Empress Dowager agreed, saying, "The Crown Prince is two years older than the eldest prince. It wouldn't be too late to decide next time." Kangxi was only twelve or thirteen when he married, the perfect age for the next Crown Prince. However, at the time, he was determined to rule the country and, given the pitifully small size of the royal family, to have children sooner rather than later. Now that it was the Crown Prince's turn, he needed to be more cautious.
For example, the daughter of Shi Wenbing and the daughter of Peng Chun are good candidates. It wouldn't be a waste of time to observe them for a few more years.
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Of course, the Shi family didn't know what the three bosses were thinking. Their eyes were still on the eldest prince. According to the rules, how could the younger brother go ahead when the older brother hasn't married yet? If they did it together, the other princes would be free, except for the crown prince and the eldest prince. If these two got involved, it would be another round of wrangling.
Back home, everyone praised Shujia for her tactful behavior. Shujia was very proud of herself. In her opinion, Kangxi was the final decision maker on the selection of concubines, but the Empress Dowager also had a lot of say, which made the Empress Dowager seem a bit dispensable.
Did Kangxi value his biological grandmother more, or his non-blood-related stepmother? Common sense suggests the former. Furthermore, based on Shujia's months of experience in Shi Wenbing's study, the various official documents, the letters Kangxi sent to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, and the gifts he gave to both, undoubtedly revealed his emotional leanings.
From the two's behavior when paying their respects, we can also see that the Empress Dowager is a better person.
So Shujia accompanied the Empress Dowager in her conversations, leaving Shuxian to the Grand Empress Dowager. As long as Shi Wenbing didn't act crazy, Shujia's future was very stable. Shuxian, on the other hand, was a bit of a middle-class person and needed to curry favor with the top leader.
The Shi family's expectations for Shuxian weren't particularly high. How could they not be cautious with the emperor's first daughter-in-law? Ultimately, they simply hoped she wouldn't become the eldest prince's concubine, or be married to a member of the imperial clan as his principal wife, or be given a royal title.
Shuxian, however, felt a surge of self-loathing. At home, Xiluo was naturally closer to her daughter, which was obvious, and could be explained as a matter of mother-daughter relationship. But the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, especially the latter, clearly favored her younger sister when they first met. Could it be that I was truly inferior to her? Shuxian was clearly troubled.
On the other side, Xiluo Te had other ideas: "Next year is the year for the grand selection. The eldest girl will be old enough next year and must go. It's time to set some rules for her." As the world gradually stabilized, various rules became more and more important. It was very necessary to find someone to correct the etiquette for Shuxian in the selection.
Shi Wenbing said: "The palace will be releasing people soon this year. You can ask around and invite one or two back to serve as servants. But you have to keep an eye on them." You originally wanted to teach your daughter well, but if you get a fool and teach her stupid things, it would be better not to teach her at all.
Xiluo Te said, "Tomorrow I'll take them to my grandmother's house, and then I'll go around to various relatives and ask around. They were still young when they left Beijing, so it's time for them to get out and about and learn something. Besides, when we return, we'll have to clean up the yard, which won't be peaceful at home. So, why don't we give the master a couple of days off so he can go home and see what's going on? Once the yard is cleaned up, we can go back to normal."
Shi Wenbing said, "That's right. Now that there are more people, Guanyinbao is still squeezed into your house, which is too cramped."
While searching for craftsmen to clean up the house, they took a walk around. Beijing was the Shi family's home turf, so whether it was finding craftsmen or buying things, there was no need to consult anyone. Once a date was set, they could get to work. Shujia and Shuxian each had their own courtyard, while Guanyinbao moved to Xiluo's east wing. Xiluo had originally planned to assign two more maids to her daughters, but she was so busy that she decided to wait until things calmed down before making any adjustments.
When going out to meet someone, one had to explain who they were meeting. Then, they would discuss their family relationships. There was no need to mention my grandmother's family; they had known each other before. My two cousins, both with children, had their own way of expressing their feelings. Then there were the relatives of Shi Wenbing.
His relatives are too gnashing!
Unlike the Xiluo clan, which had few relatives, Shi Wenbing's own clan was vast. Shi Tingzhu had three brothers, six sons, numerous grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren. Hua Shan's two older brothers were dead, and his three younger brothers were all exiled, saving him trouble this time. Shi Wenbing's cousins also served in the capital, including Shi Wenying, who was a palace guard. No need to visit him; he could come and see him in person.
Then there's Shi Wenbing's mother's side. A maternal uncle is a real kinship. This time, it's all bad! Duoduo was a prolific father, with many wives and sons, naturally good things come to those who have sons, and sons who have grandsons. Shi Wenbing has many uncles and cousins, all of them yellow belts. And then there are their wives and children.
Before leaving, I specially set aside two days for Shujia and the others to memorize the relationship chart. The Manchu population is so small, and the upper class is even smaller. Even sworn enemies of the upper class might have a complex network of relatives. You must pay attention to who is related to whom. Don't talk nonsense. If you hear someone gossiping, don't interrupt. You know who is related to whom.
For example, Shi Wenbing's aunt was Soni's daughter and Suo'etu's sister. Another example: Wu Yunzhu, the wife of Grand Secretary Yisan'a and a renowned talent known as Ruixian, was Suo'etu's daughter. This is something you should be careful about. If anyone speaks ill of the Suo family in front of them, walk away and stop listening!
Also, Mingzhu's wife, Jueluo, is the daughter of Ajige, who is the biological brother of Duoduo and Dorgon. If you are talking about something like this, run away!
By the way, Prince An's son-in-law, Mingshang, was previously sentenced to death and imprisonment. At the time, the princess was pregnant, but she had a difficult labor and ended up giving birth to a daughter, who the Prince An family had to raise. Be careful, this topic must not be touched upon. His family suffered the most. Prince An was also a wife-killer, having gone through three different wives. Two of them were Suo Ni's daughters, and the other was surnamed Nara. What a mess! Furthermore, Prince An's Yue Le also had a legitimate daughter who married Geng Juzhong, one of the Three Feudatories...
Shujia was stunned for a moment. Which Prince An? Which Mingshang? !!! Mingshang's daughter?! She knew this because, in the Qing Dynasty textbooks for public servants, Lao Ba was a key figure in the introduction. His most prominent characteristic was his loyalty. And because his mother's family was of low status, his wife was the focal point of his introduction. Unlike other figures, there were always at least two women with long, difficult-to-pronounce surnames to remember. After so many introductions, she only had a vague impression of this woman.
Therefore, Guo Luoluo, the daughter of Prince Consort Mingshang, was the person that everyone envied and was willing to possess.
Didn't you say you got this wife to elevate Lao Ba? His mother is dead, and his father is still a prisoner... Kangxi, are you sure you're doing this to elevate Lao Ba?
Shujia shook her head, trying to analyze it. Well, it's all in the hands of the people. At least there's a hook here, right? If Old Eight had no ulterior motives, cultivating a good relationship with Prince An, then everyone would selectively ignore his father-in-law. If he did have some ulterior motives, cultivating a good relationship with Prince An, then having such a father-in-law would make him a ready-made target for his opponents. OVER.
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I brought back a lot of local products from Hangzhou, including silk embroidery, folding fans, silk umbrellas, and all kinds of toys. I spent half the boat just visiting Shi Wenbing's relatives.
The procedure for meeting various ladies was the same: a greeting, answering a few questions about age, receiving a few compliments, and then sitting aside. Some, due to their youth, were sometimes embraced by the older ladies while they spoke. The adults chatted away, and since Xiluo had been away from the capital for nearly two years and wasn't very well-informed, it was a good opportunity to exchange information with someone they could trust.
The wives of the various families were very interested in Hangzhou's silk embroidery and asked to see the clothes made in Han style when they heard that the Xiluo family's mother and daughter both wore Han-style clothes. They also talked about the new styles of jewelry.
Back home, Xiluotai began to furiously demand a change of clothes. As she put it, "I look like a village girl the moment I step out of the house." Perhaps due to the peace and prosperity of the country, the capital has seen significant changes in recent years, especially in clothing. Clothes have more and more trimmings, and hair styles have also changed slightly. Overall, it's becoming more prosperous.
Although there was no need to flaunt one's wealth, one also couldn't be too out of touch or too eccentric. The needlework began to pick up, adding two more hems to the new summer dresses she was going out to wear, and ordering new jewelry from the shops outside.
After a flurry of activity, by May Day, the courtyard was ready, and the clothes and jewelry were also collected. Shujia's new courtyard's main house had five rooms, much more spacious than her Hangzhou home. Even after moving her old furniture, it didn't feel empty. Partitions had become increasingly popular in Beijing recently. Originally, the Manchus disliked them, but for some reason, their use had increased, with rooms here and there, fragmenting the space into tiny pieces.
Shujia didn't like this layout, so she simply pulled up all the curtains and opened the partition doors, which made the room feel fresher. She unpacked her bundles, hung up her new clothes, and put her dressing box in order. The new house felt comfortable.
Behind the main house was a row of servants' quarters, with flowers and trees in the courtyard and a blue brick floor. Shujia wondered when she would get Yang Xilut's permission to build a swing in the yard.
At this moment, La Mei came and said, "Second Miss, the Madam has invited some aunts to come over and ask you to come over."
The court etiquette trainer has arrived.
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