Those difficult sutras
Regardless, this new resident of the Forbidden City has injected new vitality into the city, which has always been well-behaved and lifeless. Frankly speaking, the Eighth Lady did not do anything to break the rules; her every move was still within the framework of this era.
It's not very pleasing, and it even makes people feel like their territory is being invaded. If you start to list them, as soon as you say them, you will feel that you are making a big deal out of nothing. They haven't violated any rules. But if you don't say it, you will feel really uncomfortable. The sisters-in-law are feeling aggrieved.
Kangxi had his own way of choosing his daughters-in-law; all his choices were quite dignified. After a moment of frustration, he consoled himself: "She's still young and naive. Besides, she won't get in our way. We don't have the same mother-in-law as her, so we won't suffer any harm from her." As for the Crown Princess, who had a slight idea of the spoiler, she was more concerned about the Eighth Prince than the Eighth Lady.
The Eighth Concubine continued to do as she pleased, persevering. It wasn't intentional; she was simply spoiled by the environment. In Prince An's mansion, being appointed the Prince's Concubine, though a temporary guest, would in fact hold a higher status than the master. When you consider this, you'll probably understand the reason for all her words and actions.
The Prince An's Mansion tried hard to cultivate her momentum. In the words of her nominal grandmother, Hesheli, "Don't be stage-frightened when you take her out." There was a reason for this. They were afraid that she would be too timid because of her parents, and even the Prince An's Mansion would be put in a bad light.
His current behavior is simply an effect of his aura, not intentional. It's simply because he's too focused on being the protagonist, and he's too good at stealing the show. And back in the palace, with the prince and his wife having enough mahjong tables to run two, who would recognize him as the protagonist? This creates a conflict.
Besides fighting with sisters-in-law, the main battlefield for women is still their own family. Fighting for a husband is more important, and desperately giving birth to a legitimate son is even more important! This kind of scene-stealing activity is effective when done alone, but if everyone does it together, it becomes a farce, and no one will get any benefits, and it will damage their image.
So after their initial discomfort, the sisters-in-law fell silent and adopted a different approach. The eldest wife would say, "Eighth brother's wife is really clever," with a touch of kindness and tolerance. Inwardly, she would think, "I've given birth to a son and raised a daughter. She's my legitimate mother-in-law, so feel free to chat with her."
The Third Concubine spent most of her time quietly nursing her pregnancy, while the Fourth Concubine simply went to her mother-in-law's care. Concubine De had been feeling unwell recently, and these two each had a biological child to raise at home. The Fifth and Seventh Concubines had never given birth to a son, and certainly didn't consider the Eighth Concubine their top priority. The palace was still quite harmonious.
The elders actually like the younger generation who are more lively, so that the audience will not feel bored. As mentioned before, the Eighth Lady is still playing within the frame. She has a sense of tact when it comes to stealing the spotlight. Even if she steals it, she will steal the spotlight and will not steal the director's megaphone.
In this strange balance, within a month of her marriage, the Eighth Lady had successfully left a vibrant impression within the palace—a vivid, yet not entirely negative one. When speaking of the Eighth Lady, even the young eunuchs guarding the Yanhui Pavilion would say, "She's a bright and cheerful person." So, persistence is key in everything. Doing one good deed might lead to accusations of showmanship, but if you continue to do so for a lifetime, you're a truly good person.
Perhaps, if the prince persisted several times longer, he would achieve the same effect.
Even the Third Lady, who had complained about her pregnancy and her mood swings, could only say, "She's got a straightforward temper."
As the saying goes, "You need a temper to succeed." The Eighth Concubine was used to having her say, and at her grandfather's house, she was expected to serve him. Now at Ganxi Tousuo, she was the mistress of the household. She became even more decisive and decisive. Therefore, the Eighth Prince's concubine, Wang Shi, had a very difficult time.
Even though the Eighth Concubine hadn't been targeting her at all, she felt uncomfortable. Like the Crown Princess, the Eighth Concubine clearly wanted her husband to be by her side. Regardless of the era, wives often had similar expectations. Furthermore, as a newlywed, it was perfectly normal for the Eighth Prince to be surrounded by his beautiful wife.
Kangxi's concubines were all like this. They came in early and had long considered the place their own. They usually handled matters in the inner courtyard and had a say, even having the power of mistress. But when the wife came in, she had to kneel to greet her, only then was a basin of ice water poured over her head! Her heart sank.
Wang Shi was no match for Liu Jia Shi from the fifth family, who had already given birth to a son and was now pregnant, and whose family background was slightly inferior to that of the principal wife, while her concubine felt quite confident. She was also no match for Na La Shi from the seventh family, who already had a son and a daughter and whose husband loved her.
She looked in the mirror, feeling sorry for herself. She had to admit that while she wasn't bad looking, she was three years older than the Eighth Concubine. She had been with Yinsi for several years, so she should have had the upper hand, but... there was still no news.
Nara, the wife of the Seventh Lady, though a concubine, was a capable wife. Even after marrying into the family, Nara, the Seventh Lady, hadn't been able to fully assume the reins of power. The Eighth Lady, on the other hand, was different. Her presence upon entering the family was enough to make no one in the entire headquarters dare to challenge her. Even the servants, who had previously been familiar with Wang, were now obedient to the Eighth Lady's orders.
Apart from that, the Eighth Lady never said a harsh word to her. When she entered the house, she was given a head covering and a few pieces of satin as a reward, but apart from the normal etiquette, she was not asked to serve her.
But Wang still felt the pressure clearly.
When the Eighth Lady arrived, she was initially a shy daughter-in-law. But after the Ninth Festival, she became the mistress of the household and established rules. She was required to follow certain schedules, perform certain duties, and was forbidden from wandering around without a reason. The rules of the house were extremely strict. Wang Shi lost all interest in visiting relatives and friends, becoming bored and bored in her own room.
But if you look closely at what the Eighth Lady did, you can see that she followed the rules. No one could accuse her of abusing others. Wang Shi could only hope that after the Eighth Prince got married and Lady Lady got pregnant, she would have a child of her own, so that she would have something to look forward to.
Si Xier, the maid assigned to Wang Shi, walked in quickly: "Master."
"Stop talking like that. Who am I?"
"Oh, it's business. Please put these aside for now."
"What's going on?"
"Just now, I was passing by and heard An Da ahead say that His Majesty is going to Shengjing to pay homage to the Empress Dowager. I wonder which gentlemen will be accompanying him this time. Gentlemen who accompany him must bring their families, and there must always be someone at home to look after the family. This time - will you please come with me?"
Wang smiled bitterly: "Master and his wife are newlyweds, what do you think?"
Si Xier was discouraged: "Don't be like this, at least..." At least what?
Wang thought to herself, if both masters left together, I'd have less worries. Out of sight, out of mind. But... if I could go with them...
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Forget it. Kangxi went to the mausoleum on behalf of the Empress Dowager, but he did not bring the Eighth Prince with him. This time, he ordered his eldest son, Prince of Duolo Zhi, Yinzhi; his third son, Prince of Duolo Cheng, Yinzhi; his fifth son, Prince of Duolo Beile, Yinqi; his seventh son, Prince of Duolo Beile, Yinhu; his ninth son, Yin'e; his tenth son, Yin'e; and his thirteenth son, Yinxiang, to accompany him.
Yinzhen was very dissatisfied and pestered Kangxi for a long time: "My son and Thirteenth Brother have always been inseparable. Khan, please take my son with you."
Kangxi remained unmoved, and Yinzhen left in displeasure.
Kangxi shook his head. Concubine De had been ill recently, so he had kept both the fourth and fourteenth sons. The crown prince was to serve as regent, and the eighth son... was to contribute to the centralization of power.
Before leaving, Kangxi called several older sons who stayed behind to talk, and Yinreng, Yinzhen and Yinsi were all present.
There's always a rule about meetings: the smaller the number of people, the more central they are. If this meeting had been large, then it would have been limited to high-sounding speeches and underhanded resolutions. This time, Kangxi's words were formal: "I have escorted the Empress Dowager to the mausoleum. I have entrusted the affairs of the capital to you. Please do not devote yourself to state affairs."
Yinreng took the lead, and the three brothers responded in unison.
Kangxi first said to Yinreng: "You are familiar with all matters, so just follow the original rules. The Fourth and Eighth Princes are new to the affairs of the country, so they may not be able to do well. As their elder brother, you should give them more advice."
Yinreng said loudly, "My son obeys your order," and then he recounted, "Khan Ama has ordered Wu Yan to replace Zhang Yushu. All important matters have been arranged. My sons are just looking after the family and are just doing their best. Moreover, my fourth brother is serious and my eighth brother is dedicated, so they can make up for my shortcomings."
Kangxi was obviously satisfied with Yinreng's answer and said with a smile: "You don't have to be so modest."
Then he said to Yinzhen: "You have just started your job. You should learn more from the ministers below. If you don't understand something, you can ask the Crown Prince for advice."
Yinzhen was slightly excited, his ears flushed pink, and his voice rose involuntarily: "Your son will do his best to serve Khan Ama and be a good assistant to the Crown Prince."
Kangxi smiled approvingly and said, "Go visit your mother more often when you have time. She is ill, and your fourteenth brother is still young."
Yinzhen's excitement instantly cooled, and he lowered his hands and said, "Hmm."
What he said to Yinsi was similar to what he said to Yinzhen: "There are many capable rulers under the banner of Zhenglan, you should be open-minded and ask for their advice." He also added a little bit, "You are still newlywed, so don't forget your own interests for the sake of public service." He implied that he should work hard to have a baby.
Yinsi acted even more mature than his brother Yinzhen: "Huh."
After the public meeting, there was a private meeting.
Kangxi was truly devoted to Yinreng: "You and I are about to separate again. I also want to go with you, but I can't let go of the capital. You will have to work hard for a while. When Hongdan grows up, we can both rest and relax."
Yinreng stammered, "The older I get, the less talkative I become. In the past, whenever I sent Khan Ama away from the capital, I always thought of making excuses, saying, 'How many times will it be before I can go with you? How long will it be before we last see each other? It was so many years ago when we last left the capital together.' Now, all I can say is, 'I miss you. Khan Ama certainly has no shortage of people to serve him, so I can only say take care.'"
He raised his head and met Kangxi's gaze, unwavering. A complex and tangled gaze filled Kangxi's gaze. Suddenly, Kangxi realized his son had grown up. Not in terms of intelligence or physiology, but in his state of mind. He was calmer, more trustworthy and reliable.
"I will write to you wherever I go," Kangxi could only promise, and he was advising his son, "Last month, Yunnan Governor Shi Wensheng reported that those who belonged to the Three Feudatories and were exempted from arrest by imperial decree should be allowed to cultivate land and take the examination. I approved it."
Yinreng blinked, he knew about this and listened carefully. Kangxi continued, "The Shi family has a pure family tradition. The officials love the people and govern with integrity. You should meet them more often." Soetu stepped down, and Kangxi understood that Yinreng was in a difficult situation, so he arranged some ways for him. "Zhang Ying originally taught you. Now, you still treat him as your master and ask for his advice..." Zhang Ying was a university scholar. He had many disciples, although not all over the world.
When Yinzhen was excited, he blinked faster than usual and listened carefully to every word Kangxi said. Then he patted his chest and promised, "My son will definitely complete the task!" His voice was resounding.
Kangxi frowned. "I think you're fine normally, but why do you get so jumpy when things happen? It takes grace to remain calm in the face of praise or criticism."
After being scolded by Kangxi, Yinzhen's mood was low again. His drooping and honest appearance made Kangxi sigh. This one needs to be disciplined slowly.
Compared with his two brothers, Yinsi's task this time was clearer.
Kangxi clearly pointed out the key points to him: "Under the Zhenglan Banner, the only notable banner owners were the An Wang family, which is too monotonous. You have just been appointed to the Zhenglan Banner. You are still young, so don't let your age get in the way. You can make a difference."
Yinsi had this in mind, and he hadn't yet decided what to do next. But one thing was certain: he had to establish his own power, connect with a large number of people, and maintain good relationships with them. That way, no one could underestimate him or dispose of him arbitrarily. He didn't have the intention to kill the crown prince, nor did he have the determination to assist the eldest prince. He didn't like either of them.
The Eighth Prince's current mood: building high walls, storing up food, then sitting on the wall munching on chicken legs, waiting to see how his elder and second brothers fare before deciding his next move. Of course, he'd still have to practice Tai Chi with his elder brother. His neatly manicured nails carved four crescent-shaped marks on his palms. Now that the Zhenglan Banner issue was settled, Mother should be able to advance, right?
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Kangxi led a large group of people on a journey. The emperor was gone, the concubines had no one to go to, the empress dowager was gone too, and everyone had no place to pay their respects. It was so boring.
This kind of environment is good for a pregnant woman's recuperation. She won't have to get up too early for the next few months, which is a blessing. Especially for someone like Sanfujin who has a mother-in-law, she has to wait on her mother-in-law to pay her respects, wait on her back, and then have to put on a smile for a while when she returns to her mother-in-law's palace... It's so hard!
Now, I just need to report to my mother-in-law every day, talk for a while and then come back. Life is really good. When I have time, I will exchange some experiences with the Crown Princess, who is also pregnant. What do you want to eat today? Do you want to go to the Imperial Garden together tomorrow?
There were always various snacks in the small kitchen of Yuqing Palace. The Crown Princess had a characteristic: she only cared about the taste of the food, regardless of its price or the complexity of the cooking method.
"Second sister-in-law's place looks like a big study." In private, the Third Lady was already accustomed to calling Shujia like this.
Shujia looked around and saw banners covering half the room. "This is where Hongdan often stays. Let's hang more so he can see them. Come, sit here."
Sanfujin secretly took note of this idea and planned to discuss it with Yinzhi when he returned to see if it was feasible. If so, she would also arrange the same for Hongqing.
"We are all people who cannot move. I wonder how Lao Wu's family is doing now." He said it with a little envy, but also a little complacency.
Shujia understood, having experienced it a bit herself. The Fifth Lady, unable to conceive, constantly watched her concubine bear children and grow pregnant. The feeling was truly indescribable. On this trip, the Fifth and Seventh Ladies accompanied their husbands, likely hoping to get pregnant while no one else was traveling with them. The concubine had already won the race, so they had to work harder to surpass her. Once again, Kangxi was a father-in-law who was truly adept at undermining his daughters-in-law.
"Speaking of which, there have been more and more children in the palace in recent years. Who knows how naughty they will become when they study together?"
"That's right," Shujia counted on her fingers. "Hongyang and Hongxi are a little older, so they're not in this group. Counting from the bottom, there are seven boys in your family, mine, and the one working at the East End Office..."
The Third Lady swallowed a sour grape, spitting out the seeds before saying, "Forget it, you forgot." She looked at Shujia's belly, then at her own, "How many are there left?"
This time I'm not going off topic. Starting with children, those who are about to get pregnant are counting on their fingers to calculate the due date. Probably the younger generation has the opportunity to get pregnant, and if you count, you won't even have enough fingers to count.
Not everything went smoothly for the Third Lady. Ever since she gave birth to the eldest son, the Third Prince had been trying to get more children into his concubines. Besides the illegitimate son who died young this year, the Third Prince still had two pregnant concubines in his family's backyard. Therefore, when the Third Lady was calculating the expenses, she only vaguely mentioned her own two concubines and then passed them over, focusing mainly on her younger brothers and sisters-in-law.
Shujia, on the other hand, was reluctant to broach the subject. Yinreng's two concubines were still alive and well, and had proven themselves fertile. It was just that the Crown Prince, for some reason, refused to touch them—no one knew why, nor how long he could maintain this. Shujia didn't want to go too far on this topic, or accidentally bring up something that would upset her.
Every family has its own problems.
The two married women tacitly said without mentioning anything ambiguous, "When the emperor returns, the fifth and seventh families may have more children." "Even here, the fourth and eighth families are not impossible."
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The eighth wife is sulking because her period has arrived. To find out if you're pregnant, you have to wait about two months for a diagnosis. However, if your period has arrived, you don't have to wait two months. You can tell her directly that it's not possible this time and you'll have to wait until next time.
The Eighth Lady's period had arrived, but she couldn't tell anyone about it. The maid beside her tactfully shut her up, made her bed, and let her lie down to rest.
The Eighth Lady, unwilling to be looked down upon, had assumed her husband had been resting in his own room, and that they hadn't been slacking off, so good news would soon follow. But now, unexpectedly, this was happening. A slight pain clung to her lower abdomen. She couldn't sleep even when she lay down, and she didn't have the energy to think. Even cursing to vent her frustration... the pain was too much for her to enjoy.
After lying there for a while, she finally whispered, "Help me up." After walking around the room for a while and working up a sweat, she finally felt better. A few days later, when she saw pregnant women in the palace, a look of envy slowly crept into the Eighth Lady's eyes. Her demands were modest; a son was all she needed.
Such prayers, but God did not hear them. Another menstrual period came as expected, and the Eighth Lady was a little depressed. In the evening, Yinsi was busy outside all day. When he came back and was about to go to his room, the Eighth Lady drove him out: "I'm not feeling well, you go over there." She was angry.
Yinsi smiled and said, "I'll go to the study." They were newlyweds, so he had to give his wife face. He could hold back for three or five days. Even if they slept together, it wasn't like they were being tossed around every night. Even the strongest man couldn't handle it, right? Besides, with this new thing, he had to work overtime tonight.
For several days, by the time Yinsi moved back in, the Eighth Lady's "few days a month" of bad mood had passed. She saw what Yinsi did and was quite touched. With a hint of embarrassment, she ordered the kitchen to prepare Yinsi's favorite meals. The couple also drank a few glasses together, and their relationship became even better.
But after a few days of comfort, trouble struck. As September arrived, the women who had been expecting so many children began giving birth one after another. First, the Third Concubine gave birth to a boy on the second day of the ninth month. Then, on the fourteenth day of the ninth month, the Crown Princess gave birth to her second son, Yinreng's fourth. And then… the Eighth Concubine's period arrived.
The Eighth Lady took a deep breath and said, "What are you all staring at? This one is more precious than the previous one. Where's the allowance for the third day's bath? Bring it to me and see if you have added all the extra gifts I asked you to give?" The little eunuch brought the list with his hurried footsteps like a mouse stealing food.
"Alright, that's it." The Third Lady was speaking. She was still in confinement after childbirth, and though she couldn't leave the house physically, she could still observe the proper etiquette. The Crown Princess had come to her son's third-day bath, heavily pregnant, so she had to express her gratitude. "I'll go back and tell the Crown Princess I'm sorry I can't move. I'll have to wait until the little prince's full-moon celebration to congratulate her."
Shujia's delivery this time was much smoother than the last time. It took only two hours for the baby to be born smoothly. The baby cried loudly.
After the previous shock, Yinreng applied in advance and asked Kangxi for permission to bring his mother-in-law to live with him a few days in advance. The next step was within his authority. He screened all the gynecologists in the Imperial Hospital one by one and had them take turns on duty to ensure that the Crown Princess would have a doctor available to provide care at any time if she gave birth.
The prince still hasn't successfully cultivated his skill of making his wishes come true.
He had come here hoping for a daughter, but instead he had a son. The mother-in-law and doctor he had prepared were useless. He walked around the yard over eighty times, and when he was about to howl to express his concern, his son howled first...
The prince was dumbfounded: "You're coming down right now? Why isn't it so hard?"
The prince's foolish words spread throughout the palace in an instant...
"If I could have a child, I would be willing to do it no matter how much trouble it takes!" After hearing this joke, the Eighth Lady could no longer laugh.
When the Fifth Prince's concubine Liu Jia gave birth to a daughter on September 24, the Eighth Lady was even more upset: "It would be better if you could just give me a daughter first!"
What I waited for was continuous disappointment.
What the Eighth Lady didn't know was that she wasn't the only one disappointed that she wasn't pregnant. Her husband was also disappointed. Yinsi, of course, wanted a legitimate son and tried very hard. He spent months in a row writing, ruining dozens of pages of paper. It seemed that he would not be able to complete the calligraphy training task assigned by Kangxi before his departure.
Yinsi was disappointed. It wasn't that he hadn't tried hard, but unfortunately, with no news of his wife or concubine, he felt a bit embarrassed. Family planning wasn't a norm in the Qing palace. He'd been taking concubines for ages, and he'd been married for almost six months, yet he hadn't even had a child. His father was coming home soon, and so were his brothers. This, when he thought about it, made him feel like he was "inferior" to others.
The author has something to say: I discovered that these days, JJ has been working hard to pump, and a certain meat has been working hard to update...
I'm really worried that one day JJ will stop smoking, and my energy will be exhausted from fighting JJ's seizures...
This is the fifth time, can you smoke less? At least let me go on!
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