Two terrifying marriages
For the royal family, putting aside the fact that Yinzhi was in a circle, which no one wanted to mention, there were still many happy events in the 42nd year of Kangxi's reign. Not only was there the Crown Princess, who was given cheats by her own mother, but also several princes who had their own sons and daughters.
In February, the 12th prince's eldest son was born; in May, the third prince had his seventh son; in July, the 13th prince had his first daughter; in September, the 14th prince had his eldest son; in late October, the 12th prince and Yinzhi each had a daughter; and at the end of the year, Guo Luoluo, the wife of the 10th prince, gave birth to Yin'e's third son...
The Eastern Palace also had a son this time, so it was not a loss to pay gifts to these brothers' families. On the contrary, the prince and his wife even made a profit.
Shujia flipped through her little account book and sighed to the sky, "What would I do without you?"
Yinreng coughed solemnly and said, "What are you talking about?"
Shujia also realized the discrimination in these words, and she coughed solemnly, waving the notebook in her hand: "Isn't it? Let me ask you, if you don't write it down, can you tell me how many children each of these brothers has? How many boys and how many girls? Who are legitimate children and who are illegitimate children?"
Yinreng's face stiffened with embarrassment: "Why not just write it down?"
"Yes." Shujia smiled. "So, what would I do without you?" After saying that, she kissed Benzi.
Yinreng was so embarrassed that he got angry. He walked over, snatched the notebook from Shujia's hand and threw it on the table. Then he tickled Shujia's armpit and said, "I told you not to be so mean!"
Shujia laughed: "I won't dare to do that again!"
Hongxiu and the others tried hard to maintain a proper standing posture, but still laughed out loud.
Hearing their laughter, the Crown Prince and his wife separated with blushing faces, and their eyes met with angry smiles.
The first ones to recover were Xiuniu and the others. Some poured tea, some took notebooks: "Master, the tea is here." You all should slow down a bit.
After a while of laughter and banter, the prince and his wife relaxed considerably and sat down across from each other on the kang. Yinreng took a sip of tea, glanced at another notebook on the kang table, and asked curiously, "What's this? How come you have more notebooks here than a few days ago? What are you writing down?"
Shujia was drinking tea. She took a sip of tea and put her chin to signal Yinreng: Look for yourself.
Yinreng put down his tea bowl, took the notebook and flipped through it: "Is there a separate notebook for the Fourteenth Prince? Is it necessary?"
Shujia swallowed her tea, put down her teacup, and slowly explained, "The families inside and outside the palace are growing in number. How can I remember everything clearly in one notebook? I now take large, uncut sheets of paper, one for each of the twelve months of the year, and use ink to mark the grids. I write down everything that's new on each day of the month. I frame it myself and hang it in the west warm room. I look at it every day. I also prepare a notebook for each family, listing everything in detail. If I write two by one, there will be no mistakes."
Yinreng looked at Fourteen's book, which was relatively clean. "Are there any other books? Let me take a look."
Shujia led him to the western warm room, which served as a studio. The north wall of the room was covered with a curtain, which Lin Si'er drew aside. Shujia said to Yinreng, "Isn't this all there? Fortunately, I had already designated the western courtyard as a study area. Otherwise, there wouldn't be enough space here." She opened one of the boxes and tossed in the book Yinreng had just been reading.
The Crown Princess's office was fully stocked. Besides the records of the princes, there were also notebooks recording the affairs of the concubines (not individual records per person, but a general register), records of the various princely palaces outside the palace, and records of the various noble relatives. There were a total of twenty or thirty books, and they had to be replaced every year. Over the years, with each year filling a box, the box grew larger and larger.
In addition, there was a book with detailed rules, such as what gifts to give to what status and for what festivals. There was also a thick book of palace conventions and rules.
These are reference books, account books and other items, which are placed in a large cabinet against the west wall and locked.
Shujia took out the key, unlocked the cabinet, and opened the door. Inside, there were several small boxes neatly arranged in layers, all of which were also locked.
"It's amazing that you could come up with this idea."
Shujia sat down on the couch. "I didn't come up with this idea. I forced it. Originally, I thought my brain was pretty good, and I could remember anything. But I didn't expect the number of relatives to increase. I had to write them down on pieces of paper, and I ended up with so many that I bound them into a book, and that's how I got these. I think all the rosters of palace maids and eunuchs in our palace are done the same way, so I just sorted them out."
Yinreng silently glanced at the cabinet's contents, then raised his hand and closed the door. This room had once been a place for the couple to draw, write, and discuss history and the present, but now it had become an office. Sometimes, it's not that we choose to be vulgar; we simply have to face reality.
He sighed and tilted his head to find that his wife was already impatient and had picked up a book to read. Yinreng walked over and asked, "What kind of account is this?"
Shujia held the cover towards him, with three big, bright characters on it: Water Margin.
Yinreng was silent. After a long while, he asked, "Why did you think of watching this?"
"The books are just piled there, and I just pick one up and take a look."
Yinreng turned around and realized that besides the two things he was looking at, the room was also filled with a wide variety of entertainment activities. Famous paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls, various miscellaneous books were placed on the bookshelves, and on the large desk were dozens of pens of varying sizes stacked with famous calligraphy scrolls. There was also a large globe in the corner. Ahem, this one was something his wife had stolen from him.
Yinreng looked at the roof, lowered his head and asked, "I just took a look. Is Fourteenth Brother's family holding a hundred-day banquet?"
Shujia had been pretending to read just now, but when Yinreng asked, she sat up straight and sighed, "That's right. First he celebrated the 100th day of mourning, and then he got married. He really has a double blessing."
This once again proves that Kangxi was a man who was good at trapping his daughters-in-law. Both the 13th and 14th became fathers before grooms this year, and it was absolutely the case that the first wife would become the mother first.
Yinreng walked over to the Shujia calendar and looked at it carefully again: "Is next year's calendar ready?"
Shujia said, "It's all ready. We'll just have to wait until the New Year to replace the old one with the new one."
"That's perfect, I'll come and take a look too." The Crown Prince also needed some gossip so that he would have something to talk about when he met people, and he would appear approachable and considerate of his subordinates.
The one he cared about most was the Shi family: "Is the Guanyinbao matter scheduled for February?"
"That's right, it's already been decided, and the wedding day is set for February. Next year will be a big year for marriages, and if we don't hurry up, the moment someone puts up their name, all the people in Beijing will be talking about marriage."
"Speaking of which, what is the procedure for your third sister's affairs?"
"I haven't heard the news yet. In my opinion, if there's no suitable arranged marriage, it's okay to arrange a marriage on your own." Given the Shi family's current situation, even if they arrange a marriage on their own, they'll only marry better than Shuxian, not worse. Shuxian's life is now quite comfortable.
"It's hard to say. I'll have to ask your mother to ask her about it later."
"good."
———————————————————————————
The Shi family's plan was not much different from Shujia's. It should be said that families like this all had the same idea about the big selection: "If you can't find someone with good conditions, you can just send her back and marry her yourself."
Upon returning from Xi'an, Qingde faithfully reported to his father and brother what he had seen and heard along the way. He also recounted his casual conversations with the Crown Prince, which touched on quite a bit: the reinstatement of Shi Wenbing and his son, the selection of Shuyi, Guanyinbao's marriage, Hongdan's enthronement... The Shi family held a family meeting to discuss the matter. The attendees included the adult males: Shi Wenbing, his father and son, and Shi Wenzhuo. Shi Wenzhuo's sons were still young and in school, so they were not present.
Shi Wenbing sat in the upper seat, Shi Wenzhuo sat opposite him, and his sons sat in the lower seats, listening to Qingde's retelling first.
"The Emperor has been accompanying the Crown Prince and the Grand Prince along on all his journeys. He holds them in high regard. Whenever he meets with the Governor-General and his ministers, he always has them by his side. He also personally teaches the Grand Prince to read."
Shi Wenbing nodded, signaling him to continue. "Some days later, the Crown Prince finally had some free time and spoke with his son. He asked his son if his father and brother would be reinstated next year. His son replied in the affirmative. The Crown Prince then said that when the Crown Prince is enthroned in March of next year, you would be able to attend the ceremony at the palace."
Shi Wenbing stopped talking and smiled: "Exactly. I have the privilege of witnessing such a grand event in my lifetime. I will die without regrets!"
Fu Dali said with a smile: "My third brother's wedding is in February, so the two dates don't conflict. If it's set in March, I'm afraid it won't be possible to change the date."
Speaking of Guanyinbao's marriage, Shi Wenbing couldn't help but say a few more words to Guanyinbao: "Your wife also comes from a prominent family. Although she lost her father at a young age, the Nalan family is indeed a well-behaved family. Her brothers are also ambitious and well-known. You should get along well with your wife's family."
It was Suo'etu who acted as matchmaker, but it was Shi Wenbing who was summoned by Kangxi for the conversation along with Mingzhu and Suo'etu, so it was clear who was behind the conversation. The emperor had spoken, and everyone had no choice but to obey. Ever since receiving this order, Shi Wenbing had constantly reminded his third son to get along well with his father-in-law's family.
Guanyinbao was very sensible: "Of course, my son has also met several sons of the Nalan family. They are indeed learned people."
"That's good." Shi Wenbing thought to himself, this is a political task, it would be best if both parties get along well.
Qingde interrupted, "The Crown Prince did bring up the matter of my third sister, but halfway through, he remembered that my father and brother would be reinstated next year, so he dropped the subject. From what the Crown Prince meant, it seems he wants us to come up with a plan and then talk to the Crown Princess."
Shi Wenbing said, "It wouldn't be bad for the third girl to have a wife who is a Duke of Fuguo or Zhenguo. I need to discuss with your mother what it will be like."
"That?"
"Then let's all stay calm now. If there's anything to discuss, we'll have to wait until after March next year. We mustn't get carried away."
Next March will be the day of the ceremony to enthronize the Crown Prince, and everyone present will understand.
Fu Dali said, "I'm afraid even if Father wants to be quiet, he won't be able to be quiet—it's almost New Year, and he can't avoid socializing."
"Whenever anyone comes to visit, I'll tell them I'm not done with my mourning yet. My family doesn't dare to make a big fuss about it, so please be patient. Next year, we'll be done with mourning, and your brother's wedding will be around the corner. I'll post a notice inviting everyone to come for a feast and a show. You two have jobs now, so you should be more humble when you're out there."
What the Shi family needed to do now was to keep a low profile, as being low-key was the most impressive way to show off. Furthermore, being too high-profile would make them appear frivolous. If they became too complacent and displeased the emperor, things would be difficult to handle.
Qingde and Guanyinbao stood up together and clasped their hands, saying, "My son, I will obey your instruction."
Shi Wenzhuo then said slowly: "Big brother, too, you are so rigid. When did your nephews lose their sense of propriety?"
Shi Wenbing said, "At this critical juncture, it never hurts to be cautious." He then gave Shi Wenzhuo a stern warning, "I'm already old, and I don't have much time left to keep an eye on them. You have to be more careful. Even if I don't have a suitable position at the moment, you will be reinstated. When you return, you must do your job conscientiously and not be arrogant..."
Here we go again! Shi Wenzhuo wanted to slap himself. How could I have forgotten his nature? Why should I talk too much? I'm asking for trouble!
Qingde raised an eyebrow at Fu Dali, who was glared at by his brother. Fu Dali remained expressionless, laughing until his intestines cramped. Guanyinbao had already lowered his head, afraid that others would see his smile.
After Shi Wenbing returned to his room, he briefly discussed the family meeting with Xiluo Te. Xiluo Te said, "As a woman, I don't understand much about court affairs. Don't worry about Guanyin Bao's marriage. The Emperor has spoken. I will treat the Nalan girl well once she marries. Although her fatherlessness is a disadvantage and she's a bit fragile, now that she's married, she's my daughter-in-law. We're family. If she's well-educated, she'll be just like another daughter. I'll just treat her like another daughter."
Shi Wenbing said, "What's your plan for Shuxian's matter? If you really have any ideas, you should make plans early. You can also ask your brothers and sisters over there to inform the Crown Princess when they come to celebrate the new year. After the New Year, everyone will be sent to the palace for selection. It will be difficult to deal with it if you say something then."
Xiluo Te said, "She's quite different from the eldest girl back then. Even if she comes back and arranges her own marriage, she'll be able to marry better. Besides, this matter isn't up to us to decide. Are we supposed to choose the royal family members? If it were up to me, I'd first ask around and find out which children are good, and then prepare to arrange a marriage myself. Nowadays, there are people in the royal family who have had a harder time than the servants. Even if they have a yellow or red belt, can they happily marry into such a family?"
Shi Wenbing said, "I actually forgot about this! Life is not easy for the yellow belts these days, and the inferior ones are also very shabby and inferior to others. Let's ask her aunt to go there."
"good."
Shi Wenying's wife, Guan, had been visiting the palace more often recently, sometimes accompanying her mother-in-law, sometimes on her own. When she arrived at the Eastern Palace, Shujia was burning incense in the small Buddhist shrine. Ever since the incident with Yinzhi, the atmosphere of Buddhist worship had intensified within and beyond the palace.
Shujia was no exception. Following the guidance of the others, she came every day to burn incense and chant some prayers for her family's safety. When she heard that Guan had arrived, Shujia was just getting up to go back to the Duanyi Palace.
Guan was sitting on a chair, taking only a sip of the tea in her hand.
"Sorry for keeping Auntie waiting."
Guan quickly stood up and waited for Shujia to sit down at the main seat before bowing again. Shujia gave her a look, and Hongxiu had already supported Guan: "You're so polite to me."
Guan said, "Rituals cannot be abolished."
"Forget it, forget it. Everyone in our family is like this. How are the Fourth Old Master and the Fourth Old Lady? How is Uncle?"
Guan replied seriously, "Our old lady is still quite strong, but the old man has been ill for a few days since the beginning of winter and is a little weak."
"Why didn't you tell me when you came back?" Shujia was surprised.
Guan smiled and said, "The old man and the old lady didn't allow us to tell you. They said that it is common for elderly people to have some illnesses, and it is not worth disturbing the nobles in the palace." You were still pregnant at that time.
The two exchanged a few more polite words, and Shujia asked Guan to sit on the kang in the east room with her. "You were so busy before the New Year, how are the preparations going at home?"
"I am just dealing with daily affairs, but it is my sister-in-law who is busy." This sister-in-law is Xiluo Te. "She is preparing to marry her son and is also busy with the big selection of the third daughter."
Shujia perked up: "What are the rules at home?"
"My family's opinion is that if it's not a good move, it's good to just give up the brand."
"That's true." Shujia laughed. "Back then, my elder sister felt the same way. To be honest, I thought the same thing back then. It's not difficult. I'll go and ask the Empress Dowager what she thinks."
"Actually, my family said that if it's a better family, it's fine. But I'm afraid of having an empty shell. There are too many rules and too much pretense, but when there are only rules and pretense left, it's really boring."
"Don't worry, auntie, I understand."
Guan completed the task and said goodbye to Shujia.
When Shujia arrived at Ningshou Palace, she was the first one there and happened to be talking to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had just gotten up and was in good spirits. She called to Shujia, "Come and take a look at this."
As the New Year approached, the old lady began to receive various gifts, including Buddha statues, various Buddhist scriptures, prayer beads, etc. This was a red sandalwood Buddha statue, solemn and dignified with a compassionate expression, three feet tall, a rare and precious item.
Shujia was surprised and asked, "Where did this come from? It's not easy to get."
The Empress Dowager was delighted: "It is Baotai's filial gift."
This was his first year as a prince, so the ceremony couldn't be light. Shujia nodded in understanding. "He's a sincere man."
"That's right." The Empress Dowager didn't put the gift she received yesterday into storage, but placed it directly in the house, intending to show it off today. Now that it's been well received, her spirits are high. "I'm going to give him something nice for the New Year."
"When have you ever rewarded your children and grandchildren with anything less than good things?"
"Hehe. Don't worry, I've prepared something for you too. It's definitely no worse than what I gave them." He lowered his voice, like a thief, "Don't tell them."
"Of course."
"Why is your Aunt Xi missing?" That girl will be released from the palace next year when she reaches the age of retirement, and Shujia mentioned her on purpose.
"Oh, her. I told her to rest today. She will leave the palace when spring comes."
"Doesn't that mean you're going to have more people here?"
"That's right. Last time you said you wanted a few people too."
"Yes, the girls there are old enough, so I have to find a few to prepare first, so as to avoid being busy when the time comes."
The Empress Dowager said, "Now that spring has arrived, let's go pick someone together." Her tone sounded like she was inviting her best friend to go shopping.
Shujia was at a loss for words: "You have another important thing to do."
"What's the matter?" the Queen Mother asked in confusion.
You are not? "Big pick."
"Oh!" The Empress Dowager slapped her head. "The Emperor has no shortage of servants. The grown-up princes have all married, and the Fifteenth Prince and his companions are still young. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten."
So since your children and grandchildren don't need it, you just forget about it?
The Empress Dowager continued, "I remember that the little girl who came back was the one who was selected for the imperial examination next year? Your sister?"
"yes."
"That's a good kid, he deserves a good family."
Shujia said, "You're overly flattering her. She's a concubine's daughter, so marriage is a bit difficult for her. If it's hard to deal with, you can just put down a sign and arrange a marriage yourself. Don't let your heart be broken for her. If you arrange a marriage at the last minute, I'm afraid our children won't be happy when they hear that she's a concubine's daughter."
The Empress Dowager took note and said, "You have a point."
As they were talking, the other concubines also arrived. Since the Fourth Concubine moved out of the palace, Concubine De had a new companion - the Fourteenth Concubine. Concubine Tong came with the Thirteenth Concubine, and Concubine Yi had the Ninth Concubine, the Tenth Concubine, and the Twelfth Concubine.
This made Concubine Hui look somewhat desolate. The wrinkles on her face became more and more dense, and she sat woodenly among the crowd.
Concubine Tong smiled when she saw Shujia: "I see you every time I come here. After a long time, I thought you rested here at night."
Shujia smiled and said, "That's exactly what I'm looking for. As long as the Empress Dowager doesn't mind, I can live here."
The Empress Dowager said, "That's great! I'm just afraid the prince will knock on my door in the middle of the night looking for his wife!"
Shujia took a sympathetic look at the two new brothers and sisters. The shyness of a bride on their faces had almost faded. Although she kept silent in accordance with the rules, Shujia always felt that she saw a burning little universe in them - they had entered a combat state.
She had a pretty good idea. Before the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Concubines married, they were still somewhat excited, but upon entering the house, they were met with a cold shoulder. Even if they wanted to be shy, they couldn't. Once they entered the house, after the wedding night and paying respects to the elders, they returned to their own courtyard. It would have been fine if they were greeted by the concubines, but then a wet nurse came in with a small child, bowed, and told them: This is your son/daughter.
The Thirteenth Concubine was lucky enough to have a daughter, but the Fourteenth Concubine had a son.
The two of them gossiped about their uncles' backyards and instantly entered a fighting state. The first three or four were okay, but starting from the fifth, the legitimate wife was full of tragedies, raising sons for others. She must not let herself fall into that situation!
The first step is to please the mother-in-law and the great-grandmother-in-law, and here they are. Unfortunately, the new daughter-in-law has to be reserved and cannot steal the show. Both of them secretly made up their minds that after the new year, they will hug the thighs of the gods tighter and tighter!
Just as they made up their minds, news of death arrived from Prince Yu’s Mansion, which had just sent new gifts yesterday: Prince Yu’s wife had died!
What?
The Queen Mother stood up and asked, "What's going on?"
She died of illness before the winter.
Shujia responded and supported the Empress Dowager: "Grandma, please sit down and ask slowly."
Concubine Tong also stepped forward and said, "Grandfather, please calm down." She then scolded the people below, "When did this happen? Has the emperor been informed? How is Prince Yu now?"
"My Lord, the wife of Prince Yu was missing last night. The servants discovered her early this morning. Prince Yu sent someone to report this to the Empress Dowager, and Prince Yu himself went to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to report it."
The Empress Dowager had wanted to show off the Buddha statue, but now she lost interest: "Why did you leave when you were fine?"
How could Prince Yu's wife be "fine"? She had been ill for months, and everyone was complaining in their hearts, not surprised by her death. They had heard too many similar cases, just one example: Concubine Hui had lost a daughter-in-law, and that one died young, wasn't she? Even further back, the old wife of Prince An was Yue Le's third wife.
The Empress Dowager, however, was deeply saddened by the death of her grandson's wife, and tears welled up in her eyes. Everyone tried to comfort her, saying, "If you're like this, she won't be at peace even if you're gone."
The Empress Dowager cried for a while and felt better. Then she let everyone go and went to the small Buddhist hall to chant some scriptures.
Everyone was still uneasy after the meeting. Losing a concubine of Prince Yu wasn't a big deal, but next year would be the big election! It was like the outer court, another vacancy had appeared. Who would be the winner? It seemed that next year would be a big election. It would be interesting to see.
"What's wrong with you?" Kangxi looked at Baotai who was floating over with concern.
Baotai knelt down and said, "Khan Ama~" With tears in his eyes, he reported the bad news about his family, "My nephew's wife passed away last night."
It's almost Chinese New Year, and anyone who receives an obituary will be unhappy. Kangxi looked at Baotai's sallow face with a sullen expression and said, "Get up and tell me."
Baotai was filled with shame. He and his wife had been married for several years and their relationship was good. However, his wife had been ill recently, so he couldn't rest in her room. Well, he slept with his concubine yesterday. He was dressed early in the morning when someone from Fu Jin's household came knocking on the door, crying, "Master, Fu Jin is gone."
Baotai picked up the person and said, "What are you talking about so early in the morning?" But he couldn't help but feel anxious. Prince Yu's wife had been ill since she gave birth last time and had never recovered. She had been bedridden for a long time. It was not too sudden for her to die now.
The visitor was truly crying. She was the eldest maid in the Fu Jin household, a very respectable woman. Now that her master was gone, she was emotionally frustrated and her interests were damaged. "Fu Jin had originally instructed that she be woken up early today, saying that there were still a few things to prepare for the New Year that needed to be done today. When the servants called Fu Jin this morning, they discovered...Fu Jin...Fu Jin...had already..."
Baotai stumbled into his wife's room and found her lying peacefully on the bed. He recognized it; it was their wedding bed. The curtains were still the same as the day before, and even the pattern on the quilt was familiar.
With trembling hands, Baotai felt his wife's breath. No, not even a breath. Undeterred, he leaned closer and accidentally touched her cheek, freezing it. Fusibly, Baotai felt her face, her neck, her arms... they were already cold...
Crack! Baotai's body cracked! The body was cold, so it wasn't freshly dead. Thinking of her struggling alone in this cold winter night, finally melting into the darkness, Baotai felt his body go cold. The personal eunuch came up and said, "Master, the concubine can't be left like this. We have to... inform the palace. You still have to go to the court to stand guard."
Baotai stood there in a daze, letting them drag him out. He was dressed in a daze. He rode his horse unsteadily into the palace, making everyone who followed him sweat for fear.
As soon as he reached the Qianqing Gate, Kangxi spotted him. He stood up, reported the situation, and then sobbed and stood aside. He was reluctant to leave his wife, but more importantly, he was troubled by his conscience. This man was very much like his father, a kind man.
The princes who were standing guard together were all stunned by what they heard. This... his wife was going to die during the New Year, which was really worthy of sympathy.
Seeing Baotai in such a state, Kangxi said gently, "Even if you are sad, don't be distracted. Go back and don't ride your horse. Tell someone to prepare a carriage for Prince Yu. Go back and take care of your household chores first. When you are done, come back and take up your post."
Baotai choked up and knelt in thanks. Even though his nephew had left, Kangxi was still worried: "Tell the Imperial Hospital to select two people to stand by. I think Prince Yu is not in good condition."
After receiving confirmation, Kangxi remembered that he had important matters to attend to: "Where were we just talking about?"
Yinreng bowed and replied, "The Huaiqing barracks are in disarray, and the general, Wang Ying, is being brought to the capital to be sentenced to death."
Kangxi was in a bad mood: "Let's do it!"
When the emperor was in a bad mood, everyone worked with remarkable efficiency. Soon, the business was completed, including instructions for Prince Yu's wife's funeral. Seeing that the matter was completed, no one dared to linger any longer and each one withdrew. Yinreng, as usual, stayed to talk with Kangxi. Kangxi said self-deprecatingly, "It's a good thing the news about Baotai arrived so early. It would be a hassle to close the pen after tomorrow. Baotai really worries me."
Yinreng said, "Prince Yu is young, and he just experienced a great loss, and now he has lost his wife. It's a bit overwhelming for him to manage. Khan Ama has made comprehensive arrangements, which has saved him a lot of trouble. But he hasn't had a good year, and this is all thanks to Khan Ama's grace."
This year certainly wasn't a good one for Prince Yu's mansion. Without a concubine to coordinate, the old concubines had to step back and cause further chaos. The old concubine, feeling somewhat restless after relinquishing her power, was exhausted. After the Lunar New Year, she rushed to the palace to ask the Empress Dowager: "It's really unbelievable that we don't have a concubine. Next year, we'll have a big selection. Let's choose a sensible one."
"What? Third girl?" Shujia was shocked.
By this time, the Lunar New Year had already passed, and Prince Yu's wife had died, which hadn't had a particularly significant impact on the palace. Even Emperor Kangxi, who loved Baotai, and the simple-minded Empress Dowager wouldn't let her make the palace atmosphere too oppressive. But at this point, the idea of choosing a new bride for Baotai was hinted at. Wasn't that a bit cold-blooded?
Concubine Tong extended her hand and made a downward gesture: "Didn't you also say that this third princess is very good?"
Shujia held her forehead with her hand, "This is too..." Even for a concubine, this was too much. Although the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children was not so great among the bannermen, it was more particular in the imperial family than elsewhere, not to mention that the current emperor was Kangxi.
"She's not a bad person, but being the Prince's wife is too much of an honor for her."
"The Emperor wants to honor her, what do you think?"
Shujia let out a long sigh: "Mother, this is really not a joke? Is she really the Concubine?"
"Even if I had the guts to do it, how could I possibly joke about the prince's marriage? His Majesty did say so, and yesterday he even asked me how the Third Princess had behaved during her stay in the palace. Oh, and since His Majesty knew it was the two Princesses who were coming, he also asked about the Fourth Princess."
"Ah? What does this have to do with Fourth Girl?"
Concubine Tong covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said, "I'm telling you, it's good news!"
Shujia didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "How does it compare to the third girl's story?"
"I'm afraid it's not too bad."
Shujia nearly slipped off her chair. "I have one more question, Mother Fei, is this really not a joke?"
"I don't even dare to talk about the prince's marriage, how can I dare to talk about the prince's affairs?"
"Huh? Fifteenth brother?"
"That's right." Concubine Tong nodded.
Shujia looked as if she was struck by lightning: Kangxi placed a bulk order from their family!
"My dear mother, I'm not being overly suspicious. This is a huge matter, an honor never before granted. It's still okay for the third girl before Khan Ama gives her order, but the fourth girl is only ten years old, and the selection won't take place until three years from now. Why is Khan Ama revealing everything now? If you don't explain it to me in detail, I won't be able to sleep at night."
Concubine Tong held Shujia's hand and said, "Don't you think about it? In our family, choosing a daughter-in-law is never done hastily. There are many people who have been looking for a bride for two or three years, and even one year is not enough. Regarding Prince Yu's matter, let me put it this way. I'm afraid that the third princess can't marry such a high-ranking woman. You must spread the word about the dowry and make preparations."
Kangxi hinted at this early stage for another reason: considering the potential for arranging marriages for two daughters simultaneously, the resulting uproar needed to be suppressed to avoid excessive speculation. This was the reason he hinted at Concubine Tong without directly naming her. Furthermore, if something were to happen to him before the arranged marriages were made, word would have already gotten out, allowing the Fifteenth Prince to be brought under the Crown Prince's wing. A truly two-faced strategy.
Shujia hadn't guessed this, and simply said, "I'll save it. Thank you, my mother, for the heads-up."
"Oh, you're being polite again now."
"What about the matter of the fifteenth brother? How come it was revealed so early?" Yinreng immediately pointed out the key point after hearing Shujia's words. "The fifteenth brother is only eleven this year. Why did Khan Ama bring it up so early?"
"This was guessed by Consort Mother herself. According to her, Khan Ama's tone was exactly the same as when he told them to keep an eye on their brothers and sisters."
"That doesn't seem likely. If both doors were real, they would be a bit too dazzling."
"That's what I think," Shujia tried to analyze. "Good things like this happen one after another. It's too much." The three sisters had the same father. What an honor! Kangxi really... had a fond eye for her father.
"Baotai is a simple man, not very useful. He has never been assigned an assignment. I think he will remain like this in the future." Yinreng assessed his future brother-in-law. "Fifteenth brother is young. Although he studies and practices martial arts quite diligently, it can be seen that he is not as good as Thirteenth and Fourteenth brothers."
Finally, he made a comment: "If you want to make a living, they are still okay. But what's the use of them? I'm afraid you will be disappointed. If you want them to do something, someone has to follow behind to plug the loopholes. Well, at most you can give them more advice and prevent them from making mistakes. It's better for them to marry your sister than marry someone else's." From these two marriages, Yinreng could only see this little profit.
Shujia said softly, "Li Ji."
"What?"
"Emperor Jing of Han was seriously ill and thought he could not get up, so he gave his children and concubines to the mother of Crown Prince Li." For women, this story is a must-read lesson, and its warning significance is extremely serious! In other words, only a thoughtful woman can see the problem. Men really don't have the interest to analyze the harem and backyard. Even if they have seen it, they probably forget it in the depths of their minds and will definitely not think about it if no one mentions it.
Yinreng was horrified. Considering Kangxi's physical condition, his heart was beating wildly. "Don't talk nonsense!"
"That's all I'm saying. No matter what, he's my brother, my cousin. If he doesn't marry my sister, will you not take care of him?"
Yinreng looked at his fingertips for a moment. "Since the Consort Mother of the Chengqian Palace has already given the message, you should just do it. No, wait! I asked Khan Ama to send someone else to pass on the message. Just mention the Third and Fourth Princesses and tell them to educate them carefully. Don't leave out a single word of what's beyond that."
"become."
Yinreng took advantage of the moment when they were alone and asked Kangxi directly, "Khan Ama, I heard from Hongdan's mother that when she was talking to the concubine's mother in Chengqian Palace, she mentioned... Prince Yu's matter, saying that you intended to propose Shi Wenbing's daughter as Prince Yu's concubine?"
Kangxi answered cheerfully, "Yes. What's wrong with that?"
"She was being too cautious. She said she had never encountered this case before and insisted that her son ask again."
Kangxi smiled and said, "There's no harm in being more careful. Women are always more meticulous than men when it comes to household chores."
Yinreng never mentioned anything about the Fifteenth Prince. Since it was just hints and speculations, he stopped gossiping. "I didn't expect that my son's bond with Baotai would become deeper and deeper."
"That's not good?"
Yinreng said with a serious face: "Baotai is a sincere man, honest and lovely. It is very friendly to get along with him. Now it is good. The prince will marry his brother's wife, and the princess will marry her sister. It will be a beautiful story."
Kangxi said, "There are many more good things to say. Come and see how my new white paper fan is made."
Yinreng took a look and saw several plain paper fans on the table. They were all finely crafted, but the material wasn't particularly expensive, just bamboo and paper. "Who brought these in here? They're really... cutting corners, aren't they?"
Kangxi said proudly, "I asked the Imperial Household Department to buy them. Here are the samples. There are four hundred of them. Take a look and see if you can write an inscription or paint on them. Are they any good?"
"Khan Ama wants you to write it yourself? Isn't that too much?" Writing two or three hundred "Fu" characters a year is daunting enough, but writing for two hundred fans? Khan Ama, have you found a part-time job at the paper fan workshop where you earn piecework?
"I'll just write a few of them casually, and I'll give the rest to you brothers to write and hand in! Every reward will be considered a reward."
Yinreng: “…” We are the ones doing part-time jobs, and we don’t get paid.
Kangxi casually picked up a few and gave them to Yinreng: "You will be busy this year, so write less."
Is this considered preferential treatment?
After the New Year, the princes who had reached adulthood received a new task from Emperor Kangxi: they had to finish writing all of these before the end of summer, and they had to write beautifully! Yinzhi didn't think that writing on a fan was also good, his handwriting...
Before the princes had even written a few copies of their fans, beauties from all over the country had already gathered in the capital.
Shuyi was slightly informed of the news: "You have a bright future ahead of you. Remember not to be arrogant. Just follow what I teach you."
Thinking her sister was in the palace, Shuyi felt reassured. All the steps went smoothly, needless to say. In February, she passed both the preliminary and final selections, and was ready to enter the palace for observation in March.
Five days after Shuyi returned from the re-election, Guanyinbao was getting married. This marriage was truly a marriage of wealth. At the Shi family's wedding banquet, everyone witnessed the horrifying spectacle of the Ming and Suo factions drinking and chatting merrily. While they were called two factions, they were actually the remnants of the rebellion after Kangxi's crackdown. Even so, it was still quite unusual.
As the host, Shi Wenbing has his in-laws Mingzhu's family on one side and the matchmaker Soetu on the other... he is under a lot of pressure!
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The author has something to say: It’s the fourth day of my cold, and it’s still not healed… My eyes feel so uncomfortable that I want to fall asleep - Complaint: I’ve had it again these days, and replying to comments on the computer is not as good as on the phone!
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