Ups and downs of mood
Shujia snuggled under the quilt, chewing her fingers. If her aunts saw her, they would definitely criticize her for not being very dignified. Shujia sadly realized that now, she could only make faces and chew her fingers under the quilt.
No, we must not sit and wait for death!
Shujia hurriedly turned over. Zishang and Qingjin were the ones keeping watch today. They both put on their clothes when they heard the voice: "Young lady?"
Depend on!
Shujia calmed down for a moment and said, "I remembered something. Let's talk about it tomorrow."
The two of them got out of bed and hung up the curtains. They were startled to see Shujia sitting on the bed with her hair disheveled. "Girl."
Everything has its pros and cons. Having a few loyal maids is a good thing, but now it has become a problem. Shujia could only say, "Didn't Mr. Jiang say his daughter was getting married? I suddenly remembered that we should also prepare some gifts."
Zichang breathed a sigh of relief, and Qingjin lowered her shoulders. They had thought something had happened. Qingjin came up to help Shujia lie down again, and Zichang came up to straighten her quilt and said, "Didn't the young lady tell Mr. Jiang that the old man had given her leave? He also ordered the gifts to be prepared. You went to the palace today, and they haven't had time to reply yet. I believe there will be news when you return."
Shujia froze. She felt uncomfortable when she heard the word "enter the palace." Qingjin looked at Shujia strangely, wondering what words had touched the girl's heart. Shujia calmed down after being looked at by Qingjin. "I'm fine. You guys go to bed too."
After lying down, Qingjin fetched a basin of ice. "You're all sweating, young lady. Wipe yourself." Zishang wrung out a wet towel. Shujia wiped her face, and Zishang fanned herself again before lowering the curtains. The two maids went to lie down on the outer bed.
Shujia still couldn't sleep. In fact, she was almost dying of anxiety!
After all, her family is of a high status, so they know some information. For example, there are several princes who are not much older than her!
The second child is three years older than her - and unmarried.
The third child is the same age as her - and also unmarried.
The fourth child is one year younger than her—and unmarried.
The fifth child and those below are much younger than her and are not considered.
Shujia felt her future was bleak. Clearly, the only way to succeed was to cling to the victor. She knew the victor was the fourth son, but unfortunately… she had already met his wife. Most importantly, the fourth son still had two older brothers who were still unmarried. Kangxi couldn't possibly marry his younger brother before his older brothers were engaged.
Combined with the recent sightings of Dong E, the conclusion is clear: she and Dong E are a tragic pair, one second child and the other third child. They are all losers.
I knew I was not born into a good family in this life!
The third brother is better off (are you sure?), but if he is unlucky enough to be chosen by Kangxi and married to the prince, his life will be like a cupboard instead of a coffee table!
I can't be that unlucky, right? Pengchun is a Duke, two ranks higher than my father, right? Shujia wanted to cry.
No, she can’t just sit there and wait for death. If she stays in Beijing any longer, she’ll be finished!
Wendu had just given birth and was well into her confinement, ready to take over the household chores. Shujia figured it was a good opportunity for her to withdraw and take a quiet approach. There were plenty of noble ladies from the eight clans, and even a decent Manchu woman could find at least a roster of staff. If she faded out, someone else would naturally step forward.
It wasn't that she wanted to shrink, it was just that she couldn't stretch her legs! She accepted her fate, but it was the fate of being "arranged to be married," not the fate of being "tragic"!
Anyway, the nephew's full-month banquet was held, and Wendu's confinement was also over. The next day, Shujia packed up the wedding gifts for Mr. Jiang's daughter - several sets, including her own pair of purses and a pair of hairpins, Guanyinbao's two purses containing auspicious gold ingots, and other clothes and jewelry given by the parents - and sent them over.
Then a puff of smoke disappeared, and she acted like an ostrich. She still didn't give up and wanted to try jumping around again.
The weather was indeed hot; it hadn't rained much this year. She was also the one who deserved the most free time in the family. Wendu was nursing her pregnancy and confinement, not well-informed about outside news, and she wanted her to stay home to help out. Shujia refused, claiming she was too tired and had lost weight, and that she wanted to go to the farm to escape the summer heat.
Wen Du felt deeply ashamed. She had been too impatient and had been tempted to sideline her sister-in-law and take charge. Now that her sister-in-law was so understanding, her impression of Shujia had brightened. "Eldest Aunt is almost done with her confinement," Wen Du said. "Why don't you wait until her son is one month old before you leave? It's only a few days away anyway." It was a perfect opportunity. She could use these two days to send someone to tidy up the farm ahead of time and show her sister-in-law some favors.
Shujia felt ashamed. She was so scared by Lao Kang that she almost forgot about her nephew's full moon.
On the day of Shuxian's son's full moon, Shujia and Wendu went to congratulate him. Seeing Shuxian's face become rounder and her smile sweeter, they knew that her sister was doing well and were happy for her. In Shuxian's inner room, the three of them had a private conversation. Shuxian said she felt bored in the room and added, "I couldn't go to my nephew's full moon either."
Wen Du smiled and said, "You can take action now. Clean up the house. We'll send someone to pick you up in a couple of days." Shu Jia then mentioned that Mr. Jiang's daughter was getting married. Shu Xian said, "I received the letter you sent, and I sent someone to deliver the gifts. I heard that your son-in-law is a clerk in the Imperial Household Department."
The position of Bi Tie Shi is not high-ranking, but it is in charge of documents. If you do your job well, it can be a good step for promotion.
Today is the full moon of Shuxian's son. She can't sit and chat for long. After watching the maid walk out the door twice, Wendu and Shujia exchanged glances and went outside to the women's table to drink.
The Jiang family wasn't very well-off, so Shujia wasn't particularly noticed. She returned home in high spirits and asked Huashan to go to the farm to escape the heat. "It's so hot! Originally, my sister-in-law couldn't do it, so I stayed. Now that she's back in charge, I'm free. Good God, let me go out for a walk."
Marfa raised her eyelids and said, "Want to go riding?"
Well, that's one of the reasons. Pursing his lips, he said carefully, "Not entirely. I just... need to get some fresh air. I've been feeling dizzy these past two days."
She finally figured it out. If she could figure it out, there was no reason Hua Shan couldn't. This old fox was clearly happy to see it happen! The worst part was, her granddaughter didn't even inherit the fox gene. God, are you discriminating against me for traveling through time?!
Hua Shan's eyes spun around as he looked his granddaughter up and down, stroking his chin. "Alright, take the maids and servants from your room, and tell the aunts to follow too—and don't run around! I'll have your brother take you there tomorrow."
It is not a good thing to hype things too much. If things go wrong and turn from red to black, it will be a disaster.
Lying on the bunk bed in the farmhouse on the outskirts of the city, Shujia finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was so great!
Just give it a cold shoulder. Hehe. Shujia was so happy she was hiding in her tent, kicking her legs in the air. It was great! She had just moved to the farm a few days ago, and heaven helped her. No, it was Galdan who helped. He invaded. Kangxi was busy dealing with the Mongols, and the atmosphere in the palace was tense. No one noticed this little girl who "might become the emperor's daughter-in-law," so they let her slip away.
————————————————————————————————
Shujia was delighted because Kangxi had appointed Prince Gong Changning as the Grand General of Anyuan, with Prince Jian Labu and Prince Xin Ezha as his deputies, all marching out of Xifengkou. Imperial Household Ministers Tong Guogang, Suo'etu, Mingzhu, and Peng Chun were all involved in military affairs—the source of the news, taking turns visiting their sister's Fu Dali.
That's great! Peng Chun, you need to work harder! Perform better. With Kangxi's love for the crown prince, you'll be the crown prince's father-in-law.
Yinreng was very unhappy because Kangxi appointed Prince Yu Fuquan as the General of Fuyuan and Prince Yinzhi as his deputy, and sent them out of Gubeikou - the source of the news, which he heard and saw with his own eyes.
After Yinzhi's departure, Yinreng was restless day and night. Although Kangxi's words and deeds made him appear to be an unfathomable heir, he was actually burning with anger. Mingzhu actually joined the army with Soetu? The eldest brother even led the troops as deputy commander? Isn't this... just giving them a fist fight to challenge me?
Soetu had also left, and without his most important advisor, even discussing matters was inconvenient. Yinreng let out a long breath, his eyes cast down in the flickering candlelight. What on earth was Khan Ama thinking? It's said that attempting to misinterpret the emperor's will is a grave sin. They also say that the emperor's mind is unpredictable. You have to test it to know how unpredictable it is, right?
The young eunuch tiptoed over, removed the glass cover, carefully heated the candle wick, and gently replaced the glass cover. Yinreng stared at the flame in a daze, and the young eunuch thought he was looking at him and shuddered with fear.
Yinreng was startled by his action, and a nameless anger rose in his heart: "You son of a bitch! Drag him away and beat him!"
It was late at night, and the person who was in charge of this matter was experienced. He blocked his mouth, beat him up, and came back to report: "The prince has passed out."
Yinreng snorted, and no one dared to respond. He sat back down in his chair, still in his standard sitting position, and began to think.
Whenever it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Yinreng couldn't help but think about all sorts of random things, such as whether his Khan Ama was really good to him, whether his brothers were really well behaved, and whether the court officials and servants were obedient.
Whenever he thought of his "brothers," he would get angry. Not to mention the eldest brother, who was as greedy as a wolf and as stupid as a pig. When he was in a bad mood, he would think that others were not good people either.
Whenever he thought of his father, Khan, his heart was like a reed on a fence. He had never seen his mother, and from a very young age, he had no concept of a mother. He thought that man loved and spoiled him, that it was just him and that man, that they were a family. Years later, he realized that was not the case.
He had brothers, and they all had mothers, but he didn't. His birthday fell on the anniversary of his mother's death, and every birthday he had to pay homage to the tablet of the woman who had sacrificed her life for his existence before ascending to the throne to receive the congratulations of his ministers. He was the only one who could bear the pain of this alone.
Empress Xiao Zhao, the woman who wasn't his mother, the woman who had occupied his biological mother's place, he had to call her mother. Life's circumstance was truly strange. He couldn't remember what his biological mother looked like, but he remembered this woman. He worried about her and didn't want to see her. He always felt that she would steal his father's place.
Xiao Zhao finally died, and his nightmare had only just begun. Empress Xiao Yi adopted a palace maid's son and raised him. From then on... his Khan-Ama no longer cared for him alone. The fourth brother, his younger brother, had two mothers, but he had none. Jealousy, loneliness, the emotions of childhood were gone.
It was agonizing, truly agonizing, but Khan Ama soothed his anxieties. He was the only crown prince, born superior to all others. He had the best food, clothing, and daily necessities. His Khan Ama personally taught him how to read and write, and even if his treatment was reduced, it didn't hurt him in the slightest. He loved him even more, didn't he? When he was sick and in pain, he'd put aside military and national affairs to personally care for him. That was love, that was respect, wasn't it?
Who knows? Anyway, he really understood things when his Khan-Ama was naming his sixth brother. The man who was both strict and kind to him said, "Let's call him Yinzuo."
When the sixth child was born, he was seven years old. He had studied with Khan Ama for several years, studying hard day and night. He knew what "zuo" meant. The nation's zuo continued, but Khan Ama, who loved him so much, gave it to another. From then on, he always felt that some people's gazes on him had become a little strange. It seemed that Khan Ama was not trustworthy.
From then on, he worked even harder. The sixth child, unable to bear such great blessings, died young. Yinreng thought he was truly happy at the time. It seemed that from that moment on, he and Soetu grew closer. He had no memory of the man who was said to be his mother's uncle, whom he had never met. But when he was hesitant, it was as if that man had been waiting beside him, waiting for him to see him.
The boss has Mingzhu, and he also has his own followers, which can be considered followers, right? He doesn't want these, if his Khan Ama is really just "his".
I also want to ask, Khan Ama, who do you think I am?
Every time he felt special, loved by his father, that man would always hit him with a stick or pour a bucket of cold water on him. It was like this with Lao Liu, and now it's like this again! If you want to bring down Lao Da and Ming Zhu, do it completely. What on earth are you trying to do by tearing each other apart like this?
I am your son! He really wanted to say this loudly, to tell him that his heart was being torn back and forth by him, bleeding and hurting. Every time at this time, Yinreng wanted a family of his own, a group of relatives that belonged only to him.
Let's go to Ningshou Palace tomorrow to see the Empress Dowager. There's no need to guess what she's thinking; it's all written on her face. Talking to her is so relaxing.
"Master~" the voice trembled, shaking with fear. "It's getting late. You have to attend court tomorrow."
Otherwise, how could he be the Crown Prince? He sat there silently, forcing Yuqing Palace to feel like he was out of the palace of hell.
A contemptuous look slid across the eunuch's frightened face, and Yinreng suddenly laughed. What happened just now? You are so rigid. I am still the second heir to the throne, still above everyone else.
He stood up, his body aching slightly from sitting stiffly. Just as he was about to order someone to wash and change clothes, another eunuch quietly walked in: "Master, someone is coming from the Palace of Heavenly Purity."
It was Wei Zhu who came in, holding a piece of clothing. "My Lord, the master said it would be cold tomorrow, so he asked me to bring you a cloak to wear tomorrow morning."
When he shook it open, he saw that it was a Yuan fox fur cloak, neither new nor old, as if... it was what Kangxi was wearing today.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
