Despite her sorrow, Wan Anran could only watch Yinzhen leave.
While Emperor Kangxi might listen to advice on other matters, he was uncompromising and stubborn when it came to the education of his princes, refusing to accept any suggestions whatsoever.
Of course, even if Yinzhen didn't say it, Wan Anran had heard some rumors. For example, Geng Jie, the Junior Chamberlain of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, fainted due to illness, and Tang Bin, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, was also overworked and kept dozing off during his lessons. Faced with such overworked teachers, Kangxi not only did not reward them, but also rebuked them and eventually dismissed them from their posts on charges of being immoral and unethical.
Wan Anran: …………
She still can't describe the expression on her face when she heard about it. Did the emperor love or hate the crown prince? This was clearly the behavior of a terrible teammate!
Wan Anran, who had many complaints but no way to express them, had also mentioned this to the Empress.
Empress Niohuru shook her head, quickly changing the subject with an unusually cold attitude.
Wan Anran stood at the entrance of Chuxiu Palace.
Her eyes were unfocused as she stared blankly in the direction Yinzhen had left, but a thought was almost certain in her mind.
Perhaps it was Hesheli who attacked the Empress back then.
For example, apart from purging some palace servants, the emperor did not punish any of the concubines. For example, the Empress Dowager, who had previously treated Consort Ping of Yonghe Palace well, gradually became indifferent to her, and Consort Ping's presence became almost non-existent. Furthermore, the eldest princess and the crown prince gradually drifted away, and now the empress has shown an attitude of indifference...
Wan Anran took a deep breath.
Those happy days from the past echoed in her mind. She had thought everything would change, but now she realized that it was too difficult to make a change.
The only thing to be thankful for is—
She still had Yinzhen and Yintao, and after missing out on many others, she still had the Empress and Consort Xuan who cherished her.
Wan Anran considers herself just an ordinary person.
She's already done quite well to get to where she is now... right? The rest of the matters are beyond the control of a mere palace concubine.
Wan Anran snapped out of her thoughts.
She rallied her spirits and had Ding Lan and Nan Zhou change Yin Tao into a cute little outfit. They added an extra layer of fabric to the knees of the clothes to prevent Yin Tao from falling and hurting himself.
He looked a bit embarrassed.
To avoid criticism from others, Wan Anran had the palace servants change the decorations to feature small animals, such as kittens, puppies, and bears. After receiving a strange comment from the emperor, he didn't mention anything about not being allowed to wear such things again.
Yin Tao let out a dissatisfied groan, sitting on the ground and slapping his legs: "Cart—cart! Cart, car!"
"Alright, alright." Wan Anran had no choice but to pick up Xiao Yintao, who didn't want to crawl or walk, and put him in the walker.
Now Yin Tao was satisfied.
He was pushing his little cart around the yard, having a great time. His adorable appearance made Wan Anran smile.
Speaking of baby walkers, shouldn't we make a small car after that?
Recalling the scooters, cars, and bicycles that were very popular among children in her previous life, Wan Anran immediately became interested. She went back and drew a sketch and sent it to the Imperial Household Department. Among them, the scooter was the simplest and easiest to make. She only selected the best wood, attached four wooden wheels, and the first version was completed.
The Imperial Household Department delivered it to Chuxiu Palace immediately.
Perhaps the palace servants thought it was Consort Qi who wanted to use it. The scooter was a little too big, and Wan Anran was delighted to see this. She simply changed into a pair of cloth shoes to try it out.
Wan Anran stepped onto the scooter with one foot and pushed off with the other, propelling the scooter forward with a light descent. At first, it felt a little awkward, but Wan Anran quickly regained her balance and began darting around the yard on the scooter.
Following behind was a cheerful Yin Tao.
It was the first time Yin Tao had ever seen a scooter. Full of curiosity, he rode the scooter and shouted as he chased after Wan Anran, his two short legs pedaling like wheels of fire.
It was incredibly fast.
Seeing this, Wan Anran became even happier and deliberately zigzagged ahead to attract Yin Tao's attention. One ran in front and the other chased behind, their laughter and commotion reaching outside the palace. This drew Kangxi's surprised gaze: "What is Consort Qi doing now?"
Emperor Kangxi stepped into the room.
As soon as he turned the corner and entered the backyard, he saw a figure rushing towards him. Wan Anran never expected that an emperor would suddenly appear behind him, and he couldn't stop in time.
Most importantly, scooters have inertia.
The scooter flew straight out, clanging and clattering, causing a commotion. Kangxi, still sitting on the ground looking bewildered, was overheard Yin Tao running up in his walker, clapping his hands excitedly: "Mommy, silly boy!"
"It is Khan Ama, not Mama."
Kangxi subconsciously replied, then stood up and pinched Yin Tao's cheek: "Who are you calling stupid? This courage must come from you."
Yin Tao blinked and smiled innocently.
Kangxi turned his cold gaze to Consort Qi, his eyes filled with disappointment and frustration.
It's all your fault; you've corrupted Yin Tao.
Wan Anran was already used to the emperor's tone; usually, the bad traits were like her, and the good traits were like the emperor. She was too lazy to even utter a rebuttal, and instead rose like a submissive wife, her face showing a flattering expression: "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Kangxi glanced at Wan Anran: "It's nothing."
His gaze then fell upon the strangely shaped scooter: "What is this?"
"It's the toy I've been thinking about."
"Too dangerous. It would be one thing if I fell, but what if I bumped into the concubines, princes, or princesses?" Kangxi shook his head, reached out and picked it up, tucking it under his arm: "Confiscate it."
Wan Anran: …………
Watching the emperor appear and disappear like a whirlwind, her lips twitched. Wan Anran looked at Aunt Hai: "Tell me, did the emperor confiscate it, or did he want to play with it himself?"
Aunt Hai: …………
She gave a gentle smile but did not answer.
Wan Anran was very angry when her toy was taken away.
The other carriages weren't arriving anytime soon, so Wan Anran ordered someone to report to the Imperial Household Department while simultaneously trying to do something else to distract herself.
Hmm... for example, taking Yin Tao to Xianfu Palace?
Without hesitation, Wan Anran changed Yin Tao into a cute little outfit, placed him in the walker, and then tied a rope to the walker, preparing to lead him out of Chuxiu Palace.
The news arrived before I even left the house.
It was said that Her Majesty the Empress invited Consort Qi to sit in Kunning Palace, and it was also noted that Consort Xuan would go along.
Well, it really is on the way.
When Wan Anran led the baby walker to the entrance of Xianfu Palace, Consort Xuan also came out with Yin'e.
Looking at Wan Anran, who reminded her so vividly, Consort Xuan fell silent. Was this really not just walking... a dog? After a moment's hesitation, she pretended not to notice and changed the subject with a smile: "Let's go, Her Majesty the Empress is surely waiting for us."
Outside Kunning Palace, Aunt He—formerly known as Lian Nan—had been waiting for a long time. She curtsied and greeted everyone as they walked inside. The Empress, dressed in a casual dress embroidered with pomegranate patterns, sat at the head of the table and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Consort Qi and Consort Xuan arrive.
Wan Anran's eyelids twitched.
Upon closer inspection, besides the eldest and fourth princesses playing with Wen Xian, there was also the idle Ninth Prince, Yin Tang, in the hall. Seeing the Tenth Prince, Yin E, Yin Tang immediately perked up: "Tenth brother? Come play! Come play!"
Yin'e and Yin'tang already had a good relationship.
Hearing the sound, he excitedly went to greet them. The two boys, who were about the same age, chattered excitedly, then ran out of the palace and played happily in the courtyard.
Wan Anran took her seat.
A palace maid served milk tea and snacks. Wan Anran took a sip and asked, "Why is Ninth Prince in Kunning Palace?"
They said they were asking the Empress, but they were actually asking the Fourth Princess.
The fourth princess, who was teasing Wen Xian, looked up. Her round cheeks were tinged with bitterness, and her complaint carried a hint of accusation: "My eleventh brother had a fever again yesterday. Mother and Consort Yi took care of him until morning and didn't get any rest. On top of that, my ninth brother was making a big fuss... As a result, Consort Yi scolded my ninth brother."
The eleventh prince, Yinzhi, was not in good health.
She looked healthy when she was born, but as she grew up, she was sick every three days and a major illness every five days. Although she was half a year older than Yin Tao, she was not as big as Yin Tao now. Consort Yi and Consort Ning were so busy taking care of this child that they even forgot about competing for the emperor's favor.
Above him was the sixth prince, Yinqi, who was gradually growing up and graduating from being a mischievous child; below him was the youngest, weakest, and most in need of care, the eleventh prince, Yinzhi. Being the second son, the mischievous Yintang in the middle was less endearing.
But Yinzhen's bear was different.
Like when Yinqi was a child, he could be corrected after a proper explanation. But when Yintang was being naughty, no one could reason with him, not even the Emperor himself, who beat him twice, to no avail.
Thinking of this, the three people present couldn't help but feel a headache.
Wan Anran hugged the Fourth Princess with heartache. She should be at the age where she can be spoiled in her mother's arms, but because she is the head of Yikun Palace, she has to take on the responsibility of taking care of the naughty children. She finally finished taking care of Yinqi, and now she has to deal with Yintang...
The fourth princess snuggled against her mother, Qi.
She knew she was the eldest sister and had done everything an eldest sister should do, but when she was embraced, she couldn't help but miss the way her mother used to love her.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was gradually becoming dull, the Empress quickly brought up something that might interest everyone: "Speaking of which, do you know what?"
Everyone looked up at the same time.
The Empress didn't keep them in suspense and replied with a smile, "Changchun Garden is finished."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and Wan Anran cheered, "Really?"
The Queen nodded emphatically: "Of course it's true."
It's normal for the concubines to be happy, since the Empress had an accident in the West Garden. In the past few years, the Emperor has not stayed there except for days when he had to go there for activities such as ice skating and hunting. Not to mention the concubines.
In short, everyone is extremely tired of the Forbidden City.
The Changchun Garden, which they had never visited before, stirred their hearts. Who had the mind to talk about the mischievous children? Everyone, including the Fourth Princess, started chattering about their curiosity about the Changchun Garden.
For example, Wan Anran asked, "I've heard that Changchun Garden is inspired by the scenery of Jiangnan?"
Consort Xuan did not accompany the southern tour, and she was of Mongolian origin.
Hearing this, she became even more curious: "What is the scenery like in Jiangnan? Is Changchun Garden large?"
The Empress smiled and replied, "Just as Consort Qi said, as for what it actually looks like, I have never seen it myself."
Has His Majesty mentioned when we will move to the garden?
"They said it would be early next month," the Empress confirmed. "And all the concubines will be going."
This means they won't be staying for a short time, but rather for a long period. Hearing this, Wan Anran and Consort Xuan beamed with joy, wishing they could immediately visit Changchun Garden and see for themselves!
Less than half a month later, Wan Anran received a notice from the emperor, instructing all the palace ladies to pack their belongings and prepare to move to Changchun Garden.
At this moment, she felt that the Emperor's decisive and uncompromising nature was simply wonderful.
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