Liang Jiugong entered with a smile and said, "This servant greets the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager said, "No need for formalities."
"Thank you, Empress Dowager."
Why did you come here?
Liang Jiugong quickly explained, "This morning His Majesty went fishing with Consort Shu. They were lucky and caught quite a lot. His Majesty sent me to bring you some fish."
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager had plenty of fish, but the one sent by the Emperor was a rare and thoughtful gesture.
"It's admirable that he can remain patient in this sweltering heat. I appreciate his kindness. I will go back and tell the Emperor to take care of himself in this hot weather."
"This servant will certainly convey the Empress Dowager's wishes."
After giving a few more instructions, Liang Jiugong left.
After he left, Su Ma La Gu said, "Your Majesty doesn't know, not a single one of these fish was caught by His Majesty himself."
The Empress Dowager asked curiously, "Oh?" and then asked, "What's going on?"
"His Majesty summoned Consort Shu to accompany him on a fishing trip. However, His Majesty became so interested that he insisted on teaching Consort Shu how to fish. In the end, Consort Shu did learn how, but His Majesty never managed to put a single fish into the fish bucket. Isn't that interesting?"
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh; this Consort Shu was quite interesting.
"Consort Shu's luck is truly extraordinary!"
The Empress Dowager, who was standing nearby, said, "Perhaps this is the first time, and we're just lucky."
Sometimes, doing something for the first time can bring good luck, but this luck was a bit too good. The Empress Dowager immediately ordered, "The Emperor sent it, so we can't let their good intentions go to waste. Tonight, we'll use the fish that just arrived to cook a meal, and I'll have a good taste of it too."
Sumalagu: "Yes, Master."
Then the Empress Dowager said, "Since it was Consort Shu who caught it, send someone to deliver some things to Consort Shu later."
The Empress Dowager was afraid of repeating the tragedy of Consort Dong'e during the reign of Emperor Shunzhi. However, she was not an unreasonable person. Consort Dong'e had been jealous and vying for the emperor's favor, yet Emperor Shunzhi still doted on her! The harem was in turmoil, and she even said that Consort Dong'e's son was her "first son," which was too absurd. Therefore, the Empress Dowager did not want Emperor Kangxi to favor anyone.
Consort Shu seemed to have a good personality. Her relationship with her family was so-so that she didn't need to worry about her family seeking good fortune. In addition, Emperor Kangxi favored her, but she did not become arrogant because of his favor. Emperor Kangxi did not neglect state affairs because of this, nor did he neglect his children. At most, he was a little biased in terms of food, clothing and daily necessities.
The Empress Dowager didn't care about these things. Everyone has their own preferences. If it wasn't Consort Shu, it would have been someone else. Consort Shu was already quite good.
This is something the Empress Dowager has recently come to understand, so she no longer wants to interfere in the affairs of Kangxi's harem. As long as nothing goes wrong, Kangxi is getting old, and she doesn't want to be a nagging old woman.
Upon hearing this, Sumalagu smiled and said, "What you say is right, my lady. I will go and do it right away."
After Sumalagu left, the Empress Dowager spoke up, "Aunt, aren't you afraid that the Emperor's favoritism towards Consort Shu might cause some trouble?"
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "The Emperor is different from his father and grandfather. Let's wait and see. The Emperor has had a hard time these past few years. He has finally found someone he likes and finds pleasing to the eye. It's no harm to favor him for a few more years."
In the eyes of the Empress Dowager, she would only be favored for a few years at most. The harem should be a place where all the flowers bloom, not where one flower stands out. She was old and had seen a lot, so she understood people's hearts better. The harem had one bloom after another, and Consort Shu had caught up in the bloom in the past few years, but the bloom will eventually pass.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager was not worried at all.
The Empress Dowager only asked one question and had no intention of interfering in Kangxi's harem. Her usual style of doing things was not to meddle in other people's business.
However, I was somewhat surprised by the change in the Empress Dowager's attitude, but the surprise passed quickly.
The Empress Dowager's philosophy of life, and indeed her way of survival, is to avoid taking things to heart if possible.
Inside Hanyuan Hall, Youqing woke up a little earlier than Kangxi. She had rested well the night before and couldn't fall asleep easily.
When she woke up, she was about to get up when Emperor Kangxi, who was standing nearby, also woke up upon hearing the noise.
"woke up?"
Youqing nodded: "I can't sleep."
Kangxi was still a little sleepy, his eyes somewhat hazy, and he pulled her into his arms, saying, "Sleep with me a little longer."
Youqing was being held in someone's arms. There were several ice basins in the room, so it wasn't hot, and she quickly fell asleep again.
Summer is a good season for sleeping; you can fall asleep even if you're not sleepy.
When she woke up again, there was no one next to Youqing. She got up and was about to go out when she heard voices outside.
"Your Majesty, Governor-General Yao of Fujian requests an audience."
Lord Yao, also known as Yao Qisheng, as the Governor-General of Fujian, had important matters to report to Emperor Kangxi on his return to the capital.
Emperor Kangxi had already received his memorial requesting his return to the capital, and immediately said, "Let him in."
Upon hearing this, Liang Jiugong looked inside and saw that Consort Shu was still there! It was unprecedented for His Majesty to discuss state affairs with his court officials through two screens.
However, Kangxi did not react. Liang Jiugong glanced at him without saying anything and went out. He came back in not long after, along with Yao Qisheng.
"This servant greets Your Majesty."
Emperor Kangxi was also pleased to see Yao Qisheng. Yao Qisheng was indeed a capable man. He was a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army. He passed the provincial examination in his early years and was appointed as the magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangdong. However, he was dismissed from office and went into business because he broke the sea ban without authorization.
After the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, he donated funds to recruit soldiers and joined Prince Kang's forces. He repeatedly offered brilliant strategies and was promoted to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Wenzhou and Chuzhou in Zhejiang.
Later, he persuaded Geng Jingzhong to surrender and was transferred to the position of Provincial Administration Commissioner of Fujian.
In the seventeenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, he was promoted to Governor-General of Fujian, in charge of platform matters.
In the nineteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, he led troops to capture Haicheng, recover Jinsha, and force Zheng Jing to retreat to Penghu. He was awarded the titles of Minister of War, Junior Guardian, Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and Right Vice Censor-in-Chief.
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