#qianqing

[canayams-art]

what i love about lqq donghua design looking extremely like fu yao's older brother, is that ive always headcanoned yong'an praying to mq after he cleaned the resentful spirits and lqq being so excited to meet mq when he ascended. like realistically im aware they have like 1% interactions when mq questions lqq about the whole xl being fangxin guoshi and that i doubt they would get along, but lqq is very didi shaped, and i think mq should take all the younger gods as his honorary little siblings and become their gege whether he wants it or not ✌️

Fun to consider the way lqq has qualities that are so familiar to mq from his time with xl and fx. Lqq is so boisterous and passionate with his personal interests like fx but he’s also very idealistic and carefree (at least before the guoshi reveal lol) like xl! If they ever really had one-on-one time with each other, I like to think mq might find himself falling into his old social habits just from the familiarity. Mq seems like one of those characters who can’t help attracting attention in a reluctant older sibling kind of way. And lqq always makes me feel like he’s subconsciously looking for someone to fill the role model void left by fangxin. Mq may not fit the bill perfectly but it’s cute to imagine the ways lqq would respect and maybe try to emulate mq in his own ways. 🥹

Meanwhile pre-ascension lqq being grateful to Xuan Zhen for everything he did for Yong’an— even if mq only did it for the souls of Xianle— is such an interesting concept that I hadn’t really considered before and I plan to CHEW on it now.

Thank you for the food anon 👁👁🧡

[very-grownup]

Prince Jing wasn't a very laid-back person. He couldn't sotp thinking about it -- he needed to set things straight between him and the fish and establish some rules. While he wouldn't be so cruel as to deprive his own fish of food and water, Prince Jing still wanted the fish to suffer a little hardship, so it'd think twice about getting too rowdy and making more trouble for him.

He had already written the rules down one by one, and all that was left to do was have Wang Xi implement them. One of them was that he was going to seal the pearl from Qianqing Palace in a clear jar, then put the jar in the fish tank. Prince Jing knew how badly the little carp wanted the pearl, but he wasn't going to just hand it over. Making it look at what it couldn't touch would build character. That way, it would come to understand that one couldn't have everything one wanted in life.

- The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish, Xue Shan Fei Hu

[wangsejabin]

Chapter 106

Since she was there, Zong Cong did not let Pan'er go and kept her overnight.

   It was just a normal thing to do here, except for the fact that Pan'er had secretly thought that if the Crown Princess found out about it, she would not feel good about it. But she did not want to spoil Zong Cong's mood, after all, he was very tired this time, he had to worry about both inside and outside the palace, old and new ministers had to be appeased, it was rare for him to relax.

   At the other end of the spectrum, as Pan'er had expected, there was an upheaval in the Eastern Palace, even more than she had expected.

   The main reason for this was that the Crown Prince had ascended to the throne and had not issued a major edict.

The Crown Princess could not have imagined that Zong Cong was stuck with the emperor, after all, the emperor was still alive, and as his son, he could not afford to settle down with the emperor and his concubines, but to rush to settle down with his own harem first, so that no one could criticize.

   It's not as if the new emperor has been bewitched by that fox and wants to give her the throne.

She had thought about the death of Prince Chu afterwards, and the situation was such that the Prince could only have killed King Chu for Su Pan'er.

   He had killed his brother and put himself in such a dangerous position? So even if he had given her the throne in a moment of confusion, it would not be a surprise.

   The more the Crown Princess thought about it, the more anxious she became.

   The more she thinks about it, the more anxious she gets. Fu Chun probably knows a little bit about what the Crown Princess is worried about, but she doesn't dare to advise her on this kind of thing, as who knows which sensitive nerve the Crown Princess might stir.

   So the whole of Jide Hall is just anxious.

Until today, the Qianqing Palace came to summon Pan'er away, it is said that they brought her in a sedan,as if fearing that a person would be tired of walking and would have to be carried?

   Even though the Crown Princess has been telling herself that His Majesty has just ascended to the throne and must be busy with government affairs, he must be busy with the court before he can think about settling the harem.

But now that he obviously has time to spare, instead of issuing an imperial edict, he summoned that woman? What was she doing there? Was it to discuss the enthronement of the Empress?

   The Crown Princess didn't think about it anymore, she went to the Buddha Hall.

Now there was a special Buddha Hall behind the Hall of Jide, and whenever she was disturbed, she went to the Hall for a while. Over the years, she had developed her patience and endurance in this way.

   Fu Chun, however, did not think this would work, so she thought about it and sent someone out of the palace to send a message to the Chen family. The Prince Consort obviously needed someone to explain to her, and this was not something she could do as a servant girl.

   The Prince Consort spent the whole afternoon in the Buddha Hall, and she was not the only one who did not sleep that night.

   The next day, when they heard that Su Liangdi had stayed at Qianqing Palace and had not returned, many of them could not sit still. The Crown Prince was in the West Court and then returned to the Palace for his enthronement, so the invocation had been suspended for a number of days.

   Since they were all here, it was impossible for the Crown Princess not to see them.

   The same old routine was followed, the invitations to sit down and drink tea, the tea was almost finished, but none of them mentioned that Su Liangdi stayed at Qianqing Palace and did not come back, all of them were looking at me and me at you waiting for someone to say something.

   Xu Liangyuan doesn't care about this, she has a son now, but she can't be a maverick when they are all here, she is the most idle person here.

   The other idle person is Hu Liangdi, who is not so much curious about Su Liangdi's stay in Qianqing Palace as she is curious about the Crown Princess' reaction, because since she came in, her eyes have been glued to the Crown Princess' face, seemingly not digging up some of the Crown Princess' exasperation and somewhat reluctant look.

   It was Li Liangyuan who finally spoke up, truly living up to what the people had said about her - stupid and brainless.

"Crown Princess, I heard that Su Liangdi has gone to Qianqing Palace and she hasn't returned yet. Even if I am not allowed to go, it should be the Crown Princess who goes there, why is it her turn to go?"

   With a dark face, the Crown Princess said, "You want to go to the Qianqing Palace so badly? I'll have someone send you there now, okay?"

   "That won't be necessary." Li Liangyuan waved her hand repeatedly, she could also see that the Crown Princess was unhappy and was busy silencing her voice.

   "All of you go back and stay, the more times like this, the more you don't stop!" After saying that, the Crown Princess went inside.

   It had been a long time since the Crown Princess had been so angry, so old people like Hu Liangdi were fine, but those like Qian Fengyi were inevitably a bit timid.

   When they came out, they did not dare to speak, so they went to their respective courtyards.

Li Liangyuan was very aggrieved: "Why is the Crown Princess angry at me, if she wants to be angry, she should be angry at Su Liangdi."

   Hu Liangdi covered her mouth and smiled, leaving.

   Xu Liang Yuan also left.

   Li Liang Yuan, who was aggrieved herself, also left in a huff.

   The Chen family came to the palace the next day, and the person who came was the Second Lady Chen, the Crown Princess' own mother.

   When she arrived, she took the Crown Princess's hand and looked her up and down, adding: "Fu Chun sent someone back to deliver a message, so I rushed to see you in the palace. You are my daughter, so why should she come as an aunt?

   The Prince Consort went to see Fu Chun, who was busy kneeling down.

   In front of the Second Lady, the Crown Princess couldn't say anything but to let her get up, and waved everyone away, leaving mother and daughter to talk.

   "Did that little bitch deceive you again? I was so blind to think she was honest and peaceful, and your eldest brother-in-law was too good at pretending. No, he's not your brother-in-law anymore, and this Pei is also an ill-bred, white-eyed wolf, and mother treats him no differently than her own son-in-law.

   The Crown Princess had known about this for a long time, but to say that Pei Yongchang had deliberately distanced himself from the Chen family was a bit of an injustice.

   It was the Second Mistress who learned of what had happened during the Crown Prince's southern tour and sent a letter to scold him, and Pei Yongchang even went to the capital himself to apologise to the Chen family.

   The second wife was not a good match, what good can a concubine daughter do in her hands? 

She was concubine born, but she was still the daughter of a court official, and the Pei family has been providing for her.

   Now she is asked to divorce Pei Yongchang, but what will happen after the divorce? The second wife only wanted to vent her anger, but did not consider her future at all, and the daughter of the concubine was naturally unwilling.

   In this way, although she still carries the name of her daughter's son-in-law, in reality there is no longer any love between them.

Whenever there was a banquet at the palace in the past few years, she gave the Crown Princess some ideas, but the ideas she gave were either drugs or bribes to set her up.

   It was only then that the Crown Princess realised what had gone wrong in the past and why the Crown Prince had become more and more indifferent to her.

The reason is that at that time her vision was too narrow and her methods were too poor for the people in the palace, not to mention how introspective the Crown Princess was and how she was ashamed of herself, but she was useless in all the ideas she came up with, which was the same as the Second Lady talking for nothing.

   The old lady didn't need to think much to know what her granddaughter was worried about. She had wanted to go to the palace herself to advise the Crown Princess, but the more weighty a person is at the top of this storm, the more careful she must be with her words.

   The Chen family and even the Crown Princess are in fact in the limelight.

   The old lady had intended to let the First Lady come, who had always been a stable one in her eyes and would certainly be able to convey her meaning.

   However, the Second Mistress wanted to come in person, which was really unacceptable, and the Old Madam could not resist her, so the Second Mistress had to come.

   The old lady even consoled herself by saying that the Second Lady was the Crown Princess's own mother, so it would be reasonable for her to come to the palace at this time without being too conspicuous. If she had known that the Second Lady had spoken to the Crown Princess, she would have been so angry that she would have jumped out of Rong'an Hall and arrested the Second Lady.

   "Just now, before I entered the East Palace, I heard people say that the new emperor had summoned that little bitch to Qianqing Palace, is that true?" The Second Lady asked again.

   The Crown Princess was alerted and asked, "Mother, who did you hear that from?"

   "Who else could it be, just two eunuchs." The Second Lady did not take it seriously.

   But the Crown Princess asked, "Tell me clearly, where did you meet them, what kind of eunuchs were they, and how did you hear about them?"

   The second wife was a bit puzzled by the Crown Princess' attitude, but she answered honestly, "It was when I entered the Divine Constabulary Gate and was on my way to the East Palace, I was coming from the Imperial Garden. The new emperor has not issued an imperial edict to seal the empress.

   At this point, the Crown Princess had calmed down.

   When the Second Lady saw that she did not say anything, she became anxious: "Why are you asking this? But if it weren't for this, why would Fu Chun have had someone send a letter to the house behind her back, for fear that something might have gone wrong in the middle? Your grandmother, on the other hand, is not anxious at all, and even asked me to tell you to take it easy and wait quietly.

   The Crown Princess took a deep breath and said, "Mother, we've all fallen into the path of others."

   "What do you mean?"

   The Prince Consort sighed a little tiredly and said, "It is true that this happened, and His Majesty did summon her to Qianqing Palace, because the imperial edict to seal the empress was never issued, and Fu Chun had someone deliver a letter outside the palace, so she may have been noticed, and those two little eunuchs may have been deliberately arranged to tell you, or the rest of the Chen family."

   The Chen family was not in the palace, and if they had heard this, they would have thought that everyone in the palace knew about it and that the status of the Crown Princess was in danger. And if the Crown Princess were not in a hurry, she would not have asked her personal palace maid to pass the letter out.

   If something were to happen to the Chen family or the Crown Princess, the first joke to come out of the new emperor after his accession to the throne would be from the East Palace, from his Crown Princess.

   How would the new emperor face the world then? If he gets angry and doesn't appoint the Crown Princess as his queen, it will definitely embarrass the Chen family. The Chen family has always been a hardcore supporter of the Crown Prince, and is the leading voice among the ministers.

   It is not clear whether the new emperor will lose, after all, he is already the emperor, but the Chen family and even she, the crown princess, will definitely not end up well.

In all her years in the palace, the Crown Princess had felt the sharp edges of the palace, but apart from the death of Prince Chu in the West Court, this was the first time she had seen this kind of malice directed at her.

   She was cold from the core of her being and was sincerely glad that she was not her old self anymore.

   At the same time, she also calmed down. She should not have been suspicious of His Majesty, even if he only retained a little of his conjugal love for her, but now they were both in the same boat, and given His Majesty's character, it was impossible for him to do something that would slap his own face.

   Thinking about this, she calmed down and went to persuade the Second Lady instead.

"Mother, don't think too much about it, the letter delivery was done privately by Fu Chun, daughter actually had nothing to do with it. I have been married to His Majesty for many years, and I still have Duo'er, there is no way he would put aside the relationship between husband and wife and not make me the Empress."

   "Then who do you think did this, how could it be so vicious, could it be that little bitch?" The Second Lady was now so disgusted with Pan'er that she could think of her in any way.

"She doesn't have that kind of power, it should be High Consort and Prince Qi, or Consort Qian De or Prince Yan."

   The Prince Consort was more inclined to be the Prince of Qi's line, who had failed to get what he wanted and had to watch the Prince ascend to the throne with his heart in his mouth, while Consort Gao had a lot of power in the palace and it would be easy for her to arrange for two eunuchs to say something.

"Even if it's not her, you can't treat her lightly, it's been two days in Qianqing Palace, His Majesty is muddled, his own father is still lying in Qianqing Palace, but he is having sex with a concubine, not afraid of others' criticism ......"

   The Prince Consort was shocked and furious: "Silence! I only think you are defending your daughter, but you should not say such things in the future, you don't want to involve your daughter and the family, how can you say such things freely, you are really ......"

   The second wife finished her words, also realized that something was wrong, and saw her daughter angry like this, also a little sarcastic.

   "I didn't mean it either ......"

   At this time, Fu Xia spoke outside, saying that there was something to report.

   The Crown Princess called in and Fu Xia said, "Master, Su Liangdi has returned."

   As she was speaking, Fu Chun walked in quickly from outside, with obvious joy on her face.

   "My lord, the imperial edict to seal the empress has come down, and the eunuch who pronounced it is right outside the door."

[kilenavictwrites]

HAREM LAYOUT

CENTRAL HALLS

➺ HALL OF SUPREME HARMONY (TAIHE DIAN; 太和殿, TÀIHÉDIÀN)Think of this as the “stage of ultimate power”—the largest and most important building in the Forbidden City. It was where emperors hosted grand ceremonies like enthronements, royal weddings, and state celebrations. Its golden throne and dragon carvings radiated authority, reminding everyone of the emperor’s divine rule.

➺ HALL OF CENTRAL HARMONY (ZHONGHE DIAN; 中和殿 ZHŌNGHÉDIÀN)This smaller hall acted as the “emperor’s green room”—a place for the emperor to prepare and rehearse before major ceremonies. It gave him a quiet space to rest, finalize rituals, and mentally prepare to face the grandeur of the court.

➺ HALL OF PRESERVING HARMONY (BAOHE DIAN; 保和殿 BǍOHÉDIÀN)Known as the “hall of final tests,” this space was where imperial banquets were held and the top-ranking scholars competed in the last stage of the civil service exams. It symbolized the bridge between talent and power, as successful candidates earned coveted roles in the empire.

RESIDENCES OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS

➺ PALACE OF HEAVENLY PURITY (QIANQING GONG; 乾清宫 QIÁNQĪNGGŌNG) – The Emperor’s ResidenceImagine this as the “emperor’s headquarters.” Early in the Qing Dynasty, this was the emperor’s living space, but later it became a formal area for state affairs and meetings. Its ornate design reflected the emperor’s central role in ruling the empire.

➺ HALL OF UNION AND PEACE (JIAOTAI DIAN; 交泰殿 JIĀOTÀIDIÀN)Acting as a “symbol of balance,” this hall linked the emperor’s and empress’s residences, representing harmony between yin and yang. It also housed the imperial seals, tools of state authority, symbolizing unity in governance.

➺ PALACE OF EARTHLY TRANQUILITY (KUNNING GONG; 坤宁宫 KŪNNÍNGGŌNG) – The Empress’s ResidenceKnown as the “empress’s haven,” this palace served as the residence for the empress and a site for significant ceremonies like imperial weddings. Its name reflects her role in maintaining harmony and fertility within the imperial household.➺ IMPERIAL GARDEN (御花园 YÙHUĀYUÁN)This lush garden was the “royal family’s retreat.” Pavilions, rockeries, and ancient trees offered the emperor, empress, and consorts a serene escape from court life. It showcased traditional Chinese landscaping, blending art and nature into perfect harmony.

SIX WESTERN PALACES (西六宫, XĪLIÙGŌNG)

➺ PALACE OF ETERNAL LONGEVITY (YONGSHOU GONG; 永寿宫 YǑNGSHÒUGŌNG): This palace housed senior concubines or favored women, such as Imperial Noble Consorts or high-ranking Consorts. It is known for its richly decorated interiors, symbolizing the high rank of its inhabitants and reflecting the emperor’s wish for a long and prosperous life.

➺ PALACE OF ETERNAL SPRING (CHANGCHUN GONG;长春宫 CHÁNGCHŪNGŌNG): Home to Imperial Noble Consorts or highly ranked Noble Consorts, this palace is distinguished by its elegant and understated design, symbolizing longevity and prosperity. It represented the emperor’s favor and the well-being of the imperial family.

➺ PALACE OF GATHERING ELEGANCE (CHUXIU GONG;储秀宫 CHǓXIÙGŌNG): Once the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, this palace is famous for its lavish decorations, including silk panels and intricate carvings. It was home to Imperial Noble Consorts and Noble Consorts, reflecting both opulence and historical significance.

➺ PALACE OF UNIVERSAL HAPPINESS (XIANFU GONG; 咸福宫 XIÁNFÚGŌNG): This tranquil residence was for Consorts and Imperial Concubines, offering serene gardens and a peaceful atmosphere. Its name symbolizes happiness and harmony within the imperial household, providing a retreat from the tensions of court life.

➺ PALACE OF MANIFEST BENEVOLENCE (YONGHE GONG; 咸福宫 XIÁNFÚGŌNG): A modestly decorated palace, it housed lower-ranking Concubines or Noble Consorts. It was less prominent than other western palaces but still offered a residence for women with less political influence in the imperial harem.➺ PALACE OF ETERNAL HARMONY (YONGHE GONG; 永和宫 YǑNGHÉGŌNG): Designed as a peaceful space for Concubines seeking quiet contemplation, this palace offered a retreat for reflection. It was a place for introspection and spiritual solace, away from the bustle of court politics.

SIX EASTERN PALACES (东六宫, DŌNGLIÙGŌNG)

➺ PALACE OF GREAT BENEVOLENCE (JINGREN GONG; 景仁宫 JǏNGRÉN​GŌNG): This palace housed the Empress Dowager or other influential women in the court, such as the emperor’s mother or heirs. Its decorations, symbolizing benevolence and virtue, emphasized the maternal authority and moral influence of its residents. ➺ PALACE OF CELESTIAL FAVOR (CHENGQIAN GONG; 承乾宫 CHÉNGQIÁNGŌNG): Reserved for Imperial Noble Consorts, Consorts, or Imperial Concubines who had borne the emperor’s children, this palace is known for its ornate design, reflecting the high status of its residents and the emperor’s favor toward them. ➺ PALACE OF ETERNAL HARMONY (YONGHE GONG; 永和宫 YǑNGHÉGŌNG): Similar to its western counterpart, this palace housed Noble Consorts or Concubines with a quieter role in the court. Featuring serene gardens and courtyards, it offered a peaceful retreat for personal reflection. ➺ PALACE OF PROLONGING HAPPINESS (YANXI GONG;  延禧宫 YÁNXǏGŌNG): Known for its European Baroque architectural style, this palace was a residence for Concubines and Noble Consorts. It was partly rebuilt during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign but later fell into disrepair, symbolizing Qing openness to foreign influences. ➺ PALACE OF PURITY AND TRANQUILITY (SUQING GONG;肃清宫 SÙQĪNGGŌNG): This simple and serene palace was designed as a retreat for lower-ranking Concubines or Noble Ladies, offering them a quiet space for reflection and solitude, away from the complexity of court life. ➺ PALACE OF LASTING BLESSINGS (YONGSHOU GONG; 永寿宫 YǑNGSHÒUGŌNG): Reserved for lower-ranking Consorts, Concubines, or retired women, this palace symbolized the emperor’s wish for enduring prosperity and blessings. It provided a peaceful residence for women no longer involved in the active imperial harem.

➺ THE COLD PALACE (冷宫, LĚNGGŌNG) was not a specific, singular palace but rather a general term used to refer to places where disfavored imperial concubines, consorts, or court members were sent. These women were effectively confined, losing the emperor’s favor and their political or social standing. The Cold Palace was often located in remote or less-maintained parts of the Forbidden City, far from the central Inner Court and main residential areas.

There is historical evidence suggesting that parts of the Six Western Palaces or other unused, deteriorating buildings within the Forbidden City were sometimes repurposed as Cold Palaces. One of the more commonly referenced Cold Palace locations is the Palace of Prolonged Happiness (Yanxi Gong) after it fell into disrepair following a fire during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign.

These spaces were intentionally isolated, with simple or dilapidated conditions, reflecting the loss of favor of those confined there.

[gilthairpins]

Book 2 Chapter 7: Good or Bad Fortune is Never Expected

When the plum blossom bloom, it is the 53rd year of Kangxi’s reign.

I was giving instructions to two eunuchs holding axes and machetes when Fourteenth came over from afar. We greeted him.

“Such a big show! What are you doing?” He asked with a smile.

“Picking plum blossoms.” I replied.

He scoffed. “I thought you were going to chop down the entire plum tree!”

I instructed the eunuchs to put away the ladder and I tilted my head. “This is why you are so narrow minded. Usually, plum blossoms are placed on tables, but the vase is limited in size. My vase is much bigger now, how could it not match?”

“A vase that is too big would be too clumsy and not necessarily worthy of the plum blossom.” He said.

“How about the pair of vases that Ryukyu sent as tribute at the end of last year?” I asked with a smile.

Fourteenth thought a moment and then grinned. “It’s worthy of it! Although it is large, it has an elegant shape and crystal-clear and a mellow color. Even the emperor liked it very much. He has kept it in his room since it was presented as tribute and enjoys it every day. The emperor’s idea is really fresh and unique!”

“It wasn’t the emperor’s intention. It was my own idea.” I said smiling. I made a square with my hands and looked at the plum blossoms through the square. I gestured a while before making a decision. The two eunuchs quickly chopped it down as I said.

I went to look for another suitable plum tree. As I was checking it out, I asked Fourteenth, who had been following me, “Aren’t you going to be busy with your own work?”

“I have nothing to do. I came to pay my respects to the emperor. Anyway, it’s on the way. I’ll go with you later. The warm room is so small. One plant is enough. Two plants will be unsightly.” He said.

“I plan on giving one to the empress dowager. The emperor had said a few days ago, ‘I should take a vase and send you to Ningshou Palace. Wouldn’t it be beautiful with the plum blossoms?’” I said.

I pointed to the plum tree and asked, “Is this one good? I don’t know how to choose in this moment. Please help me Master Fourteen!”

He looked closely and said, “The one in the back looks a bit better.”

I tilted my head to study the branches. “The branches in front are more elegant; the branches in back are more sharp and sturdy.” After a pause I said, “Let’s go with the one in the back!”

He watched without saying a word, smiling, and then quietly told the eunuch how to cut it.

The two eunuchs carried each a tree and followed us until we reached Qianqing Palace where they waited outside. I followed Fourteenth into the warm room.

After paying our respects, I bowed to Kangxi saying, “I have cut down two plum trees and plan to place them in these two vases. When the emperor is reviewing memorials, he can also enjoy the plum trees while appreciating the vases. The vases and plums complement each other.���

Kangxi glanced at the vase and told me to go. After paying my respects, I went to instruct the eunuchs to fill the vase with water and insert the plums. Kangxi stood and paced around for a while. Pointing at the vase on the left he smiled. “Both are good choices! I like this one better.”

Fourteenth smiled at me and I grinned back. “I dare not take the credit for this. This plant was picked by Fourteenth.”

Kangxi glanced at Fourteenth and said, “It’s just that these two plums in the room make it seem a bit crowded and undermines the elegance and elegance of the plum blossoms.”

“The empress dowager also likes plum blossoms. Why not send a vase over there?” Fourteenth said.

Kangxi sighed, “I forgot for a moment! That makes sense.”

Li Dequan, who was standing by, quickly asked someone to prepare this. He bowed and asked, “Your majesty, which vase do you want to send?”

Kangxi smiled and pointed to the one I had picked. Li Dequan quickly ordered someone to carry this out.

He smiled and took a copy of a memorial from the table and handed it to Li Dequan after reading it. “Take a look.” Kangxi said.

Fourteenth took it and handed it back once reading it.

“Should it be banned?” Kangxi asked.

“In my opinion, the ministry of revenue’s request to ban small coins is unnecessary. If something is beneficial to the people, the people will follow it; if it is not beneficial to the people, even if enforced by law, it will not last long.” Fourteenth said.

Kangxi nodded and said, “Everything must be done to benefit the people. If it is not convenient for the people, and we only talk of enforcing law, what is the strict use of prohibitions?” As he spoke, he wrote down on the memorial with one stroke.

I stood quietly to the side thinking that Kangxi must really like Fourteenth very much now. The father and son have similar temperaments. Thinking of this, I suddenly felt uneasy. Yutan brought over tea and I quickly suppressed my thoughts. I stepped forward to take the tray and replace the slightly cold tea on Kangxi’s table.

The eunuch who had gone to deliver the plum blossoms returned.

“The empress dowager was delighted with the flowers and vase. It was so great that he quickly sent people to invite the empress to come and enjoy the blossoms together. She also rewarded the servants generously and asked them to convey the message, ‘thank you very much for your filial piety, your majesty!’”

Kangxi smiled and nodded. He waved his hand to signal him to leave.

As time went by, the situation gradually became clear. In addition to Third, who had always been trusted by Kangxi and participated in the decision making affairs of court, Fourteenth was increasingly valued by Kangxi. Gradually the court officials also began to agree with Fourteenth, changing their ‘wait and see’ attitude.

Eighth was still friendly and graceful. Fourteenth still put Eighth first in everything. I couldn’t guess what Eighth was thinking in the face of Kangxi’s completely different attitude, and I didn’t want to guess.

Fourth acted as if everything had nothing to do with him and he knew nothing. He came to pay his respects to Kangxi every day, but rarely talked of state affairs. No one could be more pure minded and indifferent than he.

When the autumn wind stated in August, Kangxi went out to hunt. He left Fourteenth in the capital to assist with affairs of state accompanied by Third, Fourth, Eighth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth.

Fiftheenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth had no interest in competing for the throne, nor did they have the ability to do so. Fourth had the image of a hermit who was detached from the mundane world. Although Third had ambitions for the throne, he had always been on the sidelines. Eighth was under the strong suppression of Kangxi and acted much more cautious and low key.

Fourth and Eighth treated each other the same as they treated their other brothers, without the slightest difference. The one who was as gentle and still as water, the other as a warm and still spring breeze. At first glance it was unexpected that there was harmony and no disputes. Zuoying and Minmin didn’t come this year. Yutan suddenly caught a cold before leaving, so she had to stay in Beijing. I couldn’t even find anyone to talk to in such a big camp.

Lying on the grass and staring at the starry sky, my mind was a mess. Fourth was cold and distant to me from the outside to the inside. Eighth was gentle on the outside, but he was cold to the bone on the inside. They actually had the same goal. I felt bitter in my heart and smiled bitterly.

The horse beside me neighed loudly startling me. I sat up suddenly and looked around. Not far away a man responded and turned around catching sight of me sitting up. Our eyes met and he turned and walked away. I felt extremely wronged and on impulse, jumped up to chase after him.

Stopping Fourth, I asked him, “Am I a scourge? Why are you…?”

As I spoke, my heart ached and I suddenly wondered what I was doing. There was no result, so why bother? I shook my head, no longer looking at him. I walked away quickly to the side of my horse. The horse snorted and rubbed its head against me. I reached out and hugged the horse’s neck, resting my head on its mane, tears falling silently.

I embraced the horse for a long time. Eventually it became impatient and tried to shake me off. I let go, muttering, “Even you despise me.”

A low sigh came from behind me and in an instant my whole body froze like a stone pillar. There was a hint of joy and sadness in my heart. I slowly turned to face him. Fourth stared at me and reached out to wipe away the tears on my face. I couldn’t hold it back any longer and cried in his arms. He held me tightly in his arms, but he was stiff.

After crying for a long time, the grievance and sadness in my heart gradually faded away, and my rationality slowly returned. I knew I shouldn’t do this, but I was greedy for his embrace. After struggling for a while I felt that things couldn’t get any worse. I have nothing now, so why am I still weighing it? I tiptoed and kissed his cheek. His body stiffened.

I whispered softly in his ear, “I haven’t forgotten you yet, and you are not allowed to forget me!”

I was in a good mood after saying this. It turned out that this is what I really thought in my heart. Even if you cannot marry me, you are not allowed to forget me. At least you’re not allowed to forget me before I forget you! I know that I am selfish and willful, but we only have some thoughts about each other in our hearts.

He stared at me for a while and said, “There is heavy dew at night and your legs can’t get cold, hurry back.” He then turned around and walked away quickly.

My legs can’t get cold? How do you know? Looking at his back, I felt a bit sweet in my heart.

I picked up the cloak from the ground and led the horse, following him at a distance. He never looked back, but he slowed his steps, matching my pace so I wouldn’t fall too far behind. We returned to camp one after the other.

As the second anniversary of concubine Liang’s death was approaching, Eighth asked emperor Kangxi for permission to leave, saying that he wanted to go pay tribute to his deceased mother. Emperor Kangxi granted his request and Eighth took his people and left on his own.

Soon after he had left, Kangxi ordered camp to move back to Beijing. Kangxi had gained a lot with this hunting trip and all the princes and ministers praised him, “Your majesty is still as vigorous as he was in the past and we cannot compare to him!”

Old people always like to be praised for their youth and strength. Kangxi was no exception. He was very happy to hear this, so on November 26, when he arrived at the temporary palace to rest, he held a banquet for all to enjoy together.

As everyone was chatting and laughing, Wangxi came in and said, “Eighth has sent someone to pay his respects to the emperor!”

Kangxi smiled and called them in.

An old eunuch and a young attendant came in, each carrying a large bird cage covered with black cloth. They knelt down and said to Kangxi, “The prince came to ask after the emperor’s health. As he was too late to come, the prince has said he is waiting for the emperor to return to the capital together at the hot spring. He specially ordered servants to bring two Gaker Falcons to present to the emperor.”

Kangxi laughed and said, “It’s rare that he is so filial. Let’s lift the curtain and have a look.”

The two eunuchs untied the knot and prepared to lift the cover.

Third smiled and said, “This gift from my eighth brother is very thoughtful.”

The emperor had wrote “Haidong” not long ago. The Qing poem praising “there are sixty out of three hundred feather insects, the most handsome is the Haiding Qing, who’s nature is golden and has the virtue of fire, and material reflects the amount of Yao…” the voice of Third reciting visibly froze.

The whole room was suddenly silent as death and everyone’s face turned pale. I stared at the eagle lying in the cage, dying. My mind went blank and my heart seemed to have stop beating. A moment later, my heart was beating wildly, as if it were about to jump out of my chest. I was so shocked and frightened, I didn’t dare look at Kangxi’s face.

In the panic, time passed extremely slowly. It may have only been a moment, but it seemed like a long time. It was so long that I felt I had been staring at the two blue seas for a century. There was a loud noise and tables in front of Kangxi were overturned to the ground. With the sounds of cups and plates falling to the ground, everyone in the room huffed and fell to their knees. Usually Kangxi would get angry occasionally, but never this angry. And usually there was a brother or minister to persuade the emperor to calm down and to give mercy. At this stage, no one dared speak out to persuade him now. Although Kangxi is open minded, the meaning behind a dead eagle made even the bravest and most eloquent ministers dare not speak.

I knelt on the ground with only one thought on my mind: Eighth would never do this. Absolutely not! Although Kangxi didn’t like him, he would never curse Kangxi to death. The most important thing was he would never be this stupid.

Kangxi said, word by word, to Eighth’s attendants- still kneeling on the ground and trembling, “Go back and tell him: from now on, Lian and Huang Shi will be separated and the love between father and son ended!”

The two men were shaking all over and didn’t respond.

“Get out!” Kangxi shouted angrily.

Terrified, the two kowtowed and stumbling, ran out.

Kangxi’s words completely drained my strength, I could no longer kneel properly. His dreams of becoming emperor were over, completely over! It ended with a falling out between father and son.

Kangxi glanced at the ministers and princes kneeling on the ground. He ordered Li Dequan to prepare a letter of decree and Third to draft it. He said slowly, “Yinsi was born to a lowly woman in the Xinzheku, and he has been arrogant and sinister since young. When I was ill before, the ministers recommended Eighth, and I was helpless, so I released Yinreng, who could not be enthroned. For several years, I was extremely depressed. Yinsi still wanted to fulfill his original intention and formed a gang with traitors and villains, secretly doing evil and treacherous things, saying I was old and didn’t have many years left. When it came to the truth, he had been protected by someone, who dared to argue? So he said that he could be protected without any doubt!”

The words spoken in black and white, and without even a basic inquiry, Kangxi did not even give Eighth a chance to explain. An imperial edict sealed off all Eighth’s escape routes. I glanced at the ministers who were kneeling with their heads on the ground. You were full of praise for Eighth, pushing him to the top of the wave, but now, no one is speaking.

“I’m afraid that in the future, there will be brothers who behave like dogs and pigs, relying on my kindness, raising troops for me, and causing trouble. If someone forces me to abdicate and establish Yinsi, I will die with a smile on my face. I am deeply angry especially regarding principles. You all, elder brothers should remember my kindness and obey my will and then be in harmony with the principles of my sons and ministers. Otherwise, when I die in the future, I will be placed in Qianqing Palace and you will fight for it…”

I gritted my teeth and made up my mind. I tried to stand up and move forward, but Wangxi, who was beside me, immediately grabbed my arm and whispered to me.

“You still have a father and brothers and sisters. They are not the princes and grandchildren.”

I paused, staring at Kangxi’s back. My mind was a mess and my body was shaking.

“If you go forward, it will only make the emperor hate Eighth more, and even suspect you as a pawn he had placed besides the emperor to monitor him day and night, which is also a serious crime.”

My heart was completely frozen. I pressed my head to the ground, eyes tightly closed. Tears were falling.

Because Kangxi’s mood suddenly changed, the joy and happiness during the hunting trip to the frontier disappeared. The atmosphere was extremely cold and solemn. Fifth and Fourteenth came to greet him. Both were cautious in their words and actions.

Fifth reported back cautiously, “Eighth fell ill in Tangquan. We sent people to visit him but they were all refused. The other attendants were dismissed, leaving only a few who serve him on a daily basis. They are now on their way back to the capital.”

“Have you sent anyone to check it out?” Kangxi asked Fourteenth.

Fourteenth replied, “I also sent people to visit him, but my brother avoided them.”

“People with dishonest intentions will act in sneaky ways. I’m worried about him. Yinzhen, you go and bring him back yourself.” Kangxi snorted coldly.

Fourteenth bowed and responded. Kangxi ordered him to return to the palace and the guards left immediately. I stared at Fourteenth who was bowing to Kangxi, seeing him off. He got in a carriage and left.

Eighth was ill at home. He returned with Fourteenth. In the past, when princes were ill, Kangxi would allow an imperial physician to report their conditions from time to time, but he ignored Eighth.

I was filled with sorrow, but could only watch helplessly. I often asked myself privately, who did it? I thought about it repeatedly, but couldn’t come to a conclusion.

I heard a knock on my door and got up to answer it. Fourteenth was standing outside the gate. I quickly tried to close the door, but his arm blocked me and he stepped in.

“Let me in. If you have any grievances, let’s talk it out face to face.”

We both stared at each other, stubbornly. This stalemate wasn’t a solution, so I walked away and he came in, closing the door behind him. After entering the house, he opened the window and asked, “Do you hate me for not defending him?”

How could I blame you for something I haven’t done myself?

After thinking for a while, he relaxed his expression and asked tentatively, “Question: when the crown prince was deposed, you threatened the emperor with death in order to plead for Eighth, causing the emperor to draw my sword to kill you. I don’t understand why you didn’t say a word this time.” He continued, “Did you save my brother when you did that? Not only that, but because of your impulsiveness, the emperor feared Eighth’s influence on us brothers. He no longer respected my father, but followed my elder brother. The imperial edict also scolds him. ‘I’m afraid in future there will be brothers who behave like dogs and pigs, relying on my grace, raising troops and causing trouble for me, forcing me to abdicate and establish Yinsi.’ How can my brother bear such a charge now? Six years have passed. Am I still the Yinzhen who impulsively made things worse? Besides, this matter is completely different from last time. Last time the emperor punished my brother only because of the recommendation of the officials angering my father and my brother did nothing wrong. But this time he was disobedient and unfilial, cursing the emperor! Father’s great sin!”

He was silent for a while, he then lowered his head. “The eunuch and attendant who sent the eagle have committed suicide. With the wisdom of the emperor, could it be that he really not see that there was something suspicious in the matter? It took half a year to convict the prince, but why did the emperor convict Mynah without even conducting an investigation? And he issued an imperial decree to inform all civil and military officials in the court?”

I frowned and shook my head.

Fourteenth did not look at me. He lowered his head and stared at the ground and whispered, “The two major charges against the prince when he deposed him for a second time were reported by Eighth Fujin’s uncle, Duke of Zhenguo Jingxi. At that time, we thought we had a good plan to make the emperor depose Second. But now I understand that the emperor had been planing to depose the prince for a long time. We took great pains to collect evidence and report the prince just to please the emperor. The emperor borrowed our power and started investigating the prince with sufficient reason. The emperor was getting older and after the incident with the prince, he hated the court officials for forming factions in the extreme. The emperor, who always acted as a benevolent monarch, showed no mercy to the prince’s faction. Qi Shiwu was nailed to death with iron nails, and Toheqi’s body was ground and ashes were scattered. He was not allowed to be buried. Others were beheaded or exiled. The emperor had deposed the prince from the beginning. After the death of the emperor he has always been on guard against Eighth. The crown prince was gone and Eighth had the upper hand in the second dethronement. The ministers of the court still hoped that the emperor would make Eighth crown prince. Now the only person that the emperor was afraid of was Eighth. The emperor had been trying to weaken Eighth’s influence in court and even issued an edict to forbid ministers from helping elder brothers seek the position of crown prince. However, Eighth’s influence in court should not be underestimated. Because he was respectful to the wise and humble, and was kind and filial, he was the most popular among the scholars in Jiangnan. It can be said that these directly threatened the emperor’s imperial power. Eighth never made any big mistakes in his daily behavior. This killing of the eagle was a good opportunity to strike at Eighth.”

Fourteenth smiled bitterly at me and asked, “Filial piety is most important virtue. If my brother cannot even do the most basic human nature of ‘filial piety’, how can he be praised as the ‘Eighth Sage King’? How can the officials recommend a person who cursed their father? How can the scholars believe him?” Fourteenth said sadly, “Even my brother’s illness due to grief over his mother’s death has become a big joke and a complete hypocrisy. From now on, no matter what my brother does, it will be covered with the words fake. Hypocrites are more despised than real villians. I’m afraid the person who played the trick didn’t expect such a good effect. The emperor easily took advantage of the situation and destroyed the reputation that my brother had worked hard to build for many years.”

I collapsed on a chair. The royal family is ruthless! No wonder Eighth never made any rebuttal from beginning to end. He even confessed his feelings to Kangxi for the recommendation of officials, but this time he just fell ill quietly despite such a serious crime. Because it didn’t matter to Kangxi whether he did it or not. If Kangxi determined that he did it, then he did it.

Kangxi actually treated his own son like this. For the sake of his reputation as a benevolent monarch, he always acted cautiously, and was lenient towards corrupt court officials, but he didn’t even hesitate to destroy his son’s reputation before and after his death.

The bad reputation has already been established. If he does it well, it can be said that he is hypocritical. He pretends to be nice in order to gain false reputation. If he makes a mistake, it will reveal his sinister nature. Fourteenth can think of this and Eighth can certainly think of this. Eighth’s illness is not only out of anger of being framed, but also the chill of Kangxi, the grief of his life’s hard work going down the drain, and the helplessness and despair of being cursed in the world a hundred years later.

After a while, Fourteenth said, “The emperor is determined to make a fuss about this matter and make sure that Eighth will no longer have the power to challenge the throne. In the current situation, the only way to protect Eighth is to protect yourself. Otherwise, if we all collapse at the same time, we will all be doomed together!”

I thought about it for a while, staring at Fourteenth and asked, “How could the eagle sent by Eighth have been dying? It must have been fine when it was sent out. It could have only been tampered with along the way. But the people sent were all people who had been under Eighth for many years and trusted by him. Who could have arranged for such people to be by his side and let those heartless servants do such a big thing behind the scenes? And who could benefit from this?”

Upon hearing this Fourteenth’s face turned pale and he stared at me in disbelief for a long time. He pointed at me angrily with his hand trembling slightly. Finally he shouted, “I misjudged you!” He abruptly got up and slammed the door and left.

I was extremely sad. Was it he who did it? Was he pretending to cover up or was he really disappointed and angry? Fourteenth was now the favorite of Kangxi, no longer the Fourteenth who chased onto the grasslands. The complete downfall of Eighth was very beneficial to him. The original interest group will definitely push out another person. Considering Kangxi’s current love for him, it must be. In this way, the original Eighth’s power can be used for his own use. Faced with the huge temptation of the throne, it’s not impossible for him to give up his brotherly love.

Actually, what is the point of pursuing the matter now? All the people involved have committed suicide, so there can be no witnesses or evidence. But I’m not willing to give up. I want to find out the truth and see how cruel this palace can be!

I would even rather that it was Fourth who did this. Since Thirteenth was imprisoned, Fourth and Eighth have not only been in opposition for the throne, they also have hatred and grudges. They are enemies. Fourth’s actions can only be described as an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But whether from the perspective of the opportunity or the final profit, Fourteenth is more suspicious. Fourteenth, you are Eighth’s close brother since childhood! How could you be so cruel!

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not me thinking about lqq ascending and meeting mq for the first time now 🥹 for lqq meeting a god he worshiped and prayed to face to face and for mq this being the first time in a long while since someone has looked at him with so much admiration and jdjdjdiejed

ngl i kinda feel like mq's brain would just stop working for a while when he meets lqq, he would have no idea what to do lol

I can’t help thinking mq would have mixed feelings upon meeting lqq and I’m INTO IT.

Like— can you imagine? Mq has no strong affection for Yong’an or its people— not as the new dynasty that overthrew his former home and uprooted his way of life. And what he did in Yong’an was intended to be a kindness to the ghosts of Xianle, not to the living of Yong’an. But!!!! It was still a kindness! And a kindness lqq would recognize even if he didn’t know mq’s origins or the context of mq’s actions. Lqq would be grateful. Mq would be at a total loss.

And that’s!!! Incredibly interesting to think about !!!! Because mq didn’t do it for Yong’an and the spirits of his home probably wouldn’t have thanked him,,,, so why of all people is a prince of Yong’an— a newly made god— so thankful? Mq is always scrutinized and made suspect and his prickly disposition doesn’t help that image. But lqq believes him to be kind and honorable and mq is not used to others seeing that in him.

ALSO!!! The proximity of their ascensions is rattling around in my brain. Lqq was the prince of Yong’an just a few generations after the war so mq by comparison is still a young god by the time lqq joins the heavenly court. Mq is probably respected but not fully trusted by others around him given his history as a servant to xl followed by his assumed betrayal of him in order to secure a place in he heavenly court. But lqq doesn’t know that when he ascends! He only knows the good Xuan Zhen did for his homeland! Mq would be so stumped by the immediate gratitude— how do make prickly retorts at someone who is so direct and sincere with you?

(Side note but meeting lqq might’ve made mq regret how he wanted to strategize against Yong’an during the war. Hard to justify his previous means to an end when someone descended from those he wished to harm is standing there thanking him for all he’s done for them.)

Anyway—!!! This got out of hand and turned into word vomit but my god I am Thinking !!!!!

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[wangsejabin]

Chapter 105

The whole time she was speaking, Empress Fu was smiling, smiling in an extremely dignified and decent manner, just as she had been when she married Emperor Cheng'an, extremely beautiful.

   But the Emperor did not like her.

   Why did he dislike her? This question had never occurred to Emperor Cheng'an, nor did he want to think about it.

   Empress Fu came from the House of the Duke of Jin, a true pride of the heavens, yet she was married to an unpopular prince. When he first learned that he had been granted a marriage and that the other party was still the direct daughter of the Duke of Jin's House, Emperor Cheng'an was a little confused, but he had to say that he was happy in his heart.

   But when Empress Fu married in, he gradually became less and less happy.

His wife was from a noble family, but he was just a royal son born to a palace maid, who was not valued as a child and even suffered repeatedly from the indifference, so many times he was even a bit in awe of this wife.

   It was obviously not a good thing for a husband to fear his wife, so when the arrogant and beautiful Gao Guifei appeared, the gentle and understanding Zhou Xianfei appeared, and many, many more women appeared, Emperor Cheng'an became more and more reluctant to face Empress Fu.

   When he became emperor, he was able to raise his eyebrows, only to find that there was still nothing he could do about this woman.

She was so dignified and generous in front of people, and treated his concubines so well behind the scenes that no one could fault her, and she had a son who sat securely in her position as Empress.

   After all these years, Emperor Cheng'an had forgotten his initial awe. He was the emperor, and no one under the sky was more than a sovereign, and no one in the land was more than just a subject, and everyone should be subservient to him.

   Only then did he realise that he had not forgotten, had never forgotten.

   Just like at this moment.

   You poisonous woman! This was a phrase Emperor Cheng'an had cursed many times, and all that came out was an ah-ah sound.

   "Well, it's getting late, so I will not disturb Your Majesty's rest. Your Majesty rest well, so that you can take care of your dragon's body."

Empress Fu bowed respectfully before she straightened her waist and straightened her robe, turning to leave.

The eunuchs who were waiting by the side did not even dare to raise their heads, and all of them pretended that they were deaf and blind.

   When the new emperor ascended to the throne, he naturally had to move his palace.

But the new emperor said that his father was ill and there was no urgency in moving the palace, but Empress Dowager Fu said that since the new emperor was already a ruler, he should move to Qianqing Palace so that the concubines of the emperor could be accommodated, and that it would be inappropriate for the concubines of the emperor to live in the new emperor's harem all the time.

   The new emperor finally agreed, and had a map of the Forbidden City taken out, and proceeded to choose a suitable place for the retired emperor's concubines to spend their days.

When Pan'er arrived, Zong Cong was standing in front of the dragon desk, looking at the map.

Fu Lu had now changed from a small fry to the main eunuch and was dressed in the new clothes of a head eunuch, not only refreshed, but also extraordinarily dignified.

   But his face was still the same, and he even smiled more broadly when he saw Pan'er.

   "Please come this way, Master Su."

Pan'er was guided in by Fu Lu, and Zong Cong, who was wearing a dragon robe, looked up at her and beckoned to her, "Come over and help me take a look."

   From this word "I", Pan'er sensed that the prince had quickly entered his role, and then looked at him but he had not seen him for some days, he had lost weight again, but was more energetic.

   She could not help but glance at Fulu and sigh that there are different kinds of servants for different kinds of masters.

Pan'er walked over and Zong Cong naturally pulled her along and said, "I had my eye on this place, but I'm afraid this place is not very suitable for recuperating from illness, so it's better than here."

She looked at the map and saw that the two places pointed out by Zong Cong were almost on the same level.

   The Yangxin Hall was in the west, the Ningshou Palace was in the east, and in between were the Qianqing Palace, the Zhai Palace, the East Palace and the Fengxian Hall. The latter three are not to be mentioned, as neither the size of the complex nor the furnishings inside are as good as the first two.

   "Is the palace chosen for the emperor? The Ning Shou Palace is small, but it is said to have just been repaired within a few years? It's true that Ning Shou Palace is not secluded, and whenever there is a palace banquet, it is always the liveliest."

   Each has its own good points and bad points, but these two places are already the most suitable for the Emperor to live in. If you go beyond that, it's not decent, and you're in the harem.

The Emperor is now immobile, but as long as he is not dead, he will be the emperor for a day. No matter how Zong Cong thinks of him, he has to be able to speak for himself.

   "In addition to the emperor, the concubines will also have to choose a place to move their palace, right?"

It had to be said that Pan'er's words were right in the middle of Zong Cong's mind.

   Recently, he had been anxious about this matter.

As soon as the enthronement ceremony was over, it was the rule that the emperor would be crowned first and then the Empress Dowager would move, followed by the Empress coronation.

   As is the case now, it was not easy to choose a place to live because there was an additional Empress Dowager. The buildings in the palace seem to be numerous, but in fact there is a decision as to who should live where. There had never been two Empress Dowagers in this dynasty, although one was the Grand Empress Dowager and one was the Empress Dowager.

There were no old precedents to follow, so Zong Cong could only ask people to look through the previous dynasty's scrolls to see if there were any, and it was Empress Fu who finally took the initiative to settle the matter.

   The Grand Empress Dowager was the eldest and should continue to live in Cining Palace, while she lived in Shoukang Palace.

   After all, Shoukang Palace was a place where the dowager concubines lived and was far smaller than Kunning Palace. Now that Empress Fu had easily become the Empress Dowager, the place where she lived had become worse.

But Empress Fu said that it was fine, that the place was not good enough and could be renovated, and that Shoukang Palace was adjacent to Cining Palace, which was more suitable for her to do her filial duty in front of the Empress Dowager.

   At Empress Fu's insistence, the matter was settled for the time being.

This was the reason why Zong Cong did not even have time to settle his own concubines before he hastily planned to settle the Empress Dowager and the dowager concubines first.

This was the reason why Zong Cong hastily planned to settle the concubines of the emperor and his concubines before he could even settle his own.

This was also the reason why Zong Cong had asked Fu Lu to bring up a list of all the concubines of the emperor before he intended to make an imperial decree to appoint the concubines with their respective titles.

It took a visit to discover this.

   Earlier, when the emperor was still ill, the six palaces in the east and west were stuffed to the brim, with several concubines living in several places. Even now, with the promotion of the concubines, the treatment could be slightly worse, as three or four people used to live in one palace, but now there is double the number of concubines, but there has to be room for them.

So today, instead of talking about choosing a place for the emperor to spend the rest of his life, it would be better to say that Zong Cong is looking for a place to put all the concubines.

"Then, according to Your Majesty, why don't you ask the Empress Dowager to live in the Ning Shou Palace, so that you can adjust each other like this." Pan'er drew an invisible line on the public map, turning the six palaces in the east and west into two with Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace as the line.

"In this way, the emperor will live in the Yangxin Palace, and the concubines and the empress will live in the western half of the palace, while the emperor will lead the empress and the concubines in the eastern half of the palace. When the ministers heard that His Majesty had divided the West Palace for the concubines, they would only say that His Majesty was very filial and could do no wrong."

   As far as Empress Dowager Fu was concerned, she would be able to detach herself more completely from the emperor and the concubines, which would also benefit Empress Dowager Fu's mood.

   However, Pan'er did not say these words later.

Zong Zong could not help but reveal a smile: "This is a good idea of yours," he pondered for a moment and said, "It is settled."

   Saying so, he picked up a vermilion pen and drew a line on the map of public opinion, while at the same time writing the words 'Tai Shang Huang' on the Hall of the Nurtured Heart, where Gao Guifei and Zhou Xianfei lived in Yong Shou Palace and Qixiang Palace respectively, just behind the Hall of the Nurtured Heart.

For the Shoukang Palace and other palaces, he filled in the names of some of the higher concubines of the emperor, and as for the lower concubines, just stuff them as you see fit, a few in one palace can always be stuffed.

Having settled this matter, Zong Cong could not help but feel in a good mood and dragged Pan Er to the east side of the official map again.

"Originally, I told you that you would be allowed to live in the Palace of Eternal Longevity and go out through the Fengcai Gate. In this case, you will have to stay at Jingren Palace, and I will go through the Longguang Gate."

   His words caused Pan'er to puff out a laugh, and after laughing, she was a little ashamed.

The Yongxu Palace and Jingren Palace were the closest places to the Qianqing Palace among the six palaces in the east and west, even closer than the Kunning Palace where the Empress lived, and the Fengcai Gate and Longguang Gate on each side of the Qianqing Palace led to the West and East Long Streets, and Jingren Palace was the first one on the East Long Street, which was the reason for Zong Cong's remark.

Pan'er had not seen Zong Cong for some days.

Since Zong Cong had ascended to the throne, he had been staying at Qianqing Palace due to his busy schedule of chores and government affairs. He had not taken the initiative to ask his minions to deliver a letter or something, so that people would not say that he had not been enthroned yet and could not hold back.

   The new emperor is ascending to the throne, and the more the time comes, the more the people in the East Palace have to keep a low profile.

The two of them naturally couldn't be bothered to talk about their longing for each other. At this time, Zong Cong's words contained three parts of flirtation and five parts of intimacy, while the remaining two parts were a bit flirtatious, so Pan'er was shy.

The other two points were a bit of flirtation, so Pan'er was shy. Zong Cong, who had been a vegetarian for more than a month, could not help but feel a tingle in his heart when he saw that she was more delicate than a flower.

   So he threw away the brush, picked her up and went inside.

The two of them were not tired, but rather refreshed after they made love.

This time, in order to avoid the taboo, although Zong Cong stayed in Qianqing Palace, he lived not in the main hall, but in the supporting hall. He was surrounded by eunuchs and no palace maids, so he had to ask Fu Lu to call in the Xiang Pu who was left outside to serve Pan Er.

   The eunuchs had no maids around, so they had to ask Fu Lu to bring in the Xiang Pu who was left outside to serve her.

But Zong Cong said, "This is not a filial service.

   Seeing that he did not take it seriously, Pan Er could only pretend to be generous. After the two of them cleaned up, Zong Cong went back to his study, probably to finish the work of assigning the palace in one go, so that his people could make arrangements.

As for the others, when Pan'er had finished dressing up and went over to see, Zong Cong had already finished making arrangements.

   Hu Liangdi is in Chengqian Palace, Xu Liangyuan is in Yanxi Palace, He Liangyuan is in Yonghe Palace, Li Liangyuan is in Zhongcui Palace, and Zhao Xiyue is in Jingyang Palace.

It is just as well that all six palace masters are available, but what surprised Paner is that Zhao Xiyue could also be a palace master. The six palace masters are all in place, so he is not going to bring in any more people?

There is a rule in the palace that a concubine must be at least an Imperial Concubine, so Zong Cong has filled up all six palaces at once, and there is no way he can reappoint them in the future even if he wants to, because there is no space, so he has to wait for the Dowager Imperial Concubines to die, but it is obvious that the Imperial Concubines will not be able to move in for a while.

Seeing that Pan'er was looking at it for a bit too long, Zong Cong smiled and said, "This is not just as you wish, what a little vinegar bag." Saying that, he also specifically nodded to Zhao Xi Yue's name.

   What did this have to do with a little jealousy bag again? Well, Pan'er didn't deny that there was a little bit of her own selfishness in suggesting that the Western Sixth Palace be moved for the imperial concubines to live in, but since it was selfish, how could she bring it out?

   She glared at him, making him laugh, shaking his head in a helpless manner as she did so.

   When he was done, he threw a copy of the folding book to Fulu and asked him to take the public opinion map as well, who went up with his bow and rolled it up and carried it down with the folding book.

Zong Cong turned his head and asked Pan'er, "Aren't you curious about what rank I've awarded you?"

What is there to be curious about, it's one of the six main positions in the palace, it must be a consort at least, right? She didn't believe that he would give her a concubine position after she had given him three children.

In fact, Pan'er thought in her heart that he would give her a consort rank, the first of the four consorts.

   But she certainly wouldn't say that on the surface, instead putting on a breezy face.

   "Not curious."

   "Since you're not curious, then forget it."

   Pan'er pursed her lips, shouldn't it be that she wasn't curious and he was the one who had to tell her, but now he wasn't playing by the rules.

   Seeing her exasperated look, he stretched out his long fingers and scratched her cheek, but he still didn't tell Pan'er.

   Pan'er couldn't face asking, so she had to wait for the decree to come down before revealing the result.

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Book 2 Chapter 5: How Can We Deal With The Grudges On Both Sides?

My body felt like it was on fire, and like I was in an ice cave. My lips were dry and I was struggling.

“Water is here, Sister.” Yutan said softly.

It turns out I had been murmuring for water unconsciously. Yutan helped me sit up and fed me a few sips. I looked at Yutan who was full of joy, and suddenly came to my senses. I looked around the room and then at Yutan suspiciously.

“The emperor has pardoned my sister.” Yutan said with a smile.

I felt relieved, but when I thought about Thirteenth, I immediately felt sad again.

Yutan brought over some porridge and I felt extremely hungry after smelling the rice. After I had eaten half a bowl that Yutan had fed me, she said, “Sister has been in a coma these last three days. Your body was as hot as charcoal. It was really scary!”

“Three days?” I asked in surprise. I realized my voice was hoarse as soon as I said this, and I coughed several times before stopping.

Yutan nodded and said, “I don’t know why, but Fourteenth was also punished to kneel down. According to the eunuchs on duty outside the palace at that time; they had only heard the voices of Fourteenth and the live long lord arguing. They kept mentioning Thirteenth. Fourteenth knelt outside Qianqing Palace from the afternoon until end of court next day. Later, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth went to beg for mercy and knelt together. The other elder brothers also went to beg mercy. The live long lord finally spoke and asked Fourteenth to get up, and forgave my sister. When we went to find you, you were already lying in the rain, unconscious and cold. We were so scared…!”

I interrupted in disbelief, “Fourteenth knelt in the rain for a whole day and night?”

Yutan nodded vigorously.

“Is he okay?” I asked quickly.

“Fourteenth is a martial artist, so his physique is better than an ordinary person’s, but he wasn’t as strong as my sister. He was kneeling for a long time, I heard he was a little uncomfortable. I guess he is almost well now.” Yutan said.

I was in a daze for a while. Yutan put down the bowl and chopsticks and said, “The imperial physician had told me that you had been hungry for a long time. If you are sick, you should moderate your diet.”

I nodded casually, indicating I would follow her arrangements. She helped me clean and comb my hair.

“My knees hurt so much. Can you give me some hot water to apply to them?” I asked.

Yutan quickly prepared hot water and towels. “I have sent word that my sister has woken up. Doctor Li will come to see you in a while.”

“Doctor Li?” I asked in surprise. He was an old doctor who specialized in treating the emperor!

She snorted coldly and twisted her handkerchief. “Those people who were secretly gloating over other people’s misfortune are really being too enthusiastic. This was the order his majesty gave, himself. Not many people in the palace can have this honor.”

I listened to this without much joy. The heart of an emperor is must unpredictable. Favor doesn’t necessarily mean joy and punishment doesn’t necessarily mean disgust.

I was applying a massage to my legs when there was a knock on the door. Yutan quickly helped me put on my clothes and half closed the curtains before answering.

Tenth and Fourteenth came in with Doctor Li. I quickly stood to greet them, but Tenth stopped me. They moved aside to let the doctor come forward and check my pulse.

I coughed a few times and asked, “Why are Tenth and Fourteenth together with Doctor Li?”

Tenth said, “We just happened to meet at the door.” He fell silent after responding since we were in the presence of an imperial physician.

Doctor Li took my pulse for a long time. After taking my right hand, he asked me to stretch out my left. He took it for a long time with his eyes closed and then asked for my right hand again. Tenth and Fourteenth looked at each other in surprise. They both took a few steps forward asking, “What’s wrong?”

Doctor Li shook his head slightly and signaled them to be quiet. After a while he half opened his eyes and asked, “Does the young lady sleep well at night?”

I said, “Most of the time I’ve not been well, and I feel like I’ve been sleeping less and less over the past year. I wake easily with noises and it’s hard to fall asleep again.”

“What about your daily diet?” He then asked.

“I don’t eat as much as I had in the previous years. I often feel hungry, but I quickly feel full after eating a little.” I said.

While taking my pulse and inquiring about my eating habits, he finally closed his eyes to ponder.

“I heard that the young lady had a serious illness last year. It seems that she didn’t take good care of herself resulting in a qi and blood imbalance. Judging from your pulse the young lady has been worried and fearful for a long time which often damages the yang qi and qi stagnation turns into fire, which consumes the liver yin. So that the yin cannot restrain the yang and the liver, spleen, and kidneys are all damaged. This time the evil cold invaded and all five of the internal organs were damaged. And the yin…”

I became impatient and interrupted him with a smile, “Doctor Li, please don’t speak nonsense to me. I really don’t understand. Just tell me directly, is it serious? How do I treat this?”

“It is both serious and not serious. The girl is in her prime. If she takes good care of herself, she will recover within two to three years. If she doesn’t pay attention, it’s fine as she is young, but in the future…” He said slowly and trailed off.

I nodded and said, “My knees hurt so badly. When will they get better? Is there any pain killer?”

Doctor Li said, “That is arthritis. Because the wind, cold, and dampness block the blood vessels and the resulting blood blockage caused joint pain and difficulty walking in severe cases. The girl was kneeling on the bluestone ground for so long and soaked in the rain for a long time. These are the combined causes.”

I thought about it and this made sense. It was rheumatism.

He continued, “Fortunately, the girl is young and it’s not serious now. Apply plasters and take a few days to relieve it. Supplement with acupuncture and it will be fine in a few days. However, it may still hurt in cold and wet weather. This is something you will need to pay attention to from now on, otherwise it will be quite troublesome when you are older. I will go back and give the girl a detailed list on how to regulate this and what you should pay attention to.”

After saying this, he stood up and bowed to Tenth and Fourteenth to take his leave. They quickly stopped him and said politely, “Doctor Li is old, no need to pay respect.” Doctor Li smiled and thanked them. He motion for Yutan to follow him and get the medicine. Yutan also bowed and followed him out.

Fourteenth approached the bed and stared at me for a long time and then said, “Have you been worrying about your fear for a long time? What on earth are you thinking about all day long?”

I smiled and said, “The imperial physician said that if I take good care of myself, I can get well. It’s not a big deal. Thank you very much for this.”

“What is there to thank for? I owe you two favors for what happened on the grassland. Which one was not more risky than this?”

Tenth pulled a stool and sat down. “What’s the matter with you? You’ve been worried and fearful for a long time. If it wasn’t for Doctor Li’s diagnosis, I would have called him a quack, talking nonsense, and exaggerating.”

I glanced at him angrily and just as I tried to change the subject, he pulled me back. I had no choice but to say perfunctorily, “This was not for the crown prince and Thirteenth’s business!”

Fourteenth snorted coldly, “Doctor Li was talking about long term. The longest is no more than half a year. How can you develop a chronic illness without three to five years?”

Speaking of Thirteenth made me feel uncomfortable again. I didn’t want to say anything more and stared at the ground depressed.

Fourteenth waited for a while, and seeing that I was sitting there with my head down, scolded me angrily. “You have this bad habit! You keep everything to yourself. Even when I ask you questions, you will change the subject or just remain silent.”

Tenth patted the table. “Okay. She’s still sick! If she doesn’t want to talk, forget it. The more you force her, the more annoyed she will be. But you should be happy today. Fourteenth has already done what you wanted to do.”

“Ah!” I exclaimed and looked at Fourteenth, but he turned his face away and ignored me.

Tenth said, “The emperor has allowed Lu Wu to be a maid, but her name and origin had to be changed. Fourteenth has ordered a housekeeper in the mansion to adopt her as a daughter and send her to Yangfeng Alley in a few days and tell outsiders that she is from Fourteenth’s mansion.”

I was so overjoyed I was speechless. I stood quickly and kowtowed to Fourteenth. I had kowtowed once and wanted to kowtow again, but Fourteenth held me back and said, “I’m not doing this for you to kowtow to me.” He placed a cushion back and had me lean back.

I leaned against the cushion, feeling both happy and sad at the same time. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes and I quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief. Tenth and Fourteenth turned their eyes away and the room fell silent. I calmed down after a long while.

Tenth said, “Eighth was afraid I would get into trouble, so he kept it a secret from me and didn’t let me know of your affairs. Fourteenth did what he wanted as a result. Otherwise, if I had gone with Fourteenth to beg together, he wouldn’t have had to kneel for so long.”

“It’s not the case. The more people there are, the more sympathetic the emperor will be.” Fourteenth said.

“How did you beg the emperor?” I asked.

Fourteenth smiled, “I didn’t mention you. I just pleaded for Thirteenth and told him in detail about the misery of beekeeping. I also said that although Thirteenth had made a big mistake and violated brotherly love, he had lost his mother at a young age and was more attached to the emperor. I picked out some things that Thirteenth had done in the past to be filial to the emperor. I said that the emperor’s punishment of him was the law of the country and etiquette between a monarch and his subjects. I asked the emperor to allow Lu Wu to be a maid so that Thirteenth would have someone to talk to. It was all about father- son love.”

I sighed in my heart. What kind of grudge was this? They were the ones who sent the person in, but now this matter resolved by them. The three of us were silent. Yutan came in with the medicine and greeted us. Tenth and Fourteenth went to leave, but I stopped them.

“Wait a moment. I would have to trouble the two young masters.” I signaled Yutan to put the medicine aside and took out a key from under my mattress. I asked Yutan to take out the three mahogany boxes. She placed them on the table

“Open all of them.”

She opened the boxes and suddenly it was filled with jewels and precious stones. I glanced at the open courtyard door and nodded to Yutan who quickly shut it.

Tenth and Fourteenth looked at each other in surprise and Tenth sighed. “You are such a rich man.”

“I’ve been in the palace for seven years. These are the rewards from the emperor and the concubines over the years. There are also some silver notes underneath, which are the savings of the past few years. I can take these things with me when I am released from the palace. I have asked Li Shuda a few days ago and he allowed me to send them out of the palace first. I would like to trouble you two to send these to Thirteenth’s residence and give them to Lady Zhaojia.”

“These are your all private money! How can you give it all away?” Tenth asked.

“Thirteenth’s manor has always relied on Thirteenth’s salary and there is no income from the farm. He never spends his mind on these mundane things, so it wasn’t well off to begin with. Now he is stripped of his title and imprisoned. He has lost his financial resources, and there are more than a hundred mouths to feed in the family. And even if there is some money, it can’t stand that all the money going without money, so that he would suffer less grievance and less anger. I am alone deep in the palace, these are just sitting idly in a box. It is better to take them out and put them to use.” I said.

Fourteenth was silent a while and then said, “How about this? You keep one box for yourself and we’ll take the other two boxes away?”

“I still have some! I kept everything my father and sister gave me and I’ve kept some silver too!” I said.

“Just do as I say, otherwise I won’t be in charge of this matter.” Fourteenth said.

I looked at Tenth and he said, “I’ll listen to Fourteenth on this.” “That’s it!” I said helplessly.

“Anyway, I’ve pleaded for Thirteenth in front of the emperor. I have had suspicions for a long time. It doesn’t make a difference if it is one or two things. I will try my best to take care of everything for Thirteenth in the future so that they won’t be bullied by those snobbish people. You don’t have to worry about the money anymore. What you have is enough for a while. I will take care of the rest. In a few years when the little princes are old enough to work, everything will be fine.” Fourteenth said.

Tenth also said, “I’m not afraid either. First, Thirteenth and I have always had different personalities and we seldom interacted. Second, I am a rough man and the emperor won’t suspect that I have any improper thoughts. Fourteenth and I will take care of them and not let anyone bully them.”

I was filled with mixed feeling and was silent for a moment. I felt like I had a lot to say, but it was stuck in my chest. When it got to my lips, the only thing I could say was “thank you.”

They both smiled at me and took the two boxes.

“These are top quality goods. No wonder the emperor always said you had collected the good things. She doesn’t look like an ordinary person and she has a way of making money! Logically, she should be able to talk to Ninth. But why do you hate each other?” Tenth said.

I quickly responded, “Who said I was annoyed by Ninth? I don’t have the courage. Does Ninth hate me?”

Fourteenth tilted his head and smiled without saying anything. Tenth smiled and said, “If you don’t, then don’t. Just treat it as nonsense.” They turned to leave after that.

Yutan came in and packed up my things and handed me the key back. She then helped me take the medicine. After rinsing my mouth out with water, she handed me the list written by Doctor Li. I read it carefully.

The matters to pay attention to were not difficult to deal with, but it was not easy to be at ease and avoid worry. If I could really let go of these people and things, why would it come to this? I couldn’t help but sigh and smile bitterly. I folded the list and stuffed it under a pillow.

Yutan brought me some rock sugar and pear water. I asked to the put it on the small table while I drank it. She sat beside me and waited until I finished. She cleaned up the bowls and spoons while saying, “Eunuch Wang was punished by Li An-Da with twenty strokes of a cane.”

“What’s the matter?” I frowned and asked.

“I’m not sure of the details, but it seems like from something I shouldn’t have said, concerning my sister’s matter.”

I thought to myself, I have really implicated him. After half a day of hard work I was extremely tired and distracted. So I asked Yutan to go see Wangxi on my behalf while I lay to rest.

The pain in my legs gradually eased after several days. Although I was still sick, I could walk. I asked Yutan to help me go see Wangxi. When I went in, Wangxi was lying on the bed. When he saw us coming he quickly moved to get up saying, “My sister is sick! You could have sent Yutan. Why did you come here yourself? I cannot afford this.”

I quickly said, “Just lay down properly. Do we still need to pay attention to these empty formalities?”

Hearing this he lay back down again. Yutan brought a stool and helped me sit down. She left and closed the door. I turned my head and coughed a few times and then asked, “How is your injury?”

Wangxi said, “It’s okay. It’s just itchy, but I can scratch it, so I feel anxious.”

I nodded and said, “Be patient. The itch will just cause new flesh to grow.”

He smiled and agreed.

I was silent a while and then asked, “What’s going on?”

Wangxi waved his hand, motioning for me to come closer. He lowered his voice and said, “I won’t hide this from you, sister. But you should keep this to yourself. Don’t tell anyone else. My master allowed me to leak the secret, but also ordered me to be beaten.”

I was shocked and stared at Wangxi. He nodded vigorously indicating what he said was absolutely true. I was thinking about the cause and effect, and I started coughing again.

“Sister, please go back! I am also sick, don’t worry too much.” Wangxi said.

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble this time.” I said, nodding.

He laughed and said, “That’s too polite! My sister takes good care of me every day!” He then called out for Yutan. She pushed open the door and supported me in our walk back.

Not long after entering our door, someone came to Yutan and said the number of tea leaves she had recorded was incorrect. Yutan left to quickly follow him.

I leaned on the couch and pondered Wangxi’s words. “My master allowed me to leak the secret,” which meant that Kangxi allowed it. But why would he do that? Why did he let all the brothers know that I was being punished? Before I could figure it out, I heard the courtyard door creaking followed by two knocks.

“The door is not closed.” I called. My throat felt uncomfortable after and I started coughing again. Someone came to help gently massage my back. I looked up and saw Fourth standing by the couch. When I saw that I had stopped coughing, he straightened up and watched me silently. No trace of emotion in his dark eyes.

I was filled with grief. It finally came! We stared at each other for a long while. He turned around and walked to the table and opened the window. He stayed motionless with his back to me.

“I can’t ask the emperor to marry you.” He said slowly after a long pause.

I closed my eyes tightly and covered my chest, falling back against the pillow. After Thirteenth was imprisoned I had guessed he might say so. But hearing him say it, I still felt a thousand arrows piercing my heart.

“Whether you hate me or resent me, I am sorry for you. With the love that emperor father has for you, he will definitely find you a good marriage.” He said and started walking away. Before leaving, he paused. “Thank you for everything you have done for me, for Thirteenth.” He didn’t turn his head.

I lay there without moving, only hearing his footsteps fade away. Only the lonely and cold room was left and my tears dripped down onto my pillow.

“Sister?” Yutan timidly called out. She stood beside the couch. I quickly wiped away the tears and forced a smile, but the tears rolled down my cheeks again.

I wiped them away repeatedly but eventually gave up and cried with my head in my arms. Yutan sat beside me quietly. I cried for a long time before the tears gradually stopped.

I coughed and asked, “Yutan, why do you think women are always sacrificed? The strangest thing is that we don’t have the slightest complaint. Is it worth it?”

Yutan was silent for a long while. She then said quietly, “My father passed away when I was seven years old. Although our family wasn’t rich we had enough food and clothes. When my father fell ill we pawned everything we could to buy medicine. But he didn’t get any better. My mother cried every day and my brothers and sisters were still young and didn’t understand many things. I was so scared my father would abandon us. I heard that if you cut off your own flesh to cure your relatives, your sincerity and filial piety would move the bodhisattva and cure your relative’s illnesses. I secretly cut some flesh from my arm and boiled it in the medicine without telling my father or mother, but my father still passed away.”

I looked at Yutan’s calm face in shock. She smiled and continued, “People say that a long-term illness will lead to no filial sons, but I only know that a long-term poverty will lead to no relatives. After my father had passed, my mother washed clothes for others from morning to night and I did needlework for others, but the whole family could only eat half their fill. Later, because my mother often cried and her eyesight wasn’t good, she wanted to hide it from me. She pretended to be able to see even though she could not. We didn’t want her to be sad so we played along with her.”

I reached out and held her hand. Yutan went on. “I worked hard every day, but I still didn’t have the money to pay for my mother’s medical treatment. My younger brother fell ill because he didn’t have enough food for a long time. That winter was unusually cold. The accumulated snow had not melted yet and new snow fell. The snow on the ground was three or four inches thick. I wore a single pair of shoes and a thin coat that my mother wore when she was young and went to various relatives to borrow money. The mean ones even closed the doors immediately when they saw me. The ones who were a little better told me how hard this winter was before I even opened my mouth. I ran in the heavy snow all day but didn’t borrow a penny. I was cold, hungry and scared. It was already dark, but I didn’t dare go home. My mother’s illness and my brother’s illness, I was so afraid that they would leave me like father. I wandered around aimlessly outside and because I was absentminded I actually bumped into a carriage. The driver raised his whip was about to whip me.”

Although I knew Yutan was still sitting in front of me, I still tightened my grip. “What happened next?”

Yutan lowered her head and was silent for a while and then smiled at me. “Then the young master in the carriage stopped him and said ‘She’s just a little girl, so just bump into her!’ He also scolded the driver for not paying attention and rushing to find someone to blame when something happened. After that, he lowered the curtain and let the driver drive away, but I actually rushed forward to stop the carriage and knelt down to beg him to give me some money. I don’t even know why I was so bold at that time. Maybe it was because he spoke in the calmest, most pleasant way I had ever heard. Although he was scolding people, he didn’t have a trace of anger. Or maybe it was because I thought him a very rich man and that if he gave me some alms I could keep my mother and brother.

Seeing Yutan’s genuine warm smile, I knew she had gotten what she wanted, but I still was anxiously asking myself ‘and then?’

She smiled and looked at me. “The driver cursed ‘You really don’t know how to live or die. Do you know whose carriage you stopped?’ But the young man laughed from inside and lifted the curtain again and saw me kneeling in the snow and said, ‘Since I was a child, this is the first time someone dares to ask me for money so directly. Tell me, why should I give you money for no reason?’” She lowered her head and smiled.

“What did you say?” I shook her hand and asked.

Yutan said, “I said, ‘I want to treat my mother and my brother.’ ‘I don’t run a charity, so what does it have to do with me that they are sick?’ He said. I said, ‘If you can give me some money, I am willing to be your slave for the rest of my life.’ He said, ‘My family may be short on many things but there are many slaves and servants.’ I begged, ‘I am very capable and can do many things. Even if I can’t do it, I can learn it.’ He laughed and said, ‘There are many capable people who can help me do things.’ After that he lowered the curtain and told the driver to go. I was full of despair at that time, thinking that the carriage was leaving and taking away my mother and brother with it. Suddenly I got angry and ran forward to grab the rafters of the carriage to prevent them from leaving. The driver was furious and kept whipping me, but I refused to let go. When I was dragged a long distance by the carriage the young man suddenly shouted, “Stop! Stop the cart!” He leaned out of the carriage and looked at me. I was dragging my body in the snow with my hands still holding the carriage handle. He nodded and asked ‘How old are you?’ I replied, ‘Eight years old’. He smiled and said, ‘Good girl, here is your silver.’ He handed me a silver note after that. I took it in disbelief. Although I had never used a silver note, I knew that any silver note must have a lot of money. I kowtowed to him quickly. He pondered for a moment and then told his driver ‘Give her the silver you have on you.’ The driver quickly took out some silver and gave it to me. There was more than twenty taels total, enough for a whole family to eat for a year or two. I quickly handed the silver note back to him and he said, ‘The banknote is for you and the silver is also for you. You will definitely be in a hurry to go see a doctor later, but it’s already dark and the banknote is of such a large denomination. I’m afraid you won’t be able to find a place to exchange it for a while.’ I thought that what he had said made sense, so I kowtowed again and took the banknote and the silver. He praised me for being quick and efficient. After that he sat back and ordered the driver to go. I turned around and ran when he suddenly shouted at me to come back. I turned back quickly and he threw a cloak from the carriage onto the snow. ‘Wrap this around you.’ Only then did I realize that my clothes had been torn by the whip.”

Yutan was lost in thought, as if she was still in that icy snowy place. I nudged her gently. “What happened next?”

Yutan was stunned for a moment. “There was no later. I have never seen that young man since then. The amount of money he had given me was very large. In addition, after my mother recovered from her illness, she continued to wash clothes and my sisters and I did needlework, which supported us until I got into the palace.”

“You only met once.” I said regretfully.

Yutan said faintly, “I was young at the time and had no idea where to ask. Later, when I entered the palace I couldn’t see outsiders.” She held my hand tightly and said, “Sister, whether everything is worth it or not depends on yourself. Only then could I understand. Many of my girlfriends now have many children around them. They think I am very pitiful, but I don’t think so. I just wanted my mother to not be immersed in cold water to wash clothes every day. I no longer have to worry about food and clothes. I can afford to see a doctor when sick and my brothers have all gone to school. I feel that my decisions back then were right. Everything I had done, worth it. Even if I had to choose again, I would. Still willing.”

With tears in my eyes, I murmured, “Whether it was worth it or not is only known to myself. From now on, I have to. You and I will be companions.” My tears fell as I finished speaking.

“Sister, don’t talk nonsense! The emperor will definitely find you a good marriage!” She smiled and said.

I smiled bitterly and left it to fate. I had used up the last of my strength and didn’t want to fight it anymore. I am too tired!

The disease was gradually getting better, but a sudden fever in the evening came. Yutan was so anxious that she held my hand and just cried. I thought vaguely that it was good like this. The fever made me confused and I didn’t feel the heartache. In the dreamlike state, there seemed to be a pair of dark cold eyes staring at me, making me feel that my heart and brain were full of stabbing pain. I tried to shake it off but it was still there. The pain was unbearable and I could only sob and cry. I felt like I would fall asleep forever and there would be no pain. There seemed to be a completely dark and quiet place not far ahead where I could rest completely.

Yutan seemed to be humming a ballad in my ear, over and over again, without stopping. It dragged me, not allowing me to fall asleep completely. The sound of ‘sister’ kept my consciousness from falling into that completely dark place.

When I opened my eyes Yutan was crying with joy, her tears fell on my face. My fever had subsided, but Yutan had lost weight and her voice was hoarse. She could only use gestures to talk to me. Thinking of her singing by my bed all night long, calling me sister all the time, I suddenly hated myself. I was sick in the palace and my sister would never be better off than me. I still have Yutan and my sister. How could I be like this?!

My illness gradually improved, but I was still too lazy to move. I spent most of the day lying in bed playing with a snuff bottle in my hands. There was either a smile or a sob on my face and I was in a daze.

Yutan pushed open the door and walked in. She sat on the side of the bed and said, “The emperor has detained the prince.”

I hummed and didn’t respond further.

She continued, “The emperor summoned all the elder brothers and said, ‘After restoring the crown prince Yinchu, he wasn’t cured of his madness and lost the support of the people. He definitely wasn’t a person who could be entrusted to carry out the work of his ancestors, so he was detained and guarded.’ My sister didn’t see the scene at that time. It was so scary! All the brothers had been stripped and their hands tied. Although the emperor looked gentle and had a smile on his face, his tone was extremely cold.”

I sighed softly and Yutan asked, “Why are you sighing, sister? I thought you would be happy to hear that?”

“When the ministry of justice investigated the “Drinking Party Case” and the “Hutan and Heshuo Case of Extorting Silver” this outcome was already determined, it was just a matter of time. Besides, my fate might be worse than his one day. What should I be happy about?” I said.

Yutan was shocked, “Sister is speaking nonsense again!”

I smiled and said nothing more. What is impossible in this palace?

By the time I had recovered from my illness, it was already October. On the surface, the turmoil of the deposed second prince had calmed down, a bigger struggle had just begun.

Fourth gradually withdrew from affairs of court and behaved more low key, and really started to live the simple idle life. He called himself a ‘worldly layman’ and spent whole days discussing scriptures with monks and taoists in his manor. He only went to the palace to greet Kangxi every day and rarely discussed state affairs.

When we occasionally met, his face was calm and peaceful. I smiled and greeted him never saying much, as if nothing had happened between us, and he was always the cold prince Yong. Only the pain in my heart kept reminding me. No, no, no! I suppressed the pain and warned myself. Nothing had happened.

One day he had come to pay his respects to Kangxi. When I went in to serve tea, he stood beside Kangxi displaying his paintings for him. I had just put the tea down and intended to leave when Kangxi smiled and said, “Ruoxi, come and take a look too.” I agreed and went to his side to look.

“Did you see anything?” He asked.

I tried to hide the bitterness in my heart and said with a smile, “Isn’t the man driving the ox to plow the field Fourth? And the one standing by the ridge is Fourth’s Lady!”

“What else?” Kangxi asked still smiling.

I understood in my heart but continued with a smile, “I can’t see anything else at the moment, but, I think the picture was well drawn, but the most valuable is the meaning.”

Kangxi turned his head and told Li Dequan, “Find the Southern Song Dynasty Lou Chou’s “Pictures of Farming and Weaving” that was printed two years ago.”

Li Dequan quickly gave the order. Not long after, a eunuch came in with the painting. Li Dequan took it and slowly unfolded it on the table. The two pictures were exactly the same except for the appearance of the characters.

I slapped my forehead and said, “I deserve to be beaten! I follow his majesty every day, but I’m so careless that I didn’t even think of the painting he likes!”

Kangxi looked at Fourth approvingly and smiled, saying nothing. He lowered his head and studied the two paintings carefully. Fourth’s eyes swept across my face. I stood quietly with a faint smile on my face. Kangxi carefully read the poem written by Fourth under the painting and nodded.

‘Food is the first priority of the people and agriculture is the first priority for food.’ Every spring I offer sacrifices to the gods of agriculture on the alter and personally guide planting of the imperial fields. I often emphasize to the officials in court that I hope they would pay attention to farming. It is the foundation of the country! Fourth bowed his head and replied, “I followed the example of my father and opened up a few plots of land in the old Summer Palace to experience the joys and hardships of farming firsthand.”

Kangxi nodded and said, “Tell me, where does happiness come from? Where does suffering come from?”

“Rural life is free and easy, not only does it make you feel relaxed, but it also reduces the worry of gain and loss. Compared with the heart, people become open-minded, and the body is also stretched and healthier when farming. These days, I am more happier when I harvested the fruits I planted with my own hands. I have already felt the hardship of planting a few plots. Today, I am afraid that the sun will be too strong and tomorrow I am worried about too much rain. Thinking of the common people working hard all year round exposed to wind and sun, if there is drought or flood, there may be no harvest and I can’t help but sigh.” Fourth replied.

Kangxi nodded and didn’t say anything. I bowed to Kangxi and quietly withdrew. He is now more and more secretive. He carefully observes Kangxi intention in everything and is extremely filial and never disobeys. Kangxi’s suspicion of him must not have disappeared, but in the long run, water dripped through stone. As long as nothing goes wrong, it is only a matter of time before he completely lets go. Even if Eighth wants to deal with him, he will definitely not find any fault.

But Eighth is trying to hide his edge. On the one hand, he is still interacting with the ministers of the court, and on the other, he told the ministers to not recommend him as the crown prince anymore. Otherwise he would ‘prefer to stay in bed’. Kangxi was very disgusted when he heard this and immediately reprimanded him.

“You are just a Bei’le. Why do you make such outrageous statements to test me? He also was very arrogant and didn’t know who I am. As a Bei’le, he had such an outrageous idea to test me and make such presumptuous statements, isn’t this a great treachery and evil?’

His careless behavior further deepened Kangxi’s dislike of him since the abolishment of the crown prince.

Sometimes I’m confused. He, Ninth, and Fourteenth are extremely smart people and they have many councilors around them. Why did they do something to anger Kangxi? Thinking about it carefully, I felt that Kangxi was afraid of him. A prince who formed a clique already made Kangxi extremely disgusted, but he was famous for making friends with court officials, so no matter what he did, it was wrong in Kangxi’s eyes.

When he came in, Kangxi scolded him for having unrealistic expectations and when he left, he was scolded for having a tentative heart. Unless he could learn from Fourth and completely change his behavior and distance himself from officials it would be possible to change Kangxi’s attitude towards him. But he has worked hard for so many years, how could he just give it up? Moreover, everyone has different personalities so it was indeed impossible for him to learn from Fourth’s calm and detached attitude, otherwise he would not be the “Eighth Wise King” who respects the wise and humble.

It seems the biggest beneficiary after the dethronement of the crown prince was actually Fourteenth. Fourth lived in seclusion and rarely asked about state affairs, Eighth was disliked by Kangxi and not trusted by him; only Fourteenth, who was punished to kneel because of Thirteenth’s matter, was unexpectedly treated differently by Kangxi afterwards. He often entrusted him to handle state affairs alone and often was summoned in private to accompany Kangxi.

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Origin:Shaoxing Qianqing

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