Yun Xiu hummed, and smiled slightly: "Of course they are all yours."
It was an accident that Cao Yin married Wang, causing the Cao and Li families to lose all face. It would be strange if they didn't blame him.
Now, everyone knows that Yinreng is close to her, and the head of the family, Cao Xi, can't help but feel uncomfortable. Over time, when it comes to choosing sides, they may be like Tong Jia, watching coldly from the sidelines, or like Nara, betting on the eldest prince and wanting to dethrone the prince... After all, they will no longer become the money bag of Yuqing Palace as in the dream, and let the prince take whatever he wants.
In the early days, the Cao and Li families were completely biased towards the prince, and had close contacts with the Hesheli family. Suo Etu used the name of the Eastern Palace to intervene in Jiangnan, and later fought fiercely with Mingzhu, and needed money everywhere. Needless to say, the source of this money; after Mingzhu fell, the weaving house did not hesitate to raise money to honor the prince, and unknowingly caused a huge deficit. One day, the Cao family could not even take out the money for the emperor, and had to submit a memorial to apologize, which made the emperor furious.
When they sent people to investigate, they found that hundreds of thousands of taels of official silver had been taken into the prince's Yuqing Palace, adding a heavy blow to the already shaky rift between father and son.
Misappropriation of government funds was a serious crime. Regardless of whether there was any hidden reason behind it, the emperor looked at the prince with increasing disappointment. In the 42nd year, the impeached Suo Etu was imprisoned as "the first criminal of this dynasty"; in the 47th year, during an inspection tour outside the Great Wall, the eighteenth prince born to Concubine Wang died of illness. The emperor angrily accused the prince of being unfilial and unfraternal, "without showing any sadness", and after returning to the capital, he reluctantly read out the edict to depose the prince.
What’s funny is that even though the crown prince was deposed, the Cao and Li families were still guarding Jiangnan for the emperor without any impact at all.
They reported the deficit every year and borrowed a large sum of money from the treasury, and the emperor turned a blind eye and approved it. Later, they turned to the eighth prince Yinsi and secretly sent many beauties to the Prince Lian's mansion. As a result, the eighth prince had countless supporters in Jiangnan, which caused great trouble to the new emperor.
Yunxiu said that the emperor’s favor towards Cao and Li was so strong that it was even greater than the years when she was the most favored concubine in the harem.
When the emperor was here, no one dared to touch them, but what happened next
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The new emperor issued an order to confiscate the property of the two families, but it turned out that the two families were no longer as wealthy as they used to be. They were extremely poor. How sad.
In other words, in the dream, they were Yinreng's money bags. If he couldn't use the money to enjoy himself, he would find a way to solve the problem once and for all, so that when the prince ascended the throne, the treasury would be empty, which would really damage the reputation of the Qing Dynasty.
Yun Xiu looked at the celadon on the cabinet tenderly, as if she was looking at a golden hen laying eggs, and explained the reasoning to the prince: "The emperor is raising them and will leave them to you in the future. Why don't you learn from your fourth brother..."
"Mother Yi is right. I have learned my lesson and will not let the emperor down." The prince seemed to understand something. His eyes became brighter and he turned his head to look around. He felt a bit unreal as if he had become rich overnight.
Suddenly hearing the words "fourth brother", he was a little confused for a moment: "Fourth brother? What's wrong with fourth brother?"
"…Nothing, I just said something wrong." Yun Xiu coughed lightly, pursed her lips and smiled, "It's still half a month before the water journey. I wonder how the old ancestor and the queen mother are having fun. Are you in a good mood?"
******
Along the way, the royal boat was very stable.
It was not yet summer, but the water in the river was already warm. Not only did the Empress Dowager find it new and exciting, it was also her first time to visit the south of the Yangtze River.
If the two queens said, the mountains and rivers were beautiful, the scenery on the shore was beautiful, the storytellers on the boats were good, the operas were good, there was nothing bad about it. Compared with the present, staying in the Cining Palace all day long seemed to make me sick, it was too boring.
With a good mood, her health naturally improved as well, and she didn't even suffer from seasickness. Within a day or two, the Empress Dowager had more smiles on her face, and she seemed to be many years younger.
Su Malagu saw this and was very happy. She thought to herself, fortunately the His Majesty's wish was fulfilled. The old ancestor's spirit is getting stronger. If he had missed the southern tour, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.
Although she was having fun, the Empress Dowager was still concerned about the emperor and his family in Jiangning. For this reason, her attendants would bring her messages from Kangxi from time to time to reassure her. On this day, the Empress Dowager happily opened a letter and read it carefully for a long time. She was happy and worried, but her smile gradually disappeared, and the atmosphere became a little cold.
"Empress Mother?" The Queen Mother said in a low voice.
"Let me read to you the letter written by Baocheng himself..." The Empress Dowager paused, and then told her everything that happened in the weaving house as described by the prince.
… Concubine Yi is pregnant
The Queen Mother had no time to be happy, and was shocked by the news that Yun Xiu had fainted. After understanding the whole story, she shook her hands and said, "Ridiculous, ridiculous. The southern tour is tiring, and if something happens, the dragon fetus will be in danger. How dare the Cao family do this! Empress Dowager, it's okay to offer a beauty, but look, they are too arrogant..."
After the crown prince exaggerated the matter, Wang's affairs were brought to the attention of the two empresses dowagers.
Yes, the princes and princesses in the palace are so precious. If something unexpected happens to them, who will be left to regret it
The Manchus valued having many children, not to mention that the one who was pregnant was Concubine Yi. As long as she didn't make a big mistake, the Empress Dowager would protect her tightly. Now that the Cao family and the Li family had jointly presented a Han woman, it almost caused irreversible consequences, which touched her sore spot.
She is still here, but she wants to break the rules of the harem. What are Cao Xi and Li Xuan'an's intentions in leading the emperor astray? !
The more the Empress Dowager spoke, the more gloomy the Empress Dowager's face became. After a moment, she suppressed her anger and scolded: "They have gone too far. The women of the Cao family are confused, and the men did not stop them. They flatter and offend the master. The emperor can't do it, so I will do it..."
The palace servants who were waiting on him knelt down in a large group: "Grandfather, please calm down! Grandfather, please calm down!"
"The Empress Dowager is right. You should step in to correct the situation. Your Highness's actions are very pleasing to me," the Empress Dowager hurriedly appeased the old ancestor, then frowned and said, "You are too merciful."
Thinking of the delicate and gentle Han woman, the empress dowager suddenly remembered Dong E, who was very favored in the past. She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting... She was really born in the wrong family. How similar is she to Wang today
If she really entered the palace, she would be terribly disgusted.
The Cao family didn't take her and the ancestors seriously at all!
***
On the day when the Empress Dowager arrived, the weaving house was hit by a violent storm.
Upon hearing that Cao Xi had not yet recovered, the Empress Dowager was surprised, but in the end she saved face for the emperor's wet nurse and trusted ministers and did not get angry in front of the palace. She gently asked the old lady to help her go in.
"The imperial concubine is pregnant. You should spend more time with her and ask the kitchen to prepare more dishes..." On the other side, no matter how surprised everyone in Cao's residence was, the empress dowager held Kangxi's hand and repeatedly warned him, "I will not tolerate your neglect of my grandchildren."
The place where the two empresses were staying was called Nanyuan. After a while, Su Malagu came to report: "Grandfather, empress dowager, Sun and all the female relatives are here, and they want to kowtow to you and pay their respects."
Sun, the wet nurse, was personally selected by the Empress Dowager. In those days, Sun took care of the emperor wholeheartedly and was beyond reproach. As Cao Yin's companion, his loyalty to the emperor was also beyond doubt. Therefore, over the years, she allowed the emperor to bestow favors on her, and even when the Cao family's favors were too much, she turned a blind eye and never raised any opinions.
All in all, the same thing.
Too careless.
The majesty contained in the Empress Dowager's gaze was as real as if it had substance. They were all in awe and did not dare to have any ulterior motives.
The old lady boasted of her status as a wet nurse, but she never dared to act unbridled in front of her. She always called her old slave, lowered her brows and eyes, and behaved in a respectful manner.
The Empress Dowager looked indifferent, her eyes swept across the female relatives, and suddenly asked: "Sun, do you admit your guilt?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent!
Her father-in-law was so angry that he fell ill in bed, her husband treated her coldly and was no longer considerate as before, and even her mother-in-law, who had always liked her, changed her attitude a little... These days, Li held her son in her arms and cried, but it was too late to regret.
Gradually, she also came to her senses. Wang! She must not let that lowly maid Wang be favored.
In order to win back Cao Yin's heart, she tried every possible means and became more gentle and considerate. At the same time, she arranged Wang in the side room of the courtyard and had someone keep a close eye on her, not allowing her to leave the courtyard at all.
As for Yunxiu, Li no longer dared to approach her.
Unexpectedly, the nightmare from many days ago reappeared, and the Empress Dowager actually wanted to blame her mother-in-law!
Li's legs went limp. Would she be the next one
In the hall, the Empress Dowager reprimanded without mercy: "… You rely on your status as a wet nurse to interfere in things that you shouldn't interfere in. Who gives you the courage? If I am no longer here, will you regard yourself as the Emperor's biological mother?"
These words... are too heartbreaking.
The old lady was trembling all over, her face was pale, and she no longer cared about her face. She kept kowtowing: "Forgive me, ancestor! Please understand, ancestor, I dare not have such a rebellious thought!"
"I am old and confused. You dared to offer a Han woman to me," the Empress Dowager glanced at the pale Madam Li and said slowly, "You have disregarded the rules of our ancestors. Even if I beat you to death, Cao Xi cannot say a word."
The old lady felt an unstoppable chill rising up in her chest, and she knew clearly that the Empress Dowager had not lied to her.
At this time, begging for mercy was useless. The old lady prostrated herself on the ground, surrounded by fear, her teeth chattering, and after a long while she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "This old slave... I beg the old ancestor to have mercy..."
All the women in the mansion were horrified. Li could no longer hold on and fell softly to the ground.
The Empress Dowager sneered and ignored her, continuing, "I pity you for your age, so just kneel in front of the hall for two hours. Everyone, go away."
No one expected that Li was lucky enough to escape the disaster, but the respected old lady in the mansion lost all her prestige and face.
Sun knelt for two hours. The Empress Dowager turned around and called a doctor to examine her. She said that the old lady had caught a cold and the cold air had entered her body, so she needed to be well taken care of.
The eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Li, is also bedridden. As for who will be in charge of the household chores, a new round of struggle has begun.
"I want her to enjoy her old age in peace and don't worry too much." The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, patted Yunxiu's hand, and asked with concern, "Has the imperial physician checked her pulse? How is the baby? Has her appetite been good recently? The emperor is also sorry for causing you trouble..."
"I am not suffering." Yun Xiu blushed, and Kangxi, who came to pay his respects, heard her words completely. "The emperor treated me well in the past, and the ancestors stood up for me in the future. I am happy with it."
Are you enjoying it
I love it!
In an instant, the emperor felt a sour and soft feeling in his heart, mixed with a spontaneous joy, and he stood there motionless.
Liang Jiugong was both upset and happy, and whispered, "Your Majesty?"
The Empress Dowager heard the noise and burst into laughter. She pulled Yunxiu over and said kindly, "Look, look at how happy I am for you. I am tired, so I will go and rest first. Let the Imperial Concubine accompany you for a walk."
Hearing this, Yunxiu's face became even redder. Kangxi saw it and felt happy in his heart. He coughed lightly and touched his nose: "Grandson respectfully sends the Royal Madam off."
In the blink of an eye, the emperor and his concubine were the only ones left in the lush and green Jiangnan garden.
"Does Xiuxiu really enjoy it?"
Yun Xiu did not answer. She remained silent for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Your Majesty, do you doubt my sincerity?"
Without waiting for the emperor to speak, she said softly, "After what happened with Wang, I no longer doubt your sincerity."
This is really not a lie.
If he wanted to give, she would take it, and there was nothing she couldn't bear.
In order to achieve the position of noble concubine which was within reach, and to live the rest of her life more freely, she had to hold on tightly to what was in front of her.
Even if it's a short lie, once it's exposed, it will make the emperor feel guilty, right
Yun Xiu turned her head, her peach blossom eyes slightly raised, staring at Kangxi's face, pressing step by step: "If I don't betray the emperor, will the emperor betray me?"
For a moment, everything was silent, with only the rustling sound of green leaves.
The emperor's throat was unusually tight.
"I..."
Her eyes were sparkling and full of anticipation, so how could he bear to make her sad
"I never joke around," he said in a low, deep voice, "I won't let you down."
Yun Xiu lowered her eyes and smiled faintly. After a while, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I'll remember that."