Even if the Mingzhu faction planned more actions, no one dared to take action in front of the Empress Dowager.
The presence of the old ancestor here is like a stabilizing force. Even if they are anxious to win over the Cao family and contact Wang who is under house arrest by the first lady, they have to hold back.
Before long, the shocking news that the old lady was punished to kneel spread throughout the weaving house. The Cao family was instantly in chaos. Even if Cao Xi forced himself to beg the emperor for mercy despite his illness, it was of no avail.
In fact, all the accompanying officials were shocked.
Except for Tu Yue who was in high spirits, and Ma Qi who stayed out of the matter and just watched the show, most of those who had some biased opinions frowned, thinking about the impact of this matter.
It's too abrupt.
It was just a presentation of a beautiful woman, so why did the Cao family show signs of decline
They could understand that His Majesty ordered Cao Yin to take a concubine in order to vent his anger on Concubine Yi, but what was the reaction of the Empress Dowager
Just when they were puzzled, someone who was well-informed whispered: "The one with bound feet, Wang, is a Han woman..."
At this moment, everyone suddenly realized what was going on and fell silent.
According to the rules of our ancestors, Han women were not allowed to be included in the harem. In addition, our ancestors hated those weak and frail women, so it was understandable that they took action to discipline the female members of the family.
"A good family was messed up by an ignorant woman." Someone sighed.
"No, it was Li Xu's idea..."
Li Xu, as the manager of Changchun Garden, was not among the entourage. When he said this, the officials all looked at each other in surprise.
This, isn't this making things difficult for his sister
…
No matter how much the head of the family, Cao Xi, regretted it, it was too late now.
A few days later, an imperial edict was sent to the capital, Li Xu was dismissed from his post as the general manager of Changchun Garden and demoted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs as an official of medium importance, which was a huge difference compared to his original power and status.
You know, in two or three years at most, Li Xu will be sent to Suzhou to succeed the position of Suzhou Weaving Master. Now that this has happened, how many more years will he have to endure
The officials were deeply saddened, but since the Empress Dowager had spoken herself, no one dared to plead for him.
You said Li Xu was the emperor's confidant? Cao Yin's uncle
The emperor has many confidants, he is not the only one needed. Cao Yin himself has suffered a lot, it is said that happiness and misfortune should be shared, Li Xu should bear this!
During this southern tour, the Cao family's money was still there, and they still served as the emperor's eyes and ears, but the backyard of their home was in chaos.
After the emperor set out for the capital, Mingzhu quietly made arrangements and gave Wang some "help" to make the already turbid backyard even more muddy, and sent a message to Cao Xi, who seemed to have aged several dozen years.
As for what was written in the letter, no one knows.
Yunxiu didn't care at all how chaotic the Cao family was or what Mingzhu was planning.
If we have already decided to cut off the source of the fire, who cares how the grasshoppers jump around in the autumn
If the Cao family changed their minds and turned to Mingzhu, the emperor would deal with them without her having to do anything.
She lowered her eyes and looked at her flat belly, her eyes softened and she slowly smiled.
Is it my mother's Yinzhen, or the new little princess
The emperor stayed in Jiangning for about two months. When the imperial concubine's pregnancy was stable and the imperial physician repeatedly assured that the temporary bumps were not a big deal, Kangxi waved his hand and returned by water, turning to Yangzhou, and took the two empresses to have fun along the way, and then returned to Beijing slowly.
On the other side, Suo Etu has regrouped and summoned his old subordinates to fight Mingzhu in full swing. After the emperor came to power, he watched coldly and added fuel to the fire from time to time. Liang Jiugong saw it with his eyes and was shocked in his heart -
This, this is flattery.
His Majesty seems impatient!
But the powerful official was trapped in the situation and could not escape from the deep vortex.
It goes without saying that Mingzhu was extremely powerful; Soetu was angry about the closeness between the prince and Yunxiu, and originally wanted to take action, but before he could do anything, he became a pawn of the emperor.
He lost his status as a royal tutor, lost the right to enter and leave Yuqing Palace, and never got to see the crown prince when he returned from his southern tour.
The conflict between the two factions became increasingly serious. Due to the emperor's deliberate promotion, the focus shifted from the struggle between the crown prince and the eldest prince to the hatred between the two powerful ministers Mingzhu and Suo'etu, which was a fight to the death.
Yesterday he was impeached for corruption, today he was impeached for malfeasance... The attacks from both factions became increasingly fierce.
Because of the fight with Mingzhu, he could not get away for the time being, and Soetu was extremely anxious, so he had to instruct Pingpin in the palace to alienate the prince and Concubine Yi, regardless of whether it was a vicious method or not.
Pingpin had just recovered from a serious illness, and somehow she had offended Concubine Wen, who was in charge of the palace. She was already unable to take care of herself, so even if she wanted to do anything, she was powerless.
Once there is a first time, there will be no second time. Ever since Yinqi fell into the water, Yunxiu had people closely monitor the Chuxiu Palace, and Pingpin's tricks were all in vain.
Even though she was jealous of Yunxiu's pregnancy again, she could only watch the eleventh prince being born and the emperor being overjoyed as he gave the little prince the name Yinzhen and held him in his arms.
The eleventh prince was born on New Year's Eve of the twenty-fourth year of Emperor Kangxi's reign.
The child is good-looking, not inferior to his ninth brother, with bright eyes blinking, and one look at him will melt your heart.
The ignorant infant Yinzhen quickly replaced his second and fifth brothers in the Empress Dowager's heart, and quickly became the sweetheart of the current emperor.
In the 26th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, the 16-year-old eldest prince, who had already attended court to attend government affairs, received an imperial decree to marry Irgen Jueluo, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, as his principal wife. The following year, the eldest wife gave birth to a little princess, the emperor's first grandchild.
In the 27th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, evidence of corruption, bribery, and selling of official positions by Mingzhu's subordinates was presented to the imperial table. The Nara family seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
Mingzhu followed in Soetu's footsteps, was dismissed from his official position and left unemployed at home. At the same time, his accomplice, the Minister of Revenue Korkun, lost his official hat and could never be reinstated.
At the end of the 27th year, the Empress Dowager, who was already 76 years old, caught a cold and fell ill. The Emperor hugged Concubine Yi and cried bitterly. Then he allocated money from the treasury and ordered the Ministry of Works to repair Changchun Garden so that the Empress Dowager could live there to recuperate.
In the early autumn of the 28th year of the Kangxi reign, Changchun Garden.
"Grandfather, it's time to take the medicine. The emperor said that after the court meeting, he will bring the princes to see you." The heavily covered brocade curtains were lifted, and the bitter yet refreshing smell of medicine filled the air. Su Malagu held a jade bowl and walked lightly into the inner room.
After a while, the Empress Dowager's voice was heard with some effort, old but with a smile, and it seemed that she became more energetic when she heard the word "brother".
He took a breath and said, "Don't leave Yinzhen behind..."
"Everyone knows that the one you care about most is the Eleventh Prince. The Eleventh Prince is very filial, so you can rest assured." Su Malagu coaxed gently, "But don't let the prince hear this..."
The Empress Dowager was obviously pleased and said happily, "Good, good."
The master and servant talked again, and vaguely heard words like "Yinzhi" and "Fujin". Gradually, the tent became quiet, replaced by the rustling sound of someone drinking medicine.
After a long while, Su Malagu lifted the curtain and came out. Her eyes stopped at the woman in light blue Manchu dress who was sitting in front of the hall. She smiled and said, "Fujin, the old ancestor has gone to bed. He asked me to escort you out of the garden. You are pregnant, so you have to be careful."
Hearing this, the eldest wife Yiergen Jueluo smiled gently, supported her waist and stood up, revealing her slightly bulging belly: "Thank you for your consideration, old ancestor. Sorry for the trouble."
She has a delicate and beautiful appearance, and a simple headdress in her hair, which matches comfortably and naturally. She is not a top beauty, but her calm demeanor is praised by everyone who sees her.
The first wife was from the Irgen Jueluo clan, one of the eight major surnames, and was the legitimate daughter of the former Minister of Revenue, Kerkun. Kerkun was the mainstay of Mingzhu's faction, but at the end of last year, Suo Etu revealed Mingzhu's "eight major crimes", including participating in cliques, selling official positions and titles, etc.
The emperor was furious and ordered the censors to investigate the matter. Ming Zhongtang's team fell apart in an instant. As Mingzhu's confidant, Kerkun was also dismissed from his post and is currently unemployed at home, occasionally needing help from the palace's wife.
With the love and respect of the eldest prince Yinzhi, the eldest princess she gave birth to was the emperor's eldest granddaughter, and now she was pregnant, she could not help but stand tall. Even though her mother's family was implicated and her glory was gone, as the eldest daughter-in-law praised by Kangxi, her status as the eldest wife was not shaken at all, and instead made the empress dowager and other elders pity her even more.
Su Malagu escorted her to the waiting sedan chair, gave the palace servants a few words of advice, and then said gently: "The first birthday gift for the eldest princess will be next month, right? I have prepared some toys and things for you, so that you can add some excitement to the princess and get some blessings."
"How can I do that?" The first wife smiled sincerely and declined a few times, "Suma has worked hard and made great contributions, and is deeply trusted by our ancestors. We, the eldest princess, are small, so if we want to get anything, we should rely on your blessing."
Since the Empress Dowager was seriously ill, the First Lady had worked tirelessly to serve her in Changchun Garden every day. Now that she was pregnant again, she could no longer serve her, but she had never stopped paying respects to her. Su Malagu saw all of this clearly.
After escorting Irgen Jueluo to the sedan chair, she thought for a while and whispered to the little palace maid beside her: "The eldest wife is pregnant, has Concubine Hui taken the eldest princess to take care of her?"
"This... I have never heard of it."
Su Malagu sighed: "She is only seventeen or eighteen years old, but she has to take care of the household chores and serve her mother-in-law. The burden on her is really heavy."
Concubine Hui had such a temper that even a man of iron could not bear it, let alone a beautiful girl.
I just hope that the eldest brother can love his wife and not let her suffer any injustice...
*****
The sedan chair entered the Forbidden City and headed steadily towards the Yanx Palace.
Seeing the familiar corner of the eaves from afar, the eldest wife stroked her belly, and the curve of her lips faded a little.
After a while, she entered the hall, smiled warmly, and saluted meticulously: "The daughter-in-law pays respects to mother."
Seeing her like this, Concubine Hui smiled with satisfaction, then quickly disappeared: "Get up, get up. You are already a married woman, why are you still coming to the palace to pay respects? Don't neglect my grandson!"
"Mother, etiquette cannot be abolished. If our master finds out, he will inevitably scold you..." The eldest wife paused after hearing this, and immediately supported Huifei's hand. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked around the corridor, "The daughter-in-law is also guilty."
Patting her daughter-in-law's hand with emotion, Concubine Hui smiled deeply. She felt relaxed all over. The look in her eyes when she looked at the First Concubine was also full of love.
"I went to Changchun Garden today. Did the Empress Dowager say anything?"
"To answer mother's question, the old ancestor felt very tired today and did not meet his daughter-in-law. He took medicine and rested." The first wife lowered her eyes, concealing the conversation between the crown prince and the eleventh prince, and continued, "Before resting, she asked our master a few questions and asked Su Ma to take me out of the garden."
After softly repeating Su Malagu's words, Concubine Hui's eyes lit up and she smiled from ear to ear: "This palace's eldest princess is really likable."
After waiting for the eldest grandson for who knows how long, her daughter-in-law gave birth to a princess. Although Huifei didn't say it, she felt a little uncomfortable. But then came the surprise reward, Qianqing Palace, Cining Palace, Ningshou Palace... The rewards flowed into the prince's residence like water, which immediately wiped out her complaints and made her love her fair and tender granddaughter sincerely.
When the first wife became pregnant again, half of this love was transferred to the child in her belly - the eldest grandson designated by Concubine Hui.
But to the eldest wife, such expectations were really suffocating.
Fortunately... after leaving the Yanxi Palace, I can live behind closed doors with my master and no longer have to worry about other people's opinions.
"The old ancestor likes children. If you have time, bring the eldest princess to pay respects. Taking care of the fetus is the most important thing. As for other matters, you should put them aside or take care of them..." After being happy, Huifei took the hand of the first wife and gave her earnest instructions, "If you are really too busy, in addition to serving Yinzhi, the Wu and Guan families are both responsible and can help you."
Wu, Guan
The eldest wife sneered in her heart, unable to describe the feeling.
They are just two concubines, not even princesses, yet they still want to share power. What kind of dream are you having
Since her wish to have the master marry a concubine failed, she turned her attention to the maid, not even thinking that it lowered her status.
Also, bring the eldest princess to pay respects to the ancestors. Doesn't she want to
But firstly, morning sickness was very serious and she really didn’t have the energy to take care of it; secondly, the child was still young, and the ancestors said, “You are afraid of passing on your illness to the child, and it is enough for you to have this concern”…
The eldest wife lowered her eyes slightly and answered yes meekly. There was nothing wrong with her attitude. But at this time, based on her intuition, Concubine Hui guessed that she must be reluctant.
Yes, if she could hold Yinzhi tightly, even if Yiergen Jueluo was pregnant, she would not go to the concubine! How could such a legitimate wife be willing to hand over the power in her hands
This daughter-in-law is good in every way: filial and considerate, able to give birth to children, but she is authoritarian and jealous, so it is useless to try to persuade her.
And her mother's family...
Concubine Hui thought so, still smiling, and slowly let go of the hand of the first wife. Then she said a few caring words and revealed a tired look: "I am tired, please leave."
As soon as the First Lady left the Yanx Palace, her smile disappeared without a trace.
Seeing that it was still early, she closed her eyes, exhaled, held her waist and walked towards the nearby imperial garden.
After taking a few steps, he heard the eunuch's frightened cry from afar, which sounded very familiar: "Master, Master! Please stop crawling. If the Imperial Concubine sees you, I will be beaten with a stick and die!"
"Go away, go away." The Ninth Prince, who was shaking his legs on the rockery, raised his eyelids. Before he could say anything, the Tenth Prince, who was squatting in the grass catching grasshoppers, waved his hand in disdain, "Shut up, you're so noisy."
"Master Shi, please be kind and persuade our master to be more compassionate to me." Xiaogouzi wanted to cry but had no tears. "It's okay to be skinned by the imperial concubine, but how can I explain to the emperor?"
Hearing this, Yinzhen's expression changed slightly and the speed of shaking his legs slowed down.
When Yin'e saw him, he immediately yelled, "Ninth Brother, what are you afraid of? The world has changed. Little Eleven is the old man's sweetheart. How can he spare the time to care about you?"
“…” Yinzhen thought, yes, with his eleventh brother around, the old man has no time to take care of him.
So he continued shaking with a clear conscience, and even changed to a difficult posture to show off his skills, which made Yin E exclaim "Wow", and he rubbed his hands, looking eager to try.
"Brother Jiu, wait for me, I'll be right up!"
The rockery was built like a loft, with jagged rocks and extremely steep slopes. It was intimidating just by looking at it. Now, not to mention the little dog, even the small stool serving the Tenth Prince was almost fainted.
"Quick, go to the Qianqing Gate and see if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has returned to the palace..." Before Xiaogouzi finished speaking, the eunuch who was guarding the side gate of the Imperial Garden and informing the brothers hurried over, "Nineth Master, Tenth Master, someone is coming to the Imperial Garden. I faintly heard the eldest prince talking to someone, saying that the eldest wife is here to enjoy the flowers!"
Yinzhen's foot slipped, and immediately, the servants gasped one after another.
After finally stabilizing himself, Yinzhen said disdainfully, "After so many years, the eldest brother still hasn't made any progress. Whenever my sister-in-law is in a bad mood, she will come to the Imperial Garden to relax. What kind of flowers are she appreciating? It's better to give him a big brain!"
At this time, the eldest wife had already walked closer.
Before she could get scared and think about urging her ninth and tenth brothers to come down, she heard these heartfelt words.
The six-year-old child understands her better than her husband!
She was filled with mixed feelings of sadness and joy, and it was hard to describe the feeling in her heart. Her eyes became red and she choked up and said, "Ninth brother."