The personal nanny couldn't hear clearly, so she lowered her voice and asked again, "Crown Princess, do you want to see me?"
As early as when he appointed the Crown Princess, Kangxi ordered Jingchu to help manage the palace affairs and asked Concubine Wen to teach her step by step, so as to reduce the burden of trivial matters in Yongshou Palace. It was up to her to decide whether to see or not see the ladies who handed in the cards to pay their respects.
The sad news that the emperor was suffering from malaria came from Rehe, and the palace was shrouded in a cloud of sorrow. As for Concubine Yu Wen, she was worried about the emperor's illness, and even more worried about Yunxiu's safety. She complained many times in secret, but she was still kind-hearted and took care of the daily life of the fifth, ninth, and eleventh princes.
As a result, Concubine Wen spent half of her day worrying about the princes, and the other half kneeling in the Buddhist temple praying for the emperor (actually for Yunxiu), so she really didn't have much energy to take care of the affairs in the palace.
Jingchu saw this and took over the responsibility. She went from being unfamiliar with the palace affairs to being proficient in them in just a few days. The reputation of the Crown Princess for being fair and virtuous gradually grew, and she was praised by both the inner court and the outer court, which greatly pleased and moved the two queen dowagers.
But no matter how virtuous and fair she was, Jingchu was annoyed when she encountered people who kept trying to climb up the social ladder and kept eyeing the prince's backyard.
Managing such a big business, how could she have the time to spend with them? Moreover, Yinreng and Yi'er Niang were far away in Rehe, and she couldn't eat or sleep well all day long. Without the handsome face in front of her, she felt depressed.
Therefore, when Li handed the card into the palace, her first reaction was to refuse to see him.
Before I could finish my words, a memory suddenly popped up in my mind and took root, unable to be shaken off.
The prince once lamented to her that the Cao family was rich and the Li family was wealthy, and they were truly two great treasure troves. They were loyal and dedicated to guarding the south of the Yangtze River for the emperor, and one must not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Jingchu swallowed the words that were about to come out and coughed lightly: "See you then."
Meet what the mistress of the cornucopia looks like.
Li was still the same Li. Cao Yin's legitimate wife, Li Xu's biological sister, looked much older and haggard, and her originally dignified face was no longer pretty. Jingchu knew at a glance that she was not living a happy life in the rear house.
Jingchu sat up a little straighter, vaguely recalling what her father had told her about the dramatic changes that took place in the Jiangning Weaving House when the Emperor went on his southern tour in the 23rd year of Kangxi's reign.
The previous textile manufacturer Cao Xi died of illness at the end of the year, and the Cao family was in chaos. Fortunately, Cao Yin was the emperor's companion, and they had a special relationship, so the mansion was barely supported. A year later, the emperor officially ordered Cao Yin to be the new Jiangning textile manufacturer. He was really capable, and over the years, the Cao family regained the emperor's favor.
What is more widely circulated is an anecdote in the harem. Cao Yin was good at everything except doting on a beautiful concubine. However, he knew his own limits and protected the dignity of the Li family. He did not allow the concubine to surpass the legitimate wife or the illegitimate son to surpass the legitimate son. Over time, the censors had nothing to impeach, and the rumors faded.
Li Xu, Li's elder brother, who was equally famous, had not yet become the Suzhou Weaving Supervisor. It was said that he had caught the eye of the Empress Dowager, so the Emperor did not dare to use him, and he was still staying in Changchun Garden.
…
Yesterday, the wife of the royal family was not allowed to enter the palace. Li had not held out hope for an audience with Yuqing Palace, but who would have thought that the Crown Princess would be willing to give her this face!
She was surprised and delighted, and made up her mind. She immediately bowed respectfully and said, "I pay my respects to the Crown Princess. I greet Her Majesty the Crown Princess."
Jingchu smiled gently, raised her hand and said, "No need to be polite, please take a seat."
Li thanked the emperor again and again, and when she took her seat, she glanced upwards covertly and saw that the Crown Princess looked particularly friendly, which made her feel more reassured.
Because of an incident that happened many years ago, with Concubine Yi, no, the Imperial Concubine around, the Crown Prince's attitude towards the Cao family has always been indifferent, even cold.
The head of the family, Cao Xi, wanted to ease the situation but didn't know how. In desperation, he decided to look for another wise leader.
After the emperor returned to Beijing, Mingzhu sent someone to deliver rare treasures, and Cao Xi accepted them despite opposition. However, within a few years, the Ming Party fell. Cao Yin came to power and had been in the political arena for many years. He had tried to contact the crown prince several times but failed, so he had to turn his attention to the young princes.
But now they have not yet grown up, the emperor has contracted malaria, and the prince is about to ascend the throne!
Upon hearing such sad news, even someone who is usually calm can become anxious.
They are the emperor's confidants, but not the prince's confidants. A new emperor appoints new ministers. After the prince ascends the throne, the wealth and prosperity of the Cao and Li families will no longer exist. Whether the family can be preserved is still unclear!
Even though Li resented Cao Yin for doting on Wang, the couple gradually became cold to each other, and they both knew the principle that when one prospers, all prosper, and when one suffers, all suffer.
This time, when Li returned to Beijing to report on his work, the Crown Prince was far away in Rehe. All her strategies were useless, so she tried to ask Cao Yin to pass a sign into the palace, hoping that she could have the honor of meeting the Crown Princess...
Cao Yin pondered for a moment and agreed.
Now that she had met the Crown Princess, the first thought that flashed through her mind was astonishment. This demeanor was worthy of a mother of the country. The second thought was surprise. The Crown Princess was so approachable!
Gradually, her timidity and reserve disappeared, and Li became more and more certain that the Crown Princess had good intentions towards the Cao and Li families.
The Crown Princess asked about Yong'er's daily life in detail, what he ate and used on a daily basis, and also asked whether she was living a good life and whether she lacked anything on a daily basis.
Li took a deep breath, suppressed her surging joy, and quickly said with tears of gratitude: "Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort. I don't lack anything. On the contrary, you..."
She lowered her voice and took out a flat box with exquisite workmanship from her sleeve, "This is a small gift from me, please don't refuse it, Your Majesty."
The only person in the palace was the Crown Princess's personal nanny.
After receiving a signal from her master, the nanny took the flat box and presented it to Jingchu. Jingchu turned it around with a curious look in her eyes, and the next moment, the box opened with a click.
Inside was a pile of banknotes.
Her gaze paused slightly, and she lowered her eyelids to count. Even though Jingchu was used to seeing wealth, she was still shocked by the generosity of the Cao family.
A full two hundred thousand taels of silver!
The private money that Yinreng had saved over the years was not as much as this amount.
Seeing Jingchu's astonishment, Li slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and her smile became more respectful.
Although the Crown Princess is from a high-ranking family in the capital, she is far from being comparable to the Cao family. My husband knows best how much financial resources the Guarjia family has. Even if the Emperor and the Empress Dowager add to their dowry, what does it matter
The rewards from the palace are not like cash and cannot be sold. Now is a turbulent time, and so many people are eyeing the position of the Crown Prince's concubine or a princess. Isn't the Crown Princess anxious
Being a queen requires both kindness and power. Speaking of kindness, two hundred thousand taels of silver is like timely help.
Li was thinking this way, and sure enough, the Crown Princess closed the flat box, nodded slightly to her, and said with a smile: "You are thoughtful."
******
Half a month later, at the Rehe Palace.
The horse farm on the west side is built to imitate grassland, and the lake view on the east side is designed to imitate a water town. It is early autumn and the weather is nice, and the scenery is enchanting everywhere.
Kangxi had just recovered from a serious illness and was able to get out of bed and walk, but the crown prince had not returned to the palace for a long time, and memorials to the emperor had piled up in the Forbidden City.
With his instructions, they had been sending the manuscripts to Rehe in quick succession for half a month. However, his hands were still weak and he would tremble when he held the pen, so he threw all the manuscripts to the prince and told him to come back to him if he was unsure about anything.
Yunxiu seemed to have some sense that the emperor seemed to have come to terms with this illness.
…
The prince suddenly fell into a panic, but Kangxi was unusually relaxed.
The victory at Ulan Butong and the capture of Galdan were both great joys that relieved him of his worries. Taking advantage of the fact that the crown prince was unable to spare time, Kangxi enthusiastically took the Imperial Concubine by the hand and asked someone to prepare a stable dragon boat to go boating on the lake.
Yunxiu vaguely knew that Kangxi had his own plans, but her desire to return home became stronger. Little Five and Little Nine were fine, but Little Eleven hadn't seen his father and mother for many days. Could it be that the emperor didn't miss Yinzhen
She was also worried about Concubine Wen and Yunshu, so she had to return to the palace as soon as possible to report that they were safe.
She thought expressionlessly, somehow, the emperor has become addicted to white porridge recently... If she continued to feed him, her sore hands would tremble.
"Not long ago, I sent a letter to Yongshou Palace." Kangxi saw that she was not in a good mood, and hurriedly comforted her, "In three days at most, we will set off to return to the palace."
His eyes fell gently on Yunxiu's belly. He knew that returning to the palace could not be delayed any longer. The army's triumphant return was one reason, and Xiuxiu's pregnancy was another.
His eyes gradually became deeper. The people in the capital had gradually drawn in their fishing lines. It was time to catch them all in one net.
Thinking this way, I felt a little regretful. After returning to Beijing, I would no longer be able to find excuses to ask the Imperial Concubine to feed me. All choices have their pros and cons.
The emperor was feeling disappointed. At this moment, Liang Jiugong came hurriedly and said softly, "Your Highness."
As she leaned over to listen, the Imperial Concubine only vaguely heard a few words: "Tian Di Hui... Huipin... Cao family..."
Yunxiu had an idea. The eldest prince won the battle and captured the leader of the Dzungar Khanate alive. It would be fine if Concubine Hui caused some trouble, but why did the Cao family get involved
After a while, Kangxi said in a deep voice: "What did the Crown Princess tell the Crown Prince?"
Liang Jiugong was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "The Crown Princess wrote a letter, saying that the 200,000 taels of silver should all be used as the little princess's dowry."
Kangxi was also stunned.
After a pause, he moved his lips and asked in a low voice, "Did the prince reply?"
"The prince praised this move very much... and said that two hundred thousand taels were not enough." Liang Jiugong racked his brains to recall, "But he finally asked in return, if the imperial concubine gave birth to a little prince, wouldn't the Cao family's wealth be wasted?"
"…" Kangxi said slowly, "He cares more about whether the baby is a boy or a girl than I do."