On the fifth day of February in the 30th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, a conferring ceremony that went beyond previous regulations came quietly as a surprise, breaking the Imperial Noble Consort's unilateral cold war and dispelling the low pressure that had been hanging over Emperor Kangxi's head.
The emperor had promised a grand ceremony of enthronement without any ambiguity. However, his makeup skills were not worthy of the word "grand" and could even be called shabby. Yun Xiu stared at the face in the bronze mirror and did not speak for a long time.
The thick powder made it look snow-white, the slightly curved eyebrows were drawn thick and straight, and the rouge was applied so... it was almost as if it was a monkey's butt.
Obviously his hands were very steady and his movements were very skillful, but after applying makeup, the imperial concubine's beauty was not revealed at all. It was as if he was seeking revenge by making her look ugly.
Just by looking like this when she appeared at the Qianqing Gate, the words "May the Imperial Concubine be blessed with good health" that resounded through the sky would probably be stuck in their throats.
Yun Xiu raised her hand and touched her cheek. Her fingertips were wet and bright red.
This means that half of the box of rouge has been used up.
She sighed softly, then spoke softly, her smile carrying countless sorrows: "Your Majesty, I don't want to scare everyone. As for this makeup technique, who taught you?"
"..." Kangxi became more and more embarrassed as he painted. Finally, he stopped what he was doing, asked the palace maid to bring a basin of hot water, and carefully washed off her makeup.
He put the enamel box on the dressing table, coughed heavily, and avoided the topic: "Ruizhu, if you come, please don't delay the auspicious time."
Nanny Dong wiped away the cold sweat from her forehead and let out a long breath. The queen's reputation was saved.
*******
The wives of princes and royal family members who were lucky enough to watch the ceremony can still recall the scene many years later. The graceful demeanor and outstanding appearance of the Imperial Noble Consort emerge in their minds, and they want to describe it, but they cannot describe even one ten-thousandth of her elegance.
Little did she know that her beauty was almost ruined by the emperor, which led to a tragic disaster. Yunxiu was very worried about it. She never let Kangxi touch the bronze mirror dressing table again, and put all her rouge and black eyebrow in a secret place in the bedroom. She also asked the chief steward indirectly who gave the emperor bad advice.
It would have been fine to treat the enthronement ceremony as a surprise, but the only additional content was a shock. How could those dragon claws, which were used to reviewing memorials and busy with all kinds of affairs every day, be able to do the delicate work of a girl
The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. The Imperial Concubine said anxiously, "The Emperor cares about his appearance, so it's no big deal for him to use the Jade Cream twice a day. But you've seen his makeup skills, so you must not let him learn needlework in the future. Do you understand?"
Needle and thread
Liang Jiugong was horrified: "..."
Liang Jiugong swallowed and quickly responded, "Yes, yes."
The cold war between the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine ended, and everyone in the palace breathed a sigh of relief. This was all thanks to the good idea that the Crown Prince came up with after studying the Hadith so hard.
The person who taught Kangxi the art of putting on makeup was an aunt he specially found, who was famous for her skillful hands in Yuqing Palace.
Everything was arranged properly, and the prince waited for good news from his father. Seeing Yi'enniang being canonized and smiling at his father as usual, the prince felt relieved and became elated. He held Jingchu's hand and said, "I can finally spend more time with you."
Unexpectedly, the next day, memorials were still delivered to the Qianqing Palace. Although the number was much less, memorials were still memorials. The prince's face froze, his eyebrows knitted, and he whispered to Liang Jiugong: "Didn't my plan work? The emperor agreed to my plan."
Liang Jiugong was embarrassed for a moment, and whispered: "My Lord, I really can't make the decision. His Majesty is angry that you ruined the happiness of his and the Empress's boudoir, so, so I am a little worried."
The prince paused, "… What is the joy of the boudoir?"
Liang Jiugong said with a sour tone: "Drawing eyebrows."
The prince suspected that he had heard it wrongly, "Why?"
"Your Highness... His cooking skills are not up to standard, and the Empress does not allow him to do so." He was very good at venting his anger on others.
After a moment of silence, the prince said quietly, "Eunuch Liang, I feel bored staying in the palace. This world is so big, but there is no place for Yinreng to stay. I'm afraid the Queen will not be able to rest in peace even in her grave."
Having said that, he turned around, leaving Liang Jiugong standing there in a daze, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
Why is Emperor Shunzhi involved again
******
When the little princess Wulinzhu was half a year old, the Crown Princess, who had been pregnant for ten months, went into labor in Yuqing Palace.
Because it was the first child, Jingchu's birth was somewhat difficult, but in the end, she was safe. After a day and a night, the eldest son of the prince and the eldest grandson of the current emperor was born. At birth, he was given the name Hongchen by the Empress Dowager.
His generation name is Hong, and his name is Chen. Needless to say, the meaning of the word Chen is very impressive, it even surpasses the word "Zuo" in the name of Prince Rong Yinzuo.
Logically speaking, the eldest grandson of the emperor should have followed the name of the younger generation with the character "日". Long before, Kangxi had enthusiastically picked out single words with beautiful meanings such as "昭", "曦", "晨", "昌", etc. However, before he could pick out the best one, the Empress Dowager took away his right to name him.
In the words of the Empress Dowager, if she could see the Crown Prince get married, if she could see the birth of his legitimate son, and if she could give him a name, she would have no regrets.
The person in contention was his most respected grandmother, and Kangxi had no choice but to give in to his elder's wishes.
At the beginning of the year, the Empress Dowager's hands could no longer hold the bowl and chopsticks, and she could not eat any food. The only thing she could eat was porridge. But at this time, the Empress Dowager's old eyes were bright, as if she had regained her former spirit, and she slowly asked him: "How about the word 'Chen'?"
"Okay!" Kangxi responded without thinking, "Grandson will listen to you."
At Hongchen's third-day bath and full-month celebrations, the Empress Dowager, even though she was leaning on a cane and walking unsteadily, forced herself to attend both.
Just as she said, she had no more worries. In mid-October, the Empress Dowager's health took a turn for the worse and she was bedridden, taking medicine every day.
There was no need for the imperial physician to report back, Kangxi seemed to have some feelings—
The Empress Dowager is about to die and will no longer be able to accompany him.
In the twelfth month of the 30th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, all the masters, big and small, from the Cining Palace and the Forbidden City gathered together, and everyone had a sad look on their face.
The Empress Dowager could not stand, and she held Yunxiu's hand with tears streaming down her face. She kept mentioning "Empress Mother" and Kangxi could not hold back his tears.
"I have lived to this age for a happy event, why am I crying?" The Empress Dowager took a breath and asked Su Malagu to help her get up. She leaned against the soft pillow and half leaned on the bed, smiling with difficulty, "Emperor Taizong and Empress Xiaoduanwen are waiting for me... I am afraid they are getting impatient."
As he spoke, his thoughts gradually drifted away, "Fulin is waiting for me over there too."
Her face was covered with wrinkles and ravines, her gray hair showed the charm of the vicissitudes of life, her expression was calm and open, without any fear. Few people remember the most beautiful woman in Khorchin, but they will never forget her great achievements in supporting two generations of emperors. The court officials respected her and the younger generation loved her.
Her loving gaze swept over the sobbing empress dowager, Kangxi, Yunxiu, the crown prince and the crown princess, as well as the princes and princesses, and her smile became a little more sparse.
A quarter of an hour later, the Empress Dowager dismissed everyone and left Kangxi alone by the bed.
"Xuanye, Baocheng was raised by you personally, and I watched him grow up." The Empress Dowager gradually regained her spirits, propped herself up and said slowly, "He is still young, and it is inevitable that he will make mistakes... If that day really comes, you can beat him and scold him, and never keep it in your heart..."
Xi responded with trembling lips and choked sobs. How could he not know the worries of his ancestors
The scene of brothers fighting each other or fathers and sons becoming estranged will never happen.
"The crown prince is already capable of standing on his own, and my grandson's kingdom will only be handed over to him." He said in a low voice, "And Hongchen."
"Okay, okay." The Empress Dowager closed her eyes in relief, then opened them again, "I still need to talk to you about... the matter of establishing a queen."
Without waiting for the emperor to speak, she whispered, "Although the Imperial Concubine is the Vice Queen, she is still not as good as the Queen. What do you think?"
Kangxi took a deep breath, and then he saw the Empress Dowager smiled kindly: "In that case, Xiaowu and the others will become legitimate sons. With the Crown Prince here, you are afraid that I will worry, and you are also afraid that you are unlucky, right?"
Kangxi raised his head suddenly, and said with red eyes: "Grandmother."
"Over the past few days, I have gradually figured it out," the Empress Dowager looked far away, "It is lonely at the top, and it is rare to find a lover. The Imperial Concubine is completely different from Dong E... It is a blessing to have her by my side."
"Like that she has a tough life and is unlucky in marriage—" She suddenly laughed and said with emotion, "It's all nonsense! Even if it's true, the Imperial Concubine is blessed with great fortune and can certainly suppress you. Look, she raised three princes, and Yinqi fell into the water when he was young but was safe and sound. No one can harm her, and no one can compare to her good fortune."
"Have you forgotten? The Imperial Concubine went to Rehe regardless of everything, and brought the Crown Prince to find the miracle medicine. This is a blessing from God for you." The Empress Dowager became more and more energetic as she spoke. "Her love for you moved God... It also moved me and the Empress Dowager."
It is fortunate that the emperor was able to turn danger into safety. With the queen who brings him good fortune, the country will prosper.
The Empress Dowager took a breath and finally sighed: "She deserves to be called the Empress Dowager by Yinreng."
…
When the imperial physician came in again, he saw the empress dowager with a rosy face and seemed to have suddenly regained strength. Four words emerged in his mind: last gasp of life.
She held the empress dowager's hand, looked at the huge group of younger generations, and gave them instructions one by one with full concern.
Finally, she said, "I do not wish to disturb the peace of my ancestors. After I die, I will not be buried in the mausoleum of Emperor Taizong. Xuanye, I want to be closer to you, to watch my grandson work hard to govern the country and follow the example of the wise rulers of previous dynasties..."
Waves of white light appeared before my eyes, and I seemed to be back in the Horqin grassland, those carefree days of riding horses.
The crying grew louder, and the Empress Dowager smiled and closed her eyes. It was a happy funeral.
The Queen Mother was distraught: "Grandfather!"
The funeral bells rang, the white flags were hung, and the whole country mourned.