Chapter 33 Chapter 33 The concubines brought along on this southern tour…

Not many were brought along on this tour. The Imperial Noble Consort was ill and couldn't travel long distances, and Noble Consort Nianhulu was worried about the Tenth Prince, who was less than a year old. Since these two high-ranking concubines couldn't go, Wen Shan had to go.

This was Kangxi's first southern tour since ascending the throne. Besides inspecting government affairs and understanding the people's sentiments, he also wanted to showcase the harmony of the imperial family, the loving father and filial son. Kangxi, now without an empress, needed a high-ranking concubine to hold the fort.

"We'll go all the way south to Suzhou. Suzhou and Hangzhou must be beautiful at this time," Wen Shan said as she packed her things, chatting with Yinzhen and Yinsi.

Xianfu Palace was littered with bundles of all sizes. Yinzhen, holding his forehead, said helplessly, "Mother, we're only gone for two months. There's no need to move our entire family there."

Yinsi, taking advantage of the chaos, ate some pastries nearby and said, "Don't worry about it, brother. Mother won't listen to us."

Mother could take whatever she wanted; she could take it anyway.

Wen Shan, listening to their echoing words, put her hands on her hips and said, "Everything is for you two."

"If you don't take these pillows and bedding, what will you do about your sleep problems when you're away?"

Yinzhen's eyes wandered.

Yinsi, rarely seeing Yinzhen being humiliated, chuckled to himself.

However, Yinsi was no exception to Wen Shan's indiscriminate attacks.

"And you, Yinsi, don't laugh either. If we don't take these cakes and ingredients with us, how are we going to make you food? Will you eat what others cook? You picky eater!"

Yinsi surrendered, decisively acting like a spoiled child as he and Wen Shan packed their belongings.

Besides Wen Shan, only Rong Fei, Duan Pin, Cheng Guiren, and Min Guiren were accompanying them on this southern tour, so all the household duties fell to Wen Shan.

Wen Shan, looking at the overwhelming amount of household chores, looked at Yinsi for help.

Yinsi sighed and honestly took over the task. It was indeed a bit too much for his mother to handle.

On October 1st, they arrived at Mount Tai. Kangxi ascended the mountain to offer sacrifices to the emperor, accompanied by Wenshan and Concubine Rong. Kangxi had brought along the older princes on this southern tour, but the sixth prince was still young and needed his mother's care. Concubine De was recuperating in the palace, so Kangxi left him out.

Wenshan thought to herself that she had never climbed Mount Tai in modern times, and she hadn't expected to accomplish this feat during the Qing Dynasty. Emperors' ascents were naturally cleared for the entire journey. As she climbed, Wenshan thought of the bustling night climbs she'd seen online. Now, aside from soldiers holding flags on either side, the summit was deserted, followed by an entourage of local officials.

As expected, power is always the most effective tool.

After the sacrifices, Wenshan spent a solid day in the palace to recover. Yinzhen and Yinsi, on the other hand, appeared to be full of energy and enthusiasm from beginning to end.

"Mother, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

Yinzhen and Yinsi each massaged her shoulders and legs.

Wen Shan squinted her eyes in enjoyment. "Well, Mother has paid off raising you two."

The three of them were enjoying themselves when Baoquan entered, looking somewhat embarrassed and saying, "Master, Concubine Rong and Noble Lady Cheng are here."

"Come on, just let them in," Wen Shan asked with a puzzled smile. "You look so worried."

Baoquan stepped forward and reported, "Master, you don't know, but the two ladies are here because officials from Shandong have sent the Emperor several women."

Kangxi didn't bring many concubines with him on his southern tour, so it was normal for officials along the way to send women. The women they presented were generally from decent families with clean backgrounds, and some even sent their own daughters or sisters to the palace. This wasn't considered a scandal.

However, it certainly wasn't a good thing for the accompanying concubines.

Everyone had originally thought that the competition outside the Southern Tour would not be as fierce as in the palace, and at least everyone could get a share of the pie

. Now that a few young and beautiful newcomers were sent in, how could the emperor remember them? Rong Fei and Cheng Guiren were the first to get impatient. After they met and discussed it, they came to find Wen Shan.

Since it was about the affairs of the harem and Kangxi's personal affairs, Wen Shan sent Yinzhen and Yinsi out to play. It was better not to let her sons listen to these romantic stories of their own father.

Rong Fei and Cheng Guiren came in and jumped straight into the topic without exchanging a few words.

"I heard that the Governor of Shandong presented several women to the Emperor. Has the Imperial Concubine heard about this?" Rong Fei asked first.

Wen Shan shook her head. She really didn't know about it.

Rong Fei and Cheng Guiren looked at each other helplessly. They were both old people in the palace. Although they knew that Concubine Xuan had never liked to compete for favors, they didn't expect that she would not care to this extent.

"This morning, three new brides moved into the back of the palace," Rong Fei sighed. "I took a look from afar; each one was as fresh and tender as a flower bud."

Wen Shan finally took her snacks after hearing this and asked, "Has the Emperor given them official titles?"

If he had, if they were full-fledged concubines, Yinsi would have informed her, and she would have had to send them gifts according to the proper etiquette.

Concubine Cheng shook her head, "The Emperor is busy inspecting water conservancy projects and hasn't summoned them yet."

Wen Shan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the procedures were in order, it was fine. Whether Kangxi took three or eight brides was of little concern to her.

"Your Highness, we've just left the capital and officials are already offering women. If we reach Jiangnan, wouldn't we have even more?" Rong Fei tactfully told Wen Shan that she had to take care of this matter, otherwise, if they really arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou, where beautiful women abounded, it would be disastrous.

Wen Shan smiled and said, "That's great! The Emperor has been diligently governing the country and hasn't held a beauty pageant in years. If we could have a few more sisters this time, we could have some fun."

"..."

Who needs all that fun?

Wen Shan genuinely thought it would be great to have a few new members in the harem. Otherwise, it would be all about Concubine Niuhulu arguing with Concubine De, Concubine De fighting with Concubine Tong, and Concubine Yi secretly competing with Concubine Niuhulu.

This cycle repeated itself every few months, and Wen Shan was getting a little tired of it.

A few beautiful, young fresh blood would be great. It would give Concubine Niuhulu, the battle-hardened warrior, a new target to fight against Concubine De and Concubine Yi all the time. And yet, Concubine Niuhulu always couldn't get any benefits from them, which made Wen Shan, just a spectator, feel a little sorry for her.

What a typical naive, beautiful, and foolish beauty.

If she hadn't been supported by the Niuhulu clan and hadn't been born with such a pretty face, she would have been eaten alive by Concubine De and her gang long ago.

Wen Shan's expression didn't seem fake, as if she were about to force Kangxi to favor the three women. However, Wen Shan's politically correct, virtuous, and generous attitude left them speechless. So, the two could only smile and exchange a few words before quickly leaving, as if they had eaten a fly. As soon as

Rong Fei and Cheng Guiren left, Yinzhen and Yinsi emerged from the inner hall behind.

"Didn't I tell you two to go out and play?" Wen Shan asked helplessly, wondering when the two brothers had sneaked back.

Yinzhen said, "Don't be angry, Mother. I'm the one who's worried about you."

Rong Fei and Cheng Guiren arrived with such force that Yinzhen worried Wen Shan would be led astray and fall into a trap. Yinsi, however, wasn't worried. Mother had always been able to manipulate people with little effort. She might not be good at manipulating people, but she was a master at playing dumb. For example, today, he and his fourth brother could barely contain their laughter as they listened from behind.

It's a pity that we can't see the expressions of Concubine Rong and Noble Lady Cheng, they must have been very interesting.

Wen Shan's heart softened immediately when she saw Yinzhen said he was worried about her, and she kneaded Yinzhen's little face.

"Oh my dear son, how can you be so considerate."

Yinzhen blushed as Wen Shan held him in her arms. He was so old, why did his mother still...

Never mind, as long as his mother was happy.

However, Yinzhen still muttered in a low voice that this was not proper.

Yinsi snorted coldly on the side. He was obviously enjoying his mother's hug, but he was still being stubborn.

So Yinsi also squeezed in for a hug, and Wen Shan was overjoyed.

"How old are you, and you're still jealous of your brother?"

Yinsi was furious. Fourth brother was older than him now, and his mother still doted on him. Why was he not the same when it came to him? If

she had known, she would not have told her mother that he was reborn.

After a while, Wen Shan finally got down to business and asked Yinsi if he knew about what Concubine Rong said.

When Yinsi was in the palace, he would help Wenshan with some of the palace affairs. Yinzhen knew this too. His younger brother was precocious and attentive, while his mother was always confused about these matters. So in Yinzhen's eyes, Yinsi was forced to take on these tasks. Occasionally, Yinzhen would help out.

Yinsi nodded and said, "Indeed, they were sent here this morning. They are all innocent and decent women. The person who sent them said that they had been examined by the Emperor, so they were arranged to stay."

"That's fine. Let's wait until your Emperor returns and sends down the official decree of canonization."

Since Kangxi had given the nod, there was nothing more to say.

Liang Jiugong came by just as the sun was setting.

"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine."

Wen Shan had just finished stewing the ribs when she saw Liang Jiugong arrive. She thought it was an imperial decree to confer a title, so she smiled and said, "Eunuch Liang, please rise. But what are the Emperor's instructions?"

Wen Shan pondered what to give these newlyweds since she hadn't brought any jewelry with her since she was away.

"The Emperor just returned from the riverbank and sent me to tell the Imperial Concubine to come to her place for dinner later."

"I understand what the Emperor meant. I will definitely give you..." Wen Shan was halfway through her sentence when she realized it wasn't an imperial decree to confer a title on the newlyweds, but a decree to dine with her.

Liang Jiugong smiled broadly and said, "Imperial Concubine, please prepare first. The Emperor will be here soon and will stay the night."

After Liang Jiugong left, Wen Shan was confused and said to Zhenzhu, "Why would the Emperor come to our place when he doesn't favor the newlyweds?"

"The Emperor's visit is always a good thing. My lady, don't overthink it," Zhenzhu said with a smile.

Wen Shan waved her hand, sending Zhenzhu off to prepare dinner. Yinzhen and Yinsi returned from a stroll outside, and Yinsi, with his keen nose, immediately smelled the aroma of spare ribs.

"Mother, are we having spare ribs tonight?" Yinsi ran into the room and saw Wen Shan sitting in a chair, lost in thought.

Yinzhen followed her and frowned at Wen Shan's expression. "Mother, what's wrong?"

Wen Shan, startled from her thoughts, smiled and said, "Nothing. Eunuch Liang just came to say that your Emperor will be here for dinner tonight."

Yinzhen and Yinsi were also uninterested. Every time the Emperor came, they had to be restrained. It was much more comfortable when it was just the three of them.

Half an hour later, Kangxi arrived, and dinner was already served. Wen Shan brought Yinzhen and Yinsi to pay their respects to Kangxi. Kangxi was in a good mood that day and smiled as he helped Wen Shan to her feet.

"Everyone, get up! I could smell the delicious food the moment I entered your room." Kangxi and Wenshan entered the room hand in hand. "What delicious food have you prepared?" "

It's just some home-cooked meals. The temporary palace is different from the palace, so Your Majesty can only be a little humble."

Kangxi initially thought Wenshan was being polite, but after he started eating, he realized she was being modest.

The dishes looked simpler than those in the palace, but the taste was incomparable.

And the taste reminded him of the food box Wenshan had sent to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which had amazed him the most.

Kangxi ate with great satisfaction, eating much more than usual. After dinner, he tested Yinzhen and Yinsi on their studies before dismissing the two children.

"Did the imperial concubine prepare today's dinner herself?" Kangxi asked casually, taking a sip of tea.

Wen Shan didn't think much about it and smiled and said, "My cooking skills are simple, fortunately the emperor doesn't mind."

Kangxi twirled his ring and nodded. What else could he not understand now? This was the dish Wen Shan made herself. She didn't know where she got the ones she ate in Xianfu Palace to please him.

Wen Shan rarely went out these days and had been so busy enjoying the scenery that she had forgotten about this matter. Naturally, she couldn't bring the chef from Xianfu Palace with her on the southern tour. Yinzhen and his brother had been picky eaters because of her. They could not eat much of what others made. Wen Shan rolled up her sleeves and cooked it herself as usual.

She didn't expect to be exposed in front of Kangxi like this.

But Kangxi didn't get angry and continued to talk to her calmly, so Wen Shan didn't react at first.

"I heard that Concubine Rong came today?" Kangxi asked again after drinking some tea.

Wen Shan said, "Concubine Rong and Noble Lady Cheng came to talk to me."

Kangxi put down his book and pressed the issue, "Really? What did they talk about?"

About your concubine, who wasn't even married yet.

Wen Shan smirked, "Just some women's affairs, nothing to worry about."

The candlelight flickered, the sparks popping slightly. Kangxi's expression was a bit cold in the dim light, and the imperial awe and indifference slowly permeated him.

Even Wen Shan, slow to react, finally noticed that something was amiss with Kangxi.

She began to think quickly about what she had said, but after a long while, she couldn't come up with a clear answer.

Kangxi, with a half-smile, observed her distress and asked with rare patience, "Don't you want to ask me how I'm going to deal with those women?" As expected

, nothing could be hidden from Kangxi.

He probably already knew everything that Concubine Rong and Noble Lady Cheng had said to her.

Even in Xianfu Palace, she would have to be more cautious. After all, Yinsi's status was special, and she would have to remind him to be more careful in the future so that Kangxi wouldn't notice.

In reality, Wen Shan's worries were completely unnecessary. Xianfu Palace was tightly managed by Yinsi and Yinzhen, and Kangxi only knew what Rong Fei and Rong Fei had said today through someone close to Rong Fei.

"It's normal for the Emperor to confer titles on concubines, but now that we're out there, we're inevitably going to have to put some of my sisters in a difficult position," Wen Shan said, as usual.

But this time, it didn't seem to have much of an effect. Kangxi's face remained composed, and he gave a lazy "hmm," without commenting.

While Kangxi appeared calm, his heart was in turmoil, and he was nearly driven to death by Wen Shan.

While he disliked jealousy and turmoil among his harem concubines, wasn't Consort Xuan a little too cold?

He was unhappy about Concubine Rong and Noble Lady Cheng making irresponsible remarks about this matter, but he was even more angry about Wen Shan's attitude of not taking him seriously at all.

Now that he thought about it carefully, Wen Shan was just being perfunctory under her well-behaved appearance.

She didn't care who he favored, even having others cook for him instead of cooking for him herself!

Every time he visited Xianfu Palace, he'd praise her cooking skills. Now that he thought about it, it was ridiculous.

It severely dampened his competitive spirit, both as an emperor and as a man.

The more angry Kangxi became, the calmer he seemed. He slowly picked up his book again and said, "I've been busy inspecting the water conservancy program lately and haven't had time to deal with this. Send those women back tomorrow."

Wen Shan looked up at Kangxi in surprise.

Was she possessed by some foul spirit?

He had already nodded and sent her to the palace, yet she refused to accept them?

As Kangxi watched Wen Shan's eyes twitch, unable to come up with any solution, he could only lower his head and agree, only to suddenly think that teasing her would be fun.

So, starting the next day, Kangxi stayed with Wen Shan for the better part of a month. Rong Fei and Duan Pin never visited her once.

Rong Fei and the others, who had been happy that Kangxi had rejected the women, were practically ripped to pieces when they saw Wen Shan's exclusive favor.

It seems like this is worse than being in the palace!

At least in the palace, the Emperor treated her fairly, and he could sleep with her once or twice a month.

But now, the Emperor is with Concubine Xuan all day long. And she has the highest rank here, and the Emperor dotes on her, so no one dares to say anything.

Wen Shan has also been feeling that Kangxi is possessed by a demon.

Recently, Kangxi has been asking her to accompany him on the road, and to sleep with him at night. It seems that he dotes on her, but in reality, only Wen Shan knows that Kangxi's attitude towards her is worse than before in the palace. He

bothers her and wants her to stay close to him. Isn't that crazy!

After leaving Shandong for the southern tour, Wen Shan took a boat trip. Finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief and stop traveling back and forth.

She found time to find Yinsi to discuss what was going on. Yinsi has been pondering this matter for a while. There must be something wrong when things are abnormal, especially for someone as deep-minded and unpredictable as the Emperor. There must be a reason for such behavior.

Yinsi pondered the matter, finally recalling the dinner.

"Mother, have you forgotten that when the Emperor came to dine at the palace, you always asked Master Xing to prepare the meal, and the Emperor always assumed you cooked it yourself," Yinsi reminded her. Wenshan

slapped her forehead. How could she have forgotten?

It was over, it was over. This would have deeply offended Kangxi.

Seeing Wenshan's anxious expression, Yinsi quickly soothed her, "Mother, don't worry too much. Since the Emperor hasn't gotten angry directly, there's still room for maneuver. He's summoning you daily to his palace just to make the other concubines, and even those in the palace, jealous."

A quick thought made sense. The Emperor's exclusive favoritism toward Mother would not only be known to the accompanying ladies, but would also quickly spread back to the palace. Mother had always disdained competition for favors and kept a low profile in the harem. The more Mother avoided being involved in the chaos, the more the Emperor forced her into it.

... Revenge, his vengeful nature was too strong!

Wenshan held her forehead.

Yinsi continued, "Secondly, since the Emperor knows that you are not attentive to him and are unwilling to serve him, so..."

Wen Shan understood without Yinsi finishing his words.

To put it bluntly, Kangxi is now competing with her, and he will not give in to her no matter what she likes.

Wen Shan doesn't like to compete for favor with the concubines in the palace, so Kangxi favors her alone, forcing her into the circle of competing for favor. Wen Shan is perfunctory to him and doesn't want to see him, so he asks her to accompany him every day.

In short, there is only one purpose, which is to make Wen Shan's life uncomfortable.

"Mother, are you okay?" Yinsi asked cautiously, looking at Wen Shan's empty expression.

The Emperor is such a petty and domineering person, who knows how to torture others. In the previous life, even his son suffered greatly from it, not to mention his mother, a concubine in the harem.

Wen Shan stared up at the sky in silence, saying wearily, "It's all right."

Yinsi frowned. "Mother, I've thought about it, and the only solution for now is to put you in a difficult position. Once we reach Jiangsu, officials will naturally offer women. As you may know, the Emperor's beloved concubine, Consort Mi, is the daughter of a Jiangsu official on this southern tour."

Consort Mi's appearance would naturally draw the Emperor's attention away.

Yinsi, noticing Wen Shan's worried expression, ran over and slid into her arms, hugging her.

"Don't be sad, Mother. I will urge Fourth Brother to ascend the throne quickly so you can become Empress Dowager, and you won't have to endure all this hardship."

"…"

So, he was just waiting to harass his Fourth Brother.

But being Empress Dowager, ahem, it was certainly quite nice.

But Kangxi was too impatient, and the journey was still a bit far, so Wen Shan could only count the days until they'd reach Jiangsu.

Kangxi found her daily chin resting on the windowsill, staring out, somewhat amusing.

"What are you looking at all day? What's so beautiful about these flowing streams?"

She wondered when Concubine Mi would show up to rescue her.

Wen Shan, knowing Kangxi's intentions, felt less afraid of him. Was he just trying to harass her? She was already a laid-back person, so whatever happened was fine.

"I'm wondering when I can go to Jiangnan," Wen Shan said. "They say Jiangnan has the best scenery, but I've never seen it."

Kangxi thought for a moment. Having grown up on the grasslands, Wen Shan had indeed never seen what Jiangnan looked like.

She leaned against the window sill, her hair tied in a simple bun and dressed in a moon-white dress. She was naturally slender and petite, and today, without makeup, her delicate features were delicate on her fair face. Her hair fluttered gently in the breeze, reminding Kangxi of the day he'd met her in the Cining Palace. He'd thought she looked more like someone from the water towns of Jiangnan than a Khorchin woman.

"Stop looking at me. Come and grind some ink for me." Kangxi, displeased with her idleness, began to order her around again.

Wen Shan sighed and obediently went to work.

I really want to go back to Xianfu Palace to do handicrafts and stay with Yinzhen and Yinsi!

Wenshan waited day and night, and the boat finally arrived in Suqian. Kangxi began to inspect river affairs and summoned officials such as the governor of the river. He was finally busy again, and Wenshan could breathe a sigh of relief.

On the third day in Suqian, Yinsi specifically told her that Concubine Mi had boarded the dragon boat, but she had not yet been canonized.

Wenshan almost cried with joy. The savior has finally arrived!