Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The two of them chatted about Consort Min…

The two of them chatted about Consort Min. Just as Consort Min was about to leave, a palace maid announced the sudden arrival of Lady Guaerjia. Wen Shan and Consort Min exchanged a glance, and Wen Shan slapped her forehead in frustration: "I've been so busy having fun these past few days that I forgot about this young lady."

They were already here. Lady Wang, who had come with her, had already been granted the title of Consort by the Emperor, but Lady Guaerjia remained unattended, with no word of either being canonized or exiled. It's no wonder she'd been so anxious to come here, leaving the young lady alone like this.

They were about to return to Jiangnan; it would have been a bit excessive to wait until they reached the capital to ask for her return.

Sure enough, Lady Guaerjia had come to see Wen Shan simply to seek an arrangement; otherwise, she'd be living in constant anxiety, unsure of where to stay.

Wen Shan consoled her, saying she'd find a chance to raise the issue with Emperor Kangxi and see what he thought. She wouldn't delay her.

Guaerjia burst into tears, thanking Wenshan with a look of grievance and pity. Finally, she tactfully suggested that she still wanted to enter the palace to serve the emperor and hoped Wenshan could help her. Wenshan couldn't promise her anything. Aside from the daughters of prominent families who were obliged to be included in the harem in the early years, Kangxi's selection of concubines was entirely based on his personal preferences. Especially now that he held absolute power and complete control of the court, Kangxi acted entirely according to his own whims. If Kangxi wasn't interested in her, she wouldn't be able to help. After

Guaerjia left, Concubine Min sighed and said, "Your Highness, I'm sorry to trouble you again." Wenshan

waved her hand. While she was away, she was in charge of the household affairs; who else would do it if she didn't?

And with such a lovely girl, Wenshan wanted to lend a hand and ask questions. If Kangxi wasn't interested, she could send her home while they were still in Jiangnan.

Wen Shan, mindful of this, sent for Kangxi to come for lunch at noon. Wen Shan didn't often send envoys to the Imperial Court, so when Liang Jiugong announced that Concubine Xuan was inviting him, Kangxi knew something was up. After finishing his morning duties, he headed to Wen Shan's place.

Lunch wasn't ready when Kangxi arrived, and Yinzhen and Yinsi were still in class.

Wen Shan hadn't expected Kangxi to arrive so early, and she was busy working on the sachet she had begun embroidering a few days earlier. Before Kangxi could call in, he saw Wen Shan sitting cross-legged on the couch, sighing over her needlework.

Could a human have embroidered this?

Were her hands not actually hands?

Wen Shan lifted the embroidery frame, examining it from side to side, unable to figure out what was wrong. How could it look like neither flowers nor grass?

This was the biggest blemish in her career as a master craftsman at the Xianfu Palace.

Wen Shan was furrowing her brow, pondering how to improve it, when she heard a man's laughter behind her.

She started, then turned to see Kangxi, hands behind her back, observing her masterpiece with great interest.

Wen Shan hurried down from the couch and was about to greet him when Kangxi helped her up.

"What is your Highness embroidering?" Kangxi picked up the embroidery frame and examined it carefully for a moment, unable to make out anything.

What was this patch of green, with a few hints of red and a touch of yellow ?

Wen Shan forced a smile: "It's a painting of blossoming flowers and prosperity."

"..."

"Well, your Highness's skills need improvement." Kangxi couldn't help but smile, holding up his tea to hide his laughter.

Wen Shan looked at him resentfully. It wasn't a gift for him, so why was she commenting on it?

He might not even be as good as her embroidery!

Kangxi smiled enough before saying: "What brings you here to see me?"

Kangxi had taken the initiative to mention Wen Shan, and she followed suit, saying: "I would like to ask Your Majesty what should be done with the Guarjia family who came here with Concubine Mi?"

Guarjia family?

Kangxi genuinely hadn't remembered this person. Thinking carefully, he remembered that the Jiangsu governor had indeed sent two women.

Kangxi had never met the Guarjia family before, so when Wen Shan asked, he put down his tea and asked, "What do you think, Concubine?"

Kangxi studied Wen Shan's expression, seeing her brows slightly furrowed in a look of distress. He had been doting on Concubine Mi lately, and he wondered if Wen Shan might be feeling more resentful than before, unwilling to allow the Guarjia family into the palace.

Wen Shan was indeed troubled. Of course, she didn't want such a lively and lovely girl to waste her life in the palace, but the Guarjia family had made their intentions clear, and it was difficult for her to interfere with someone else's decision.

So Wen Shan could only tentatively ask, "Why don't you meet the Guarjia sister and decide?"

She decided to let Kangxi decide for himself.

Unexpectedly, Kangxi waved his hand and said indifferently, "Even if she enters the palace, she will only be a low-ranking concubine. You are a noble consort, so it's fine for you to decide."

"..."

Wen Shan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to respect Guaerjia's wishes.

"I think the Guaerjia sister is beautiful and charming, well-educated and well-mannered. If she enters the palace, she will definitely serve the emperor well."

Kangxi did not comment, simply telling Wen Shan to decide.

Wen Shan had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask Kangxi what rank he would assign her, whether there would be a title, as she couldn't decide on such matters.

For some reason, Kangxi's attitude turned cold again, and

he finally agreed to give her a title of "accompanying concubine." Wen Shan, observing Kangxi's stern expression, thought that his erratic assessment of Yinzhen was more suitable for him.

Emotional stability is indeed a rare quality.

Fortunately, the awkward silence didn't last long, as Yinzhen and Yinsi returned.

The two brothers didn't expect to run into the emperor here. Seeing that they brought back a lot of things, Kangxi was curious about what they bought, so he waved Yinsi to come over and show it to him.

Yinsi obediently introduced the little gadgets they bought to Kangxi one by one, while Yinzhen stepped forward and reported to Kangxi the matter of Tian Wenjing truthfully.

This was also the result of a discussion between Yinzhen and Yinsi on the way back. The emperor would find out about this incident on the street sooner or later, so it was better to tell the truth first and help Tian Wenjing as well.

Kangxi was playing with a small wooden sculpture, and raised his eyes and hummed when he heard it.

"Tian Wenjing?"

Wen Shan was also surprised when she heard it from the side. This was too coincidental. Yinzhen went out for a walk and happened to run into his future confidant?

Yinsi and Yinzhen looked at each other. They didn't expect that Kangxi would have an impression of Tian Wenjing.

Tian Wenjing was a Jinshi in the 22nd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign. Emperor Kangxi had met him once during the palace selection, but at that

time, Emperor Kangxi did not like this stubborn young man. To put it nicely, he was a loyal minister, but to put it bluntly, he was a fool who did not know how to advance or retreat and was always reckless.

But Tian Wenjing did have some talent.

So Emperor Kangxi sent him to a place outside the capital to start as a county magistrate, hoping to give him some experience and temper his temper. Moreover, Tian Wenjing's personality was also suitable for being in charge of local affairs and benefiting the people.

Today's incident seemed to confirm Emperor Kangxi's thoughts.

Tian Wenjing was indeed a good official who was dedicated to serving the people.

However, Emperor Kangxi did not say anything in front of Yinzhen and Yinsi, only saying that he knew about it and would send someone to investigate.

As long as Kangxi saw such a case of abusing power for personal gain and oppressing the people, he would not ignore it, so Yinzhen was relieved.

As expected, the matter was settled before Kangxi left Suzhou. Kangxi personally investigated and confirmed that Jiangsu Governor Gao Su had committed several serious crimes, including partiality, abuse of power, and disregard for human life. He immediately dismissed Gao Su from his post and investigated him. His brother-in-law Zhao Ying also had several murder cases on his hands and was immediately executed along with his brother-in-law.

Kangxi's style was to act with swift and decisive action. With thundering measures, he quickly rectified the officialdom of Suzhou. As a result, Suzhou had changed before many Suzhou officials could react.

As for Tian Wenjing, Kangxi seemed to have deliberately ignored him. He did not give him any rewards or even mentioned him much.

His colleagues felt sorry for him. It was such a great opportunity to show his face in front of the emperor, but he missed it.

Tian Wenjing, on the other hand, was not surprised by the praise or criticism and did not care at all.

He was doing his duty as a county magistrate and there was really no need to reward him.

The emperor was clear about rewards and punishments, so there was no problem.

However, he did owe a debt of gratitude to the Fourth and Eighth Princes this time. If they hadn't spoken to the Emperor, he would have been in trouble, losing his official hat or even his life.

In November, Kangxi began his journey back to the capital, and by the end of November, the nearly three-month southern tour had finally concluded.

Upon returning to Xianfu Palace, Wen Shan threw herself on her bed for a while; home was truly the comfort.

After a nap, Wen Shan woke up and, along with Zhenzhu and the others, divided the gifts they had brought back and prepared them for delivery to the various palaces. Yinzhen and Yinsi, enjoying a rare day off from the Shangshufang, sat on the couch playing chess.

Not only had the Emperor not lost any of his men on this southern tour, but there were two more. News of this kind spread quickly, and even before Wen Shan returned to the capital, the palace knew the Emperor had brought back two new concubines, one in particular, a beloved concubine.

After returning to the palace, Kangxi specifically designated Changchun Palace for Concubine Mi to reside in solitude, while Guaerjia was granted the title of "Yingyi" and allowed to live with Concubine Rong.

During the three months since Wen Shan's absence, the palace has undergone significant changes. Concubine Nianhulu, concerned about the Tenth Prince's inherent frailty, reconciled with Concubine Yi to seek advice on raising a child, and the two are now very close. Concubine De, having taken advantage of Kangxi's absence to recuperate and recover from the successive misfortunes of her father and brother, has now regrouped and is preparing to return to her position as a favored concubine. Furthermore, Concubine Hui, for some unknown reason, has formed an alliance with Concubine De, and the two have engaged in a series of public battles against Concubine Nianhulu.

Initially, everyone was unsure of the newcomer's ways, so after her return, no one took action against Concubine Mi. Of course, another reason was that Kangxi, after his return, had also shown considerable favor to Concubine Mi, and no one was so foolish as to provoke him, given his high spirits.

After Defei recovered, she took the Sixth Prince to the Hall of Mental Cultivation several times. With her usual gentleness and meekness, she cried a few times and apologized to Emperor Kangxi, and gradually she was no longer treated coldly.

So the situation in the harem became that Concubine Nianhulu held the palace power, had a son and was favored, and was the top one. Concubine Yi had three princes and was always favored, which could not be ignored. However, in recent days, these two have been trying to join forces and have a good relationship. Defei and Huifei, the two with rich experience, formed a faction. Concubine Tong and Concubine Ding continued to form a stable alliance. In addition, there was the newly favored Concubine Mi.

On the afternoon of the day she returned to the palace, Wen Shan brought a lot of bags to visit the two ancestors in the Cining Palace.

The Fifth Prince also went on the southern tour this time. The Empress Dowager missed her eldest grandson very much after not seeing him for three months, and she hugged the Fifth Prince tightly and refused to let go.

The Grand Empress Dowager looked better than before. Although Wen Shan had passed away, she had left the recipe for the medicinal food in the small kitchen of the Cining Palace, instructing her to prepare it daily. The Grand Empress Dowager had even sternly scolded her for wasting her time on an old woman instead of paying attention.

Before entering the house, Wen Shan secretly inquired with Su Malagu, and learned that despite her constant complaints, the Grand Empress Dowager actually ate the medicinal food daily.

"You've really changed since you were in the palace after a few months away. You look much more energetic." The Grand Empress Dowager observed Wen Shan and raised her hand to invite her to sit.

Wen Shan leaned forward, hugged the Grand Empress Dowager's arm, and said, "Grandma, can you see if I've lost weight from all the hard work?"

"What's the point of losing weight? I think I've gained weight!"

Wen Shan said playfully, "I see you've gained some weight too. It's a good thing we can grow together."

The Grand Empress Dowager laughed and poked her forehead.

"You, I really don't know what to say to you."

The Empress Dowager also said, "Thanks to you for taking care of Yinqi during this southern tour, I see that Yinqi has grown quite a bit."

The Fifth Prince nodded vigorously in the Empress Dowager's arms, chattering about how many delicious meals he had eaten and how many fun things he had along the way.

"What are all these things you brought here?"

The Grand Empress Dowager looked around. The things Wen Shan had brought piled up on the table.

Wen Shan smiled and said, "These are some small toys that Yinzhen and Yinsi brought for the two ancestors. They were all carefully selected by the two children."

"Yinqi also brought back some and just showed them off to us." The empress dowager touched the fifth prince's head and said, "Our children are all filial."

The fifth prince grinned and said, "Fourth brother and eighth brother always take me to play together. We have a lot of fun playing in Jiangnan."

After that, he tugged at the empress dowager's clothes and asked with his head tilted up, "Grandmother, can I bring Hei Dou and Hei Qiu to Xianfu Palace to play with fourth brother and eighth brother?" "

Okay, go ahead."

The empress dowager waved her hand helplessly. The older this child gets, the harder it is to control.

After watching the Fifth Prince run off, the Grand Empress Dowager asked, "Why didn't you bring Yinzhen and Yinsi with you today?"

"They're tired from the long journey, and they're still asleep. I didn't want to wake them up," Wen Shan said with a wink and a smile. "It's just right for the Fifth Prince to wake them up."

Yinsi was fine, but Yinzhen's morning grumpiness was renowned, even the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager had heard of it. The

Grand Empress Dowager was left with a mixture of laughter and tears: "You really are... Never mind. Let these children fend for themselves."

"By the way, I heard the Emperor brought back a Consort from this southern tour?" The Grand Empress Dowager took a sip of her tea and brought up the matter.

Wen Shan nodded: "And a Guarjia concubine."

"That's nothing, but it's that Wang, a Han woman, whom Xuanye dotes on so much." The Empress Dowager, somewhat dissatisfied, said, "Wenshan, keep a close eye on her to make sure nothing happens."

What could she do if Kangxi favored a Consort?

So Wen Shan could only say, "The Emperor knows what's going on and never loses his composure in matters of the harem."

The concubines in the harem were merely a sideshow for Kangxi; most of his energy was focused on the former court, a veritable king of whirlwinds.

Even so, he still managed to produce so many children; Wen Shan was completely impressed by his energy.

Truly a man of both former and harem thriving.

The Grand Empress Dowager seemed unconcerned and stretched her shoulders. Seeing this, Su Malagu immediately began to massage the Grand Empress Dowager.

"The Emperor is human, too, and humans have emotions," the Empress Dowager said. "As the ancients said, lust can blind the mind. Even the most brilliant and intelligent Emperor can lose his mind sometimes. Even heroes struggle with beauty, right?"

Wen Shan muttered softly, "There's nothing I can do about it." The Empress Dowager

glanced at her helplessly and said, "I'm not asking you to do anything. Just keep an eye on the Emperor and make sure he doesn't get too out of line."

She was well aware of Wen Shan's abilities and didn't expect her to do anything. Besides, other concubines would inevitably stir up trouble when it came to Concubine Mi's affairs.

The Grand Empress Dowager waved her hand and said with a smile, "The Emperor himself makes the final decision. I think we shouldn't worry about it."

Wen Shan nodded. The Empress

Dowager could only reluctantly agree.

After that, the Empress Dowager teased Wen Shan again.

"I heard that the Emperor favored you for a while on the way to Jiangnan?"

Wen Shan tapped her toes, finding it incredibly embarrassing to bring up such a matter in front of her elders.

The Grand Empress Dowager glanced at her and said slowly, "Since Wang Shi arrived, she's been forgotten. She's useless."

"..."

After finally escaping from the Cining Palace, Wen Shan felt completely humiliated.

Fortunately, no one in the harem paid much attention to her; all eyes were on the new favorite, Concubine Mi. Concubine

Yi and Concubine Niohuru had been seeing each other frequently lately, and when Wen Shan returned to the palace, their gatherings had turned into a three-way chat.

Wen Shan was also widely recognized within the palace as a skilled parent, so Concubine Niohuru humbly sought her advice.

Since the birth of the Tenth Prince, Concubine Niohuru had indeed changed considerably. No longer fixated on vying for favor, she now focused heavily on the Tenth Prince, and her demeanor had become much gentler.

That day, Concubine Niohuru arrived at Xianfu Palace again, carrying the Tenth Prince and summoning Concubine Yi and the Ninth Prince to join her.

"Sister Niohuru has been so free lately," Concubine Yi teased the already amused Tenth Prince, "When the Emperor first returned, I thought you'd be busy serving him."

Concubine Niohuru scoffed, "Right now, Concubine De is busy clashing with Concubine Mi. It's a rare opportunity for me to have some free time."

Once she had a feel for Concubine Mi and realized her soft nature and lack of ideas, Concubine De acted decisively.

"Concubine Mi is new and young, so she looks rather pitiful," Concubine Yi added, adding a sarcastic remark.

Wen Shan, cutting pastries with a knife, said, "Then you can help her?"

"No, I'm not that kind-hearted, nor am I that free."

Little Nine and Little Eleven were enough to keep her busy.

Concubine Niuhulu wiped the saliva from the kicking Tenth Prince and said, "I have something to tell you, but don't let anyone else know."

Wen Shan perked up at the thought of gossip, and Concubine Yi urged her to speak quickly.

After whetting Wen Shan and Concubine Yi's appetites, Concubine Niuhulu said, "Noble Lady Mi's favor is somewhat similar to Empress Xiaocheng."

Empress Xiaocheng, Hesheli, was Kangxi's first empress. She married the twelve-year-old Kangxi in his fourth year of Kangxi's reign and died in childbirth in his thirteenth year.

Wen Shan had never met Empress Hesheli, and Concubine Yi, who entered the palace only in the 16th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, had never met the empress. Logically, Niohuru, who entered the palace even later, would have been less familiar with Empress Hesheli. However, Empress Hesheli's grandfather, Soni, and Concubine Niohuru's father, Ebilun, were both among the four regents of Kangxi's early years. They were both prominent Manchu noblewomen. Although Concubine Niohuru was younger, she had been associated with the Hesheli family since childhood, following her elder sister, Kangxi's second empress, Empress Xiaozhao.

Thus, they met during their time together.

Later, Empress Hesheli and Empress Niohuru entered the palace at about the same time, though the throne ultimately went to the Hesheli family.

"Empress Xiaocheng and my elder sister, Empress Xiaozhao, were close friends, so as a child, I often accompanied my sister to the Hesheli household," Niohuru lamented. "Thinking about it now, it seems like a lifetime ago. I never expected they both died young in their prime." Concubine

Yi pondered, puzzled.

"Though there aren't many concubines in the palace who've met Empress Hesheli, there are some who haven't. For example,

Concubine Rong entered the palace early and stayed with Empress Hesheli for years. How come no one has spread this rumor?" Furthermore, Concubine Rong was on this southern tour. If it was really because Concubine Mi resembled Empress Hesheli, then given Concubine Rong's personality, she would have cried foul long ago.

This thought piqued Concubine Yi's curiosity, and she asked Wen Shan what Concubine Rong's reaction was when she first met Concubine Mi.

Wen Shan thought about it and didn't see any special reaction. It was similar to the first group of women sent there.

Could it be that Empress Hesheli had passed away so long ago that Concubine Rong had forgotten what she looked like?

Concubine Nianhulu was in good spirits today. Rocking the Tenth Prince's cradle, surrounded by a pile of toys, she said, "It's not that they look alike, but their temperaments are a little similar, but some of their behaviors are very similar. Rong Fei and the others were just concubines back then, so how could they have been so close to the Empress? It's normal they didn't know."

Even Concubine Nianhulu only remembered Empress Hesheli when she happened to run into Concubine Mi in the Hall of Mental Cultivation while paying her respects to

Emperor Kangxi. She only remembered how she served tea and ground ink. There were still a few people in the palace who had met Empress Hesheli, but Concubine Nianhulu, her childhood playmate, was probably the only one who knew her well. Although Concubine Ping was Empress Hesheli's younger sister, the age difference between them was significant. Empress Hesheli entered the palace shortly after Ping was born, so naturally, she wasn't familiar with her elder sister.

Empress Hesheli had long since passed away, and Concubine Mi was a newcomer of humble origins with no connections. Concubine Nianhulu didn't think Concubine Mi was deliberately imitating the late Empress, but simply lamented that it was unbelievable that someone in the world could share such similarities in certain behaviors.

Wen Shan sensed something was amiss as she listened. Could this be the plan Yinzhen and Yinsi had come up with?

In the evening, Yinzhen and Yinsi returned from the Shangshufang. Wen Shan ordered the palace maids to go down and catch them to ask if they had deliberately let Concubine Mi imitate the late Empress.

Yinzhen and Yinsi had not expected to be discovered, even though there had been no rumors in the palace until then. It

was not until Wen Shan said that it was Concubine Nianhulu who had discovered it that Yinsi suddenly realized that they had missed Concubine Nianhulu, who had known Hesheli since childhood.

This plan was first proposed by Yinsi. In the previous life, Concubine Mi was also very favored. He vaguely heard his mother mention that the Emperor had praised Concubine Mi for having a personality similar to that of Empress Hesheli and a certain charm in her temperament.

Although it is unknown why the Emperor seems to have little interest in Wang in this life, since she already looks a bit like Empress Hesheli, it would be a good idea to go all the way.

Yinsi said that he was helping Wenshan manage the palace affairs and knew that there was a maid who had served Empress Hesheli and was now accompanying her on the southern tour. It would be better to let her give Wang some pointers. She didn't need to learn much, just one or two similarities would be enough. Any more would be deliberate.

Yinzhen also thought this method was good. It would not be easy to be discovered and would not be investigated. It was just two similarities in behavior.

So the two of them hit it off and did it. As expected, Wang,

who already had a bit of a resemblance to Empress Hesheli and now had a few more similarities in appearance, suddenly became favored.

Wenshan was a little worried after hearing this. Since Concubine Nianhulu had seen it, would Kangxi, who was so suspicious, become suspicious?

Yinsi reassured Wenshan, smiling, "Newcomers to the palace are supposed to be guided by a palace maid. That maid was originally assigned to teach Consort Mi, and it just so happened that she was assigned to teach Consort Mi."

Furthermore, according to Yinsi's intelligence, Kangxi had already investigated the matter.

Yinzhen said, "Since the Emperor hasn't pursued the matter, then it's all over."

Wenshan was relieved to hear Yinsi's words.

Kangxi's favor for Concubine Mi continued until the following spring, until Concubine Nianhulu and Concubine Min were diagnosed with pregnancy one after another, and then Kangxi shifted his interest from Concubine Mi to these two.