Chapter 47 Chapter 47 "Changzai Sochorolo is there..."

"Changzai Sochorolo is there, is everything arranged?"

Yinzhen and Yinsi were playing chess, and Yinxiang was bored playing with the chicken feather shuttlecock that Wenshan had just made. He looked up at the myna who was deep in thought and asked casually.

Changzai Sochorolo was the one who had reported Rong Fei for her friend.

Yinsi made his move, his eyes still fixed on the chessboard: "Don't worry, everything has been arranged, and she will definitely live a safe life in the palace."

Yinzhen pondered the chess game, and said after hearing this: "She is indeed a man of affection and righteousness, who can come forward to expose Rong Fei's crimes for her friend who passed away many years ago. "

Yinsi discovered the fact that Concubine Rong had murdered the heir to the throne when he was flipping through the booklet that the Grand Empress Dowager had left him. Yinsi keenly realized that this was a good opportunity to overthrow Concubine Rong, who was currently the person with the best chance of taking over the custody of the Thirteenth Prince.

It just so happened that Wen Shan hadn't even entered the palace at that time, so she couldn't be implicated in any way.

And it just happened to be a matter of murdering the heir to the throne. Even Yinsi couldn't help but sigh that it was like a pillow falling asleep when he was sleepy, and he encountered it all!

Yinsi always did things if he could avoid showing up himself, so Concubine Suochu Luo thought that it was her friend who had finally helped her find out the truth of the year. She gritted her teeth and rushed to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and knelt directly in front of the door to appeal.

The only variable in this situation was whether Concubine Suochu Luo would offend Concubine Rong for this friend who had passed away many years ago.

Originally, Yinsi had prepared a set of follow-up arrangements to push Concubine Suochu Luo to report. Because the incident had occurred over a decade ago, Yinsi searched the palace for the only person who could report the case, Sochorolo Changzai.

As soon as she heard the news, she rushed to Kangxi and tearfully pleaded her case.

Having helped them so much, Yinsi, with rare kindness, resolved

the matter, ensuring Rong Fei's safety. "Your Majesty, if you have not made provision for Sochorolo Changzai, I'm afraid Rong Fei would have sought revenge once she had recovered." "Yinxiang accidentally plucked a feather shuttlecock from his hand, and immediately hid it behind his back guiltily, trying to cover up his crime.

It had been so long since this happened, so long that Kangxi couldn't even remember the concubine's name or appearance, and Rongfei had been relatively safe over the years, and the Third Prince was older, so Kangxi could only play the game, holding her up high and then putting her down gently. He only fined Rongfei one year's salary, and ordered her to reflect on her mistakes in seclusion, chanting scriptures, praying for blessings, and copying scriptures for the prince she had killed.

Then he praised Sochorolo Changzai, promoted her to a noble lady, and posthumously conferred the concubine a noble lady, and the matter was over.

"It's as expected."

Yinsi was multitasking, taking in Yinxiang's little thoughts, and stretched out his hand to take out the shuttlecock from behind him: "Tsk tsk tsk, you're in trouble, Thirteenth Brother, this was made from feathers collected by my mother for a long time. "

Just a few days after he was treasured, Yinxiang was picking on him.

Yinxiang was caught and became angry: "My eighth brother didn't play chess seriously, no wonder he lost to the fourth brother."

"..."

This really hit Yinsi's sore spot, and the two of them immediately started to fight.

Yinzhen held his forehead helplessly. The eighth brother, who was usually so calm, lost his composure when he met the thirteenth brother.

Wenshan had just returned from Noble Concubine Niohuru. The Rongfei incident had brought out a lot of trouble, and the harem began to settle accounts with this as an excuse. After all, there were many princes who died in infancy in recent years, and miscarriages were endless. Noble Concubine Niohuru said that she would conduct a thorough investigation to rectify the harem's discipline.

Then she called a meeting of the entire harem.

As the only two noble concubines in the palace, Wenshan had to act like one. Fortunately, the concubines in the harem all knew that Noble Concubine Xuan was a person who didn't worry about anything and was as happy as Maitreya Buddha all day long, so Wenshan played the role of a mascot in the whole meeting.

Noble Concubine Niohuru would not assign her any tasks. She took Concubine Yi, Concubine Ping and Concubine Hui came out to thoroughly investigate the miscarriage cases in recent years, and then strengthen the security of the two pregnant women in the palace, Concubine De and Concubine Min.

Naturally, this meeting was full of verbal sparring and ridicule. Although Concubine Rong was not present, she had been ridiculed by many concubines several times.

Wen Shan thought it was still the same old story. The only new thing was that Wang Shi, who entered the palace during the southern tour a few years ago, is still one of the favored concubines in the palace after two or three years. She has been promoted to the rank of concubine.

Concubine Mi is beautiful but has a bad mouth and a quiet temperament. She entered the palace late. What was said today actually had nothing to do with her, but she was also dragged into the meeting.

And there were people who were jealous of her favor and bullied her for not being able to speak, and bullied this poor little white flower in a roundabout way.

Wen Shan couldn't stand it anymore and rolled up her sleeves to leave.

"Concubine Qin, when Concubine Mi entered the palace, Concubine Nala had miscarried for more than a year. How could she be related to her? "Wen Shan was speaking up for Concubine Mi. Concubine Qin was just talking nonsense. Any normal person would know how to put the blame on Concubine Mi for something that didn't make sense.

Upon hearing this, Concubine Mi was so moved that she looked at Wen Shan with tears in her eyes. Wen Shan felt her heart tingle when she saw the tearful and grateful look of this beauty. She thought, no wonder Kangxi liked her. If she were the emperor, she would like her too.

Even Concubine Xuan, who didn't care about anything, couldn't stand it, which showed how ridiculous Concubine Qin's words were. Moreover, people would not think that Wen Shan and Concubine Mi had any friendship in private.

After all, Wen Shan would speak up for someone who was really bullying. So soon, some concubines echoed Wen Shan's words. Concubine Qin's face turned red and white, and she stammered for a long time before she said, "I just felt sorry for Concubine Nara, so I was impatient..."

Concubine Niohuru continued, "Forget it, be more careful with your words in the future, and just apologize to Concubine Mi. "

Princess Qin and Concubine Mi apologized. Concubine Mi was a little flattered and whispered that it was okay.

When Wen Shan finally waited until the meeting was over, Yinxiang had a rare sour face. He ignored Yinzhen and Yinsi and sat aside to repair the shuttlecock.

"What happened to our little Thirteenth? Oh, you look so pitiful." Wen Shan walked over and glanced at Yinzhen and Yinsi who were reading a book on the side, "Did your two brothers bully you?"

Yinsi hurriedly protested: "Mother, it was Thirteenth Brother who broke your shuttlecock. My fourth brother and I are asking him to fix it."

"He is so young. It's not uncommon for him to break things." Wen Shan picked up the aggrieved Yinxiang and coaxed him, "It's okay. It's just a shuttlecock. If you like it, mother will make another one for you. "

Yinsi held his forehead. Mother doted on Little Thirteen too much. No wonder the old people said that the youngest son and the eldest grandson were the most beloved.

Yinxiang apologized to Wenshan obediently, saying that he just played with the shuttlecock because he thought it was beautiful, but he accidentally pulled out a feather. It should have been no big deal, but when he was playing with Yinsi, he held it in his hand and somehow pressed it, breaking the shuttlecock apart.

Wenshan took a look and said it was okay. She would make a few more for Yinxiang to play with when she had time tomorrow.

Yinxiang smiled happily.

Yinxiang doesn't like to be held in arms now. He only sits in Wenshan's arms and is as obedient as a fool.

Yinzhen and Yinsi put away the chessboard and asked, "Mother, is there anyone who is blind enough to make things difficult for you today?"

"How could someone cause trouble for me? "Wen Shan said with a smile, "Although there was a lot of noise about the emperor appointing a queen a few days ago, there hasn't been any follow-up. If I were to ask you, it's because the previous dynasty has been too busy recently and the emperor hasn't been visiting the harem very often, so everyone has started to find things to do for themselves in their spare time."

The previous dynasty was indeed very busy. Soetu and Tong Guogang had already departed for the Qing-Russia border for negotiations and would soon return with the Treaty of Nerchinsk.

Yinzhen and the other two were naturally aware of this and were pleased to see it through.

Soetu's contributions as the principal in charge naturally benefited the Crown Prince, and Kangxi's decision to appoint him was also based on this consideration: the more secure the Crown Prince's position, the better for them given the current situation.

Mother and son chatted for a while when Wenshan suddenly remembered that the cake she had made that afternoon was still frozen in the ice container. It would be too stale if left out until tomorrow, so she hurried to retrieve it.

Outside the window, the moon was high, sparkling with fireflies. Wenshan had planted a wisteria trellis and grapevines in the yard, anticipating the coolness of summer nights. So they all gathered in the yard, enjoying a snack, and Wenshan invited them to play cards.

Nearby hung a painting by Yinzhen and Yinsi, and a palace lantern crafted by Wenshan. The flickering candlelight carried the scent of peonies in the breeze. Looking up, they gazed upon a vibrant expanse of blossoms and lush green leaves, a sky filled with stars. With their mother and brothers at their side, Yinzhen and his companions could not help but wish time had stopped at this moment. This was what life must be like.

...

Within Yanchun Pavilion, the inner hall, deserted for years by concubines, was unusually filled with gifts of all sizes, gifts of consolation and congratulations sent by the harem.

But their owners clearly paid no attention, simply tossing them aside without a care.

A faint glow shone from the courtyard, not from lanterns but from burning paper money.

"Noble Lady, although the Emperor has granted permission for Noble Lady Chang, burning paper money in the palace is still disrespectful. Why don't we go inside?"

Xiaoyun, Noble Lady Sochorolo's personal maid, looked around fearfully, terrified that someone might come in.

"What are you afraid of? Besides you and me, there's no one else in Yanchun Pavilion. Today is Sister Chang's memorial day, and Sister Chang loves the open air above all else. Burning in the house is nothing."

A few days ago, when the story of Concubine Rong's murder of Concubine Chang first broke, several concubines had come to visit her. But when they realized the Emperor was trying to suppress the matter, they gradually stopped coming, and Yanchun Pavilion returned to its former tranquility.

Concubine Sochorolo, with a plain face and unconcerned about the rules, watched the hand-folded paper money burn in the flames, finally dissolving into wisps of smoke that drifted upwards in the wind, a delighted smile on her face. "

This way, Sister should have received it."

Although the Emperor didn't punish Concubine Rong severely, the truth was out. Sister and her unborn child were finally no longer buried in obscurity, and Sister's spirit could finally rest in peace.

Xiaoyun was still terrified, her hands moving faster, determined to finish the burning quickly.

"My dear, we have offended Concubine Rong now, so we should be careful in everything from now on."

"Would I be afraid of her?" The eyebrows of Concubine Sochorolo were illuminated by the firelight, and she said lightly: "Now that my great revenge has been achieved, I am already satisfied. I don't ask for anything else, whether I live or die."

From the moment she decided to expose Concubine Rong, she had already put life and death aside.

One of the guards guarding the gate outside Yanchun Pavilion couldn't help but look inside, poked his brother and said: "Concubine Sochorolo seems to be burning paper money inside."

"Don't worry about it, just pretend you didn't see it." Another guard looked straight ahead, "Remember the master's words and do your own thing."

"I don't know if there is any way out for us two brothers who were assigned here to take care of this noble who has been out of favor with the emperor for a long time." The guard also withdrew his gaze and muttered softly.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll report to the commander and have you transferred elsewhere."

"No, no, I'm naturally willing to serve my master. My master has been kind to us, and I, Tuhaibu, know how to repay his kindness."

Yanchun Pavilion was quiet, and Rong Fei's Zhongcui Palace was also unusually silent.

Concubine Rong had been confined for a year and had to confess her sins before the Buddha daily, burning incense, praying, and copying scriptures. She was exhausted, and the palace servants, seeing their master's displeasure, dared not speak.

"I wonder if this will implicate Yinzhi." Rong Fei knelt before the Buddha, her mind distracted from the worship. She was preoccupied with her son, whom she hadn't seen since the incident.

"I heard that the Third Prince pleaded for the Empress in the Yangxin Palace, but the Emperor refused to see him. It was Princess Rongxian who persuaded the Third Prince to return."

The maid Suqin helped her to her feet. "The Empress has been kneeling for a long time. Rest a while."

No one else was inside Zhongcui Palace, so no one knew whether Rong Fei confessed her sins before the Buddha.

Rong Fei got up and sat down on the soft couch beside her. She looked at the deserted palace and sighed, "Although Yinzhi is a filial child, he is too impulsive when encountering things. Fortunately, there is Rong Xian outside who can take care of him, so I feel more at ease."

Half of the palace maids who were under house arrest in her palace were also sent out.

"Our princess is the most favored by the emperor among all the princesses. The princess just sent someone to bring a message in, saying that Your Majesty does not need to worry about her and the third prince, and that the princess will do her best to deal with it for Your Majesty." Suqin said with a smile.

Rong Fei rubbed her sore knees. Seeing this, Suqin hurriedly knelt down, gently lifted her clothes, and took out the medicinal wine to apply.

"Suqin, do you think this was really an accident?" The more Rong Fei thought about it, the more strange it felt.

Over a decade had passed since this incident, a foolish act committed shortly after she entered the palace. Young and ignorant at the time, she had acted recklessly. Her second son, Saiyin Chahun, suddenly fell ill and died before he was three. She was pregnant at the time, and in deep grief, she gave birth to her youngest son, Changhua, who also died within a month of raising him.

Having lost two children in quick succession, she believed it was retribution for her vile deeds. Concubine Chang also died soon after from a miscarriage. To atone for her mistake, Concubine Rong secretly erected longevity tablets for both mother and child outside the palace, where offerings are still made. After Concubine Chang, she never again tampered with the imperial heir. Unexpectedly,

this first and only misdeed would one day be brought to light.

"Your Majesty, you have been kind to everyone these past few years, focusing solely on nurturing the Third Prince and Princess Rongxian, and have long since given up competing for favor. Who could possibly harm us?" Suqin said hesitantly.

Rong Fei's intuition, grounded in years of experience in the palace, was simply intuition. After pondering for a moment, unable to find any clues, she closed her eyes and said, "Never mind, it's all my fault. It's all good to pay for it. For years, every time I think about this, I've worried about the retribution for Yinzhi and Rongxian. Now, I'll bear the consequences alone."

Not only Rong Fei felt something was amiss, but Kangxi did too.

Why had Rong Fei been in trouble at this very moment?

It seemed too much of a coincidence.

Rong Fei had been a very docile person in the palace for years, never clashing with the other concubines. Kangxi knew immediately that if it was intentional, it was most likely Wen Shan.

She had guessed he would give Yinxiang to Rong Fei's care, so she simply stopped him.

But Wen Shan... she didn't seem like someone with such scheming and manipulative intentions.

Furthermore, this incident occurred in the thirteenth year of Kangxi's reign, before Wen Shan even entered the palace. Rong Fei's actions were very discreet, and if it weren't for the imperial physician, no one would have noticed. It would have been difficult for Wen Shan to make a fuss about it.

So it wasn't quite like that.

Kangxi couldn't help but wonder if it was just a coincidence? Was it a hint from heaven that Yinxiang should stay?

But Kangxi quickly put the matter behind him, as the Battle of Yalu River had already reached a decisive moment.

Due to the Battle of Yaksa with Tsarist Russia, many matters were postponed. Yinxiang continued to be raised in Xianfu Palace, and Kangxi no longer expressed any special care for the palace. However, the Hesheli family was particularly concerned about the revision of the imperial edict. They used the fact that the imperial mausoleum and ancestral temple were undergoing renovations around them as an excuse. The Ministry of Rites submitted a petition stating that many of the imperial princes and princesses in the harem were about to turn six and would need their names officially added to the ancestral temple. However, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, while calculating how to proceed with the renovations, also calculated that

the temple could not be altered until next year, lest the feng shui be disturbed. Since the order of birth could not be added, the imperial edict could not be altered in the temple either.

Kangxi had not expected the Hesheli family to come up with such an idea. Although he did not believe in the theories of celestial influence, he had to say that Soetu had found a good solution. No one in the court, whether civil or military, raised the Empress Dowager's last wish again. After all, no one could bear the responsibility for damaging the feng shui of the imperial ancestral temple.

So, Kangxi agreed to the plan.

Soetu knew how difficult it would be to overturn the Grand Empress Dowager's will, so he could only delay. Every day he could delay was a day, hoping for a change—perhaps something unexpected, like Concubine Xuan committing a crime, passing away, or falling seriously ill—and the matter would be resolved.

Yinzhen and the other two were infuriated when they learned the news.

"That Soetu really knows how to find a way," Yinsi said, tossing the report he had received from below onto the table.

Yinxiang picked it up and examined it carefully, marveling. "It's not easy for him to find such a way."

"That excuse he's found won't last long," Yinzhen said. "It's already difficult to put off a matter like the feng shui of the ancestral temple until next year."

The imperial ancestral temple was a matter of vital importance to the Qing dynasty, and Soetu's boldness in using it as a shield was a testament to his actions. Fortunately, Kangxi and he were on the same page, so they didn't pursue the matter and instead granted his wish.

But as Yinzhen had said, this matter couldn't be delayed for too long. If the celestial phenomena remained unfavorable for the ancestral temple, it wouldn't be a solution.

"That's good. It'll get the Emperor's attention off us for a bit. We can wait until next year." Yinsi rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "We didn't stop them because we felt now wasn't a good time. We should wait until next year, after Soetu returns from negotiations with Tsarist Russia." "

I just didn't expect Soetu to be so bold as to bring this up," Yinxiang said.

Yinzhen brought Yinxiang over. "Well, Thirteenth Brother, how's the birthday present you prepared for Mother?"

"It's been ready for a long time," Yinxiang said proudly.

Wenshan's birthday was in a month, and the three brothers had been preparing for it for half a month.

Yinsi also leaned over and asked, "What have you prepared?"

"I won't tell you."

Wen Shan had been summoned to Yongshou Palace for meetings with Concubine Nianhulu at regular intervals lately. This time, Concubine Nianhulu was determined to seize upon the Rong Concubine incident to identify some prominent figures within the palace. Wen Shan had no choice but to smile, nod, and agree with Concubine Nianhulu's wisdom.

However, Wen Shan also learned a lot from the story.

For example, Concubine Hui and Concubine Rong, two veteran members of the palace, seemed to have had an affair in the past, but fortunately, it was so long ago that they covered it up, allowing the whole thing to go unnoticed.

And Concubine Duan, who seemed so honest, had also been involved in a sexual relationship, targeting Concubine De when she was pregnant with Yinzhen. Wen Shan's jaw dropped when she heard about this matter being uncovered.

In short, Kangxi was busy negotiating with Tsarist Russia in the imperial court, and the imperial harem was also busy negotiating. It was only then that Wenshan realized that Concubine Niohuru was trying to purge the harem. She was simply using this opportunity to initiate a complete purge, both her own and others'. The harem was immediately in turmoil.

Wenshan was daily struck by new gossip and would run back to Yinsi to ask which side was telling the truth.

Even Yinxiang, who had never witnessed such a large-scale brawl between concubines in his two lifetimes, was almost stunned.

Wenshan and Yinxiang were left to watch the show while Yinzhen and Yinsi diligently worked in the imperial court and harem, even having to spare some time to protect Concubine Min, who was pregnant and now at the center of controversy over the plot to murder the heir.

A few months later, in autumn, Concubine De gave birth to her third son, the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen.

After Yinzhen's birth, even Wenshan, who rarely interacted with Concubine De, could sense that Concubine De cared more deeply about her youngest son than she did for the deceased Sixth Prince, Yinzuo.

It seemed as if she poured all her love for the Sixth Prince into this youngest son. If her doting on Yinzuo had a modicum of reason to teach him some lessons, her doting on Yinzhen was truly unbridled.

Even Yinzhen, when he sometimes mentioned this, would shake his head, solemnly expressing his sorrow that his fourteenth brother would become so rebellious, a result of being raised in such unbridled pampering.

Yinsi's feelings for his fourteenth brother were also unclear. Wenshan and the others knew that the Fourteenth Prince was different from the Ninth and Tenth Princes. After Yinsi's fate was finally sealed, he became Yinzhen's rival for the throne, and even the Ninth Prince later sided with him.

Yinsi, however, was indifferent to the matter; by then, he had lost power, and it was natural for his brothers to pursue their own paths.

It's just that the fourteenth brother is more cunning than the ninth and tenth brothers.

The birth of the fourteenth prince in the harem was a happy event, but at that time, a major event also happened in the previous dynasty.

The chief minister Mingzhu was dismissed from his post and investigated.

In the past few years, two consecutive chief ministers, Soetu and Mingzhu, were dismissed one after another, which made many officials panic. In addition to fear, they also realized one thing, that is, if the emperor wants to deal with a minister, no matter how powerful he is, he will be powerless to resist.

So many court officials quietly gave up the idea of betting on the next emperor as the princes gradually grew up.

Mingzhu was dismissed from his post and investigated, on the one hand because he did accept bribes and sell official positions, and on the other hand because he secretly supported the eldest prince in the fight with the prince. Kangxi saw it clearly and was even more angry. When he could no longer tolerate it, he naturally took action against Mingzhu.

In the 27th year of the Kangxi reign, Emperor Kangxi officially stripped Mingzhu of all his titles and official positions. At the age of 54, Mingzhu went from a powerful cabinet minister to a prisoner.

Kangxi's subsequent treatment of Mingzhu was truly heartbreaking.

After Mingzhu's crimes were established, Emperor Kangxi, grateful for his longtime minister's kindness, released him from prison. He then issued an imperial decree assigning Mingzhu to the Minister of the Imperial Guard for further appointment.

Who was this Minister of the Imperial Guard?

It was Soetu, the man who had petitioned for Mingzhu's public beheading and whose position as Prime Minister was later replaced by Mingzhu.

Upon hearing this news, Wen Shan thought, "Wow! This isn't just sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth, this is sending a whole roasted lamb into the tiger's mouth.

" Soetu didn't disappoint, assigning Mingzhu a satisfying assignment: guarding the palace gate.

"Now I know who this kid Hongli takes after." Yinxiang said seriously, holding his chin, "This dirty trick, it turns out he took it from the emperor!"

He kills people and hurts their hearts all the way, he is worthy of being a good saint grandson!