Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Leading the army in person was, after all, a major event...

Leading the army in person was, after all, a major event. Many things needed to be prepared, and Kangxi was determined to return with a resounding victory, so he had already made arrangements at court.

After Kangxi left Beijing, the Crown Prince became regent, and Kangxi also appointed the Third Prince and Yinzhen to assist him.

The Eldest Prince, having finally married Irgen Gioro, soon joined Kangxi on the expedition.

But before leaving, Kangxi remembered the sachet Wen Shan had promised him, and he came to Xianfu Palace to ask for it.

"It's been two months, and I haven't urged you yet. It should be ready by now, right?"

Wenshan's head sank. She had assumed Kangxi had forgotten to prepare it and was just trying to get away with it!

Wenshan often made fan pendants, and she had them ready within two days of Kangxi's request. But this sachet was a real challenge.

Wen Shan tried for two days, then scratched her head and tossed it aside.

The pattern she'd embroidered looked like crawling.

Sending it to someone would be utterly disgraceful. How could she, the Forbidden City's foremost craftsman, continue to make a name for herself? So, Wen Shan, facepalming, finally gave up.

She couldn't believe Kangxi, so busy as he was, could still dwell on this unfortunate situation.

Finally, Wen Shan could only grimace and say it would be done soon.

Two days later, she actually sent Kangxi one.

Kangxi, looking at the sachet, which, while not particularly elaborate, was still presentable, looked skeptical.

"Did you really make this?"

Her craftsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds.

Of course it wasn't hers.

Or at least not entirely.

Kangxi knew something was amiss when Wen Shan merely smiled and didn't respond. A closer look confirmed that the only eagle embroidered on top, resembling a sparrow, was her masterpiece.

So, Kangxi deliberately put on a stern face and teased her, "I'm asking you a question, why don't you answer?"

She dared not speak because it would be deceiving the emperor.

"I guess so," Wen Shan thought for a moment, then said, "If I really let him make it alone, His Majesty would lose face if he wore it publicly. I can't bear it."

Kangxi shook his head helplessly and didn't pursue the matter. He simply put the sachet away and gave her another assignment: when he returned from his personal campaign, she had to see a sachet she had made herself, not by anyone else.

Frustrated, Wen Shan practically grabbed Yinzhen and the others and asked if there was any way to prevent Kangxi from returning.

Yinzhen and the others were stunned, wondering if just a few days ago, her mother had only wanted to make him infertile, but now she wanted him to die?

But no matter what, the day finally arrived when Kangxi would personally lead his army. After seeing off the troops at the city gate that morning, Wen Shan felt instantly relieved. Her carefree and radiant expression stunned Concubine Nianhulu. Those who knew that the emperor had just left for Mongolia to personally lead the army, while those who didn't, might have thought that the Fourth Prince had ascended the throne and Concubine Xuan had been promoted to Empress Dowager.

Wen Shan celebrated Kangxi's departure with almost banging drums and gongs; she finally had some free time.

So, the two dogs and the fish tank in Xianfu Palace were treated to a feast worthy of a state banquet. When Wen Shan was in a good mood, she loved to cook, and everyone shared a share, a joyous occasion.

Wen Shan now visited the Empress Dowager every two days, sharing meals and admiring the flowers with her. Then, she would stay in Xianfu Palace, making small things she loved while also preparing things for Yinzhen's wedding.

A month ago, Yinsi officially moved to Ganxi Wusuo, living next door to Yinzhen. This made it easier for the two to meet secretly. While they appeared somewhat distant on the surface, to outsiders, Yinzhen's focus on supporting the Crown Prince was apparent, while Yinsi's ambitions were becoming increasingly apparent.

Yinxiang had even complained to Wenshan that his fourth and eighth brothers were addicted to acting, ready to perform at any moment.

"Aren't you two being too much of a showman lately?" Wenshan peeled an orange for the brothers and fed a slice to Yinsi, who was furiously writing beside her.

After all, they had a close relationship since childhood, and Yinzhen doted on him, as all the other brothers knew.

Today, Yinzhen and Yinsi had both had time to come home for lunch. After a short rest, Yinzhen would go to the Crown Prince's office to discuss matters. Although Yinsi had to go to the Shangshufang, he continued his covert activities. His connections with Tong Guowei made things much easier for him.

"Don't worry, mother." Yinsi ate the orange Wenshan offered him naturally, and without looking up, he said, "Fourth brother has a clear distinction between public and private matters. He never lets personal affections compromise justice. Everyone knows this." "

So, Fourth brother and I will keep our official business to ourselves, and privately, we'll still go back to Xianfu Palace together as usual."

Yinsi said there was no need to worry. Yinzhen's character was so stable that at least no one had noticed anything was amiss yet.

"The most important thing is that Fourth brother and Eighth brother weren't really brothers," Yinxiang added. "Fifth brother and Ninth brother were both born to Concubine Yi, and one favors Fourth brother, the other favors Eighth brother."

Yinsi's face fell at this. "Thirteenth brother, if you don't know how to talk, just shut up."

He didn't want to hear this. How could he and Fourth brother not be brothers?

If not with him, then with Fourteenth brother?

Yinzhen, who was rarely dragged into Yinxiang's ridicule, felt helpless.

"Who has offended you again today?" Yinzhen looked at Yinxiang and asked.

Yinxiang did it on purpose, and he just snorted when he was exposed.

Yinsi thought that he had been too busy these days to have time to provoke the Thirteenth Prince, so it must have been the Fourth Brother who did it.

Wenshan was making cakes on the side, and when she heard this, she looked up and asked: "What's wrong, Yinxiang? Did you feel wronged in the Shangshufang?"

Yinxiang had also officially gone to the Shangshufang for daily attendance and enlightenment half a month ago.

After asking, Wenshan thought to herself that it was impossible, Yinzhen and Yinsi were both in the Shangshufang, how could Yinxiang feel wronged with the two of them around.

It was good that he didn't climb over the heads of the other brothers to act domineeringly. After all, these two brothers who watched Yinxiang grow up doted on Yinxiang endlessly.

And Yinxiang was not really a three-year-old child, who could make him angry.

Unexpectedly, Yinxiang actually nodded seriously.

Wen Shan was a bit panicked. These children were usually not around her only when they were in the Shangshufang. When they heard Yinxiang say he was bullied in the Shangshufang, they quickly asked what happened.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were also confused. They had never heard Yinxiang mention this matter.

Especially Yinsi. He was in the Shangshufang with Yinxiang every day. But Yinzhen had been away from home lately, sometimes because the Crown Prince had called him there to discuss state affairs.

So Yinzhen frowned and thought for a long time, but couldn't think of which prince in the Shangshufang could have made Yinxiang angry.

The eldest prince was away leading troops, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were also away, and the rest of the people almost all followed Yinsi's orders. How could someone have bullied Yinxiang?

Yinsi thought the same thing, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out what was going on.

But when everyone asked, Yinxiang was coy and refused to say anything.

How could he admit it? Seeing his ninth, tenth, and eighth brothers being so close made him feel a little uncomfortable!

Especially since Fourth Brother is not here, it is really boring to stay in the Shangshufang.

But aside from Yinxiang, who was forced to attend school due to age, everyone else in the palace lived comfortably during Kangxi's absence.

After the Grand Empress Dowager's death, the Empress Dowager moved out of the Cining Palace and into the Ningshou Palace, which Kangxi sealed off.

When Wen Shan learned of this, she thought it was a good thing, considering the Empress Dowager was getting older, and it wouldn't be a source of distress for her.

After Kangxi left for the war, Wen Shan initially worried that the Empress Dowager would miss him, so she spent half her day chatting with her in the Ningshou Palace, fearing she might frighten herself with her own preoccupations.

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager was even more composed, acting as if Kangxi had gone on a leisurely trip rather than a battle.

Ever since the Fifth Prince officially started school and was forced to cram school with Zhang Ying and Gu Badai, he'd had little time to care for his two dogs. Initially, he was terribly worried, worried about leaving his two beloved dogs, whom he'd raised since childhood, in the care of anyone else. Finally, the Empress Dowager took over the responsibility, promising to personally care for them.

Only then could the Fifth Prince return to his studies with peace of mind. The Empress Dowager agreed and diligently cared for her grandson. Initially unskilled, she specifically asked Wen Shan to come and help, asking her to bring Fuqi and Laifu to Ningshou Palace whenever she had time.

Wen Shan agreed to allow Fuqi to come, but not Laifu, fearing a rematch between the Three Heroes and Lü Bu.

However, within a few days of Fuqi's arrival, Yinzhen resolutely stopped him because Heidou began to approach Fuqi again, attempting to repeat his previous misdeeds. Fortunately, Wen Shan caught him early and separated the two dogs.

Fuqi was already six years old, and another pregnancy would be dangerous, so Yinzhen firmly refused to allow Fuqi to visit Ningshou Palace again, giving Heidou another opportunity to attack.

He also said that if they really wanted to go, Laifu would have to come along. Laifu could beat the Fifth Prince's two little male dogs to a pulp, leaving them no time to bother Laifu.

Yinsi disagreed.

"Fuqi's so cowardly he doesn't even dare to bark. Mother's fish are more capable than him. Wouldn't Laifu be fighting two alone? This deal is a complete loss. We're not going!"

Yinzhen looked at Fuqi, who was huddled aside licking his fur and fell silent. It seemed as if this was the case.

After a long thought, Yinzhen finally found an excuse: "Isn't it natural to protect your mother?"

Yinsi retorted, "It does seem natural to help your mother beat your father and brother."

Wenshan and Yinxiang watched the scene from the side.

"Is this how they usually behave outside?" Wenshan asked Yinxiang.

It looked like a tit-for-tat situation.

Yinxiang nodded, "It's even worse than that."

But Wenshan scratched her head and put an end to the farce.

"Helping mother beat father and brother," Wen Shan repeated, frowning in confusion. "Are you targeting me?"

"..."

She had only said it jokingly, not actually planning on them attacking Kangxi!

Yinzhen and Yinsi fell silent, as if the words were indeed quite ambiguous. Yinxiang

laughed heartily and urged Wen Shan to bring the Fifth Prince's two dogs to their Xianfu Palace. He would take them on intense exercise every day. Not to mention worldly desires, he was sure they would be so exhausted they wouldn't even recognize anyone and would want to run away. Yinzhen and Yinsi nearly beat

him up together. As

the weather warmed up, the battle situation on the front lines became clearer. The Qing army was advancing smoothly and victoriously. However, the eldest prince had been with the army for over a month when Kangxi sent him back to the capital. The reason was that his youthful impetuosity had led to a conflict with the commander, Fuquan. Kangxi reprimanded him and ordered him to return to the capital to reflect on his actions.

After news of this incident reached them, Yinsi and Yinxiang both remarked that it's true that it's easy to change a country, but it's difficult to change one's nature. No matter how many times the eldest prince reappears, he's still the same eldest prince. He'd made a mistake in his previous life, and they'd thought Yinsi's early rise in this life would put pressure on him and the crown prince to proceed more cautiously. But all the same mistakes had come crashing down.

"Actually, this is the Emperor protecting the eldest brother," Yinsi remarked. "If he stays on the front lines now, there's an 80% chance of more trouble. It's better to send him back."

Yinzhen and Yinxiang both nodded in agreement.

It was clear to everyone here that Kangxi didn't actually blame the eldest prince, but once the concubines learned of this, they began to retaliate against Concubine Hui.

This was actually Concubine Hui's own fault. Ever since the eldest prince accompanied the emperor on the expedition, she'd become incredibly arrogant, even ignoring Concubine Nianhulu. She'd been out and about frequently, bragging to everyone she met about how Kangxi had only chosen the eldest prince to accompany him.

Even Wen Shan, a relatively simple-minded person, could figure out that Kangxi only brought the eldest prince because he was the right age, the crown prince was to be regent, and the younger princes were too young, so he was the only one to be with.

So, instead of fooling anyone else, this trick only managed to fool Concubine Hui herself.

But no one could have anticipated that Concubine Hui's pride would last just over a month before the eldest prince was sent back from the battlefield.

This gave Concubine Rong and Concubine Yi the opportunity to lash out with some sarcasm, and the situation suddenly shifted, with Concubine Hui now secluded.

Wen Shan didn't join in the fun. Bored with staying in Xianfu Palace as usual, she went to Ningshou Palace to speak with the Empress Dowager.

"A few days ago, news came back from the front lines that the Emperor had won a great victory and Galdan was losing ground. I think they'll be back soon." Wen Shan was sorting silk threads for the Empress Dowager while watching her embroider and learning a few tricks.

The Empress Dowager had always disdained matters of the former court, and after the death of the Grand Empress Dowager, she even less so in the harem, leaving all responsibility to Noble Consort Nianhulu.

So, she nodded briefly at Wen Shan's words, then said, "The Emperor is blessed with good fortune, so nothing will happen to him. But I heard the eldest prince returned a few days ago."

Wen Shan replied, "Yes, he's been back for two or three days now. He's been in the Ganxi Wusuo and hasn't been seen much. He deserves a few days of rest after returning from the battlefield."

Although the eldest prince was married, Kangxi hadn't mentioned any titles or royal titles, nor had he proposed building a palace. So, the eldest prince simply moved to a larger courtyard in the Ganxi Wusuo, where he lived with his wife and concubines.

"After all, she is young and needs more experience."

The empress dowager said, "Although I don't go out much, I have heard that Concubine Hui has been showing off her power recently. It's time to give her a warning." Wen Shan thought for a while and said, "The emperor is worried about the eldest prince because swords and guns are blind on the battlefield

. As for Concubine Hui, don't worry about her. Concubine Niohuru knows that there will be no trouble in the palace." After embroidering the last stitch, the empress dowager looked up at Wen Shan's heartless look and glanced at her: "You are so confident that you left all the palace affairs to Concubine Niohuru and lived a free and easy life."

Wen Shan smiled and said, "You knew long ago that I don't have this ability

, so it's better to give way to someone else." "When the Empress Dowager was alive, she was always annoyed by your disappointing appearance. I think you are a blessed person." The empress dowager stood up and Wen Shan helped her to the corridor.

"They say hardworking people don't age easily, but I think it

's the lazy ones who don't age easily." Wen Shan had indeed aged over the past two years, but she showed no signs of fatigue.

Instead, she looked healthier and more charming. The Queen Mother thought that Xuanye's favor for Wen Shan was justified. She was beautiful and kind-hearted. Xuanye had simply been blind to her.

Wen Shan's expression darkened slightly at the mention of the Grand Empress Dowager. In the years since her passing, she'd sometimes drifted off into a trance. She'd even reached the entrance to the Cining Palace, feeling as if she'd still been there.

Speaking of the Grand Empress Dowager, she smiled and said, "If the Empress Dowager were still alive, seeing how close you and the Emperor were, she'd definitely be urging you to have a child."

Wen Shan: "..."

Don't believe the Grand Empress Dowager could actually do such a thing.

But the Empress Dowager never pushed her.

Childless herself, the Empress Dowager wasn't particularly obsessed with the matter. Seeing Wen Shan's bashful expression, she smiled and said, "I'm glad I didn't have any children. It's fate, not force. Don't take it too seriously."

Wen Shan thought, "Well, she's being completely indifferent.

" "Come on, it's almost noon. Call Suma over so we can have lunch together," the Empress Dowager said, gesturing for a palace maid to come and fetch Suma Lagu.

Since the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager, Su Malagu had volunteered to care for the Fifth Prince at Ganxi Wusuo. The Empress Dowager, relieved by Su Malagu's care, agreed.

"Send someone to the Shangshufang to fetch Yinxiang," the Empress Dowager said after a moment's thought. "Yinzhen and Yinsi are likely dining in the Shangshufang, so we can save them the trouble of traveling back and forth."

Wen Shan had already delivered the food boxes for Yinzhen and Yinsi, and upon hearing this, she nodded and instructed Zhenzhu to go to the Shangshufang to bring Yinxiang to Ningshou Palace.

Meanwhile, the situation in the Shangshufang was tense.

The reason was simple: the eldest prince, who had not been seen since returning to the palace, had suddenly arrived at the Shangshufang. Of course, he wasn't there to attend classes with Yinsi and the others, but to manage government affairs with the Crown Prince and Yinzhen. While the

Crown Prince was supposed to be regent, the majority of government affairs were handled by his uncle, Soetu, who had been reinstated, assisting him, with Tong Guowei, Ma Qi, and others.

Tong Guowei was quite dissatisfied with this. Logically, as the Prime Minister, he should have assisted the Crown Prince in governing the country. However, Suo Etu was the Crown Prince's closest confidant. With Kangxi gone, the Crown Prince naturally took the reins. With Suo Etu's assistance, he couldn't say anything.

However, no one expected the eldest prince to come, and he even claimed that he had just returned from the battlefield to understand the situation and wanted to listen to their discussion.

The Crown Prince was naturally reluctant and immediately asked, "Excuse me, Big Brother, do you have the Emperor's written order?"

The eldest prince replied confidently, "I simply wish to relieve His Royal Highness. I heard that we were discussing the issue of rations for the front lines today. Who among you here knows more about this than I do?"

Soetu restrained the Crown Prince, who was about to retort, and said, stroking his beard, "While what you say is reasonable, the Third and Fourth Princes are appointed as regents by the Emperor. It's not appropriate to listen to important matters of state without the Emperor's approval." "

That's right, Big Brother, you've returned from the battlefield and have made great contributions. You should go back and rest soon," the Third Prince couldn't help but say.

This so-called hard work and contribution sounded like a sarcastic remark to the eldest prince, and as expected, his expression suddenly changed.

Tong Guowei remained silent, intending to leave this mess to Soetu.

The eldest prince was clearly coming at him with great momentum. It would be interesting to see how this old fox, Soetu, would handle it.

Unexpectedly, a palace servant came in to announce that the Eighth Prince had arrived.

The Crown Prince: "..."

One eldest prince was not enough,

so the Eighth Prince came to join in the fun. However, considering that Yinzhen was here, the Crown Prince still let Yinsi in.

It was almost time for lunch, and the Crown Prince and the others' political meetings would have ended long ago. If the eldest prince hadn't suddenly come over to make trouble, they would have eaten by now.

"Eldest brother is here too." Yinsi was slightly surprised to see the eldest prince, and then said: "I saw that it was time for lunch and wanted to come and have lunch with fourth brother. I hope I didn't disturb His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's political meetings?"

The eldest prince felt that the situation was a bit bad when he saw Yinsi coming. He was worried that he would be besieged by the Crown Prince and Yinsi from both sides, so he immediately found an excuse to leave in a hurry.

The Crown Prince became even angrier when he saw this. It was obvious that the eldest prince didn't take him seriously, but was so afraid of the young Yinsi.

Soetu had already raised the Eighth Prince's risk level. It was clear that he, like the eldest prince, coveted the crown prince position, and his intelligence was far superior to the eldest prince's. In two years, he would undoubtedly be the crown prince's formidable rival.

The crown prince looked at Yinzhen, whose face darkened and he said, "Eighth brother, I will pass on this matter. It is best not to come and go freely in the important Shangshufang."

Tong Guowei and Ma Qi, though silent, were constantly scheming against the princes.

Having recently worked alongside the crown prince, the third prince, and the fourth prince, they had all but confirmed that the fourth prince and the eighth prince were not on the same page.

The fourth prince even frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the eighth prince, as he was doing now.

The eighth prince, on the other hand, had always remained unfazed and remained close to the fourth prince. It was just that the eighth prince had too many close buddies, not to mention the even closer ninth and tenth princes.

So Yinsi simply smiled and said he'd learned his lesson, that he'd been rash this time and wouldn't do it again.

With Yinzhen's words, the Crown Prince felt a bit relieved, so he took on the role of the good cop, saying it was okay since they'd already concluded their discussion.

As the meeting was about to end, Tong Guowei found a quiet moment to speak to Yinsi.

"Eighth Prince, although the Fourth Prince and you were both raised by Concubine Xuan, we have different ideals and different plans. The Crown Prince holds the Fourth Prince in such high regard, you should be aware of this."

This was a reminder to be careful with his words and actions in front of his brother.

Getting Tong Guowei to initiate the conversation was a rare achievement. Yinsi nodded and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Master Tong, for the reminder."

Later, when the younger brothers outside learned of what had happened inside, the Ninth and Tenth Princes joined in defending Yinsi.

"Fourth Brother, what a fool! Eighth Brother was kind enough to ask him to dine with you, and it wasn't against the rules," the Tenth Prince said indignantly.

The Ninth Prince was also somewhat indignant, though his expression remained subdued. "Fourth Brother has always been like this. It's a shame Eighth Brother has such a deep brotherly affection for him."

"That's right, spending all day with the Crown Prince is really..." The Tenth Prince muttered softly. The Ninth Prince pulled him back, indicating that Yinxiang was still there.

It was clear that the Thirteenth Brother was closer to the Fourth Brother, which made the Ninth and Tenth Princes even more upset with Eighth Brother .

Yinxiang overheard what they said, but didn't take it seriously, pretending not to hear. 

The Ninth and Tenth Brothers were just like that. In their mother's words, they were Eighth Brother's toxic fans, and he had long been accustomed to it. So when Yinsi returned, the Ninth and Tenth Princes surrounded him. 

"Eighth Brother, don't bother with Fourth Brother. He's a stubborn person, not worth it." 

"That's right. Ninth Brother and I have always stood by you. When we move to Ganxi Wusuo, we'll live next door to Eighth Brother. Otherwise, Eighth Brother won't have anyone to talk to." 

Yinsi's current neighbor was Yinzhen. 

Yinxiang couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, and immediately the Ninth and Tenth Princes looked at him with disapproving eyes. 

"Eighth brother, Mother asked me to go to Ningshou Palace to have dinner with the Empress Dowager, so I'm leaving now." Yinxiang strolled past Yinsi and said, "It's getting hot now, and having too many people isn't a good thing. It's so stuffy." 

Yinsi: "..."

The Ninth and Tenth Princes thought Yinxiang was mocking them, and just as they were about to get angry, Yinxiang had already slipped away.

Humph, these two were fooled around by Eighth Prince, and they didn't even know that Eighth Prince had sneaked into Fourth Prince's room last night to have a private conversation and even rested there.

It made Ninth and Tenth Princes look miserable and a little funny.