Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Kangxi was also troubled by the noise…

Kangxi was also troubled by the noise, and seeing the crown prince standing there helpless was even more of a headache.

So he could only rely on his years of experience to suppress the matter and adjourn the court, deliberating on a later date.

The crown prince, looking dejected, went to Soetu to discuss countermeasures. Soetu was now at his wit's end and could only ask him to apologize to the emperor again, hoping that the emperor would protect the crown prince a little more.

The crown prince knelt in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation for two hours, and Kangxi did not call him to rise. Finally, at dinner time, Kangxi emerged.

The crown prince took two steps on his knees and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to apologize to you. I have acted inappropriately and have caused you so much worry."

"You know you acted inappropriately?" Kangxi scolded him in a low voice, "You are disgraceful!"

"If you like to kneel, then kneel here and reflect on yourself."

With that, Kangxi stormed out.

The Crown Prince was stunned. This was the first time Kangxi had treated him this way. Kangxi had doted on him since childhood, and his father would let him up after kneeling for less than an hour. This was the first time he had been punished to kneel in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and he didn't know how long.

Liang Jiugong, gazing at Kangxi's expression, asked, "Your Majesty, which palace are you going to now? I'll bring you a sedan chair."

Kangxi had just read a memorial and left without saying what he was doing. Liang Jiugong had expected him to wake the Crown Prince, but Kangxi left the palace without a word. He walked towards the Imperial Garden, waved his hand, and said, "What sedan chair? Let's go to Xianfu Palace."

Sure enough, it was Xianfu Palace.

Liang Jiugong thought that Concubine Xuan had been in obscurity for over a decade, yet now she seemed to be the most favored of the six harems.

But Kangxi was disappointed. Wen Shan wasn't in Xianfu Palace, having gone to Ningshou Palace to speak with the Empress Dowager.

Only Yinzhen and his two sons were in Xianfu Palace. They were enjoying Wenshan's freshly made pastries while chatting about the Crown Prince.

When the servant announced Kangxi's arrival, Yinxiang's eyebrows jumped. "Oh no! Mother isn't here."

Usually, when Mother was around, she would have helped them out, and they would have been sent away without a word to the Emperor. But now, with the Emperor's sudden arrival, they were the only ones left to deal with it.

Kangxi, upon entering, saw his three sons standing there and assumed Wenshan was busy in the small kitchen again. He casually raised his hand for them to rise, then lifted the hem of his skirt and sat down on the couch.

"Where's your mother? What's she busy doing?"

Yinzhen replied, "Your Majesty, she's gone to Ningshou Palace to talk to the Empress Dowager."

"Your Majesty, I've sent someone to inform you."

Upon hearing that Wenshan had gone to see the Empress Dowager, Kangxi waved his hand and said, "No need. Let the Imperial Concubine talk to the Empress Dowager."

He then looked at his three sons and pointed to the chairs below. "Please sit down. We're free today, so let's have a chat, father and

son." The three exchanged glances, realizing it was probably about the Crown Prince.

Yinxiang was still young and resembled Kangxi, so Kangxi paid more attention to this youngest son, holding him in his arms and playing with him. His main conversation was with his two older sons.

"Yinsi, tell me what you think about the Crown Prince?"

Kangxi fed Yinxiang a piece of cake and first addressed Yinsi.

"The Crown Prince is both the heir apparent and my elder brother. It's not for me to interfere," Yinsi began by performing a Tai Chi pose.

Kangxi was unimpressed by Yinsi's response. The Eighth Prince had always been smooth and diplomatic, impeccable in his manners. He

wouldn't even listen to the boy's honest words, even if

they were all twisted and turned. "No problem. Today, there's no ruler or subject, only father and son. Speak freely."

Kangxi was also somewhat hurt by his two older sons, the Crown Prince and the eldest prince. The Crown Prince, so carefully nurtured, now seemed somewhat weak and timid. The eldest son, whom he had loved since childhood, was constantly plotting to kill his younger brother. Their quarrel was the antithesis of Kangxi's ideal of a loving father, filial son, and a friendly brother.

Yinxiang felt uncomfortable in Kangxi's arms, smelling the ambergris on him and thinking it was indeed not as pleasant as the fruity fragrance of his mother.

Kangxi felt Yinxiang shift in his arms and pulled him up, trying to get him to sit still.

Yinxiang: "..."

This makes it even worse!

Yinzhen and Yinsi also felt that the thirteenth brother was a bit pitiful, and could only shed a tear silently.

But it was obvious that Yinsi was not comfortable being dragged up for questioning.

Fortunately, Yinsi knew in his heart how to respond to these words.

"The minister was bold and frank there." Yinsi stood up and said: "In the final analysis, it is true that the prince acted a little rashly, which damaged the reputation of the royal family. This is irrefutable. But how to deal with it is the emperor's family affair, and it is inappropriate to discuss this matter in the court."

Yinsi's words hit the nail on the head.

What he cares about is reputation. If such a shameful thing is discussed in public in the court, it will not only affect the face of the prince but also the face of the entire royal family. This is also what made him angry at the eldest prince. Does the prince's scandal have been made public? Does it mean he will feel proud?

It's simply nonsense.

"Yinzhen, what do you think?"

Kangxi turned his gaze to Yinzhen.

"Ever since the Emperor went off to war, the Crown Prince and I have often been together, managing government affairs. I've witnessed firsthand how diligently he works, always prioritizing state affairs. While he may have been a bit confused this time, his

merits and demerits offset each other." Kangxi was amused upon hearing this: "Only Yinzhen could say that." It

was obvious that Kangxi still wanted to protect the Crown Prince, and they could only go along with his message.

They all sided with the side of treading lightly.

Yinzhen and Yinsi's understanding comforted Kangxi, a father.

At least they weren't like Yinzhi, who was clearly targeting the Crown Prince, then unruly and disregarding everything else.

Yinzhen's brothers calmed Kangxi down, and Wenshan also discussed the matter with the Empress Dowager at Ningshou Palace. The Empress

Dowager had indeed just finished her Buddhist prayers, and when she received the news, Kangxi was about to return to the palace, and the Princess had already been diagnosed with pregnancy. The Queen

Mother was silent for a long time after hearing this. She didn't expect that such a big mess would happen in just a few days.

"How is Yun Dai now? Have you visited her?" the Queen Mother asked.

"No, I heard that the princess has been depressed and doesn't want to see anyone since she had a miscarriage." Wen Shan said. The Queen Mother

was slightly angry: "Now she doesn't dare to see anyone, but weren't you very brave when she did it before?"

There were not many concubines from Mongolia in the palace. The Queen Mother hadn't been back to her hometown for a long time. At first, she felt very sympathetic towards Princess Yun Dai, a Mongolian girl who had just lost her parents. She specifically ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make all supplies according to the rank of a Heshuo Princess. She didn't expect that the princess would give her such a big surprise.

"She is so confused. She didn't listen to what I warned her before."

Wen Shan saw that the Queen Mother was furious and hurried forward to persuade her: "My concubine and Concubine Niohuru kept it from you because we were afraid that you would be angry and hurt yourself. Now that the Emperor is back, let the Emperor decide."

They really couldn't say anything now.

"Did the Emperor say how to deal with her?" The Empress Dowager sat down and took a moment to ask.

Wen Shan shook her head.

Originally, the princess had a miscarriage and the matter was quiet for a few days. At that time, Kangxi probably meant to just let it go quietly. He just wanted

to cover up the situation.

But unexpectedly, the eldest prince was so reckless and directly brought up the matter.

It was said that the censor who was instructed by him was later found a reason to be scolded by Kangxi and was completely dismissed.

"Forget it, I can't care so much. I can only let her fend for herself."

Although the Empress Dowager said so, Wen Shan still asked her to go to Yuhua Pavilion to see the princess before leaving. After all, she was a child from Mongolia.

It was already 11:00 PM when Wen Shan returned to Xianfu Palace after visiting Princess Yundai. The lights were on, but the place was quiet. Wen Shan casually asked Amber, who was tidying the flower garden, "Have Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to Ganxi Wusuo?"

When she left that afternoon, Yinzhen and Yinsi had just returned from the Shangshufang. She was warming up the prepared dinner in the small kitchen before going to Ningshou Palace.

Amber put down her things and replied, "The Fourth and Eighth Princes left half an hour ago, and the Thirteenth Prince also left and said he would be back tomorrow morning."

Wen Shan inexplicably felt that Amber's expression was a little nervous, as if she was hiding something from her. Amber urged her to go inside, saying that the weather was cold and she was worried she would catch a cold.

Wen Shan took Zhenzhu's hand as they walked towards the main hall. "What's wrong with Amber today? She's acting strangely."

Zhenzhu smiled and said, "Maybe she did something wrong and got scolded by the Fourth Prince."

The most ruthless person in Xianfu Palace was the Fourth Prince. If a palace servant made a mistake and the Eighth Prince was in a good mood, they might get some relief, but if it happened to the Fourth Prince, it would be a disaster.

He would deal with it impartially, without any mercy. As for the Thirteenth Prince... Yinxiang had recently taken to playing dumb, finding it the perfect way to live comfortably. He let the Fourth and Eighth Brothers handle anything, while he and his mother strolled around the garden, cooked, and had a blast.

However, the happy Thirteenth Prince had no idea that his brothers simply thought he was too young and were already counting the days until they'd shoo him away to work.

Wen Shan thought about it and felt it made sense. That was just Yinzhen's nature. He was even more domineering than Yinsi, and his stern expression was particularly intimidating.

Entering the main hall, the candlelit bedroom remained dark. Wen Shan, who had always disliked having too many palace attendants in the inner chambers, didn't find it strange. She sat down, drank a sip of water, and recounted to Zhenzhu her recent visit to Princess Yundai.

"When I went in just now, I saw that the Princess had lost weight and looked listless, barely speaking. She was truly pitiful." It was

truly sad to see such a bright and beautiful girl transformed into this state in just a few months.

The Forbidden City's feng shui was truly biting.

"Master, I shouldn't say this. This is the Princess's own fault," Zhenzhu said. "You and the Empress Dowager both warned her that day, but the Princess wouldn't listen."

"Life is not easy for women in this world."

Wen Shan flipped through the embroidery frame on the table. On it was the sachet Kangxi had specifically requested before leaving for war. She'd been putting it off because even sewing one stitch a day was exhausting, but thankfully Kangxi hadn't asked for it.

She felt a bit like doing holiday homework back in school, putting it off for as long as possible.

Anyway, it's time to start.

"The princess has lost both her parents and has no brothers to support her. Coming to the capital alone, she's inevitably panicked and afraid. She's simply chosen the path she believes is best."

So why criticize her?

If Yun Dai were a man, she wouldn't be so frustrated.

But Zhenzhu still didn't understand: "Hasn't the Empress Dowager already told the princess that the Emperor would adopt her as his adopted daughter, and then confer her the title of Heshuo Princess and marry her off in a grand ceremony? Why would the princess..."

This is clearly a more comfortable path, one her parents risked their lives to pave for her.

At least in Zhenzhu's opinion, this is already a very good choice.

Whether marrying a minister or a member of the royal family, she would be a legitimate wife, and with the support of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, her life would be easy.

But this is exactly what Wen Shan likes most about Yun Dai.

"The princess doesn't want to put her fate in the hands of others. Deciding her own destiny is a very happy thing."

Wen Shan thought for a moment and said, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask them to prescribe some more tonic medicine to be sent to Yuhua Pavilion. We'll follow the example of Xianfu Palace. I see the princess is still not feeling well today. Regardless of the emperor's subsequent decisions, let her recover first."

Zhenzhu praised Wen Shan's kindness and left.

Wen Shan felt a little sad. Her kindness wasn't what she thought it was; it wouldn't help Yun Dai at all.

After a busy day, Wen Shan felt tired and wanted to lie down on the bed. She slowly took a candle and just as she lit the bedroom light, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the bed, and then she fell into the soft covers.

Wen Shan was startled and screamed before someone covered her mouth.

There's an assassin in Xianfu Palace!

Luckily, she had learned some anti-wolf skills for safety. Without a second thought, Wen Shan threw an elbow to break free, but was restrained by the person behind her and pulled back even closer.

But the hand covering her loosened. Wen Shan was about to call for help when she heard a helpless voice behind her.

"Stop yelling, it's me."

"..."

Damn! I really want to curse!

Kangxi let her go calmly, looked at Wen Shan and said, "You Mongolian women are really quite skilled."

She didn't know whether Mongolian women were skilled or not, but she was definitely ready to fight.

"Your Majesty, don't you know that scaring people can kill them?"

Wen Shan said quietly.

Just now, she really thought an assassin had entered Xianfu Palace and it almost scared her to death.

Kangxi lay back and said: "I was just teasing you. You made me wait for so long, shouldn't I get some interest in return?"

Wen Shan sat up on her knees and lit the palace lantern first. She thought to herself that it was a good thing that Kangxi had some foresight and didn't pull her when she just lit the lantern, otherwise her Xianfu Palace would have become a fire scene.

Yinzhen and Yinsi didn't need to go through so much trouble, they could just pack up and prepare to ascend the throne.

Kangxi looked at her stern face and found it a little funny: "I haven't investigated the matter of you visiting Princess Yundai privately, but you are throwing a tantrum first."

Wen Shan rolled her eyes in her heart when she heard this. She hadn't reacted just now, and this guy was eavesdropping. How insidious!

"The emperor didn't say that I was not allowed to visit, and I went there on the orders of the empress dowager." Wen Shan said righteously.

Although Princess Yundai was under house arrest, there was no clear decree. This matter was vague and ambiguous from beginning to end. Issuing a clear decree would damage the reputation of the royal family, and not issuing a clear decree would lead to such an embarrassing situation.

Wen Shan now understood why Amber was so nervous when she

recalled her nervousness. It turned out that Kangxi was in the room, and it was most likely Kangxi who ordered not to let the palace maids of Xianfu Palace tell her. He was so mean and even played tricks on her.

Fortunately, she didn't say anything she shouldn't have.

When Kangxi heard her mention the Queen Mother, he also asked casually: "Did the Queen Mother say anything?" "

The Queen Mother said to let the Emperor deal with it. She has been busy worshipping Buddha and can't take care of these things these days." Wen Shan said honestly. The Queen Mother has always been like

this. She didn't interfere in the affairs of the harem and the court. She lived out her life in peace and quiet. The Queen Mother felt at ease, and Kangxi was also relieved.

"From what you said just now, I feel quite sympathetic towards Yun Dai." Kangxi knelt down, supporting his head with his left arm and looking at her.

"I only said I understand, not sympathize."

Wen Shan mumbled, and Kangxi didn't bother correcting her. He simply asked, "So, based on your understanding, how should we deal with her?"

Wen Shan was already feeling uneasy about seeing Princess Yundai today, and Kangxi's shock only exacerbated her annoyance. His sarcastic probing escalated her anger.

"Your Majesty, why are you asking me? My words don't count." Wen Shan rolled her eyes and continued, "Besides, this wasn't the Princess's fault alone. It's only natural that we have to see how Your Majesty handles the Crown Prince."

Wen Shan immediately regretted her words. How could she have spoken so quickly?

How could she have let her heart slip out!

Seeing Kangxi's dark expression and cold eyes, her previous momentum vanished. She flinched and asked sheepishly, "Can I take back what I just said? Your Majesty, just pretend you didn't hear me?"

Unexpectedly, Kangxi burst into laughter.

"After all these years, you've only shown this much courage." Kangxi raised his hand and gestured. "I was just teasing you. What you said just now makes sense. The Crown Prince is indeed responsible for this matter."

Wen Shan was surprised. It was rare to hear Kangxi say a bad word about the

Crown Prince. "Yinreng and Yinzhi have given me a difficult problem." Kangxi felt a little troubled. "These children are a real worry."

Wen Shan sympathized with this. As her three children grew up, their actions sometimes gave her a headache.

For example, the apparently mature and steady Yinsi secretly took Yinxiang to the freezer to eat her fresh fruit, then they both had diarrhea and never tired of it. He

even dragged Yinzhen into the trap a few times.

Kangxi saw Wen Shan nod solemnly and asked her what was wrong. Wen Shan, who rarely caught the children's father, complained about these increasingly childish sons.

Kangxi laughed heartily at this.

"Yinzhen and Yinsi are usually very steady, and only around you do they act like children," Kangxi sighed. "I sometimes think it would be nice if they could stay young forever, without all the scheming and scheming, and always be so close and affectionate with each other. Unfortunately, fate doesn't always go as planned."

"If they really never grow up, the emperor will be upset again. Wouldn't there be no one to entrust the eternal foundation of the Qing Dynasty to?" Wen Shan said.

Kangxi's smile faded, and his gaze towards her became much gentler. "I enjoy talking to you more and more now. Whether it's Concubine Nianhulu or Concubine Hui and Concubine Rong, they are all reserved and never say these words."

Wen Shan thought, it's because you are always so ambivalent, who would dare to say such things?

If she had Concubine Nianhulu's scheming, she wouldn't say these words.

Isn't it because her strength doesn't allow it?

"What you said just now does make some sense to me. Yun Dai is an orphan, so as to prevent anyone from accusing her of being bullied by the imperial family, I will not do anything to her. Once she recovers, I will still give her the title of Heshuo Princess.

It would be better for her to marry back to Mongolia." The Empress Dowager had told her earlier in Ningshou Palace that Mongolian women don't really care about chastity. After all, they live a nomadic life and are unrestrained. Divorce and remarriage are common, and some tribes even maintain the tradition of father-to-son succession and brother-to-brother succession.

This is why Princess Yun Dai chose this path. She didn't care about it at all, but now that word had spread, arranged marriages for her in the capital were unlikely. The best approach was to find her a Mongolian marriage.

"As for the Crown Prince..."

Kangxi pondered for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.

Let Soetu figure it out; he was too lazy to clean up this mess.

Kangxi rarely felt a sense of self-destruction towards the Crown Prince.

After sorting out these troubling matters, Kangxi looked up at Wen Shan and mentioned the homework he'd left behind before leaving for the war.

"Where's my sachet? Is it finished?"

"..."

Well, what you fear is bound to happen.

Wen Shan brought the half-finished embroidery frame from the table over to Kangxi.

Kangxi actually showed a rare hint of satisfaction after viewing Wen Shan's masterpiece.

"It's improved compared to before. It seems you've put a lot of effort into it."

Wen Shan: "..."

Could his eyes have been affected by his battles?

What's the difference between this and the past?

But now that Kangxi had said that, Wen Shan quickly backed off.

"That's why I'm embroidering slowly. I'll definitely give it to the Emperor when it's finished." She

'd wait and see. She'd be happy to receive it next year.

Kangxi didn't give her any fuss, and instead chatted with Wen Shan about her earlier statement about controlling her own destiny.

"If you were given another chance to choose your own path, would you still enter the palace?"

Wen Shan had been arranged into the palace by her family, too, with no say in the matter.

So, Kangxi couldn't help but ponder this question upon hearing her words.

"Yes."

Wen Shan said firmly, without the slightest hesitation.

Kangxi's mood suddenly became a little excited. Wen Shan would not lie, and it was obvious when she lied. Now it was obvious that she was telling the truth.

It seemed that although Wen Shan was forced to enter the palace, she was still satisfied.

And one of the reasons why Wen Shan was so determined was that her life after entering the palace was indeed quite comfortable, and with Yinzhen and others by her side, she was indeed quite satisfied.

Although there was not much freedom, she did enjoy the royal life that was supported by the whole world. People should not be too greedy, and she was quite content.

Wen Shan's words obviously pleased Kangxi.

Wen Shan looked at Kangxi's good mood and wondered if Kangxi thought that she was willing to enter the palace because of him?