Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Wen Shan now had to open up…

Wen Shan now had to face Kangxi's attitude towards her.

Ever since the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager, Kangxi's visits to Xianfu Palace had increased significantly. She hadn't paid much attention to it before, perhaps due to her own slowness, but today, Kangxi was actually indirectly asking her if she regretted entering the palace, which made her feel a little uneasy.

Thinking more carefully, Kangxi had indeed been quite tolerant of her recently; he never seemed to get angry at anything she said.

Could it be… that wasn't the case?

Kangxi amused himself at the changing expressions on Wen Shan's face. He reached out to pinch her face again, then pulled her down and laid her down beside him.

"What are you thinking about? Are you plotting against me again?"

Her expression, which changed so rapidly, told her it was definitely not a good thing.

Wen Shan felt a little awkward and tried to sit up, but Kangxi wouldn't let her.

"Lie down with me for a while, then we'll talk."

Kangxi had indeed put a lot of effort into this personal expedition, and he was exhausted upon returning to the Forbidden City. However, he couldn't show his exhaustion to anyone, not to mention the lavish gifts the Crown Prince and the eldest prince had prepared for him. It

almost gave him a grandson.

Kangxi's handling of the matter was muddle-headed and perfunctory, a situation Wen Shan hadn't expected. After all, Kangxi was known for his ruthlessness and decisiveness.

"Since my return, the Crown Prince has sought an audience many times, but not once has he pleaded for the princess," Kangxi said. "Yinzhen, however, did mention it several times."

Wen Shan wasn't sure how to react. In some ways, the princess had schemed against the Crown Prince, causing him great trouble, so it was natural that the Crown Prince resented his decision not to plead for her. But from another perspective, the princess was pregnant with his child at the time.

They say even an honest judge can hardly judge family affairs, and that's exactly what happened. It was

all a mess.

Wen Shan looked up at Kangxi and saw he was conflicted. He wanted the Crown Prince to be independent, ruthless, and decisive, but when he truly acted ruthlessly, he grew dissatisfied.

Kangxi glanced at her sideways. "Why aren't you talking?"

"I don't know what to say,"

Wen Shan replied honestly.

"Just saying something. I haven't heard you tell me what you think about this matter yet."

Perhaps Kangxi was in such a good mood tonight, Wen Shan was eager to talk. Lying in bed, Wen Shan looked up at the intricate patterns above her head, blinked, and pondered where to begin.

After a moment, she suddenly blurted out, "If the Emperor had taken the princess into the harem, perhaps none of this would have happened."

"..."

"You're really making things up about me. What's going on in your head?"

Kangxi was at a loss for words.

Wen Shan confidently stated, "I'm telling the truth. The princess wants to marry the crown prince, hoping to become his concubine if he ascends the throne. If the emperor marries her, wouldn't it be the same?"

This saved Yun Dai the trouble and allowed her to achieve her goal in one go.

"So, if you say that, then it's my fault?" Kangxi found it somewhat incredulous. He hadn't expected Wen Shan to think that way.

And upon closer inspection, it made sense.

"I didn't say that. Didn't the emperor ask me to have a chat? You're not allowed to get angry." Wen Shan immediately began to make excuses and ensure her own safety.

Kangxi said calmly, "When have I ever been angry with you?"

Wen Shan scratched her head, thinking carefully, and it seemed Kangxi had never lost his temper in front of her.

The chirping of cicadas drifted outside the window, and the shimmering moonlight filtered through the curtains. Wen Shan suddenly felt something else.

"What would the Emperor do if he were in the Crown Prince's current situation?"

"If it were me, this wouldn't have happened,"

Wen Shan persisted. "But what if it did happen?"

Kangxi gave her a helpless look, then pondered for a moment and said, "If that were the case, I would probably ask Yun Dai to marry me. It's come to this, so we might as well be frank."

Wen Shan felt Kangxi might be bluffing; that wasn't like him.

"Just now, the Emperor said the princess's intentions were not right and should never be pointed out to the Crown Prince. Why is it that I'm marrying her now?"

Besides, although Yun Dai was the daughter of a prince, she had no connections in her family, so marrying her would offer no political advantage.

Kangxi leaned over to look at her. "Don't avoid difficulties, don't shirk responsibilities."

In Kangxi's view, the Crown Prince had many options: he could cut ties with the princess with a decisive blow, or he could shoulder the responsibility. But his indecision had led him to this awkward situation.

Wen Shan sighed, "So the princess chose the wrong person. It would have been better if the emperor had married her."

"..."

Why were they back at this again?

Kangxi now suspected Wen Shan's pretense of foolishness was all an act. He'd originally wanted to ask her something, but now she was leading him by the nose.

"Do you really want me to take someone new?" Kangxi asked her calmly.

Why did she look so eager at the mere mention of him bringing someone new into the palace?

"Anyway, the sisters in the harem are all familiar with each other, so it would be nice to have a few more people to liven things up."

Wen Shan's words were honest; she was almost tired of watching those people bickering.

Speaking of which, Kangxi didn't really choose beautiful women. With the court constantly engaged in war, he didn't have the time, and he didn't want to spend the money; it would be better to save it and stockpile more food.

"Then your wish can be granted," Kangxi said slowly. "I plan to bring Tong Guowei's second daughter into the palace, probably next month."

Wen Shan already knew about the little Tong Jia, so she wasn't surprised and just nodded.

Come to think of it, once the young Tonggiya entered the palace, the sisters of the three empresses were truly all gathered together.

Noble Consort Nianhulu, Consort Ping, and the young Tonggiya each had an older sister who had been empress.

"I thought of giving her the title of consort, and giving her the Chengqian Palace, once owned by Empress Xiaoyi," Kangxi said.

"It makes sense; the Emperor's arrangements are very thoughtful."

Seeing her nonchalant expression, Kangxi became displeased again.

"Are you really so generous? Not jealous at all?"

"Not being jealous is a virtue of a concubine," Wen Shan said sternly, thinking that the nauseating female virtues and training that had been forced upon her for so long upon entering the palace were finally coming into play.

And then, Wen Shan successfully irritated Kangxi. He gave her a cold shoulder the next morning, went to Noble Consort Nianhulu's the next day, and didn't come to Xianfu Palace again for a month.

Yinzhen and the others were also puzzled.

Yinsi asked her if she had argued with Kangxi that night.

Wen Shan shook her head, mysteriously saying they didn't understand.

"Anyway, my mother won't be bullied. I think it's better if the emperor comes less often." Yinxiang stood beside Wenshan, eating the cake that Wenshan had just baked while instructing the eunuch to take the fruit from the ice jar for him.

"Okay, dinner's coming up soon, so don't eat anymore," Wen Shan said helplessly. "Today we have your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs. If you eat any more, your eighth brother will eat it all."

Yinxiang immediately abandoned his ice cream.

Yinsi grumbled, "Mother, that's unfair. Fourth brother clearly gets more than me."

Yinxiang grimaced, "Fourth brother never fights with me for food!"

"You brat," Yinsi rolled up his sleeves. "You forgot who took you over the wall in the middle of the night to find food? Would your fourth brother take you on that?" Wen Shan slapped him in the face.

"Is that something to be proud of?"

And she dared to say to her face that during the recent hot weather, these two had diarrhea so often that it nearly scared her to death. Fortunately, they

finally caught these two little thieves.

After dinner, Yinzhen mysteriously said he had something special to show her. Wen Shan initially thought it was some rare jade, eager to make a bracelet or a hairpin. Instead, four young eunuchs carried up a machine covered in red cloth.

Yinzhen stepped forward and uncovered it, and Wen Shan's eyes widened.

"It's a steam engine. It's done?"

Yinsi smiled and said, "After working on it for over six months, I finally made something that works properly."

"Following Mother's instructions, I spent a month or two researching steelmaking, and then over another six months researching it before finally building this machine a few days ago." Yinzhen had the fire started. The steam engine was small and simple, connected to a water boiler.

Wen Shan touched it and thought it was truly amazing to see such a thing during the Kangxi era.

Once the water started boiling, the steam engine began to operate, effectively a success.

Upon hearing the news, Yinzhen and Yinsi risked their lives by sneaking out of the palace yesterday. They didn't return all night, only returning early this morning with the machine.

Wenshan was also excited; this was serious business!

"Master Yuan said it could be improved, and he's already got the hang of it."

Yinzhen was delighted too. When he and Yinsi arrived yesterday, they had been amazed by the machine described by their mother. Only after it started working did they understand what their mother meant when she said machines far outperformed human labor.

No wonder the West was developing so rapidly.

"And the steelmaking process is becoming increasingly sophisticated," Yinsi said with a smile, "It benefits the country and the people. It's truly great."

Yinxiang also stepped forward to explore, his heart pounding. Surely this time, they wouldn't be as humiliated as before?

They hadn't just caught up, they had gotten ahead!

Wen Shan watched the steam engine in action for a moment before suddenly asking, "How and when do you plan to use this thing?"

Should we offer it now, or wait until Yinzhen ascends the throne, when everything will be easier?

"Mother, we won't hide it from you," Yinsi sighed, helping Wen Shan back inside and having the eunuchs carry the thing away.

"My fourth brother, my thirteenth brother, and I initially planned to vigorously promote this machine after Fourth Brother ascends the throne. But only after it's actually been built do we understand why you were so moved."

Yinzhen continued, "This is a matter of great benefit to the country and the people. If we let our selfish interests hinder the well-being of the nation, what difference will we make from the Qing Dynasty of the past?" Yinxiang nodded

, his turmoil taking a back seat to the Qing Dynasty's enduring legacy.

Wen Shan thought these three truly possessed a strong sense of ownership.

Yinsi said, "The court still has several major wars to fight. While it's about expanding territory, the people will suffer. If the steam engine can be widely used, it will surely alleviate some of the pain."

"And then there's the art of steelmaking, which can forge weapons with incredible sharpness," Yinxiang added.

Wenshan understood their point and said with a smile, "Mother doesn't care what you do, but just protect yourselves and don't cause any trouble."

"Don't worry, mother. We won't resort to anything without complete preparation," Yinsi said.

As a result, Yinzhen and his brothers were extremely busy these days. Even Yinxiang was drafted into the army for the first time, often being taken to the Ganxi Wusuo to work with his two brothers through the night to devise plans.

This also made Yinzhen and Yinsi noticeably less alert when they were in the Shangshufang.

"Eighth brother, what's wrong with you lately? You're always feeling sleepy and dozing off," the Ninth Prince asked.

The Tenth Prince also followed behind the Ninth Prince, blinking at Yinsi like a little tail.

"Nothing, I just went back home and read for a long time." Yinsi yawned and said.

Last night, he and his fourth brother sneaked out of the palace again, and came back just as the palace gates opened in the morning. After washing his face and eating something, he went to class again.

Yinxiang sat closer to Yinsi, and seeing his eighth brother was so sleepy that he couldn't even open his eyes, he began to worry about his fourth brother's condition.

Now the crown prince and the eldest prince have already entered the court and are no longer in the Shangshufang. Just now, the third prince and Yinzhen were called away by Kangxi, and no one knew what happened.

At this moment, the eighth generation Gu had just finished his lecture and stayed for two quarters of an hour to let the princes rest.

Not long after, the third prince and Yinzhen came back.

Yinxiang immediately went to Yinzhen and asked him what happened.

Yinzhen whispered: "The emperor asked about the state affairs handled by the crown prince during the imperial expedition."

The third prince and Yinzhen were assisting the crown prince at that time, so they were called over.

Yinxiang looked at the dark circles under Yinzhen's eyes and pursed his lips. "Fourth brother, you and Eighth brother need to take care of yourselves. Staying up all day and night like this isn't the right thing."

"It's almost there. Eighth brother and I just went out a few more times during this crucial time." Yinzhen patted Yinxiang's shoulder and looked at the Fourteenth Prince, who sat at the back. "Fourteenth brother hasn't bothered you again, has he?" "

Trouble me? He's still too experienced for that."

After Kangxi returned to the palace, the Fourteenth Prince finally came to the Shangshufang for his initiation. Their seats were arranged according to age, and the Fourteenth Prince sat next to Yinxiang.

Yinxiang and the Fourteenth Prince had been at odds since their previous life, and the same continued in this one.

The Fourteenth Prince's hostility towards Yinxiang dated back to his first day at the Shangshufang.

The Fourteenth Prince refused to sit at the back and insisted on sitting up front. Yinxiang was so annoyed that he reprimanded him. From then on, the Fourteenth Prince never treated Yinxiang kindly.

Concubine De had always kept a close eye on him. Aside from his two older sisters, who were also raised in Yonghe Palace, the Fourteenth Prince wasn't familiar with the other princesses and princes. Furthermore, the Shangshufang had long since split into its own factions, so few were willing to speak to this new kid.

Although the Fourteenth Prince had turned against him in his previous life, Yinsi still looked after him somewhat out of consideration for their past friendship. The Ninth and Tenth Princes had always followed Yinsi's lead, so Zhanye showed some kindness to this younger brother, and the Fourteenth Prince gradually integrated into Yinsi's group, further alienating him from Yinxiang.

It was well known that the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince had opposing ideologies, and the Thirteenth Prince, the remaining prince raised in Xianfu Palace, was closer to the Fourth Prince. Consequently, the Ninth and Tenth Princes shared a common hatred, believing that Yinzhen and Yinxiang were colluding to exclude them.

The same was true for the Fourteenth Prince. Since he and Yinxiang were close to each other, he would occasionally make some small moves. Yinxiang would ignore him and would only discipline him when he made too much trouble.

Because of this incident, Yinsi even specifically told the Fourteenth Prince not to provoke Yinxiang.

Unexpectedly, he didn't listen, and the Ninth and Tenth Princes were fanning the flames.

"They dared to do this in the Shangshufang, which shows how they bullied the Eighth Brother in Xianfu Palace on weekdays." The Ninth Prince argued confidently.

"..."

In fact, he bullied the Thirteenth Prince more in Xianfu Palace, and the Fourth Brother sometimes took sides, cough cough.

The remaining two younger ones also echoed him. Yinzhen was now half-reading, and was often summoned to the front hall by Kangxi. Moreover, Yinzhen always had a cold face and was so tough that they were still a little afraid. So the only one left was Yinxiang, who looked like an honest man, to let them vent their anger on behalf of the Eighth Brother.

The Fourteenth Prince was young, and the Ninth and Tenth Princes often instigated him to find trouble with Yinxiang.

Yinsi was inherently protective of Yinxiang, so he initially reprimanded the others. Eventually, Yinxiang privately approached him and told him to leave them alone, saying that studying was boring anyway and that these people wouldn't cause any trouble, so he could just treat it as a bit of fun.

Yinsi was helpless, but figuring that since he was still in the Shangshufang, nothing serious would happen, he relented.

So Yinxiang began to tease the three, enjoying himself every day.

The Fourteenth Prince also had an awkward attitude towards Yinzhen. He knew that his fourth brother was actually his own son, but had never been raised by his mother. Concubine De rarely mentioned Yinzhen in the palace. It was only through hearing private conversations among the palace servants that the Fourteenth Prince learned that he not only had a sixth brother who died young, but also a fourth brother who had been raised by someone else. However

, since his fourth brother's imperial certificate had been altered, he was no longer considered his mother's child.

Unlike the Sixth Prince, however, the Fourteenth Prince was somewhat curious about Yinzhen, though he usually hesitated to approach him.

Yinxiang was talking to Yinzhen when he turned around and saw the Fourteenth Prince peeking around. He smiled and said, "Fourth brother, the Fourteenth Prince is very curious about you."

Yinzhen glanced at him calmly and then looked away.

To him, apart from Yinsi and Yinxiang, the other princes were no different. He treated the Fourteenth Prince and the Sixth Prince the same as the other princes, not too close to them nor treating them coldly.

It happened that Zhenzhu came at this time, carrying two food boxes.

Ever since Yinzhen and Yinsi were a little older, Wenshan had added meals to their meals and would send someone to bring them some snacks in the morning.

Yinxiang ran over and eagerly opened the food box to take a look.

"What delicious treats has Mother prepared for us today?"

Zhenzhu smiled and said, "They're all favorites of the princes, but the master has instructed you, Thirteenth Prince, not to eat too much, or you won't be able to finish lunch."

Yinsi came over to take it, nodded, and said, "Fourth Brother and I will look after him. Thank you, Sister Zhenzhu, for taking the trouble."

Zhenzhu waved her hands repeatedly, "Eighth Prince, you're too kind. This is my duty."

After saying this, Zhenzhu specifically pointed at one of the yam and red date cakes and said, "The master has instructed that this yam and red date cake is the best for the stomach, and asked Fourth Prince to use more of it."

Yinzhen smiled a little, a rare moment, and said, "I understand. I'll reassure Mother."

Yinzhen had been having irregular meals lately, often forgetting to eat when he was busy, and he was feeling a little upset. Wenshan had taken him to the imperial physician, who said it was nothing serious and that he just needed to take good care of himself before he was relieved.

Wenshan had even scolded Yinzhen at the time, saying that Yinsi, even though they were busy together, never forgot to eat on time, and that he was the one who worried her the most.

Yinsi thought to himself that he could eat on time thanks to Yinxiang who always dragged him to the small kitchen to steal food.

But it’s better not to tell mother about this.

However, in the eyes of the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, it was not such a happy scene. When Concubine Xuan sent snacks, she specifically instructed the Thirteenth Brother and the Fourth Brother, but showed no concern for the Eighth Brother.

So when Yinsi came back with one of the food boxes, the two of them surrounded him, and the Fourteenth Prince also came over.

"Shall we share some?" Yinsi looked at the three people and said helplessly: "Mother's cooking skills are very good, let's share some."

The Tenth Prince wanted to say something but was stopped by the Ninth Prince. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for the Eighth Brother to say it at this time?

Yinsi had no idea what these people were thinking. If he knew, he would definitely be amused.

In fact, Yinxiang always liked to complain that his mother was becoming more and more partial to him. For example, when food was delivered, his mother would usually prepare two food boxes, one for Yinzhen and Yinxiang, and one for Yinsi himself.

Naturally, this was because he had these three little ones, and Wen Shan was worried he wouldn't have enough to eat. Their tastes varied, and Wen Shan sometimes worried about preparing dinner, not knowing what extra ingredients to make. She often gave extra consideration to Yinsi,

as he was the pickiest eater.

Even if a dish wasn't their favorite, Yinzhen and Yinxiang would still pick it up, but Yinsi wasn't like that; he wouldn't touch anything he didn't like. So Wen Shan had no choice but to make two or three extra dishes that Yinsi liked.

And no one except the three brothers knew about this.

Yinzhen and his friends had been busy outside the palace lately, too busy to attend to the Crown Prince's affairs. Kangxi's intention was to suppress the matter as much as possible. So, despite the impeachment of the Censor, Kangxi dispatched the Crown Prince to the Confucius Temple to offer sacrifices, thus stalling the matter. Seeing the Emperor's attitude, the ministers tacitly agreed and dropped the subject.

By the time the Crown Prince returned from Qufu, over a month had passed, and things seemed to be calming down.

But then something unexpected happened.

The Crown Prince had someone assassinate Princess Yundai.

Wen Shan learned the news from Zhenzhu, which meant it had spread throughout the harem.

"What about the princess? Is she alright?" Wen Shan asked hurriedly.

"My Lord, don't worry. The assassin didn't get close."

Wen Shan pondered for a moment, still feeling puzzled: "Why would the Crown Prince, with nothing better to do, go and assassinate Princess Yundai?"

This matter had been suppressed by Kangxi, dragging on without further discussion. Although Kangxi seemed intent on teaching the Crown Prince a lesson that day, he likely wouldn't make a big deal about it, so it seemed as if the matter was about to be brushed aside.

Even if the Crown Prince couldn't figure it out, Soetu should have warned him.

Wouldn't it be dangerous to act now?

Even if he hated her, he should have at least waited until the Princess left the capital and returned to Mongolia before taking action.

"Where's Yinxiang? Has he woken up from his nap?" Wen Shan asked.

Zhenzhu said she had just put the Thirteenth Prince to bed, and he estimated it would take another half hour.

With Yinzhen and Yinsi away, Wen Shan could only ask Yinxiang for information.

When Yinxiang woke up, Wenshan took him over and asked him if he knew about the prince sending someone to assassinate the princess.

In fact, she also wanted to know if these brothers were behind it.

"Ah? What did you say, mother?" Yinxiang was still a little confused after just waking up.

Wenshan knew from his expression that it was probably nothing to do with them.

Yinxiang was as surprised as Wenshan when he heard the news.

"Is the prince completely crazy?"

"That shouldn't be the case. This is really too stupid. Is it my eldest brother who is framing me?"

Yinxiang muttered to himself, and after a moment he realized what Wenshan meant and quickly said: "Mother, my fourth and eighth brothers and I have been busy with the steam engine recently, and have no time to take care of the prince's affairs. Please don't wrongly accuse a good person." Wenshan

thought so too. These three have been concentrating on those machines recently and really have no time to get involved in the prince's affairs.

But this is really strange. There are many different opinions in the harem. The prince was summoned to the Yangxin Palace early in the morning and did not come out at night. No one knows what happened in there.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were also confused when they came back from the Shangshufang.

"We haven't been paying attention to the palace recently. Who knew there would be such a big excitement to watch." Yinsi said coldly.