Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The day when Little Tonggiya entered the palace…

It was a beautiful, sunny day. Wenshan, seeing the good weather, took Yinxiang out to fly a kite. They

happened to run into Little Tonggiya on her way to visit Noble Consort Nianhulu.

"My lord, that looks like Consort Tong, who just arrived this morning," Zhenzhu whispered to Wenshan, noting someone approaching from the south.

Wenshan, still enthusiastically flying her kite, turned to see Little Tonggiya, accompanied by a dozen palace maids and eunuchs, approaching from the lakeside.

Little Tonggiya also spotted Wenshan and Yinxiang, paused, and turned to approach.

"I pay my respects to Noble Consort Xuan,"

Little Tonggiya bowed with a smile.

Wen Shan examined the young Tong Jia for a few moments and said with a smile, "Wake up! Sister Tong has good eyesight. This is our first meeting."

Compared to her sister, the young Tong Jia was more strikingly beautiful and possessed a sharper aura, truly exuding the youthful vigor.

Wen Shan reflected that only newcomers to the palace seemed full of life. Consorts like Hui and Rong, after interacting for so long, lost their spark.

"Didn't the Imperial Concubine recognize me immediately?" the young Tong Jia asked gracefully.

Zhenzhu took the kite string from Wen Shan's hand. Yinxiang didn't come over, flying his kite to the side, pretending not to hear, but his ears perked up.

Wen Shan looked at her young and beautiful face and said, "There haven't been any new people in the palace in the past few years. They are all familiar faces, so I could recognize them at a glance."

Little Tong Jia pursed her lips and smiled, "Father told me before I entered the palace that my sister loved the Fourth Prince the most when she was alive. Although it may be a bit presumptuous, Father still asked me to take care of the Fourth Prince more."

"That's great." Wen Shan raised her eyebrows, "It's good to have one more person to take care of Yinzhen."

"Well, since you say so, I'll shamelessly go to Xianfu Palace more often." Little Tong Jia raised her eyes, with a tentative look in her eyes.

Wen Shan called Yinxiang over and wiped the sweat from his forehead, saying, "Yinzhen isn't living in Xianfu Palace anymore. If Sister Tong wants to visit, she'll have to go to the West Fifth Residence."

Little Tong Jia, knowing Wen Shan's order to keep visitors away, immediately agreed, saying, "I misjudged you. Thank you for your guidance."

"Where are you going?" Wen Shan asked, holding Yinxiang's hand. "Is the Emperor summoning you? Don't delay."

Little Tong Jia adjusted her hair bun and said, "I'm going to visit Noble Consort Nianhulu."

Wen Shan nodded, saying, "Oh," and told her to hurry.

As Little Tong Jia walked away, Zhenzhu said, "Why doesn't the master seem to like Noble Consort Tong?"

Wen Shan took Yinxiang to the pavilion to sit and drink some water. Yinxiang gulped down a large cup of grapefruit tea Wen Shan had made.

"It's not just Mother, I don't like her either."

Wen Shan was amused. "Why don't you like Concubine Tong?"

Yinxiang hadn't particularly liked Concubine Tong in his previous life. She was even more domineering than Concubine Hui and Concubine Nianhulu.

Concubine Min had suddenly regained favor after the arrival of Concubine Tong Jia, so she'd suffered a lot from her.

But Yinxiang never liked gossiping behind people's backs, especially since Concubine Tong Jia was now his stepmother and an elder.

"Nothing, I just don't like her."

Yinxiang was tucking into Wen Shan's fruit smoothie. When he looked up, a milk stain smeared around his mouth. Wen Shan laughed and quickly wiped it away.

Wen Shan said, "It's not that I dislike her, but I just don't get along with people who are too aggressive."

"But she and her sister are really different," Wen Shan lamented.

Empress Tong Jia was known for her gentleness and delicate demeanor. It was surprising that her younger sister had the same temperament as Concubine Nianhulu.

Could it be that they are all young daughters in the family and therefore are more favored?

Wen Shan accompanied Yinxiang to fly kites for a while and then went to Ningshou Palace. The Empress Dowager said that Princess Yundai was almost well again and Kangxi would arrange a marriage for her soon, so she asked Wen Shan to go and see her one last time.

Wen Shan felt that Yuhua Pavilion was much more lively when she stepped into it again after a few months. Kangxi did not need to treat Yundai badly anymore. Although he did not adopt her as his adopted daughter and marry her off as a Heshuo Princess, the dowry was prepared according to the specifications of a Heshuo Princess. It was rare for the Empress Dowager to handle this matter personally.

However, according to the Empress Dowager, this was also Kangxi who came to ask the Empress Dowager in person, and he did not want to cause any more trouble in people's lives.

Princess Yundai looked really well. With a rosy face, she directed the palace people to move things. She smiled brightly when she saw Wen Shan coming.

"Why is the Imperial Concubine here?"

Wen Shan was a little confused. Before she came, she thought that Yuhua Pavilion might be quiet and solemn. Yun Dai's wish had not been fulfilled and she had just lost her child, so she guessed that the situation would not be very good. She had racked her brains to think of a lot of words to comfort Yun Dai, but she was dumbfounded after she came.

Yun Dai's mental state seemed to be better than hers.

"This room is very messy, let's go to the yard to talk." Yun Dai took Wen Shan's arm and walked out, not forgetting to ask the palace maids to clean up quickly.

"The Queen Mother said that your marriage will probably be in the next few days, so she asked me to come and see how the preparations are going."

Wen Shan and Yun Dai walked to the stone table in the yard and sat down. Soon a palace maid came to serve tea.

Yun Dai smiled. "The Empress Dowager has made all the arrangements perfectly, and the people in the Imperial Household Department are also very attentive. If I weren't still under house arrest, I would have gone to thank the Empress Dowager for her care these days."

Wen Shan took a sip of tea and felt that there seemed to be nothing more to say. However, she was curious about Yun Dai's sudden excitement.

"Why is the Empress looking at you like that? Ask whatever you want to ask." Yun Dai naturally noticed Wen Shan's puzzled look and said casually, "She will be returning to Mongolia soon. If I'm unlucky, I'm afraid we won't have the chance to see each other again. The Empress Dowager and I are destined to meet. I have an answer for everything you ask."

Wen Shan thought about it and realized that it made sense. If she held back her words, she would only end up killing herself. But just as she was about to speak, Yun Dai interrupted her with a smile.

"Let me guess, Your Majesty, are thinking about why Yun Dai looks so happy to be a new bride? Shouldn't you be secretly shedding tears and feeling sad?"

Wen Shan guessed what she was thinking and didn't feel embarrassed at all. She nodded very calmly and said, "This is human nature. I just can't figure it out."

Yun Dai held her chin and said, "If Yun Dai hadn't been confined to the palace for most of the time since entering, she would definitely be a frequent visitor to Xianfu Palace. It's so pleasant to talk to Your Majesty."

"Yun Dai committed such a big mistake, not only did the Emperor not pursue the matter, but he also prepared a dowry for me to marry out of the Forbidden City. Isn't this a matter of surviving a disaster and worthy of celebration?" Wen Shan

suddenly understood and felt that it made so much sense. She nodded repeatedly: "Yes, it is indeed something to be happy about."

Yun Dai also smiled, and said happily: "I knew that Your Majesty the Imperial Concubine would understand me."

"It's a pity that your wish was not fulfilled and you couldn't marry the prince." Wen Shan sighed.

With Yun Dai's free and easy nature, marrying the Crown Prince and staying in the palace would have been quite interesting. However, she then thought about the Crown Prince's slim chance of ascending the throne and decided it would be a good idea for Yun Dai to marry back to Mongolia, where she could enjoy the freedom of the vast skies and oceans.

Yun Dai didn't seem to have any regrets: "In life, nothing can go as planned. I've tried, so I have no regrets."

"It's not bad now. It's a blessing in disguise. If I had really married the Crown Prince, I'm afraid my life would have been difficult. Didn't you see that the Crown Prince sent someone to assassinate me, intending to get rid of me as soon as possible?"

Yun Dai smiled as she spoke of this, as if she hadn't been the one to have a near-death experience.

"Do you really think the Crown Prince did it?" Wen Shan asked curiously.

Yun Dai, however, didn't care. "Is there any difference? Isn't the Crown Prince's attitude towards me obvious? If someone really did use his hand, I can't care less. I just made a wrong bet, no point in arguing."

"Sometimes it's a blessing to be confused," Yun Dai said to Wen Shan. "Your Majesty, you're the same. Sometimes it's good to be confused."

Wen Shan was genuinely confused. "Why do I feel like there's something else you're saying?"

Yun Dai smiled mysteriously. "Yun Dai is just keeping you in suspense. You can find it yourself."

Wen Shan left Yuhua Pavilion in a daze and asked Zhenzhu and Amber, "Do you understand what the princess means?"

Amber smiled, pursing her lips. "Didn't the princess say it's a blessing to be confused? My master, don't worry about it. Anyway, with a few princes in Xianfu Palace, nothing will happen."

Wen Shan thought about it, but since she couldn't figure it out, she decided not to bother with it.

...

Yinzhen and Yinsi left the palace today and visited the villa outside.

This time, Kangxi had sent Yinzhen to inspect a flood-stricken county outside Beijing, specifically appointing Yinsi to accompany him. After finishing their work, the two, still early in the morning, went to the inner courtyard to inspect it.

"The Emperor's father has been asking me and my fourth brother to work together lately. The implication couldn't be more obvious, right?" Yinsi and Yinzhen chatted as they rode down the street.

Kangxi now favored Yinzhen. While the extent of this preference was unknown, it at least meant that Kangxi's support for the crown prince was not 100% complete. If the crown prince proved incompetent, Kangxi's choice for the new crown prince would be Yinzhen.

"But it's hard to say if it's just the Emperor's cover," Yinzhen said.

With such a big show, it was hard to say.

"Since we're here, we'll make the best of it. What's there to be afraid of?" Yinsi smiled.

Yinzhen smiled too, no longer dwelling on the matter.

"I heard Dai Zi and his team have made some progress with their firearms. We need to take a closer look at this supposedly unmatched weapon."

Wen Shan had naturally explained the importance of gunpowder to them. Modern gunpowder has long been used in warfare, and the military even has a dedicated firearms battalion. However, it's still imperfect, prone to inflicting casualties on eight hundred of their own for every one thousand they inflict. Coupled with a lack of attention, cold weapons still dominate combat.

Ever since Wen Shan explained the true power of gunpowder, they've become incredibly interested. Currently, the hottest research areas in the branch courtyard are gunpowder and steam engines.

Yinsi, upon mentioning this, was also enthusiastic: "Word has come in that Dai Zi has developed a firearm that can fire twenty or thirty rounds in a row. It's incredibly powerful."

"What a shame such a talented person was nearly exiled," Yinzhen lamented.

Dai Zi was a firearms expert who had invented numerous powerful weapons. Emperor Kangxi even summoned him for a special meeting, but Kangxi wasn't particularly enthusiastic about them and subsequently assigned him to the Firearms Bureau. However, within a few years, he offended others, was falsely accused of several crimes, and was exiled to Ningguta.

After learning about this man from Wen Shan, Yinzhen and his companions became increasingly concerned. Yinsi, through some subtle manipulation, managed to have him dismissed from his post and expelled from the palace, and then recruited him.

"Master Dai is already over forty, and his health isn't great. If he had been exiled to Ningguta, he probably wouldn't have survived. Our Qing Dynasty almost lost such a talented person,"

the brothers lamented. Yinsi suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?" and pulled his horse back.

Yinzhen stopped and asked what was wrong.

"It's strange. Why do I keep running into your trusted ministers on the street?" Yinsi said. Yinzhen

: ?

He looked around and asked in a low voice: "Who is it?"

Yinsi raised his whip and pointed at a young man who was buying cakes in front of a fruit shop.

He was followed by two followers, and judging from his clothes, he looked like a young man from a wealthy family.

"Who is this?" Yinzhen asked with a frown.

"E'ertai, the son of Ebai, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College."

Yinzhen thought for a while: "Is it the Ebai from the Xilin Gioro family?"

Yinsi nodded.

They were not very familiar with Ebai, but they heard that he was also an honest official during his tenure as the chief academic officer of the Imperial

College, and benefited many students. "Ebai has always been upright and never made friends with anyone. A few years ago, I wanted to get in touch with him but came back empty-handed." Although Yinsi said this, his tone was also admiring.

Yinzhen: "That seems to be a strict family tradition."

"Ebai is very strict in managing the household and educating his children, especially in his son's studies. He's even more strict than the Emperor himself. This Ortai passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty, and even Li Guangdi admired him."

Yinsi looked at Ortai, who was shopping at the stall with a serious expression on his face, and stroked his chin. "So this Ortai has had such a stern face since he was a child. He's really boring. He looks a bit like you, Fourth Brother."

"..."

"Stop looking at him. Let's go." Yinzhen pulled the reins and prepared to turn back.

Yinsi called him back: "We've just met, won't you say a few words?"

"If he's truly talented, we'll meet again someday, so don't bother him." Yinzhen rode back, and Yinsi hurried to follow.

On the way to the villa, they talked about Ortai. The more he listened, the more impressed Yinzhen became. He always had a special liking for upright and honest officials who were not afraid of the powerful.

"E'ertai served as an official in the Ministry of Punishment for many years. No matter how many royal family members came to him and threatened or bribed him, he remained unmoved and always enforced the law impartially. Once, a disciple of the Tenth Prince was caught by him, but he didn't even give him any face." Yinsi felt a little funny when he recalled the situation at that time.

"You know the temper of the tenth prince, fourth brother. He is still the same when he grew up. He brought dozens of people to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and wanted to beat him up to teach Ortai a lesson."

Yinzhen frowned when he heard it: "This is nonsense. As a prince, he beat up an official appointed by the court, and the reason is that this person is honest and does not accept bribes!"

Yinsi laughed and joked: "I knew that this person must be against your temper, fourth brother. You never made friends with ministers easily in the past. You also sent people to invite Ortai to your house for a chat, but you were rejected by this Ortai and even told you that the prince should be virtuous and not make friends with outsiders."

"..." Yinzhen looked up at him, "You remember it so clearly. You laughed at me a lot because of this, right?"

"..."

How to say it, the fourth brother, who had always been cold and ruthless, finally stopped being a lonely minister and wanted to make friends with a minister, but he picked a stone harder than him and hit his foot. For him at that time, it was certainly something worth laughing at.

Yinsi patted his head and changed the subject: "Fourth brother, how could I possibly laugh at you when you say that? Let's talk about the Tenth Brother. What do you think Ortai did with this matter?"

Yinzhen didn't bother to dwell on the past and let Yinsi pass it by. After a moment's thought, he said, "Given the Tenth Brother's temper, I'm afraid he would really give him a beating."

"That should have been the case. The Emperor would have given the Eleventh Brother a beating and that would have been the end of it. But who would have thought that Ortai would have immediately pulled out a dagger and handed it to the Tenth Brother, saying that unless the Eleventh Brother killed him today, he would still close the case."

Yinzhen's opinion of the young man rose to a higher level after hearing this. He nodded and said, "He is indeed a loyal minister."

"No matter how daring the Tenth Brother was, he wouldn't have dared to kill an imperial official in the Imperial Household Department. In the end, he could only leave in disgrace." Yinsi thought back to the time when the Tenth Brother came to him with a grievance and found it funny.

When had this little bully, the Tenth Brother, ever suffered such an injustice?

After hearing this little episode, Yinzhen suddenly turned on Yinsi: "After the Tenth Prince suffered this loss, why didn't he go to you, my good Eighth Brother, to make things right? Back then, he was cleaning up the mess for the Ninth and Tenth Princes, and he did a lot of things that broke the law, didn't he?"

"..."

Yinzhen gave him a cold look, and Yinsi coughed a few times, not knowing where to begin.

If you were to ask if he had done it, he definitely had, not just for the Ninth and Tenth Princes, but also when some court officials came to him for help, he had to help them in order to win their hearts. Now that he thought about it, it was indeed not upright.

Yinzhen didn't intend to pursue Yinsi. Seeing his crestfallen expression, he felt a little distressed. His tone softened as he said, "I was just saying it casually to tease you. Didn't we already agree not to dwell on the past?"

"It's Fourth Brother who broke his promise today. I'll treat you to dinner later, okay?"

Yinsi had originally wanted to play pitiful to coax Fourth Brother into his favor. This trick had worked every time since he was a child, so he took advantage of the situation and insisted on eating at Zuixianju, the most expensive restaurant in the capital.

The two of them were talking for a while before they arrived at the villa. They

had been informed beforehand, and the villa's housekeeper, Wang, was already waiting at the door.

"Greetings to the Fourth Master, Greetings to the Eighth Master!"

Yinzhen and Yinsi dismounted, and servants immediately took the horses away to feed them.

"How are the preparations going?" Yinsi asked.

"Don't worry, Master Dai has been ready since morning, just waiting for you!"

Steward Wang led the two men into a courtyard where a dozen people gathered around a musket.

Upon seeing Yinzhen and Yinsi enter, they all greeted them.

"Rise, no need to be so polite," Yinzhen said.

Yinsi stepped forward to examine them, then looked at Dai Zi. "Is this the musket that can fire dozens of rounds in a row?"

Dai Zi's face lit up. "Eighth Master, it's now been improved to fire thirty-two rounds in a row."

Perhaps it was true that no boy doesn't love guns, so Yinsi eagerly offered to let him try it out first.

There was a dedicated area in the courtyard for testing guns, and after handling it himself, Yinsi found the musket to be just as good as it had been described: not only could it fire continuously, but it was also much more powerful.

Thirteenth Prince would surely love it.

"That's quite a powerful weapon! My arm's numb!" Yinsi shook his arm and asked Yinzhen if he wanted to try it out.

Yinzhen showed little interest in getting his hands on it, instead inquiring about the cost and whether it could be mass-produced.

Dai Zi replied, "Please rest assured, Fourth Master. I've already drawn up the blueprints for you two, and we can make it in the Firearms Battalion."

Yinzhen nodded and touched the musket, feeling elated. With this weapon, coupled with a steam engine, he was invincible.

Yinzhen was delighted and considered rewarding Dai Zi, but he couldn't think of anything to give this devoted craftsman, so he simply asked what he wanted.

Dai Zi said, "Fourth Master and Eighth Master saved my life and gave me the opportunity to continue my research on gunpowder. I'm deeply grateful for the dedicated care I receive for my daily life here, and I dare not ask for anything more."

These craftsmen truly lived a comfortable life in this courtyard. They received a monthly allowance to supplement their household expenses, their daily routines were meticulously planned, and there were no restrictions on their travel. They were simply told to keep a low profile and not to share the artifacts here.

These people were carefully selected. Not only were they skilled in craftsmanship but also had excellent character. Most of them were devoted to their own research and were very cooperative.

"Master Dai, if there is anything that the servants are not considerate of, just tell us." Yinsi glanced at the steward Wang who was following beside him, "No one under you is pretending to obey, right?"

Steward Wang broke out in a cold sweat, "Don't worry, Master Eight, I'm watching you, no one dares to neglect the masters."

"That's good, the masters are all distinguished guests that my fourth brother and I have invited with great difficulty. On weekdays, we will meet any needs they have. If they don't have enough money, we will send someone to get it."

Steward Wang said hurriedly, "Enough, enough, this is enough silver. If it is not enough, I will report it in time."

Master Dai had been in the palace for a few years after all, and he had made some progress in the ways of the world. Seeing this, he said, "Staff Wang and the people who take care of our daily lives are doing their best and have not neglected us at all. The two masters can rest assured."

Yinzhen nodded, and Yinsi waved his hand to let Steward Wang go down first.

"Master Dai has performed such a great service. My fourth brother and I must reward you with something, otherwise we will be uneasy." Yinsi rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "I heard that Master Dai has a daughter who is waiting to be married. If Master Dai is willing, how about I find a matchmaker for her?"

Dai Zi's eyes lit up when he heard this. He only had this one daughter in his life. Although she was said to be waiting to be married, she was actually twenty-three years old this year. Because she had been following him around and fiddling with these gunpowder, no one dared to marry her, which delayed her marriage. Miss Dai did not dwell on such mundane matters, always saying that it all depended on fate. Dai Zi had originally planned for her daughter to remain single, but she still couldn't help but worry that if he was gone, her daughter would be left without anyone to take care of her. Now that the Eighth Prince was willing to act as a matchmaker, it was naturally a good thing.

"I wonder which good man the Eighth Prince is talking about?"

Yinsi smiled and said, "It's Tian Wenjing, the current governor of Henan. He just turned thirty. His first wife died of illness a year ago, leaving no children. My fourth brother and I have been thinking of finding a matchmaker for him."