Chapter 90 Chapter 90: Kangxi's departure date has been

set... Kangxi's departure date has been set, just two weeks from now. Wen Shan had originally been worried about Yinzhen going to the battlefield with her and was reluctant about the idea. Now that Yinzhen remained in Beijing as regent, her attitude shifted to urging Kangxi to leave quickly.

With Kangxi gone, the palace quieted down and she could relax. It was a dream life.

However, Yinzhen had been incredibly busy in the lead-up to the expedition. Not only was he regent after Kangxi's departure, but he was now also in charge of the Ministry of Revenue.

The troops couldn't move, but the food and fodder had to go first.

So Yinzhen's burden was heavy.

As a result, Yinzhen had been staying up late for days, and Wen Shan hadn't even seen him.

Yinsi had been busier than usual lately, but compared to Yinzhen, he was more relaxed. He'd come to Wen Shan's place every morning and evening, enjoying food and drinks and bickering with Yinxiang.

Today, Yinsi had brought Wen Shan some good news.

"Mother, that ice-making machine you mentioned a while ago is finally showing some progress," Yinsi said excitedly upon entering.

Wen Shan, who was picking lotus seeds to make a bowl of lotus seed soup for Yinzhen and Fucha to cool off, was pleasantly surprised by Yinsi's words.

"So fast?"

It had only been a little over two months since she'd drawn that diagram, and it seemed the experts in the other courtyard were truly becoming more and more proficient at this craft.

Zhenzhu brought Yinsi a bowl of icy yogurt, which he gulped down before wiping his lips. "It's still a prototype. I tried it the other day and it worked fine."

Ever since the steam engine became more sophisticated, these people had been trying to harness its power for other machines, and the ice-making machine was the first to be experimented with. Fortunately, Wen Shan was quite knowledgeable about the subject, and her diagram was the most detailed of the many abstract paintings, which was why progress was so rapid.

"It's a shame that summer's almost over. I don't think we'll be able to use

as much ice as we did this year," Yinsi said. "What's the big deal? Next year, we'll be able to use as much as we want." Wenshan happily envisioned a life of ice-free living.

Yinsi thought that even without the ice maker, his mother would still use as much as she wanted, so she certainly wouldn't be shortchanged.

Wenshan, delighted for a moment, then asked which craftsman had come up with such a brilliant idea in such a short time.

"It was a girl named Xue, only sixteen years old," Yinsi said with interest. "Many craftsmen say she's incredibly talented and will achieve great things in the future."

Wenshan's interest deepened when she heard it was a young girl. She inquired about her background, asking if her parents or elders had researched this, which was why she was so creative at such a young age.

Yinsi shook his head, saying that Miss Xue must have come from a poor family, having been sold as a maid by her biological parents to an official family at a young age. Unfortunately, the family's careers failed, leading to dismissal and imprisonment. Naturally, the servants were also sold, and Miss Xue ended up in a merchant family. Not long after, the steward, whose son was older than she, took a fancy to her and wanted to marry her as his second wife. When threats and inducements failed, he tortured her and even attempted to force her. Eventually, she cleverly found an opportunity to escape, but her indentures remained with her master, forcing her to live in secrecy and anonymity.

Wen Shan was amazed by this. A slave's indenture was a mountain to climb these days, with strict regulations. Escape was punishable by death. This young woman was so brave and courageous, no wonder she

was so clever. "What happened next? How did you find her?" Wen Shan urged.

Yinsi smiled and said, "She was a runaway slave, unable to work to support herself, so she had to wander around. Luckily, she ended up in Wang Chongyu's village. Wang Chongyu's mother took pity on her, considering it was freezing cold, so she took her in. She originally planned to give her a meal and help her with the work, and then let her go the following spring when the weather warmed up."

Wen Shan still remembered Wang Chongyu, the man who had invented the steelmaking method.

Wang Chongyu's family was an ordinary farm family and couldn't afford to support another person, so they could only take her in for the winter.

"During her time at the Wang residence, Wang Chongyu discovered this young woman's considerable skill in these unusual and ingenious arts. Upon questioning, he discovered she had once been a maid to the daughter of an official family, and had also studied with them. The young lady was quite kind to her, and since she enjoyed reading, she let her pick up any books she wanted, which is why she's learned so much."

Wen Shan nodded and sighed, "It's truly a case of finding a way out,

only to find a way out." Yinsi also nodded. "Later, before the following spring, we found Wang Chongyu and invited him to the capital. After much deliberation, he brought Miss Xue along."

This marked a dramatic change in Miss Xue's life.

Her status as a fugitive slave, indentured to her master's hands, would have meant a lifetime of fear and hiding, but in the eyes of Yinzhen and Yinsi, this matter was nothing, a mere sesame seed. A single word resolved it.

Furthermore, this young woman truly lived up to Wang Chongyu's strong recommendation. Since arriving in the capital, she has surpassed many veterans who have devoted years to her craft, and her contributions to the steam engine are in no small part due to her.

Wen Shan, as if listening to an inspirational story, repeatedly exclaimed, "What a fateful meeting!"

Yinsi asked, "…"

When will Mother stop using idioms and riddles?

But upon closer inspection, it seemed quite appropriate.

"When can I take Mother to your villa?" Wen Shan smiled. "I've been interested in it for a long time."

"I'll find a chance to take you there after the Emperor leaves for the war," Yinsi said with a smile. Wen

Shan counted on her fingers: "Your Emperor should be leaving in ten days, right?"

Kangxi had returned to the palace a few days ago to discuss military deployments with his ministers. Wen Shan found the palace too stuffy, and since the weather wasn't getting much cooler even though autumn was approaching, Kangxi allowed her to stay in Changchun Garden for a few more days.

Of course, Wen Shan wasn't an exception; other concubines who wanted to stay a few more days to escape the heat were welcome to join them.

However, with Kangxi's return to the palace, most of the concubines followed him. Only Wenshan, Minpin, Liangpin, and Mipin remained in Changchun Garden, along with a few maids who were never very prominent. They had figured that returning to the palace would mean little chance to accompany the emperor, and they would have to endure the heat, so they might as well rest up in Changchun Garden for a few days.

Wenshan was a little surprised that Mipin, who had been favored since entering the palace, remained in Changchun Garden. However, she understood that Mipin's relationship with Minpin had grown stronger since she gave birth to the Sixteenth Prince.

It was perfectly natural for her to want to be with her sisters and not return to the palace to serve Kangxi.

Thinking of this, Wenshan talked to Yinsi about Yinxiang's recent frequent visits to Minpin.

"I don't usually see him making these trips three times a day. It's rather strange," Wenshan said.

She wasn't jealous of Yinxiang and Concubine Min's intimacy, she just found it a little strange. Yinxiang used to visit Concubine Min quite often, but usually only once a day. Sometimes he'd be so busy he'd forget and Wenshan would have to urge him to go. But lately, he'd been so frequent.

Something was wrong.

"Did Thirteenth Brother go to Concubine Min's again?" Yinsi asked.

"Yes, he even took a bunch of food with him before he left." Wenshan smiled and said, "He was sneaking around like a thief."

Yinsi was amused by the reports from his subordinates a few days ago that Yinxiang was becoming increasingly close to the Fifth Princess at Concubine Min's place, considering he had been annoying the Fifth Princess quite a while ago.

Yinsi chatted with Wenshan for a while when Xiao Shunzi came in and whispered something in his ear. Yinsi, feeling resigned, had to leave.

Wenshan finished making lotus seed soup and, feeling bored, took it to Yinzhen's residence.

Fucha, pregnant, could not stand the heat, so she remained in Changchun Garden for a while.

When Wenshan arrived, Ma Jia and Ulanara had just arrived to pay their respects to Fucha. They shared some lotus seed soup together, then tactfully excused themselves, leaving Fucha and Wenshan alone.

"Although it's not as hot as before, it's still far from cool. Mother cooking for her is truly exhausting for her daughter-in-law," Fucha remarked.

Her Fourth Master was a deeply filial son, and any disrespect would be a real turn on his nerves.

"I was just bored, so I made something."

Wen Shan had the palace maids freeze the remaining lotus seed soup for Yinzhen's return to enjoy as a refreshing treat.

Fucha was just three months pregnant, and her belly was still flat, unnoticeable. At least she was past the most unstable first trimester.

Having never been pregnant before, Wen Shan didn't know much about this, so she could only ask if her morning sickness was severe and if she felt any discomfort.

"Thank you, mother, for your concern. The child is very well-behaved and hasn't had any discomfort so far." Fucha smiled, pursing her lips.

With this child, she could finally put her mind at ease.

"That's good," Wen Shan said. "I've noticed that Ma Jia and Ulanara are also good-natured. They'll definitely give you a lot less worry."

It was clear that the wives chosen for Yinzhen were truly the right ones. Not only did they have distinguished family backgrounds, but their temperaments were also top-notch. At least, Wen Shan hadn't seen any signs of jealousy so far.

Speaking of this, Fu Cha also said: "Both sisters are considerate, but now that my daughter-in-law is pregnant and can't serve the Fourth Master, the two sisters are also too busy to do anything. A few days ago, my daughter-in-law thought it would be better to bring two more people into Chonghua Palace to serve."

When it came to taking concubines for her son, Wen Shan felt a little embarrassed

. She took a sip of water and said: "Have you told Yinzhen about this?" "The Fourth Master said that he is busy now and doesn't have the time to think about these things. The two sisters are taking good care of us." Fu Cha thought for a moment and continued: "I shouldn't have said too much to Mother about this matter. Sister Ma Jia is fine, but Sister Ulanara has never been very keen on serving the Fourth Master. It's just that Mother is relieved that Sister Ulanara is polite and there is nothing wrong with it. It's just..."

"I understand what you mean, and I will definitely not blame her." Wen Shan continued.

She understood this very well. Isn't it the same for her?

Because Ulanara was indifferent to the matter of sleeping with the emperor, and Yinzhen was not one to force women, so after Fucha became pregnant, Yinzhen still went to Majia more often.

Fucha was not worried about Majia being the only favorite, after all, Yinzhen was not the kind of person who would be blinded by his lust for one person, but it would be a bit awkward if she was pregnant and Majia was the favorite, leaving Ulanara alone.

In addition, she felt that it was unfair for Yinzhen to have only Majia to serve her, so after Yinzhen refused, she brought up the matter with Wenshan.

Wenshan: "..."

What is there to be aggrieved about this kid? He has married three people and still feels aggrieved?

Wenshan used to think that Fucha was virtuous, dignified, generous and decent, and she still thinks so now, but of course there are also disadvantages such as being disciplined by women's rules and regulations.

Wen Shan wanted to say something, but then she thought, the idea that the husband should be the head of the wife was so deeply ingrained in her mind that saying anything would be pointless and would only cause her more annoyance. She was pregnant, so she decided not to.

"It's been really busy lately. The Emperor will be leaving for war soon, and Yinzhen is busy preparing for related matters and will have to serve as regent in the future. It's really not appropriate to dwell on women."

Since Yinzhen wasn't interested, Wen Shan could only say this.

Seeing that Wen Shan wasn't interested in finding a concubine for Yinzhen either, Fu Cha gave up the idea.

With fewer people in the mansion, she naturally felt more at ease, but she was taught from a young age to be virtuous, not jealous, and to contribute to the expansion of her husband's family, which she couldn't help but mention.

Fu Cha also lamented that she had privately found a girl for Yinzhen and thought

she was a good match. Wen Shan, after drinking a cup of tea, became interested and asked who she had chosen.

Ever since Fucha's marriage, she and Wenshan had gotten along well, so she was willing to share some private matters with her. For example, even though Yinzhen and Wenshan had both refused to take another concubine, Fucha still dared to discuss the woman she had originally envisioned with her.

"She's Li, a bannerman of the White Banner within the Chonghua Palace. Although her family isn't high, she looks pretty, and the nanny says she'd be easy to raise."

Fucha smiled, "Besides, she's from our own family, so her background is clean. I was thinking that if the Fourth Master was interested, I'd make her a princess. If she actually had children, I could ask for a higher title." Wenshan knew

who this Li was the moment she heard it. She was

Yinzhen's favorite concubine in his early years, and she had given birth to several children, though only the third prince, Hongli, survived.

Later, she was promoted to a concubine and then, after Yinzhen ascended the throne, was given the title of Consort Qi.

"Your taste..." Wen Shan pondered for a moment and said, "It's quite good."

Fu Cha had already picked this out, so one could only say that her taste was truly something.

As they were talking, Yin Zhen returned.

"Greetings to Mother."

Yin Zhen bowed to Wen Shan, and Wen Shan, seeing sweat all over his forehead, hurriedly helped him up.

"Go wash your face! Mother made lotus seed porridge and brought it to you. It's chilling now. Have a bowl for you later," Wen Shan said with a smile.

Yin Zhen washed his face before returning and said, "I was planning to pay my respects to Mother, but on the way I ran into Feicui who told me Mother was here."

"Come and talk to your wife," Wen Shan teased. "You're a very busy man nowadays. When you're busy, you can't take care of anything else."

Fu Cha also greeted Yin Zhen, but Yin Zhen hummed indifferently and said nothing.

Fu Cha pursed her lips and sat aside.

"We'll be able to relax a bit when the army sets out in a few days." Yinzhen took a sip of lotus seed porridge and immediately recognized Wenshan's cooking.

"Mother, why are you cooking again when it's so hot?"

Yinzhen frowned.

"It's nothing, it's just porridge, what's the big deal?" Wenshan said with a smile, "You've been working so hard lately, eat more."

Just then, a palace maid came looking for Fucha, saying she needed to go over to her for something, leaving Wenshan and Yinzhen alone in the palace.

Wenshan watched Fucha leave and said, "Fucha is pregnant, after all. No matter how busy you are, please make time to spend with her."

Yinzhen finished his porridge, and Zhenzhu, who was standing beside him, took it and poured him another bowl.

"A few days ago, the wife mentioned marrying another bride for her son. I guess she's in a good mood."

Yinzhen's tone was calm, but Wenshan could hear a hint of anger in it.

Something was wrong. There was something else going on.

Wenshan's radar, having listened to Yinsi's gossip for years, suddenly went off.

"Just now, Fucha told Mother that she thinks you're too hot-blooded, and that Fucha can't serve you while she's pregnant. With only two concubines in the courtyard, that's not enough. Why not follow her advice and arrange for two more concubines for you?"

Wen Shan teased him, and sure enough, Yinzhen's expression changed.

"Mother, why do you say that?"

"Didn't you tell your son before that he shouldn't be obsessed with women since he's still young?"

Wen Shan burst out laughing. "Look how worried you are. Mother was just saying it casually. I know you've been very busy lately."

Yinzhen breathed a sigh of relief, and Wen Shan continued, "Well... let's wait until your father goes off to fight and things settle down before we put a few people in your room. Mother thinks Li, who Fucha recommended, is a good choice."

Yinzhen replied, "...Mother, stop joking."

Yinzhen was naturally familiar with Wen Shan, and he knew she was joking from the tone of her voice.

Yinzhen and Fucha's relationship was indeed good, especially after years of being nurtured by Wenshan. Yinzhen's temperament had become much calmer. Even Yinsi and Yinxiang said that compared to the fourth brother in his previous life, he was no longer so cold and aggressive, and more humane.

The two were a young couple, and Fucha was generous and beautiful, with a gentle and understanding nature. It would be impossible to say that Yinzhen didn't have some feelings for her. Just over a year after their marriage, when their relationship was at its peak, Fucha became pregnant again. Yinzhen was originally very happy, but Fucha's initial request for a concubine inevitably made him feel a little uncomfortable.

As a prince, Yinzhen now had two concubines, so he was not opposed to taking concubines, but it was inevitable that he felt disappointed at this time.

Wen Shan sighed, "Of the three of you, I'm most concerned about you. In the future, I'll inevitably go before you. Besides you brothers, your wives and children will be with you for the rest of your lives. Although being born into the royal family inevitably requires three wives and four concubines, you're especially important."

Wen Shan, initially uncomfortable with this, had to accept it. Yinzhen would have three harems and six courtyards when he ascended the throne.

Yinzhen pursed his lips and said nothing.

"But I still long for someone close to you. Fucha is a good child, and you like her, and I'm happy too."

Wen Shan smiled and said, "But even husband and wife have their own ways of getting along. You've been reserved since childhood, so silence won't do.

Why not have a frank conversation?" He could have said anything he wanted. It would be troublesome if he didn't have a mouth.

He was just asking for trouble.

Yinzhen nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry to have caused you so much worry

." "But the situation is indeed complicated right now, and I don't have the time to think about this," he sighed. "The Emperor will soon be leaving the capital, and I'm afraid we'll have a tough battle to fight after he leaves."

In the minds of Yinzhen and his friends, romantic feelings were acceptable, but only as a garnish. At this crucial moment, they had been completely forgotten.

Wenshan naturally understood that this was a critical moment. Seeing how busy Yinzhen and Yinsi had been lately, it was clear that they were both sensible people. Wenshan didn't say anything more, just told Yinzhen to eat well and rest, and then left.

Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and she didn't bother to interfere too much.

Yinsi had just been called away because Tong Guowei had come to visit him for the second time.

After Kangxi returned to the palace, Tong Guowei had become much bolder in seeking Yinsi out at Changchun Garden.

Yinsi knew from the old man's expression that he was definitely plotting something bad again.

The last time Tong Guowei reported the crown prince, he wanted to drag the eldest prince and the Shaanxi governor into the water, but was stopped by Yinsi.

Firstly, it was too obvious and he was afraid that Kangxi would be suspicious. Secondly, they were about to send troops to fight against Galdan, and the eldest prince was still useful on the battlefield,

so they didn't want to lose the big picture because of a small thing. Tong Guowei's personality was either to do it or to do it completely, so he was quite dissatisfied with Yinsi's decision, but Yinsi insisted and he had no choice but to let the eldest prince go.

He still sighed in his heart that it was a pity that he missed an opportunity to drag down all the princes who could participate in the fight for the throne.

"Eighth prince, there are unusual movements between the crown prince and Soetu." Tong Guowei said.

Yinsi: "Hmm? Tell me about it."

Tong Guowei whispered, "A few days ago, Soetu secretly went to Yuqing Palace and had a private conversation with the Crown Prince for over an hour."

"It was the day that Wang gave birth."

Yinsi naturally knew about this. Although the child could not survive the open world, he was still the Crown Prince's flesh and blood. So it was understandable that Soetu would enter the palace at this time.

Moreover, the child had already been placed in the imperial clan by Kangxi and posed no threat at all.

"Eighth Prince, you don't know, but the Nine Gates Commander Togaqi has been secretly preparing troops these past few days. Even Gong Ju from the Fengtai Camp has been invited to his palace several times."

Tong Guowei was also a political veteran. Togaqi was the Crown Prince's man. At this time, he was integrating troops and had close contacts with the people from the Fengtai Camp. It only took a moment to understand what the Crown Prince and Soetu were planning.

"The Crown Prince is throwing himself into a flame and courting his own destruction." Yinsi smiled faintly and said, "What can this small number of troops accomplish?"

Others didn't know Yinsi, but he knew that Kangxi had left 30,000 troops stationed near the capital. It can only be said that the Crown Prince and Soetu's secret uprising, which they thought was a desperate struggle, was actually known to countless people.

"Of course it won't succeed." Tong Guowei stroked his beard and said, "The Crown Prince will definitely be deposed this time. If the Fourth Prince fails to perform his duties properly and causes unrest in the capital, he will not be able to escape accountability."

Yinsi paused, thinking that Tong Guowei's habit of having to take advantage of everything he does is still the same as always.