Qing Dynasty: The Imperial Concubine is Pregnant Again

Mid-May of the 39th year of the Kangxi reign.

The front yard of the agong residence.

In the study, Yinzhen looked at the memorial impeaching him for being too ruthless, and recalled the meaningful look of his father in the Qianqing Palace, and felt a chill in his heart.

Some time ago, the Minister of Revenue Chen Yanjing submitted a list of names of corrupt officials to the Emperor. During the morning court, the Emperor was furious and they all knelt on the ground and dared not speak. Among them was a corrupt person who happened to be a member of the Prince's faction and was highly appreciated by the Prince. He was recommended to the Emperor many times, and this person rose from a small seventh-rank editor of the Hanlin Academy to the third-rank Minister of the Taichang Temple.

Chen Yanjing reported that this man had embezzled millions of silver coins in three years, had many wives and concubines at home, and was extremely extravagant every time he went out. Word began to spread in the capital that this was all because of the crown prince's favor, which made him so powerful!

Crown Prince Yinreng immediately prostrated himself before the Emperor, saying that he had no idea that this man was corrupt and that he recommended him because he saw that he was capable. Afterwards, the Emperor's anger seemed to have subsided, and instead of blaming the crown prince, he gave him the task of finding the embezzled money.

Afterwards, the emperor gave him and others in the Ministry of Revenue the task of how to deal with this person, which was considered as a way to let him enter the Ministry of Revenue. Yinzhen thought that this person should be executed by slow slicing since he had embezzled millions, but other officials in the Ministry of Revenue thought that since he was going to die anyway, why not leave his body intact? Why was it necessary to be so cruel?

A third-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue directly submitted a memorial to impeach him. The emperor summoned him to an audience on the afternoon of the day he received the memorial and threw the memorial directly in front of Yinzhen, asking him to read it first.

Yinzhen did not think there was anything wrong with his suggestion, and said directly in front of Kangxi: "Father, I am the most idle person in the world. I cannot bear to see others embezzling. Moreover, if they embezzle millions, even if they die ten times and their entire clan is exterminated, that is enough. How many people in the world can have ten taels of silver a year? So Yinzhen is not wrong."

Kangxi sat on the dragon throne, his mind unclear, but his eyes were somewhat deep and no emotion could be seen.

"Yinzhen, I know that your greatest wish is to be an idle prince. I am very pleased that you are concerned about the people! So, take this memorial back and put it in a conspicuous place. Remind yourself every day to pay more attention to other people's thoughts, otherwise it will not work if you insist on doing things your own way."

After that, he didn't say anything else. Yinzhen brought back the memorials and read them every day. However, the more he read them, the calmer he became. Corruption must be severely punished and there would be no leniency!

a few days later.

Those who were guilty of corruption were sentenced to the punishment of slow slicing, where they were cut three thousand times before slowly dying.

main courtyard.

The courtyard of the Fourth Lady was decorated very festively. It turned out that it was May 13th, the Fourth Lady's birthday. The celebration was more grand than Tong Nuanyan's, and she invited all the princes and their wives who she didn't interact with often.

The Fourth Lady, the Cheng Prince's wife, and the Zhi Prince's wife were chatting together. Cheng Prince's wife looked at Tong Nuanyan who was enjoying the flowers in the courtyard, fanned the round fan in her hand, and said with a smile: "Fourth sister-in-law, speaking of this Concubine Tong, we haven't met much yet, why don't you introduce her to me?"

Hearing this, the Fourth Lady's face looked a little grim: "That's fine, after all, she is from the Manchu Banner like us." She motioned Qiu Li to go and invite Tong Nuanyan over.

Tong Nuanyan, supported by Qiuyu, walked towards the group of people: "Greetings to all the ladies, may you all be blessed!" She saluted gracefully and appropriately, and her bulging belly was particularly eye-catching. Everyone was immediately attracted by her pregnant look.

Prince Cheng Yinzhi's first wife, Dong E, had never had any children. She looked at Tong Nuanyan's belly with envy: "Sister-in-law Tong is so lucky. I heard that she got pregnant right after entering the mansion?"

Dong E asked in a gossipy way. She was born dignified and generous, but when she was gossiping, she acted like a little girl. Tong Nuanyan smiled faintly: "What Fu Jin said is strange and embarrassing, but there is nothing to hide. I am now seven months pregnant, which is also during that period."

When Tong Nuanyan said this, everyone was extremely envious. The Fourth Lady was also jealous. She married the Fourth Prince at the age of ten, and gave birth to Honghui six years after marriage. She injured her body when she gave birth to Honghui at the age of sixteen. She had been drinking extremely bitter Chinese medicine for the past three years, but she could not get pregnant. Fortunately, she had Honghui, the eldest son.

The wife of the Fifth Prince Yinqi, Hetala, was married in the 36th year of his marriage. She was very anxious because she had no children in the past three years. In addition, when the wedding took place, the concubine Liu Jia was in favor and had a son, Hongsheng. Hetala was not favored in the Fifth Prince's backyard. Seeing that Tong Nuanyan could get pregnant in such a short time, she was very envious.

"Sister Tong, I have something I want to talk to you alone." Hetala said hesitantly. It was said that she was not favored. She was not very beautiful but also pretty, but her hesitant personality was not very likable.

Dong E was the first one who couldn't stand her. She smiled and said, "Fifth sister-in-law, I know why you are anxious, but everyone here wants to know, so let me ask. Sister-in-law Tong, I will speak directly. We all want to know if you have a secret recipe for having a child."

Tong Nuanyan was amused by her bold question and looked at these people with a smile. The Fourth Lady, Dong E, Tatala and the Seventh Prince's wife Hada Nara, who had remained silent, all looked at Tong Nuanyan with longing.

[Host, the Seventh Lady who has been silent is pregnant and is already three months pregnant.] 805 suddenly said in his mind.

pregnant?

"My dear ladies, you are embarrassing me. If our Tong Jia clan really had a secret recipe for having children, wouldn't you have known it long ago?" Tong Nuanyan's words hinted that if there was a secret recipe, Empress Xiaoyi would have given birth to many children, right? There is also a Concubine Tong in the harem, who is Empress Xiaoyi's sister and has been childless for many years.

After hearing this, these people's mood suddenly dropped.

"We are being presumptuous. Why bother asking you such a question?" Dong E said embarrassedly, and then pulled the Fourth Lady to the other side of the yard to appreciate the flowers, as if she was escaping in a panic.

The Fourth Lady was being pulled back to look at Tong Nuanyan. Seeing that she still had a faint smile, she felt a little angry.

"Sister-in-law Tong, no matter what, I still want to ask you for advice. Please help me." It was a bit strange and awkward for a gentle person to act coquettishly. He Tala hesitated, and finally grabbed Tong Nuanyan's sleeve and shook her.

Tong Nuanyan said many times that there was no way, but Tala kept pestering her, and she began to suspect that this person's gentle nature was a lie, how could he be so difficult to deal with. She couldn't stand it anymore, so she said a few words about how to know the best time for conception. This method is nothing more than the ten days after the end of the menstrual period.

Tong Nuanyan had not even breathed a sigh of relief yet after finally getting rid of Tatara who had been pestering her, because the Fourth Lady's birthday banquet was about to begin. A stage was set up in the yard, and a troupe of actors from the Meiyuan in the capital were invited, making it quite lively.

There were two round tables under the stage, which were for today's banquet. The one closer to the front was for the Fourth Lady and the other princes' wives, and Tong Nuanyan was also at this table. As for the concubines Li and Song, they sat at a table far away from the stage.

"Fourth sister-in-law, I just heard Sister-in-law Tong tell Fifth sister-in-law a good way to have a baby." Seventh Concubine Hada Nara suddenly said with a smile. Tong Nuanyan looked up at her, with a smile in her eyes.

"In fact, it's not a good way to have a baby. It just allows us women to know our ovulation period. It is recorded in medical books that women ovulate ten days after their menstrual period. I also know this from medical books." Tong Nuanyan pretended to be helpless and said that even if you give birth according to the ovulation period, you may not get pregnant. This is all coincidence. There are still many people who can get pregnant during the safe period.

"Really? It's good to know the ovulation period!" The wife of Prince Cheng smiled gently and generously, and was quite satisfied with the answer. But the fourth wife looked unhappy. Today was her birthday, but all the sisters-in-law paid attention to Tong Nuanyan. Although she was moved by the ovulation period, she was still angry.

"We don't know which medical book this is. My sisters-in-law and brothers and sisters-in-law must think carefully, lest our joy be in vain." The Fourth Lady poured a basin of cold water on the subject as soon as she opened her mouth, chilling everyone's fiery hearts.

"Fourth sister-in-law is really like that. Sometimes you don't have to say anything, so you don't have to say anything." said the Seventh Lady, who seemed quiet on the surface but harbored evil intentions inside.

The smile on the Fourth Lady's face froze for a moment, and her hands hidden under the table were tearing at the handkerchief tightly, as if she wanted to tear it apart.

"Seventh brother's wife's condition is serious. What Madam said makes sense. After all, I'm not an imperial physician. This is just what I saw in a medical book. It may not be true. If you want to use this method, it's safer to ask an imperial physician." Tong Nuanyan said, and ordered people to take out the gift for Fourth Madam.

She didn't want to chat with this group of people anymore. She was tired of talking to them. Moreover, she was pestered by the Fifth Lady for most of the day. It was very tiring.

"Eh? Sister-in-law Tong, your gift is very valuable. Fourth Lady, it's great that your prince has a generous concubine who treats you so well. You are so blessed." The wife of Prince Cheng looked at the items in the box and said to the Fourth Lady in surprise.

"Third sister-in-law, you are too polite. This is what I should do. The prince treats me very well, so naturally a valuable gift should be given to the wife." Tong Nuanyan smiled when she heard it, gently stroked her belly with her right hand, and spoke lightly.

"Fujin, do you like this hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum? My Amato people sent it to me some time ago. I heard that it is a rare hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum in Qinghai. I have never seen it before." This Polygonum multiflorum was just exchanged in the mall. These plant medicinal materials in the mall are extremely cheap. Only the prepared pills are expensive. I only spent ten taels of silver.

"My concubine is so thoughtful. I like it very much. Qiuli, please put it away." The Fourth Concubine smiled appropriately. If you ignore her hands tightly gripping the table, it would make people feel more indifferent.

"As long as Madam likes it, I'm glad. I've been out for too long and I have to go back to take the pregnancy-maintaining medicine. Madams, I'll take my leave first." Tong Nuanyan used the term "concubine" to address the Fourth Madam because she was one level lower than her, the legitimate wife, in the Fourth Prince's mansion. But it didn't mean she had to be one level lower than her all the time outside. The Manchus practiced having three wives and four concubines, and in terms of sisters-in-law, the legitimate wife and the concubine were of the same level, and the hierarchy was only discussed in their own family.

Afterwards, Qiuyu, who had not said a word, hurried forward to support her. Tong Nuanyan was very satisfied looking at the silent Qiuyu. She did not need a talkative servant around her. Besides, these people had been given potions, so they were loyal and understood her temper better, so she felt more at ease using them.

"Qiuyu, it's good that you are like this. You know how to say some things and some words." Tong Nuanyan reminded Qiuyu that those things said to the concubines only need to be known to her and a few of the concubines, and there is no need to let everyone know about the ovulation period.

As for whether other people will spread it, that is none of her business. If it gets out, all the princes will know about it, and those who are the wives of the princes will suffer the most. After all, most of them dote on concubines. Knowing that having children is useful, wouldn't they still go to the concubines every day?