The Virtuous Concubine

By the time all the concubines arrived at the Changshanyu Palace, it was already sunset. This palace was very large, located on a high platform, with endless mountains below. The facilities in the palace were brand new, and although they were not as gorgeous as those in the palace, they were quite complete.

The servants in the palace were all newly purchased, and they were all extremely cautious, fearing that they would make the slightest mistake in front of these prominent masters. After packing up a little, Malu was ready to go out.

At night, Emperor Kangxi and his ministers drank and laughed in the front hall. As the host, the Mongolian tribes invited the banner owners, princes and taijis of the Xibe, Daur, Oroqen, Hezhe and Uyghur ethnic groups in the northeast to gather together, adding more excitement and joy to this autumn hunt.

In the back, the women also set up their own small banquet, singing and dancing, talking in soft voices, which was quite charming. The concubines were dressed in gorgeous clothes, adorned with jewels and precious stones, competing with each other for beauty. They talked in low voices or laughed softly, discussing the local customs and people along the way, and sharing their own experiences and feelings.

The fatigue of the long journey could not hide the excitement of the people, who chattered about the scenery along the way. Some concubines admired the vastness and magnificence of the grassland, while others were curious about the herds of cattle and sheep under the blue sky and white clouds. However, there were also a few delicate concubines, such as Xiao Hesheli, who privately complained that the temporary palace was not as comfortable as the palace, the bed was not soft enough, and the food was not refined enough.

Everyone laughed at what she said. Rong Fei said half jokingly and half mockingly, "Since my sister despises you so much, why did you come out so eagerly? Wouldn't it be better to stay in the palace and live a life of luxury?"

Little Hesheli's cheeks turned red, but she couldn't get angry in front of so many people, so she said angrily: "Sister is always making fun of people, I was just talking casually. It is also a blessing for us sisters to be able to come out with the emperor and see the scenery outside the Great Wall."

Concubine Hui also smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Yes, it is a great favor from the emperor to be able to go out for a walk in this cool and refreshing autumn season."

It was because Concubine Yi was pregnant that she didn't come, otherwise she could have knocked little Hesheli down with her mouth! Malu also stood up with a cup in hand: "What you sisters said is very true. It is a great pleasure to accompany the emperor to Mulan this time. I will toast to everyone first!"

As he said this, he drank the fruit juice in the cup in one gulp.

She didn't like drinking, especially Qing Dynasty wine, so she took the fruit juice that Xiao Si'er liked to drink. The smell and color of the fruit juice were very similar to wine, and you couldn't tell the difference until you put it in your mouth. Seeing that the usually secluded Concubine De was so generous and friendly, everyone followed her and drank a glass. The atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became hot, with laughter and clinking of glasses.

The Mongolian noble ladies who were present at the banquet also liked Concubine De very much. They admired Malu's informal character and kind and amiable attitude. In the eyes of these grassland daughters, Concubine De's frankness and naturalness were very similar to the daughters of their Golden Family!

As for the shy little Hesheli, she was simply ignored.

A Mongolian noblewoman in the lead raised her glass to Malu and said in her grassland-accented Chinese: "Empress Defei is truly a person of character. What we on the grassland admire most is a generous woman like you. Come, I'll toast you a glass!"

Malu smiled and returned another glass of wine: "I am also very happy to drink with all the Mongolian sisters!"

As the banquet progressed, the Mongolian ladies were half drunk and could no longer sit still. They walked directly to the center of the banquet. Some sang songs from the grassland, and some danced passionately. Concubine De and other concubines applauded and praised them, and some were even bold enough to pull the concubines from the harem off the stage.

Seeing that some were eager to try while others were shy and retreated, Malu laughed and said, "There is no difference between people's extroversion and introversion in ancient and modern times, in China and abroad." As he said this, he even took the lead and followed the prince's wife to learn Mongolian dance.

It wasn't that she had completely forgotten the rules and etiquette, it was just that this opportunity could not be missed. The Mongolian tribes had six ranks: Prince, Duke, Beile, Beizi, Zhenguogong, and Fuguogong. In addition to the six ranks, there were also Taiji and Tabunang.

In addition to the title, each banner under each Mongolian tribe also has a zasak banner chief, who is usually a prince, beile, beizi, gong, taiji, etc. Every Mongolian noblewoman who can appear here, her husband, father, and brother all control the affairs of several banners, and their status and influence should not be underestimated.

This time she was also willing to risk it all for Xiao Si'er, and she had to make friends with some Mongolian noble ladies. The women in Mongolia also hoped to get to know some favored concubines, at least not to be completely ignorant of Kangxi's harem. When both parties were willing, Ma Lu, who was the most straightforward and informal, became their first choice among all the concubines in the harem.

With Malu's joining, the other concubines gradually let go. Concubine Hui was dignified and relied on her status as the biological mother of the eldest son of the emperor. She felt that she was the leader this time and refused to leave. Even the gentle and quiet Concubine Rong learned a Mongolian tune.

When the excitement died down and the banquet ended, everyone was a little drunk. The concubines supported each other and returned to their respective palaces. The lights in the palace gradually went out, leaving only a bright moon hanging high in the sky, casting a bright silver light.

Malu drank a bellyful of fruit juice and was very clear-headed. She was finally able to get out of the crowded banquet and just wanted to get some fresh air. The moonlight was very good today, so she took Bai Xia for a slow walk in the palace. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, making rustling sounds, accompanied by the occasional chirping of insects in the distance.

Unlike the magnificent and exquisite palace, the scenery of the palace in the grassland and forest is more natural, primitive and rugged. The air here is fresh and pure, with a hint of the fragrance of plants and trees, which makes people feel relaxed and happy. The mountains in the distance are looming in the night. Malu admired it for a while and continued to move forward, and came to a small lake. The lake water sparkled under the moonlight, and it was very quiet.

Bai Xia actually felt a little scared. The guards in the temporary palace were not as strict as those in the palace, and there was no one around. This was really inappropriate. She was about to persuade Malu to go back when she heard a rustling sound - "Who is it?!"

Bai Xia was alert, and quickly picked up a stone from the lake and stood in front of Malu, looking in the direction of the sound. A familiar figure slowly walked out of the night. Under the moonlight, the man was elegant, but the yellow jacket on his body reduced his ethereal demeanor. Looking closely, the person was Nalan Rongruo.

The yellow jacket in the Qing Dynasty had two main uses. One was as an official uniform for the emperor's guards and attendants, such as the Minister of the Imperial Guard and the Commander of the Guards, who wore yellow jackets to show their special status and duties. The other was the honorary clothing bestowed by the emperor on meritorious officials. Officials who were given yellow jackets could wear them on grand occasions to show their honor.

To distinguish them, the buttons of the official yellow jacket are black, while the buttons of the latter are yellow.

"It turned out to be Guard Nalan." Bai Xia breathed a sigh of relief and put down the stone in his hand, but he remained alert and asked, "Why is Lord Nalan not at the banquet in front? It is so rude, please leave immediately!"