The Virtuous Concubine

The system was silent for a while before explaining, "Yes, there will be, but there is no need to worry about it for now. As long as you are not discovered in this small world, there will be no big problem."

Malu also understood that Kangxi's sending someone to eavesdrop on her today was probably just the beginning. The eldest prince was basically half-useless now, and the position of the crown prince was still stable. The third prince looked like a good candidate, but he had a bad heart. He was the first to come out and add insult to injury when the crown prince fell into poverty. Such behavior would naturally make Kangxi kick him out of the team.

The Fifth and Sixth Princes did not participate in the fight for the throne. The Seventh Prince was the younger brother of the Fourth Prince, so he would not pose a threat. The Ninth and Tenth Princes would follow the Eighth Prince in the wrong direction after they were born. As long as he controlled the one born later and made sure he did not cause trouble for the Fourth Prince, everything would be fine!

This also means that Yinzhen would be noticed by the emperor earlier in this life, would come to the fore earlier, and would also be suspected by Kangxi earlier.

Each step must be taken cautiously, as if treading on thin ice.

It was late at night, and the candlelight in the tent was flickering. Malu thought about all this in her mind, and slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. Tomorrow was the farewell banquet before returning to the palace. It would be a tough battle, and she needed to rest well and conserve her energy.

After the entire autumn hunt was over, Emperor Kangxi would hold a banquet in the palace to reward Mongolian princes, officials and soldiers, and give them food, cloth, silk, silver, etc., to express the emperor's grace and consolidate the alliance with Mongolia.

The Zasak Mongolian tribes that attended the banquet were mainly from Zhuosuotu League, where the Kharachin and Dongtumd tribes were located, and Zhaowuda League, where the Ongniud, Aohan, Naiman, Balin, Keshiketeng, Alukhorchin, Khalkha Left, and Zalantu tribes were located.

Banquets can be divided into two types: public banquets and more intimate family banquets. Regardless of public banquets or family banquets, the Zasak Mongolian tribes would present a large number of livestock as tribute to the emperor every time. This was not only a respect for the emperor, but also a symbol of the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty.

Family banquets were more intimate, and concubines, princes, and wives and daughters of Mongolian princes could also attend. The next day, Malu got up early, and after putting on her make-up, she ordered people to pack up some things and prepare to return to the palace.

Before the banquet began, the military officials set up the yurts and tents presented by the Mongolian princes outside the imperial camp gate, and lined up horses, camels, cattle, sheep and other livestock on the left side of the road, waiting for the emperor to inspect them. The constant cries of cattle and sheep on both sides were very interesting.

Soon, Kangxi strode out of the imperial camp and arrived at the tent hall with extraordinary momentum. The officials of the Lifanyuan led the Mongolian princes and taijis to kneel and greet him. The scene was solemn and dignified. After the emperor sat down, everyone entered in a line and sat in their respective fixed positions in the tent hall according to the established etiquette.

The rest of the people were arranged in the yurts outside the tent hall in an orderly manner. When the emperor served tea, everyone stood up and kowtowed to show respect to the emperor. Then the emperor gave tea, and everyone kowtowed again, knelt down to drink, and then sat down.

Next came the meal. Wei Zhu held the wine cup filled with Mongolian tribute wine and solemnly handed it to the Mongolian person who had been appointed by the emperor. This year's person was the Kharchin Prince Galzang. As a representative of the Mongolian nobles, he held the wine cup in his hand, walked to the throne, respectfully handed the wine cup to the emperor, then returned to his original position, kowtowed, and everyone followed suit. The whole movement was smooth and solemn.

Kangxi took the wine cup and nodded slightly to show his approval of the person who brought the cup and his appreciation of the Mongolian tribes. He raised the cup to greet everyone present, took a sip, and then handed the cup back to the waiter. The atmosphere of the banquet reached its climax at this moment. The music sounded, the dancers entered, and the Mongolian songs and dances were intertwined with the rituals and music of the Qing Dynasty. It was really a very wonderful experience.

Malu really enjoyed this banquet and watched it all intently, but Rong Fei and Hui Fei next to her were different, their minds were elsewhere.

Rong Fei's eyes wandered over the girls among the Mongolian princes and nobles. Her Third Prince was good at literature and had outstanding talents, but he lacked martial arts skills. He needed a Mongolian concubine to increase his power. This banquet was a perfect opportunity. She carefully observed the behavior and temperament of each girl, silently evaluating their identity and background to see if they matched with the Third Prince.

Concubine Hui looked at her eldest son and the crown prince in front of her with a loving expression on her face, but she clutched the handkerchief tightly under the table. Her son was obviously the eldest son of the Qing Dynasty, but he had to be inferior to the crown prince. If it were in the past, she would have only had some complaints in her heart.

But now, the Imperial Hospital has received the order and has done its best. There is no trace on the prince's face. But the eldest prince's hand is tightly wrapped, which will definitely affect his riding and shooting. What makes Concubine Hui even more worried is that according to the imperial physician, the wound is so deep that even writing may cause hand shaking!

The Emperor always sided with the little beast, the Crown Prince, and did not punish him at all. He also deprived her of her palace rights. How could she not feel resentful under such circumstances!

She closed her eyes silently. It was not the right time yet. She had to wait. Everything would be decided after she returned to the palace and contacted Prime Minister Ming.

At this time, the emperor ordered people to give Galzang wine, who knelt on the ground and drank the wine, kowtowed to express his gratitude, and sat back. Kangxi then began to give food to the Mongolians and Hui people. With the guards persuading him to drink, the banquet atmosphere reached its climax. During the banquet, four highly entertaining performances were gradually displayed - Shibang, Sumo, Zhama, and Jiaoju, which were called "Four Events of the Sai Banquet".

First, the Zhuoerqi people began to play the Hujia, and then the Shibang people began to play Mongolian music. The various instruments, such as the Hujia, Guan, Zheng, Pipa, Xian, Ruan, and Huobusi, played music with a strong Mongolian style. At the same time, the musicians sang with drums, and the melodious melody echoed in the plain Mulan Paddock, interweaving with the starlight and the night wind, wild and romantic.

Kangxi was deeply moved by the scene. He called the sound "a relic of ancient times". He then ordered officials such as Nalan Rongruo to compose poems based on the music. Several court painters were busy recording this grand scene, freezing this lively banquet forever.

Nalan Rongruo wrote a poem praising Mongolian customs. He stepped aside and quietly looked at Kangxi and the graceful figures on the screen behind him. Where is the Empress Defei sitting? He had an idea and went to the court painter to borrow a brush and ink.

Kangxi noticed his movements and asked Nalan sideways: "Why don't you concentrate on writing poetry? What are you going to do?"

Nalan Rongruo replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I was deeply moved when I saw this grand occasion. I feel that it is difficult to describe it in words. I want to paint another picture to make up for the deficiency of poetry."

Kangxi nodded his approval and said, "Great! It is a great honor to record this banquet with a poem and a painting. Go ahead, and let me appreciate your masterpiece when the time comes."