The Virtuous Concubine

The next afternoon, after Malu finished embroidering the fan for the prince, she asked Bai Fu to deliver it directly to Yuqing Palace.

The prince received the fan and rewarded Bai Fu handsomely for sending her away. When he came back, he couldn't help but laugh and said to Chen Xin, "How stingy! They just gave me a fan and didn't even bother to match it with bamboo and jade bones. I'm afraid it was made for someone else and left over for me. It's already autumn, when can I use it!"

Chen Xin had served the prince for many years and knew that he was a hard-mouthed and cruel master. But he did not dare to just listen to the prince.

Even though the prince said he disliked it, he refused to let anyone touch the fan. He smiled and said, "Your Highness, I don't agree with that. The noble concubine De is pregnant now, but she is still willing to embroider a fan for Your Highness, which shows her love."

The prince raised his lips slightly, and the smile in his eyes grew. "Humph, I don't even accept anything given by others, she should be content. But the embroidery is good, and the pattern is to my liking."

The prince wanted to ask Chen Xin to take it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to repair the fan frame, but he was at a loss as to what material to use.

Gold and jade are a bit vulgar. Ivory is too extravagant. The noble concubine De will definitely be unhappy when she sees it.

Every time I go to Yonghe Palace, I have to carefully choose what to wear and what to use, which is so troublesome.

In fact, this was also Malu's good intentions towards the prince. In the previous dynasty, people always criticized the prince for his extravagance, so she often used various reasons to ask the prince not to use anything too eye-catching.

The effect was remarkable. Although the prince felt it was unnecessary, he would still replace them obediently. After a long time, he would consciously avoid these overly conspicuous objects.

After thinking about it, the prince asked Chen Xin to ask Ma Lu. Ma Lu was a little surprised to hear that Chen Xin had made a special trip for this.

"It's just a small matter, Your Highness. Let him use whatever he wants. I'll make him a new one next year. Silk fans are something that should be replaced every season."

Chen Xin relayed Malu's words to the prince, who smiled and said, "Really? I don't believe it. Go ask Empress De if it's true."

what?

Chen Xin secretly complained, this, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was making things too difficult for him. He ran over just to ask if it was true? Would Concubine De really not be angry?

Although Chen Xin was troubled, he did not dare to disobey the prince's order. The servants around the prince knew his character. Anyone who disobeyed him would be whipped fifty times.

Chen Xin went to Yonghe Palace and carefully conveyed the prince's doubts to Malu. Malu thought the prince's behavior was a bit childish, but also funny.

"Go back and tell His Highness that I am a man of my words. I will make a new fan for him next year. Once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back. Do you want me to write him a written agreement?" Malu said helplessly.

Chen Xin felt relieved, and felt that Consort De was a very kind person. He hurried back to report to the Crown Prince. After hearing Chen Xin's reply, the Crown Prince nodded with satisfaction, and was full of expectations for the new fan next year.

But he had another opinion: "You can't give me that fan next autumn. No, not this year either. I want one that I can use this year. Go quickly, go and tell Empress De before dinner time."

Chen Xin was embarrassed, and secretly muttered to himself that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was too difficult to serve. My life is also my life! If you have so many ideas, why don't you live in Yonghe Palace? Just shout when you think of it!

But he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to Yonghe Palace again. Along the way, Chen Xin was thinking about how to convey the prince's request to Concubine De, fearing that she would be unhappy.

Arriving at Yonghe Palace, Chen Xin felt a little embarrassed. He knelt down tremblingly and carefully conveyed the prince's new request to Malu. After hearing this, Malu was angry and amused, thinking that the prince was like a willful child.

"Your Highness is treating me like an embroiderer. Never mind. Go back and tell Your Highness that I will make him another one, but this will not happen again."

After hearing Malu's response, the prince smiled with satisfaction. Later, when Concubine Wenxi sent him a Mid-Autumn Festival gift, he casually asked, "I wonder what the ladies in the palace gave to my father, the emperor?"

The servants below knew everything clearly and gave a rough account of what was given. He heard that everyone gave mooncakes of various flavors, and many people gave mooncakes and added other things.

Malu was one of the few concubines who only sent mooncakes.

The prince waved his hand to send the man away, feeling completely happy.

I thought she also gave the Emperor some embroidery.

Malu had no idea what the prince was thinking, so he spent the Mid-Autumn Festival peacefully.

Twins are prone to premature birth. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fetus will be more than seven months old and can go into labor at any time. So although Malu agreed to the prince, he was still very honest and only did a little bit every day, not daring to be too tired.

As for Rong Ruo and Rong Ji, she had also made up her mind. Rong Ruo was a talented man, so she could just give him a painting of "Clear Mountains and Spring Mist" by Tang Dai. It was originally presented by someone below, so it was just right for him.

Tang Dai was a member of the Manchu Plain White Banner. He inherited his ancestral title and served as the Commander of the Cavalry and the Director of the Imperial Household Department, serving the inner court with his paintings. Ma Lu had a good relationship with him because she was one of the few concubines who knew poetry and painting and was in charge of palace affairs.

Tang Dai's landscape paintings were well-known in the capital. Emperor Kangxi admired his paintings very much and often summoned him to paint, bestowing on him the title of "Painting Champion".

His "Spring Mist on Clear Hills" shows mountains upon mountains, mists across dark hills, winding paths winding through valleys across mountains. Waterside pavilions and mountain dwellings, tall trees and sparse forests are arranged in a well-organized manner, and pavilions and small bridges have their own charm, presenting a spring scene of resurrection and vitality. The peaks rise and fall, layer by layer, gradually moving away, appearing and disappearing in the steaming clouds, and finally disappearing in the vast water and sky.

The whole picture is light in color, outlining a sense of elegance and tranquility, and is a rare masterpiece. Nalan must have appreciated such a painting.

Rong Ji's case was relatively simple, she prepared 100,000 taels of silver, part of which came from Kangxi's reward and her share, as well as the share of several children - of course, after the children turned eight, she no longer cared about their money and let them manage their own finances.

In fact, most of them were tributes and festival gifts from the Uya family and other families in the Imperial Household Department.

She saw that Rong Ji was a medical geek, and besides medicine, she was the only one in his heart. So, she gave all the 100,000 taels of silver to Rong Ji, so that he could open a clinic, or simply use it to buy medicine, conduct medical research, or even take in apprentices.

The original orphanage that adopted abandoned babies could also be improved. In short, there were many places that needed money. She had already asked the Wuya family for support, and even her sister Mayanzhu and the brother-in-law who saved her, and their children, took on the task personally.

But silver is never enough. Malu couldn't remember the last time he gave money to Rong Ji, but he never complained, so he ignored it for a while.