The prince only allowed me to have a baby, so the pressure is a bit high!

Chapter 43: The Empress Dowager Passes Away

On the last day of November, a few days before the twins' full-moon banquet, a major event occurred in the palace: the Empress Dowager passed away. Upon hearing the news, the full-moon banquet at Yuqing Palace was canceled immediately, and all festive colors throughout the palace were removed and replaced with black or white. Even the concubines were required to wear plain clothing.

The emperor announced on the spot that he would observe a three-year mourning period, and the prince followed the emperor's lead.

When a person dies, all debts are settled. When the Empress Dowager was alive, the Emperor and the Crown Prince had already begun to distance themselves from her. But after she passed away, everything was beautified as if through a filter, and all that was left of the Empress Dowager were beautiful memories.

Then everything happened as if history had been corrected. According to the rules, the coffin of the Empress Dowager should have been moved out of the Forbidden City before the New Year, but Kangxi delayed in ordering it to be moved.

Years later, the ministers submitted a petition and Kangxi agreed to move the body. However, he did not bury her immediately. Instead, he ordered people to build a temporary burial hall near the Eastern Qing Tombs. He demolished the five palaces in the Cining Palace that the Empress Dowager loved most during her lifetime and placed the Empress Dowager's coffin there as her resting place.

All of this stemmed from the Empress Dowager's last will and testament. It seemed as if she had known that her end was approaching. Before her death, she specifically called Kangxi and asked him not to bury her with Huang Taiji after her death, but to bury her near Shunzhi's tomb.

Her explanation was very simple. On the one hand, Huang Taiji had been dead for many years, and restarting the construction would not only be a waste of money and labor, but would also disturb his peace. On the other hand, she hoped to be buried near the tomb of Emperor Shunzhi, to protect Shunzhi and Kangxi, and to protect the dynasty.

Kangxi was aware of his grandmother's concerns and was willing to fulfill her final wish. However, according to ancestral precepts, as an empress, she must be buried with the emperor regardless of whether she died before or after the emperor. This conflicted with the Empress Dowager's request. There was also no precedent for a queen mother to accompany her son's tomb, and it was even more inconvenient to arrange for her to be buried next to Shunzhi's tomb.

Therefore, they could only build a temporary burial hall first, place the Empress Dowager's coffin there, and wait for the opportunity.

During this period, there were rumors in the palace that the twins were related to the death of the Empress Dowager. Yinreng was very sensitive to this. As soon as he noticed some signs, he immediately went to the Qianqing Palace.

On the second day, before the rumor could fully ferment and spread, it was overshadowed by a bigger piece of news. The emperor gave names to the twins, and the name of the younger prince was quite special: Hongye.

As soon as this news came out, all the rumors about twins disappeared, leaving only the speculations of everyone in the palace about the future identity of the little prince.

After all, the current emperor's name also contains the character "Ye", and the two characters have the same pronunciation and meaning. The only difference is that "Ye" means glorious and brilliant, emphasizing the future, while "Ye" means bright and more of a blessing.

Another reason is that the Ming Dynasty had just collapsed not long ago, and everyone knew about the great holy grandson of the previous dynasty. Could it be that the current emperor was planning to establish a crown prince?

No one could guess what Kangxi was thinking. If there was anyone in the world who could guess what he was thinking, it would probably be only His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. However, this matter was obviously beneficial to Yuqing Palace and would be used to protect the twins, so he was happy to see it happen.

This incident caused quite a stir, so the emperor ordered the cancellation of the share of Concubine Hui in the Yanx Palace and the replacement of it with the share of Concubine. However, after it caused a stir in the Yanx Palace, no one paid attention to it. Only the eldest prince, Mingzhu and others knew that the emperor must have known about this matter, and the cancellation of the share of Concubine was a warning to them.

Now it seems that they were impulsive. The prince still holds the most important position in the emperor's heart. At least until the eldest prince has a legitimate son, they can no longer act rashly. If they want a legitimate son, they will have to wait at least another year.

In the same month, Emperor Kangxi gave his grandmother the posthumous title of Empress Xiaozhuang Renxuan Chengxian Gongyi Yitianqi Shengwen, or Empress Xiaozhuang Wen for short.

After that, all banquets and weddings in the capital were suspended for a year, and all the princes observed a year of mourning as per custom. For a time, the entire capital and backyard were in harmony.

Yuqing Palace, ever since the twins were given their names, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess rarely mentioned the twins whenever they went out. Even if one of them mentioned it sometimes, they would give a brief reply and then try to change the subject. They tried to reduce the frequency of the mention of the boy-and-girl twins in people's mouths. Even so, those who were interested would not forget the boy-and-girl twins and Kangxi's appreciation for them, but gradually, the news of the boy-and-girl twins was subtly replaced by the New Year.

At a small court meeting before the New Year, the emperor also announced that the mansions of several older princes had been built and they would be allowed to move out of the palace after the New Year.

Being able to leave the palace and live away from the emperor's supervision is a happy thing for everyone. Even if living in the palace allows them to be closer to their royal father, only by leaving the palace and setting up their own residence can they build their own team, right?

Because of this news, the First, Third and Fourth Concubines made an appointment to visit Yuqing Palace together. When the sisters-in-law met, they first greeted each other, praised the children, talked about jewelry, and finally talked about gossip.

However, the Fourth Lady hesitated to speak for a moment, her brows furrowed, which made the sisters-in-law very curious. Logically speaking, the Fourth Lady had only been married for a few months and was still in the honeymoon period, so she shouldn't be like this.

The Fourth Lady was quite familiar with Bu'erhe because she was of the same clan as him, or because the two families had been in contact again since she was granted marriage.

Seeing the usually graceful Fourth Lady in this state, it was clear that she must have encountered some problems. She seemed to want to come and talk about it today, but what kind of trouble could it be that would make her frown so hard in front of all her sisters-in-law?

Buerhe originally wanted to talk to the Fourth Lady alone, and the First Lady and the Third Lady also took the opportunity to change the subject and prepare to go for a stroll in the garden, but the Fourth Lady stopped them.

The Fourth Lady said, "The eldest and third sisters-in-law are not outsiders, so there's no need to avoid suspicion. It's me, your sister-in-law, who wants to trouble you, but if I don't ask for the truth, I'm unsure. There's also a barrier between me and our master. I was thinking of investigating this myself, but my maidservant reminded me today that if I ask the sisters-in-law, I might get a more accurate picture."

Hearing the Fourth Lady say this, the curiosity of the three of them was piqued. At this time, only Buerhe's maid Mo'er was left in the room. Buerhe waved to Mo'er and asked her to go out, closing the door.

Buerhe: "Don't worry, no one here today is talkative. Once you say this, it will enter our ears. Since you trust us so much, there will be no chance for this word to spread out."

The first and third wives also made the promise.

Seeing this, the Fourth Lady spoke up, "Sisters-in-law, I didn't grow up in the capital, so I don't know the situation of noble ladies there. But I do know that if the prince usually marries a daughter of a prominent family as his first wife, then the emperor won't allow a concubine or a princess to have a higher birth than the first wife. However, I recently discovered those two in our master's backyard... "

As soon as the Fourth Lady started talking, the three of them knew what she wanted to ask. Speaking of this, the three of them were really excited. It was no wonder that the Fourth Lady was confused and undecided and came to seek help.

No matter who it is, as long as they don't know the inside story, they will be confused for a while after becoming the Fourth Lady, because the Fourth Prince's backyard is too complicated. The eldest daughters of two big families are princesses. Except for the prince, no one else dares to think about this situation.

However, the position of the crown prince is indeed the most stable, and the status of the fourth prince's legitimate son is obtained by relying on the crown prince. In this case, it is impossible that the emperor dislikes the crown prince and turns his attention to the fourth prince, especially when the fourth wife heard that the fourth prince had once become the emperor's most disliked prince two years ago.

Fortunately, there was the gossipy girl from a large family, the Third Lady. It was understandable that the Fourth Lady, Nara, didn't know. Although the Hada Nara family had lived in the capital in recent years, they had almost no royal marriages. Their roots were mostly in Hada, and the banquets the girls attended were mostly attended by people from the middle and upper classes.

However, women like Shi and Dong E from the Fourth Prince's backyard were considered among the top noble ladies in the capital before they entered the Fourth Prince's mansion. Their status was also outstanding among the beauties who participated in the selection at that time. But what is strange is that such people with bright futures suddenly disappeared from the selection, and then appeared in the Fourth Prince's backyard silently. It would be a lie to say that this does not arouse curiosity.

However, the royal family kept the truth of this matter secret, and even if the Third Lady knew it, she probably only knew the basics.

But now, it was the Third Lady's home turf, and the others moved closer: "Speaking of which, I actually whispered a little bit to the Crown Princess on the day of your wedding. It was mainly to help her clear up some confusion. Do you mind?"

As she spoke, the Third Lady gave the Fourth Lady an apologetic look. The Fourth Lady shook her head and said, "Third sister-in-law, it's okay. We were strangers before. Besides, you were just trying to give the Crown Princess an answer. What's wrong with that?"

Seeing that the Fourth Lady didn't seem to mind at all, the Third Lady relaxed. "As far as I know, Shi Shi fell into the water during the selection and was rescued by the Fourth Prince. Since they had a physical relationship, the Emperor had no choice but to give her to the Fourth Prince. However, given her status, she should have been the legitimate wife. However, I can't find out the reason behind this. I heard that the servants present that day were all silenced by the Emperor. As for the drowning incident, I was the one who pestered Mother to tell me about it."

"That Dong E in your backyard..." Sanfujin said with a look of disgust, "She is from the same clan as me. She admired the Fourth Prince and wrote him love poems. This was exposed on the afternoon of the Shi incident. I heard that the emperor wanted to send her out of the palace at that time because the Fourth Prince already had Shi in his backyard. But she knelt down and kowtowed to the emperor on the spot, expressing her desire to marry the Fourth Prince. Later, for some reason, the emperor agreed, but he only gave her the status of an ordinary princess, and no more extra status."

After a pause, the Third Lady still didn't mention the matter of Dong E's expulsion from the clan, but she also secretly warned: "Actually, Fourth Sister-in-law, you don't have to worry about her status. She has fallen into depravity and become a concubine. You should just treat her the same as Li. After all, you are the legitimate wife bestowed by the Emperor. The title is legitimate and only your name will be on the Jade Butterfly."

After the Third Lady finished speaking, the First Lady added, "I was pregnant with my eldest son during that time, and I was basically staying in the Southern Third Residence to rest. I also know that the girls in that batch were very outstanding, but they all ended up in bad situations. I heard that one girl from a prominent family drowned. There was a big uproar in the palace at the time, but the Emperor later issued an edict to silence them. When I inquired again, there was basically no news from the palace. If my brothers and sisters hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have noticed that the Fourth Prince had two girls from prominent families in his harem."

After the eldest wife finished speaking, several people looked at Buerhe. Buerhe sighed, "I'm young, and I grew up with Mama in a villa outside the capital. I'm not familiar with the noble ladies you mentioned, but I do know the noble lady who drowned that my eldest sister-in-law just mentioned. She was my eldest sister."

"Oh!" They looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment. It was Buerhe who spoke first. "Nothing. It's been two years since this happened. Besides, apart from knowing that the eldest sister suddenly drowned during the selection and was posthumously named Princess of Shaoyang, I really don't know anything else."

Buerhe: "However, I agree with what the Third Lady said. Since she is a concubine, she can only be a concubine. In the Qing Dynasty, there is no such thing as a concubine being promoted to the principal wife. Even if her family background is excellent, she can only be a concubine at best in the Prince's Palace. As long as you stay calm and do your duties as a concubine, even if those two people are combined, they will not be able to shake your position as a concubine."

The eldest wife: "Yes, yes, the Crown Princess is right. Even if they are all concubines with good family backgrounds, you don't have to be afraid. The current emperor values ​​legitimate children. As long as you are in this position, no one can surpass you. Besides, the Fourth Prince doesn't seem like the kind of person who favors concubines over his wife."

The Third Lady said, "Don't worry, Fourth Sister-in-law. I have one more thing to tell you to put your mind at ease."

The Third Lady took a sip of milk tea to moisten her throat. "You don't need to worry about that woman in Fourth Brother's backyard for now. I married in before you, and our master's courtyard is only separated from yours by a wall. I know everything that goes on. Those two princesses didn't get along very well. They wanted to get pregnant and give birth to a firstborn son before you came into the family, but they both got pregnant around the same time and were both vying for the first child. The result was a loss for both, and they both miscarried. It was around that time that Concubine De sent Concubine Li into the palace. Originally, Concubine Dong E was quite favored, but when those two were in confinement, Concubine Li stole all the limelight.

Li Shi was not a cautious person either. She flaunted her pregnancy right after the test, and I heard she angered Dong E Shi again, causing her to abort. From that time on, the Fourth Prince became indifferent to the women in the backyard. Before you married into the family, only Li Shi could still enjoy the Fourth Prince's favor. I heard the other two hadn't seen the Fourth Prince in a long time. Fourth sister-in-law, is this true?"

The Fourth Lady thought for a moment and said, "That's true. If Third Sister-in-law hadn't told me, I would have been intimidated by them. I thought Fourth Prince valued them very much. But when I think about it, since I married into the Southern Third Residence, I have never been to their courtyard. I only stay at Li Gege's place occasionally."

Buerhe: "You're panicking too. Actually, if you think about it carefully, you have a better chance of winning than anyone else. Did you know that the Fourth Prince is now the legitimate son?"

The Fourth Lady: "I know, but what does it matter?"

Buerhe tapped the Fourth Concubine's forehead with his finger. "To call you stupid is truly foolish. They just want to throw you off balance and destroy the relationship between you and Fourth Brother. Fourth Brother is now the legitimate son, so the only one who can manage his harem, besides the Empress Dowager, is the Emperor. But we all know that the Emperor's mother doesn't manage things much and is partial to the legitimate wife. How could she add someone to your harem for no reason? The Emperor is busy with government affairs and basically doesn't care about this matter. If you have a rift with the Fourth Prince right after you marry in, who do you think will benefit next?"

The Fourth Lady woke up as if from a dream. Seeing the concerned looks of her three sisters-in-law, she stood up and saluted: "Thank you three sisters-in-law for your guidance today. If it weren't for you, I would have fallen into a trap. With your reminder, I know what to do."

The Third Lady: "That's right! If you have anything to do in the future, come and visit us more often. Our residences are not far away after we leave the palace, so we can make an appointment to go shopping and enjoy the flowers together."

The eldest wife: "Yes, yes."

Buerhe was envious: "You guys can't forget me. I can't go out often. When the time comes, please send me more invitations and ask me to go shopping together!"

The First, Third, and Fourth Ladies: "Don't worry, you won't be left behind."

Then they looked at each other and burst into laughter.