The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

After the Empress Dowager Fucha finished speaking with the Empress, the Ruyi Pavilion came to invite the Empress to have Lang Shining paint a picture.

Giuseppe Castiglione, originally named Giuseppe Castiglione, joined the Jesuit order in Genoa, Italy in his early years. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, he went to St. Paul's Church in Macau to study Chinese, hoping to spread the doctrine in this mysterious land of the East.

However, during the Kangxi era, the Qing Dynasty had a rites dispute with the Roman Catholic Church, leading to a ban on the spread of foreign religions from the imperial family down to local authorities. Giuseppe Castiglione's missionary work was thus cut short. But he was a skilled painter, and was thus summoned to the palace by the Kangxi Emperor to become a court painter.

Later, Emperor Shizong again banned Christianity and expelled missionaries, but Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining) was highly regarded by the emperor for his unique realistic style that blended Eastern and Western painting techniques, and he continued to serve in the palace as a court painter. As a result, not long after the emperor ascended the throne, he ordered Castiglione to paint portraits of him and the empress.

Rongyin still remembered that when Lang Shining first painted, he sat for a long time. She was wearing court clothes and a phoenix crown, and soon her back ached. She remembered that Yuan Yi said that in later generations, people would call themselves models. Being a model was a job that helped painters refine their techniques. She suddenly felt that it was really not easy for people who did this job.

The Emperor was busy with countless affairs of state, and the Empress also had many palace matters to attend to. Naturally, they couldn't often sit like models for an entire day. Therefore, the Emperor had Li Yu wear the dragon robe and sit in his place. Rongyin knew how hard it was to be a model, and considering that the other palace servants were already tired from their daily duties, she didn't want to trouble them and went herself if she could.

Today, the Ruyi Pavilion has come to invite you. Out of respect for the Emperor, Rongyin first sent someone to inquire whether he would like to come. The Emperor quickly sent word that he asked the Empress to wait at the Ruyi Pavilion, and that he would arrive shortly afterward.

When Rongyin and Yingluo arrived at Ruyi Pavilion, they saw Li Yu sitting stiffly in his dragon robe, so they excused him from the formalities. After waiting for a while, Wang Qin came to report that the Emperor was not coming.

After the emperor ascended the throne, Wang Qin was appointed as the deputy chief eunuch of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and thus often relayed messages for the emperor in the inner palace. After visiting Changchun Palace several times, he saw that Yingluo was young and beautiful, and became lustful. Therefore, he was particularly attentive to Rongyin, thinking that if he could impress Rongyin, she might try to please him in order to find out the emperor's intentions, and then he could take advantage of the situation to take Yingluo away.

Thinking of this, Wang Qin almost couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't help but glance at Yingluo with a lewd look. When Yingluo saw him staring at her like that, she glared back. He suppressed his smugness and put on a humble posture, saying to Rongyin, "This servant was waiting for His Majesty outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. I saw Consort Xian go in, and I overheard her saying something like, 'If a man in the world has only one wife and no other concubines, and must be with His Majesty for life,' and 'If the affection between a man and a woman has ended, the woman can also ask to leave,' His Majesty got a little angry when he heard this, and then said he wouldn't come."

Rongyin also noticed his unusual attitude towards Yingluo, and was already somewhat dissatisfied. Seeing that he seemed to be trying to sell the Emperor's private information for a higher price, she coughed lightly.

Yingluo immediately understood and said, "Eunuch Wang, as the deputy head eunuch of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, you should know the rules better than us servants. Such private conversations between the Emperor and his concubines, and such startling words, the Emperor must not want them to be spread. Even if you dare to eavesdrop, the Empress cannot listen."

Wang Qin hadn't expected to be snubbed, so he quickly apologized, saying, "This servant was too talkative, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Rongyin softened her tone and said, "Since you were confused for a moment, this will not be the first time. If such a situation occurs again in the future, you will not only be forbidden from gossiping here, but you will also be forbidden from spreading rumors in the six palaces. Eunuch Wang, you have served diligently for many years and have been favored by the Emperor. You should be even more loyal to your duties and serve the Emperor. You will have good days ahead of you."

Rongyin and Yingluo sang in unison, their words both soft and firm, causing Wang Qin to break out in a cold sweat and repeatedly beg for forgiveness.

At this moment, the eunuch Jinzhong came to report that the Emperor wanted Lang Shining, the Empress, and Li Yu to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Rongyin sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation with Lang Shining and Li Yu.

Rongyin entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects." Lang Shining and Li Yu also bowed.

The emperor's tone was unreadable: "Empress, you may rise. Come to my side. Lang Shining, I have something to ask you."

Rongyin walked to the emperor's side and said carefully, "Your Majesty, the empress dowagers are not allowed to interfere in politics. If you have any questions for Lord Lang, I will return to the palace first."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "It's alright. This matter does not involve state affairs, and the empress need not avoid it."

He looked down at Lang Shining and asked, "Consort Xian said that you told her that in your homeland, a man can only have one wife, and if the relationship between a man and a woman has ended, the woman can also leave; because Li Yu was also there at the time, I had him come before me to confront me. The witness is here. Think carefully, is this true?"

Giuseppe Castiglione trembled violently, managing only to cobble together a sentence: "I...I did say that, but that was because..."

The emperor sneered and said, "Lang Shining, I remember that you came to our Great Qing from Guangdong to spread your foreign religions, didn't you? In that case, I would like to ask: Is this foreign marriage etiquette due to the fact that the customs of Western countries are very different from those of our Great Qing, or is it because of the foreign religions that have such regulations?"

Giuseppe Castiglione replied in a flustered manner, "Your Majesty, although I came here to spread our faith, I have always respected the customs and traditions of the Celestial Empire. I absolutely had no intention of replacing the customs of the Celestial Empire! Moreover, according to our doctrines..."

The emperor roared, "You still dare to bring up your doctrines! During the Kangxi era, you foreign missionaries occupied Fujian, and the people, rich or poor, all fell into your trap. You even forbade the people to worship Heaven and their ancestors, and forbade women who followed your religion to marry. Where did you put the rites and moral principles of our Heavenly Dynasty!"

"Grandfather and Father Emperor, having reached their limit of tolerance, banned the practice. You, Lang Shining, were not banished for this and remained in the palace to paint, which is already a great favor from the Emperor. Today, Consort Xian secretly visited the Ruyi Pavilion, and you, as an outsider, failed to avoid her. I, considering your seniority and rank, will not hold it against you. But why did you use your own rhetoric to bewitch Consort Xian, causing her to utter falsehoods! Do you want to leave the palace and be banished like everyone else?!"

Seeing that things were unlikely to end well today, Rongyin had no choice but to kneel down and say, "Your Majesty, please calm down! If Consort Xian has done anything wrong, it is my fault for not paying attention. Please, Your Majesty, consider your health."

After calming himself down, the Emperor said, "Empress, you may rise. You cannot keep an eye on every concubine at all times. This matter is not your fault. I summoned you here only because it involves the inner palace."

When Lang Shining heard that the emperor was going to expel him, he was filled with despair. He had only been able to stay in the court because of his talent in painting, and he had originally wanted to paint more to please the emperor and get him to lift the ban on education. If he was expelled without any explanation, who else could complete this task?

Thinking of this, Lang Shining suddenly felt his mind clear. Seeing that the emperor had calmed down a bit under the empress's comforting words, he immediately seized the opportunity to explain: "Your Majesty, what I said to Consort Xian, that a man can only have one wife, I didn't have time to explain. A royal man can have many royal mistresses, and mistresses also receive allowances, rewards, and titles. This is actually very similar to the imperial concubine system in the Celestial Empire!"

As for seeking a marriage based on romantic feelings, that is only applicable before marriage. According to our doctrine, marriage is sacred and inviolable; otherwise, one would be disobeying our God.

In Europe, only the former King Henry VIII of England successfully divorced. It's not simply a matter of ending the relationship and then leaving.

I don't know if Consort Xian has misunderstood my words, but my intention was certainly not to offend Your Majesty's authority, nor did I ever presume to place my teachings above Your Majesty's greatness. I implore Your Majesty, with your wise wisdom and magnanimous heart, to forgive me!

The Emperor's sudden outburst today, on the surface, was due to anger from Consort Xian and Lang Shining, but there was another reason: He had recently received news that Neqin and several other members of the imperial clan were getting quite close to Hongxi, the son of Prince Li. Prince Li was originally the eldest son of the Emperor's father and had been the crown prince. Even though he had been deposed, his status was still higher than that of his own father. As the son of Prince Li, Hongxi naturally also held a similar status.

He thought about his humble origins and his falling out with the Empress Dowager; if Niohuru really wanted to support Hongxi, his throne would be seriously threatened. Just as he was feeling anxious, Ruyi came to him and said something about how, outside of the established social order, it was possible to be monogamous for life, and that women could also ask for a partner.

He knew that Ruyi was talking about affection, but he had recently become suspicious of Hongxi. When he thought that this was told to Ruyi by Lang Shining, he thought of what his father had said back then: "The missionaries want all Chinese people to become Christians, but think about it, if that happens, what kind of people will we be? Won't we become your emperor's subjects?"

Suspicion arose in her mind, and she felt that Giuseppe Castiglione must be harboring evil intentions. Considering that the other missionaries had been exiled and Castiglione was painting alone in the court, she figured he had no power. So she summoned him and vented her anger, while also showing the Empress her authority.

Now that he'd vented his anger and Lang Shining had explained, he calmed down: "Since it was a misunderstanding, let's just let it go. But this trouble was caused by you, Lang Shining, so you'll have to be punished. Once you've finished your painting, don't stay in the palace. The Yuanmingyuan is secluded; go there and find a place to paint!"

Rongyin also said, "Your Majesty, I will definitely inform the six palaces that no one is allowed to disturb Lord Lang while he is painting."

The emperor waved his hand, and the two men withdrew.

Back at the Ruyi Pavilion, Lang Shining said gratefully, “I am extremely grateful to Your Majesty. Today was my fault, but you took the blame and appeased His Majesty. Otherwise, how could I have faced His Majesty’s anger? According to the customs of my homeland, I should kiss your hand. But this is China, and I dare not offend the customs here again; please allow me to bow to you. May God bless you, kind and loving lady.” As he spoke, he placed his right hand on his left breast and bowed.

Rongyin was both amused and exasperated: "Alright, alright, Lord Lang, you should hurry up and start painting. You must be careful with your words and actions from now on. You can't say these things to the other concubines today. Otherwise, if it gets back to the Emperor, you'll really be sent back to where you came from."

But she couldn't help but wonder if there really was such a thing as a woman leaving when her love for a man and woman had run out, or when she no longer had the strength to be a good wife.

When she was modeling for Giuseppe Castiglione and asking him to paint her portrait, she asked Yuan Yi for advice.

Yuan Yi replied, "Ms. Rong, in the current stage of the main world, many places have already achieved freedom of marriage. Marriage is entirely voluntary, and if one does not wish to maintain the marital relationship for various reasons, they can also get a divorce."

Let me elaborate. Divorce may stem from the mistake of one of the parties involved, but unlike the abandonment of women by men in your era, divorce does not necessarily imply moral condemnation of women. Legally, divorce simply means ending a relationship.

In the present stage of the modern world, many women are no longer appendages of men. Marriage is no longer a matter of dependence, but a relationship established through legal procedures by two equal individuals who voluntarily reach a consensus.

Rongyin thought to herself, "Even for royalty, is that acceptable?"

Yuan Yi replied: "Divorce involves many aspects after all, and it is not as simple as a legal document. The royal family is involved in more ways, so it is even more difficult. Take the UK that Lang Shining mentioned as an example. In 1996, the British Crown Prince and Princess divorced. The process was full of twists and turns, and the Princess died a violent death just one year later. Whether her death was an accident or intentional remains a mystery to this day."

Of course, there are also more inspiring examples: In your dynasty, many years after your death, a concubine filed for divorce from the emperor, an event known as the "Concubine's Revolution." Aside from the difficulties and subsequent setbacks, this woman named Wenxiu ultimately succeeded and lived a relatively good life. However, telling you that story might be too shocking for you, so I'll refrain from going into detail.

If you're worried about yourself, you can rest assured: as the saying goes, "Death brings emptiness," from the moment you died in the Yanxi world, you were freed from the shackles of all your identities. After your mission in this world ends, you will also shed your identity as the Qing Dynasty Empress and become a free soul. If you wish, you can choose to go to a smaller world similar to the main world at this stage and start a new life.

Rongyin was greatly encouraged and suddenly felt that being a model wasn't so hard after all. She flashed a genuine smile, which Lang Shining keenly captured on his canvas with his brush.