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

A few days later, the emperor took a group of concubines to the Yuanmingyuan.

Yanwan wrapped her daughter up tightly and arranged for several servants to follow her before she felt at ease carrying her daughter onto the carriage.

During Yi Huan's confinement, Chen Xin went to the palace to pay her respects to Rong Yin, made some arrangements, and sent medicine to Chuxiu Palace.

When she arrived at Changchun Palace, she presented a pair of red coral ruyi scepters, saying they were wedding gifts for the Second Prince and Princess Aodeng. She then said to Rongyin, "Your Majesty, my family members are all detached from worldly affairs and cannot be relied upon at this time. I can only ask Your Majesty to take good care of Consort Shu."

Rongyin said, "I will arrange for Yingluo to take Consort Shu to Ganlu Temple, and I will also try my best to arrange for someone to take care of her in the future, so my sister-in-law doesn't need to worry too much."

Deep in thought, Rongyin's underlying meaning was that she would have her trusted confidants represent her to intimidate the people of Ganlu Temple, telling them that Yihuan had the Empress's backing, so that she would suffer less injustice.

She sighed, rose and bowed solemnly, saying, "I know that Consort Shu is a bit too stubborn. I'm afraid she often upset Her Majesty the Empress back in the palace. Now that things have come to this, I have nothing to say. Her Majesty the Empress is still willing to give her some leeway because of our two families' marriage alliance. I am only grateful."

Deep down, she harbored resentment towards Yi Huan. The Yehenara clan had been in a period of decline, and since Echikeyongfu's mysterious death and the loss of an arm, they had gradually shown signs of decay in recent years. Originally, they had a concubine in the palace, who, although not expected to scheme for the family, could at least hold up the family's reputation. Now that the favored concubine had become a discarded one, she, as a daughter of the Yehenara clan, had lost some of her confidence in her husband's family.

Fortunately, the Empress is willing to take care of Yi Huan, so she will surely treat her sister-in-law well as well.

Rongyin quickly asked Mingyu to help her up: "Sister-in-law, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down and talk."

Shen Xin continued, "There is another matter I need to ask Your Majesty for a favor. In principle, one should not be served when entering a temple for spiritual practice. Although there was an old custom of having someone accompany one, Consort Shu is young and has no dignified status to follow such an example. It makes people feel that Your Majesty is not sincere. He Xi also told me that she wants to leave the palace early. Could you please include her in the list of palace servants leaving the palace this September?"

Yi Huan was nominally practicing Buddhism with her hair still intact, but in reality, it was no different from being deposed and forced to leave the palace. Although Ganlu Temple was a royal temple, it was located far in the suburbs and was very austere. Since the people around her could find a way out, they were naturally eager to leave.

True friendship is revealed in times of trouble, but it's also human nature to not be able to share hardships. He Xi came to her seeking help because she was determined to leave. If she were forced to bind He Xi with the principles of loyalty to one's master, He Xi might harbor ill intentions. It's better to leave her a way out, so they can meet again in the future. Besides, although she didn't know exactly what Yi Huan had done wrong, the Emperor's punishment must have angered him. Approaching the situation with the lowest possible stance might lessen the Emperor's displeasure and even evoke his pity.

Rongyin agreed.

Chen Xin finally felt relieved and went home with peace of mind.

The thought of Yi Huan made him feel depressed, and he had little appetite for dinner that night.

Fu Heng gave a wink to a servant, who then took Fu Ling'an away.

Fu Heng didn't let the servants continue serving the food. Instead, he personally ladled a bowl of chicken soup and placed it in front of her, saying, "Are you still worried about Consort Shu's matter?"

Shen Xin sighed deeply, silently scooped up the chicken soup in the bowl with a small spoon, and suddenly felt that the soup was greasy. He felt nauseous and couldn't help but gag.

Fu Heng patted her back to help her catch her breath and then had tea brought out.

Fu Heng initially thought his wife was just in a bad mood and had no appetite, so he comforted her and everything was fine. However, the next day at breakfast, Shen Xin vomited repeatedly after drinking a bowl of millet porridge. Only then did he realize something was wrong and called a doctor, who diagnosed that Shen Xin was one month pregnant.

A few days later, Fuheng went to the Yuanmingyuan to discuss salt administration with the emperor. Seeing his delighted expression, the emperor asked, "What makes you so happy?"

Fuheng said, "Your Majesty, my wife is pregnant, and I will be a father again."

Only then did the emperor belatedly realize that Yi Huan was Fu Heng's wife's younger sister. Now that he heard that Fu Heng's wife was pregnant again, he became somewhat worried about the whispers in Shen Xin's ear.

He still put on a happy face and said, "Really? That's wonderful! This is good news." Then he changed the subject and said, "I just heard that your wife went to the palace the other day. Now that Consort Shu is about to leave the palace for a period of seclusion, if she is troubled by this, will it be bad for her pregnancy?"

Fu Heng bowed and said, “Your Majesty, this leave of the palace for quiet contemplation and prayer is a great favor bestowed upon Consort Shu. Others would beg for such a joyful and peaceful blessing. Since Consort Shu and I are related by marriage, I can only be happy for her. Besides, Your Majesty, you know that my wife was ignorant when she was young and had some unpleasantness with Consort Shu. When she entered the palace, it was always awkward for her to visit Consort Shu at Chuxiu Palace, but if she didn't go, people would say she didn't care about sisterly affection. She was caught in a dilemma. Now that Consort Shu has gone to Ganlu Temple, I feel that we can both find peace and quiet.”

The emperor was finally relieved.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief and continued their discussion.

The emperor summoned Fuheng to discuss the investigation of the salt permits.

Over the years, Gao Heng, Gao Jin, and other members of the Gao family had accepted numerous bribes from salt merchants in the Huai River region. They exclusively supplied salt permits to a few major salt merchants and acted as a bridge between these merchants and the capital, helping them to cultivate relationships within the capital. As a result, the salt industry in Jiangnan came under the control of a few major salt merchants. If these merchants were to form their own independent entity, they would become a force that the imperial court would find difficult to control.

Although Chen Dashou presented evidence and impeached many of the Gao family's associates, the Gao family often only sent out a few small fry to take the blame, while the real big shots who accepted bribes remained untouched.

Gao Bin was also in charge of the massive Yellow River flood control project. Although it had been four years and was nearing completion, several crucial dikes remained unfinished. Furthermore, the Gao family's marriage alliance with the Xilin Gioro clan meant that both families had planted their own people in the flood control and salt administration, sharing the spoils and making it difficult for outsiders to get involved. Over the years, only Qiu Yuexiu and Zhuang Yougong—one from a scholarly family with six members who had served in the Hanlin Academy and thus had influence among the elite in the capital, and the other the husband of Princess Roushu, with royal backing—and both possessed exceptional abilities, had managed to avoid being replaced by the Gao and Xilin Gioro clans in the Yellow River project.

Although the emperor promoted Fuheng and Chen Dashou to the position of Grand Councilors, their foundations were not yet secure. Fuheng, in particular, was only in his twenties and looked like a greenhorn standing among the other Grand Councilors. Even though he came from a prestigious family, he would find it difficult to directly confront the Gao and Xilin Gioro clans in the short term.

Just as the emperor was having a headache, news of Ortai's death arrived.

With Ortai's death, although the Xilin Gioro clan would not completely collapse, they would lack a leader for a short period of time. Furthermore, their two sons, Orong'an and Orshi, who held important positions, were also in mourning, which created a gap in the Xilin Gioro clan's power.

Therefore, the emperor took this opportunity to punish the Xilin Gioro clan, especially by taking advantage of the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's secret accusation that E Leshun had accepted bribes from salt merchants, and punished E Leshun by ordering him to commit suicide.

Compared to other Manchu noble families, the Gao family was merely a newly risen noble family from the bondservant banner, and they were more dependent on the Xilin Gioro clan. When the Xilin Gioro clan was purged, it was related to the salt administration, and the Gao family was also affected.

The emperor was at a loss, wondering whether to purge these cronies in one fell swoop or wait until the dam was completed.

So they summoned Fuheng and asked him for his opinion on salt administration.

Fu Heng said, “Although the merchants from the Northwest and the Southeast are not in the same place, their practices are largely the same. They reap huge profits, and besides indulging in their own luxury, they often donate funds to build bridges, roads, and charitable institutions, which are inseparable from the local people’s livelihood. They cannot be forcibly suppressed. If we uncover the bribery of the salt administration and expose the collusion between the salt merchants and the salt administration, it would be a good way to make an example of them. However, the current salt administration is under the control of Lord Gao…”

He deliberately feigned hesitation, and after a long pause, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Gao is, after all, the brother of Consort Huixian!"

The emperor's expression turned cold: "If Gao Heng, as the brother of Consort Huixian, can be exempted from punishment for his crimes, then what about the Empress's brothers?"

Fu Heng knelt down in a panic: "This servant misspoke, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The Emperor said, “Get up. You are too young and easily swayed. It seems I cannot entrust this matter to you. Very well, Jinzhong, summon Akdun and Liu Tongxun to see me.”

After finishing his official duties, the emperor entered the Tiandi Yijia Chun (Heaven and Earth Family Spring) and went to Yanwan's residence.

Yanwan and Eyujie were busy comforting the wailing Jingyue when they saw the emperor arrive. They hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we have failed to greet you properly."

The emperor said, "Rise," and took Jingyue from Chunchan's arms, laughing, "This child's cry is quite loud!"

Yanwan said, "The wet nurse has already fed her and changed her diaper. I think the princess misses her imperial father, so she keeps crying."

After teasing Jingyue for a while, the emperor saw that she had gradually stopped crying and her eyes were half-open and half-closed, so he asked the wet nurse to take her away and coax her to sleep.

Taking the opportunity, E Yujie said, "This concubine will take her leave now." She then bowed and departed.

Lan Cui served tea, and the emperor took a sip, then casually asked, "Does Consort E often come here?"

Yanwan said, "Yes, all the older sisters come frequently, but Consort E comes the most often to help me take care of Jingyue. Otherwise, I alone cannot handle this child."

The emperor said, "She does have good intentions."

That evening, the emperor summoned E Yujie to his bedchamber.

He had summoned E Yujie only a handful of times before, and each time he did, E Yujie always appeared trembling with fear and trepidation, and this day was no exception.

E Yujie was a beautiful woman. Even though she was over thirty and dressed simply, she was still as radiant as ever. However, her cautious and timid demeanor made her beauty less vibrant.

He chuckled and said, "I remember you are the elder sister of the Northern Heir Apparent. You should be only slightly younger than the Empress. Why do you always act like a timid little girl?"

E Yujie said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I have been impolite. Please forgive me." But she sighed inwardly.

The emperor may have forgotten the harsh words he used to belittle her when they first met, but she will never forget the fear and humiliation she felt at that time.

The emperor spent the summer at the Yuanmingyuan Garden, while Yi Huan recuperated in the Chuxiu Palace for a month. At the end of July, she changed into a plain robe and, accompanied by Yingluo, boarded a carriage to Ganlu Temple.

On the way, Yingluo listened to Yuan Yi's instructions in her mind: "The current abbess of Ganlu Temple, Abbess Mo Yan, is the one we mentioned before. The code word for her is 'Men are all the ones who break women's hearts.' When you hear this, reply 'There are often raccoons on Lingyun Peak.' Then she replies 'There are neither raccoons nor civets at Ganlu Temple.'"

Yingluo was speechless: "You should have told people my identity by now, right? Couldn't you have just said that I am Yingluo, who serves the Empress?"

Yuan Yidao said, "Although the world rift has been repaired, there is still a risk for the living souls from the Legend of Zhen Huan world to stay in this world. Now they are facing non-human beings. Although they will not be affected 99.9% of the time under the protection of the talisman, the security procedures still need to be followed. Here is a talisman for you. If the code is wrong, use it immediately."

Upon arriving at Ganlu Temple, Yihuan alighted from the carriage, and Yingluo also jumped down carrying two large bundles.

The abbot of Ganlu Temple and a group of nuns were waiting in front of the temple early in the morning.

This nun is said to have been promoted from her original position as abbot after the passing of the former abbot, Jing'an.

She was tall with a cold and stern expression. Upon seeing Yi Huan, who was dressed in a plain robe and whose left hand was still wrapped in gauze, she first introduced herself as "Mo Yan," then quickly recited a passage about how "an imperial decree has come to order you to practice Buddhism while still keeping your hair; even so, you must uphold the precepts when you enter the temple," and so on. Then she said, "Now the disciples in the temple have reached the 'Jue' generation, so this lady will be called 'Jue Qing.'" She then dipped a willow leaf into the water in the vase held by a nun behind her and sprinkled a drop of water on Yi Huan's face.

Yi Huan smiled sadly: "Jueqing, it sounds like you want me to be heartless and abandon love."

Mo Yan clasped his hands together and lowered his eyes: "Amitabha, once my wife realizes that men only hurt women, she will naturally be able to abandon love and be heartless."

Yingluo: "Pfft."

Mo Yan looked up and asked, "Why is this young lady laughing?"

Yingluo said seriously, "Abbot, you misunderstood. This is not funny, and how could I possibly laugh at it?"

Mo Yan said no more, and personally led the two to a bungalow with its door open in a corner of the temple, saying, "This will be Jueqing's residence from now on. Should we send a disciple to help you pack your bedding and other belongings?"

Yingluo looked around and found the house to be spacious and bright, with all the furniture inside.

She smiled and replied, "No need to trouble yourself, Jueqing and I can handle it. But I've heard that raccoons often appear in the Buddhist temples on Lingyun Peak and can easily hurt people. I wonder if it's safer here?"

Mo Yan's eyes flashed, and he put his palms together and said, "Although Ganlu Temple is in the suburbs, it is not as remote as Lingyun Peak, so there are no wild animals such as raccoons or civets. Please rest assured, young lady."

Yingluo understood the code and felt relieved. She thanked Moyan and then led Yihuan into the room.

She picked up the broom from the corner and swept the floor while directing Yi Huan to open her bundle and pack her clothes.

Yi Huan was somewhat surprised.

Yingluo straightened up and said, "Master Jueqing, I'm going back soon. I've already done the heavy work for you since you haven't recovered your strength and your arm wound hasn't healed. Why don't you learn to take care of yourself? Do you expect to be waited on by others in the future?"

Yi Huan then clumsily began to tidy up.

Yinglu swept the floor and wiped the table, then she and Yihuan made the bed together.

Yi Huan took out the cotton robe and pills that Rong Yin had specially given her from the bundle, folded them up and put them away, and then took out some lucky bags and prayer flags.

Yi Huan looked at the lucky bag, sighed, and said wistfully, "I made this lucky bag and prayer flags especially for the Emperor when he was ill. At the time, I always thought that as long as I was sincere to the Emperor, I would be able to get some sincerity from him. Now that I think about it, my sincerity was just like looking at myself in the water, only moving myself."

She tossed the lucky bag and prayer flag aside, then took out a stack of papers covered with writing.

Yi Huan sighed again: "These imperial poems that I copied by hand were originally intended to be compiled into a collection of poems. I didn't need to flatter and fawn over those stinking literati outside and compile a collection of poems. I just wanted to flip through them casually. Now it seems that it's better to just burn them all down."

Yingluo said, "Master Jueqing, please listen to my advice. Burning these pieces of paper will cause them to fly everywhere and may cause a fire. Moreover, if these pieces of paper are not completely burned and someone sees the imperial poem on them, wouldn't you be charged with disrespect? It would be better to keep them for now and take one or two pieces at a time to start a fire when it gets cold and you need to light a brazier. That way, they will be hidden and burn completely."

Yi Huan had no idea how to light a brazier, so she kept quiet.

After tidying up, Yingluo went to see Mo Yan again and said, "This Abbess Jueqing, besides being lazy and ignorant of farming, has a big problem: she acts and speaks in a pretentious and nauseating way without realizing it. In the past, the Empress tolerated her to some extent because she was her relative and did not point it out. Please forgive her, Abbess."

Mo Yan glanced at her: "People are all fake, and relatives are naturally not real relatives. The three of you are being far too kind."

Yingluo wondered if this was something she could say. She could only reply, "Please be careful, or you might be discovered."

Mo Yan snorted coldly and said, "The Buddha said that all laws are equal. Even if Jueqing is not human, this humble nun will still treat her well. At most, she is just a pitiful woman... a demon, whose heart has been broken by a stinky man."

Before leaving, Yingluo asked again, "I heard that you had a past relationship with the Empress Dowager. Is there anything you would like me to convey to her?"

Mo Yan put her hands together and said, "Amitabha. The person in front of me is no longer the same person. We look at each other and only feel disappointed. The real Mo Chou has already fled to the three thousand worlds. As for this Niohuru, I have nothing to say."