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

Since the Ming Dynasty, the military and political affairs of the Jinchuan area had been controlled by local chieftains. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty inherited its rule over Jinchuan, appointing local chieftains of varying ranks as officials such as Xuanfu Si (Xuanfu Commissioner) and Anfu Shi (Pacification Commissioner), granting them seals of office, and allowing them to govern themselves. Although the Qing Dynasty decreed that the chieftains should not plunder each other and that any disputes should be reported to the court for mediation, the complex and treacherous terrain of the area, coupled with the chieftains' long-term rule, gradually led to their growing defiance. The late emperor had implemented the policy of replacing chieftains with appointed officials. To promote this policy, the then Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Nian Gengyao, submitted a memorial to the late emperor proposing a strategy of "separating branches and mutually restraining each other," thus separating Greater Jinchuan from Lesser Jinchuan.

From then on, Jinchuan was divided in two, with frequent border disputes and mutual attacks between the two tribes. By the ninth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, the Greater Jinchuan had been attacking neighboring tribes for many years and began to covet the territory of the Lesser Jinchuan. Shaluoben married his niece, Akou, to Zewang, the chieftain of the Lesser Jinchuan, and secretly colluded with his brother, Liang'erji. Because Zewang was weak, Akou not only interfered in the internal affairs of the Lesser Jinchuan through the marriage alliance but also had an affair with Liang'erji and used her maternal family's power to rival Zewang. With the combined support of the three forces, the Greater Jinchuan seized the Lesser Jinchuan, detained Zewang, and then marched towards Lumi and Zhanggu, crossed the Dadu River, and directly threatened Dajianlu (author's note: Dajianlu is present-day Kangding City), a strategically important location on the Sichuan-Tibet border.

While the Qing court could remain neutral in the internal strife among the chieftains, it had no choice but to intervene when Saloben threatened the border between the Han and Tibetan regions.

After returning to the palace, the emperor consulted with the Grand Councilors for several days and concluded that Jinchuan was a small place, and the number of southern barbarians was far less than the Qing army that could be assembled, making them no match for the enemy. Therefore, he decided to "demonstrate imperial power and show the nation's strength," replacing Qingfu with Zhang Guangsi, the Governor-General of Guizhou, as the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, to take overall command of military affairs in Sichuan, gather troops, and attack Jinchuan.

After the Grand Councilors took their leave, the Emperor slumped down on his dragon throne.

His body was exhausted, but his mind remained tense, not only because of the Jinchuan war, but also because of the verse left behind by Liaoyu.

The verse contained foreshadowing of war in the southwest, and shortly after it was written, news from the Jinchuan army arrived. There was absolutely no way that the Empress and Yingluo could have known about such a secret and urgent report in advance, which shows that the possession by the spirit snake was truly real.

So, what deeper meaning does that verse hold?

As he was pondering, Jinzhong came in and reported, "Your Majesty, Princess Hejing requests an audience."

The emperor was somewhat surprised, but still allowed Jingse to enter.

Jingse came for two reasons: first, her wedding was approaching and she was about to leave the palace, so she wanted to talk to her father, the Emperor, one more time; second, she noticed that the Emperor had been troubled and tired these past few days, and his dark circles had deepened, so she came to check on him.

Looking at Jingse's increasingly similar features to the Empress, the Emperor sighed, "With Jingse being so considerate, even Father Emperor feels that fighting wars isn't so difficult after all."

Jingse exclaimed in surprise, "A war?"

The Emperor hummed in agreement and then said, "You're a young lady; you shouldn't be listening to these things. Just pretend you didn't hear them. Tell me, where would you like your father to take you? To the Shufangzhai to watch a play? Or to the Imperial Garden for a stroll?"

Jingse retorted, "Father, I am Princess Gulun Hejing, who is about to marry a Mongol prince. I must abide by the rules and cannot play all day long!"

Seeing that she already looked like a grown-up, the emperor couldn't help but chuckle: "No matter how old Jingse is, in Father's eyes she will still be that little princess."

The two went to the garden to relax. After a moment of contemplation, Jingse said, "Father, since the court is going to war, shouldn't my wedding be a little simpler?"

The emperor asked in surprise, "How did you come up with this idea?"

Jingse said, "My mother has always been frugal and has taught me that even though I am a woman, I should strive to be a person who benefits the country, just like my aunt Kejing. As the legitimate daughter of the Empress, even if the wedding is less extravagant, will anyone dare to say that I am stingy? The money saved might just be used to buy weapons to help Father Emperor achieve victory sooner."

The emperor laughed heartily: "You are indeed filial, but these matters of state are none of your concern."

Feeling comforted, he summoned Qin Li and added a pawnshop to Jingse's dowry list. He also instructed Qin Li to have several more longevity locks made, with all expenses covered by the imperial palace. Then, he said to Jingse, "I will go with you to keep your Empress Mother company." He then ordered Jinzhong to prepare the carriage for Changchun Palace and sent someone to Xiefang Palace to bring Yongcong along as well.

That evening, the emperor summoned Consort Ling and Consort Shen to dine with him.

It is early spring, and dinner is mostly filled with mild and astringent foods such as stir-fried duck kidneys with vinegar, shredded pork with pickled spinach, braised gluten, fruit porridge, and apple buns, to prevent the loss of yang energy.

After the meal, Jinzhong brewed three cups of Pu'er tea.

After chatting for a while, the emperor mentioned a verse left behind by the immortal at Ganlu Temple.

Aruo thought that she still had to maintain appearances in front of Yanwan, so she stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I dare not listen to such supernatural matters."

The emperor said it was alright and had Jinzhong present the transcribed verses for the two men to see.

Aruo shook her head and said, "I only know a few words and I am completely ignorant of these Buddhist sayings and witty remarks. I really don't understand their meaning."

Yanwan also said, "What does this verse say? Please enlighten us, Your Majesty."

The emperor slowly said, "The southwest has indeed been quite unsettled lately, and the last line of this verse has now come true."

Seeing their surprised expressions, he continued, "In the third sentence, the golden bell and the bronze camel are both allusions to the Wei and Jin dynasties. The bronze camel and thorns are people's lament about the fall of the Jin dynasty. And the fall of the Jin dynasty is also inextricably linked to a woman."

Yanwan and A'ruo looked eager to hear more, but the emperor made the final decision: "This woman is Jia Nanfeng."

Neither of them knew who Jia Nanfeng was.

The emperor had Jinzhong bring a copy of the Book of Jin and showed the two men the parts that were marked or underlined.

After the two finished reading, A'Ruo said, "Oh, this Jia Nanfeng was the daughter of Jia Chong, a founding father of the Western Jin Dynasty. She married a big fool, Prince Sima Zhong. After Sima Zhong ascended the throne, Jia Nanfeng controlled the government. Later, Jia Nanfeng deposed Crown Prince Sima Yu, which led to the War of the Eight Princes."

Yanwan's heart skipped a beat, and she tentatively asked, "Then this sentence refers to the Western Jin Dynasty, which doesn't match up with our Great Qing Dynasty."

The emperor said, “The Empress Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty does not match the current empress. However, the Great Immortal Liaoyu has been living in the mountains for a long time. Although he has some supernatural powers to predict major events in the world, how would he know who the current empress is? Perhaps he is being misled. The person he is referring to may be someone else.”

A'Ruo immediately understood and sneered: "The Empress is the real Empress, but in this harem, there are still people who fantasize that they should have been the Empress, but died because of the late Emperor's orders."

If the curse could affect the true dragon emperor to such an extent, a giant serpent would naturally not be able to escape it.

She now understood why Wei Yanwan had also been summoned by the emperor.

Yanwan understood somewhat and asked uneasily, "Should we tell Her Majesty the Empress about this?"

The Emperor sighed: "I have already had Ma Qing'a write down these deductions and tell them to the Empress, but the Empress believes that this verse does not explicitly refer to anyone. Perhaps Liao Yu just wanted to use the past to illustrate the present, to warn me to be wary of border disturbances and not to cause the disaster of the Five Barbarian Invasions. It has nothing to do with Jia Nanfeng. In the past, the so-called 'femme fatales' and 'wicked empresses' were mostly blamed on women by foolish emperors and treacherous officials for the corruption of the court. Jia Nanfeng was not entirely innocent, but she did indeed frame the Crown Prince. However, I am not the foolish emperor Sima Zhong, so there is naturally no Jia Nanfeng in the palace."

Aruo understood. The Empress had never believed in such things, but the Emperor probably wanted to use the prophecy of the spirit snake as an excuse to make a fuss.

However... if that's the case, then the emperor has completely chosen the wrong people to hire.

Aruo leaned close to the emperor and whispered, "Your Majesty, my father is frail and sickly, and he struggles even to be a lowly clerk. My brother is just a menial errand boy. Consort Ling also has a widowed mother and a young brother. How can they share Your Majesty's burdens?"

The emperor thought it made sense, but apart from the empress, most of his concubines were of humble origins. Consort Wan did have a good uncle, but he didn't want to hear Chen Dashou spouting any more of the sage's words, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits."

The only explanation is that the imperial guards and Abbess Mo Yan leaked the information that day.

But perhaps that's still not enough...

After much thought, the emperor saw Yanwan's beautiful face and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He asked Yanwan, "Yanwan, I remember you studied Kunqu Opera. Do you know anyone in the Southern Palace who is particularly good at writing storybooks?"

In the following days, as Princess Hejing's wedding was imminent, the emperor often visited Changchun Palace to accompany the princess.

At noon that day, Ruyi asked Hailan to take the spinach and egg whites, stir-fried shepherd's purse and other dishes from the table and reheat them again and again, while staring blankly at the door: "The Emperor hasn't come for a long time."

Rong Pei and Ling Yunche had recently been punished at the Shenxing Division. Ling Yunche was still in bed, and Rong Pei's legs were still not very strong. She limped back and advised, "Consort Xian, although the Emperor hasn't come since returning from Ganlu Temple, he has stripped Yehenara of her title and reduced her to a commoner, cutting off her hopes of returning to the palace. This shows that the Emperor still cares about you. He must be busy with state affairs these past few days, which is why he hasn't come."

Ruyi sighed softly, "Yes, not only is the court busy, but Princess Hejing is also about to be betrothed to a Mongol. Princess Hejing is, after all, the legitimate daughter of the emperor, and she is being betrothed to the Khorchin tribe. This is a matter of national importance, so the emperor is naturally concerned."

Although the emperor has established a princess's residence in the capital, overseen by Princess Hejing's elder brother, Prince Duan, the Khorchin are a major Mongol tribe. It's likely the princess cannot remain in the capital long-term, otherwise, the various Mongol tribes will not be able to be appeased. As the ruler of the land, it would be most prudent for the emperor to use his own daughter to solidify his rule.

In March, Princess Hejing married Sebutenbaljur.

The Emperor, citing the Empress's virtue of frugality and the renewed war in the southwest, deeming it necessary for the palace to set an example, reduced the extravagance of the wedding banquet and refrained from hosting a grand performance. Instead, he had female folk singers perform at the Princess's residence. To compensate Princess Hejing, the Emperor specially increased her post-marital stipend, making her the first princess to remain in the capital while still receiving the same annual stipend of one thousand taels of silver as Princess Fumeng.

The emperor then ordered that the people share in the joy, and the sung stories were later spread among the people, combining education with entertainment.

Soon, a story circulated among the people: After the fall of the Jin Dynasty, the Sixteen Dynasties of the Northern and Southern Dynasties followed, a time of constant warfare. In one small kingdom, a concubine, whose maternal family name was Wu, was known as Consort Wu. Relying on her childhood sweetheart relationship with the king and the fact that her family had served in the Five Pecks of Rice sect and learned some magic, she became insatiable and plotted to seize the throne. She even dared to emulate the infamous Empress Jia Nanfeng of the Western Jin Dynasty, attempting to seize power, force the imperial heirs to commit murder, and secretly cast curses on several princes, nearly triggering a second War of the Eight Princes. Fortunately, Consort Wu's actions were discovered by a white snake that had received imperial favor. This white snake transformed into human form, becoming the queen's maid, and cast a prophecy. The king, being exceptionally intelligent, deciphered a few of the prophecies, thus recognizing Consort Wu's wicked intentions and thwarting the Wu family's conspiracy.

This book, with its palace intrigues and fantastical tales, was extremely popular with the common people and quickly spread. As it circulated, people began to mention the major case of Empress Ulanara's alleged use of witchcraft and sorcery, and for a time, it became the talk of the town.

The emperor listened to the reports from the officials in charge of official duties and nodded with great satisfaction before proceeding with the appointment and dismissal of officials.

Since Sebutengbaljur had become a prince consort, the emperor considered granting him an official position, but he was hesitant and also had some thoughts of testing the waters. So he invited Prince Duan and Fuheng, the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony and a Grand Councilor, to the palace to discuss the matter together.

The Emperor said, "The Imperial Son-in-Law is of noble birth. His stepmother, Princess Gulun Duanmin, is the daughter of the Imperial Uncle Prince Yu. She is currently serving in the Imperial Guard. I am thinking of giving her a position such as Commander-in-Chief or Alliance Leader. You two are now considered his relatives. What do you think?"

Fuheng said, "Since the consort and Princess Hejing are already married, this servant should avoid suspicion."

Yonglian said, "The matter of bestowing an official title is a public matter, and it is up to Father Emperor to decide. In public terms, I am a minister in the same court as the Prince Consort, and in private terms, I am the Prince Consort's maternal brother. Therefore, I dare not speak recklessly."

The Emperor scoffed, “Today is a discussion among family members, so there’s no need for you to be so cautious. Just say what you have to say. Yonglian, you and your husband have grown up together since childhood. Do you think he’s capable of handling these positions?”

Yonglian said, “Father, the Commander-in-Chief and the Alliance Leader are both first- or second-rank official positions. The Prince Consort and Princess Hejing are about the same age, in the prime of their youth. Moreover, the Prince Consort is as pure and straightforward as unpolished jade, and as bold and forthright as a soaring eagle. I wonder if being confined to official duties is what he desires. If I were to speak of my own heart, I would also be reluctant to let the Prince Consort go to a distant place to take up a post, causing my sister Jingse and her husband to be separated, or for my sister to leave the capital with the Prince Consort and not be able to fulfill her filial duties to Father and Mother. However, I am not the Prince Consort himself, and I cannot know all of his thoughts. If Father wishes to temper the Prince Consort, perhaps you could summon him and ask him about his aspirations?”

The emperor was pleased and said, "Yonglian is right. Jinzhong, summon Sebtenbaljur to the palace this afternoon, and I will question him."

In the end, the emperor only gave Sebtenbaljur a sinecure in the Ministry of Rites, a high-ranking and well-paid position, but the duties were not important.

Not long after, Yonglian took up a post and gained experience in the Ministry of Works.

Princess Hejing's marriage was over, and in June, military reports came from the southwestern front. Zhang Guangsi had gathered his troops and divided them into six routes to advance on Jinchuan. The advance was unstoppable, and local chieftains along the way surrendered without resistance. By July, the Qing army had approached the two key locations of Gua'er Cliff and Du Diao Village.

The court was in high spirits, but by August, the Qing army was blocked by the impregnable fortifications and could not make any progress.

The Jinchuan area is rainy with little sunshine. After August, the mountains become damp and cold, but Zhang Guangsi still submitted a memorial guaranteeing that the fortress would be captured in September and October.

However, in early September, Tumu Encuo, the chieftain of Mabang, surrendered but then rebelled again, flanking the Qing army and cutting off their supply lines. In November, Zhang Xing, the deputy commander of Taixing, was besieged. Zhang Guangsi did not come to his aid. Tumu Encuo deployed a fire sheep formation, which greatly defeated the Qing army. Zhang Xing was killed in the battle.

The Qing army was put on the defensive.

Misfortunes never come singly. In September, a smallpox epidemic broke out in Zhili, which then spread to the outskirts of Beijing during the winter and affected the capital. Five out of ten children could not be saved, and hundreds of children died every day.