A Crossover of Film and Television: Miao Miao's Life Transmigration

Liu Jingyao thought about it for half the night and finally decided to agree to let Xiaoqi and Xiaoba go to the battlefield, which was a matter of both opportunity and risk.

Liu Jingyao prepared the remaining health-enhancing pills and detoxifying pills for them and instructed them to keep them close to their bodies.

She joined the group of princes, including the sixth prince Hongzhan, the seventh prince, and the eighth prince, to persuade the emperor.

In March, the primary wife of the fourth prince Hongli gave birth to their second son (born a year later than in history), but unfortunately the second son was in poor health.

In April, the Fifth Princess was married off to the Bahrain tribe.

In August, the Emperor ordered Yue Zhongqi to lead the army as the commander-in-chief, and Zhang Guangsi and Qingfu as the deputy commanders, to quell the rebellion in the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan. The Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince accompanied the expedition, though they were only minor generals.

When the people in the harem learned that Liu Jingyao had agreed to let the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince go on the expedition, they were all shocked. Liu Jingyao was the concubine with the most children in the harem. In the nineteenth year of Yongzheng's reign, Consort Qi passed away, leaving only three concubines in the harem: Consort Xi, Consort Yu, and Consort Qian.

This year, the Fifth Princess, Ulge, was married off, and the Emperor promoted Consort Ning to Imperial Concubine Ning. Consort Ning, who should have died in the twelfth year of Yongzheng's reign, is still alive and well, perhaps because of the Fifth Princess.

Liu Jingyao understood that the Emperor would not easily change the structure of the harem. The Empress's health had been deteriorating in recent years, and a few days ago, it was rumored that the Empress might not survive the winter. The affairs of the harem were divided equally among Consort Xi, Consort Yu, and Consort Qian, and now with the addition of Consort Ning, there was a perfect four-way balance of power.

Liu Jingyao was very worried about the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince, but they had aspirations and dreams, and as their mother, she would naturally support their choices.

Fortunately, the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince knew that she was worried about them and would send back a letter every one or two months.

As November approached, the Empress's condition worsened. Under the arrangement of Consort Xi, the concubines in the harem took turns to wait for her recovery. In mid-November, the Imperial Hospital issued a critical condition notice, saying that the Empress only had a few days left.

The Emperor personally went to see the Empress, but it is unknown what they discussed. The Empress passed away the next day.

The Empress's death was a national mourning period, during which marriage and celebrations were prohibited throughout the country for a year. As the Empress Dowager of the Sixth Prince and his family, they were required to observe three years of mourning, during which time the Sixth Prince and his family could not marry or have any celebrations. Therefore, the matter of the Sixth Prince's primary wife becoming pregnant was naturally postponed.

Liu Jingyao was eager to postpone it, after all, Guarjia was only fifteen years old. Unlike her, Guarjia did not have any special advantages. In ancient times, countless primary consorts died because of pregnancy, and their bodies were not fully developed, so the children they gave birth to would not be very healthy.

With the Empress gone, the Seventh and Eighth Princes should have returned home, but now is a critical time to pacify the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan. The Emperor decreed that the Seventh and Eighth Princes need not return and should continue to hold their posts.

The rebellions in the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions reached a fever pitch, so the Seventh and Eighth Princes naturally couldn't return home for the New Year.

This year's Lunar New Year's Eve and Spring Festival, apart from some necessary procedures such as ancestor worship and prayers to heaven, and the fact that the Empress passed away this year, which is a time of national mourning, everything else was simplified. The Emperor has been somber ever since he started sending troops.

By the twenty-sixth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the situation regarding the rebellions in the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions was far from optimistic. The Qing army had been unable to achieve any success for a long time, and this time the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions joined forces to resist the Qing army.

In May, no good news came from the expedition. Liu Jingyao was suffering every day in Yongshou Palace. Fortunately, her two sons would send her a letter every few months, which made her feel a little more at ease.

There was no need to pay respects anymore. Liu Jingyao had little contact with the other concubines, but she understood that the concubines in the harem were nothing more than petty people who gloated over others' misfortunes.

The Sixth Prince's primary wife pays her respects on the fifth and tenth of each month. Since the Emperor has not yet granted the Sixth Prince permission to leave the palace and establish his own residence, he has been living in the Prince's quarters.

In the twenty-fifth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, Liu Jingyao's fourth brother presented him with winter supplies made of wool and goose down. The two items had their odors removed using Liu An's method and were very warm to wear. The Emperor immediately issued an edict ordering the Imperial Household Department to expedite the production of these winter supplies and transport them to the front lines.

The Sixth Prince also made achievements in the Ministry of Revenue. He first improved the Ministry's accounting methods by applying some modern accounting knowledge.

Later, after discussing with the emperor, he suggested establishing a Ministry of Commerce to manage state and private merchants and taxation. After two months of discussion, the emperor and several ministers initially established the Ministry of Commerce.

In June, good news came that the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan had been pacified. Yue Zhongqi led his men to meet the enemy head-on, while the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince led their men to invade the Greater Jinchuan from the east and west respectively, killing countless enemies and several princes of the Greater Jinchuan.

The Emperor was overjoyed upon receiving the good news and specially praised the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince during the court session.

The next day, in the Fourth Prince's residence, Hongli sat in his study, surrounded by his advisors.

Hongli said seriously, "Now that Father Emperor trusts Seventh Brother and the others so much, and Sixth Brother is making great strides in the Ministry of Revenue, what do you all think?"

In this life, Hongli is not the same Qianlong who ascended the throne at the age of twenty-five. Yongzheng lived too long. Now Hongli is almost forty years old. Like the former crown prince, the longer he waits, the more anxious he becomes. Moreover, he is still an invisible crown prince without any official title.

The ministers of the previous dynasty felt that the emperor seemed to be in good health and would probably live for a few more years, so their attitude towards him was not as enthusiastic as before. After all, the emperor was wary of forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, and how many officials had been dismissed by the emperor in recent years? Ministers could not provoke a tiger in front of a tiger.

"Fourth Prince, in my humble opinion, His Majesty's authority has become even stronger in recent years. In addition, His Majesty's secret guards are everywhere. I think it is best not to make any rash moves."

"Who would dare to act rashly? Everyone said that Prince Ben had the best chance, but who knew that a roadblock would suddenly appear out of nowhere?"

"Fourth Prince, the most important thing now is to keep things stable. The Sixth Prince is only eighteen years old, while the Emperor is already seventy." After mentioning this, the advisor said nothing more.

Hongli knew, of course, that he had made some underhanded moves, but each time his sixth brother had thwarted them. This sixth brother was clearly not simple, and he had even tried to stop his sixth brother from handling affairs at the Ministry of Revenue, which the emperor found out about. As a result, the emperor dismissed several officials who had made underhanded moves during court. Those officials were his people, so he knew that the emperor knew.

In July, the Qing army pressed their advantage and, after pacifying Dajinchuan, seized upon the weaknesses of Xiaojinchuan and launched a month-long siege, ultimately bringing the war to a complete end.

After learning that the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince would soon return to the capital, Liu Jingyao looked forward to their return every day.

After two months, General Yue Zhongqi led more than 10,000 Qing troops to the outskirts of the capital. He ordered them to set up camp in the suburbs, while the general led 300 soldiers to continue the advance. The emperor ordered the fourth prince, the fifth prince, the sixth prince, and some ministers to welcome Yue Zhongqi and his men at the city gate.

The Seventh and Eighth Princes were excited when they saw their Sixth Brother from afar. Life in the army was tough, and their mother would write to them every time to tell them about trivial things. This made the Seventh and Eighth Princes, who were going on their first long trip, miss their mother and the others very much.

Yue Zhongqi led his soldiers to pay their respects to the princes. The seventh and eighth princes, without much restraint, dismounted and ran to their brothers. They first paid their respects to the fourth, fifth, and sixth princes, and then went to the sixth prince to talk, sharing some interesting stories from the army.

The Fourth Prince interrupted them, saying, "Father is still waiting for them."