The Qing Palace Never Meets Spring

"I understand," Qingwan was also surprised. She thought he was just a Beile or a Junwang, and that Yinzhen would gradually promote him after Yinxiang took up his post. She never expected him to be a Heshuo Qinwang directly.

Not only that, Yinzhen also appointed Yinsi, Yinxiang, Longkodo, and Maqi to manage affairs. Because Yinsi had many followers, in order to appease the officials behind Yinsi, even with the relationship between Yinxiang and Yinzhen, Yinsi was made the head of the ministers in charge of affairs.

"This is His Majesty's grace, our family should express our gratitude. When we get out, tell them to be careful and not to forget that we are still in a period of national mourning."

“Yes, Your Highness is right. It was my oversight. I will go and deliver the message right away,” Zhang Chun said immediately, his expression serious.

Moyaqi also looked at Qingwan with a smile. Qingwan scolded, "You too, when you go back, tell your younger siblings not to rely on your father's power to get into conflicts with others. The situation is still unstable."

Moyaqi retorted, "We've never bullied anyone by taking advantage of our father's power in all our lives."

"I know," Qingwan said with a smile. "I know you siblings are the most sensible. Consider this a casual remark from me."

Moya smiled, then changed the subject: "I'm not giving you this advice for nothing. We have so many cousins, some of whom are on good terms with Hongtun and Hongjiao, and some of whom have had conflicts. Giving them this advice is good, especially since Hongtun and the others are in their prime."

She stood up and said, "Daughter, I'll take my leave now. You've worked hard these past few days, so please get some rest."

After Moyaqi left, Muxiang smiled and said, "Gege is becoming more and more thoughtful. Now you can rest assured, Princess. You couldn't sleep at night when Gege was first betrothed."

Qingwan simply smiled and shook her head.

When Yinxiang returned, she was still wondering what he had come back for. These days, Yinxiang had been staying in the palace, but she didn't know exactly where he was staying. She could only guess that it wasn't far from the new emperor, otherwise it would be difficult to discuss matters.

When Qingwan looked up, Yinxiang was standing in front of her with his back to the light. She blinked to adjust to the sudden dimming of the light.

It's already evening, and the winter nights are long, with only a faint light.

"Why aren't the lights on?" Yinxiang asked.

After asking the questions, Muxiang and the others went inside and lit the candles one by one.

By the candlelight, Qingwan carefully examined Yinxiang's face. Something seemed different about him. It was clear that he had been very tired lately. Even though the light wasn't bright, Qingwan could still clearly see the dark circles under his eyes.

Even so, Yinxiang was in good spirits, his eyes were bright, and his ambition was written directly in his eyes. Yinxiang never hid his ambition in front of her.

Qingwan flicked her sleeves, rose, and curtsied: "This concubine greets Your Highness."

Yinxiang was taken aback for a moment, then took two steps back and said something that was not in line with his status: "Did I do anything to make the Princess Consort unhappy?"

Qingwan quickly stood up straight, glared at him, and sat back down.

Yinxiang then laughed and sat down beside her, saying with a smile, "The last time you bowed to me like this must have been more than ten years ago. I'm not used to this sudden bow."

Qingwan said, "If you're not used to it, then you're not used to it. Your Highness will only accept this one courtesy from me."

He picked up his teacup and said, "Today is also a good day for Your Highness, but since we are still in mourning, I will offer tea instead of wine to congratulate Your Highness on achieving your wish."

Yinxiang poured himself a cup and clinked it with Qingwan's.

Setting down her cup, she said gently, "I can still think of the meaning behind the promotion of Prince Lian, who was promoted at the same time as you, as it implies integrity. But I can't quite recall the meaning behind your title of Prince Yi."

Yinxiang's eyes were full of smiles, and he uttered a low sound in Manchu.

Upon hearing this, Qingwan suddenly smiled and said, "The title His Majesty chose for the Prince is quite unique."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Yinxiang's smile; he knew Qingwan was going to make fun of him.

Qingwan stood up, and as soon as she stood in front of him, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist. Qingwan smiled and asked, "So, is the Happy Prince happy now?"

Yinxiang smiled at her without saying a word, but tightened his grip on her waist.

Qingwan slowly traced his eyebrows and eyes: "Your Highness, you have now arrived at the same destination by different paths."

Emperor Kangxi had groomed him to be a regent for Yinreng, but an unexpected event occurred, the crown prince was deposed, and Yinxiang remained silent for more than ten years. Now, as soon as the new emperor ascended the throne, he was granted the title of Prince of the First Rank and put in charge of affairs. After all the twists and turns, he has returned to the path that Emperor Kangxi had originally set for him.

When Mu Xiang entered the room, she saw the two of them cuddling together. She took two steps back, then stopped, unsure whether to go in or back.

He hesitated to go forward, fearing he might disturb the two, but retreating would leave Hongchang waiting outside; he still had important matters to discuss.

After hesitating for a moment, she steeled herself, deliberately making a noise to alert the two people inside, before slowly entering the inner room:

"This servant greets Your Highness and Princess Consort. The First Prince is waiting outside to see you both."

Qingwan had already sat back down some distance away. Yinxiang said, "Let him in."

When Hongchang came in, his face showed not only joy but also some trepidation: "Your son greets Father and Princess."

"Get up. What brings you here?" Yinxiang asked.

“Replying to Father, it’s about the Nara clan, she…” It should have been a joyous occasion, but the news came out at this crucial moment, and Hongchang hesitated as he spoke, “She found out she was pregnant.”

Qingwan raised an eyebrow: "Sit down and tell me, how is your wife's health? Is the pregnancy stable?" Since she is pregnant, then Nala should be bleeding.

Sure enough, after Hongchang sat down, he continued, "After the doctor examined me, he said that the pregnancy was not stable, and I had started bleeding. He prescribed medicine to prevent miscarriage and told me to rest well and not get out of bed."

Instead, Yinxiang thought of something else: "Didn't you leave the palace quite a while ago? Why are you only talking about it now?"

He later sent Zhang Rui to find Qingwan and the others, only to be told that they had already left the palace.

Hongchang was a little nervous when asked: "Replying to Father, when Nara was pregnant for the first time, she encountered the national mourning period. She was flustered, so her son and mother comforted her for a while before coming to report."

That's the truth. He and Fuling discussed what to do with the child. This was not only his first child, but also the first grandchild of Prince Yi's mansion. He still wanted to keep the child, but he was worried that saying so would displease Yinxiang.

Qingwan remained silent, letting the father and son discuss their solution.

Then Yinxiang asked Hongchang, "What are your thoughts?"

Hongchang slowly released his hand, which had been hidden in his sleeve, and said, "This is my first child. Whether it is a princess or a prince, I want to keep him. Please grant my request, Father."

"Then take good care of yourself. We'll report the birth to the Imperial Household Department tomorrow."

"Yes." Hongchang himself did not expect Yinxiang to agree so easily, and it took him a while to remember to answer.

Yinxiang frowned almost imperceptibly and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Hongchang shook his head blankly.

"Since there's nothing else, go back and take care of your wife. My wife and I have important matters to discuss."

"Then I'll take my leave now."

After Hongchang left, Yinxiang said with a hint of disappointment, "That blockhead."

"The child is still young, we can teach him slowly," Qingwan said.

"These are all fathers now."

Although some women gave birth during the mourning period, had abortions, or gave birth to children who were then adopted by others, Hongchang only needed to do a little calculation to know that there were quite a few children born during the mourning period in the imperial clan.

Even though it was such a simple and easy thing to understand, Hongchang hesitated before asking Yinxiang. If it were in the past, Yinxiang might have praised him for being honest, but the situation was different now.

Qingwan said, "If it weren't for the fact that the Prince always has a stern face when he's with the child, Hongchang wouldn't be so afraid."

Yinxiang retorted, "Don't blame me. I think it's your doting mother who spoils her son."

Upon hearing this, Qingwan's anger flared up, and she sneered, "Hongchang isn't my son, but he's the prince's eldest son. I can't be too lenient or too harsh on him. I only dare to chime in occasionally when the prince is teaching his son, so that the prince can save face for the child. Now it's my fault."

"Once the mourning period is over, Your Highness can arrange for Lady Guarjia to become a concubine. From now on, Hongchang and his children will be properly cared for; they won't need to come and bother me anymore."

Yinxiang regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. If it were Hongtun or Hongjiao, it could have been a joke between him and Qingwan. But it was Hongchang, the eldest son born out of wedlock, and it happened at a time when he had just been made a prince.

Seeing that Qingwan was angry and said some harsh words, he had no choice but to refill her tea and hand it to her.

Qingwan turned away, ignoring him. Yinxiang walked up to her and handed her the tea in his hand.

Qingwan knew she couldn't make too much of a scene, so she accepted the tea, and the two considered their reconciliation complete.

Yinxiang then said, “Although Hongchang is not your son, he is still the eldest son and is now married, while our Hongtun is too young.”

Although Hongtun is the legitimate son, he is at a disadvantage due to his age. He is still young, so the next generation of Prince Yi's mansion can only temporarily push Hongchang out.

Judging from Yinzhen's intentions, Yinxiang knew that besides Yinxiang himself, he would definitely want to bestow favors on the younger generation of Prince Yi's mansion, and this favor could only fall on Hongchang.

Qingwan was well aware of these things.

Seeing that her expression had softened, Yinxiang said seriously, "Don't worry, I will save everything that belongs to Hongtun for him."

Qingwan could only nod.

Yinxiang sat back down and then said something else: "After you all left today, His Majesty, my eighth brother, and I went to see the Empress Dowager. We originally wanted to talk about the taboo, but when the Empress Dowager heard that my fourteenth brother's name not only needed to be avoided but also changed from the character 'Yin' to his given name, Yunti, she started arguing with His Majesty again."

To put it bluntly, the emperor's most cherished son before his death was the fourteenth brother. Now, His Majesty has not only taken away the fourteenth brother's belongings, but also refused to allow the emperor to retain the name that the fourteenth brother was given, causing His Majesty to lose face.

When you go to the palace to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager in the future, be careful what you say, lest she catch you saying something you shouldn't.

The Empress Dowager's statement about seizing Yinzhen's possessions likely refers to the throne.

"Empress Dowager..." Qingwan was silent for a while, then said, "As a mother myself, I can't tell whether she truly loves the Fourteenth Brother."

If Consort De didn't love Yunti, she thought of Yunti in everything she did, and even felt that the throne should be given to Yunti. She even went against Yinzhen many times for Yunti's sake.

But you want her to love Yunti. Although the situation is unstable now, the new emperor is a done deal. Consort De's repeated disturbances are just trying to sow discord between Yinzhen and the emperor.

Even if Yinzhen had a good temper, he couldn't withstand such torment, not to mention that Yinzhen was not exactly known for his good temper.

Qingwan shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the random thoughts. She was still concerned about the taboo of changing names: "Do you all have to change your names? What will you call yourselves?"

"To avoid the issue of Yin (the offspring of a descendant) is to grant permission."

“Yun? Yunxiang,” Qingwan suddenly said.

"Cough, cough." Yunxiang, who had just drunk water, coughed so violently at Qingwan's call that it was as if his lungs were being torn apart.

Qingwan patted him on the back, saying, "How could calling your name make you like this? I'll never call you that again."

Yunxiang squeezed her free hand, finally catching his breath: "You're the first one to call me by this name."

"That would be my honor," Qingwan said with a smile.

Finally, Yunxiang added, "When the fourteenth brother returns in a few days, you and the sixteenth brother's wife should keep an eye on the fourteenth brother's wife outside and prevent her from causing trouble at the coffin. At least wait until His Majesty has dealt with the fourteenth brother's matter."

Qingwan was unwilling to agree: "You know I used to be close to my fourteenth brother's wife, how could I bear to do that?"

Yinxiang pinched her earlobe: "There's nothing we can do about it, you've been on opposing sides for a long time."

Qingwan nodded silently; the Prince Yi's residence and the new emperor were on the same side.

As the year drew to a close, a new reign title was adopted: Yongzheng.

However, the relationship between the new emperor and the empress dowager became increasingly strained.

When Yunti returned, Kangxi's coffin had already been moved elsewhere and was no longer in Qianqing Palace. Qingwan stayed with the Empress, listening to the reports coming back one by one.

For example: The Fourteenth Prince has arrived in the capital.

The Fourteenth Prince argued with His Majesty in front of the late Emperor's spirit tablet.

The fourteenth prince demanded that His Majesty hand over the imperial edict.

It was also said that the Fourteenth Prince refused to pay his respects to His Majesty, and even dared to hit Lord Laxi in front of His Majesty. He only quieted down after Prince Lian stopped him, but he started cursing again after a short while.

Everyone present gasped. The Empress ordered her men to guard the gates of Yonghe Palace, preventing anyone from leaking any news about Yunti to Consort De, especially those around Consort Yi.

As for Ningyin, Qingwan couldn't do anything about it, and neither could the Empress. Since her youngest son wasn't by her side, Consort De had brought her daughter-in-law to her side, and she couldn't leave her for a moment. If Yunti were to see Consort De, there was really nothing that could stop the couple from meeting and talking.

Later, it was heard that these brothers had entered Consort De's Yonghe Palace. Only a few noises were heard occasionally, and nothing was said. But at least Yunti calmed down.

However, Consort De still missed Yunti and was unwilling to accept the title of Empress Dowager, let alone move to the Ning Shou Palace prepared for the Empress Dowager.

Furthermore, Emperor Yongzheng would frequently mention Empress Xiaoyi's nurturing grace, and he always referred to Longkodo as his uncle. Apart from Emperor Yongzheng kowtowing and paying his respects outside the main hall of Yonghe Palace at dawn and dusk every day, there were no other words exchanged between mother and son.

The Empress was caught in the middle and found herself in a difficult position. Occasionally, she would ask Qingwan for advice, but in terms of understanding Yongzheng, she was not as good as Yinxiang, and in terms of understanding Consort De, she was not as good as the Empress. If neither of them could come up with a solution, what could she possibly do?

The Empress also understood this principle, and gradually she only confided in Qingwan. Sometimes, when she was angry, she would inevitably complain. They were indeed mother and son, both stubborn.