The Qing Palace Never Meets Spring

When Kangxi returned to Beijing, he did not go directly to the Forbidden City. Instead, he went to Changchun Garden first. Upon seeing this, Yinxiang pulled Yihuan aside and whispered for a while before riding back to Beijing on horseback.

He didn't send anyone back to tell him beforehand, so when he entered, the people around him were still a bit dazed. After all, according to the usual practice, he should have been at Changchun Garden first, and then returned to the palace with Kangxi.

Fortunately, the people in the palace were well-trained, and even if they were surprised, it was only for a moment. Yinxiang casually tossed the whip to the nearest person and asked, "Is the Fujin here?"

"Yes, I'm here, in the main room."

"Okay, don't trouble her, I'll go see her myself." Yinxiang replied and strode forward.

Since Yinxiang said so, naturally no one would have to try to curry favor with Qingwan. So when he arrived at the main room, he saw Qingwan's maid lifting the curtain in shock, and saying into the room, "Master is back."

Qingwan was also surprised and hurriedly got up. Just as she got up, Yinxiang arrived at the bedroom door. Then, instead of Yinxiang, Qingwan was greeted by a spittoon on the ground.

In Yinxiang's eyes, his wife, who had been smiling and about to walk toward him, suddenly turned around and started gagging. He also withdrew the foot he had just stepped into the bedroom.

Qingwan stood up again and looked at Yinxiang with a helpless expression: "Your Majesty, I didn't mean it."

Yinxiang waved his hand: "Are you having severe morning sickness?"

"Yes." Qingwan quickly nodded: "Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've been able to smell some faint odors, which is why I noticed this when you came in just now."

Yinxiang raised his arm and sniffed it, but didn't smell anything. He simply didn't go inside and told the outsiders to prepare water.

Qingwan asked, as if explaining, "Did you ride back, Master?"

Yinxiang understood that she smelled the odor on him. He believed Qingwan's claim that she was nauseous because of her pregnancy. No matter how clean a horse is, it is still an animal, and it is inevitable that it will smell. If she were a germaphobe, she could not be like a horse.

He watched as the maids opened the window, but didn't go into the bedroom. He leaned against the door and spoke to Qingwan: "Your nose is amazing, you can smell this."

My father and sister are still in the garden, but I figured I had nothing else to do, so I came back early.

Seeing her like this, I knew that she must have been uncomfortable walking slowly on her way back to Beijing. I thought to myself that I should not have let you go. But then I remembered that she had conceived the child on the way, so I couldn't help but say, "You've had a hard time, both for the child and for the journey."

Qingwan had seen how Yinxiang interacted with the Yi'an sisters and knew he was a considerate person, but that consideration was selective. As for her, it probably depended on Yinxiang's mood, so she was somewhat flattered to receive this comment from him after the recent incident.

Seeing that it was inappropriate for him to just stand there, I walked over to him and wanted him to sit down.

Seeing her like this, Yinxiang took a few steps back and said, "You should sit down. I'll go wash up and come back to talk to you. I'm scared."

Without waiting for Qingwan to speak, he turned and went to the clean room.

Seeing his almost fleeing gait, Qingwan shook her head and chuckled, then ordered someone to prepare some snacks and tea. Compared to the milk tea that the Manchus loved to drink, Yinxiang preferred clear tea.

When Yinxiang returned, still damp from the water, he stopped outside the bedroom and said with a smile, "My lady, smell me again. I might come in now."

Qingwan also pretended to sniffle and made a gesture of invitation: "Please, Your Highness." Yinxiang sat down on the other side of the kang table. As the two were talking, Fuling led the eldest princess over.

Qingwan smiled and glanced at Yinxiang, saying, "Let her in." Yinxiang just kept eating and didn't say anything.

After the two entered, it was clear that Fuling had dressed up nicely. Although she had gained some weight due to her pregnancy, she possessed a unique and voluptuous beauty.

After paying her respects to the two men, Fuling sat down to the left of Yinxiang and nudged the eldest princess in front of her, saying, "Call him Father! Haven't you been calling him Father all this time?"

Upon hearing this, Yinxiang also went to see the eldest princess. His expression was gentle. The eldest princess called out "Father" and leaned against Fuling's arms again.

Yinxiang stretched out his hand to the eldest princess: "Come to Father."

Seeing this, Fuling pushed the eldest princess forward even more, but the eldest princess was not really familiar with this father who did not appear often. With Fuling pushing her, she simply turned her head and went to Qingwan's side, leaning against her leg to secretly look at Yinxiang.

Qingwan smiled and put her arm around the eldest princess, saying, "Good child, go sit with your father."

The eldest princess just smiled and remained still, so Qingwan simply hugged her.

Yinxiang raised his hand and gently stroked the eldest princess's face: "It seems I'm not a good father at all. Look how distant this child is from me."

Qingwan patted the eldest princess in her arms and coaxed her to eat some snacks: "I don't know how long I can stay in the palace in a year, or how long I can let the eldest princess stay by your side."

If this continues, it won't just be the eldest princess who becomes estranged from the master in the future.

Upon hearing her words, Yinxiang seemed to be thinking of something. He gave her a half-smile.

Then she saw the eldest princess nestled obediently in her arms and said, "It's not time to raise children in peace yet. I still need my wife to support me."

Qingwan didn't even look up: "This matter still requires the combined efforts of Master and me."

The two spoke casually, as if they were having a casual chat. Fu Ling, who was sitting to the side, suddenly felt a jolt. The conversation was so brief that she couldn't even tell if they were referring to her.

She was three years older than Yinxiang. She started serving Yinxiang when she was thirteen, and Yinxiang took her in when she was nineteen, after the mourning period for his mother ended.

But Yinxiang was never one to scheme in the inner quarters. She constantly emphasized her connection with Yinxiang to Qingwan, only because Qingwan had entered the household late and was unaware of the specifics.

Yinxiang liked intelligent and obedient people. She was not intelligent but obedient, which is why she stayed with him until now and even had children.

Qingwan entered the palace late and didn't know, but she knew that Yinxiang had more than one woman. As for the others, they had only lost their status in front of Yinxiang because they were vying for his favor. Later, they were even sent out of the palace. People who didn't know would think that she had used some kind of trick, but in fact, she didn't dare to do it at all. She only dared to talk about it.

Perhaps it was a good thing that those two left the palace, at least they wouldn't have to endure this. Manchus took remarriage in stride, and there were even women from Kangxi's harem who were released after failing to give birth.

There was also the matter of the bamboo shadows. She suddenly felt a little flustered. Was it that Yinxiang hadn't taken it to heart, or that he had temporarily let him off the hook because she was pregnant?

There was also Qingwan, whom she both envied and was jealous of. She had never dared to relax and talk to Yinxiang so easily in all the years she had been by his side. The Yinxiang she knew only appeared to be gentle.

Lost in thought, Fu Ling was startled awake by Qing Wan's voice. Qing Wan, who had been coaxing the eldest princess to eat snacks, looked up and said to Yinxiang, "Master, would you like to hug the eldest princess?"

Yinxiang frowned slightly: "No, isn't she quite well-behaved when you hold her?"

Fuling clenched the handkerchief in her hand. Since the birth of the eldest princess, Yinxiang had never held her. She had tentatively asked a few times but dared not ask again. But now Qingwan was also pregnant. Would Yinxiang treat Qingwan's child the same way in the future?

Looking at today, she's been sitting here for a while without getting a word in edgewise. Clearly, when the marriage was first arranged, Yinxiang wasn't enthusiastic about it. His attitude towards Qingwan was even somewhat like his attitude towards the two princesses. Was it all because of the princess's status?