The Qing Palace Never Meets Spring

Xiying is different from Zhuying. She is a palace maid. Fuling didn't trust her the most before. She doesn't compete for the so-called position of head palace maid. There's nothing to compete for in being the personal head palace maid of a prince's concubine. She just waits to leave the palace when she reaches the appropriate age.

Seeing Fuling like this, Xiying felt she needed to hurry up and leave the palace. If all else failed, perhaps... Xiying looked towards the main room. If she left, the seat next to Fuling would be vacant.

As soon as the two left, someone told Qingwan what the master and servant had just said. Although she couldn't hear what Fuling said, her loss of composure was sure to have been noticed by others.

"Madam." Mu Xiang looked at Qing Wan, waiting for her instructions.

"It's alright, I can probably guess what she's thinking. If it weren't for our differing stances, I wouldn't be so aggressive towards her. Who knows how long this calm will last?" So she has to deal with everything she can now.

Emperor Kangxi returned to the palace on a beautiful, sunny day, accompanied by the Empress Dowager. After Qingwan and the others greeted him, they walked back together with Yihuan.

On the way, Yi Huan stared at her belly again and again. She had seen many pregnant women in the palace, but she had only looked at them from a distance and dared not get close.

At that time, I always felt that after not seeing each other for a few days, the other person's belly would grow big, and the next time we met, she would have given birth.

Seeing Qingwan up close now, he was still a little curious: "My brother went back to the palace a few days ago, and then went back to the garden the next day. He said that you were having severe morning sickness and couldn't stand the smell, so I didn't dare to use any incense today."

Qingwan was somewhat touched by what she heard. After all, the princess, who was of such high status, had considered her so carefully.

"Princess, rest assured, I am much better now. The imperial physician also said that under normal circumstances, these morning sickness symptoms will gradually subside. It seems that my situation is normal, not special."

"That's good. My brother said you disliked him the day he came back," Yi Huan said with a smile, whispering in her ear.

"I wouldn't dare to dislike him. He's a man, yet he exaggerates his words like that."

I definitely wouldn't have been able to smell it before, but since becoming pregnant, I've become very sensitive to even the faintest unpleasant odors.

He leaned closer to Yi Huan and whispered a few words. Yi Huan nodded in agreement, thinking of the time she went to the stables. The stables were clean, but they still smelled.

Then Yi Huan talked about what happened after Qing Wan returned, and then they talked about Rong Xian, who came to pay his respects to Emperor Kangxi:

"Years ago, when my second sister returned to the capital, I met her with Consort Rong. She was different from Consort Rong. To be honest, she didn't look like Consort Rong's daughter." Yi Huan whispered at the end.

Upon hearing this, Qingwan couldn't help but glance at her with a mocking smile.

Yi Huan stuck out her tongue and continued, "Back then, she also told me that even a princess has to rely on herself, and you can't rely on others."

I was too young then, so I only vaguely understood what he meant. It wasn't until I grew up that I slowly began to grasp the deeper meaning behind his words.

I met my third sister and then my second sister. They are both princesses, but they are completely different. My second sister is in charge of the banner affairs of the Balin tribe. How should I describe my second sister? Perhaps flamboyant? Reckless? In short, she is different from us who have always been in the palace.

I don't know what my sister thought when she saw her, but I...

I envy her. I suddenly feel that if I could be like her and my fourth sister, perhaps working in Mongolia would be a good choice.

I know their journey to this point hasn't been smooth sailing, but I still want to give it a try.

Qingwan unconsciously tightened her grip on her hand. After all, they were children of the royal family; regardless of gender, the desire for power was ingrained in their bones.

Has the Emperor made a decision regarding your marriage?

"It's Khorchin. This time, when my sister got married, Khorchin asked the Emperor for her hand in marriage. She was previously married to the eldest princess of my elder brother's family, and this time she might marry a princess. Eleventh sister is still too young, so it can only be me."

"The Khorchin are different from the Bairin and Khalkha tribes. Does your brother know that?"

Yi Huan raised her hand to her lips: "I'm only saying this to my sister-in-law, so please don't tell my brother either. I'll tell him myself when the day comes. Besides, I can guess about my marriage, and he can guess it too. A princess, after all, has been raised in luxury for so many years, she has to be useful, and this is her use." Yi Huan added with a touch of self-deprecation at the end.

After a moment of silence, Yi Huan continued, "Moreover, whether it's my second sister or my fourth sister, they earned their power through their own efforts, rather than simply inheriting it because they are princesses. I am also a daughter of the Aisin Gioro family. What they can do, I want to try too."

"Let's not talk about this anymore. There are still a few years to go, take it slow. Don't think about this either, just focus on your pregnancy. I'm waiting for my little nephew and niece."

These words reminded Qingwan of Yi'an from before. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a group of eunuchs walking towards her from the opposite side. He was an unfamiliar eunuch, but his temperament was somewhat special. Qingwan took a few more glances at him, and then decided not to say anything more.

"Your servants greet the princess and the thirteenth princess's wife."

Yi Huan was also thinking about how to change the subject, so she took the opportunity to say, "Su Peisheng, why aren't you staying in Maoqin Hall? Why are you running around with your eunuchs?"

It turned out that this eunuch was Su Peisheng, the chief eunuch of the Maoqin Hall.

Su Peisheng quickly smiled and said, "Princess, please don't tease us. These are newly arrived books from outside. We are preparing to send them to the Maoqin Hall for His Majesty's review."

Yi Huan stepped forward, casually flipped through a couple of pages, and waved her hand, "Then you guys go ahead."

After everyone left, he told Qingwan about this man: "This man is called Su Peisheng. He is the chief eunuch of Maoqin Palace. Originally, he was a scholar who failed the imperial examinations repeatedly. He was already thirty years old when he was castrated and entered the palace."

He was, after all, a scholar. While he didn't stand out among other scholars, his erudition was evident among the eunuchs. When the Khan found out, he put him in charge of the Maoging Hall.

“No wonder I always felt he was different from other eunuchs; he lacked that obsequiousness,” Qingwan said, expressing her doubts.

"Sometimes it's quite interesting to chat with these palace maids and eunuchs, I mean, quietly."

Especially those around Khan Ama, although their status is not high, they might reveal some information.

"Tenth Sister." Yi Huan was halfway through her sentence when she heard someone call her. She turned around and saw that it was the Eleventh Princess, born to Consort Wang.

After learning that the Eleventh Princess's wet nurse had treated her badly, Yi Huan felt a bit more pity for her. She stood and waited for her to come up to her before saying, "Why have you lost weight again? Have you not been eating properly?"

The newly appointed nanny for the Eleventh Princess seemed to be a very kind person, and spoke very respectfully: "Replying to the Tenth Princess, the Eleventh Princess suffered from summer heat earlier, which is why she has lost some weight."

Yi Huan scrutinized the Eleventh Princess's face and then instructed her wet nurse: "Take good care of the Eleventh Princess. If she needs anything, go to the Imperial Household Department or come to me. If the previous incident happens again, it won't be as simple as being exiled. Do you understand?"

"Yes, we understand."

Yi Huan pulled the Eleventh Princess along and said, "Come to my place, I brought you something."

"Mm." The eleventh princess smiled at her.