Dreams of Qing surround Yaochi (Empress Xiaoxian and others), 610,000 elephants (above), Bubujia

  All Things Renewed (Part 1)

  The Fourth Prince and the Fourth Princess returned from their nuptial ceremony, bringing with them over a dozen carriages full of gifts, which once again became a hot topic within the palace. When Empress Hui heard the whispers and murmurs about how the Fu family was indeed a noble and esteemed clan, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. A daughter-in-law from a high-ranking family could be an asset to her son, but for her as his mother, it wasn't easy to control. Especially since this daughter-in-law had won over both her husband and son's affections, making Empress Hui, who had never been favored, even more displeased.

  However, it's not just herself who feels uncomfortable. The empress is also worried that there isn't a capable young man in her natal family to support the household and bring prosperity to the family, especially when compared to the wealthy Fuca family.

  The Empress smiled slyly, having lowered herself in front of her for over twenty years. Now it's her turn to humble herself and her family... What's the use of being the Empress and legitimate wife if you don't have a son? Does she think I'm unaware that she begged the Emperor for a favor, wanting to select a girl from the Ula Nara clan as a concubine for Hongli in the next selection? Let her try, I want to see if this legitimate mother can live long enough to become the Empress Dowager.

  The backyard of his son...

  "Master, Fourth Master and Fourth Mistress have come to wish you a happy birthday." Qin Mama came in to report, her face full of joy.

  "Let them in quickly." Xi Fei straightened her body and smiled. The emperor has always been frugal and strict, so this year the empress's birthday was not grandly celebrated, only allowing her to set up a banquet in the inner court, inviting close concubines to have fun together.

  Although the birthday banquet was not grandly held, the emperor had rewarded many things early in the morning, including:

  A pair of gold and jade pendants, a pair of pearl-encrusted golden phoenix hairpins, a pair of longevity character hairpins, a pair of five-bat longevity hairpins, a pair of hundred-grandchildren spring gold hairpins, a pair of magpie-on-plum-blossom hairpins, eight eastern pearls, a pair of jade rectangular plaques, a pair of jade bangles, a pair of red-gold twisted silk eastern pearl bangles, a pair of green jade bead necklaces, ten pieces of python satin, eight pieces of cloud brocade, twenty pieces of satin.

  Such a reward was already very generous, not to mention that it was personally delivered by Su Peisheng. Xi Fei felt that she had gained a lot of face in the harem and also dispelled more than half of her regret for not being able to hold a grand celebration on her 35th birthday.

  After a while, Hongli and Yunzhu brought in two gege. Hongli wore a cyan-colored embroidered golden cloud pattern with black sable fur trim on a white satin long gown, with a yellow silk belt around his waist, wearing a pair of deerskin boots, and a black sable warm hat on his head, with a jade ring on his finger, which made his skin look even whiter and more noble. Yunzhu had her hair styled in two small buns, and on her head, apart from the two peony-shaped earrings made of southern pearls as big as thumbnails, there were no other decorations. She wore a pair of southern pearl earrings, and a pale yellow flag-like cheongsam with silver thread embroidery of hibiscus flowers, with a pair of white jade bracelets on her wrists, looking elegant and noble, with a captivating spirit.

  "The son (daughter-in-law) greets his mother and wishes her good fortune, health and longevity, may every year have today and every year have this morning." The two walked up to Empress Xi's side, bowed their heads and paid their respects.

  "Alright, hurry up." Putting aside her complicated thoughts, the two people in front of her were indeed a rare and perfect match. The man was handsome and the woman elegant, both with noble temperament. Consort Xi thought about this and felt happy again. Which imperial concubine in the palace could compare to her good fortune? She was just starting to enjoy her blessings of children and grandchildren.

  "Elder sister, Fu Chai Ge Ge and Gao Ge Ge had already told their daughter-in-law earlier that they would definitely come to pay their respects to you today... The daughter-in-law thought this was also a sign of their filial piety, so she discussed it with her father and brought them along."

  "Fu Cha (Gao) offers greetings to Empress Xi, wishing her a life as radiant as golden flowers and eternal spring in the palace of jade." Fu Cha Fulinga and Gao Lumiao simultaneously kneel down to pay their respects.

  "Take care of yourself, get up. " Xi Fei's eyes circled around Fulinga's body before saying to her, "Now that you're pregnant, take good care of yourself and give birth to a big fat grandson for me, that would be the best filial piety."

  Fuling Ah lowered her head shyly: "The slave's body is fine, with the concern of the princess and the master, Fu Jin even invited Sun Taoyi to take the slave's pulse, Sun Taoyi said that both the mother and the fetus are very healthy, and also told the slave many taboos about diet... If it's still not good, there would be no justice in heaven."

  Xī Fēi nodded directly, glanced at Yún Zhū who was smiling but not speaking beside her and said: "Your Madam is a virtuous and gentle one, I am at ease." Her son had become more robust recently, it seemed that Yún Zhū had also taken good care of him with all her heart.

  "Mother, today is your thousandth birthday celebration. Your son and Yunzhu have prepared a gift for you. Take a look and see if you like it." Hongli clapped his hands, and two small eunuchs carried in a one-foot-tall white sandalwood three-dimensional carving of Guanyin, the craftsmanship was natural and smooth, subtly blending the flawless beauty of Guanyin with the wordless compassion of Buddhist law.

  The Empress Dowager, because of the Yongzheng Emperor's fondness for Buddhism, had also started to chant Buddhist scriptures after entering the palace. At this time, seeing Hongli send a wooden Guanyin Buddha, she knew it was not an ordinary product. She walked down excitedly, looking left and right, smelling a refreshing sandalwood fragrance, saying: "Is it made of white sandalwood? The carving is really good. Hmm, I like it very much." It's a whole piece of white sandalwood, extremely rare, thinking that other people's gifts of jade or gold can't compare to the rarity of this sandalwood.

  "Mother likes it, which means the son's filial piety has arrived."

  Hongli pretended to let out a sigh of relief, which made Xi Fei laugh. "I don't know about my son's filial piety? It wasn't about these things anyway. Whatever you give me, I'll be happy. Just don't go searching for rare things just to make me happy in the future..." The more he spoke, the more worried he became, as the Emperor disliked such pretentious behavior.

  "Don't worry, Mother. From the wood to finding a master craftsman for carving, it's all been taken care of by your son." He had just started his official duties and not only did he not accept bribes, but even when it came to gifts from subordinates during holidays, he knew what was proper to accept and what wasn't - this also revealed the character of those under him.

  "That's good." Although Da had a lot of confidence that the emperor valued Hongli, after all, there were still Hongyou and Fuhui below him. She didn't want to end up like the deposed crown prince of the previous emperor.

  "Mother, my wife also made a cloak for you as a birthday gift. Take a look and see if you like it?" Yunzhu hinted, Suwen carried the square plate covered with red silk and walked forward, Yunzhu took it over, "Hmm, it's quite heavy."

  Cape? When Gao Lüwei heard this, her face stiffened. She had only been worried that Fucha would forget the birthday of the eldest princess, but she didn't expect that she also had a cape prepared as a gift. If so, then what about the one she made herself? It wouldn't be good to please one person and offend another. The support of Xi Fei was very important, but after all, she was still just a gege who had to rely on the eldest princess for her livelihood...

  It was just a cloak. Xi Fei walked up to the seat, nodded slightly to Qin Mama. Qin Mama came forward and took it over, presenting it in front. Xi Fei lifted the red silk, and the bright brown sable fur with its shiny and lustrous color caught her eye.

  Look at the height of its folds, it doesn't seem to be enough for a cloak. Xi Fei picked up the fur and felt that the hair was extremely thick, soft and smooth to the touch. When she shook it open, not only did she but also Qin Mama let out an "ah" of surprise, asking: "Fourth Madame, is this...is this a cloak?" It looked just like a long piece of green woolen blanket with a soft, bean-green silk lining. One end had two dark gold tassels embroidered on it, while the other end was tied with two thumb-sized green jade stones. On the side facing her, there were two straight stripes of brown-red fur running across.

  "This is a short cloak, it can be worn both indoors and outdoors when the weather isn't too cold." Yunzhu smiled slightly as she walked forward, took the cloak, carefully helped Xi Fei put it on her shoulders, and fastened the buttons.

  "Wow, this is really impressive." Qin Mama didn't expect that the simple fur piece would have such a great effect on Master's body, making him look much more noble.

  The Empress Hui today wore an autumn-colored ceremonial robe, which went perfectly with the brown sable cloak. Hongli saw the cloak for the first time and nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it looks good."

  The quick-witted palace maid had brought the mirror over early, and Xi Fei gazed at her reflection, seeing that with this cloak that only reached down to her elbows, she looked much more majestic and dignified. The effect was completely different from wearing a long cloak on a snowy winter's day. She couldn't help but look again and again, and for the time being, didn't want to take it off.

  "Mom, it can still be worn inside out."

  "Oh?" Xi Fei heard the words and let the big palace girl Chun Lan help take it off, turned it over to look at it, the fur of the cloak and the bean green satin were joined seamlessly, not to mention that there was no seam line, on top of which was embroidered a pattern of treading snow and looking for plum blossoms, similarly draped over her shoulder, with a circle of brown fur edges rolled out around the edges, looking like another elegant and lovely style.

  "The four noblewomen have really put their minds to it, I think there's nothing that sets off the master's demeanor better than this cloak, it looks great!" Qin Ajie praised. The other palace maids in the house also followed with praise, such a unique and ingenious cloak was truly unseen before. Only Gao Lüwei had a gloomy expression, her heart bitter beyond compare. Her own carefully prepared birthday gift compared to this one would definitely pale in comparison.

  "As long as Mother likes his daughter-in-law, she can rest assured."

  "Thank you so much." Xi Fei was overjoyed to have obtained such a cloak, and she couldn't wait for the other consorts to arrive so that she could show off in front of them.

  Hongli smiled and pulled Xi Fei's hand, saying: "Mother, look at the suit I'm wearing, it was also made by your daughter-in-law."

  Cloud beads black line! This guy, after getting this set of clothes last night, immediately put them on and took selfies in front of the mirror for half the night, not enough to show off, but also had to go outside!

  "Really?" Xi Fei cooperated and took another look, smiling: "Indeed a good fit, made with great care." It seems that although this daughter-in-law has a high social status, she is still very attentive to her son's service. Her attitude towards Yun Zhu also softened a lot.

  Fulinga and Gaolüwei both felt a bit out of place watching this scene, as if they were outsiders. They secretly glanced at the cloak and gown that Di Furen had made for Xi Fei Niangniang and Fourth Brother, but couldn't help admitting that it really fit well and was very impressive.

  "Fuling opened her mouth and said: 'On the queen's birthday, I have nothing good to give as a gift. I only made two pairs of embroidered shoes and two pairs of Jiang silk stockings myself. I hope the queen won't despise them...'"

  The empress smiled and let Chunlan take over the shoes and stockings, saying: "Now that you're pregnant, take good care of yourself. Be careful not to hurt your eyes or the child in your belly... I know your filial piety, but don't do this again in the future."

  "Yes." Fuling A smiled sweetly and responded with a gentle stroke of her belly, her face filled with happiness.

  Gaolü Weichēn clenched her teeth, having no choice but to follow suit and present her own gift: "This servant also made a cloak for Your Ladyship..." She couldn't compare with the legitimate Madame Fu, nor could she say "Your Ladyship won't mind the inferior quality" since there was already the word "beautiful" preceding it. "This servant is clumsy and did a poor job." Her eyes were somewhat red, her face full of shame.

  "Let me take a look."

  This is a gray mouse fur lined cloak with a satin surface, intricately made, and the satin has a soft luster. The butterfly colors are vivid and bright, lifelike. Even in the palace, it's hard to come by such a fine piece. Consort Xi glanced at Gao Luomi, who was standing with a humble attitude, and slightly narrowed her eyes, thinking of her father, Gao Bin, who was in charge of Suzhou weaving. This time, he returned to Beijing to report his duties, and the emperor must have valued him highly, so he would likely be promoted again. With a smile, she said, "It's not clumsy at all, this cloak suits me well."

  In her heart, however, she felt a sense of aversion. Yunzhu was one thing, but as the legitimate Fu Jin, although her appearance was elegant and refined like an orchid, she had an innate air of purity and dignity that would not remind her of the late Empress Xiaoxianchun, who had passed away just two years ago. Ga Shi may not be comparable to Empress Xiaoxianchun in terms of talent, temperament, or family background, but she was not inferior either; her father had been favored by the Emperor just like Nian Gengyao back then, and as a mere gege, she was already thinking about competing with the legitimate Fu Jin for imperial favor - wasn't this brocade reminding herself to remind Hongli?!

  Nian's family hadn't done anything particularly evil, but just the prosperity of her maternal family and her favored position in the inner palace had already forced the original wife, Ulanara, to yield to her. As for Nian's own daughter, she didn't even need to be mentioned.

  This kind of suffocation is hard to put into words.

  Unfortunately, I myself was unable to give my son a helpful maternal family, and one day I will not be able to inherit the great tradition. I have to hold on to them, and it's hard to put on a good face, so as not to damage my son's power in the imperial court.

  Gaolüwei thought she had responded properly, without noticing the profound and unfathomable gaze of Hongli, the faint smile at the corner of Yunzhu's lips, and the self-satisfaction of Fucha and Fulinga, unaware that her attempt to curry favor with Xi Fei had instead incurred her displeasure.