Dreams of Qing surround Yaochi (Empress Xiaoxian and others) 71, New Person (Part 2) Bubbles Book Bar

  Korri Yeute. The freshness of the new fruit only lasted for three days, and after three days, Hongli felt that he had completed his task and would stay in the main courtyard of Qianxi Second House without moving.

  Yunzhu was annoyed by his entanglement, so he advised him, "Now is the time when hundreds of flowers are in full bloom. Why don't you go to the backyard and take a stroll to appreciate the flowers?" Don't forget that he still has concubines to comfort, too many grievances in the harem are not good either.

  He gazed at her practicing calligraphy and lazily said, "The flowers in the Imperial Garden are even more beautiful." Even if they were to admire flowers, it wouldn't be this small garden of Qian Xi's, although it had been renovated by Fu Jin to resemble a flower and fruit garden.

  Yunzhu gave him a glance: "Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful the flowers in the Imperial Garden are, you can't pick them."

  Hongli was speechless. Half a day later, he said, "Can this be said?" He couldn't help but think that maybe he had spoiled her too much.

  "What else can I say?!" Yunzhu put down her pen, walked to the noble chair and pulled him up, with a slightly sour expression and a slight wrinkle of her nose: "I'd rather tie you to my side forever, is that okay? Mother Empress has already spoken about me today, if you don't go comfort their lonely hearts, Mother Empress will scold me." She leaned close to his ear and mischievously smiled: "Perhaps Emperor Father will also reprimand you."

  "You go ahead and arrange it." He couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, his dissatisfaction with Xi Fei deepened again. It wasn't like he was favoring a concubine over his wife, but this mother of his was being too controlling. Holding her in his arms, he carefully kissed her lips, taking in her beautiful breath, saying: "Pitiful me, I've even given up practicing my calligraphy skills, and yet you won't let me rest."

  "You're not even seventy or eighty, what's the point of showing off?!" She tiptoed and lightly knocked on his forehead, ran away, picked up her own word and admired it for a moment, then handed it to him to look at. "How is it? In two more years, I might be able to catch up with you!"

  "Your handwriting is elegant and lively, among the best of women, but unfortunately, it falls short in terms of strength and structure." Although my handwriting isn't great, it's not to the point where I'd be surpassed by a woman. Hongli struggled to maintain his composure on the surface, but deep down he made a secret decision: when he had time, he would practice his calligraphy even more, and even if he couldn't develop his own unique style like his father, he would at least strive to make it strong and robust, absolutely not allowing himself to be surpassed in this aspect.

  As for his talent in calligraphy and painting, he can be said to be the worst among the Aixinjueluo family. It's possible that even Eighth Uncle (Yinxiang), who was criticized by Emperor Kangxi for having poor handwriting, is better than him... In the past, he wasn't willing to admit it, but now he has come to terms with it - after all, nobody is perfect. Although he doesn't have much talent in this area, as a prince of the Qing dynasty, he's still not bad. As long as he can create a prosperous era in the future, why worry that no one will praise him thousands of years later?

  Yunzhu pouted, muttering to herself: If I weren't thinking of urging you to make progress, why would I have restrained the energy in my wrist to write? Never mind, people can't be too perfect. Without relying on the spiritual energy inside me, my own handwriting is indeed like this.

  He secretly smiled at her cute expression when she pouted.

  "Go out, don't disturb me when I'm practicing calligraphy." Catching his teasing, she blushed and pushed him out of the study.

  "Alright, alright, I'm leaving. I'll go and enjoy the flowers. Is that okay? Don't push..." As he said this, however, he suddenly turned around and pulled her out of the study with him when she relaxed her grip. "The view is great, we should appreciate it together." After all, they were husband and wife - there was no reason to be distant and angry with each other just because of some unrelated outsider.

  Yunzhu lightly shook her hand, unable to shake off the tightly grasping big hand, and had no choice but to follow him to the backyard. "Only peach blossoms are worth looking at." Along the way, there were sugarcane and grape trellises, what flowers did he come to admire?

  He pointed to the artificial hillside, beside the corridor pillar, breaking his pretended melancholy: "Isn't that lilac? Isn't that hawthorn? Isn't that rose? I didn't think you'd find the flowers too few."

  "Haha." He sneered, but his mother had scolded her severely that morning, or else she wouldn't be so angry now. Alas, if it were any other time, he would have been delighted by her sarcastic remarks, which meant she cared about him. But now, it was clear she was just venting her anger. "I think it's cooler under that clump of bamboo, let's take a break there." It had already entered summer, and after walking for a while, he started to feel hot too. He wasn't afraid of anything, but he didn't want her to get sunburned, as her skin was so tender and lustrous in the scorching sunlight that it seemed like water could evaporate from it.

  The garden of Qianxi's second house extends from the back of the main hall to the inner courtyard, with the left and right wing rooms of the second and third courtyards on either side of the central axis. This clump of bamboo was planted at the back wall of the right wing room of the second courtyard, and under the dense bamboo, there were stone tables and chairs, a great place to rest and enjoy the flowers.

  Enjoying the cool breeze from the bamboo, looking up at the pink and vibrant peach blossom artificial hill, Yunzhu thought to herself that it was worth transplanting so many peach trees, by July or August she should be able to eat sweet and juicy peaches.

  Hongli saw her staring at the peach tree, with a distant look on her face and her mouth pursed up in thought. He knew she wasn't admiring the peach blossoms, but thinking about peaches instead. Just as he was about to tease her, he suddenly heard the sound of palace maids talking from his left side, and immediately swallowed back his words. He didn't want others to see the playful joking between him and his wife; even though he himself wasn't bothered by it, he couldn't let people say that Yunzhu wasn't dignified. Now he gradually understood that in front of the empress dowager and the empress, Yunzhu doing well was a given, but if she didn't do well, they would give her a hard time, or even lecture her - and if not for the emperor's sake, who knows, maybe they would even punish her.

  "......Are you telling the truth? That Nakiri is really bold."

  "It's probably hard to swallow that fact, the two sisters from the same house, one is now a noble princess consort, while the other is just a gege."

  Yunzhu and Hongli looked at each other face to face, Yunzhu shook her head and held his hand.

  "Originally from different backgrounds, what's there to be unhappy about? I think it's because you don't understand the situation. After offending the mistress, can you still have a good life? You even dare to be disrespectful during the tea ceremony. I say, this won't be... fabricated by someone else, will it? Nowadays, there's not just one princess in the backyard."

  "Believe it or not, this is what people around Fucha Gege have been saying..."

  The two little palace maids gradually walked away, and their originally low voices could no longer be heard.

  "Alas, it seems I'm still incompetent after all." Yunzhu shook her head.

  "The two palace maids just now were second-class palace maids who served beside Consort Gao. I've seen them a few times, it's none of your business." Yunzhu, even as the mistress, couldn't openly order the servants not to spread rumors, but also couldn't manage the servants in the lower-ranking consorts' residences. Hongli's face sank, "What they said wasn't wrong either, Ke'erlieyete should establish some discipline too."

  He didn't suspect Yunzhu at all. He thought she could do whatever she wanted to those people, and he wouldn't stop her. Instead, he hoped she would get into trouble... She didn't need to bother plotting against them.

  "Who wouldn't put on a show on the surface, she just looked a bit paler than usual. Am I supposed to rely on their respect and admiration to get by? As long as they don't break any rules, that's all that matters. Besides, can the words of the slaves around Fuca reach the ears of the slaves around Gao? This thing today, I think... it was deliberately arranged, but I don't know if the mastermind is Fuca or Gao."

  Her big truth is really laughable, but in fact, many ladies in this mansion rely on pinching concubines and small wives to satisfy their high sense of accomplishment and vent their grievances. "...... These slaves have a lot of guts."

  "I originally wanted you to enjoy the flowers more, but now I don't allow it. How dare you use me as a stepping stone." She said calmly.

  "See, you're really something else." He pulled her hand, his narrow and deep eyes slightly closed, "Let's go back, I want to eat some nut ice cream."

  Modern Hagendas' imitations, from Fucha House to the Imperial Palace, are equally popular, but Yunzhu never allows them to be eaten too much. Yunzhu generously contributed the recipe, but Hongli felt that no matter how he ate it, it was not as good as Qianxi's.

  Yunzhu nodded slightly, looking somewhat relieved.

  "Mother's words——"

  "You don't have to worry so much, Mother has you in her heart, and she's unhappy that you're being so defensive of me."

  Hongli sighed, thinking that what he was about to say would only add fuel to the fire. "Don't worry, I know what to do." If he couldn't even handle his mother's side of the family, how could he deal with these restless women in the inner courtyard?!

  Two days later, the two second-grade palace maids in the Gao family's house broke the rules and were dismissed from the Qianxi Second Department. Although they weren't sent to the Shenxing Bureau, what good place could these slaves who were almost driven out go to? The outcome is self-evident. Suddenly, all the slaves who had heard them gossiping became silent as cicadas in winter, thinking that this lady looked gentle and virtuous, but was actually strict and unyielding, and they couldn't be careless in the future.

  Gao was so angry that he slammed his head against the pillow.

  Now she is not in favor, and the rewards are not many. Moreover, the current Hongli has been influenced by Yongzheng and Yunzhu, and deeply knows that it's easy to spend money but hard to earn it, so he is not as generous as the historical figures when giving rewards. Therefore, the valuable decorations in Gao Geges house dare not be taken out to smash, because once they are broken, there is no way to repair them.

  Apart from the first three days after entering the door, more than half a month has passed, and the fourth brother has not set foot in her boudoir.

  It was only those three days, and not every night... Coriander's face turned red, and she became a bit restless. She handed over a stack of small silver notes to Lan Xi and said: "Auntie, keep an eye on the house. You're young, it's easier for you to deal with the little palace maidens and aunties. Don't be afraid to spend money, go ask around about the Fourth Prince's food preferences and where he has been staying recently?"

  Since the engagement, she had been secretly inquiring about the preferences of the Fourth Prince, the Emperor, Xi Fei and Yunzhu through her family members, being careful not to make any big mistakes, but still couldn't confirm whether the information she gathered was accurate, so she needed to verify it again. As Qianxi and Er were both personal attendants, the accuracy of the information should be higher.

  Lan Xi was the most clever and reliable personal maid chosen by the Ke family, from the moment she entered the palace, she deeply understood that her fate was tied to her master's, when she heard this, she didn't hesitate to take over the silver ticket and left immediately.

  "It's a pity that the slaves assigned to us are all stupid and don't know anything." said the prison matron with hatred. To conquer the outside, one must first stabilize the inside. After entering the two western wings of the palace, the three masters and servants worked together to tidy up their living quarters, understand the relationships between the lower-ranking slaves, and be cautious about food and other things. Before they knew it, more than ten days had passed, and no spies had been developed outside.

  Guo Xin smiled lightly, covering up the anxiety in her heart, and said: "Don't worry, these stupid servants are easy to control. If we manage them strictly, they won't dare to disobey the rules. Moreover, although the mistress has sent these people to restrict our actions, doesn't it also mean that there aren't any spies among them?"

  The old lady was just short-tempered, but not ignorant. Upon hearing this, she nodded and said: "Even if there are moles, it's easy to pick them out in a group of people like this. We can find an opportunity to get rid of them later."

  "That's the reason." Gu Xin nodded and sighed softly, "It's just that Xinku and Lanxi are suffering because of me, I'm useless, can't let you guys follow me to enjoy happiness..."

  "Don't lose heart, milady, this is just the beginning." The prison matron comforted her, "Whether or not the women in the harem are favored is of no consequence; what truly matters is giving birth to children. Let's continue drinking the nourishing soup and seize the opportunity to conceive a child. I've been following you to the main courtyard to pay respects these past few days, observing Madame Fu's words and actions, which seem consistent with what we've heard - she doesn't appear to be someone who harbors evil intentions or can't tolerate others. As long as milady is obedient and mindful of her place, she shouldn't particularly target you."

  Watching her master, who was spoiled by the family since childhood, change from a lively and arrogant young man to someone with a mind of his own after being taught by the invited governesses, and then going through the rigorous training of the imperial harem's etiquette and rituals after being betrothed, she felt heartbroken but couldn't do anything about it. Shouldering the glory of the entire Collaret family, she had to start surviving in this deep palace, she would rather her master be steady and dull, only then could he avoid jealousy and live a long life.

  "Mother said that when it comes to threats, that pregnant Fucha woman is not the first one, and she hasn't seen her take any action, maybe she's really magnanimous..." Koriye thought back to every encounter with Fucha Yunzhu, and felt a slight relief in her heart. Although they were destined to fight for the same man, she had to admit that meeting Fucha Yunzhu, this dignified and considerate mistress who cared about family reputation and fame, was much better than others who couldn't tolerate her, as long as she didn't provoke her.

  It wasn't until dusk that Lan Xi's investigation work came to an end, but the results were not many. Guo Xin saw her looking tired and hastily ordered a small palace maid to bring her a cup of tea, "Drink it, to relieve your fatigue."

  "Thank you, master."

  "What's going on?" The prison guard didn't have such good patience.

  "Our servants in the mansion are all useless, and I was afraid of drawing attention to myself, so I didn't ask Fu Chagge or Gao Chagge about it, but instead asked Zhao Shi, a rough servant who is responsible for sweeping the gardens of Qian Xi's second residence."

  Guo Xin and Xing Yini nodded in agreement, her choice was correct.

  "The lady is very strict, and that Zhao woman didn't dare to speak. However, after the servant said a lot of good things and gave her some silver tickets, she finally revealed something. Lan Xi was quite helpless, 'According to what she said, Fourth Brother has come to the backyard these days, but he was intercepted by High Gonggong just before entering the second courtyard.'"

  "This Gao Shi!" The nanny was furious, "Can't change the nature of a fox spirit, Master, can't just watch her behave wildly in front of us?! She didn't want the master to lose his footing before even dealing with Fu Jin, but Gao Shi is just a lowly born gege, and yet she's allowed to bully her like this. How will the master stand in the future?! Those Manchu eight banner gege and the side consorts who haven't entered the palace yet, how will they look at the master later, won't everyone come to trample on him?!"

  "I also heard that the two palace maids in High Consort's residence were punished a few days ago because they secretly spread rumors about the master, saying he was disrespectful to High Consort, and Fourth Prince overheard it..."