News of Wu Sangui and his followers’ rebellion spread throughout the imperial palace, hanging like a dark cloud over the Forbidden City. Day after day, Kangxi remained in the Palace of Heavenly Purity reading reports sent from the front lines. Even when he went to the Palace of Compassion and Peace to pay his respects, he came and went in haste, and there were several days when he was too busy to come at all.
With the three feudal lords joining forces to launch their attack, the war spread across several provinces and placed considerable strain on the state treasury. Funds for provisions and rewards for soldiers fighting at the front could not be reduced, nor could allowances and support for those who had been wounded or disabled in battle. As a result, the treasury, which had previously been reasonably well stocked, suddenly found itself stretched thin.
Once the new year arrived, the Grand Empress Dowager made a decisive decision and ordered that funds from the imperial household’s private reserves be released to reward and support the troops.
Yiqing also noticed that the atmosphere within the palace had become tense recently. The first sign was that Consort Nara and Consort Magiya, who had often brought their children to visit the Palace of Compassion and Peace, now came far less frequently. In the past, they would sometimes arrive when Kangxi came morning and evening to pay his respects, but recently they had not come even once during those times.
Even when they did bring their children to visit, they would only come in the afternoon, stay for a short while, and never remain longer than an hour.
Yiqing also observed that her mother, the Empress, always wore a look of worry these days. She never spoke openly about what troubled her, but the anxiety written clearly across her face was impossible to miss.
The Grand Empress Dowager also seemed somewhat out of sorts. The only person who remained completely unchanged was the Empress Dowager, who still smiled and played with her every morning after she woke up, and whose spirits always seemed bright and cheerful.
This period of tension did not last long, however. After a month or two had passed, everything gradually returned to normal. Smiles slowly reappeared on Kangxi’s face, and while he remained extremely busy, he no longer carried that air of distress and worry whenever he came to pay his respects.
Around this time, Yiqing began learning how to walk.
She had previously been able to take a few steps while holding onto her nurse’s hands, but she had always needed someone to support her. Now she was determined to try walking on her own, and whenever her nurses came forward to help or steady her, she would push their hands away.
“Let her walk by herself,” the Empress Dowager said with a smile, after watching Yiqing refuse Nurse Zhang’s help for the second time. “The entire hall is covered with thick carpets, so even if she falls, she will come to no harm.”
She had always felt that the way children were raised in the palace was far too cautious and protective. When she had lived on the grasslands, children were brought up in a much simpler and more natural way, and yet more of them survived and grew into healthy adults. Seeing how carefully the nurses guarded and protected the imperial children, treating them as though they were fragile treasures, was something the Empress Dowager had never approved of.
Hearing these words, Nurse Zhang stepped back to a safe distance and watched as the princess walked unsteadily across the carpet.
Yiqing moved slowly and carefully. Although she was determined to master walking on her own, she had no wish to rush and end up falling and hurting herself. Falling onto the soft carpet was unlikely to cause any serious injury, but that did not mean it would not hurt at all.
It took Yiqing quite a long time just to walk from one side of the hall to the other, but she succeeded in reaching her destination without stumbling or falling even once.
The Empress Dowager put aside whatever she had been reading or working on, and sat watching Yiqing learn to walk, her face lit up with a warm smile.
The Grand Empress Dowager also watched the scene with amusement, observing the way Yiqing moved like a young duckling taking its first steps. She would carefully step forward with her left foot, and would not move her right foot until she was certain her left was firmly planted and steady. Unlike many children of the same age, who seemed to want to run everywhere as soon as they learned to move, Yiqing walked with great care and composure.
Seeing how steadily she was progressing, the two nurses stopped worrying and watched her walk back and forth across the carpet, smiles of delight on their faces.
“Our princess is learning so quickly,” Tana said to the Empress Dowager with a smile. “She is exceptionally intelligent, and masters everything she tries in no time at all.”
Tana had come to the palace as part of the Empress Dowager’s personal household staff and had been her closest companion since childhood. She had accompanied the Empress Dowager from the grasslands all those years ago, and their friendship had now lasted more than thirty years. Today, she held the position of chief lady-in-waiting of the Palace of Compassion and Peace. While her status was not equal to that of Su Ma La Gu, she was still a figure of great respect and influence within the imperial household.
“Of course she is,” the Empress Dowager said proudly, straightening her shoulders. “After all, she is being raised under my guidance.”
Tana simply smiled in response. Ever since the princess had been placed in her care, the Empress Dowager had begun to show a more playful and childlike side to her nature.
After walking for some time, Yiqing began to feel tired. The energy and stamina of a small child were naturally limited. She simply sat down where she was, knowing that the entire floor was covered with thick carpets, so there was no risk of catching a chill or making herself uncomfortable.
“It is time for our meal,” the Empress Dowager said, glancing toward the windows to see how much time had passed. “Let us go and eat first.”
Yiqing was lifted into Nurse Zhang’s arms and carried to the dining area. By this time, she was already able to eat some of the same foods that adults ate, though her meals were always prepared with little or no seasoning. Although it was obvious that her food was not as flavorful or delicious as what the adults ate, Yiqing felt completely satisfied with what she was given.
She knew that everything must happen gradually, and that in time she would be allowed to enjoy all kinds of wonderful dishes. Even now, because her teeth were growing and her gums often felt itchy and uncomfortable, the Empress Dowager had already begun giving her dried beef strips to chew on to help ease the discomfort.
After finishing her meal, Yiqing did not practice walking anymore. She had spent the entire morning trying to master this new skill and was feeling quite exhausted.
She took out a set of beautiful beads from her small storage box and began playing with them. The beads were carved from fine jade, and there were eighteen of them in total. She did not know what their original purpose or meaning was, but to her, they were simply marbles. She found great enjoyment in rolling them around and tossing them gently back and forth, a simple game that kept her happily occupied.
More than a year had passed since she first came to live in the palace, and she had gradually grown accustomed to life in a time and place where there was no internet or modern technology. She was still too young to begin reading or studying, but fortunately the Imperial Household Department had sent a great number of toys and playthings for her, and these were more than enough to keep her entertained and happy.
Before she had been playing for very long, however, she was suddenly lifted up into someone’s arms. She looked up at Nurse Zhang in confusion, for the nurses usually never disturbed her when she was focused on playing.
As if sensing her puzzlement, Nurse Zhang smiled warmly and spoke to her. “Princess, the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager wish to take you to visit the Imperial Garden. The weather is neither too hot nor too cold right now, making it the perfect time to go and see all the beautiful flowers.”
“Flowers,” Yiqing repeated with a bright smile, happy to join in the excitement. Being able to go outside and explore new places was always a wonderful treat.
To travel from the Palace of Compassion and Peace to the Imperial Garden, one had to pass through the Rain and Flower Pavilion and the Six Western Palaces. There was also a smaller garden located just a short distance from the entrance of the Palace of Compassion and Peace. Although it was not very large, it was far closer and more convenient than the main Imperial Garden, and in the past, the two Dowagers had usually taken Yiqing there whenever they went out to enjoy the flowers.
Today, however, the Empress Dowager was in an unusually cheerful mood and had decided to take Yiqing all the way to the Imperial Garden itself.
Yiqing was carried in Nurse Zhang’s arms, looking around in every direction with great curiosity as they walked.
The Empress Dowager walked slowly beside them, refusing the help of attendants to support her steps.
The Grand Empress Dowager walked at her side, assisted by Su Ma La Gu. A gentle smile played across her face, and she spoke softly from time to time to the Empress Dowager.
Both women preferred the comfort and familiarity of their own quarters and rarely ventured outside the Palace of Compassion and Peace, so the chance to go out and enjoy the sights and flowers had put them both in excellent spirits.
When they arrived at the Imperial Garden, Yiqing opened her eyes wide in wonder as she looked at the countless flowers blooming all around them, each one more beautiful and vibrant than the last.
The flowers in the Imperial Garden were carefully tended by skilled gardeners, ensuring that no matter what the season, there would always be beautiful scenery for members of the imperial family to enjoy. There were few forms of entertainment available within the palace walls, and even fewer places where people could go to relax and enjoy themselves. As a result, visiting the Imperial Garden to view the flowers had become one of the favorite pastimes of many imperial consorts, and even the Emperor himself would occasionally come here to enjoy the peace and beauty.
Yiqing reached out and plucked a small branch covered in blossoms, then held it up proudly as if presenting a great treasure, and offered it to the Empress Dowager. “Grandmother, Grandmother, flowers, flowers.”