Guihua City was currently the only place on the Beyond the Pass Grasslands that could truly be called a city. Connected to the great desert in the north and the capital in the south, it was a vital transportation hub.
Upon hearing the name of this city, Kangxi laughed. "You certainly know how to pick a spot."
Years ago, during his inspection tour of Mongolia, when he first arrived at Guihua City, he had asserted that this place was "the lock and key of the capital region, the collar and belt of Shanxi's borders, the shield of the Ulanqab and Ih Ju leagues, the gateway to the cities of Kulun, Kobdo, and Uliastai." During the campaign against Galdan, he had also stayed in Guihua City several times.
He had heard that after the designated marriage was announced, the Fourth Princess had been diligently studying the customs and geography of Mongolia. However, he hadn't expected this daughter, who had never stood out before, to have thought things through to this extent.
He asked with great interest, "Tell me then, why is it good to build your residence here?"
Muxue said, "This city can be called a major thoroughfare of the Beyond the Pass Grasslands. Whether going to Khalkha or elsewhere, it is convenient. Moreover, this place is the closest garrison to Mobei. Using it as a flanking position and expanding northward to the Khalkha Royal Court would require the least effort."
"Since there are troops stationed here, there must be routes for transporting supplies. The people and materials needed to build the princess's residence can all be transported here."
After thinking for a moment, feeling these reasons weren't enough to move him, she added, "If I have a princess's residence here, all the people brought in my dowry will come to this city. A large population brings prosperity, which will surely make this city flourish. The more this city prospers, the stronger the influence of our Great Qing will be in the great desert."
There was nothing left to say. she fell silent, simply looking at Kangxi with her eyes wide.
Kangxi said with a smile, "Not bad."
He thought for a moment. "However, the matter of building a princess's residence involves many things and must be considered from a long-term perspective."
After saying so much, all she got was "long-term perspective"? Muxue felt deflated instantly and lowered her head.
As expected, she had been too reckless; it would have been better not to say anything.
"Are you reflecting on yourself again?"
The voice suddenly sounded very close. Muxue snapped out of her dejection and found that Kangxi was actually standing right in front of her.
"You children each have your own strengths and your own shortcomings. The Fourth Prince is prone to impatience when things happen, while you… you worry too much and are afraid to speak up."
Kangxi asked again, "Were you just regretting that you shouldn't have spoken the truth?"
…
He was right.
It could only be said that Kangxi truly deserved his reputation among emperors; his ability to see the whole from a small detail was beyond reproach.
Muxue nodded hesitantly.
Kangxi said earnestly, "If you speak of it, there is still hope for the matter to succeed; if you do not speak, there is absolutely no possibility. That you could come to find me is already progress."
This unexpected affirmation left Muxue with mixed feelings, unable to speak.
"You were terrified just now, weren't you? Not just your voice, even your fingertips were shaking." Kangxi was both annoyed and amused. "Am I really that frightening?"
Muxue had originally been nodding, but hearing the second half of the sentence, she shook her head.
Kangxi laughed out loud. "See, once you actually say it, it's not so scary anymore. You, don't always scare yourself. Come with your Amma."
Having finished speaking, he paced toward the Eastern End Chamber, and Muxue followed closely behind.
This room served as a study, furnished with a rosewood large desk fully equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study.
Seeing that Kangxi seemed to intend to write, Muxue immediately stepped forward to spread the paper and grind the ink.
The ink stick was ground in the inkstone, and clear water dissolved the ink's color.
Kangxi pondered for a moment and said:
"I once gave the Fourth Prince four characters: 'Restrain Impatience, Employ Forbearance.' Today, I give you four characters as well—"
He lifted the brush and suspended his wrist, writing four large characters that seemed to penetrate the paper:
"Dare to Think, Dare to Act."
Setting down the brush, Kangxi said to Muxue:
"I will keep the matter of the princess's residence in mind. Do not worry anymore, and be your bride happily."
Muxue's gaze moved from the ink marks to Kangxi.
For the first time in her life, she studied him closely—not as a subject looking at an emperor, but as a daughter looking at her father.
He was forty-four years old, with a broad forehead, dark pupils, and faint pockmarks on his left and right cheeks.
She also had a faint mark like that on her right cheek; these were the seals of having survived smallpox.
He was both sovereign and father, father and sovereign.
There were many things about him worth her learning.
Muxue curtsied to express her gratitude. "Thank you, Amma, for your teaching."
Those characters were carefully mounted.
Under the south window, Muxue very carefully unrolled the yellow-ground damask silk scroll.
She stared at the handwriting in a daze for a long while, then took a piece of blank Xuan paper from the side, gesturing as she intended to imitate the writing.
However, she was always just drawing a tiger like a cat—this sheet wasn't good, that sheet wasn't good either.
She simply stopped looking at the characters. Muxue calmed herself and, in the style she was best at, lifted her brush and wrote the four large characters: "Dare to Think, Dare to Act."
The ink flowed freely, fully committed to the paper.
It was a wild, unrestrained style, nearly cursive script.
That was right. Why be so hesitant and full of complaints? Success depends on human effort; even if it fails, so what?
At worst, she would be under house arrest like those imperial princes who were despised by Kangxi in his later years. It made no difference.
Even if she died, what if she hit the jackpot and traveled back? She had often wanted to die before anyway; all roads lead to the same end.
Muxue's state of mind changed, and her spirit changed along with it.
She even had the leisure to appreciate the princess's wedding attire.
The Imperial Household Department had sent several sets of robes: sable fur, squirrel fur, and fox fur. Most were light yellow with multicolored ground, but there were also bright red and moon white ones. The ceremonial robe to be worn on the wedding day was the most magnificent.
Muxue wore an amber-colored ceremonial robe under a dark blue ceremonial jacket. The satin was embroidered with five-clawed front-facing dragons and trimmed with an extra row of pearls. Around her neck, she wore coral court beads that swayed gently as she walked.
After bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, she made a final stop back at Yikun Palace.
After saying the auspicious words she was supposed to say, Yi Fei took her hand and held it tightly. "Take good care of yourself. If anything troubles you, just write a letter. Your mother and your brothers are all here."
As she spoke, Yi Fei's eyes had already quietly reddened.
At this, Muxue felt like crying as well. A mist gathered before her eyes as she choked out, "Thank you, Mother, for your tolerance and care over the years. Don't worry, I will definitely live my life very, very well."
With that, she knelt and gave a sincere kowtow.
The female officials and ladies nearby all urged, "It's time to go, don't miss the auspicious hour."
The long rituals followed—kneeling, bowing—following the guiding female official from one palace complex to the next.
According to Banner people customs, the wedding was held at night. The sky was completely dark, the many palace complexes were filled with shifting shadows, and rows of palace lanterns dyed the night a crimson hue. The light and shadows flickered; if she ignored the weight of her magnificent outfit, Muxue would truly suspect she was in a dream, drifting along like a dream.
She didn't know how long she endured it, but after an hour or two, she was finally led to a palace gate.
Muxue looked up and caught a glimpse of a star beyond the palace walls; she couldn't stop herself from becoming excited.
Finally, she was reaching the end of the Forbidden City.
The wind blew strongly past the stray hairs on her forehead. The moment she truly stepped out of the palace gate, the whole world suddenly brightened, like glass that had been dusty for a long time suddenly being washed clean.
Even the light yellow silk sedan curtains seemed vibrant and lovely. Muxue sat in the sedan, lightly swinging her palace shoes, smiling silently.
She was finally out of the palace.
When the Heshuo Kejing Princess was married, martial law was declared from the palace gate to her residence on the south side of the Forbidden City. The streets were washed with clear water and padded with yellow soil, guarded all the way by the Infantry Commander.
The common people along the streets had also been notified early on that they were not allowed to go outside.
However, who could resist watching the excitement of a princess's marriage? Though they weren't allowed to open doors or windows, they poked holes in the windows beforehand, and families large and small crowded before their doors to watch.
The sound of ritual music drew near. Seeing that the procession was about to arrive, children jumped with anxiety, asking the adults to hold them up.
Finally hoisted to the window, the children stared without blinking.
So many people, so many horses, so many trunks!
Ah, what a grand colorful sedan chair, it's yellow! There are so many sedan bearers on both sides, a full sixteen people carrying it!
The people outside watched the spectacle, while Muxue, sitting alone in the colorful sedan chair, briefly set aside the burden of her princess persona.
She fished a small embroidered bag from her sleeve and opened it; inside was milk candy.
To ensure the ceremony went smoothly, the bride usually couldn't eat or drink anything all day.
When Muxue heard this, she agreed not to eat, but insisted on having milk candy ready.
"What if I get so hungry I actually faint? Wouldn't that delay things even more?"
She spoke with conviction on the surface, but her heart was still a bit uneasy, fearing she would be refused.
However, seeing her persistence, the matrons ultimately said nothing, taking it as a tacit agreement. They only instructed the palace maid to tie the small embroidered bag tightly to her arm so it wouldn't fall out midway.
Sucking on the candy, she felt it was even sweeter when she thought of this small victory.
It was already midnight, and the swaying of the sedan chair made her sleepy.
In her daze, she actually fell asleep.
It wasn't until the voice of her maid Rong'er came from outside the sedan: "Princess—Princess!"
With a sharp start, Muxue sat bolt upright.
"What is it?"
"In response to the Princess, we have almost arrived." The implication was: please hurry and pull yourself together.
Muxue took out a small bronze mirror and fixed her hair. She put on the red bridal veil, held an apple in her left hand, and a jade ruyi in her right.
Not long after, the colorful sedan chair came to a steady halt, and the guiding female official called out loudly, "The Princess descends from the sedan."
By the side of the sedan chair, two "women of full fortune" from noble families were already waiting. One took the apple from Muxue's hand and handed her a precious vase.
Her elbows supported by others, Muxue stepped over the brazier and entered the front hall; then she stepped over the saddle and entered the back hall.
"The newlyweds sit—for—blessings—"
Amidst the chanting, Muxue finally sat cross-legged on the right side of the dragon and phoenix nuptial bed.
Through the red bridal veil, everything was blurred in an ambiguous, warm red.
She lowered her eyes and glanced to the left, only able to see the corner of her consort Dorji's sapphire blue ceremonial robe.
The "Sitting for Blessings" ceremony, also called "sitting in the tent," involved sitting side-by-side like this for about an hour until the auspicious time, when they would each change clothes and perform the nuptial wine ceremony.
Having woken up, Muxue was hungry again. She surreptitiously pinched a piece of candy from her sleeve. Suddenly, she thought of the fellow beside her; the wedding ceremony had been dragging on all day, and now it was almost dawn. He must be exhausted too.
Intending to do him a small favor, she whispered in Mongolian, "Do you want some candy?"
The man gave a soft laugh. "Eating candy? Are you a child?"
Muxue had already pinched the candy in her palm to hand it over, but hearing this, she immediately pulled back. "Eat it or not, see if I care."
But before she could retreat, her hand was caught. The young man's hand was broad, completely imprisoning hers. His palm was burning hot, and his fingertips had slightly hard callouses from holding a blade.
"If it's given, it's mine."