The Eastern Four-Halls and the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (Ningshou Palace) are both located in the northeast corner and are not far apart. While they were still chatting, they had already arrived at the palace gates.
Yingtang composed his emotions and put on a smiling face before leading Wuyunzhu inside.
As soon as they entered the hall, Wuyunzhu saw an elderly woman sitting gracefully at the head. Her features were plain, yet she was adorned with gold and jade, looking extremely wealthy and noble—resembling a character much like Grandmother Jia.
A clever palace attendant placed soft cushions in front of the married couple, and the two knelt down to pay their respects.
“Your grandson, Yingtang, along with his Primary Consort, pay our respects to the Imperial Grandmother.”
The Empress Dowager had raised the Fifth Prince, and through her affection for him, she also held great fondness for his full younger brother, Yingtang. She quickly told them to rise.
She looked at Wuyunzhu and nodded approvingly. “The Ninth Prince’s Primary Consort is lovely in appearance and well-versed in proper etiquette. Which noble household is she from?”
“Reporting to the Imperial Grandmother, your grandson’s wife’s father is Qishi, the Plain Red Banner Manchu Commander-in-Chief.”
“The Plain Red Banner?” The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment before continuing, “The family of the Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu—the Niohuru clan? Ah, the Gūwalgiya… wait, the Gororo… no, the Etuci… Ah, the Manchu Irgen Gioro? No, wait…” [Note: The text says 董鄂 (Donggo / Tunggiya).]
“The Donggo family?”
“Yes.”
“The Donggo family…” The Empress Dowager sighed softly, her smile fading slightly. “In the future, take good care of the Ninth Prince. Do not stir up jealousy or contention, and do not disrupt the peace of the inner courtyard.”
Hearing these words… did the Empress Dowager harbor some dissatisfaction toward her? Wuyunzhu couldn’t help but reflect inwardly: Had any bad reputation of hers somehow spread about?
Despite the anxiety in her heart, she maintained her composure outwardly, listening submissively to the advice: “Your granddaughter-in-law will firmly remember the Imperial Grandmother’s guidance.”
The Empress Dowager no longer looked at her. Her gaze shifted back to Yingtang, and her expression immediately returned to a warm and cordial demeanor.
“Little Jiu is married now, and from now on you are a grown man. You must be more steady and stop being as willful as you used to be, lest you give your Fifth Brother cause for worry.”
Yingtang smiled beamingly. “Imperial Grandmother, it sounds like you are just feeling tenderhearted for Fifth Brother.”
The Empress Dowager made no attempt to hide it, a look of distinct pride creeping onto her face. “Who else should I feel tenderhearted for if not the Fifth Brother whom I raised myself?”
Yingtang stepped forward and began pounding the Empress Dowager’s legs. “I was brought up by Fifth Brother, which is just the same as being raised by the Imperial Grandmother. Imperial Grandmother, please bestow a little more of that affection on your grandson as well.”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager recalled the time when the Fifth Prince used to sneak Yingtang into the Ningshou Palace to play when he was little, and she grew even more cheerful.
“You really are a mischievous little monkey, always plotting to swindle some treasure out of me.” With that, she instructed the maidservant beside her to present rewards and urged him to go and pay his respects to Kangxi.
After stepping out of the Ningshou Palace, Wuyunzhu asked Yingtang, “What was the Empress Dowager saying to you just now? I couldn’t understand a single word.”
“It was Mongolian. The Imperial Grandmother comes from the grasslands and doesn’t speak Chinese. Her Manchu isn’t entirely fluent either, so she still prefers speaking Mongolian when talking with us. Do you know how to speak Mongolian?”
Wuyunzhu shook her head.
“It’s fine; I’ll teach you later. I can also speak Russian, Italian, French, and Portuguese! Among all the brothers, I learned the fastest and the best.”
Wuyunzhu widened her eyes. “My lord is truly amazing.”
She said this with utmost sincerity; the languages she had learned across her two lifetimes combined didn’t even amount to half of his.
Hearing her praise him, Yingtang grinned from ear to ear. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging high up in the air.
“My lord…” Wuyunzhu looked at Yingtang with a deeply unsettled expression. “Does the Empress Dowager dislike me? She only spoke one sentence to me just now, and after that, she didn’t even look at me once.”
Yingtang also felt that the Empress Dowager’s words carried a tone of warning and that she had been rather cold toward his primary consort. Why would that be? His primary consort was from a prestigious family, and both her appearance and etiquette were top-notch—why wouldn’t the Empress Dowager like her?
He carefully recalled the scene from earlier and realized that the Empress Dowager’s attitude had only shifted right after the primary consort mentioned the “Donggo” clan. The Donggo clan… could it be because of this surname?
“My lord, was my etiquette poor just now?”
Seeing her frightened to the point where her face turned pale, Yingtang hurriedly soothed her, “My primary consort’s etiquette is flawless. As for the Imperial Grandmother’s attitude, it’s likely that seeing your exceptional beauty and your background as a Donggo brought back some past memories, making her feel uneasy in her heart.”
“Past memories?”
“Mhm. The late Emperor was deeply infatuated with the Imperial Noble Consort Donggo and wanted to depose the Imperial Grandmother’s position as Empress so that the Consort could take her place. Although that didn’t happen, the Imperial Grandmother still feels hurt inside.”
Wuyunzhu felt thoroughly wronged. The Imperial Noble Consort Donggo came from the Plain White Banner, while she came from the Plain Red Banner; the two families had no connection whatsoever, yet she could still get implicated by this—it was simply too unfair.
Hearing her sigh, Yingtang offered further comfort: “Time reveals a person’s true character. The Imperial Grandmother will come to recognize your goodness in the future.”
Wuyunzhu forced a smile and continued walking toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Qianqing Palace).
As she watched the Qianqing Palace draw closer and closer, anxiety welled up in her heart once more: Would Kangxi harbor the same kind of deep-seated prejudice against her as the Empress Dowager?
As everyone knew, the Shunzhi Emperor had only recognized the children born to the Imperial Noble Consort Donggo as his legitimate offspring, whereas Kangxi and Prince Yu were born before those “legitimate children.” Such a stance effectively invalidated them—who knew whether Kangxi harbored any resentment toward the Donggo clan deep down?
“My lord, do you think Imperial Father will be the same as the Empress Dowager?” she asked timidly.
If, right after getting married, she discovered that she was already detested by the two major powerhouses of the palace, then her future days would truly be filled with “wind-like swords and frost-like sabers pressing hard upon her.”
Yingtang was momentarily stunned. After thinking it over carefully, he shook his head with certainty. “He won’t.”
“Why?”
“Imperial Father is brilliant and mighty; how could he ever project the grievances of the older generation onto the younger generation? General Fiyanggu, the younger brother of the Imperial Noble Consort Donggo, is one of Imperial Father’s most trusted and heavily relied-upon confidants. If Imperial Father truly held a prejudice against you, he would never have matched us in marriage.” Yingtang said with absolute confidence.
Wuyunzhu pondered this for a moment, and it seemed to make sense. If Kangxi truly despised the Donggo clan to the core, he wouldn’t have allowed both her and her cousin to marry into the imperial family.
Before long, the two arrived at the Qianqing Palace.
After the young eunuch announced their arrival, the couple entered the Eastern Warm Pavilion to pay their respects and offer greetings.
Kangxi told them to rise, and only then did Wuyunzhu have the opportunity to take a clear look at Kangxi’s appearance. He wasn’t a stunning youth, but his facial features were regular, his skin fair, and his demeanor extraordinary. Overall, he looked like a very charming middle-aged man.
Kangxi was also sizing up Wuyunzhu. Previously, he hadn’t understood why his son was so deeply infatuated, but now, seeing the radiant and captivating beauty of the Donggo woman, he understood. It was inevitable for a young man to do some out-of-the-ordinary things in order to win a beauty’s favor. It was just that…
He harbored a faint regret for arranging a match with such a breathtaking primary consort, fearing that his son lacked sufficient resolve and would indulge excessively in her beauty. Fortunately, this Donggo woman carried herself with dignity and possessed a clear, bright gaze; she did not look like a frivolous person, but rather bore the air of a helpful virtuous wife.
“Now that you are married, it is time for you to enter the court and handle official duties. Starting the day after tomorrow, you will report to the Six Ministries and learn by shadowing the various vice-ministers.”
Yingtang joyfully accepted the command: “Understood, your son obeys the imperial decree.”
He had long since grown tired of studying in the Upper Study and no longer wanted to act like a mere young prince. He had been yearning to enter court and manage affairs alongside his older brothers—that was what truly constituted the dignity of an imperial prince!
Seeing him accept so enthusiastically, Kangxi assumed he had become motivated and ambitious after getting married, and his own heart felt pleased.
“In the future, handle your duties well, live a good life with your primary consort, and give your mother less cause for worry.”
Kangxi still had state affairs to attend to and did not keep them long. He bestowed some rewards upon them and dismissed the pair.
Next, they were supposed to pay their respects to the Empress, but Kangxi’s three empresses had all passed away early, and there was no Noble Consort either, so the two directly headed to the Palace of Earthly Abundance (Yikun Palace).
As his birth mother, Consort Yi had been the most eager for their return and had long since dispatched Eunuch Zhou to greet them at the palace gates.
“Your son/daughter-in-law pays respects to Imperial Mother.”
Consort Yi felt tenderly toward her son and couldn’t bear to watch him kneel for too long, hurriedly telling them to get up. “You’ve been running around to so many places since early morning; you must be exhausted, right? Sit down quickly. Nanny Xu, bring out the milk soup.”
“Thank you, Imperial Mother, for your consideration.” A buoyant note of cheer filled Yingtang’s voice.
Wuyunzhu also let out a sigh of relief; she could finally rest her feet. Having walked thousands of steps in elevated flower-pot shoes, her aching feet were sore and tender, and she had been yearning for a place to rest. Alas, whether it was Ningshou Palace or Qianqing Palace, she had been forced to stand the entire time.
And now, there was delicious food waiting too!
With a heart full of gratitude, she felt that Consort Yi was truly a wonderful mother-in-law who was both beautiful and kind-hearted.
The milk soup was served promptly. Honey, red dates, and lotus seeds had been added inside, making it auspicious in meaning and wonderful in taste.
Yingtang quickly finished his bowl and scooped another one. Turning his head to see Wuyunzhu eating in small, delicate bites, he assumed she didn’t like it and blurthed out, “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to force yourself to finish it. Imperial Mother won’t be angry.”
Wuyunzhu: “…”
Are you an enemy sent to torment me, boy? Right in front of your mother, telling her that your wife dislikes what she prepared?!
She looked at Consort Yi in a panic. “Imperial Mother, your daughter-in-law does not dislike this soup at all. On the contrary, I find the flavor exquisite and wish to savor it slowly.”
Consort Yi chuckled lightly. “It’s fine, Imperial Mother understands your intent.” She then shot a sidelong glance at Yingtang, laughing and scolding, “Did you think everyone wolfs down their food as uncultivated and boorish as you do?”
Yingtang was stunned, and feeling that these words would ruin his image in his primary consort’s eyes, he hastily retorted:
“When has your son ever wolfed down his food? Didn’t you say before that I am right in the middle of growing and need to eat more?
And didn’t you also say that coming to Yikun Palace is like returning to my own home, where I can be relaxed and don’t need to stand on ceremony? Why are you suddenly complaining that your son is unrefined?”
“What? As your mother, can’t I even scold you a couple of times?” Consort Yi shook her head helplessly at Wuyunzhu. “Look at him; his temper is truly something else.”
Yingtang swallowed a bite of pastry with an indignant huff and muttered, “You want to scold me, then go ahead. Everyone else says people forget their mothers once they take a wife—Imperial Mother, you’re the one who found a wife and now you’re abandoning your son.”
“Hahaha…” Consort Yi burst out laughing at his words. “Such a bitter vinegar taste! Are you actually getting jealous of your own wife?”
Wuyunzhu was also trying her hardest to suppress a laugh.
Seeing everyone’s reactions, Yingtang realized he had overreacted just now and felt a sudden wave of embarrassment, wishing he could drill a hole in the floor and hide.
“If Imperial Mother has no other instructions, your son will take his primary consort back now.”
Ignoring him, Consort Yi pulled Wuyunzhu’s hand and said, “Yingtang just has this kind of temperament. His temper is hasty and he doesn’t know how to choose his words, often letting good intentions lead to wrong actions and making people furious. If you suffer any grievances in the future, just tell Imperial Mother, and Imperial Mother will help you discipline him.”
Listening from the side, Yingtang grew anxious. “Imperial Mother, how can you drive a wedge between me and my primary consort? I love and cherish her far too much—how could I ever let her suffer any grievances?”
Consort Yi paid him no mind, keeping her eyes fixed on Wuyunzhu, waiting for her reply.
Wuyunzhu chuckled inwardly. These words are fine to listen to, but if you take them seriously, you’ve already lost. If she really ever had a dispute with Yingtang, in the hearts of the emperor and the imperial consort, every single fault would undoubtedly be hers.
“Imperial Mother’s loving care toward me is something your daughter-in-law deeply feels.” She glanced at Yingtang and said shyly, “Although the days I’ve spent with the Ninth Prince are few, the Ninth Prince treats me with great gentleness, consideration, and attentiveness. Your daughter-in-law feels the Ninth Prince is exceptionally wonderful, and I harbor no grievances.”
Hearing this, Consort Yi was supremely satisfied. “That is good. As long as the two of you live your lives in harmony and joy, Imperial Mother can rest easy.”
Consort Yi doted on her youngest son the most and was equally pleased with this youngest daughter-in-law, bestowing extremely lavish rewards upon them.
Stepping out of the Yikun Palace, Wuyunzhu asked Yingtang, “Are there still other places we need to go to pay our respects?”
It was only in the palace that things were like this—with the entire family scattered in all directions, requiring you to run to multiple places just to visit your elders. How much better it was among commoners, where elders and peers all gathered in one single place, saving both time and effort.
Yingtang shook his head. “No more. Let’s head back to the Fourth-Halls.”
“Don’t we need to pay respects to the Crown Prince?”
“We can go in the afternoon. Right now, they are either handling official duties or attending studies; they won’t have time to entertain us.”
Wuyunzhu nodded obediently, and the couple returned together to the Eastern Four-Halls.