Seeing her face turn pale, Yingtang panicked a little. He hurried over to pat her back and help her smooth her breath, quickly offering words of comfort.
“Primary Consort, don’t worry. That money wasn’t just given away; the Prince gave it to Eighth Brother so he could help us earn silver.”
“Earn silver?”
Wuyunzhu was genuinely startled. The Eighth Prince had this kind of capability, too?
“How so?”
“Eighth Brother is currently serving in the Guangshan Treasury, specifically in charge of lending matters. The interest rate there is low, so there are an exceptional number of people going to borrow silver. However, the total amount of loans allocated each year is limited and not enough for all those people to split.
The people borrowing silver are all descendants of Taizu; by ties of kinship, one would still have to address them as grand-uncles or elder cousins. Eighth Brother couldn’t bear to see them worrying over their livelihoods, and seeing that I had idle money on hand, he suggested that I bring some out to lend to them.
In this way, we can help those people, win their personal favors, and earn some money on the side. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”
So that was it.
No wonder that in Kangxi’s later years, so many Manchu nobles and imperial clansmen supported the Eighth Prince—it turns out he had forged these “auspicious bonds” this early on!
Wuyunzhu asked again, “Then how are the accounts kept? With you two investing silver into this, aren’t you afraid Imperial Father will discover something is amiss?”
“Eighth Brother said we can keep two sets of ledgers: one kept in the yamen, and one kept right here with ourselves.”
Heh, so they’ve even invented double-contracting.
Could this be part of why the two brothers maintained such a tight-knit relationship in the later stages—because they had committed illicit deeds together and shared common secrets?
“The Prince has explained it all clearly; can the Primary Consort be at ease now?”
Wuyunzhu: Absolutely not!
She was well aware of the Guangshan Treasury; it was equivalent to an internal charitable institution for the imperial household.
Ever since the Shunzhi reign, continuous streams of imperial clansmen had been stripped of their peerages for various offenses, losing their stipends and various generous subsidies, leading them to eat away at their stockpiles until nothing was left.
Decades passed, the population multiplied, and expenses increased dramatically. Yet those people stubbornly insisted on maintaining their former prestige, refusing to transition from luxury to frugality. After burning through their savings, their days gradually grew difficult.
Especially in recent years, the trend of lavish dowries had become popular in the capital. Before a betrothal, families first negotiated dowry and bride-price amounts; if the sum fell short, the marriage alliance fell through.
These idle imperial clansmen, stripped of their peerages and knowing there was no hope of reinstatement, pinned all their hopes on securing a good marriage alliance for their children to prop up the household and protect their family, driving themselves to the utmost limits to scrape together a dowry. Consequently, after their daughters were married off, life at home became even more unsustainable.
These people would then seek out the clan head or principal decision-maker of their lineage, weeping and pleading for help. The decision-maker would, in turn, enter the palace to weep and plead for assistance from Kangxi.
Therefore, Kangxi established the Guangshan Treasury, annually allocating a portion of silver from the Imperial Household Department to lend to these idle imperial clansmen at interest rates half as low as the Board of Revenue’s public treasury.
If this matter could proceed just as Yingtang imagined, it truly would be a brilliant stroke of genius.
The crucial catch, however, was that those people never returned the borrowed silver!
Watching Yingtang’s self-satisfied expression, Wuyunzhu felt a growing sense of mental exhaustion. You want to fleece wool off their backs, but they’re aiming to swallow you down skin, bones, and all!
“What if they don’t repay the silver?”
“How could that be? It’s in black and white with thumbprints pressed—can they just default on it?” Yingtang was brimming with confidence.
How could they not?!
Seeing that Yingtang still wore a relaxed expression, Wuyunzhu’s voice carried a hint of urgency.
“Does Your Highness know that for more than ten years since the Guangshan Treasury was established, repayments have not even reached ten percent of the loans?”
“How could that be?” Yingtang’s expression finally changed. “Where did you find out about this?”
“Did Your Highness forget that my father is a Commander-in-Chief?
The loan and distribution figures for banner-affiliated populations must be registered in ledgers every year. As Commander-in-Chief, naturally he thumbs through and reviews them—how could he not be clear on this?”
“Furthermore, has Your Highness never considered whether those people have the capacity to repay their debts?
They hold no peerages or official posts, draw no stipends, look down upon merchants and refuse to engage in trade, and have already worn away their ancestral estates. Where on earth would they find silver to repay debts?”
“Those uncles of mine are idle Gioros; every year they go to the Guangshan Treasury to borrow silver, yet they have never repaid a single cent.”
With every word Wuyunzhu spoke, Yingtang’s complexion paled a shade further, though he still clung to a shred of wishful thinking.
“B-But if they don’t repay the money, why doesn’t Imperial Father hold them accountable?”
Wuyunzhu shook her head. “That I do not know.”
She speculated further, “Perhaps Imperial Father never intended for them to repay it in the first place? After all, they are all the bloodline of Taizu; if they are left too destitute and impoverished, wouldn’t it also bring shame upon the imperial family’s face?”
Yingtang could no longer sit still!
Imperial Father could afford to let them slide without repayment because he was the ruler of all under heaven, possessing the riches of the four seas, and cared nothing for such trivial pocket change.
He, however, could not afford it. He was merely a bare-headed prince with a monthly stipend of only five hundred taels; he simply couldn’t afford to put on airs of grandeur and generosity.
He hurriedly shoved his feet into his shoes. “No, I have to go find Eighth Brother and demand the money back.”
Eastern Thousand-Step Corridor, Guangshan Treasury Yamen.
Because of Primary Consort Eighth’s scene the previous night, the Eighth Prince still felt somewhat awkward upon seeing Yingtang now.
“Why has Ninth Brother come here? Sit down quickly.”
With that, he poured him a cup of tea.
Yingtang was burning with fiery anxiety at the moment and had zero appetite for tea, asking straight to the point, “Eighth Brother, has that sum of silver been lent out yet?”
“Not yet. Does Ninth Brother already have candidates in mind?”
He remembered that his ninth sister-in-law’s maternal family belonged to Amin’s lineage, which had been stripped of its peerage back in the day for opposing Regent Dorgon and currently seemed to be living in rather straitened circumstances. Was Ninth Brother coming over to ask him for a favor and convenience?
Yingtang shook his head violently. “No, no!”
Immediately following was a wave of overwhelming elation: the silver hadn’t been lent out yet! How wonderful, thank the heavens and earth!
“Eighth Brother… I’m not lending it anymore. Can you return the silver to me?”
The smile on the Eighth Prince’s face stiffened for a moment. “What? Ninth Brother must be joking with me.”
“No, Eighth Brother, I’m being entirely serious.”
The smile on the Eighth Prince’s face could no longer be maintained. “Can Ninth Brother tell me the reason?”
On the way over, Yingtang had thought it through carefully—if Eighth Brother asked him for the reason, what should he say?
He couldn’t use his primary consort’s line of reasoning; letting it slip would offend people. If those people started gossiping behind their backs, it would harm his primary consort’s reputation.
He had no choice but to pin the reason entirely on himself.
Feigning a troubled and distressed expression, he opened his mouth with a sincere tone.
“Eighth Brother, before you mentioned that household expenses increased after marriage, I didn’t take it to heart. But today, after calculating the accounts together with the Primary Consort, I realized that our expenses are indeed much heavier than before.”
“Eighth Brother, I’m afraid the silver I set aside originally won’t be enough; you’d better return the money to me.”
“How much is lacking? I can pull some out from the pool.” The Eighth Prince attempted to retain a portion of it.
Yingtang scratched his head, an apologetic smile hanging on his face while his tone remained intensely resolute.
“No need, Eighth Brother, just return all of it to me. Since we’ve only just married, I’m afraid our initial estimations might be wrong; if we find ourselves short on funds later on, it’ll become a massive headache.”
“What if a flaw is exposed and Imperial Father finds out about this matter? By then it would drag Eighth Brother down to suffer punishment alongside me.”
When matters had reached this point, how could the Eighth Prince urge him further? He had no choice but to say, “Then I’ll send someone to deliver it back to you tonight.”
Yingtang was just about to agree, but fearing he would return empty-handed and unable to face his primary consort, he gave up on leaving and decided to personally escort the silver back himself.
“Looking at the sky, it’s almost time to sign off from the yamen. I’ll keep Eighth Brother company a little longer, and we can head back together later.”
“Ninth Brother, please make yourself at home.”
The Eighth Prince picked up his memorial documents once more, staring at the tiny characters upon them, yet his mind refused to focus.
He had already made promises for a portion of the loans, but now that Ninth Brother was pulling his silver out, where was he supposed to scrape together another sum of money? Did he seriously have to shell out his own personal money?
Until the end of the shift, the Eighth Prince failed to come up with any viable solution, and seeing Yingtang sticking right by his side like a shadow, his irritation only intensified.
Upon arriving at the Third-Halls, the Eighth Prince retrieved the box containing the silver notes and asked one final time, “Ninth Brother, have you truly thought this through—you want to give up this opportunity?”
Yingtang nodded with absolute firmness. “I’ve thought it through.”
With that, he reclaimed his box.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he abruptly sat back down, popped open the box, and counted the silver notes one by one right in front of the Eighth Prince.
Was this a lack of trust in him?
Seeing this, the lingering trace of minor guilt that the Eighth Prince had harbored toward Yingtang on account of the Yuqing Palace incident completely evaporated.
Mm, not a single cent missing.
Clasping the box tightly to his chest, Yingtang felt an extraordinary sense of grounded security. “Eighth Brother, I’m heading back now, haha.”
“Safe travels, Ninth Brother.”
Yingtang hugged the box all the way back to the Four-Halls, shouting at the top of his lungs the moment he stepped into the courtyard: “Primary Consort, Primary Consort, our household’s great meritorious hero has returned—hurry out and welcome Your Lordship~”
Wuyunzhu was sitting in the eastern second chamber reading a book. Hearing Yingtang’s exuberant, cheerful voice, she knew the silver must have been successfully retrieved, so she didn’t begrudge taking a few extra steps to go out and welcome him.
“Did you get it back?”
Having secured the silver, Yingtang lost all trace of guilt. “Of course! You need to see who your husband is—can there possibly be anything a personal expedition by the Prince cannot accomplish?”
Yes, plenty of things.
However, since this fellow was willing to take advice and possessed strong execution skills, she didn’t bother nitpicking him further, following along to flatter him instead. “I knew His Highness is the most formidable.”
Entering the inner chamber, Wuyunzhu took the box and hastily counted the silver notes from top to bottom.
Oh, wow, there are actually fifty thousand taels here!
This was truly a substantial sum. Fortunately, she had managed to retrieve it; if it had genuinely been tossed into the water to sink with zero return, she might not have been able to resist giving Yingtang a fierce beating—every single day!
Yingtang remained blissfully unaware that he had just skirted the very edge of domestic abuse, sidling up to Wuyunzhu to claim credit for himself. “I’ve accomplished such a monumental feat; shouldn’t the Primary Consort reward me with something?”
“What does Your Highness want?”
Seeing that there was no one else around, Yingtang scooped her up onto his lap and murmured directly into her ear.
Hearing those uninhibited and licentious words, Wuyunzhu couldn’t help scolding him playfully, “Where on earth did you pick up such vulgar and promiscuous learning? Didn’t you claim just before that you were completely pure and untainted?”
“The Prince had Li Dacheng go buy a manual from a bookstore outside. It’s precisely because the Prince is far too pure that he needs to study more.” Otherwise, he feared being looked down upon by his primary consort, though that particular thought didn’t need to be spoken aloud.
“You actually had the nerve to send someone else to buy that kind of thing?”
“Could the Prince go himself? That would be even more embarrassing. Does the Primary Consort agree or not?”
Sensing the physical arousal pressing against her from below, Wuyunzhu flushed crimson and tossed out a single, loaded reply: “Hard.”
The moment those words left her lips, she was scooped up and carried straight to the bed.
Since the next day marked Yingtang’s very first time attending court to listen to state affairs, and Wuyunzhu also needed to rise early to pay her respects to the elders, the two engaged in just a single round of mischief before retiring to rest early.
The following day at the fifth watch (wugeng), while the sky outside was still cast in a hazy gray, Yingtang woke up.
Hearing the movement, Wuyunzhu opened her eyes as well and rose alongside him.
This was Yingtang’s very first time attending court, after all; she had to seize the opportunity to properly play the role of the virtuous and dutiful wife.
After washing up, she headed to the western second chamber to help Yingtang dress in his formal court robes.
Noticing the faint pale shadows beneath her eyelids, Yingtang couldn’t help feeling a twinge of tender pity. “The Primary Consort has suffered; from now on, you don’t need to accompany me in rising early. Just leave these matters to He Yuzhu and the others.”
“What hardship is there? I’m more than willing to serve Your Highness.”
Though speaking sweet words on the surface, Wuyunzhu was internally rolling her eyes: Don’t let Yingtang’s pity fool you right now; if she actually did nothing and comfortably slept in bed, Yingtang would undoubtedly make a mental note against her.
Once her persona became firmly entrenched, she wouldn’t bother putting on these superficial displays of effort anymore.
For the present, however, Yingtang was thoroughly satisfied with this behavior. The Primary Consort truly loves me deeply; I must treat her better in the future and never辜负 (fail to live up to) this heartfelt devotion.
This was the regular grand court session held once every ten days. With a massive assembly of participating officials, it was held out on the plaza in front of the Qianqing Gate. Standing upright throughout the entire duration of the court session consumed immense physical energy; thus, before attending court, one had to consume sustenance to build up physical stamina.
After finishing their morning meal, as the horizon revealed a pale fish-belly white, Wuyunzhu escorted Yingtang right to the entrance of the Four-Halls, beaming brightly as she praised him: “Your Highness looks truly dashing and spirited today; your official duties are bound to go smoothly.”
Returning the courtesy, Yingtang replied: “The Primary Consort is equally radiant and glowing, capturing my heart completely.”
“Shall I dispatch someone to deliver lunch to Your Highness at noon?”
“No need. I haven’t been assigned to a specific ministry yet; I might as well just sample the flavors of the yamen’s canteen. Head back inside~”
“Let me walk you a bit further.”
After taking a few steps, Yingtang looked back and saw his primary consort still standing there watching him depart, a wonderful warmth blossoming in his chest.
After sending Yingtang off, Wuyunzhu returned inside to listen to the managers report on various matters and issued several instructions before finally heading out to pay her respects.
The Fifth Prince resided in the Western Second-Halls, which was closer to the Yikun Palace; thus, by the time she arrived, Fifth Consort was already inside serving.
Consort Yi was having her hair combed. Catching sight of Wuyunzhu’s arrival in the mirror, she smiled and beckoned her over. “Xiao Jiu’s wife is here—help your niang take a look, which hairpin should I wear today?”
Wuyunzhu stepped forward, inspected Consort Yi’s makeup and Manchu-style court attire closely, and selected a set of gold-inlaid pearl and emerald-feathered butterfly hairpins. “Does niang think this one is nice?”
Consort Yi was dressed with fresh elegance today; while gentle and poised, her look lacked a certain grandeur, whereas the gold hairpin embedded with eastern pearls and rubies could simultaneously project preciousness and highlight a healthy, radiant complexion.
“This one is good.”
Wuyunzhu inserted the hairpin for her, matching it with several delicate honey-colored silk flowers around it.
Consort Yi nodded in satisfaction. “Wearing it like this makes this palace feel several years younger.”
“Niang naturally possesses a youthful appearance. If the two of us walked out together, outsiders would simply mistake us for sisters.”
Which woman didn’t love hearing such words? Consort Yi’s expression softened even further.
“The events of that night at the Yuqing Palace caused you to suffer a grievance. It’s a pity that by the time niang learned of it, the Emperor had already issued his judgments and punishments, making it inconvenient for me to intervene further; all I could do was let her suffer a minor hardship.”
What hardship? Why did she know nothing about this?
Even Fifth Consort cast a curious look over.
“Wasn’t Primary Consort Eighth running a high internal heat? This palace simply went to the Emperor with a suggestion to let her consume things that clear internal heat so she could properly purge it.”
Clear internal heat? Wuyunzhu already had a guess forming.
Fifth Consort still wore a blank expression. “What did niang have Eighth Sister-in-law eat?”
“Bitter melon. I told her to eat bitter melon the entire summer so we’ll see how much internal heat she has left.”
Sure enough, having Primary Consort Eighth eat bitter melon was Consort Yi’s bright idea.
As she had suspected—no matter how petty Kangxi’s methods were, he wouldn’t use such a bizarrely devious tactic against a daughter-in-law. It turned out he had been influenced by sweet pillow-talk from his consort.
“Thank you, niang, for backing your daughter-in-law.”
Wuyunzhu expressed her gratitude to Consort Yi while internally beginning to ponder what she could make and send as a token of appreciation.
Consort Yi waved her hand magnanimously. “You are this palace’s daughter-in-law; if this palace doesn’t back you, who else could I back?”
“Niang is truly wonderful.”
The two sisters-in-law accompanied Consort Yi through her morning meal before heading together toward the Ningshou Palace.
By the time Consort Yi arrived, the main hall was already filled with many people, leaving only the two front-most empty seats.
After exchanging mutual greetings with everyone, Consort Yi walked over and took a seat in the left-hand position.
As a newcomer, Wuyunzhu was unfamiliar with the protocol and emulated Fifth Consort’s every action, settling onto the embroidered stool behind Consort Yi while covertly appraising the various figures in the hall.
“Does your sister-in-law recognize all these imperial consorts?”
Wuyunzhu shook her head. This year’s selection of maidens had been managed by the Four Consorts, but she had only caught a fleeting glance during the selection and hadn’t even seen their faces clearly—how could she possibly distinguish which consort was which?
“I must trouble Fifth Sister-in-law to brief me.”
Fifth Consort leaned slightly closer to her and whispered in a low voice, “The current rule is that only principal consorts of a palace may come to pay respects at the Ningshou Palace.”
Wuyunzhu glanced around the packed hall and expressed profound agreement. Kangxi simply had far too many consorts; if all of them were summoned, the hall probably wouldn’t even have standing room.
“Opposite niang, seated in order, are Consort Hui, Consort De, Consort Tong, Noble Lady Liang, and Noble Lady Duan.”
“Below niang, seated in order, are Consort Rong, Consort Xuan, Noble Lady Min, and Noble Lady Xi.”
Wuyunzhu swept her gaze across them one by one. Aside from Consort Tong, Consort Xuan, Noble Lady Duan, and Noble Lady Xi, the rest were absolute top-tier beauties—some delicate and refined, some clear and graceful, some alluring and charming, and some adorably naive—each exhibiting a thousand distinct styles and graces.
Every single one of them had evidently held the status of a favored imperial favorite for a period of time; this fact could easily be deduced from the dates and spacing of their childbearing. It was evident that deep down, Kangxi was an absolute, die-hard visual perfectionist.
“Looks like I’ve arrived late again~”
Accompanied by a crisp, breezy laugh, a woman adorned in opulent, dazzling jewelry stepped into the hall.
This was none other than Consort Hui.
Wuyunzhu looked over. Though time had left its traces upon her, one could still tell she had been a stunning beauty in her youth.
Not long after Consort Hui’s arrival, the Empress Dowager emerged.
Currently, palace affairs were managed by the Crown Princess, who reported major and minor matters to the Empress Dowager.
After listening to the report, the Empress Dowager nodded approvingly. “You have always been reliable and steady; with palace affairs entrusted to you, both the Emperor and I are entirely at ease.”
“However, I notice you’ve grown somewhat thinner compared to the previous days; no matter how busy palace affairs are, do not neglect your own health. Coincidentally, I have a box of white bird’s nest here—take it back to nourish yourself.”
“Thank you, Imperial Grandmother, for your care.”
The Empress Dowager then inquired about the recent conditions of the two young princes, the Sixteenth and Seventeenth, dropping a few admonitions about “the weather growing gradually warmer, so you must pay close attention when caring for the little princes,” before dismissing the gathering.
Paying respects was undoubtedly an exhausting ordeal. Upon stepping out of the Ningshou Palace, Consort Yi let out a delicate yawn and waved her hand, telling the two to return to the imperial princes’ quarters on their own.
“Respectfully sending off Niang.”
At this same hour, the morning court session at the Qianqing Gate up front had also concluded.
Yingtang trailed alongside his own blood brother, walking slowly outward amidst the flowing crowd of officials.
“Have you figured out which department you want to join yet?” the Fifth Prince asked.
“Not yet. Which ministry or court does Fifth Brother think is best?”
The Fifth Prince offered an honest,憨憨 smile. “I think the Ministry of Rites is the best—it’s leisurely. A cup of tea and a storybook are enough to while away an entire day.”
Yingtang curled his lip. “I have no love for that sort of place—a bunch of dusty old pedants.”
Besides, if he went to a place like that, how was he supposed to accomplish great deeds? He was destined to become a pillar of the imperial court!
Fifth Prince: “Then don’t make a decision yet. Go tour them one by one and finally pick the one that suits your heart.”
“Deal.”
……
At noon, the two brothers crossed paths at the dining hall in the Eastern Thousand-Step Corridor.
Seeing his younger brother only drinking soup without picking up any dishes, the Fifth Prince asked with concern, “Why aren’t you eating? Do the food and flavors here not suit your tastes?”
Yingtang shook his head. “No. I took a tour of the Ministry of Punishments this morning and saw them interrogating people inside—the scene was somewhat horrifying, so I genuinely have no appetite.”
Hearing this, the Fifth Prince stopped urging him. “You can stuff some pastries into your pouch later; when your appetite returns, pull them out to pad your stomach.”
He actually had food in his pouch himself, but that pouch had been embroidered by his secondary consort, Lady Liu; if he gave it to Ninth Brother, he feared people would look and start whispering gossip.
Blame it all on Primary Consort Eighth and her wild, unhinged ranting—otherwise, who would ever think of such things?
Sensing his older brother’s care behind his words, Yingtang felt a warm glow in his chest. “Alright.”
In the afternoon, Yingtang inspected the final three departments and ministries, ultimately selecting the Ministry of Works and heading down to the subordinate Manufactory Bureau.
Truth be told, he would have liked to go to prime departments like the Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of Revenue, but the presidents of those two ministries had politely declined him, and the Ministry of War had done the same.
Yingtang figured these people were looking down on him as a minor young prince, and secretly hardened his resolve: he was determined to make a stellar name for himself in the Ministry of Works, forcing those ministry presidents to regret missing out on a talent like him.
The mere thought that his future achievements might earn praise from Imperial Father, envy from his brothers, and profound regret from those old ministry presidents made Yingtang bubble over with joyous delight as he strode home from official duties with light, bouncy steps.
After finishing his shift, the Eighth Prince headed straight to the Zhaoxiang Quarters to settle scores with the Fourteenth Prince.
Even someone like him who constantly wore a practiced smile failed to maintain a pleasant countenance right now, pulling an unusually stern, cold face.
During the morning court session, he had sensed people sizing him up but hadn’t taken it to heart; upon arriving at the yamen, however, he noticed numerous people passing by his doorway and craning their necks to peer inside as they walked past.
Filled with suspicion, he dispatched someone to investigate, only to discover that his Fourteenth Younger Brother had been running his mouth gossiping about him the previous afternoon, spouting all sorts of wild, fabricated nonsense that had spread throughout the entire circle of nobles and high ministers.
Who knew how those people were mocking him right now? Thinking of this, the Eighth Prince quickened his pace, wishing he could instantly pin the Fourteenth Prince down and beat his rear end until it blossomed.
While the Eighth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince were locked in a blazing shouting match, over at the Eastern Four-Halls, Yingtang and the Tenth Prince were sharing a warm, affectionate brotherly visit.