Fang He smiled and said, “The crown prince’s consort doesn’t know when she’ll enter the palace. I want you to become a model for all the princes’ wives. Even without relying on the eldest prince or Consort Hui, you can hold your ground in the palace.”
“As for the eldest prince, his relationship with the crown prince means that one day, the new Emperor will fear him. Even if you and the eldest prince are harmonious, you won’t protect your children.”
“You must stand on your own, no matter who the new Emperor is. You need your own value and confidence to stand firm in this world.”
After saying this, Fang He slowly sipped her tea.
“You understand my purpose. This is a mutual benefit. You can consider it slowly, but don’t keep me waiting too long for the selection reform edict.”
“This tonic is my sincerity. If you agree, I can also have Fule prepare it for you and the Third Princess, just like for the Eleventh Prince.”
After returning to the prince’s residence, the First Lady was somewhat absent-minded, her thoughts so scattered she barely noticed the eldest prince had come into the main courtyard and sat opposite her for a while.
Only when he suddenly leaned over, pressing down on her shoulders, did she snap back and push him away.
“Lord, I’m not well…”
Yinzhi’s face darkened and he said, “I’ve been back for a while, yet you pretend not to see me and don’t want to serve me. How long will you be distant?”
He was busy at the Ministry of War, running back and forth between the Imperial Guards and the Jingjiao Camp generals, skin peeling from exhaustion.
All this was to gain more favor from the Emperor and prevent his mother from troubling the Irgen Jueluo Clan.
His tone grew more irritable, “If you don’t want to keep having children, I won’t force you. I’ll bear the blame from mother for you. What do you want? At least say it. It’s better than this coldness.”
The First Lady calmly tidied her disheveled hair and sat up straight, looking at him softly.
“I told you I don’t want to have more children so soon. How did you respond?”
“After carrying the Third Princess, I also told you my body was weak. That pregnancy was dangerous. When you had someone bring me labor-inducing medicine, did you hesitate even once?”
Her nose tingled with sadness, “If it weren’t for my strong life force, in half a year, your new wife would have entered the palace. How can I trust you?”
Yinzhi’s near-exploding temper was extinguished by the tears slipping down his wife’s cheeks.
He paced twice in frustration.
Under the First Lady’s shocked gaze, he suddenly knelt on one knee and said, “It’s my fault.”
Though hot-tempered and reckless, Yinzhi was straightforward about his faults.
“You said you didn’t want to get pregnant. Mother’s situation was bad, and I desperately wanted a crown grandson to impress the Emperor and overshadow the crown prince, ignoring your feelings. That was wrong.”
He fell silent for a moment, swallowing his explanation.
“As for that labor medicine… I was foolish, thinking I could repay the insult from the Noble Consort. The Imperial Doctor said your pregnancy looked good, but I made a grave mistake.”
Actually, it was Consort Hui who bribed Dujuan to arrange for the medicine.
By the time Yinzhi knew, the First Lady had already acted.
The medicine was sent to Yizhuang, but Consort Hui’s doing was basically because Yinzhi was incompetent, forcing his mother to take extreme measures.
He admitted it was his fault.
He held the First Lady’s waist and looked up at her.
“I was an idiot before, didn’t understand your heart, and forgot you carry my flesh and blood. After your hemorrhage, I had nightmares every night.”
“If you don’t want to have children now, then don’t. I’ll wait for your health. I can wait as long as you need.”
He joked bitterly, “Even if you give birth to the crown grandson, it won’t change that I’m only a son of a concubine. My dignity shouldn’t come from a woman’s womb; I’ll earn the glory of the iron-cap prince’s wife myself.”
Seeing the First Lady silent, Yinzhi wiped his face and loosened his stiff embrace to stand.
“Whatever you want me to do, just say it. I won’t argue and won’t make the same mistake again. I won’t let your mother suffer because of me. If you really don’t want to see me, I’ll only come during meals, so children and the others won’t be uneasy.”
He strode out.
Once he crossed the threshold with downcast eyes, he finally heard the First Lady’s weak yet melodious voice.
“Wait.”
Yinzhi’s heart leapt with joy.
He turned and returned to her side, pulling her into a hug, “I knew you had me in your heart!”
The First Lady: “…”
‘If only you knew how uncertain you really are.’
But she showed no expression, gently pushing him away and calming her thoughts, finally making up her mind.
She suppressed her resentment toward the eldest prince, relaxed her expression, and poured him a cup of tea.
“I have something to say to you.”
***
On September 18th, the edict reforming the selection system was issued from the capital and quickly spread through the Provincial Administration Commissioner’s offices.
The decree sparked intense reactions everywhere.
Most candidates came from the capital, followed by Shengjing and Beimeng, then nearby northern prefectures.
The Southland had few bannermen besides official families, so even fewer candidates.
But the loudest opposition came from outside the capital, with impeachment memorials against the reform flooding in like snowflakes.
They didn’t know what had happened at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet.
Because of the selection system’s change, local officials feared being held accountable, worried about irregularities, and some thought it would hurt young women’s prospects of entering the palace.
By November, many officials came to report in person, even requesting audiences at the Imperial Study, begging the Emperor to rescind the edict.
Suo’etu couldn’t resist stirring the pot behind the scenes.
Though he couldn’t stop the Emperor’s decree, causing trouble for Noble Consort Zhaoyuan was welcome.
More ministers submitted memorials.
Whenever the Emperor thought of any harm to Noble Consort, he would coldly sideline her.
But after a few days, Yinreng sent people to block Suo’etu’s futile efforts.
In Yuqing Palace, Yinreng remained calm, knowing the Emperor would not revoke the edict and was in no hurry.
Suo’etu’s satirical poems had spread among the people, with even children reciting them.
Everyone knew the Women’s Academies were no good, teaching girls to be unruly.
Whenever such academies opened, Hesheri arranged for people to make sure they were notorious in the capital.
Not only then, even now, families who had promised to send their daughters had spread word of the favor, saying their girls would learn skills and might enter palace service.
What was once admired and coveted was now mocked and gossiped about.
The girls in those families felt wronged, still crying in the twelfth lunar month.
If the academies hadn’t yet opened, the reaction might have been even more intense.
Fang He never underestimated women’s loyalty to chastity, especially in a world obsessed with it.
So even if the academies were completed early, she insisted to Consort Jing not to rush opening them.
Consort Jing knew Fang He had once worked in a world where some people specialized in organizing events, promoting reputations, and even spinning bad news into good—something called public relations.
She had read about this in novels and was initially curious.
But by the new year, when officials’ petitions failed and the edict had to be obeyed, and the first selection began in various prefectural cities, Fang He calmly arranged Yin Hui’s first birthday banquet with Ninth Princess Jiujiu, showing no haste.
Not only other harem consorts grew impatient, but even Consort Jing and Consort Yi couldn’t sit still.
They came to Yanxi Palace, coincidentally meeting Cui Wei packing for Changchun Garden.
On March 18th, the Emperor decreed to hold the birthday celebration in Changchun Garden, so after the third month, all palaces began preparations.
After Yin Hui’s first birthday ceremony at Shoukang Palace, they would set off for the garden, just in time to prepare for the celebration.
Consort Jing and Consort Yi entered the main hall, where Fang He and Jiujiu sat on the felt carpet, heads bowed, tying bead strings onto tassels.
Handy Xinzi and Xinke helped.
When tied together, the long, intricate beaded cords adorned with vermilion tassels looked especially festive, with several already finished laid nearby.
Yin Hui crawled swiftly across the felt, his little open-crotch pants barely holding onto his plump bottom.
Chunlai and Xinnan tried to stop him.
“Liang Liang~ Jiujiu~” he mumbled, repeatedly calling, like a little calf stubbornly charging forward, endlessly fighting and falling.
Consort Yi picked him up with a smile.
“Oh, the little one is quite sturdy, probably over twenty pounds by now.”
Fang He looked up and smiled, calling them to sit.
“Recently, we’ve been staying at Shoukang Palace. The Empress Dowager likes children and enjoys watching them eat. Look at Jiujiu, plump and rosy, very auspicious.”
Both: “…”
‘Isn’t that just fat?’
Indeed, Jiujiu’s round face was even fuller than the latest popular red apple in the palace.
Fang He winked at them.
The little girl would be four after the new year and was already at the age of vanity, sensitive to the word “fat.”
A few days ago, Kangxi had called Jiujiu fat while holding her, and the little bundle cried so much she insisted on sleeping with Father and wet the bed again that night.
Fang He slept soundly and, hearing the commotion in the Side Hall the next day, laughed, only to be punished that night as the wet-bed child.
Tossed and turned, the dog still wanted to hear the bell sounds, so Fang He made Kangxi change back into a high-collared dragon robe.
Now, with the birthday celebration approaching and many guests, Kangxi still wore it.
The ground dragons were still burning in every palace, and Kangxi often sweated through his forehead from the heat.
Word was spreading that Kangxi’s health was weak, and many outside the palace were scrambling to buy top-grade tonics to give to the Emperor.
Fang He both laughed and fretted at this.
If Kangxi really took those tonics… who would be weakened afterward was anyone’s guess.
Snapping back to attention, Fang He handed the bead strings to Xinzi and Jiujiu and took the clearly intending-to-speak Consort Jing and Consort Yi to the East Side Hall.
Consort Yi spoke eagerly, “The selection has started and should finish the preliminary rounds by the fourth month. I heard my cousin has already gone to the prefectural city. Unless something unexpected happens, it should be done soon.”
Consort Jing, as a consort, didn’t rush to leave the palace to avoid gossip, so this duty fell to Consort Yi’s cousin.
Consort Yi asked, “When will the Women’s Academy finally open after being set up so long?”
Consort Jing added, “Rumors say there are satirical poems slandering the academy. Some families who agreed to send daughters have backed out. If these poems continue, the academy will be ruined before it even opens.”
Though the imperial sign usually meant no one broke promises, this was out of respect for the Emperor.
They really didn’t want to fulfill their promises; they were more like empty words with little binding force.
Consort Yi said, “Sounds like the Hesheri family’s doing.”
Glancing at Consort Jing, “The Tong family is probably pushing from behind too. I’m worried about Noble Consort; I have a bad feeling something will happen.”
“That’s bound to happen, or why would they be working so hard?” Fang He smiled, pouring tea for Consort Yi.
“Let them talk; at least it will make some people happy for a while.”
Consort Yi: “……”
‘You’re quite understanding.’
Consort Jing saw Fang He’s sly smile and knew she was ready, so she calmly drank her tea.
Before Consort Yi could complain, Fang He smiled meaningfully.
“Did you forget the Empress Dowager’s edict hasn’t been issued yet? And the Grand Empress Dowager’s death anniversary is coming.”
Originally, they had to find ways to spread the academy’s reputation, but in the palace, some things were beyond their reach and more troublesome.
Now, someone was helping do the work.
A good person indeed, one Fang He must thank.
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