The fortieth year of Kangxi, spring.
The early spring wind still carried a biting chill, blowing in cold and clear from afar, unable even to lift the hem of one’s robe, but seeping right into one’s bones.
Jiujiu draped in a moon-white cloak trimmed with rabbit fur, carrying a three-tiered cinnabar-red food box adorned with lozenge patterns, walked unhurriedly from beneath the corridor of the Sun Essence Gate into Qianqing Palace, heading straight for Zhaoren Hall.
Inside the hall, Jiujiu stamped her feet to shake off the cold, handed the food box to Cui Wei, and only after shaking out the lingering chill from her body did she quietly ask, “Aunt Cui, has Mother woken up?”
Cui Wei shook her head almost imperceptibly, “The Mistress vomited up her medicine once at midnight. At mao hour she finally managed to get a bowl down. She’s still asleep now.”
Jiujiu’s slender brows knit slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes, but her face remained calm as she walked deeper into the hall.
“In that case, could Aunt please put the snow pear soup I brought in the Imperial Teahouse to keep warm? I’ll sit with Mother for a while.”
Of course, what she meant by sitting with her mother wasn’t as it had been when she was little—crawling into Mother’s bed, head pillowed on Mother’s belly, all limbs sprawled as they slept together.
She casually took a book from the shelf and walked in gracefully, planning to read by her mother’s bedside.
Cui Wei did not stop her, simply watched as Jiujiu entered, told Fuyin to wait in the hall, then took the food box herself to the Imperial Teahouse.
***
Ranxia, now with her hair combed in a self-arranged bun, had become an aunt in the Imperial Teahouse.
Seeing Cui Wei approach, she took the food box from her with a smile.
“Ninth Princess came again?”
“These days Mistress has caught a chill, but the Emperor is off in Zhuli. She fears passing the illness to the Empress Dowager and the Little Masters. Thankfully our Ninth Princess is attentive—never would have guessed it before.”
Cui Wei leaned on her old spot by the melon-eating table, skillfully pulling out a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds, and nodded with a smile.
“Exactly. Our Ninth Princess is a proper young lady now. Ever since the Fifteenth Prince was injured, she’s grown much steadier. She’s more and more like our Mistress these days.”
Speaking of this, Cui Wei couldn’t help but sigh.
She’d been by Fang He’s side, seen Jiujiu born, growing from a babbling little dumpling into a little adult nearly as tall as the Mistress herself.
But whenever the palace talked about the Ninth Princess, everyone used to get a headache.
After all, this Little Master was even more trouble than Imperial Noble Consort Zhen ever was—impulsive and restless, liable to cause chaos at any moment.
Yet the Ninth Princess was never intentionally naughty.
She was always pleasant to the maids and eunuchs.
Whoever got caught up in her messes, regardless of whom they served, could never truly be angry at her.
All they could do was sigh in both pain and amusement as the princess ran wild.
Everyone had expected that when she grew up, Ninth Princess would be a little tyrant, even wilder than the princes, and her future consort would probably have to cry at home for days before daring to propose.
But unexpectedly, in just a year, Fifteenth Prince was gravely injured and lay unconscious in the princes’ quarters for over half a year.
Imperial Noble Consort Zhen personally cared for the Ninth Prince without rest, falling ill several times herself.
The Ninth Princess suddenly changed from her unruly ways, becoming calm and composed.
Now, when people spoke of the Ninth Princess, who didn’t say she was thorough in all things?
At thirteen, she was more mature than even Seventeenth Princess at seventeen.
When handling palace affairs for Imperial Noble Consort Zhen, she was meticulous and methodical, earning praise from Consort Hui, Consort Rong, and Consort Yi, and keeping the harem in perfect order.
When accompanying the Imperial Noble Consort on inspections of the Women’s Academy, she spoke eloquently among all the talented Selected Ladies and Han scholar-women, quickly becoming a role model to the Academy’s girls.
Among the two young princes and Tenth Princess, the Ninth Princess also cared for them in every detail.
When Kangxi was away, she looked after Imperial Noble Consort Zhen’s daily needs, and still found time to accompany the Empress Dowager in Shoukang Palace.
In short, such thoroughness was unremarkable in an adult, but in Ninth Princess, it was astonishing.
Everyone secretly marveled: ‘truly the Emperor’s child.’
A dragon begets nine sons, each different.
Even as a princess, her drive to improve was not something ordinary people could match.
Only Cui Wei knew—their Little Master didn’t just take after His Majesty.
She clearly combined the strengths of both His Majesty and the Mistress.
Cui Wei knew her Mistress’s abilities well.
If Mistress wasn’t capable, the harem could never be this peaceful, and could never have dispersed so quietly, leaving only a few concubines with heirs to live quietly.
Even outside, at the Women’s Academy, the scholars of the regular academies, those preparing for the imperial exams, were impressed, and sometimes even secretly attended the lectures of the women instructors.
It’s just that whenever Mistress made a move, it was always a big one—enough to cause chaos, so everyone overlooked her true abilities.
But there was no need to mention this to Ranxia.
Cui Wei only said that she was surprised by the Ninth Princess’s transformation.
After all, the Ninth Princess took after Mistress—a lazy sort, never one to seek the limelight if she could avoid it.
Ranxia now said, “Who knows how long the Ninth Princess can keep this up. Let’s just hope she doesn’t revert once His Majesty returns.”
Cui Wei laughed, “You’re getting bolder by the day, daring to gossip about the Mistress. If Chunlai hears you, she’ll tear your mouth off.”
Ranxia quickly craned her neck, saw Chunlai wasn’t there, and then pleaded in a tiny voice, “How is this gossiping? I’m just worrying for our Ninth Princess!”
“After all, she’s thirteen now. With the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort dote on her so, sooner or later they’ll find a consort for her. I just fear someone will be blind to her good points.”
Cui Wei fell silent with a subtle look, remembering her last trip to Shang Shufang, thinking, there’s even less need to worry about that…
***
While they chatted, Jiujiu entered the inner hall, first checking Mother’s forehead.
Seeing her fever had not returned, she let out a sigh of relief.
She lounged on the window-side soft couch, across from Mother’s bed, and lazily opened the “Zizhi Tongjian” Fang He used to keep up appearances.
Jiujiu usually liked reading this book, but now, staring at the tiny, fly-sized characters, her mind began to wander.
No one else knew why she’d changed so suddenly from a lively, mischievous child to someone so calm and quiet.
Even Mother had worried, secretly questioning Chunlai or sounding out Jiujiu herself, but Jiujiu always soothed her without a trace.
She was impatient by nature, but her cleverness was no less than Er Bao’s.
Like Fang He, she just couldn’t be bothered to waste thought on unnecessary things.
But Er Bao’s injury made Jiujiu understand one thing.
If she kept running wild, Mother and Er Bao would only strive harder to shield her, fighting to become the final victor, not allowing themselves a single mistake.
Only if Er Bao became Emperor, and she became the Emperor’s elder sister, could their honor and that of their children, for three generations at least, be preserved.
Mother never spoke of these things.
She only said how much Father did for them, never mentioning her own arrangements.
Er Bao took after Mother in this.
He needn’t have followed Father into danger, but just so the decree behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony would bear his name, he chose to risk it all.
Jiujiu hadn’t understood why Er Bao would be so foolish.
Mother always said, if you should yield, you must yield.
Only by loving yourself and preserving your capital can you have a future.
But last winter, when the first snow fell, Kangxi ordered poisoned wine for Suo’ertu and Xin Yu at Zongrenfu, and their wives Tongjia and Shumululu were given three feet of white silk.
Then the Princess Consort of Prince Li of the First Rank from the Guwalgiya Clan suddenly fell gravely ill, and control of the household was handed to Li Jia, who’d borne the eldest son.
As for the Shijia, Kangxi spared Shi Huashan and his forebears for their military merits, and Shi Wenbing’s feats against the Japanese pirates in Fujian, and did not move openly against them.
But Guwalgiya Keda, also known as Shi Wenzhuo, as the son of Haoge’s daughter from the Aisin Gioro clan, was ordered returned to Shengjing under guard.
Even several officials from the Shumululu and Tong families were implicated—some had their properties confiscated, some were executed, and the blood at the Caishikou executions stained even the falling snow.
Only then did Jiujiu realize that the Princess Consort of Prince Li had long conspired with Hesheri, seeking to remove the Fifteenth Prince so that Prince Li could remain in the capital, and their two families could continue their ambitions.
Jiujiu couldn’t imagine whether her second brother, who always smiled gently before her and Er Bao, knew any of this, or what role he played.
In the end, after a long silence, Kangxi said nothing to Prince Li’s residence.
Yinreng, Prince Li, never entered the palace again, not even for the New Year’s Eve banquet.
After the year turned, Kangxi left for Zhuli to inspect the navy—just to send Prince Li away.
Jiujiu discussed the matter with Er Bao for a long time, feeling that even if the second brother didn’t know, as long as the Guwalgiya and Hesheri achieved their goals, then Mother and they would never be able to keep their current honor once Father was gone.
That second sister-in-law of theirs had never truly regarded them as family.
She looked like a Bodhisattva, but was truly a venomous snake.
Er Bao lay on his bed and smiled at Jiujiu, speaking lightly: “So, taking that stab for me was worth it if it removed a hidden danger. With Jiangnan no longer split by factions over the heir, it’s worthwhile.”
“In the future, whatever you want to do, you can. Even if you want to travel all over Great Qing, Mother and I will strive to give you and Minbao a peaceful world.”