As Kangxi pondered, Liang Jiugong quietly glanced at the Crown Prince, who was tutoring the Fifteenth Prince nearby.
Then he smiled obsequiously, “Your Majesty, how could I presume to guess what Her Ladyship is thinking?”
“Still, whatever Her Ladyship intends must be for the good of Great Qing and Your Majesty. Of this, I am certain.”
Yinreng didn’t look up, but when Er Bao lifted his head to peek at Kangxi, Yinreng calmly turned his head back and continued instructing him in calligraphy.
To have such a clever son, the Imperial Noble Consort must have her own reasons—who could say what drove her?
Perhaps it was simply one willing to play and another willing to be played.
Father was content to deceive himself.
Sure enough, Kangxi only snorted a laugh, hiding a trace of interest, and instructed lightly, “Send someone back to keep an eye on things—make sure no trouble erupts.”
Er Bao became even more restless.
‘Wuu wuu, I knew it!’
He knew it!
Fang He was going out of the palace to see beautiful young ladies!
She was also planning to hold a Huashao Festival, letting all the common people and even the concubines in the harem enjoy themselves while Kangxi was away from the capital, making the most of the celebration!
‘Wuu wuu wuu’
Why wasn’t he in the capital too—he wanted to join in the fun.
Er Bao puffed up his cheeks, glanced up to see Second Brother watching with a half-smile, hurriedly flashed a goofy grin, and obediently bowed his head, continuing to carefully trace characters.
Although his calligraphy was still not very pretty, before his bones were too soft and Kangxi had not allowed him to hold a brush.
This was his first time learning with Yinreng.
Yinreng had taught him just over ten days, yet his little brother could already manage straight strokes rather than smears.
One must know, Yinreng only taught Yin Hui for one hour each day.
Yinreng used to think that lecturing showed exceptional talent—not only among his brothers, but even most civil officials could hardly rival him.
Yet unexpectedly, little Fifteen took just a year to recite the Three Character Classic backwards, and had almost memorized both the Rules for Disciples and the Youxue Qionglin.
By calculation, Yin Hui was only five and already knew how to hide his abilities.
His mother was Yuan Zhen, the Imperial Noble Consort.
When Yinreng was Yin Hui’s age, he could not have done that.
Actually, Er Bao hid it well.
Each time Kangxi and Yinreng taught him, he learned diligently and slowly, appearing not too smart.
Whether playing or studying, he always seemed cautious and honest, showing little edge.
But Yinreng knew that this little one spent most of his time following Fuer Guochun around and hardly needed much formal tutoring.
When checking Yin Hui’s books, they looked brand new—as if no one had opened them.
Perhaps he only glanced at them when being taught, approaching photographic memory.
The more Yinreng interacted with Yin Hui, the more he felt this child was indeed more suited to be emperor of Great Qing.
In terms of temperament, no matter how Fuer Guochun made trouble, Yin Hui remained stable, even helping his sister out quietly.
In talent, so young yet able to comprehend the principles in the Rules for Disciples, applying them flexibly, and not shackled by convention—whenever he met the officials accompanying them, they all took a good impression of him.
Even when Yinreng lost the dragon boat race to Yinzhi, and the Fifth Prince, who disliked Yinreng, treated Yin Hui more warmly than others—this wasn’t just for the Imperial Noble Consort’s sake, but Yin Hui’s own merit.
Yinreng watched Yin Hui tracing characters and his thoughts drifted afar.
Before the dragon boat race, Father had come to Dan Ning Residence and spoken heart-to-heart with him.
He did not mention his stubbornness, nor the rebellion at Gubeikou.
Kangxi spoke with an uncharacteristic tenderness—something no one had ever heard from the Emperor—about his Imperial Mother, the younger brother he never had the chance to meet, and the dreams she carried in her heart until her final breath..
“The one your mother worried about most was you. She knew what I expected of you, but she was not happy about it. Ever since your brother died young, all her hopes for you were for health and safety and to become a minister—not to take over my burden.”
Recalling, Kangxi’s expression softened.
Although there was little romance between them, they had supported each other through Kangxi’s hardest years.
If not for the previous regime’s control by Aobai and the turmoil of the Three Feudatories, perhaps Yinreng’s mother would not have borne such pressure and died in childbirth.
Thus, for her sake, Kangxi treated Yinreng with extra tolerance.
Kangxi said, “I’ll treat your disobedience as childishness—a way of telling me you don’t wish to be Crown Prince. Though I am emperor, I am still your Father—I must give you a way out.”
Kangxi’s words were not particularly sentimental, but Yinreng still knelt and wept uncontrollably.
Every night during his house arrest, upon waking, he regretted his past recklessness and was frightened.
Clearly, Father was the most important person to him.
Everything he did was for Father’s approval, but he had nearly killed the man who raised him.
Even if Father had imprisoned him for life or executed him, Yinreng would have accepted it—he deserved it.
Now, however, he had another path—to use his life, even his descendants, to safeguard Great Qing’s realm in other ways.
The last traces of regret and grievance in Yinreng’s heart vanished.
If, after twenty years of training as Crown Prince, he could not accomplish something overseas, he deserved to die.
So now, facing Yin Hui’s talent and hidden wisdom, he felt not the least jealousy, only calm, as he stroked his little brother’s head and bent down to quietly advise him on how to improve his writing.
Kangxi glanced over without showing it, and through the screen saw the two brothers so harmonious, the smile he’d been suppressing broke free.
Indeed, that troublemaker was better than the others at raising children.
Seeing the harmony between Er Bao and Yinreng, he could let go of his worries about what she might get up to next.
At the start of July, all the maidens who had passed the preliminary selection arrived in the capital, and the second round of the newly reformed maiden selection officially began.
Ordinarily, this had little to do with the commoners.
They might only catch a glimpse of the lively scene as the candidates went in and out.
Mostly, it was the elite families who paid attention in private, since the clans behind the maidens were valuable connections.
But this year, those of highest rank—the trusted royal clansmen and nobles—were all with Kangxi at the Mulan Autumn Hunt.
And the second round started with girls from humbler backgrounds, the high-status ones scheduled later.
The remaining elites in the capital did not pay much attention.
Even with Fang He’s orders to spread news to Nanyuan, those eligible to hunt there were mostly royal relatives and ministers’ families, not merchants.
More likely, they were eager to watch a good show.
On the second day of the selection, the heads of each household asked their servants, “What’s the news outside?”
They were too lazy to look for themselves, but still curious what kind of mischief the Imperial Noble Consort had stirred up now.
After all, sooner or later they’d have to find a way to curry favor with the ever-unruly consort.
As they wondered, some sighed inwardly, muttering about whether His Majesty had lost his mind to favor such a lowborn orphan girl.
But the servants’ replies, varied though they were, left their masters wide-eyed.
“Master, you’d better go see for yourself—if you wait any longer, you’ll miss all the excitement!” This from the bold, lively types eager to join the fun.
“Reporting to Master, there wasn’t a big crowd at the girls’ academy yesterday, but the streets leading there were bustling all day! The list of maidens advancing to the final selection is already out!” said the honest and steady, who still smacked their lips, savoring the snacks and entertainments.
The nobles and officials, both confused and faintly uneasy, hurried to the girls’ academy and were utterly dumbfounded—their eyes dazzled by the scene.
On the capital’s broadest avenues, every shop displayed matching banners reading “National Maiden Selection” in four bold characters.
At their doors, vendors set up stalls selling lists of finalists, rules of the selection, even goods and snacks favored by the maidens…
The streets overflowed with flowers, making every lane vibrantly alive.
It was as if the whole city had turned out.
The crowds were packed shoulder to shoulder, people even lifting children onto their shoulders to avoid trampling.
Above the din, loud voices rang out, somehow carrying clear over the masses: “Time to vote for your favorite maiden! One vote from you, one from me—tomorrow our champion takes the stage!”
“Come and see! If your chosen maiden makes it to the final selection in the palace, you’ll get a bar of Imperial Noble Consort Yuan Zhen’s favorite soap!”
“Just three coins to cast a vote in our shop—guaranteed you won’t lose out! Today, old grandpa opens the way for the maidens, all goods half price!”
Every time someone shouted, the crowd erupted in applause, and at the stalls hawking half-price goods, people were packed so tightly you could hardly squeeze through.
One noble grumbled, “Is the Imperial Noble Consort not worried about such crowds causing trouble—”
He hadn’t finished when the Chief Commander of the Nine Gates, Prince Jian Yabu, passed by with imperial guards on patrol, making the noble even more astonished.
“Impossible! The emperor was away—how could the Imperial Noble Consort command the Imperial Guards Headquarters?”
As the man stood in shock, an officer spotted a pickpocket and shouted, grabbing the thief to be sent to the Caishikou execution ground.
Not that a mere thief would be beheaded—it was just to frighten them, after a beating they’d be released.
If caught again, the punishment would double.
If they died, no one would care.
Just the mention of Caishikou was enough to scare seasoned thieves, let alone would-be troublemakers.
Only the living could make trouble—dead men had nothing left.
At worst, “If not welcome here, I’ll find another place to make a living!”
All across the capital, it had never been so lively, yet hardly any trouble broke out.
No matter how unwilling or jealous, the high and mighty had to admit—Imperial Noble Consort Yuan Zhen’s actions would surely win her even greater popularity.
As for those women who always looked down on Fang He, or who resented her monopoly on the emperor’s favor, they whispered bitterly, “No matter what… she’s still just a concubine. If only His Majesty had chosen the maidens instead, perhaps they’d have been even more favored. They just didn’t have the right background.Even in the selection, noble girls could rise, but they themselves never had a chance to approach the emperor…”
As they stewed in their sourness, suddenly a drum sounded nearby—
“Maiden selection, second round! Six arts showcases! Out on the streets!!”
Prince Jian Yabu swiftly led the officers from the Imperial Guards Headquarters to clear the way for the maidens, while the nobles watching hurried upstairs to teahouses for a better view.
All the merchants held up banners tied with red silk, reading “Showcase of Eight Banner Elegance.”
And those somewhat familiar-looking Consort Yi and Concubine Jing sat in high carriages, listening to a maiden play “Fishing Boats at Dusk,” both raising vermillion plaques marked “Ten.”
At once, eunuchs presented the maiden with a Lotus Token, loudly proclaiming—
“Lai Jia of Qingzhou, daughter of Lai Mingda, has earned eighty points, her name recorded above, awarded the Lotus Token!”
The crowd burst into cheers, for these were those who had wagered on the maiden from the booklet of finalists.
The booklet had stated that this Lai girl, though not of a prominent family, was renowned in Qingzhou.
The people had given nothing but three coins and a chance, and in return received a palace-favored soap—maybe it could even become a family heirloom to brag about in years to come!
Soon, more lesser-known maidens continued their assessments.
Not every one received a Flower Token, but some obscure girls won the privilege of skipping the finals and earned the Peony Token, with their names inscribed.
With every announcement, the cheers swept through the city like a tidal wave, echoing into the distance, leaving the ears of nobles in their teahouses ringing.
They were in chaos.
Even the emperor’s return had never inspired such a spectacle.
Had the common people gone mad?
Worse, this frenzy lasted not just one day, but every day for half a month of the second round.
Even at home, the nobles could hear it.
On the first day, there was little noise, as there was no selection—just merchants and the Imperial Guards out explaining the rules.
When Kangxi received the news, all the royal relatives and ministers traveling with him had already heard similar accounts.
Ruler and subjects fell silent as they read.
What did it mean that, apart from Her Ladyship, everyone else in the capital seemed possessed—mad beyond belief?
And it wasn’t even the Ghost Festival yet!
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