allonlinenovel Chapter 315: Stop 1, Korqin
Chapter 315: Stop 1, Korqin
Chapter 315 First Stop, Korqin
According to the auspicious day suggested by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, Yinreng chose the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, and the couple set off with a large team of guards, followed by more than a dozen carriages.
This tour was also their first since the rapid expansion of the Qing Dynasty's territory. What Yinreng needed to do this time was not only to inspect but also to appease Mongolia.
Although the Qing army was mainly responsible for the victory against Russia, it is undeniable that Mongolia played an important role at that time. If it were not for them as the first line of defense, Russia would have crossed the border and attacked the Qing capital long ago.
According to the route, the first stop is the Korchin Grassland, which is the place with the most marriages between the Qing Dynasty and China. It is also the richest place on the grassland and the most powerful tribe on the grassland.
Before coming here, Buerhe had looked at the statistics. Since the Taizu of the Qing Dynasty, a total of 38 princesses have married into the Khorchin tribe, which is several more than the total number of princesses from other tribes.
From this data, we can see how much the Qing Dynasty valued the Khorchin. However, that was the end of it, because since Yinreng ascended the throne, he decided that unless there were truly good men in Mongolia and the princess really wanted to marry a Mongolian man, otherwise, the Qing royal princesses would no longer marry into Mongolia, and instead Mongolian nobles would marry into the capital.
The marriage between Manchus and Mongols was a national policy that had been implemented since the time of Taizu. If the national policy could not be changed, then the specific implementation process could be changed, allowing those Mongolian noble ladies to marry into the capital and marry the children of princes and ministers, which would not change the actual significance either.
As for the future emperor, Yinreng always believed that a capable emperor would not be afraid of his in-laws. Besides, with the sinicization of the people being so prevalent nowadays, even those Mongolian noble ladies would not be favored if they wanted to become imperial concubines.
The Prince of Khorchin led a dozen small leaders, big and small, to greet them fifty miles away. They stayed in Khorchin that night, and Burhe saw Princess Wenxian again after many years.
As soon as they met, Bull's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of something strange. Although Wen Xian was dressed in magnificent attire, covered in gold and jade ornaments of all sizes, his slightly haggard face and dull eyes could hardly conceal his inner fatigue and anxiety.
Then she looked at the princess standing beside her. Though a few years older than Wen Xian, her skin remained firm and smooth, her complexion radiant, and her spirit vigorous. In contrast, Wen Xian looked even older, as if the years had left a particularly heavy mark on her. Comparing the two, they looked like two generations apart.
Burhe calmly summoned her personal maid, Qi'er, and whispered a few words into her ear. Then, an elegant and friendly smile reappeared on her face, and she continued to exchange greetings with the princesses and consorts present.
When these women gathered together, their conversation naturally turned to the usual topics—exquisite jewelry, colorful clothes, the men in their respective families, and their outstanding sons. Whenever they mentioned their sons, almost without exception, everyone present praised the current Crown Prince with endless respect and admiration.
Although most of them had never witnessed the prince's elegance with their own eyes, his many glorious deeds had already spread across the vast grassland like a spring breeze.
Hongye, a son of heaven, was undoubtedly fortunate. Compared to Yinreng, he enjoyed a uniquely advantageous situation. After all, his father was the only legitimate son, and he also held the dual advantages of being the eldest legitimate son. Undoubtedly, the throne of the next generation was his undisputed right.
Perhaps it was because the second prince Hongchang had previously married Ageqi from the Duolo Baylor family. During this gathering, after praising Hongye highly, the princesses began to inquire about the vacant position of the crown prince's concubine, intentionally or unintentionally.
Their words were tactful but contained hidden meanings, and they even strongly recommended their own daughters without making it clear.
Buerhe couldn't help but feel a little helpless, but she also knew that this was human nature. After all, in the current environment of the Qing court, marrying into the royal family, especially when the crown prince's position was as solid as a rock, and gaining access to the Eastern Palace, was equivalent to having one foot in the door of becoming an imperial concubine.
Although the imperial concubine was only the emperor's concubine, she was still the emperor's woman after all! Even as a concubine, such status and position still made countless women yearn for it.
Because he understood the reason, when Bullhe faced the enthusiastic sales pitches from the princesses, he could only listen silently without making any response.
This year's election has already concluded, and those aspiring young women who wish to enter the capital now will have to wait for the next round of selections. According to Yinreng's planned itinerary, they would have already embarked on a journey of sightseeing. As for the ultimate fate of these young women, only time will tell.
That night, Qi'er helped Buerhe wash up and reported the news he had learned that day: "Master, there's news from the Fifth Princess. Would you like to hear it?"
Buerhe was indeed a little curious: "What's wrong? You seem so hesitant, not as cheerful as usual. What's wrong?"
Qi'er hesitated a little: "I'm mainly afraid of polluting your ears."
Bull was really a little surprised at this moment. Coincidentally, Yinreng had just returned from washing up. Seeing the master and servant standing there motionless, he was a little curious: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"
Buerhe came to his senses and told him about meeting Wen Xian today and finding her unwell, and about asking the servants to inquire about the news. After hearing Qi'er say that she was afraid of polluting his ears, Yinreng also became interested. He remembered that his sister was just a little proud and always self-righteous. Could she really do something bad?
Seeing that his masters were in high spirits, Qi'er didn't want to spoil the fun and quickly reported the news he had heard truthfully: "The servants reported back that because the princess and her husband couldn't have children together, after a few years of turmoil, the husband found several girls from good families. As a result, they had three sons in two years. Some time ago, because the children grew up, the husband wanted to ask for the title of Crown Prince, but was afraid that the emperor would not agree. So he thought of following the princess's path and registering one of them under her name, making him the legitimate son.
The princess agreed to this, but she also said frankly that she wanted the best one. The young masters were born in roughly the same year, received similar education, and were almost the same level of excellence, the only difference being the degree of favor their mothers received.
The princess's suggestion gave the other two young masters hope, and they started fighting among themselves. At first, they only compared their literary and martial arts skills, but later they began to compete with each other in family background and followers. The fight got bigger and bigger, and in the end, without the princess's help, one of them was crippled. One of them broke his leg, and the other broke his arm.
This also caught the attention of the Prince Consort, who intervened to stop the competition. It was also around this time that the Prince Consort had another woman, and they gave birth to a child who knew nothing. Compared to the three already sensible young masters, the newborn, like a blank slate, was definitely more in line with the princess's expectations, so the princess changed her mind and decided to acknowledge the newborn.
The three young masters disagreed and began to unite to target the youngest one. The final result was that the youngest one died before he was even a month old.
By this time, the Prince Consort had also reacted and started to attack the Princess's residence. He had previously been blocking supplies, and later tried to cut off the Princess's retainers. If it weren't for the news that the Emperor and his master were coming to Khorchin, I think the Princess's life would have been even more miserable.
Yinreng and Buerhe were a little surprised, but said: "There's nothing bloody about this, how can it be said to dirty your ears?"
Qi'er sighed, "Just tonight, Steward He told me that his men saw the Prince Consort's two remaining intact sons being caught having a secret meeting at Aobao tonight, and they have now confiscated the tools used in the crime. And the one who did this in secret was Eunuch Zhang, whom the late Emperor placed with the princess."
At this point, Burhe and Yinreng were speechless, and Burhe even felt a little nauseous.
This was the child the Prince Consort had carefully nurtured, the one he'd rather ignore than allow Wen Xian to confer upon him? And yet he was secretly meeting with someone else's wife? Was the grasslands all so chaotic?
Buerhe: "The Prince Consort should have heard the news by now. Will he find out about it?"
Not to mention that she was protecting Wen Xian, the man who had done bad things, she also looked down on what the prince consort had done before. If she really didn't like Wen Xian, she could just submit a memorial to the emperor and make it clear. Then the royal family would directly agree to the divorce, and both parties would not interfere with each other's remarriage. You could have as many heirs as you wanted and go home to give birth to them.
Buerhe believed that if the Prince Consort submitted a memorial and Wenxian agreed, Yinreng would definitely not stop it. However, over the years, the Prince Consort had enjoyed the benefits of being the Prince Consort and did not let Wenxian go. He even used Wenxian to try to get the position of Crown Prince in advance with his own child.
Being so greedy and not leaving any way out for Wen Xian, it's no wonder that the love-brained Wen Xian would explode and want to fight to the death.
Before Qi'er could answer, Yinreng gave a direct reply, "No, I know that Eunuch Zhang. He's a famous figure in the palace. I saw him when I was little. He could hold his own against three guards. If he attacks, the Prince Consort won't notice. Besides, didn't Qi'er say that the Prince Consort has already taken control of the Princess's Mansion? Fifth Sister is also with you tonight. Even if he wanted to frame Fifth Sister, he wouldn't stand a chance."
Bull nodded, accepting this explanation.
Buerhe: "I sent a message to Wen Xian, inviting her to come tomorrow. If she wants to return to Beijing, what do you think, Your Majesty?"
Yinreng thought of the fourth prince and the princesses who had perished on the grasslands, and nodded in agreement: "Then go back. I will take care of everything. The Qing Dynasty no longer needs princesses to sacrifice themselves for marriage. If you want to go back, then go back to Beijing and build a princess mansion. Even if I force you, at least I can guarantee your safety."
Bull and his wife understood what was going on, and they hugged each other and lay down on the bed to rest. They were so tired from the journey, and now that they finally had a bed to sleep on, they finally felt at ease.