Frosty Morning Moon (Below)

  It was already November, the sunlight was thin, the clouds were low in the sky, and the north wind howled, freezing people's faces. He Dalu brought several boxes of gifts to visit the Cheng'en Duke Mansion again on the third day after the Wan Shou Festival.

  The Cheng'en Duke's mansion was grand and solemn, with the cold winter wind rustling through the tall trees. The decorations between the buildings still showed a low-key festive atmosphere, but after the Double Ninth Festival, Ta La Shi had entered this place several times without receiving a smiling face from anyone in the mansion.

  "He Tower Lady, our lady is busy, please go back." After a while, Lai Mu returned to the main hall and politely said to He Ta La.

  He Tala could hear the chill in her tone and stood up awkwardly, "I'll come visit another day then."

  In his heart, he was anxious, but there was nothing he could do if others didn't see him. He had thought that this time, during the Wan Shou Festival, everyone would be celebrating together, and with the Qing dynasty having just recovered Macau from the Portuguese, it would be a good opportunity to reward those who had contributed to the victory. Although the Ula Nara clan had been a laughing stock among the Eight Banners nobles in the past, the Emperor still remembered his filial piety towards Empress Dowager and issued an edict allowing Ula Nara to inherit the title of First Rank Duke. Several members of the Ula Nara clan also joined the Navy and received rewards. Narbu thought that with this, the atmosphere at Cheng'en Gong Fu should have improved somewhat, and it was time for his wife to come and apologize again.

  "There's no need for Lady Tala to come over. Lately, our lady hasn't been feeling well and has been busy packing the old master's luggage for his trip to Tibet, so she really doesn't have time to receive guests."

  "This is extremely rude, Ta Lai Shi was not a gentle and tolerant person to begin with. He held back his anger all the way back to the Sa Ling Fu, but couldn't help scolding: "Can that matter be entirely blamed on us? If it weren't for De Bao being fixated on that title, thinking that we Ni Mang Yi could also lend a hand, would he have put in so much effort?! This kind of thing can't be accomplished with just one person's strength. Now that things haven't worked out, they're all blaming our household instead?! Is the Cheng En Gong Fu really that great?!"

  Nalbu looked at his wife with red eyes and knew she had been wronged in Cheng'en Gongfu. He sighed, "Think about Niemengyi."

  Yes, his daughter! He felt a wave of anger dissipate, and he couldn't help but shed tears. His precious daughter had never suffered such hardships in her life. What was called "rest" was clearly just house arrest. It was said that she was even ill, and on the Emperor's birthday, she wasn't allowed to enter the palace to visit him.

  "I heard the news from the palace... even Xia's nanny had an accident, and now only Xuan Yan is left by Ni Meng's side. I'm really worried that she can't withstand those ferocious fox spirits... Master, you must think of a solution."

  "What can I do?!" Narub was also somewhat annoyed, "Now even if I want to ask for help, it's up to others whether they're willing to see me or not!" At this point, which of the nobles in the capital would dare to show their face, as if hiding from the plague? "I shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place..." He lowered his voice, full of regret.

  To say, my daughter's plan was also good, but man proposes and God disposes. What can you do when heaven doesn't cooperate with human wishes? Now we can only accept it.

  He is also speechless, this matter can only be said to be too coincidental and unlucky! "It's just that Gao is really hateful." He dared to kick her while she was down and trample on her daughter's favor. She couldn't see the Duchess, otherwise, she wouldn't have let a slave like him ride roughshod over their Wulana clan.

  "What's truly formidable is Gao Bin, once he returns, the pressure on Madame Gao will be greatly alleviated." As for their household, they relied on the support of Cheng'en Duke Manor. The result was that as soon as the other side let go, this side had no one to rely on.

  "No matter what, we have to think of a way to save our daughter's life. That high-ranking official falsely accused our daughter of secretly harming Young Master Yongzhang, and now Ni Mengyi is adding insult to injury. Are we going to keep her locked up until she dies? Otherwise, I'll go to the Cheng'en Duke's estate again tomorrow to plead..."

  "Let's not go, let's slow down." Nalbu sighed and paced back and forth in the hall. "I've figured it out, we have to swallow this bitter fruit. After all these things happened, we can only blame ourselves for our daughter's insufficient means. As for Gao Shi's false accusation, that's just her family's words. Although it was found that Third Brother was indeed poisoned with a medicine that weakens the body, who saw the person who administered the poison having any connection with our daughter? Just because of an inconspicuous third-grade palace maid by her side? If there were problems, why didn't she speak up when Fourth Furen was rectifying the affairs of Qian Xi's two departments? Didn't Xia Mama bump into the wall to clear her name? Fourth Brother won't determine Niemann's guilt just based on this."

  He had some guesses in his heart, but couldn't say them out loud. Gao Bin used to be the eyes and ears of the emperor in Jiangnan, and this move by Gao Ce's wife might be a reminder to the emperor about something, with which she could gain merit, and framing her daughter was just an afterthought.

  "But——" She was worried, what if Xia Yuye couldn't hold on? With only one person, Shan Yan, who was somewhat skilled in cooking by her side, could they withstand wave after wave of plots and conspiracies?

  "Are you going to go and reason with her now?" Nalbu glared at her, "Just rest assured, as long as she behaves herself, nothing will happen. More than half of the eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department have been replaced, no one would dare to make a move now, Fourth Mistress... considering her reputation, she wouldn't let anyone from Qian Xi's residence get hurt, besides, keeping Niemann's clothes is more beneficial than bringing in another secondary mistress two years later."

  She burst into tears, she was very unconvinced, but had to admit that her daughter's situation was in a desperate plight, with no other way out except waiting and hiding.

  ……

  Coaxing her son to drink the medicine, Su Bao Rou handed him honey and water, waiting for him to fall asleep before returning to the house. She let the new palace maid retreat and was left alone with Wan Mama, saying: "Mama, I'm so scared."

  Since entering the palace, she felt afraid for the first time. The colorful cloud that had been used somewhat smoothly was transferred away, Lu'er died, and Xiangyun, who had been brought into the palace from home to rely on her assistance, turned out to be a treacherous spy with ulterior motives. Her poor An'an might have also been killed by this wicked person, but it's impossible to investigate now. Her Yongzhao was poisoned... If it weren't for High Consort trying to gain merit and lift the ban, who knows when this matter would have been exposed? She didn't dare imagine the pain of watching her children die one by one.

  “…Everything will be alright.” The nanny could only comfort her like this. This master has a shallow foundation, the only person she brought into the palace had problems with their hands, and it's likely that she'll be neglected by the king for a while. That high-ranking concubine is truly skilled in her ways. But whether the glory obtained through such means can last long or not, who knows? The king isn't someone to be trifled with.

  "Looking at it now, the two consorts have gone too far this time. Although they didn't strip Consort Shu of her position, that was just to maintain the dignity of the imperial family. From now on, whether or not things go smoothly, I'm afraid it won't be simply because of the prince's favoritism. You see, isn't there a Xia Cao beside Fu Cha Ge Ge? That's someone who has been bought off by Consort Gao... As long as you keep a low profile and don't cause trouble, the four consorts won't make things difficult for you."

  Su Bao Rou held back her tears, she was thinking of sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, maybe secretly helping Ula Nara's side concubine, for a better future for her son. But now she really lost heart. Not only because of Ula Nara's and Gao's ruthless tactics, but also being intimidated by Concubine Fu's extraordinary means, she couldn't figure out the extent of Concubine Fu's power in the palace. She was aware of all the hidden pawns in the various palaces of Qian Xi Er, borrowing strength to strike, eliminating unfavorable factors for her side, and even striking at those who followed her, using both kindness and intimidation. And later, Gao's commotion only showed the emperor and princes that she also had weaknesses, which would not make them unhappy, but rather put them at ease.

  As soon as something happened, no one asked about it on my side, but the emperor and Xi Guifei frequently rewarded Fugui with many things...

  As soon as she thought of the intricate calculations inside, her heart felt apprehensive.

  "Kerriet wasn't always obedient, this time not only did she lose the confidant she brought into the palace, but also these years of cultivating several second-rate palace maids were all swept away..."

  "If Coriette were a decent person," said Madam Wan, shaking her head slightly, "she wouldn't have reached out to our courtyard. Lan Xi is largely responsible for Ru's affairs. On the bright side, although these days have been turbulent, the unfaithful servants around Master have been eliminated, and future days should be much more stable." It's just that from now on, we'll have to live under Fugui's scrutiny.

  One after another, the big cleaning, Ganxi two houses, regardless of new or old, as long as it's someone else's nail thread, Fu Jin pulled out eight or nine out of ten. Later, even if someone inserts nails again, they can't escape Fu Jin's surveillance from all sides.

  Su Bao Rou could also think of this. After being framed by Wu La Na Ra and Gao Shi several times, she stumbled through the difficulties, with gains and losses. Now that they have been suppressed by Fu Jin, Su Bao Rou feels more and more like an ant that can be crushed to death at any time under Fu Jin's eyes.

  The old woman withdrew.

  Su Bao Rou stared at her back, thinking that this nanny was a thoughtful and cunning person who wouldn't easily take action for herself. She had become more cautious with age, cherishing her life. Unfortunately, she couldn't control the people outside the palace who were related to her, so she couldn't do anything about it. She wanted to use her kindness to manipulate others, but couldn't find an opportunity... It was a headache. She still had to rely on this nanny to cultivate her own people. The nanny was just living out her days in passivity here; if you didn't harm others, they would harm you - she understood that clearly.

  But who else can she rely on besides her children? Her eyes unconsciously looked in the direction of Chengqian Palace, it has been a year since An's departure brought her not only the pain of losing her daughter but also Xi Guifei's dissatisfaction with herself. She could only bite her teeth and swallow her blood and tears, pretending to be unaware and continuing to be filial and respectful to her as usual.

  Born as a prince of the Han army, his situation is not even comparable to that of Jinshi from the Bao Yi flag. He needs the attitude of Xi Guifei, and her gentle and pleasant demeanor can at least make others dare not trample on herself and her children.

  Su Bao Rou was thinking of ways to win back Xi Guifei's favor, while in the Cheng Qian Palace, Xi Guifei was quietly pondering some recent events that had occurred within the palace.

  She has no other advantages, but she still has a grasp of the overall situation and vision. The incident at Yu Huayuan on Chongyang Festival can be said to have made her the most angry except for Hongli and Yunzhu, and also made her vigilant.

  Hongli has not yet ascended to the throne, if a scandal about Fu Jin being unfaithful were to really come out, would this crown prince's hat still be able to stay on? She is also the daughter of a fourth-rank official, and she knows the basic principles of cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. Wasn't it also because of internal strife that Emperor Kangxi didn't look favorably upon Eighth Brother Yinxiang back then? Therefore, regarding Hongli's later actions, as well as Yunzhu's thorough purge of Qianxi, she supported him all the way through.

  But Wulana and Gao made her detest them even more. Is this how they competed for favor? She didn't care how they fought in private, but when it affected her son's future and tarnished the imperial family's reputation, she wouldn't tolerate it.

  To know that this harem is not short of princes and concubines, there is a Lu Concubine who gave birth to a son but has been hiding in the Jingyang Palace and hasn't come out. There is also a Gu Concubine whose family background is strong and has won the emperor's favor. In the past, the Holy Ancestor was able to depose the crown prince, how can we be sure that the emperor will not shift his attention to another imperial brother in the future...

  For now, we still have to unite closely with our son and daughter-in-law. Our son doesn't have any backing from his wife's family, so he can't afford to lose their support again.

  The author has something to say: These days, the background of Jinjiang has been lagging, and I couldn't read V novels. The background was also difficult to log in, so I simply stopped updating... Everyone has waited for a long time:)

  The following is the main body of the text:

  It was already November, the sunlight was thin, the clouds were low in the sky, and the north wind howled, freezing people's faces. He Tala led a few boxes of gifts to visit Cheng'en Gongfu again on the third day after Wan Shou Jie.

  The Cheng'en Duke's mansion was grand and majestic, with tall trees swaying in the cold winter wind. The decorations between the buildings still revealed a low-key festive atmosphere, but after the Double Ninth Festival, Ta La Shi had entered this place several times without receiving a warm welcome from anyone in the mansion.

  "He Tower Lady, our lady is busy, you'd better go back." After a while, Lai Ayi returned to the main hall and politely said to He Ta La.

  He Tala could hear the coldness in her tone and stood up awkwardly, "Then I'll come visit another day."

  In his heart, he was anxious, but there was nothing he could do if others didn't see him. He had thought that this time, during the Wan Shou Festival, everyone would celebrate together, and with the Qing dynasty having just recovered Macau from the Portuguese, it would be a good opportunity to reward those who had contributed to the victory. Although the Ula Nara clan had been a laughing stock among the Eight Banners nobles in the past, the Emperor still remembered his filial piety towards Empress Dowager and issued an edict allowing Ula Nara to inherit the title of First Rank Duke. Several members of the Ula Nara clan also joined the Navy and received rewards. Narbu thought that the atmosphere at Cheng'en Gong Fu should have dissipated a bit, allowing his wife to come and apologize again.

  "There's no need for Lady Tala to come over. Lately, our lady hasn't been feeling well and has been busy packing the old master's luggage for his trip to Tibet, so she really doesn't have time to receive guests."

  "This is extremely rude, Ta Lai was not a gentle and tolerant person to begin with. He held back his anger all the way back to the Sa Ling Fu, but couldn't help scolding: "Can that matter be entirely blamed on us? If it weren't for De Bao's obsession with that title, thinking that we Ni Meng Yi could also lend a hand, would he have made such an effort?! This kind of thing can't be accomplished by one person alone, now that things haven't succeeded, they're shifting all the blame to our family?! Is the Cheng En Gong Fu really that great?!"

  Nalbu looked at his wife with red eyes and knew she had been wronged in Cheng'en Gongfu. He sighed, "Think about Niemengyi."

  Yes, his daughter! He felt a wave of anger dissipate, and he couldn't help but shed tears. His precious daughter had never suffered such hardships in her life. What was called "rest" was clearly just house arrest. It was said that she was even ill, and on the Emperor's birthday, she wasn't allowed to enter the palace to visit him.

  "I heard the news from the palace... even Xia's nanny had an accident, and now only Xuan Yan is left by Ni Meng's side. I'm really worried that she can't withstand those vicious fox spirits... Master, you must think of a solution."

  "What can I do?!" Narub was also somewhat annoyed, "Now even if I want to ask for help, it's up to others whether they are willing to see me or not!" At this time, which of the nobles in the capital would dare to show their face, as if hiding from the plague? "I shouldn't have agreed earlier..." He lowered his voice, full of regret.

  To say, my daughter's plan was also good, but man proposes and God disposes. What can you do when heaven doesn't cooperate with human wishes? Now we can only accept it.

  He is also speechless, this matter can only be said to be too coincidental and unlucky! "It's just that Gao is really hateful." He dared to kick her while she was down and step on her daughter's favor. She couldn't see the Duchess, otherwise, she wouldn't have let a slave like him ride over their heads of the Wulana clan.

  "What's truly formidable is Gao Bin, when he returns, the pressure on Madame Gao will be greatly alleviated." As for their household, they relied on the support of Cheng'en Duke Manor, but once they let go, this side was left with no one to turn to.

  "No matter what, we have to think of a way to save our daughter's life. That high-ranking official falsely accused our daughter of secretly harming Young Master Yongzhang, and now Ni Mengyi is adding insult to injury. Are we going to keep her locked up until she dies? Otherwise, I'll go to the Cheng'en Duke's estate again tomorrow to plead..."

  "Let's not go, let's slow down." Nalbu sighed and paced back and forth in the hall. "I think I understand now, we have to swallow this bitter fruit. After all these things happened, it can only be blamed on my daughter's insufficient means. As for Gao Shi's false accusation, that is just her family's words. Although it was found out that the third prince was indeed given a medicine that made his body weak, who saw the person who administered the medicine having contact with my daughter? Just because of an inconspicuous third-grade palace maid by her side? If there was a problem, why didn't she speak up when the fourth princess was rectifying the west wing? Didn't Xia Mama bump into the wall to prove her innocence? The fourth prince won't determine Ni Mengyi's guilt just based on this."

  He had some guesses in his heart, but couldn't say them out loud. Gao Bin used to be the eyes and ears of the emperor in Jiangnan, and this move by Gao Ce's wife might be a reminder to the emperor about something, with which she could gain merit and frame her daughter at the same time.

  "But——" She was worried, what if Xia Mama couldn't hold on? With only one person, Xuan Yan, who was somewhat skilled in cooking by her side, could they withstand wave after wave of plots and conspiracies?

  "Are you going to go and reason with her now?" Nalbu glared at her, "Just rest assured, as long as she behaves herself, nothing will happen. More than half of the eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department have been replaced, no one would dare to make a move now, Fourth Mistress... considering her reputation, she wouldn't let anyone from Qian Xi's residence get hurt, besides, keeping Niemann's clothes is more beneficial than bringing in another secondary mistress two years later."

  She burst into tears, she was very unconvinced, but had to admit that her daughter's situation was in a desperate plight, with no other way out except waiting and hiding.

  ……

  Coaxing her son to drink the medicine, Su Bao Rou was busy offering honey and water until he fell asleep before she returned to the house. She let the new palace maid retreat and kept only Wan Mama, saying: "Mama, I'm so scared."

  Since entering the palace, she felt afraid for the first time. The colorful cloud that had been used somewhat smoothly was transferred away, Lu'er died, and Xiangyun, who had been brought into the palace from home to rely on her assistance, turned out to be a treacherous spy with ulterior motives. Her poor An'an might have also been killed by this wicked person, but it's impossible to investigate now. Her Yongzhao was poisoned... If it weren't for High Consort trying to gain merit and lift the ban, who knows when this matter would have been exposed? She didn't dare imagine the pain of watching her children die one by one.

  “…Everything will be fine.” The nanny could only comfort her like this. This master has a shallow foundation, and the only person she brought into the palace had problems with her hands, and it's likely that she'll be neglected by the king for a while. That high-ranking concubine is indeed skilled. But whether the glory obtained through such means can last long or not, who knows? The king isn't someone to be trifled with.

  "Looking at it now, the two consorts have gone too far this time. Although they didn't strip Consort Shu of her position, that was just to maintain the dignity of the imperial family. From now on, whether or not things go smoothly, I'm afraid it won't be solely due to the prince's favoritism. You see, isn't there a Xia Cao beside Fu Cha Ge Ge? That's someone who has been bought off by Consort Gao... As long as you keep a low profile and don't cause trouble, the four consorts won't make things difficult for you."

  Su Bao Rou held back her tears, she was still thinking of sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, maybe secretly helping Ula Nara's side concubine, for a better future for her son. But now she really lost heart. Not only because of Ula Nara's and Gao's ruthless tactics, but also being intimidated by Concubine Fu's extraordinary means, she couldn't fathom the extent of Concubine Fu's power in the palace, surprisingly having a clear understanding of the hidden forces in each courtyard of Qian Xi Er So, borrowing strength to strike, eliminating unfavorable factors for her side, and even taking advantage of the situation to deal with those who followed her, using both kindness and severity. And later, Gao's commotion only served to show the Emperor and the princes that she also had weaknesses, which would not only fail to displease them but rather put them at ease.

  As soon as something happened, no one asked about it on our side, but the Emperor and Xi Guifei frequently rewarded Fugui with many things...

  As soon as she thought of the intricate calculations inside, her heart felt apprehensive.

  "Korriyet didn't used to be so reckless, this time not only did she lose the confidant she brought into the palace, but also got rid of several second-rate palace maids she had cultivated over the years..."

  "If Coriette were a decent person," said Madam Wan, shaking her head slightly, "she wouldn't have reached out to our courtyard. Lan Xi is largely responsible for Ru's affairs. On the bright side, although these days have been turbulent, the unfaithful servants around Master have been eliminated, and future days should be much more stable." It's just that from now on, we'll have to live under Fugui's watchful eyes.

  One after another, the big cleaning, Ganxi two houses, regardless of new or old, as long as it's someone else's nail thread, Fu Jin pulled out eight or nine out of ten. Later, even if someone inserts nails again, they can't escape Fu Jin's surveillance from all sides.

  Su Bao Rou could also think of this. After being framed by Wu La Na Ra and Gao Shi several times, she stumbled through the difficulties, with gains and losses. Now that they have been suppressed by Fu Jin, Su Bao Rou feels more and more like an ant that can be crushed to death at any time under Fu Jin's eyes.

  The old lady went back down.

  Su Bao Rou stared at her back, thinking that this nanny was a thoughtful and cunning person who wouldn't easily take action for herself. She had become more cautious with age, cherishing her life. Unfortunately, she couldn't control the people outside the palace who were related to her, so she couldn't do anything about it. She wanted to use her influence but couldn't find an opportunity... It was a headache. She still had to rely on this nanny to cultivate her own people. The nanny was just living out her days in passivity here; if you didn't harm others, they would harm you - she understood that clearly.

  But who else can she rely on besides her children? Her eyes unconsciously looked in the direction of Chengqian Palace, it has been a year since An's departure brought her not only the pain of losing her daughter but also Xi Guifei's dissatisfaction with herself. She could only grit her teeth and swallow her blood and tears, pretending to be unaware and continuing to show filial piety and respect to her.

  Born as a prince of the Han army, his situation is not even comparable to that of Jinshi from the Bao Yi flag. He needs the attitude of Xi Guifei, and her gentle smile can at least make others dare not trample on herself, and also for the sake of her children.

  Su Bao Rou was thinking of ways to regain Xi Guifei's favor, while in the Cheng Qian Palace, Xi Guifei was quietly pondering some recent events that had occurred within the palace.

  She has no other advantages, but she still has a grasp of the overall situation and vision. The incident at Yu Huayuan on Chongyang Festival can be said to have made her the most angry except for Hongli and Yunzhu, and also made her vigilant.

  Hongli has not yet ascended to the throne, if a scandal about Fu Jin being unfaithful were to really break out, would this crown prince's hat still be able to stay on? She is also the daughter of a fourth-rank official and knows the basic principles of cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. Wasn't it also because of internal strife that Emperor Kangxi didn't look favorably upon Eighth Brother Yinxiang back then? Therefore, regarding Hongli's later actions, as well as Yunzhu's rare support for the great purge of Qianxi,

  But Wulana and Gao made her detest, is this how they compete for favor? She doesn't care how they fight in private, but when it affects her son's future and damages the imperial family's reputation, she won't tolerate it.

  To know that this harem is not short of princes and concubines, there is a Lu Concubine who gave birth to a son but has been hiding in the Jingyang Palace and hasn't come out. There is also a Gu Concubine whose family background is strong and has won the emperor's favor. In the past, the Holy Ancestor was able to depose the crown prince, how can we be sure that the emperor will not shift his attention to another imperial brother in the future...

  For now, we still have to unite closely with our son and daughter-in-law. Our son doesn't have any backing from his wife's family, so he can't afford to lose their support again.