Beautiful Dream Around Jade Pool 141 Good Days and Scenic Spots (Part 2) Hunhunwang
"Shall we go for a walk?"
"Alright." Yunzhu took a few pieces of jade-carved paperweights to press the painting down, and would put it away when she came back. No one saw that after Hongli went out, he gave Wu Shu a signal with his eyes. This was the first piece of work that combined poetry and painting between him and Yunzhu, and since the painting also had his children in it, such a representative work must be kept by himself.
Wu Shulai followed Hongli for over a decade and had become extremely skilled at guessing his master's intentions. After receiving Hongli's hint, he stood still, sweating profusely for a while before entering the study, carefully putting away the painting. No one knew better than him that the poems and paintings stored in the outer library of Qianxi were all handwritten by Empress Fuca, painstakingly collected by his master.
Two people walked side by side, after a while, Hong Li felt a bit hot and looked at Yun Zhu who was cool and sweat-free: "Why don't we go to Thirteen Uncle's Qi Chun Garden? It's famous for its water features, the scenery is beautiful and it's also cool." Yuanmingyuan has many places to visit, but there will be plenty of time to stroll around later, no need to join in the bustle now. He didn't want to run into the emperor's consorts, wasting this beautiful day on socializing.
"Is it suitable?" Although she hesitated slightly, her mood was undoubtedly pleasant. The current Gui Chun Yuan and Chang Chun Yuan were not yet combined with Yuanmingyuan, so being able to take a look was also good. He smiled faintly, and her yearning yet hesitant appearance was really lovely, with a subtle slyness that flashed faintly in her elegant and clean demeanor, making it so endearing. "Don't worry, the two gardens are close together, not only do Thirteen Uncle and Imperial Mother often come and go, but when I was young, I also played there with Hongyu."
Yunzhu listened with a smile as he talked about his childhood in the Yuanmingyuan, thinking that such moments were rare. Although she didn't have much respect for Emperor Qianlong in history, after marrying this man, she gradually understood that when he was young, he had to work hard to leave a good impression on Yongzheng and Kangxi, and he also paid a lot of effort to get their attention.
After listening to him finish two stories about his mischievous behavior with Hong Duan, she skillfully changed the subject and started talking about the scenery along the way.
Arriving at Chunze Garden, Yunzhu exclaimed: "The scenery here is indeed as elegant and beautiful as the gardens of Suzhou." If I didn't know where this was, I would have thought I was in Jiangnan. Those who have been to both the north and south know that the two places have distinct styles. Although there are also gardens in the north that have a strong Jiangnan flavor, they only capture a fraction of it, and very few can fully replicate that charm.
"Spring is the best time to enjoy the view here, but in summer, it's better to stay at Qingxiang Hall in the west. Let's go that way." He explained all the way, not feeling thirsty or hungry. Yunzhu took out a handkerchief and helped him wipe away the sweat on his forehead, saying: "Let's take a break before continuing."
He took her hand and found a pavilion with dense summer shade and breeze, where they sat down. Yunzhu took out a handkerchief and had Siqi, who was following behind them, dip it in the lake water and bring it over to personally help him wipe his face and hands. He felt comfortable and let out a sigh, feeling that all the heat had been dispelled from his body. When it was her turn, Hongli took over and personally gently wiped her face and hands for her. He couldn't help but feel that the handkerchief in his hand was rough compared to her delicate and fair skin... The beauty of it all lay in this tender and considerate service to one another.
"It's much cooler." She smiled and said to Cai Lu, "Bring over the dim sum." The servants behind her were all experienced and had already poured tea and placed it on one side.
"Hmm, it's a fruit agar. The red, yellow and green transparent agar contains cherry paste, lychee pulp, strawberry paste or mango pulp. This kind of fruit agar is what Yunzhu loves to make the most in summer, with a cool and sweet taste that not only Hongli likes, but also Yongzheng can't get enough of."
"What is this yellow thing made of? The granules inside are lychee, huh, and this piece is mango. The color of the pastry doesn't need to be said, it's also made with floral broth, just like chrysanthemum cake."
"It's made from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides, which has the effect of clearing heat and relieving irritability, cooling blood and detoxifying. It's most suitable for summer consumption." She also pinched a piece wrapped with strawberry jam and ate it slowly.
"The slave has seen the Fourth Prince and Fourth Princess Consort." Hong Jin brings over Nala Fuerdana to pay her respects.
"Hong Jin? Is this my sister-in-law? No need to be polite." Hong Li's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and asked, "How did you end up here?" Although he sympathized with him for running into such a terrible ex-wife, he hadn't forgotten that this guy had previously had designs on Yun Zhu.
Hong Jin's expression was calm and collected, "The Emperor summoned me over to ask about some matters regarding the Xiang Jun Camp."
It's probably related to the reform of the military system. Hongli nodded slightly in his heart and didn't ask any more questions, his eyes glanced at Nala who was chatting with Yunzhu, thinking that Hongxian was probably satisfied with this successor of Fuheng, otherwise he wouldn't have brought her to Qichun Garden together.
He did not know that Hong Zhen was ordered by Princess Yi's consort and had no choice but to do so. For the sake of her son, Princess Yi's consort welcomed Nala into the household at the fastest speed, and on the grounds that a newlywed could not neglect his wife, she forbade him from treating the cavalry camp as his home like before, and also prevented him from focusing solely on official duties during his honeymoon. He had no choice but to bring someone along with him.
However, there are advantages to having her. With her around, he doesn't have to worry as much when meeting the Fourth Prince and Yunzhu. He glanced at Xiangyun, who was smiling as she talked to Fuerana about making fruit jelly, and his heart stirred slightly as he watched Yunzhu bring some fruit for them. Perhaps this imperial concubine wasn't so unacceptable after all. As soon as he saw Yunzhu earlier, his mind had wandered uncontrollably for a moment - how long had it been since he last saw her? She seemed to have become even more beautiful. The way she ate, the way she smiled, it seemed like she was doing well. But when he thought about Ulanara, who would soon be marrying into the Dryan clan as a secondary imperial concubine, his heart turned cold again. He was also a man, and he knew the pain of men - now that the Fourth Prince was treating her well, how could he be sure he would continue to treat her well in the future?
Moreover, from the information I got myself, that Ulanara is not only beautiful, but also has a deep mind. The Ulanara Mansion... Hmph, it must have inherited a lot of power left by Empress Dowager Cixi.
He hooked his lips and said to Hongli: "You must be careful with Hongxi, recently Hongsheng and Hongpu have been inquiring about the cannon factory and gunpowder factory."
"The arsenal and the pharmacy are both in the hands of the emperor's father, it's a fantasy to think they can intervene." Hongli heard this and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. Even if they couldn't get weapons from the arsenal or gunpowder factory, they could still get them from some people in the Xiang Army or the Imperial Guard, Vanguard Battalion. "The weapons and ammunition being distributed now are all accounted for, you'd better keep an eye on the Xiang Army."
Hong Jing furrowed his brow, "This is natural." However, secretly there were connections, and no matter how tightly he grasped them, it was useless. "I'm afraid they're inquiring about these weapons not for research, but to directly take them to kill people."
Hongli's heart tightened, what if they were used to deal with himself or Yunzhu and her mother?
Hong Jing saw that he was frowning, knowing that he had taken his words to heart, and secretly let out a breath of relief. It's always good to be on guard.
"Prince, have a piece of chilled cake, it's delicious." Fuerana was still a bit afraid of Hongzhen. Since their marriage, he had always been distant to her. His tall stature and cold demeanor made him seem charming but unapproachable. However, when she heard that the Fourth Madam had personally prepared these pastries, she suddenly realized that if the mountain wouldn't come to her, she would go to the mountain. The Fourth Brother's fondness for the Fourth Madam wasn't just because of her family background and appearance, right? One day, Hongzhen would see her good qualities too.
She wasn't one to torture herself, she just felt that Hong Zhen didn't care about her because on the one hand, her appearance and talent didn't match his ideal, and on the other hand, she was influenced by the previous Fu Jin (after entering the house, Yi Qin Wang's Fu Jin was afraid that she wouldn't understand and secretly hinted to her about Xi Lin Ge Luo's affairs). Now that she had adjusted her mindset, she regained her former optimism when she was at home.
With the attitude of "time reveals one's true character", Hongzhi indeed grew more and more respectful, loving and trusting towards her. Throughout his life, he only had two women: his wife Fu Jin and his concubine Consort Ding. His two sons were also born to her.
Hong Jin paused, took the fruit agar jelly she handed over, and slowly ate it in his mouth. He felt that the taste was refreshing and cool, with a hint of jasmine fragrance and a slight bitterness unique to flowers and grasses, mixed with the tender sweetness of the fruit pulp... It was cherry. "Not bad."
Flana smiled and said, "I also like cherries, they look good."
Hong Li felt that he was not as sharp as Yun Zhu, although thinking about Hong Zhen's past secret love for Yun Zhu still made him feel a little uncomfortable with a hint of jealousy. However, watching Hong Zhen interact with Na Lai Shi, he thought that he should have put aside his past thoughts. Recalling the various intense confrontations between Hong Zhen and Fu Heng over the past year, he gradually let go of the discomfort in his heart, thinking that this younger brother was indeed outstanding but not a big deal, and would become a pillar of the country in the future.
"I was just about to go for a walk at Qing Xia Tang with your sister-in-law, what about you?"
Hong Zhen was hesitating, when Flana spoke up first: "Let's go together, we just so happen to be staying at the Qing Xia Tang. Fourth Sister, can I come find you at the Xing Hua Chun Guan tomorrow?"
"Of course." Yunzhu smiled, she and Gu Niang didn't quite get along, but Nala Fuerdana was a good person to interact with. The two were of similar age and social status, and Nala's temperament made her easy to get along with. As for Hong Chen's little thoughts, he wouldn't say them out loud anyway, so she didn't mind.
Hong Yin was secretly delighted with this decision, and it would be good to spend more time with Yunzhu. Hong Li was very helpless, but the two bright candles were added. However, during their stay in Yuanmingyuan, it was also good for Yunzhu to have a female companion to socialize with. He was busy with official duties and couldn't always accompany her, and triplets, no matter how good they were, weren't conversation partners.
On the road, Yunzhu also cared about Yuanya and Xiaowanjing. Hongchen smiled and said: "The little guy is white and chubby, and his spirit is good."
Fulan said: "Xiao Wanjun is very cute, but she's picky about who holds her. Apart from her mother and Third Brother and his wife, no one else can hold her."
Yunzhu smiled and said, "Children are all like this, they just need to be held often, even triplets love me to hold them." They always liked to lean towards her, probably because of the spiritual energy around her in addition to their natural mother-child bond.
"It would be better if Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law also came to live in Qiu Chun Garden." said Furana. In the mansion, she was still a bit restrained as a new daughter-in-law, besides, she didn't like Eldest Sister-in-law, although they were both from the Manchu Nara clan, but their personalities really didn't get along, and Eldest Sister-in-law's eyes were full of jealousy and vigilance when looking at her. "Unfortunately, Eldest Sister-in-law is ill, so Third Sister-in-law has to help Mother manage the household..." In comparison, Third Sister-in-law was much easier to get along with.
Hong Chang's wife is ill? Yunzhu's eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Auntie's illness isn't serious, is it?"
"I heard that she had eaten something bad and caught a chill. I went to see her before I came here, the imperial physician also prescribed some medicine, it shouldn't be anything serious."
Yunzhu didn't have a good impression of Hongchang Furen, but she casually asked and heard her say so, so she let it go. The few people continued on their way, admiring the scenery and chatting and laughing, feeling extremely relaxed and happy.
The next day, Narra Frolana did come to visit Apricot Spring Pavilion. She was very fond of the triplets and spent more time playing with them than talking to Yunzhu.
Yunzhu selected a few large mangoes from the ice house, cut them into small pieces and placed them in a white porcelain bowl. She then drizzled yogurt cheese and osmanthus honey over them. Suwen and Fengyi were asked to deliver it to the Xiweng Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace. On summer days, people often have poor appetites, but this sweet dish was just right for the occasion.
Yunzhu fed the triplets a bit, and Flana also had a bowl. When she finished, she sighed: "Fourth sister is really amazing, able to make such delicious desserts..."
"Nonsense, you just don't care about these desserts. Doesn't the ice bowl from Yi Qin Wang Fu taste good?" As soon as summer arrived, all the major mansions in Beijing had their own unique ice bowl dishes, and due to the different hobbies of the masters, many extremely distinctive flavors were created. Madame Yi Qin Wang had loved eating ice bowls since she was young, and the mansion had collected over a dozen ways of making them. She didn't believe that Flora hadn't tried any of them.
"It's delicious, but Fourth Aunt's cooking is also delicious."
"This is not difficult either, if you don't like to do it yourself, you can let the slaves below do it, same thing."
Flora said: "Actually, it's not that I don't like doing it, it's just that I didn't have this kind of thinking before, and I only learned a few dishes. My needlework is pretty good."
"Hmm, you gave Heping and Jing those jade pendants with intricate knots, did you tie them yourself? They look great." Yunzhu praised.
"I used to think I wrote decent characters, but after seeing Fourth Aunt's handwriting, I feel that mine is really not worth looking at, hers are nice:"
She's really honest. Yunzhu couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Whether the word is written well or not depends on two things: talent and effort. I've been practicing calligraphy every day for two hours since I was three years old. If it doesn't look good, wouldn't that be terrible?"
"Is it like this every day, for two hours?"
"There is more but no less."
"No wonder the fourth sister is good at calligraphy, it's really rare to be able to persist for over a decade. Having talent is enviable, but without hard work, it's also difficult to achieve success in calligraphy. Furana understands this point, her father Charlanga was quite accomplished among the Manchu people, otherwise he wouldn't have become a university scholar. Influenced by her father, although she didn't become a talented poet or painter, her calligraphy is much better than that of ordinary banner women."
"It's just that I like the calm and peaceful feeling when writing."
"It's like that," Flana said, "You have to like what you're doing."
The two of them chatted about some other things, and Flana found herself optimistic and cheerful. Yunzhu was excellent, but the feeling she gave people was that everything she did was just to make herself more comfortable in life, not to show off to others. This attitude made Flana like her very much.
It must be said that Flana's approach to Yunzhu was half due to her admiration for Yunzhu's beauty and talent, and half out of consideration for her own interests. However, after several encounters during their short stay in the Yuanmingyuan, she gradually came to genuinely like Yunzhu's personality and way of doing things, and began to interact with her sincerely.
On June 13, Wu Zaku, the fifth concubine of Hongyou, gave birth to their second son, Yongbi. During the third day ritual, Yunzhu returned to the palace, presented gifts and visited Wu Zaku, seeing that both she and the child were in good health and spirits, and congratulated her.
Perhaps it was too provocative, on the seventh night of July, the palace followed the example and set up an incense case in the imperial garden to pray for cleverness. Lu Guiren, who rarely went out of the house, slipped and fell because a palace maid accidentally knocked over a basin, and her five-month-old belly almost miscarried. When the news came, Yongzheng only replied indifferently: "Has the imperial physician examined her? Then let her rest well in the house."
"Isn't she supposed to be avoiding Xi Guifei? Why is she still going to the Imperial Garden to join in the commotion?"
"She didn't go to the Yu Hua Garden, but rather a colorful pavilion set up by the palace people in the Jingyang Palace." Su Wen said. Lu Gui Ren was not very old and had a strong desire for favoritism, she respectfully asked Xiangxiang to pray for wealth, love, and cleverness from the Cowherd and Weaving Maiden, how could she not be moved?
Yunzhu knew about this matter and copied a couplet from "Xiao Chuang You Ji": "Honors and insults do not surprise, watching the flowers bloom and fall in front of the courtyard; leaving without intention, looking at the clouds rolling and stretching in the sky."
After reading it, Hongli hugged her tightly. Marrying him, this kind of free and easy life could only be a dream for her. Perhaps being calm and natural was her true nature, but living in the imperial palace, she had to tell herself to be content with what she had, not to worry about losing anything, not to be surprised by favors or humiliation, and not to have any intention of leaving or staying.
This matter made Yunzhu's attitude, which had been relaxed for nearly a month, become cautious again.
Her premonition was always so accurate, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shi Yunzhu returned after releasing river lanterns and couldn't put her mind at ease about the triplets, so she went to their room to take a look. She saw that Hua Hui was sleeping while hugging the toy leather ball she had made for them, so she walked forward to take it away, but unexpectedly caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance.
She quietly let Guo Mama go and investigate, soon finding out that it was a small eunuch in charge of washing the triplet's toys who had spoken to a familiar little eunuch while washing, and the little eunuch had secretly dripped the juice of Wuhua Meihua leaf into it when she wasn't paying attention.
The little eunuch and the little palace maid were flogged but did not confess who had instructed them, Yunzhu simply handed them over to Hongli, his son and daughter also had a share, someone wanted to harm his offspring, he naturally also wanted to investigate to the end.
Hongli had been secretly guarding against the guards and eunuchs in the Yuanmingyuan, thinking that the ones who would make a move were Hongxi's people. Unexpectedly, the clues pointed to this little eunuch and palace maid, and it turned out that not only did they have contact with Hongxi's people, but also had connections with the Wulana household. He was so angry that his face turned iron-green.
Death has no witness. Did the Ulanara family have any connection with Hong Xi's son? Is it that Hong Xi's people framed and intentionally provoked Yunzhu and the Ulanara family to be incompatible, or is this Ulanara family too arrogant, and before entering his mansion, they reached out to his eldest son and daughter?
No matter what, Ulanara needs to calm down a bit.
At the end of July, Hong Li Yunzhu returned to the palace. Wulana was about to enter the door, and as the legitimate Fu Jin Yunzhu could not be absent, and as the new official groom, Hong Li could not be absent no matter how reluctant he was.
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"Want to go for a walk together?"
"Alright." Yunzhu took a few pieces of jade-carved paperweights to press down the painting, and would put it away when she came back. No one saw that after Hongli went out, he gave Wu Shu a signal with his eyes. This was the first piece of work that combined poetry and painting between him and Yunzhu, and since the painting also had his children in it, such a representative work must be kept by himself.
Wu Shulai had been following Hongli for over a decade, and his understanding of his master's intentions had reached a high level. After receiving Hongli's hint, he stood still in a cold sweat for a while before entering the study, carefully putting away the painting. No one knew better than him that the poems and paintings stored in the outer library of Qianxi were all handwritten by Empress Fuca, which were painstakingly collected by his master.
Two people walked side by side, after a while, Hong Li felt a bit hot and looked at Yunzhu who was cool and sweat-free: "Why don't we go to Thirteen Uncle's Qichun Garden? It's famous for its water features, the scenery is beautiful and it's also cool." Yuanmingyuan has many places to visit, but there will be plenty of time to stroll around later, no need to join in the bustle now. He didn't want to run into the emperor's consorts, wasting this good weather on socializing.
"Is it suitable?" Although she hesitated slightly, her mood was undoubtedly pleasant. The current Gui Chun Yuan and Chang Chun Yuan were not yet combined with Yuanmingyuan, so being able to take a look was also good. He smiled faintly, and her yearning yet hesitant appearance was really lovely, with a subtle slyness that flashed faintly in her elegant and clean demeanor, making it so endearing. "Don't worry, the two gardens are close together, not only do Thirteen Uncle and Imperial Mother often come and go, but when I was young, I also played there with Hongyu."
Yunzhu listened with a smile as he talked about his childhood in the Yuanmingyuan, thinking that such moments were rare. Although she didn't have much respect for Emperor Qianlong in history, after marrying this man, she gradually understood that when he was young, he had to work hard to leave a good impression on Yongzheng and Kangxi, and he also paid a lot of effort to get their attention.
After listening to him finish two stories about his mischievous behavior with Hong Duan, she skillfully changed the subject and started talking about the scenery along the way.
Arriving at Chunze Garden, Yunzhu exclaimed: "The scenery here is indeed as elegant and beautiful as the gardens of Suzhou and Yangzhou." If I didn't know where this was, I would have thought I was in Jiangnan. Those who have been to both the north and south know that the two places have distinct styles, although the north also has gardens with a strong Jiangnan flavor, but it's only a few points, and it's extremely rare to have that kind of charm completely.
"Spring is the best time to enjoy the scenery here, but in summer, it's better to stay in Qingxiang Hall in the west. Let's go that way." He explained all the way, not feeling thirsty or hungry at all. Yunzhu took out a handkerchief and helped him wipe away the sweat on his forehead, saying: "Let's take a break before continuing."
He took her hand and found a pavilion with dense summer shade and wind-born ripples to sit down. Yunzhu took out a handkerchief, had Siqi, who was following behind, dip it in the lake water, bring it over, and personally helped him wipe his face and hands. He felt comfortable, letting out a breath, feeling that all the summer heat had gone. When it was her turn, Hongli took over, also personally helping her gently wipe her face and hands, only to feel that the handkerchief in his hand was really rough compared to her delicate and tender skin... and there wasn't even a hint of sweat or dust on her face or hands... The beauty was just this feeling of being considerate and serving one's heart's desire.
"It's much cooler." She smiled and said to Cai Lu, "Bring over the dim sum." The servants behind her were all experienced and had already poured tea and placed it on one side.
"Hmm, it's a fruit agar. The red, yellow and green transparent agar contains cherry paste, lychee pulp, strawberry paste or mango puree. This kind of fruit agar is what Yunzhu loves to make the most in summer, refreshing and sweet when eaten, not only does Hongli like it, but also Yongzheng has had his fair share."
"What is this yellow thing made of? The granules inside are lychee, huh, and this piece is mango." The color of the pastry is also made from floral broth, just like chrysanthemum cake.
"It's made from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides, which has the effect of clearing heat and relieving irritability, cooling blood and detoxifying. It's most suitable for summer consumption." She also pinched a piece wrapped with strawberry jam and ate it slowly.
"I've seen the Fourth Prince and Fourth Princess before, they're quite good-looking." Hong Jin brings over Nalan Furena to pay her respects.
"Hong Jin? Is this my sister-in-law? No need to be polite." Hong Li's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and asked, "How did you end up here?" Although he sympathized with him for running into such a terrible ex-wife, he hadn't forgotten that this guy had previously had designs on Yun Zhu.
Hong Jin's expression was calm and collected, "The Emperor summoned me over to ask about some matters regarding the Xiao Ji Camp."
It's probably related to the reform of the military system. Hongli nodded slightly in his heart and didn't ask any more questions, his eyes glanced at Nala who was chatting with Yunzhu, thinking that Hongxian was probably satisfied with this successor of Fuheng, otherwise he wouldn't have brought her to Qichun Garden together.
He did not know that Hong Zhen was ordered by Princess Yi's consort to do so. For the sake of her son, Princess Yi's consort welcomed Nala into the household at the fastest speed and forbade him from treating the Xiang Army as his home like before, using the excuse that a newlywed husband should not neglect his wife. She also stopped him from focusing on official duties during his honeymoon, so he had to bring people together.
However, there are benefits to having her around. With her by his side, he no longer feels as anxious about meeting the Fourth Prince and Yunzhu. He glanced over at Yunzhu, who was smiling and chatting with Fuerana about how to make fruit jelly, and his heart stirred slightly. Perhaps this imperial concubine wasn't so unacceptable after all. As soon as he saw Yunzhu earlier, his mind had wandered uncontrollably for a moment - how long had it been since he'd seen her? She seemed to have become even more beautiful. The way she ate, the way she smiled... it seemed like she was doing well. But when he thought about Ulanara, who would soon be marrying into the Dryan clan as a secondary imperial concubine, his heart grew cold once again. He was a man, after all, and he knew the pains of men - just because the Fourth Prince treated her well now didn't mean he always would in the future.
Moreover, from the information I got myself, that Ulanara is not only beautiful, but also has a deep mind. The Ulanara Mansion... Hmph, it must have inherited a lot of power left by Empress Dowager Cixi.
He hooked his lips and said to Hong Li: "You must be careful with Hong Xi, recently Hong Sheng and Hong Pu have been inquiring about the cannon factory and gunpowder factory."
"The cannon and medicine factories are all in the hands of the imperial father, they think about intervening is a fantasy." Hongli heard this and his eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, just because they couldn't get weapons from the cannon factory and gunpowder factory, they could also get them from some people in the Xiangjiying or Huweiying, Qianfengying. "The weapons and ammunition being issued now are all counted, you must take care of the Xiangjiying."
Hong Jing furrowed his brow, "This is natural." However, secretly there were connections, and no matter how tightly he grasped them, it was useless. "I'm afraid they're inquiring about these weapons not for research, but to directly take them to kill people."
Hongli's heart tightened, what if they were used to deal with himself or Yunzhu and her mother?
Hong Jing saw that he was frowning, knowing that he had taken his words to heart, and secretly let out a breath of relief. It's always good to be on guard.
"Prince, have a piece of chilled cake, it's delicious." Fuerana was still a bit afraid of Hongzhen. Since their marriage, he had always been distant to her. His tall stature and cold demeanor made him seem charming but unapproachable. However, when she heard that the Fourth Madam had personally prepared these pastries, she suddenly realized that if the mountain wouldn't come to her, she would go to the mountain. The Fourth Brother's fondness for the Fourth Madam wasn't just because of her family background and appearance, right? One day, Hongzhen would see her good qualities too.
She wasn't originally a self-tormented person, but she felt that Hong Zhen was not considerate of her. On the one hand, it was because her appearance and talent didn't match his ideal. On the other hand, she had been influenced by the previous Fu Jin (after entering the palace, Yi Qin Wang's Fu Jin secretly hinted to her about the West Lin Aw Luo's affairs). Now that she has adjusted her mindset, she has regained her optimism from when she was at home.
With the attitude of "time reveals a person's heart", in later days, Hong Zhen truly respected and loved her more and more. Throughout his life, he only had two women: Fu Jin (her) and his previously taken concubine, Consort Ding. The two sons were also born to her.
Hong Jin paused, took the fruit agar jelly she handed over, put it in his mouth and ate slowly, feeling that the taste was refreshing and cool with a hint of jasmine fragrance and the unique astringency of flowers and grass, mixed with the tender sweetness and sourness of the fruit pulp... It's cherry. "Not bad."
Flana smiled and said, "I also like cherries."
Hong Li felt that he was not as sharp as Yun Zhu, although thinking about Hong Zhen's past secret love for Yun Zhu still made him feel a little uncomfortable with a hint of jealousy. However, seeing how Hong Zhen interacted with Na Lai Shi, he thought that he should have put aside his past thoughts. Recalling the various intense confrontations between Hong Zhen and Fu Heng over the past year, he gradually let go of the discomfort in his heart, thinking that this younger brother was indeed outstanding but not a big deal, and would become a pillar of the country in the future.
"I was just about to go for a walk at Qingxiatang with your sister-in-law, what about you?"
Hong Zhen was hesitating, when Flana spoke up first: "Let's go together, we just so happen to be staying at Qing Xia Tang. Fourth Sister, can I come find you at Xing Hua Chun Guan tomorrow?"
"Of course." Yunzhu smiled, she and Gu Niang didn't quite get along, but Nala Fuerana was a good person to interact with. The two were of similar age and social status, and Nala Fuerana's temperament was easy-going. As for Hong Chen's little thoughts, he wouldn't say them out loud anyway, and she didn't mind.
Hong Yin was secretly delighted with this decision, and it would be good to spend more time with Yun Zhu. Hong Li, on the other hand, was quite helpless, having added two bright candles. However, during their stay in Yuanmingyuan, it was not bad for Yunzhu to have a female companion to keep her company, as he was busy with official duties and couldn't always accompany her, and triplets were not good conversational partners either.
On the road, Yunzhu also cared about Yuanya and Xiaowanjing. Hongchen smiled and said: "The little guy is white and chubby, and his spirit is good."
Fulan said: "Xiao Wanjun is very lovely, she knows people, except for her mother and third brother and sister-in-law, no one else can hold her."
Yunzhu smiled and said, "Children are all like this, they just need to be held more often. Even triplets love being hugged by me." They always liked to gather around her, probably because of the spiritual energy surrounding her, aside from the natural bond between mother and child.
"It would be better if Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law also came to live in Qiu Chun Garden." said Furana. In the mansion, she was still a bit restrained as a new daughter-in-law, besides, she didn't like Eldest Sister-in-law, although they were both from the Manchu Nara clan, but their personalities really didn't get along, and Eldest Sister-in-law's eyes were full of jealousy and vigilance when looking at her. "Unfortunately, Eldest Sister-in-law is ill, so Third Sister-in-law has to help Mother manage the household..." In comparison, Third Sister-in-law was much easier to get along with.
Hong Chang's wife is ill? Yunzhu's eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Auntie's illness isn't serious, is it?"
"I heard that she had eaten something bad and caught a chill. I went to see her before I came here, and the imperial physician also prescribed some medicine for her, so it shouldn't be anything serious."
Yunzhu didn't have a good impression of Hongchang's wife, but she casually asked and listened to her talk, so she let it go. The few people continued on their way, admiring the scenery and chatting and laughing, feeling extremely relaxed and happy.
The next day, Narra Fala really visited the Apricot Spring Pavilion. She was very fond of the triplets and spent more time playing with them than talking to Yunzhu.
Yunzhu selected a few large mangoes from the ice house, cut them into small pieces and placed them in a white porcelain bowl. She then drizzled yogurt cheese and osmanthus honey over them, and asked Suwen to have Fengyi deliver it to the Xiweng Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace. On summer days, people often lose their appetite, but this sweet dish was just what they needed.
Yunzhu fed the triplets a bit, and Flana also had a bowl. When she finished, she sighed: "Fourth sister is really amazing, able to make such delicious desserts..."
"Nonsense, you just don't care about these desserts. Doesn't the ice bowl from Yi Qin Wang Fu taste good?" As soon as summer arrived, all the major mansions in Beijing had their own unique ice bowl dishes, and due to the different hobbies of the masters, many extremely distinctive flavors were created. Madame Yi Qin Wang had loved eating ice bowls since she was young, and the mansion had collected over a dozen ways of making them. She didn't believe that Florana hadn't tried any of them.
"It's delicious, but Fourth Aunt's cooking is also delicious."
"This isn't difficult either, if you don't like doing it yourself, you can get one of the underlings below to do it, same result."
Flora said: "Actually, it's not that I don't like doing it, it's just that I didn't have this kind of thought before, and I only learned a few dishes. My needlework is pretty good."
"Hmm, you gave Heping and Jing those jade pendants with intricate knots, did you tie them yourself? They look great." Yunzhu praised.
"I used to think I wrote decent characters, but after seeing Fourth Sister's handwriting, I feel that mine are really not worth looking at."
She's really straightforward. Yunzhu couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Whether the word is written well or not depends on two things: talent and effort. I've been practicing calligraphy every day for two hours since I was three years old. If it doesn't look good, wouldn't that be too embarrassing?"
"Is it like this every day, for two hours?"
"There is more but no less."
"No wonder the fourth sister is good at calligraphy, it's really rare to be able to persist for over a decade. Having talent is enviable, but without hard work, it's also difficult to achieve success in calligraphy. Furana understands this point, her father Charlanga was quite accomplished among the Manchu people, otherwise he wouldn't have become a university scholar. Influenced by her father, although she didn't become a talented poet or painter, her calligraphy is much better than that of ordinary banner women."
"It's just that I like the calm and peaceful feeling when writing."
"It's like that," Flana said, "You have to like what you're doing."
The two of them chatted about some other things, and Flana found herself drawn to Yunzhu's optimistic and cheerful personality. Although Yunzhu was excellent in every way, the impression she gave was that everything she did was solely for her own enjoyment, rather than to impress others. This attitude really appealed to Flana.
It must be said that Flana's approach to Yunzhu was half appreciation for her talent and beauty, and half consideration of benefit. However, after several encounters during their short stay in the Garden of Perfect Brightness, she gradually came to truly like Yunzhu's character and demeanor, and began to interact with her sincerely.
On June 13, Wu Zaku, the fifth concubine of Hongxiao, gave birth to her second son, Yongbi. During the third day after birth ceremony, Yunzhu returned to the palace once, sent congratulations and gifts, and visited Wu Zaku again, seeing that both she and the child were in good health and spirits, and congratulated them.
Perhaps it was too provocative, on the seventh night of July, the palace followed the example and set up an incense case in the imperial garden to pray for cleverness. Lu Guiren, who rarely went out of the house, slipped and almost had a miscarriage because a palace maid accidentally knocked over a basin. When the news came, Yongzheng only replied indifferently: "Has the imperial physician examined her? Then let her rest well in the house."
"Isn't she supposed to be avoiding Xi Guifei? Why is she still going to the Imperial Garden to join in the commotion?"
"She didn't go to the Yu Huayuan, but rather a colorful shed set up by the palace people in the Jingyang Palace." Su Wen said. Lu Gui Ren was not very old and had a competitive heart, she respectfully asked Pian Xiang to pray for wealth, love, and cleverness from the Cowherd and Weaving Maiden.
Yunzhu knew about this matter and copied a couplet from "Xiao Chuang You Ji": "Honors and insults do not surprise, watching the flowers bloom and fall in front of the courtyard; leaving without intention, looking at the clouds rolling and stretching in the sky."
After reading it, Hongli hugged her tightly. Marrying him, this kind of carefree and elegant life could only be a dream for her. Perhaps being calm and natural was her true nature, but living in the imperial palace, she had to learn to be content with what she had, not worry about losing things, not be surprised by favors or humiliation, and not have any intention to leave or stay, which also became her self-encouragement.
This matter made Yunzhu's attitude, which had been relaxed for nearly a month, become cautious again.
Her premonition was always so accurate, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shi Yunzhu returned after releasing river lanterns and couldn't put her mind at ease about the triplets, so she went to their room to take a look. She saw that Hua Hui was sleeping while hugging the toy leather ball she had made for them, so she walked forward to take it away, but unexpectedly caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance.
She quietly let Guo Mama go and investigate, soon finding out that it was a small eunuch in charge of washing the triplets' toys who had spoken to a familiar little eunuch while washing, and the little eunuch had dripped the juice of Wumihua leaf into it when she wasn't paying attention.
The little eunuch and the little palace maid were flogged but did not confess who had instructed them, so Yunzhu handed them over to Hongli. As his son and daughter were also involved, he would naturally investigate to the end whoever wanted to harm his offspring.
Hongli had been secretly guarding against the guards and eunuchs in the Yuanmingyuan, thinking that the ones who would make a move were Hongxi's people. Unexpectedly, after investigating, he found that not only did Hongxi's people have contact with this little eunuch and palace maid, but also the shadow of the Ula Nara family was involved, making him furious to the point where his face turned iron-green.
Death has no witness. Did the Ulanara family have any connection with Hong Xi's son? Is it that Hong Xi's people framed and intentionally provoked Yunzhu and the Ulanara family to be incompatible, or is this Ulanara family too arrogant, and before entering his Dongxi Second House, they reached out to his eldest son and daughter?!
No matter what, Ulanara needs to calm down a bit.
At the end of July, Hong Li Yunzhu returned to the palace. Wulana was about to enter the door, as the legitimate Fu Jin Yunzhu could not be absent, and as the new groom, Hong Li could not be absent no matter how reluctant he was.
