Endless Hatred (Part 2)

  "Has everything been delivered smoothly?" Zheng Jia Zhuang's Liqin Wang Hongxi sat alone in the study, and saw Liqin Wang Furen Wu Langhan Zhiru enter and ask.

  At this time, the sun had already set in the west. The heavy bookshelves and desk made of sandalwood in the study made the dim lighting even more suffocating. Thinking about what she was doing, and hearing her husband's light, eerie and cold tone, Mrs. Li felt a chill run down her spine. Her voice involuntarily became low and lifeless: "It's been delivered."

  "Hmm." Hong Hui didn't find it unexpected either, sitting there like a wooden statue.

  Seeing him so worried, Li Qi's mother, Princess Wang, couldn't help but say: "Why don't we just forget about it?"

  Hong Hui's sharp eyes darted over, "What did you say?"

  The Empress Dowager urged King Li to give up, "Your Majesty, it's no use, we can't succeed... think of our son... if something happens to him, what will become of them?"

  "Ah!" Hong Xi suddenly clapped his hands and stood up, the chair unable to withstand the force of his push and slid backwards. "Give up? How can we give up? Do you think Yong Chen and Yong Fen are doing well now? A second-rate guard and a third-rate guard may be stuck in those positions forever... What about Yong Lin and Yong Mei? Are they going to spend their whole lives as idle members of the imperial family?"

  Isn't there still the title of Wang Ye? Li Qinwang Fu Jin trembled under his cannibalistic gaze and murmured, "In those years, how many descendants of the eight great iron-hat princes were treated like this? After two or three generations, everything would be forgotten, as long as the descendants had talent, they could still be reused... It's just that because Wang Ye never gave up, that's why the emperor's relatives are so defensive against us!"

  "Right! I'm not giving up!" Hong Xi shouted in anger and shame, "What makes Hong Li so much better than me? In the past, in front of Emperor Yongzheng, he was nothing, only I, only I was the grandson that Emperor Yongzheng valued and loved the most! What right does he have to ascend to the throne, while I have to retreat again and again, and stay in Zhengjia Village forever like a turtle with its head shrunk in? Even the relatives and officials don't dare to say more than a few words to me. I've had enough of this kind of life! I won't live like this anymore!"

  Hongxi's face was ferocious, with a sharp glint in his eyes, like a trapped beast exuding an intense aura of violence. He was already thirty-eight years old, and it could be said that more than half of his life had passed, but his great undertaking had not made any progress, and the hearts of those who relied on him were slowly dispersing. "I don't want my descendants to be trampled underfoot and live a life like this, they are the most noble existence in the Qing dynasty! Hongli's legitimate son? Ridiculous, what is he worth..."

  "But you've only thought of success, and haven't considered what if..."

  "There's no such thing as 'what if'!" Hong Xian roared, his face red with anger. "There won't be any 'what ifs', it will definitely succeed! You're just a woman, what do you know?!"

  "I don't understand, I don't understand, why do you want me to help you with those evil things! I don't want to implicate my sons and grandsons! As long as they can live in peace and safety, that's all I ask...!" Empress Rui cried out, she was also a noble-born Aixinjueluo descendant, her mother was the third daughter-in-law of Emperor Kangxi, Gioro Zhong. When she was appointed as the empress to Hongxiao, the crown prince had already been deposed once and was about to be deposed again, even she could see that she was a lifesaving charm arranged by Guoruo Ma for Hongxiao, so that the officials in the court and her uncles would not dare to look down on him, but at the same time, it also dashed his hopes of becoming the heir... Why couldn't he accept this reality?!

  "Are Yonglin and Yongmei not your sons? Other princes can stroll around the capital with a birdcage, but they can only follow me, their mother, to Zhengjia Village!" Of his more than ten sons, now only Yongchuan and Yongkui have an official position. What about the others? Nothing at all. If he ascends to the throne, they will all be imperial princes, future kings and dukes...

  She sneered, "They? They are your sons, not mine!" If anything happened, it would be her son who would be punished or killed! She had long since passed her prime, but he continued to take in one young and beautiful Han official's daughter after another... The previous emperor and the fourth uncle (Yongzheng) were considerate of her and did not give Hongxi any secondary consorts, but it was this person right in front of her who kept taking in concubines one after another, having sons one after another, all for his absurd and laughable imperial ambitions! "You're not obsessed with the idea that only children born to a primary wife are noble enough? They're just as inferior, forever nothing but lowly-born bastards!"

  Her words were like a slap in the face to Hong Xi! Because he wasn't truly born of the first wife either, his mother was just Ah Ma's secondary concubine! Everything was just an excuse for his jealousy and discontent! Hong Xi's face turned iron-gray, pointing at the gate with one finger, saying word by word: "Get out! Without my order, don't take a single step out of this courtyard!"

  "Your Highness, Zhao Gege requests an audience." The attendant outside the door reported in a low voice.

  This Zhaoshi was from the Imperial Household Department, and came from the wet nurse Zhaoshi branch of Hongxi. She had intermarried with the Ling Shi branch, the wet nurse of Yinmin, for several generations. Although Ling Shi was almost completely removed from the Imperial Household Department by Kangxi when Yinmin was deposed, some roots were still left behind. Many messages in the palace were now conveyed to Hongxi through Zhaoshi. This Zhaoshi had also given birth to Hongxi's second son, Yonglin, who was now in his thirties but still highly valued by Hongxi, and showed no signs of declining favor.

  However, due to her background, although she was treated according to the rules and regulations, she was not included in the imperial family register. Perhaps she also knew that Hongxi did not want to arouse suspicion from the current emperor, so he did not give himself a promotion. Zhao Shi was very obedient and never made any excessive demands. In front of Li Jing's mother, Queen Fu, she was even more polite, so Hongxi had a few more points of love and respect for her.

  "Let her in quickly." It must be that there is some news from the palace. Hong Xi attaches great importance to this, and Zhengjia Village was built in the suburbs of Beijing, which means he is outside the political center, and the news from the imperial court and the palace is very important. In the imperial court, he has officials and brothers who rely on him to reveal news, but in the palace, he relies on the Zhao and Ling families.

  Other concubines, although they all came from the Han army flag, some could help Hongxi collect money in local areas, while others were officials of the fourth rank or third rank who managed the affairs of several prefectures and counties within a province, or officials in charge of education, military agriculture, etc., and could also help him win people's hearts and gather some power. Therefore, under Hongxi's request, Liqin Wang Fujin was quite gentle with them, without any oppressive behavior that often appeared in other royal palaces... But now, she suddenly felt disgusted, what good would she get from doing so?

  The Empress Dowager turned around expressionlessly and left the study, if it weren't for her son she would have returned to Mongolia long ago. A faint sadness rose in her heart, three obediences and four virtues, her own mother, she had given up everything for the Qing dynasty, she told herself this was her duty, she was also a descendant of the Aisin Gioro family, but she could endure anything except being deprived of even the chance to let her children survive.

  Let him do whatever he wants, she won't get involved again, her son, she will protect herself.

  ……

  "Are you saying that Grandfather is resting in the main courtyard again? And didn't go to the Fu and Jin residences?" asked Khorievt, fiddling with the jade stones on the chessboard.

  "Yes." Lan Xi replied, "It's just unknown whether it's in the outer study or the backyard."

  I thought the Jin family would at least be able to hold on for a while, but it seems they're still not up to par. "It's still the Fu Jun's superior wristwork that has won over Grandfather's favor." She said with a sigh, feeling like her heart was as cold as the snow outside the window on a winter day, wondering when she would ever see a warm and sunny day again.

  "The lady can sit up during her confinement, the master might be busy, after all it's almost the end of the year and there are always more things to do at the end of the year." said Jin Lao Tai Tai beside her, "Master, would you like to soak your feet, it will help you sleep better tonight."

  Ke Liye's eyes had a hint of warmth, and she nodded: "Without you two by my side, I really don't know how to get through these days." Over the years, with nourishing soups and foot baths, she had taken good care of her body, making it suitable for bearing children. After the mourning period, although her husband came home infrequently, he would still come once or twice a month. Moreover, half of the people in the two households were now pregnant and couldn't serve... but why was she unable to get pregnant?

  "Sincerity can move mountains and rivers, and the Empress will one day understand her master's filial piety." The nanny had someone bring over a copper basin with medicinal herbs and slowly massaged her legs and feet. "The master still needs to have something to rely on in this palace."

  Keruiye didn't want to, but she had to put away the chess pieces and push the board aside. Xi Guifei looked down on herself, saying in front of Fuheng that she didn't know how to serve her master properly, but here in the Qianxi Palace, she was neither a Fuhr nor a Ce Fujun, just a low-born Gege with an unpleasant personality and appearance that didn't appeal to the Fourth Prince. If she wanted to safely give birth to her children, she had no choice but to rely on Xi Guifei.

  Rely on the Fourth Prince? He himself is not in favor, how can he maintain himself. Rely on Fu Chun? Not to mention that I have a kind of inexplicable resentment and it's hard to fawn on her in front of her, even without this knot, Fu Chun already has obedient Fuca Fulinga and Su Bao Rou, how can I enter her eyes.

  She felt that Fugui's clear eyes seemed to see through her thoughts, so every time she said something with ulterior motives, she felt like a clown, thinking she had gotten away with it, but actually being seen right through.

  Your Majesty? No need to mention it.

  So even though she knew that the Su and Jin families were more favored by Empress Dowager Cixi, she couldn't give up trying to please her. In recent years, every winter she would make a pair of double-layered quilted socks for Empress Dowager Cixi, which were both warm and comfortable to wear.

  "Is Gao's childbirth going smoothly? What good luck, Fu Cha's numerous attempts to abort the fetus were all in vain." The methods used were truly eye-opening, and if one wasn't careful, they wouldn't have noticed. The flowers and grasses were just a small matter, the problem was that Gao could enjoy leisure time in her courtyard, but the servants in her wing couldn't. One day this would happen, the next day that would be a problem... It seemed like it was all caused by Gao herself trying to get Master's attention, but the consequence was that Gao's confinement was increasing, and there were no signs of release yet. And Gao, it was said, was both angry and anxious, but unfortunately couldn't see Master or Madame Fu's face, and had no way to defend herself, and as a result, she had lost several pounds.

  "That Su Gege is not a vegetarian either. I heard that when she was injured, Wang Ye went to see her, and she was tearfully saying sorry to the master for not protecting the child well, while also worrying about Gao Gege being envied by petty people... As a result, in consideration of Gao Gege, Wang Ye let Gao Gege take good care of herself in her own room." Lan Xi said, putting away the scattered chessboard and pieces, and carefully placing the red jade cream that the master would apply to his face after washing tomorrow.

  This red rouge is said to be Yang Guifei's beauty secret recipe, taking apricot kernel and soaking it in water to remove the skin, then grinding it into a fine powder, mixing it with light powder and talcum powder in equal proportions, steaming it and adding a small amount of dragon brain and musk, using egg white to adjust it into a paste-like consistency, applying it every morning after washing face. I don't know where Mistress got this recipe from, but Master has been using it for several years now and his complexion is indeed rosy and radiant, looking much more youthful. The only drawback is that she can't use this rouge during pregnancy.

  Light powder, almonds and musk are all bad for pregnant women.

  "What are you talking about?" The prison guard looked at her and took out a clean towel to help Koleiyat wipe the water stains on her legs, "This Su Gege is truly wise and foolish, if it weren't for Liu's move, plus she gave birth to a princess, who knows how prosperous she would be now."

  "This was said by Lu'er in her courtyard, when Su Gege had an accident, her younger brother at home was seriously ill, and all the money at home was spent. She thought of this daughter and asked someone to ask for money from her. She had just been promoted to a second-class palace maid, how much money could she have? The silver given by the emperor in previous years also had to be given to the housekeeper and the eunuch... I lent all the money that Master gave me to her. She was grateful to me for this kindness, and sometimes when there were no important matters in Su Gege's courtyard, she would mention it to me." Lan Xi said as she took out the hand warmer from under the bedding and put it aside, shaking off the dry air on the pillow.

  Keruiye heard this and was delighted, "You silly girl, why didn't you say so earlier? How could I let you waste your money? Go ahead and take the silver from my box to make up for it." Her dowry, monthly allowance, and rewards were all managed by Lanxi.

  Lan Xi smiled and agreed.

  The aunt also nodded and praised: "When it's time to take action, you've done well, Lu'er. Keep this line going and don't let others notice."

  "Yes."

  "The master should also rest." Said the prison guard, holding a copper basin and putting a towel on her hand.

  Corey nodded slightly and slowly lay down to sleep.

  Zai ti zhuzi la hao bei jiao, lan xi zhe cai chui le deng yu xing niang niang yi qi tui le chu qu.

  Translation:

  Then she helped her master pull the quilt tight and only then did Orchid extinguish the lamp and retreat with Nurse Xi together.