Chapter 313 The Road to Beloved Queen 49
Hesheli Mansion.
When Shuai Yanbao came back, he saw Mrs. Tong Jia coming again.
Madam Tong Jia could not enter the Hesheli Mansion and was always turned away. But when she thought of her son Longkodo who was still suffering in the prison, she felt that this little suffering was nothing. When she saw Shuai Yanbao coming back, she immediately knelt down and cried:
"Eqike (Uncle), please save Longkodo! Please, Longkodo was also confused for a moment! He was also deceived!"
Shuai Yanbao's beaming face instantly froze with frost: "Mrs. Tong Jia, please go back. Your family's affairs have nothing to do with me."
When Mrs. Tong Jia heard his unfamiliar tone, she was shocked and looked up in disbelief: "Eqike, I am Huanqin, your niece!"
Shuai Yanbao swung his sleeves and said, "I don't have a niece like you who would murder my granddaughter!"
"Eqike, I didn't mean to do that. I really didn't mean to do that. I never thought of murdering the queen."
"What difference does it make? You did it all."
Mrs. Tong Jia burst into tears: "It's all my fault. Please, Eqike, please save Longkodo. He has been pampered since he was a child. How will he live if he is exiled? It will break my heart as a mother."
"Eqike, please, please go and ask the Queen Mother. Longkodo is the Queen Mother's cousin. The Queen Mother cannot just stand by and watch him die."
When Shuai Yanbao heard this, his face darkened even more. No one knew where she got the nerve to say it. He said in a cold voice, "Mrs. Tong Jia, have you forgotten that you have been expelled from the Hesheli clan?"
Mrs. Tong Jia shuddered all over.
When Shuai Yanbao saw her like this, he knew that she remembered: "Your plot to murder the queen has been settled by the Hesheli clan. We didn't report you to the government, but only exterminated your clan. Do you really think we did it for your sake?"
Of course, it was for the sake of His Majesty. His Majesty's aunt from his mother's family cannot be a murderer. Having said that, it was just a nice thing to say. Everyone among the nobles outside knew about the "good things" that Madam Tong Jia and others had done. Fortunately, His Majesty also punished the Tong Jia family. Concubine Tong Jia was demoted and confined to her house, and Tong Guowei and others were demoted again and again. Otherwise, Shuai Yanbao would not accept it.
Madam Tongjia regretted everything completely. She ran back to the Tongjia Mansion crying uncontrollably. Why was she so confused at that time? Why did she sever ties with the Hesheli Mansion?
Tong Guowei looked at Madam Tong Jia who returned in failure and sighed deeply. Finally, he entered the palace.
-
Qianqing Palace.
"Your Majesty, I know that Longkodo committed a serious crime and should be executed according to the law. You have already given him the greatest leniency by exiling him."
Tong Guowei knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and burst into tears: "Your Majesty, I know this is wrong, but Longkodo is my biological son after all. He has not married yet and has no children. He is only sixteen years old and has no idea of the seriousness of the situation. He was also instigated by his concubine. He already knows he was wrong. Your Majesty, I beg you, for the sake of my sister, can you give him a break?"
Kangxi was unmoved: "The state has its own laws, and the family has its own rules. Lord Tong, Longkodo was the mastermind, and no one forced him."
Tong Guowei was stunned. When he heard Kangxi calling him "Master Tong" in a fair and impartial manner, Tong Guowei knew that there was no room for maneuver.
Even bringing up his sister, the Emperor's biological mother, was of no use and his legs went weak.
-
After winter, all things began to sprout, green came, and spring returned to the earth. In the blink of an eye, it was the first day of March in the twenty-third year of the Kangxi reign.
Cining Palace.
"The Queen is probably four months pregnant now." The Empress Dowager looked at Sheng Huan's belly and said with concern.
Sheng Huan nodded and smiled: "Your Highness, it has indeed been four months."
The Empress Dowager said: "The doctor said that you are pregnant with more than one child. If you need anything, come to the Cining Palace. You are pregnant for the first time, so you should take care of yourself."
She continued, "Don't come to pay your respects in the future. Taking good care of your health is the most important thing."
The Grand Empress Dowager didn't dare to have any bad thoughts at this moment. After all, the Emperor was watching her. Everyone knew how much the Emperor valued the Empress. No one in the palace dared to make any moves. Moreover, she was genuinely concerned. After all, the Empress was carrying her beloved great-grandson in her belly.
There might be twins. Twins are a good omen. It would be a great joy for the royal family if this happened.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager."
-
The harem was harmonious and no one was making trouble, so Sheng Huan was able to raise her baby with much less effort. Even the palace affairs, because some concubines were unreliable, she simply selected female officials from the harem through examinations to manage them. Otherwise, she would be exhausted if she had to take care of everything herself.
Kangxi had no objection to this, and even the Empress Dowager was a little surprised.
The harem is different from that of the previous dynasty, and it is managed by the queen. Since she manages it well, they all let Sheng Huan do whatever he wants.
The concubines who once had some power in the palace but now had none at all did have some complaints, but it was Kangxi who stripped them of their power, so they did not dare to do anything.
As soon as Sheng Huan woke up that day, the former Concubine Rong, now Concubine Ma and Concubine Niohuru came to visit.
"I, my concubine, see you, the Queen. May the Queen be blessed with peace and prosperity."
"Get up, why are you here?"
Sheng Huan sat at the top and asked.
Noble Concubine Niuhulu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is the palace matter you recently asked me to handle. I have finished it and I have come to report to you."
Sheng Huan nodded, took the booklet from Feng Qi and started to look through it.
Sheng Huan gave certain rights to the concubines who did not make any mistakes. Since Concubine Niohuru was a concubine, she had more rights.
Noble Consort Niuhulu stood quietly. For some reason, she felt a little nervous when she saw Sheng Huan flipping through the book. Then, she saw the person at the top nodded: "Noble Consort, you did a good job. I will leave this matter to you from now on."
Concubine Niuhulu was delighted and bowed quickly: "Thank you, Queen, for your kindness. I will do my best to do everything well."
Sheng Huan nodded, and then looked at Ma Concubine: "Ma Concubine, what brings you here?"
Ma Concubine hesitated for a moment, then knelt down as if to risk everything: "Empress, I don't know if the female official system is available. Can I take the exam?"
Sheng Huan was a little surprised, but soon his eyes were filled with smiles: "Sure, if you pass the exam, I will definitely treat you with great respect."
Sheng Huan thought that it was easy for a concubine to have wild thoughts if she did nothing, and she was dull all day long. Who knows, there might be a murder. So she should get busy. When she was doing things, she would have no time to think so much.
She really didn't expect that the first person to take this step to find her would be Concubine Ma.
Concubine Ma thought she would be rejected and that Sheng Huan would make things difficult for her. After all, she had done some bad things in the past, and being demoted was the consequence. Unexpectedly, the Queen agreed without hesitation.
At this moment, she had complicated and mixed feelings, but she was undoubtedly happy and excited.
She kowtowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Queen!"