bayedsolid Chapter 467 [The Legend of Zhen Huan 2]
Chapter 467 [The Legend of Zhen Huan 2]
In the 25th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, Niuhulu Alinga inherited the title of first-class duke, and served as the Minister of the Imperial Guard, the Minister of the Council of State, the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs and the Assistant Commander. Because of his youngest daughter, Niuhulu Alinga, who should have died in the 55th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, did not die. Instead, he lived well and was in excellent health.
On November 13, the 61st year of the Kangxi reign, Emperor Kangxi died of illness in Changchun Garden in the northern suburbs. Subsequently, on November 20, Yinzhen ascended the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in accordance with Kangxi's will and changed the reign title to Yongzheng.
The legitimate wife, Ulanara Yixiu, was named Empress and lived in Jingren Palace. The concubine, Nian Shilan, was named Huafei and lived in Yiku Palace. The concubine, Li Jingyan, was named Qifei and gave birth to the third prince, Hongshi, and lived in Changchun Palace. The princess Qi Yuebin was named Duanfei and lived in Yanqing Palace. The princess Geng Yue was named Yupin and gave birth to the fifth prince, Hongzhou, and lived in Yuanmingyuan. The princess Song was named Maopin and gave birth to the eldest daughter and the third daughter, both of whom died before the age of one month. The princess Feng Ruozhao was named Jingpin and lived in Xianfu Palace. The princess Cao Qinmo was named Xiang Guiren and gave birth to the second princess and lived in the west side hall of Chuxiu Palace. The princess Lü Yingfeng was named Xin Guiren and gave birth to the fourth princess and lived in the east side hall of Chuxiu Palace. The princess Fei Yunyan was named Li Guiren and lived in the east side hall of Qixiang Palace.
Nian Gengyao's sister, Concubine Hua, was born with a beautiful appearance, but she was arrogant and domineering. She relied on the power of her natal family, the Nian family, and the merits of her brother, Nian Gengyao, to run rampant in the palace. She was deeply favored by the emperor and had been favored by him for many years. Her status was even comparable to that of the empress.
The emperor was busy with government affairs all day and had not set foot in the harem for several days. The empress dowager was anxious and worried about the thinness of the royal bloodline, so she suggested that the emperor hold a selection ceremony every three years to recruit beautiful women to enrich the harem.
On the other hand, Niuhulu Alinga was reluctant to let his daughter enter the palace. He knew the hardships of palace life and did not want his daughter to be involved in it. So he went to the emperor and pleaded, "Your Majesty, I have only one daughter, and I have spoiled her since she was a child. She is really not suitable for palace life. I hope she can give up her name in the selection, and then return to her hometown to marry and start a family freely. I sincerely hope that Your Majesty will fulfill my daughter's wish for my sake and the feelings of the Niuhulu family."
Emperor Yinzhen had a blank expression on his face. He kept turning the Buddhist beads in his hands and responded indifferently: "Aling, you should know that your Niuhulu clan must have a woman enter the palace. Even if it is just to exist as a mascot, it is indispensable. You should understand this."
"Your old minister...your old minister does not want my daughter to enter the palace!" Niuhulu Alinga was so anxious that his face turned red, veins bulged on his forehead, and big drops of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the floor tiles under his feet, splashing out water.
He wiped the sweat off his face with trembling hands, took a deep breath, and continued, "I wonder if Your Majesty would allow me to choose a woman from the side branch to enter the palace? If Your Majesty feels that the status of a woman from the side branch is not noble enough, then I can ask Madam to register her under her name and let her enter the palace to serve Your Majesty as the legitimate daughter of the Niuhulu family. In this way, it will not violate the ancestral system and can also meet Your Majesty's needs. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"
Yinzhen frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.
After a moment of silence, he said stiffly, "Aling, who do you think I am? When did I allow you to do this? Your daughter must enter the palace. This is the ancestral rule and no one can change it. If I remember correctly, your daughter should be sixteen years old this year."
Hearing Yinzhen's words, Nianhulu Alinga was shocked. He widened his eyes and couldn't believe that he actually said such words to the emperor.
At this moment, he couldn't help but sweat profusely, his whole body was soaked. He knew that what he said just now was a big mistake, but since things had come to this point, he could only bite the bullet and answer: "Your Majesty, you are right, my daughter will be sixteen next month."
Yinzhen nodded and said with satisfaction: "Yes, that's good. Since your daughter has reached the age of marriage, submit her name to the Ministry of Internal Affairs as soon as possible to participate in this selection. However, you must remember that the selection is just a formality, so don't be too nervous. If your daughter is not suitable for life in the palace, then take advantage of this time to teach her the rules and etiquette and how to behave at home."
Niuhulu Alinga nodded repeatedly and said he would act according to the emperor's will. He said to Yinzhen with tears in his eyes: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will definitely submit my daughter's name."
Yinzhen waved his hand, indicating that there was nothing else to do and he could leave. Niuhulu Alinga thanked him and slowly left the Yangxin Palace.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take my leave." said Niuhulu Alinga.
After returning to Niuhulu's residence, Niuhulu Alinga could not help but sigh heavily and sat in the chair for a long time without saying a word.
Seeing this, Fu Jin Wu Yashi felt nervous and hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "Master, how is the matter going? Does Yaliqi not have to participate in the selection?"
Niuhulu Alinga shook his head helplessly and said in a heavy tone: "Madam, I'm sorry, I have tried my best, but I still can't change the emperor's decision. His Majesty has pointed out that Yaliqi must participate in the selection, and it is just a formality. Yaliqi will definitely enter the palace."
Upon hearing the news, Fu Jin Wu Ya suddenly panicked, tears welled up in her eyes, and she said anxiously: "What should we do? We only have this one daughter who has been spoiled for many years. I was thinking of finding her a husband that we can control. What should we do now?"
Niuhulu Alinga stood up and comforted her, "Madam, don't worry. Now that things have come to this, we can only find a way to deal with it. Since Yaliqi is going to enter the palace, we must make all preparations for her. I will give her all the connections in the palace so that she can get more care and help. Madam, you need to take advantage of this time to teach Yaliqi some rules and etiquette in the palace so that she can adapt to life in the palace as soon as possible."
Fu Jin Uya wiped her tears and nodded, saying, "Okay, don't worry, sir. I will definitely teach Yalichi well." After that, she turned and left, and began to prepare for Yalichi to enter the palace.