Emperor Kangxi sent me to marry

Chapter 358 Seizing the title

A government official walks on the streets of Zhangjiakou.

He wanted to buy some fresh mutton for the tooth ceremony, so he came out earlier than usual. His feet were wet, it was dark in the early morning and he couldn't see clearly. He walked extra carefully and walked straight into the shop he frequented.

"Old Li, here are two pounds of mutton."

"Hey!"

The butcher shop owner was quick with his hands and feet. He wrapped the meat in paper and took the money.

"It's early today."

"There is nothing we can do. The emperor's coffin... No, that one is called Zi Palace. It will arrive the day after tomorrow. I asked you to patrol the streets twice more to be careful of anything happening. There is a mess at your door. You need to clean it up. Don't Blame me for paying too close attention to you, even if the yamen next to me saw it, I would have to talk about you."

"Thank you very much. The goods placed at the door were ordered by others. I came to pick them up as soon as I asked. How dare you disobey the Yamen's orders? After closing the business last night, everyone in the street washed the floor with well water. You sir Look at the stones on the floor, how clean they are.”

"No wonder the soles of my feet slipped."

After the Yamen left, the butcher shop still had a prosperous business and made several sales. But the boss seemed distracted and just looked out the door. The sky is getting brighter, and the cool air in the morning is slowly getting warmer. The number of pedestrians on the road has increased from three or five to ten or eight. The hot meat couldn't be kept, so the boss was a little anxious and called a clever boy over.

"This is the first time our family is doing business with the princess's house, so we can't lose this livelihood in vain. You can drive and deliver the meat you ordered. It would be better to charge less."

The boy agreed, hurriedly washed off the grease on his fingers, changed into clean clothes, and led the donkey out to harness the cart. The boss personally packed thirty kilograms of mutton and prepared the chickens and ducks. He gave detailed instructions and watched the waiter pull the cart out of the back door.

Although there is no plaque, no one in Zhangjiakou knows where Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess and the Prince Consort live. The butcher shop clerk hurriedly hurried, but when he was about to arrive, he got confused again. He took a child who was going out to buy groceries and made some gestures for a long time, and finally found the back door of the princess mansion.

He adjusted the only set of clothes he could see, and boldly knocked twice.

No one answered at first, and he flinched a little. Just when he was hesitating whether to go back, the door finally opened.

The fat cook didn't recognize him, but when he saw the red paper from the butcher's shop attached to the donkey cart, he suddenly smiled.

"Oh, Lao Li saved my life. If I don't get this meat, I will lose my job. Come in quickly!"

The waiter felt a stone fall in his heart and shouted to the donkey to enter the yard. The cook asked him to help unload the food into the house, and the waiter agreed repeatedly and carried the heaviest piece of meat.

After opening the curtain and entering the kitchen, the young boy, who had never seen the world, was so shocked that he said:

"Oh, how many days will it take to eat these grains!"

The kitchen is not big, and there are many people chopping vegetables. Fresh vegetables were piled up against the wall to form a hill, green and white, and they looked pretty together; there were many live fish and shrimps in the two large pottery jars, and dark red beef and mutton were constantly thrown into the pot. Fry, fry, fry, roast, and braise.

The cook found a place on the shelf that was not too crowded and asked the waiter to put the meat down.

"That's a lot. We have to finish it by dinner time. I don't know where to buy tomorrow's meal. Tell Lao Li to double these things and deliver them early tomorrow. The accounts will be settled at the end of the month."

"Master, our small business cannot afford credit."

"That's right. Lao Li doesn't have much money. But how can I get away from here? It's about to be served breakfast. Those gentlemen from the capital want to eat as soon as they open their eyes. They are even harder to serve than the princess. So. Come on, sit down for a while and have a bowl of porridge. I'll think of an idea for you."

The waiter thanked him again and again, took the bowl of rice porridge, and sipped it along the edge.

The dishes are all cooked and served in exquisite porcelain bowls. The waiter looked on, thinking that such a small mouthful would be enough for who.

Just in time for his distraction, the kitchen door curtain moved, and a kind-looking girl walked in. Her upper body had a double-breasted skirt, and her lower body had a pleated skirt, all made of the same white satin material. The waiter was so frightened that he lost his grip and dropped the bowl with a clang, and the pieces flew all over the floor.

The cook complained secretly and stepped forward to confess with a smile on his face.

"Why did Miss Axiang come to such a dirty place like the kitchen? Didn't she touch it?"

Ah Xiang didn't rush to speak, just looked at the butcher shop boy.

"Who is this?"

"Isn't there not enough food in the house? The young man called a butcher's shop to deliver the goods. This young man was not very smart, so he invited him to drink a bowl of porridge, but he broke the bowl. The girl handed him a pair of cards and asked him to go to the accounting office to pay the money. Send him away quickly."

Ah Xiang casually took out two golden beans from his purse and asked the waiter to come and pick them up.

"I'm afraid the accountant won't be able to take care of the settlement of these three and two taels. If I come here again in the future, I'll pay fifty taels first and put it in the shop. You can take this first today. It's just a little more. Don't worry."

The young man took the gold and ran away with a red face. The cook was so angry that he stamped his feet.

"Good boy, I have to help you clean it up. I'm so unimpressive. I cut off the gourd and didn't even say thank you."

Axiang didn't take this matter to heart at all. She still had a lot of things waiting to be done, so how could she spend all her time in the kitchen.

"Master said that if Zhang Yushu and his three bachelors don't want to eat meat, vegetarian dishes can be prepared, but there is no need to pay too much attention. If they don't like it, they will be hungry."

"Young ones have limited skills, so what about tofu and cabbage?"

"Just tofu and cabbage."

"Yes. I understand, little one."

"The master vomited again in the morning and is feeling very lethargic. Make more of the dishes that don't have a strong smell, and make a batch of twenty or thirty. Maybe one of them will suit your appetite, and the master will be able to pick up two chopsticks."

Ah Xiang and the cook carefully discussed the dishes. Within a few words, four or five groups of people came over to ask for instructions. Axiang patiently called them out one by one. The cook took advantage of every opportunity and complimented him:

"The girl is really like a Bodhisattva who saves people from distress. Without the backbone of the girl, how can we do our jobs?"

"I don't dare to take it seriously, but the master doesn't have any capable people around him, so I have to take care of him more."

Seeing that the special dish for the fourth princess was in the pot, Axiang got out of the kitchen and went to the main room in the backyard. The little girls lowered their heads and wiped their tears at the entrance of the courtyard. When they saw her coming back, it was as if they had seen a living Bodhisattva, and they surrounded her with all kinds of chatter.

"Auntie, I threw something and told us all to get out. It's really scary."

"The princess has vomited twice now, and there is no blood on her face."

Axiang simply untied the entire purse and gave it to the little girls, asking them to go out and buy snacks.

"What a big deal, it depends on what you are afraid of. I am just like this, Huo Tan's temper is easy to deal with. If you are afraid of what he will do, you are the master's maids, not my maids. If you serve the master well, I will reward you." That's so generous, everyone has a share. Go and have fun."

They were all young girls of twelve or thirteen years old. After receiving the money, they forgot their worries and gathered together to discuss which store to visit. Axiang walked into the room by herself, met the sulky Duobu's eyes, and knelt down on the spot.

"I heard that the new girl here is ignorant and made me angry. It's all because I didn't teach her well. For the sake of my slave, don't be angry."

Sitting cross-legged on the low couch, Duobu couldn't help but sigh.

"Get up quickly. There is a broken teacup on the ground. If it hurts you again, who will take care of her? Sigh... you go in and take a look. I really don't know why you are angry with me, so you won't lie down and rest. one day."

Although Ah Xiang was anxious, she still cleaned up the mess on the floor before going into the inner room to serve.

Haifeng's nausea and dizziness were much better now, so he leaned on the pillow and closed his eyes to rest. Hearing Axiang come back, he opened his eyes and smiled at her:

"Listen to him spreading rumors there. Who is angry with him? Take a break if you want. I won't get out of bed all day."

"That's great. The slave is just afraid that the master is joking. In fact, I am not wrong. Why should the master work himself up and argue with those old men. No matter how powerful they are, they are not named Aixinjueluo after all. Sibeileba Brother, one of us must be the emperor. Whoever lives in Qianqing Palace will be treated as the princess of Dingzhen."

"Having said that, we will return to the capital tomorrow. If we don't go today, people will inevitably say that I am not diligent enough. It will be the same if I go for a walk and come back."

Axiang knew that she couldn't be persuaded, so she brought some clothes over and changed them for Haifeng. The food was delivered from the kitchen, and Duo Bu saw that it was all light dishes, with a large bowl of white porridge in the middle and green fish ball soup next to it. He nodded and rewarded the few silver ingots that were brought with the food.

Haifeng sat down at the table. Seeing that there was no dish that Duobu liked to eat, he raised his face and asked him:

"What are you eating? Ask them to cook it again."

"You don't have to eat what you want, so don't bother."

Hai Feng stretched out his chopsticks to pick up cold vegetables, and for some reason suddenly remembered Qianlong cabbage. The mellow aroma of sesame sauce was sweet and sour, and it was easy to make and go with the meal, so he asked Axiang to go to the kitchen to get it. A Xiang was stunned for a long time after hearing the name of this dish.

"Which one does it, which one does it? The cabbage slave understands."

Only then did Haifeng think that Yongzheng had not yet settled down. Where could there be Qianlong, let alone this dish? After bursting into laughter and explaining the recipe in detail, Ah Xiang hurriedly went to the kitchen to order.

Seeing that she was still thinking about eating, Dobu felt relieved and sat down to eat more than half of the porridge. Inspired by his bold eating attitude, Haifeng also drank half a bowl of soup.

After a while, Axiang came back with Qianlong cabbage and several other snacks.

"Master, what a wonderful idea. The chef was worried about what dish to give to Mr. Zhang Yushu, so he quickly made it."

Haifeng picked up a chopstick and tasted it. He felt that the taste was almost the same as what he had made before.

"When I make this dish from now on, I'll put more balsamic vinegar in it. It won't overwhelm the sour taste, which will make me feel nauseous."

Duobu also took a bite and cheered repeatedly.

"If you can eat this dish, ask the kitchen to prepare more. Zhang Yushu is really pedantic. Everyone else is secretly eating meat. Even Ma Qi ordered a portion of three-fresh wonton noodles as a midnight snack last night, but he was pretending to be filial. I don’t like him when he’s eating from our cook and still going against you.”

I finished eating immediately and put away the bowls and chopsticks. Duobu took Haifeng's hand and walked up to the main hall together.

Chen Tingjing was the first to arrive, and because there were others around him, he only dared to exchange a quick glance with Duobu. Ma Qi still had the same air of fearlessness, sitting and drinking hot tea; Zhang Ying was old and frail and couldn't come, so he sent his son Zhang Tingyu to represent him. When he saw the couple arriving, Zhang Tingyu stood up and walked over to say hello.

"The fourth princess, my husband-in-law is auspicious."

Zhang Tingyu looked at the few people around and asked Haifeng in a low voice:

"I don't know if I can come up with something today. The ministers listened and quarreled for three or four days, saying the same thing over and over again, and no one was convinced. According to this, the emperor's Zi Palace has arrived, but there is no news. What's going on when the emperor comes out of the city to greet him?" Hai Feng waved his hand towards him, pointing to the main seat where no one would sit.

"You will be an errand in the South Study Room in the future. You should listen more, read more, and learn more. In fact, these people know who will be the emperor. If it is finalized, won't it appear that they are hasty. So they must show their loyalty repeatedly. Only in the future will your words have weight in front of the new emperor."

Zhang Tingyu was taught, thanked him and returned to his seat. Haifeng sat on the first chair on the left, and Dobu sat next to her, chatting about idle things to relieve her boredom.

The ministers arrived one after another and came to say hello to Haifeng. Haifeng bowed on his chair and returned the greeting. When Zhang Yushu came over to say hello, his expression was not very pretty.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for the vegetarian dishes prepared for me, especially the cabbage mixed with sesame sauce. It is really delicious. But I must also say that although there are only a few days left in the national mourning, eating meat casually is not allowed."

"It's not something I can do just because I want to. The fourth brother has to take care of himself, and being a vegetarian will only make him weak. He seemed unfilial by eating fish, meat, chicken, and duck alone, so he rewarded each of the adults with a meat dish. If Mr. Zhang doesn’t eat it, don’t bring shame on the fourth brother.”

Zhang Yushu knew clearly that she was using the emperor to control the princes. She was angry and resentful, but she had nothing to do. When Si Beile saw them, she never showed any sign of dissatisfaction. Instead, she kept talking about how considerate the fourth princess was. As a result, Zhang Yushu wanted to make excuses to impeach her, but he couldn't find any reason to do so.

Yi Sang'a and Xiong Cilu also arrived, and now everyone was there. Haifeng stood up and said a few polite opening remarks, and asked people to send the four treasures of the study to the great bachelors.

"A few days ago, I asked you all to write down your favorite candidates for the new emperor. Everyone has a variety of options. From morning to night, there is no right answer. Let's change it this time. Just write one word. I think the fourth brother should say "Ahma" If you are enthroned by a posthumous edict, write 'Yes'. If you think it needs further discussion, write 'No'."

Ma Qi was the first to stand up and sing the opposite, with no intention of writing with a pen.

"No need to discuss! Sibeile can't be the emperor! His two hands can't write memorials, and can't pull a light bow with force. The Eight Banners have decided, but they just don't agree! If the late emperor knew what he was like, he wouldn't He can write such a posthumous edict. Let’s take a look at the other princes.”

Ethan'a echoed, changed his words in a formal way, and repeated Ma Qi's opinion. Zhang Tingyu quickly lowered his head and pretended to drink tea, thinking that they would repeat what they said yesterday exactly.

Sure enough, Zhang Yushu began to persuade his colleagues to respect the imperial edict again. If a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, the emperor's writing can be replaced by his ministers. There are princes and generals in the war, so the emperor should not go into battle in person. These words completely angered Ma Qi. He counted Zhang Yushu from the founding emperor to Kangxi and asked Zhang Yushu which one was worse in martial arts.

Seeing that Zhang Yushu was at a disadvantage, Xiong Cilu followed yesterday's routine and changed the angle to prove that only Four Belles could ascend the throne.

"The Eighth Prince was the candidate that the late emperor hesitated about. Since he was not the one chosen in the end, then he is not suitable. We discussed the rest for two days, and it was either here or there."

Chen Tingjing took the slightly cool tea cup in his hand, skimmed off the foam bit by bit, and said unhurriedly:

"If Si Baile ascends the throne, let alone government affairs, his hands will be disabled and he will not be able to convince the people in the Eight Banners. To say the best, he will leave all military affairs in the hands of the Seventh Master and make him an iron-hatted prince. Master Zhang and Xiong Your Excellency still wants to object.”

Zhang Yushu slammed the small round table where tea and snacks were placed, causing several cups and dishes to fall off.

"Why do you object to me? Don't you know it in your heart? Yesterday I kept my face and didn't make it clear. I risk my life and say it straight here. The seventh master is in charge of the army. Is that any different from the fourth forehead prince? ?Who doesn’t know that the Seventh Master and the Fourth Princess are on good terms? Now Sibeile has made it clear that after he ascends the throne, he will make the Fourth Princess the princess of the country and participate in the government affairs. If the Seventh Master becomes the Iron Hat Prince again, will the Fourth Princess have too much power? Is it too big?"

Hai Feng saw that Zhang Yushu was so old that he didn't have much black hair left. When he was anxious, he still looked like a young boy of sixteen or seventeen. Blushing and thick-necked, he yelled at the top of his lungs, too surprised to say anything to refute.

Sure enough, the nature of human beings is that of a grassroots team. A bachelor who has studied Confucius and Mencius for fifty or sixty years will also want to win by loudly speaking when he is in a hurry.

Duobu was watching the show, peeling a few walnuts and chewing them. He looked at Ma Qi and Zhang Yushu for a while, enjoying himself endlessly. Zhang Tingyu wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh. He couldn't hold back the tears. At the most painful moment, I was called out by the sharp-eyed Ethan.

"What did Master Zhang Ying mean? My memory has actually forgotten it."

Zhang Tingyu's smile was frightened away, and she stood up and replied respectfully:

"My father's letter has been read by the students a few days ago. Sibeile has been designated by the imperial edict and has been ordered by heaven. Even if there are some shortcomings, I will try my best to help. My father never understands what is going on in the army and dare not speak nonsense. ."

Ma Qi was quite dissatisfied with this answer and snorted loudly.

"Your father has always been like this. He rushes to say what sounds nice, and we have to do it. If Si Beile hates me, I will say it too. If he wants to be the emperor, he can't meddle in military affairs. Seventh Master can't do it, and there are ten Master, if you don’t let the fifth master and the eighth master take over, the most you can do is retreat to this point."

Duobu was listening quietly, but when he saw Zhang Yushu and Ma Qi were about to quarrel again, he randomly brushed off the residue on his hands and stood up.

"Come on, I understand clearly. Master Zhang Yushu, don't you just worry about me? What should I do? I asked for a reduction of rank. I have a prince title, a county prince title, and the title of Tuxie Tuhan, all of which are still there. Give it to the imperial court and stop interfering in the affairs of the Ministry of War. In this way, Mr. Zhang won’t be afraid if Lao Qi is in charge of the Eight Banners, right?"

The words fell to the ground, choking everyone in the room.

This was not in the original plan. Chen Tingjing immediately looked at the fourth princess, hoping to get some instructions from his eyes. But when he saw that the fourth princess was also at a loss, he had no idea for a while.

The one who responded the fastest was Ma Qi, who immediately walked up to Zhang Yushu and asked him loudly.

"How's it going? Your consort has already given in to this point, isn't Master Zhang still dissatisfied?"

Zhang Yushu hesitated and couldn't come up with a decent answer. Haifeng was so anxious that he cried out, holding his stomach.

"It's weird, why does it hurt so much? Dobu, please help me go out to have a rest and ask someone to bring me a bowl of anti-fetal medicine!"

Although Dobu guessed that she was probably acting, he was still a little worried. He called Axiang to come in and worked together with her to help Haifeng go to the next door to rest.

Naturally, when Axiang went out and closed the door, Haifeng stopped acting and pulled Duobu's sleeves and asked.

"What nonsense did you just say there? Is the title given just as a gift?"

"Are you really not in pain?"

"How many years have we been together? You can't even tell that I'm really in pain or fake pain?"

Knowing that she was fine, Duobu moved briskly and picked a relatively juicy pear from the fruit plate on the table to eat.

"Being a prince doesn't bring much benefit to me other than adding a few thousand taels of silver to the house every year."

"What about the sweat bit? How much trouble did it take to get the sweat bit in your hand and say you don't want it anymore?"

Duobu looked at Haifeng. Although he was pretending to be hurt, his anxiety was genuine, and he quickly explained his thoughts.

"Feng'er, the throne of Khan cannot be taken away from me by an edict from the capital. Let me ask you. If you are an ordinary soldier, what kind of person do you expect to command your general?"

"How do I know this? I've never been a soldier."

She just said it casually, but it was very rare for Dobu to see her half-understood and confused look. He thought it was very cute. After staring at it for a while, he changed the question.

"Then, for example, Galdan did not die of illness and surrendered to Khan Amma. The capital issued an order to remove his Khan position. Will Galdan really become a white body with nothing?"

When asked this question, Haifeng vaguely understood Duobu's intention and answered honestly:

"No. Galdan has been dead for several years, and there are veterans around Zhong Jihai who are willing to listen to her orders."

"That's exactly what I mean. Do you think, Your Highness, the noble princess, that all I have achieved in the past few years as the Great Khan is that you have two children? I can't do it. I can't even compare with Galdan, right?"

Duobu put the pear core down, and Haifeng took his own handkerchief to wipe his hands. The faint sweetness of pear juice lingered between them.

In the ambiguous atmosphere, a strange stranger suddenly broke in.

Zhang Tingyu asked to see him outside the door. Haifeng obviously didn't have time to do anything with Duobu, but his face was burning hot. He calmed down for a while before he dared to speak.

"come in."

As soon as Zhang Tingyu entered, he noticed something was wrong and only dared to look at the ground.

"Go back to Her Royal Highness the Princess and the Consort. Master Zhang Yushu and Master Ma Qi have almost reached an agreement. If the Consort returns the title and stays out of the matter, then both parties are willing to take a step back. Her Royal Highness the Princess will become the Princess of the Kingdom, and the Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Masters will The Iron Hat Prince is in charge of military affairs and is hereditary. The Ninth Master and Tenth Master are granted the title of Prince Heshuo, and the younger princes are granted the title of Baylor. I support the Fourth Master to ascend the throne."

Haifeng looked at Duobu again, seeing his indifferent expression, and made the final decision with difficulty.

"Then let's do it like this. Send someone to invite the fourth brother over."

Zhang Tingyu resigned happily, Haifeng could not hide his disappointment, but Duobu was extremely happy.

"This is a conclusion. Feng'er, from today on, I don't have a salary. Eni, Lian'er, and this unborn enemy, all have to rely on you to support me. The people don't care about people like me. ,what do you say that is?"

Haifeng was amused by his glib tone, and his mood changed from cloudy to sunny.

"You pretty boy, you're a freeloader. Don't be afraid, I have a lot of money, so it won't be a problem to support you."

"Really? That's great. I'll take a break for a year and a half."

"Don't rest for too long."

Haifeng pulled Duobu out, and Sibeile's impatient figure could already be seen through the courtyard doors.

"Dobu, I promise you. I will fight for the title you handed over to me today intact. I will also add the word Chaoyong as a title on it, so that the whole world will know that my husband , he is the most capable of winning battles among all the Manchu and Mongolian princes!"

　Notes for personal use

　　In the 41st year of Kangxi's reign, Dunduobu, the consort of the fourth princess, was deprived of the title of Tuxie Tuhan and the title of prince, leaving only the title of county prince inherited from his father.

　　I found a lot of information and documents about the reasons for the reduction of rank, but none of them clearly stated it. There were only very vague descriptions such as "dreed in one's job" and "mediocre".

　　Although not all princes were demoted, the reasons were clearly written in the Qing history manuscripts, but considering the status of the fourth princess's consort, it is somewhat unreasonable to not include the reasons for such demotion.

　　Let’s compare the reason why the third elder brother was cut off: he had his head shaved in violation of the regulations during the funeral of the thirteenth elder brother’s biological mother. After being impeached, he was demoted from Prince to Baylor;

　　Also, the third princess's husband, Garzang, took other people's wives during her funeral, and was eventually deposed by Kangxi and imprisoned until his death. The status of the four-fronted concubine is similar to that of the two of them, and the intensity of punishment is between the two. From this, it can be speculated that the mistakes made should be between the two.

　　At this time, he and the fourth princess had only been married for about four years, and small-scale armed frictions broke out in Mongolia from time to time. Kangxi would not slap his son-in-law in the face during this sensitive period because of his personal likes and dislikes.

　　The boldest guess I have seen so far is that the four-headed prince-in-law had a connection with the Junggar tribe, and Kangxi nip him in the bud, and then beat him to the end.

　　This is only at the level of speculation and lacks evidence, because there are too few records about him. However, these speculations inspired me. Many of Dobu's past life stories are just like this, bit by bit imaginary.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)