Chapter 30: The Fifth Lady

Chapter 30: The Fifth Lady

An Qing never expected that the watermelons from her small plot of land would cause such a commotion. Fortunately, as the number of watermelons in the field dwindled, the matter finally came to an end.

Her days returned to their peaceful routine, filled with eating and drinking, with nothing much happening. She could visit the beautiful mother-in-law at Yikun Palace every few days, living a life of utter comfort.

But sometimes, just when things are going smoothly, there are always those who come along to spoil it.

For instance, today was the first day of the month, when they were supposed to pay respects. Baijia Shi and Guerjia Shi arrived on time, and An Qing went through the usual formalities, exchanging pleasantries before everyone returned to their respective quarters.

Just as she thought this pattern of interaction was understood by all, someone decided to be tactless.

As soon as Hongsheng had been brought in by his wet nurse to pay respects, An Qing entertained him briefly before sending him back with the wet nurse. Unexpectedly, as soon as the wet nurse left, Baijia Shi spoke up.

"Having children around does make things livelier. Lady, please don't take offense, but our courtyard really needs more children."

The moment she said this, the pleasant atmosphere in the room turned tense.

Everyone looked at Baijia Shi in surprise, not expecting her to say something so provocative. It seemed as if she was implying that An Qing was somehow responsible for the lack of children.

But whether Baijia Shi's words were unintentional or deliberate, An Qing merely glanced at her coolly without responding.

However, Baijia Shi showed no sign of backing down and continued, "Speaking of which, when Lady summoned the imperial physician the other day, I thought it was because... but it turned out to be a misunderstanding about eating those tomatoes."

The implication was clear.

"Presumptuous, Baijia Shi! This is how you speak to Lady!" Perilla reprimanded sternly.

Baijia Shi's face stiffened, but she gritted her teeth and said, "Lady, forgive me. I am only thinking of Master. If you think I am wrong, please point it out, and I will accept punishment!"

With that, she knelt down, her straight back revealing her stubbornness.

An Qing watched her silently, not wanting to play games. She coldly said, "Baijia Shi, if you have something to say, say it directly. I do not like nonsense."

Baijia Shi heard the displeasure in An Qing's voice but still persisted, "I will be direct then. I hope Lady can prioritize the greater good and ensure Master has many descendants."

Since An Qing became the Lady, Yinqi had not spent a single night in any other courtyards except hers. This was no secret among the women in the household.

So when Baijia Shi made this comment, everyone immediately understood what she meant—she was blaming An Qing for monopolizing Yinqi and demanding that she be more generous.

An Qing suddenly laughed in frustration, "Baijia Shi, did I stop you?"

To be more generous?

What a joke. Throughout the Forbidden City, she believed no one was more generous than her.

Recently, Baijia Shi had caused quite a stir trying to gain favor, yet An Qing had never stopped her. Even during the monthly greetings, she had not mentioned it once.

Hearing this, Baijia Shi's face turned pale, feeling utterly humiliated.

Especially when everyone in the room looked at her with a silent judgment, as if saying, "If Master doesn't like you, how dare you blame others?"

This reminded her of her failed attempts to gain favor.

She had thought that after Liu Jiashi fell out of favor, her chance would come. But Master simply ignored her, even when she tried to hint at her intentions or personally deliver soup to the front courtyard. He dismissed her with a few words.

Later, the servants in the front courtyard refused to let her enter, and even the little eunuch she had bribed was expelled by Master's chief eunuch. Since then, everyone in the front courtyard treated her like a plague.

Baijia Shi felt both aggrieved and afraid. As Master's Princess, if he truly despised her, what would become of her future?

Driven by fear and resentment, she could no longer hold back, leading to her actions today.

An Qing didn't care about Baijia Shi's feelings. To put it bluntly, it was none of her business. Everyone in the royal family was bound by circumstances, and while she didn't want to make things difficult for them, she wouldn't tolerate them causing trouble either.

There was no point in arguing with fools; it was better to teach them a lesson and set an example for others.

An Qing rested her right hand on the table, tapping her fingers rhythmically, creating a steady beat that echoed in the tense silence, stirring everyone's nerves.

"It seems I've been too lenient, making you forget your place. How dare you be so presumptuous." Her voice was calm and cold. "Baijia Shi, when did it become your concern as a Princess to worry about Master's offspring? Hmm?"

The casual 'Hmm' sent a chill through everyone present, emphasizing An Qing's authority and power.

Baijia Shi shivered, lowering her head further, trying to explain, "I-I dare not, my intention was only..."

But An Qing cut her off, "I don't care about your intentions. An offense is an offense. Do you accept my punishment?"

Baijia Shi bowed her head, clenching her teeth, "I submit to Lady's judgment."

She said she would submit but didn't explicitly agree, showing her lingering resentment.

An Qing saw her defiance and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes.

"Baijia Shi, for overstepping your bounds, you are to forfeit three months' allowance and copy the Heart Sutra and Amitabha Sutra fifty times each. You are not allowed to leave the courtyard until you finish."

In her past life, watching palace dramas, An Qing never understood why people were always punished by copying scriptures. But since marrying into the Forbidden City, she began to understand the significance of such punishment—it was not just a form of discipline but also a way to cultivate humility.

Since Baijia Shi seemed idle, giving her something to do would help her reflect.

An Qing never considered herself particularly kind. She was friendly only if others did not provoke her. Once that line was crossed, she would not hesitate to act.

"Today, I advise you all to be cautious in your words and actions here. Think of your families outside the palace."

These words sent a chill through everyone present.

If before Baijia Shi could still hold on, now her face turned pale, showing that she was truly frightened this time.

Even Guajia Shi, who was standing beside her, couldn't help but shudder.

An Qing's words were meant as a warning, but they were also a genuine piece of advice.

Although she came from Horqin, her father was a noble Zha Sa Khan Prince, and in the Imperial City, she certainly had connections. Baijia Shi and Guajia Shi, both of humble origins, would find it very easy for An Qing to make life difficult for their families if she so wished.

An Qing didn't intend to actually harm their families, but she didn't mind using this as a way to warn them.

After all, she was truly tired of being bothered by these trivial matters.

Baijia Shi was led back by a palace maid with a ghastly pale face, and Guajia Shi wasn't much better. After returning to her room, she drank two cups of tea before calming down.

"Baijia Shi is courting death herself and even dragged you into trouble. It's infuriating," complained Qing'er, Guajia Shi's personal palace maid.

Guajia Shi shook her head at her, signaling her to lower her voice. She lived in the same courtyard as Baijia Shi and didn't want to add more trouble at this moment.

Though she knew the warning was aimed at Baijia Shi, she couldn't help but think about herself too.

Previously, she had merely considered the Princess Consort to be somewhat complex, but following this incident, Guajia Shi no longer dared to entertain any thoughts of luck or chance. Having been raised in the imperial city, she comprehended the true essence of power.

Of course, she hadn't harbored any foolish hopes before.

She was different from Baijia Shi. In Guajia Shi's view, the Princess Consort had already been quite generous to them.

Since the Princess Consort entered the household, their food, clothing, and daily necessities were always provided in abundance, and she exempted them from morning and evening greetings, nor did she impose strict rules on them. Recently, when watermelons were highly sought after throughout the Imperial City, the Princess Consort sent one to each of them. The Princess Consort had been very kind to them indeed.

Guajia Shi was content with her current life. Originally just a small palace maid, she was favored by the Empress Dowager for her gentle nature and sent to serve the master. She knew her place well.

As for the master's affection, Guajia Shi would be lying if she said she didn't desire it, but she could live without it. Now, she had servants to attend to her, the Princess Consort managed the household strictly but fairly, and she could save money every month to send home to her mother. Life was good.

She really couldn't understand what Baijia Shi was up to. Whenever Baijia Shi complained, Guajia Shi tried to persuade her, but people have different aspirations, and she couldn't force her to listen.

She never imagined Baijia Shi could be so foolish, causing such trouble today. She should have considered their status and not dared to criticize the Princess Consort.

Even if the master didn't favor the Princess Consort, she was still someone they couldn't afford to offend.

Over the past few days, Guajia Shi had observed that the Princess Consort was capable beyond her family background, far surpassing them.

Just look at how she won over the Empress Dowager and Concubine Yi within a few months. One raised the master, and the other was his birth mother—no ordinary person could achieve this.

And the popular watermelon craze in the Imperial City was also due to the Princess Consort. Initially, others mocked her as a country bumpkin, but she gained the Emperor's attention through this. Everyone in the palace envied her.

Aside from these three powerful supporters, the Princess Consort also had a prominent family background.

But Guajia Shi was clear that as long as they behaved properly, the Princess Consort wouldn't be intolerant. Look at how Baijia Shi caused trouble earlier, yet the Princess Consort didn't say anything.

In any case, she had made up her mind. If the master visited her, it would be her fortune; if he didn't, it was their fate.

Sometimes, one must accept their fate. Only by accepting it can one live well in the palace.

In the main courtyard, Cui Liu was cursing Baijia Shi as an ungrateful wolf, saying that An Qing's kindness had emboldened them.

An Qing smiled and shook her head. Whether good or bad, she was simply doing her duty.

However, through Baijia Shi's incident, she learned that Yinqi had not visited anyone else except her recently. She usually didn't pay attention to such matters and didn't bother to inquire.

Even now, knowing this, she didn't take it to heart or feel that Yinqi favored her exclusively.

Through their interactions, An Qing realized that Yinqi might not be particularly interested in those matters. They often slept together, but it was mostly just chatting under the covers.

He seemed to enjoy talking with her, discussing various topics, sometimes until late at night.

Of course, this didn't mean nothing happened between them. As men and women, physical intimacy was normal, and they were quite compatible in that aspect.

As long as they kept their hearts guarded and didn't talk about love, their marriage could be harmonious.

*

For An Qing, Baijia Shi's incident was merely a minor episode in her life and didn't affect her much. She continued to live her peaceful life.

Time flew by, and the summer heat gradually faded as autumn approached.

After the beginning of autumn, the tomato season ended. An Qing picked the remaining fruits and made a large pot of tomato sauce.

As more people tried tomatoes, the rumors about their toxicity in the palace slowly diminished, and people began to accept that tomatoes were edible.

When the last watermelon was harvested, An Qing pulled out the vines and prepared the soil for autumn plowing.

After a season of planting, the soil's salinity could change, affecting the nutrient absorption of the next crop.

Autumn plowing reduces soil salinity, improves its structure, and makes it easier for plant roots to penetrate. The buried crop roots from the previous season decompose and promote microbial activity, benefiting the next crop's growth.

Since her gardening wasn't a secret in the palace, An Qing openly used specialized farming tools brought by Little Xizi to thoroughly plow her land.

After deep plowing, the land needed to be left alone for a while, ready for sowing later.

As for what to plant next, she had already decided. Winter wheat was suitable for the harsh northern winter, so she planned to grow it.

In her previous life, her research focused on increasing crop yields, which was her primary topic throughout her undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies. If she hadn't come here, she would likely have continued her research in the agricultural college.

But An Qing genuinely enjoyed this work, so she didn't give it up even after coming here. On the Horqin estate, she had several experimental fields. Although rice wasn't suitable due to climate and geography, winter wheat was, so she had experimented with it extensively.

She had seeds saved from last year, so she decided to use this plot as an experimental field, ensuring her data wouldn't be interrupted.

Days passed slowly, and soon it was almost Mid-Autumn Festival.

Usually, in August, Kangxi would go hunting in Mulan and tour the outer regions, spending the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Summer Palace.

But this year was an exception. Due to the war with Dzungaria earlier in the year, Kangxi had already met with Mongolian leaders in Ningxia, so the autumn tour was canceled.

Kangxi had also announced early on that there would be a grand palace banquet—the Mid-Autumn Banquet—on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions, so this banquet was also a family gathering. Invited were all the imperial relatives, essentially the Aisin Gioro clan.

As a prince's consort, An Qing naturally had to attend the banquet.

To think of it, this was her first palace banquet in the Forbidden City, and she couldn't help but feel a bit excited about it.

Mainly, she had been quite bored since she moved into the Forbidden City. Back in Horqin, she used to spend her days riding horses across the grasslands with her Third Elder Brother, and her parents never restricted her.

She had genuinely worried about not being able to handle life in the palace, but she underestimated human adaptability. Though she occasionally felt a bit stifled, she managed to entertain herself.

So, as they say, whether life is good or bad depends on how one lives it.

And she would make sure to live it well.

Under An Qing's anticipation, the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival finally arrived.

That day, An Qing changed into her consort's ceremonial attire early and went to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity to meet Concubine Yi, then set off together for the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Since it was a family banquet, the Mid-Autumn Banquet was held in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where all the ranked concubines and princes and their children would attend.

Logically, Hongsheng, as Yinqi's eldest son, should have attended such a family banquet, but due to his young age and frail health, Yinqi and An Qing decided not to bring him along, fearing he wouldn't endure the lengthy rituals.

Of course, another reason was that Liu Jiashi was still under house arrest. When An Qing asked Yinqi about the duration, he hesitated before saying a year.

Goodness, by the time she's released, Hongsheng might not even recognize her. But this wasn't something she needed to worry about; a year was a year, and hopefully, this lesson would teach Liu Jiashi a thing or two.

After all, An Qing wanted to create a harmonious environment among Yinqi's consorts.

Leaving the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, Concubine Yi noticed An Qing's excitement and couldn't help but laugh, "It's just a palace banquet. Why are you so happy?"

In the palace, banquets are plentiful throughout the year, and for Concubine Yi, they were nothing special, even somewhat tedious. After all, the routines were always the same, offering no novelty.

An Qing linked arms with Concubine Yi and replied with a smile, "I'm just inexperienced compared to Mother. This is my first palace banquet, so I find it quite novel."

She had heard that the banquet included performances besides eating and drinking.

Most importantly, tonight, almost all of Kangxi's concubines would attend, creating a scene of blooming beauty. Just thinking about it made her feel lucky.

Unaware of her thoughts, Concubine Yi assumed she was genuinely excited about the banquet and said, "Indeed, your first time can be interesting. Enjoy yourself tonight."

When they arrived, many people had already gathered. The banquet hadn't started yet, so everyone was chatting and joking in small groups, standing or sitting around.

Among the concubines, apart from the Empress Dowager, the highest-ranking were the Four Noble Consorts: Hui, Yi, De, and Rong. Therefore, when Concubine Yi entered, many concubines hurried to greet her.

Concubine Yi waved her hand, signaling them to rise, and then led An Qing to a seat.

According to protocol, An Qing shouldn't sit with Concubine Yi, but since the banquet hadn't officially begun, they didn't need to be too strict.

Concubine Yi's seat was at the head table, and An Qing sitting beside her gave her a clear view of everyone below.

Looking around, she marveled at the variety of beauty in the palace. She couldn't help but think again how fortunate Lao Kang was.

Dressed in formal attire for the banquet, everyone looked splendid.

An Qing watched with great interest, her gaze moving from person to person, until it suddenly stopped.

Who was that beauty? She was stunning.

She turned and gently nudged Xizhu, who was next to Concubine Yi, and whispered, "Who is the lady under the willow tree on the right?"

Xizhu looked in the direction An Qing pointed and replied, "Fifth Consort, that is Wang, one of the Emperor's concubines."

An Qing nodded. So she was Wang, Kangxi's concubine. No wonder.

She had heard that Wang was currently the most favored concubine in the palace, receiving the most attention each month. It was said she was a Han Chinese concubine.

Seeing her today, with her breathtaking beauty, it was no wonder Kangxi adored her so much.

Just as An Qing was engrossed in observing, her sixth sense told her something was amiss. She turned and saw Concubine Yi staring at her with a half-smile.

Her heart immediately raced. Oh no, she forgot her beautiful mother-in-law was there.

Both were Kangxi's concubines and renowned beauties, so they were naturally rivals.

Yet here she was, admiring her rival in front of Concubine Yi. It was like admiring a friend's ex-partner.

"Nothing, I wasn't looking at anything," she said, feeling guilty.

Concubine Yi huffed, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"

With everything written on her face, how could she fool her?

An Qing smiled ingratiatingly, "That's unfair! How could I ever think ill of you? In my heart, no one in the Eight Banners can match your radiant beauty, Mother!"