Chapter 58: The Fifth Princess Consort

Chapter 58: The Fifth Princess Consort

An Qing thought even deeper. Today, her second elder brother mentioned to her that he wanted to promote the cultivation of sweet potatoes among the Mongolian tribes in the future and asked if it was feasible.

Of course, it was feasible. The food shortage crisis among the Mongolian tribes has always been a headache for the Great Qing. Especially the newly-subjugated Mongolian tribes in Northern Desert, which the Qing court couldn't ignore. However, the national grain production was limited each year, and the treasury wasn't very well-stocked, making it very challenging.

Moreover, relying solely on government aid was not a long-term solution. The Mongolian tribes needed to become self-sufficient to solve the root problem.

However, although the land in the Mongolian tribes is fertile, their location is further north, and the climate is not as favorable as in the south. The winters are exceptionally cold, so the types of crops that can be cultivated are limited.

For example, when An Qing's second elder brother taught farming techniques in the Horqin banners last year, winter wheat could be planted, but its yield was still not high enough.

Although the Mongolian tribes have vast territories, they also face issues with agricultural and pastoral land use. The lush grasslands must be reserved for pastures, leaving less ideal land for farming. Additionally, extreme winter weather further complicates matters, causing significant concern.

This was a problem for Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner, and naturally, for all the Mongolian tribes. Even the large areas of undeveloped land in the northern regions were mostly due to these reasons.

However, the appearance of sweet potatoes could solve this issue. Compared to other grains, sweet potatoes are highly productive and can adapt to various climates. Although they are not fine grains, if they could be cultivated in the Mongolian tribes, they could at least alleviate the food shortages and prevent starvation.

This was an immediate solution, and the key to achieving it was mastering the technique of storing sweet potato vines through the winter.

An Qing and Yinqi understood this, and Emperor Kangxi would understand it too.

So, if she presented this method now, even if Emperor Kangxi hadn't seen the practical results yet, half the credit would still be hers, adding to her previous contributions, increasing the possibility of her father being promoted.

"Should we tell Father Emperor first?" An Qing asked.

Emperor Kangxi had already mentioned visiting her estate, and if she didn't mention it, it would feel like withholding information.

After all, not all surprises are pleasant. If Lao Kang were to feel that she deliberately withheld information amidst his joy, it wouldn't be good.

Yinqi nodded and said, "We should indeed inform Father Emperor first."

But how and when to say it was crucial.

"I'll handle this. I'll find an opportunity to talk to Father Emperor," Yinqi said.

An Qing had no qualms about this. "If I can't trust you, who else can I trust?"

They were already on the same boat, and without basic trust, they couldn't be allies.

Yinqi smiled and agreed with a "Good."

With this pressing matter resolved, An Qing felt much more relaxed, finding the night sky even more beautiful.

Suddenly, she remembered her third elder brother's awkward inquiry earlier, and turned to Yinqi, "By the way, my third elder brother said Father Emperor seemed quite concerned about his dark complexion. Do you know what's going on?"

Yideri's original words weren't exactly like that. He asked if the Forbidden City's standards of beauty for men were different from those on the grasslands. An Qing was confused by his sudden question and only learned about the incident in Emperor Kangxi's tent after probing further.

Yinqi stiffened slightly, a hint of unease crossing his face.

He hadn't expected An Qing to ask about this and became flustered, unsure how to explain.

Seeing his reaction, An Qing immediately sensed something was amiss. She had never seen Yinqi act this way before, piquing her curiosity.

She suddenly sat up, staring at him intently, determined not to let him off until he explained.

Yinqi realized he couldn't avoid it and sighed, recounting the entire story about the "Black Princess Consort."

An Qing was stunned. She never imagined such a thing could happen, feeling both amused and exasperated.

A "Black Princess Consort"? They really came up with that nickname.

No wonder her third elder brother said everyone in the tent that day seemed strange; they were just watching the show.

After her initial shock, An Qing suddenly thought of something and turned to Yinqi, "So, on our wedding night, when you hesitated to lift my veil, was it because of this?"

Yinqi's face flushed with embarrassment, his eyes darting away, confirming her suspicion.

Though he said nothing, his reaction spoke volumes.

An Qing raised an eyebrow, thinking he was quite a lookist.

Of course, she didn't think being a lookist was bad, considering she herself was a severe lookist. She had no right to criticize others.

But despite having no grounds, An Qing still enjoyed teasing him.

Her expression suddenly changed, feigning disappointment, "So, you care so much about my appearance. If I were really as dark as they say, would you...?"

Though she didn't finish her sentence, the meaning was clear. Her hesitation only amplified her apparent disappointment.

An Qing secretly gave herself a thumbs-up, impressed by her acting skills.

Sure enough, Yinqi panicked immediately and hurriedly explained, "No, don't misunderstand. That day, I was influenced by my brothers and feared losing composure, so I hesitated to lift your veil. It wasn't because I disliked anything about you."

An Qing couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, surprised by his reason.

However, she quickly seized the key point, "So, you believed the rumors, didn't you?"

Yinqi choked, unable to refute, "But I'm not someone who cares about looks. I've never been like that. You can ask Mother."

After all, his mother once suspected he couldn't distinguish between beauty and ugliness.

An Qing tried hard to suppress her laughter, but Yinqi's earnest explanation was too amusing. She finally burst out laughing, collapsing into his arms.

"Hahaha, too funny! I was just teasing you. Don't worry, I never thought you cared about looks, hahaha..."

Yinqi was taken aback, seeing her shoulders shaking with laughter. He breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head helplessly.

"So, since you're so obsessed with looks, if I were ugly, would you dislike me?" he murmured.

An Qing's laughter abruptly stopped, and her shoulders ceased shaking. The wild look she had just moments ago vanished.

Yinqi watched her quietly, clearly waiting for her response.

An Qing felt as if she had hoisted herself with her own petard. She chuckled twice in a rather fawning manner and said, "I wouldn't be disgusted, of course. I'm not that kind of person."

Though she was a bit of a face fanatic, she would never despise someone based solely on their appearance. Liking someone was a personal preference, but judging them by their looks was a matter of character.

However, it was certain that if Yinqi were average-looking, he wouldn't be as pleasing to the eye as he is now.

Yinqi looked at her with a half-smile, clearly understanding the implications of her words.

Although An Qing felt a bit guilty inside, she always believed in maintaining dignity even when losing. So, she managed to hold her ground.

"Anyway, we're both lucky. Look, my mother didn't make me as dark as Third Elder Brother, and your mother did a good job with you too. So, let's not dwell on these hypotheticals; they're meaningless and hurt feelings."

After saying this, she gave him a disapproving look, as if to say, 'This time it's okay, but not next time.'

Yinqi: "..."

Who started making assumptions first?

After turning the tables, An Qing felt she had regained control and quickly changed the subject. "On such a beautiful night, let's watch the stars."

With that, she lay down, muttering about how pretty the stars were on the grassland and urging him to look up.

Yinqi chuckled softly, shook his head, and lay down beside her.

The night on the grassland was peaceful and serene, calming their hearts. For a while, neither spoke, simply gazing at the countless stars in the sky.

Earlier that evening, Yinqi had been dragged into drinking contests by Yideri and the others. He hadn't felt anything then, but now he felt a bit tipsy.

Under the influence of alcohol, his thoughts wandered. He turned to look at An Qing and recalled Muren's gaze before he left earlier that day.

Why was there reluctance? What was he regretting?

By instinct, Yinqi vaguely understood Muren's feelings, but he knew it had nothing to do with An Qing. From their reactions, it seemed Muren harbored one-sided feelings.

Yet, he couldn't help but think about it, couldn't stop caring.

Yinqi silently exhaled, his heart racing as he saw An Qing's profile under the moonlight. Perhaps... he knew the reason.

*

The next day, when An Qing told Yideri the real reason, he was stunned and took a long time to recover.

So, he had gained a reputation in Imperial City because of his dark skin?

Yideri didn't know what to say. Now he understood why the princes and Manchu nobles' sons had looked at him strangely when he visited Imperial City to escort a bride. It all made sense now.

"Little Sister, I've held you back," Yideri said guiltily.

He didn't care much about his own appearance, but he felt guilty that An Qing had been misunderstood due to him, being called 'Black Consort' and such by people in the Forbidden City.

"Hmph! I've never seen a woman as fair as my little sister."

An Qing smiled and replied, "No, no, don't say that. If it weren't for Third Elder Brother letting me have all the nutrients in Mother's womb, I wouldn't be this fair. I owe it all to you."

Yideri knew An Qing was comforting him; she had always said this since childhood. But he still felt happy every time he heard it.

If it meant his little sister could be fair, he'd be as dark as he needed to be.

Seeing Yideri staying in today, An Qing was curious. "Third Elder Brother, why aren't you out today?"

Ever since they arrived at Mulan, Yideri had been running around nonstop. This was unusual for him.

Yideri waved his hand weakly. "Don't mention it. Muren was called away by his mother this morning to meet some relatives. Going out alone isn't fun."

They had planned to go horseback riding and hunting, but now those plans were ruined. So, he came to spend time with his little sister.

An Qing responded with an "Oh," then suddenly became mysterious. "Third Elder Brother, do you know why Muren was called away by his mother?"

Yideri shook his head. "No idea. His attendant only said he had something to do but didn't specify what."

An Qing grinned and raised an eyebrow. "I know. He was probably called to meet a girl."

Yideri was taken aback. "Ah? Meet what girl?"

An Qing rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "Think about it. It must be the girl his mother wants him to marry."

A few days ago, her mother mentioned in conversation that Muren's mother had found a suitable young Princess from their clan, who was two years younger than Muren but already of marriageable age. Today was likely the meeting.

"That can't be true. Why hasn't Muren mentioned it?" Yideri said incredulously.

And yet, he... Yideri glanced at An Qing, hesitating.

An Qing didn't notice his odd behavior and smiled. "Why not? Muren is our age, so it's natural for him to start thinking about marriage. Maybe he's just embarrassed to talk about it."

After all, boys at this age tend to be shy.

"When I see Muren next, I'll definitely ask for some wedding candy," she laughed.

Hearing this, Yideri hesitated and said, "Little Sister, maybe you shouldn't bring it up next time."

An Qing looked at him, puzzled. "Why not?"

Because Muren and Yideri were friends, she had interacted with him quite a bit before her marriage. Asking for wedding candy wasn't unreasonable. Why couldn't she?

Yideri sighed, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Little Sister, you really don't know?"

An Qing exclaimed, "Know what?"

Yideri scratched his head, seemingly at a loss for words. After a long moment, he finally said, "Actually, you were almost engaged to Muren before."

An Qing: "!!!"

There was such a thing?

How come she had no idea about it?

Yideri didn't hide anything further and explained the matter in a few words.

It turned out that before the imperial marriage decree, her parents and Muren's parents had mutual intentions to arrange a marriage. However, before they could even seek her opinion, Emperor Kangxi suddenly issued the imperial decree, and the matter was left unresolved.

An Qing suddenly felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. After coming of age, she knew her parents had been considering potential matches for her, but she had been preoccupied with the estate and hadn't paid much attention. She never expected there would be such an incident.

However, thinking about it, it seemed quite normal. According to her parents' wishes, they wanted her to marry into a noble family on the grasslands, where they could keep an eye on her and ensure her safety.

From all aspects, Muren was indeed a good candidate. The families knew each other well, and he was one of the few outstanding young men on the grasslands, with a prestigious background. His character and appearance were excellent, so it made sense that her parents liked him.

But, as fate would have it, things didn't work out.

"Third Elder Brother, thank you for reminding me. When I see Muren next time, I won't mention it to avoid any awkwardness," An Qing said.

She didn't take it too seriously, assuming it was just the parents' wishful thinking. After all, they hadn't even reached the stage of discussing the engagement, let alone meeting Muren.

"Besides, it's not a big deal since it's already in the past. Muren probably wouldn't even remember it," she added.

Seeing his sister's nonchalant attitude, Yideri couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Others might not know, but he suspected that Muren wasn't indifferent to his little sister. After all, the initial proposal came from the Wang family through his father, and Yideri always wondered if Muren had something to do with it.

However, after the imperial decree, he stopped investigating.

Whether or not it was true, it didn't matter anymore.

"Third Elder Brother, what kind of woman do you like?" An Qing asked casually.

That day, her mother and sister-in-law were discussing his marriage when they mentioned Muren. Her mother was worried about finding a suitable match for her Third Elder Brother.

It was said that after her marriage, her mother had introduced many girls to him, but none of them worked out. Her mother often lamented that he had bad luck in marriage.

Yideri scratched his head and replied, "I don't know. As long as she looks nice, I guess."

An Qing rolled her eyes, "Third Elder Brother, you need to have some criteria. How can Mother choose for you without knowing what you want?"

Thinking about this, Yideri sighed, "Little Sister, spare me. Every time I go to Mother, she nags me about it. I'm afraid of her nagging."

Seeing his distressed expression, An Qing shook her head.

But she couldn't help feeling a bit smug. It seemed that the Manchu-Mongolian alliance had its benefits; at least she didn't have to worry about marriage like her Third Elder Brother.

*

After careful consideration, Yinqi decided it was best to inform his father, Emperor Kangxi, about the sweet potatoes on An Qing's estate.

However, he couldn't do it alone, so he brought along An Qing's father and her second brother to Emperor Kangxi's yellow tent.

After their meeting, it wasn't long before Emperor Kangxi sent messengers to the Mongolian nobles, ordering them to accompany him to An Qing's estate in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner the next day.

The nobles were puzzled. What was so special about An Qing's estate in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner? After all, every noble family had several estates.

Of course, some speculated that Emperor Kangxi must have a deeper purpose, likely related to the recent rewards given to Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner.

But the exact reason remained unknown.

When An Qing heard the news, she was taken aback. Tomorrow? So soon?

She thought they would visit on their way back, which was still five or six days away.

"Is it inconvenient to go now?" Yinqi frowned, surprised by his father's urgency.

An Qing waved her hand, "No, it's the harvest season for sweet potatoes. Whether we pick them a few days earlier or later doesn't make a difference."

She was simply surprised by Emperor Kangxi's change of plans.

Hearing this, Yinqi felt relieved. If it didn't affect anything, it was fine.

The next morning, Emperor Kangxi led a large entourage, including officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Agricultural Administration Department, as well as several princes. Of course, An Qing was also part of the group, being the only woman among them.

Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner wasn't far from Mulan. Although An Qing had several estates, the one growing sweet potatoes happened to be the closest to Mulan. They arrived quickly.

Emperor Kangxi wasted no time and directly led them to the sweet potato field, pointing to the rows of sweet potatoes and saying, "Today, I've brought you here to see the sweet potatoes grown in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner."

Everyone was stunned, wondering what was so special about these sweet potatoes.

However, both the princes and the officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Agricultural Administration Department knew Emperor Kangxi well enough to realize there must be a deeper meaning behind this.

Given An Qing's previous achievements, they instinctively looked at her and Yinqi.

But the Mongolian nobles were confused.

Emperor Kangxi glanced at everyone and smiled, "What do you think about promoting the cultivation of sweet potatoes among the Mongolian nomads?"

Everyone was even more bewildered. How could sweet potatoes be promoted among the Mongolian nomads?

Currently, sweet potatoes were typically propagated using vines, but these vines couldn't survive the harsh northern winters. To plant sweet potatoes in Mongolia, new vines would have to be transported from the south every spring, which would be costly and prone to significant losses during transit.

In previous years, the government had tried transporting vines from the south, hoping to reduce costs through centralized transportation, but the Ministry of Finance eventually shelved the idea due to high costs.

Another method used in the south involved cutting sweet potatoes into pieces to grow new plants, but this method was too expensive, requiring 200-300 pounds of sweet potatoes per acre. Moreover, the process was complex, lengthy, and had low success rates, making it impractical.

So it is precisely because of this that sweet potatoes have been unable to spread in the North these past few years.

This is not only known by the officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Agricultural Administration Department, but also by the princes and nobles of Mongolia present. They too grow some sweet potatoes on their own estates for personal consumption. Therefore, upon seeing the sweet potatoes on the estate of Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner, they were not surprised, assuming that the sweet potato vines had been transported from the South at a high cost.

But if they were to promote them among the herders, the costs would certainly be unaffordable.

Though the officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Agricultural Administration Department had their doubts, after a moment's thought, they seemed to realize something, and their faces all showed expressions of disbelief.

The princes here were similarly stunned; they looked at An Qing, then at Kangxi.

Only the Mongolian princes and nobles were completely out of the loop. They looked at each other for a while, unable to understand why Kangxi would ask such an obviously impossible question.

Finally, Prince Darhan of Horqin Left-wing Banner and Ta stepped forward: "Your Majesty, although sweet potatoes are high-yielding, they cannot be promoted in the various parts of Mongolia due to the issue with the vine cuttings, which ordinary herders cannot afford."

Kangxi waved his hand and said calmly, "This, this Emperor is well aware of. But what if the problem of storing sweet potato vines through winter is solved?"

Everyone: "!!!"

What?

The problem of storing sweet potato vines through winter can be solved!

How? Who solved it?!