Chapter 71: The Five Princesses

Chapter 71: The Five Princesses

The imperial boat arrived at the dock, where Li Xu, the Imperial Silk Commissioner of Suzhou, came to greet the entourage with great pomp and ceremony.

The position of Imperial Silk Commissioner is a fifth-grade official, directly under the Imperial Household Department, responsible for producing silk and other royal garments and supplies.

At first glance, it might not seem like a significant role—merely assisting in making clothes and providing necessities for the royal family. Moreover, the rank is not particularly high. However, those appointed to this position are usually close confidants of the emperor, and it is a lucrative post that holds equal status with the provincial governors of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

For example, the current Imperial Silk Commissioner of Suzhou, Li Xu, and the Imperial Silk Commissioner of Jiangning, Cao Yin, are both trusted confidants of Kangxi.

As for their relationship with Kangxi, one must start with their mothers.

Kangxi had two wet nurses, Sun and Wen. When he was very young and contracted smallpox, he was sent outside the palace, where these two wet nurses took care of him with utmost dedication and never abandoned him.

The sons of these two women are Cao Yin and Li Xu, who are thus considered Kangxi's foster brothers.

Therefore, to repay the kindness of his wet nurses, Kangxi bestowed favors upon their sons, entrusting them with important positions. They have not disappointed Kangxi's trust and remain loyal to him.

However, they are not only Kangxi's confidants but also his eyes and ears in Jiangnan. While officially appointed as Imperial Silk Commissioners, they secretly monitor the local officials on Kangxi's behalf and have the right to submit confidential reports directly to him.

It makes sense when you consider that Jiangnan is a crucial tax region for the Great Qing. No wonder Kangxi places such importance on it.

Speaking of Li Xu and Cao Yin, An Qing is no stranger to them, especially Cao Yin. Even those unfamiliar with Qing dynasty history would recognize him. If not, mention his grandson, and everyone would know him.

Cao Yin's grandson is none other than Cao Xueqin, the author of "Dream of the Red Chamber." Most scholars believe that the Jia family in the novel is based on the Cao family, revealing their immense wealth during that time.

Another noteworthy point is that Wang Yingtong, now promoted to Noble Consort Wang, is Li Xu's cousin. However, An Qing heard from Concubine Yi that there is no familial connection between Noble Consort Wang and Li Xu. He merely found her for Kangxi in Jiangnan and brought her into the palace under the pretense of being his relative.

It is well known that Kangxi has a preference for Han women in recent years. Several Han concubines reside in the palace, though their ranks are not high, they are quite favored. Additionally, many nameless ladies live in the side halls of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, all selected by Li Xu and Cao Yin from Jiangnan and brought into the palace for Kangxi.

As Kangxi's confidants, Li Xu and Cao Yin wield considerable influence in Jiangnan, amassing considerable wealth over the years.

It is said that during Kangxi's southern tour in the twenty-eighth year, the Elder Brother Prince and the Crown Prince were part of the entourage. After returning, the Elder Brother Prince often hinted that the lives of Li Xu and Cao Yin were more luxurious than those of the princes.

Many people in later generations commented that Kangxi treated Li Xu and Cao Yin better than his own sons. For instance, despite accusations of misusing public funds, they remained in favor with Kangxi.

After all, even though favored ministers may have flaws, they still share a bond with the emperor. They are loyal to him, and most importantly, they pose no threat to his throne.

Kangxi, although an emperor, is human too, with his own biases. Having two loyal confidants who can serve as his eyes and ears in Jiangnan, gather intelligence, and find him beautiful women, anyone would favor them.

An Qing admitted that if she were in Kangxi's position, she might do even worse.

In fact, much of the wealth of the Li and Cao families was spent on Kangxi's southern tours, including the misappropriated public funds.

During Kangxi's six southern tours, four times he stayed at Cao Yin's residence, with all expenses borne by him. Despite Kangxi's efforts to be frugal, the royal entourage always required lavish spending.

Moreover, maintaining the dignity and grandeur of the imperial court was essential, with thousands of relatives, officials, and attendants accompanying him, all requiring substantial funds.

Apart from the extravagant reception, building palaces for Kangxi in Jiangnan was another massive expense.

Kangxi understood this well and often defended Li Xu and Cao Yin when officials accused them. He even allowed them to serve as salt commissioners of Huaihai for ten years, a highly lucrative position, to help them recoup their losses.

As the saying goes, every emperor has his own ministers. During the reign of Yongzheng, these favored ministers of Kangxi became thorns in the new emperor's side, leading to their downfall, confiscation of property, and exile.

Of course, these are events for the future.

Currently, Li Xu and Cao Yin are at the height of their glory, with their families at their peak.

Upon docking, everyone disembarked, and An Qing and the other ladies-in-waiting accompanied the Empress Dowager to the temporary palace.

Kangxi led the others on horseback, with crowds of welcoming citizens lining the route. This gesture was a way to connect with the people. All the local gentry and elders had gathered, displaying silk banners with their names and greetings.

After arriving at the temporary palace, An Qing and the others were shown to their quarters.

They had been on the boat for over a month, and although she did not suffer from seasickness, the journey was tiring. The Empress Dowager instructed them to rest and recover before attending to her.

However, An Qing, with her robust health, recovered quickly after a few hours of rest, transforming from a tired state to full energy.

She began preparing a travel itinerary for Suzhou, drawing on her experience from her previous visit. Although the modern Suzhou she knew was different from the ancient one, she still sought advice from locals in the temporary palace to finalize her plan.

However, her itinerary was never used, as when Yinqi returned in the evening, he saw her travel guide on the table and informed her that Kangxi planned to take the Empress Dowager on a tour the next day.

An Qing was puzzled. Why would Kangxi suddenly decide to take the Empress Dowager on a tour?

"Does His Majesty not need to handle state affairs?" An Qing asked curiously.

Yinqi replied, "He does, but he said the matters are not urgent and can be postponed. Accompanying the Empress Dowager first is fine."

An Qing frowned, giving him a skeptical look.

Yinqi sighed, understanding her doubt. "His Majesty always advocates ruling with benevolence and filial piety. Jiangnan values Confucian culture and filial piety, so this is a way of showing respect to local customs."

Goodness, this is just acting, isn't it? Pulling the Empress Dowager into a performance with him to win over the hearts of the people in Jiangnan and those Han scholars.

Recalling Kangxi's actions along the way, An Qing couldn't help but marvel again. Kangxi truly was a capable emperor. When passing through disaster-stricken areas, he generously distributed food; in impoverished regions, he reformed governance, earning applause from the locals. But upon entering the prosperous region of Jiangnan, he took the opportunity to showcase his filial piety.

Adapting strategies based on people and places, knowing how to blend in, he had mastered the art of winning hearts.

After finishing dinner, Yinqi, having nothing else to do, began flipping through An Qing's guidebook. It was indeed quite detailed, even specifying where the most authentic Pingtan performances were in Su Zhou.

However, when he turned to a page mentioning the Humble Administrator's Garden, he instinctively shook his head.

An Qing asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with making the Humble Administrator's Garden our first stop?"

Everyone says that the gardens of Jiangnan are the best in the world, and the gardens of Su Zhou are the best in Jiangnan. The most famous garden in Su Zhou is undoubtedly the Humble Administrator's Garden.

In her previous life, she had visited it. The pavilions stood tall, the buildings stretched out gracefully, the waters were picturesque, and the flowers bloomed splendidly, creating a scene that could be described as poetic and picturesque.

Moreover, at this time, the Humble Administrator's Garden hadn't yet been worn down by the passage of time, so it must have been even more beautiful.

Yinqi waved his hand and replied, "There's nothing wrong with it, but you probably won't be able to visit the Humble Administrator's Garden this time. Perhaps another day."

An Qing let out an "ah," about to ask why, but then she understood.

Did this mean that Kangxi didn't include the Humble Administrator's Garden in the itinerary?

"Father doesn't particularly like this garden, so Li Xu crossed it off," Yinqi explained.

An Qing blinked. She had heard rumors before that Kangxi didn't like the Humble Administrator's Garden. During his first southern tour in the twenty-third year of his reign, he visited the garden first upon arriving in Su Zhou but seemed unimpressed after touring it.

It was said that Kangxi, who usually loved to write poems and inscriptions, didn't leave any words or ink after seeing the garden.

But why? The Humble Administrator's Garden was so beautiful; did Kangxi dislike this style of garden?

That didn't seem right either. Changchun Garden was built in the style of these Jiangnan gardens, indicating that he should like them.

Yinqi shook his head and replied, "Father said that the Humble Administrator's Garden is indeed a good place, but unfortunately, it's too beautiful. Living there for too long would sap one's will."

Everything there was built beautifully, each view naturally perfect, and living in such a garden was indeed pleasant. However, it often led to indulgence and complacency.

An Qing was momentarily stunned. It was because of this!

She suddenly remembered what the tour guide had said during her visit in her previous life: whoever lived in this garden would suffer misfortune. Historically, the owners of the garden changed frequently, and their wealth rarely lasted beyond three generations. The longest any family stayed was about a hundred years.

From Kangxi's perspective, it made sense. Those who lived there indulged in comfort and ease, and the younger generation developed habits of complacency, leading to the inevitable decline of the family.

Tsk, Lao Kang really had something going for him.

Undoubtedly, with Kangxi taking the Empress Dowager on a tour, they all had to accompany them throughout.

The first stop was Tiger Hill, the top scenic spot in Wu.

An Qing felt it was indeed fitting. After all, Tiger Hill's peak period was during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, and it had a significant connection with this grandfather-grandson duo.

Both Kangxi and Qianlong visited Tiger Hill six times during their southern tours, staying there. Additionally, several times while returning to Beijing from Zhejiang via Su Zhou, they revisited Tiger Hill.

Furthermore, the grandfather-grandson pair wrote dozens of inscriptions and couplets and composed over twenty poems at Tiger Hill.

Of course, Qianlong might have wanted to emulate his grandfather Kangxi, but Kangxi's love for Tiger Hill was genuine and pure.

An Qing remembered that the vertical plaque "Hu Fu Chan Si" at the entrance gate was written by Kangxi.

After appreciating Tiger Hill, they didn't idle for the next few days. Kangxi led everyone on a whirlwind tour, visiting the ancient temple Hanshan Temple, known for its winding paths and deep flower-filled courtyards.

Though they couldn't visit the Humble Administrator's Garden, it didn't matter. There were plenty of gardens in Su Zhou. They visited the Lion Grove Garden, Lingyan Temple, and Ruiguang Pavilion, among other famous sites.

They also dined and watched Kunqu opera at the Suzhou Weaving Bureau within the city walls and listened to several Pingtan performances.

On March 18th, coinciding with Kangxi's birthday, a grand birthday banquet was organized by local officials. People sang blessings and recited poems praising the emperor, creating a lively atmosphere.

In every place where the imperial entourage stayed, golden pavilions and painted corridors were erected, decorated with lanterns and splendid decorations.

Clearly, Li Xu and the local officials had put in great effort and spent a considerable amount of money.

After five full days of touring, Kangxi finally allowed everyone to rest.

An Qing experienced a whirlwind tour, but honestly, it wasn't very enjoyable.

To put it bluntly, they visited all the essential places and symbolically played tourist, but it wasn't satisfying. It felt more like a business inspection than a leisurely trip.

Or perhaps it was like a special forces tourism mode, not as extreme as modern-day students changing cities daily, but still far from An Qing's concept of comfortable and relaxed travel.

An Qing couldn't help but think that it was fortunate the Empress Dowager was in good health; otherwise, it would have been challenging to maintain the appearance of filial piety.

During this period, Concubine Yi had secretly complained to her that traveling with Kangxi wasn't as fun as traveling with her.

Pleased by the compliment, An Qing thought, "Of course, my principle of travel is comfort and enjoyment."

Despite her detailed planning for each stop, she remained quite casual when actually traveling. If she didn't enjoy herself, she wouldn't move on. If there wasn't enough time for the remaining itinerary, no problem; they would skip it since they started with the things they wanted to do most.

Strictly speaking, Kangxi's trip wasn't purely for pleasure. At each stop, he had to meet with locals and local gentry, essentially combining work with leisure.

While the ladies rested at the palace, Kangxi met with officials, using the last bit of time before they left Su Zhou for Hangzhou the next day.

Thankfully, she didn't have to work, An Qing thought gratefully.

But just as she muttered this, Perilla turned to look at her, "Mistress, didn't you say you wouldn't say that anymore?"

An Qing exclaimed, "Ah, when did I say that?"

Maidong couldn't help but remind her, "When we encountered the ghost wheat in Dayangliu."

An Qing suddenly realized something and immediately spat out several "tut-tuts." "I was just talking nonsense earlier. It doesn't count, it really doesn't count."

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. The last time in Da Yangliu, she had just finished gloating over Yinqi being dragged away by Kangxi to work, when that very day ghost wheat appeared. She was still on the street when she was pulled in for overtime.

Goodness, she was busy for five whole days without a moment's rest.

Though she didn't hold an official position now, she was known to Kangxi for her skills, which carried some risk. After all, Kangxi's trip was ostensibly about promoting agriculture, so this situation was uncertain.

Moreover, An Qing had noticed that whenever Kangxi sought her out, it was usually for something tricky that would keep her extremely busy.

That wouldn't do at all. Her main task this time was to enjoy herself and travel. Now that they were finally in Jiangnan, if she were dragged back to work like an old ox, it would be too miserable.

According to the schedule, everyone thought they would continue south to Hangzhou the next day. However, that evening, Kangxi unexpectedly adjusted the itinerary, saying they would stay in Su Zhou for two more days.

With these sudden extra two days off, An Qing felt a bit lost and unsure how to arrange her time, mainly because it was so unexpected.

Should she visit the Humble Administrator's Garden?

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, An Qing immediately dismissed it. Kangxi had clearly stated that the garden could lead to indulgence; rushing there would only invite his annoyance, which wasn't worth it.

Although she didn't think a visit would cause any harm, since it wasn't a long-term stay, what mattered most was political correctness.

After all, Kangxi was the boss, and those under him, like her, were better off being cautious.

There weren't many other places to go in Su Zhou. Over the past few days, Kangxi had already taken them to see all the major attractions, though they hadn't fully enjoyed them. She didn't want to revisit them right away, at least not anytime soon.

"Maybe I'll just wander around this imperial villa," An Qing suggested.

The scenery of the imperial villa was indeed beautiful and could pass the time, but it wasn't very large, and she had already explored most of it over the past few days. Now, she wasn't sure where to start.

Sigh... before, she had no time to worry, but now with free time, she still had worries.

There was no way around it. Whenever An Qing visited a place, she always wanted to make the most of it, since she didn't know when she might return.

Seeing her expression, Yinqi couldn't help but laugh. "Didn't you complain about being tired just a few days ago? Are you recovered now?"

An Qing thought to herself, how could it be the same? With Kangxi's style of touring, anyone would get tired, especially mentally. Maintaining the demeanor of a royal consort was exhausting enough, let alone dealing with the spouses of accompanying officials.

"I've always been healthy. Even if I'm tired, I recover quickly. I've rested for half a day now," she said.

Seeing that she didn't look fatigued, Yinqi nodded slightly and suggested, "Didn't you say you wanted to see the local farmers' spring plowing? I happen to be free these two days. How about we go to the outskirts tomorrow?"

An Qing's eyes lit up. Indeed, that was a great idea.

A few days ago, while visiting Tiger Hill with Kangxi and standing on the Emperor's Pavilion, she had casually mentioned wanting to see the farmers working. She had forgotten about it herself, but Yinqi remembered.

"Sure, sure! Let's go early tomorrow and explore more. I'd love to see the crops in the south."

They settled on the plan, and Yinqi asked Ma Xiang to prepare a carriage and find a local driver.

The next morning, after having breakfast, An Qing and Yinqi set out.

However, just as they stepped out of their courtyard, they ran into Fourth Prince Yinzhen, who seemed to be heading to their courtyard to find Yinqi.

"Brother Fifth, are you going out?" Fourth Prince looked at their attire and asked.

Yinqi nodded slightly. "Yes, Brother Fourth. We're planning to visit the outskirts. Did you come here for something?"

Fourth Prince lightly responded, "Nothing important. I just thought I'd drop by since I have nothing to do today. Since you're going out, we can talk another time."

Yinqi and An Qing exchanged a glance. This was indeed awkward; they hadn't expected Fourth Prince to show up.

But he had made the effort to come, should they really send him away without even letting him in?

Even if they invited him in now, knowing they were leaving, he might not stay long, making things even more awkward.

Just as they were unsure what to do, Yinqi had an idea. He looked at An Qing, seeking her opinion.

An Qing was initially surprised but then understood Yinqi's intention. Was he inviting Fourth Prince along?

It was fine with her; it was just one more person, and Yinqi could handle it.

Seeing An Qing nod, Yinqi turned to Fourth Prince.

"Brother Fourth, if you have nothing else to do today, why don't you join us in visiting the local farmers' spring plowing?"