Chapter 91: The Five Princesses

Chapter 91: The Five Princesses

"Why did the Emperor summon Third Elder Brother?" An Qing asked in surprise.

Her Third Elder Brother should be busy with the autumn harvest alongside her Second Elder Brother in the Baring Department. Emperor Kangxi had previously exempted them from coming to pay their respects, emphasizing the importance of the harvest.

So why would he suddenly change his mind now?

Yinqi lightly shook his head and replied, "The Emperor didn't say what for, but it doesn't seem like anything serious."

At least from the Emperor's reaction, it didn't appear to be bad news.

An Qing felt relieved and then asked, "Will Second Elder Brother come too?"

Yinqi replied, "Only Third Elder Brother is coming. Second Elder Brother can't leave at the moment."

Last year, the Baring Department received some sweet potato vines from the estate in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner. An Qing's Second and Third Elder Brothers personally instructed on winter storage techniques and planting methods. As a result, the Baring Department has become one of the largest sweet potato growers among the Mongolian tribes, second only to Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner.

It was indeed the time for the sweet potato harvest, making it impossible for them to leave.

However, An Qing was still puzzled about why Emperor Kangxi would summon her Third Elder Brother at this time, especially since the autumn hunt in Mulan was nearing its end. If it wasn't urgent, there wouldn't be any reason to call him urgently.

The next day, when An Qing came to see her parents, she intended to ask them about it. To her surprise, they were equally confused.

"The Emperor wants to see Yideri?" Deb exclaimed in astonishment.

An Qing nodded slightly. "I heard it from Yinqi. He sent someone to the Baring Department two days ago. Didn't the Emperor mention it to you, Father?"

Deb shook his head and then frowned, thinking of something. "That troublemaker Yideri must have done something, right? Did he also bully someone or commit some other misdeed?"

Without waiting for an answer, he clenched his teeth and said, "If that's the case, I'll beat him up myself. It's better to clean our family name ourselves."

An Qing couldn't help but sigh, realizing the root of the problem from her father's use of 'also.'

Ever since Princess Galzang's crimes were exposed and he was imprisoned by Emperor Kangxi, the Mongolian tribes were shocked and began to reflect on themselves. They started investigating their own families to see if there were any unruly younger members who could be dealt with secretly, fearing that they might face Emperor Kangxi's wrath.

As a result, the unruly young men on the grasslands had been more restrained recently.

An Qing's father was no exception. He carefully screened his own children. Her elder brothers had always been upright and diligent, so there was nothing to find. All his attention was focused on her Third Elder Brother.

But in reality, her Third Elder Brother only caused minor mischief and never did anything truly harmful.

However, because her elder brothers were so well-behaved, her Third Elder Brother's small troubles seemed magnified, leading her father to consider him the most unstable factor in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner.

Hearing that Emperor Kangxi wanted to see her Third Elder Brother, her father immediately assumed he had caused trouble again.

"Father, you know Third Elder Brother. He wouldn't do such things," An Qing said, trying to defend Yideri.

"Besides, it's unfair to compare him to Galzang. If he knew, he wouldn't agree."

Deb instantly became upset. "What does that brat think? I'm his father; he can't defy me!"

An Qing frowned disapprovingly. "Father, when will you stop being so authoritarian? Third Elder Brother hasn't done anything wrong, yet you blame him. That's not fair."

Her father was a typical autocratic patriarch, and she had seen this behavior all her life. She always tried to reason with him, and this time was no different.

She began lecturing him, citing various examples to support her arguments. Finally, she concluded, "Father, exaggeration aside, your behavior is detrimental to family harmony!"

Seeing An Qing's determined look, Deb rubbed his nose and quickly defended himself. "Well, I just spoke without thinking. Actually, I'm not usually so authoritarian. Your mother can vouch for me."

He looked at his princess for support, hoping she would speak up for him.

Princess Naren saw his reaction and inwardly thought he deserved it. But she couldn't help but find it amusing.

Their prince was always decisive, but only their daughter could make him admit his mistakes. This was probably what the Han people called "one thing taming another."

An Qing remained puzzled about why Emperor Kangxi summoned her Third Elder Brother for several days. However, soon enough, her Third Elder Brother arrived at the Mulan hunting grounds.

Then, Emperor Kangxi summoned her father and Yinqi.

An Qing and her mother waited anxiously. When the three returned from Emperor Kangxi's tent, both Deb and Yideri looked somewhat bewildered.

Not exactly bewildered, but rather, they seemed dazed.

Princess Naren grew tense. "Why do you look like that? Did Yideri cause some major trouble?"

Yideri looked at her mother incredulously. "Mother, why don't you wish me well?"

Princess Naren glared at him. "Stop talking nonsense. Why did the Emperor summon you? If you keep us guessing, I'll beat you!"

Seeing his mother's anger, Yideri pouted but explained, "The Emperor summoned me urgently to assist Princess Fourth in the Qinghe region with the Khalkha herdsmen's farming efforts."

So, Emperor Kangxi agreed to Princess Fourth's request for the Qinghe region.

Yideri nodded. "Yes, after the Mulan autumn hunt, I'm supposed to take some skilled tribesmen from our department to assist Princess Fourth. We'll help them with farming and teach them agricultural techniques. Hopefully, we can catch up for the spring planting next year."

An Qing understood. Her Third Elder Brother had been working with her Second Elder Brother to teach farming techniques across the Mongolian tribes, gaining valuable experience. It made sense for him to lead the effort.

Previously, she had told Princess Fourth that her father could provide assistance if needed. So, An Qing didn't think much of it, assuming it was just to avoid suspicion.

Princess Naren breathed a sigh of relief. "That's not a big deal. Why do you look so strange?"

Yideri glanced at An Qing. "Little Sister, there's one more thing."

An Qing raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Yideri scratched his head and replied, "The Fourth Princess said that to show her gratitude, she would lend us some land in the Qingshe area for free so that we can cultivate it in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner."

An Qing exclaimed softly, "She didn't mention this before."

"How much land?" she asked.

Yideri replied, "Eight thousand acres."

An Qing instinctively looked at Yinqi.

They both knew the size of the Qingshe area, and eight thousand acres was no small amount.

It was clear that the Fourth Princess had been well-prepared and managed to convince Kangxi, indicating she had put considerable effort into it.

Yinqi immediately understood her concern and lightly shook his head. "I wasn't aware of this. Moyali didn't consult me about it either; I just found out now."

"Sister, that's not the main point. The main point is that the Fourth Princess said she would sign a one-hundred-year lease agreement with us in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner," Yideri added.

"What?" Queen Naren widened her eyes. "How long did you say?"

Yideri repeated, "One hundred years."

An Qing also widened her eyes. This wasn't a loan; it was practically a gift.

Yideri and Deb exchanged glances. Indeed, when they heard about this in the Emperor's tent, they were stunned for quite a while.

They weren't fools; the Fourth Princess was clearly offering them a significant advantage. The reason wasn't merely gratitude for helping with reclamation; it was all because of An Qing.

At that moment, An Qing realized that the surprise the Fourth Princess had mentioned earlier was this.

After leaving her mother's tent, she and Yinqi headed straight for the Fourth Princess's tent. When they arrived, the Fourth Princess and her husband Dorji had just returned, and they met each other at the entrance.

"Fifth Elder Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law," Dorji greeted them with a bow.

They returned the gesture. It wasn't the first time An Qing had seen Dorji, but she couldn't help being impressed by his towering figure—almost six feet tall and muscular, a true image of a man from the grasslands.

But he seemed genuinely caring towards the Fourth Princess. At the banquet, he had shown great tenderness towards her, revealing a softer side to his tough exterior.

The Fourth Princess stepped forward, linked arms with An Qing, and waved at Yinqi and Dorji. "Fifth Sister-in-law and I will go for a walk. You two go inside and have tea."

Yinqi, hearing this, immediately expressed his concern, "Don't wander too far, and don't tire yourselves out."

The Fourth Princess gave him a look that said, "You're being too fussy." "Fifth Elder Brother, I know what I'm doing. Don't worry; I'll take good care of Fifth Sister-in-law."

An Qing and the Fourth Princess didn't go far. They stopped on a small hill behind their tent. The Fourth Princess considerately found a flat patch of grass, took off her cloak, and laid it on the ground. They sat down side by side.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, did you receive my surprise?" the Fourth Princess asked with a smile.

An Qing looked at her helplessly, unsure what to say. "Fourth Sister, this surprise is too valuable for me to accept."

The Fourth Princess waved her hand. "It doesn't matter how valuable it is; as long as it helps solve your family's current problems."

An Qing paused, then quickly understood why the Fourth Princess had done this.

Before the Fourth Princess got married, she often stayed in her courtyard, listening to stories about the grasslands. An Qing had mentioned the agricultural planning issues in Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner, particularly the shortage of land for farming and grazing.

Compared to other Mongolian territories, Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner had less land, partly due to its previous lack of importance. With the recent agricultural expansion, the pastureland had shrunk, which was why they detoured through the Qingshe area during winter migration.

There was a large imperial pasture there used by various Mongolian tribes during their seasonal movements.

However, An Qing hadn't expected the Fourth Princess to remember this. The eight thousand acres indeed alleviated their current land shortage.

With the implementation of the banner system in Mongolia under Great Qing, the territories of each tribe were fixed, making it difficult to change.

This was why she had never considered asking Kangxi for more land for their tribe.

The Fourth Princess's action solved this concern.

Still, An Qing felt uneasy. "Fourth Sister, will this affect your plans?"

After all, the Fourth Princess had her own reasons for acquiring the Qingshe area, and reducing it by nearly a fifth could potentially impact her goals.

The Fourth Princess waved her hand dismissively. "Fifth Sister-in-law, don't worry. I have everything under control. It won't affect anything."

She still had forty thousand acres, which was more than enough.

Moreover, her primary goal was to demonstrate her capabilities to the Mongolian tribes in Northern Desert by acquiring the Qingshe area and stabilizing the local community through farming and grazing. Whether it was forty thousand or forty-eight thousand acres made little difference.

Seeing her confidence, An Qing felt reassured. "Does Dorji mind this?"

The Fourth Princess shrugged. "That's the dowry from Father. Why would he mind?"

An Qing shook her head, knowing that despite this, many things needed to be discussed between spouses to avoid misunderstandings.

The Fourth Princess quickly explained, "Fifth Sister-in-law, don't worry. I'm not foolish. I've talked to Dorji about this. I hinted that Father feels indebted to you and is compensating Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner through this method."

Dorji wasn't stupid; he knew about the situation in the Imperial City.

"Besides, if Father didn't have this intention, I wouldn't have been able to persuade him. So, Fifth Sister-in-law, don't feel burdened. This is what you deserve."

An Qing smiled, understanding that Kangxi's agreement was indeed a way to make amends.

Without the Fourth Princess's efforts, this wouldn't have happened.

Grateful, An Qing accepted, "Alright, then I'll thank you on behalf of my family, Fourth Sister."

The Fourth Princess waved her hand. "Fifth Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Your family is my family. We're one and the same."

In fact, if anyone should be thanking someone, it should be her thanking An Qing.

When she first married into Khalkha, Deb immediately sent gifts, clearly showing the people of Northern Desert Mongolia that this Fourth Princess had powerful backing, and they shouldn't dare to slight her just because Imperial City was far away.

Later, when her Fifth Sister-in-law's second and Third Elder Brothers passed by on official business, they personally visited her. This further demonstrated to the people of Northern Desert Mongolia that she was treated with increasing respect.

The Fourth Princess understood all this and kept it in mind. But what she truly appreciated was the wisdom her Fifth Sister-in-law imparted to her back in the palace.

Before then, whether it was from her mother, aunts, or the other ladies of the harem, everyone told her in various ways that as a princess, her future and fortunes were tied to the affection of her Emperor Father. Often, she needed to learn to accept her fate.

But her Fifth Sister-in-law told her that she could strive upward like the princes in the palace, relying on her own strength to improve her life.

Thus, she became who she is now: someone full of hope for the future, someone who holds her life in her own hands.

*

In the final days at Mulan, everyone was once again surprised by a series of events.

First, Kangxi personally decreed that 48,000 acres of land around Qinghe be given to the Fourth Princess as part of her dowry. Then came news that the Fourth Princess had lent 8,000 acres of this land to Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner for a century, free of charge.

Undoubtedly, Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner became the envy of all Mongolian tribes again.

While people were somewhat surprised by Kangxi's gift to the Fourth Princess, they understood upon reflection. After all, she was marrying into Northern Desert, where wars still occurred occasionally; additional dowry was not unreasonable.

However, for Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner, this was a windfall. Suddenly gaining 8,000 acres of territory would make anyone envious. Everyone wasn't foolish; they saw through the implications behind this gesture.

Thus, the Mongolian tribes began anew their admiration for Deb's excellent daughter.

An Qing also entered a period of anxiety about parting from her family. She started spending every day in her mother's tent, chatting with her mother, playing with Duo Lan, and dining with her father and Third Elder Brother.

But no matter how much she cherished these moments, the day of departure arrived. Early that morning, upon hearing that An Qing was leaving, Duo Lan began crying and insisting that her aunt come home with her.

An Qing, perhaps due to pregnancy hormones or being influenced by Duo Lan, also started crying uncontrollably until she couldn't breathe, which frightened Naren, who quickly had Duo Lan taken away.

"You're pregnant; you shouldn't have such strong emotional swings. Take a deep breath."

An Qing knew this was true and tried hard to calm down, eventually managing to suppress her feelings of grievance.

Though she didn't know why she felt so aggrieved. Even if she was sad, shouldn't it be because of the parting? In her previous life, she often heard that pregnancy hormones greatly affect emotions, and now she experienced it firsthand.

Without Duo Lan's interference, mother and daughter finally had a chance to talk before parting.

"Mother, take care after I return to the capital," said An Qing. "If anything happens, send me a message."

Naren helped soothe her with a damp towel. "Don't worry. We'll be fine here on the grasslands."

With such a capable daughter, other tribes naturally showed respect to Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner.

Moreover, during their time at Mulan, the other princesses treated her kindly, and the ladies of the Mongolian tribes noticed. Life would only get better.

"Because of those 8,000 acres, your father is praised everywhere he goes as a man blessed with children."

Her son-in-law was a prince, her daughter was favored by Kangxi, and she was close to the Fourth Princess. Her sons were also capable, helping other tribes with farming and teaching agricultural techniques.

An Qing was surprised. "Didn't Father get upset last year when he benefited from my position?"

Naren waved her hand. "Why would he be upset? He's very proud now. When others say sarcastic things, he calmly replies, 'What can I do? My children are too capable. I can't help it.' Nine out of ten people are left speechless."

An Qing imagined her father's smug face and chuckled.

Indeed, it was quite infuriating.

Naren patted her hand. "Don't worry about us anymore. Take care of yourself and the baby, and live well with your husband. That's all we want."

An Qing nodded with a smile. "Mother, don't worry. I will."

They chatted a bit more, then stepped out of the tent when the time came.

Yinqi was talking with Deb and Yideri outside. Seeing An Qing emerge, he hurried over.

Seeing her red eyes, Yinqi was taken aback. Had she been crying?

Last year, An Qing had been so calm during their parting that Yinqi hadn't expected her to cry this time, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

The main group was ready to depart. An Qing briefly spoke with her father and Third Elder Brother before boarding the carriage.

As the carriage moved slowly, she waved goodbye to her family until their voices faded from view. Only then did she sit back inside.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and Yinqi climbed aboard.

An Qing exclaimed, "Why aren't you riding a horse?"

According to Kangxi's requirements, princes should ride horses at the front.

Yinqi sat beside her. "I don't want to ride a horse. I took leave from Father Emperor and will accompany you in the carriage."

To better take care of her.

An Qing responded with an "Oh," not thinking much of it, assuming he simply didn't want to ride.

They talked for a while, but Yinqi seemed unusually talkative today. Soon, An Qing started feeling drowsy.

"Rest your head on my shoulder and sleep," Yinqi suggested.

An Qing didn't hesitate, leaning against his shoulder and soon fell asleep.

Yinqi sighed softly, watching her sleep. Someday, he would bring her back.

When Kangxi led the group back to the Forbidden City from the frontier, it was the first day of October.

An Qing was already five months pregnant and starting to show. According to Concubine Yi, she should rest well after the long journey.

But she couldn’t rest now, for the corn in the experimental fields of Royal Manor had ripened.