Chapter 104: The Fifth Princess Consort

Chapter 104: The Fifth Princess Consort

Buyantai looked in the direction An Qing pointed and scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Princess Consort, these are just some vegetables I planted for fun. Please don't laugh at me."

The Fifth Princess Consort's expertise in farming was well-known among the people. Whether it was the watermelons and strawberries that once filled the Imperial City with their fame or her solutions to age-old problems like 'Green Wind Disease' and 'Ghost Wheat,' she had earned widespread admiration.

Compared to her skills, his little garden must seem trivial indeed.

An Qing smiled and continued, "I see your fields are quite well-kept. Did you come up with this arrangement yourself?"

Buyantai replied honestly, "Yes, I figured it out myself. Our courtyard is low-lying, so this makes irrigation and drainage easier."

An Qing nodded lightly. Although the method was still rudimentary, for someone without any agricultural knowledge, it was impressive.

At least he showed some aptitude and dedication in farming.

"You mentioned you usually go out to work. Where do you usually go?" An Qing asked.

Buyantai glanced at Guoerjia, not wanting to worry his sister, but feeling compelled to answer truthfully. "I... wash dishes at a restaurant."

Guoerjia's eyes flickered with concern upon hearing this.

An Qing understood the situation. At his age, and with his leg condition, finding other jobs would be difficult.

"Would you like to work on my estate?" she asked.

Buyantai was taken aback. Working on an estate would be better than odd jobs at a restaurant. However, he hesitated, glancing at his sister. She was the Fifth Beile's concubine and had already sought help from the Fifth Princess Consort today, creating a significant debt of gratitude.

"Thank you, Princess Consort, but I've already caused you so much trouble today. Buyantai doesn't..."

An Qing understood his concerns and interrupted him gently. "Don't worry. This has nothing to do with your sister. I simply noticed your talent in farming. My estate needs someone like you, but farming can be tough. Take your time to consider it and discuss it with your family."

Buyantai felt a surge of interest when he heard about working on the estate. For him, farming wasn't a hardship, especially on the Fifth Princess Consort's estate, where innovative methods were used.

"Oh, by the way, the estate is the Royal Manor granted by the Emperor. The conditions are good, and there's a farming school there. You can attend classes whenever they're held. Your sister is part of our household, and if you prove capable, the Beile can arrange a position for you," An Qing added. "As you said, life offers many paths."

She genuinely admired the boy's determination. If he truly had a talent for farming, she was willing to personally mentor him and give him a chance.

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned by An Qing's offer.

They had heard of the farming school, the only one of its kind in Great Qing, where students were either officials or nobles' children, even princes.

Such an opportunity was rare, and everyone looked anxiously at Buyantai, wishing they could accept on his behalf.

Moreover, this wasn't just a job; if he excelled, the Fifth Beile could secure him a position, ensuring a bright future.

Ma Xiang, understanding An Qing's intention to elevate Guoerjia's brother, chimed in, "Princess Consort, your estate's benefits are more than just good. If I weren't serving the master, I'd want to work there too."

He wasn't exaggerating. The estate offered excellent benefits, including monthly stipends, seasonal allowances, and a five-day workweek.

Buyantai was swayed by the prospect of attending the farming school, but before he could decide, Guoerjia pulled him down to kneel before An Qing.

"My brother and I thank you, Princess Consort, for your kindness."

Guoerjia was deeply grateful. If her brother could learn from the Princess Consort, his future would be secured, a debt she and her family would never forget.

With the matter settled, An Qing, seeing it was late, decided to take Guoerjia back. Despite her father's passing, palace rules applied.

Guoerjia understood and knew this visit was an exception. Without the Princess Consort's intervention, she wouldn't have been allowed to return.

Before leaving, An Qing called Guoerjia over and had Perilla hand her a fifty-tael silver note to give to her family.

"Princess Consort, this is too much. I've already borrowed so much and don't know when I'll repay it. How can I accept more money?" Guoerjia said, ashamed.

An Qing realized she hadn't told her about reducing the debt from two thousand taels to five hundred. She quickly explained the situation.

"Your father's debt, principal plus interest, was five hundred and fifty taels. Take this fifty taels to make it six hundred."

Without further ado, An Qing got into the carriage.

Guoerjia understood her kindness and looked at her impoverished home and young siblings. "Thank you, Princess Consort."

She took the silver note from Perilla and walked toward her mother. After some reluctance, Suochuoluo accepted the note.

Everyone stood at the door, watching the carriage until it disappeared from sight.

Once back in the courtyard, Guoerjia's elder uncle exclaimed excitedly, "Father, Third Sister, this is a stroke of luck for Buyantai!"

Everyone was startled by his sudden outburst. Guoerjia's grandfather frowned. "What luck? Explain clearly."

Guoerjia's elder uncle got straight to the point. "Father, you don't know how hard it is to get into the Fifth Princess Consort's farming school. Many officials try to get their children in, but it's impossible. Isn't this a stroke of luck for Buyantai? Even as a listener, it's something many dream of."

Everyone was surprised to hear this. They hadn't realized the farming school was so prestigious.

But they trusted Guoerjia's elder uncle, who worked for a high-ranking official and knew more than them. If he said it was true, it must be.

"I also heard that the Emperor values the Fifth Princess Consort's farming school greatly. Those recognized by her are given important positions."

Guoerjia's grandfather looked sternly at Buyantai. "Buyantai, remember, honesty is key. When you work on the estate, be diligent and avoid any tricks. The Fifth Princess Consort is a remarkable person who won't tolerate dishonesty."

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Losing it would be regrettable.

Buyantai promised solemnly, "Grandfather, rest assured. I will work diligently for the Fifth Princess Consort and never entertain any improper thoughts."

Grandfather Guojia was quite pleased as he nodded his head. Indeed, this child was different from her father; she had always been a well-behaved girl, truly someone to be at ease with.

*

An Qing and her party arrived at Changchun Garden in the evening. Fortunately, this time it turned out to be a false alarm, and there were no further incidents in the following days, allowing her to finally feel relieved.

However, after giving it some serious thought, she decided to write a letter to Yinqi. Regardless of anything else, it was best for him to know about the matter, so that he could be cautious if anything did happen.

Midsummer in June marked the season when winter wheat ripened once again.

Yinqi was delayed by some matters and couldn't return in time, so An Qing decided to go to the farmstead herself. Whether it was harvesting wheat or her agricultural classes, neither could be postponed.

But before heading to the farmstead, she needed to send Xiao Bao to stay with the beautiful mother-in-law. This trip would last at least half a month, and there would be too many things to handle there, leaving no room to take care of the child.

Besides, the child was still young, and it was better for him to remain at Changchun Garden.

In addition to Xiao Bao, An Qing also planned to send Hongsheng to Concubine Yi's place.

Since Hongsheng moved out of Liu Jiashi's courtyard last year, he had been living in the front yard under Yinqi's personal supervision. But with Yinqi away on official business, the responsibility of looking after Hongsheng naturally fell on An Qing, the Fu Jin.

However, with Nanny Feng, whom Yinqi left behind to look after the front yard, An Qing didn't need to worry too much. In the past, when she had no children, it was fine, but now that she had Xiao Bao, she sometimes needed to consider Hongsheng more carefully.

For instance, if she only sent Xiao Bao to Concubine Yi, people in the palace might gossip about how she doesn't care about non-biological children or suspect her motives for making only her own child close to Concubine Yi and the Empress Dowager. That would not be good.

Of course, such gossip from outsiders was one thing, but she was mainly concerned about not leaving any sense of unfairness in Hongsheng's heart. With just these two children in Yinqi's household, An Qing hoped they could get along harmoniously in the future.

"Hongsheng, come here. Your mother has something to tell you," An Qing called out to Hongsheng, who was sitting near the baby carriage, playing with toys to entertain his younger brother.

Upon hearing An Qing call him, Hongsheng quickly put down the toy rabbit and ran over, calling her hesitantly, "Mother."

An Qing smiled and nodded, then casually handed him a red bean pastry.

Hongsheng happily accepted it. He loved the red bean pastries from his mother, saying, "Thank you, Mother."

Previously, due to Liu Jiashi, Hongsheng had kept his distance from An Qing for a long time after moving to the front yard. Knowing the child was timid, An Qing didn't force herself upon him and only saw him during the first and fifteenth days of each month when he came to pay respects.

But later, when her strawberries ripened, An Qing sent some to Hongsheng. Surprisingly, the child loved strawberries, so she sent them more often. Since then, he became less afraid of her.

After she gave birth to Xiao Bao, Hongsheng visited more frequently. He seemed to really like his younger brother and would play with him for a long time whenever he came over.

Of course, it might also be because he had few playmates, and children naturally prefer playing with other children.

An Qing wiped the crumbs from his mouth with a handkerchief. "Hongsheng, I'm going to the farmstead tomorrow to harvest wheat. I'll send your little brother to your grandmother's palace. Would you like to go with him?"

Hongsheng was taken aback. Although he had met Concubine Yi, he wasn't very familiar with her. The thought of going to her palace made him nervous.

He gripped his clothes tightly and looked down without responding.

Seeing Hongsheng's reaction, Ruijuan couldn't help but remind him, "Little Prince Hongsheng, the Fu Jin is asking you a question."

Being urged, Hongsheng became flustered and looked up at An Qing, "Mother, I... I..."

An Qing quickly reassured him, "Hongsheng, it's okay. I'm just asking for your opinion. You can say yes or no, don't be afraid."

Hongsheng pursed his lips and, under An Qing's encouraging gaze, finally gathered the courage to ask, "Mother, can I go with you to see the wheat harvest?"

An Qing was surprised by his response, not expecting him to say that.

Thinking she disagreed, Hongsheng panicked, "Mother, if it's not possible, it's fine."

An Qing quickly clarified, "Sorry, I was thinking about something else. If you want to go, it's fine."

Hearing he could go to the farmstead, Hongsheng was overjoyed. He had never been outside before, "Will my little brother go too?"

He thought his little brother would want to go as well.

An Qing smiled and replied, "Your little brother is still too young and wouldn't understand. We'll take him when he's older."

Hongsheng responded with an "Oh" and nodded obediently.

Seeing him relax, An Qing took the opportunity to add, "Hongsheng, if you want to do something in the future, you can tell your father directly or me."

She felt that Hongsheng, being timid, also lacked initiative. She observed that he did whatever those around him told him to do, even if he didn't like it.

This needed to change. Fortunately, the child was still young, and she would discuss it with Yinqi when he returned.

Hongsheng hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly, "Okay."

An Qing praised him, "Good boy." Then she turned to Ruijuan, "Take the little prince back and pack some clothes for him. You'll be accompanying him this time."

Ruijuan promptly agreed.

Leaving the main courtyard, Ruijuan led Hongsheng towards his quarters.

Originally serving Liu Jiashi closely, Ruijuan was transferred to the front yard when Yinqi brought Hongsheng out. Initially distrustful of Liu Jiashi's people, Yinqi assigned Ruijuan, who had previously cared for Hongsheng, to ensure his comfort.

Initially, Yinqi didn't trust Ruijuan, fearing she might influence Hongsheng negatively. However, after observing her for a while, he found her to be trustworthy and allowed her to stay.

Moreover, Ma Xiang discovered that Ruijuan had often advised Liu Jiashi not to oppose the Fu Jin, which led to her being disliked and assigned to care for Hongsheng. This transfer ultimately saved her from being implicated in Liu Jiashi's later misdeeds.

Thinking about going out to play, Hongsheng jumped excitedly, "Aunt Ruijuan, you're right. Mother is very nice."

Not like what his mother said.

Previously, Mother sent him lots of delicious strawberries, and Aunt Ruijuan told him that Mother was very nice and encouraged him to thank her.

Ruijuan smiled, "Then you should visit your little brother more often."

Hongsheng nodded vigorously, "Okay, I like my little brother, and I like Mother too."

He seemed to cheer himself up as he spoke, bouncing around a few more times.

However, he suddenly stopped, remembering something. "Aunt Ruijuan, is my mother feeling better?"

Although his mother was often harsh with him, he still missed her. He hadn't seen her in a very long time. Aunt Ruijuan said that his mother was very ill and needed rest without any disturbances, even from him.

Ruijuan gently patted his head and softly said, "Little Prince, don't worry. She will get better."

But she knew deep down that the concubine might not recover. Still, it wasn't anyone's fault.

*

This time, An Qing went to the estate not only with Hongsheng but also with Guaerjia.

There were two reasons for bringing her along. First, Buyantai was working on her estate, and this visit would allow the siblings to see each other. Life was already hard for women, and visiting family after marriage was not easy, especially when part of the royal family. Given this opportunity, An Qing was willing to make things easier for them.

Secondly, Guaerjia could help look after Hongsheng at the estate.

Upon arriving at the estate, An Qing had to manage the wheat harvest and the agricultural school, as well as the continuous planting of winter wheat and summer corn for two crops a year. With the previous season's winter wheat, the fields had undergone three consecutive cycles of crops over a year and a half, and the results were very successful. The yield per mu was comparable to that of a single annual crop.

Since there was no reduction in yield, the two-crop system naturally produced twice as much food as a single annual crop. Kangxi was not foolish; he knew which method to choose.

Of course, she still needed to wait for the specific statistics on this season's wheat yield before she could submit a detailed report on the planting summary.

Moreover, the agricultural school had been running for about a year now, and the students had experienced the entire process of planting winter wheat and summer corn. When Kangxi decided to implement this in certain regions, the officials from the Agricultural Administration Department would be ready to take on their roles.

As for the officials' children and the princes, they were another story. Their level was so low that An Qing dared not let them graduate.

However, these were matters for later.

When An Qing arrived at the estate, the others had not yet come.

She stood by the wheat field, smelling the fragrance of the wheat and listening to the calls of the cuckoos, feeling herself relax.

After an unknown amount of time, she sensed movement nearby and instinctively turned to look.

It was Zhang Tingyu and Zhu Tai.

They bowed to An Qing first, a gesture of respect from student to teacher.

This was a common practice among everyone at the agricultural school due to its unique nature. Although An Qing did not allow them to call her "teacher," they always bowed to her upon meeting.

An Qing raised her hand slightly and then looked at Zhang Tingyu. "Minister Zhang, I haven't congratulated you on your success yet."

In the spring examinations this year, Zhang Tingyu lived up to expectations and passed the imperial examination, becoming a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, responsible for editing historical records.

Zhang Tingyu smiled and replied, "I have not disgraced you, Teacher."

An Qing smiled and then looked at Zhu Tai beside him.

Seeing this, Zhu Tai quickly waved his hands. "Fifth Sister-in-law, you don't need to congratulate me. I didn't pass."

He was never good at studying and had been forced to do so by his father since childhood. Not passing was normal. Sometimes he wondered why, as a member of the royal family with the Emperor as his uncle, he would still be pushed into the imperial examinations. His father finally stopped forcing him and told him to focus on learning farming from his Fifth Sister-in-law.

Seeing his "proud to be a slacker" attitude, An Qing couldn't help but laugh.

But she had heard Yinqi mention that Prince Changning often pressured his sons to study, not just Zhu Tai but his older brothers too.

An Qing guessed that Prince Changning must be similar to Kangxi, both being strict parents, though Kangxi was even more severe.

After they arrived, it wasn't long before everyone from the agricultural school gathered.

The number of students in the agricultural school had decreased significantly. Some of the officials' children had left due to the spring examinations, and among the princes, Xiao Jiu and Xiao Shi had started serving as attendants to the Emperor, learning state affairs.

The Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Princes, realizing they had no talent for farming, were sent back to the Imperial Academy to focus on their studies. Thus, only Xiao Shiwu remained among the princes.

It was said that Kangxi had asked him if he wanted to continue, and Xiao Shiwu firmly said yes, preventing the princes from being completely absent.

For An Qing, their absence was actually beneficial. She aimed to cultivate professional farmers, and even if they learned, Kangxi wouldn't send them to farm elsewhere.

An Qing didn't believe it either.

"Xiao Shiwu, come here. Fifth Sister-in-law has a task for you," An Qing said.

Hearing his Fifth Sister-in-law mention a task, the Fifteenth Prince became excited and ran over eagerly. "Fifth Sister-in-law, whatever you want me to do, just say it."

He puffed out his chest, looking proud to be given a task.

An Qing smiled and patted his little bald head, then had someone bring Hongsheng over. "Xiao Shiwu, this is Hongsheng, your Fifth Elder Brother's son and your nephew. Can you help me look after him?"

Xiao Shiwu was seven years old, while Hongsheng was four. Despite the three-year age difference, the generational gap was real.

The Fifteenth Prince nodded, excited about being an elder. "Sure, Fifth Sister-in-law. Leave him to me. I'll take good care of Hongsheng."

An Qing introduced Hongsheng to him. "Hongsheng, this is your Fifteenth Uncle. He knows this place well, so ask him if you have any questions."

Hongsheng nodded and called out politely, "Fifteenth Uncle."

The Fifteenth Prince patted his shoulder and replied in a childish yet firm voice, "Good boy."

An Qing couldn't help but laugh at his "good boy." Where did he learn that?