Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Just as Geng Shuning was regretting not having met at a club, Yinzhen happened to think of her, with emotions even more overwhelming than that night in the dream.

It was the peak of the luncheon.

The so-called "longevity fruits" were simply apples.

The phoenix pomelos had been specially selected from the southern regions by the Imperial Household Department and carefully cultivated as white jade pomelos in the imperial estate.

These two types of fruits were not considered rare in the eyes of the imperial family and ministers.

But they never expected that a faint 'longevity' character would actually appear on the skin of the apples.

On the skin of the white jade pomelos, an indistinct phoenix spreading its wings could be seen.

Every single one had it. It wasn’t carved or painted but naturally grown on the fruit.

They weren’t very clear.

Even if the Gua Jia clan worked tirelessly for days, they could only achieve this much.

But because they were so indistinct and clearly not man-made, they appeared even more like heaven-sent auspicious signs.

Even though everyone knew that such auspicious signs were unlikely to be natural, they were all astonished and amazed.

Even Yinzhen, known for his sharp tongue, could no longer speak after the eunuch lifted the silver lid carved with patterns of good fortune, prosperity, and longevity, revealing a display of longevity fruits and phoenix pomelos on a golden tray adorned with auspicious cloud motifs.

Empress Dowager Uya’s breath caught, and her eyes lit up instantly.

Being a devout Buddhist, she immediately believed that this was heaven’s recognition of her as Empress Dowager, a reward from the heavens.

This made her happier than any lavish banquet worth thousands in gold.

She had been eating the dishes at the banquet for decades; no matter how delicate they were, they were still the same old styles.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood and personally helped her son to his feet, her eyes red, patting Yinzhen’s hand as she choked out her praise.

“Emperor… You are the Son of Heaven, and this is heaven’s recognition of your filial piety. To have a son like you is truly a blessing for this dowager!”

Yinzhen smiled and held her hand in return, emotionally assisting her to sit down amidst his younger brother’s slightly twisted expression.

“I owe this auspicious sign to Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and feel honored to witness it.”

“I also ordered the Imperial Kitchen Bureau to make Your Majesty’s favorite desserts and sweet soups with these auspicious signs. If Your Majesty eats a few more bites, I will be content.”

Before he finished speaking, young eunuchs quietly entered, carrying red lacquer trays, offering desserts wrapped with the skins of the longevity fruits and phoenix pomelos, along with apple sweet soup revealing the longevity character.

No one dared to utter a single word of complaint.

The Empress Dowager nodded through tears, saying how good it was.

With the atmosphere built up to this point, if the ministers and princes failed to respond, it would be seen as disrespectful.

The courtiers and princes rose to their feet and knelt, completing the ritual of two kneels and six bows.

The more thoughtful ones, wiping their tears, humbly requested favors.

"This humble minister's elderly mother has long admired the filial piety between the Empress Dowager and the emperor. She often admonishes the younger generations in our family to take the Empress Dowager and His Majesty as exemplary models."

"Only someone as noble as you, Empress Dowager, can enjoy the phoenix pomelos. This humble minister takes the liberty to ask for your grace, to bestow upon me a few longevity fruits, so that my elderly mother may share in your blessings."

The crowd's expressions changed, curses filling their hearts. This fellow was shameless, acting as if no one else had parents.

Muttering under their breath, they rushed to join in, eager to have their say. After all, they had mouths too.

"My elderly grandmother is frail, and I beg for the Empress Dowager's grace... to grant me a few longevity fruits, in emulation of Your Majesty's filial piety!"

"Empress Mother, although we cannot compare to Fourth Brother Yinzhen, we still ask for your grace, to grant us a few longevity fruits, so that the useless ones in our families may share in your blessings..."

"The Empress Dowager's divine majesty is reflected in these longevity fruits. This humble minister shamelessly asks for the longevity fruits and vows to offer incense three times a day before your longevity tablet, Empress Dowager..."

Only Yinti and Yinzhen remained silent.

Yinzhen recalled his earlier outburst, while the emperor had smiled, and only now did it dawn on him.

This damned brother had dug a pit for him, leaving him nowhere to hide and preparing to slap him hard.

His face burned with embarrassment, and his usually protective mother would absolutely not show favoritism this time, leaving Yinzhen seething with frustration.

Yinti, on the other hand, was different.

He had never expected much from the emperor; wasn't it normal for him to set traps?

The profit-minded Yinti, amid everyone's feigned emotion, keenly sensed that these longevity fruits presented a lucrative opportunity.

If he could sell them... not making a fortune would make him, Aisin Gioro Yinti, a waste!

He had not missed the emperor's brief mention, his eyes fixed on Minister of War Guanyinbao.

That gaze was so intense that Yinti's wives and concubines probably had never seen it, wishing they could strip Guanyinbao right there.

Guanyinbao was unnerved, wishing he could run away.

Yinzhen sat steadily, a faint smile on his face as he watched his brothers and ministers from the dragon throne, trying their best to flatter.

It was then that he thought of Geng Shuning.

He had silenced Garudai, and those who knew the truth believed it was her whimsical idea, but only he knew the real story.

This sense of superiority, being the only one awake among thousands, greatly pleased Yinzhen.

Thus, he no longer sought Geng Shuning's head, but he still didn't want her to have it easy.

He didn't believe a person could suddenly become bold and cunning.

He had heard of people changing after a serious illness, but a complete mental transformation? Unheard of.

Eliminating all other possibilities, only one conclusion remained: Geng Shuning had been concealing her true abilities.

For the sake of a honey-tongued, talentless wretch, she had hidden all her brilliance, not considering him as the emperor at all.

He was her rightful master; all her wit and heart should be for him.

But this rascal, after all her audacity in the Qingyu Pavilion, still yearned to leave the palace.

Ha...

Yinzhen half-lowered his eyes, the smile on his lips unchanged. After a while, he raised his wine cup to toast the Empress Dowager loudly.

Even Su Peisheng, who had been carefully attending to him, hadn’t noticed that his master had been grinding his teeth in frustration during the grand banquet.

*

After the luncheon, the Thirteenth Princess Consort, Zhao Jia-shi, and the Fourteenth Princess Consort, Wanyan-shi, supported the smiling Empress Dowager into the Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager was truly happy that day.

Especially in the Hall of Preserving Harmony, where the ministers, all well-versed in literature, spoke beautifully to curry favor and ask for the longevity fruits. Their compliments were more elaborate than the last, like a bouquet of flowers, each one different.

She couldn’t help but drink a few more cups of wine, feeling dizzy as she entered her bedchamber.

Geng Shuning, Niuheru Jingyi, and Tong Siya were already waiting, with a hangover remedy prepared.

Zhao Jia-shi and Wanyan-shi had also spent considerable effort in Kunning Palace, their faces showing exhaustion.

Geng Shuning didn’t compete with the other two to enter the bedchamber and serve. She gently and meticulously arranged for the two princess consorts to rest in the side hall.

As soon as the two princess consorts fell asleep, Nanny Wu Ya called Geng Shuning out while she was still in the side hall.

It was time to open the storeroom again.

Nanny Wu Ya also had a smiling face, “The Empress Dowager has ordered that the dazzling cloud brocade from Jiangnan be awarded to the Thirteenth Princess Consort and the Fourteenth Princess Consort, each receiving a piece. You should inform the two princess consorts later and arrange for someone to send them to the palace gate.”

It’s not that the Empress Dowager didn’t want to give more, but Cining Palace only had ten pieces of this brocade worth thousands in gold.

One piece was already quite honorable, and the rest were to be saved for rewarding the Empress and imperial women later.

Nanny Wu Ya continued, “I remember we still have some lustrous silk. The Empress Dowager has permitted two pieces to be awarded to Jingyi, so she can live a dignified life in the palace.”

Nanny Zhou was attending inside the bedchamber. Niuheru Jingyi and Tong Siya, after making sure the Empress Dowager had fallen asleep, lifted the curtain and came out of the bedchamber just in time to hear Nanny Wu Ya’s words.

Geng Shuning smiled at Niuheru Jingyi, “This servant understands. I’ll go to the storeroom right away and make sure to pick the best for Sister Jingyi.”

Niuheru Jingyi’s cheeks instantly flushed, like a fiery cloud under the sun, quite beautiful.

Tong Siya smiled mischievously at Niuheru Jingyi, seemingly happy for her, without any sign of jealousy.

But in places unseen, her fingers gripping the copper basin turned white from the force.

Geng Shuning, whose reputation had been tarnished by her interest in men outside the palace, and the brainless Niuheru Jingyi, how could they possibly deserve such fortune?

All of this clearly should have been hers!

*

At Changchun Garden, after Emperor Kangxi’s lunch, he also saw the longevity fruits and phoenix pomelos.

Even someone as knowledgeable as Emperor Kangxi was quite amazed by the unmistakable character for longevity and the phoenix shape.

He asked Liang Jiugong, “Are you sure they only stuck a few red papers on the surface?”

Emperor Kangxi, who had an interest in Western learning, knew a bit about the principles of light but didn’t know it could have such a magical effect.

Liang Jiugong replied with a smile, “It’s said they also sprinkled water on the fruits, but Gua Jia-shi kept it tightly guarded… presumably a lot of effort was put into it.”

Liang Jiugong also found it hard to believe that a few pieces of paper could make the fruits grow characters and images.

Emperor Kangxi shook his head with a smile, “I shouldn’t have asked you. When Fourth Brother comes back later, have him submit the method to me…”

Before he could finish, Emperor Kangxi abruptly stopped.

This longevity fruit can be bestowed by the emperor as a grace, just like the character "Fu" (blessing), and it serves as a way to win over the ministers.

If someone here creates a 'sign of auspiciousness,' word will spread, and inevitably, some fools will run to Changchun Garden.

A trace of desolation and irritation flashed in Emperor Kangxi's eyes.

His father-son relationship with the Fourth Brother isn't as close as it was with Yinreng, and he has no idea how much time he has left, so there's no need to add this kind of trouble for the Fourth Brother.

But he's no longer the emperor who once ruled the empire.

Kangxi wouldn't trouble himself unnecessarily or rage helplessly over things that cannot be changed.

He let out a soft laugh, picked up an apple with his left hand, threw it into his mouth, and swallowed it slowly, along with his emotions.

He gave a calm order: "Is the Fourteenth Prince giving the Fourth Brother a hard time at the Hall of Preserving Harmony?"

Liang Jiugong, sensing his master's displeasure, carefully reported every move of Yinzhen and the others at the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

Kangxi sneered, "He is a fool, following Uya's lineage... not showing any affection for the emperor..."

The others aren’t any smarter. Do they really think the man on the throne is still their father?

The Fourth Brother, too, should be more merciful where it's needed and less sentimental where he shouldn't be; there's still room for improvement.

He gave another calm order: "Tomorrow, send out my decree to the princes' residences. The emperor’s name must be treated with respect. All princes with the character 'Yin' in their names will change to 'Yun,' and the Fourteenth Prince will be renamed Yun Ti."

After a pause, Kangxi looked down at the jade plate of fruits and snorted.

"Also, tell the Fourth Brother that my birthday is only two months away, and I’m waiting to see how filial he can be to me."

Liang Jiugong understood; his master's discomfort was about to be shifted to others.

He chimed in, "Yes, I’ll personally deliver your message to the palace and make sure it’s clear!"

The master and servant thought they were giving the emperor a hard time, but they had no idea that Yinzhen was completely oblivious.

Instead, Geng Shuning, who had been exhausted all morning and had just slumped on the kang, suddenly sneezed.

The young palace maid Geng Xue, who had come in with water, asked with concern, "Miss, did you catch a cold?"

Geng Shuning was momentarily confused, rubbed her nose, wrinkled her little face, and slowly got up, shaking her head languidly.

"No, someone must be cursing me behind my back..."

Perhaps it was some jealous person who had secretly glared at her before coming to the back hall...

Just as she was speaking, Geng Shuning turned her head and saw through the window gap that Dan Zhu was hurrying onto the back hall's corridor and heading out.

With the evening banquet coming up, why wasn’t Dan Zhu staying with Tong Siya? Was she going out instead of helping in the storeroom?