Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1259 Zhen Huan Enlarged to 182

Concubine Ying still had some means of controlling her subordinates. She had a long conversation with Concubine Ke in her residence, but in the end, not a single word was heard. However, Concubine Ke used the same trick again when she paid her respects to the empress, "Empress, do you know that the emperor has taken in a few women offered by officials and gentry from the south of the Yangtze River?"

The Queen couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed when she heard this. Of course she knew about this, and she had just appeased the junior Jingse, but she didn't expect that Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Ke would complain about this matter, and it seemed that they wanted to "make suggestions" again.

The queen was helpless. Although it was her duty to appease the harem, she would not be kidnapped by the position of queen, let alone by the two unknown concubines, Concubine Ying and Concubine Ke.

The Queen calmly chatted with Concubine Shu and Concubine Wan about Jiangnan snacks. Concubine Ying couldn't help but kneel down and plead with anger, "Your Majesty, I am from a legitimate election. There is already a concubine named Bai who is from the Southern Mansion in the palace. But at least when Bai entered the palace as a concubine, she also went through a minor election."

"Your Majesty, no matter how well those women out there are packaged and decorated, they can never compare to the clean backgrounds of the concubines who are selected by Xiaoxuan, let alone those who enter the palace through the selection!"

The Queen could not help but sigh inwardly once again. Both Concubine Ying and Concubine Ke had some scheming and tactics, but they were really shallow and always failed to recognize their own position.

"The most taboo for concubines is to be jealous, but those women are not concubines yet, so you don't have to be anxious and dissatisfied."

"Besides, the emperor always has many considerations when doing things, and the concubines in the harem only focus on their own little piece of land. How can they know what the emperor is thinking?"

"Noble Lady Ying, Noble Lady Ke, it is an honor for you to be chosen by the Emperor to accompany him on his southern tour. I only hope that you can serve the Emperor wholeheartedly and do not distract him from the jealousy of the concubines in the harem. It is the concubines' serious business to help the Emperor have children."

Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Ke had not seen Emperor Qianlong for almost a month. When they heard that he had taken in several women, they were naturally anxious. However, they also knew that given their current status, they were in no position to advise Qianlong. What's more, this matter was simply a matter of jealousy, and no matter how high-sounding the words were, it could not be covered up.

After the Queen's long speech, Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Ke finally quieted down. The Queen was also afraid that they would say something bad that would affect the reputation of the royal family, so she simply arranged a series of entertainments for them, such as storytelling, listening to music, and watching plays, or else she had someone take them out for boating on the lake, and even Jingse was willing to go out to accompany them.

Jiang Xinxin was very satisfied with the arrangement made by the Queen, but she felt sorry for the Queen because she had to show her ability to control the harem in front of Qianlong, but she couldn't let Qianlong have the stereotype that she was the only one in charge and it was easy for her to manage the harem. It was really not easy.

So Jiang Xinxin generously ordered a whole tree of lychees for the queen when they were ripe, allowing her to distribute them as she pleased.

The Queen was naturally very grateful, and the little Princess Jingse was also very happy. After all, these were lychees, which were rarely enjoyed by officials, gentry, and wealthy businessmen in the Jiangnan region. They, who were born into the royal family and lived far away in the capital, could only enjoy lychee paste made from fresh lychees and diluted with water every year.

This year, Jingse was able to enjoy the freshest fruits picked from the trees. She caught a sore throat without realizing it, and her gums became swollen. She had to drink herbal medicine for several days before she felt better. However, the sweet and fragrant taste of lychees was too hard to give up, and Jingse could only satisfy her craving under the strict discipline of the Queen.

The Queen was not a stingy person. She and Jingse enjoyed the rare lychees. Of course, she also remembered Concubine Shu, Noble Lady Wan, Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Ke who were with her.

Both Shupin and Wan Guigui were talented women with real talents and knowledge. They could recite many poems about lychees, and tell many allusions and stories about ancient people and lychees, which aroused Jingse's curiosity.

But Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Ke only knew how to eat. They were just like the little boy Jingse, greedy and without restraint. They finally learned their lesson after they drank some cooling medicine with Jingse.

Qianlong was extremely busy dealing with various affairs in the south of the Yangtze River. He finally sorted out all the affairs in a short period of time and got some clues. However, his wife, children and concubines had already enjoyed the lychees from a whole tree, and no one had told him yet. This time he was really wronged.

The aggrieved Qianlong kicked Wang Qin's buttocks and said, "You old fellow, you have been more and more undisciplined in your duties recently. You didn't even bother to report to me when the lychees were ripe!"

Wang Qin also felt aggrieved. To put it bluntly, the lychees were Jiang Xinxin's private property. Even though he was still Qianlong's confidant, how could he dare to offend Jiang Xinxin, the Empress Dowager who was deeply loved by Qianlong?

Moreover, he had been hinting about the lychees almost every day these days, and even the ministers and officials from the south of the Yangtze River who came and went in front of the emperor couldn't help but mention that the lychees in Jiang Xinxin's hands were almost ripe. As a result, Qianlong himself didn't understand a thing!

Qianlong, who couldn't admit that he had been stupid for once, didn't bother to look at Wang Qin's increasingly fat and distorted face. He pointed to Li Yu and went to Jiang Xinxin.

Jiang Xinxin knew Qianlong's intention, so she waved her hand and said, "I gave the Queen a tree of fruit. Emperor, you are my own son, so you are closer to me than I am to the Queen. How about this? I will give you one and a half fruits. How about that? I am very generous to you, right?"

Qianlong was amused by Jiang Xinxin's "generosity". "The Empress Dowager is so generous. The Empress and I can eat lychees from two and a half trees!"

Jiang Xinxin didn't care how Qianlong was sarcastic. Anyway, she still had a whole tree of fruits that had not been touched. Recently, she was looking for someone who was good at making pastes and candied fruits. Although she didn't have any desire for lychees, she had to show her attitude.

As for the Queen, before, the lychees that Jiang Xinxin gave her, without having been clearly approved by Emperor Qianlong, she could only share them with her daughter and concubines in the harem, or even secretly with the servants around her. But now that they have been clearly approved by Emperor Qianlong, she can use them to reward the ladies of the Jiangnan region and other places.

Qianlong enjoyed the lychees himself, and the next day he personally picked a basket of lychees and counted ten fruits for each of the ministers who followed him on the southern tour. "These lychees are very fresh. It took less than half an hour to pick them from the book. My dear ministers, please enjoy them well."

Zhang Tingyu rarely talked back to Qianlong, saying that it was a bad habit that cost the people money and time and was based on laziness, and advised him to nip it in the bud. Instead, he smiled and thanked Qianlong for his reward, which made Qianlong flattered and afraid that Zhang Tingyu had some backup plan.

While Zhang Tingyu was amused as he watched Qianlong reveal a rare look of doubt and surprise, he finally realized that the young emperor in front of him was not the late emperor. He had his own style of dealing with people and things. Even if he had the late emperor's kindness engraved in his bones, he should not let Qianlong fit into the late emperor's shell.