The death of the Empress directly cast a layer of miserable white over the entire 16th year of Kangxi's reign, and made the already solemn Forbidden City even more daunting in winter.
The second day of the twelfth lunar month is Changquan’s second birthday.
In the evening, when Qingyan and Siruke returned from Kunning Palace to Chuxiu Palace tiredly from today's memorial service, they were lying on the carpet in the hall teaching the eight-month-old Yin Xiaozhen how to crawl.
Chang Quan looked up and saw E Niang and Qian E Niang walking in together. His eyes lit up and he quickly put his two small arms on the ground and prepared to stand up and run to the two of them.
Xiao Si also saw E Niang, and quickly crawled towards Qingyan on his hands and knees. Because there was no need to switch positions, Yin Xiaozhen even climbed to E Niang and Second Aunt before his little cousin.
around.
Qingyan, who had been suppressed all day in Kunning Palace by listening to the cries all over the room, couldn't help feeling relieved when she saw the innocent smiling faces of the two little breasts.
"Xiaosi's crawling is really getting better and better!" Qingyan bent down slightly to pick up her son who was holding on to her trouser legs, then stretched out her hand and patted his little butt gently and praised.
When the little girl with her head full of curls heard E Niang's familiar daily compliments, she quickly stretched out her short arms to wrap around Qingyan's neck and kissed her twice on the left and right cheeks.
, followed by waving his little fists, lowering his head and looking at the little cousin who had just ran to the side of the three of them, shouting "baaaaah".
"Next time, I'm sure I'll run faster than Four Four." Unexpectedly, the young prince, who didn't expect to lose to his cousin in speed again, jumped on the ground twice without admitting defeat, and he was squealing.
He groaned twice at the little baby who was held high in her arms by the dry-faced mother.
Seeing his son who was getting more and more lively, Siruke quickly bent down and hugged him high, feeling dumbfounded.
Qingyan was also amused by her godson's frustrated look. She quickly reached out her right hand and rubbed his furry little head and praised: "Changquan is already very powerful. Without you, I don't even know where to go."
Who can I find to teach Xiaosi how to crawl?"
Qingyan stood opposite and praised Xiao Changquan in an extremely exaggerated tone.
Yin Xiaozhen also looked at his little cousin with bright black eyes and shouted "Ah, ah", as if he was responding to what E Niang said.
"Changquan, in the future, we will also teach those who learn to walk, and they will become even more powerful!"
Xiao Changquan's little face couldn't help but turn red after being praised by the girl's rainbow fart. Xiao Changquan buried his head in Siruke's arms in embarrassment, but he really couldn't help turning his head away.
, puffing up his little chest and proudly counting his other skills to Qingyan.
"Okay, then Si Si will have to ask Chang Quan to teach him how to walk!" Qingyan tried her best to suppress a smile and hugged her son back who was about to pounce on her little cousin, and followed the little prince's words and praised her.
Praise him.
"Yeah! Si Si, leave it to me, Qian'e Niang, don't worry!" The young prince also nodded seriously, as if he had accepted a very important and important task.
Siruk looked at her son's confident and proud look with loving eyes, and her gratitude to Concubine Jing in her heart could not be expressed in words.
After the two of them each held their children and sat on chairs not far away, Bai Lu, who was standing on one side, hurried to the inner room and took out a rosewood gift box about the size of Xiao Yinzhen and gently placed it
Arriving at the table between the two of them.
"Empress, what are you doing?" Siruke looked up at Concubine Jing in confusion.
"Isn't Changquan going back to the palace? Originally, I was planning to hold a birthday banquet for him at Chuxiu Palace today, but the current situation really doesn't allow it, so I have to hand-deliver the birthday gift I prepared.
It's all here." Qingyan smiled and stretched out her hand to push the gift box towards the mother and son opposite.
When he heard that it was his son's birthday gift, Siruk asked Changquan to thank Qian'e Niang first, then moved his little body forward and asked him to open the gift box by himself.
The young prince's upper body was lying on the table, and he stretched out his two small hands to slowly open the lid of the gift box. Then he couldn't help but widen his eyes and let out a "Wow" sound of admiration.
When Siruk heard his son's voice, he quickly looked into the gift box.
I saw an extremely delicately carved and vivid ivory white jade rabbit squatting quietly on a piece of red silk. Just from the color alone, I can tell that this jade is worth a lot, not to mention the meticulous carving.
And you can feel a faint sense of warmth behind the tentacles. This is obviously a precious warm jade that can help people strengthen their health.
Warm jade is very rare because of its nourishing effect, not to mention it is such a large piece!
Sirukshi hurriedly reached out and pushed the gift box back: "Mother, no, no, this is too expensive. How can a two-year-old child in Changquan accept such an expensive gift?"
She understood Concubine Jing's intention when she saw the Jade Rabbit. Changquan's zodiac sign is "Rabbit", and he was born at the end of the year with "Rabbit Tail".
Concubine Jing carved Nuan Jade into the shape of a rabbit. She was very moved by this intention, but the gift was too expensive and she could not accept it.
Although Xiao Changquan liked this chubby and cute little jade rabbit very much, he was very sensible and did not shout "want it" when he heard what his mother said.
It's just that he is still too young after all, and has not learned to hide his emotions at all. Even if he doesn't say anything, the way he keeps staring at the movements of the white jade sculpture betrays his little thoughts.
"Don't refuse in a hurry. This piece of ivory white jade was brought home by the masters after the family's caravan purchased rough stones in Mongolia, the desert. You also know that that place is rich in jade.
This piece of warm jade was originally purchased at the price of the original stone, and it is really not as expensive as you think."
"Besides, after the jade rabbit was carefully carved by the craftsmen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I went to Cining Palace to enshrine it in the small Buddhist hall of the Empress Dowager for three months, which also contained her old man.
What about my blessings for my little great-grandson? If you reject me, you can’t reject her wishes, right?”
Hearing Concubine Jing's words come to this point, Siruke also knew that if he tried to shirk it any more, he would look unreasonable, so he could only smile and nod his head, thinking about what to do next year when Concubine Jing and Fourth Brother celebrate their birthdays.
Doubling last year's gift list can be regarded as repaying today's favor.
Seeing that his mother had agreed, Chang Quan hurriedly smiled, turned his big eyes and said to Qingyan with a sweet voice: "Changquan, I like it very much, Xiaotuji, thank you, my mother."
"As long as Changquan likes it. Warm jade is good for the body. When you get home, you can ask your mother to put the little jade rabbit on your little bed, but you have to be careful not to accidentally knock it on."
Qingyan reminded with a smile, mainly because she also input a lot of superpowers into the jade sculpture. Although Changquan lived to be two years old safely, his body is still a little weak. A jade carving with superpowers can be improved by being around him.
His immunity makes the child's body stronger.
Xiao Changquan was gently touching the long ears of the Jade Rabbit with his little hands. When he heard this, he nodded his little head obediently.
"Don't worry, Madam, I will definitely pay attention to this." Seeing her son's happy expression, Siruk reached out her hand and gently rubbed his little head.
Then she raised her head and looked at Qingyan with sadness in her eyes and said, "Oh, now it's really thanks to the empress that Chang Quan is two years old."
"To tell you the truth, my wife had a nightmare last night, dreaming that Muldenge drowned in the Cining Garden and died. Changquan's body bones have been as weak as a baby since he was born in dystocia that day.
He is like a milk cat. I am incapable of feeding him, and Changquan will not even be able to survive until April this year."
"Originally, my wife thought she was overthinking after she was woken up. Who knew that our prince would suddenly wake up from his sleep with sweat profusely right after him? It was only after we talked with each other that we realized that we were having the same nightmare.
.”
"Now that I hold him tightly in my arms and feel the warmth of his little body, I feel that the mental arithmetic that I have been worrying about all night has been completely put back into my belly."
When Qingyan heard what she said, her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show anything strange on her face. She just stretched out her hand to change the position of the struggling little Yinzhen in her arms, so that he could spread his two short legs.
The boy sat on his lap to satisfy his wish to touch the little jade rabbit.
Then he downplayed the matter in a gentle tone and said to Prince Yu Fujin: "How old are you, and you still don't know that nightmares come from the other way around? Look, aren't they both alive now?
Are you okay? But you cry all day long, scaring my godson!"
"Yes, yes, your Majesty is right." Siruke was amused by Qingyan's "disgusted" expression, which also dispelled the inexplicable sadness that suddenly surged in her heart.
Picking up the handkerchief and wiping the tears from her tears of joy, she looked into Qingyan's eyes and said seriously: "If your Majesty is of any use to me in the future, I will definitely speak up!"
"Don't worry, I am the person who likes to catch a sheep and pluck the wool. If I really need your help, I will naturally ask. But you have to take good care of my godson. If he comes to me in the future,
When you say hello, I will see that he has lost weight, so I will definitely not be able to spare you." Qingyan pointed at Siruke "viciously".
"Then my wife will also be scared to death by the imperial concubine?" Prince Yu Fujin, who was in a comfortable mood, couldn't help laughing and playing haha with the imperial concubine...
It wasn't until the sky outside the glass window completely darkened that Qingyan stood up from the chair with Xiaosi in her arms, and said to them: "It's getting late. The prince must have finished his work. Do you think you can take Changquan to Cining?"
Please join Prince Yu in the palace."
Siruke also quickly stood up and gently closed the lid of the red sandalwood gift box, and asked the nanny who was following behind to hold the jade sculpture in her arms. Then she put her son on the ground and said to him: "Chang
Quan, quickly kowtow to the empress three times."
"Forget it, forget it." Qingyan hurriedly opened her mouth and stretched out her hand to stop her.
Xiao Changquan also knew that he was going home completely this time, although he felt very reluctant to leave his mother-in-law and his fun brothers and brothers.
But he also knew that Amma, E Niang and his sister had been waiting for him in the palace for a long time. The two-year-old little girl knelt on the ground obediently and kowtowed to Concubine Jing three times, then raised her little head and said sweetly
She said with a milky voice: "Changquan, Hui, come more, look, look at your forehead, mother."
"Hey!" Although Xiaosi couldn't understand what everyone was saying, he saw his little cousin suddenly kneeling down and hurriedly bent over and stretched out his little hand to pull him.
"Xiaosi, don't make trouble!" Qingyan couldn't help but pat his little butt. If she hadn't hugged him tightly, this stupid child would have fallen headfirst to the ground.
Seeing his little cousin's eager reaction, Chang Quan hurriedly added: "I'll come too, take a look, Si Si."
"Ah, ah!" Yin Xiaozhen stretched out his little hand and patted his mother's arm and then looked down at his little cousin, very busy.
The other brothers and sisters are busy with things every day. Only Xiao Changquan stays with him all day long, so the relationship between the two little brothers is quite deep.
"Let's go, it's really late." Qingyan hugged her son tightly to prevent him from moving, and then bent down to help Xiao Changquan up.
Siruk also bowed respectfully to Concubine Jing, then hurriedly picked up her son on the ground and took his nanny and hurried away.
Yin Xiaozhen watched E Niang reach the entrance of Chuxiu Palace and stop walking forward. He stretched out his little finger in confusion and pointed at Changquan who was gradually going away, and shouted "Ah, ah" anxiously.
Qingyan also felt a little uncomfortable. After all, she and Xiao Naituanzi had been together day and night for more than a year. Now that the East Side Hall was suddenly empty, she also felt a little uncomfortable.
However, she knew that the mood of the little baby in her arms was more important, so she quickly shook the little Yinzhen in her arms and reasoned with him: "Little Si, good boy, Brother Changquan just went home, just like you and Er
Just like your mother wants to live together, brother Changquan also wants to stay with his mother. He will come to visit you more in the future, and when you grow up, you and brother Changquan will go to the study room to study together!
We will meet again soon, don’t be sad.”
Yin Xiaozhen turned to look at E Niang in confusion. He didn't know whether he understood Qingyan's words or saw his little cousin walking away. He seemed to have lost his vitality in an instant and became listless.
He leaned on his mother's shoulder and stopped talking.
Qingyan stretched out her hand and gently rubbed her son's thick and smooth curly hair. After seeing that the mother and son's backs were completely blurred into the night, she turned around and returned to the main hall with Yin Xiaozhen in her arms.
…
On New Year's Eve, there was another heavy snowfall in the sky.
The cold wind is howling outside and the snow is flying, but inside it is as warm as spring.
Qingyan wore thin pajamas and sat on the long white wool blanket with Yin Xiaozhen, playing with toys.
Suddenly there was a barking of a dog outside the door. The mother and son hurriedly followed the sound and looked up at the door of the palace. They saw the tightly wrapped little prince being held by He Zhuer and lifting the door curtain and leaving.
Come in.
"Ah, ah~" After seeing the prince's brother, Yin Xiaozhen hurriedly threw away the cloth tiger in his hand and crawled toward Yin Reng.
Qingyan was also a little surprised that Yinreng would come over at this time, and hurriedly stood up from the carpet.
"Xiaosi, please don't pull your brother's pants!" Yinzhen, whose feet had just touched the ground, felt the pulling sensation on his pants before he put down the things he was holding, and immediately lowered his head and shouted to Yinxiaozhen .
Qingyan also walked over quickly and released Xiaosi's little hand that was tightly holding on to Yinreng's pants, and took the little baby into her arms who could only crawl around.
After He Zhuer stood under the eaves outside the door and brushed off all the snowflakes on his body, he slowly walked in with a smile and bowed to Concubine Jing.
"Get up quickly, why did you think that this time has come? Shouldn't His Highness stay in Qianqing Palace to stay with the Emperor to watch the New Year?" Qingyan hugged Yinzhen with one hand and then used her other free hand to hold Yinzhen. After taking off the small cloak that Reng was wearing, she took his cold little hand and walked to the center of the hall.
The little prince also skillfully took off his boots and sat down on the carpet like Yin Xiaozhen.
"Khan Ama has just left the palace, and then he asked He Zhuer to send the orphan to sleep with his aunt." Yinreng raised his little head and explained with a smile to Qingyan, and hurriedly put the blue baby in his arms He put the erotic package on the carpet and tried to untie the fasteners tied by the palace maid.
He Zhuer saw Concubine Jing's doubts, so he moved to her side, bent down to her and explained softly: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has gone to Gonghua City."
Qingyan nodded in understanding and sat down on the carpet. She saw Xiaosi lying beside Yinreng obediently, staring curiously at the blue package on the carpet without blinking.
After the little prince peeled off the silk cloth wrapped around it layer by layer, a cute wood-colored puppy was revealed.
Yinreng gently moved the dog on the back of its head, and the little wooden dog immediately raised its tail and ran on the carpet, barking "woof, woof, woof".
The first time he saw a small wooden sculpture that could move and make sounds, Yin Xiaozhen's slender eyes widened instantly.
"What is this?" Qingyan couldn't help but ask.
"Auntie, this is the simulated puppy made by Master Huang. I gave it to the fourth child to play with."
"Originally, I wanted to give you two a surprise, but I accidentally bumped into the trap while I was standing by the door."
Yinreng said with some embarrassment, and then ran to pick up the little wooden dog and took out its obscure features one by one to show Qingyan and Yinxiaozhen an all-round display.
Qingyan couldn't help but feel sad when she saw the crazy-happy little baby hugging the prince's brother's arm and shouting excitedly, "baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"" and reaching out her hand to carefully touch the "barking" wooden dog. I'm embarrassed inside.
The "King of Dogs" gene in her son had awakened, and she had a deep premonition that she would have to have a real dog in the palace by the year after next at the latest.
After Xiao Si got tired of chasing the moving wooden dog, he lay down on the carpet with his butt sticking out and remained motionless.
Qingyan resignedly walked over and bent down to pick him up, and then took her nephew and son to wash up under the waiters of the palace. Considering that today was the happy reunion day of the year, she did not send Yin Xiaozhen back. To the west side of the hall, Nanny Li and Li Xia were asked to move his cradle in and put it next to the bed in the inner room. Then they put the little fourth baby, who was sleeping with his little head tilted, into the crib and covered it. Quilt.
After settling the little baby, she took the little prince to the closet and took out a pair of the Prince's exclusive apricot pajamas that He Zhuer had put here before. She helped Yinreng change clothes before putting him in bed. He carried him to the bed, held him in his arms and patted him gently: "What happened to Baocheng today? Are you unhappy?"
Although the little prince had been playing with Xiaosi for a long time, Qingyan could still feel that Yinreng was not very interested today, and she spoke surprisingly little, so she asked softly with some curiosity. Yinreng was silent for a long time. Then she buried her little head in Qingyan's arms and said in a low voice: "Auntie, Huang's mother went to Changsheng Heaven when she was an orphan. Now the fourth sister's Huang's mother also went to Changsheng Heaven when she was born."
"Originally, Khan Ama stayed with us at Qianqing Palace tonight, but the fourth sister couldn't stop crying. No matter how hard the nuns tried to coax her, she couldn't coax her. Then I saw Khan Ama's eyes were red. He stood up, turned around, and took Eunuch Liang out of the palace..."
"He Zhuer said that giving birth to a child is a very dangerous thing, but the ladies in the palace all look forward to having their own biological children."
"Auntie, can I not have any younger brothers or sisters?" The little prince looked up at Qingyan with a pair of big red eyes.
"Don't Baocheng like his younger brothers and sisters?" Qingyan didn't understand what Yinreng meant. He was obviously very good to Xiaosi and Changdu.
"I like it, but I like my aunt more. If my aunt abandons Baocheng and goes to live forever in order to have younger brothers and sisters, I won't like them anymore." The little prince couldn't help but hugged Qing. Yan's arms began to cry bitterly. Yinreng was silent for a long time before burying his little head in Qingyan's arms and said in a low voice: "Auntie, Huang's mother went to Changsheng Heaven when she was an orphan. Now the fourth sister's Huang's mother She also went to Changsheng Heaven when she was born."
"Originally, Khan Ama stayed with us at Qianqing Palace tonight, but the fourth sister couldn't stop crying. No matter how hard the nuns tried to coax her, she couldn't coax her. Then I saw Khan Ama's eyes were red. He stood up, turned around, and took Eunuch Liang out of the palace..."
"He Zhuer said that giving birth to a child is a very dangerous thing, but the ladies in the palace all look forward to having their own biological children."
"Auntie, can I not have any younger brothers or sisters?" The little prince looked up at Qingyan with a pair of big red eyes.
"Don't Baocheng like his younger brothers and sisters?" Qingyan didn't understand what Yinreng meant. He was obviously very good to Xiaosi and Changdu.
"I like it, but I like my aunt more. If my aunt leaves Baocheng and goes to live forever in order to have younger brothers and sisters, I won't like them anymore." The little prince couldn't help but hugged Qing. Yan's arms burst into tears. Yinreng was silent for a long time before burying his little head in Qingyan's arms and said in a low voice: "Auntie, Huang's mother went to Changsheng Heaven when she was an orphan. Now the fourth sister's Huang's mother She also went to Changsheng Heaven when she was born."
"Originally, Khan Ama stayed with us at Qianqing Palace tonight, but the fourth sister couldn't stop crying. No matter how hard the nuns tried to coax her, she couldn't coax her. Then I saw Khan Ama's eyes were red. He stood up, turned around, and took Eunuch Liang out of the palace..."
"He Zhuer said that giving birth to a child is a very dangerous thing, but the ladies in the palace all look forward to having their own biological children."
"Auntie, can I not have any younger brothers or sisters?" The little prince looked up at Qingyan with a pair of big red eyes.
"Don't Baocheng like his younger brothers and sisters?" Qingyan didn't understand what Yinreng meant. He was obviously very good to Xiaosi and Changdu.
"I like it, but I like my aunt more. If my aunt leaves Baocheng and goes to live forever in order to have younger brothers and sisters, I won't like them anymore." The little prince couldn't help but hugged Qing. Yan's arms burst into tears. Yinreng was silent for a long time before burying his little head in Qingyan's arms and said in a low voice: "Auntie, Huang's mother went to Changsheng Heaven when she was an orphan. Now the fourth sister's Huang's mother She also went to Changsheng Heaven when she was born."
"Originally, Khan Ama stayed with us at Qianqing Palace tonight, but the fourth sister couldn't stop crying. No matter how hard the nuns tried to coax her, she couldn't coax her. Then I saw Khan Ama's eyes were red. He stood up, turned around, and took Eunuch Liang out of the palace..."
"He Zhuer said that giving birth to a child is a very dangerous thing, but the ladies in the palace all look forward to having their own biological children."
"Auntie, can I not have any younger brothers or sisters?" The little prince looked up at Qingyan with a pair of big red eyes.
"Don't Baocheng like his younger brothers and sisters?" Qingyan didn't understand what Yinreng meant. He was obviously very good to Xiaosi and Changdu.
"I like it, but I like my aunt more. If my aunt leaves Baocheng and goes to live forever in order to have younger brothers and sisters, I won't like them anymore." The little prince couldn't help but hugged Qing. Yan's arms burst into tears. Yinreng was silent for a long time before burying his little head in Qingyan's arms and said in a low voice: "Auntie, Huang's mother went to Changsheng Heaven when she was an orphan. Now the fourth sister's Huang's mother She also went to Changsheng Heaven when she was born."
"Originally, Khan Ama stayed with us at Qianqing Palace tonight, but the fourth sister couldn't stop crying. No matter how hard the nuns tried to coax her, she couldn't coax her. Then I saw Khan Ama's eyes were red. He stood up, turned around, and took Eunuch Liang out of the palace..."
"He Zhuer said that giving birth to a child is a very dangerous thing, but the ladies in the palace all look forward to having their own biological children."
"Auntie, can I not have any younger brothers or sisters?" The little prince looked up at Qingyan with a pair of big red eyes.
"Don't Baocheng like his younger brothers and sisters?" Qingyan didn't understand what Yinreng meant. He was obviously very good to Xiaosi and Changdu.
"I like it, but I like my aunt more. If my aunt leaves Baocheng and goes to live forever in order to have younger brothers and sisters, I won't like them anymore." The little prince couldn't help but hugged Qing. Yan's arms burst into tears.