CHAPTER 652: [646] QING CHUAN CHENG WANGFEI 15 (1 MORE UPDATE)

Since ancient times, every mother has feared her daughter being mistreated at her in-law’s house. Although Xiyuan did not need to serve a mother-in-law, Nanny Wen considered managing a household at such a young age to be quite laborious. Thus, after accepting the fine medicinal materials and jewelry specially prepared by Xiyuan, she even gave her 500 taels of silver upon her departure.

However, Xiyuan was already grown up and had left home. How could she still take her mother’s money? Besides, shouldn’t she save money for her brother to pursue his future?

But no matter how much she refused, Nanny Wen insisted on giving it to her, and even said,

"I am doing fine here; you don’t need to worry about me. Your brother is also promising; he is preparing to take the imperial examinations next year, and it would be best if he succeeds. If not, he could always try for the Imperial Guard and develop a career in the military. Both of you are the greatest pride of my life, Yanyan. Prince Manor is not like home; I can’t protect you there, so you must think carefully about everything and not act impulsively like you used to, do you understand?"

These words made Xiyuan feel both heartache and emotional. Blood kin was indeed different; unlike her legitimate mother who spoke only official niceties without emotion, seemingly fearful of her having a good life. This was her father’s presence; if he were not around, she guessed he would probably not bother with her, wasting all the good things Yun Mi had prepared for her.

In the late afternoon when she was about to leave, her brother escorted her to the carriage, slipping a wallet to her during farewell. Surrounded by onlookers, she felt awkward to refuse. Seeing her brother wink playfully at her, Xiyuan suddenly realized that though a concubine’s child, she was at least loved by her mother and brother. Even if their father was not very expressive, she could still sense his concern from snippets of casual conversation, hindered only by their status from speaking more personal words.

Speaking of Wuya Haiwang, her biological father and a man of the Pure Yellow Banner, he was a nephew of the Empress Xiaogongren (Consort De).

Initially appointed as Guard Captain. In the first year of Yong Zheng, he was promoted to a principal position in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and gradually ascended to become a doctor, supervising Chongwen Gate.

In the eighth year, he was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also overseeing the Ministry of Revenue, and was bestowed a Second-rank hat.

In the ninth year, he was moved to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue while still overseeing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Therefore, even though he was just a Vice Minister now, supervising the Ministry of Internal Affairs was a significant responsibility. Emperor Yong Zheng also highly valued him, which was evident in the Emperor’s decision to betroth Haiwang’s daughter to his beloved younger brother Yun Mi.

Haiwang was talented in both civil and military affairs, and although he was not handsome, both his legitimate and bastard sons were outstanding. The one commendable trait of his household was that both wives and concubines understood their place well, whether they were legitimate sons or bastards, focusing on their own matters and futures, without coveting statuses that did not match their own.

This was quite rare, and achieving this was largely attributed to Haiwang himself. Had he ignored the affairs of his inner court, it would likely have turned into chaos long ago.

Xiyuan did not know much about Haiwang, but one advantage of her transmigration through Liang Tian was the ability to check history.

Even though she did not know Yun Mi, she learned through historical data that he had led a good life, and so had her father.

In September of the 13th year of Yong Zheng, or two years later, her father would be promoted to Minister of Revenue, and in October, he would be appointed to manage the Military Affairs Office, effectively becoming one of Yong Zheng’s essential ministers.

Upon Emperor Yong Zheng’s demise, Haiwang, along with Eertai and Zhang Tingyu among others, were entrusted with a significant commission.

By the second year of Qianlong, he also served as Minister of Revenue and co-administrator of the Military Affairs Office.

After ten years with diminishing vigor, he resigned from his post in the Military Affairs Office.

In the twelfth year, he moved to Minister of Rites, and in the fourteenth year, he returned to the role of Minister of Revenue.

Therefore, as her father climbed the social ladder, it brought her certain conveniences. A powerful father, wasn’t it natural for his daughter to bask in his glory?

After the horse carriage left the Vice Minister Mansion, Xiyuan carefully opened the wallet her brother had given her. Yun Mi noticed the wallet she held didn’t seem suitable for a lady.

"This wallet...?"

When Xiyuan opened the wallet and saw the one hundred taels silver note inside, her eyes immediately reddened.

"This fool, having some money and not knowing to save it for finding a wife?"

"Is this from Ziyu brother?" Ming Xuan was older than Yun Mi by a few months, so he was also Yun Mi’s maternal uncle, and Ziyu was Ming Xuan’s courtesy name.

"Yes, he just forced it on me when I got on the carriage. I barely spoke a few words with my brother today. It’s not like we won’t meet again. Why be so melodramatic? My mother as well, she just handed me five hundred taels of silver,"

Xiyuan’s voice choked up, unable to continue. Yun Mi hadn’t expected his Princess Consort to be so open with him, pouring her heart out, which left him feeling deeply moved.

He couldn’t help but think of his own mother, "Mother Concubine used to do the same; whenever I entered the palace, she would send good things my way and sit beside me, smiling. Sadly, those who have passed can never return."

Yun Mi’s mother had passed away in the fifth year of Yong Zheng. Mother Chen was initially conferred the title "Imperial Concubine" by the former Emperor and later as Mu Pin.

Xiyuan silently reached out and took his hand, "If you will have me, may I keep you company from now on?"

Yun Mi took her hand into his, "Then join me tomorrow to meet the Emperor at Yuanming Garden?"

Thinking of meeting Emperor Yong Zheng, Xiyuan felt a bit nervous, "How is the Emperor’s health?"

Yun Mi sighed, "It’s intermittently good and bad. The elder brother places too much trust in those Taoists and unfortunately doesn’t really consume the medicines from the Imperial Physician. How can this be good?"

Xiyuan was well aware of Emperor Yong Zheng’s obsession with alchemy in his later years, and how the elixirs he consumed contained high amounts of lead. However, regarding his actual cause of death, some say it was an assassination by a commoner woman named Lu Siniang, who not only killed him but also beheaded him. Hence, during the burial of Yong Zheng, the ministers had to cast a golden head to replace his own.

Of course, that was one version. Another, disclosed by Mr. Jin Hengyuan (a seventh-generation descendant of the 14th son of Emperor Kangxi, Yinzhen), claimed that Emperor Yong Zheng died from poisoning due to these elixirs.

Nevertheless, regardless of the version, both confirmed the Emperor’s fantasy of eternal life and his fascination with magical elixirs and immortality.

Facing Yun Mi’s lament, naturally, she was not in a position to agree with him openly—it was best for a woman to stay out of such matters.

Since they were to enter the garden the next day, neither of them went anywhere else, returning early to their manor instead. Yun Mi went to the front courtyard to handle miscellaneous official matters. Although he held no official position or title yet, there were still some trivial matters to attend to.

Xiyuan first checked how the flower beds in the manor were being maintained, and after making sure the seeds had been sown, she felt somewhat relieved. However, there were still some seeds they hadn’t heard of, and she planned to visit the grain shop in the next few days to see if she could find the seeds she wanted.