Chapter 5

When Gui Dan returned to the Guo Luoluo family in disgrace, he was met with the Ninth Prince's furious scolding: "You've disgraced me! This isn't Shengjing, and they aren't people the Guo Luoluo family can provoke or bully. How dare you fabricate evidence to falsely accuse them? Has your brain been kicked by a donkey?"

Gui Dan knelt obediently, feeling wronged: "Wasn't it because the Ninth Prince praised Shun An as a talented person who could be of great use... But last time when I asked Dong E Gege for something, she didn't give me any face. I thought that by filing a lawsuit, regardless of winning or losing, it would tarnish their reputation and make them behave... Who would have thought they are like dogs, not only sniffing and closely watching, but even having evidence..."

The Ninth Prince's face darkened, and he kicked Gui Dan: "Fool! You still haven't figured it out, this was a trap! Who would prepare so thoroughly in just two or three days?! It truly is difficult to deal with women and small people. Just because they were a bit rude before, this has happened... Not only did they buy out my shop, but they even set a trap to scheme against me!"

Gui Dan, enlightened, nodded hurriedly: "Yes, that brat did it on purpose, deliberately spreading rumors about fake goods in the market, saying that not everything is real gold and silver. He even mentioned that the stamps can't be faked, and that there are specialists responsible for this. If I hadn't heard this, I wouldn't have thought of accusing the silver shop of selling fakes..."

As he rambled on, the deputy commander of the Northern City Military Office arrived with the case closure documents, accompanied by the steward left by Shu Shu.

Even if the lawsuit was withdrawn, a case that has been heard must have a closure document filed.

According to Shu Shu's wishes, all related compensation must be recorded in the document, including the shop and the inventory in the shop.

Hearing Shu Shu's compensation demands, the Ninth Prince's face turned ashen: "To have Qianjin Fang compensate? What a big appetite, aren't you afraid of choking?!"

Qianjin Fang was registered under Gui Dan's name but was funded by the Ninth Prince!

Gui Dan's actions were just to poach talent, but Dong E's family directly seized the shop. Could they really be so foolish as to not know that this "Second Master Jin" was the Ninth Prince?

Or did they, as a noble lady, look down on him, a bald prince?

Seeing her eloquent, greedy, and cunning nature, how could she be foolish?

The Ninth Prince could no longer deceive himself; he seemed to have been underestimated by a woman.

But what could he do if he didn't reconcile?

The evidence was solid, and if the lawsuit went to court, he would surely lose. Accusing someone of property theft would tarnish the Guo Luoluo family's reputation, and then not only he and his fifth brother, but even the empress and nobles in the palace would lose face.

"Fine! Give it to her!" the Ninth Prince said gloomily.

He didn't believe he would always be a bald prince. They all lived in the capital, and there would be a day for "retribution"!

*

Qianqing Palace, West Warm Pavilion.

Emperor Kangxi sat cross-legged on the kang, his face as solemn as water, reading the folded document in his hand.

The attendant Liang Jiugong stood beside him, holding his breath.

The selected ladies had been out of the palace for three days, but the imperial marriage edict had not been issued, due to the selection of the Ninth Prince's consort.

Originally, the Emperor had already chosen a suitable candidate, but an unexpected change occurred when the Tong family intervened, uncovering the background of Aling'a's wife, Wuya.

Wuya was the half-sister of Empress De, not born to the main wife, but everyone thought she was a secondary wife.

According to Manchu customs, the "co-wife" system meant that secondary wives were also considered wives, and their children were treated the same as those born to the main wife. Only those born to concubines, secondary wives, or outside the household were considered illegitimate.

When the Wuya family and the Tong family formed an alliance, Wuya married Aling'a, and no one suspected her background as being from a concubine.

"Is the Tong family close to the Crown Prince?" Kangxi seemed to be talking to himself or asking someone.

Was the Crown Prince unwilling to have Empress Yi and Empress De connected? Or was he unhappy about the Ninth Prince's marriage to the old Tenth Prince's in-laws?

Liang Jiugong hesitated for a moment, then said softly: "The Duke of Loyalty was once close to the Crown Prince, but after his death, there seems to be a distance..."

Kangxi was taken aback, thinking of the death of Tong Guogang... 29 years ago... the Battle of Ulan Butong...

He had personally led the campaign, but returned early due to a cold, leaving the main force to encircle Galdan. Due to the weather, the three eastern armies were delayed...

The official announcement was a "great victory," but even calling it a "hard-fought victory" was a stretch. Ten thousand elite Eight Banners troops suffered a 40% loss, with over forty officers and men killed, including the Duke of Loyalty, Tong Guogang, who died in this battle...

After Galdan's defeat, Tong Guowei led the pursuit but was stopped by Suo Etu...

Kangxi sighed, closed the document, and placed it on the table. He picked up another book, which contained the profiles of the sixteen selected ladies, including their backgrounds, appearances, and personalities.

"Your Majesty, your servant Zhao Chang has returned and has something to report!" a voice came from outside the door.

"Enter!"

Kangxi looked towards the door.

A eunuch in his forties entered but did not speak immediately, instead glancing at Liang Jiugong.

Liang Jiugong pretended not to notice, maintaining his usual composed demeanor.

"Where did the Ninth Prince go?" Kangxi asked, pondering: "To the Guo Luoluo family, or... to the Tong family..."

"The Ninth Prince... went to the Northern City Military Office..." Zhao Chang hesitated but quickly continued: "Three days ago, the eldest son of the Guo Luoluo family, Gui Dan, filed a lawsuit at the Northern City Military Office, accusing Qi Xi's Shun An silver shop of counterfeiting... The case was heard this morning..."

Kangxi's face showed surprise. He had considered various possibilities but never imagined the Ninth Prince's itinerary. Curiously, he asked: "Did Qi Xi respond to the lawsuit and face Gui Dan in court?"

Zhao Chang shook his head: "Qi Xi probably didn't know about it... I asked the commander, Jin Chengbi, who sent people to mediate at Qi Xi's house, but they didn't see Qi Xi. Instead, they saw the eldest daughter of the Dong E family... The shop is Qi Xi's wife's private property, transferred to the eldest daughter of the Dong E family at the beginning of the year. The eldest daughter of the Dong E family appeared in court today, but did not go on the stand..."

Zhao Chang, who had witnessed the events firsthand, described them vividly, even recounting the conversation between the Ninth Prince and the eldest daughter of the Dong E family in the back of the court.

Kangxi, hearing the bickering between the young people, couldn't help but smile: "Old Nine is usually proud, but this time he has been underestimated!" He then picked up the list of selected ladies again. The second name was "Dong E, a Manchu of the First Banner, daughter of Qi Xi, the commander of the fourth banner, mother Jueluo (formerly of the Bao family), born on the 13th of October in the 22nd year of Kangxi, described as quiet, dignified, gentle, and proper, and kind to her subordinates." The praise was given by the palace nurses after Dong E stayed in the palace for half a month.

Her personality was different from what Zhao Chang described, but Kangxi was not surprised.

Like father, like daughter. Such a clever and quick-witted girl was indeed Qi Xi's daughter. The one he had seen in the palace before was like a wooden post, meek and unremarkable.

A child born to parents who practiced Buddhism and prayed for her, deserved to be pampered, and it was rare that she hadn't been spoiled, always adhering to rules and laws.

"Born under a good star, she must be a fortunate child!"

Kangxi put down the list and looked at Zhao Chang, his expression serious: "Does Dong E really not know the Ninth Prince's identity?"

Zhao Chang thought for a moment and shook his head: "She probably doesn't... Gui Dan's mother is from the Korean banner of the Inner Service, the Jin family. The Ninth Prince calls himself 'Second Master Jin,' assuming the identity of the Jin family..."

Kangxi's expression eased, looking at the list, lost in thought.

*

At the Commander's residence, Shu Shu had washed up and changed into casual clothes, making notes in the study.

She had gained new insights by participating in a civil lawsuit. The law could indeed protect property, but would personal connections and power interfere with the law?

Perhaps in the provinces, favoritism was common, but in the capital, under the emperor's watch, the censors kept things relatively clear.

A good memory is not as good as a bad pen. Since her memory awakened three years ago, Shu Shu had often recorded her daily thoughts.

The history she knew from the future was slightly different from the true history.

For example, the Manchu women's hairstyles were not the "two braids" or "large hairpin" seen in modern films and TV shows, but a braided hairstyle. Married women wore a single bun, while unmarried women wore two. They did not wear excessive gold and silver, only adding a few accessories when visiting guests.

However, with the peace of the realm and Kangxi's promotion of Confucianism, the Eight Banners began to sinicize, and the younger generation's attire became more luxurious, with more accessories than the older generation.

Qi Xi and Jueluo both doted on their daughter, and naturally, they did not neglect Shu Shu.

Before Shu Shu started growing her hair, several boxes of jewelry were prepared. After she started growing her hair at ten, more were added each year. There were also two boxes of palace flowers, velvet flowers, silk flowers, and gauze flowers, all the latest trends. Shu Shu was not used to these and never wore them at home, only putting on one or two when going out to avoid being impolite.

After lunch, Shu Shu took her usual nap.

When she woke up, Xiaochun returned from the front yard with the case closure documents brought by the steward.

Shu Shu, seeing the compensation listed, felt refreshed, feeling closer to her tea garden. She was about to share her victory with her mother when a maid from the main house came to summon her, saying that Jueluo had called for her.

When Shu Shu arrived at the main house and saw Jueluo, she was struck like lightning: "What, appointed as the Ninth Prince's main consort?!"

Wasn't the Ninth Prince's consort "the daughter of Commander Dong E seventy"?

Her father's name was Qi Xi, not seventy!