Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1264 Zhen Huan Enlarged to 187

At the end of July, Emperor Qianlong set the date for his return. Officials of all ranks in Hangzhou and wealthy gentry and businessmen began to get busy again. In August, Jiang Xinxin boarded the ship back to Beijing with three bare lychee trees and half a tree of late-ripening lychees.

The mountains, rivers and scenery of Jiangnan are truly beautiful. The queen felt relaxed after taking this trip, and the depression hidden in her heart was blown away. She secretly visited famous temples and Taoist temples in Jiangnan, hoping to get a definite answer from those enlightened masters about her two times of fainting.

Unfortunately, although there are masters of enlightenment in this world, no one except Jiang Xinxin can see through the essence of this world.

However, the Queen did not return empty-handed. After all, the so-called "plot" has long since changed beyond recognition, and the Queen herself has a firm will. She has escaped the so-called "plot killing".

As Jiang Xinxin listened and watched the queen holding Jingse and smiling sweetly, she suddenly wanted to know how the other so-called heroine Qingying was doing now.

The return journey took almost another two months. By the time they entered the Forbidden City, it was already late October. At this point, Qianlong would never allow Jiang Xinxin to return to the Old Summer Palace. Jiang Xinxin did not oppose Qianlong and returned to the Cining Palace comfortably. It took her several days to finally distribute the gifts she brought back.

Qianlong personally arranged for people to plant litchi trees in various places. A greenhouse had been built in the Cining Palace early on, which came in handy this time.

After Jiang Xinxin came back, the concubines of the previous emperor and the emperor's successor in Changchun Garden all wrote letters to greet her. The gift that Jiang Xinxin sent out made them happiest was the authentic lychee paste. After all, it was made from real lychees, and was much more delicious than the "lychee paste" produced in Jiangnan and made from bayberry and other Jiangnan fruits.

Jiang Xinxin also happily announced that perhaps next year, everyone will be able to eat fresh lychees in Beijing.

For the women in the harem, the lychees that they might have next year were more popular than Concubine Su who was imprisoned in Zhongcui Palace. However, for the previous dynasty, eliminating a possible unrest in Jiangnan was the most important event.

Of course, Zhang Tingyu finally compromised a lot with Qianlong. At least he no longer opposed Qianlong in everything and tried to make Qianlong like the previous emperor.

And Qianlong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, he, like the late emperor, attached great importance to his reputation in history books. If something went wrong with Zhang Tingyu, a minister who had been confirmed by the late emperor to be worthy of being enshrined in the Taimiao and had served three dynasties, then the reputation of this young emperor would surely be damaged.

Zhang Tingyu had quieted down, and seeing that all the ministers were about to retire, Nianqin, who was from the Nianhulu clan, was not very satisfied. Although he had great ambitions but little talent, and was able to get into the circle of Zhang Tingyu, Ortai and others only because of his surname and background, he also had his aspirations in his official career.

After the court session, Ortai called Neqin and pulled him to a place with few people to talk, "Lord Neqin, the emperor has proven his ability and determination. We old people should let go when the time is right."

Ortai did not say that Nianqin was not the regent chosen by the late emperor for Qianlong. All those serious regents had retired, and he, who was neither the late emperor's confidant nor Qianlong's confidant, should put aside some inappropriate ideas.

Nianqin pretended not to understand, "Lord Ortai, you are joking. If you are referring to the matter of today's morning court, I have never had any selfish motives."

The palace was not a place to talk, so Ortai stopped at the point. Even if Nianqin denied some things, it didn't matter, since he had reminded him anyway.

Originally, Ortai and Zhang Tingyu only met and worked together during court meetings, so Ortai could only roughly guess that it was probably the Empress Dowager Jiang Xinxin who mediated and made Zhang Tingyu back down from Qianlong.

Therefore, when Ortai saw that Nianqin's attitude towards Qianlong suddenly became a little sharp today, he wanted to give him a reminder. After all, for him, whether it was his own future or the development of the Xilin Gioro family, he just wanted to seek stability at the moment.

After all, Nianqin was from the Niumuru clan, and his in-laws were spread across the capital and Mongolia. Even if Nianqin was just a representative who came to the front, it would be difficult for him to hinder Qianlong when he wanted to do something big.

But now it seems that Nianqin obviously had his own arrangements. Ortai did not think anything of being rejected. After the New Year, he took his men to the northwest front and once again used troops against Junggar together with Zhaohui and Yue Zhongqi.

This time, Mongolia also actively sent troops. After all, grassland is the hottest industry nowadays. What's more, the Western Regions not only have vast grasslands, but also are rich in spices, jade and various gems.

The Mongols had a good idea. Anyway, the Qing Dynasty probably looked down on herding, so they could just provide the money and the labor, and then all they needed was pasture to herd sheep for the Qing Dynasty.

As for the trade routes going further west, it is estimated that the Qing Dynasty cannot occupy them all. Moreover, the Qing Dynasty will probably need to maintain the safety of the trade routes by then.

However, just after the army set out in the spring, news came from Mobei that Princess Kejing had passed away. After receiving the news, Concubine Yi fell ill and was not in good condition. Prince Heng and the ninth prince, who had been conferred the title of Prince Xun, quickly sent their son to Mobei to attend the funeral of their aunt.

Qianlong also sent envoys to Mobei to attend Princess Kejing's funeral, but not long after the envoys left, Concubine Yi, Concubine Hui, and Concubine Rong died one after another within ten days.

The funeral ceremonies of the three concubines had just ended when news came from Changchun Garden that several old Mongolian concubines had passed away one after another. Jiang Xinxin personally rushed to Changchun Garden to handle the funeral ceremonies of the old concubines. The young Mongolian princes in the capital all came to the scene to see their relatives off.

As the elderly died one after another, only the lychee tree transplanted by Jiang Xinxin to Changchun Garden, which survived the cold winter and is now in bloom, could arouse everyone's interest.

The Imperial Concubine even came to comfort Jiang Xinxin: "Life and death are determined by fate. After all the sufferings you have endured in the harem of the Holy Ancestor, you have been able to live to this age in peace, and even have a rare happy funeral of dying of old age. It is really rare."

Jiang Xinxin thanked the Royal Concubine for her kindness and did not hide her true thoughts: "I don't think that the world is impermanent. I also know that it is rare for the concubines to die of old age. I really don't care about life and death."

Because Jiang Xinxin knew that even if she died as Yixiu, she would be able to appear in another world in the future with another identity, or as her own identity.

In a sense, hasn't she gained immortality, or even very likely eternal life?