I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

On the seventh day of the ninth month of the fourth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the emperor held his wedding.

The Forbidden City was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, with red silk hanging in every corner, creating a festive atmosphere.

On this day, Hong Xiguan was as busy as a traveling entertainer rushing from one event to another.

He was first dragged by the old men from the Ministry of Rites to the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, then rushed to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and finally had to go to the Altar of the God of Soil and Grain to pay homage to the local lords.

On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, an official announcement was issued.

"I hereby appoint Hesheli, daughter of Grand Minister Gabula, as Empress..."

Hong Xiguan appointed four Grand Secretaries—Song'etu, Batai, Li Wei, and Du Lide—to go to the Song family residence with imperial insignia and golden edicts to welcome the bride.

Watching Suo'etu's scurrying back, Hong Xiguan found it amusing.

Third Master Suo, hurry up! This isn't just a gift of gold books and treasures; it's your Suo family's long-term meal ticket!

On the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, the main event will begin.

On this day, the central axis of the Forbidden City, the imperial road that even princes dared not walk on casually, was completely opened to the public.

Officials from the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Rites led the way, followed by three princesses dressed in their finest attire, forming a luxurious wedding procession that traveled to the Suo family home amidst music and fanfare.

Not long after, the phoenix palanquin, symbolizing the empress's virtue, slowly entered the Great Qing Gate, surrounded by a large entourage.

The phoenix palanquin passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, and finally came to a steady stop in front of the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

According to custom, the Empress should alight from her sedan chair here, and then... walk to Kunning Palace.

Hong Xiguan stood on the high ground and watched, unable to help but feel worried for the young woman he had never met before.

From the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility? That's a distance like a cross-country run with heavy equipment!

The girl is only a teenager, yet she's wearing a phoenix crown weighing several pounds on her head, and layers upon layers of court robes. She even has to walk with an air of importance like a cat. This isn't a wedding; it's clearly a physical fitness test!

Finally, as darkness fell, Empress Hesheli, supported by the ladies of the court, moved to the Kunning Palace.

Hong Xiguan took a deep breath, composed his expression, and stepped inside.

Inside the Kunning Palace, red candles burned brightly, and the walls were covered with the character for "happiness".

Hong Xiguan lifted the bright red veil.

What came into view was a young and pretty face.

Hesheli lowered her head, her face pale, nervously twisting the handkerchief in her hands, not daring to lift her head, like a frightened little rabbit.

She was born in the same year as Emperor Kangxi, and was nominally twelve years old.

"What a terrible thing!"

Hong Xiguan sighed inwardly.

In later generations, someone this age would probably still be in the first year of junior high school, worrying about the midterm exams.

Now, things have gotten much worse; they've become victims of a political marriage and have been thrust into the eye of the storm.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

The little girl's voice was barely audible, and her elaborate wedding dress weighed heavily on her thin shoulders, making her look rather pitiful.

"Your Majesty and Empress, please perform the nuptial ceremony."

The lady-in-waiting brought out two ladles (made from a split gourd), filled with wine and connected by a red thread.

This is the legendary nuptial wine, which the ancients called "hejin".

Hong Xiguan picked up one half, while Hesheli tremblingly picked up the other half.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment in mid-air.

Hong Xiguan gave her an encouraging look: "Drink this cup, and we'll be in this together."

Hesheli seemed to understand, mustered his courage, tilted his head back, and drank it down.

The spicy liquor choked the little girl, almost causing her to cough, and her face instantly turned bright red.

The ceremony is complete.

At this moment, it is 6 PM (the hour of You).

The wedding night wasn't as romantic as I'd imagined, because the ceremony wasn't over yet.

Having just finished drinking, Hong Xiguan had to leave his bride in the room and rush back to the Taihe Hall to work overtime.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the princes, nobles, and civil and military officials had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing the emperor emerge, everyone knelt down in unison.

"Congratulations on His Majesty's wedding! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

Sitting on the dragon throne, Hong Xiguan listened to the overwhelming flattery and felt utterly exhausted.

After finally finishing the ceremony, they had to return to the Kunning Palace for their wedding night.

Of course, nothing inappropriate for children happened that night.

Hong Xiguan was not as monstrous as Kang Youwei in history, who even preyed on young girls.

……

The wedding is over, but this matter is not over yet.

For Hong Xiguan, getting married was only the first step; the real exchange of "dowry" and "betrothal gifts" had only just begun in the imperial court.

A few days later, imperial edicts flew out of the Qianqing Palace like snowflakes, shocking the entire court and the public.

First, there is the "betrothal gift".

Sony, already a first-class state, has reached the pinnacle of its family glory.

Next came the real "cake-sharing".

With a stroke of his pen, Hong Xiguan propelled the Sony family members onto a rocket-like trajectory.

My eldest uncle, third uncle, second maternal uncle, cousin...

All adult males of the Hesheli family with even a little ability were assigned to the Six Ministries.

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War... a total of seventeen people!

A total of seventeen important positions!

This isn't a promotion; it's practically taking over half of the basic management positions in the imperial court!

In particular, the Imperial Guard, which was responsible for security, and the Imperial Household Department, which controlled the royal treasury, were directly replaced by members of the Hesheli family.

Finally, there's a bombshell.

Sony's third son, Suo'etu, who ran around doing everything during the wedding, was directly promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel!

What is the Ministry of Personnel? It's in charge of official hats!

Hong Xiguan sat in the imperial study, looking at the list, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Lord Ao, don't you hold military power? Don't you have many followers?"

"Fine, I can't touch your army, so I'll infiltrate these six ministries with instigators! That's called 'reverse infiltration'!"

These seventeen members of the Hesheli family are like seventeen nails that Hong Xiguan has driven into the court. They may not be able to remove Ao Bai right now, but as long as they are there, Ao Bai will never be able to sleep soundly!

When the news spread, Ao Bai was so angry that he smashed his most beloved tea set in his mansion.

"A tyrannical ruler! This is nepotism! This is interference in politics by the empress's family!"

Ao Bai roared like thunder.

But he forgot that just a few months earlier, he had also stuffed dozens of his protégés and former subordinates into the Six Ministries.

That's politics.

Double standards are a basic quality of players.

.....

The hype surrounding the wedding melted away as quickly as an ice pop in summer.

For the onlookers in the Forbidden City, this grand wedding was a topic of conversation and a source of excitement.

But for Hung Hei-kwun, this was just completing yet another main quest.

Life after the wedding wasn't as glamorous as I had imagined.

There is no "From then on, the emperor no longer held morning court," only "From then on, the emperor was so tired he became like a dog."

The lights in the Qianqing Palace stay on until midnight every night.

There's nothing I can do. Although he's nominally in charge of the government, that old bastard Ao Bai is still blocking the entrance to the newbie village.

The memorials sent up every day were either trivial greetings or traps set by Ao Bai's cronies.

Hong Xiguan had to be extremely careful, analyzing the subtext behind every sentence as if he were doing a reading comprehension exercise.

Just when he was so busy and overwhelmed that he wished he could stretch every minute into two.

The backyard is on fire.

……