In April, two pieces of good news came from the palace: Consort Shu, of the Niohuru clan, and Consort Zhang, of the concubine clan, were both pregnant.

Consort Shu was three months pregnant and her pregnancy was stable; Lady Zhang was one month pregnant and her pregnancy was unstable.

The news shocked everyone inside and outside the palace.

"Is it confirmed that two concubines are pregnant, and one of them is Consort Shu?"

Xiuning asked Chunyu, who had come to report, a couple more questions, and only nodded after receiving a definite answer.

"Princess, are you worried?"

Chunyu didn't understand her princess's surprised expression, but when she thought about how the princess was about to enter the palace, she still categorized it as worry. After all, the Consort Shu's father was Ebilun, one of the regents and a powerful figure in the previous dynasty.

"I'm not exactly worried, but it was a bit unexpected."

Xiu Ning's impression of Consort Shu was that she was the successor empress Niohuru who ascended to the throne after the death of Empress Hesheli. Niohuru was unlucky; she only appeared in the Kangxi Emperor's early harem and died less than a year after becoming empress.

In Xiu Ning's memory, this was not someone she paid attention to (after all, the most famous concubines in Kangxi's harem were the four consorts Hui, Yi, De, and Rong), but now, the fact that Consort Shu was pregnant and that it was only revealed after she was three months pregnant was a big surprise to Xiu Ning.

First, this person was indeed pregnant before, but did not give birth to an heir; second, this person is the possible smuggler mentioned in the system, who will not live past thirty, but knows certain plot developments.

"Spring Rain, is Father here?"

Xiuning suddenly inquired about the whereabouts of Xitala Debao.

Chunyu nodded, "There's no need to attend court today; the master is in his study in the front courtyard."

“Come with me to the study,” Xiu Ning said, rising to her feet. She needed to confirm something with Xitala Debao, which was crucial to the speculation about Consort Shu’s identity.

...

"Xiuning, you came to see me because you need something?"

When Xitaladebao heard from his servants that Xiuning had arrived, he was somewhat surprised. After all, he and his daughter had already said everything they needed to say to each other, and any further words would only be some instructions before the selection of concubines.

“Father, I have some doubts,” Xiu Ning said without making any excuses. Instead, she simply told him about Consort Shu’s pregnancy in the palace. “There are only two regents left in the court. One is Consort Shu’s father, and the other is Consort Shu’s adoptive father.”

"Father, have their recent actions in court been noticeable?"

Xiu Ning didn't speak too directly, but having spent years playing cat and mouse with seasoned officials, Xitala Debao could still understand what Xiu Ning was implying.

He glanced at the other person, thought for a moment, and then said, "The two of them have some disagreements, which probably started last year when a new prince was born into the palace."

Xiuning understood. "When does Father think these two regents will step down?" Xiuning gestured downwards, and she was very likely to believe that Consort Shu had been replaced.

"At the latest," Hittara Debau said, opening his palm and flipping it over.

“Father, it might be earlier than that time.” Kangxi dealt with Oboi in May of the eighth year. In the same year, Ebilun was removed from power along with Oboi. Consort Shu in the palace also went into hiding until Ebilun died in the thirteenth year and the Empress passed away. Consort Shu was finally made Empress in the sixteenth year.

"As everyone knows, His Majesty is an extremely ambitious and shrewd ruler, unlike the late Emperor."

Thinking that the Hitara clan could take advantage of the situation, Xiuning simply analyzed Kangxi in front of Debao, "The emperor will not be willing to leave behind regents to hinder him from fully seizing power, and there will inevitably be a reckoning between them."

Throughout history, very few people have been able to gain an advantage from the imperial family. "It's not like the country is about to perish; the Qing Dynasty is clearly a rising star at this time."

Blocking someone during an uptrend is tantamount to feeding kills to someone in a losing game, and is completely unacceptable.

“If Father is so inclined, he can take this opportunity to seek some benefits for our own family.”

Knowing full well that a thrilling power struggle would take place between the emperor and the regent, ambitious families would all want to seize the opportunity to get a share of the spoils.

“You have high hopes for the Emperor,” Hitara Deb thought of the fifteen-year-old emperor in the palace. Even if he believed that the emperor would take power in the future, he didn’t think it would happen so soon. You should know that even when the late emperor died at the age of twenty-five, he never really touched the power of the previous dynasty.

“Father, the Emperor is different from the late Emperor,” Xiu Ning did not hide her opinion of Kangxi. “Besides, times have changed. The Empress Dowager is old and can no longer do what the late Emperor did.” Moreover, the death of the late Emperor was a great blow to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Facing Kangxi, a grandson who was very similar to Shunzhi in his childhood, Xiaozhuang would only try her best to make amends, rather than try to limit Kangxi’s ambition.

Hittara Depo agreed with Xiuning's words, "You're right, in that case, Ama understands."

It's a fool not to take advantage of a good deal. Since Xitala Debao chose to send his daughter to the palace, he must also be interested in the future position of the emperor's father-in-law (although this is highly unlikely). What if, what if his family becomes another Tong family?

After leaving the study, Xiuning returned to the courtyard and had dinner alone.

Xiu Ning used the post-meal digestion activity to keep track of the movements of the imperial concubines in the capital.

Chunyu whispered the information she had gathered, occasionally giving vivid examples to help Xiuning understand better.

"...In short, the capital is bustling with activity. I only went out once, and I saw no fewer than twenty young ladies going out."

Nowadays, only the Manchu and Mongol bannermen can walk around openly. Girls from the Han bannermen still rarely leave their homes. If you want to learn more about them, you really need to bribe the servants in their household.

Xiuning only needed to focus on Lady Dong, who would be conferred the title of Consort Duan in the sixteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, when selecting candidates for this year's imperial concubines.

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