On April 12th, the daughter of Naqin, the Commander-in-Chief and Light Cavalry Commander, entered the palace and was granted the title of Noble Lady. The daughter of Baitang Afuyin, surnamed Lin, entered the palace and was granted the title of Attendant.

The two people, whose social statuses were vastly different, naturally received different treatment after entering the palace.

There was no imperial concubine selection in the thirteenth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. The reason why new concubines entered the palace was because an empress and a concubine had just died, and several palaces in the palace were idle and could be used to house the new concubines.

Furthermore, the emperor's prolonged grief inevitably affected the handling of state affairs.

In order to distract the emperor and to ensure the continuation of the royal family, the Empress Dowager personally arranged for two new women to be brought into the palace from outside.

Among them, the Balin nobleman came from the Balin tribe of Mongolia. Although he was not from the Borjigit clan, it was still a major Mongolian clan and he played a pivotal role in the Mongolian tribes.

This person's entry into the palace had nothing to do with diverting the emperor's affections; it was more for political considerations, to restrict the Borjigit clan in the palace. Therefore, Consort Balin made the Yanxi Palace faction feel the most threatened.

Especially the current leader of the Mongolian concubines in the palace, Consort Dun, Borjigit, was almost driven to despair.

Not only did he summon all the concubines from the Mongol lineage to greet them one by one, but he also discussed countermeasures with Consort Chun, whom he considered to be close to.

Consort Chun: ...What's there to discuss? If the Emperor likes it, you can't stop him; if he doesn't like it, you don't even need to give him a second glance.

Years of life in the harem have smoothed out Consort Chun's rough edges and made her much more mature. In her early years, Consort Chun had even clashed with Consort Dun because of her dissatisfaction and was instigated by the Empress.

Now, times have changed. The Empress is buried deep underground, while Consort Chun still lives in Yanxi Palace.

In contrast, all the past grievances and resentments should be completely put aside.

"Your Majesty, Consort Balin has only just entered the palace and we do not yet know what kind of character or temperament she has."

Your Majesty suggests we observe first; Mongolian women are known for their bravery and efficiency.

If we could get along well and not interfere with each other, we wouldn't have had such a tense situation.

After all, it's not a good thing to be an enemy of everyone in the harem.

Harmony is the most valuable asset and the best course of action.

All the pampering and favors are fleeting; only those who live the longest are the ultimate winners.

Consort Chun seemed to have grasped the life experiences of most of the concubines in the harem.

Since no favors will fall on me anyway, I might as well focus on myself and live an honest and down-to-earth life.

Could it be that the concubines in charge of palace affairs would mistreat them?

Consort Chun's words of advice shook Consort Dun's already wavering resolve.

Consort Dun felt that Consort Chun's words were correct, and after thinking it over, she decided to temporarily give up dealing with Consort Balin.

If this person has no intention of competing with her, then so be it. But if they have the intention of challenging her, even if Consort Chun has already spoken, she will not let them off the hook.

Because of the outburst and agitation of the Balin noblewoman, the princess finally chose to observe the situation quietly.

On the other hand, Wei Hanyu, who had just won the Emperor's favor with her outstanding performance at the Empress's funeral, was somewhat vulnerable when Consort Lin entered the palace.

The reason is simple: this Consort Lin, in both appearance and temperament, is somewhat similar to her earlier tactics.

Furthermore, Consort Lin is younger and prettier than Wei Hanyu, and the Emperor clearly favors her more. What should be done? Don't tell her that the prescription you just received is useless!

Wei Hanyu couldn't help but pour out her heart to the Emperor, using all sorts of tricks to lure people to Yongshou Palace.

The Emperor is having a great time with his new and old lovers, and he has long since forgotten about Consort Jia and the Empress.

If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's inability to bear it any longer, and her mention of the upcoming empress's selection during their meeting, the Emperor would still be happily oblivious to his fate.

"Ahem, Your Majesty, there's no rush regarding the Empress. I plan to consider it after the mourning period for the Empress ends."

Hongli would not say that he had forgotten about this matter, but there was indeed no rush to choose a successor.

Although the absence of an empress to oversee the inner palace would cause some trouble in handling palace affairs, Hongli felt that this would allow him to live a carefree life for a few years.

Otherwise, with an empress always behind him ready to advise him at any moment, Hongli would lose all interest whenever he thought of that scene.

Let alone choosing a concubine he liked as his empress, no matter who it was, as long as she sat in that position, Hongli felt that he would most likely not like her.

"Your Majesty, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and the harem cannot be without a mistress for a day."

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she added that Consort Hui had been performing well recently, and the Emperor could consider her further.

Hongli: ...Does the Empress Dowager think he's a fool? Why is she giving Niohuru such a big face?

The Empress Dowager was born into the Niohuru clan, and the Empress was also born into the Niohuru clan. If they were to have another prince born into the Niohuru clan, wouldn't the dragon throne beneath their own feet belong entirely to the Niohuru clan? In that case, they might as well just change the dynasty to the Niohuru clan!

The mere thought of such a scene made even his own people uneasy.

What are you doing? Haven't you had enough of taking advantage? Don't let him agree to something like this.

"Consort Hui is good, but her health is a major problem. I want a legitimate son."

Hongli didn't mind directly exposing the fact that Consort Hui was infertile.

In his view, who would become empress in the future was negotiable, but this legitimate son had to be born to him.

He was determined to do what no one before him could.

The previous emperors of the Qing Dynasty failed to ensure that their legitimate sons would successfully ascend the throne, but with him, this became a reality.

Empress Dowager: ...

When the Empress Dowager saw that Hongli was speaking so bluntly and relentlessly, stabbing her in the heart, she immediately rolled her eyes in annoyance and said, "Nonsense."

Consort Hui is in good health. Although she did suffer some damage during the miscarriage, Consort Jin, who was in even worse condition, has already passed away. Look at what the Emperor is saying now; not a single word is something the Empress Dowager would want to hear.

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