Chapter 5 The Favor of Consort Nara

The small kitchen was a privilege reserved for the principal concubines, and currently only Consort Tong and Consort Niohuru had one.

However, Consort Niohuru was always frugal.

On the dining table, there were only three dishes and a soup, neatly arranged. The jade-white soup had pale yellow egg flowers floating on top, the crystal pork knuckle was cut into squares and only drizzled with a layer of light red sauce, along with a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables and a plate of candied crabapple. Compared to the Manchu-Han banquet in Consort Tong's palace, which often had more than a dozen dishes, it was really very light.

The palace maids who were serving had long since figured out their mistress's rules, and they all stood quietly to the side, leaving only silence in the large room, with the only sound being the soft clinking of cutlery.

As she put down her chopsticks, Consort Niohuru gently pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her mouth, her gesture displaying the poise and elegance cultivated from childhood by women of noble families.

Two eunuchs neatly cleared away the food, and a maidservant served a cup of warm tea.

It was placed right next to Consort Niohuru.

Consort Niohuru took a sip of tea, her usual Biluochun, and her face showed a rare rosy glow. "Have this month's allowances all been distributed?"

A stern-faced old woman wearing a dark blue long coat with plain trim on the collar and cuffs respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department has informed us that all the palaces have sent people to collect their allowances. However, Consort Guo Luoluo has received the allowance for a junior consort, as is customary."

The mistress didn't value the Emperor's favor too much; normally, a concubine wouldn't have said such a thing.

However, Consort Guoluo has been favored too much since entering the palace. What to do about it, and whether it needs to be suppressed, depends on the master's wishes.

Although it was the allowance for a concubine, there were many intricacies involved.

Take the white rice and flour in the sample as an example. Is it ordinary brown rice with bran, or is it the special tribute rice for the royal family? The difference in quality is obvious.

Granny Wu's mind raced for a moment, but her expression remained serious.

She added, "Furthermore, the Qianqing Palace has summoned Consort Guoluo to accompany the emperor today."

Consort Niohuru glanced at the old woman indifferently, her tone flat and unwavering, "It is her blessing to accompany the Emperor. The duty of a concubine is to serve the Emperor and ensure the continuation of the royal family. It is her skill to please the Emperor."

This means they were treated like ordinary concubines.

They neither deliberately suppressed nor gave special treatment.

Consort Niohuru had thought this through very thoroughly.

With the position of Empress vacant, she was a foreseeable next Empress, destined to rule the six palaces and become the mother of the nation, based on her family background and character.

These concubines were considered her subordinates.

Pleasing the emperor was part of their job.

Her duty was to manage the harem well and ensure nothing went wrong.

Moreover, in this harem, the word 'favor' is the most unreliable thing.

Today the emperor favors this one, tomorrow he may turn to that one. Who can say for sure whose good fortune will last?

Consort Ma Jia was once a highly favored concubine, even giving birth to the eldest son of a concubine before Empress Renxiao. Her favor remained unchanged for ten years. However, she has now been surpassed by the newly entered Consort Guo Luoluo.

It is clear that favors and such are all superficial; only the power held in one's hands and the tangible benefits are the real advantages.

Consort Niohuru had a palace maid bring the account book. After flipping through a few pages, she instructed, "New ladies have recently joined the palace. As elders, we cannot show favoritism and alienate people. A batch of new-style brocade has just been presented as tribute from Jiangnan. Have someone fetch it from the Imperial Household Department. Send two bolts of fresh and elegant colors to each of Yanxi Palace, Qixiang Palace, and Zhongcui Palace, such as moon white, light blue, or lotus root color. Send some bright and beautiful brocade to Chuxiu Palace, Xianfu Palace, and Yikun Palace, so they can also have some new clothes."

Consort Guo Luoluo broke many old rules as soon as she gained favor, which inevitably caused some resentment among the other concubines. Her actions were both to appease them and to maintain stability in the harem—both were equally important, and she couldn't let the newcomer steal the limelight and alienate the older concubines.

After a brief pause, I remembered something else.

"Now that the weather is warming up, the Imperial Household Department should stop supplying charcoal according to usual practice. However, His Majesty previously said that Consort Tong is weak and afraid of the cold. Therefore, we will make an exception for Consort Tong and supply her with charcoal for an extra month."

Consort Tong was the Emperor's cousin, from a prominent family. Although she was a bit flamboyant, she had no ill intentions.

Finally, Consort Niohuru closed the account book, rubbed her temples, and said, "The Emperor's birthday is approaching, and the palace should begin preparations. Go and send a message to the head of the Imperial Household Department, and have them draft a preparation plan as soon as possible. Whether it's the banquet dishes, the stage arrangements, or the list of rewards from various places, it should be written in detail and presented to me for review."

Although there are precedents for these matters, they are complicated and trivial, and no mistakes can be made.

She can only feel at ease when everything is arranged properly.

——

As a prominent figure during this period and the center of attention in the entire harem, Consort Guo Luoluo is now quite pleased with herself.

Upon entering the palace, she was immediately assigned to the harem by the emperor, and after serving him in bed, she was promoted one rank, putting her above many older men.

Her older sister, who entered the palace earlier than her, is still just a princess, living in a remote palace and not seeing the emperor for months at a time.

She knew her looks were an asset, and when she entered the palace, she was certain that the emperor would like her.

But she never expected that the Emperor's favor would be so intense.

Thinking back on everything that had happened this month, Consort Guo Luoluo felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.

The Emperor not only chose her as his concubine multiple times, but even when he didn't choose her, he would still summon her to accompany him, truly showing her exclusive favor.

There was a room in the Qianqing Palace that belonged to her.

The Emperor granted her permission to rest here.

This is the treatment reserved for concubines or even empresses.

Hearing the noise, two palace maids, both young and old, with their hair styled in two small buns, came in. The one in front had a fawning smile on her face, and the handkerchief in her hand was neatly wrung out.

"Your Highness is awake. Eunuch Liang just sent someone to say that His Majesty is discussing matters with the officials of the Grand Council. He asked us to help Your Highness with her dressing and makeup first, and then we will join you for dinner after the meeting."

During her afternoon nap, the palace maids had thoughtfully helped Consort Guo Luoluo remove her hairpins and ornaments, leaving only a plain silver hairpin in her hair bun.

"And these pieces of jewelry."

The palace maids behind her brought forward a tray so that Consort Guo Luoluo could see it more clearly.

The headdress features a kingfisher feather pattern with begonia flowers, the petals adorned with tiny pearls, and a pigeon-blood red gemstone embedded in the stamen, gleaming lustrously in the rosy light.

"Eunuch Liang said that the Emperor saw the young lady wearing plain clothes this morning and said that it made her complexion look a bit pale, so he specially opened the private treasury to get this set to add a bit of color to the young lady."

It's no wonder they were so attentive.

They all noticed the Emperor's special treatment of this young lady.

This woman is exceptionally beautiful and is undoubtedly a favored concubine; she may very well become a high-ranking consort in the future.

Now that they've served them well and become familiar with the place, they'll feel quite proud when they talk about it.

Don't think that palace maids didn't have social circles and hierarchical structures; palace maids had plenty of hierarchical structures.

Those who are favored look down on those who are not, and those in the Qianqing Palace are considered superior to those in other palaces.

Moreover.

The palace maid secretly glanced at Consort Guo Luoluo, whose cheeks were flushed.

At the age of seventeen or eighteen, her skin was so tender it looked like it could be squeezed for water, her nose was small and straight, and her lips were a natural cherry pink. Even without makeup, she was a hundred times more beautiful than the most well-dressed concubine in the palace.

This person's appearance.

Even she, a woman herself, was captivated by it.

Two palace maids helped Consort Guo Luoluo with her dressing and grooming, arranging the set of kingfisher feather jewelry one by one. First, they put a hair flower on her head, then they put a pair of kingfisher feather earrings of the same series on her earlobes. Finally, they picked up a silver-framed Western mirror and handed it to Consort Guo Luoluo.

Consort Guo Luoluo smiled at herself in the mirror, her lips curving into a smug smile—the Emperor was right, she deserved such dazzling jewelry and enjoyed such unique favor.

With Consort Guo Luoluo by his side, the Emperor naturally wouldn't refuse her request to choose other concubines to serve him in bed.

This was something all the concubines in the harem knew perfectly well.

No need to wait today, let's wash up and go to bed early.

I still need to pay my respects tomorrow.

Paying respects was already a familiar routine. As soon as Yunyun and Consort Nara arrived at Cining Gate, Consort Hesheli quickly came to greet them.

Yunyun and Consort Hesheli did not interact much on a daily basis, only occasionally meeting when paying their respects. Fortunately, Consort Nara was outgoing and had a sweet tongue, and the two exchanged pleasantries. "Sister Hesheli, you've arrived very early."

The two of them quickly livened up the atmosphere with just a few words.

It would be even better if they didn't speak ill of Consort Guoluo to her face.

Consort Nara skillfully began, "Yesterday it was Consort Guoluo who accompanied the emperor again."

Consort Hesheli immediately chimed in, lowering her voice slightly but loud enough for the two people beside her to hear: "Yes, it's said that the kingfisher feather headdress she wore was something that even Consort Tong couldn't get from the Emperor back then."

It is said?

According to whom?

Were you all lying under the bed when Consort Tong was talking to the Emperor?

The most widespread sources of information in the palace—it is said, heard, and said.

Yunyun could only be grateful that they were still somewhat vigilant, standing in an inconspicuous corner, with the surrounding concubines keeping their distance.

Consort Nara continued, "How come she's so lucky? She was promoted to a minor consort just a few days after entering the palace, and she gets to spend every day with the Emperor. Those of us who have been in the palace for many years have become mere extras."

Consort Hesheli nodded repeatedly, her face full of envy and resentment: "That's right! I heard that her older sister's allowance is often deducted by the Imperial Household Department, and now she has to rely on her younger sister to get ahead. It's true that people have different fates."

"Hey, stop talking, she's here."

Consort Nara nudged Consort Hesheli, her voice instantly lowered, and her eyes glanced toward the palace path not far away.

Yunyun noticed that the concubines, who were originally talking in twos and threes, all stopped talking when they saw Consort Guo Luoluo arrive.

Are they all just crickets and concubines?

Consort Guo Luoluo also noticed this unusual occurrence.

But she didn't care.

Mother said that only mediocre people worry unnecessarily, and no matter how much they say, they can't stop the Emperor from choosing her.

Moreover, the more they talk, the more it proves their envy and that their current status is unmatched.

Only after Consort Nara saw Consort Guoluo walk away did she dare to raise her head and mutter to Consort Hesheli in a low voice, "Look at her smug look, it's really unbearable."

Consort Hesheli also lowered her voice and replied, "What can we do? The Emperor dotes on her, and we can only watch."

The two of them started whispering to each other again, but their voices were even lower than before, as if they were afraid that Consort Guo Luoluo would hear them again.

They're not stupid.

It's human nature to talk behind someone's back, but to say it to their face is a real confrontation.

The concubine Guo Luoluo, who had been poised and haughty outside Cining Palace, subconsciously adjusted her attitude once inside, quietly joining Yun Jun and the others as a wallflower.

But they are not the only ones who are wallflowers today.

After the usual greetings, the Empress Dowager, unusually, chatted with the Borjigit concubine in Mongolian in front of them.

This concubine also entered the palace this year, but her background is much better.

Born in the Left Middle Banner of Khorchin, she was the daughter of Prince Darhan of Khorchin and Ta, as well as the niece of Consort Dao of Emperor Shunzhi and the grandniece of the Empress Dowager. She entered the palace as a concubine.

Although he was not favored.

But with the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager looking after them, their lives weren't too bad.