Chapter 7 Consort Nara, Emperor Kangxi

After this incident, it seemed that Kangxi finally remembered that he had other concubines.

First, they went to Consort Ma Jia's place.

He came to Yunyun's place again the next day.

There was no eavesdropping or spying involved. Before Kangxi arrived at Yanxi Palace, a eunuch came to deliver a message, instructing Yunyun to prepare to receive him.

After giving the young eunuch a reward, Lingzhi said excitedly, "This servant will definitely use my best skills to dress up Your Highness beautifully."

The imperial harem always treated people differently based on their status.

Previously, the concubine had fallen seriously ill, and later the emperor favored Concubine Guo Luoluo. She noticed that some of her subordinates were starting to have second thoughts.

Sister Fuling told her to write it down first, and then tell the young master later.

She remembers it.

Now that the Emperor has arrived, let's see what they can say next, hmph.

Leaving their mistress would be their loss.

“No need to be extravagant, just dress casually,” Yunyun stopped Lingzhi’s eager idea. “The Emperor once bestowed a magnolia hairpin upon Huaibao Qingshi, so wear it.”

Whether there are dates or not, let's shoot first and see.

If His Majesty remembers the origin of this hairpin, he will naturally think of Baoqing.

Even if you don't remember it, this outfit is still a safe bet.

Fuling came over and asked, "My lady, the Imperial Household Department has just delivered a new batch of agarwood. Shall we light it?"

Yunyun doesn't usually like to burn incense; she prefers natural scents.

Yun Jun shook her head: "No need, let's do it as usual."

The news of the Emperor's impending arrival instantly roused the servants in the East Side Hall, who washed and cleaned the area from Yanxi Palace to the East Side Hall until it was spotless.

Xiao Fuzi, having finally gotten a chance to appear before the young mistress, rushed over to report with great joy: "Young mistress, the Emperor's entourage has passed Jingren Palace and is heading this way."

With Fuling's help, Yunyun slowly got up and stood quietly in front of the side hall to wait.

It's a beautiful day; the sun shines through the clouds, making me feel warm and comfortable.

As the familiar figure in bright yellow approached, Yun Yun acted faster than she thought, curtsying and saying, "Your Majesty, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

He stepped over the kneeling palace maids and eunuchs, and helped her up, his voice filled with casual concern, "No need for formalities. You're just not feeling well, so you can wait inside."

Yunyun stood up with Kangxi's help, smiled, and said frankly, "This concubine wishes to see Your Majesty as soon as possible."

Yunyun was perfectly clear-headed; Kangxi had only said those words casually.

And it's unknown how many concubines he said this to.

However, they will still wait outside the hall next time.

After all, he was the emperor.

When I'm in a good mood, I feel sorry for you; when I'm in a bad mood, I just don't know any manners.

I wonder what Kangxi said to his other concubines.

Yunyun's mind was filled with random thoughts, but her body followed Kangxi into the room on its own.

They started with casual conversation: "Has His Majesty had lunch?"

She had just finished her lunch and was about to take a nap when she received news that Emperor Kangxi was coming.

We're right at the tail end of lunchtime.

However, it was clear that Kangxi had no intention of dining with her.

Sitting on the daybed by the window, Kangxi casually picked up the tea that Fuling had just served, took a sip, and placed it on the table, saying in a flat tone, "I've had it."

There was no incense burning in the room, only fresh fruits on the table, emitting a faint, sweet aroma that mingled with the scent of herbs drifting in from outside the window, making one feel exceptionally at ease.

Yunyun quietly raised her eyes and caught a glimpse of Kangxi unconsciously stroking the armrest of the daybed with his fingertips. His brows were slightly furrowed, and although he did not show obvious irritation, the atmosphere around him was a bit lower than usual.

The emperor seemed to be in a bad mood.

Although it is a basic quality of an emperor to not show his emotions, the original owner had spent so many years with him that he could still discern some general traits.

And they have their own way of dealing with it—the cold shoulder.

She always knew that she wasn't particularly intelligent, nor was she eloquent enough to say anything clever enough to make the emperor instantly happy.

Besides, how could something that worries a king be resolved with just a few light words from her?

Therefore, it would be better to let the emperor calm down quietly on his own.

The harem was originally a place for the emperor to relax.

All she could do was provide the emperor with a quiet environment to temporarily set aside his worries.

Kangxi seemed to have gotten used to this atmosphere, and casually picked up a book from the side to read.

Yunyun sat on the embroidery stool next to him, took out the unfinished work, and continued to embroider stitch by stitch.

Liang Jiugong saw all of this and quietly gave Fuling a wink. The two of them bowed in unison and retreated into the inner room with very light steps.

Finally, they stayed by the floor-to-ceiling flower cover.

Not too far, not too close, convenient to be at your service at any time.

Yunyun sat on the embroidery stool, embroidering with complete focus, feeling quite at ease and at ease.

Even with Emperor Kangxi in the room, it had no impact on her whatsoever.

It was as if he wasn't the supreme emperor, but just an ordinary visitor, quietly staying to the side, not disturbing each other.

The room fell silent.

After an unknown amount of time, Kangxi closed the book, breaking the tranquility.

"You have narrowly escaped death and your health has been damaged. I have ordered Liang Jiugong to open the private treasury and retrieve some medicinal herbs for you to nourish and recuperate."

Yun Jun immediately perked up.

The reassurance has arrived.

Actually, according to the rules of the palace, this is the normal procedure.

As the birth mother of a prince, after recovering from a serious illness and returning to work, Emperor Kangxi should have visited her on the same day. This was both out of consideration for their father-son relationship and to maintain the emperor's respect for his concubines.

However, he was busy with the affairs of the court recently, and the entire harem was forgotten. Later, he was distracted by Consort Guo Luoluo.

So now she has finally received Kangxi's big gift of recovery.

However, she was still quite happy to get something for free.

Every single medicinal herb in the emperor's private treasury was a carefully selected treasure, not only highly effective but also completely safe from tampering.

It's both safe and affordable to use.

Yunyun put down her needlework, her tone filled with just the right amount of gratitude: "Your Majesty's gift is too much for me to refuse. Thank you for your kindness."

"Hmm," Kangxi responded lightly, got up from the daybed, and patted her hand. "I'm busy with state affairs, I'll come to see you another day."

Yun Jun lowered her eyes and replied, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty."

Emperor Kangxi's promise to come again on another day usually did not exceed one month.

It seems he was quite satisfied with her today.

To put it more bluntly, she was pragmatic enough not to say a single thing she shouldn't have said or ask a single question she shouldn't have asked, thus giving him the peace and quiet he wanted.

This is also the persona that Yun Yun intends to maintain.

She didn't intend to actively vie for favor, but she also wouldn't push Kangxi away.

Then you need to find your place in the harem—get along well with others, be kind and virtuous.

While registering the medicinal herbs sent by the Emperor, Fuling felt a light tug on her sleeve. She turned to Lingzhi and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lingzhi leaned close to Fuling's ear and whispered, "Sister Fuling, shall we tell you now which people have ulterior motives?"

She was really eager to finally get her revenge.

Haha, it makes them think that the young lady has fallen out of favor.

You're dumbfounded, aren't you?

“Your Highness has her own plan, so you can continue to keep an eye on things,” Fuling said methodically and slowly. “If you have nothing else to do, go and organize Your Highness’s summer clothes and shoes. The weather is getting warmer, so we need to prepare these in advance.”

"Oh, dear sister," Lingzhi said, clinging to Fuling's arm and acting coquettishly, "Dear sister, tell me about it."

Fu Ling remained unmoved, her heart as hard as stone. "Go get to work."

-

After returning to the Qianqing Palace and reviewing a pile of memorials, Kangxi seemed to suddenly remember something and asked Liang Jiugong, who was standing behind him, "Is Baoqing doing well outside the palace?"

His tone was flat, revealing little emotion, as if he were just casually mentioning a trivial matter.

Liang Jiugong was prepared for this and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, the person serving the Fifth Prince just sent word yesterday that the Fifth Prince is well and there is nothing wrong with him."

Perhaps because too many children had died young, Kangxi did not want to invest too much emotion in his children before they were established in society.

As someone who had always served Emperor Kangxi, Liang Jiugong understood his thoughts.

She continued, "I heard from the servants that the Fifth Prince is very healthy now. He can run and jump around in the garden every day. He is also very active. Yesterday, he chased butterflies for most of the garden. Even the wet nurse could hardly keep up with him."

Emperor Kangxi tapped the memorial lightly with his fingertips, but said nothing.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice still calm: "Have the servants take good care of him."

Liang Jiugong bowed and accepted.

Today, while at Yanxi Palace, Emperor Kangxi noticed the magnolia hairpin in Consort Nara's hair and understood her unspoken intention.

Baoqing is also his son, and among the many princes, he is the one most likely to grow up safely.

He didn't say it, but he always kept it in his heart.

She simply wanted to use the old items to make him think more about Baoqing.

She does have the heart of a loving mother.

However, when it came to offspring, Kangxi valued the crown prince the most, and ordered, "Send Bao Cheng's wet nurse over."

-

As the weather gradually warmed up, the concubines put away their winter clothes and put on light gauze robes.

The Emperor ignored Consort Guoluo for a month. With the lifting of confinement for Consorts Nara and Hesheli, the harem began to liven up again.

"Oh, isn't this Sister Guo Luoluo? In this sweltering heat, instead of resting in the palace, where are you headed to the Imperial Garden?"

After the confinement incident, Consort Hesheli and Consort Nara completely broke off their relationship.

Consort Hesheli blamed Consort Nara for speaking recklessly, which caused her to lose favor as well.

Consort Nara felt that Consort Hesheli was hypocritical and not worth befriending.

In addition, Yunyun is not one to go out much, so Consort Nara came to stroll in the Imperial Garden alone today.

Who would have thought that the culprit would be found right there in the pavilion?

Enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile.

However, after being confined for a month, Consort Nara still learned a lesson.

He looked around and, seeing that there were no other concubines nearby, continued speaking.

"In the end, this favor is like flowing water, it can come and go in an instant. It's also because Sister Guo Luoluo is incompetent and can't keep the Emperor's heart that the winds of change have shifted in the harem."

She paused, then deliberately raised her voice, "If you ask me, in this harem, children are the most important thing. Having a prince is more reliable than any favor."

you do not say.

Although both were under house arrest, Consort Hesheli, after being released, was determined to regain the emperor's favor.

Consort Nara was different; she was never favored, so zero minus zero still equals zero.

But she wasn't afraid at all.

A mother's status is elevated by her son; having a child gives her confidence.

Otherwise, what were those concubines vying for the emperor's favor for? Wasn't it all for the sake of getting pregnant, so that even if they lost the emperor's favor, they would still have someone to rely on in the palace?

Facing Consort Nara, Consort Guoluo remained composed and arrogant, saying, "That's not right. Let me correct you. I am the Junior Consort, and you are a Gege. According to rank, you should call me elder sister."

As she spoke, she stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over Consort Nara, her tone filled with contempt.

"Also, it seems that Sister Nara didn't bow to the young princess? What, after being confined for a month, you've forgotten even the palace rules? Should I invite a matron to teach you some manners?"

Consort Nara was so angry that her cheeks turned red.

Although she was unwilling to accept it, she also knew that she was indeed inferior in rank, and if she really made a fuss, she would be the one to suffer.

Left with no other choice, she reluctantly curtsied and mumbled, "Greetings, Sister Guo Luoluo."

As soon as the ceremony was completed, without waiting for Consort Guo Luoluo to speak, she stood up on her own.

"You've got a sharp tongue!"

Consort Nara gritted her teeth, uttered a single sentence, and turned to lead her maids away quickly.