When Consort Zhao Jia gave birth to a daughter, Emperor Kangxi was somewhat disappointed, but then he thought that it would be good if it was a princess.

During the Empress's mourning period, if Consort Zhao had given birth to a prince, the censors in the court would have inevitably impeached her. Now that she has given birth to a princess, things are much simpler.

After all, she was just a princess; she wasn't involved in the struggle for the throne.

They were pampered like golden branches and jade leaves, and after they came of age, they could be betrothed.

Three days later, the seventh daughter of the emperor, born to Consort Zhaojia, was given a third-day celebration. Because the empress's seventh-day mourning period had not yet passed, the celebration was much simpler, with only Consort Niohuru and a few other consorts attending the ceremony at Zhongcui Palace.

As for Consort Tongjia of the Chengqian Palace.

Since the day Consort Zhaojia gave birth, Consort Tongjia was frightened and, after returning to Chengqian Palace, developed a persistent high fever and remained in a semi-conscious state.

The Emperor had already granted Emperor Kangxi permission to exempt Consort Tongjia from kneeling before the Empress's coffin, so how much more so for the seventh princess's third-day-after-birth ceremony?

After the third-day celebration, Consort Niohuru and the concubines from all the palaces went to Anhua Palace to kneel before the Empress's coffin. Xu Lejin stayed behind. In the west wing of Zhongcui Palace, Concubine Zhaojia, wearing a headband, lay on the bed, her eyes devoid of their former brilliance, now filled with lifelessness.

Xu Lejin pondered for a moment, looked at Consort Zhaojia, and said softly, "Sister Zhaojia, your situation was critical when you gave birth that day. If I did anything wrong, please forgive me."

"Imperial offspring are of utmost importance. Although the seventh princess was born during the seventh day after the Empress's death, she is healthy and will be able to grow up safely."

Consort Zhao Jia raised her head blankly, her eyes fixed on Xu Lejin with a sinister gaze.

"Sister Xu, you are truly righteous. The child born during the seventh day after the Empress's death is not yours, so it's easy for you to speak without understanding the situation. Although the seventh princess was born safely, she was born during the Empress's mourning period and will have to bear a bad reputation for the rest of her life."

Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin sighed softly.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Lejin looked at Consort Zhaojia with a smile and gently curled her lips, saying, "Sister, do you not understand what Sister Zhaojia means? The Seventh Princess is the Emperor's own flesh and blood, a royal princess of the highest order. She was born during the Empress's mourning period, so what?"

"A woman carries a child for ten months. When a woman is pregnant, the child will eventually be born. Does Sister Zhaojia mean that she is not letting the child be born because of taboos, even though it is time for her to give birth?"

With a slight upturn of her lips, Xu Lejin gave a mocking sneer, looked at Zhao Jia, and continued to speak in a cold voice.

“Sister Zhaojia, you must understand that the Emperor is never short of concubines, and the royal family is never short of women who will continue the Emperor’s lineage and expand the family. Sister Zhaojia, you are fortunate to be pregnant and to give birth to children for the Emperor. You should cherish this hard-won blessing, instead of harming the imperial offspring for your own selfish desires.”

"The charge of plotting to murder the imperial heir is not something you, Sister Zhaojia, can bear."

Consort Zhao Jia's face paled, and she lowered her head, remaining silent.

After a long while, Xu Lejin looked at Consort Zhaojia with a smile and said, “Sister Zhaojia, the Seventh Princess is someone you carried for nine months, someone who fell from your body, and someone you rely on in the palace.”

"My dear sister, I hope you will stop being so reckless and willful, and raise the seventh princess properly for the future..."

Xu Lejin's brief and to the point left Consort Zhaojia deep in thought.

Soon, the seven-day mourning period for the Empress ended, and the palace maids, concubines, and noblewomen breathed a great sigh of relief, finally no longer having to kneel before the Empress's coffin in Anhua Palace every day!

On this day, the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite Emperor Kangxi to the Cining Palace for a meeting.

Emperor Kangxi's expression was solemn. After pondering for a long time, he looked up at the Empress Dowager and said in a deep voice, "I understand what Grandmother means. With the Empress gone, the harem cannot be without a mistress for even a day."

“Grandma, in the harem, only Niohuru and Tongjia are above the rank of Consort. Now Tongjia is bedridden, and the only one who can manage the six palaces is Niohuru. However, Niohuru is the daughter of Ebilun’s concubine and also Aobai’s adopted daughter.”

The Empress Dowager nodded thoughtfully.

"The emperor is thoughtful, but Aobai is dead. Ebilun is the only one of the four regents appointed by the late emperor who is still alive. Although Niohuru was born to Ebilun's concubine, she is not much different from a legitimate daughter."

"Moreover, Niohuru is dignified and composed. During this period, she has been assisting the Empress in managing the affairs of the six palaces in an orderly manner."

After a pause, the Empress Dowager continued, "Compared to the Niohuru clan, although the Tongjia clan is your cousin and you grew up together, she is jealous and prone to envying, making her unsuitable for important responsibilities."

"The Tongjia clan has no sense of the big picture, bullies the weak and fears the strong, and is now bedridden with illness."

After pondering for a moment, Kangxi respectfully replied, "What my maternal grandmother says is quite right. Among the concubines in the harem, Niohuru is indeed the most suitable person to manage the affairs of the six palaces."

"What does Grandma mean?"

Looking up at the Empress Dowager, Kangxi's eyes held a questioning look.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, who had her eyes lowered, exchanged a glance and smiled as she spoke, “The harem is the Emperor’s harem. As widows, I and the Empress Dowager are not involved in the affairs of the harem. However, I hope that the Emperor can consider the overall situation. Not only does the court and the harem need to be peaceful and harmonious, but the Manchu-Mongol intermarriage also needs to be maintained.”

"Yes, Grandmother's teachings are correct, and I will keep them in mind."

Kangxi had a general idea in mind and responded loudly.

In the days that followed, rumors circulated in the palace that Emperor Kangxi intended to appoint Consort Niohuru as his successor when Empress Heseri's 49-day mourning period ended...

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