When the imperial edict arrived at Chuxiu Palace, Wu Lingzhu was talking to Chunying.

"Princess, Eunuch Liang has arrived, carrying an imperial edict," Xiao Dunzi said as he entered, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

Wu Lingzhu stood up with a smile: "Chunying, is there anything wrong with my clothes?"

Chunying was overjoyed: "No problem, Princess, this outfit is very appropriate."

"That's good, let's go!"

Wu Lingzhu walked out, supported by Chunying's hand, and was then greeted by Liang Jiugong's big smile.

This was the first time in her two lifetimes in the Qing Dynasty that she had ever seen Liang Jiugong give her such a genuine smile!

"This servant greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace."

"Eunuch Liang, please don't stand on ceremony, please rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Liang Jiugong stood up, he straightened his body and said, "The Emperor has issued an edict. Please accept the edict, Your Highness."

Wu Lingzhu and the other palace servants of Chuxiu Palace knelt down to receive the imperial decree.

Liang Jiugong: "...I, the Emperor, believe that the role of the Imperial Concubine is crucial for the proper functioning of the inner palace and for assisting in the governance of the inner court. Therefore, in accordance with established precedents, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Imperial Concubine Yi. You are virtuous and gentle, well-versed in etiquette and propriety, and hold a high position within the inner palace. Your virtuous conduct and exemplary conduct are worthy of the honors bestowed upon you. Therefore, in accordance with the Empress Dowager's benevolent decree, I hereby appoint you as Imperial Concubine Yi. May you further cultivate your virtues, diligently and cautiously assist the inner palace, forever uphold the imperial decree, and receive the Emperor's favor and lasting blessings!"

"Your Highness, please accept the imperial decree."

Wu Lingzhu accepted the imperial edict: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor."

This is just a document; with this, she can be addressed as Consort Yi.

Following this was a formal investiture ceremony, along with the gilded silver book and gold seal befitting a concubine.

"Your Majesty, please get up!"

Wu Lingzhu stood up with a smile, and then Liang Jiugong said, "His Majesty said that although Your Highness is a concubine, you enjoy the same allowance as a Noble Consort. These gifts are all from His Majesty's private treasury, and His Majesty personally instructed us to deliver them to you."

This attitude and demeanor are far more grand than in the first life.

The eunuchs put down their things, and before leaving, Liang Jiugong smiled and gave them some instructions on how to use the batch of white silk, which made Wu Lingzhu blush.

Those in the imperial court probably all knew about what she and Emperor Kangxi did in bed.

She politely saw Liang Jiugong and the others off, giving away a considerable amount of money. After they left, the palace servants of Chuxiu Palace began to congratulate her.

Then another round of rewards was given.

Consort Yi, who enjoys the privileges of a Noble Consort, is currently the only consort in the rank of consort who was granted the title of consort without having any children, which is what makes her special.

She was visibly favored.

The palace servants in Chuxiu Palace appeared to be even more attentive and considerate.

Consort Cheng was the first to come and congratulate her. The younger sister she used to call her had now become an empress. Wu Lingzhu didn't say anything, but in private, she still referred to Consort Cheng as her older sister Baozhu.

The "relationship" between the two has become even stronger because Wu Lingzhu's position is within expectations, and now all that's missing is another child.

However, regarding the issue of children, Wu Lingzhu has not planned to have any in the past two years. Now that the Crown Prince has not yet come of age, if she wants children, Emperor Kangxi may not be happy to see Empress Hesheli have two princes.

The imperial court and the harem were closely intertwined, with both positive and negative correlations.

Kangxi's interest in her now stems more from her appearance and temperament, which exceeded his expectations. The title of Consort Yi was merely a passing fancy; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Liang Jiugong a question, nor would he have been dismissed by Liang Jiugong's single word "Crown Prince."

The announcement of Consort Yi's rank was undoubtedly a bombshell dropped into the harem.

Kangxi's attitude towards Wu Lingzhu in the past was obvious to everyone. They thought that when she reached a certain age, he would give her a title and support her. But Kangxi's current attitude has made them uncertain.

She enjoyed the treatment of a Noble Consort, meaning that although she was not conferred the title as early as the other three consorts, her status was higher.

This reflects Emperor Kangxi's attitude.

Among all the concubines in the harem, the one who felt the worst was Consort Hui. She was the mother of the eldest prince, while Wu Lingzhu was the aunt of the crown prince. In her eyes, Wu Lingzhu was a staunch supporter of the crown prince.

The Crown Prince enjoys the absolute favor of Emperor Kangxi, and there was also a Hesheli clan member in the previous dynasty. Now, a promising young aunt has arrived in the harem.

"They're not even trying to leave anyone a way out. What's the situation with Consort Yi? I've never heard of her before. She's been in the palace for several years now, how come she has no presence at all!"

Consort Hui couldn't understand it at all.

The old woman explained, "She was only ten years old when she entered the palace. She looked ordinary back then. She didn't like to show up on weekdays, only appearing a few times a year at the annual banquet, where she would sit below and not have to pay her respects."

The imperial harem was filled with numerous concubines, who fought fiercely and rapidly.

When Wu Lingzhu first entered the palace, she certainly attracted attention, but after several years of silence, who would remember her?

With a sigh, Consort Hui asked, "Have you found out her usual whereabouts and habits?"

"Our person in Chuxiu Palace is currently just a cleaning eunuch, and we can't find out the specifics. However, we do know that Consort Yi has been getting closer to the Empress Dowager and Consort Cheng in recent years. The Empress Dowager likes Consort Yi very much, and it is said that Consort Yi has a face like Guanyin."

Before this, hardly anyone paid attention to Wu Lingzhu's appearance. It wasn't that no one noticed, but that Wu Lingzhu intentionally concealed it. Whenever she realized that her appearance was changing for the better, she would use makeup to cover it up when she had to appear in public.

Making a person look good is difficult; making a beautiful person look ugly is not difficult at all.

"A face like Guanyin? Is there really a real Guanyin in this harem?"

Consort Hui's tone was unmistakably sarcastic.

She wasn't a good person, but in the imperial harem, there were hardly any good people who could rise to the top.

Good people either go unappreciated or end up as piles of bones.

Aside from Consort Hui, Consort De was the most resentful. Over the past few years, she had been trying to regain the Emperor's favor. She had the means, but the Emperor was separated from her by the fate of a prince. She wasn't without options. The reason Consort De wasn't completely stripped of her title was out of consideration for the Fourth and Sixth Princes.

The stronger her presence, the more annoyed Kangxi became.

As a result, the Sixth Prince went from being a favored prince to the least favored among the princes, while the Seventh Prince received more favor.

Seeing Consort De's expression, Consort Cheng felt much better.

The rank that Consort De longed for, which she had tried and failed to obtain, was obtained by Wu Lingzhu after she served the emperor, thanks to her family background. This reminded her of the time when she was a maidservant to Consort Tong.

"Family background, family background, family background, why don't I have a good family background!"

The old woman standing nearby didn't know how to comfort her.

The concubines in the harem all need the emperor's favor to nourish them. Consort De used to have the emperor's favor and everything was good for her. Now that the emperor's favor is gone, her temper is not as good as before.

The people around her were originally gathered together for mutual benefit, and seeing them like Consort De, their resolve was not as firm as before.

After Wu Lingzhu began serving the emperor, she received his favor without ceasing. She was so beautiful that she inspired awe, and for a time, Kangxi was quite infatuated with her.

The Empress Dowager supported the Crown Prince and also said nothing about Kangxi's favoritism towards Wulingzhu.

On the other hand, because of Wu Lingzhu's sudden favor, many people around him were gossiping, and the Crown Prince treated Wu Lingzhu with indifference.

Wu Lingzhu was only a few years older than the Crown Prince, and she was overly polite to him, without being too overbearing.