Chapter 8 The Concubines of Emperor Kangxi

Fang Ruo hesitated for a moment before replying clearly.

"Your Majesty, in the harem, the highest-ranking officials are naturally Empress Hesheli and Consort Niohuru. Next in rank is you, the newly promoted concubine."

"The others are all concubines who have not been formally granted titles. Although these concubines serve the emperor, they are only equivalent to maids and do not have the status of a principal wife."

Fangruo lowered her voice.

"Among them, some are quite influential."

“There was a concubine, Lady Ma Jia.”

Fangruo's tone carried a hint of caution.

"She gave birth to the Emperor's eldest son, named Chengrui. Although the prince is still young, Consort Ma Jia is very popular because of this, and the Emperor often visits him."

She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice even further, so that only Jiang Nan could hear her.

"However... Her Majesty the Empress seems quite dissatisfied with her."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan thought, "The eldest prince, Cheng Rui?"

Oh right, historical records show that Chengrui was indeed born to Lady Ma Jia, and died young in the ninth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. How could he have been born two more years later?

The eldest prince... isn't he just a sitting duck in this deep palace?

No wonder Hershey could be dissatisfied!

Jiang Nan listened, sighing silently to herself.

Lady Ma Jia... Consort Rong!

Historically, she was the champion of childbirth in the early years of Emperor Kangxi's reign, but also the champion of infant mortality.

She went on to have four more sons and one daughter, but they all died young.

It wasn't until after Empress Hesheli died that she gave birth to her first surviving son in the sixteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.

He later became the third prince, Yinzhi, and had a daughter.

My God, Empress Hesheri was too ruthless.

There was no way these concubines could raise their children safely under her supervision.

A chill ran down her spine.

"There was also a concubine, Nara."

Fangruo continued.

"It is also common to see the Emperor's face."

Nara? This must be the future birth mother of the eldest prince, Yinzhi, and the future Consort Hui, right?

Jiang Nan remembered that before giving birth to Yin Zhi, she had given birth to another child, but that child also died young. However, this child was intelligent.

It was no simple feat to learn from the lessons and eventually raise Yinzhi to adulthood.

"In addition, there were several concubines, including Concubine Wang, Concubine Dong, Concubine Zhang, and Concubine Xiao Nara..."

Fangruo gave several names.

As Jiang Nan listened to these strings of surnames and thought about the stories behind them, some illustrious and some tragic, Jiang Nan pondered.

I felt a headache coming on, and I realized how cruel it was to live in the deep palace.

She suddenly recalled historical records that the early years of Emperor Kangxi's reign saw an extremely high infant mortality rate among his children.

It wasn't until Empress Hesheri suffered a difficult childbirth and postpartum hemorrhage that the number of surviving children gradually increased.

No one would believe that the Empress wasn't involved!

This empress is too ruthless. These concubines have neither manpower nor status.

They were like lambs to the slaughter in front of her, easily crushed in a matter of minutes.

Just then, a familiar notification sound seemed to ring in my head.

[Ding—You have a new order for abortion. Please be careful and protect our cubs. The order is about to time out!]

Jiang Nan almost burst out laughing at her own wild imagination.

She quickly sorted out her thoughts.

Right now, the most important thing is to make her Yongshou Palace an impregnable fortress to ensure her own safety.

As for the concubines who caught the Empress's eye...

If anyone is sensible and perceptive enough to come and join me as a follower... oh no, I mean a sister, I might consider taking one or two in.

She thought to herself that the side hall of Yongshou Palace was still empty, and it would be good to have more people around, so that it wouldn't seem so lonely.

"Yes, I understand."

Jiang Nan put down her chopsticks and picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

"Let's have our meal first. We still need to meet with that wise empress later."

This is his first official appearance after entering the palace, so he must be extremely careful.

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Jiang Nan arrived at Kunning Palace at the exact time.

She knew all too well that her sudden rise to the rank of concubine was too conspicuous.

On the first day of paying respects, arriving too early seems overly eager and obsequious, while arriving too late seems arrogant and rude.

This perfectly timed moment, neither too early nor too late, demonstrated her respect for the Empress.

It also subtly reveals her current status—she is no longer the lowly palace maid who had to be trembling with fear.

The pomp and circumstance must be fully displayed.

She specially asked Zhao Deyi to arrange a full ceremonial procession, with the head eunuch leading the way and the stewardess Fang Ruo following closely beside her.

Following behind were eight eunuchs and palace maids. The group set off from Yongshou Palace in a grand procession toward Kunning Palace.

The air was cool and refreshing on a crisp early summer morning, and the red walls and yellow tiles gleamed in the morning sun.

The lowly eunuchs and palace maids they encountered along the way all stepped aside, bowed, and dared not raise their heads.

This feeling... is actually not bad.

Jiang Nan sat in the sedan chair, feeling the grandeur of being surrounded by people and receiving their awe.

My little bit of vanity was greatly satisfied.

No wonder everyone wants to climb the ladder; the taste of power is indeed intoxicating.

Upon arriving at the square in front of Kunning Palace, Jiang Nan dismounted from the sedan chair, straightened her clothes, and prepared to walk inside.

But then they saw a simple sedan chair coming down the side path.

The sedan chair stopped, and a young woman with a slender figure and gentle face stepped out, dressed in a light blue cheongsam.

She was clearly taken aback when she saw Jiang Nan's grand entrance and the color of her imperial concubine-level attire.

She immediately stepped forward, curtsied, and spoke softly.

"This humble concubine, Wang, greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."

Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat when she heard the surname Wang.

Surname Wang? Is she of Han Chinese descent?

She had a generally positive impression of Han Chinese concubines in history, and she couldn't help but feel a certain fondness for any Han Chinese woman.

His tone softened as well.

"Rise, I am Consort Jiang of Yongshou Palace."

Wang rose, still bowing her head slightly, her posture respectful.

"I have long admired Your Majesty..."

She didn't finish her sentence, seemingly unsure how to continue.

The news of the newly promoted Consort Jiang's conferment of the title of Consort by a palace maid yesterday has already spread throughout the harem, and her experience can be described as legendary.

Jiang Nan's gaze swept over her hand, which she subconsciously and gently covered her lower abdomen.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but lower his voice and ask.

"You...are you pregnant?"

Upon hearing this, a blush rose on Wang's face, a mixture of shyness and barely perceptible worry.

She nodded gently: "Your Majesty, yes... it's been four months."

Looking at her expression, which was both happy and uneasy, Jiang Nan felt a mix of emotions welling up inside her.

She is yet another one of the unfortunate mothers in the early years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign who gave birth to children, almost all of whom died young.

What insidious method was used? What poisonous secret medicine caused newborn infants to die at birth?

Even if they are born weak and sickly, they will not survive for a year or two.

Looking at Wang's protruding belly and hopeful eyes, Jiang Nan sighed inwardly.

This child is probably beyond saving...

She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but remind them, lowering her voice so that only the two of them could hear her.

"Sister Wang."

She used a more intimate term of address.

"You should be a few years older than me, so I'll call you 'elder sister'."

Wang was flattered and quickly replied.

"Your Majesty is too kind; this is against the rules..."

Jiang Nan waved her hand to interrupt her, her expression turning serious.

"Sister, look at this harem. Since the Emperor's wedding, how many of the concubines have given birth to healthy children? Some died shortly after birth, while others were weak and sickly, surviving for a year or two..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear.

Wang's face paled instantly, and fear showed in her eyes; she had clearly heard about those things as well.

"The water in here is very deep."

Jiang Nan glanced meaningfully at the majestic gates of Kunning Palace.

"Her Majesty the Empress herself has no children yet. Given her noble status... it's hard to imagine that someone else has given birth to an imperial heir before her?"

These words were quite blunt and explicit, and Wang was so frightened that her body trembled slightly.

————

There's always a character with a lot of hostility who will abandon the book the moment someone calls her "sister." This intimacy is just plot development, foreshadowing the exciting moment in the next chapter. Calling someone "sister" doesn't mean anything. There's no unnecessary nonsense in the whole text; every word has a purpose.

Dear ladies, once you're on board, sit tight and hold on firmly, the Queen's face-slapping moment is about to begin.