After washing up again, Xiuning sat on the tatami mat chatting with Chunyu while drying her slightly damp hair.
Chunyu did not accompany Xiuning to Xianfu Palace today because of special circumstances in the palace (Ningchuge and Yider were both in Qixiang Palace).
This is why Chunyu is unaware of what is happening inside Xianfu Palace.
"The matter is simple. Consort Nara felt that this was a good opportunity, so she staged a play to bring Baoqing back from outside the palace ahead of schedule."
Of course, the most important thing is that Consort Nara really succeeded in doing this. The Emperor finally agreed to Consort Nara's request. Under the premise that the Empress could not stop it, he would bring Baoqing back to the palace after she recovered.
“If we calculate the time, Prince Baoqing is now five years old. If he comes back now, he can stay in Chuxiu Palace with Consort Nara for a while.” Otherwise, if he returns to the palace in the sixteenth year of Kangxi’s reign, Baoqing will have to live alone in the Prince’s quarters.
After listening to Xiu Ning's words, Chun Yu thought of Consort Zhang, who had just lost her child, and sighed that Consort Zhang was truly pitiful. This was a perfect example of how people's joys and sorrows are not shared. Consort Zhang managed to bring her child back to her own palace after losing her child. She must hate Consort Nara to death.
"Who says otherwise? Consort Zhang fainted on the spot because of the Fourth Princess's matter."
Consort Nara thought the palace was safe now and felt it would be best to bring Baoqing back, but she didn't seem to consider why she had sent Baoqing out of the palace in the first place.
Is the palace really safe? Not necessarily. After all, the high-ranking concubines and their families are not just for show. It's only because Consort Nara thinks the harem is peaceful recently and the emperor is busy with affairs of the court that she has this inexplicable illusion.
"Does Your Highness mean that Consort Nara's attempt backfired?"
Chunyu couldn't help but have a thought, and looked at her master sitting on the couch.
Xiuning nodded, "It's highly likely, but we'll have to wait until Baoqing returns to the palace to find out the truth. Maybe I'm just overthinking it. In reality, the palace is indeed safe."
Of course, such a possibility is very small, because Bao Qing's identity is too sensitive, especially at such a critical time.
Xiuning had received news from outside the palace that Kangxi was young and impetuous, and the matter of abolishing the feudal lords had been deadlocked for several years.
Emperor Kangxi wanted to find an opportunity to personally lead an expedition to suppress the rebellion of the princes and completely mark this matter with his own mark.
When a young emperor personally leads an expedition, his greatest fear is that something unexpected might happen along the way, leaving him without an heir and the fate of his empire uncertain.
In this predictable situation, Consort Nara still dared to bring Baoqing back. If Baocheng runs into trouble, suspicion will fall on Consort Nara and her son.
There will definitely be people who take advantage of the chaos, and some may even use this situation to their advantage, dragging the entire harem down with them.
Xiu Ning thought to herself that the reason why there hadn't been any trouble in the harem for a while was because the person who could cause trouble was not around. Now that Bao Qing has returned, he will definitely become the fuse for a new incident.
Chunyu was unaware of Xiuning's thoughts, but she thought in a clumsy way that things would definitely not be peaceful when Prince Baoqing returned.
However, these things have nothing to do with her, a mere palace maid in Qixiang Palace. If nothing goes wrong, it won't affect her; if something does go wrong, it might even benefit the development of Qixiang Palace.
"My lady, it's getting late. Let me help you to bed to rest."
Chunyu smiled, showing no signs of the tension one might feel when discussing things before bed.
Xiu Ning nodded. "Let's go back." It's not her place to think about it anymore. If we really get involved, it won't be too late to take action then.
...
Baoqing's return to the palace was scheduled for a month later.
The sun was shining warmly at that moment.
Xiuning and Chunyu had just returned from Shou Kang Palace when they saw the bustling activity at the entrance of Chuxiu Palace, a stark contrast to the desolation of Xianfu Palace.
"It's truly a case of the old giving way to the new, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others."
Xiuning shook her head, put her hand on Chunyu, and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
"Your Highness, you've been playing with the princess at Shou Kang Palace for quite a while now. Would you like to take a sedan chair and rest?"
Chunyu looked at Xiuning's ankle with heartache. Wearing platform shoes for long periods of time in the palace was unbearable, even for someone who was used to it.
Xiuning shook her head, "It's rare for me to get out and about, I'm not as delicate as you think."
Moreover, always riding in a sedan chair is not comfortable. The sedan chair is a gift from the emperor and cannot be changed. Furthermore, the regulations for the sedan chair cannot exceed the level of one's status.
In short, it looks good on the surface, but in reality it's just pure suffering.
Therefore, Xiuning prefers to walk on her own two legs most of the time.
"By the way, I heard that the Emperor intends to hold a welcome-back banquet for Baoqing upon his return. Have the time and place been arranged?"
There's no official confirmation yet, but someone in the inner palace mentioned it, and the Empress didn't stop the rumors, so it's highly likely to be true.
Chunyu hesitated for a moment before answering, "The information I gathered is that Consort Nara is in charge of it herself, so she should still be in Chuxiu Palace."
Since his return, Prince Baoqing has been living in the rear side hall of Chuxiu Palace.
Perhaps it was just that she was happy to have her son back, because the marks on Consort Nara's face from the fall had faded considerably, and could be completely hidden after applying a light layer of makeup.
"Prepare the congratulatory gifts in advance and place them in Chuxiu Palace," Xiuning said, glancing back at the palace that was getting further and further away, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Then Consort La will be sad."
Consort Nara's actions were far from a simple matter of bringing Baoqing back to the palace.
She probably didn't ask for much at first, since Baoqing had always lived outside the palace, so Consort Nara could only try to lower her demands.
But people always tend to become more and more greedy.
In other words, the more you have in your hands, the more you'll want.
Consort Nara was just like that, an ordinary person who couldn't escape the shackles of fame and fortune. So after Baoqing entered the palace, Consort Nara began her vigorous promotion, determined to highlight the status of her eldest son, even at the cost of offending the Empress of Kunning Palace and the Hesheli clan outside the palace.
hiss
"Send a message outside the palace and make sure to investigate whether Consort Nara has gotten close to the direct descendants of the Yehe Nara clan." Otherwise, it's hard to explain why Consort Nara is so brave. She can't really be fearless of death. Life in the harem is often worse than death.
Chunyu nodded, "Yes, this servant understands."
Upon returning to the palace, Chunyu quickly made arrangements. Xitala, who was outside the palace, also worked very hard. In just a few days, before the welcoming banquet for Prince Baoqing could even be held, news of Yehenara Mingzhu's frequent contact with the biological father of Consort Nara was sent in.
Mingzhu is a capable person. He fought against Suo'etu, who stood behind Yinreng, for many years. In fact, compared to Suo'etu, who was sent to prison and starved to death, Mingzhu was able to escape unscathed. He was very pragmatic and intelligent.
"This time, we're in for a good show."
Xiuning held the letter in her hand, her smile carrying a deeper meaning.
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