Tong Jia Rongyue's use of the summer palace to send Consort An away was a perfectly legitimate and open scheme.
After all, Tong Jia Rongyue is a Noble Consort. Before a new Empress is chosen, she can temporarily manage the affairs of the harem, and she also has the right to arrange for the concubines to accompany her on this trip.
Aside from the few mistresses of the harem who would definitely go, and the birth mothers of the imperial heirs, it was impossible for everyone else, even those who held the position of a palace mistress, to all go along.
Normally, even if the emperor were to be fully in charge of this task, there would still be people who are dissatisfied with the personnel allocation and will think that there are some shady dealings involved.
Therefore, Tong Jia Rongyue simply learned to be shrewd and did not leave any room for criticism in this regard. First, she excluded herself, who was likely to be the biggest beneficiary, and then arranged the palace according to the favor of the other concubines.
Consort Jing and Consort Duan, who were forced to stay, were the least noticeable of the seven consorts. Their presence in the palace would not be considered strange, and would not even attract the attention of others.
Consort An is neither high nor low among the seven consorts; she can go or not, but Tong Jia Rongyue arranged for her to go as well, which might make people suspicious.
"Chunyu, go pack all the clothes and supplies we need to take with us."
Regardless of what others think, Qixiang Palace has many children, so we need to make extra preparations.
With a wave of her hand, Xiu Ning sent Chun Yu away to handle the matter, while she turned and went to her bedchamber, pondering what might happen during this trip to the summer palace.
"What can happen depends on whether the Emperor is in the mood to summon servants."
If going there still leaves one feeling invisible, what's the difference between that and staying in the harem?
When the list was first announced, Consort An was looking forward to the trip to the palace, but after a while, she realized that something was not quite right.
She just wanted to join in the fun; if everyone went, then there's nothing to say.
But that's clearly not the case right now. Tong Jia Rongyue stayed, Wu Ya Chenglin didn't go, and she, the mistress of Yonghe Palace, went to the temporary palace. Tsk tsk, they want to get rid of her and smoothly take Wu Ya Chenglin to Jingren Palace?
Baoxing felt that although her master's words made sense, going to the summer palace was better than staying in the harem. "Perhaps if the master works hard, the emperor will discover the master's good qualities."
Consort An rolled her eyes decisively upon hearing this. "How could there be such a good thing? The Emperor is the Son of Heaven. He can have any kind of woman he wants. Why would he waste his time on someone like me who is getting older every day?"
Consort An, who had long since come to terms with things, didn't mind making fun of herself. In any case, she understood that instead of hoping that the Emperor would suddenly discover her good qualities, it was better to hope that the Emperor would remember their past relationship, that her family outside the palace would be supportive, and that if she behaved herself and didn't cause trouble in the harem, she could eventually make it to the top.
Bao Xing listened to his master's words and didn't know how to refute them, since it was his master who was trying to crush his spirit.
"Alright, let's not talk about these abstract things. Let's talk about how to deal with the current situation."
Consort Tong's arrangement likely indicates that Uya has received good news.
"I'm not afraid of making a wasted trip to the palace; I'm just worried that I'll come back empty-handed, having gained nothing."
Consort An wanted a child to raise under her care, and Uya Chenglin, being of low status and having always lived in Yonghe Palace, was a natural tool for having children.
If Wuya Chenglin is snatched away by Tong Jia Rongyue, Consort An doesn't think she'll have another chance. Or rather, the longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for her. They say things change when they're delayed, and who knows if she'll still have the energy to deal with all this in the next talent show.
Bao Xing looked up at her mistress. "Does Your Highness mean you want to stay in the palace? But you're already on the list of those leaving the palace, so it's probably not easy to change it a second time."
This isn't something that can be simply removed. Once the list is finalized, both the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Palace will make arrangements according to it. It's like pulling one thread affects the whole body; it's definitely not allowed unless absolutely necessary.
"We have to change it even if it's difficult. If we stay, we can still have a fighting chance. If we go directly to the summer palace, then what's in the palace will be none of our business."
Consort An felt it was a very profitable deal to exchange a largely useless spot for a child she might be able to raise.
“So, Baoxing,” Consort An beckoned Baoxing over and revealed her plan.
Bao Xing hesitated, "Isn't this too risky?"
"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," and besides, being more direct might be better.
...
"The weather is getting hotter and hotter, so we can't forget to give Ning Chuge some instructions."
This child always loves horseback riding and archery; the Empress Dowager says she can't stop him, he's really enthusiastic.
Shaking her head, Xiu Ning took Chun Yu's hand, and the two of them returned from Shou Kang Palace.
Because of the increasingly warm weather, they took a longer route back this time, but the shading was done well.
Chunyu smiled and said, "This is just the princess's hobby. The emperor dotes on her, so Your Majesty doesn't need to worry."
"How can I not worry? As she gets older, her mind becomes more and more righteous," Xiu Ning was genuinely afraid that Ning Chuge would lose her temper and let Kangxi and the others discover her thoughts. No matter how unruly she was, she had to get married first, otherwise, if the emperor regretted it later, it would be Ning Chuge herself who would suffer.
The master and servant walked and talked, occasionally mentioning their upcoming trip to the summer palace.
"I have a lot of things to bring this time, and I don't know how long I'll be able to stay at the palace."
The rebellion of the princes did not truly end, but the Qing Dynasty's strength was still evident in the main events. In particular, Wu Sangui was alone and could not hold out. It was only a matter of time before his rebellion was quelled after its defeat.
Looking up at the sky, Xiu Ning shielded her forehead with her hand, feeling increasingly excited about this trip to the imperial palace.
Since entering the palace, she had hardly ever left. This was her first real trip outside the palace. Like a migratory bird yearning for distant places, the images of Xiu Ning in her mind had long faded, and it was time to deepen her memory of them.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at Qixiang Palace.
Xiuning stepped inside, intending to check on the two brothers entertaining themselves in the toy room, but Xuanying, who was in the yard, ran over as soon as she saw her return.
"Your Majesty, news just arrived from Yonghe Palace that Consort Wuya has been diagnosed with pregnancy, and Consort An has injured her arm and cannot go to the Imperial Palace again."
Hmm? Not surprising at all.
"Tell me in detail," Xiuning continued walking towards the main hall, "Is Consort An's hand injury related to Consort Wuya?"
Xuan Ying responded with a "yes" and nodded, "It is said that he injured his arm while saving Wu Ya, but fortunately the wound is not deep and did not touch the bone."
But Uya's situation is much worse; she needs to rest in bed for a while and shouldn't be moved in the near future.
Xiu Ning raised an eyebrow. "That bad? Luckily, the unborn child wasn't harmed," otherwise all that hiding it would have been for nothing.
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