He's about to make a southern tour.
This was the second southern tour since the southern tour in the twenty-fourth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
During his reign, Emperor Kangxi made numerous southern tours because the south was more cultured than the north. When the Qing Dynasty seized power, the resistance in the south was the most intense, including the various forces that had been causing trouble for the Qing regime among the people, and their leaders were active in the south.
To ensure the stability of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi began his southern tour after stabilizing the court.
However, the first southern tour was rushed, and with the Empress Dowager still alive at that time, Kangxi did not achieve his desired goals. Therefore, this second trip is of great importance to Kangxi.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department has presented the prepared list."
Chunyu held a thin booklet in her hands and respectfully presented it to Xiuning.
Xiuning reached out and took it, then examined it. "Was it prepared according to my instructions?"
The register prominently listed all sorts of items and tools, all of which would be used during the southern tour.
It should be understood that the Southern Tour was not just an inspection tour. It also included various summons along the way, as well as the food, drink and other necessities of the travelers. All of these needed to be managed by the Imperial Household Department to prevent chaos and confusion should problems arise on the road.
Chunyu nodded, "The Imperial Household Department was very clever this time; everything the master mentioned is on the roster."
In addition, the Imperial Household Department prepared some spare items.
They seemed even more serious than the others, as if afraid of making a mistake and ending up in jail.
Xiuning scoffed, "They've learned their lesson. They know this southern tour is of great importance and dare not delay it."
Otherwise, given the nature of the Imperial Household Department, they would definitely try to fool people if they could, and if something went wrong, they would simply scatter like birds and beasts, only to reappear after a new power had been formed.
This is the operating principle of the Imperial Household Department. At the same time, this system has greatly preserved the power of the Imperial Household Department, enabling it to survive repeated shocks and continue to serve the Imperial Family.
Chunyu nodded, "That's exactly right. The servants in the Imperial Household Department are very shrewd."
He wanted to say something more, but then he heard Xuanru making a noise at the door.
Um?
Chunyu turned her head, gave Xiuning a curtsy, and then went out to check.
"how?"
Chunyu turned around and quickly came to Xiuning's side. "It's Consort Wang from Changchun Palace who has come to pay her respects."
"The concubine of Changchun Palace?"
Xiu Ning raised an eyebrow, wondering who this person was. If she remembered correctly, the concubine who originally lived in Changchun Palace had been sent to the Cold Palace by Emperor Kangxi after an incident. Now that Changchun Palace was abandoned, how could anyone live there?
Could it be that, without her knowledge, Emperor Kangxi had taken in several palace maids, and those he found agreeable were directly sent into the harem as concubines?
Well, that's not impossible. After all, Emperor Kangxi didn't really control his womanizing, otherwise how would he have had so many children and concubines?
"Your Majesty, Consort Wang was originally the concubine who lived in Jingyang Palace."
A while ago, she had a minor disagreement with Consort Xi. After Consort Ping reported this to the Emperor, the Emperor decided to place her in Changchun Palace.
Chunyu quietly explained the origins of Consort Wang's residence in Changchun Palace.
Xiu Ning suddenly realized what was going on; it turned out that the old people had moved to a new place.
"Is this Consort Wang the one who returned to the palace with the Emperor twenty-four years ago?"
Xiuning tapped the table and remembered Wang Shufei's identity.
But the famous Consort Mi, Lady Wang, was of Han Chinese descent and gave birth to three princes in a row. Her youngest son was the catalyst for Emperor Kangxi to depose the crown prince, leaving a significant mark on Kangxi's later years.
Of course, she only had a greater presence. In reality, Consort Mi posed no threat to Xiu Ning. After all, in this era where birth was everything, Consort Mi's background had already determined that she could not rise to the top.
“Your Majesty, this Consort Wang is the same Consort who was brought into the palace by the Emperor.”
Because Emperor Kangxi went on his southern tour in the twenty-fourth year of his reign, he was alone. So when he returned with a stunningly beautiful woman, everyone was quite worried.
However, what happened next was unexpected. Consort Wang did not gain favor and was instead forgotten and abandoned in Jingyang Palace.
Only Xiuning knew the reason. It wasn't that Kangxi disliked Lady Wang, but because the Empress Dowager was still alive at that time, Kangxi had to consider things more carefully.
Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away and the Kangxi Emperor has come to rule alone, no one will be so foolish as to remind the Wang or Li families of such a thing.
"Invite them in. Their arrival at this time is likely related to the Southern Tour."
With a wave of her hand, Xiu Ning sat up straight, showing no intention of going to pick up the person.
She was a Noble Consort, while Lady Wang was merely a Concubine of the Second Rank, without even a proper title. If she went to greet her, the other party would not be able to accept it.
They waited like that, and after a short while, they heard footsteps approaching.
Xiu Ning looked up and saw a beautiful woman with almond-shaped eyes and peach-like cheeks gracefully appearing before her.
It must be said that Emperor Kangxi was truly lucky; such a beauty actually entered the harem. And Lady Wang certainly lived up to her reputation as a favored concubine for over a decade; she certainly had the qualities to back it up.
"This humble concubine, Lady Wang, greets Her Highness Consort Jing with boundless blessings and peace."
Wang bowed respectfully, showing no trace of arrogance.
When Lady Wang first entered the palace, she would not have acted this way.
Unfortunately, everything stemmed from Kangxi's abandonment of Lady Wang.
Ignored and neglected for several years, even with her unparalleled beauty, Wang Shi dared not be confident that she would be favored. Under such ravages of time, it was inevitable that Wang Shi would bow her head and pay her respects today.
With a wave of her hand, Xiu Ning gestured for Wang Shi to sit down, and then Chun Yu served tea to her.
Clearly, Wang had made up her mind before coming, but she was still a little nervous.
When it comes to asking for favors, Wang herself doesn't have any worthwhile assets, so who knows if the famous Consort Jing would agree?
Wang Shi bit her lip lightly, glanced at Xiu Ning, and then stood up to explain her purpose: she wanted to take advantage of this southern tour to go back and visit her family and friends.
Visiting family and friends?
Xiu Ning smiled inwardly. It was hard to say whether this Wang family member and that Lord Wang were related, but she wanted to take advantage of the southern tour to go back. She certainly had a lot of ulterior motives and dared to think and act.
Because there was no direct answer to Wang, the entire hall became rather quiet.
Seeing this, Wang Shi became uneasy. She knew that this request was a bit unreasonable, but she did not want to live a life of insignificance in the harem. At present, the only thing that could be of use to her was the southern tour.
"Your Highness, this concubine..."
"Alright, I can add you to the list for this southern tour."
But in return, what can you offer me? You can't expect me to just offer a big thank you and expect to get something for nothing.
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