At the beginning of the twenty-fifth year of Qianlong's reign, the Qing army that went to quell the rebellion successfully resolved the turmoil caused by the Khoja brothers in the Hui region on the frontier. After submitting a memorial to the emperor for instructions, they were able to immediately set off to return to the capital.
As the biological mother of the trio of Yonghu, Chen Yuwei prayed for their safety every moment during the nearly two years that the trio had been away from Beijing.
Now that the army has finally made its way back to Beijing, Chen Yuwei, who is still in the palace, must be hoping that her children can return safely.
News from the frontier always arrives faster than from the army. Chen Yuwei also heard that the Hui people, in order to appease the emperor and forgive past transgressions, specially presented a legendary beauty among the various tributes they sent.
The beauty was the younger sister of the new tribal chief. She came under the pretext of thanking the Qing Dynasty for its help, but in reality, she was there to become Hongli's concubine and serve as a link between the Hui tribe on the frontier and the Qing Dynasty.
'This person must be the Fragrant Concubine from history.'
Chen Yuwei even knew that many stories in later generations were created based on this person.
In reality, as a genuine Hui Muslim, Consort Xiang was indeed very much favored by Emperor Hongli after entering the palace.
From the moment she entered the palace until her tragic death, Consort Xiang lived a good life in every way except for not having children.
Chen Yuwei privately speculated that it was very likely because Xiang Fei's exotic charm was too strong that Hongli dared not let her get pregnant, so as not to confuse the royal bloodline.
It should be noted that none of the many Mongolian concubines who entered the harem have given birth to any children to this day.
Even Yingfei, on whom Chen Yuwei had placed high hopes, remained alone.
In matters as sensitive as offspring, despite his seemingly carefree demeanor, Hongli was actually quite cautious.
"Host, there was no Fragrant Concubine in history. To be precise, He Zhuo entered the palace and was personally bestowed the title of Consort Rong by the Emperor."
She entered the palace as a Noble Lady, then rose through the ranks to become a Consort Rong, achieving a three-level promotion.
Even though she eventually passed away, Consort Rong had enjoyed most of the things she was entitled to during her decades in the palace.
Even later, whether it was Hongli's southern tour or ancestral worship, Consort Rong was always by his side.
Hongli, too, had the common characteristics of the Aisin Gioro family.
Clear distinction between love and hate
They like what they like very much, and they express it very directly. The most typical example is taking people wherever they go, like Consort Yu today.
Even if you don't like someone, he will completely ignore you, not even giving you a second glance, just like some other concubines in the harem.
They couldn't even enjoy the privilege of being summoned to the Emperor's bedchamber, so they had no choice but to endure their days in silence. All these concubines could do was hope that Chen Yuwei, who managed the palace affairs, would show mercy and give them a way out.
Ironically, most of the concubines in the harem now rely on Chen Yuwei rather than Hongli.
Fortunately, Chen Yuwei was fair in her dealings, which greatly reduced the conflicts in the harem.
Whether it's Consort Rong or Consort Xiang, it just shows that the Emperor's romantic luck is endless. While the old favorites are still young and beautiful, new favorites are about to enter the scene.
The elderly people in the palace are being impacted wave after wave; what should they do?
Not everyone has the confidence that Chen Yuwei has, who can live well in the palace even without Hongli's help.
Most people are nothing more than driftwood carried by the current. If Hongli doesn't reach out to retrieve them, they will sooner or later be submerged in the vast ocean of the palace, eventually rotting and sinking.
Chen Yuwei wasn't the only one who knew in advance about the newcomers. Those who seemed to have a good relationship with the Imperial Guard had all received some inside information, which was an open secret among everyone.
Some, like Consort Xian Hui Fa Na La Tan Yin, share a similar attitude with Chen Yuwei, choosing to focus on themselves and not pay too much attention to the outside world.
There are many reasons for this, the most direct being the matter of last year's southern tour.
Consort Xian's subsequent handling of affairs clearly did not meet Hongli's expectations, which could be considered a minor offense to her. Now, even the frequency of her monthly meetings with the Emperor is not fixed, so how could she have any spare energy to pay attention to the newcomers who are about to enter the palace?
Moreover, the older Consort Xian's son, Yongqi, gets, the more obvious his problems become.
Consort Xian had etched the thought of her son's future into her mind.
Below the rank of Imperial Concubine are several other ladies-in-waiting who are still in the rank of Consort.
Consort Ling did have the mind to pay attention to the newcomers, but she was already pregnant at this time. The auspicious signs proclaimed by the Imperial Observatory and the imperial physician's diagnosis of a suspected male fetus gave Consort Ling an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
Even if a celestial beauty were to enter the palace at such a time, Consort Ling would first have to weigh the pros and cons between the two parties, and in the end, she could only choose to compromise herself and temporarily let the other party go for the sake of her unborn child.
After all, everyone is not stupid. Consort Ling just prefers having many children, which does not mean that she really likes the Emperor and does not know the importance of the child in her womb.
Oh!
To advance further, offspring are essential, but the emperor is not necessarily one's only son.
As Hongli's two recent new and old favorites, Consort Ying and Consort Yu, there is a concern that the emperor's favor might be divided when new concubines enter the palace.
However, both men had issues with their backgrounds, and they believed that even if a concubine gained favor in the palace, she couldn't possibly be anything special.
Lessons from the past serve as guidance for the future.
Their fates are laid bare; how could a beauty from the Hui region ever surpass herself?
The remaining consorts included the elderly Consort Yu, Consort Chun, Consort Dun, Consort Ning, and others.
They had no thoughts about it because the emperor had long since thrown them into some unseen corner, and little of what happened in the harem concerned them.
The Emperor's new favorite? What is that? Can you eat it or drink it?
Consort Ning made no attempt to hide her feelings and complained to Chen Yuwei about the Emperor's cold-heartedness towards his concubines.
"When I was young, I thought I was special. But as time passed and my looks faded, I realized that I was just one of many and could be easily replaced by others."
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