Perhaps it was because today was an auspicious day for travel, but Consort Yi arrived shortly afterward.
The Empress Dowager and Tong Wanyan chatted happily, and the Empress Dowager told Tong Wanyan all about her childhood love for the grasslands.
Speaking of which, the Empress Dowager had also experienced turbulent times and power struggles, and her wisdom should not be underestimated.
Tong Wanyan genuinely enjoyed talking to the Empress Dowager and treated her with the respect due to a close elder in her own family.
That's why the Empress Dowager doted on her wholeheartedly, even to the point of disregarding palace rules.
If it were anyone else, the Empress Dowager wouldn't show such favoritism towards one person.
When Consort Yi arrived, the Empress Dowager laughed heartily, and was talking about how she almost got kicked over by a horse's hoof when she first learned to ride a horse as a child.
It was quite dangerous at the time, but decades later, it's a vivid and amusing anecdote.
Which girl hasn't been scared and cried when the horse jolted her while she was learning to ride?
Consort Yi easily joined in the conversation, her witty remarks flowing effortlessly from her lips.
Tana was always quite favored among the concubines. Firstly, she was naturally blessed, a lucky omen; secondly, she was beautiful, cheerful, and lively; most importantly, the Empress Dowager liked her, and the concubines all tried to please her.
Consort Yi was no exception. Whenever she saw Tana, she would hug her if she could, and the affection she showed was no less than that for her own daughter.
Seeing that she was having a good time teasing Tana, the Empress Dowager suddenly asked, "How has Little Eleven been feeling lately?"
The Eleventh Prince was the third son of Consort Yi. Unlike Yinqi and Yintang, who were both robust, he was born as small as a kitten, with a weak cry. It was a blessing from heaven that he lived even one more day.
When her youngest son was mentioned, Consort Yi's smile faded considerably, and she no longer had that flamboyant and unrestrained demeanor.
"In March, there are many willow catkins, so I can only keep him indoors and not let him out. He has drunk a lot of bitter medicine, and his face has gotten a little fuller. The imperial physician said he is recovering well and should be able to pull through." Consort Yi's mouth was bitter as she mentioned Yinzhi.
She was tricked when she was pregnant with her eleventh child, and she didn't take proper precautions during childbirth, which is why her youngest child is weak.
Over the years, he was carefully cared for, kept alive with free medicinal herbs, and managed to survive for six years, earning a name. Otherwise, having died young, he wouldn't even have a name or a cenotaph.
The Empress Dowager also felt very sorry for her young and sickly grandson.
"Don't take those nonsensical words of Consort Wuya to heart. Eleventh and Sixth are both good children," the Empress Dowager comforted her.
The mere mention of Consort Wuya filled Consort Yi with a burning hatred.
Her eleventh son was born seven days after Yinzhuo's death. At that time, Consort Wuya was still the most favored concubine in the harem. She would often whisper in Kangxi's ear, trying to get the eleventh son to be raised by her.
However, Kangxi refused, so she changed her mind and subtly hinted to the eleventh prince that he had taken the sixth prince's life.
This was the first time Tong Wanyan had learned that there was such a past connection between Consort Yi and Consort Wuya.
She kept quiet. She had never met the eleventh prince, and judging from the Empress Dowager and Consort Yi's words, they probably had no hope for him growing up.
It is not appropriate to say sad things in front of the Empress Dowager.
Consort Yi didn't come here to be pitied; she came to gossip.
"The Third Princess Consort has been married into the palace for over half a month now, and I've heard that Consort Rong treats her with utter disdain. That boy, Yinzhi, thinks that Consort Rong and his wife are getting along well, so he keeps saying things that hurt Consort Rong's feelings, leaving her with nowhere to vent her anger." Consort Yi said gleefully, "To be honest, when the Third Princess Consort entered the palace last year, she was still a naive girl with some of the arrogance of a Manchu lady. Now, she puts on a good show, which makes people a little wary."
Once she reached the position of Consort Yi, as long as it didn't involve the execution of her entire family, she could say whatever she wanted.
The Empress Dowager and Tong Wanyan were immediately intrigued upon hearing this.
They rarely met Consort Rong, let alone the Third Princess Consort, so they knew nothing about the affairs between the new mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
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