The aunts around the Empress Dowager didn't need to curry favor with Tong Wanyan, and the servants around elders, unless they committed serious crimes, always had different statuses.
Take Su Ma La Gu, left behind by the Empress Dowager, for example. Even Emperor Kangxi respected her and gave her a son to raise, which shows her special status.
Of course, there is only one Sumalagu, and no other servant can compare to her.
But in front of their junior masters, they don't have to bend their backs so low.
She did this favor so that Tong Wanyan could please the Empress Dowager, making their service to the Empress Dowager easier.
The Empress Dowager lived in Xianxie Cuncheng Hall, which was filled with countless exotic flowers and plants, and also had a sea of peonies. It was completely different from the style of Wuyizhai Garden.
Emperor Kangxi was always filial to the Empress Dowager, so her residence was naturally built to be pleasing to the eye.
When Tong Wanyan passed by the sea of peonies, she plucked a blooming peony and had someone break off a twin lotus flower.
"Your Majesty, look how beautiful these flowers are!" Tong Wanyan walked into the hall with a beaming smile, holding the flowers. It was hard to tell whether she was praising the flowers or herself for being beautiful.
When the Empress Dowager saw her, a smile immediately appeared on her face: "They invited you here? You just arrived at Changchun Garden and have been busy for most of the day. Instead of resting properly, you come here to see me without complaining about being tired."
"I missed you, so I came," Tong Wanyan said coquettishly.
"You have such a sweet tongue," the Empress Dowager said affectionately. "Look at these flowers, they're picked more beautifully than anyone else's."
The Empress Dowager was incredibly biased; even if Tong Wanyan broke off a tree branch, she would praise it, saying it was ancient, vigorous, and full of charm.
Tong Wanyan chatted with the Empress Dowager about this and that, and before long the Empress Dowager was pouring out her grievances.
"I don't know why Consort Liang came all this way. Back in the palace, I didn't want any concubines to come and pay their respects. But now that we're at Changchun Garden, does that mean I've changed? If she had genuinely wanted to talk to me, that would have been fine. But I later realized that she came to plead for her good daughter-in-law." The Empress Dowager felt extremely wronged.
She earned Kangxi's respect over the years not only because she genuinely cared about him, but also because she never interfered in his affairs.
She didn't care about the imperial court, she didn't help the Khorchin people to claim rewards, and it was useless for the empresses and concubines to try to take the shortcut to Ning Shou Palace.
Even for the Fifth Prince and Fifth Princess, whom she raised herself, the Empress Dowager did not seek out Emperor Kangxi for them. The Fifth Prince's wife was of humble origin. The Fifth Princess married well, but that was because she had a good brother and the timing was just right.
The Empress Dowager lived a quiet and peaceful life in the Forbidden City, and her only favorites, Tong Wanyan and Tana, were only favored by Emperor Kangxi with his tacit approval.
Emperor Kangxi himself favored Yuqing Palace and the Tong family to the extreme, so the Empress Dowager's favoritism seemed to be merely a matter of following the emperor's will and not worth mentioning.
Tong Wanyan gently patted the Empress Dowager's back to soothe her emotions.
"Eighth sister-in-law's confinement was just lifted a few days ago, what need is there for her to ask for favors?" Tong Wanyan wondered, "Isn't she late?"
"What's the rush? She's very clever. Who can change the Emperor's orders? She's just asking me to say a few good words about Eighth Prince Consort in front of the other imperial wives and noblewomen." The Empress Dowager was furious: "If Lady Guoluo were truly good, would I make things difficult for her? How dare Consort Liang make me speak against my conscience?"
Tong Wanyan chimed in, "That's right! Everyone says that Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and that you love us younger generations very much. Last time, my fifth sister-in-law told me that you like her, and my fifth brother valued her even more after he found out."
"Really? Fifth Sister-in-law is indeed virtuous and considerate, and knows how to take care of people. I love seeing you young people living in harmony and happiness." The Empress Dowager's face lit up with a smile.
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