Chapter 6: On the Lazy Tenth Prince's Unremarkable Status
After entering the warm pavilion, Lan Zhi didn't say much. She just carefully served the Consort, lending a hand from time to time. For example, when the Consort's arms were sore from being weighed down by the heavy little baby in her arms, she would quietly lift her up so that the Consort could change her position and rest.
Seeing that the Consort looked lost and downcast, Lan Zhi hesitated for a moment before saying in order to divert her attention, "It seems that the young prince's reward is half a step more generous than that of the prince in Chengqian Palace."
Lan Zhi is referring to the eleventh prince, Yinzhen, who was the adopted son of Consort Tong.
Yinzhen's birth mother was Consort De, but he was given to Imperial Noble Consort Tong to raise immediately after his birth. As the adopted son of the Imperial Noble Consort, Yinzhen was more noble than the sons of other concubines, consorts, and concubines in the palace, and he received generous rewards in the past, second only to the Crown Prince.
The palace has many rules and strict regulations. Don't be fooled by the fact that the New Year's rewards for the princes are divided in terms of quantity; there is a lot of knowledge involved and many intricacies hidden within.
As soon as Lan Zhi finished speaking, the Imperial Concubine's thoughts immediately shifted from the melancholy of Yin E's impending departure from Yongshou Palace.
She paused for a moment before nodding and saying softly, "According to palace rules, this is the proper course of action." After a pause, the Consort added, "This is also a good thing."
Although the Imperial Concubine said it was a good thing, judging from the expression on her face, there was no joy in her expression at all. It was obvious that she was not being sincere and was just comforting herself.
Of all the Emperor's surviving sons, the most esteemed was undoubtedly Crown Prince Yinreng. He was born to the Empress Dowager and was of the direct bloodline. Even if he had not been named Crown Prince, he was not on the same level as the other princes. Yinreng, on the other hand, was already the heir apparent, which further distinguished him from the other princes as a subject of the emperor.
Before Yin'e was born, the eleventh prince, Yinzhen, was ranked first after the crown prince. In terms of status, he was first the adopted son of Consort Tong, and then the biological son of Consort De. In terms of nobility, he was superior to the consorts and was half a step higher than Yinti, the son of Consort Hui, Yinzhi, the son of Consort Rong, and Yinqi, the son of Consort Yi.
But now that Yin'e has arrived, he is now ranked first after the Crown Prince. His birth mother is Consort Niohuru, and his maternal aunt is Empress Xiaozhao. In terms of nobility, Yin'e is only half a step behind the Crown Prince, but he surpasses Yinzhen, who is the adopted son of an Imperial Noble Consort.
In the Qing Dynasty palace, it was believed that a son's status rose with his mother's, and a mother's status rose with her
The more noble the birth mother's background and the higher her rank, the better the prince's treatment in the palace.
Similarly, concubines of low rank could also be rewarded, receive better treatment, and be promoted in rank for giving birth to children—Consort De is the best example. She rose from Noble Lady De to a higher rank because she gave birth to the eleventh prince, Yinzhen, and the fourteenth prince, Yinzuo, in succession.
Although Yin'e was not yet three months old, as the son of the Imperial Noble Consort, he was born ahead of the Imperial Noble Consort's adopted son, Yinzhen, and his status was second only to the Crown Prince.
The palace was a place with strict hierarchy and rules. Even though they were all princes, there were still differences in rank, and they were divided into different classes.
Yin'e's rise to prominence brought both joy and worry to the Imperial Concubine. She was pleased that Yin'e had gained the Emperor's favor, but equally worried that the Emperor would treat him differently. Yin'e's treatment was drastically different from that of the sons of other concubines, consorts, and concubines. The Imperial Concubine was actually afraid that he would attract too much attention and draw the attention of the Crown Prince and Empress Hesheli.
He blinked, a look of confusion crossing Yin'e's face.
He was initially pleased that his personal treasury had become much fuller, but when he saw the Imperial Concubine lower her eyes with a faint expression and a hint of melancholy between her brows, he belatedly realized that the Imperial Concubine was not happy about this matter, and even harbored some worries.
But didn't Mother just say this was a good thing? Why does her expression suddenly look so unpleasant?
Peeking out, Yin'e looked left at Lanzhi and right at Luyi, noticing that they both seemed lost in thought. He grew increasingly frustrated: What kind of riddle were they playing? Why did he feel like he was the only one who couldn't join the conversation or keep up with their train of thought?
The Imperial Concubine picked up Yin'e, who was peeking around with his little head, and gently pinched the chubby little cheeks of his fair face: "You are really your mother's sweet and troublesome baby."
Yin'e: ? Sweet is one thing, but what's so troublesome about him? He guarantees that no other child his age is as well-behaved as him!
Green Willow unconsciously tightened her grip on the list. She wasn't as meticulous and cautious as Lan Zhi, but she was quick-witted and clever. She knew that Her Majesty only wished for the young prince's safety and health, and being so conspicuous was not a good thing.
The young prince was elevated and gained the attention of the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager. Although the Empress Dowager was happy for the young prince, she could not be completely overjoyed. Instead, she was afraid that going too far would attract the attention of the person in Yuqing Palace and cause Suo'etu outside the palace to "take a different look".
Being comparable in status to the Crown Prince is not a good thing in the palace.
Yin'e wasn't stupid, nor was he a real child. Although the three women, including the Consort and her servants, didn't say anything explicitly, but exchanged a few listless glances, Yin'e pondered for a while and realized where the problem lay.
The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. With the crown prince already in the palace, it would be suicidal to stand out and compete with him. The first tree to stick its head out rots quickly. In the struggle for the throne in the later years of the Kangxi reign, the first to fall was the eldest prince, Yinqi, who was the first to stand up and compete with the crown prince for the throne.
Let alone whether the high-risk, potentially high-reward struggle for the throne is worthwhile, Yin'e originally just wanted to be a carefree person and had no intention of getting involved in any trouble. He had long ago made up his mind not to get involved in the struggle for the throne and not to get tangled in its muddy waters.
On this matter, the Imperial Concubine and Yin'e shared a surprisingly similar opinion.
Although Yin'e was not without the ability to contend for the throne—
In terms of family power, the Hesheli clan far surpassed the Niohuru clan, which rose to power through military achievements. Even after Emperor Kangxi favored Suo'etu after he was made crown prince, the Niohuru clan was still superior in terms of overall family strength.
When the Qing court established an heir, the first consideration was primogeniture, followed by nobility, and then seniority and virtue. The Crown Prince was the son of the Empress Dowager, both primogeniture and noble. However, the Niohuru clan had produced empresses before, and Yin'e's maternal aunt was also an empress. In this respect, he was not much inferior to the Crown Prince.
Although she had the potential to compete, the Imperial Concubine never expected her son to have any great fortune or achievements in the future, nor did she insist that her son must rise to a high position.
But from the moment Yin'e was born, the Consort's thoughts never changed; she only wished for her son to be healthy and grow up safely.
Since she had no ambition, the imperial concubine did not want her son to receive too much favor and attention in the palace.
She would rather Yin'e grow up to be mediocre and unruly, even if he doesn't win the emperor's favor, than be too favored by the emperor and attract trouble by being too sharp.
A note from the author:
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Imperial Concubine: I hope my son will be mediocre, so that he can grow up safely.
Yin'e: Isn't this a coincidence? My son and I are completely in sync and have reached the same conclusion without even thinking about it. Just watch, I can't compete with the competition, but who doesn't know how to lie down and be a lazy bum!
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