As April drew to a close, in the Cining Palace...
The Empress Dowager knelt in the small Buddhist hall, her eyes closed, her face aged and frail, as she muttered incantations.
"Your Majesty, have you heard about what's been happening in the palace lately? For some reason, Consort Xiao Hesheli has become very close to Consort Zhao, and their relationship is like that of sisters."
The Empress Dowager hesitated, then tentatively spoke in a soft voice.
The Empress Dowager responded and pondered. After a long while, she said in a deep voice, "These days, the court is unstable. The Emperor should refrain from entering the inner palace for matters concerning the court."
"In the harem, Consort Zhao and Xiao Hesheli? Although they come from different families and have different positions, it is very good that they can get along harmoniously. The concubines in the harem always address each other as sisters in public. It is normal that Consort Zhao and Xiao Hesheli have a closer relationship."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, swallowing the words that were about to come out. She thought to herself, "In the palace, as long as the Emperor is alive, there will be no sisterly affection."
Even sisters, born of the same mother and connected by blood, can turn against each other one day for the sake of favor.
The Empress Dowager looked at the Empress Dowager and remained silent for a long time.
"I know what you're thinking. Consort Xuan has been in the palace for almost a year. Although the Emperor often stays overnight in her palace, she hasn't conceived yet. Like you, I hope that Consort Xuan will soon become pregnant and give birth to a prince or princess. But the time is not right yet. We can't force Consort Xuan to become pregnant. We can only let nature take its course."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and said respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will follow your teachings."
The Cining Palace fell silent, with only the sound of the Empress Dowager chanting sutras and turning the prayer beads in her hand. The Empress Dowager opened her mouth several times, as if to say something, but swallowed her words each time.
An hour later, just when the Empress Dowager was about to give up, the Grand Empress Dowager spoke.
"I know that your elder sister, who shares the same mother, sent you a letter through someone a few days ago..."
The Empress Dowager was startled, opened her mouth, and stammered, "Your Majesty..."
The Empress Dowager opened her tightly closed eyes, her gaze clear, and spoke in a deep voice. "When you were little, you and your sisters were playing on the grassland when you encountered a wild wolf. To protect you, she disfigured herself."
"Later, under my arrangement, you came to the capital and entered the palace to become Fulin's empress. I arranged a marriage for you. Wang Jiahua, a member of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner and a military commander, was just a third-class guard in the palace at the time. Because of his meritorious service in saving the emperor, he was granted a marriage by the empress's decree. It was a great honor and favor."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly.
With a worried expression, the Empress Dowager spoke in a low voice, "What my mother says is true. It is indeed a great honor and favor for Wang Huashan, but..."
With her head bowed and her voice choked with emotion, the Empress Dowager said softly, "After my sister married Wang Huashan, she was more like a decoration, carefully treated and cared for by Wang Huashan and his family."
"Even my sister's only child, Yi Rou, was conceived by my sister after Wang Huashan got drunk."
Raising her head, a hint of resentment flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes.
"Does Your Majesty know that Wang Huashan has a long line of concubines and more than a dozen illegitimate children? My sister wrote to me a few days ago, mentioning that Wang Huashan wants to marry Yirou to the Tong family, to Tong Guowei's third son, Longkodo, in order to curry favor with the Tong family."
The Empress Dowager opened her tightly closed eyes, a flash of anger crossing them.
"So, what do you mean? How should we arrange for your sister's daughter? She is your niece, and also my great-niece. If she were to become a concubine and be subservient to others, I simply cannot bear it."
"Among the imperial family members, the children of marriageable age in the past two years are not particularly outstanding..."
The Empress Dowager nodded thoughtfully, and after a moment, she said carefully, "Your Majesty, I wish to bring Yirou into the palace."
“Yi Rou also has the blood of our Khorchin flowing in her veins. If Yi Rou gives birth to a son or daughter after entering the palace, it will be the same as the imperial offspring born to Consort Xuan.”
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager gave the Empress Dowager a meaningful look, responded softly, and frowned as she fell into deep thought.
Three days later, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict summoning Lady Borjigit, wife of Wang Huashan, the military commander, and his eldest daughter, Wang Jiayirou, to the palace for a talk. The mother and daughter spent most of the day in the palace, and in the evening, they were granted a sedan chair by the Empress Dowager and left the palace in grand style.
In addition, the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager bestowed generous rewards upon the Wang family mother and daughter.
Mid-April
The Empress Dowager sent someone to invite Emperor Kangxi to the Cining Palace for a talk.
“Xuan Ye, you only have three sons. Although Consort Yu is pregnant again, we don’t know if it’s a prince or a princess. Your mother and I believe that for the sake of your offspring, you should enter the harem more often, and more concubines can be added to the palace.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi's expression turned solemn.
“Grandmother, last year I selected Consort Tong, Consort Xuan, Xiao Hesheli, and Nara to enter the palace.”
"Nara is still young, just a child. Consort Tong, Consort Xuan, and Little Hesheli have all been favored by the emperor, but none of them have been fortunate enough to conceive."
Kangxi paused, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Last year, new concubines were already summoned to the palace. If we were to hold another selection this year..."
The Empress Dowager nodded thoughtfully.
Without making a sound, she exchanged a glance with the Empress Dowager beside her, and then the Empress Dowager spoke earnestly.
“Xuan Ye, a few days ago your Empress Dowager’s niece, Lady Wangjia, entered the palace. That child is seventeen years old, just the age when she is in the prime of her life. Your Empress Dowager and I both like her very much and thought we would keep her in the palace so that she can keep us company and talk to us.”
"Xuan Ye, in what capacity do you think we should bring her into the palace?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi immediately understood.
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