Consort Niohuru of Chuxiu Palace sent someone to deliver dinner to Xu Lejin. This was done openly and legitimately, and the news spread throughout the entire East and West Six Palaces in less than an hour.
Confined to Chengqian Palace, the Tongjia clan, along with the Majia and Nara clans, dared not speak out against their anger.
In a fit of anger, the Empress accidentally broke a jade bracelet, which was newly sent to Kunning Palace by the Imperial Household Department. The bracelet was of excellent quality and had a clear color. The incident alarmed the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, who were enjoying their retirement in Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager sighed softly and said in Mongolian, "The Empress is the mother of the nation and the head of the inner palace. How could she be so angry over the matter of a mere concubine that she smashed the jade bracelet sent by the Imperial Household Department? Where is the Empress's dignity as the mother of the nation?"
"Yes, what you said makes sense."
The Empress Dowager responded softly, and after a moment of contemplation, she spoke in a cold voice, "In recent years, the Empress has become increasingly out of line. As the Empress, she has lowered herself to compete for favor with the concubines and is always jealous and envious. Indeed, a concubine's daughter is still a concubine's daughter. Even if she is promoted to Empress, she is still not respectable."
The Empress Dowager lowered her head and remained silent.
The Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, "The Niohuru clan of Chuxiu Palace is just lucky to have gained the power to assist in managing the six palaces. The Empress is still the Empress. After giving birth to a prince, she can simply reclaim her power in the palace. Why get angry over such a trivial matter as palace power?"
"Niohuru is dignified and composed, the best candidate for empress, but Ebilun and Oboi... For the sake of the overall situation, I chose Sony's granddaughter as empress. I thought the rumored 'Four-Complete Girl' was good, but after she entered the palace, I found out that she was such a lowly person."
The Empress Dowager gave an awkward smile.
“Empress Mother, the Empress is actually quite good. It’s just that it took her four years to give birth to her legitimate son, Chenghu, after which he died young. With Ma Jia and Na La in the harem having sons to rely on, the Empress lost her composure and made a mistake.”
After carefully considering her words, the Empress Dowager smiled slightly and said softly, "I think the Empress's next pregnancy will also be a prince. Once the Empress gives birth to a legitimate son, she will focus on managing the affairs of the six palaces."
The Empress Dowager gave a cold laugh. "I hope so. Although the Emperor has Seyinchaze and Baoqing, he has no legitimate son. The harem will ultimately be unstable. I also hope that the Empress's child will be a prince."
The Empress Dowager smiled and agreed.
Looking at the sky outside, the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "It's getting late. You've been with me all day. Go back and rest early! We're getting old. We can't be like those young people who lose their composure and sense of proportion over trivial matters."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will follow your teachings. I take my leave."
The Empress Dowager rose and left the main hall of Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager watched the Empress Dowager's departing figure and sighed softly.
The Empress Dowager is still young, only thirty-two years old. She is a grandniece from the Khorchin tribe, her maternal family. She married into the palace early to facilitate the alliance between the Khorchin and the Qing Dynasty, and became a widow and Empress Dowager. Now...
It's all fate!
The women of Khorchin are unlucky; they are not loved by their husbands.
When my aunt Zhe Zhe married Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji), she gave birth to three daughters in succession and then had no more children. She also gave birth to three daughters after marrying Emperor Taizong before finally having a son.
My elder sister, Hailanzhu, had an unhappy first marriage. In her second marriage, she married Emperor Taizong and gave birth to the Eighth Prince, but he died young.
His nieces, Consort Jing and Consort Shuhui, married Fulin but were not favored.
Consort Jing was demoted from Empress to Consort Jing, and Consort Shuhui remained out of favor.
At this time, the Empress Dowager married into the Qing Dynasty and became the Empress.
Although she is now the Empress Dowager, she is not Xuan Ye's biological mother. Xuan Ye only respects her, but he does not show her filial piety or any maternal affection or filial piety...
After pondering for a moment, the Empress Dowager looked at Su Ma La Gu beside her and said, "Su Ma, what kind of person do you think this Xu Shi in the Emperor's harem is? She single-handedly stirred up trouble in the harem, causing Tong Jia Shi to be confined to her quarters and the Empress to lose her composure."
"Your Majesty, the situation in the inner palace is such that prolonged chaos will inevitably lead to peace, and prolonged peace will inevitably lead to chaos."
Su Mala Gu lowered her head and said, “This servant dares to say that even if there were no Consort Xu in the harem, there would be other consorts. The Empress lost her composure because of this. Consort Chuxiu was given the power to assist in managing the six palaces, and Consort Chengqian was confined to her quarters. This was the will of Heaven. Consort Xu just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
“What you say makes sense. The Empress is pregnant and the harem has been in turmoil since she was three months pregnant. I have heard that the Empress has had several miscarriages. The imperial fetus is of utmost importance, so it is only reasonable for Lady Niohuru to assist in managing the six palaces.”
After a pause, the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, "Su Ma, tomorrow you will go to Kunning Palace to visit the Empress on my behalf. Also, go to Yikun Palace to see what kind of woman Xu is."
Sumalagu respectfully replied, "Yes."
Xu Lejin lived a quiet life in confinement in Yikun Palace, sleeping until she naturally woke up every day, embroidering, reading storybooks, and basking in the sun in Yikun Palace. She lived a very comfortable and carefree life.
Even the New Year's Eve banquet, which the concubines in the palace were scrambling to attract Emperor Kangxi's attention, was not taken seriously by Xu Lejin; she simply smiled and let it pass.
Time quickly passed to the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.
"Your Highness, the Imperial Household Department's annual rewards have arrived. This year's rewards..."
Yingchun bowed as she entered the hall, her brow furrowed as she gazed at Xu Lejin, hesitant to speak.
Xu Lejin smiled faintly.
"The annual reward from the Imperial Household Department isn't very generous, is it? It was expected, so why bother?"
Yingchun lowered her head and said softly, "My lady, you are only confined for a month, yet the people from the Imperial Household Department are already sending old fabrics and unwanted inferior goods to our Yikun Palace. What will we do if this continues?"
"Your Highness, you are gentle and find it insignificant, but I cannot swallow this insult."
Xu Lejin looked up at Yingchun and smiled slightly. "It's alright, it'll only be ten days or so. After that, I'll have the Imperial Household Department make up for all the withheld money."
"My lord..."
Yingchun was puzzled.
At this moment, Zhishu and Ruhua entered the hall carrying a piece of cloth, their faces long.
Zhi Shu put down the cloth with a resentful look. "My lady, look. It's one thing for the people from the Imperial Household Department to send us old fabric, but they even sent us this worm-infested fabric."
"When Ruhua and I were arranging this fabric just now, we were startled by the insects inside."
Xu Lejin frowned and stepped forward to touch the fabric.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Lejin said, "Although this fabric is old, it looks like a brocade satin that was popular two years ago, no more than three years ago. And the texture doesn't seem like it's prone to getting infested with insects."
After speaking, Xu Lejin lowered her head and sniffed.
The next moment, Xu Lejin immediately took a few steps away from the fabric infested with insects.
"Zhishu, go to the Imperial Hospital yourself and ask Physician Xu, who has been taking my pulse, to come here. I suspect there's something wrong with this fabric; someone has added something to it..."
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