For three consecutive days, Emperor Kangxi visited Consort Duan's Jingyang Palace.
Xu Lejin also learned about this from the palace servants. She smiled slightly and didn't take it to heart. Firstly, she was currently pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to serve Kangxi, so she didn't need to deliberately compete for his favor.
Secondly, as the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager have always said, the harem needs to be equally blessed in order to ensure a prosperous lineage. Thirdly, the fact that Consort Duan is favored does not have a significant impact on her.
Consort Duan never managed the affairs of the six palaces and was timid by nature. However, Consort Duan was favored more than Consort Gui and Consort Hui.
October 30
Xu Lejin, dressed in a light purple palace gown, with her hair styled in a simple bun and her face free of makeup, waited quietly in Xianfu Palace with Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and others.
"Your Highness Consort Yu, I remember your unborn child is almost six months along now, isn't it? Is there a shortage of supplies in your palace? After all, Your Highness Consort Yu, the unborn child in your womb carries the hopes of the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager."
Consort Hui frowned, pondered for a moment, and then spoke softly.
Xu Lejin nodded.
"Thank you for your concern, Consort Hui. Under the management of the Noble Consort, the harem is in good order. In my Yikun Palace, the supplies are plentiful and everything is fine."
After gently replying to Consort Hui's words, Xu Lejin changed the subject and said, "Consort Zhi, who lives in Consort Hui's palace, is also five months pregnant. I noticed today that Consort Zhi has lost a lot of weight since she got pregnant."
Immediately afterwards, Xu Lejin looked at the Noble Lady Zhi and spoke gracefully.
"Consort Zhi, are you overthinking things during your pregnancy? You are carrying the imperial heir, so everything should be done with the heir's well-being in mind. If you lack anything, just ask Consort Hui or the Imperial Concubine."
Consort Zhi's expression turned cold, and with the help of a palace maid, she stood up.
She glanced quickly at Consort Hui, then spoke respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Consort Yu. I am well. Your Highness and Consort Hui have been very kind to me."
"This concubine has had some severe morning sickness during this pregnancy, which is why I look like I've lost a lot of weight. Now that I'm five months pregnant, the morning sickness has gotten much better, and I believe that after a while, I will be back to normal."
Xu Lejin nodded.
At this moment, Lady Ya, who was sitting in a corner of Xianfu Palace with a huge belly, suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and everyone's eyes turned to Lady Ya.
Ya Changzai seemed to be suppressing something, her face contorted into a chrysanthemum-like expression.
"Ya Changzai, are you alright?"
Sitting next to Eun-chōjae, Sō-chōjae frowned slightly and asked in a low voice.
She quickly glanced at Consort Xiu, but did not reply. Instead, she looked at Consort Xu Lejin, Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and the others, and said respectfully, "Your Highness Consort Yu, Your Highnesses, I think I'm about to give birth."
"..."
A strange light flashed in Xu Lejin's eyes.
Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and the others exchanged glances and quickly sent someone to inform the Noble Consort who was dressing and changing clothes in the inner room. At the same time, they instructed the palace servants to take Consort Ya to the delivery room that had been prepared in advance.
Inside the Imperial Concubine's bedroom.
"Ms. Seattle, is she going into labor?"
The Imperial Concubine looked surprised and said in a deep voice, "I remember that her unborn child is only nine months along. Didn't the imperial physician say that the due date was in the middle or late part of next month, which is still more than half a month away?"
"Today is the day when all the concubines in the harem come to pay their respects to me, but she had to give birth on this very day. It's really bad luck."
The imperial concubine looked disgusted and pondered for a long time.
"Mrs. Seattle is about to give birth. All the concubines in the harem are focused on her delivery. What's the point of me bothering to dress up?"
"Lingyan, go to the Qianqing Palace and report to the Emperor that Lady Seattle is about to give birth."
"Ling Rou, go to Cining Palace."
Lingyan and Lingrou respectfully agreed, instructed the second-class palace maids following behind them to serve the Noble Consort diligently, and then hurriedly left Xianfu Palace, heading towards Qianqing Palace and Cining Palace respectively.
Outside the west wing of the rear hall of Xianfu Palace
Xu Lejin, Consort Hui, and other concubines in the harem waited expectantly. Xu Lejin, Consort Zhi, and Consort Chun, being pregnant, had a chair to sit on, while the other concubines, except for those of higher rank, such as Consorts, Consorts, Ladies-in-Waiting, and palace maids, could only stand.
From time to time, Ya Changzai's calls could be heard from the delivery room.
Consort Rong looked disgusted and said coldly, "She's only just entered the delivery room, and Consort Ya is already wailing and howling like a banshee, as if she's the only one giving birth in the palace."
"Consort Rong,"
Upon hearing this, Consort Hui's face showed displeasure.
With a disdainful glance at Consort Hui, Consort Rong spoke in a deep voice, "Consort Hui, I have borne two sons and four daughters for the Emperor. Although childbirth is a life-or-death situation for women, crying so loudly at the beginning will only waste their energy."
"It seems that when Consort Ya was pregnant, neither the Noble Consort nor Consort Hui told her about these things, which is why she was able to shout loudly at the very beginning of her labor."
These blunt words left Consort Hui speechless, her face turning pale.
Consort Hui opened her mouth, but swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She frowned and pondered. Consort Rong's words made sense. Consort Rong was the only one in the palace who had given birth six times, and she was also the birth mother of the First Prince.
Normally, even the Imperial Concubine was wary of Consort Rong, disliking her straightforwardness, but there was nothing she could do about it.
After Ya Chang entered the delivery room, it was more than half an hour later that the Imperial Concubine arrived late, appearing in the rear hall of Xianfu Palace. All the concubines knew in their hearts that the Imperial Concubine was deliberately putting on airs.
However, no one exposed the imperial concubine's deception.
"Consort Hui, Consort Jing, how is Consort Ya doing? Have the imperial physicians and midwives gone inside to deliver Consort Ya's baby?"
With a solemn expression, the Imperial Concubine looked at Consort Hui and Consort Jing and asked in a deep voice.
Consort Hui and Consort Jing exchanged a glance. Consort Hui respectfully replied, "Your Highness, Consort Ya is in the delivery room and everything is fine. The imperial physician and midwife were arranged in advance."
"Ya Changzai and the dragon fetus will surely be safe and sound."
The imperial concubine nodded slightly, her face showing anxiety, and looked towards the delivery room.
Consort Rong chuckled and tilted her chin slightly. "Your Highness, Consort Hui, it seems that Consort Ya is not blessed. Her nine-month pregnancy is not very big. The child in her womb may not be a prince."
"Mother and child are safe. I think it would be more appropriate to change it to 'Mother and daughter are safe'."
The headstrong Consort Rong retorted without hesitation. Xu Lejin and the other concubines lowered their heads and suppressed their laughter, while Consort Gui and Consort Hui were embarrassed by Consort Rong's words.
After a moment, Consort An smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Sister Consort Rong, whether it is a prince or a princess, the child born to Consort Ya is of the Emperor's bloodline and is of the best quality."
"The most important thing right now is to ensure that Ya Chang is safe and sound during production."
With Consort An's intervention, Consort Gui and Consort Hui had a way out.
With a gentle smile, the Imperial Concubine spoke, "Consort An is quite right. Princes and princesses are both good. If Consort Ya were to give birth to a princess, she would surely be just as well-behaved and lovely as Consort Rong's second and fourth princesses."
"Your Highness, Imperial Concubine..."
Consort Rong's face paled, and she glared fiercely at Consort An, who was meddling in other people's business.
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