The following afternoon
Xu Lejin learned from Ziwu and Zhulan that the Imperial Concubine had not only bestowed palace maids upon her, but also upon Consorts of rank above Hui, An, Yi, and Rong.
Moreover, the palace maids bestowed by the Imperial Concubine were all exceptionally beautiful and charming.
Taking a sip of tea, Xu Lejin spoke slowly, "The Imperial Concubine's actions have ulterior motives!"
"Young, beautiful palace maids with curvaceous figures were bestowed upon the sisters of the various palaces, not so that they would serve them, but clearly..."
'Seducing the Emperor'
Xu Lejin swallowed those few words.
Changing the subject, Xu Lejin turned her head to look at Ziwu beside her and said in a deep voice, "How is Ying'er doing in this palace? Is she doing her best?"
"Your Majesty, I arranged for Ying'er to do the sweeping and cleaning work. Although Ying'er was surprised, she did not slack off and did the work conscientiously."
Ziwu carefully considered her words and replied softly.
Xu Lejin nodded.
"Hmm, it seems that Ying'er, whom the Imperial Concubine bestowed upon me, is quite sensible. However, a barking dog doesn't bite. The more diligent and hardworking Ying'er is, the more uneasy I feel about her."
After a pause, Xu Lejin's expression turned serious, and she added, "Have someone keep an eye on Ying'er. Report any unusual behavior she exhibits immediately."
Ziwu respectfully agreed.
A few days later, in the latter half of the twelfth lunar month
As the year draws to a close, the Imperial Household Department's New Year's gifts are being delivered to the various palaces one after another.
Ru Hua bowed slightly and respectfully reported to Xu Lejin, "Your Majesty, the New Year's gifts sent by the Imperial Household Department this year are twice as many as last year. This servant found that the fabrics, jewelry, and various ornaments are all of the finest quality."
"Um."
Xu Lejin responded faintly and did not say anything more.
Ru Hua pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Your Majesty, I heard that the New Year's gifts sent by the Imperial Household Department to Consort Rong and Consort Duan's palaces were slightly inferior."
"Consort Duan showed no dissatisfaction, but Consort Rong..."
Looking up at Xu Lejin, Ru Hua said softly, "This afternoon, Consort Rong made a scene at the Imperial Concubine's palace, saying that Consort Hui deliberately had the Imperial Household Department withhold the New Year's gifts from Zhongcui Palace."
Xu Lejin smiled gently upon hearing this.
"Although Consort Rong has both a son and a daughter, she has never assisted in managing the six palaces. The people of the Imperial Household Department are so powerful that they are used to stepping on the weak and flattering the strong, and passing off inferior goods as superior ones."
"It's normal that the New Year's gifts from Consort Rong's palace are somewhat inferior."
After a pause, Xu Lejin frowned and spoke softly.
"Ruhua, later you and Ziwu can select some good ones from my New Year's gifts and send them to Consort Duan at Jingyang Palace."
"Since Consort Duan took in the care of the Fourteenth Princess, she has become quite shrewd, always following my lead. Since Consort Duan is so sensible, I will naturally protect her to some extent."
Ru Hua responded softly.
The palace was filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year, and time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, Lunar New Year's Eve and Lantern Festival have passed, and the eighteenth year of Kangxi's reign has arrived as scheduled.
Xu Lejin is already more than eight months pregnant.
"Your Majesty, news has come from Xianfu Palace that the Imperial Concubine is ill."
Ziwu hurriedly entered from outside the hall, exchanged a quick glance with Qin Huai and Ruhua, lowered her voice, and softly reported to Xu Lejin.
Xu Lejin's expression froze upon hearing this.
"Why has the Imperial Concubine suddenly fallen ill? Are the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager aware of this? Has the Imperial Concubine been summoned by the imperial physicians?"
Ziwu replied respectfully, "I heard from the palace servants in the Imperial Concubine's quarters that the Imperial Concubine fell ill suddenly because she caught a cold."
"The Imperial Concubine's palace has already sent people to report to the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital have also examined the Imperial Concubine."
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, her eyes serious.
After a short while, Xu Lejin spoke in a deep voice, "The Imperial Concubine is ill, and I should go and visit her. Ziwu, have the palace servants prepare a sedan chair."
"Your Majesty,"
Ziwu looked hesitant, her eyes filled with doubt.
Ru Hua exchanged a glance with Qin Huai, carefully choosing her words, and said respectfully with a worried expression, "It's cold and the roads are slippery, Your Majesty. You are carrying the imperial child, this servant is worried..."
Xu Lejin shook her head gently, looked outside the hall, and spoke softly.
"The Imperial Concubine is the highest-ranking woman in the palace. She is currently ill. Although I am pregnant, I should still visit her to silence the gossip in the palace."
"yes."
Ru Hua, Zi Wu, and others lowered their heads slightly, their faces full of helplessness.
After rushing for a quarter of an hour, Xu Lejin arrived outside Xianfu Palace and, supported by Qin Huai and Ru Hua, was about to enter the palace.
Inside the main hall of Xianfu Palace, Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and others arrived early.
Consort Hui glanced at the Imperial Concubine's bedchamber and said casually, "The Imperial Concubine has suddenly fallen ill. All the other concubines have arrived one after another, except for Consort Yu..."
"I was confused. Consort Yu is pregnant with the emperor's child, and the child is of utmost importance. The Imperial Concubine is ill. If Consort Yu and the child were to be infected with the illness, that would be terrible."
After saying that, Consort Hui covered her mouth.
Consort Jing and Consort Yi lowered their heads slightly and remained silent. Consort Duan opened her mouth, but swallowed the words that were about to come out.
Consort Rong's eyes darted around, and she said with a sneer, "Consort Yu and we are not the same."
“We are concubines, while Consort Yu is a high-ranking consort. Consort Yu is pregnant and is favored by the Emperor, so she is naturally more precious.”
"..."
As Xu Lejin walked to the outside of the main hall of Xianfu Palace, she paused slightly as she listened to the concubines talking amongst themselves inside. She then stopped and listened calmly.
Ru Hua glanced up quickly at Xu Lejin, then lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Consort Hui and Consort Rong are going too far. Your Highness is carrying the imperial child and is quite heavy. You were only a little late. How could they say such things to you?"
"It's alright."
Xu Lejin shook her head and said calmly, "They're just indulging in momentary verbal sparring. They're just jealous of my position as a concubine and my pregnancy."
Inside the hall, Consort Hui and Consort Rong chatted amongst themselves, while Xu Lejin listened attentively outside with a calm expression.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
At that moment, a sharp voice came from outside Xianfu Palace.
A moment later, Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and others filed out, and their expressions froze when they saw Xu Lejin.
Immediately afterwards, Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and others, along with Xu Lejin, bowed to greet Emperor Kangxi. Each of them kept their heads down, their hearts pounding in their chests, and they secretly glanced at Xu Lejin out of the corner of their eyes, feeling extremely fearful.
Kangxi's gaze fell on Xu Lejin, and he said in a deep voice, "Consort Yu is pregnant, why isn't she resting peacefully in Yikun Palace?"
"The Imperial Concubine is ill, and Xianfu Palace is full of people and eyes. If Consort Yu and the imperial fetus are even slightly careless..."
Xu Lejin raised her eyes and quickly glanced at Kangxi. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. The Imperial Concubine is ill, and it is only right that I visit her."
"Um."
Kangxi responded and strode into the main hall of Xianfu Palace.
A moment later, the concubines followed Kangxi into the Imperial Concubine's bedchamber.
The Imperial Concubine looked haggard and lay half-reclined on the bed, with Lingyan and Lingrou carefully attending to her.
The imperial concubine struggled to get up and bow to Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi said in a deep voice, "The Consort is currently ill, so there is no need for formalities. She should rest and recuperate in peace."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
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