Xu Lejin agreed in a daze and respectfully saw Kangxi off from Yikun Palace.
He shook his head, trying to clear his muddled mind.
Xu Lejin thought to herself, "Kangxi's thoughts are becoming increasingly unfathomable. The Imperial Concubine has just passed away, yet he's already bestowing a marriage upon one of her maids."
Moreover, the concubine's maids who accompanied her to the wedding must get married during the concubine's hundred-day mourning period.
What was Emperor Kangxi up to?
With a deep sigh, Xu Lejin stopped her wild thoughts and silently reminded herself that if you can't guess what an emperor is thinking, then don't try to guess.
All she needed to do was be a good concubine, fulfilling her duties by serving the emperor and ensuring the continuation of the imperial line.
In the stillness of the night, Ru Hua helped Xu Lejin to rest.
"Your Majesty, this servant does not understand why you have asked the Emperor to grant the Imperial Concubine a posthumous honor?"
Xu Lejin glanced at Ruhua and said softly, "It was the Empress Dowager's wish to request a posthumous honor for the Consort. I... I was just doing my best to complete the task assigned by the Empress Dowager."
"Although I am not an Imperial Noble Consort, I am still a Noble Consort with a double title. I can say that I have given my due to the Empress Dowager."
Ru Hua suddenly realized what was happening and understood.
Day 2
Emperor Kangxi issued an edict posthumously honoring Consort Xuanyi as Consort Xuanyi and ordering her two maids who had accompanied her to marry during the period of mourning for Consort Xuanyi. This shocked the six palaces, as well as the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened. She looked up at the Grand Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is blatantly and openly slapping Your Majesty, your concubine, and the Khorchin people in the face!"
"Before her death, the Consort was already the Consort Xuan. Now, she has merely received an additional title, becoming a Consort with two characters in her name. Although her funeral arrangements are in accordance with the standards for an Imperial Noble Consort, she is ultimately not an Imperial Noble Consort. Furthermore..."
"The palace maid who accompanied the imperial concubine got married during the imperial concubine's mourning period. How will the people of the world view the imperial concubine and how will they view our Khorchin?"
The Empress Dowager's face was contorted with rage.
"Your Majesty, you must stand up for the Imperial Concubine!"
The Empress Dowager opened her tightly closed eyes, glared sharply at the Empress Dowager, and said coldly, "How can I possibly make decisions for the Noble Consort? Regarding the matter of posthumously honoring the Noble Consort, I have already put pressure on Consort Yu according to your wishes, and Consort Yu has done her best."
"The emperor posthumously honored the Consort as the Xuan Yi Consort and buried her with the rites due to an Imperial Noble Consort, which was already a step backward. The emperor has issued an edict to bestow marriages upon the two palace maids who served the Consort, allowing them to marry during the hundred-day mourning period."
"The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the emperor's word is law. Do you mean for the emperor to go back on his word?"
The Empress Dowager looked indignant, opened her mouth, and then swallowed the words that were about to come out.
She gave the Empress Dowager a meaningful look, then closed her eyes wearily and said coldly, "I told you long ago that Xuan Ye is not Fu Lin."
“You and I are the widows of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Fulin. We should be living out our days in peace and quiet in the inner palace. We should not interfere in the affairs of Emperor Xuan Ye’s inner palace, but you just won’t listen.”
"Now that things have come to this, neither you nor I can escape responsibility."
The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time before bowing her head and speaking respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty's teachings are correct, I have learned a lot!"
Afternoon
Consort Duan, dressed in a simple palace gown with a light dusting of powder on her face, sat down in front of Xu Lejin and asked softly, "Your Majesty, what are your thoughts on the marriage of the two palace maids in the Imperial Concubine's palace?"
"I just came from the Imperial Concubine's palace. I noticed that both of those palace maids were quite beautiful."
Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Duan with a nonchalant expression.
"The palace maids are all carefully selected; those chosen for the palace are all excellent."
"Lingyan and Lingrou were the concubine's maids who accompanied her to her dowry. They had been by the concubine's side since childhood and were influenced by her. Their manners and expressions were naturally excellent."
After a slight pause, Xu Lejin gave Ru Hua a wink.
Immediately afterwards, Xu Lejin parted her red lips slightly and said, "This morning, His Majesty ordered Li Dequan, who serves in the Imperial Guards, to send the list of palace guards to me."
“Consort Duan, take a look. Are there any women whose ages match those of Lingyan and Lingrou in the Imperial Concubine’s palace?”
Looking up at the warm sunshine outside Yikun Palace, Xu Lejin spoke slowly, "We should do our best to fulfill the Emperor's instructions and choose suitable husbands for the two palace maids serving the Consort."
Consort Duan responded softly, "Yes."
Ru Hua returned with the roster and presented it to Consort Duan. Consort Duan did not hesitate and, following Xu Lejin's instructions, took the roster of palace guards and began to look through it.
An hour later, Consort Duan closed the list of guards in her hand. Xu Lejin had already drunk half a pot of tea and gone to the toilet twice.
Carefully choosing her words, Consort Duan said, "Your Majesty, I have noticed that the guards serving before the Emperor—Wanyan Luocha, Wuzhaku Qiming, Suochuoluo Linshan, and Wusuli Chennan—..."
"And the guards of Xianfu Palace, Alute Tangshuo, Xitala Chenqi, Tatala Wangshun, and Wangzhar Yangkun, are all quite good."
"Their ages are not much different from those of Lingyan and Lingrou in the Imperial Concubine's palace, and their family backgrounds are also clean."
Xu Lejin nodded.
"Thank you for your trouble, Consort Duan. I will remember this. I will mention these women to His Majesty later. If His Majesty thinks they are suitable, we can begin preparing for their marriage once the imperial decree is issued."
Seven days later, the mourning period for Consort Xuanyi ended.
The concubines all breathed a long sigh of relief. Xu Lejin sent someone to invite Emperor Kangxi to Yikun Palace to discuss the marriage candidates for Lingyan and Lingrou, as well as the specific wedding date.
Emperor Kangxi frowned as he listened to the candidates Xu Lejin had suggested.
After pondering for a long time, Kangxi spoke in a cold voice, "I heard Liang Jiugong mention that among the guards in the Cold Palace, there are two named Yan Yunxiao and Qin Jiuling, whose family backgrounds are impeccable."
"Although he is a guard in the cold palace, he is skilled in martial arts. He must be quite good to be selected to serve in the palace."
Turning his head, Kangxi looked at Xu Lejin with doting eyes.
"What do you think, my beloved concubine, about bestowing a marriage between a palace maid from the Noble Consort's palace and Yan Yunxiao and Qin Jiuling?"
Xu Lejin's expression froze for a moment, then she lowered her head, suppressing a laugh.
"His Majesty's judgment is undoubtedly excellent. Yan Yunxiao and Qin Jiuling were able to stand out from the palace guards, which means they must be outstanding in martial arts, literary talent, and handsome young men."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi laughed heartily, "My beloved consort has guessed wrong. Yan Yunxiao and Qin Jiuling, though skilled in martial arts, are illiterate and are also quite burly."
"I was just thinking that the Consort's maids came from Khorchin with her, so they must be martial arts enthusiasts."
"I heard Liang Jiugong say that a big, rough man can be very caring towards his wife."
With a 'pfft', Xu Lejin couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After regaining her composure, Xu Lejin suppressed a laugh and said insincerely, "Your Majesty is very thoughtful. I could never have imagined such a thing. The Imperial Concubine's maid was granted a marriage by Your Majesty. The Imperial Concubine can rest in peace even in the afterlife."
Emperor Kangxi laughed heartily.
"It seems that I don't need to specially ask the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to choose an auspicious day for the Consort's maid to get married."
"I think the third day of the third month is a good day. Let the two maids of the Imperial Concubine be married off from the palace on that day!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
