Consort Jing vomited blood?
Although the official message from Yonghe Palace was that Consort Jing had a pre-existing illness, everyone in the palace was not stupid and knew why Consort Jing suddenly vomited blood.
When Emperor Kangxi learned that Consort Jing had vomited blood, he was still in Xu Lejin's Yikun Palace.
With a cold snort, Kangxi's face showed disdain and said in a cold voice, "Grandmother and Empress Dowager have promoted Consort Jing, but Consort Jing is unable to help them and has failed to live up to their good intentions."
"Liang Jiugong, convey my imperial decree: Since Consort Jing has relapsed into her old illness, she shall remain at Yonghe Palace from this day forward to recuperate. The palace power held by Consort Jing shall be transferred to…"
Kangxi looked at Xu Lejin.
Xu Lejin shook her head repeatedly and said with a smile, "Your Majesty knows that I am most fond of being lazy. Consort Hui, Consort An, and Consort Duan handle the affairs of the palace, so I am happy to be leisurely and serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly."
"If Your Majesty feels that Consort Hui, Consort An, and Consort Duan are working too hard to manage palace affairs, you may allow Consort Rong to do so as well."
“Consort Rong is the birth mother of the First Prince and has four princesses under her wing. She is also highly experienced in serving the Emperor. The First Prince and the Second Princess are growing up, and the Emperor should also consider their needs.”
Kangxi looked at Xu Lejin, not missing a single change in her expression.
Xu Lejin considered for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, if I were to take over the palace power from Consort Jing, I would not be able to take good care of Wuxiha, Unaxi, and Wulingzhu."
"I only need Your Majesty's favor; I ask for nothing more."
While her words were sincere, Xu Lejin was inwardly ranting and raving.
Palace power? To hell with that!
She had no desire to get involved in palace power, no desire to do thankless work, no desire to become the target of public criticism, and no desire to touch that damn palace affairs.
Why not retire peacefully in Yikun Palace and raise children?
Furthermore, as long as the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager are still alive, they will never allow her to firmly hold onto the power of the palace.
Rather than inviting trouble and ultimately having the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager seize upon your weakness to take away your hard-won power, it's better to remain idle from the start and curry favor with the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager.
Then, relying on the emperor's favor, he developed his power in a lowly and underhanded manner.
Of course, if one is forced to take over the reins of power, one should accept it calmly and relinquish it if possible...
After pondering for a long time and weighing the options, Emperor Kangxi felt that Xu Lejin's words made sense. So, with a wave of his hand, he transferred one-quarter of the palace power held by Consort Jing to Consort Rong.
When the news reached Yonghe Palace, Consort Jing was so angry that she vomited a large basin of blood again.
Her breath was faint, more gas going in than out. Consort Jing lay on the bed, pale and haggard, staring blankly at the ceiling, her heart filled with sorrow.
She has been in the palace for three years, and she can count the number of times she has served the emperor on both hands.
Perhaps, from the very beginning, her entry into the palace was a mistake.
Perhaps, back then, she should have stayed outside the palace, under the protection of the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, married into an ordinary family, raised her children, and became a virtuous wife and loving mother.
Perhaps, there aren't that many "perhaps" in the world.
"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."
The palace maid, Shiman, held the medicine bowl and spoke softly with pity in her eyes.
Consort Jing sighed softly, swallowed the bitter medicine, her mouth tasted bitter, but her heart was even more bitter...
Zhongcui Palace
Consort Rong was stunned for a moment when she suddenly gained the power to assist in managing the six palaces, and then her face lit up with joy.
If the timing weren't so inappropriate, Consort Rong would have loved to set off firecrackers and celebrate for three days and three nights.
"His Majesty still cares about me; His Majesty still thinks of me."
Consort Rong couldn't hide her joy.
The palace maids and eunuchs congratulated Consort Rong on gaining the power to manage the six palaces with smiles on their faces, showering her with flattery and making her feel like she was floating on clouds.
Upon receiving the news, Consort Yun, Lady Se, and others, disregarding the darkness, arrived at the main hall of Zhongcui Palace with smiles to congratulate Consort Rong.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on your appointment as the assistant to the emperor in charge of the six palaces. From now on, our eldest prince will be treated the same as the second prince in the princes' quarters. He will no longer have to give way to the second prince in every way."
A strange light flashed in Consort Yun's eyes, but then she smiled gently and flattered her.
Consort Rong smiled and said, "That's right, that's right."
"Caiwei, tomorrow find all my gold and silver jewelry and my rose-red palace dress. I want to dress up in my finest clothes so that all the concubines in the palace will know that the Emperor still remembers me."
The palace maid Caiwei's lips twitched, but she still forced herself to agree.
A flash of disdain crossed Consort Yun's eyes, but she quickly followed up by praising Consort Rong's fair complexion, saying she was best suited to wear a rose-red palace dress and glittering gold jewelry.
Consort Rong was delighted by the flattery and said with a loud laugh, "What Consort Yun said makes sense. I am indeed happy to have the power to assist in managing the six palaces."
"It is a joyous occasion for our Zhongcui Palace that I have been granted the power to assist in managing the six palaces."
Consort Rong's gaze swept over Noble Lady Yun, then over Lady Se and Lady Qing, and after a moment of contemplation, she said, "There is a joyous occasion in our Zhongcui Palace. You are all people of Zhongcui Palace, so you should share in the joy."
"Alright then. Tomorrow, you will all change into red palace gowns and wear the gold jewelry I bestowed upon you. Those of you in the palace should always be neat and tidy."
Consort Yun, Consort Se, and others stared wide-eyed in shock.
Consort Rong's face darkened, and she stared at Consort Yun with a sinister look, speaking coldly, "What? Consort Yun, are you unwilling to rejoice and celebrate with me?"
"This humble servant dares not, this humble servant dares not!"
Consort Yun lowered her head, inwardly cursing herself for shooting herself in the foot.
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