Xu Lejin's words were sharp and incisive.
Consort Hui's gentle demeanor almost crumbled, her face turning from white to pale, looking extremely unpleasant.
After a long while, Consort Hui came to her senses, rose tremblingly, knelt down, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness Consort Yu, please forgive me, Your Highness Consort Yu, please forgive me, this concubine..."
"I was only concerned about Consort Dai's unborn child, and had no other intentions. I know I was wrong. Your Highness, Consort Yu, is magnanimous and please forgive my unintentional mistake."
Xu Lejin raised her head slightly and chuckled.
"Since Consort Hui has already admitted her mistake, then..."
"I am not so narrow-minded. Since Consort Hui knows she was wrong, I will punish you to pray for the unborn child of Consort Dai, and pray that the unborn child of Consort Dai will be healthy and safe."
Consort Hui lowered her head, suppressing the humiliation in her heart, and respectfully replied, "Yes."
Three days later
When Emperor Kangxi visited Yikun Palace, he mentioned Xu Lejin's punishment of Consort Hui and her prayers for the unborn child of Consort Dai.
Xu Lejin glanced quickly at Kangxi and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, do you think my punishment of Consort Hui was too harsh? Consort Hui's words and actions were inappropriate and offensive to me. She used Consort Dai's unborn child as a pretext... I—"
"Your Majesty, I am only thinking of the imperial heir."
Emperor Kangxi smiled, took Xu Lejin's hand, and said loudly, "My beloved consort's punishment is justified. Consort Hui has become increasingly arrogant these days. Out of consideration for her being Yinti's mother, I have turned a blind eye to it every time."
"It is not inappropriate for my beloved consort to punish Consort Hui in order to pray for the imperial unborn child of Lady Daijia. I am only worried that my beloved consort is working too hard on the affairs of the harem, which may affect the imperial unborn child in her womb."
Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin gave a coquettish smile.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, Xu Lejin nestled close to Emperor Kangxi and said softly, "It is my blessing to have Your Majesty's favor, and it is my duty to manage the harem for Your Majesty."
"I am pregnant with this child. Although I am a little sleepy during the pregnancy, overall it is not bad and I have no discomfort."
Emperor Kangxi looked at Xu Lejin with gentle eyes.
In that instant, time stood still, as if the world consisted only of the two of them, and no one else.
Inside the main hall of Yikun Palace, a scene of tranquility, harmony, and peace unfolded. Ruhua and Qin Huai exchanged a silent glance, then bowed and withdrew from the hall.
The afternoon sun shone through the leaves and fell on the floor outside Yikun Palace, leaving dappled and fragmented spots of light.
July 24
Xu Lejin leaned against the window, holding a storybook in her hand, reading it with great interest. It was a story about a rich heiress and a poor scholar who fell in love at first sight and bravely pursued their love despite societal norms.
"Are all the storybooks in the capital like this? Romance?"
Muttering softly, Xu Lejin put down the storybook in her hand and said, "If betrothed, she'd be a wife; if she eloped, she'd be a concubine. A pampered heiress, carefully cultivated by her family, ended up falling head over heels for a scholar she'd only met once. Even…"
"It's absurd to run away from home and threaten to kill yourself on your parents for the sake of so-called love. Little do they know that poverty makes everything difficult for couples, and a marriage between people of unequal social standing is destined to be short-lived."
Shaking her head, Xu Lejin looked towards the outside of Yikun Palace.
"The world only knows the love between Xue Pinggui and Wang Baochuan, which has been praised throughout the ages, but they do not know that Wang Baochuan slapped her father three times for love and waited bitterly in the cold cave for eighteen years, while Xue Pinggui had already married a princess in Xiliang and become a king."
"While Xue Pinggui had a beautiful concubine in his arms, Wang Baochuan foraged for wild vegetables, yet in the end, Wang Baochuan was only empress for eighteen days. She endured eighteen years of hardship in a cold cave, yet she couldn't even be an empress, pampered and privileged."
"It's truly absurd and laughable."
Feeling indignant, Xu Lejin complained that the writers of the storybooks were writing haphazardly.
Qin Huai and Ru Hua exchanged a quick glance, then lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound. They thought to themselves, "Since the Empress became pregnant, her eating habits and temperament have changed a lot."
When Kangxi entered Yikun Palace, he happened to overhear Xu Lejin's words.
After a moment of surprise, Kangxi laughed loudly, "What's in storybooks shouldn't be taken seriously. My dear consort, don't take it to heart by arguing with the people who write them."
"These storybooks are not good. I will have someone find some storybooks that my beloved concubine likes."
Xu Lejin smiled shyly.
"Your Majesty, I just feel that those who write storybooks don't put any effort into it. What about poor scholars working hard day and night with rich girls, accompanied by beautiful women, passing the imperial examinations, bringing glory to their families, and living happily ever after?"
"I believe it's all nonsense. The affectionate are always hurt by the heartless, the righteous are often the lowly butchers, and the unfaithful are often the scholars. After a poor scholar achieves fame and success, he's likely already forgotten his wife who shared his hardships, and has taken in beautiful concubines and other wives."
With her cherry-like lips opening and closing, Xu Lejin continued to ramble on, expressing her grievances.
Kangxi felt his head buzzing. Under Xu Lejin's relentless bombardment, he finally had no choice but to promise to find some other stories that weren't about love and romance for her.
Half an hour later
Xu Lejin respectfully saw Kangxi off from Yikun Palace. Watching Kangxi's departing figure, she revealed a meaningful smile.
Love and passion, willing to do anything for love, Kangxi really treated her specially.
They deliberately had these storybooks given to her, attempting to brainwash her and turn her into the kind of woman bound by love and affection found in those stories.
She didn't believe that love was a deadly poison.
Isn't it good for people to be clear-headed?
Falling in love with an emperor would be a tragic thing, but she didn't want that; she was enjoying her current life.
She had no desire to become a woman who lost herself and went mad because of her love for the king.
Xu Lejin smiled slyly to herself, while Kangxi, back in the Qianqing Palace, frowned deeply, his face filled with unyielding sorrow.
Liang Jiugong bowed as he entered the hall and reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has sent people to bring several princesses from the Khorchin tribe to the capital, and they are now settled in the post station."
Emperor Kangxi frowned and remained silent.
After a moment's consideration, Liang Jiugong said softly, "This servant has sent people to inquire. Several princesses from Khorchin are all fifteen or sixteen years old, young and beautiful. Among them, some princesses are of noble birth, being daughters of the Khorchin Prince and Beile."
"knew."
Emperor Kangxi paced back and forth in the Qianqing Palace with his hands behind his back. After a long while, he spoke in a deep voice, "The Manchu-Mongol intermarriage is an old custom. I know that my grandmother was wholeheartedly devoted to the Khorchin."
"Last year, the earth shook, and the Empress Dowager passed away, followed by the deaths of Consort Hui and Noble Consort Xuanyi. The absence of Mongol concubines in the palace was ultimately inappropriate. However…"
In Kangxi's eyes gleamed the ambition of an emperor.
"However, I have conditions for allowing Mongolian concubines to enter the palace."
Liang Jiugong lowered his head and hunched over, secretly warning himself that he must not mention today's events to anyone, and that he must keep the Emperor's words to himself.
After a cup of tea, Kangxi, with the unfathomable aura of an emperor in his eyes, coldly instructed Liang Jiugong to carefully inquire about the character, appearance, and temperament of the daughters of the princes and beile from Khorchin.
Liang Jiugong respectfully agreed and withdrew from the Qianqing Palace.
Standing under the corridor of the Qianqing Palace, Liang Jiugong wiped the sweat from his forehead, his gaze falling on the palace maids hurrying towards him not far away. He thought to himself, "Oh dear, something's up in the harem again..."
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