Consort Duan lowered her eyes and respectfully replied, "Yes."
Taking a sip of tea, Xu Lejin frowned and said, "Have Consort Wen continued to make things difficult for you these days? As for matters of palace power, you should decline them if possible."
"As long as you hold power in the palace, Consort Wen will find fault with you. A few days ago, Consort Wen seized upon a minor mistake made by Consort An and took it all to the Emperor. Consort An was thus stripped of her power to assist in managing the six palaces. You—"
With a sigh, Xu Lejin spoke slowly.
"Although you are trying your best to be tolerant now, Consort Wen will not let it go. Rather than letting Consort Wen target you, you might as well hand her over decisively and peacefully, and teach and raise the Thirteenth Princess in Jingyang Palace. Wouldn't you be free and happy then?"
Consort Duan opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak.
Xu Lejin glanced casually outside Yikun Palace and said softly, "Is there anything you're worried about?"
"Your Majesty, I do have concerns. Although I am not the birth mother of the Thirteenth Princess, His Majesty has bestowed upon me the great favor of raising her, and I must consider her future."
"There are many princesses in the palace, and intermarriage between the Manchus and Mongols is an old custom. If the Mongol tribes seek to marry a princess of the Qing Dynasty, then the thirteenth princess of the concubines..."
Consort Duan's voice choked with emotion as she spoke softly.
"I hold power in the palace. Although I am somewhat squeezed out by Consort Wen, I can still arrange a good marriage for the Thirteenth Princess in the future, so that she can be spared the fate of being sent to marry a Mongol."
Xu Lejin was stunned for a moment.
"The Thirteenth Princess is still young, yet you, Consort Duan, are thinking so far ahead. His Majesty has many princesses; the Thirteenth Princess has twelve older sisters. Besides..."
"If His Majesty truly intends for the Thirteenth Princess to marry into the Mongol tribes, what difference will it make if you hold power in the palace?"
Xu Lejin gave Consort Duan a meaningful look and murmured, "Instead of thinking about those distant things, it's better to make the present moment more relaxed and carefree."
“The thirteenth princess is still young, which is the time when she needs her mother and when her character is developing…”
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