The first day of the first month of the twentieth year of the Kangxi reign
As the first rays of sunlight shone on Yikun Palace in the early morning, Xu Lejin gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The younger prince was immediately given the name Yin Chu by Emperor Kangxi and was named the fourth prince.
The little princess was given the name Yu Lu Dai and was ranked as the twentieth princess.
Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed to have twins, a boy and a girl, and immediately issued an edict to promote Xu Lejin to the rank of Consort Yu.
After Xu Lejin completed her two-month postpartum confinement period, the ceremony for bestowing the title of Consort Yu was held, and the palace staff of Yikun Palace were also rewarded.
Half past Chenshi (7-9 AM), Consort Wen, dragging her weary body, returned to Chuxiu Palace.
She sat there blankly, her pretty face contorted with a terrifying expression. After a long while, she slammed her hand on the table with a loud 'smack'.
Consort Wen said coldly, "You vile woman, you vile woman, you actually gave birth to twins again, and the Emperor even made her a Noble Consort?"
"Fourth Prince Yinchu? The Emperor is telling the people that the Fourth Prince is the heir apparent in his heart!"
Consort Wen was filled with anger, but had nowhere to vent it.
The palace maids and eunuchs serving Consort Wen kept their heads down and dared not utter a sound. Deep down, they were also very confused about the future.
Although they serve Consort Wen, who holds power in the palace, the highest-ranking person in the palace now is the Imperial Noble Consort.
The Imperial Concubine has two sons. The third prince was blessed with a divine destiny, and the fourth prince was favored by the Emperor from birth. In the future, the Imperial Concubine will surely be the Emperor's darling as well.
And their Consort Wen...
Sigh, it's a long story!
Half an hour later, Consort Wen's eyes turned cold, and she spoke with a sinister tone, "I will not sit idly by and wait for my death, and I will not allow that vile Consort to ride roughshod over me."
"Even if I cannot be above the Noble Consort, I must be on equal footing with her."
She nearly ground her teeth to powder. Consort Wen rolled her eyes and ordered in a deep voice, "Send a message out of the palace and ask Mother to find a good way to help me conceive outside the palace. I must have a baby soon and carry the imperial heir."
"yes."
Yanxi Palace
Consort Hui was confined to her quarters and forbidden from stepping out of Yanxi Palace. Upon hearing the news that Xu Lejin had given birth to twins and was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, Consort Hui was so enraged that she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Yanxi Palace was in complete chaos.
Half an hour later, Consort Hui slowly awoke, staring at the ceiling with a look of utter despair, and murmured, "Heaven is playing tricks on us. She already has a son with a divine destiny, and now she has another son with auspicious dragon and phoenix omens... Your Majesty..."
"The Emperor immediately bestowed a name upon him, designating him as the Fourth Prince."
With a face full of bitterness, Consort Hui felt a pain in her heart that made it hard to breathe.
The palace maid Cunxin lowered her head, her expression sorrowful, and softly comforted her, "Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, born to the Noble Consort, is still an infant in swaddling clothes and may not grow up safely."
“Our second prince is good at riding, archery and studying. No one can predict the future. Your Majesty, your most important task right now is to take good care of your health. Only when you are healthy can you win the Emperor’s favor.”
Consort Hui sighed softly.
"I am nearly thirty, and have lost the Emperor's favor. I am long past the age of childbearing. I fear that I will only have Yinqi as my child in this lifetime. I am old and my beauty has faded; how can I still gain the Emperor's favor? I..."
The atmosphere in Yanxi Palace was heavy, and Consort Hui felt that the future was bleak.
Consort Lan, sitting in the side hall, was burning with jealousy, wishing she were the one who gave birth to twins, not Xu Lejin.
Even worse, Consort Lan began to hallucinate, imagining that she had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, and was immediately promoted to Imperial Noble Consort Lan by the Emperor, becoming the most favored concubine in the palace.
Cining Palace
When the Empress Dowager learned that Xu Lejin had given birth to twins again, she was granted the title of Consort Yu.
Filled with helplessness, the Empress Dowager pondered for a long time, her aged face showing a melancholy expression, "What good fortune and fertility! They remain silent until they make a stunning statement."
“Previously, Wuyoudai and Wulingzhu, who were raised by me, gave birth to daughters one after another, but now they have given birth to auspicious twins, a dragon and a phoenix. All the blessings in the palace have been taken by them.”
"Yin Chu? Consort Yu, the Emperor really treats her differently. He named a newborn child Yin Chu and even made her a Consort."
With a sneer, the Empress Dowager's eyes turned serious.
"A palace maid in Empress Xiaocheng's palace back then, by a twist of fate, gained the emperor's favor. Now, in just a few years, she has risen to the rank of Consort. In a few more years, the emperor will probably make her empress."
Sumalagu looked up and quickly glanced at the Empress Dowager.
After a moment of contemplation, Su Mala Gu spoke up, “Empress Dowager, the Imperial Concubine is blessed with great fortune. The Third Prince and the Eighth Princess have been taken in as disciples by the immortals. It is only natural that the Emperor would take a liking to the Imperial Concubine.”
"His Majesty is nearing thirty and has only four sons. The Third Prince has attained immortality and is no longer destined for the throne. Empress Dowager, you should make preparations as soon as possible."
The Empress Dowager gave Sumalagu a meaningful look and nodded thoughtfully.
With her brows furrowed, the Empress Dowager pondered for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "The eldest prince is in poor health and only likes poetry and books. Moreover, Consort Rong has passed away. Although the eldest prince has several younger sisters, they are ultimately not suitable."
"Consort Hui's second son was indeed strong and healthy, and excelled in his studies and archery. However, Consort Hui repeatedly angered the Emperor, leading to his dislike of her, and consequently, her second son also suffered as a result."
After a pause, the Empress Dowager spoke next.
"The Fourth Prince is still an infant in swaddling clothes, and is still very young. The Emperor's offspring are ultimately too few, but unfortunately, because of the Three Feudatories, the Emperor has been unwilling to select candidates."
"Even if I wanted to, I am powerless to change anything. The emperor doesn't like the women I chose. Consort Wan and Consort Ning have entered the palace, but they have yet to serve the emperor."
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