When Consort Wei gave birth to a prince, Emperor Kangxi did not give her a grand reward or promote her rank. He simply ordered the Imperial Household Department to send her a gift according to custom.
The concubines in the harem were all shrewd and quick-witted, and they followed suit.
Therefore, although Consort Wei gave birth to a prince, the eighth prince, he was not valued. Whenever Consort Wei looked at the eighth prince in his swaddling clothes, she was filled with sorrow.
Time flies, and it's already mid-March.
After Consort Wei finished her confinement period, the ceremony for Consort Xu Lejin's investiture as a Noble Consort was also set for March 20th.
March 16
The imperial concubines gathered at Yikun Palace.
Consort Niu, with her exquisite makeup, sat in the first seat on the left below. She raised her head to look at Xu Lejin and said gracefully, "It is a great joy for Your Highness the Imperial Consort. His Majesty has decreed that Your Highness's investiture ceremony will be held in four days. We are all honored to share in this honor."
"Consort Niu is very thoughtful."
With a calm expression, Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Niu.
"The Emperor treats all the sisters in the harem the same way. He rewards those who have made contributions and punishes those who have made mistakes. Consort Niu is young and beautiful, and comes from a prominent family. Given time, she will surely become pregnant and give birth to a prince or a princess."
With a light laugh, Xu Lejin said, "If Consort Niu gives birth to a prince, the Emperor will be very kind and will surely restore Consort Niu's title, and may even promote her to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort."
Consort Niu looked embarrassed and, where no one could see, glared fiercely at Xu Lejin.
With a forced smile, Consort Niu lowered her head and spoke in a muffled voice, "Your Highness is right. Naturally, I also hope to conceive and give birth to a royal heir soon. However…"
"Speaking of the Emperor's reward for the concubines in the harem who gave birth to princes and princesses, I just remembered that a month ago, Consort Wei gave birth to the eighth prince after ten months of pregnancy. However, the eighth prince does not seem to be valued by the Emperor. He has not yet been assigned a number and does not even have a formal name. Consort Wei has not been promoted in rank either."
After speaking, Consort Niu covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "This shows that not every concubine in the palace will receive a reward for giving birth to an imperial heir."
"Not every concubine in the palace is as beloved by the Emperor as the Noble Consort."
Xu Lejin paused for a moment.
Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Niu, then at Consort Wei, who was thin and haggard in the corner, and sighed softly. “Your Majesty is preoccupied with the affairs of the previous dynasty, so it is understandable that you have neglected Consort Wei and the Eighth Prince for a while.”
"Yes, Your Highness's teachings are correct."
Consort Niu covered her mouth and looked at Consort Wei with disdain.
March 20
Xu Lejin was to receive the investiture ceremony for the Imperial Noble Consort. Since there was currently no Empress or Imperial Noble Consort in the harem, Xu Lejin received the decree in Yikun Palace.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: ... Consort Yu, of the Xu Mu'er clan, is gentle, virtuous, kind, respectful, and upright; she is harmonious, pure, chaste, and auspicious; her conduct is gentle and kind; she is dignified and wise. She is hereby conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort Yu. This is the imperial decree!"
The eunuch delivering the imperial decree, his shrill voice rang out in Yikun Palace.
Consort Niu, Consort Tong, Consort He, and others listened intently with varying expressions. Consort Hui, who had just been released from confinement, lowered her head slightly, her face full of jealousy. The noble ladies, concubines, and other ladies-in-waiting below her were filled with envy.
With the help of Qin Huai and Ru Hua, Xu Lejin bowed and knelt down, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I am overjoyed by the Emperor's grace. Long live the Emperor!"
"Congratulations, Your Highness."
The eunuch delivering the imperial edict smiled and handed it to Ruhua, who was standing beside Xu Lejin. Then, the female officials respectfully presented Xu Lejin with the golden book and golden seal that symbolized her status as a Noble Consort.
Xu Lejin winked at Ziwu and Zhulan beside her, and Ziwu and Zhulan took the golden book and the golden treasure.
After all the procedures were completed, Xu Lejin stood up and faced the concubines of the harem. The concubines, led by Consort Niu and Consort Tong, knelt down respectfully to pay their respects.
"Your humble servants, concubines, and maids greet Your Highness the Noble Consort, wishing you boundless blessings and peace."
Xu Lejin maintained a dignified expression and said gently, "No need for formalities."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Consort Niu, Consort Hui, and others were unwilling in their hearts, but on the surface they had to maintain a gentle and obedient demeanor.
Looking up at the sky, Xu Lejin spoke softly, "I have had tea and snacks prepared. All of you ladies, please come into my palace, rest for a while, have some tea and snacks."
"Yes, Your Highness, I will obey your orders."
A large group of imperial concubines entered Yikun Palace. The palace maids quickly followed, serving tea and snacks, creating a lively atmosphere in Yikun Palace.
Cining Palace
After the Empress Dowager finished reciting the Buddhist scriptures, she took a bath and changed clothes with the help of Sumalagu.
"Shouldn't the ceremony for bestowing the title of Imperial Concubine be over by now?"
Sumalagu paused for a moment, then said respectfully, "Your Majesty, it's over. Right now, the concubines should be in the Noble Consort's palace, drinking tea and eating snacks."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly.
Frowning, he pondered for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice, "Having undergone the investiture ceremony, the Imperial Concubine is now officially an Imperial Concubine, the highest-ranking woman in the harem. Logically..."
"Without an empress or an imperial concubine, the power in the palace should belong to the concubine. However, the concubine is lazy and asked the emperor for his favor, so she did not want to interfere in the affairs of the palace. The power in the palace was still handed over to Consort Niu."
With a light laugh, the Empress Dowager continued, "The Consort is indeed intelligent and clever, favored by the Emperor, and has both a son and a daughter, so she doesn't get involved in palace power."
"Palace power has always been a thorny issue; only those who are childless and out of favor will cling to it relentlessly."
Sumalagu raised her eyes and quickly glanced at the Empress Dowager.
"What the Empress Dowager says is quite right. The Consort is favored and has children. She doesn't interfere in palace affairs and is happy to live a leisurely life. However, I think the harem cannot be without a mistress for a day. The Empress Dowager should still advise the Emperor to establish a new empress as soon as possible."
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