The imperial edict contains the following:
An imperial edict conferred the title of Consort upon the daughter of Mi Sihan and the younger sister of Fucha Maqi, and granted her residence in Yongshou Palace.
Lady Guarjia was granted the title "Jing" and was given residence in Xianfu Palace.
Lady Ma Jia, Lady Qi Jia, and Lady Suo Chuo Luo were granted the title of Noble Lady and were respectively granted residences in Zhongcui Palace, Chengqian Palace, and Yanxi Palace.
Li, the daughter of Li Guangdi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, was granted the title of Noble Lady and was granted residence in Chengqian Palace.
The daughter of Chen Yanjing, the Left Censor-in-Chief, was made a Noble Lady and granted residence in Changchun Palace.
The daughter of Yu Chenglong, the Governor-General of Jiangnan and Jiangxi, was granted the title of Noble Lady and was granted residence in Changchun Palace.
The granddaughter of Yao Qisheng, the Right Vice Minister of the Censorate, was granted the title of Noble Lady and was granted residence in Xianfu Palace.
...
As midnight passed and the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet came to an end, the concubines from various palaces gradually left the Tiyuan Hall and walked along the long street.
Consort Que stepped forward with a smile, looked at Xu Lejin, and said softly, "Consort Yu, I have a question. Please enlighten me."
Xu Lejin nodded.
Consort Que looked at Xu Lejin and said, "It's August now, and there are still four or five months until the end of the year. Why does His Majesty want all the new ladies to enter the palace in February next year?"
Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Que indifferently.
"His Majesty, out of consideration for the new brides, has allowed them to spend the New Year with their families outside the palace."
"Next February, in the warm spring, when flowers bloom and everything is thriving, the arrival of the new sisters in the palace is a good omen. Furthermore..."
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the groups of lower-ranking concubines walking back to their palaces not far away, and said leisurely, "His Majesty is kind and compassionate to the women in the palace, which is why the newcomers will enter the palace next year."
Consort Que paused, lost in thought.
Xu Lejin smiled slightly and looked at Consort Que with a beaming smile, saying softly, "I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet, little sister. You're only fifteen years old, yet you're already a consort."
Consort Que smiled shyly.
"Sister Xie Yu, the Noble Consort..."
The next day
As was customary, the imperial concubines went to Xu Lejin's palace to pay their respects.
Because of the change in rank, the first seat on the left is occupied by Consort Que, followed by Consort Hui, Consort An, Consort Duan, and Consort Xi, of the Niohuru clan.
The first seat on the right is empty because Consort Wen is ill. The next seats are Consort He, Consort Wan, and Consort Ning.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Lejin looked at the newly promoted Consort Xi, Niohuru, and said with a smile, "Consort Xi is pregnant and should have been promoted to the rank of Consort long ago, but His Majesty thought that the whole palace should celebrate together on the Mid-Autumn Festival yesterday, so he postponed it a bit."
"Good things come to those who wait. Consort Xi is now four months pregnant and has been granted the title of Consort. Although she is not the head of a palace, Consort Xi and Consort Wen are sisters and living in the same palace can support each other better."
Consort Xi's expression changed, and with the help of a palace maid, she stood up, her belly not yet showing, and said respectfully, "Yes, this concubine thanks Your Highness Consort Yu for your instruction."
"Um."
Xu Lejin nodded slightly and quickly asked Consort Xi to sit down.
A moment later, Consort Hui covered her mouth, her old face beaming with a smile, and said in a sweet voice, "Your Highness Consort Yu, now that you and Consort Que are both consorts, there is something I don't understand."
"In the past, on the third and seventeenth of each month, we would go to Consort Wen's palace to pay our respects. Now, Consort Que's rank is above Consort Wen's, and she also assists Consort Wen in managing the six palaces. This matter of paying respects..."
After speaking, Consort Hui glanced at Consort Que with a gloomy look in her eyes, then lowered her head and clutched the handkerchief in her hand tightly.
Consort Que was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Xu Lejin with a questioning gaze.
Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Hui with a cool look and said in a cold voice, "Consort Hui's worries are not without reason. Fortunately, this morning, His Majesty sent Liang Jiugong, who serves in the Imperial Palace, to deliver a message to my palace."
Upon hearing this, the concubines looked at Xu Lejin with expectant eyes.
Clearing her throat, Xu Lejin said, "His Majesty's intention is that the affairs of the six palaces will be handled jointly by me and Consort Que, with Consort Wen and Consort Hui assisting from the side. On the second and sixteenth of each month, the concubines of each palace will come to my palace to pay their respects."
"On the third and seventeenth of the month, Consort Wen, Consort Hui, and others went to Consort Que's palace. On the fourth and eighteenth, Consort Hui, Consort He, and the lower-ranking concubines and noble ladies went to Consort Wen's palace."
"On the fifth and nineteenth of the month, Consort He, Noble Lady, and Attendant Consort will go to Consort Hui's palace."
Upon hearing this, Consort Hui's expression changed.
With her head bowed, Consort Hui pondered to herself. When she was Consort Hui, those above her were the Noble Consort, Consort Wen, Consort Que, and Consort He. Now she was Consort Hui, and it seemed little had changed.
Above her in rank were still two imperial concubines, including Consort Wen.
The only difference is Consort He...
In the afternoon, Chuxiu Palace
Consort Wen lay on the bed, her face ashen with anger.
"Consort Que, Imperial Noble Consort Que? His Majesty has bestowed upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort. In the future, when I see her, won't I have to bow to her? I, the dignified younger sister of Empress Xiaozhao, am now subservient to her, having to bow and pay my respects to a lowly concubine's daughter born to a foot-washing maid!"
"I refuse to accept this."
He gritted his teeth, making a crunching sound.
Consort Wen was now contorted with rage, her face contorted in a terrifying grimace. She had lost all her former grace and gentleness, resembling a shrewish woman from the marketplace, utterly devoid of her former noble air.
The wet nurse sighed softly and offered words of comfort.
At this moment, a palace maid hurried into the hall, her face grave, and reported, "Your Majesty, Consort Xi requests an audience?"
"Consort Xi,"
Consort Wen's anger surged to the top of her head, a metallic taste rising in her throat. She spoke with a ferocious grin, "What is she doing here? To laugh at me?"
"Because she was pregnant, carrying the emperor's child, the emperor bestowed upon her the title of Consort Xi and allowed her to reside with me in the Chuxiu Palace."
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