"I just observed that although Jing'er is beautiful, she is not very cunning. If we send Jing'er away, and the Empress bestows upon her another beautiful but scheming woman, that would be a real disaster."
After a pause, Xu Lejin said calmly, "If Jing'er can catch the Emperor's eye, that is her good fortune. The Guo Luoluo clan in the Imperial Palace is deeply favored by the Emperor, but isn't she still just a palace maid? There are young and beautiful palace maids in each palace, many of whom have served the Emperor, but they are still nameless and without status."
"Now that I am pregnant with twins, all the concubines in the harem are focused on the west wing of our Yikun Palace. If the Emperor were to find a new favorite, thus diverting the concubines' attention from us, that would be the wisest thing for us."
Yingchun pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
Three days later, the news that the Empress had bestowed a young and beautiful palace maid upon Xu Lejin spread throughout the entire harem, reaching the ears of Emperor Kangxi in the Qianqing Palace and the Empress Dowager Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager's expression was grave, and she said coldly, "Su Ma, did you just say that the Empress bestowed a young and beautiful palace maid upon Xu Shi?"
"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."
Su Mala Gu pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, “Empress Dowager, I overheard the palace servants talking privately that Jing’er, who serves Consort Xu, is just as beautiful as Consort Ma, Consort Zhang, and Lady Guo Luo Luo in the Emperor’s presence.”
The Empress Dowager, who was standing to the side, slightly raised her eyes, glanced at the Grand Empress Dowager and Sumalagu, and then lowered her head to ponder.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's expression turned solemn.
After a long while, the Empress Dowager slammed down the prayer beads in her hand and said in a deep voice, "The Empress's mind is becoming more and more narrow-minded! A concubine's daughter is a concubine's daughter. Even if she is promoted and registered under her stepmother's name to become a legitimate daughter and the Empress, she will never change her petty and uncouth nature as a concubine's daughter."
"It is true that Xu was her maid in the past. Xu was unexpectedly favored by the emperor and made a concubine. It is true that she is pregnant now. But the empress is the empress who is the mother of the country and the head of the inner palace. She is carrying the emperor's legitimate son."
"In the past, I only thought that the Empress was jealous and could not tolerate anyone giving birth to a prince before her, but she could still distinguish right from wrong on major issues. But now the Empress is becoming more and more unruly..."
With a cold snort, the Empress Dowager's aged face darkened.
The Empress Dowager and Sumalagu exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and remained silent.
After a long while, the Empress Dowager spoke in a deep voice, "Su Ma, I remember last year when Fu Quan's wife presented me with an embroidered picture of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy who grants children?"
"Find it later and personally deliver it to Madam Xu in the west wing of Yikun Palace."
Sumalagu respectfully agreed.
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