Nongying's words awakened the person from their dream.
Xu Lejin pondered, secretly thinking that it was indeed the case. In the Manchu-Mongol marriage alliance, princesses from the reigns of Emperor Taizong and the late Emperor, all of whom were married off to Mongolia, were young.
Her daughter, Ushiha, was twelve years old, and her second sister's daughter, the fourth princess of Prince Gong, was eleven. If this were during the reign of Emperor Taizong, they would already be betrothed and about to marry into various Mongol tribes.
September 2nd
Consort Que sat upright in the first seat on the left below, smiling as she looked at Consort Hui on the right and said, "Congratulations, Consort Hui! Congratulations, Consort Hui! The Third Princess whom you raised has been betrothed by the Emperor to the Yehenara clan, the youngest son of Lord Nalan Mingzhu. He is a rare young talent, and he and the Third Princess are a perfect match, a match made in heaven."
"The marriage between the Third Princess and the youngest son of Lord Nalan Mingzhu is a perfect match between close relatives!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Hui smiled and spoke softly.
"Thank you, Consort Que. I never expected that His Majesty would bestow the Third Princess in marriage to my nephew, Kui Xing. He is my cousin's youngest son, born when my cousin was over thirty. He is two years older than the Third Princess."
Consort Que nodded with a smile.
At this time
Consort Wan curled her lips and looked at Xu Lejin meaningfully, saying, "Speaking of Lady Mingzhu, I am reminded of something. A few years ago, Qin Huai, who served the Imperial Noble Consort, was given by the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort to be Lady Mingzhu's eldest son, Nalan Rongruo, as his concubine."
"A few days ago, I heard that Nalan Rongruo suddenly fell seriously ill. Fortunately, Qin Huai took care of him tirelessly, and Nalan Rongruo managed to pull through."
After a pause, Consort Wan spoke next.
“Nalan Rongruo is the eldest brother of the Third Princess’s future husband. Qin Huai is his second wife, and she was bestowed by the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort. When the Third Princess marries into the Nalan family, she will have to call Qin Huai ‘little sister-in-law’.”
After speaking, Consort Wan covered her mouth and giggled.
Xu Lejin remained calm, while Consort Hui's expression changed, and her hands, which were hanging in her sleeves, clenched into fists.
Half an hour later
Xu Lejin looked up at the sky outside and was about to say that it was getting late and that all the sisters should return to their respective palaces.
At this moment, a servant from Xianfu Palace suddenly emerged from a corner and respectfully knelt down before Xu Lejin.
"Your Highness, I am pregnant! I am two months along!"
Xu Lejin paused for a moment after saying this.
After a moment, Xu Lejin said softly, "I remember that Changzai suffered a miscarriage at the beginning of the year. Now, only half a year has passed, and Changzai is pregnant again?"
Often, she would nod, her loving gaze fixed on her belly.
"Your Highness, after my miscarriage, I have been taking good care of myself. Two months ago, His Majesty summoned me once. This month, my period has not come. I asked the imperial physician to check my pulse, and he said that I am pregnant and two months along."
Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin nodded slightly.
"Very good, this is a joyous occasion. I am now the Imperial Noble Consort, acting as the Empress Dowager, so I will promote Changzai to Noble Lady and bestow upon her six bolts of various colored silks."
"After Consort Chang returns to Xianfu Palace, she must do her best to nurture the imperial fetus and give birth to a healthy prince and princess for the Emperor."
Consort Chang respectfully agreed.
The next day, in the evening
When Emperor Kangxi arrived at Yikun Palace, he had dinner with Xu Lejin, and the two sat facing each other.
Under the cover of night, Emperor Kangxi gazed at Xu Lejin with affection and said, "The Kharachin Mongols have submitted a petition requesting to marry a princess of the Qing Dynasty, specifically demanding a princess of their own blood."
"My beloved consort, which princess do you think I should marry off?"
Xu Lejin was taken aback upon hearing this.
The eldest princess is betrothed to the Khorchin tribe, the second princess to the Bairin tribe, and the second and third princesses of Prince Gong's mansion may also marry into the Khorchin tribe. Now, the Kharachin tribe has petitioned to marry a princess of the Qing Dynasty.
Moreover, the Kharachin tribe specifically requested a princess of their own blood.
After a moment's hesitation, Xu Lejin said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the Kharachin tribe is not of a prominent position among the Mongol tribes. The Kharachin tribe has specifically requested to marry a princess of the Qing Dynasty..."
Emperor Kangxi nodded slightly.
"Although the Kharachin tribe does not hold a prestigious position in Mongolia, they have always been well-behaved and have never caused trouble. This time, they have petitioned to marry a princess of the Qing Dynasty, and I have considered granting their request as a reward."
Xu Lejin said softly, "Your Majesty is wise."
"The eldest princesses in the palace, the first, second, and third princesses are already betrothed, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth princesses, as well as the seventh princess born to me, are all of suitable age."
After a pause, Xu Lejin spoke in a low voice, "The Fifth Princess is the legitimate daughter of Empress Xiaocheng, and her status is noble. Although the Kharachin tribe is well-behaved, their position is not prominent, which might be unfair to the Fifth Princess. In addition..."
Hesitant to speak, Xu Lejin didn't know how to tell Kangxi about the Fifth Princess.
Emperor Kangxi frowned and pondered for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "The second princess, Flora, born to Consort Rong, has been betrothed to the Balin tribe. As for the fourth princess, Ihana, I plan to keep her in the capital and select a suitable man from the families of court officials to be her consort."
"My beloved concubine's daughter, Ushiha, I promised her years ago that she would marry into the capital, and naturally I will not allow her to marry into the Kharachin tribe. As for Empress Xiaocheng's fifth princess, Burhe..."
With a soft sigh, Kangxi spoke slowly.
"In this way, the most suitable candidate to marry into the Kharachin tribe is the sixth princess, Moyaqi, born to the Zhaojia clan."
Xu Lejin nodded slightly and replied with a smile, "Yes."
After drinking half a cup of tea, Xu Lejin looked up at Kangxi, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "Your Majesty, there is something I wish to say, but I am not sure if I should..."
"What is it?"
Kangxi looked at Xu Lejin and said, "My dear consort, please speak freely."
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