Xu Lejin slightly curved her lips, glanced at Jing'er, and smiled without saying a word.
Side hall of Qianqing Palace.
Xu Xingxi lay naked on the dragon bed, wrapped in a quilt, her body trembling constantly. Her face was pale and bloodless from the tension.
Emperor Kangxi spoke in a deep voice, "What is your name?"
"Your Majesty, my surname is Xu and my given name is Xingxi."
Xu Xingxi blushed deeply, her eyes gazing shyly at Kangxi, her heart filled with both anticipation and fear.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi paused for a moment, his expression momentarily stunned.
"Surname Xu? Xu, a concubine of Yikun Palace, who are you to her?"
An unnatural expression flashed across her face, but Xu Xingxi mustered her courage and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Xu of Yikun Palace is my elder sister."
Kangxi's expression darkened, and he looked sharply at Xu Xingxi.
Xu Xingxi shuddered and said tremblingly, "This servant and Consort Xu are half-sisters. I was born to a concubine, while Consort Xu was born to my legal mother."
Emperor Kangxi's expression was solemn as he fell into deep thought.
After a long while, Kangxi said in a deep voice towards the outside of the hall, "Liang Jiugong."
Liang Jiugong pushed open the door and entered, his expression respectful.
"emperor?"
Kangxi spoke coldly. "Send them away!"
Liang Jiugong was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Kangxi in confusion, "Your Majesty, this..."
"As for the Empress, I will have lunch at Kunning Palace tomorrow."
Emperor Kangxi looked displeased.
Liang Jiugong respectfully agreed and instructed the eunuchs to quickly escort Xu Xingxi out of the Qianqing Palace.
Early the next morning.
Consort Tongjia looked at the Empress on the throne, covered her mouth and giggled as she spoke. "Your Majesty, yesterday, I don't know if there was something wrong with my ears or what, but I heard the sound of the Phoenix Spring Grace Carriage passing by on the long street twice."
"I heard that Miss Xingxi from Her Majesty's palace was recommended by Her Majesty yesterday to serve His Majesty. Why is Miss Xingxi not here to pay her respects to Her Majesty today? Let me and my sisters see what a stunning beauty Miss Xingxi is!"
The Empress's face was grim, and she glared fiercely at Consort Tongjia.
Consort Niohuru, Xu Lejin, and others lowered their heads slightly, covering their mouths to suppress their laughter.
With a gentle smile, Consort Tongjia continued, "The other day I went to see a play, 'The Heroines of the Yang Family' and 'The Drunken Concubine.' It was a great pity that I didn't get to hear 'Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao.' Yesterday, Miss Xingxi from Your Majesty's palace performed 'Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao' for us!"
“Miss Xingxi was the first palace maid sent to the Qianqing Palace to serve the emperor after he ascended the throne. She was the first one the emperor touched but didn’t touch before being carried out.”
"Consort Xu, don't you think so?"
Consort Tongjia changed the subject, looking at Xu Lejin with mockery and disdain.
Xu Lejin smiled gently, slowly raised her eyes, and spoke softly, "Your Highness, I am but a lowly servant, and I dare not inquire too much about matters concerning the Emperor, lest I offend Him."
"I come from a humble background and have never heard of any opera. I only remember that when I first entered the palace, the ladies who taught me manners discussed the 'Dance of the Startled Swan' performed by Consort Mei of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang."
"When Consort Mei performed the 'Dance of the Startled Swan,' Emperor Xuanzong of Tang jokingly called her the 'Plum Spirit.' After Consort Yang entered the palace, Consort Mei fell out of favor and was imprisoned in the Luoyang Palace. She wrote the 'Ode to the East Tower' to express her longing for the emperor. Later, there were also 'The Great Tang Singing Consort' and 'The Drunken Consort.' Consort Yang died at Mawei Slope."
After hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Xu Lejin chuckled softly, then continued, "The favor in the palace has always been fickle. One may be favored today but lose it tomorrow. Although my half-sister Xingxi was sent back to the Empress's palace last night, she is young and beautiful. No one knows what the future holds for her."
"Whether it's 'returning the jade intact to Zhao,' 'good things come to those who wait,' or 'a fleeting dream,' as a concubine in the harem, one's rise and fall in favor all depend on the emperor. What matters most is that the emperor is pleased."
After speaking, Xu Lejin lowered her head and looked at her toes.
The Empress smiled with satisfaction and said in a deep voice, "My sisters, what Consort Xu said makes sense. His Majesty is busy with the affairs of the court every day. The fact that he did not favor Xingxi, the palace maid I arranged to serve him in the Qianqing Palace last night, does not mean that he will not in the future."
"As imperial concubines, besides the emperor's favor, the most important thing for you is to have children. Without children, even with the emperor's favor, you are like a rootless duckweed in the palace, with no one to rely on."
"Sister Tongjia, you have been in the palace for six years. You must soon produce an heir for the Emperor and have many children."
Consort Tongjia's face turned from white to green, becoming frighteningly gloomy.
After pondering for a long time, Consort Tongjia smiled and said, "Your Majesty the Empress is right. I will serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly and give birth to an heir for you as soon as possible, so that the royal family can continue to grow and prosper."
"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."
The Empress looked puzzled and gazed at Consort Tongjia.
“Sister Tong Jia, please speak freely.”
With a light laugh, Consort Tongjia spoke with a smile, "I have heard that Empress Zheng, the birth mother of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, was once a foot-washing maid of Empress Guo. Because of her extraordinary beauty, she rose from a concubine of the traitor Li Qi to a consort of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, and from a maid to the Grand Empress Dowager."
"A hero's origins are irrelevant. Miss Xingxi is young and beautiful, and also the half-sister of Consort Xu. If she had won the Emperor's favor last night, would she have become the next Empress Dowager Zheng? After all..."
"After all, the Empress's unborn child is still unborn, and we don't know if it's a boy or a girl. If it's a princess..."
After speaking, Consort Tongjia covered her mouth and giggled, glancing meaningfully at Xu Lejin out of the corner of her eye.
Xu Lejin paused for a moment, slowly raised her head, and quickly glanced at the Empress on the throne, whose face was so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it. Then she lowered her head and pondered.
After a moment, Xu Lejin smiled and said, "Your Highness Chengqian is too kind to my half-sister. Not to mention that my half-sister has not yet been favored by the emperor, even if she were, she might not be pregnant."
"Her Majesty the Empress is blessed by Heaven. She is nine months pregnant with the imperial child. It is said that Her Majesty the Empress usually likes to eat sour foods. The imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital diagnosed Her Majesty's pulse as strong."
"This humble servant believes that Her Majesty the Empress's unborn child will surely be a healthy prince."
After a pause, Xu Lejin continued, "His Majesty is young, and he will have more and more children. In the palace, some mothers rise in status because of their sons, and some sons rise in status because of their mothers. Even concubines and maids of humble origins can give birth to imperial heirs..."
Xu Lejin swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue, her eyes lowered.
The Empress glanced at Xu Lejin and spoke with a broad smile, “What Consort Xu said is not without reason. However, whether it is a prince or a princess born to any of the concubines in the palace, they are all of the Emperor’s bloodline and are equally noble and extraordinary.”
"I am just over twenty years old. Even if the child in my womb is a princess, it doesn't matter. There will be another chance to become pregnant in the future, and as long as I become pregnant, I may give birth to a legitimate son."
Consort Tongjia was resentful and secretly annoyed that her womb was not fertile enough.
She glared fiercely at Xu Lejin and said coldly, "Consort Xu is indeed worthy of being from the Empress's palace. She is quick-witted and sharp-tongued. The Empress has trained her very well!"
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