A few days later
Emperor Kangxi visited Yikun Palace and dined with Xu Lejin.
After dinner, Xu Lejin softly mentioned the pregnant Consort Yu and Consort Chen, carefully choosing her words, "Your Majesty, Consort Yu and Consort Chen entered the palace in the twenty-second year, and it has been five years since then, yet they have never been promoted."
"Consort Yu and Consort Chen have been dutiful and dutiful in serving Your Majesty. Now that they are pregnant, will Your Majesty reward them?"
"What does my beloved concubine mean?"
Emperor Kangxi gazed intently at Xu Lejin, frowned and pondered for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "Although Yu and Chen have been in the palace for many years, they have just become pregnant. We do not know whether the child in their womb is a prince or a princess."
"If we rashly promote them now, it may make them the target of everyone in the harem, which would be detrimental to the unborn children in their wombs."
Xu Lejin nodded and gave a slight nod.
"Yes, Your Majesty is very thoughtful. It was my oversight. Above Noble Lady is the rank of Consort. If Noble Lady Yu and Noble Lady Chen are to be promoted to the rank of Consort, a formal investiture ceremony will be necessary. However, Noble Lady Yu and Noble Lady Chen are pregnant and should not be overworked."
Kangxi nodded, looking at Xu Lejin with affection, "My beloved consort is now an Imperial Noble Consort, in charge of palace affairs, and also has to take care of Yinchu, Yuludai, Yinshi and Yinshi. You have worked hard."
Xu Lejin had a gentle expression and her eyes were full of smiles.
She looked up at Kangxi with a coquettish glance and said softly, "I don't feel tired from relieving Your Majesty's worries. It is Your Majesty who is tired from working hard for the affairs of the previous dynasty."
"Um,"
Emperor Kangxi laughed heartily, looking at Xu Lejin with doting eyes. "My beloved consort is virtuous. It is my blessing and the blessing of the Qing Dynasty to have her as my wise and capable wife in this life."
Xu Lejin gave Kangxi a coquettish look, her face slightly flushed.
After a moment of quick thought, she said in a voice barely audible, "Your Majesty is too kind to me. It is my blessing to be able to serve Your Majesty and attend to you."
"Hahaha,"
Inside the Yikun Palace, Emperor Kangxi and Empress Xu Lejin were chatting happily.
Xianfu Palace
When Consort Ji heard the palace servants' report that Emperor Kangxi had gone to Yikun Palace, his face was so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
Her teeth nearly shattered from clenching, Consort Ji said coldly, "The Imperial Noble Consort is over thirty, a woman past her prime, yet she still entices the Emperor to frequently visit Yikun Palace. I—"
"It is pitiful that I, in the prime of my life, must spend every night alone in my empty chamber."
With a resentful look in her eyes, Consort Ji spoke slowly, "Ever since I gave birth to the twenty-sixth princess, the Emperor has not come to my palace. Although I am a concubine, I have clearly fallen out of favor."
The palace maids serving Consort Ji lowered their heads slightly, not daring to utter a sound.
After a short while, Consort Ji clenched her fists, her hands hanging in her sleeves, and said in a deep voice, "In the palace, a disfavored concubine's position is not as good as that of a favored noblewoman, a lady-in-waiting, or a lady-in-waiting."
"Consort Yu and Consort Chen, you entered the palace with me, and now you are pregnant. I..."
After a pause, Consort Ji seemed to have made up her mind.
"I entered the palace bearing the weight of the Yao family and my grandfather's earnest expectations. Now that I am still young, I should give birth to a younger brother for the twenty-sixth princess as soon as possible."
"Miaoxin, prepare a fertility-enhancing herbal decoction for me, based on the prescription my grandfather had sent to the palace a few days ago."
The palace maid Miaoxin paused for a moment, then hesitated before speaking, "Your Highness, every medicine has some degree of toxicity. Although the prescription I saw has a miraculous effect in helping with fertility, it is indeed very potent and will be harmful to Your Highness's health!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Ji gave a cold smile.
"It's all or nothing. Rather than living a life of widowhood in the palace with the empty title of concubine, I'd rather take a gamble and see what happens, what if I'm lucky enough to survive?"
Miao Xin sighed softly and lowered her head in deep thought.
After a moment, Miaoxin respectfully agreed, thinking to herself that everything is fate. Just as the Empress said, how would she know if she didn't take a gamble?
Many things in the palace are done through gambling.
Two weeks later
Liu Ying respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, last night Consort Ji played the pipa, and the music attracted His Majesty. He went to Consort Ji's palace and stayed there afterward."
Xu Lejin was taken aback upon hearing this.
"Didn't His Majesty choose Consort Qi yesterday?"
Liu Ying nodded and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty did indeed choose Consort Qi's nameplate, but last night it was Consort Ji who served him. This servant..."
"I heard that last night, the Phoenix Spring Grace Carriage took Consort Qi to the Qianqing Palace. Consort Qi waited there all night and was sent back to the Chuxiu Palace in tears this morning."
Nodding, Xu Lejin put down the pruning shears in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Liuying, you should go to Chuxiu Palace in person to comfort and console Consort Qi."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Three days later
Qingtan entered the hall with a solemn expression and said to Xu Lejin in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this afternoon, His Majesty was supposed to have lunch with Consort Ning at Zhongcui Palace, but he encountered Consort Ji in the Imperial Garden..."
Xu Lejin: "..."
Qingtan took a deep breath, then braced herself and spoke. "His Majesty hesitated for a moment, then went to Xianfu Palace with Consort Ji."
He nodded slightly.
Xu Lejin paused for a moment, then said softly, "I know. As for Consort Ning, tell her to relax and not to argue with Consort Ji."
"His Majesty has his own reasons for going to Consort Ji's palace."
Five more days passed.
In the afternoon, Emperor Kangxi sent word that he would come to Yikun Palace that night.
As night fell, Xu Lejin waited and waited, but Kangxi did not appear. Instead, Li Dequan, who was attending to the emperor, arrived. Li Dequan looked embarrassed and bowed and scraped, saying, "Your Highness, Imperial Noble Consort, Your Majesty..."
"His Majesty has gone to Consort Ji's palace. My master sent me to inform the Imperial Noble Consort that you need not wait for His Majesty."
Xu Lejin looked surprised.
It's bad enough that Consort Ji has been intercepting the favors of lower-ranking concubines in the harem, but now she's gone so far as to intercept the Emperor halfway to his palace. Is Consort Ji out of her mind?
Driven by a desire for favor, they became incredibly audacious.
With a slightly somber expression, Xu Lejin said coldly, "I understand. Thank you, Eunuch Li. It's late at night, the dew is heavy, there's puddles on the ground, and the road is slippery."
"Nongying, see Eunuch Li off for me."
"yes,"
Nongying responded, picked up the lantern, and saw Li Dequan out.
A moment later, Nongying returned, lowered her voice, and respectfully reported to Xu Lejin, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Li just told me that His Majesty seems to become a different person every time he sees Consort Ji."
"It seems that Consort Ji possesses some kind of magical power..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin's heart skipped a beat.
Is it magic? The Emperor loses his mind whenever he sees Consort Ji?
Could it be that Consort Ji, in her quest for the Emperor's favor, has become so audacious as to do something that harms the Emperor's health?
With a furrowed brow and deep in thought for a long time, Xu Lejin said in a serious voice, "Nongying, go and investigate. Make sure you find out exactly what Consort Ji did to the Emperor."
"This servant understands."
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