Qi Jia often gives birth and goes through postpartum confinement.
Apart from the time when the thirty-first princess was taken to the princes' quarters to be raised by wet nurses and palace servants during her full moon celebration, Consort Qi Jia did not cause much trouble in the palace.
Perhaps Qi Jiachang harbored resentment in her heart, but she was powerless and helpless.
The Qi Jia clan outside the palace had already abandoned Consort Qi Jia. Apart from her mother taking out some silver from her meager savings and sending it to the palace, she had nothing else.
Qi Jiachang endured this desperate and helpless situation until early April.
When Qi Jia Chang reappeared in the palace after three months of confinement, she was much quieter, her eyes lifeless, like a walking corpse.
Xu Lejin sat upright in the main seat, her gaze lingering on Qi Jia Changzai for a long time.
With a long sigh, Xu Lejin said in a deep voice, "Consort Qi Jia has worked hard to give birth to the thirty-first princess, and she has now learned her lesson. The Emperor and I have discussed it, and Consort Qi Jia is, after all, the princess's birth mother and comes from the Qi Jia clan."
"From this day forward, Jin Qijia will be granted the title of Noble Lady and the honorary title of 'Shen'. It is hoped that Noble Lady Shen will be cautious in her words and deeds from now on."
Qi Jia is always there,
It was Consort Shen. Consort Shen was taken aback for a moment, then rose without any sign of sadness or joy, curtsied, and respectfully said, "This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great favor. Long live the Emperor!"
"Thank you, Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort! Long live the Imperial Noble Consort!"
Xu Lejin responded lightly and instructed the palace maids to help Consort Shen up.
Consort Hui's expression changed slightly, and she smiled and said, "Congratulations, Noble Lady Shen. Although you are not a concubine, you have a title, just like Noble Lady Xiang and Noble Lady Gong."
Shen Guiren remained expressionless and offered his thanks in a wooden voice.
Consort Hui punched a pillow, glared fiercely at Consort Shen, and her face darkened.
Xu Lejin paused, then continued, "The Twelfth Prince has reached school age, and Consort Ding, as his birth mother, has always only held the title of Consort."
"After discussing with His Majesty, it has been decided that, effective immediately, Noble Lady shall enjoy the same rank and benefits as Consort, and shall also be granted one hundred taels of gold."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Guiren, whose heart had been hanging in suspense, relaxed.
It only refers to the allowances and benefits of a concubine, not the rank of concubine.
Consort Ding rose from her seat, walked to the center of the hall, bowed and knelt to pay her respects, and said calmly and respectfully, "This humble servant thanks His Majesty for his great favor and Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort."
For a person of noble birth, whether she is a noble person or a concubine is not important.
The number of copies is not important.
In the past, she longed to leave the palace when she reached a certain age, but after many twists and turns, she was still trapped in the palace. Now, the twelfth prince is only six years old, and there are still many years before he leaves the palace to establish his own residence.
As an imperial concubine, she could only leave the palace after the age of fifty and be cared for by her son.
Half an hour later, the concubines rose to take their leave and left Yikun Palace in order. Xu Lejin left behind Consort Que, Consort Hui, Consort Duan, and Consort Ning.
With a serious expression, Xu Lejin said in a deep voice, "The day of Princess Chunhui's wedding is just around the corner. Princess Chunhui is the legitimate daughter of Empress Xiaocheng and comes from a noble family."
"Due to certain circumstances, although His Majesty dislikes Princess Chunhui, we cannot allow her to have a simple wedding. The royal family's reputation is paramount, so Princess Chunhui's wedding must be a grand affair."
Consort Que, Consort Duan, and the others exchanged glances and respectfully agreed.
Consort Hui covered her mouth and spoke softly, "Your Highness, Princess Chunhui is the Emperor's legitimate daughter, born to Empress Xiaocheng. I wonder what happened back then that caused the Emperor to suddenly dislike Princess Chunhui and confine her to her quarters?"
"Consort Hui,"
Xu Lejin's face darkened, and she looked at Consort Hui with icy eyes, saying in a cold voice, "You are an old hand in the palace. You should know what questions you should and shouldn't ask."
“Princess Chunhui has naturally done something wrong, which is why the Emperor has ordered her to be confined to her room all these years, forbidding her from stepping out of her room even once.”
Consort Hui lowered her head and awkwardly agreed.
However, Consort Hui was deeply resentful, always feeling that she had missed out on something significant back then.
On the day of Princess Chunhui's wedding, the palace was filled with the joy of red lanterns. However, Xu Lejin, who knew the inside story, was well aware that Emperor Kangxi was not happy about Princess Chunhui's marriage.
Even more so, with Princess Chunhui's marriage, a huge weight was finally lifted from Kangxi's mind.
The Second Prince was responsible for carrying Princess Chunhui onto the bridal sedan chair. However, the moment he carried Princess Chunhui out of the room, the Second Prince's expression changed inscrutable, and his face instantly turned bright red.
Although Xu Lejin was far away, she could see it clearly!
Consort Que, who was standing nearby, also noticed. The two exchanged a silent glance, their hearts pounding in their throats...
After much worry, Princess Chunhui finally boarded the bridal sedan chair.
When the bridal sedan chair arrived at the palace gate, the nearly thirty-year-old Prince Consort Hesheli, his steps unsteady, clearly had been drained by years of wine and women. He took Princess Chunhui's bridal sedan chair and, amidst music and fanfare, left the palace.
Afternoon
Liu Ying bowed and entered the hall to report, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince sent Princess Chun Hui to the Princess's residence. After Princess Chun Hui and her consort completed their formal ceremony, he hurriedly returned to the palace."
"After returning to the palace, the Second Prince had the palace servants boil a large pot of water and bathed three times."
Xu Lejin was stunned upon hearing this.
What happened when Princess Chunhui, with her head covered by a bright red veil, was being carried on the back of the Second Prince and lying on his body, that caused such a strong reaction from him?
Over the years, the Emperor has confined Princess Chunhui to her quarters, but Princess Chunhui shows no remorse whatsoever.
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