Concubine Chen and Concubine Wang entered the palace on this day
In the afternoon, Liu Ying respectfully entered the palace to report that Consort Chen and Consort Wang had come to pay their respects.
Xu Lejin paused for a moment, frowned and pondered, wondering to herself what Consort Chen and Consort Wang meant by coming to pay their respects to her as soon as they entered the palace.
Consort Que covered her mouth and spoke softly, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Consort Chen and Consort Wang are far too ignorant of etiquette."
"According to custom, newlyweds should pay their respects to Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort three days after entering the palace."
"Consort Chen and Consort Wang?"
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, then said calmly, "It's normal for Consort Chen and Consort Wang to be a little anxious. There haven't been any concubines in the palace for many years."
"Six years ago, Yuan and Wang entered the palace. Although they were the lowest-ranking concubines, they were at least officially granted titles. This year, Chen and Wang entered the palace."
"Without a formal title, although she entered the palace through the imperial selection, her status was illegitimate and unjustified."
After a pause, Xu Lejin spoke softly.
"The rest of the concubines in the palace are all Noble Ladies, Attendants, and Ladies-in-Waiting. Of course, there are also a few palace maids, such as Consort Chen and Consort Wang, who are all called Consorts..."
Consort Que nodded slightly, lowered her voice, and whispered, "Your Highness, what do you think the Emperor's intentions are? He is in his prime, and three years ago he didn't select any new concubines for the palace. This year he did select two, but he hasn't bestowed any titles upon them."
Deep down, Consort Que actually wanted to say that Emperor Kangxi was too lazy.
Xu Lejin, upon hearing this, sighed softly, thinking to herself that Kangxi was just like the Kangxi in history, extremely stingy with titles and ranks.
For the past one or two decades, this had not been shown, but now that Concubine Chen and Concubine Wang have entered the palace, it has been shown without any attempt at concealment.
Concubine Chen and Concubine Wang were also pitiful, as they happened to run into this trap.
After pondering for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xu Lejin solemnly instructed Liuying to go out and give orders for Concubine Chen and Concubine Wang to return to Changchun Palace to settle down, and to come back to pay their respects to her in three days.
Changchun Palace
Consort He lay on her sickbed and met with the newly arrived concubines, Lady Chen and Lady Wang.
With a grave expression, Consort He pondered for a moment, then whispered, "A concubine? What is His Majesty up to? I've heard that Lady Chen and Lady Wang's backgrounds aren't bad. Although they are from the Han Banner Army, their fathers and brothers are local officials."
"Six years ago, the Emperor selected two women, Wang and Yuan, to enter the palace. Wang came from a humble background, being the daughter of a county magistrate, while Yuan was the daughter of a Manchu. Both of them were granted the title of Lady-in-Waiting."
After clearing her throat, Consort He spoke again.
“Concubine Chen and Concubine Wang are of higher birth than Consort Yuan and Consort Wang of Yongshou Palace, so why are they only concubines and not granted any official title?”
Consort He was completely baffled.
In Yanxi Palace
Consort Hui's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile.
The emperor was still the same emperor, and he was still very stingy with his concubines, especially those who came from Han Banner families and were selected to serve the emperor in the palace.
She remembered that in her previous life, there was also a concubine named Wang or Chen.
Consort Chen endured years of hardship as a concubine before finally being promoted to the rank of Consort Qin due to her son's birth. Consort Wang, on the other hand, gave birth to a princess, but the princess died young, and she remained a concubine for the rest of her life.
After some deliberation, Consort Hui spoke in a deep voice, "Cunxin, today is the day Consort Chen and Consort Wang enter the palace. Prepare two gifts and send them to Changchun Palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Suppressing his doubts and confusion, Cunxin respectfully agreed.
Peixin, who was standing to the side, hesitated for a moment and then said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I don't understand. Although Consort Chen and Consort Wang have been selected to enter the palace, they have not been granted any titles. Why do you bother to send them congratulatory gifts?"
Consort Hui's lips curled up slightly.
She glanced at Peixin indifferently and said softly, "Appearances can be deceiving, and the sea cannot be measured by a bushel. Although Concubine Chen and Concubine Wang did not receive any titles when they first entered the palace, who knows if they have no chance of gaining favor?"
"No new concubines have entered the harem for six years. These two are young, and the emperor might like them."
After a pause, Consort Hui smiled and said, "If they gain the Emperor's favor and give birth to a son or daughter, why worry about not being formally made a concubine or consort?"
"Now that they have just entered the palace, I am doing them a small favor, and in the future..."
A calculating glint flashed in Consort Hui's eyes.
A moment later, Consort Hui, her face grim, changed the subject and asked coldly, "How is the Second Prince doing now? Is he still not up to par?"
Cunxin and Peixin exchanged a glance and lowered their heads.
Consort Hui added, "If that still doesn't work, I'll have to think of another way."
"I am nearly forty years old and have not served the emperor for over ten years. It is not easy for me to have another prince. For now, I have no choice but to use a surrogate mother."
Inside Yanxi Palace, Consort Hui plotted how to have a child through surrogacy.
A few days later
Princess Shadali, the tenth princess, was also married to Princess Heshuo Minjing.
A month after Princess Minjing's marriage, in October, Lady Wang, a concubine of Yongshou Palace, suddenly fell ill and passed away.
News of Consort Wang reached Yanxi Palace.
Consort Hui covered her mouth in surprise, muttering, "How could this be? How could this be? Consort Wang, the daughter of Magistrate Wang Guozheng, how could she suddenly die of illness?"
She clearly remembered that the daughter of the county magistrate, Wang Guozheng, had given birth to three princes in succession from the thirty-second year to the fortieth year.
Among them, the eighteenth prince, Yin Jie,
Oh no, many things have changed in this life. Empress Xiaocheng's second child was not a prince, but a princess, and a princess whom the emperor did not like.
So it is said that...
The death of Lady Wang, a concubine of Yongshou Palace, is quite reasonable.
She had originally planned that Consort Wang would give birth to three princes, and that she, as a concubine, could adopt Consort Wang's son. However, Consort Wang suddenly fell ill and passed away.
After a pause equivalent to the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Consort Hui spoke coldly, "Consort Wang has passed away, but there are still newly arrived concubines, Consort Wang and Consort Chen, in the palace."
"Your Majesty is in the prime of your life. I refuse to believe that no princes will be born in the palace from now on."
Cunxin and Peixin lowered their heads slightly.
That afternoon
Liu Ying bowed and entered from outside the palace, whispering to Xu Lejin, "Your Majesty, Consort Hui has been frequently visiting the Fifth Prince at the Princes' Residence these days, and people in the palace are talking about it."
He looked up and glanced at the fireflies.
Xu Lejin asked calmly, "What are people in the palace talking about?"
After a quick moment of thought, Liu Ying lowered her voice and whispered, "Your Majesty, there's talk throughout the palace that the Second Prince is no longer useful, and Consort Hui has decided to abandon him, her own son, and instead raise the Fifth Prince."
"Yes, I understand."
Xu Lejin responded lightly, her lips curving slightly. "The Fifth Prince's birth mother, Consort Liang, has passed away. Without a mother, the Fifth Prince is indeed somewhat lonely. If Consort Hui is willing to raise the Fifth Prince, it would be a good thing."
"However, the Fifth Prince is already twelve years old. Even if Consort Hui raises him, he may not be close to her..."
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