Consort Xi, née Gu
Gu was born into a bondservant family, specifically a bondservant of the Han Banner Army. From the moment she became aware of things, Gu knew that when she reached a certain age, she would be sent to the palace to participate in the selection process by the Imperial Household Department.
If selected, one would enter the palace as a maid and remain there until the age of thirty, at which point one could leave the palace.
If she wasn't chosen, Gu Shi thought she would probably end up like many daughters of bondservant families, waiting a year or two until she turned fifteen or sixteen, then marrying into another bondservant family, having children, and then her children would repeat the same path as their parents.
At the age of thirteen, Gu participated in the selection process of the Imperial Household Department and was chosen to become a palace maid.
Palace
How should I put it? The palace is full of beautiful flowers, but it also has a dirty, filthy, and unknown side.
When Gu Shi first entered the palace, she was naive and ignorant, thinking that as long as she did her job well, she could leave the palace safely. After all, someone like Gu Shi, who did not come from a high family and, although she was somewhat beautiful, was not very smart, would not be able to catch the eye of the Emperor or any of the princes.
It wasn't until later, after experiencing an incident, that Gu Shi understood that the palace was a bloody and cruel place.
The palace maids' infighting and vying for power, the powerful old eunuchs' shady hobbies, and the numb indifference of the older nannies...
Gu was almost chosen by a powerful old eunuch and forced to become his lover.
Just as the nanny was hinting to Gu Shi to go to the old eunuch's room that night, the Imperial Noble Consort came to select people from her palace. Ru Hua, the Imperial Noble Consort's attendant, spotted Gu Shi in the crowd at a glance.
Many years later, Gu Shi learned that Aunt Ruhua had taken a liking to her because she was honest and her eyes never wandered. Also, Gu Shi's lifeless, despair-filled aura touched Aunt Ruhua's heart.
In the Imperial Noble Consort's Yikun Palace, Gu was just a lowly palace maid. After two years, she became a second-class palace maid.
Then one day, Aunt Ruhua suddenly told Madam Gu that the Imperial Noble Consort had chosen her to be the Fourth Prince's concubine.
Lady Gu was quickly sent to the Fourth Prince's backyard.
After that, Lady Gu did not receive the emperor's favor. The Fourth Prince would occasionally come to Lady Gu's room and sit for an hour. He would also have Lady Gu sleep on the floor, pretending to rest in Lady Gu's room.
Madam Gu was terrified and dared not tell anyone that she was still a virgin.
Many years passed in this way. Kangxi abdicated, and the fourth prince ascended the throne as the Yonghe Emperor. Because Gu had served in the prince's residence for many years, she was given the title of Noble Lady Xi and moved into Yongshou Palace.
For many years afterward, Emperor Yonghe would come to Yongshou Palace to dine and stay overnight.
Without exception, every time they stayed overnight, Emperor Yonghe slept in the bed, while Lady Gu would make do on the soft couch for the night.
Later, Lady Gu was promoted to Consort Xi and became the principal wife of Yongshou Palace. When Emperor Yonghe abdicated and became the retired emperor, Lady Gu followed the retired emperor and empress to the Yuanmingyuan Palace.
During her years at the Yuanmingyuan Imperial Palace, Lady Gu finally learned that not only her, but also Consort Mao and Consort Yu in the harem, had never served the emperor and were still virgins.
After the death of the Emperor Emeritus, Lady Gu was honored as the Imperial Concubine Xi.
A few years later, Gu's life came to an end. As she crossed the Bridge of Helplessness, she saw a familiar couple in a small courtyard beside the bridge—the retired Emperor and Empress Dowager.
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Fu Rendong, also known as Consort Dun
At the age of sixteen, Fu Rendong participated in the talent show held every three years, at her father's behest.
Fu Rendong's father
According to the later Empress Dowager, he was a typical chauvinistic man, just like many men of that era, who treated his children as his private property and arbitrarily decided on their marriages.
When Fu Rendong entered the palace to participate in the imperial concubine selection, her father did not have high hopes for her. He even arranged a marriage for her early on, waiting for her to fail the selection so that she could marry into the family.
During the talent show, the eunuch who was supposed to announce the names called out Fu Rendong's name.
Fu Rendong clearly remembered that at that time, the Imperial Noble Consort said something about "Rendong, the beautiful rose." Fu Rendong respectfully replied "Yes," and then her name was noted and she was employed.
Fu Rendong was caught off guard and unprepared when he was given a nominal position.
Later, the Imperial Noble Consort bestowed Fu Rendong upon the Fourth Prince as a princess. Fu Rendong thought to herself that although she was a princess, at least she wouldn't have to marry the dissolute man her father had arranged for her.
Upon entering the Fourth Prince's backyard, Princess Sakda, who was a few years older and had been given to the Fourth Prince before Fu Rendong, came to persuade Fu Rendong not to seduce the Fourth Prince.
At the time, Fu Rendong didn't understand, and of course, she disdained to seduce the Fourth Prince.
Thus, the Fourth Prince never touched Fu Rendong, and Fu Rendong never tried to woo her. Even when Fu Rendong was over thirty, she remained a virgin.
Then one day, Emperor Kangxi abdicated, and the Fourth Prince ascended the throne as the Yonghe Emperor. Fu Rendong and the other princesses and concubines who had served him in the Prince's residence then entered the palace.
Fu Rendong was granted the title of Noble Lady and was granted residence in Yanxi Palace.
A few years later, she was granted the title of Consort Dun.
In the twenty-third year of the Yonghe reign, the Yonghe Emperor suddenly abdicated and took Fu Rendong and other concubines to live in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. After a few years in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, Fu Rendong fell ill and never recovered.
A few years later, Fu Rendong passed away before the retired emperor and empress dowager.
On his deathbed, Fu Rendong often wondered if things would have turned out differently if he hadn't listened to Sakda when he first entered the Prince's mansion.
If she hadn't insisted on maintaining her 'high aspirations' and instead lowered her stance, would she now be more than just a concubine?
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