Consort Chu Yun, with a cold face, sternly stopped the palace maid Shi Man.
Immediately afterwards, Consort Chuyun knelt on the ground with a look of resignation to her fate and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, it is all my fault and has nothing to do with the Empress. Please punish me."
Consort Chu Yun's words were a clear indication that she was trying to cover up her misdeeds.
While she claimed it had nothing to do with the deceased empress, she was actually implying to Kangxi that she hadn't seen her family once in the eight or nine years since entering the palace, all thanks to the empress.
Xu Lejin lowered her head, her expression gloomy, lost in thought.
Kangxi's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water. After a long while, Kangxi said coldly, "As a senior member of the palace, Consort Chuyun knew that it was taboo to burn paper money or offer sacrifices to ancestors in private, yet she deliberately violated the palace rules. She may be spared the death penalty, but she cannot escape punishment. From this day forward, she will be confined to the East Annex Hall of Yikun Palace for one month and fined three months' salary as a warning to others."
"Liang Jiugong, convey my decree. From this day forward, palace servants are strictly prohibited from burning any sacrificial items without authorization. Anyone who knowingly violates this decree will be severely punished."
Liang Jiugong respectfully agreed, glancing at Consort Chu Yun with pity.
Xu Lejin frowned slightly, feeling that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She could only lower her eyes and keep her mind to herself.
Kangxi's gaze fell on Xu Lejin. After a moment of contemplation, he said loudly, "Xu, you are pregnant and your body is heavy. Go back to the West Annex to rest as soon as possible."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness."
Xu Lejin respectfully agreed.
Kangxi glanced at the night outside the palace and coldly ordered Liang Jiugong, "Prepare the carriage and return to Qianqing Palace."
"twitter."
Liang Jiugong responded and whispered instructions to the eunuch behind him.
Consort Chu Yun was helped up from the ground by the head palace maid Shi Man. With a respectful expression, she and Xu Lejin spoke in unison, "Respectfully seeing off His Majesty, long live His Majesty, long live Anhui and Jiangsu!"
After making a ruckus, Xu Lejin returned to the West Annex Hall and rested around 1-3 AM.
Lying on the soft couch, Xu Lejin kept replaying the events of the night in the East Annex Hall in her mind. She felt that something was amiss. Consort Chuyun was an old servant in the palace; it was impossible for her to knowingly violate the palace rules.
When Consort Chu Yun wanted to offer sacrifices to her deceased mother outside the palace, Emperor Kangxi could have simply told her the truth instead of letting her head maid, Shiman, implicate the already deceased Empress Hesheli.
Although it was stopped in time, it only made things worse.
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Lejin fell into a deep sleep.
As expected, Xu Lejin overslept the next day, but fortunately, with Empress Hesheli now deceased and the empress's palace without a ruler, Xu Lejin and the other concubines no longer needed to get up every morning to pay their respects at Kunning Palace.
Looking dejected, Xu Lejin leaned against the soft couch.
Half past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Consort Hesheli rushed into Yikun Palace. Outside the east wing of Consort Chuyun's residence, she spoke in a shrill voice, accusing Consort Chuyun of betraying her master, being ungrateful, disloyal, and slandering her former master.
Yingchun respectfully reported this matter to Xu Lejin.
Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin suddenly realized what had happened. Yesterday's scene was not Chu Yun's filial piety towards her deceased mother at all, but a play that Chu Yun deliberately staged and directed herself.
The aim was to discredit the deceased Empress Hesheri, and even to incite Emperor Kangxi to investigate the Hesheri family's shady dealings.
With a soft laugh, Xu Lejin murmured to herself, "A dog that bites doesn't bark. The impression that Consort Chu Yun has always given people is that she is gentle and kind, and for many years she has never fought or competed, quietly serving as a maid in the Empress's palace. Now that she has been made a consort, her true nature has been revealed."
"I just don't know whether Consort Chu Yun's actions now, deliberately exposing the Empress's hypocrisy at this crucial moment, are to avenge the Empress's long-standing refusal to allow her to have children, or whether she is being instructed by someone else."
With a wicked smile, Xu Lejin pondered for a moment, then said softly, "If this was orchestrated by someone, then things get interesting! The virtuous, generous, and kind Empress is actually narrow-minded in private..."
"My lord, be careful what you say, for the walls may have ears."
Yingchun glanced around and spoke in a low voice.
Xu Lejin nodded.
"In that case, we can talk about it privately in the West Annex Hall. Her Majesty the Empress was known as the 'Four Perfections Girl' since childhood, and throughout her years as Empress, she has always been virtuous and kind to the outside world."
Yingchun respectfully agreed, saying, "What you say makes sense, Your Highness."
Xu Lejin squinted, gazing outside the west wing hall, her thoughts drifting far away.
Even the most virtuous, gentle, and dignified woman, once she enters the treacherous and unpredictable harem where three thousand beauties vie for the favor of one man, will do shameful things and change her temperament. She will no longer be a virtuous wife and loving mother, nor will she quietly support her husband and raise her children.
Power and desire are the things that can make people lose themselves and become the most unfamiliar and despised version of themselves.
Consort Hesheli's veiled criticism outside the east wing of Yikun Palace was leaked to the Empress Dowager Cining Palace by someone with ulterior motives, and soon the entire palace knew about it.
June 18th.
The Empress Dowager sent someone to invite Emperor Kangxi to the Cining Palace for a talk in the afternoon.
"Your Majesty, the harem cannot be without a mistress for even a day. The Empress has passed away, and less than two months have passed, yet the harem is in chaos and disorder."
After a pause, the Empress Dowager, looking frail and old, continued, "What I mean is that the Emperor should establish an Empress as soon as possible."
“What Grandmother says is very true, and that is exactly what I was thinking.”
Kangxi paused, shifting his gaze from the Grand Empress Dowager to the Empress Dowager, and carefully spoke, "Grandma Empress Dowager, among the concubines in the palace today, only Consort Niohuru is capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of Empress."
"After careful consideration, I have decided that after Empress Hesheli's 49th day mourning period, Niohuru will be formally established as Empress and temporarily reside in Chuxiu Palace. After Empress Hesheli's three-year mourning period, Niohuru will be moved to Kunning Palace."
The Empress Dowager remained expressionless and said nothing more.
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "The Emperor has considered everything carefully. Niohuru is indeed the most suitable candidate for Empress. Niohuru is a prominent family among the Eight Banners, and Ebilun was a regent appointed by the late Emperor. Niohuru previously assisted the Empress in managing the affairs of the six palaces in an orderly manner, and she is dignified and composed."
Emperor Kangxi nodded with a smile.
After pondering for a moment, the Empress Dowager exchanged a glance with the quiet Empress Dowager beside her and continued, "Emperor, in the palace today, only Niohuru and Tongjia hold high positions, and among the concubines below them, only Li and Wanyan were selected through the proper imperial selection process."
"This is an election year. Although it is already June, if we want to hold a draft, we can issue a decree to set the draft date for the end of August."
Kangxi remained silent for a moment, then looked earnestly at the Empress Dowager.
“Grandma, the Three Feudatories are not yet pacified, and the Empress has just passed away. I really have no mind to select concubines. In the harem, the Niohuru clan, the Tongjia clan, and the concubines below are all excellent.”
Emperor Kangxi was adamant in his stance. The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager exchanged a glance and could only shake their heads helplessly, reluctantly abandoning the matter of selecting concubines.
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