Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed and dismissed the court session with a wave of his hand. He then rushed to the west wing of Yikun Palace, eager to see his three newborn children.
Consort Zhao returned to Chuxiu Palace, her face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
“Your Majesty, although Consort Xu has given birth to a prince and a princess, she is of bondservant origin, while Your Majesty is already a consort. Consort Xu can never surpass Your Majesty.”
Caiyue carefully considered her words and gently offered words of comfort.
Consort Zhao's eyes were sinister, and her tone was icy as she said, "Even so, I am still not happy. What kind of background does Lady Xu have, and why is she so fortunate to have given birth to one son and two daughters for the Emperor?"
"Even if Xu does not have any more children from now on, as long as she raises her three children to adulthood safely, the Emperor will not mistreat her."
Caiyue and Lianxing exchanged a glance.
Lowering her voice, Caiyue spoke softly, "Your Majesty, you are the new Empress chosen by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. If it weren't for the passing of the old master, Your Majesty would have already moved into the Empress's Palace."
"Consort Xu gave birth safely, producing a little prince and two little princesses. The most worried people should be the one in Chengqian Palace and the other concubines in the palace."
Consort Zhao pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Indeed, the most worried are the Tongjia clan of Chengqian Palace, as well as the Majia and Nara clans."
After a pause, Consort Zhao made a delicate gesture with her fingers, admiring the exquisitely crafted nail guards.
"Caiyue, Lianxing, have someone send word to Chengqian Palace that Madam Xu has given birth to one son and two daughters, and that both mother and children are safe."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Caiyue and Lianxing respectfully acknowledged and withdrew.
After pondering for a long time, Consort Zhao smiled mysteriously and murmured, "The princes and princesses in the palace are not so easy to raise to adulthood."
"The eldest son of the emperor from the Ma Jia clan, the second son of the emperor from the Empress Hesheli clan, the third son of the emperor from the Nara clan, and the two little princesses from the Zhang and Dong clans all died young in the struggles within the harem."
"Xu is fortunate to have given birth to a prince and two princesses, but she may not be able to raise them to adulthood."
Yinshuang and Hongxia, who were carefully serving Consort Zhao, trembled slightly, suppressing the fear in their hearts. Their faces were pale, and they lowered their heads meekly.
The sun is setting.
The second branch of the Xu family in the suburbs of Beijing
Since Emperor Kangxi issued an edict ordering Xu Lu to stay home and reflect on his mistakes, and the affairs of the second branch of the Xu family were handed over to Xu's mother, Madam Xie, Madam Xie has been paying close attention to news from the palace.
Last night, in the middle of the night, Madam Xie learned that her daughter in the palace was about to give birth, and she waited anxiously.
Xu Lu, along with his concubines and a large group of children, both legitimate and illegitimate, were all sitting in the main room waiting.
The eldest son, Xu Huai'an, and the second son, Xu Huairui, were older and had reached the age of understanding. They quietly lowered their eyes, their thoughts unknown.
The other younger illegitimate sons and daughters were all kept by their respective birth mothers.
Xu Lu was surrounded by several concubines, and he would occasionally joke and banter with them, his clear laughter ringing out.
Madam Xie's face darkened, and she glared fiercely at Xu Lu and the other concubines.
A young maid serving tea, in her nervousness, spilled scalding hot tea onto Aunt Liu's hand.
Aunt Liu immediately scolded, "How can you do such a thing?"
The little maidservant knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy.
Madam Xie frowned slightly.
Aunt Liu then looked at Madam Xie and said with a coquettish smile, "Sister, you are the mistress of the house and now you manage all the affairs of the household. How did you train such a clueless maid?"
"Although I am a concubine, I am still the birth mother of Master's eldest son and the palace maid Wanyin."
Madam Xie's eyes were cold as she glanced at Xu Lu, Aunt Liu, and Xu Huai'an, the eldest son of a concubine who was deep in thought with his head down.
"According to you, Sister Liu, what should be done with this maid?"
Aunt Liu was about to speak when she met Madam Xie's sinister gaze, and she lowered her head sheepishly.
Aunt Liu nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, her heart seething with resentment.
That bitch Xie, that bitch! If it weren't for giving birth to Consort Xu in the palace, how could she, a woman disliked by the master, be in charge of the Xu family?
Xie glanced at Aunt Liu with disdain and said casually, "Since Sister Liu doesn't know how to deal with this maid, I think we should let her off this time."
“Consort Xu is giving birth in the palace, at a critical moment. Spare this little maid; consider it an act of kindness for Consort Xu and her young mistresses.”
Turning her head to the side, Xie looked at Xu Lu with a cold gaze.
"What does the master think?"
Xu Lu opened his mouth, feeling annoyed, but on the surface he smiled.
"What you say is true. We shouldn't ruin the good fortune our family has finally achieved for the sake of a concubine or a maid."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu and Xu Huai'an turned pale, glanced at Xu Lu, and then lowered their eyes and remained silent.
Her hands, hanging down inside her sleeves, were clenched tightly.
Xu Lu felt uneasy!
Back when Fifth Sister was at home, he favored the daughters born to his concubines and rarely paid attention to Xie Shi and her daughters. Now Fifth Sister has become a concubine in the palace and is pregnant with the emperor's child.
Could it be that Fifth Sister holds a grudge against him?
So, taking advantage of her favor with the emperor, the fifth daughter deliberately got the emperor to issue an edict to confine him to the house, and to have Xie Shi manage all the affairs of the household.
Xu Lu pondered to himself, while Aunt Liu, Aunt Tao, and several others who had always been at odds with Xie Shi and Xu Lejin were filled with fear and anxiety, secretly praying that Xu Lejin in the palace would suffer a difficult childbirth, die in the womb, and lose all three lives.
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