Consort Zhao remained calm and composed, and before leaving, she did not forget to ask Xu Lejin a question.
Xu Lejin slowly raised her head, a polite smile on her face. After thinking for a moment, she spoke respectfully, "Your Majesty is quite right. Both the Green Beauty and the Purple Chrysanthemum are rare finds."
"Under the Emperor's rule, our Great Qing Dynasty is prosperous and peaceful, and there is a thriving scene. Even the palace maids and eunuchs who cultivate flowers in the flower room are full of talented people."
After a pause, Xu Lejin continued, "This humble servant believes that this is a blessing for the Qing Dynasty, a blessing for the Emperor, and a blessing for the entire nation."
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhao's expression changed.
Consort Ma Jia, Consort Na La, and others, when no one was looking, glared fiercely at Xu Lejin, secretly cursing her for her silver tongue and quick wit.
After a moment, Consort Zhao nodded.
"What Consort Xu said is not without reason. It is indeed a blessing for the Qing Dynasty, a blessing for the Emperor, and a blessing for all the people. Consort Xu gave birth to three auspicious children, a dragon and a phoenix, for the Emperor. She is blessed with great fortune and is the most outstanding woman in the harem."
With a casual remark, Consort Zhao successfully placed Xu Lejin in the public eye once again.
Xu Lejin frowned slightly, and after a quick moment of thought, she...
Looking up at Consort Zhao, Xu Lejin said respectfully, "Your Highness Consort Zhao is too kind. Bearing children for the Emperor is my duty, and I dare not speak of any blessings."
"Among the concubines in the palace, no one can match Your Majesty in terms of great fortune, nor Sister Ma Jia."
Consort Zhao gave a forced smile, her gaze fixed on Consort Ma Jia, who was carefully protecting her belly.
Consort Ma Jia's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly spoke in a humble and respectful voice, "Your Highness Consort Zhao, all of you sisters are blessed. It is our good fortune to be able to serve the Emperor, continue our lineage, and have many children."
Consort Zhao's expression darkened slightly, and she opened her mouth as if to say something.
Just then, a silvery laugh rang out from not far away. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young girl in a white palace dress chatting and laughing with Emperor Kangxi, who was dressed in bright yellow.
Emperor Kangxi looked at the woman with doting eyes, while the girl in the moon-white palace dress had a face full of shyness.
"Your Majesty..."
Consort Zhao stared at Emperor Kangxi and the girl in the moon-white palace dress with a sinister look in her eyes. If looks could kill, the girl in the moon-white palace dress, with her back to them, would already be dead without a burial place.
Caiyue, the palace maid serving Consort Zhao, exchanged a glance with Lianxing beside her and whispered a reminder.
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhao snapped out of her daze, her face regaining its gentle and warm demeanor. With a dignified and proper smile, she said to the group of concubines, "I think the one in front is His Majesty."
"My dear sisters, let's go and pay our respects to the Emperor!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Consort Zhao led a group of concubines to pay their respects to Emperor Kangxi. Seeing that all the concubines in the harem were present, Emperor Kangxi looked somewhat embarrassed, coughed lightly, and said loudly.
"Consort Zhao, what are you doing in the Imperial Garden?"
Consort Zhao glanced at the girl in the moon-white palace dress out of the corner of her eye—to be precise, it was Princess Tongjia Xianyu, the second princess of the Tongjia family—and said respectfully, “Your Majesty, the servants in the flower room have cultivated many chrysanthemums. I instructed them to place them in the Imperial Garden. Today, the weather is fine, so I have come to the Imperial Garden with my sisters to admire the chrysanthemums.”
"I have disturbed Your Majesty's enjoyment. It is my fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
After speaking, Consort Zhao lowered her head slightly, a sharp hatred flashing in her eyes.
Emperor Kangxi looked embarrassed.
After pondering for a long time, Kangxi smiled and said, "It's alright. In autumn, the Imperial Garden is filled with chrysanthemums of all colors, which are very beautiful. I came to take a look because Liang Jiugong mentioned that the chrysanthemums cultivated in the greenhouse this year are of many varieties."
"In the Imperial Garden, I happened to meet my second cousin, Xianyu."
Kangxi's perfunctory explanation was understood by Consort Zhao and the other concubines. They lowered their heads slightly and remained silent, while in their hearts they gritted their teeth in hatred for Tongjia Xianyu.
There was already a concubine named Tongjia in the palace, and now that she was bedridden, the Tong family sent their second daughter into the palace.
Ostensibly, it was to keep the ailing Consort Tongjia company, but their true motives were known to all. The Tong family was the Emperor's maternal family; the cousins had grown up together and their bond was extraordinary.
After a moment, Kangxi looked at the sky.
After clearing his throat, Kangxi said in a loud voice, "It's getting late. I still need to go to Cining Palace to have lunch with the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. My beloved concubines, please make yourselves at home."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we (your concubines) respectfully see you off."
After watching Kangxi leave, Consort Zhao, Consort Ma Jia, and Consort Na La all turned their gazes to Tong Jia Xianyu, who was hunched over and trying to make her presence as inconspicuous as possible.
Tong Jiaxian trembled slightly, slowly raising her head. Her eyes, pleading and tearful, looked towards Consort Zhao, and she spoke respectfully, "Your Highness Consort Zhao, this humble woman must go to Chengqian Palace to accompany my elder sister. This humble woman…"
"This humble woman will not disturb Consort Zhao any longer. All the concubines are enjoying the flowers. This humble woman will take her leave."
After speaking, Tong Jiaxian bowed and, under the fiery gazes of the crowd, slunk away as if a venomous snake or a ferocious beast were following her, quickly leaving the Imperial Garden.
Watching Tong Jiaxianyu's departing figure, Consort Zhao still wore a dignified and proper smile, but the handkerchief in her hand was almost twisted out of shape!
Xu Lejin glanced up at Consort Zhao, then lowered her head, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.
Women in the palace, vying for Kangxi's favor, could not help but harbor resentment and jealousy, no matter how calm they appeared on the surface.
The palace is a melting pot; anyone who enters will change their personality and lose themselves.
After a moment, Consort Zhao said in a deep voice, "It's getting late, my sisters. I need to return to Chuxiu Palace to handle palace affairs. The scenery in the Imperial Garden is beautiful, please make yourselves at home."
The concubines bowed their heads and spoke respectfully.
"Yes, we respectfully see Consort Zhao off."
Consort Zhao returned to Chuxiu Palace, her face gloomy, and sat upright in the main hall.
Caiyue and Lianxing exchanged a glance without showing any emotion, and cautiously offered their words of comfort, "Your Majesty, His Majesty may have just happened to run into Princess Tongjia in the Imperial Garden."
"The Emperor and Princess Tongjia are cousins, so it's normal for them to be close. There's already a Consort Chengqian in the palace; Princess Tongjia might not be."
Caiyue swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue and lowered her head.
Consort Zhao slammed her hand on the table with a 'smack,' her face contorted with rage, and said coldly, 'His Majesty may only regard Princess Tongjia as a cousin, but what about Princess Tongjia herself?'
"The way the Second Princess Tongjia looked at the Emperor was clearly not innocent. She came to the palace to accompany the ailing Tongjia clan, not to chat with the Emperor."
The more she spoke, the angrier Consort Zhao became.
Lianxing lowered her head, pondered for a moment, then raised her head to look at Consort Zhao and spoke softly.
"Your Majesty, this servant thinks we can inform Consort Chengqian about the intimate behavior between Princess Tongjia and the Emperor, who were chatting and laughing together in the Imperial Garden, and ask her to intervene and stop it."
"Um."
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