Following Eunuch Wang into the palace, she listened to him describe the places they saw along the way. After about two incense sticks' worth of time, Wang Shun led her to the destination with a smile.
"This is Changchun Palace, the place His Majesty personally ordered for the Empress to live. His Majesty also said that the Empress should live directly in the main hall, and the three rooms on the east side of the front hall should be used as a small kitchen for the Empress. The extra rooms should be used to store some of the Empress's belongings."
As soon as he finished speaking, An Ning had already followed Wang Shun to the entrance of the main hall, where a dozen or so maids and eunuchs stood on both sides.
The head nanny was an acquaintance of Anning, Granny Wulan.
Upon seeing Granny Wulan, Anning was momentarily overjoyed, as she was an acquaintance. However, she was immediately surprised. She knew Granny Wulan's abilities, and seeing her in Changchun Palace now, the Emperor was being far too kind to her.
Coupled with the previous preferential treatment, An Ning suddenly felt uneasy.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Led by Granny Wulan, everyone bowed to Anning.
"This servant greets Consort Shu. May Consort Shu enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
An Ning smiled and said, "Get up, all of you. Bai Shu, here's your reward!"
Bai Zhu was one of An Ning's dowry maids. The other three were named Bai Guo, Shan Cha, and Shan Xiang.
Of the four, Bai Shu was the most steady, meticulous, and thoughtful; she was in charge of managing An Ning's money.
Bai Zhu smiled as she distributed the rewards.
Wang Shun continued, "Your Highness also knows Granny Wulan. Granny Wulan is more familiar with the affairs of Changchun Palace than I am, so I will not disturb Your Highness's arrangements."
"I won't keep Eunuch Wang any longer. Bai Shu, you see him off for me."
Bai Shu saw Wang Shun off. When Wang Shun left Changchun Palace, he had a light purse in his hand, and his smile became even more obvious.
After Wang Shun left, An Ning looked at everyone and asked, "Which eunuch is in charge?"
The head eunuch stepped forward: "This servant is Jiang Xi. Your Majesty can just call this servant Xiao Xizi."
An Ning glanced at him briefly. As his name suggested, he was very cheerful and fair-skinned, and looked very pleasing. He didn't seem very old either, probably only in his early twenties.
"Granny Wulan and Xiaoxizi, come in with me. The rest of you, please go about your business. I will send someone to call you if needed. You may all leave now."
Granny Wulan had taught her a lot. There were many people in Kangxi's harem, but she still didn't know what the situation was in Changchun Palace or who lived there. She should ask the head nanny and the eunuch first.
Upon entering the hall, An Ning found the furnishings to be quite nice. Although they weren't as spacious as her original courtyard outside the palace, they looked very elegant and were clearly arranged with care.
Seeing this, Xiao Xizi said, "Your Highness is the highest-ranking among the candidates for the imperial concubine selection. The Imperial Household Department is very concerned about her. The head of the Imperial Household Department sent someone to say that if Your Highness feels anything is amiss, they will immediately send someone to replace her."
"There's nothing wrong with it; the Imperial Household Department has put in a lot of effort."
After entering, An Ning sat directly on the couch. Seeing that there was an embroidered stool next to her, she said, "Granny Wulan, Xiao Xizi, you two sit down first. I have just entered the palace and have many questions to ask you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The two of them sat down without much ceremony.
According to the rules of the imperial harem, the head of a palace controls the affairs of that palace, and the servants in the palace all obey the orders of the head concubine. Because there were many people in Kangxi's harem, some palaces housed two concubines.
Only those residing in the main hall can truly assume the position of principal and oversee the affairs of the palace.
She had just entered the palace and was granted the title of Consort, and was able to live in the main hall. She was indeed greatly favored!
Anning first spoke with Granny Wulan.
"I never expected to see Granny at Changchun Palace. It's really fate."
"His Majesty values Lord Fei Yanggu, and Her Highness suffered hardships in the palace during the selection process. I know some medical skills, so I was arranged to come and take care of Her Highness. I hope Her Highness can be safe and sound. If there is anything in the future, please give me your instructions, and I will do my best to protect Her Highness."
Without the slightest hesitation, Granny Wulan immediately pledged her loyalty.
An Ning smiled and said, "Granny, you are very kind. With your help, I am sure my days will be peaceful. The maids I brought from outside the palace are all young and not mature enough. Granny has been in the palace for some years, so I hope you will be kind to them and give them some guidance. That will be enough for them. From now on, the maids of Changchun Palace will be taught by you."
"Your Majesty trusts me, so I will do my best to serve you."
An Ning naturally intended to give Granny Wulan an important position; from beginning to end, she made her identity clear: she was one of Kangxi's people.
Anning knows history; it is now the thirty-third year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
The youngest participant in the struggle for the throne among the nine princes, the Fourteenth Prince, was born in the twenty-seventh year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign and is almost seven years old this year.
The order of princes in the imperial hierarchy has reached the fifteenth prince, whose birth mother is Consort Wang. Consort Wang is a pure Han Chinese woman who was brought to the emperor by his servants when he went on a trip to the south of the Yangtze River. She was outstanding in appearance and was very favored.
An Ning was not ugly, but her looks were only average. She was a beauty, but not a stunning beauty. After the 30th year of Kangxi's reign, the favored concubines were mostly Han women, and they were particularly outstanding in terms of talent and appearance.
An Ning was planning to have a child, but she knew very well that the struggle for the throne had little to do with the prince born later. But that was fine too.
Historically, Emperor Kangxi died in his sixty-first year. She only needed to endure for another twenty years or so. By then, her children would have come of age, and she remembered that when Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, the concubines who had given him sons were allowed to leave the palace and live in their children's residences.
At that time, she was in her forties, possessed wood-type superpowers, and had a robust physique. She lived in a manor in the suburbs, where she could eat whatever she wanted and do whatever she wanted.
With this laid-back attitude in mind, Anning felt that it was a good thing that Granny Wulan was one of Kangxi's people.
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