A natural painting, the main hall, Ji Huan quickly waved her fan, and the ice in the ice basin in the room was reduced to half water.
Shuxiang muttered indignantly, "My lady, the weather is getting hotter and hotter. If this continues, how will we live? Why don't we go and ask the Empress for help?"
Ji Huan shook her head: "No, the Empress has been ill again these past two days. Her Majesty is kind-hearted, and I cannot disturb her with such mundane matters. The First Prince is the adopted son of Consort Chun, and I am just a Noble Lady. If this gets out, it will inevitably put Consort Chun in a difficult position. His Majesty has deep feelings for Consort Chun, so let's bear with it a little longer!"
"Your Highness, you are too easy to bully. They are all noble ladies, so why don't they use the same ice as Consort Qing? If you ask me, I would rather tell the Emperor directly."
"How could I tell the Emperor? I'm not the kind of person who gossips. Fine, take some silver and go buy some more ice! It's terribly hot inside, I really can't stand it."
Shuxiang said with distress, "My lady, if we keep buying like this, we'll almost run out of the money we brought with us when we entered the palace, and we'll run out of money for daily expenses in the future."
Ji Huan sighed deeply: "The eldest prince has already married and had children, so it's not appropriate for me to send someone directly to him to explain. This matter has caused quite a stir. I'll go talk to Consort Xian about it later!"
Emperor Qianlong listened outside for a long time. The weather was hot, and he hadn't been going out much lately. He had been visiting Consort Xian more often because she needed comforting. So, he really didn't know that Ji Huan was already having such a difficult time.
He prides himself on being a kind and honest man, but now even his favored concubines in the harem can hardly use ice in the summer. He can't say anything about it; it's so embarrassing!
For a moment, even Emperor Qianlong felt a little embarrassed to go inside.
Then he quietly left with his men.
Ji Huan watched Qianlong's red dot disappear and smiled with satisfaction.
Shuxiang: "My lady, you can still laugh, which makes our lives even more difficult."
"Don't worry, our good days are coming soon. Go buy some ice! It's been so hot these past few days, you've all been working so hard."
When Emperor Qianlong returned to the Jiuzhou Qingyan Palace and enjoyed the coolness inside, he summoned Li Yu.
"Go to the Imperial Household Department and give their servants a talking-to, tell them to quickly replenish Consort Rou's ice allowance."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
That evening, Emperor Qianlong went to Empress Fucha's residence.
"Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Empress Fucha was pulled up by Emperor Qianlong before she could finish her greetings.
"We are husband and wife, there's no need for such formalities."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Empress Fucha said softly.
"Your Majesty, I am still ill, why have you come?"
"I have something to tell you..."
Emperor Qianlong briefly explained the matter of the eldest prince's servant embezzling the ice allowance for Jihuan, and Empress Fucha frowned after listening.
"It is my fault. I am too weak to manage palace affairs. My sister Chun is inexperienced and made such a mistake. Fortunately, my sister Xian discovered it in time. The First Prince and the servants of the Imperial Household Department should be reprimanded, and Consort Rou should also make compensation. What are Your Majesty's plans?"
"How can I blame you? Jingyan is indeed not up to the task. The First Prince and the Imperial Household Department are easy to handle, but it's Consort Rou who has been wronged this time. If Xinning hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known! Consort Rou has been enduring it all along. I want to compensate Consort Rou with a concubine rank. What does the Empress think?"
"It is only right. Sister Rou has suffered injustice before, so it is appropriate to promote her rank. Your Majesty should comfort Sister Rou properly."
"The Empress is virtuous; then it's settled."
The next day, Emperor Qianlong left with a happy expression.
After he left, Empress Fucha was not happy. She said slowly, "Noble Lady Rou, this Guarjia woman is probably more favored than Consort Ling. The Emperor always has many people in his heart."
"Your Majesty, the Emperor..."
"You don't need to say it, I understand. It's just that I still feel uneasy. Whether there's one more or one less, it doesn't really make a big difference."
...
When Ji Huan received the promotion, she was still a little stunned. To be honest, she never expected Qianlong to be so generous. She originally thought that at most, he would just give her more rewards and some gold and silver as compensation.
Unexpectedly, she was promoted.
Moreover, the rewards were even more generous, including a great deal of treasures, antiques, fine calligraphy and paintings, and gemstone jewelry.
Her personal wealth has increased considerably.
She made a fortune from this!
After the process was completed, everyone in the harem knew why she had been promoted. Consort Chun finally learned how much she had been kept from after the servants around the First Prince were dismissed, and then she died of anger.
"Consort Xian, Consort Rou, well done, truly well done. I will remember this loss. Go and investigate why the First Prince's ice supply is insufficient, and who in the Imperial Household Department is deliberately concealing this matter."
She was in charge of palace affairs, and the Imperial Household Department misappropriated ice allowances without her knowledge. There must have been someone behind this.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"This time it was my carelessness. I will remind you to be cautious in everything you do in the future."
Consort Chun really suffered a huge loss this time. On the surface, she didn't lose anything, and her palace duties were still in effect, but she knew that Qianlong's impression of her was probably no longer what it used to be.
Consort Xian gained trust, and Consort Rou gained a rank.
"Your Majesty, you were absolutely right, our good days have indeed arrived," Shuxiang said with a beaming smile.
He smiled but remained silent.
She didn't say that the good days she was talking about weren't the good days she was living in now, but she still really liked the unexpected surprise.
It seems that Consort Xian put in a lot of effort, and Emperor Qianlong did indeed have some affection for her.
In less than a year after entering the palace, Ji Huan rose from the rank of Changzai to Pin, a promotion speed that even Ling Pin could not match.
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