The next day, Emperor Kangxi came again.
In less than a month since she entered the palace, Emperor Kangxi had visited her palace five times.
During this period, Emperor Kangxi only entered the inner palace ten times at night.
Such favor was no surprise to anyone with a face that could topple kingdoms. After all, Emperor Kangxi was known for his lustful nature, and after observing the quality of his concubines during her morning greetings yesterday, she truly couldn't understand his choices.
"My beloved concubine's handwriting is getting better and better."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I will practice more in the future."
"My beloved consort is so eager to learn, I am truly delighted."
Emperor Kangxi liked people who were eager to learn. He himself loved learning and reading, studying all sorts of subjects from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign.
An Ning could match his poetry and prose in a few lines, and even his words were meaningful. Although his handwriting was not as good as the masters, it still had a certain elegance.
In Kangxi's eyes, this was extremely rare.
The high-ranking concubines in Kangxi's harem all came from prominent families. In the early years, the Manchus did not pay much attention to their daughters' Chinese education, but rather valued their ability to manage households and do needlework. Even the four concubines were only literate and good at accounting.
The Han women brought back from Jiangnan and the Han banner women selected in recent years were quite knowledgeable, but their ranks were not high. It would be inappropriate for Kangxi to agree to discuss poetry and songs with a concubine in her small room. Not only would it lack the artistic conception, but it would also make the head of the palace look bad.
Emperor Kangxi liked to summon Consort Wang to accompany him on his journeys. She was beautiful and knowledgeable, and another reason was that he could discuss poetry and literature with her, adding a touch of elegance to the occasion.
I'm tired from reviewing memorials, time to relax.
The advantage of Anning over Consort Wang was that she lived in the main hall, which allowed Emperor Kangxi to come directly to her. It was somewhat inappropriate to summon women to the Qianqing Palace to accompany him every day.
Emperor Kangxi was a womanizer, but he was also concerned about his image and didn't want others to think he was a womanizer.
Yeah, so it's like having both sides.
The two began to chat about calligraphers from various dynasties, based on Anning's calligraphy. Anning actually knew quite a lot about it. The conversation went back and forth, and finally ended with Emperor Kangxi bestowing several famous calligraphic works from his private collection upon Anning.
It was getting late, and it was time for dinner.
"Your Majesty, I have a craving for fresh food, so I have asked the kitchen to prepare some fresh dishes for you to try and give me your feedback."
"Since my beloved consort has said so, I naturally have no reason not to respond."
As he spoke, Kangxi looked at the table full of delicious food, which indeed looked fresh.
Seeing that Kangxi seemed to have an appetite, Wang Shun hurriedly began to serve the meal, which Kangxi found quite delicious.
Nowadays, the food served in the Qing Dynasty imperial kitchen is mostly what the Manchus like, mainly stewed dishes. It's not that they're not delicious, but they're pretty much the same every time. And the imperial kitchen is a place that's most afraid of innovation.
Anning's small kitchen was just a simple modification of some dishes, but it was enough to make Kangxi feel refreshed.
After eating until he was about 80% full, Kangxi restrained himself and said, "Not bad, Wang Shun, the person who cooked in the small kitchen today deserves a reward."
“Zha”
Anning wasn't full, but she put down her chopsticks and bowl.
"Your Majesty, I also deserve credit for the dishes in this small kitchen!"
Emperor Kangxi smiled and said, "What my beloved consort says is true. If it weren't for your cravings, I'm afraid your small kitchen wouldn't be able to produce such fresh dishes. You deserve a reward. May I ask what my beloved consort would like?"
"Your Majesty, I have almost finished reading the travelogues I brought from home. I have heard that Jingyang Palace has a large collection of books. May I borrow some of them?"
Emperor Kangxi was delighted to hear this, as he greatly admired those who were eager to learn.
"My beloved consort has a thirst for knowledge, how could I disappoint her? However, Jingyang Palace is always bustling with people, so it's not very convenient for you to go there. I'll have someone make a book list for you later, and send you any books you like."
Although Jingyang Palace is one of the Six Eastern Palaces, it is now used as a library, containing many precious books from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign. The princes and princesses can borrow them at any time. However, since the princes are all grown up, it is inconvenient for the concubines in the harem to go there.
An Ning was very grateful: "Your Majesty is so considerate. This way, I don't have to run back and forth. Jingyang Palace is not close to Changchun Palace. I thank Your Majesty for your thoughtfulness."
That evening, the two had an in-depth conversation. Kangxi was very satisfied, and Anning was also very satisfied. They slept soundly until they woke up naturally.
She felt that this kind of life was really quite good. The timing of entering the palace was also good. There were no powerful figures above her, and she didn't have to pay her respects every day.
The rules during the Kangxi era were not as strict as those in the late Qing Dynasty, so you could say she was quite lucky.
"Your Majesty, the head eunuch of the flower room has arrived."
An Ning put down the book in her hand.
"Let's go see him."
In the main hall, the eunuch in charge of the flower room saw Anning come out and hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects.
"Your humble servant Su Jing greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
"Greetings, Eunuch Su. Please rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"May I ask what brings Eunuch Su here today?"
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department has recently acquired a batch of rare and exotic flowers and herbs. This servant has come specifically to deliver the list to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty has any favorites, this servant can send someone to deliver them to Your Majesty."
An Ning smiled. What a coincidence! She had just started thinking about tending to her flowers and plants when the flower shop came knocking on her door.
The flowers and plants that could be sent to the palace were generally safe. However, there are many similar flowers and plants, and some things that look the same can have very different effects.
Looking at Su Jing's respectful expression, An Ning didn't know if he had ill intentions, but it didn't matter, because she was least afraid of plants.
Changchun Palace is not small. In front of the main hall is a large courtyard, which is quite spacious but empty and lacks any shade trees. It's time to plant some flowers and plants there.
"You're too kind, Eunuch Su. The front courtyard of Changchun Palace looks a bit empty. It would be good to plant some flowers and plants and get some potted plants to decorate it. However, I am not familiar with flowers and plants. I would appreciate it if Eunuch Su could explain it to me."
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