In the blink of an eye, several years have passed. In the twenty-third year of Kangxi's reign, Wu Lingzhu was fourteen years old.
In recent years, Wu Lingzhu and Consort Cheng have reached a tacit understanding. Consort Cheng knows that she has no chance of being favored by the emperor, so she is preparing to side with Wu Lingzhu.
"Congratulations, little sister."
Wu Lingzhu lowered her head, feigning shyness, and said with an embarrassed expression, "Sister was teasing me, wasn't she?"
"I was just teasing you. Now that you're menstruating, with your family background and looks, how could the Emperor not like you?"
"Then I'll take your kind words, sister."
Compared to her first life, Wu Lingzhu's appearance has changed in this life; she is more beautiful now. Perhaps it's because she has copied Buddhist scriptures a lot in recent years, which has made her more Buddhist in nature. This is something she didn't expect, but this change is not a bad thing.
This face made the Empress Dowager very fond of it; it gave people a sense of security.
In the Qianqing Palace, a green plaque was presented. Kangxi immediately noticed Wu Lingzhu's plaque, which read "Hesheli Gege".
That's when he remembered this person.
"Unahi's younger sister, I remember she entered the palace in the nineteenth year, and it has been four years now. I have heard about her a few times from the Empress Dowager. She is said to be a filial daughter. I will take a look at her today, and she will be the one!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Even if he was angry, he would have calmed down in a few years. He would give face to the Empress Dowager, and he couldn't ignore the face of the Hesheli family because of the Crown Prince, although he was somewhat unwilling.
Chuxiu Palace.
"Princess, someone from the Imperial Household Department has arrived."
Wu Lingzhu came out, smiled as she accepted the imperial decree, and that night she would serve the emperor in bed.
In the evening, Wu Lingzhu was given a bath by her nanny and then carried to the Qianqing Palace in a sedan chair. She was only wearing her undergarments and sat waiting for Emperor Kangxi.
While waiting, her thoughts drifted back to the time when she first served the emperor in her first life.
She was brought in in a daze. Kangxi didn't come in until very late. She was trembling with fear and had a very bad first impression. Kangxi probably didn't feel much better either.
From then on, she rarely received his favor, sometimes not even once a month. When she did receive his favor, she would soon fall out of favor; this was not just a casual remark.
She didn't compete for favor, and her treatment in the harem was quite good.
If it weren't for that child later, she might have resigned herself to her fate for the rest of her life.
As she pondered this, she sat on the bed and closed her eyes.
When Emperor Kangxi entered, he was stunned by a painting of Guanyin sitting in meditation by candlelight.
The Buddha-nature was so profound that even the most elegant and refined descriptions could not capture it. For a moment, Kangxi thought this was not his bedroom, but a small Buddhist shrine dedicated to Guanyin.
Wu Lingzhu was beautiful in a relaxed and Buddhist way, especially when she closed her eyes. He couldn't help but walk closer. Guanyin was sitting on his bed, but he couldn't feel any remorse in his heart.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Wu Lingzhu slowly opened her eyes, revealing a hint of humanity.
Emperor Kangxi smiled and asked, "You are Unaxi's sister. What is your name?"
Wu Lingzhu rose and bowed: "Greetings, Your Majesty. My name is Wu Lingzhu."
Kangxi pulled her to sit on the bed and said, "Wulingzhu, what a beautiful name."
Wu Lingzhu's voice was not soft and sweet, but rather cold and clear, with a hint of doubt in her tone.
In that moment of bewilderment, Kangxi had to admit that his heart was surging with emotion.
Do you know what you're supposed to do?
Wu Lingzhu then became a little shy, but her tone remained aloof: "The nanny has given me some instructions."
Emperor Kangxi chuckled: "Let me see how well you've learned."
After saying that, Kangxi took her hand and placed it on the buttons on his chest: "Unbutton them for me."
Wu Lingzhu remained "calm" as she shakily unbuttoned his clothes. Her movements were clumsy, but Kangxi was exceptionally patient. When she had unbuttoned all the clothes, Wu Lingzhu looked at his strong physique and blushed.
This wasn't an act. Emperor Kangxi's face wasn't particularly refined or handsome, but he had an outstanding temperament and a great physique.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Emperor Kangxi's forehead.
"It seems my beloved concubine still has room for improvement. I will teach you how to untie the knot."
Emperor Kangxi was indeed very experienced in this regard.
The two were completely honest with each other.
"Your Majesty~"
"Close your eyes and call out."
With her eyes closed, she looks even more like Guanyin.
Wu Lingzhu: ...
How disgusting! They really know how to play dirty tricks.
When Wu Lingzhu woke up the next morning, her voice was hoarse.
Only after that night did she become a formal concubine and gain the right to pay her respects to the Imperial Noble Consort.
However, since Consort Tong was not the Empress, she only needed to pay her respects on the first and fifteenth of the month. Ordinary concubines would definitely take the initiative to pay their respects at Chengqian Palace on their first night with the Emperor as a sign of respect, but Wu Lingzhu did not need to.
Although this was her first time serving the emperor, she had been in the palace for several years. Moreover, she was the younger sister of the Empress Dowager. What was the point of her being so eager to be with Consort Tong?
In addition, she was really exhausted.
After waking up, she went straight back to Chuxiu Palace and slept soundly for a long time.
Chengqian Palace.
"Last night, it was that princess from Chuxiu Palace who served the emperor! As expected, she didn't come to pay her respects."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. The Emperor has not seen her even once in the years since she entered the palace, which shows that he doesn't care. Since she doesn't come to pay her respects, Your Majesty can rest more!"
“You’re right, but once she’s served the emperor, her rank should be set. I just don’t know what rank the emperor will give her.”
"This servant thinks there will probably only be one concubine. If there were no crown prince, perhaps there would be a chance for a noble consort. His Majesty will not disrupt the balance."
"Too!"
The mistress and servant felt they knew Kangxi well, and in fact, they weren't wrong. If Wu Lingzhu hadn't made arrangements beforehand, or if her face had been more ordinary, she would most likely have been a concubine.
There are no "what ifs" in this world, are there?
After waking up, Wu Lingzhu was also thinking about her rank. At least it wouldn't be worse than in her first life. She was at least a concubine, but this time she should have a title.
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