The matter of Xia agreeing to poison Anning quickly passed; it had some impact, but not much.
The main reason is that at this moment, the focus of the court and the harem is on the court. The eldest prince and the crown prince are vying fiercely for power. The court and the harem are closely connected, so they are naturally watching and observing.
Even after recovering, Anning remained a favored concubine.
An Ning was able to remain calm and composed despite such favor. Knowing why she was favored, she was no longer flustered.
The Imperial Household Department sent another batch of flowers and plants, which were even more precious and rare than the previous ones. Anning personally inspected them and found no problems whatsoever.
When an emperor truly cares for someone, his protection is comprehensive, which is quite moving for Anning.
With Kangxi as her protector, Anning temporarily lost interest in making poisons. Her daughter purified some plant essences and essential oils to use for skin care, and Anning focused on reading and having fun.
"Your Majesty, someone from the Imperial Household Department has arrived; the jade plaque is ready."
"You've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you. Let them in."
An Ning smiled brightly; it was all about her mahjong!
After inquiring, Anning learned that mahjong already existed in the Qing Dynasty, but it wasn't called mahjong. It wasn't played in the palace, but many people in the common people played it. So Anning asked the Imperial Household Department to make a set.
Emperor Kangxi was a generous man and gave her a lot of raw jade stones. She found a large one and had it made into "jade tablets," which are actually mahjong tiles.
As for the name "Jade Plaque," it was An Ning who gave it to her. Everyone says that the Qing Dynasty has been overused, and she was afraid that another time-traveling woman would come along. She didn't have the idea of being moved to tears when meeting someone from the same hometown. If she revealed her trump card, wouldn't she be afraid of dying fast enough?
Therefore, the "jade plaque" is very good. It has a popular foundation, and she made some slight modifications to ensure that even a time-traveling woman would be suspicious of it.
"This servant greets Consort Shu. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings."
"Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. The jade pendant you requested has been made. Please take a look and see if it suits your taste. If you find it unsatisfactory, this servant will have the craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department redo it."
After she finished speaking, a young eunuch approached with a tray. An Ning picked up a jade pendant and examined it carefully. It was quite nice, made entirely of mutton fat white jade, warm and smooth to the touch, and the carving was superb.
This can already be considered a work of art.
“It’s already done very well, Baiguo, reward him, and also give the craftsman some extra silver.”
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty."
After the people from the Imperial Household Department left, Bai Guo smiled and said, "Your Highness, how do you play with this jade pendant? Please teach this servant."
Bai Guo was the most lively among her close friends, and An Ning liked this liveliness. Knowing that the jade pendant was for playing games, Bai Guo was the first to be unable to contain herself.
Since the concubines in the harem could not go out, their entertainment was scarce. The predecessor of this jade pendant was called Ma Diao Pai, which was popular in coastal areas and became very popular in the Ming Dynasty. However, Emperor Kangxi banned gambling, so naturally no one in the palace knew how to play Ma Diao Pai.
Anning dared to do this simply by changing some of the complex and varied gameplay, altering some of the Mahjong tile designs, and making the Mahjong tiles out of jade.
They simply gambled and played games in a less blatant manner, and even if Emperor Kangxi found out, he wouldn't say anything.
Even so, Anning still decided to inform Kangxi in advance to avoid being gossiped about later.
"Chunlan, put the jade tablet into the storeroom first, and have the small kitchen prepare a soup to send to the Qianqing Palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The concubines would send food to the emperor in order to win his favor. Whether the emperor ate it or not was one thing, whether he went to the palace that night was another.
This soup is an invitation sent by the concubines themselves. Whether or not to accept it is entirely up to the Emperor. This is the first time Anning has served soup to the Emperor. If there is nothing major happening in the court, Kangxi probably won't embarrass her.
As An Ning had predicted, when Kangxi heard Liang Jiugong say that the soup was sent by Consort Shu of Changchun Palace, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
"Consort Shu? If I remember correctly, this was the first time she brought me soup. Consort Shu is not an arrogant person. It seems she has something to say. Tell the Imperial Household Department that we will not be choosing a concubine tonight when we go to Changchun Palace."
"Your Majesty, what about the soup?"
Emperor Kangxi smiled and said, "The food in the small kitchen of Changchun Palace is exquisite. Let me try it. Serve a bowl for me, and the rest is yours."
Liang Jiugong also smiled. As someone in the know, he naturally hoped that Kangxi would have a closer relationship with Anning, as this would be more conducive to the stability of Changchun Palace.
"Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty. This servant is blessed. I have long heard of the small kitchen in Changchun Palace, and today I am fortunate enough to have a taste."
"All you do is act silly. Go down and have some soup. Let the eunuchs take care of the serving."
"Yes, sir."
That evening, Emperor Kangxi arrived at Changchun Palace. Anning was wearing newly made clothes, and she was more beautiful than any flower. A hint of amazement flashed in Kangxi's eyes.
It wasn't that Anning was particularly beautiful, but at night, under the candlelight, Anning's complexion was enhanced, making her appear exceptionally fair and radiant.
Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but exclaim, "The feng shui of the Forbidden City is so nurturing; I see my beloved concubine growing more and more delicate."
An Ning almost laughed at the comment "the feng shui of the Forbidden City is good for people". She thought the man had possessed her. She hurriedly lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty is really good at teasing people. I am no match for Consort Wang's beauty."
A little jealousy is good for the soul. When Kangxi heard this, his face did not show displeasure. Instead, he smiled and said, "My dear consort is really jealous. Consort Wang is not as important to me as you are."
"Hmph, Your Majesty, you're just trying to appease me!"
An Ning said this because Consort Wang's embroidery had worked. After all, she was a woman he truly favored and who had even given him a son. Consort Wang's path to regaining favor was not too difficult.
She wasn't really jealous when she said that. Men, if you don't occasionally get jealous, they might think you don't care about them.
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