An Ning was still unsettled, and just as she was about to speak again, Bai Guo entered.
"Your Highness, Consort Xia, Consort Chen, and Consort Lin say they wish to come and pay their respects to you. Would you like me to send them back?"
Anning hadn't even had a chance to ask who lived in Changchun Palace when they arrived so quickly.
"Granny, what's the situation with these three? Please tell me briefly."
One must have an attitude towards things and people. Although she is young and holds a high position, she should at least be aware of whether any of them are favored by Emperor Kangxi.
Granny Wulan had long since figured out everything that was going on at Changchun Palace.
"Xia Yingying and Chen Changzai were both veterans in the palace. They were maids sent by Consort Jing and Consort Duan to give birth in their early years. Both of them had been pregnant, but the babies died before they were six months old. After that, they fell out of favor and lived in the east and west side halls at the back of the palace respectively."
Consort Lin was a woman from Jiangnan whom the Emperor brought back during his southern tour a few years ago. She was brought back along with Consort Wang, who gave birth to the Fifteenth Prince at Yonghe Palace. She had been pregnant once in thirty years, but gave birth prematurely in August.
She gave birth to a prince with great difficulty, but died shortly after birth. Her health has been poor ever since. Now, she enjoys the rank and privileges of a concubine and resides in the rear palace of Changchun Palace.
What Granny Wulan didn't say was that Consort Lin's health was so poor that she was about to pass away. Kangxi arranged for Anning to be moved to Changchun Palace, precisely because there were fewer people there.
Why does Changchun Palace sound so ominous?
But thinking about it, it makes sense. If it were auspicious, wouldn't everyone be eager to come? How could she, a newcomer to the palace, be allowed to live in the main hall as soon as she entered?
"Let them in first. They'll be living in the same palace from now on. I'll get to know them first. Bai Guo, have Bai Shu bring over the gifts we prepared in advance."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After Bai Guo left, An Ning went to the main hall where guests were received and had Shan Cha lead the three of them in.
Emperor Kangxi was a womanizer. The number of women recorded in his life is countless, and the number of those not recorded is even more numerous. If someone could enter the harem and obtain a rank, they must have been someone of high status.
Therefore, all three of them have excellent looks. Just looking at their facial features, they are better than her. The only thing An Ning can compare to them in is that she is young and energetic, and her skin is very good, fair and delicate.
Wood-based superpowers cannot change a person's facial features, but they are very nourishing to the mind and body. One's appearance reflects one's inner state, although this is difficult to discern without hands-on experience.
Looking at the three of them, An Ning gave a polite smile, inwardly marveling at how fortunate Kangxi was.
Xia Yingying and Chen Changzai were almost thirty years old. Their eyes were tired and their figures were thin, but even so, it was still clear that they were both beauties.
Xia Yingying is bright and beautiful, while Chen Changzai is pure and innocent.
As for Consort Lin, An Ning was even more amazed; she was truly beautiful.
During his southern tour, Emperor Kangxi took in many beautiful girls along the way, but he probably didn't bring many back to the palace. Consort Lin was truly outstanding in appearance. In modern terms, she was like a top-tier innocent beauty in the entertainment industry, charming and pitiful in every gesture.
"This concubine greets Consort Shu. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings."
Anning has no interest in making things difficult for people without reason, especially not beautiful women.
"Sisters, please don't stand on ceremony. Get up and sit down to talk."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The three of them then sat down.
An Ning smiled and said, "I have just entered the palace. It is kind of you sisters to come and see me. I have prepared a small gift for you."
After saying that, he instructed, "Bai Shu, give the things to the three young masters."
Bai Shu received the order and presented three boxes to the three people.
"I hope my sisters won't find this set of jewelry too offensive."
The three stood up and thanked him.
The jewelry Anning gave them wasn't particularly expensive, but it perfectly suited their needs. Before, when Changchun Palace didn't have a principal consort, it was often neglected by the Imperial Household Department, with their food, clothing, and daily necessities being delayed and insufficient. Seeing that they had fallen out of favor, they cut back on their things.
The jewelry, though not particularly valuable to Anning, was enough to make them look more presentable at the palace banquet, and the three of them were genuinely grateful.
Seeing the three people's attitude, An Ning's smile became more genuine. She didn't know much about palace life, but she had read many palace dramas and novels. She was most afraid that her roommate would cause trouble.
Now it seems that these three are quite well-behaved, but they all look to be in poor health. Considering the legendary favoritism of the Imperial Household Department, those who were not favored in Changchun Palace before were probably severely deprived of their privileges.
For the sake of harmony within the palace, Anning said very kindly, "From now on, the expenses of Changchun Palace will be managed by Granny Wulan. If you are short of any allowances, don't be afraid of the trouble, just have someone go and ask Granny Wulan to take care of it for you."
An Ning spoke sincerely, and the three of them could hear her earnestness, so they stood up to thank her.
Then the three of them presented Anning with the embroidery they had made themselves. Anning praised it and then let them leave.
After they left, Anning sighed meaningfully to Granny Wulan, "The ladies living in Changchun Palace seem quite easy to get along with! I've heard that the Emperor has many concubines, so why are there only a few living in Changchun Palace?"
Granny Wulan immediately began to explain: "Quite a few concubines have lived in Changchun Palace, but none of them stayed for long. Over time, those who remained in Changchun Palace were the ones who were not favored, so it looks a bit quiet."
"Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. The reason Changchun Palace has this reputation is simply because over the years, the ladies have been moving those unruly or unwell concubines there, which has led to the current situation. It's not that Changchun Palace is bad."
An Ning smiled and said, "Granny, there's no need to explain in such detail. I understand. The Forbidden City is naturally a place of great feng shui and a good location."
Seeing that Anning hadn't misunderstood, Granny Wulan smiled and then said something meaningful: "Whether the twelve palaces in the east and west are good or not, excluding the palaces that are not habitable, depends entirely on the Emperor's wishes. Wherever the Emperor's wishes are, that is the best place."
An Ning smiled and said nothing more.
After seeing off the three concubines, Anning still had a lot to do.
Seeing that Emperor Kangxi valued peace and tranquility, people from the palace sent congratulatory gifts. Chunlan, along with Baishu and Shancha, were mainly responsible for the reception, with Granny Wulan in charge of overall coordination. Baiguo was at her side, and Xiaoxizi was also busy, as she had to tidy up the small kitchen and count and store her dowry.
She also received an order from Consort Tong, instructing her to pay her respects to the high-ranking consorts only after she had served the emperor.
By the time I finally had some free time, it was already dusk.
Although Anning only talked, she still felt mentally exhausted.
After drinking a cup of tea, An Ning breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's finally all set. Thank you for your hard work."
Everyone said it wasn't hard work, as An Ning was very generous, and the initial rewards were quite substantial, so they were happy to help out.
"Your Highness, would you like to have a meal? The small kitchen is already bustling with activity."
Mentioning that made Anning realize she was indeed a little hungry. The weather was still hot, and although she was hungry, she didn't have much of an appetite. After thinking for a moment, she instructed, "Have the kitchen prepare some cold dishes, not too many. Also, cook more mung bean soup so everyone can cool off from the heat."
Upon hearing this, Camellia immediately went to instruct the small kitchen.
That evening, after dinner, her face turned completely pale, so she asked someone to close the door and prepare to rest.
Having been here for over a month, I've managed to adjust my sleep schedule; I sleep when it gets dark and wake up naturally before dawn.
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