"How could someone who is the chief supervisor do such errand-running things!" Consort Yi was a little disappointed to see that Consort Wan had been able to turn the tables, but she still spoke up for her on the surface.
"Your Majesty, please do justice for me! My good reputation has been ruined because of these people who have done wrong." Wanyi said, about to kneel down, but was repeatedly urged to stand up.
"I will naturally stand up for Wan'er. Get up quickly, don't hurt the child." Wan Yi's sudden movements startled Kangxi.
Afterwards, Kangxi had Maodi beaten to death with sticks, and Changguang was expelled from the palace. After this incident, Wanyi no longer needed to visit the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace. In order not to let Kangxi remember that it was her that day, the harem all quieted down, including Consort Tongjia.
"Nowadays, if we're talking about who's not easy to mess with in the harem, it has to be Consort Wan. Not only did so many people manage to bring her down, but you also won the Emperor's favor."
Ulanara Changzai and Daijia Changzai, who were bored, got together to chat. Ulanara Changzai suddenly sighed.
"That's right! Now the Emperor is going to Yongshou Palace every day, and the rewards are flowing into Yongshou Palace like water. I think the Yongshou Palace storeroom is too full to hold them all."
Dai Jia Changzai was somewhat envious, after all, who wouldn't want to be favored by Emperor Kangxi?
"Those material possessions are secondary. I can see that the Emperor has probably fallen for Consort Wan. The royal family is full of romantics. Before the Empress Dowager was ill, she could keep the Emperor in check. Now that the Empress Dowager is ill, she doesn't care about anything. The Emperor is the most powerful and can dote on whomever he wants."
Ulanara often whispered to Daijia, after all, these words were not easy to spread.
"Now that you mention it, I think it's true."
Dai Jia often wondered if the Emperor would treat her just as well if she were to become pregnant with his child, and she pondered how to gain his favor.
"I've been out for quite some time now, it's time to go back." Ulanara Changzai looked at Daijia Changzai, who was lost in thought, and felt a little displeased. What was she doing? She was having a nice chat with her, but she was daydreaming.
"Ah! Then take care, sister. I won't see you off any further." Dai Jiachang quickly came to her senses and said politely.
"Sister Dai Jia, please wait." Wulana Changzai left decisively. Lately, she didn't know what was wrong with her; she couldn't suppress her temper and was very irritable.
"So many days have passed, and they still haven't found out who it is?"
Wan Yi was alarmed. She had sent people to investigate the source of the rumors as soon as they came out, but before they could find anything, they were tricked. When they sent people to continue the investigation after a while, they could not find any trace of it.
"Your Majesty, this person is buried too deep. The rumors spread slowly from the bottom up. I have found out that Consort Tongjia was involved in stirring things up. Otherwise, the rumors would not have spread throughout the palace in just two days."
Granny Kong was annoyed that there were people she couldn't find.
"Can't find anything? Keep an eye on it. My delivery is imminent. Keep a close eye on the midwife sent by the Imperial Household Department. Make a note of anything unusual."
She didn't want anything to go wrong. If it weren't for the fact that her three Loyalty Pills had other uses, she would have really wanted to give one to the midwife.
"This servant will keep a close eye on them." Even if Wanyi didn't say it, Granny Kong would keep a close eye on them. After all, childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell. If they were to be tricked, that would be terrible.
The next day, Wanyi got up early and was "wrapped" up by Kong Mama and Hongxiu in layers. Today, the Empress summoned all the concubines in the harem. It was snowing heavily outside, so she naturally had to get up early.
"It's really cold outside!" Wanyi held a hot water bottle in her hand. The cold air kept seeping into the leaky cracks of the sedan chair, making Wanyi shiver.
"Your Majesty, just a little longer, it will be warm once we enter Kunning Palace."
Hearing Wanyi's words from outside the sedan chair, Granny Kong could only offer her comfort.
"It's nothing, I was just saying it casually." Little did she know that Granny Kong had such sharp ears.
When Wanyi arrived at Kunning Palace, most of the concubines had already arrived, and they all watched her walk in silently.
"Greetings, Your Highness! May Your Highness be well!" Wan Yi struggled a bit with the squatting curtsy, but she still completed it perfectly. After waiting a while to see if the Noble Consort Tongjia had called her to rise, Granny Kong helped Wan Yi up.
"Consort Wan truly lives up to her title as the head of the Nine Consorts; her curtsy is impeccable. However, the Imperial Concubine hasn't even been called to rise yet! How can she be so ignorant of etiquette as to get up so soon!"
Consort Jing had already boarded Consort Tongjia's pirate ship; with just one glance from her, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.
"I suppose Your Highness was still half-asleep when you got up early, so you didn't see me bow. Besides, His Majesty once decreed that I was exempt from bowing because of the hardships of my pregnancy. However, I have always been polite to His Majesty." She was only bowing for show, not to go and be abused!
"His Majesty truly dotes on Consort Wan, exempting her from these formalities so readily, unlike Consort Rong, who, even in her ninth month of pregnancy, never missed a single day to pay her respects to the Emperor and Empress!"
Consort Jing and Consort Rong also had their dirty dealings, and they used her as a scapegoat without any guilt.
"Is Consort Jing dissatisfied with the late Empress's actions?" Wanyi asked directly, seizing the opportunity.
"How could that be? I was extremely respectful to the late Empress; I was merely giving an example!" Consort Jing said with a somewhat embarrassed smile, inwardly regretting that she hadn't been careful with her words and had been caught off guard by the topic.
"According to the rules, even if you are pregnant, you should still pay your respects to the late Empress. Now that the Empress is virtuous and generous, she has exempted us from paying our respects every day. You must remember the Empress's kindness."
Consort Rong naturally didn't want others to mention how her child died, and she had to be extremely respectful to that person, without showing any dissatisfaction.
"Your Majesty the Empress is so kind, and I naturally think of Your Majesty and feel deep respect for you. I dare not be presumptuous!" Consort Jing thought to herself, "Isn't Consort Rong always the one who gets bullied? Why did she contradict me this time?"
If Consort Rong knew Consort Jing's true feelings, she would definitely say that she just didn't want to argue with her, lest she lower her status and, if Emperor Kangxi found out, suffer a bad reputation, which would be a loss.
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!" At this moment, the head eunuch beside the Empress announced.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty be well!" Wanyi followed the others in paying her respects to the Empress.
"Consort Wan is quite heavy-hearted, Furong, quickly help her up!"
She knew exactly what had happened outside, and besides, Emperor Kangxi had told her to take good care of Consort Wan, so her actions were naturally different from those of Consort Tongjia.
In addition, there was a woman in a pink Manchu dress beside the Empress. She was a stranger and looked somewhat like the Empress Niohuru. The concubines wondered whose princess this was.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!" Wanyi still performed a gesture of respect by touching her temple.
"Your Majesty the Empress is so kind, we admire her greatly!" Chang Yingying was a concubine who rose from the ranks of palace maids and was promoted by the Empress.
"Rise, all of you! I have summoned you here today because I have something to say to you." Empress Niohuru did not mince words and went straight to the point.
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