"Your Majesty, that's how things are!" Liang Jiugong sighed. Tong Mama was a good person, but she used the wrong method.
"Granny, how could it be you!" After hearing Liang Jiugong's words, Consort Tongjia looked at Granny Tong kneeling beside her in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, I don't want to see you heartbroken while waiting for the Emperor, racking your brains every day to make things for him, just to see him once. That's why I resorted to this desperate measure!"
Granny Tong was actually worried, so she searched Chengqian Palace and found Xiangjie dead. She also found an unknown package in Xiangjie's room. She wanted to destroy it, but it was too late. Liang Jiugong had already barged in, so she had to take all the blame upon herself.
"Your Majesty, please spare Granny Tong! Please consider that she served Empress Xiaokangzhang!"
Although she didn't know what aphrodisiacs were, she knew that it was because of this that Niohuru Gege had been favored, so it must be a forbidden drug, which was a capital offense!
"Such a person actually served Empress Xiaokangzhang, which is a disgrace to my mother's reputation. She deserves to die!"
This is the second time he's been drugged. Look at the state of his harem now. It seems he needs to build up his own power within the palace.
"Your Majesty~" Consort Tongjia still wanted to beg Emperor Kangxi to spare Granny Tong, even if it meant being banished from the palace!
"Imperial Consort, get up! If you continue to plead for mercy, you will be punished the same as her!" Kangxi hardened his heart; otherwise, if she did it again, he would beat her to death!
“Your Majesty, although these things were done by Granny Tong alone, as her mistress, she failed to strictly manage her subordinates, so it is not right that she did not become a Noble Consort!”
If we don't punish Consort Tongjia and let her off so easily, we'll have to see if she, Niohuru, will agree.
"Indeed, since you can't even handle the affairs of your own palace, how can you talk about managing palace affairs? Then return the power of assisting the Empress to her! In addition, punish her with half a year's salary."
Even if the Empress didn't say anything, Kangxi planned to take back the Consort's power of assisting in managing affairs. After all, he had heard about her behavior in the harem, and he still remembered what happened at Cining Palace last time!
"Your Majesty, I accept the decree!" Consort Tongjia originally wanted to argue, but was firmly held down by Granny Tong and could only obediently accept the decree.
The next morning, Wanyi woke up to find out that Niohuru Gege had been officially appointed, and that it was an appointment that went beyond her rank.
"Consort Wen? Not bad! She was conferred the title of Consort upon her first conferment." In her previous life, she entered the palace as a concubine without any rank, and was only conferred the title of Consort after Empress Niohuru passed away.
"Your Highness, with this, we'll be completely without any spies in Chengqian Palace!" Granny Kong didn't know whether following this mistress was the right thing to do or the wrong thing, but she couldn't muster the slightest thought of rebellion.
"There's no one else we can place, but with Consort Tongjia gone, there's basically no threat from the other side. Let her do her thing! Once she's used up all the Emperor's affection for her, that'll be the time for her to fall."
Wanyi never took Consort Tongjia seriously and was no match for her. It was because of this overconfidence that she suffered a major setback.
"But she is, after all, a Noble Consort, so we still need to be careful." Granny Kong felt that anyone who could survive in the harem should not be underestimated.
"Then you should be careful!" Wanyi said nonchalantly. Her most important task now was to arrange the delivery.
On New Year's Eve, Emperor Kangxi was in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. This year, because all the concubines of high rank attended the banquet, it was incredibly lively even without any foreign officials entering the palace. Emperor Kangxi sent the character "福" (fortune) to each minister and bestowed New Year cakes and pastries upon them as a sign of imperial favor.
"Oh! Isn't this the newly appointed Consort Wen? Why didn't you come with Her Majesty the Empress?" Consort Jing, having received words from Consort Tongjia, went to make things difficult for Consort Wen.
"I am a Noble Lady, and Her Majesty the Empress is the mother of the nation. Who can compare to her? Consort Jing is only a Consort, yet she is meddling in Her Majesty the Empress's affairs. I wonder what other thoughts she has in mind!" What nonsense! She dares to talk about me. If my sister hadn't been ill, why would she have summoned me to the palace?
"How could that be? I was just asking. Consort Wen is so sharp-tongued! It doesn't suit her title of Gentle and Refined at all!" Consort Jing didn't expect Consort Wen to be so outspoken.
"The title of Consort Jing is 'Jing,' but it doesn't seem to reflect the respect and courtesy shown to superiors and subordinates!" What a meddlesome, nosy tantrum!
"Sister Wanpin must be about to give birth soon! Judging from her pointed belly, it's definitely a prince!"
Consort Jing was annoyed by Consort Wen's presence when she happened to see Consort Wan leisurely drinking tea and watching them.
"Consort Jing is truly amazing! She can tell at a glance whether I'm carrying a prince or a princess. If that girl ever has any trouble, going to Consort Jing is the right thing to do!" Wanyi was enjoying the gossip when she unexpectedly found herself in the mess.
"Isn't that the job of a charlatan? How did it become Consort Jing's job!" Consort Yi looked at Consort Jing, who was puzzled, with amusement. She wasn't very bright, but she always wanted to stir up trouble.
"You..." Consort Jing was about to say something angrily, but was interrupted by the eunuch who announced the news.
"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! His Majesty the Empress Dowager and His Majesty the Empress have arrived!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty the Empress, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years! May Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress live a thousand years!" With the help of Granny Kong and Furong, Wanyi knelt down with the crowd.
"Rise!" Kangxi saw that Wanyi was kneeling with difficulty and had not yet reached the dragon throne when he quickly told her to get up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After everyone was seated, Kangxi was relieved to find that Wanyi was not feeling unwell.
"Since it's a family banquet, please make yourselves at home!" Kangxi said politely. In his presence, no one was so presumptuous, except for Ao Bai!
"Your Majesty, there are so many more sisters this year, it's much more lively than in previous years!" The Empress circled around, looking at the dozen or so concubines in total. Just thinking about it made Kangxi feel blessed.
"On New Year's Eve, the most important thing is to be together with family and friends, and to have a lively and festive atmosphere. That's what makes it feel like the New Year," Consort Tongjia said, glancing at the Empress.
"Your Highness looks a little pale, are you feeling unwell?" the Empress said with a smile, showing no anger at Consort Tongjia's disrespect.
"I'm fine, I was just thinking about some things! I'm thinking about how I can repay Her Majesty the Empress for her care."
Since Tong Mama passed away a few days ago, she developed a high fever. She ordered the imperial physician to use strong medicine to suppress it, otherwise she would not have been able to attend tonight. Anyway, she was convinced that it was the Empress and her sister who harmed Tong Mama.
"Good, seeing you two so harmonious, you truly are my beloved consorts. Cheers!" Kangxi said, watching the Empress and Consort exchanging pleasantries.
"Yes!" The two raised their cups to Emperor Kangxi, then drank them down.
Then the concubines toasted Kangxi, and Kangxi accepted all of them, watching the singing and dancing while talking and drinking with the royal family members.
"You should drink less too, don't embarrass this princess!"
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