The most furious of all was Consort Yehenara. After all, before Yinreng was made Crown Prince, she, Yinti, still had a chance. Since ancient times, the eldest son of the legitimate wife has been chosen. If she could plan well, it wouldn't be impossible for her, Yinti, to be made Crown Prince. Consort Yehenara kept knocking on the wooden fish, trying to calm her anger, but the more she knocked, the more chaotic her mind became. She couldn't hold back any longer and smashed the wooden fish away.
"This investiture ceremony is truly magnificent; it's the first time I've ever witnessed one."
After attending the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony, Consort Tong returned to Chengqian Palace. She had heard that the ceremony was abridged from the Emperor's coronation ceremony. She was still a little dazed. If only that child were hers!
"His Majesty is so good to the Crown Prince. He has been raised by His Majesty's side since birth, and now he has become the Crown Prince." Consorts are allowed to attend the Crown Prince's ceremony, and Ningdong and Bingqiao, who are servants of Consort Tong, are fortunate enough to go with her.
“Yes! Your Majesty, I heard that the Empress’s investiture ceremony was also very grand, no less so than the Crown Prince’s.” Bingqiao said softly.
"Next year will be the second anniversary of Empress Xiaochengren's death, and the court will surely bring up the matter of establishing an empress." She had privately probed her cousin, the emperor, but he had not expressed his opinion until he pinned that peony flower on her head.
"This servant would like to offer her congratulations to Her Majesty the Empress," Ningdong and Bingqiao said in unison.
"I like to hear this. Give the order that, starting tomorrow, all the concubines in the harem should have this." The three happy women were completely unaware that Xiang Jie outside had overheard their entire conversation.
"It's so cold! Are there really fireworks tonight?" Wanyi had been listening to the horns and firecrackers outside all day, and when she suddenly heard that there would be fireworks tonight, she couldn't help but want to see them.
"I just happened to run into Eunuch Wei, and he said it himself." Hongxiu ran into Wei Zhu when she went to get the meals today, and Wei Zhu chatted with Hongxiu for a while.
“Then let’s wait a little longer.” Wanyi walked to the charcoal stove next to her and sat down. This was the extra charcoal she had made last month.
"Please drink this first, Your Highness. The temperature is just right." Granny Kong came over with a bowl of medicinal food.
"It's this again! Granny, can I not drink it?" A bowl of tonic every day, who can stand it?
“My lady, this is for strengthening the body. So many people go through life and death during pregnancy and childbirth because they don’t have a good constitution. If they had a good body, at least they wouldn’t collapse so easily,” Granny Kong couldn’t help but remind her.
"I know!" Actually, she understood all these reasons, but she was just a little tired of it. Fortunately, she only drank it for a month.
Since the beginning of the month, Granny Kong somehow got the news that the Empress Dowager had changed the system of ranks in the harem. Granny Kong was very worried about Wanyi becoming the head of Yongshou Palace. The fastest way for a woman in the harem to rise in rank was to get pregnant, especially a prince. That's why there was this bowl of medicinal food every day.
With a sudden "bang," the fireworks, ever-changing in an instant, gracefully unfolded their smiling faces in shades of pale yellow, silver, green, light purple, clear blue, and pink, a breathtaking sight. Huge fireworks burst in the sky, their petals falling like rain.
"Wow, it looks so good!" Hongxiu couldn't help but exclaim.
"She is very beautiful." She looks a lot like a modern woman. I wonder how her parents are doing. I guess they are doing well, since they have her brother.
"It's late, hurry back and rest!" The fireworks had just ended when Granny Kong, the housekeeper, appeared again and helped Wanyi back to her room.
“My lady, I have checked. Consort Wuya’s face is almost healed, but there are still some bumps. I think they will disappear from her face soon.”
Granny Kong had already taken over Yongshou Palace and its connections, so she knew that Wanyi was targeting Consort Wuya. Therefore, she used some of her own connections to know everything about Consort Wuya.
"So soon, Granny, can you think of a way to keep Uya alive but in pain?"
Uya is still under house arrest. The fact that the upper echelons attacked her has already alerted her, so it's probably not a good time for them to make a move now.
"My lord, hesitation is futile. Either strike decisively and kill the enemy, or leave them alive. Isn't this like releasing a tiger back into the mountains?"
She was very puzzled when she first heard about this, thinking that Consort Suo Zhuolun was not ruthless enough! Now it seems that she only wanted to torment Consort Wuya, but if she made too many moves, there would be flaws, and if there were flaws, it would be much easier to find out about her.
“I know, then let’s wait for the right opportunity to strike decisively!” Wanyi thought Granny Kong was right.
The following year marked the fifteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. To set an example for the world in honoring his elders, the Kangxi Emperor bestowed honorary titles upon the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. The following month, due to a shortage of funds during the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories, the Kangxi Emperor had no choice but to issue an edict to suspend the construction of Empress Xiaochengren's mausoleum.
The previous emperors repeatedly petitioned Kangxi to establish an empress to stabilize the harem, but Kangxi suppressed the petition because Empress Xiaochengren had not been dead for three years. In addition, he issued an edict ordering the Ministry of Rites to take over the matter of determining the ranks of the harem.
“This place is still the best, Sister Wanyi.” Consort Borjigit picked up a pastry and ate it.
"Sister, aren't you going to the Cining Palace to pay your respects? Why are you coming here to me? The Empress Dowager will scold me again." Wanyi said without stopping her embroidery. After half a year of getting along, Wanyi had gained some influence with Bumbutai and was getting along very well with the Empress Dowager.
“No, she just wants me to learn from you. You’re always embroidering these days, and you’re embroidering so beautifully. It’s making the Empress Dowager keep telling me to calm down and embroider a sachet.” She knew that the Empress Dowager only asked her to embroider so that she could give it to Emperor Kangxi. There were so many embroiderers in the embroidery room, why would she need to embroider?
"The Empress Dowager is doing this for your own good." She embroidered it as a gift, and also because Granny Kong was using this method to temper her patience and will.
"Enough already! I'd better go back! I came here hoping to avoid being nagged, but I'm even more talkative than the Empress Dowager." Consort Borjigit stood up and left, seemingly somewhat indignant.
“Sister Borjigit, didn’t you say you were going to stay here for lunch?” Wanyi quickly called out to her.
"No, I'm going to see the Empress Dowager. I'll be leaving now." She didn't want to stay here and listen to her nagging.
"Your Highness, today is the day Consort Wuya is released from confinement," Hongxiu reminded Wanyi after Consort Borjigit left.
"Is everything arranged?" Wanyi straightened her expression, no longer displaying the gentle smile she had just worn.
"It's all arranged, Your Highness, just wait for the good news!" Hongxiu was a little excited. She had been making plans with Granny Kong since the beginning of the year, and now it was time to see the results.
"Now that His Majesty has instructed the Ministry of Rites to determine our ranks, it seems that our promotion is not far off." Consort Wang and Consort Wan Liuha arranged to arrange flowers together in the back hall, and Consort Wang was trimming the flower arrangement in her hands.
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