"The flowers are at their most beautiful in spring, let's just enjoy them! Why think so much?"
Seeing the atmosphere getting a bit tense, Consort Xi quickly tried to smooth things over, saying that she only needed to know that someone was dissatisfied with Consort Chen, and as for Consort Wen, she had always had a grudge against the Imperial Noble Consort.
"We've rested enough here, let's take a walk!" The Imperial Noble Consort didn't want to talk about the previous topic anymore, so she decided to go and look at the flowers to clear her mind.
“Alright!” Consort An agreed.
Meanwhile, Consort Wanyi and Consort Wen also agreed to go to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers, but they met at the Flower Rain Pavilion.
"The Fourth Prince's eyes are darting around, I wonder what mischievous idea he's up to!" A four-month-old baby is at a very playful age, and Granny Kong does everything herself. Her dedication makes Wan Yi, as the mother, feel a little guilty, after all, she really is like that to the Fourth Prince!
"He's so young, what does he know!" Wanyi thought it was fine as long as he wasn't hungry or cold.
"The Fourth Prince is so clever! He's young, but he can understand what we're saying!" This was the first time Granny Kong had ever seen such a clever child.
"You're just spoiling him. You'll have your own headaches later!" Wanyi said with a laugh. Actually, she spoiled him even more than they did, but she still had to teach him what he needed to be taught, since she wanted to love him for everything she had missed in her past life.
"It's as if you don't like him, Sister Chen!" At this moment, Consort Wen walked over and happened to hear Wan Yi's words.
"Sister Wen is here, let's go! If we stay any longer, it will be lunchtime!" Wanyi quickly called to Consort Wen, Niohuru, to come along!
"Well, it's been a long time since we've strolled through the Imperial Garden. I remember when I first entered the palace, there were only a few chrysanthemums. Now, however, all kinds of flowers are blooming, a beautiful and diverse display!" As she thought about it, she thought of her sister, Empress Xiaozhaoren.
"Then you'd better look carefully today. But after a couple of years, you'll find that it's just like that, nothing new." Whether it's people or things, they're nothing more than flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.
"So, does His Majesty have no objections to our relationship with the Imperial Noble Consort?"
Although she didn't want to show weakness to the Imperial Noble Consort, she could make peace with Kangxi on the surface if he had any objections. Because the Imperial Noble Consort had an older sister who was a concubine, she had been pampered since childhood, so she thought about things rather simply. She was shrewd, but she still retained some cunning.
"The harem, like the imperial court, needs to be balanced, and the emperor will not have any objections!"
Wanyi replied softly, otherwise why would Kangxi promote her to the rank of Consort? Wasn't it because he was afraid that the Imperial Noble Consort would become too powerful? What Wanyi didn't know was that Kangxi was also afraid that the Imperial Noble Consort would only target her, so he promoted Wen Noble Consort to let the two of them compete with the Imperial Noble Consort.
"I will listen to Sister Chen. When she was alive, she often told me to listen to you, saying that you would never harm me!" However, her sister also said that if it came to the absolute worst, she would be willing to harm you!
"As long as Sister Wen doesn't have any ulterior motives, I promised Empress Xiaozhaoren that I would protect you, but the premise is that you don't commit any heinous crimes." After all, her abilities are limited! If her crimes are too serious, how can she save her? To sacrifice herself to save others, is Consort Suo Zhuolun a fool?
"How could that be? My sister only listens to Sister Chen!" She also has to consider the good of the family, right? If it would bring disaster to the family, why did she even enter the palace in the first place!
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go take a look ahead; there's a whole field of peonies there!"
This is the flower that symbolizes the mother of the nation. Even the Imperial Noble Consort is not allowed to wear a bright red peony. Noble Consorts like them can wear it, but only in shades of red.
Meanwhile, Emperor Kangxi, in a rare moment of leisure, decided to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden. However, he did not wish to see the other concubines, so he took a shortcut and ended up at the Peony Pavilion.
"Is this a peony?" Kangxi was somewhat moved by the sight and slowly reached out to stroke the bright red peony, as if looking at someone through the peony.
After Empress Xiaozhaoren became Empress, she often wore bright red peonies to spite Consort Tongjia. Because the peonies were eye-catching, Consort Tongjia was constantly reminded of the past, which is why she targeted the Empress in every way and became increasingly irritable.
"Your Majesty, this is the King of Peonies!" Liang Jiugong reminded him, thinking that Kangxi had forgotten.
"Peony is indeed beautiful, no wonder they all like it!" Kangxi looked at the graceful peony petals, layer upon layer, intertwined, looking like a brocade of flowers from afar and like a cluster of blossoms up close, it was extremely beautiful.
Liang Jiugong thought to himself, "Do the empresses love peonies because they're beautiful? I don't think so! They probably love them because peonies are reserved for the empress and the nation's rulers!"
"This pink one suits you perfectly. Why don't you ask Huayu Pavilion for two to make hairpins?" Consort Wen noticed that Wanyi was wearing a pink peony qipao today, and she would look even better if she wore pink peonies in her hair.
"But I don't really like pink!" Back then, didn't Emperor Kangxi lose his position as empress because he made the Imperial Noble Consort wear a pink peony in her hair? She doesn't want pink.
"Oh! This really suits you, sister!" Consort Wen didn't care what kind of flower it was; she just thought it looked pretty.
"I think peonies are nice. I'll go get two more peony blossoms later." Peony flowers are bright red. She's so superficial, she likes the style of the empress. I've always said that a concubine who doesn't want to be empress isn't a good concubine!
"Alright then! By the way, tell your palace maid, Tianxiang, to make more peach blossom cakes. I'm craving them!" She didn't know why, but she just really liked the peach blossom cakes from her palace. Whenever she went to the kitchen to learn how to make them, something was always missing!
"Sure! Just have someone come and pick it up later." It's not like she has to do anything, so whatever!
"Ahem! Cough." Kangxi looked at the two people not far away, talking back and forth, especially Wan'er, who just wouldn't look in their direction and couldn't help but make some noises to attract someone's attention!
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects and wish you good health!"
Wanyi and Consort Wen looked in the direction of the sound and saw Emperor Kangxi in the Peony Pavilion looking down at them for an unknown amount of time.
"Get up! I brought the fourth prince out for a stroll to relax!" Kangxi also noticed Yinzhen, who was sitting in Granny Kong's arms.
"Yes, the Fourth Prince is at a time when he is curious about new things, so I thought I'd bring him out to see flowers and such!" That's all the children in ancient times had, unlike modern children who have early education and such.
"Very well, I'll hold him!" When it came to the children born to his beloved woman, Emperor Kangxi no longer held the saying "holding grandchildren but not sons."
Meanwhile, Consort Yi was enjoying the flowers when her mood was spoiled by her half-sister.
"Sister, Father said that you are now a concubine, while I am only a secondary concubine. He asked you to support me more. You wouldn't be unwilling, would you?"
Consort Guo Luoluo was somewhat smug. She was her father's favorite. Before, when she became a widow, her father would often secretly subsidize her. Now that she had become an imperial concubine, he naturally treated her even better. As a result, she had already gained control of some of Guo Luoluo's connections, which was why her younger sister dared not to torment her as she had at the beginning.
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