"Yes! Now, the best thing would be to get pregnant so that I can get a higher rank." Consort Wanliuha sighed. She had been serving Emperor Kangxi for more than half a year, but there was no sign of pregnancy.
"Speaking of which, only Consort Ma Jia is pregnant in the harem right now. She's really lucky to have gotten pregnant at such a good time. If she gives birth to a prince, she'll definitely be qualified to be a harem mistress." Consort Wang sighed, lamenting how different people's fates are, and how others are all higher than them, even though they are all consorts.
"Consort Ma Jia, every child she gives birth to dies. I don't know if this pregnancy will survive. It's pitiful." Consort Wan Liuha thought of Consort Ma Jia's previous four children, who all died young, and assumed that this pregnancy would not last long either.
"Sister, you should watch your words. There's another one in the East Annex!" Consort Wang couldn't help but remind her.
"I was just saying this to you, today is supposed to be the day she's released from confinement, right? Why is there still no news?"
"She went out early this morning. It's understandable that my sister, who gets up late, wouldn't know." Consort Wang had been keeping an eye on Consort Wuya, so she knew when Consort Wuya left.
"Looks like she was bored out of her mind. As soon as she was released from confinement, she went out to see the world," Consort Wanliuha said sarcastically.
"That's right. I thought her face was never going to heal, and I even wanted to humiliate her. Luckily, the older sister stopped the younger sister, otherwise we would have made an enemy."
When she learned that Consort Wuya's face had recovered, she was devastated. She, Consort Wanliuha, and Consort Wuya were all from bondservant families, with Consort Wuya's family being larger than theirs. If she wasn't confident in suppressing Consort Wuya, she would be bringing disaster upon her clan.
"We need to think of a way to prevent her from gaining the Emperor's favor." That way, she'll just be an unfavored concubine, and we won't have to lift a finger; plenty of people will be looking for trouble with her.
"You, and you, will temporarily serve as third-class palace maids in Yuhua Pavilion!" A sharp and hoarse voice rang out.
"Yes, thank you, Eunuch." Guo Luoluo Yihua bowed to Qingfen, a palace maid beside her.
Guo Luoluo Yihua and Qingfen were led to Huayu Pavilion, where the head nanny explained the precautions to them and took them to their lodgings.
"Princess, your shift starts tomorrow. Would you like to rest first?"
Qingfen and Guo Luoluo Yihua both entered the palace through the preliminary selection this year. The Guo Luoluo family used money to transfer the two of them to Huayu Pavilion, simply because the head nanny of Huayu Pavilion was Yihua's distant aunt.
"We're in the palace now, so please call me Yihua! Otherwise, if someone hears us, it'll cause trouble again." Yihua's ambition wasn't to be a lowly palace maid in this harem.
"Yes, the bed is made up, Ge, Yi, Yihua."
Qingfen spoke somewhat awkwardly, explaining that she had served Guo Luoluo Yihua since childhood. Knowing that the princess was to be selected to enter the palace, she was given the surname Guo Luoluo by her master. In the end, Lord Guo Luoluo used money to arrange for her to be assigned to the same place as the princess so that she could take care of her.
"Having not been out for a long time, I've become increasingly lazy." Kangxi stretched lazily without any regard for his image, and then walked outside.
"Would Your Majesty like to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden?" Liang Jiugong suggested.
"The Imperial Garden! That's fine. Pick a secluded and quiet spot; I want some peace and quiet." Kangxi instructed as he walked, meaning he wanted Liang Jiugong to clear the area and find a quiet place.
"Yes, sir!" Liang Jiugong waved to the eunuch beside him to go and make the arrangements, but they did not see that a sweeping eunuch at the corner had heard their words clearly.
“My lady, that palace maid named Guo Luoluo Yihua has been performing her duties quietly these days. However, Qingfen, who is usually by her side, does most of the work. She basically just goes through the motions and does the work.” Hongxiu didn’t understand why her mistress wanted her to keep an eye on this pampered palace maid. No, pampered.
"It's just what you think." Wanyi saw the shock in Hongxiu's eyes and knew she had guessed something.
"No way! Her?" Hongxiu said in disbelief. According to her investigation, this Guo Luoluo Yihua was just a spoiled aunt. Would the Emperor even look at her?
"It seems that Granny Kong hasn't taught you well enough. Don't underestimate anyone in the harem."
"I understand, my lady. I will be careful. Please don't tell Granny Kong about this. Please." Hongxiu looked at Wanyi pitifully.
"My lady, there's been some activity at Huayu Pavilion." As soon as Xiao Dengzi received news that Guo Luoluo Yihua, dressed in a flamboyant manner, was heading towards a secluded part of the Imperial Garden, he quickly came in to report to Wanyi.
"They've finally moved. Go and lure Wuya over there." She wanted to pit the two of them against each other.
"Yes, sir!"
"Now that I look at it carefully, I realize that there is such beautiful scenery here." Since the beginning of the year, Emperor Kangxi has been dealing with the Three Feudatories and has not come out much.
"It's because His Majesty doesn't go out much that he's missed so many beautiful sights. Now is the time when all the flowers are in bloom, His Majesty should take a good look," Liang Jiugong said with a smile.
"Oh, these flowers are so beautiful, it's a pity their blooming period is so short, just like life, so boring." A discordant female voice rang out, her voice bright and clear, yet with a touch of liveliness.
"Who?" Liang Jiugong was startled. There was someone in front of him? But Kangxi stopped him and gestured for him to step back.
"Oh, it's you, Eunuch! This servant is a palace maid from Huayuge. Greetings." Guo Luoluo Yihua looked at the elegant man in plain clothes in front of her, with a eunuch beside him, but she pretended not to know it.
"Oh, a palace maid from Flower Rain Pavilion, what are you doing here?"
Kangxi suddenly became interested. He didn't expect that the bright-looking palace maid in the pink palace dress would be so bold. There were few in the harem who would dare to speak to him like that and even mistake him for a eunuch. It was simply outrageous.
"The head maid instructed me to come here to check if the flowers there need to be replaced. Since it's still early, I'm just taking a stroll. Few people come here," Guo Luoluo Yihua said casually and matter-of-factly.
"You just mentioned that you seem to know a lot about this flower?" Kangxi pointed to the pink orchid next to him, one of which was already somewhat wilted!
"I don't know much about it, but I do know a little. These orchids only bloom for a month. But don't let their wilted appearance fool you; just give them a little water and they'll bloom beautifully. They're very resilient," Guo Luoluo Yihua said, gently rubbing the orchid with her fingers.
"What's your name?" Kangxi asked casually, looking intently at the plate of orchids.
"This servant's name is Yihua." (宜家宜室，荣光繁华。)
"Yihua, a good name, suitable for both family and home. Who named her?" Kangxi turned his head and noticed that the palace maid was very beautiful.
"This servant's father chose it, and it means the same as what you said." Yi Hua secretly showed her best side in order to leave a good impression.
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