Chapter Forty-Two
When Emperor Qianlong visited the Cining Palace to pay his respects, he felt somewhat guilty.
In the morning, when he woke up and saw Consort Yu asking Granny Xia with a faint smile what kind of gifts she and Princess Ya would like, Qianlong felt a pang of sadness. If both sisters were under Consort Yu's jurisdiction, the arrangements would be so complicated… Qianlong sighed, remembering all that the Empress had done for the sake of the royal family's reputation. Qianlong remained silent; perhaps the Empress would agree to promote Consort Yu to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort.
The Cining Palace was filled with joy. The Empress, accompanied by a group of concubines, surrounded the Empress Dowager, gossiping about something that a noblewoman had mentioned when she entered the palace. The group laughed heartily.
After paying their respects, the princes and princesses headed to the Imperial Study to begin their day of learning.
Now, He Rui Gege doesn't dislike the Fifth Prince as much anymore. Thinking that the Fifth Prince might become a close relative of Ziwei in the future, He Rui Gege wonders if she should remind her sister not to hold grudges anymore. Isn't there a saying that "a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan"? Although they don't have any grand plans and just want to live out the rest of their lives peacefully, they don't want to get involved in the struggle for the throne in the future.
The Fifth Prince wanted to befriend both princesses. He had no ulterior motives before or after his marriage. He dared not risk winning over Hejing, who was known for her influence, but he feared Heya's future influence. Although Ortai had been removed from the Temple of Worthies, his remaining influence was not to be underestimated. As for Herui, although she was marrying into Mongolia, he had heard that his father had personally comforted her before her marriage and emphasized the importance of the "Three Carriages" (a type of ceremonial procession) in her presence. This showed that his father valued Herui far more than Hejing. If he could win over one of them, given his close understanding of the two sisters, the other would naturally lend a hand. Thinking about all this, the Fifth Prince had to consider his attitude towards the Empress. If he were too close, she would have two legitimate sons, and he would be letting down Consort Yi, who had worked so hard for him. But if he distanced himself, he feared it would be difficult to win over the two sisters. The Fifth Prince needed to figure out what to do.
After Qing'er entered Jingyang Palace, He Ya stopped thinking about the Fifth Prince. He Ya seemed to have seen through some things in the palace. Although she still couldn't understand why the Fifth Prince, who was already highly regarded by the Emperor, subtly considered himself the most important person in the palace besides the Emperor, He Ya didn't want to compete with him anymore. In He Ya's eyes, the clever and wise Fifth Prince was just a fool, nothing special. To fight with a fool would be beneath her dignity. Touching her nose, He Ya joined the other princesses in reciting the *Rules for Women*.
The biggest difference between the princesses' and princes' lessons was politics. The princesses' lessons didn't cover much politics, while the princes' lessons subtly touched on it. The princesses naturally didn't care; the only one who seemed concerned was He Rui Gege. He Rui Gege was very dissatisfied, not because she wanted to study politics, but because she wanted to read. She had already read all the books available to her, and now, experiencing a reading slump, she wanted to see what the princes were reading.
~~~
In the Cining Palace, the concubines, upon seeing the Emperor, naturally flirted with him in their finest attire. The Qianlong Emperor, preoccupied with his own thoughts, paid no attention to their glances. After summoning them, he dismissed them. The departing concubines exchanged glances, flicked their handkerchiefs, and went their separate ways. Seeing the Emperor's hesitant expression, the Empress Dowager spoke first, "Does Your Majesty have something to say?"
Having found a way out, the emperor sighed and dismissed Wu Shulai and his servants. The three main figures in the palace then held a small meeting.
The Empress Dowager rejected the Emperor's proposal without even thinking about it. The reason for the rejection was simple: although Consort Yu now had the status of a Manchu, she had only been in the palace for a few years and did not have any children.
The Empress remained silent, pondering whether Consort Yu's promotion to Imperial Noble Consort would create another contender for her position. After much deliberation, the Empress finally spoke, "Your Majesty, I believe Consort Yu is worthy of the title. After all, she raised two princesses outside the palace for many years. Now that Heya is about to marry, if she doesn't bid farewell to her foster mother, she will be accused of being unfilial. If she does bid farewell, her status will naturally be questioned. I think she is worthy."
The Empress Dowager looked up at the Empress. She was increasingly admiring the Empress she had promoted, but she also increasingly felt that the Empress was somewhat foolish and too bound by rules. She sighed, "I'm tired, so I'll agree to the Empress's request."
The pregnant empress slowly rose and leaned forward, her clumsy movements causing the emperor's heart to ache. The empress dowager felt a mix of emotions; Empress Nala was a thousand times better than Empress Xiaoxian! "Go back! I'm tired."
The Emperor helped the Empress up, took his leave from the Empress Dowager, and after leaving the main hall, stood in the courtyard. The Emperor patted the Empress's hand and said, "I've made you suffer."
The Empress was flattered, but she was also wondering what the Emperor meant by those words. "Your Majesty's words have made me very uneasy."
"With the Empress in the harem, I am truly at ease," the Emperor said, striding away. The Empress paused for a moment in the courtyard of Cining Palace before raising her hand for Rong Momo to help her walk toward the imperial carriage.
"Your Majesty!" Rong Momo was extremely worried when she saw the Empress's blank expression.
"I'm fine," the Empress said, but a sudden unease crept into her heart. She wondered if Consort Yu might become a threat. Although no one had yet been deposed, Consort Yu was now a Noble Consort, and what about the future…? The Empress felt uneasy. Back at Yongshou Palace, seeing He Rui and He Ya coming to pay their respects, her initial unease vanished, replaced by a sudden calm. So what if Consort Yu climbed higher?
"Your Majesty, what do you think of these embroidered handkerchiefs?" Heya showed the handkerchiefs she had finished embroidering to the Empress. She wanted to embroider several more before leaving the palace and send them to the concubines in each palace.
Looking closely at the embroidery on the handkerchief, the Empress praised He Ya, her heart filled with pride. "Her craftsmanship is getting better and better; I can't help but admire her." He Ya playfully clung to the Empress's arm.
He Rui looked at He Ya with amusement, laughing that He Ya was a child who never grew up. She was about to get married, yet she still knew how to act so coquettishly.
Heya persisted, insisting that the Empress make the decision for her. The Empress looked at the two sisters and said, "You two are never growing up. Isn't there a saying that children are always children in their parents' eyes?" The Empress patted Heya on the shoulder and asked, "Have you prepared everything? Have you learned all the etiquette from your governess?"
"Your Majesty, Heya remembers everything. Your Majesty..." Heya hesitated, wondering whether to ask how to bid farewell to Consort Yu. Everyone in the palace knew that Consort Yu had been her and her sister's foster mother, and if she didn't go, people might think she was ungrateful. But if she did go, firstly, it was a matter of etiquette, and secondly, she didn't feel very comfortable about it.
"Why do you always stutter when you talk to the Empress Dowager?"
“Your Majesty, Heya has been wanting to ask a question these past few days, but she hasn’t been able to bring herself to say it.” He Rui chimed in to help. The Empress was more like a mother than a biological mother, but the Emperor knew they were Consort Yu’s biological daughters, and the concubines in the harem knew they had been saved by Consort Yu.
"Today, He Rui and I started talking in circles. Tell me about it!" The Empress could roughly guess the two princesses' intentions. She was certain that the two princesses, especially He Yaxin, would not side with them, but her feelings were still slightly complicated.
"Your Majesty, Heya is wondering whether she should bid farewell to her foster mother, Consort Yu, when she gets married." He Rui emphasized the word "foster mother" particularly. Every woman in the harem who has experienced palace intrigue has complicated thoughts, and the Empress, who has climbed to the top, has even more complicated thoughts. Although the Empress was promoted by the Empress Dowager, the complexity in her heart is the same.
"You must go. If you don't, people will say you're ungrateful." The Empress stroked Heya's hair. "Time flies. When Heya first returned to the palace, she was just a little girl. Now she's a young lady, and she'll be getting married soon." The Empress recalled how the two sisters looked when they first entered the palace.
"Can……"
"I will ensure that you marry peacefully and without hardship," the Empress said calmly.
Although He Rui did not know what the Empress was thinking, he did not ask any further questions.
~~~~
Many in the harem were waiting to see the two favored princesses make a fool of themselves. If Princess Gulun were to bid farewell to a concubine, the other concubines would have plenty to say about the two princesses. If they didn't go to bid farewell, they would use this ungrateful act to subtly sow discord before the Emperor, saying that the Empress had failed in her duties.
The palace servants, who were expecting a joke, instead heard an imperial edict from the Emperor during their morning greetings to the Empress: Consort Yu had been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort Yu.
Those waiting to see a joke fall flat; those waiting to sow discord have lost their chance. The concubines in each palace, some with ulterior motives, are now reassessing Consort Yu and the two princesses. Does the Emperor value the princesses, or does he truly favor Consort Yu?
Consort Ling, confined to her quarters, overheard her confidante discussing Consort Yu's promotion to Imperial Noble Consort. Enraged, she swept all the tableware off the floor and overturned the table. Why? Why was Consort Yu, who hadn't entered through the imperial selection, above her? Just because she saved the Empress's two daughters? She refused to believe it; there must be something she didn't know. She had to find out. "Lamei, has that person sent you any messages recently?"
Lamei suddenly knelt down, "Your Majesty, this servant is useless. That person returned all the things that Master had given me before..."
"What?" Consort Ling gritted her teeth. What a servant! Seeing that she was no longer in favor, he... This person is truly opportunistic. Before, he would proactively offer information; now he's probably proactively offering information to others. "Have you noticed if that person has become close to any other palace?"
"Your Majesty, this servant has been watching closely, but I haven't seen that person get close to any palace. He's very well-behaved."
"I don't believe he's a decent person," Consort Ling said with a sneer. She didn't believe that losing this lead meant losing others, even though it was a bit of a pity.
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