The original owner was Consort Ping of the Kangxi Emperor, of the Hesheli clan, a Manchu of the Plain Yellow Banner, and the granddaughter of the regent Gongsoni.
She was the daughter of the Minister of State Affairs and the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, Gonggabula, and the half-sister of Empress Xiaocheng.
When Empress Xiaocheng passed away in the 13th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the original owner of the body was only 4 years old.
Emperor Kangxi had a deep affection for his first wife, Empress Heseri, and was deeply saddened by her passing, holding a grand funeral for her.
The following year, Emperor Kangxi decided to make Yinreng, the son of Empress Hesheli, the crown prince, thus breaking the ancestral rule of not appointing a crown prince since the founding of the Qing Dynasty.
At the same time, Kangxi also continuously promoted Hesheli's uncle, Suo'etu, appointing him as a Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony, making him one of the most powerful officials.
However, no powerful family would not want to establish a presence in the imperial harem.
For example, the later Empress Xiaozhao and the younger sister of Empress Xiaoyi entered the palace.
There always needs to be someone standing before the emperor, whispering in his ear from time to time. Even if they can't actually do anything, they must make the emperor remember the old friend, so that the maternal clan may benefit.
Furthermore, they also needed to develop their respective families' influence within the harem.
At this time, the Hesheli family re-established their influence in the Qing Dynasty's inner palace, and the Hesheli family later became known as Consort Ping.
Speaking of which, there were 5 pairs of sisters in Emperor Kangxi's harem.
Compared to other aristocratic families, the original owner was the most miserable among the sisters-in-law.
Consort Wenxi, the younger sister of Empress Xiaozhao, ruled the Qing Dynasty's harem for five years and became the only consort in the Qing Dynasty to be granted a posthumous title.
Empress Xiaoyi's younger sister, Consort Quehui, ruled the Qing Dynasty's harem for 22 years. She was also granted the title of Consort by Emperor Kangxi and was further honored as Imperial Noble Consort for raising the grandson of Emperor Qianlong (Hongli).
Compared to these two, Consort Ping, the younger sister of Emperor Kangxi's first wife, was far inferior.
After all, both Empress Xiaozhao and Consort Wenxi came from the Niohuru clan, a prestigious family, and daughters of the Niohuru clan were all carefully raised.
Although the later Consort Quehui was a concubine's daughter, she had long passed the age for the imperial concubine selection when she entered the palace and had been immersed in the inner court for many years.
The original owner of this body was an illegitimate daughter in her family. From the time she was 4 years old, after the death of Empress Xiaocheng, her family had already planned to send another daughter into the palace.
However, apart from the collateral branches, there were no other daughters of marriageable age.
The family's attention turned to the young original owner.
She was raised by her stepmother.
As a woman in the inner quarters of the household, the stepmother certainly understood how to cultivate a person, and even more so, how to ruin one.
The original owner was watched by the strict Wang Mama every day. She would be beaten with a stick for walking too fast, eating too much, or laughing and showing her teeth. She was also beaten by the nanny for jumping around, making her seem like she was extremely wicked.
In less than ten days, the original owner of this body, who was originally a lively and outgoing girl, became silent and taciturn.
She realized one thing: the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make.
The once lovely and adorable little girl seemed to have lost her soul in an instant.
Having finally gotten a day off, she went to her birth mother's courtyard.
Because she was raised by her stepmother, her birth mother's treatment improved, and she became radiant.
This stands in stark contrast to her.
When she saw her mother, her eyes were red and she seemed hesitant to speak. Before she could express her grievances, she was interrupted by Granny Wang, who was staring at her.
"Alas, I should be enjoying my retirement years, but the Fujin asked me to teach the Second Miss well. However, the Second Miss is a bit too spoiled, so I'll have to trouble you to give her some guidance!"
The little girl felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar in an instant.
She didn't know what was wrong; all she knew was that she was extremely envious of the little birds in the sky.
"Oh, thank you for your hard work, Granny Wang!" The birth mother smiled somewhat obsequiously and secretly handed over a purse.
The two women complimented each other; you praised her for her hard work and achievements, while she said she had a bright future ahead of her…
They were both quite happy. When Granny Wang left, she glanced at her disdainfully, and the little girl timidly took a step back.
As the servants left, her birth mother pinched her and began to talk about how good the Fujin (princess's wife) was, and how good she was to her...
Her birth mother would also give her many pointers, and there were advantages to being around her stepmother.
In the future, she could become a concubine and gain the master's favor.
The original owner's last hope was also gone.
She should behave properly as a noblewoman from a prominent family.
Her stepmother told her to listen to her, and she did.
Her stepmother told her to prioritize the family in everything, and she agreed.
Her stepmother asked her to mention Empress Xiaocheng and the Crown Prince more often in front of the Emperor in the future, and she agreed.
Her stepmother instructed her to follow the Crown Prince's lead in everything, and she nodded and remembered it.
Her maids and nannies constantly reminded her that she owed her success to her elder sister and stepmother.
She became a well-mannered and dignified noblewoman, which pleased the elders in her family.
No one cared about her true thoughts beneath her fake smile; her father didn't care, and her birth mother cared even less.
"I believed until my death that it was just my bad luck!"
"Actually, I was so tired. I was actually happy when I left!"
"I'm finally free from being bossed around by a few maids and servants. You might ask me why I, as the head of the palace, have to suffer like this? Behind them is my stepmother, I dare not."
"Hahaha~ You know what? The year I entered the palace, I even thought it wasn't so bad. Even if I entered the Forbidden City and was a caged bird for life, it would still be better than my life as a puppet on a string. But I was naive. Before I entered the palace, my stepmother threatened me with my mother's safety. If I dared to disobey her, my mother would die silently in the backyard."
“I struggled, but it was like being stuck in a swamp; I just couldn’t get out.”
"Later, my mother became a concubine, and I had a child. I thought that my life was complete!"
"But my child won't survive, and neither will I."
"I know, but for my mother and the family, I can only swallow this bitter pill and say nothing!"
"She actually thought the Emperor had fallen for me because of my face! Ha! My life is nothing but suffering!"
"The Emperor remembers his elder sister through my face, yet he is tired of my rigid manners and cannot face his desire for me."
"I've always been lonely! My parents are unkind, my husband doesn't love me, I'm fed up with it all!"
"The person I owe the most to in my life is my child!"
At this point, the pale-faced woman burst into tears.
"Actually, before you, someone asked me what I would do if I could go back in time?"
"Hahaha~ I've been thinking about it, and it's decided that everyone from the Emperor to my entire family will go to hell with me!"
The woman, who had just been so vulnerable, suddenly had madness in her eyes.
It's true that you either erupt in silence or perish in silence.
"But he said that if I did that, I would destroy the whole world, and then you came along!"
Sherry thought she would ask the system cat later who that person was.
"Do as you please. Whether you live a good or bad life, it's not me! Whether you go crazy or accept your fate, you're just walking the same path I've walked. What do I have to be nostalgic about? If I had to say something, it would be that maybe that child can grow up safely! What I can't give, you give. That's my wish! It can also fulfill our bond as mother and child."
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