Chapter 130 Choosing a Title Yinreng has been incredibly busy lately. Because…
Yinreng has been incredibly busy lately. Because the late emperor's sudden death caught everyone off guard, the responsibility for dealing with those who had been demoted and imprisoned fell to him. However, as the new emperor, he needed to grant amnesty to demonstrate his benevolent rule, so he couldn't be too lenient or too harsh in his treatment of his former "political enemies," requiring careful consideration. This was his main concern at the moment.
Yinreng had just finished reviewing a pile of memorials, then picked up another one and summoned the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, as well as the Ministers of Personnel and Justice, for questioning. By the time the matters were discussed, a whole afternoon had passed.
Yinreng rubbed his taut temples. With his coronation imminent, he was so busy he didn't even have time for a midday nap. He looked to the side and instructed, "Go tell your Master Cheng not to wait for me for lunch." He paused and continued, "Summon the Minister of Rites and the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in half an hour."
Chen He originally wanted to report that Master Cheng had returned to Xiefang Palace in the morning, but before he could reply, the Emperor gave him other instructions, so he had no choice but to swallow his words and say "Yes."
After having a light meal, Yinreng stood up and practiced his fist techniques for a while before returning to handling state affairs. Before he knew it, it was almost dark outside. Yinreng stood up, thinking that he had finally finished his work for the day, and went to the West Warm Pavilion behind the Hall of Mental Cultivation in a cheerful mood. However, upon entering and seeing the empty room, his smile vanished.
Chen He had been inwardly groaning since the beginning, and now, after glancing at the Emperor's expression, he felt even worse. He cautiously replied, "Master Cheng returned to Xiefang Palace this morning."
Yinreng then recalled their conversation from the previous night. Although he wasn't exactly unhappy, the warmth on his face from earlier had completely dissipated. He had originally planned to have a meal with her later and chat to relax, but his plan had fallen through.
After a long while, he finally said, "Alright, serve the meal."
Chen Hezhe responded and hurriedly ordered someone to fetch the meal from the kitchen opposite the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Although only a quarter of an hour had passed, he stood there restlessly, feeling as if each day was an eternity. Finally, the meal was placed on the table, and he saw the Emperor staring at a bowl of pork rib soup. He knew in his heart that the Emperor was thinking of Consort Cheng again.
Yinreng didn't use the soup. He glanced at the dishes on the table and saw that some of them were Cheng Qianyue's favorites, so he said, "Send the pork rib and winter melon soup, the braised chicken with bamboo shoots, the roasted duck, and the white sugar oil cake to Xiefang Palace."
Chen He knew immediately where these things should be sent, and quickly directed the eunuch to take them down and pack them into boxes.
Yinreng took a couple of bites of rice, then casually pointed to a few dishes and said, "These are for the Empress." After the dishes were cleared away, there wasn't much left on the table. But Yinreng didn't ask anyone to add more, and ate the few remaining dishes.
After finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth, he sat alone in the West Warm Pavilion, feeling a sense of emptiness in his heart. He simply got up and went to the front hall to read the memorials, not going to the back to sleep until very late.
The next day, Yinreng couldn't muster any energy. The person who should have been in the warm pavilion wasn't there, which made him feel uneasy. Fortunately, the Ministry of Rites delivered a memorial in the morning, which cheered him up considerably after reading it. Because he had processed a batch of memorials the night before, his midday was not as busy as the previous days. He instructed, "Go and invite your mistress, Master Cheng, over for lunch. Tell her I have something to discuss with her."
Chen He immediately straightened up and hurriedly ordered Jing Shun to go to Xiefang Palace. He finally understood that the Emperor couldn't function without Master Cheng.
A day later, Cheng Qianyue returned to the same place, but before she could finish her greetings, Yinreng pulled her up. The two ate a meal first, and then sat on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Yinreng said, "I wasn't quite used to you not being here yesterday."
Seeing him complaining, Cheng Qianyue stood up to comfort him and massaged him here and there, saying softly, "Master, you've suffered." But she didn't mention moving back.
Yinreng waited for a long time but didn't hear what he wanted to hear. Finally, he conceded and said, "If you don't want to stay, then come and have a meal with me." He dismissed the people and lowered his voice, saying, "There are very few people in this world who can talk to me about their innermost thoughts."
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but think to herself: He's already the emperor, why does he act like a lonely sage? If he wanted, plenty of people would flock to him to be his confidante and confidante. But seeing him like this now, however, is rather poignant. She asked softly, "Did you sleep well and eat well last night, Your Highness?"
Yinreng sighed, "It's far worse than today."
Cheng Qianyue laughed and joked, "So I've become the subject of your meal."
Yinreng grunted and tapped her forehead with a finger. "As the saying goes, beauty is food for the eyes." She was eating vegetarian food anyway, and without anyone to keep her company, it was a miracle she could even swallow her food.
Cheng Qianyue touched her face, thinking that although she considered herself relatively young, she couldn't compare to those younger women. What was that saying again? No one stays eighteen forever, but there will always be someone who is eighteen. So, the phrase "a feast for the eyes" seemed quite pleasing to describe her, and she happily accepted the compliment.
Yinreng had his shoulders massaged by her for a while, then stopped her from doing anything. He picked up a memorial from the desk and said, "The Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial this morning, proposing several titles. I think the characters they chose are all quite good. Take a look and see which one you like best."
Cheng Qianyue hadn't expected that he'd actually called her over to discuss something, especially something like bestowing a title. Actually, she was quite concerned about her future treatment. There was nothing she could do; that's how it was in the palace—rank mattered immensely. So she guessed she'd at least be made a concubine.
Cheng Qianyue took the memorial, but before she could even read the title, she saw the words "Imperial Consort" and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Imperial Consort?!" This was far beyond her expectations.
Seeing her sparkling eyes, Yinreng said in a deep voice, "You have served me for many years and given birth to one daughter and two sons. You naturally deserve the title of Imperial Noble Consort. Moreover, I still feel it is not enough, so I have specially ordered someone to draft an additional title." Actually, he initially wanted to make her an Imperial Noble Consort, but then he thought that the Empress was still alive and had not made any mistakes over the years. If he made the Empress a Noble Consort and then made her an Imperial Noble Consort, it would not look good on the Empress. Therefore, he could only settle for making her a Noble Consort. However, he felt that the title of Noble Consort alone could not reflect his deep affection for her, so he thought of bestowing an additional title upon her.
Cheng Qianyue felt a little smug, thinking that with her current status, she could practically do whatever she wanted in the palace, except for the Empress. She continued reading the memorial with a grin, then blushed slightly.
Yinreng asked gently, "What do you think of these characters?" He said slowly and deliberately, "Yi, Jia, Chun."
It was obvious that these titles were all very good. Although she wasn't entirely sure what the character "懿" meant, she could guess the meaning of the other two just by looking at the characters. Cheng Qianyue felt as if she had been praised quite highly on a moral level, making her a little embarrassed.
Yinreng felt that these three words were quite suitable for her, so he wanted to tease her about it and asked gently, "Among the three, is there one you particularly like?"
Cheng Qianyue said with a slightly awkward tone, "I think these words are all good, so good that I'm almost embarrassed."
Yinreng laughed, "In my opinion, the title 'Yi' is the best, as it can reflect your outstanding virtue." He patted Cheng Qianyue's hand and said, "In my eyes, you are just like this character, with proper manners, gentle and dignified."
Oh my god, this is much more intoxicating than being praised as a good person. Cheng Qianyue felt like she was being praised to the heavens. After realizing what was happening, she bowed and said, "This concubine thanks Your Majesty for the praise." After standing up, she looked at him and said softly, "Since you have said such things about me, I must always remember not to do anything wrong in the future."
Yinreng opened his mouth and praised her again: "A gentleman examines himself as if he has made a mistake. It's good that you think this way."
Cheng Qianyue wanted to show her appreciation, so she eagerly offered him tea. Just as he was drinking to moisten his throat, Cheng Qianyue suddenly thought of something else and said softly, "Sir, I want to ask you for a favor."
"Yes, go ahead," Yinreng said casually.
Cheng Qianyue: "I want to ask for a favor on behalf of the Fan family."
Yinreng thought it was something else and replied, "Originally, I thought she could be given the title of Noble Lady since she had done nothing. But seeing your good relationship with Lady Fan, and that she took good care of Moyaqi before, let's promote her to the rank of Consort."
Cheng Qianyue hadn't expected this matter to be brought up so easily, but she still stood up and performed a deep bow, saying in a refined manner, "Then this concubine thanks you on behalf of Madam Fan."
Cheng Qianyue returned home rather late today. She spent the afternoon doing needlework while keeping Yinreng company during his nap. She had dinner with him before returning to Xiefang Palace. Once back, she thought for a moment and said, "Go ask if your Lady Fan has rested yet. If not, please ask her to come over." If Lady Fan is promoted to the rank of Consort, she will be a principal wife, and can be addressed as "Mistress." This is a joyous occasion, and she should be told this good news to make her happy.
Ruoyun sighed and walked outside.
——
April 18th was an auspicious day for the enthronement ceremony of the new emperor. From this day forward, the Kangxi era had become a thing of the past, and a new golden age had officially begun. Consorts Cheng Qianyue and the others did not attend the ceremony, so they remained in the Xiefang Hall. She stood in the west front courtyard, listening to the booming of the bells and drums at the Meridian Gate.
She thought that with Yinreng's ascension to the throne, it seemed that her life was also heading towards a different ending.
After Yinreng ascended the throne, he first honored the Empress Dowager as Grand Empress Dowager, then honored the late emperor's concubines, and finally issued imperial edicts to appoint the new imperial consorts. Among them, the Crown Princess became Empress and resided in Jingren Palace; Cheng Qianyue became Noble Consort Yi and resided in Yongshou Palace; Li Jia became Consort Ke and resided in Xianfu Palace; Lin Jia became Consort Jing and resided in Qixiang Palace; Fan became Consort He and resided in Chuxiu Palace; and Liu became Noble Lady and resided in Chuxiu Palace. In addition, there were several Attendants and Ladies-in-Waiting, who were said to have been brought from the gardens and were apparently palace maids he had favored; they were all placed in Changchun Palace.
Cheng Qianyue had no objection to the arrangements made for the group of concubines and ladies-in-waiting behind her, but she had no objection to the arrangements made for Li Jia's family...
Consort Ke, this title doesn't seem very good. Isn't this a dig at Lady Li Jia?
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Author's Note: Regarding the titles, I dare not say it's a fact, only the setting of this story. In this story's setting, titles are both a form of praise and a way to distinguish concubines.
As for the Imperial Concubine, there should only be one Imperial Concubine in the harem at present, so even without a title, her status would be very high. However, Yinreng still bestowed an extra title upon her to show his deep affection for Cheng Qianyue.
As for the others, there are two Consorts (so they are given titles to distinguish them) and Concubines (at least they are principal positions, and there may be more of them now or in the future, so they are also given titles). As for those below the rank of Concubine, there are no titles, and they are all addressed by their surnames.
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