The atmosphere in Chenggan Palace became awkward. The princes' primary wives had formed their own small groups. The wife of the Prince of Zhi and the wife of the Fourth Prince were the closest, while the Crown Princess and the wife of the Third Prince prioritized their own interests.
The families of the imperial concubines began to gradually support the princes. Now was the best time to select princes. The princes after the Fifth Prince were still young. The position of the Crown Prince seemed relatively stable. In reality, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were only one word apart, but their power was very different.
The crown prince can be changed at any time. The emperor has the highest power, and he can change the crown prince whenever he is in a bad mood.
Watching the contest between the three princesses, they couldn't help but feel that the Crown Princess had gone too far. Dong E had always followed the Crown Princess's side, and would follow her every word. Yet, after the matter was over, the Crown Princess treated her this way, as if the Third Princess Consort were someone dispensable.
"Alright, is this the place where you can talk about the imperial concubines?" Consort Tong was also getting anxious. Soon, Emperor Kangxi would be coming with the princes. If they talked nonsense here, it was very likely that it would reach Emperor Kangxi's ears.
As soon as he finished speaking, Kangxi led his princes in, and Tong Gui and the women of the household immediately paid their respects.
"Get up!" Emperor Kangxi helped Consort Tong to her feet.
"We, your servants, take our leave!" It was a rule established by the Empress Dowager when she was still alive that foreign officials' wives had to avoid Emperor Kangxi.
Lady Dong'e dared not utter a word, nor even raise her head.
The affair between Consort Dong'e and Emperor Shunzhi once made the Dong'e clan a laughing stock among the Eight Banners. Many families would tell their daughters not to learn from girls from the Dong'e clan when educating them. During that period, even marriage prospects for girls from the Dong'e clan were extremely poor.
Even the concubine's daughters resented Dong E's shamelessness. If it weren't for Dong E's seventy-year-old legitimate daughter marrying the Third Prince, their lives would probably have been even more difficult.
Emperor Kangxi waved his hand, and the ladies-in-waiting withdrew, leaving only the imperial concubines and the primary wives of the princes.
It's a rare opportunity for everyone to gather together, leading many to anticipate that the Qingyan banquet will be challenged.
Who doesn't want their husband to be devoted to them? They all have other women around them, but they can't stop them and have to smile as they send their men off.
The difference between the two is really quite large, which makes me quite frustrated with her.
After the Golden Festival, the preliminary selection will begin, and their nerves will be on edge again. Emperor Kangxi will personally arrange marriages for families with few children.
"Your Majesty, this servant told the Empress that the Fourth Prince has been married for so long, yet he has not had a single child!" Qingyan lowered her head, seemingly not hearing Consort Rong's words, but she felt very uncomfortable.
Emperor Kangxi coughed twice, covering his mouth, and the concubines swallowed the words that were about to come out.
“Consort Rong, the Third Prince’s residence has many illegitimate sons, none of whom have lived past their first birthday!” Qingyan showed no respect to Ma Jia’s mother and daughter-in-law.
Ugh!
Consort Tong and the others were stunned, as Qingyan rarely contradicted the imperial concubines.
"Little Darling!" Consort Tong quickly stopped Little Darling, causing Yinzhi and Dong'e to feel awkward.
“My dear mother, what my fourth sister-in-law said is right.” Lady Yingenjueluo quickly chimed in from the side. Lady Dong’e’s words had dragged her into the conversation even more. The Prince Zhi’s residence only had one child, Songkelierha.
Qingyan smiled, knowing that Yin Genjueluo had always stood by her side, not even letting her off the hook during the Banjin Festival.
“The First and Fourth Consorts have different opinions. Young children are not easy to survive. At least, they have all been born!” Consort Rong naturally supported the Third Consort.
Qingyan snorted coldly. Consort Rong spoke so lightly; those children were actually killed by the Third Prince's wife. Which of the palace concubines didn't know these shady dealings? They just couldn't stand the way Yin and Qingyan were so affectionate.
"Alright!" Kangxi interrupted abruptly, "Lanya, prepare your things, we're leaving together!"
Qingyan was secretly pleased. When she left Chenggan Palace, Yin stood by her side, showing his support for her with his actions.
"Fourth Brother, will Mother...?" Qingyan nudged Yin.
Before Yin could speak, he took Qingyan's hand and continued walking forward. The women following behind them all looked on with envy. Qingyan noticed their expressions out of the corner of her eye and felt a little proud.
Yin was naturally paying attention to Xiao Guai's actions; her jealous little expression completely amused him.
Normally, Yin doesn't have the chance to let the little girl be so clingy, but he doesn't mind letting outsiders see it.
Dong'e Qishi was of the same rank as Fei Yanggu. Lady Dong'e stood very close to the Jue Luo clan. The sons of the Ulanara clan all loved their wives dearly, and they secretly mocked the Jue Luo clan for playing a winning hand so poorly that they ended up with the worst possible outcome.
"Lady Ulanara, the Fourth Prince's wife has the best life of all the prince's wives. Judging from the looks of it, His Majesty is very fond of her," Dong E said coldly.
"Oh, this is all thanks to my master. Qingyan's favor is based on my master's achievements!" Jue Luo Shi would not ruin her daughter's happiness. Besides, Lady Dong'e had always been her mortal enemy. Making the other party unhappy would make her very happy.
Lady Dong'e's face darkened. The princes and their wives entered the Fengxian Hall, and the annual Banjin Festival sacrificial ceremony began.
The women of the court did not receive the same treatment as the wives of the princes; they all knelt on the blue brick floor.
Inside the hall, Qingyan knelt on a thick prayer mat, surrounded by heated bronze dates. She listened to the shaman chanting above, while silently counting sheep below, hoping to end all of this as soon as possible.
The hall was unusually quiet. She looked ahead and saw the Crown Prince, dressed in a golden imperial robe, kneeling at the front. The Crown Princess was kneeling slightly behind him, and to her right was the Crown Prince's secondary consort. It had to be said that Lady Li Jia was much more beautiful than the Crown Princess.
After a long two-hour wait, Qingyan was finally able to stand up from the prayer mat. The Crown Prince's concubine, her legs weak, collapsed directly onto the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess, seeing this scene, wanted to reprimand him, but was stopped by the Crown Prince's cold gaze.
"Get out!" Consort Tong turned around and found the two preparing to compete for favor in the hall. Fengxian Hall was one of the most sacred places, and if the women of the household did anything out of line, it would greatly anger her.
Qingyan walked to Consort Tong's side, took her hand, and Consort Tong patted Qingyan's hand.
Kangxi looked coldly at the princes, who all lowered their heads. The Crown Prince, in particular, looked unwilling. The Crown Princess's actions were too obvious. The rivalry among the women was best left in the inner quarters. In public, they had to give the men face. Moreover, the Crown Prince's inner quarters were unstable, and it would be rather embarrassing to do so in such a formal setting.
The Crown Princess's face darkened; Emperor Kangxi rarely lost his temper with her. Ever since she was chosen as the Crown Princess, Kangxi had paid close attention to cultivating her manners.
"Yes!" The Crown Princess glanced at the Consort, pursed her lips, and left Fengxian Hall directly.
Instantly, the concubines and wives of the emperor dared not utter a single word, fearing they would be used as cannon fodder by Emperor Kangxi. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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