On the stage of Chenggan Palace, people from the Shengping Department were performing an opera. Today, Consort Tong was entertaining the palace concubines. Several of them looked at Qingyan's large belly and whispered among themselves about how many months pregnant she was.
Many of the concubines had children, and Xiao Guai's baby couldn't possibly be that far along in gestation. They were very curious about how many months pregnant Xiao Guai's baby was.
"Noble Consort, how is the Fourth Prince's wife's health?" Consort Rong glanced at Qingyan. "She looks like she's quite far along in her pregnancy!"
The concubines all pricked up their ears, hoping to hear something different. Every day, they had to rely on servants to relay messages home, and they rarely had any useful information.
Emperor Kangxi did not visit the inner palace at all times; even when he was resting, he would go to Chenggan Palace. Now, with the general election approaching, their families were also considering which prince's residence to send their female relatives to. The appearance of Yin gave them hope.
Too many people were vying for Yuqing Palace, and Prince Zhi had no interest in competing. The Third Prince did have his eye on it, but he always sided with the civil officials. Looking around, only the Fourth Prince seemed like a good choice, while the Fifth Prince had been raised by the Empress Dowager since childhood.
"Since there are two children, you should prepare two sets of things for them as well!" Consort Tong laughed, thinking that the fourth prince was quite capable.
When has the royal family ever had two children? Looking at Qingyan's belly, Consort Tong also felt that the child was very promising, making the other concubines envious and jealous.
"What? Two?" Consort Rong exclaimed in surprise.
Qingyan and Dong'e got married around the same time, and Qingyan's life was smooth sailing. From her marriage to her pregnancy, everything seemed to go smoothly, as if divine intervention was helping her.
In contrast, Dong Eshi was quite different in her diligence. Every time, she was outshone by Qingyan, and even Emperor Kangxi thought that the Third Prince's wife was no match for the Fourth Prince's wife.
As a result, the struggle between the sisters-in-law intensified, with the Crown Princess and Consort Dong'e joining forces in hopes of forcing Qingyan to back down.
"Yes, during the last pulse diagnosis, Imperial Physician Yuan himself said that the children are very healthy!" Consort Tong said directly after receiving permission from Imperial Physician Yuan.
Both inside and outside the palace, too many people are paying attention to the young couple, Yin and Qingyan. Even many court officials have gotten involved, hoping that Yin will dislike Xiaoguai. Judging from the situation, such a thing will not happen.
On the stage, the servants of the Shengping Department were singing diligently, while Qingyan idly twisted her handkerchief. She had seen this kind of play many times before. The plays in the palace were always the same few, and many plays that alluded to the Jin Dynasty had been cut.
"Fourth Princess Consort, you are truly the first in the royal family to receive such honors!" A young concubine in her early twenties said with a beaming smile.
Within the palace, many people desired Consort Tong's protection but were unable to gain her favor. Consort Tong was a very self-disciplined person; she even chose Tong Guogang, who had few weaknesses, for the copper price. Her servants, after being disciplined by Emperor Kangxi several times, all became quite obedient.
The only people they could really target, besides Yin, were Qingyan. This time, Qingyan was pregnant, which presented a perfect opportunity to curry favor with her.
Consort Tong smiled, feeling quite pleased with the compliment.
Who wouldn't want someone to speak well of their grandson behind their back? Qingyan's arrival really brought her a lot of vitality. Usually, she could only watch other concubines boast about their offspring while she was in the palace.
The Chenggan Palace was only lively when Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Yinzhen visited; otherwise, it was very cold and deserted.
"Noble Lady Wang, you have such a sweet tongue! Consort Rong, you must help Noble Lady Wang out more!" Consort Rong looked at the young noble lady that Emperor Kangxi had brought back from Jiangnan and felt somewhat uneasy. The concubines who had entered the palace earlier were mostly old and faded, and they certainly couldn't compete with the younger concubines.
Now, Consort Tong holds an absolute advantage among the imperial concubines. No matter how busy Emperor Kangxi is, he will appear by her side immediately and stay in Chenggan Palace for several days in a row.
Although many people say that Consort Tong and Emperor Kangxi were related, which is why the emperor paid so much attention to her, some people even gossiped behind her back that Consort Tong was completely schemed against by the Empress Dowager and ultimately did not leave Kangxi with a child. These became the most painful things that Kangxi did not want to talk about.
"Noble Lady Wang's mouth is always sweet; otherwise, how could she make His Majesty so happy?" Consort Ping covered her mouth and laughed, thinking that the pace was a bit too fast.
With the news of the four princes' good fortune, the pressure on Consort Dong'e gradually increased. Among the princes' wives, apart from the Crown Princess who was not favored, the other two were already pregnant. Consort Yingenjueluo was the first to give birth to a legitimate heir, and even if Songkelierha was a girl, she was still Kangxi's first legitimate granddaughter, and her status in Kangxi's heart was self-evident.
Consort Ping, representing the Hesheli clan, had been trying to cause trouble for Qingyan. Among the newly selected ladies-in-waiting, there was a youngest daughter of the Hesheli clan. Originally, this girl could have become a secondary consort. However, the secondary consorts of both Yinzhi and Yinzhi were already taken, leaving only Yinzhi's position unoccupied. This gave Prime Minister Suo a wicked idea.
"Sister Pingfei, you seem quite concerned about the Fourth Prince's wife, but Prime Minister Suo has been making things difficult for her quite a bit outside. Darun Supermarket was originally opened by the Fourth Prince's wife's family, but I heard that Lady Hesheli wants to obtain it directly through some means." Consort Yuan sneered.
“Nonsense!” Consort Ping retorted immediately.
The concubines no longer cared much about what the Hesheli clan had done. This family had done unspeakable things by relying on the Empress and the Crown Prince, many of which were despicable. The Hesheli clan's descendants had done even worse things by relying on the Yuqing Palace, such as raping women and seizing other people's land by unscrupulous means. These were all infuriating crimes.
"Whether it's nonsense or not, Consort Ping should ask Prime Minister Suo." It was rare for Consort Hui not to stand idly by. Da Run Supermarket had shares in the Yin Gen Jue Luo family, and Consort Hui was very supportive of her daughter-in-law having her own career.
In this way, when Yin was in the military camp, Yin Genjue Luo Shi would have someone to keep an eye on and wouldn't cause trouble outside.
When Lady Dong'e entertained her sisters-in-law at her residence, the troubles that arose in the backyard prompted the palace concubines to use this as a lesson to reprimand their own daughters-in-law.
"Sister Huifei is in high spirits, even knowing about this. The wife of Prince Zhi has always been very close to the Fourth Prince's wife." Consort Rong was unwilling. Crown Prince Dong Eshi originally wanted to participate, but seeing that Da Run Supermarket had not made good profits in the past few months and suffered market losses, she withdrew her shares directly.
Who would have thought that in just a few months, Qingyan would turn around its losses, making the palace concubines very envious.
Hesheli was a special case. When she wanted to take action, Emperor Kangxi did not stop her. Instead, he allowed the Nian family to get involved as well, and the Nian family came into the public eye.
"Yes, the eldest son's family has a good relationship with the Fourth Prince's wife, and Songkri Yierha also likes Fourth Aunt very much!" Consort Hui didn't mind. Their good relationship with Qingyan meant that her palace also had a share of the good stuff from the Darun Supermarket. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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