Ning Yurong returned to her room. Her roommate, Hua Rui, hadn't finished her shift yet, so she was all alone in the room.
She was happy to have become a concubine, a proper mistress in the harem. She would have maids to serve her, and would no longer be a courtesan who could be bullied at will.
On the one hand, she couldn't help but worry about getting vaccinated. Half of what she said earlier was what she really felt, and the other half was something she simply didn't dare to say.
When the late emperor was alive, he also had palace maids and eunuchs inoculated with smallpox, and two out of thirty people died.
Several others, though they didn't die, were left with pockmarks on their faces and bodies.
She knew all this because Lin Dafu, the deputy chief eunuch of the Southern Prefecture, was one of those pockmarked men.
The emperor is now making a big show of inoculating the women in the harem with smallpox, and Ning Yurong believes that there is little chance that their lives will be in danger.
But whether her appearance will be damaged is uncertain. She is very beautiful, and her future depends entirely on her face.
If her appearance is damaged, wouldn't she have to be an unfavored concubine for the rest of her life?
But the Emperor said she had to get vaccinated as well, and if she didn't go, it would be disobeying the imperial decree.
Ning Yurong felt that her life was truly miserable...
Before she could grieve for long, Xia Zi knocked on the door. "Consort Ning, have you packed your things? Master has asked me to take you to Zhongcui Palace."
Ignoring her fear, Ning Yurong tidied herself up, opened the door, and said in a gentle tone, "Please wait a little longer, Eunuch Xia. It will take me a while to finish tidying up here."
Xiazi said, "Please take your time packing, there's no rush."
Ning Yurong tidied up her belongings, which consisted of only a few pieces of jewelry, mostly gifts from Da Pang Ju.
As for those palace maid outfits, she wouldn't need them anymore. There wasn't much to pack anyway, so she simply tidied up two bundles.
It took quite a while to reach Zhongcui Palace, where Consort Shun was holding Princess Wenyi in the courtyard, admiring the flowers.
Since leaving Qixiang Palace and no longer having to be mindful of others' opinions, her life has become increasingly enjoyable.
Xia Zi brought Ning Yu Rong over, and before she could even speak, Consort Shun knew what it was about, but still asked a question.
"Isn't this Sister Ning? Why are you here with Xia Zi? Has the Emperor promoted Sister Ning to the rank of Consort?"
Ning Yurong bowed and said, "Greetings, Consort Shun. I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's grace in bestowing upon me the rank of Lady and granting me accommodation in Your Majesty's palace."
Xiazi said, "His Majesty said that he instructed me to bring Consort Ning over so that she can keep you company."
"Now that the person has been delivered, I have other instructions to give, so I will take my leave."
Consort Shun said, "Thank you for your trouble, Yinxiu. Please see Xiaxia out."
"Yes, Eunuch Xia, this way please."
After the two left, Consort Shun handed Princess Wenyi to the wet nurse to hold, and then affectionately took Ning Yurong's hand and walked inside.
"Congratulations, little sister! You are now a legitimate mistress. I am so happy for you."
Ning Yurong said, "I owe my current status to Your Majesty's care. I will never forget your great kindness and virtue."
"If Your Majesty gives any orders, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."
Cao Qin listened to Ning Yurong's beautiful words, believing that she wasn't entirely satisfied, but she was genuinely pleased.
“Sister Ning, you’re too kind. There’s no need for such formalities between us sisters. Today is your joyous occasion, and there shouldn’t be anyone else in Zhongcui Palace. You can choose a room to stay in yourself.”
"I will have two more palace maids arranged to serve you. Sister Ning, please settle in comfortably."
"Your Majesty, I thank you."
Ning Yurong was led around and chose a room behind the east side hall of Zhongcui Palace, which faced south.
Such a house is warm in winter and cool in summer, and has good sunlight. If no one else had moved in, she definitely wouldn't have gotten a chance.
After everything was settled, news of the smallpox vaccination had already reached the inner palace. She hurriedly followed Cao Qinmo to Yikun Palace to pay her respects to Consort Hua, both to show her loyalty and to find out exactly what had happened.
No wonder Cao Qinmo was so anxious; Wen Yi was young and easily infected!
Consort Hua was elegant and graceful, like a peony, her bright red beauty captivating.
"I knew about this a long time ago. Don't worry, there won't be any problems. The Imperial Hospital has already had many people test it and confirmed that there are no issues before reporting it to His Majesty."
"This time, not only the concubines in the harem will be vaccinated, but the emperor and empress dowager will also be vaccinated, followed by everyone in the palace and members of the imperial family."
"The purpose is to set an example for the people. So that the people know that this thing is only beneficial to them and has no drawbacks."
Cao Qinmo said, "The Emperor and Empress Dowager are also coming? If so, there shouldn't be much risk, but Wenyi is still an infant. I can handle this, but the princess may not!"
To gain the loyalty of your subordinates, incentives alone are not enough. No amount of incentives can compare to the importance of your children!
In the past, she would have thought that if she and the emperor could endure it, why couldn't Wenyi? But now, Consort Hua could understand Cao Qinmo's thoughts to some extent.
“Your concerns are valid. The Third Prince was also five years old when he was born. Wenyi is so young, it’s time to wait.”
Cao Qinmo breathed a sigh of relief. With Consort Hua's words, she felt at ease. "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness!"
Consort Hua said, "No need to thank me. Wenyi is His Majesty's biological daughter, and His Majesty will make plans for her."
"If the imperial physician says that Wenyi is too young to be vaccinated, the emperor will not joke about the child's life."
"However, I must say that if the imperial physician says there is no harm, it is better to do so as soon as possible. After all, who knows what will happen tomorrow? Who knows when smallpox will break out again?"
Cao Qinmo was torn. Consort Hua was right, but she really didn't dare to risk her child.
No matter what choice she makes, there are risks involved. If something were to happen, how could she bear it?
Ning Yurong supported Cao Qinmo. She had no children and didn't understand the thoughts of a mother. She just thought that since Consort Hua was the most beautiful woman in the harem, she wasn't worried at all, so she figured there wouldn't be any problems.
On the way back, he tried to persuade Cao Qinmo the whole way, saying that whether it would work or not, in the end it was up to the imperial physician and the emperor to decide.
Cao Qinmo frowned and first had someone secretly make offerings to the Goddess of Smallpox in the palace. She and Ning Yurong stayed in the palace for two days to worship, but they still felt uneasy about such an unknown thing.
After hesitating for a while, she suddenly remembered that before becoming Consort Cheng, she was clearly a concubine, but after being promoted to Consort in the grand ceremony, she was directly promoted to Noble Consort.
Not long after, the Emperor announced that a solution had been found for smallpox. Perhaps the grand investiture of the six palaces that day wasn't solely due to Nian Gengyao's pacification of the Northwest...
"Prepare a generous gift; I am going to Chuxiu Palace."
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