Consort Yi was actually very angry, as she had always regarded Consort De as her biggest rival.
When she first gained favor, Consort Hui and Consort Rong were already quite old, and her only rival in the competition for the emperor's favor was Consort De.
The two of them were practically competing to see who bestowed the most favors on their son.
Consort De gave birth to the fourth prince, and then she gave birth to the fifth prince. As a result, one was sent to Consort Tong and the other was sent to the Empress Dowager.
Then Consort De gave birth to the Sixth Prince, who was even named Yinzuo, which means "blessing and prosperity" and "inheritance." She was furious at the time.
However, after Consort De gave birth to several daughters who died young, and even the Sixth Prince died young, her anger finally subsided.
Later, she gave birth to the Ninth Prince and raised him, while the Eleventh Prince died young. Consort De also gave birth to the Fourteenth Prince. Both of them are the only concubines in Kangxi's harem who have given birth to two adult princes.
Consort De, of the Uya clan, also came from a humble background. Since the two women were of similar origin and both enjoyed favor with the emperor and had children (both had three sons but only two were born), comparisons between them were inevitable.
She was unwilling to admit that she was inferior to Consort De. In fact, even Consort Yi, when she served the Emperor, had feigned coquettishness and asked him whether he preferred her or Consort De.
Emperor Kangxi said that Consort De was gentle and refined, understanding and considerate, while he himself was charming and fiery, like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each with their own unique beauty.
Consort Yi sneered.
The Emperor used two words to describe Consort De, while he himself only used one word. Isn't this blatant favoritism?
Even the crown prince was closer to the fourth prince.
And what about his fifth son? He's being raised by the Empress Dowager and can't even speak Mandarin properly. His ninth son, on the other hand, is obsessed with scheming and making money, and he's even following that lowly woman from the Imperial Laundry as her lackey.
Consort Yi was in a terrible headache and seized every opportunity to annoy Consort De.
Moreover, this time the spies were planted at the request of her youngest son. She was a loving mother who doted on her children, so how could she disagree?
Now it seems they must have discovered it.
Not only was Ninth Prince's wife squeezed out by the Fourth Prince's family, but several of Guo Luoluo's capable officials were also dismissed. This must have been the work of the Fourth Prince and Fucha.
I've heard that Madam Gu has disappeared from the mansion.
Consort Yi originally thought that they dared to deal with the imperial concubines without permission, which was a serious crime. She thought of exposing the matter and then whispering in Emperor Kangxi's ear to find out what was wrong with them.
However, it is currently unclear where this Gu family member has been placed, or even whether she is still alive.
If she really dies or is tortured, that would be fine. But what if the fourth brother just puts her on the estate or somewhere else? What if she comes out unharmed and turns around and bites back at him?
Consort Yi had to be cautious, after all, the fourth prince was just as cunning as his mother, Consort De.
Just when Consort Yi and her entourage were having a terrible time, a rumor somehow spread through the palace that His Majesty was dying.
This gave everyone quite a fright.
The last time this news came out was when His Majesty contracted malaria.
But why so suddenly this time?
Some observant people noticed that the Emperor had been searching for renowned doctors for the past two years, saying he was suffering from persistent nightmares.
How severe was this nightmare? The Emperor couldn't sleep for nights on end and could only catch up on sleep during the day. Sometimes he couldn't close his eyes for several days at a time.
Everyone was skeptical. Although they hadn't seen the Emperor in person for a long time, they hadn't heard that he had neglected state affairs.
However, everyone was still somewhat eager to try.
The Imperial Concubine summoned the four consorts again to discuss the Emperor's health.
No one knows what Consort Hui said to Consort Yi alone when she returned home, but the next day Consort Yi went to the Qianqing Palace in a daze to pay her respects to the Emperor and attend to his illness. As a result, she was scolded by the Emperor and sent back.
And then no one said that the emperor was dying anymore.
But ever since that day, the emperor's temper has become increasingly volatile and worse.
It was as if Pandora's box had been opened. The palace maids and eunuchs serving tea to the emperor had been replaced. The original dozen or so people had all been beaten to death by the emperor under various pretexts.
Although the emperor is the ruler of all under heaven, if he wants to kill a servant, who dares to say otherwise?
However, this situation shows that the Emperor is in a bad mood, and no one dares to cross the line.
Unfortunately, in a courtyard behind the Qianqing Palace lived some unofficial servant girls.
They had all served the emperor, but they were not fortunate enough to enter the inner palace, so they could only live here, and the people below would respectfully call them "Miss".
Such a woman, I don't know how she angered the Emperor. That day, Kangxi waved his hand and had seven of them carried out, all of them drowned.
Upon hearing this, everyone became somewhat apprehensive, and Consort Yi dared not approach any further.
At this critical juncture, everyone closed the palace gates, and no one dared to come out and cause trouble, for fear that the Emperor might take a displeased look and kill them with a knife.
According to the eunuchs below, His Majesty had a nightmare that night, and two of the eunuchs who were acting suspiciously were directly killed by being stabbed.
These incidents are all chilling to hear.
The young man, Fourteen, handed over his token and headed straight for Yonghe Palace.
Consort De was reclining on the couch, listening to the maid chanting sutras beside her, when she saw him rush in so recklessly.
She couldn't help but scold, "How old are you? Don't you even know the rules? When has the palace ever allowed you to be so presumptuous?"
Fourteen was so anxious that he jumped up and down and quickly dismissed all the palace maids serving in the hall.
"Mother, have you heard about the Qing Dynasty?"
Consort De shot her a sharp glare, her expression genuine: "Fourteenth Prince, how old are you? Don't you understand that you should never say things you shouldn't?"
Fourteenth Prince was stared at by his mother and dared not speak, but his heart felt like it was being scratched by cat claws.
What exactly is the situation in the palace right now?
How is the Emperor's health? Is he unwell?
He didn't care how many servants, palace maids, or unknown concubines died.
He just wanted to know if his father's health could hold up and what his thoughts were on the Crown Prince.
If the crown prince is to be deposed, then plans must be made well in advance!
Otherwise, to be frank, what if Father Emperor suddenly gets angry and passes away, and the Crown Prince hasn't been deposed yet?
Although he didn't know who the next emperor would be, he couldn't suppress his inner turmoil and was so anxious that he was practically ready to climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles.
Seeing her youngest son's clumsy and impulsive behavior, Consort De cursed herself again for giving birth to such a fool.
"I haven't been feeling well these past few days. Why don't you stay at the Imperial Temple for a few nights and offer incense for me?"
"Oh? Mother, are you feeling unwell?"
Consort De said irritably, "You're the one who made me angry. You should leave now."
Fourteen wanted to say something more, but was chased out by Consort De. He stomped his feet and sighed, and had no choice but to hurry out of the palace to the Imperial Temple.
Consort De only wanted to get rid of him so that he wouldn't get involved in this mess.
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