Chapter 10: Rumors
The actions of the previous dynasty have not yet been reported to the harem.
It was only half past the hour of Mao when Yuying, who was still asleep, was unwillingly woken up by Qingtao.
"My lady, wake up and don't sleep any more. Today is our first day to pay respects to the Imperial Concubine. We can't be late."
Yuying climbed up from the bed with difficulty. Before she opened her eyes, a handkerchief covered her face. Yuying shivered and became much more awake in an instant.
Looking at the sky just getting bright outside the window, Yuying felt like the sky was falling. She thought she had escaped the early morning wake-up call, but unexpectedly, the even more evil early morning wake-up call came.
But no matter what Yuying thought in her heart, she dared not slack off in her actions. After all, a higher-ranking official can crush a person to death. If the concubine wants to see the eldest wife, this is a natural hostile relationship and cannot be found wrong.
After being helped to wash up, Yuying fell backwards and fell onto the bed again.
"Ah..." Yuying collapsed.
After Qing Tao had packed up her things, she saw her mistress lying on the bed again, and she couldn't help but step forward and persuade her, "My mistress, let me help you change your clothes, otherwise we will be too late, and we can't let the Imperial Concubine wait."
"I understand." Yuying replied sullenly.
In a blink of an eye, Yuying was sitting in front of the dressing mirror, looking at herself in the mirror, and seeing the unfamiliar spring feeling in the corner of her eyes, she couldn't help but put her hand up.
She actually had sex with a stranger. Although she had prepared for all this, she was still a rookie and had not experienced the harshness of society. Although she had great ambitions in her heart, she could not help but back off.
Will things really go as she thought? Apart from this good-looking skin, she doesn't seem to have anything else to show for it. But will this skin really work in the eyes of Kangxi, who has seen countless beauties?
"My lady, are we going to put on makeup today?" Qingtao's question interrupted Yuying's thoughts.
Looking at myself in the mirror with my hair done, I said, "No need, just leave it like this, it's good to be plain."
"Everything is packed, let's go."
Imperial Noble Consort Tong Jia lived in Chengqian Palace, which was far away from Changchun Palace where Yuying lived.
When Yuying arrived at Chengqian Palace, it was already daybreak.
Yuying stopped at the palace gate and adjusted her disordered breathing.
Qing Tao stepped forward to report.
"My young lady is the concubine who served in the imperial concubine's bed last night. Today, she has come to ask how the imperial concubine is doing. I wonder if the imperial concubine has gotten up yet. If she has, please let her know."
After Qingtao finished communicating with the eunuch from Chengqian Palace, he turned around and went back to Yuying. The two of them found a corner at the palace gate and stood there, waiting to be summoned.
I am about to meet the historical Empress Xiaoyi Ren. I am looking forward to it. I wonder what this adoptive mother of Emperor Yongzheng looked like in history.
At the same time, in the inner hall of Chengqian Palace.
"Your Majesty, are you ready to get up? Xiao Qingzi, who was guarding the gate last night, came to report that the young lady who slept with you last night is already waiting outside the palace gate."
"Oh, really? It's a pity that she came so early. Then get up." A careless voice came from the bed curtains, "Xiangchun, help me wash up."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The palace maids waiting on the side hurried forward, their movements in an orderly manner.
After waiting for more than half an hour, Tong Jia finally appeared in the main hall of Chengqian Palace. There was no queen in the palace, so the concubines did not have to go to the central palace to pay their respects every day. They only had to go to Chengqian Palace to pay their respects to the imperial concubine on the first and fifteenth day of each month.
Today is neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the lunar month, so the only one who came to pay respects today was Yuying, who was sleeping with him for the first time.
Yuying was not ready to face a group of Kangxi's concubines, but fortunately she only had to meet one person today.
After the maid served the tea, Tong Jia lowered her head and took a sip before asking someone to call Yuying in.
After standing there for more than half an hour, Yuying no longer had the curiosity and anticipation she had at the beginning. Although it was only late autumn, the morning wind had already made Yuying, who was just full of enthusiasm, feel cold. Even after entering the palace, she could not muster the slightest interest in the magnificent Chengqian Palace, which was completely opposite to the elegant Changchun Palace.
Not daring to look at the elegantly dressed woman sitting there, Yuying took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed deeply.
"I, the maidservant Changchun Palace, promised Wei to pay my respects to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health."
Yuying knelt obediently on the ground, not daring to look around, and waited with lowered head for Tong Jia to call her.
Tong Jia looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, she looked like a weak willow in the wind. The loose Manchu dress made her look like a sick beauty.
"Lift your head and let me see."
Caught off guard, Yuying was helpless. You should let me get up first. If you let me get up, I will show you enough! Getting up early is annoying, and I have to kneel here. This evil feudal society!
Yuying raised her head, and a face that was pitiful and could not hide its charm after being favored appeared in Tong Jia's eyes, and Yuying also saw the woman above her clearly...
When Yuying was shocked by Tong Jia's bright and elegant face and noble aura, Tong Jia also quietly clenched the handkerchief in her hand. Such a face, such a face, even she couldn't help but like it.
"Wei Yingying is really good-looking!" Tong Jia's voice could not help but become a little sharp. "Since you have served the emperor in bed, we are sisters in the harem. In the future, you must serve the emperor well and try to give birth to a child for him. Xiangchun, present the gift I gave to Wei Yingying and ask her to keep it. I am also tired, so Wei Yingying can go back as well."
After saying that, Tong Jia left without asking Yu Ying to stand up. It was just a promise. Tong Jia hated her appearance and looked down on her status. It was just the arrogance of a superior.
"I will follow your Majesty's instructions!" Although Tong Jia didn't call her, Yuying didn't dare to be disrespectful.
Only when Yuying and her servant were left in the hall did Yuying dare to show a grinning face. Qingtao quickly stood up and went forward to support Yuying.
With the help of Qingtao, Yuying finally got up with difficulty and rubbed her numb knees. The master and servant supported each other and walked out of Chengqian Palace.
Yuying was upset. But in this palace, she made a small promise. In the future, she would have to kneel for a long time. Maybe she should learn from Xiaoyanzi and make a few "easy kneeling" moves in case of emergency.
When Yuying returned to her own piece of land in Changchun Palace, her back, which had been straightened all morning, finally relaxed.
"My lady, please take a rest first. I will go to the kitchen to bring you food. You must be hungry after being busy all morning." Qing Tao brought it up before they had even rested for a while.
This is where the disadvantage of having only one person serving you comes into play. Everything is placed on one person's shoulders. Yuying sighed once again. At least she was not dressed up as a palace maid. Otherwise, if she continued like this, she would not be able to endure it for so long.
"Qingtao, thank you for your hard work. I'm not in a hurry." Yuying said sincerely.
"My lady, I'm not tired. I'll be back soon." Qing Tao looked at the girl in front of her. Her lady was so nice no matter how she looked at her. She had a very good temper. Although their lives had been hard in the past few years, they had been dependent on each other, which was a rare warmth in the deep palace. But now that the emperor had finally summoned her lady, she didn't know what to do in the future.
After that day, the emperor did not enter the harem for more than half a month, nor did he summon concubines to sleep with him. The news that the emperor met with the ministers in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and then met with the princes also spread like a gust of wind into the palaces.
The reactions of the palaces were like a drop of water splashing into an oil pan. The emperor had never summoned ministers with such fanfare before, and after meeting with the ministers, he met with the princes one by one. For a while, everyone was talking about the emperor's move. Could it be that... the emperor was dissatisfied with the prince? But this didn't make sense. Over the years, everyone had seen the emperor's preference for the prince. But, what if?
The childless concubines in the harem were all waiting to see the show, and the concubines with children also secretly passed on messages, asking what the emperor meant.
The harem was in turmoil, and the court was also puzzled by the emperor's actions. After the court was dismissed, they flocked to the emperor's favorites, wanting to find out something.
"Master Tong, Master Tong, please slow down and wait for me."
Tong Guowei was walking out of the palace. He stopped when he heard the words and looked back. It was Nalan Mingzhu, who was always a good person.
"What's the matter, Lord Nalan?" Tong Guowei was puzzled.
"Lord Tong, what do you think the emperor has been doing these days?" Mingzhu leaned closer and asked in a low voice.
Tong Guowei took a step back and said, "How can I know something that even Lord Nalan doesn't know? Doesn't Lord Nalan usually claim to be the emperor's most intimate minister?"
Tong Guowei has always been disgusted with Nalan Mingzhu's confused look, so naturally he didn't treat him well. After he finished speaking, he left without waiting for him to speak.
"Hey, Lord Tong, you..." Before Mingzhu could finish her words, Tong Guowei walked away.
"I'm just curious. Hey, hey, hey, Lord Soetu, wait a minute..." At this time, the emperor was still young, and the princes were also still young. The clear factions in the future court had not yet formed. Mingzhu and Soetu, the two famous future members of the eldest prince's party and the crown prince's party, had not yet become enemies.
Mingzhu caught up with Soetu, and the two of them became friends with him like brothers.
"My Lord, I heard that the Crown Prince is going to return to the palace from Changchun Garden. I wonder if the Emperor's recent actions are related to the Crown Prince's return?" Nalan Mingzhu envied the good luck of the Hesheli family. They had a Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne, the Hesheli family would become the Emperor's in-laws just like the Tong family today. He also heard that the Crown Prince was very close to the Suo Etu family, so he patted Suo Etu on the shoulder and said, "From now on, I will have to take care of you."
There is still a long time to go, just wait and see. After saying this, he left the palace and returned home without waiting for Suo Etu's reply.
The turmoil in the previous dynasty and the unrest in the harem alarmed the Empress Dowager, who had lived in the Cining Palace and had not asked about the affairs of the previous dynasty for a long time.
Just after the court session that day, someone from the Cining Palace came to the Qianqing Palace, saying that the Empress Dowager invited His Majesty to have lunch over.
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