Consort Yi ignored the palace maid who brought the news.
She went about her business, and the main hall remained silent.
The summer sun scorched the earth.
Consort Guo stood silently under the eaves, waiting to be summoned. Normally, a simple greeting would send the group away, but today, even after a full cup of tea had been brewed, no one came out.
It is obvious.
Consort Guo lowered her head and composed herself, her eyes calm and unwavering: It was her good sister who did it on purpose.
The sound of cicadas chirping grew louder and louder in my ears.
A layer of sweat beaded on Consort Guo's forehead, and large beads of sweat rolled down her smooth skin. When they fell into her eyes, a faint soreness welled up in her eyes, and she blinked to control her tears.
The spot where she was standing was pretty good.
The palace maids behind them were in a much worse situation. Their faces were pale and their lips were white from the scorching sun. They might suffer from heatstroke if they stayed any longer.
Consort Guo's hands, which were resting at her sides, were clenched tightly.
She closed her eyes, praying only to God for protection... Just then, with the sound of a door being pushed open, a palace maid's voice, like heavenly music, rang in Consort Guo's ears: "Consort Guo, Her Majesty requests your presence."
Stepping into the main hall is a completely different experience.
The ice basins placed around the hall made the inside and outside of the hall seem like two different worlds.
Consort Yi, relaxed and carefree, leaned against the soft couch. A palace maid gently peeled the skin of a grape and put the sweet and juicy flesh into her mouth. Another palace maid gently tapped Consort Yi's calves with both hands, while two other palace maids gently fanned her from behind.
What a comfortable and pleasant scene!
Feeling her clothes almost completely soaked and her legs aching and numb, Consort Guo was only thankful that she had kept her head down the whole time, making it difficult for Consort Yi to see her expression.
Her younger sister.
When you're trying to please someone, you can make them feel like you're their most precious treasure, but when you're tormenting someone, you can make them suffer unbearably without them even realizing it.
Consort Yi was unaware of Consort Guo's resentment.
She stretched lazily, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with joy as she looked at Consort Guo: "Sister, you've come at the perfect time. I was just about to go and find you."
As if the matter that had made Consort Guo wait for half an hour had not happened, she smiled charmingly, her pretty face displaying a seemingly pure and innocent smile.
Consort Guo remained silent.
A wave of sorrow and grief welled up in her heart, but in the end, it simply turned into calm words: "Please speak, Master."
Consort Guo did not go to Cining Palace that day.
The next three to five days passed quickly, and there wasn't even time to make the doll promised to the fourth princess, let alone play with her.
The fourth princess was furious.
Yinzhen comforted his younger sister with practiced ease, and the innocent and adorable interaction brought a loving mother's smile to Wan Anran's face.
This is something you can watch over and over again without getting tired of it.
Of course, she also asked about Consort Guo's matter later. The Empress Dowager couldn't tell whether she was happy or unhappy, and unusually instructed Consort Qi not to interfere in the matter.
Wan Anran: …………
As the saying goes, "Don't meddle or ask too many questions," but doesn't that just make people want to meddle and ask more questions? When Wan Anran went to Kunning Palace for tea, she casually mentioned it. The Empress, who was about to tell Consort Qi not to meddle, turned around and saw her sparkling eyes.
It seemed as if ears and a tail had grown from the top of her head and the back of her back, and they even swayed. Consort Qi was radiating an aura of intense interest.
Empress Niohuru sighed, rubbing her forehead.
She simply took Consort Qi to the Imperial Garden and sat in the octagonal pavilion, slowly talking about trivial matters.
For example, Consort Guo was indeed unharmed.
The Empress thought for a moment and said, "In a sense, what Consort Yi instructed Noble Lady Guo to do was indeed a good thing."
Wan Anran held the crispy rice cake in both hands and tilted her head.
The Empress gave a wry smile: "You know that the Three Feudatories have been pacified and the Emperor plans to hold a banquet at Yingtai, right?"
Wan Anran nodded.
The Empress continued, "That's not all. You should know that the national treasury has been empty in recent years. The Emperor, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager have all been frugal and refused to be extravagant... Therefore, the Empress Dowager's birthday celebrations have not been grand."
Wan Anran nodded again.
Holding the teacup in both hands, she muttered softly, "Of course I know that this year's birthday celebration will be grand, and I have already prepared gifts in advance!"
I'm not stupid!
Consort Qi's defiant look amused the Empress, who smiled and said, "I underestimated Consort Qi. Consort Yi is the same; she gave Noble Lady Guo a big task."
The high-ranking concubines would each send a gift.
In addition, each palace would also send a gift—mainly for those concubines who were in dire straits, which ironically turned a good deed into a bad one. The principal concubine would provide some of the materials for this gift, while the rest would be handled by the other concubines.
Consort Yi did the same.
Empress Niohuru sighed softly: "The embroidery on the screen is one thing, but I heard from the Emperor that Consort Yi also chose a three-faced Buddha statue... Now there are only three months left."
Wan Anran frowned.
This is a good thing, but if it's to be accomplished within three months, it's something that requires people to work incredibly hard.
The three-faced Buddha statue wasn't a particularly outstanding gift; it would waste Consort Guo's time without making her too conspicuous... Consort Yi was truly shrewd.
Normally, Consort Yi's subtle actions would likely go unnoticed. After all, the weighty responsibility of filial piety rests on Noble Lady Guo's shoulders; if she doesn't fulfill this duty, how can she face anyone at Cining Palace?
More importantly, Consort Guo could not complain.
Consort Yi gave her the opportunity to shine on the Emperor's birthday. Even when Consort Guo was occasionally invited to Cining Palace, she had to respectfully express her hard work rather than say that she had too much work to do.
As for what happens next...
As long as Consort Guo is not allowed to leave Yikun Palace, just like last year, the palace will forget about Consort Guo's existence in less than half a year.
Wan Anran's expression was strange.
She quickly figured out Consort Yi's methods, but couldn't help twitching her lips: "Why did Consort Yi do this..."
Consort Guo was her biological sister and had always treated her well. Yet Consort Yi seemed blinded by greed, insisting on quarreling with her own sister. Most importantly, now that the Empress knew, it's likely the Emperor was already aware of Consort Yi's schemes.
Emperor Kangxi did indeed find out.
He was furious—what impressed Kangxi most about Consort Yi was her straightforwardness, her enthusiasm and generosity, and her undisguised love.
And now...
Beneath her cheerful and straightforward demeanor, and her warm and generous nature lay cunning and treachery; she treated people with one face in public and another in private. All of this completely shattered Consort Yi's image in Emperor Kangxi's eyes. If there was disappointment before, then after this series of events, Kangxi's favorability towards Consort Yi plummeted to almost zero.
Wan Anran originally thought the emperor would immediately get angry.
What she didn't expect was that the Emperor actually held back—this was not a good thing for Consort Yi.
If she had immediately lost her temper, there would have been room for reconciliation, but the emperor held back... which meant that Consort Yi was in deep trouble.
Time flies, and the sweltering heat was soon replaced by the cool autumn breeze. When the palace servants changed into their winter clothes, Empress Hesheli, the younger sister of the late Empress, and Consort Tong, the younger sister of Consort Tong, also entered the palace one after another.
The former resided in the main hall of Yonghe Palace and was granted the rank and privileges of a concubine, while the latter resided in Chengqian Palace and was granted the rank and privileges of a noblewoman.
The two men's entry into the palace did not cause much of a stir.
Wan Anran didn't have much of an impression of the two either. After that came the Empress Dowager's birthday.
The birthday of the emperor is a joyous day for all to celebrate.
From the morning onwards, the palace was filled with a joyous atmosphere. Early risers, members of the imperial family, wives of officials, and noblewomen entered the Cining Palace to present congratulatory gifts to the Empress Dowager. Of course, the palace also hosted a banquet in her honor.
The afternoon was for enjoying theatrical performances, and in the evening came the family banquet that the imperial concubines eagerly awaited. The Empress Dowager loved lively gatherings, but she also preferred the warmth of home cooking. Compared to the solemn and dignified occasions of the New Year, the birthday banquet was grand in scale yet still warm and inviting.
Whether favored or not.
The palace ladies were all dressed in their finest attire to participate in this grand banquet.
The sky was getting dark.
As the first lantern was lit, the Cining Palace was brightly lit, and the palace was brightly lit inside. The concubines entered the palace one after another and took their seats. They were all dressed in their finest clothes, and their colors were three to five points more beautiful than usual.
Wan Anran would look at what this older sister liked, and then at what that younger sister also liked. Every time this happened, she would beat her chest and stamp her feet in frustration, wondering why she was dressed as a palace concubine instead of the emperor.
Little did they know that she was also a sight to behold in the eyes of others.
Consort Qi, who usually wore no makeup and preferred light-colored clothing, was dressed in a rare, gorgeous and vibrant outfit today. Her striking beauty and imposing presence made many of the palace concubines hold their breath.
Consort Hesheli's eyes were filled with complex emotions.
She specially chose a peach-colored palace dress, which made her delicate and beautiful face even more charming and lovely, but compared to Consort Qi, she seemed too childish... and not dignified enough.
Consort Hesheli glanced at Consort Qi for a long time, then silently lowered her eyes and stared blankly at her knees. As for the young Tongjia woman who had followed Consort Tong into the palace, she looked on with envy, wishing she were the one who was the center of attention.
After the concubines were seated, the Empress appeared next.
The Empress, radiant with energy, paused her gaze on Consort Qi for a moment before calling for the palace ladies to rise. Next to enter were the Emperor, the two Empress Dowagers, the Crown Prince, and his brothers and sisters.
Wan Anran's gaze fell directly on Yinzhen.
Yinzhen and the Fourth Princess, one on each side, helped the Empress Dowager—well, rather than helping her, it was more like the Empress Dowager was holding the hands of her two children—as they happily walked onto the stage.
With all the main guests present, the banquet naturally began.
The banquet was lively and the various gifts delighted the Empress Dowager. The Crown Prince composed a poem on the spot, which made the Empress Dowager beam with joy. She also happily wore the flower garlands made by the Fifth Prince and the Fourth Princess around her neck without any disdain.
Yinqi delivered his congratulatory speech fluently and received rare praise from the emperor. He hopped back to Consort Yi's side like a little rabbit, and Consort Yi raised her chin slightly, extremely pleased with herself.
Wan Anran tried her best to fill her stomach.
Next came the procedure of displaying the gifts from the imperial concubines, and she had a premonition.
If we don't eat now, we might not be able to eat later.
Consort Yi glanced at Consort Qi and secretly shook her head: No matter how stunningly beautiful her clothes and makeup are, this gluttonous girl's appearance has been reduced to only three-tenths of her former charm.
The gifts were brought out one by one.
Consort Yi personally embroidered a winter hat, a winter coat, and a set of winter shoes, more than ten pieces in total, all exquisitely made, revealing her thoughtfulness in every detail. Consort Yi rose to express her gratitude, then smiled and said, "Noble Lady Guo also has a Buddha image screen to present to the Empress Dowager. I was busy making clothes, and I only offered an idea for the screen; the main body was made by Noble Lady Guo..."
Consort Yi's voice abruptly stopped.
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the screen that had been presented to her.
What's going on here?!
Consort Yi had clearly asked Consort Guo to embroider a three-faced Buddha image, so what was going on with this screen? Consort Yi's strange reaction also piqued the curiosity of the other concubines, who all looked up at the screen. Then, exclamations of surprise rang out as the magnificent and exquisite Buddha image left them speechless.
Even Wan Anran was stunned.
The three-faced Buddha statue and the 108 Buddha statues... this... this is completely unrelated! Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress has misremembered?
etc--
Wan Anran's expression was very strange, and she subconsciously looked towards Consort Yi.
The atmosphere inside the hall was unusually strange.
Those in the know, such as Wan Anran and the Empress, understood that Consort Yi had tried to frame Consort Guo but had instead been outmaneuvered. However, to those who were unaware, it appeared that Consort Yi had indeed tricked Consort Guo.
Three months, 108 Buddhas?
Wan Anran gasped – Consort Guo was a ruthless character!
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed.
Today, the spotlight was given to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager, who had not spoken before, was also full of surprise as she carefully examined the screen.
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed with the screen, beaming with delight. She specially ordered the palace servants to bring it indoors so that she could see it every morning when she woke up.
Consort Yi nearly crushed her silver teeth.
What she found even harder to accept was that the Emperor was overjoyed and publicly announced that Consort Guo would be promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine.
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