The Chengqian Palace was completely silent.
Consort Tong slumped to one side, her eyes vacant. She choked back tears, unable to utter a single word, her gaze fixed blankly on the small body of the Twelfth Prince.
The Twelfth Prince's body had become cold.
Apart from his disproportionately large head, his torso and limbs were horribly emaciated. Even so, Consort Tong could not bear to part with him, and the Empress had to order four or five palace maids to hold her down before the eunuchs could place the Twelfth Prince's body into a golden coffin and hastily transport it away.
The twelfth prince, who was only a few months old, was not even qualified to be buried in the royal tomb. He would be sent to the Imperial Household Department and then buried in a feng shui location determined by the Chief Councilor.
Looking at the heartbroken Consort, the Empress could not hide her own grief. She could only silently pray for the poor child, hoping that if he had an afterlife, he would be healthy and live a good life in a humble but wealthy family.
The death of the Twelfth Prince cast a shadow over the entire palace, and drove Consort Wuya to the brink of madness. She tightly gripped the neck of the nanny who came to deliver the news, her nails digging into the nanny's neck: "Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! My child, how could my child be dead?"
He's the future Emperor Yongzheng!
He is my hope for the future!
Without him, how am I supposed to get out of this cramped, dilapidated little shed?
Uya's eyes turned red, and she strained to strangle the scoundrel who dared to curse her child to death on the spot. The surrounding maids and servants all paled and screamed as they rushed forward to grab Uya, pleading, "Please, please!"
"My lord!"
"Help! Someone, come quick!"
The backyard of Chengqian Palace was a complete mess.
The rescued old woman was pale and covered her throat, unable to speak. They stared in horror at the deranged Wuya, their legs going weak with fear.
Uya agreed, panting heavily.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at the palace servants before her, muttering repeatedly, "My child won't die! My child won't die—you who dared to curse the Twelfth Prince will all die a horrible death—"
A sharp sound pierced the sky.
The palace servants were so frightened that they fled in panic. They locked the palace gates tightly and scrambled to tell Granny Zhao about the incident.
Consort Tong was unable to withstand the blow and fell ill.
Granny Zhao had no time to care about the little concubine in the back courtyard. She casually ordered the palace servants to lock up and keep Wuya under control, so that she would not be allowed to appear in the front hall and disturb the master.
"Then...should we invite an imperial physician?"
"Why summon the imperial physician? Do you want the palace to know there's a madwoman in Chengqian Palace?" Granny Zhao rebuked coldly, quickly putting the matter out of her mind.
The palace maids looked at each other in bewilderment.
They looked dejected—Zhao Mama was the head maidservant by the Imperial Concubine's side, and even the most troublesome matters wouldn't be her concern, but these were the ones who frequently came into contact with Consort Wuya.
Miao Changzai was also feeling down.
Living in the backyard, she was upset and kept complaining to the palace maid: "I was hoping to ask the emperor for some favor, but now I can't even see the emperor's shadow, and I have to put up with this nonsense. It's really frustrating."
Look at Consort Wan, she's already Consort Qi, while I... Consort Miao even had the thought of moving to another palace.
It is said that Consort Qi moved to Chuxiu Palace...
Miao Chang had an idea in her mind. She pulled the palace maid aside and whispered, "What do you think about me moving to Chuxiu Palace?"
The palace maid's expression was somewhat strange.
Before she could speak, Consort Miao continued, "Consort Qi and I share a connection as fellow palace servants..."
The palace maid was speechless and choked with emotion.
Everyone in Chengqian Palace knows that Lady Wuya and Consort Qi used to share a room...
"Consort Qi has just moved to Chuxiu Palace, and she is feeling lonely and bored. I am sure I can please her and help her secure her favor."
The palace maid remained silent.
If Consort Qi hadn't been favored, how could she have risen from a low-ranking concubine to a high-ranking one? Besides, she already possesses a powerful weapon; does she really need a mere lowly concubine like Your Highness to secure her favor?
The palace maid looked at her incessantly chattering mistress, hesitant to speak, yet still wanting to. But as a palace maid, how could she possibly utter a word of opposition? The palace maid smiled and echoed, "What the mistress says makes sense; the mistress will surely succeed."
Miao Chang is full of fighting spirit.
The question is, where can we give her that opportunity now?
Wan Anran was unaware that even before she moved into Chuxiu Palace, people were already plotting against her. She was currently facing several other major problems.
Although the relocation of the palace would take some time, the Imperial Household Department sent over the allowances for the concubines the day after the imperial edict was issued.
Although the increase in allowances for the concubines in the first palace position is not significant, their unique benefits have increased considerably.
For example, in the past, if Wan Anran wanted milk, she had to apply to Consort Xuan in advance—and of course, Consort Xuan would definitely agree. If it were someone of a different rank, it might not be so. If the rank of a consort didn't agree, even a Noble Lady, a Consort, or a Lady-in-Waiting wouldn't be able to use milk. But now, Wan Anran has two exclusive dairy cows, and the quantity of various wild game, nuts, and fruits is astonishing.
In addition, there were also tribute fabrics.
There are countless kinds of furs and textiles from the Jiangnan and Northwest regions, including silk, satin, cotton, and fur. In the past, Wan Anran had to be careful with her fur fabrics to make something, but now? If Wan Anran were to use all of these by herself, she probably could make a new set of clothes every day and still not use them all in a year.
Wan Anran carefully calculated with her fingers.
She discovered that her personal savings had suddenly increased significantly—and of course, the number of palace servants had also increased dramatically.
A concubine could have six palace maids.
As Wan Anran was appointed by the Emperor to hold a high-ranking position in the palace, she also had two head maids, four low-ranking maids, and four eunuchs.
Aside from Granny Zhao, who was already serving Mao Tao, there were a total of fourteen new staff members. Even though the lowest-ranking palace maids only did cleaning and tidying, the eunuchs were in charge of external affairs, which still greatly increased Wan Anran's pressure.
Is this what it feels like to go from a team leader to a department manager in later generations? Originally, there were only a few underlings, but now Wan Anran also has to start worrying about how to manage them.
Learning subject: Consort Xuan.
Wan Anran, holding a small notebook, sat on a stool, her focused gaze fixed on Consort Xuan as she walked back and forth.
Consort Xuan was both amused and exasperated.
She poked Wan Anran's forehead with her finger: "Where did all these tricks come from? Everything in the palace is predetermined. When the time comes, have Granny Xia send you a list, and you can add or subtract as needed."
Wan Anran felt uneasy.
She pouted and complained, "It's not that easy."
"You... at first glance, I'd think you were a chick just hatched from the nest." Consort Xuan was both amused and annoyed. "Who among us didn't start out like that? Just keep living your old life as before! Now that you're a consort, you'd better stand up straight. If you lose face, you're not only losing face for Chuxiu Palace, but also for me, understand?"
"Yes, yes, yes—" Wan Anran hummed. Her unease was somewhat suppressed, and she got up and went back to the house to sort things out—mainly to bother Xiao Maotao.
Another unpleasant thing about being promoted to the rank of Consort was the time spent paying respects to the Emperor. In the past, as a Noble Lady, the Empress and Empress Dowager would usually wait until the concubines who had paid their respects had left before speaking a few words to Wan Anran alone.
The Empress is still quite cautious, and her attitude towards Wan Anran hasn't changed much. The Empress Dowager, however, is a different story. She often pulls Wan Anran aside in Cining Palace and talks incessantly about Consort Qi and the Eleventh Prince, causing several rounds of rumors to circulate in the palace, all saying that Consort Qi is using the Eleventh Prince to curry favor.
Wan Anran: ...
No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!
After denying the rumors three times, she looked miserable. She had originally planned to dress Xiao Mao Tao in a peach-shaped mascot costume to celebrate the Emperor's birthday, but now Wan Anran decided to stick to the simpler approach and just give her a set of common knitted longevity characters and clothes. As for the prepared peach-shaped mascot costume, she would secretly give it to the Empress Dowager so Xiao Mao Tao could wear it and have some fun.
Is the little peach dressed in a peach-shaped robe?
The Empress Dowager was delighted and quickly had someone bring the Eleventh Prince over to tease him. She dressed the helpless little boy in a peach-shaped robe, which made everyone overjoyed.
The Empress Dowager held the Eleventh Prince in her arms, nuzzling him affectionately, her face beaming with joy. Yinzhen was used to the Empress Dowager's concern; in his previous life, this old lady was highly respected by all the princes in the harem, partly because she always doted on each of her grandsons, regardless of their birth.
While pleased, the Empress Dowager also said a few words for Consort Qi: "Look how frightened Consort Qi has become! This style was originally supposed to be a gift for the Emperor's birthday, but it has been delivered ahead of schedule."
The Empress Dowager gave a wry smile.
She clung to the eleventh prince, refusing to let go: "Isn't Mao Tao just too cute?"
After that, the Empress Dowager slightly restrained her actions. Apart from occasionally having someone bring the Eleventh Prince over to play with him in private, she maintained her previous indifferent attitude on the surface.
This relieved most of the concubines.
Perhaps the Empress Dowager's novelty had worn off? With the concubines no longer paying attention to her, Wan Anran was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and began packing her bags to prepare for moving.
The renovation of Chuxiu Palace has finally been completed.
Wan Anran left Xianfu Palace with a sense of melancholy and walked step by step into Chuxiu Palace.
All the furnishings and decorations had been approved by Wan Anran, and every detail was pleasing to the eye and captivating. After instructing Hai Tao to lead a group of palace servants to arrange everything, Wan Anran carried Hai Tao into the study.
This place and the backyard are also what Wan Anran is most satisfied with.
The study was modeled after Jingyang Palace, with towering bookshelves piled high with thick books, and the air was filled with a faint scent of books.
On one side of the study were the usual desk and chair, while the other side was very much in Wan Anran's style. Wan Anran had placed a recliner under the window, with soft cushions made of cotton and fabric on it. Just looking at it, she could imagine herself nestled in the rocking recliner, basking in the sun and flipping through books.
The only regret is that we can't build a sunroom.
Wan Anran only learned now that glass artifacts were still considered luxury items during the Kangxi era. Although the palace had many glass mirrors, vases, and other objects, large pieces of glass were rare and precious. Floor-length mirrors were only found in the Cining Palace and Kunning Palace. Using them to build some kind of sunroom? That was simply impossible.
As for how to make glass.
Hehe, Wan Anran didn't know what the other transmigrators thought, but Wan Anran at most remembered that the raw materials were pure alkali, limestone and quartz.
As for the recipe ratio? What is that? Wan Anran couldn't tell the Imperial Household Department that these three things would definitely work, so apart from nagging at Xiao Maotao, she could only give up the idea of researching it.
However, Yinzhen had to overturn his own idea once again. If Consort Ding and Yintao knew about the existence of this object, they would definitely make a fuss about it. After all, by the late Kangxi period, although the production technology of various glass objects had matured, pure and intact glass was still rare, not to mention that, as his mother said, it could cover all four walls.
Yinzhen was frustrated that he was still a baby, otherwise he would have definitely asked to find out the truth. So, he was still waving his hands and kicking his little feet in Wan Anran's arms, babbling his suggestions.
Wan Anran thought that Mao Tao was tired of it.
She held Xiao Maotao and gently rocked him, leading him all the way to the window.
The window facing the lounge chair opens to reveal a charming backyard. Along the corner are long flowerpots, an octagonal sandpit, a slide that looks like an elephant, a swing, and of course, a large transplanted tree.
Tender buds sprout from the treetops, their pale green brimming with vitality. There are also dense flower buds, tinged with a delicate pink, like shy young girls about to bloom.
Everything is telling a story.
A new spring has finally arrived.
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