Consort Wenxi thought that Emperor Kangxi was talking nonsense.
Dismissing the imperial harem is a rare occurrence, even in history.
In ancient times, there was Daji and King Zhou of Shang, but King Zhou of Shang had more than one woman, Daji. No matter how favored Yang Guifei was, she was not the only one in the harem. Even Empress Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, had to endure the presence of three palaces and six courtyards.
"My mind is made up."
Consort Wenxi rose and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I implore you to rescind your decree. This matter must not be done, Your Majesty."
"I know this matter is not easy, but I have no intention of having a harem. Even if I did, it would only be a waste of life for the women in the harem. As for the whereabouts of the concubines, I have already made plans. Those who are willing to remarry will not be stopped. They will be given status and dowry. Those who are not willing will live in a temporary palace after I build one."
In any case, these people will not be treated unfairly.
Aside from a few concubines who had borne him children, Emperor Kangxi had forgotten what many of them looked like.
Consort Wenxi remained kneeling, but how could Emperor Kangxi possibly go back on his decision?
At Yonghe Palace, upon hearing that Emperor Kangxi had returned to the palace, Consort Shi, Consort Yin, and Consort Xu were all feeling uneasy.
Consort Shi was feeling guilty. She had just taken Kangxi's pulse a few days ago while watching a play, and then Kangxi returned. She couldn't help but overthink things.
Yin Changzai and Xu Changzai were fairly certain why Kangxi had returned, and both were waiting for the final result.
After Kangxi returned to the palace, Consort Shi suddenly died that very night. Given what she had done, it was impossible for her to live. She died with dignity and did not suffer.
Finally, he was buried according to the rank of a regular official.
Shi Changzai's sudden death at this critical juncture was quite eye-catching, but no one dared to inquire further.
Two days later, Kangxi suddenly summoned the Minister of Works. He did not mention the matter of dismissing the concubines, but he did mention the construction of a temporary palace.
"Your Majesty, Muqing Garden has only been completed for a short time. I think it is inappropriate to build a palace there as well. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."
"I'm using my own private funds to renovate the palace. What's there to think about? Just do it."
The Minister of Works naturally had no choice but to obey orders.
That's right. His Majesty didn't use the Ministry of Revenue's accounts, so this matter isn't difficult to handle.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The news that Emperor Kangxi wanted to build a temporary palace spread, and this time no one dared to criticize it rashly. Consort Wenxi couldn't help but worry, wondering what was going on!
Afterwards, Kangxi summoned Consort Wenxi, Consort Hui, Consort Rong, Consort Yi, and several other concubines to ask them about their plans.
When Kangxi finished speaking and dismissed the women of the inner palace, everyone was startled.
Consorts who had given birth, such as Consort Hui, Consort Rong, and Consort Yi, were the first to be unable to bear it.
Consort Hui: "Your Majesty, I..."
"Wait until I finish speaking." Before Consort Hui could finish speaking, Kangxi interrupted her: "The harem is now just a formality. I have no interest in the harem. So many people are wasting their lives in the palace. If you are willing to leave, you can get married. I will have people prepare your dowry and other arrangements. If you are not willing, you can go to the temporary palace."
When Emperor Kangxi announced that they should marry, everyone was stunned.
Only because Consort Wenxi knew in advance did she not show any surprise.
Consort Hui: "Your Majesty, I belong to Your Majesty in life and in death. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider."
"Alright, I've already said it. If you don't want to go to the temporary palace there, you can leave the palace and follow your child when they grow up. If you don't have a child and are unsure for now, then wait until the temporary palace is built before making a decision. If you change your mind later, just let me know."
After Kangxi dismissed the group of dazed concubines, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't easy for Kangxi to say such a thing.
There were many concubines present when Kangxi spoke, and gradually the concubines in the harem all knew about it. They all thought it was too absurd. After a few days, the news still reached outside the palace.
It is said that concubines in the harem are not allowed to have contact with people outside the palace, but how can it be so absolute?
Sure enough, before the blueprints for the imperial palace were even drawn up, rumors began to circulate among the people that Emperor Kangxi was living a life of extravagance.
It is said that Emperor Kangxi had just built Muqing Garden, and now he wanted to build a temporary palace. This behavior was absurd. The common people did not understand the difference between the national treasury and the private treasury. They only knew that Emperor Kangxi was thinking about building gardens and palaces every day. How could the common people not complain when they looked at the mud houses and thatched huts they lived in?
If someone with ulterior motives adds a few more words, the common people will naturally be unable to resist expressing some complaints.
By the time Emperor Kangxi learned of this, the news had already spread, so it was no longer important to dwell on who had spread the message.
The matter of the imperial palace has been temporarily suspended.
But was Emperor Kangxi really so easily "subdued"?
No.
Since they didn't want to live in the imperial palace, there were plenty of ready-made gardens in the suburbs of Beijing. They could buy one, expand it, and there would always be a place for people to live. It was their own choice not to live in the imperial palace but in a garden.
Although Emperor Kangxi did not investigate who leaked the information, there were only a few people who had the ability to do so.
Consort Wenxi and the others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Emperor Kangxi no longer mentioned the Xiuxing Palace.
Having made up his mind, Kangxi did not directly tell the harem about the matter, but went straight back to Muqing Garden. The concubines in the harem all thought that the matter was over.
When Youqing heard about Kangxi's plan to build a temporary palace, she casually asked during the meal, "You want to build a temporary palace?"
"That was originally the plan."
"Why build a temporary palace? Muqing Garden is perfectly fine."
Although the construction of the palace was funded by his private treasury, it was still a waste of resources and manpower. The Muqing Garden had just been completed, and the fact that it was being rebuilt again inevitably drew criticism.
After all, history books only record what was repaired on what day and in what year, but they don't explain where the money came from.
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