The Empress Dowager was the most furious. During the New Year, she was in the palace and no longer cared about the affairs of the inner palace. As the most honored woman, it was impossible for her to be completely unaware of everything.
Besides, there were also Mongolian concubines in the harem. One of them couldn't help but come to the Empress Dowager and cry, and once she started crying, the Empress Dowager understood everything.
The Empress Dowager was unable to stop the women of the harem from leaving the palace until they themselves requested to.
"Granny, do you think the Emperor will follow in the footsteps of the late Emperor?"
"This servant believes it is unlikely; Your Majesty is wise."
With one more servant like her, no one dared to say anything more.
"I used to think it was impossible, but now I have to believe it. Perhaps this is fate. All the emperors of the Aisin Gioro family are romantics. Because of a Consort Shu, they fell in love with a man. It's absurd. I wonder if my mother can rest in peace."
"Your Majesty, you have no ill intentions. His Majesty has not done such an absurd thing."
"The harem is all gone. If it wasn't for that man, was it for Consort Shu, who is now dead? When Consort Shu died, the emperor didn't dismiss the harem. Now he's doing this for someone else."
The Empress Dowager found it too absurd and couldn't help but speak up.
The old woman didn't know how to comfort her.
It's not easy to persuade someone about this. The old nanny herself thought much the same thing as the Empress Dowager, but she just didn't dare to make fun of the Emperor.
"No, I can't just ignore this. Send someone to tell the Emperor that I want to see him."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
That afternoon, Emperor Kangxi went to see the Empress Dowager.
"Does the Empress Dowager wish to see me?"
"I have something I want to tell you."
"Please speak, Your Majesty."
"If you've taken a liking to someone from the neighboring estate, just keep her; dismiss the rest of your harem. Why go to such lengths?"
This was stated directly and explicitly.
Emperor Kangxi had already set a date for the wedding, so at this point he no longer intended to keep it a secret.
“Your Majesty, I have already made up my mind. I have set the wedding date for March, and I will discuss it with you.”
Saying it's a "discussion" is actually just agreeing.
The Empress Dowager was startled by him; how did the conversation somehow escalate to the topic of the wedding?
"A grand wedding? With whom? With that man? I do not agree to it. It's utterly absurd."
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I do not like men, so the person I marry will naturally be a woman, and Your Majesty should know that person."
Does she know her?
Who is it?
"Consort Shu".
Emperor Kangxi calmly gave his answer.
The Empress Dowager was startled by this.
"Consort Shu? Don't joke with me at a time like this."
"I'm not joking, it's Consort Shu."
"Impossible, she's already dead! How could you marry a dead person?"
"Consort Shu is not dead."
"Not dead?!?" The Empress Dowager felt her brain wasn't working properly: "That's impossible."
The death of Consort Shu caused quite a stir back then, how could she not be dead? Could it be that the imperial physicians and servants in the palace were all incompetent and treated the living as the dead? No one would do something so foolish.
"I couldn't explain the matter to my mother back then, but it's true that Consort Shu didn't die, and I know that. Consort Shu is currently living in the estate next door."
The Empress Dowager felt a bit confused, her mind was buzzing, she needed to sort things out, otherwise it would be a complete mess.
Consort Shu did not die. The person the emperor wanted to marry was Consort Shu. The disbandment of the harem was probably also for Consort Shu's sake.
"I do not approve of your marriage to Consort Shu. Her status is inappropriate. How can a dead person be empress?"
"She can do it if I want to."
"Your Majesty, how are you any different from the late Emperor?"
When she mentioned the late emperor, Kangxi remained silent for a long time before saying, "The difference between me and Father Emperor is that I can protect those I want to protect, while Father Emperor could not."
Emperor Shunzhi favored Consort Dong'e for two reasons: firstly, because Consort Dong'e had an outstanding personality among the concubines, and secondly, because of the Empress Dowager Kangxi's control over her.
To put it bluntly, it was rebellion, but he couldn't protect Consort Dong'e; he contracted smallpox himself.
The Empress Dowager was taken aback by these words and fell silent.
She knew the late emperor's temperament well. Was the whole thing really the fault of Consort Dong'e?
Not entirely. The Empress Dowager remembered that when she visited the Empress Dowager in the days before her death, she was always talking nonsense, and her words may have revealed some regret. But there is no medicine for regret in this world.
"I think you should reconsider. This decision is too rash. For her sake, you have dismissed the harem, which has already made her a target. If you like her, then keep her by your side and make her a Noble Consort. As for the Empress, I think it is inappropriate."
“I understand what my mother-in-law is saying. I can protect her, and I’m not kidding. If I can’t even protect my own woman, then there’s no point in me being an emperor.”
"You...you want to drive me to my death?"
"I dare not. Your Majesty, you should rest well. I still have some things to take care of, so I will return first."
After saying that, he left.
The two were not biological mother and son, and this was the absolute limit of their discussion. The Empress Dowager could not say anything more, and neither could Emperor Kangxi.
After Kangxi left, the Empress Dowager sighed heavily: "Consort Shu is not dead, what a mess this is!"
After leaving the Empress Dowager's place, Kangxi dealt with some memorials in the afternoon, and went to Youqing's place in the evening. Now Kangxi dares to openly sleep in her bed.
"Today I discussed our marriage with the Empress Dowager."
Youqing was taken aback. She didn't know much about the Empress Dowager, only that she was a person with a weak presence. When the Grand Empress Dowager was alive, she listened to the Grand Empress Dowager in everything. After the Grand Empress Dowager passed away, she didn't say anything to her.
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