Summary:
Consort Yi, who was breathtakingly beautiful and the most doted on in the imperial harem, had a nightmare about the future.
The crown prince was deposed. The fourth prince ascended the throne. Her sworn enemy, Consort De, became the empress dowager. Her son, the fifth prince, was not allowed to have an important position. The ninth prince was died while he was imprisoned. The eleventh prince died of an illness during infancy. Although Kangxi spoiled her with sweet words of love, he took in many women in his later years and cast her aside.
Kangxi urged the new emperor that if Consort Yi was domineering and disrespectful after he passed away, then the new emperor did not need to take his feelings into consideration.
In the end, she died in desolation.
After awaking from her dream –
Consort Yi: We are not going to bother.
Whoever wants to be the favoured consort can go ahead and be the favoured consort!
The emperor didn't say anything, but knew deep down that out of all those in the imperial harem, only Consort Yi had his heart.
She was beautiful, considerate, thoughtful, and knew how to handle various situations. Once in a while, she had a bit of a temper.
But suddenly, one day, Consort Yi went on strike. In order to refuse his favour, she did everything she possibly could.
Yun Xiu: I am jealous and malicious…
Kangxi: ???
Chapter 1
In the 61st year of Kangxi, the emperor was seriously ill. In front of the holy divan, the sound of weeping echoed.
In the distance, a mass of dark clouds spread over the lands. They covered the skies above Uninhibited Spring Garden.
"Prince Yong's fourth son, Yinzhen, We bow deeply… to the successor of the throne." It was many years past Kangxi's prime. Deep wrinkles were visible on his face as he read out the last line of the posthumous edict.
Except for County Prince Zhi, Yinzhi, who was imprisoned, Prince Li, Yinreng, who had passed away early on, and the great general, Prince Yinzhen, who was fighting far away in the northwest, the rest of the princes and concubines were all lying next to the divan full of grief with tears streaming down their cheeks.
Consort De, Mrs. Wuya, led all the imperial concubines to kneel. Her eyes were full of tears. She couldn't support her body and ended up fainting.
After a while, there was the sound of heavy footsteps. The seriously ill Consort Yi, Mrs. Guo Luoluo, was supported by a palace maid. She coughed softly as she wiped away her tears. She knelt in front of Consort De.
Someone secretly gasped. Prince Heng, Yinqi, and Ninth Prince, Yintang, looked over. All of them were shocked.
One could still see traces of Consort Yi's youthful beauty; however, due to her illness and grief, she appeared as an ordinary and old consort. Her former charm was now gone, and the only thing that remained was her crushing sorrow.
She turned a deaf ear to the cries around her and only looked up at the emperor on the divan—the one who she relied on during her entire life.
Her heart was empty.
He did not spare her a glance. He gasped and whispered a few words to the new emperor, the one who would succeed him.
"If… Consort Yi is domineering and disrespectful, then there is no need to take into consideration Our feelings."
Prince Yong glanced at consort Yi, who was kneeling in front of Consort De. His gaze was heavy. He nodded in agreement.
Mrs. Guo Luoluo, who was favoured in the early years, was arrogant and brash. She overpowered his mother and the palace was full of her spies. Even after suffering a loss, a rich person was still better off than an ordinary person.
These words rang true.
Consort Yi's soul split, with half remaining in her body while the other half escaped her body when she clearly heard the emperor's whispered words.
Grief, anger, and despair constricted her heart. In the next second, the time and space changed, and she saw her end.
"Following the orders of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor has a decree—Consort Hui will be conferred the title of Consort Dowager Hui1. Consort Rong will be conferred the title of Consort Dowager Rong. Consort He will be conferred the title of Consort Dowager He…"
Consort Yi was left alone.
Her son, the fifth prince, was assigned to a dead-end job. Little Nine was imprisoned and died. Before he died, he was known as 'Sai Sihei'2.
"Prince Heng, there is no need to be anxious about general affairs of the Board of Rites. The emperor ordered Prince Heng to suppress the guilty Yuntang and all those in his manor, and remove their clan name. Their punishment can be decided along with the guilty Yunsi, isn't that right?"
After seeing off the eunuchs sent by the palace, Prince Heng, Yinqi, knelt down in front of her in tears.
"Mother, your son is useless!"
She gently stroked the eldest son's hair, and murmured, "I don't blame you. It was I who was unable to persuade Little Nine. He will end up facing this disaster."
The disaster came quickly.
When the news of Yintang's death arrived, Consort Yi sat in Prince Heng's mansion all night. Her black hair turned white. She vomited blood and almost cried herself blind.
In the tenth year of Yongzheng3, Prince Heng died of an illness. In the eleventh year, Consort Yi, who had no worries, followed him.
There was no cure for heart disease, so the former favoured consort was no more.
Before she closed her eyes, there was only a single thought left in her mind:
"Your Majesty said that you would treasure Yun Xiu in this life. Do you remember?"
—————————–
It was late at night in Yikun Palace during March, in the 22nd year of Kangxi.
Inside the cloud brocade canopy decorated with clusters of Chinese flowering crabapples, Yun Xiu let out a sound. Her eyes opened. She was sweating and her body trembled uncontrollably.
She grasped the blanket and stood up in shock. Her black hair cascaded over her chest.
This nightmare…
No. This was not a nightmare. It was too real. It was like a prediction of the future.
This kind of dream should remain as a dream.
Could God be telling her something?
An expression of terror flashed across her face.
After a slight dizziness, Yun Xiu suddenly opened her eyes. Her sharp eyes softened and her hands touched her slightly swollen stomach.
The almost 5-month old child seemed to understand his mother's mood. He moved. Yun Xiu's mood was soothed.
The lingering fear and despair she felt from the dream dissipated, leaving only a sense of peace.
……
In the dark, Yun Xiu deeply pondered something. The light from the candlestick burned bright. The palace guards on the night shift heard their master yell. The hall was bustling.
The palace maid, Rui Zhu, carefully lifted the curtains around the bed and asked anxiously, "Did Consort have a nightmare?"
Wen Yuan brought a basin of hot water. She dipped a towel in the water and gently wiped Yun Xiu's forehead. She had the same worry on her face as Rui Zhu.
They were not on guard today, so they had to dress in a hurry. They didn't have time to put their hair up in a bun. They rushed over while ordering people to make a soothing soup.
The empress was pregnant with a son. Although the first three months had passed safely, but if she had a nightmare, then what if she had an accident?
It wouldn't matter if they blamed themselves. The emperor, empress dowager, or the great empress dowager would not spare them.
"It's nothing." Yun Xiu leaned on the couch. She pressed the centre of her forehead, then asked them in a hoarse voice, "What time is it?"
"It's fourth watch," Wen Yuan replied in a low voice, wiping carefully. "Consort, sleep peacefully. It's still early. This servant will watch over you."
"Still need to pay respects tomorrow. All of you should go rest. It was just a dream…" Yun Xiu took Rui Zhu's hand. She then took a sip of the soothing soup, rinsed her mouth, then closed her eyes and laid down again.
Rui Zhu sighed in relief when she saw that Yun Xiu's expression was stable. Rui Zhu tucked Yun Xiu in the brocade quilt, put out the candle, and quietly exited the room.
Wet Nurse Dong, who was in charge, arrived with a solemn expression. "Is the consort okay?"
Yun Xiu could faintly hear their low voices. "Consort has fallen asleep… Pregnant with a boy… Evil spirits begone…"
The rustling of their footsteps faded and the hall returned to silence.
Slivers of moonlight shone through the window and dimly lit the bed curtain. Yun Xiu half-closed her peach blossom eyes, her eyelashes drooping slightly. A few strands of black hair spilled over her lips that were dyed with a bright color.
A son?
What son?
The quilt bulged slightly. A jade hand rested on the top of her lower abdomen. Yun Xiu once again recalled the scene in her dream.
She was proud in her early years. She was the most doted on in the imperial harem. No one could compete with her. Everything matched reality.
Her lips curled slightly, revealing a sarcastic smile.
Little Five, Yinqi, was not put into an important position. Of her two unborn children, one died while imprisoned, and the other died of illness during infancy.
The crown prince was deposed. Consort De, the one she hated the most, became the empress dowager. Although her own children had left earlier, even if she was suppressed her entire life, she would be buried with the late emperor after she died.
But what about her?
Without the title of Consort Dowager, after the new emperor ascended the throne, she had to live life like she was walking on thin ice. Anyone could step on her, and no one would remember that she was the beloved consort with infinite glory in the past.
… That was all…
She was stupid and so was Little Nine. Interfering with the legitimate children with skills that were not as good as the others… There was nothing to complain about.
It was the emperor who made her fall from grace.
The knife that stabbed into her heart, dealing the fatal blow was dealt by none other than Emperor Kangxi, who had doted on her and treated her like a treasure.
His sweet talk when they were younger meant nothing. No matter how beautiful her appearance was, it couldn't stand the test of time. In his later years, he married Han women one by one. He didn't remember his oath!
– "If Consort Yi is domineering and disrespectful, then there is no need to take into consideration Our feelings."
As for these words? What kind of joke was this?
When he liked her, he said that her temper was very touching. When he left her behind, he thought she was domineering and didn't give her any face.
Her entire heart was tied to the emperor. She regarded him as her everything. She was considerate in every way, and she had done her duty as a consort. Even if she was arrogant and indulgent, when she competed for favour, she knew her limits.
How many of the concubines did she really offend?
She never killed the emperor's heir, nor had she schemed against others.
She thought that she could earn some sincerity from the emperor, but in the end, she had nothing. She lost completely.
……
It was like a slap in the face –
She finally understood that the emperor was ruthless.
In the imperial harem, the height of stupidity was to lose one's heart and put oneself in shackles.
Under the bed curtain, Yun Xiu's breathing was stagnant for a moment. Then, she sneered.
If this was the future predicted by the heavens, why should she follow the dream?
She was born into a wealthy family in Manchuria. As a consort who had given birth to a prince, and who had the backing of the great empress dowager and empress dowager, no one dared to underestimate her.
She had so many regrets in the dream. Why should she restrain herself and carefully fight for favour? Why should she dream of trying to get the emperor's heart?
It was good enough for her children and grandchildren to be able to live freely.
As for men?
We will stop being subservient!
Just after 5-7 am, Yun Xiu washed and dressed with the aid of the palace servants.
Her demeanour was sluggish and she had slight bags under her eyes, but it did not detract from her bright and beautiful appearance at all.
She had an oval face, beautiful eyebrows, a pair of twinkling peach blossom eyes, a straight nose, and rosy lips. Her facial features could be described as "beautiful", but there was nothing enchanting about her.
In the imperial harem, her appearance was also unique. For so many years, only Noble Consort Liang, Mrs. Wei, could match her.
Once the emperor saw Mrs. Wei, he would surely favour her. The concubines all waited to see Consort Yi be made a joke of——
Noble Consort Liang was a jasper-type beauty. She was not in the same category as Consort Yi, who was magnificent and gorgeous. They guessed that the emperor liked Han women, so he should prefer women like Noble Consort Liang, and Consort Yi should be taken down a peg or two.
Unexpectedly, the emperor treated Noble Consort Liang coldly from the start. When his 8th son was born, the emperor rarely cared about her.
Ever since she was bestowed the title of Consort, Yun Xiu was still in favour. They hated her so much that their teeth itched, but there was nothing they could do.
Right now, Yun Xiu's eyes were half-closed. She had no makeup. Her beauty was slightly reduced like a begonia in spring sleep, and it was a little more pure.
Wet Nurse Dong knew that her master did not sleep well last night, so she ordered the second-rank maid, Chun Bai, to be gentle when combing her hair, so as not to disturb the consort.
"Consort, do you want to put on makeup?" Wen Yuan asked softly.
Normally, pregnant women shouldn't use powder, and the same was true for consorts.
Once pregnant, one would get spots and bloat… Ladies were most afraid of comparisons, and even more afraid of making a fool of themselves in front of the emperor. Therefore, cosmetics and other things that did not harm oneself were thoroughly invested in.
Naturally, Yun Xiu also had them. Wen Yuan's blend of powder was a must. When it was opened, a faint fragrance of floral dew wafted out.
"There's no need. It's good for them to compete for beauty. It doesn't affect me," Yun Xiu said wearily.
Because of her dream, her mood was all over the place during the second half of the night. It had been difficult to fall asleep. She only rested for a while. How could she think about dressing up now?
Wen Yuan understood, and her footsteps became increasingly softer.
Every fifth and tenth day of every month, led by Mrs. Tongjia, everyone went to Cining Palace to pay their respects. For the rest of the day, they went to the Chengqian Palace to pay their respects to the imperial noble consort
Originally, the imperial noble consort was 6 months pregnant, so she avoided everyone's greetings, but today was special. The imperial noble consort on a message and asked them to sit down in Chengqian Palace to discuss the arrangements for the Longevity Festival in preparation for the emperor's birthday.
The imperial noble consort gave such orders, so who would dare to be absent?
Consort De, who was four months pregnant, arrived earlier than Yun Xiu.
After washing and dressing up, Yun Xiu casually pointed at a light apricot-wrapped dress, which surprised Wen Yuan and the others.
Consort Yi used to only wear bright colors. What happened today?
1.(太妃) this is a title that is used for Imperial Concubines of the deceased emperor. There is no good way to translate this to English
2.(塞思黑) Sai Sihei: This was the name of the Manchu prince, Yuntang, the 9th son of the Kangxi Emperor, and his mother was Consort Yi. The emperor's 4th son (Yinzhen) became the emperor, and that new emperor forced all his siblings to change their names from Yin to Yun (e.g. Yintang to Yuntang) due to naming taboo. Three years later, the emperor stripped Yuntang of his title and banished him from the clan. Yuntang pleaded with the emperor to be sent to a monastery, but the emperor refused. Yuntang was later imprisoned and died from an unspecified 'abdominal illness', but it was speculated that he died from poison. You can read more here: https/en./wiki/Yuntang
3.Tenth year of yongzheng: when the new emperor takes the throne, the dynasty period is started anew under a new name. So this would be 10 years after the new emperor took the throne.
Chapter 2
On the occasions where the concubines gather together, Yun Xiu had always been the one who dominated the crowd.
Her clothes were bright and exquisite. Even if her position was limited and she couldn't compare with the noble consorts and the imperial noble consort, she would be the centre of attention.
It wasn't just Emperor Kangxi who often praised her for her good looks, but also the Empress Dowager liked and praised Consort Yi. The others could only be jealous.
But today, she combed her hair into something simple, wore a plain emerald silver hairpin, and matched it with an apricot white outfit. She was completely different from before.
Wet Nurse Dong's expression remained unchanged. Her eyes flashed with distress. Consort must have been frightened by the dream yesterday and was not in the mood to dress up today. When they returned to Yikun Palace, Consort should catch up on sleep.
……
Winter was over. Spring was here and March was still cold.
Because Yun Xiu was pregnant, they didn't dare to be careless. The servants took out a moderately thick cloak from the cabinet, which was also a warm white colour.
Rui Zhu asked the small kitchen to cook a bowl of clear porridge. Half an hour after eating, Yun Xiu looked at the slightly bright sky and raised her chin slightly. "Let's go."
"Yes."
Noble Lady Le was already waiting in the front hall. When she saw Yun Xiu, she came over to greet her. "Greetings to Consort Yi."
When she saw that Yun Xiu didn't wear makeup, was wearing apricot white clothing, and had slight bags under her eyes, she paused for a moment. Her face was full of worry. "Last night, did older sister not sleep well? Should the imperial physician come and take a look? I still have some Chinese eaglewood…"
There was a lot of movement in the main hall.
Yun Xiu's heart warmed up and she held her hand. "It's fine. It was just a nightmare."
Noble Lady Le, Mrs. Guo Luoluo, was the younger sister of Yun Xiu's mother. Her name was Yun Shu and they had been close since childhood.
As soon as Yun Xiu entered the palace, she was promoted from a noble lady to imperial concubine. Kangxi favoured her immensely, but she hadn't conceived for two entire years, so there was a lot of gossip surrounding her.
At that time, Imperial Concubine Yi couldn't support herself, so her father hardened his heart and said that he would pick a girl from the clan to help her in the palace. They did not expect for Yun Shu to volunteer to enter the palace for her older sister, saying that if she gave birth to a prince and gave him to her older sister to raise, it would solve this problem.
Yun Xiu couldn't stop her, so she could only ask Kangxi to let Yun Shu live in Yikun Palace so that the two could look after each other.
Maybe her younger sister really brought good luck. Yun Shu got pregnant after being favoured only once, and Yun Xiu received the good news right after.
Yun Shu gave birth to the fourth princess, Yi'erha. A few months later, Yun Xiu gave birth to the fifth prince, Yinqi, who was raised by the empress dowager.
Yun Xiu knew that Yun Shu was there for her sincerely and she didn't care about being a noble lady.
The one she owed the most was this younger sister!
She thought of Noble Lady Le, who was imprisoned by her in her dream. She thought of the iron-willed, world-famous Ocean Clam Princess, Yi'erha, who was sent off to marry a Khalkha in Mongolia by herself and who had only gained that title many years later. Yun Xiu closed her eyes and suppressed the sour feeling in her heart. She asked:
"Did Yi'erha sleep well?"
Was her sleep disturbed that night?
Noble Lady Le smiled and said, "Older sister, don't worry. That girl sleeps soundly, unlike us adults, who sleep lightly…"
Because a mere concubine was not qualified to raise a child, when Yi'erha was born, she was raised by Yun Xiu, who was an imperial concubine, and was called Yikun Palace's Manchu Princess.
Noble Lady Le also lived in Yikun Palace, so the mother and daughter met every day and had a deep relationship. It was no different from ordinary families.
It was unlike Yanxi Palace. If Noble Lady Liang wanted to see the eighth prince, she still needed Consort Hui's approval. The last time she was able to see him was 5 days ago and it was considered an act of kindness on Consort Hui's part.
"That's good." Yun Xiu frowned.
Her eye-catching beauty, which gave off a fresh feeling, shocked Noble Lady Le. She sighed in her heart and the doubts cleared her mind.
She felt that something was wrong with her older sister today, but she couldn't tell what it was. Maybe she was thinking too much.
Apart from Consort Yi and Noble Lady Le, there were no other young masters living in Yikun Palace.
In private, Yun Shu called Yun Xiu older sister Yun Xiu. When they were in public, she called her Consort politely.
The temperature at the beginning of March was indeed chilly. Yun Xiu supported Wet Nurse Dong's hand and walked forward steadily. When they arrived at the front yard, Noble Lady Le was surprised for a moment. "Consort did not use a sedan chair?"
When traveling, concubines and above could ride in sedan chairs, but noble ladies had no such qualifications and could only pay their respects on foot.
Yun Xiu rubbed her lower abdomen and looked at the red walls and blue tiles around her. "I didn't sleep well yesterday, so I wanted to walk more to stay awake."
Noble Lady Le understood. She pursed her lips in worry and stopped asking further questions.
……
Yikun Palace was located to the west of Kunning Palace. Chengqian Palace was just opposite to it. It was the residence of Imperial Noble Consort Mrs. Tongjia, and also the place where the palace power belonged.
Since the death of Empress Xiaozhao, Mrs. Tongjia was in charge of the harem as a noble consort, and was later promoted to imperial noble consort. She was the real first.
It was just that, since entering the palace, she had nothing to do. Even drinking tonics didn't help.
Since she didn't think she was destined to be a mother, the imperial noble consort adopted the fourth prince, Yinzhen, from Noble Lady Wuya back then. She raised him with great care, like he was a pearl in her eyes. Even Kangxi praised her for her motherly heart.
However, to everyone's surprise, when the fourth prince was five years old, the imperial noble consort became pregnant!
Up until now, she had been pregnant for six months. She was only waiting for the good news to arrive.
Not only was the harem shaken, but it also caused instability in the previous dynasty.
Mrs. Tongjia was from the emperor's mother's family. The imperial noble consort was the niece of Empress Xiaokangzhang, and was the emperor's cousin… If this child was a prince, it would be amazing!
In terms of blood relations, it was not worse than Prince Yinreng.
The imperial noble consort was ecstatic and regarded the child in her womb as a treasure. She even handed over the palace power to Noble Consort Niu Gulu to assist her, which was a highly praised move by the empress dowager.
This pregnancy even overshadowed the light of the other concubines and attracted everyone's attention. It allowed Yun Xiu to raise her baby with peace of mind, and she managed to avoid being a target of everyone else's jealousy.
But under the calm, there was an undercurrent of unrest. There were signs of storms to come.
Yun Xiu was still able to comfortably rank as one of the four consorts. In addition to Kangxi's love and favour, her abilities and vision were not lacking.
After the imperial noble consort became pregnant, Yun Xiu was afraid that the unsettling undercurrents would affect Yikun Palace and Yinqi. She lived in a secluded place, and she didn't go out and mingle as much. In private, she was still thinking about how she would respond if Mrs. Tongjia gave birth to a prince and took away the emperor's attention.
After the imperial noble consort gave birth, it would be Yun Xiu's turn!
But now—
Yun Xiu didn't care at all.
In the dream, the thing she cared the most about was the future of herself and her children. As for the fate of others, their fates were just mentioned in passing.
She only knew that the imperial noble consort gave birth to a princess, but she didn't quite know when the little princess died or when the imperial noble consort died of illness.
Yun Xiu also lost the desire to inquire.
She thought aimlessly that if Mrs. Tongjia, who was posthumously named Empress Xiaoyi, would be buried with the imperial tomb, she would at most be buried in the consort's tomb.
… She was envious, after all.
However, what was the difference between her and Empress Xiaoyi? In the end, dust turned to dust, and ashes turned to ashes.
When she recalled how cautious she was during this period of time, she found it hilarious.
Yun Xiu lost her train of thought. With a small smile in her eyes, she entered Chengqian Palace calmly with her arms on her waist.
She and Noble Lady Le entered a little later. In the main hall, the imperial noble consort had already occupied the seat of honour. Only the noble consort stool with an embroidered cover was empty. The other 3 consorts were already there.
Yun Xiu glanced at them from the corner of her eye, and found that the women's clothing had their strong points.
Imperial Concubine An, Imperial Concubine Duan, Imperial Concubine Xi, Imperial Concubine Jing who occupied the first place. There were also two concubines, Concubine Hesheli and Concubine Bo'erjijite who were well-dressed. However, it was herself who was surprisingly elegant.
The imperial noble consort wore a beautiful dark brown qipao. The phoenix hairpin in her hair looked as if it was about to fly. She looked so graceful and beautiful with a faint smile on her face.
If one looked carefully, one could find that her body was a bit bloated, and her complexion was no better than before. She must have covered it up with a thin layer of makeup.
Her hands were resting on her lower abdomen in a protective posture. She would not leave it for a moment.
When Yun Xiu performed the ancient woman's gesture of paying her respects, the main hall suddenly fell silent.
The imperial noble consort was stunned. The smile on the corner of her mouth flattened before quickly returning to her original state. She said softly, "It's fine. Quickly, sit down."
Consort Hui wore a light blue palace attire. Her appearance was delicate. When she saw Yun Xiu, she was surprised for a moment. Then, she smiled kindly and called out "Younger Sister Consort Yi".
Yun Xiu paid her respects to the three consorts and sat below Consort Hui, but above Consort De.
Consort Rong and Consort Hui were the same age, twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. She was much prettier than Consort Hui, but appeared to be decrepit and exhausted for no reason – in her early years, she had 4 sons who died young. Only the third prince and the second princess survived. It was a great blow to her. In recent years, she had gradually lost favour and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her son.
She glanced at Yun Xiu, who was dressed in apricot white, with a strange expression on her face. She smiled slightly and turned her head towards Consort De. "It is such a coincidence that Younger Sister Consort De and Younger Sister Consort Yi have a good understanding and both wore apricot white. The pattern is even the same."
Seniority in the palace was not according to age, but according to rank. The order of the four consorts was Consort Hui, Consort Yi, Consort De, and finally Consort Rong. She should have addressed Consort Yi and Consort De as older sister, but she always called them younger sister.
What Yun Xiu cared about was being pampered, so she didn't care about these trivialities with Consort Rong. However, Consort De was born to a lower class family. She never had confidence in her seniority. When Consort Rong called her younger sister, she never refuted it.
Consort De's smile froze when she heard Consort Rong's words.
Everyone in the harem knew that Consort De liked elegance and Consort Yi liked beauty. But today, the two overlapped.
Consort De was also dressed in apricot white today with a gentle smile on her face, but because of the premature death of her young princess, and her immediate pregnancy after, she was far less beautiful than before.
Consort De had put on a thick layer of powder. When compared to Consort Yi, who showed her plain face…
Consort Yi was actually even better!
No, it was more like she was mere dust.
Everyone knew that Consort Yi looked good, but they didn't know that when she dressed plainly without makeup, she had a special style.
The bright colours and cold aura were intertwined. Because of her drowsiness, there was a sense of laziness to her expression, which made people stunned.
She was almost five months pregnant, but she didn't have spots, nor did she gain weight…
Her eyes showed some signs of dark circles causing her to look slightly haggard, but it didn't detract from her appearance.
At this time, they were unable to deal with their jealousy.
Dark eyes flitted between Yun Xiu and Consort De. The imperial noble consort covered her lips with her hand. Consort Hui almost laughed out loud.
Did Consort Yi do this on purpose?
……
The heavens only knew that Yun Xiu really didn't do it on purpose.
Because of the impact of her dream, she had this feeling in her heart. She didn't want to compete with the consorts, so she casually pointed to a piece of clothing. She didn't expect that she would match with Consort De.
Before Yun Xiu could speak, Consort De smiled gently, and said softly, "What do you mean that we have a good understanding? Older Sister Consort Yi must have had a nightmare last night and therefore didn't have much thought of dressing up. Why don't you invite a shaman into the imperial palace to pray for good fortune? Then, you can sleep peacefully…"
Yesterday, Yikun Palace was lit in the middle of the night. All the well-informed concubines knew about it. They all understood. Nobody took it seriously. When a concubine was pregnant, her body underwent many changes, and there were many examples of waking up in the middle of the night.
Consort De went so far as to reveal this matter to the public. She even said that she would invite a shaman to pray for good fortune.
Praying for good fortune? She was implying that Consort Yi was haunted by an evil spirit and that she wanted to ask someone to exorcise the evil spirit.
But on the surface, she seemed like she was saying this for the good of Consort Yi. She showed that she cared and nobody could find a single fault.
As soon as Consort De opened her mouth, the corners of Imperial Noble Consort's lips dropped.
Mrs. Tongjia raised her hand. Just as she was about to change the subject, Yun Xiu raised her eyebrows and stared straight at Consort De. She shot her a cold look and said, "If you don't want to be compared to me, then just say it outright. What kind of excuse is praying for good fortune? You shouldn't reach the point where you are too tired and you panic!"
.
Chapter 3
As soon as Yun Xiu finished speaking, there was an eerie silence in the hall.
Consort De could no longer maintain her gentle facade. Her chest rose and fell, and her expression suddenly became ugly.
Because of their similar ages, as well as them both receiving favour, giving birth to children, and having the same rank, she and Consort Yi naturally developed resentment.
Mrs. Guo Luoluo was definitely number one. She couldn't compare to her no matter what. Consort Yi was flamboyant and domineering. How could she be like her, who was born from a palace lady and had gone through hardships to climb to her current position?!
Consort De had been wondering this for a long time.
But no matter what they thought, the two always smiled when they met. The taunting between them was also subtle and never to the point of tearing their face.
Today's incident of wearing the same outfit made Consort De pissed off.
She and Consort Yi were seated next to each other. When people compared the two, it was almost like looking at a phoenix and a pheasant.
When did Mrs. Guo Luoluo wear apricot white? She must have done it on purpose.
Consort De was still young. Once she became a Consort, she developed a temper, and she was unwilling to suffer such a big loss.
She was just used to being cautious after all. She whispered some 'caring' words, thinking that it would be enough to make Consort Yi speechless.
She didn't think that Consort Yi would not go along as common sense dictated, and instead embarrassed her in front of everyone!
But she didn't dare to break her face…
Consort De took a deep breath. She felt a dull pain in her stomach and forced herself to smile. "Older sister misunderstood."
Yun Xiu ignored her and picked up the teacup.
On such an occasion, no one would tamper with the tea. The curling white mist rose. When it went down, the heat penetrated all her limbs and bones. She narrowed her eyes comfortably, and saw Consort De's deflated appearance. She was pleased and finally let out a sigh of relief.
As soon as Consort De had opened her mouth, Yun Xiu's old and new grudges flooded her heart. She had no intention of fighting for favour and she was not afraid of tearing her face.
In her dream, Mrs. Wuya could be the impressive empress dowager, but now——
It was just wishful thinking.
……
The imperial noble consort raised her hand, then dropped it. She felt relieved. She looked at Yun Xiu with a real smile.
In the past few months, she had not cared about Yinzhen before. She almost failed to guard against Consort De's little tricks in private.
How could Mrs. Tongjia swallow this?
Yes, she did value her children more than the 4th prince, Yinzhen, but their many years together was not a lie.
Consort De wanted to take advantage of her when she was pregnant to fool Yinzhen, which touched her bottom line.
Consort De treated the 6th prince, Yinzuo, like a treasure. How much motherly affection did she have for Yinzhen?
However, a bed-coated servant who traded her heir for the position of imperial concubine, was not satisfied and was still greedy.
She resorted to some tricks, and Yinzhen's impression of Consort De was much worse. The imperial noble consort still felt that it was not enough, but her own reaction to her pregnancy became increasingly more serious, and her morning sickness continued. So, she had to put aside other affairs and concentrate on raising the baby.
Now that Yun Xiu had slapped Consort De neatly, Mrs. Tongjia was very relieved. Her prejudice against Yun Xiu had also disappeared.
……
Consort Yi's favour was something to be envied. Even the imperial noble consort was jealous. But right now, Consort De was more of a threat to her. The imperial noble consort smiled. She looked at Yun Xiu with a little kindness.
Consort Hui and Consort Rong were all taken aback. They then covered their faces with handkerchiefs to hide their smiles. Imperial Concubine Duan and Imperial Concubine Jing looked at each other in dismay while the young masters lowered their heads, fearing that the fish in the pond would be harmed and as a result, they would be harmed.
Why did Consort Yi suddenly change her temper?
No, it wasn't that she had changed her temper, but that she had become more ostentatious and unscrupulous.
Chengqian Palace was completely silent. Only the announcement from outside sounded: "The noble consort has arrived——"
Mrs. Niu Gulu, the noble consort of Yongshou Palace, arrived late and broke the silence. She had to apologise for this as soon as she arrived.
"Greetings to the imperial noble consort! I ask for imperial noble consort to forgive me for being late." The noble consort had a dignified expression, calm eyes, and a slight smile. Her etiquette was beyond reproach.
Whenever it was time to pay respects at Chengqian Palace, that noble consort was always the last one to arrive.
This was the unspoken rule which everyone knew. The imperial noble consort's family dominated, and there would always be someone who would fight her.
Both front and back palaces paid attention to the balance.
Mrs. Tongjia was very powerful, so Kangxi bestowed the title of noble consort on the younger sister of Empress Xiaozhao in one fell swoop. He did not hesitate to reward and gave Niu Gulu's family a lot of grace.
There was also the crown prince's maternal family, Mrs. Hesheli's family. The concubine who was instructed by the empress dowager to send Empress Renxiao into the palace was now Concubine Hesheli of Chuxiu Palace.
The current situation in the harem was firmly under Kangxi's control. The imperial noble consort was not stupid. How could she not know?
After the noble consort paid her respects, the imperial noble consort showed no signs of worry and smiled slightly. "You are neither too early, nor too late. You are just in time. Sit down."
The four consorts greeted the noble consort one by one, and then it was the rest of the concubines' turns, in order of rank.1
Seeing Yun Xiu's apricot-white appearance, the noble consort was taken aback. She sincerely praised her. "This dress is unique. It suits you."
In the harem, apart from Noble Lady Le, the one who could talk to Yun Xiu was Noble Consort Niu Gulu. The two had some friendship.
As soon as those words came out, Consort Hui covered her mouth and laughed. Consort De's expression was ugly.
She held the embroidered handkerchief so tightly that it was deformed.
After Yun Xiu finished paying her respects, the noble consort noticed Consort De's clothes. She concealed her surprise. It was only then did she realise that she had poked at Consort De's heart just now…
It was an accident. The noble consort smiled, as if a little apologetic.
The imperial noble consort was happy again. She deeply felt that it was worthwhile for them to pay their respects today. Her fatigue from pregnancy had dissipated a bit.
What a show!
"The Longevity Festival is approaching, and we need to do our part. Apart from the family banquet, there are also the congratulatory gifts… After thinking about it, I will entrust Consort Hui and Consort Rong to take care of the family banquet…" The imperial noble consort cut to the chase.
Consort Hui smiled. Consort Rong beamed with joy. The two got up to thank each other.
There were many arrangements for the family banquet, and it would take a lot of effort.
The imperial noble consort was too heavy to take care of these trivial matters. Imperial Noble Consort, Consort Yi, and Consort De were all pregnant, so such good things should just fall on their heads.
"We and Noble Consort Yu will take care of the general affairs. The selection of congratulatory gifts will be handed over to Consort Yi, and Consort De will be in charge of…"
Selecting congratulatory gifts was an extremely easy job. If it was done well, it could still win the eyes of the emperor.
All the congratulatory gifts in the harem were to be handed over to them to look over, so it would be clear at a glance who gave what gift and who had financial difficulties.
As soon as these words came out, envious eyes turned to Yun Xiu, but not many turned to Consort De.
The imperial noble consort had made it clear that Consort Yi was in charge and Consort De was just an assistant. If there was a dispute, they would naturally listen to Consort Yi.
Yun Xiu put down the teacup. This didn't happen in her dream.
The selection of congratulatory gifts had always been handed over to the Imperial Household Department.
She mulled over the situation and immediately understood the imperial noble consort's intentions.
Mrs. Tongjia pointing out Consort De as an "assistant" clearly favoured her, but in fact she wanted her to compete with Consort De. She wanted them to fight so that Consort De would take serious damage.
It seemed that today's unreasonable 'outburst' made the imperial noble consort look at her with admiration.
Yun Xiu turned her head slightly and almost laughed out loud when she saw Consort De's expression.
She was still worrying about the matters of the congratulatory gifts, and the timely rain came immediately.
Yun Xiu was born in a Manchurian family of martial arts, so she was not proficient in embroidery. She didn't even know anything about it.
In order to surprise the emperor and get first place in his heart, Yun Xiu made up her mind to embroider a set of clothes by herself. For this reason, she humbly asked Rui Zhu for advice. It took a month to embroider a semi-finished product, and it was just in time for the gift on Longevity Day.
In order to learn embroidery, she suffered a lot. Because of her clumsiness, she pricked her fingers several times. When she was on the verge of accomplishing this task, she wasn't able to.
In the dream, he told her clearly that, even though she poured out her feelings, it was all in vain in the end.
If that was the case, then why should she embroider?
Even if she had a half-finished product that fell into ashes, she would not give it away.
That being said, choosing a new congratulatory gift was a hassle.
She didn't have the desire to compete with the others and she didn't want to win the top spot. Since it was like this, then the gift couldn't be too shabby, nor could it be too brilliant…
She was worried. The imperial noble consort gave her such a good errand. She divided these urgent matters.
At that time, she would just take a look at the gift list to get an idea of what there was, then make sure that her gift conformed with the list. Wouldn't that be fine?
Yun Xiu got up to thank her. Her gratitude showed when she spoke, which surprised the imperial noble consort, and her smile became more cordial.
……
After assigning the tasks, the imperial noble consort rubbed the space between her eyebrows. She showed a little tiredness, and the concubines shot her meaningful looks before taking their leave.
Yun Xiu supported her waist and walked out of Chengqian Palace with a smile on her face. She looked in the direction of Cining Palace, and said to Wet Nurse Dong, "At this time, Yinqi should be sleeping soundly."
The great empress dowager lived in Cining Palace, and the empress dowager lived in the Ningshou Palace. The empress dowager was the grandniece of the great empress dowager. She would go to Cining Palace every morning to pay her respects, and she would not return to her bedroom until late at night.
Therefore, although Yinqi was raised by the empress dowager, he actually lived in Cining Palace. It was not wrong to say that he was raised by the great empress dowager.
Back then, the empress dowager had the idea of adopting Yinqi. Yun Xiu noticed it when she was in confinement.
After thinking for many days, Yun Xiu gritted her teeth and explained the matter to Kangxi through the partitioning screen.
Handing him over to the empress dowager to be raised… Apart from the fact that the mother and child would not often be close, everything else was beneficial.
Firstly, Yinqi would have the protection of two great Buddhas. Secondly, it was Yun Xiu's wish that he could stay away from the throne and live a healthy life.
The crown prince was still young. Nothing had come to fruition yet, and no one could say for sure what would happen in the future. But, meddling with the succession of the throne? Yun Xiu didn't have that much ambition.
Besides, she had a faint feeling that the emperor knew about adopting Little Five and was hesitant.
Proposing and being forced to agree were two completely different things!
After thinking about everything, Yun Xiu asked the empress dowager to raise Yinqi. She had tears in her eyes and was choked up.
This decision not only moved Kangxi, but also moved the empress dowager and great empress dowager.
Since then, Yun Xiu's favour further improved, and the two palaces were very fond of her.
The empress dowager and the great empress dowager originally liked Yun Xiu's temperament. Since then they took care of her even more. Their care almost surpassed the concubine who was born in Horqin.
Surprisingly, separation of mother and child was not always the case.
The empress dowager was kind by nature, and she felt guilty towards Yun Xiu. She visited her home and often invited Yun Xiu to have dinner with Yinqi. Therefore, the mother and son had been close for a long time.
They were taken care of, but the imperial noble consort did not allow Consort De to get close to Yinzhen. When she compared the two, Yun Xiu was both fortunate and grateful.
"If Consort misses the fifth prince, why doesn't Consort go back to the palace to have a rest and play with the prince in Cining Palace?" Wet Nurse Dong laughed.
Yun Xiu yawned lightly with warmth in her eyes. "You're right."
She hadn't seen Yinqi for a few days. She wondered if he had grown taller?
What happened at the front of Chengqian Palace was known to the back of Qianqing Palace.
Kangxi went down to court. He cleaned his face, changed into a moon-white dragon-patterned robe, picked up a memorial to read, and listened to Liang Jiugong's report.
Liang Jiugong repeated in a low voice, "… afraid that Your Majesty may be too tired…"
After a long time, the emperor placed the memorial down. He wasn't sure if he was happy or angry. "Your Master Yi really said that?"
1.There are many ranks to the concubines the emperor has in the harem. Depending on which part of China and which emperor, you get different names for different ranks. There aren't really good ways to translate them to English. If you want to see how many ranks there are and how varied there are, Wiki has a summary
Chapter 4
Liang Jiugong raised his eyes carefully. When he saw Kangxi's calm face, he was a little unsure of what to think.
After contemplating the status of Consort Yi and Consort De in the emperor's heart, he bowed his head and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, it may be because Consort Yi had a nightmare in the middle of the night."
So, she got a little angry and got into a fight with Master De.
Not to mention, Master Yi had also worn apricot white. Wasn't that abnormal?
He heard that once Consort De returned to Yonghe Palace, she sent someone to invite the imperial physician. It seemed like the baby was moving…
Kangxi pondered things for a while."… Tonight's dinner will be served in Yikun Palace. Send over the red coral in the warehouse, and the sapphire head ornament. Go there personally."
Liang Jiugong sighed in relief and at the same time bowed to accept the order. He was inwardly shocked.
This red coral was a treasure from the south. There were three in total. One was for the great empress dowager, one for the empress dowager, and the remaining one was kept in the warehouse of His Majesty. The imperial noble consort sent someone to inquire about it as she really cared about it.
Liang Jiugong thought that His Majesty would reward the imperial noble consort in the end. He never expected that Consort Yi would get it!
There was also that pair of sapphire head ornaments, which were exquisite and precious. They met the standard for the high-ranking Consorts.
The things bestowed by the emperor would not impede them even if they went up a rank.
He thought to himself that the emperor really cared about Master Consort Yi. Even if the Consort was unable to serve the emperor in the bedroom, her family would not be weakened at all.
Look, when he heard that you didn't sleep well last night, didn't it make his heart hurt? She didn't even make the slightest fuss over the incident.
As for Consort De, she had no choice but to suffer this dark loss.
Thinking like this, Kangxi continued, "Send someone to Yonghe Palace. Reward her with the cloth and a jade ceremonial scepter. Check on how Consort De is."
In other words, there was less heat.
He basically understood the intrigue among the concubines. Consort De was unwilling to allow them to wear similar clothes, and hinted that she had to ask a shaman to exorcise evil spirits. This was a convoluted method, unlike Consort Yi, who was straightforward. When the two sides were compared, Consort De fell behind.
The emperor picked up the memorial again. He recalled Yun Xiu's words and chuckled lightly.
She was sharp-toothed and sharp-tongued. What she said was quite right.
When Yun Xiu returned to Yikun Palace, the fourth princess, Yi'erha, who had just woken up, came down to the main hall. She was led by a wet nurse and she paid her respects to Yun Xiu softly.
Yi'erha was the same age as Yinqi. She was only a few months older, with pink cheeks. She was cute and did not show a hint of arrogance. She was very sensible.
Noble Lady Le, Yun Shu, and Yun Xiu were blood siblings, so their appearance was naturally not bad. Yi'erha had inherited Noble Lady's appearance, and resembled Yun Xiu about 30%. She had the makings of a beauty in the future.
"Consort Mother Yi." Yi'erha bowed. She held Yun Xiu's hand and asked, "Is Consort Mother Yi not in good spirits because she woke up last night?"
Yun Xiu patted the little girl's head, with many thoughts in her heart. Her tone was gentle, "Waking up was a little startling, but seeing our Yi'erha makes Consort Mother Yi extraordinarily energetic."
Yi'erha pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes sparkling.
Yun Xiu asked the small kitchen to make some snacks. She took advantage of the gap between the little girl's words and leaned on the couch before carefully asking the wet nurse about Yi'erha's daily life.
The head wet nurse, Mrs. Dong, was from the same family as Wet Nurse Dong. She was also Yun Xiu's wet nurse, who was selected by the Imperial Household Department.
She stood aside and replied respectfully, with a kind look on her face, "The princess has had a very good appetite recently, and she had whitebait soup for dinner last night…"
"Take good care of the fourth princess." After Yun Xiu finished asking, she nodded, called Yi'erha to her side again, and coaxed her softly, "Okay, your mother misses you very much. Go to the side hall to play."
Yi'erha's eyes lit up. She knew that Consort Mother Yi had something to do. She felt blessed, and left happily.
Yun Xiu looked at her back with a smile, only to realise that she was sleepy when she came back to her senses.
Wen Yuan had already made the bed and was about to help her master change clothes. Zhang Youde, the eunuch in charge of Yikun Palace, reported in a low voice outside the curtain, "Consort, Steward Liang has come to Yikun Palace in person to bring the emperor's reward!"
Although his voice was low, he sounded very excited.
Wen Yuan and Rui Zhu looked at each other in surprise. Yun Xiu opened her beautiful half-closed eyes, rubbed the space between her brows, and figured that she still wouldn't be able to sleep. She said lazily as she walked out, "Serve some tea."
Without her order, the palace people had already come out of the palace to welcome them.
A large group of people came in mightily from outside. They were led by Liang Jiugong, who was followed by all eunuchs and maids serving at Qianqing Palace.
"Be careful. If something goes wrong, you can only blame yourself!"
Liang Jiugong looked at the biggest piece of red cloth, and kept telling them all this. When he saw Yun Xiu, who was dressed in apricot white, he hid his deep surprise. He smiled until the corners of his eyes were wrinkled, bent down, and said, "This servant pays respects to Consort Yi."
While he was paying his respects, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Master Yi's outfit was so different that even an eunuch was amazed.
Yun Xiu raised her hand and glanced at the red cloth. She resisted her drowsiness and said, "Steward Liang can forgo the formalities. This is?"
"Consort Yi, the emperor has a reward." Liang Jiugong was a step behind Yun Xiu. He entered the yard step by step and ordered the palace people to put away the rewards. He cleared his throat and said, "The rewards are a red coral plant, a set of sapphire head ornaments…"
In addition to these two items, there were also clothing materials, gold ingots, etc., which were also listed.
Red Coral? The one that the imperial noble consort wanted?
Yun Xiu was silent for a moment. She frowned briefly and then quickly put on a pleasant smile. She leaned over and was about to kneel down to thank them.
Liang Jiugong quickly stopped her. "Consort, you don't have to do this! You are pregnant, and the emperor specially asked the servant to excuse you from this formality."
After he said that, Yun Xiu stood up straight. In addition to being grateful, she said a few caring words about Kangxi's daily life and managed to save face.
"His Majesty is fine and just heard about what happened last night and was worried about Consort. His Majesty specially sent this servant to take a look. It's cold outside, so this servant will help you into the hall." Liang Jiugong squinted his eyes and supported Yun Xiu. The group walked slowly towards the hall.
If the other concubines were present, they would definitely be surprised. When had they ever seen Liang Jiugong act like this?
Only the people of Yikun Palace were used to it.
Wet Nurse Dong thought about it. Steward Liang seemed to be more considerate…
Because of the rewards given twice in three days by Qianqing Palace, even if Yun Xiu couldn't serve in bed, no one in the palace would dare neglect her. It was only the people of Yikun Palace that had the confidence to walk outside.
Today was even different. Who didn't know how precious that red coral was?
Everyone smiled, happy that the emperor missed their master.
After seating, without Yun Xiu's look, Wen Yuan brought hot tea in person. Rui Zhu secretly handed over a purse to Liang Jiugong. The latter accepted it generously, causing Rui Zhu to purse her lips and smile.
Liang Jiugong was careful and noticed Yun Xiu's drowsiness early on. He also noticed the bags under her eyes.
He sat on half of the embroidered seat, leaned forward, and explained the news that the emperor would come to Yikun Palace for dinner in a few words.
"This servant will not bother Consort further." After saying that with a smile, Liang Jiugong bid them farewell with a wink.
"…" Wet Nurse Dong and the others were happy, but Yun Xiu only felt her temples twitch and her smile faded.
He was coming to Yikun Palace?
If it was yesterday, she would have personally supervised the small kitchen to prepare exquisite dishes, for fear of being ungracious.
But she had that dream, and he came.
It was another reward, and another visit to Yikun Palace. This didn't happen in the dream.
Yun Xiu rubbed her forehead and frowned. She couldn't play with Yinqi today, and seeing Little Five would have to be postponed to another day.
Also, she had made up her mind not to compete for favour, so what attitude should she have towards the emperor?
She didn't want to be too concerned, but she couldn't be too perfunctory. Otherwise, the children would be rejected.
It was rare for Consort Yi to be a little irritable. Could it be that the emperor was in a hurry?
Perhaps the child in her stomach felt the ups and downs of their mother's mood, and moved slightly. Yun Xiu exhaled slowly, looked down softly, and gently touched her lower abdomen.
Different situations called for different actions.
Wet Nurse Dong was keenly aware of her master's unhappy mood and thought that Yun Xiu was extremely sleepy. So, she quickly asked someone to help her change her clothes, put down the bed curtain, and light the curling incense.
"Consort, please sleep peacefully. Chun Bai and the others are watching over the small kitchen. When the time comes, the old servant will call you," she said softly.
Yun Xiu closed her eyes and hummed.
After waiting five minutes, Wet Nurse Dong listened attentively to the breathing in the tent before she went out quietly.
She lifted the curtain and saw the happy face of the serving maid. She couldn't help but also smile. She kept her voice low. "Give some of those to me. Don't disturb the Consort's peaceful sleep."
After she finished speaking, she asked again, "Have those rewards been registered in the treasury?"
"It has all gone to storage, Wet Nurse." Lan Qiu, the second-rank palace lady, said as she followed her step by step. She smiled. "You haven't seen the red coral. It's so bright. This is the first time that this servant has seen such a good treasure in so many years! The emperor's favour to the Consort is really unique."
"It is, isn't it?" Xi Yu agreed.
Their master was favoured, and the palace people had a share of the benefits. Their waists were straight, and when they were doing business outside, everyone had to address her as 'Girl'.
As far as the harem was concerned, the only one who could be said to be continuously favoured was Consort Yi, who had at least ten days of favour every month.
Originally, they were worried that when the Consort was pregnant, her favour would fade away, but the emperor still gave rewards every few days!
Just the day before yesterday, the emperor sat in Yikun Palace for a long time. It was only a day later that he wanted to have dinner with his consort…
They were happy and quickly ordered people to work. They cleaned up the main hall and swept away the fallen leaves in the yard.
In the interim, a young palace lady blinked and asked Xi Yu quietly, "Older Sister Xi Yu, why didn't the consort put the red coral in the main hall?"
Xi Yu knocked her forehead. "How can we guess Consort's thoughts?"
She thought that it must be that the consort cherished the treasure and did not want to damage it by putting it outside.
The little palace lady smiled and nodded. She then ran away with the broom.
Kangxi put down his pen and asked Liang Jiugong, "What time is it?"
Liang Jiugong bowed and said with a smile, "It's time to go to Yikun Palace for dinner."
Just now when he returned, he deliberately described Consort Yi's joy in accepting the reward. Although the emperor did not speak, the corners of his mouth were curled up. How could that action escape Liang Jiugong's eyes?
As soon as he finished speaking, Kangxi kicked him and reprimanded him. "You have a slick tongue."
There was no displeasure on his face.
Liang Jiugong groaned, and quickly confessed his guilt. He sloppily instructed his apprentice, Xiao Lizi. "On to Yikun Palace——"
At the beginning of March, it was not yet warm and the days were getting longer. When the sedan arrived at Yikun Palace, the sky was getting dark and lights were lit on both sides of the porch.
Yun Xiu slept for two hours, and then had some snacks. Her fatigue had disappeared. Her expression improved and her cheeks were rosy.
She waited outside the hall, the apricot-white flag set against the red clouds in the sky. It seemed to complement each other.
She placed her hands on her lower abdomen. She still hadn't put on makeup. Because of her pregnancy, the overflowing gentle motherhood made Kangxi stop in his tracks. After the initial surprise, his heart was softer than ever.
The emperor strode towards her. Yun Xiu's fingertips trembled. After her dream, the clear resentment and obsession remained in her heart. Her eyes drooped slightly. She couldn't say what she felt at this moment.
Kangxi's appearance was neither handsome nor ordinary. He had phoenix eyes, thin lips, and deep eyebrows.
Not long after the Revolt of the Three Feudatories1 had subsided, the emperor in his thirties was full of vigor, then became increasingly more settled with age.
He had an extraordinary aura when he was young, and Yun Xiu, who entered the palace at the age of fifteen, had been secretly in love with him since.
After all, he was her god. After so many years, how could she easily give up her love?
But Yun Xiu had made up her mind to stop serving him. She doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes in her dream.
After she figured it out, the feeling of oppression was gone. Her mind was cleared. Yun Xiu greeted him. "Your concubine pays respects to the emperor."
Halfway through the walk, she was gently lifted up.
"You don't need to do these formalities." Kangxi held her hand, his eyes gentle. He was in a good mood. He said, smiling jokingly, "Why are you wearing such clothes? It's very different from usual."
Yun Xiu raised her eyebrows slightly. "Is the emperor here to criticise?"
1.(三藩之亂) Revolt of the Three Feudatories: a rebellion in China lasting from 1673 to 1681.
https/en./wiki/Revolt_of_the_Three_Feudatories
Chapter 5
As soon as the words "here to criticise" came out, Liang Jiugong almost staggered. He called out to his ancestors in his heart.
No matter how favoured Master Yi was, she had never said such a thing! What happened today?
Wet Nurse Dong's complexion changed. Wen Yuan, Rui Zhu, and the others breathed shallowly. Their hearts were fluctuating and their faces were full of panic.
Unexpectedly, after a moment of surprise, Kangxi held her hand tightly, smiled deeper, and asked, "When did We come to criticise?"
The amazement did not go away. A sense of novelty welled up in his heart. When he looked at the harem, only Consort Yi dared to talk to him like this.
"Today, this consort and Consort De had a dispute over these clothes."
Yun Xiu didn't care about "revealing her ugliness" at all. When they arrived at the dining table, the two sat opposite each other. When Kangxi finally let go of her, he sighed in relief, looked over, and said casually, "We heard that Yonghe Palace invited the imperial physician… Why would We criticise you?"
Since the emperor didn't intend to stand up for Consort De, he would take the lead and cut off Yonghe Palace's complaints.
As evening approached, the room darkened. The palace servants lit candles early. The small kitchen made a lot of exquisite dishes and laid them out on the dining table one by one. The dishes exuded a tempting aroma, but couldn't compare to the beauties under the candlelight.
"If We blamed you, why would We bother to work so hard to give you rewards and to have a meal?" Kangxi's heart moved. He glanced at her with a smile in his eyes. "You are so talkative. Even if you don't forgive others, you can still criticise."
After he finished speaking, he waved his hand to let the little eunuch who was serving the food back over to put a piece of duck meat into Yun Xiu's bowl. This action had a faint feeling of being pampered. "Let's eat first. Eat more, don't starve Us and the prince."
"Since the emperor said so." With a slight smile, Yun Xiu picked up the jade bowl of rice and concentrated on eating. She felt better physically and mentally, and her appetite improved a bit.
Sure enough, if she let go of her many worries, where she would no longer worry about falling out of favor, she wouldn't feel like she was walking on eggshells.
In addition, Yun Xiu was a little puzzled. Why did his attitude become casual? Why was the emperor not angry but very happy?
If she couldn't figure it out, then she would just stop thinking about it.
The rule of the Forbidden City was not to speak when eating or sleeping. After finishing the meal quietly, Wet Nurse Dong and Liang Jiugong looked happy. Their masters ate more than usual.
He was in a rush to . The emperor worked long days, so he didn't often go to the harem.
Liang Jiugong glanced at the backs of the emperor and Consort Yi walking side by side. He secretly sighed and elevated the status of Yikun Palace to a higher level.
"Yi'erha can recite poems fluently, but Yinqi is not as good as his sister." When Yun Xiu mentioned the child, her eyes were full of satisfaction. Her tone was gentle and she felt a moment of tranquility.
Kangxi just laughed. "When you teach children, We are always at ease."
"You didn't sleep well yesterday, so why didn't you invite the imperial physician?" After digesting the food, the emperor sat on the edge of the couch with his arms around Yun Xiu. He stretched out his hand to touch her swollen belly. "You also didn't send anyone to report, so We were very worried."
Who could resist such sweet talk?
Yun Xiu curled her fingers, lowered her eyes, and resisted the urge to move the dragon's claws away. "Waking up in the middle of the night is a common thing. Why is there a need to mobilise people? One can just sleep more."
As she spoke, she raised her head to look at Kangxi. She blinked. "As for reporting this to the emperor, how would this consort dare? If that's the case… Manchu Palace's eyes are blinded by a knife1. If it became a real knife, I can't bear it. The little prince would be even more unable to bear it.
If it was in the past, Yun Xiu would not have dared to mention the concubine's intrigue when facing the emperor.
As for now, every sentence she wanted to say was full of truth. Wasn't living comfortably the most important thing for a person?
Kangxi's hand on Yun Xiu's stomach paused. He looked deeply into her eyes.
Her peach blossom eyes were clear and calm.
"How rare. Our Consort Yi is not afraid of anything. Is there something you can't bear?" Kangxi suppressed a laugh. His chest trembled and Yun Xiu gave him a fierce stare.
He thought his beloved consort was flirting, and his majestic face became softer. "Xiuxiu, just come to Qianqing Palace to find me…"
As soon as the word "Xiuxiu" came out, Yun Xiu choked and almost coughed.
She couldn't take it anymore and buried herself in Kangxi's neck, ignoring the feeling of rejection in her heart.
When their relationship was the most tender, or between the sheets, the emperor called her Yun Xiu at most. When did he call her Xiuxiu?!
This kind of treatment was something she had dreamed of in the past, but now it appeared unexpectedly. It was really… at the will of the heavens.
Yun Xiu closed her eyes. Her mind was overwhelmed as she recalled the tragic end of her dream. She didn't know if it was mostly ironic or just sour.
She took a deep breath and the corners of her mouth twitched. "Since the emperor said so, how can this consort dare disobey those orders?"
Liang Jiugong and the others stood guard outside the curtain, with Wen Yuan and Rui Zhu standing beside them.
After an hour, Kangxi strode out of the room with a smile on his lips. Anyone could tell he was in a good mood.
After sending the emperor off, the two palace ladies looked at each other and lifted the curtain with a smile. "Consort, do you still want to eat? This servant made scented tea, which is your favourite flavour…"
The emperor was walking on the long palace road, and Liang Jiugong followed.
"Liang Jiugong," Kangxi said suddenly. "Have you noticed that your master has changed?"
Liang Jiugong let out an 'uh'. How should he reply to the emperor's question?
What changed? Did her wearing plain clothes count as a change?
After racking his brains for a long while, he really had no idea. He said cautiously, "This servant is dull and can't see it. This servant only knows that Consort Yi is radiant day after day, and her appearance is extraordinary…"
"Stop." Kangxi glanced at him. Liang Jiugong instantly shut up and smiled.
"I suppose you can't notice it." Kangxi leaned back, closed his eyes slightly, and lowered his voice. "She's become more honest and open."
From the beginning to the end, wasn't this the one he loved?
The women in the harem all wore masks. They treated him tenderly and carefully, and never dared to be presumptuous. It was only Consort Yi who was different. Her joy, anger, and ignorance were displayed clearly, just like the scenery. She was the same.
He could feel that her heart was all tied to him.
She didn't think about making profits for the family, nor did she think about being promoted. She was the most innocent. Who wouldn't favor such a woman?
Just now, Xiuxiu's change surprised him.
Kangxi felt regretful in his heart. If it wasn't because of the customs, he would definitely have stayed in Yikun Palace without fear of attracting comments.
It was still early before it was time to sleep. When they approached Qianqing Palace, Liang Jiugong saw the little eunuch poking his head in the respect room with sharp eyes. He called out to the emperor, "Are you going to pick tonight?"
Concubine Hesheli of Chuxiu Palace had not been in the palace for long and he should show her favour. Kangxi originally decided to choose her, but after he saw Yun Xiu, he lost interest.
Kangxi waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Withdraw."
The most beautiful woman in the country had caught his eye. How could he focus on other things?
After saying that, he seemed to have thought of something. He told Liang Jiugong,"Keep an eye on Yikun Palace, and report immediately if there is any disturbance, such as Consort Yi waking up last night."
Liang Jiugong was taken aback for a moment, and quickly responded, "Yes!"
……
Consort De was livid from Yun Xiu's actions this morning. The noble imperial consort issued for her to assist Consort Yi. After this flurry of emotions, the movement of her foetus increased.
The foetus was raised well, and her symptoms of abdominal pain were very mild. She felt better after taking the sedan chair back to Yonghe Palace.
After much deliberation, she sent someone to invite the imperial physician. She hoped to get news from the other side of the Qianqing Palace. It just so happened to be when the emperor was retreating from the court…
Instead of Kangxi coming over, she ended up only waiting for a solitary jade ruyi and a few bolts of cloth. The one who escorted the reward was only a little-known little eunuch from Qianqing Palace.
With a smile in her mouth, Consort De thanked them in a soft voice. When she returned to the inner hall, her face sank. There was a look of disappointment in her eyes.
Not long after, the news that Consort Yi got red coral and sapphire head ornaments had spread all over the harem. Consort De was shocked and dropped the teacup. She couldn't hold back her expression anymore. "Why?!"
It was obvious that Consort Yi was aggressive and arrogant. How could the emperor reward her?
The red coral and sapphire head ornaments were amazing treasures. Compared with her jade ruyi, anyone can see the emperor's favouritism!
Why? Such unreasonable favouritism…
Consort De closed her eyes. Her heart was burning with embarrassment. She pretended to have abdominal pain just now, but now it turned into real abdominal pain.
She clutched her stomach and staggered.
Wet Nurse Wu, who was serving by the side, turned pale with fright. Lüwu Lüping quickly supported her master, frightened. "Consort!"
The imperial physician had to be invited again.
"…It's okay, just make a bowl of anti-abortion medicine." Consort De took a deep breath.
At this time, the imperial physician must not be invited again.
The movement of the foetus happened for a reason. She could still win sympathy. With the imperial doctor invited, everyone would know that she was angry about the red coral. What would the emperor think of her? What would the other concubines think of her?
The imperial noble consort could use this against her.
The abdominal pain stopped and Consort De was a little more awake.
After calming down, she returned to her senses. She thought carefully about the incident of the outfits this morning. She clutched her forehead and showed a little remorse on her beautiful and gentle face.
She couldn't hold back her anger, so she lost her composure and suffered a great loss for nothing.
Anyway, she was the first to ask about a shaman. Perhaps, because of this matter, the emperor gave her a small warning in the name of a reward…
It was a mistake.
After thinking about it, her abdominal pain gradually eased. The senior palace lady, Lüwu Lüping, went to supervise the brewing of the medicine. The only one standing beside her was her confidant Wet Nurse Wu.
Consort De pursed her lips, and suddenly said, "Wet nurse, since I became a consort, my palace has not been as good as before."
Wet Nurse Wu pressed her forehead. She was worried, "Consort, what did you say?"
"When We first became a noble lady, We had to be more careful, lest We made a mistake." Consort De was lost in her memories. "It was a coincidence that We were lucky enough to be a concubine. The emperor saw that We lost Yinzhen…"
Consort De paused in her speech when she spoke of the fourth prince, Yinzhen. Her expression was indescribably complicated.
It was said that the degree of doting was only a little less than that of Consort Yi, but this kind of love was the result of all kinds of calculations and hardships in exchange!
Yinzhen… was taught by the imperial noble consort and almost took the surname Tongjia.
Because of him, her little princess died early…
Either way, she would have lost her son.
She pursed her lips. Even so, she still couldn't compare to that vixen, Mrs. Guo Luoluo.
How ironic is it that a beautiful face would make the emperor lose his mind?
After calming down, she continued. "… Back then, I couldn't compare with Concubine Hui and the others, so I was more cautious. Then, I had Yinzuo. I became a consort, but gradually lost my standing and became more hot-tempered."
The emperor favored her meekness and prudence, and nothing else. She was wrong.
After all of that, Consort De smiled. "Wet nurse, tell me, is it not as good as before? This jade ruyi has opened my eyes."
The more Wet Nurse Wu listened, the more uncomfortable she became. She said in a low voice, "Consort…"
Her master was born into a low-class family, without the family background of Consort Hui and Consort Yi. She was even inferior to Consort Rong. She encountered many difficulties while being promoted.
She had to walk step by step. The consort was so tired! She couldn't even have the right to be willful.
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Wet Nurse Wu almost shed tears. She then heard Consort De sneer. "The Imperial Noble Consort wants me to help Consort Yi choose the congratulatory gifts. How could it be possible that I don't know what Mrs. Tongjia's plan is?"
The imperial noble consort hated her a lot. If she couldn't turn this around, then this would be a huge issue.
Her nails were deeply embedded in her palms. She swallowed her resentment and hatred, and said slowly, "Now is not the time to confront Mrs. Guo Luoluo. Why not let her take a step? We will 'assist' her well… We have a long way to go."
1.(滿宮的眼刀子扎來) something like the entire harem is watching her with a piercing gaze (thanks, vinguyen00)