The Concubine of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 415: Covenant, Solid as a Rock

Less than two days after the Empress Dowager's birthday, it was already April. The only new person in the capital was Princess Gulun Xingping, who was confirmed to live in the capital for a long time and stay by the Empress Dowager's side.

In April, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, but the Mongolian princesses who came to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday were not in a hurry to leave. In May was the Emperor's birthday!
The Qing Dynasty had a unique saying about this time point, called the Wanshou Festival. It contained the meaning of praying for the emperor's longevity, and it had to be celebrated for three consecutive days to ensure that the emperor's birth date and horoscope information would not be leaked!
Because the ancients believed that the emperor's birth date should not be known to others, witchcraft was effective in preventing the emperor's birth date from being leaked and cursed by rebels.

Therefore, after the Empress had finished her preparations for the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday, she had to start preparing for the Emperor's longevity celebration and also asked Concubine Nianhulu to help.

There is one more thing. The end of March is also the second princess’ birthday. After the end of March, it will be her first birthday celebration.

However, in March, the Empress Dowager's birthday was approaching, and it would not be appropriate to suddenly hold a birthday party for the Second Princess. So it was put on hold for the time being, even though Concubine Dong, the biological mother, did not say anything!
Could the Second Princess’ first birthday party be as important as the Empress Dowager’s birthday?

But if she said no, the queen would not come up with such an idea. The third-day birth, full-month birth, hundred-day birth, and first birthday of the heir to the throne are all extremely important. After these days, there is no need to waste money on birthdays every year, and the queen does not need to worry about it anymore.

It would be appropriate to hold a small one! But what to do? The queen still asked Kangxi for advice on how to do it.

It's really not a good birthday for the Second Princess. Even if it was after the Emperor's birthday, the Queen wouldn't be so embarrassed. She would just do whatever she needs to do when the time comes.

It is not convenient to postpone it now. It has been postponed for several days. It coincides with the birthday of the Empress Dowager, so it is reasonable to avoid it for a few days.

But it was already April. If it was postponed to after the emperor's birthday, at the very least, people all over the world would think that the emperor did not value the Second Princess; at the most, it would mean that the royal family did not value the princess.

Although it is true, it is not easy to say! The queen pays attention to her own reputation, the emperor's reputation, and the dignity of the royal family.

Most of the princesses and daughters of royal families will marry into Mongolia in the future.

Sending an unappreciated princess to marry, in other people's situations, the queen would be unhappy, not to mention the Mongolian princes and nobles!

The Queen had to think long-term, and Kangxi did think it made sense, so Ergege's birthday had to be celebrated. It was just a child, so there was no need to make a big fuss, just add a layer of extra thickness to the first birthday banquet. After all, she was not a Gulun Princess, but only a Heshuo Princess.

The Queen consulted the Emperor, and quickly issued the rules and invitations. The Mongolian princesses and princesses of counties who had not yet left the capital all received them. The first birthday banquet of the second princess in the palace was postponed for a few days because it was close to the birthday of the Empress Dowager, and they were invited to attend the ceremony.

Since the Queen sent out the invitation, the one-year-old banquet was scheduled for the future. Because time was urgent, the Queen also asked Concubine Nianhulu to help prepare for the banquet.

The time may be urgent, but the process and the result must be satisfactory. This is when the people of the world are looking at the Queen, Concubine Nianhulu, and the supreme authority of the monarch of the previous dynasty and harem. There is no room for any mistakes.

Even if there is a single flaw, it is all due to the incompetence of the Empress and Concubine Niuhulu. No matter whether it is the Empress or Concubine Niuhulu, who dares and who is willing to bear such a reputation? The Empress wants to secure her position as the Queen, and Concubine Niuhulu wants to seek and wait for future opportunities.

They all loved the Empress Dowager, Emperor Kangxi and even the people of the world very much, and looked at how they could be so outstanding, and what were the strengths of the Empress and the unique concubine in the harem, and why they enjoyed high positions, and it was not just the protection of their ancestors.

Needless to say, there were difficulties and obstacles from all sides. All in all, this one-year-old party ended perfectly, and the confrontations were hidden in the smoke of destruction, whether blood was shed or not.

Concubine Dong was completely relieved. The birth date of the second princess was just three days before the birthday of the Grand Empress Dowager, which was very close to the birthday of the Grand Empress Dowager. The birth was not a big deal, but the full moon and one year old were inevitably a little aggrieved. It had to be held before the birthday of the Grand Empress Dowager. This was also the filial piety of the second princess, the great-granddaughter, to the Grand Empress Dowager. Otherwise, if there was a dispute, her reputation would definitely be tarnished.

Concubine Dong had been worried about the Second Princess's first birthday party for a long time. This was the most important day for the Second Princess before she grew up, and she didn't want the Second Princess to suffer any grievances.

If the ceremony is not held or is only small-scale, as far as she is concerned, the Second Princess will be wronged.

Concubine Dong was always worried about the Emperor and the Empress, so she simply didn't hold the banquet, or just held a small birthday banquet for the Second Princess according to the rules.

There is the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet to compare with, and there is also the Emperor's longevity celebration. Although it is just following the rules, people's hearts are difficult to estimate, and everyone will have to weigh their considerations in private. By then, it is inevitable that the Second Princess will be looked down upon.

As for looking down on other princesses! Concubine Dong closed her eyes. No one else could be as directly hurt as the Second Princess.

Therefore, from the day Kangxi's order was issued, Concubine Dong finally felt relieved.

Until the Second Princess' birthday came to a successful conclusion, Concubine Dong remained in a good mood.

The people in the harem also returned to their own palaces. After the Second Princess's first birthday banquet, the Empress and Concubine Niuhulu did not rest immediately. The Second Princess's first birthday banquet had passed, the Empress Dowager's birthday had also passed, and the Emperor's birthday was still around the corner.

If the emperor cannot overcome this obstacle, he will be laughed at by the princes, nobles and ministers. By then, the labels of incompetence of the empress and the concubine Niuhulu will be attached to their heads, which will not only affect his own reputation, but also the reputation of his family.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight! The Queen sits on the Phoenix throne, and Concubine Niuhulu is a concubine. If they cannot manage the six palaces and cannot assist the Queen in managing the six palaces, they will abdicate and let the virtuous take over. Many people want to face the challenge.

Why was Concubine Niuhulu so noble? Because in the early days, the concubine was actually one of the emperor's wives, and the Manchus had always practiced a system of polygamy and multiple concubines.

In other words, before entering the Pass, the Empress Dowager was named Concubine Zhuang and was also one of the wives of Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji.

However, the royal family only needed one queen. The Han system also recognized only the queen as the legitimate wife.

But even so, as a concubine, she has the responsibility to assist the queen.

In other words, it was legitimate for Concubine Niuhulu to interfere in palace affairs. However, Concubine Niuhulu understood the importance of the word "Emperor's heart", so she was tactful and always backed off to welcome the opportunity of Niuhulu's life.

But for such a major event, the Queen would put aside her grudges and form an alliance with Concubine Nianhulu. Concubine Nianhulu's desire to become the Queen was certainly a thorn in the Queen's side.

However, the wolfish ambitions of Mongolia and Mongolian Khorchin made the Queen and Concubine Niuhulu feel like a thorn in their throats! Concubine Niuhulu's eyes were on the Emperor's heart, the future, and a hundred years of life, so Concubine Niuhulu would never choose to ally with Mongolian Khorchin.

It was not difficult to form an alliance in the face of a common enemy. Therefore, this alliance was as solid as a rock.