The Concubine of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 488: The word 'gentle' is very good.

The Empress Dowager's sharp eyes stared directly at the Emperor, as if trying to see into the darkest depths of his heart. Kangxi looked at the Empress Dowager's sharp eyes and murderous intent, but his expression remained unchanged.

The two powerful figures were exchanging words, and the Empress was in no hurry to interrupt. The Empress knew best about the Empress Dowager's attitude towards all the concubines in the harem. The Empress was also a victim, and the biggest victim of all!

How could she not know?

The Empress didn't interfere; she figured it was a matter between the grandmother and grandson, and they should handle it themselves. The Empress's meddling would only lead to bad consequences.

The Queen knew this even better.

After a long while, the Empress Dowager's murderous intent vanished, and she acted as if nothing had happened, as if the matter was over. She sighed and asked the Emperor, "Why choose the word 'gentle'?"

The terms "concubine" and "imperial consort" are not very favorable! They imply weakness and a lack of magnanimity. They hardly resemble the demeanor of a lady from a prominent family.

"Since the emperor is going to bestow upon her the rank of concubine, the title should be grand." She sounds weak, quiet, and frail.

They were all so delicate and frail, whether they were imperial concubines or ladies from noble families; they didn't seem like the kind of women who could be presented to the world.

The Empress Dowager was strong-willed and unyielding, and her ideology reflected this. She couldn't stand women who were delicate, weak, timid, or cowardly. Especially when it came to the concubines with titles and ranks in the harem, such words made her eyes ache and she couldn't stand them. Just mentioning them gave her a headache.

The late emperor, and her deceased emperor husband, were extremely adept at choosing titles. Every concubine in the harem, whether favored or not, was dignified and exuded the grandeur and style befitting an empress.

The Empress Dowager wouldn't stoop to belittling people over such matters.

"This character is just right!" Kangxi didn't seem to care much, continuing to make decisions unilaterally. The character '柔' (rou, meaning gentle/soft) is excellent!
Once a decision is made, it's not changed. There's only others catering to him, not him. There's no reason for him to 'change'.

Being too fierce is not a good thing; gentleness is the key to survival. Being too fierce is not a good thing and makes it difficult to survive. It's better to be more gentle.

Emperor Kangxi never believed that the word "gentle" was inferior to others, even though it was only one word!
The imperial edict has been issued; there's no reason to change it overnight. Too much rigidity leads to breakage.

Kangxi didn't say what was good about it, and the Empress Dowager didn't say anything more. She never said anything more about it; it was already a done deal.

The Empress Dowager casually changed the subject, saying, "Since the Emperor and Empress have come all this way, please join me for a meal!"

The imperial edict had already been issued; could the Empress Dowager possibly order the Emperor to issue a decree to change it? The Empress Dowager simply dropped the matter, meaning she wouldn't pursue it further.

"Very well!" the Emperor readily agreed. "It's been quite a while since I've dined with my maternal grandmother. I was just thinking of taking some time these next few days to do so."

The Empress also affectionately took the arm of the Grand Empress Dowager and said, "Today, your granddaughter-in-law can finally openly have a meal at Grandma's house. Grandma, please don't find me annoying."

The Empress spoke and acted in a very casual manner, clearly showing her close relationship with the Empress Dowager. She even had a touch of coquetry. It was only in front of the Empress Dowager that she could openly act like a child, enjoying her parents' company. No one else had the opportunity to see this.

“I know,” the Empress Dowager patted the Empress’s arm that had come up to her, and said, “You are a good child.”

"I am already old, and I don't know how many more years I can watch over you. You and the Emperor are Empress and husband and wife! You should discuss everything carefully." The Empress Dowager sighed with emotion.
The Empress Dowager knew that the Empress was wronged and that the Empress might not want more concubines in the harem, but the Empress Dowager didn't really care.

The imperial harem could never remain the same forever. The Empress Dowager didn't care if there were a few more concubines or consorts. There was no emperor in the harem who only had one empress and one consort. What the Empress Dowager cared about was whether her grandson, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, had lost his mind and become blinded by lust.

To put it bluntly, it's about whether the emperor considered the bigger picture when he did this. As long as the emperor wasn't as infatuated and absurd as the late emperor, her son, and Emperor Taizong, her husband, the Empress Dowager wouldn't care.

Even the Empress Dowager was afraid. She had suffered setbacks at the hands of both her imperial husband and her imperial son…

Since that's not the case, the Empress Dowager comforted and advised the Empress, but she would never pressure the Emperor's grandson on behalf of the Empress because of her unwillingness.

Let the young couple resolve their own issues! The Empress Dowager also did not believe that her careful education and upbringing would produce a grandson who favors concubines over his wife and confuses right and wrong.

The Empress Dowager actually just wanted to make sure that there were no problems with her education, especially regarding the women in the harem.

"May the Empress Dowager live a long and healthy life!" The Empress quickly cut off the Empress Dowager's melancholy and sighs. The Empress herself was not content with sitting on the throne. "You still have to watch the imperial heirs grow up, achieve great things, marry and have children, and watch your great-grandchildren grow up to share the Emperor's burdens and achieve great things."

The Empress spared no effort in flattering the Empress Dowager, even if she didn't truly mean it, she still sincerely tried to make her happy.

Dressing one's parents in colorful clothes to entertain them is also a filial act that a queen and a granddaughter-in-law should perform.

"Hehehe!" The Empress Dowager was also amused. "You! You're good at flattering me. If that's the case, I'll be a centenarian by then."

The Empress Dowager had long been prepared to die. No one can escape death. At this age, she sometimes felt that life was really meaningless.

However, it is true that the Empress Dowager was worried about the Emperor and the fate of the Qing Dynasty.

Regarding the Emperor's actions that year, the Empress Dowager was filled with worry in her dreams at night, and when she woke up in the middle of the night, her heart was also full of worries, so it was understandable that she couldn't sleep.

Too risky!

As the emperor of a nation, dealing with the affairs of the Qing dynasty was far too risky.

"Isn't that what should be done?" the Queen replied in surprise, her expression not one of taking it for granted.

"Longevity is a matter of life! I fear I lack the will and the fortune. Even if I lived too long, I might not be able to endure it. 'Seventy years is a rare age indeed!'"

It would be good if they could live past seventy.

"May Your Majesty live a long and healthy life, reaching the age of a hundred." The husband and wife were in perfect harmony, and Kangxi, too, echoed the Empress's words, coaxing his grandmother.

……

The Emperor and Empress stayed in Cining Palace for a long time, and the longer it went on, the more the other concubines in the palace understood the Empress Dowager's attitude.

Hadana Lashio's rank as a concubine was already set. Even if they were unwilling to admit it, still hoped that an imperial edict or decree would be issued from Cining Palace, so that the world would still be free of the 'Graceful' concubine.

There was no room left for them to struggle or refuse.

They have to learn to give up and accept their fate! And they have no choice but to give up and accept their fate.

Hadanara was someone completely different from them, someone they looked up to.