The Concubine of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 492: The hearts of the people are exhausted
Upon hearing Consort Ma Jia's words, Huang Li, the personal maid, breathed a sigh of relief, regardless of anything else.

Heaven knows how nervous she was when Consort Yehenara made those provocative remarks, fearing that the consort would cause a scene on the spot.

Huang Li, who had always served the concubine closely, knew her temperament all too well.

If one cannot grasp the essence of Consort Ma Jia's mind, or use methods that do not suit her wishes, one would have been sent back to the Imperial Household Department and banished from the palace long ago.

What good is it to send servants out of the palace by the Imperial Household Department? Everyone knows that they have committed serious offenses and offended the nobles of the palace. After leaving the palace, can they really do whatever they want with themselves?
A single spit from each person could drown them, leaving them no way to survive. But a slow, agonizing stab, bit by bit, is what truly torments and grinds people to death.

But precisely because she knew Consort Ma's temperament—that she wasn't very tolerant—she knew that almost everyone in the harem was the same!

Even Huang Li feared that if the concubine heard this, she would jump up and make a scene, escalating the situation. What good could a mere concubine possibly do by defying the emperor's will, even if she had a young prince or princess?

The royal family has no shortage of offspring. There are plenty of concubines and palace maids eager to give birth to new princes and princesses for the emperor.

Anything that gets in the way or is disliked will be moved away by someone else.

Huang Li couldn't believe that Consort Ma Jia had suddenly chosen to be so pragmatic. But this was quickly followed by ecstatic joy; she absolutely wouldn't allow the other consorts to drag her down with them.

The Fifth Prince was raised outside the palace and never received any personal care or favor. Consort Yehenara not only understood this, but also understood it very deeply.

The implication was very clear! Even the other concubines, who were somewhat intelligent, could understand it.

"Consort Ma Jia is indeed favored by the Emperor." Consort Li commented objectively, but inadvertently smoothed things over and eased the tension.

Was Consort Li surprised by Nara's promotion to the rank of concubine? Yes, she was.

Was there jealousy? Of course there was! She had been a concubine for seven or eight years, almost ten years in total, which was quite a long time!

How many decades does one have in a lifetime?
Did I not have any thoughts about it? Of course I did, but I ultimately suppressed them.

There's no other reason than that if the emperor can bestow titles once, he can do it again. Two Noble Consorts, four Consorts, six Concubines... there are still about ten positions left. Although it's not many, at least there's something to look forward to.

Moreover, the Emperor's decision to bestow titles at this time, combined with the previous dynasty's few words about granting titles to wives and children and rewarding meritorious service, makes his intentions not hard to fathom!

When men achieve great deeds in the previous dynasty, the benefits will naturally extend to the concubines in the harem.

With a direction in mind, Consort Li understood how to exert her efforts.

Her father, brothers, uncles, and other relatives had made great achievements on the battlefield, and she couldn't let them lag behind in the harem.

A small difference can lead to a huge error. Sometimes, just a tiny margin can be enough to cause catastrophic consequences. Consort Li absolutely cannot make a mistake!
So she chose to greet them with a smile. It wasn't to curry favor with Qinrou, but to show the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that she was sensible.

There should be no overflow of dissatisfaction.

“Indeed,” Consort Chakchin nodded in agreement. “His Majesty cherishes old friendships and treats all the women in the harem well. He is especially attentive to the princes and princesses. I heard that a couple of days ago, His Majesty sent many gifts to the Fifth Prince outside the palace. Consort Rou is pregnant with twins, an auspicious sign. In our Manchu Eight Banners, this is a great joy for any family.”

The concubine of Chakachin did not continue speaking. All words should be spoken in moderation.

The charm lies in the details, which each person must savor for themselves.

That's why they say there are no secrets in the palace. The imperial decree to confer the title of Consort was only finalized in the morning, and in less than half a day, it was already no secret that Qinrou was pregnant with twins.

The situation in each palace has been thoroughly investigated.

But everyone has a sense of jealousy! Who would willingly admit to being unlucky? They would rather everyone be like them, unlucky.

A golden phoenix emerged from among the crows, and their first reaction wasn't joy, but suppression. It seemed they only felt balanced when everyone was a crow.

"His Majesty truly cherishes old friendships. I've heard that Consort Zhang is already three months pregnant," Consort Hong Guoqi calmly dropped this bombshell. It truly shocked everyone; the surprise in the expressions of the concubines in the harem instantly fell upon Consort Hong Guoqi.

Consort Zhang is still under house arrest!

However, she suddenly became pregnant, right under the noses of everyone in the harem, yet everyone unanimously ignored her.

Suddenly, she gave everyone a big surprise.

The baby is settled in.

Consort Dong tightened her grip on the handkerchief. If she hated anyone, it was Consort Zhang. The Second Princess had just passed away when she uttered those heart-wrenching words before her son's spirit.

Consort Dong will remember this grudge for the rest of her life.

Secondly, there was Nara Qinrou. She would always remember that Nara's two children were exposed shortly after she arrived.

She stole her father's attention, as well as the emperor's and empress dowager's favor.

Now, one has been granted the title of Consort, and the other has been revealed to be pregnant! If it weren't for her strong self-control, Consort Dong would have gone mad on the spot.

Is it true that the Emperor is kind to everyone except the Second Princess, who is so cruel to her?

"That's truly a joyous occasion! In a few days, His Majesty will be expecting another prince. If Consort Rou is blessed with good fortune, she will surely give His Majesty a pair of princes, or even a pair of princes and a princess, just like Consort Ma Jia, who has both a son and a daughter." Tamu noticed Consort Ma Jia's surprise and said.

She entered the palace early on and became close to Consort Yiergen Gioro, but fate played a cruel trick on her, and they later developed a deep-seated grudge. After gaining favor and then falling out of favor, she became much more composed, but she was not entirely without presence.

She wasn't talking nonsense. Of course, she still wanted to be favored. In the harem, which concubine hadn't fallen out of favor at some point, and who could guarantee being favored forever?

It doesn't matter if you fall out of favor, it's important to regain it.

Consort Rou was personally and exclusively appointed by the Emperor. Since entering the palace, Consort Rou has enjoyed the Emperor's favor, which everyone has witnessed!
Tamu realized that the concubine wanted to take another route, which was a matter of taking a chance even if there was no guarantee of success.

Therefore, Tamu realized that the concubine did not mind raising all the concubines.

Her immediate concern is gaining the Emperor's favor, and only then can she conceive an heir.

Without imperial favor, all talk of imperial offspring and schemes is meaningless.

Qinrou has a slender figure and is pregnant with twins, but her pregnancy belly isn't actually that big, as she's getting plenty of nutrition. She's just one of those people who doesn't show much during pregnancy!

That's why they were able to keep it a secret, and no one suspected anything.

Twins are rare. Throughout history, which emperor has ever had twins?

“That’s true!” Consort Wanyan said, “It’s only July now, and there’s still half a year until the New Year! If someone is a little more fortunate, wouldn’t it be just the right time to give the Emperor another little prince and princess next year?”

Consort Rou was promoted to the rank of Consort! Consort Wanyan's thoughts were also stirred.

However, she knew her own strengths and weaknesses. She came from a Manchu banner family, had a capable family, and had strong Mongolian blood, which originated from the Khorchin Borjigit.

This is both her strength and her obstacle! Consort Wanyan is still unsure what to do.

But one thing she was certain of was that if she didn't know, she should do less! But as the emperor's favorite concubine, she was willing to put in some effort to avoid offending a powerful enemy.

Between two evils, choose the lesser; selling some of the good things is always acceptable to Consort Wanyan.

People's hearts are fully revealed!