The Concubine of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 495 Still wary of Consort Niohuru
The events inside the palace were soon reported to the Empress's palace. Seeing Huan Yan shake her head slightly under her gaze, the Empress closed her eyes, feeling quite disappointed.

Consort Niohuru did not quarrel with Consort Rou, let alone quarrel, she did not even cause trouble for Consort Rou. As Huan Yan reported, the Empress's face became even more unpleasant.

Consort Niohuru truly lived up to her reputation as the Empress's formidable rival. Born into a noble family, she was rational, clear-headed, and possessed exceptional emotional intelligence and political acumen. Had these qualities been found in different concubines, the Empress would not have been so wary of her.

But when the focus is concentrated on one person, that becomes the most formidable enemy. No wonder, even though the Empress clearly saw that she had secured her position, she was still wary of Consort Niohuru.

"I understand." The Empress's face darkened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Go! Get out!"

"Yes," Yuan Yan replied respectfully, helping the Empress towards the main hall.

Yuan Yan understood that the Empress was unhappy about Consort Rou's promotion to the rank of Consort, but since Consort Rou was pregnant with twins, and the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had not objected to the imperial decree, the Empress had no choice but to comply.

Consort Niohuru has always been a confidante and sworn enemy of the Empress. The rise of Consort Rou has threatened Consort Niohuru's prestige, and the Empress hopes that Consort Niohuru will take action against the newly promoted Consort Rou…

As a result, Consort Rou suffered losses, and Consort Niohuru lost not only her noble status that had been unknowingly dissipated, but also the Emperor's favor.

After all, it was the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, who elevated Consort Rou. Since the Emperor had elevated her, it meant either she was useful or he greatly favored her. Regardless of the reason, as long as Consort Niohuru got involved, she would inevitably suffer even greater losses.

For the Empress, the key to achieving multiple goals with one move was that Consort Niohuru did not fall for the trap.

It can only be said that Yuan Yan's view of things is not comprehensive enough. However, neither the Empress nor Consort Niohuru will explain the reasons clearly to the servants.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!" The announcement came from Ding Ruzhong, the chief eunuch of the Empress's palace, who arrived in the hall even before the Empress herself.

The sound acted like a switch; from the moment it reached their ears, the concubines quickly rose to greet the Empress and welcome her to the main hall.

"Long live the Empress!" the concubines congratulated her in unison.

As always, the Empress sat down on her phoenix throne and gently called out, "Rise, all of you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress." The concubines thanked her one after another before rising.

Consort Niohuru and Qinrou were helped to their seats by their respective servants. The other concubines, whose rank and status were not high enough, had to remain standing.

The Empress glanced at the concubines and casually said, "You all know that the imperial decree has been issued to promote Consort Rou to the rank of Consort!"

Why ask such an unnecessary question? How big is the palace? And what's the big deal? These concubines, destined to bloom and fade in the palace, even if they weren't well-informed, how could they not know?

The moment the imperial edict was issued, the news had already crossed the palace walls and reached the ears of the concubines in each palace.

But when the Empress mentioned it, it still made them feel sorry for themselves! They felt sorry for themselves, because others had already risen up, while they were still the same, stuck in the same place.

The concubines were heartbroken and bleeding profusely. When the Empress asked, they had no choice but to answer, "Your Majesty, we are all aware of this."

Seeing the concubines' expressions of heartache and jealousy, the Empress remained composed, maintaining her composure with a strong will, and continued, "Since you know, I will be a little more verbose and say a few more words. Consort Rou is pregnant with twins, which is a service to the country and the royal family, and therefore she has been granted the title of Consort for her merits."

At this point, the Empress glanced around at the concubines below her and continued, "If His Majesty can bestow titles once, he can do so again. There are two Noble Consorts, four Consorts, and six Concubines in the palace... There should be a total of twelve principal consorts. Each principal consort assists her own palace and should be a role model for the women of the court, both inside and outside the palace."

"Only those who have rendered meritorious service and possess excellent character can be appointed to a principal position and serve as role models for the palace. ... Whether you are granted the title of Consort or Imperial Concubine depends entirely on your future merits and character. Do you understand?"

The empress put it bluntly: the emperor and empress are one, and the empress's meaning, to some extent, is the emperor's meaning.

At the beginning of the campaign against the Three Feudatories, the Emperor established the titles and ranks of the harem and specially selected Consort Rou to be granted the title of Consort. Although this was largely due to Consort Rou's pregnancy with twins, the Emperor's act of giving her a generous reward was simply to establish a tangible benefit for the court officials.

This is to encourage ambitious courtiers to make contributions on the battlefield.

Therefore, there are some things that even if the Empress doesn't want to say, she has no choice but to say them, because it's the way things are!
The Empress didn't care about the concubines. They were of lowly status. Even if they risked giving birth to the Emperor's child, what good would it do? They couldn't be raised by his side and lacked a mother's protection. It was too easy for an innocent infant to die quietly in the harem.

Moreover, the status of a concubine's child is vastly different from that of a principal concubine's child. The reason the late emperor was able to ascend the throne was because he was the son of the Empress Dowager, who was then the Consort of the Western Palace.

The eleventh prince, born to Consort Yijing Namuzhong, also once entered the struggle for the throne, but he fell short by a single move and could only become a slave and subject.

Therefore, the best situation for the Empress is that the concubines in the harem will always remain concubines, rather than the imperial princes born to high-ranking consorts or concubines.

The Empress, however, had become accustomed to this routine.

Unfortunately, the Empress had to personally acknowledge and shatter this favorable situation.

The concubines had no time to consider the Empress's thoughts; their hearts were burning with anticipation. Although they speculated that the Emperor would bestow another title upon a Consort, without an official decree, speculation remained just that—speculation.

The very act of 'speculation' introduces uncertainty. Uncertainty ultimately means hopes may be dashed. Nothing is more reassuring than the empress's golden words.

The Empress, seeing that her words had stirred up unrest among the concubines, observed coldly for a while before speaking to Qinrou:
"Consort Rou, now that you have been granted the title of Consort, although the investiture ceremony has not yet taken place, you are already a principal consort. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager also wishes to meet you! I will take you with me later to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress."

Having received reassurance from the Empress Dowager, the Empress could not neglect her duties. Since Consort Rou was now a concubine, it was only natural for her to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager morning and evening.

The Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager will certainly give her face; the Empress can delay, but she cannot turn a blind eye.

Otherwise, it would be the Empress's dereliction of duty!
Negligence can be a big deal or a small one. But with Consort Niohuru watching closely, the Empress would certainly not leave any major evidence against her.

Therefore, the Empress spoke first. Qin Rou understood that meeting the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager was only a matter of time, and she had no way to escape it, so she could only obediently agree.

"Yes," Qin Rou replied.

The Empress smiled and said, “Both the Empress Dowager and the Empress Mother are people who prefer peace and quiet. As for the daily morning and evening greetings, just follow their instructions. However, for tomorrow’s morning greetings, I will take you and Consort Niohuru to Ciren Palace and Cining Palace to pay your respects, so that you can kowtow to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Mother first.”

The Empress explained her plans.