The Concubine of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 496 Key Points: Getting Closer

"Yes," Qin Rou replied obediently and respectfully.

Seeing this, the Empress nodded in satisfaction and smiled, but spoke to Qinrou, "Consort Rou, when the Emperor and I were in Cining Palace earlier, Grandmother Empress specifically instructed me to take you to see her."

The Empress deliberately avoided mentioning the time; as the Empress, she had no need to consider the extent of the psychological trauma inflicted on the concubines.

If they can live, they will; if they cannot live, they will die.

If they could provide her with some value before they died, that would be considered a contribution they made.

The Empress completely disregarded the feelings of the concubines.

Jealous? Then let your jealousy grow even bigger!

The Empress's actions were impeccable, and she did not hesitate to mention the Empress Dowager's favor towards Qinrou.

Jealousy is a good thing; it can lead many people astray. The Queen did not hesitate to exploit this.

Qinrou heard all the kind words, but she knew the Empress might not have such good intentions. Qinrou didn't hesitate to assume the Empress was entirely malicious.

The Empress is not someone she can trust!
The Empress held the position and wielded power in the palace for a full seven years. Not to mention that the Empress Dowager had held power for at least four years.

We can't have left the palace uncleaned!
However, starting with the early death of the eldest prince Chengrui, the imperial heirs in the palace died one after another, one after another.

Qinrou doesn't care about the process; she only cares about the result. The Empress may be incompetent, but she is definitely not innocent; at the very least, she has a laissez-faire attitude.

Qin Rou watched as the Empress's affectionate words caused the concubines' expressions to change. Her mind raced for a moment, but she quickly understood the meaning and the situation.

Praise to kill! This is a tactic the Empress frequently used after entering the palace. Its influence is evident in everything she does!
The method may be old, but its advantage lies in its effectiveness and usefulness.

Qin Rou showed no smugness on her face, and could only pretend to be embarrassed.

Who was the Empress Dowager? She was a woman who had survived the infighting within the six palaces and the life-or-death struggles of the previous dynasty.

Why would she like someone for no reason? You've seriously underestimated the Empress Dowager.

Consort Niohuru observed from the sidelines, and she knew perfectly well what the Empress was planning to do.

Otherwise, how could she be worthy of challenging the Empress? The Empress's victory over her was solely due to good luck.

However, this alone was enough to suppress her completely. Consort Niohuru had to be restrained in every aspect of her conduct.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager likes you!" The Empress Dowager praised Qin Rou with a smile as she looked at her shy smile, and said, "The twin princes in your belly will be seven months old soon. After you go to Ciren Palace and Cining Palace to kowtow to your mother and maternal grandmother, you can rest assured and take care of your pregnancy."

"Yes." Qin Rou replied, thanking the Empress for remembering that she was almost seven months pregnant and that she didn't forget to mention it at this time, as if she was afraid that everyone would forget.

As the Empress spoke, the concubines' discreet gazes once again fell on Qinrou's pregnant belly. How wonderful! It's a pity it's not theirs.

The palace is a place where people can be eaten!

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set off sufficiently, the Empress was quite satisfied and said, "It's getting late, everyone can leave now! Tomorrow we still need to pay our respects at Ciren Palace and Cining Palace, so go back and get some rest."

The following sentence was clearly meant for Qinrou to hear. However, the concubines in the harem heard something they shouldn't have!
"Your Majesty, I/Your Concubine/This Servant takes her leave." As soon as the Empress finished speaking, Consort Niohuru rose gracefully, and Qinrou followed her orders. Many of the concubines in the main hall of Kunning Palace had become accustomed to being quiet, well-behaved, and making no mistakes under the pressure.

Therefore, sometimes, their mouths are faster than their brains; the empress has barely ordered them to disperse when they have already blurted out that they must leave.

However, we've received enough messages today.

The Emperor had established the ranks of the harem, Consort Rou had been granted a title, the Empress Dowager had personally instructed Consort Rou to pay her respects, and Consort Zhang, confined to her quarters, was pregnant… Compared to all this, Consort Zhang's pregnancy seemed insignificant. The other consorts were in a state of turmoil. Consort Niohuru didn't care; what did these people have to do with her? She left first, and the other consorts residing in Yongshou Palace quickly followed.

They were able to gain their footing only because they relied on Consort Niohuru.

Qinrou followed, not finding anything interesting to talk about with the concubines.

She's a beneficiary of the system. Everything she says sounds like boasting; public sentiment is already agitated enough, no need to add fuel to the fire. Just let it cool down!

Let them do whatever they want.

Following the path that Consort Niohuru had taken, one would leave Kunning Palace.

Consort Wusuli was timid and dared not follow. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she fell behind and stayed behind.

Aunt Chen glanced behind her. "The concubine of Wusuli has not followed us."

Qin Rou turned her head and glanced at her, saying, "Don't worry about her."

It's true that Consort Wusuli is from Chengqian Palace, but she's blind to her own faults and stayed behind, so Qinrou didn't bother to care. However, Qinrou did add a word of advice: "Spend some attention on her later."

A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole. Qinrou didn't want to speculate maliciously about others, but people's hearts are unpredictable, so it's best to be careful.

Otherwise, if he had fallen into the hands of Consort Wusuli, it wouldn't have been entirely unjust.

Who says timid people can't accomplish great things! The meticulous planning of a clever person may not be as effective as the quick wit of a fool.

Never underestimate anyone.

The Ming Dynasty fell because of eunuchs, and the Qing Dynasty also perished, largely thanks to the contributions of bondservants.

People are not inherently divided into high and low, noble and lowly. Who doesn't yearn for a better life? If they can seize the opportunity to gain more benefits, who can guarantee that they won't go all out and fight to the death?

If the benefits are great enough, changing the emperor is not impossible.

"Now that I've been granted the title of Consort, I need to have more people around me. I was thinking of asking you all, as well as Granny Wang and Qiao'er, if they have any close relatives or friends they could recommend. Please take a good look and remember them to see if they are of any use."

Key point: Be close to people.

Aunt Chen was highly capable and a very useful person, so Qin Rou didn't think of hiding it from her.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Chen understood Qin Rou's meaning almost immediately. Aunt Chen also understood that nothing was more reassuring than a community of shared interests.

"Your Majesty should also grant them a favor, so that they can serve you with more peace of mind." Of course, more importantly, they should feel more at ease. To be honest, even at this moment, Aunt Chen wasn't entirely certain.

Consort Dong'e was such a powerful figure! She enjoyed unparalleled favor, held immense power, was loved by the late emperor, and even had an heir.

The moon wanes after it is full, and Heaven does not grant a perfect life. She could not preserve her offspring, and the title of Empress bestowed by the late Emperor was removed from the Fengxian Hall. Now, everyone in the palace is wary of her and dares not mention her name.

This shows how dangerous it was in the palace.

Even snakes, insects, rats, cats, and dogs in the palace can be useful, let alone people with thoughts who want to climb the social ladder.

"That's true." Qinrou smiled at Aunt Chen; that was exactly what she meant.

The people in Chengqian Palace were restless, and as the newly appointed Empress, she should establish her authority.

"Hurry up, and have the person in charge bring people over later so I can make my selections," Qin Rou instructed again.