The Concubine of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty

The concubines in the palace had long known that this day would come, but they still felt heartbroken. It was as if the plum blossoms in the book were freshly picked, unripe plums, and when they took a bite, they were all sour.

People were thus submerged in the sour taste.

They couldn't help but feel envious! The Empress Dowager! They wondered if they would ever have the chance, the opportunity, to stand before the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager with dignity and bow in respect…

Suppressing their heartache, the concubines forced smiles, but what was even more heartbreaking was that they dared not show it at all.

The concubines, forcing smiles, mustered their strength and suppressed their urge to vent their anger. They had no choice but to obey the Empress's orders when they were given.

"Yes," the concubines replied, their journey out today exceptionally difficult. Countless times, each of them who left the palace wished that something unexpected had happened at the Empress's residence, disrupting their day.

Even if there's a tomorrow, the day after, or the day after that, it doesn't matter. Seeing others have smooth sailing and rise to great heights is just too difficult...

No matter how difficult the journey or how slow the steps, there will eventually be an end. Once outside the hall, under the bright sun, though the body is out, the heart remains inside.

I wish I could stay with them forever, accompanying the Empress, Consort Niohuru, and the other two to the palaces of the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager...

The Empress, as the mother of the nation, controlled the inner court, and held their lives in her hands; they were also used to the inherent nobility of Consort Niohuru.

Now, there's also Consort Rou, who is favored by the Emperor...

Even the emperor can be biased, so why can't the emperor's bias also fall on them?

The Empress's expression remained unchanged. Yesterday, Emperor Kangxi stayed at Kunning Palace and it is unknown what they discussed, but the Empress's words and actions today were unlike her usual extreme behavior.

My mood has improved a lot.

Although Qinrou still didn't seem very happy; what matriarch could be happy to see her concubine promoted, even though she had only evolved from an ant that could be easily crushed into an ant that required a lot of effort to crush?

Not to mention, to some extent, Qinrou was infiltrating the Empress's interests.

Her belly, and the imperial heir within her, were silently threatening the honor and power of the imperial prince under the empress's knee.

The Empress has always been a very vigilant and far-sighted empress.

"Let's go! We should pay our respects to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager." The Empress said to Consort Niohuru and Consort Rou after dismissing the concubines from the six palaces.

Consort Niohuru's expression was gentle, her face displaying the same unwavering respect for the Empress. Even without speaking, her demeanor revealed her reverence for the Empress.

"Yes," Qin Rou replied respectfully.

Yuan Yan helped the Empress up from her throne and then stepped down.

If the Empress doesn't leave, Consort Niohuru and Qinrou would never dare to leave first.

The Empress walked first, followed by Consort Niohuru and Qinrou, who were supported by their servants.

The Empress came first, followed by Consort Niohuru, and then Qinrou. The palanquins of the three consorts traveled along the palace road in this order, creating a grand and majestic spectacle.

The strict rules and clear hierarchy of the imperial palace were vividly displayed at this moment.

In Ciren Palace, the Empress Dowager had made preparations early. The Empress arrived with Consort Niohuru and Consort Rou, and the palace servants did not stop them. The servants also smiled and invited the three ladies into the hall.

He didn't scrutinize Qinrou, the newly appointed concubine, at all. Or rather, he did scrutinize her, but his expression, words, and actions showed no prejudice. He simply followed the Empress Dowager's orders.

The Empress Dowager wasn't initially in the main hall, but the servant who led the way brought all three of them there. This must have been at the Empress Dowager's instruction!
Consort Niohuru asked nothing, while the Empress, though more gentle and familiar, also remained silent until they reached the main hall, at which point she spoke:
"I remember that at this time in the past, the Emperor would be having a meal. Consort Niohuru and Consort Rou, you wait here. I will go and serve the Emperor his meal." Before the Empress could finish speaking, she had already planned to do so, and before she even sat down, she instructed Consort Niohuru and Consort Rou.

Qin Rou wasn't in a hurry to do anything. She first looked at Consort Niohuru, who was her senior and had served as a consort for many years, possessing a natural air of sophistication.

Consort Niohuru was Qinrou's role model. Whether she made mistakes or not, following Consort Niohuru was mostly the right thing to do.

Consort Niohuru responded obediently, "Yes!"

Clearly, she had no intention of competing with the Empress. Or perhaps, this was the case when she came to pay her respects in the past; this matter remains to be determined.

This was Qin Rou's first time here, and she had never seen it in person before. The news about Ciren Palace and Cining Palace was not something that ordinary people could find out.

Of course, Qinrou wouldn't even think about asking.

She was just a concubine at the time; even if she wanted to die, she couldn't do it in this way.

But by observing how Consort Niohuru acted, Qinrou roughly knew what to do.

Qin Rou followed suit, also being very docile, but with a different way of speaking. She was well-behaved and obedient, appearing to be following the Empress's orders, "This concubine obeys the decree."

Consort Niohuru's expression remained unchanged, not even her eyes showed the slightest change. She was truly a formidable person; not a trace of her true nature could be detected.

However, by some strange coincidence, not long after the Empress finished speaking, a voice came from the side, speaking Chinese, but the voice was still a bit stiff.

But the Empress Dowager said, "I know the Empress is filial, and I have already eaten."

Upon hearing this, the Empress quickly looked toward the source of the sound. The daughter-in-law was filial and gentle, the kind of daughter-in-law that mothers-in-law all over the world wanted.

Upon hearing this, Consort Niohuru and Qinrou quickly turned their heads away. However, Qinrou was new to the Empress Dowager and did not know her temperament, so she dared not say anything.

Consort Niohuru remained silent.

The Empress stepped forward and, together with the nanny beside the Empress Dowager, helped the Empress Dowager to sit on the phoenix throne in Ciren Palace.

Consort Niohuru and Qinrou immediately bowed and greeted the Empress Dowager, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager accepted the Empress's help, and for a moment, everyone in the hall was doing their own thing, like a stage where everyone was playing their own role.

The Empress Dowager is the old lady, the Empress is the daughter-in-law, and Consort Niohuru and Qinrou are both concubines of the head of the family. Of course, just by looking at their positions, you can see that Consort Niohuru has a higher position.

The Empress Dowager ignored Consort Niohuru and Qinrou for a moment and continued talking to the Empress.

Consort Niohuru accepted it well, while Qinrou, who was pregnant, was not very comfortable kneeling, but she had no objections.

This feudal and cannibalistic society was strictly hierarchical, with a clear distinction between superiors and inferiors. Some people's lives were not as important as a single word.

If they say they've killed someone, then they've killed someone.

Since this was Qinrou's first time paying her respects, she dared not overstep any bounds.

Aunt Chen is an elderly woman; she had heard Aunt Chen mention it yesterday and had made preparations. (End of Chapter)