In the tenth month of the 22nd year of Kangxi's reign, with the issuance of two imperial edicts, the structure of the imperial harem underwent a sudden transformation.
The four consorts were reduced to three, and the Sixth Prince was elevated to the title of Prince Rong. The following day, the Imperial Noble Consort, who had been bedridden for a long time, appeared at Cining Palace. Despite her frail health, she paid her respects to the two Empresses Dowager with utmost deference.
But that was not all. The Grand Empress Dowager, whose advancing age had left her with dwindling energy, issued a decree after many years, appointing Noble Consort Niu Gulu to oversee the affairs of the inner palace, with Consorts Hui, Yi, and Rong assisting her. This truly set off a storm of upheaval!
...
Lady Tong was so furious that she kept rubbing her temples, pacing back and forth in her bedchamber. "The Imperial Noble Consort is still here! Yet Ru Ying has been bypassed, and even Consort Hui and the others have been given authority over the palace! What does the Grand Empress Dowager mean by this?"
Tong Guowei, dizzy from her restless movements, set his teacup down heavily and sighed. "The fact that the Imperial Noble Consort has reappeared is already a great blessing. What more could you hope for, my lady?"
The Imperial Noble Consort had been humiliated by schemes, losing both her dignity and her health. If she were to reclaim control of the palace now, she would never command respect. The thought made Tong Guowei's face darken with anger, though he consoled himself with the belief that the Emperor still favored the Tong family due to their blood ties.
"What do I hope for?" Lady Tong halted abruptly and turned to glare at him. "Look—now that the decree has been issued, does Mingzhu still have any intention of allying with us? With our cousin in power, Grand Secretary Ming is thriving like a fish in water!"
Tong Guowei chuckled and shook his head. "What power does she truly hold? With Noble Consort Niu Gulu above her, she is merely assisting."
"You only see that much," Lady Tong sneered. "You fail to realize that Noble Consort Niu Gulu is about to give birth..."
Indeed, with Noble Consort Niu Gulu nearing childbirth, how could she possibly manage the intricate affairs of the harem?
Consort Hui, as the highest-ranking of the three consorts and mother to the Eldest Prince, would naturally take charge based on both status and seniority.
Tong Guowei fell silent for a long moment before exhaling another deep sigh. "One misstep leads to another. I never imagined the Emperor had no intention of appointing an Empress..."
He had miscalculated, and so had the Tong family. The Imperial Noble Consort had suffered irreparable damage, leaving little hope for her resurgence.
At the mention of the Empress appointment, Lady Tong's heart ached, recalling her pitiful daughter. Her eyes reddened suddenly. "Without authority or favor, I can only imagine the misery our lady endures! At least Noble Consort Wu has faced retribution—so has the Wuya family. Ru Ying has finally had her vengeance."
When she spoke of "retribution," Lady Tong paused, her teeth clenched in fury. "And Suo Etu! During this purge of the Imperial Household Department, countless of the Imperial Noble Consort's and your own spies were uprooted by him..."
Tong Guowei nodded slowly, his eyes closed, his expression grave.
After a long silence, he suddenly spoke. "Yesterday, our lady sent word that the arrangements made for Lady Liu and the Sixth Prince should now be brought before the Emperor."
"Our lady despises Suo Etu to the core. You must act as she says..." Lady Tong tightened her grip on her handkerchief, her eyes gleaming with a flicker of delight.
But before she could finish, Tong Guowei cut her off.
"That was the original plan," he said, tapping the back of his hand. "But times have changed, and the situation is vastly different now. Tell our lady to be patient. Suo Etu will face retribution—just not yet."
The light in Lady Tong's eyes dimmed as she stared at him in disbelief. "Husband?!"
After all the blows their lady and the Tong family had endured, he claimed it was not the right time?
Tong Guowei half-closed his eyes and waved dismissively. "The current landscape has shifted dramatically. With Consort Hui supporting the Nara family, Mingzhu has gained formidable strength. And what use is a mere consort to the Hesheli family? Suo Etu only manages to hold his own against Mingzhu because of the Crown Prince... Who will emerge victorious in the end remains uncertain."
If the Tong family wished to remain unshaken, they could not allow Mingzhu to grow too powerful.
The Imperial Noble Consort would never become Empress. His dream of the Tong family being honored as the maternal clan of two reigns had vanished like a mirage. Now, the family had only one path forward—securing merit by supporting the future Emperor.
He had no intention of backing the Crown Prince, nor the Eldest Prince.
The Crown Prince had his maternal family, and so did the Eldest Prince—but neither bore the surname Tongjia!
As for the Imperial Noble Consort's proposal—to beg the Emperor to place the Fourth Prince under the name of Chengqian Palace and rally the entire family to support his ascension—it was utterly absurd.
A son born of a lowly servant, the child of their enemy—why should their lady exhaust herself scheming for him?!
Why should he stoop to elevate the son of Noble Consort Wu, tarnishing his own standing in the process?
The Fourth Prince would never sit on the throne. This would only drag the Tong family into ruin...
As Tong Guowei spoke, his expression grew colder and harder. "The court cannot do without Suo Etu. For the sake of the family, Ru Ying must endure this injustice. She is a daughter of the Tongjia family, born to bear the responsibility of restoring our glory. When you enter the palace, counsel her wisely. Her health must come first, and she must act with utmost caution—never mentioning the revision of the imperial genealogy before the Emperor. Do you understand?"
For the sake of the family?
For the sake of the family.
After her husband's analysis, Lady Tong finally grasped Suo Etu's usefulness. She opened her mouth, her resentment fading into reluctant acceptance.
After a hesitant pause, she gave a quiet nod.
Chuxiu Palace.
Consort Ping of the Hesheli clan kneaded the embroidered handkerchief she had just finished, her almond-shaped eyes dark as she gazed ahead. "Instead of targeting Consort Yi, my uncle has turned his resentment on me."
Zhu Chai paused in pouring tea. "Your Highness..."
"Wasn't he the one who prized face above all? When Mrs. Guoluoluo 'kindly' suggested my promotion to consort, it was like a slap to the Hesheli family's dignity!" The handkerchief was now crumpled beyond recognition, and Consort Ping's voice trembled with incredulity. "Yet my uncle still seeks to ally with the Guoluoluo family—he shows not the slightest intention of standing up for me."
Lately, the palace had been rocked by one major incident after another, each more staggering than the last.
Consort De had been demoted to Noble Consort Wu, the Sixth Prince had been removed from the imperial lineage and granted the title of Prince Rong, and authority over the harem had been handed to Noble Consort Niu Gulu, with the three consorts assisting her. Countless eyes burned with envy—her uncle's among them.
With Mingzhu's backing, Consort Hui had finally risen to prominence, while Consort Ping remained the lowest-ranking consort. Without favor or influence, she could offer no support to her family. Even her last remaining asset—the influence in the Imperial Household Department left behind by her late sister—had been stripped away by Mingzhu.
From now on, she would be isolated and struggling in the palace.
If her uncle was furious, how could she not be?!
Enough. There was no point dwelling on this. More pressing matters demanded her attention...
Consort Ping released the handkerchief, smoothing the coldness from her expression. A faint spark ignited in her eyes, growing steadily until it blazed like wildfire.
Noble Consort Wu had brought about her own downfall, demoted by the Emperor. With this, one of the four consort positions now stood empty—but beneath the consorts, there remained seven consort-ranked ladies!
The fixed number of four consorts and six concubines was recorded in the archives, an established rule in the Collected Statutes. The Emperor, who admired Han traditions, would not allow the imbalance of three consorts and seven concubines to persist. It was highly likely he would soon appoint a new consort.
The selection of imperial consorts had concluded, and now, among the lower-ranking concubines, none were of noble birth. Aside from Noble Consort Wu, the Emperor would surely promote one of the remaining six concubines to the rank of consort...
At this thought, Consort Ping’s breath hitched for a moment, and she subtly clenched her fists. Her uncle had the same idea. Once she ascended to the rank of consort, she would assist in managing the affairs of the inner palace. By then, all her troubles would dissolve, and how could Consort Yi still order Consort Cheng to speak against her?
Consort Ping took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement as she calmly plotted.
Concubine Duan, Concubine Jing, and Concubine An were all veterans who had entered the palace in the early years of Kangxi’s reign. Concubine Duan had once borne a princess, but the child had died young, while the other two had neither achievements nor pregnancies. The palaces they resided in were no different from the cold palace.
Concubine Xi was also of the Hesheli clan, but from a distant branch. Her father held a low-ranking official position and had no ties to the main family—utterly insignificant.
Blessed with beauty and her prestigious surname, Concubine Xi had been granted the rank of Noble Lady upon entering the palace and enjoyed great favor, basking in the height of glory.
But she was truly witless. Arrogant from the Emperor’s favor, she offended Empress Xiaozhao and incurred the Emperor’s displeasure. After being promoted to concubine, she gradually faded into obscurity.
As for Consort Cheng… her promotion to concubine had already been an exceptional grace. Becoming a consort? Absolutely impossible!
After a brief consideration, among the concubines, none could surpass her in status. The only slight disadvantage was her lack of seniority.
—With her uncle’s influence and the Crown Prince’s backing, what did seniority even matter?
Consort Ping snapped out of her thoughts, a faint smile gracing her lips as she adjusted the tassels at her temples and took a sip of tea.
The rising steam blurred her delicate features as she spoke softly, amusement lacing her voice, “A servant is just a servant—shortsighted and foolish beyond measure! Even if they climb to high positions, they’ll never become phoenixes. Look at her, not only demoted but unable to protect her own child. Poor Sixth Prince, after that severe illness, he’s grown dull and even suffers from delusions, claiming the poison was given by his wet nurse, Lady Liu…”
Who didn’t know that Lady Liu had already “returned home to visit relatives”? Could she have magically reappeared in the palace?
From what Consort Ping knew, Lady Liu had offended Noble Consort Wu and was thrown into the disciplinary court—likely dumped in a mass grave, her bones long rotted away!
...
Mrs. Wuya, a mere servant by birth, had somehow risen to the rank of consort, towering over her. The thought filled Consort Ping with resentment.
But now, everything was different. If she could advance further, she would have to thank Noble Consort Wu properly!
A few days prior, Yinzuo had miraculously survived his ordeal and awakened.
As the imperial physicians had warned, though the poison was discovered early, the Sixth Prince’s young body had suffered irreversible damage.
After taking his pulse and carefully examining Yinzuo’s eyes, the physician’s heart sank. He spoke with difficulty, “Your Majesty… the Prince of Rong is no longer as sharp as before…”
No longer sharp—meaning he had grown noticeably duller, far from his former brilliance.
Despite the grief of the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Emperor, the outcome was inevitable. The only recourse was to ensure Yinzuo’s safety and well-being for the rest of his life.
When questioned about the origin of the sachet, Yinzuo had vaguely mentioned his wet nurse before exhaustion overtook him, and he fell back asleep.
Kangxi burned Lady Liu’s name into his memory, ordering his guards to investigate thoroughly. The trail led to the mass graves… and then to Yonghe Palace.
Had Noble Consort Wu not been under house arrest and her frail daughter still in need of maternal care, Kangxi’s fury might have driven him to depose her!
After careful deliberation, the Empress Dowager personally arranged the necessary measures.
The Prince of Rong was moved to the Western Five Compounds, where the Fourth Prince also resided once more. Their courtyards were adjacent, with a neighboring residence reserved for the Fifth Prince. After the first lunar month, Yinqi would begin his studies at the imperial school, joining his brothers.
The investigation continued in secret, even as the Ninth Prince’s full-month celebration arrived on schedule...
Yintang had long shed his newborn redness, transforming into a plump, fair-skinned baby.
Dressed in bright red, the chubby infant babbled cheerfully, his dark eyes darting around with lively curiosity.
When Yunxiu arrived in full regalia, Yintang gaped at the stunning beauty before him, his mind momentarily blank.
He had always known his birth mother was beautiful—exceptionally so—which explained the Emperor’s favor. But after two lifetimes, facing such overwhelming beauty head-on, even the seasoned Ninth Lord found himself… struggling to breathe.
As he struggled, Yintang caught sight of his equally stunned father, and a surge of indignation rose within him!
Before he could kick his limbs in protest, Kangxi strode forward, taking Yunxiu’s hand. His phoenix eyes burned with intensity, his expression tender yet fervent.
“I promised you justice, and I’ve delivered,” he murmured before softening his tone. “They’re all waiting in the front hall. Come, watch your step… let me guide you.”
