Sumalagu paused for a moment, thinking to herself, My sovereign, the Fifth Prince is still so young and usually so well-behaved. How could he have learned to tattle? This misunderstanding must not stand.
Kangxi took one look and immediately realized that the matter the Grand Empress Dowager had summoned him for had nothing to do with Yinqi. A long-absent sense of awkwardness crept over him. Covering his lips with a light cough, he said, "This emperor was mistaken. Liang Jiugong, prepare the imperial carriage!"
Upon arriving at Cining Palace, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager sat at the head of the hall. The Empress Dowager beamed at him, her face alight with eagerness, and cut straight to the point: "The Grand Empress Dowager and I called you here to discuss Consort Yi's rank. She has raised three children, and in my eyes, the position of consort seems a bit beneath her... What does the Emperor think? Do you have any plans in mind?"
Kangxi had not expected the two Dowagers to bring up the matter of promoting Consort Yi!
The thought of elevating Xu Yunxiu to a higher rank had long lingered in the emperor's mind. After the birth of the Ninth Prince, Yintang, this idea had grown even clearer, and he had already made preparations.
Previously, Mrs. Tongjia had occupied the position of Imperial Noble Consort, leaving one vacancy for a Noble Consort. However, with the four consort positions already filled, breaking the balance rashly for the sake of restraint was unwise.
At that time, Consort Hui had two princes under her care, and Baoqing was his eldest imperial son. In terms of seniority and offspring, Yunxiu was slightly inferior. Moreover, with Mingzhu's influence in court, promoting Consort Yi to Noble Consort solely for her contributions in bearing children might not convince the court!
A ruler could not act solely on personal preference. How to appease Consort Hui and the Nara clan had become a headache for Kangxi.
Beyond that, the Grand Empress Dowager would likely disapprove...
Kangxi saw clearly that the Grand Empress Dowager was aware of his favoritism toward Consort Yi. Uncertain of Cining Palace's stance, the emperor felt a rare unease, like a restless young man, unsure of how to proceed.
However, the emperors of the Aisin-Gioro lineage had always been the type to indulge those they loved. Since the idea had taken root, Kangxi would not allow anyone to stand in his way.
Mrs. Guoluoluo held the emperor's favor, and Sanguanbao was his most trusted confidant, serving as his eyes and ears in Shengjing. Patiently promoting Consort Yi's brothers and clansmen or summoning them back to the capital—these were all strategies the emperor had carefully considered.
He had also envisioned the future structure of the imperial harem—before Yintang's birth, the six concubine positions had not been filled, and Consort Ping was merely an unranked concubine. For the Crown Prince's sake, he had planned to elevate Young Lady Hesheri to consort, filling the vacancy left by Yunxiu's promotion, and then slowly discuss the edict of elevation with the Grand Empress Dowager.
At the latest, it would be by Yintang's first birthday...
But plans could not keep up with changes. Now, with the shifting tides, all his careful strategizing had become unnecessary!
Whenever he recalled the past, the emperor's expression darkened, convinced that his judgment had been flawed. How could Consort Hui compare to Yunxiu? And that fool Consort Ping, who had tried to win favor in the imperial gardens—how was she worthy of being a consort?
He had intended to broach the topic of promotion with the Grand Empress Dowager during the New Year, but the festivities had been far from peaceful.
Ever since Consort Rong accused Mrs. Tongjia of colluding with Liu Qin, Kangxi had been swamped with one urgent matter after another. By the time he had dealt with them all, the New Year had passed, the court had resumed its functions, and piles of administrative work had accumulated in the imperial study... He simply hadn’t found the right moment to speak.
Later, he thought it might be for the best.
The ceremonial robes for a Noble Consort could not be prepared in a few days, and the investiture ceremony was not urgent. After the imperial birthday celebrations, the Southern Tour would begin, and he could bring the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager along. Once the two Dowagers were in high spirits, their approval would come naturally.
Who would have thought that before he could even mention it, the Empress Dowager would give him such a delightful surprise?
Was this a test, or was she sincere?
Kangxi’s expression stilled for a moment. His gaze flickered briefly toward the Grand Empress Dowager seated at the head of the hall, his thoughts racing, before he smiled faintly and said, "What guidance does the Empress Dowager have for me? This emperor will defer to your wisdom."
The respect in his words was deeply gratifying. The Empress Dowager, upon hearing this, brightened even further. "In my opinion, that girl Yi is more than fit to be a Noble Consort."
A Noble Consort...
After a brief moment of surprise, Kangxi suppressed the surge of joy in his heart and continued calmly, "Why does the Empress Dowager bring this up so suddenly?"
His demeanor might fool the Empress Dowager, but not the Grand Empress Dowager, who had lived through three reigns and raised the emperor herself.
The Grand Empress Dowager glanced at him, recalling Sumalagu’s earlier report, and said coolly while counting her prayer beads, "Your Empress Dowager is doing this for Yinqi! If the Fifth Prince had a Noble Consort for a mother, his father might dote on him a little more, and there’d be no more kneeling in punishment or misunderstandings about tattling."
Kangxi: "..."
The servants in Cining Palace all lowered their heads in unison. Liang Jiugong’s shoulders shook as he struggled to suppress an irreverent burst of laughter, careful not to let the emperor notice.
"Grandmother, please don’t tease your grandson," Kangxi said with a light cough, offering an apologetic smile after the gentle rebuke. "Promoting Consort Yi to Noble Consort was already my intention. But with the demands of governance, I simply haven’t had the time. I thought to discuss it with you after the Southern Tour..."
Only when the emperor finally spoke the truth did the Grand Empress Dowager smile and mercifully let him off the hook.
The Empress Dowager, never one for subtlety and oblivious to Kangxi’s "calm composure," was already eagerly making plans: "In that case, why not have the edict drafted and order the Imperial Household Department to prepare the ceremonial robes? The investiture can take place after the Southern Tour..."
Nanny Qian, who attended the Empress Dowager, couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Oh, my Empress Dowager, your enthusiasm is all well and good, but the way you’re planning for Consort Yi is a bit excessive!
Those in the know would understand, but to outsiders, it might seem like preparing for a daughter’s wedding—even the auspicious date had been picked, as if waiting for the groom to arrive!
Kangxi, however, saw nothing amiss. He chatted animatedly with the Empress Dowager, the two of them in perfect harmony, which soon softened the Grand Empress Dowager’s stern expression into a smile.
In the end, Consort Yi was different from the likes of Mrs. Wuya. The emperor had grown up under her watchful eye, and she knew he had a sense of propriety—he understood what was appropriate and what was not. He would never repeat the mistakes of the Shunzhi era with Lady Dong'e, leaving her with another scar.
Promoting Consort Yi to Noble Consort was simply following the natural course of events. Had it been Noble Consort Liang, she would never have agreed...
The Grand Empress Dowager’s eyes warmed with affection. Since Xuanye was fond of her, how could she, as his grandmother, stand in his way?
Without Yunxiu’s knowledge, the trajectory of her future had been completely overturned—she was now the undisputed candidate for Noble Consort.
Consort Yi remained blissfully unaware of this joyous news. After rescuing her eldest son from Qianqing Palace, she closed the palace gates and immediately changed her demeanor, scolding Yinqi by the ear until the boy’s eyes welled with tears. Finally, he confessed the real reason for his late nights—
Between Fulu and Fuqing, he was utterly overwhelmed. How could he ever hope to stand out and excel in the imperial study under such pressure?
"……" Yunxiu fell silent, rubbing her temples with a headache, unable to believe this child was hers.
After a long moment of mixed amusement and exasperation, she finally gathered her words and said sternly, "To retreat before even fighting—this goes against your Imperial Father's teachings, not to mention disappointing the Empress Dowager and me… Have you forgotten everything your elder sister told you?"
Yinqi suddenly realized how foolish he had been.
Hanging his head in shame, he stammered, "Mother, I was wrong."
"Good that you admit it." Seeing how quickly he acknowledged his mistake, Yunxiu’s expression softened. Raising an eyebrow, she called for Little Xi'er, who soon scurried into the inner chamber with a book bag strapped to his back.
Little Xi'er was Yinqi’s personal attendant, a clever young eunuch carefully chosen by the Empress Dowager.
"You won’t be attending lessons today, but don’t think you’re getting off easy. Bring the Three Character Classic—I’ll supervise your recitation myself." As Yinqi stared at her in shock, she continued, "Ruizhu, summon Fulu and Fuqing to Yikun Palace. When three walk together, one must be a teacher. Only by pushing each other can you make progress…"
At their mistress’s orders, the entire Yikun Palace sprang into action, the commotion even startling little Yintang in the warm chamber.
The Ninth Prince let out a few incoherent cries, waving his plump, lotus-root-like arms as he strained to peek over the edge of his cradle—what was happening?
Soon, Fulu’s pitiful, childish voice piped up, "Auntie, Father says I’m not cut out for studying! He wants me to quit as a study companion and go home to farm instead!"
Yunxiu frowned and sighed, a hint of anger in her voice. "Your father is being unreasonable. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you… Now, let’s focus on reciting the book, alright?"
