Quick Wear: I was a Favored Concubine in the Qing Dynasty

Emperor Qianlong suddenly asked Yu Suisui, "Did my beloved concubine just make a wish?"

Yu Suisui: “…”

"I made a wish." Lies just come out of my mouth.

"What is it?" Qianlong pressed on, sensing that Yu Suisui was acting differently today. She shouldn't be like this at this time; she seemed to be observing from the sidelines.

Who is she observing?

Yu Suisui lowered her head, "I don't want to talk about it." She carried the grievances of being forced by Emperor Qianlong in the past.

Seeing Yu Sui Sui like this, Consort Gao wondered if there was a conflict between the Emperor and Yu Sui Sui. Should she try to mediate or stay away for now?

It's possible that he didn't want her to know.

But judging from the Emperor's intentions, he probably wants her to stay here.

so tangled.

Emperor Qianlong pushed the lantern in his hand into the lake, and then Consort Chun came over with another lantern. "Your Majesty, may I release a lantern with you?"

"Put it yourself." Emperor Qianlong didn't want to talk to Consort Chun any more. If they weren't outside, he wouldn't even want to speak to her.

Consort Chun was disappointed, but she still managed a smile and made a wish upon the lantern.

At this moment, Emperor Qianlong was already leading Yu Suisui on his left and Consort Gao on his right, towards the bridge, ready to watch the biggest fireworks display of the day.

Consort Chun stomped her foot in frustration.

Why is the Emperor like this now? She's the same as before. Didn't the Emperor used to say that he loved her smile and her coquettishness the most?

-

Empress Dowager: "Is Hongzhou's wife still not well?" Hongzhou's wife fell ill before the New Year and has not recovered. She has not dared to go out and run around.

Consort Yu Gui said, "Not yet. Last time they said it was better, but after going out in the wind, it immediately went back to normal." Speaking of her daughter-in-law, she thought she was a filial daughter.

"Let the imperial physician take a look." The Empress Dowager had just finished speaking when she saw her sons, one on each hand, leading people up.

Empress Dowager: "..." Wouldn't it be better to stand down there? Why did you have to come up?

"Mother. Consort Yu." Emperor Qianlong brought up two of his favorite women, intending to send a signal to the harem and the imperial family.

Consort Gao and Consort Jing's positions are very secure.

The Empress Dowager nodded: "Come, Consort Jing, come to my side." The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, didn't look like an emperor, but like a spoiled young master.

That's not how you do it.

Yu Suisui glanced at Qianlong, and with his tacit approval, moved closer to the Empress Dowager.

"She's a beautiful girl," said Consort Yu, then looked at the Empress Dowager with envy. "Your Majesty is truly blessed. This Consort Jing looks so fortunate; I'm afraid it won't be long before she gives Your Majesty a grandson."

Consort Yu said this to Yu Suisui, but Yu Suisui didn't care about it at all. She just thought that Consort Yu was flattering and trying to please the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "How many children has Consort Hongzhou given birth to? You can't possibly hold all your grandsons." The Empress Dowager knew what Consort Yu wanted to hear.

Upon hearing this, Consort Yu's smile immediately widened.

Yu Suisui pretended to be mute. She came over just to avoid Qianlong's bizarre actions, and she had no idea what Qianlong was doing.

At this time, would you bring out two concubines to show off your beauty?

As a beautiful woman, she didn't want to be shown off at this time.

"Consort Jing, what wish did you make when you released the lanterns today?" The words of the Dowager Consort Yu reached Yu Sui Sui's ears again.

Yu Suisui smiled politely, "Your Highness, I've heard that if you speak your wish aloud, the Bodhisattva won't grant it." She hadn't even made a wish yet; what if she made one up now and forgot it later?

It's better to say nothing.

When the Empress Dowager saw Consort Yu talking to Yu Suisui, she knew what Consort Yu wanted to do.

Consort Yu smiled and said, "Then Consort Jing should keep her wish and wait for the Bodhisattva to grant it for you." What kind of wish would require the Bodhisattva's help? Naturally, it's a wish for a child.

Yu Suisui had been really looking forward to today's Lantern Festival, but the fireworks were just too much to bear. Seeing how bland they were, with nothing to do with the fireworks that would later be shown in Liuyang, she felt only disappointment.

-

The Empress Dowager moved to Changchun Garden the day after the Lantern Festival, and met with Yu Suisui before leaving.

"I know you love gold and stone, so I had the Imperial Household Department make you a small gold mountain." The Empress Dowager truly loved gold, and knowing that Yu Suisui liked it, she felt even more favorably toward her.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yu Suisui received quite a lot of gold items from the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "You are a clever child." The Empress Dowager really liked Sui Sui, but she was a little too young and it wasn't appropriate.

If she were a few years older, choosing her would be more suitable than choosing a concubine.

The Imperial Concubine is not bad, but I'm afraid she'll just be a copy of the Empress.

Humans always want more after they have something; it's human nature to be greedy. If you can't understand your own nature, you'll only be manipulated by it.

Yu Suisui was somewhat puzzled by the Empress Dowager's praise of her.

She doesn't seem to have done anything lately, so why would the Empress Dowager say such a thing? Could it be an implication?

"Good child, live well with the Emperor from now on." The Empress Dowager truly thought so. Whether it was the Empress, the Imperial Concubine, or Consort Jing, to her, there was not much difference.

I used to be trapped in that illusion, but now that I'm out of it, that doesn't matter anymore.

Right now, the most important thing is still herself.

Yu Suisui immediately agreed, "I will, Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager patted Yu Suisui's hand and left.

Emperor Qianlong waited until the Empress Dowager boarded her carriage before asking, "Why did you decide to speak with Consort Jing alone, Mother?" This was unexpected. Could it be that his excessive favoritism towards Consort Jing had displeased his mother?

The Empress Dowager glanced at Qianlong.

"Don't think of your mother as a bad person or villain who breaks up lovers," the Empress Dowager said. "You've shown such great favor to Consort Jing, isn't it so that I can praise her on your behalf?"

Qianlong felt wronged. "Mother, I never meant that." He was just saying it casually; his mother must have known his true intentions.

They wouldn't hold this against Consort Jing.

“You don’t, it’s me who’s better.” The Empress Dowager said, taking another tangerine from the plate of tangerines and peeling it. “Consort Jing is a well-behaved girl with a good heart, and she doesn’t have any of those messy thoughts.”

"I won't say anything about your favoritism towards Consort Jing." The Empress Dowager felt that she should keep quiet when she should. How much of an opinion that differed from hers would the Emperor listen to? He would hear what the ministers said in court, and then he would have to listen to it again in the harem. He wouldn't be happy about that.

She was the Empress Dowager, but she still had to rely on the Emperor's filial piety to live a proper old age.