The Virtuous Concubine

In the harem, news spread faster than the wind. Malu's sudden appearance soon caused an uproar in the palace, and everyone in the harem had different reactions and discussions.

In Chengqian Palace, Concubine Tong really wanted to smash everything that could be moved in the palace. The jealousy in her heart was like a blazing flame, burning her to the point where she couldn't speak. She always thought highly of herself, thinking that she was born noble and her status in the harem was unmatched.

She felt from the bottom of her heart that she was different from the others in the harem. To these concubines in the harem, Kangxi was an emperor with great power, a monarch who must bow down to him. And she was the cousin of Aixinjueluo Xuanye, and they had not only a love between a man and a woman, but also an inseparable blood relationship.

Unexpectedly, she, who had no children or the position of empress in the palace, now even lost her favor! The appearance of Malu was undoubtedly a slap in her face. Because of her status, others would think that everything she got was because of the Tong family and her aunt. This position of imperial concubine was actually a compensation for her inability to have children. Now that Malu appeared, people said that she might be the second Dong Efei!

Seeing this, the palace maids lowered their heads and dared not speak, fearing that they would become victims of the imperial concubine's anger. The entire Chengqian Palace was shrouded in tension and fear.

Concubine Tong's personal maid Liuying whispered, "Your Majesty, take care of yourself. Don't let your temper hurt you." Seeing that she seemed to be listening, Liuying quickly said, "She's just a maid. Even if she has some skills, she can't make a big splash. She was promoted this time most likely just because of the child."

This was like poking at Concubine Tong's sore spot - she couldn't give birth now with her current body! But Liuying was the confidant sent by the Tong family with great effort, so she couldn't get angry with her. Concubine Tong snorted coldly, with a disdainful smile on her lips: "It's hard to say whether she can pass the test of the Grand Empress Dowager!"

Concubine Tong took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. But she couldn't calm down. When she thought that her cousin didn't love her the most, her heart felt like it was bleeding.

She said coldly: "Go, find out the details of that Malu. I want to see what she is capable of to dare to stir up trouble in the Qianqing Palace!"

The maid took the order and left. Concubine Tong sat back in front of the dressing table. Her face in the mirror, which was originally happy and angry, became a little more fierce. She began to think about how to deal with Malu and how to use this opportunity to prove that she was more suitable to be the queen than anyone else!

After entering the palace, Concubine Nianhulu, who lived in Yonghe Palace, had a completely different attitude towards the new person who was about to live with her.

In her bedroom, Concubine Niuhulu was sitting in front of an exquisite dressing table, with a palace maid gently combing her slightly yellow hair. Concubine Niuhulu was not in good health, but her eyes were very firm and powerful, showing that she was unfathomable.

The moment she heard the news, her hand paused slightly, and her jade fingers lightly touched a jade pendant on the table. The coolness of the jade pendant seemed to penetrate her fingertips.

"Malu?" She repeated the name softly, as if she was recalling something, or as if she was measuring the impact the owner of this name would have on the entire harem. There was no obvious change in Concubine Niuhulu's expression, but a gleam of light flashed in her eyes.

Seeing this, the maids kept silent and did not dare to disturb their master's thoughts. Concubine Nianhulu's name was Galudai, which means phoenix. Her origin was actually almost unique in the harem. She was the granddaughter of Hongyi Gong Eyidu, a founding minister of the early Qing Dynasty, and the second daughter of Ebilun, a regent minister of Emperor Kangxi. Her grandmother was even the fourth daughter of Nurhaci, that is, the Heshuo Princess.

Moreover, she herself loves reading and is a woman of great sophistication and broad-mindedness. However, her family was implicated and suppressed because of the Aobai incident.

She and Concubine Tong are at the other extreme. Concubine Tong is extremely sentimental and loves Kangxi to death.

But she didn't come to the palace to love anyone, but to maintain the honor of her family.

After a long while, Concubine Nianhulu stood up, walked to the window, looked at the palace wall outside the window and the palace in the distance, and she began to think in her mind.

In fact, she should be the person closest to the position of queen in the palace. Others thought it was Concubine Tong. In fact, she knew in her heart that if the emperor wanted to make Concubine Tong the queen, he would directly make her the queen. So she couldn't act rashly to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"It is said that this Malu is very favored by the emperor?" She finally spoke, her voice calm and powerful, and every word seemed to be well thought out.

Her trusted nanny replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, it is true. The Emperor is quite fond of Concubine Wuya, and she was rewarded a lot when she served tea in front of the Emperor. Judging from the time, it should have been a long time ago, but it was kept secret until she was pregnant. The Emperor even personally ordered her to live with you."

Concubine Nianhulu raised a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, with a barely perceptible coldness in it: "In this palace, there are always new people replacing old ones. I don't think Concubine Tong will be in a good mood this month. You guys should be careful not to bump into her. However, since the emperor has issued an order, we must obey it."

She turned around, her eyes swept over everyone present, and finally fixed on her trusted maid: "Go, make arrangements, clean up the back hall, and make sure that all supplies for Miss Malu in the palace are complete. Everyone should be alert."

In her opinion, the emperor handing a pregnant concubine to her was a sign of his appreciation for her and also a test for her.

The maid took the order and left, and Concubine Nianhulu sat back in her chair, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrests, which was her little habit when she was thinking and planning.

Concubine Niuhulu decided to show her tolerance and generosity, and it would be even better if she could find a way to provoke the imperial concubine to make her lose her temper. Anyway, as long as the emperor is not as crazy as the previous emperor, the future of a girl who came from a bannerman is limited.

Most of the reactions of the people in the harem fell into these two categories. There were also many people who spread rumors out of jealousy, saying that the newly promoted Noble Lady Wu Ya was extremely beautiful, and had bewitched the emperor to the point of bewilderment. She was also good at singing and dancing, and often took advantage of her convenience in the Qianqing Palace to take the emperor out for drinks during the day.

If Malu heard this, he would probably only admit that she was stunningly beautiful and that she had tea with the emperor in broad daylight. Suddenly, the water in the harem was muddied by this piece of news.

Xiaozhuang, who actually controlled and monitored the entire harem, was also somewhat angry. Since the emperor took power and reduced the power of the princes, although the relationship between her and the emperor was still very deep, the differences had gradually emerged.

Xiaozhuang had a strong desire for control, but Kangxi had an even stronger desire for control. He had the ambition to be the greatest emperor in history, so how could he listen to Xiaozhuang? The two had had many disputes over the reduction of the feudal system, so Xiaozhuang was unwilling to cause disputes because of a little woman.

Su Malagu had served Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang for many years, so she could clearly sense her displeasure. Su Malagu gently consoled her, "Miss, you don't have to be angry about this. The emperor's decision naturally has his considerations."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sat on an exquisitely carved chair, playing with a string of Buddhist beads in her hands. Her eyes revealed a hint of sharpness: "I'm not angry, I just think the emperor is too impulsive this time. A palace maid is promoted to a noble lady and has to live with Concubine Niuhulu. Isn't this breaking the rules! When Niuhulu is crowned as the queen, will she have to go to Kunning Palace with her?"

Su Malagu nodded, knowing that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's worries were not unreasonable. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "I don't want to argue with the emperor over this matter, but I can't just ignore it. At the beginning... go and make arrangements. I want to invite the emperor to come over for a good talk."