Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang rose at dawn.
On the first and fifteenth of each month, she would receive the greetings of the consorts and concubines, a ceremony scheduled to begin precisely at the hour of Chen.
For the lesser consorts, this was a rare opportunity.
If Emperor Kangxi arrived early, they might catch a glimpse of him.
It was the only way for them to vie for his favor without drawing undue attention.
Thus, the lower-ranking consorts and noblewomen typically arrived early.
However, their intelligence was not as sharp as that of the higher-ranking consorts.
Today, as usual, they entered the Cining Palace half an hour early.
As they stepped into the main hall, they were taken aback.
It saved them the trouble of repeatedly rising to pay their respects, for the noble consorts, the four consorts, and all the concubines except for the common ones were already present, chatting and laughing merrily within the hall.
What was going on?
The lesser consorts and noblewomen exchanged glances stealthily.
The clever ones pointed to the empty space.
That was where the newly appointed Consort Zhao should sit, directly opposite Consort De and behind Consort Rong.
At the moment, it was unoccupied.
The lesser consorts realized then that this gathering was aimed at Consort Zhao.
They breathed a sigh of relief and sat down quietly to wait.
Fang He had woken up early as well, accompanying Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang in conversation and helping her with her morning ablutions.
Just as she had finished washing her face, Old Lady Liu entered to report.
“Your Majesty, all the consorts have arrived.”
Xiaozhuang, her hair still loose, remarked, “They are usually not this diligent.”
She cast a faint glance at Fang He, “No wonder you are so early today, having the leisure to chat with me. You should rather think about how to extricate yourself later.”
Fang He tilted her head, pretending to ponder, and nodded earnestly, “I have thought it through, Your Majesty.”
“What have you thought through?” The Empress Dowager entered from outside, her face also puzzled.
“Today, everyone has arrived so promptly, even Consort Yi is joining in the commotion. I must have a serious talk with her later.” Wuyun Zhu translated quietly beside her.
Xiaozhuang also looked at Fang He.
Fang He only smiled demurely and said, “Before leaving, the matriarch and the Empress Dowager should drink more tea. Once inside the hall, it is better not to drink if you can avoid it.”
Both Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager were puzzled, as were the others.
Only Chunlai, who was attending to Fang He, bit her tongue to keep from laughing.
Half an hour later, Fang He followed Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager into the main hall.
The consorts, who had been chattering about Fang He’s lack of propriety, were taken aback and quickly rose to greet them.
Fang He stepped aside to avoid them, then paid her respects to the noble consorts and the four consorts, exchanged courtesies with the concubines, and received the greetings of the noblewomen and the lesser consorts…
It took quite a while.
Niohulu, the noble consort, could not wait to start the confrontation:
“Consort Zhao has been outside the palace for too long and has become quite naive. Instead of coming to the main hall first thing in the morning, she went to disturb the matriarch. This is not the proper etiquette in the palace.”
Fang He raised her eyebrows and let out a long “Oh,”
“The matriarch did not ask me to leave. Is this rule set by you Noble Consort?”
Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager both looked at Fang He with some surprise.
Usually, the girl was very proper and never had a direct conflict with the consorts…
Had she become arrogant just after being promoted to consort?
Niohulu snorted coldly, apparently thinking the same thing, “Consort Zhao has not yet been favored, yet she has already learned to be presumptuous. The rule of subordinates overstepping their bounds was not set by me.”
“Look at this, Matriarch,” the noble consort continued, “Consort Zhao has so offended me. You must do something about it. Otherwise, if one day the Emperor favors her, there will be no place for me in this palace.”
Xiaozhuang remained noncommittal, “Consort Zhao, do you have anything to say?”
“I have plenty to say,” Fang He replied.
“Noble Consort seems to be accusing me, but in reality, she is blaming you, Matriarch, for not following the rules and allowing me to attend to your grooming. How can I bear this?”
Fang He batted her eyes at Xiaozhuang with an air of innocence.
“I must defend myself. It was an act of filial piety, yet Noble Consort sees it as overstepping. Could it be that my filial devotion is misplaced?”
She turned around, her face now wearing an exceptionally arrogant smile, “Noble Consort, do you think I should defend myself?”
“You——” Niohulu, the noble consort, was so angry that she pointed at Fang He but was left speechless.
She could not possibly say that Fang He should not show filial piety.
Hui Fei, another consort, sneered:
“When it comes to being unreasonable, no one can match Consort Zhao. If you truly had filial piety, why would you stay in the Cining Palace instead of attending to the Emperor? It’s just that the matriarch does not hold you accountable…”
“Ah, Consort Hui, you really shouldn’t say that!” Fang He interrupted even more arrogantly, almost making the Empress Dowager unable to hold back her laughter.
She quickly raised her teacup to cover her lips.
Xiaozhuang managed to maintain her composed expression, pretending to be deaf and mute, not taking sides.
She acted as if she had heard nothing.
But then, Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager heard Fang He’s voice rise and fall as she addressed Consort Hui.
“Are you saying, Consort Hui, that I do not need to attend to the matriarch and should instead compete fiercely to serve the Emperor?”
“Tsk, tsk. Does His Majesty know that Consort Hui is so disrespectful on his behalf?”
Xiaozhuang: “….”
She also leisurely raised her teacup, the tea foam looking particularly beautiful today.
Consort Hui, in a fit of anger, stood up, “You are being outrageous! I did not mean that at all!”
“If you did not mean it, then Consort Hui should think twice before speaking,” Fang He retorted even more bluntly.
“I think there are no other main ladies here. It’s fine for you ladies to make a fool of yourselves in front of your sisters, but if it gets out, it will only be a laughingstock!”
They are all concubines; who is more noble than whom?
Consort Rong and Consort Yi both unconsciously opened their mouths.
This Consort Zhao… has she been possessed by a ghost?
She wasn’t like this before!
If Fang He had always been so arrogant, even the noble consort would not dare to easily humiliate her.
Consort De, with her eyes lowered and a smile on her face, understood why Fang He was so assertive.
Being a guest and being a consort are naturally different.
No matter how noble a guest is, in the palace, they are still a servant, but a lower consort is not a servant to a higher consort; they are all just the Emperor’s women.
It’s just that some consorts, when they first enter the palace, can’t see through this truth and are repeatedly forced to live miserably until they learn to be ruthless.
The noble consort coldly looked at Fang He, “So, according to Consort Zhao, you only need to attend to the matriarch and not the Emperor?”
Fang He loved it when others followed her train of thought; that was the correct way to argue.
She immediately revealed a bright smile, “The Emperor’s favor, whether in the form of thunder or rain, is all a blessing. Whether His Majesty needs someone to attend to him and who should do so is not something a consort can decide.”
“I have no other virtues, just one: I strictly adhere to my duties and can only do what is in front of me. As long as I do not cause His Majesty any annoyance, that is enough.”
The noble consort was so angry that she almost failed to catch her breath.
Even Xiaozhuang’s hand holding the teacup trembled, especially after seeing the Empress Dowager nod in agreement.
Everyone also thought in their hearts, how could Consort Zhao have the audacity to mention “duties”?
Because of Fang He’s chaotic and unreasonable ramblings, the other consorts who had prepared to be sarcastic did not dare to speak.
Their titles were not as high as Fang He’s, and if even the noble consort could not get the upper hand, they did not want to invite humiliation either.
This greeting ceremony ended with the noble consort Niohulu and Consort Hui leaving with dark faces, and the others all suppressing their regrets for not being able to enjoy the spectacle.
Once there were no outsiders in the hall, the Empress Dowager let out a chuckle and said to Fang He, “You do have a bit of your ancestor’s style now.”
Wulin Zhu was also this rude when she confronted people, and Fulin had stormed off in anger several times because of Wulin Zhu’s words.
Xiaozhuang snorted with a hint of meaning:
“Just after being promoted to consort, you already bully others with power. You are truly better than blue from which it is derived.”
Fang He giggled and moved closer, “But it is only because the matriarch and Your Majesty are willing to support me.”
“It is said that a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a secret lover. If they have all this energy, instead of thinking about how to secretly please the Emperor, they focus it all on me, then I can’t let them have their way either!”
The Empress Dowager was amused and laughed heartily, while Xiaozhuang glared at Fang He, pointed at her, but in the end, couldn’t help but laugh too.
This girl, who knows where she picked up so many coarse words outside the palace…
But the words were crude, yet the reasoning was sound.
Each of them was being absurd, and since she was too lazy to say more, someone should teach them a lesson.
Fang He was just teasing the two wealthy women when Yu Quan Gui suddenly spoke outside.
“Your servant greets His Majesty the Emperor!”
Fang He quickly shut her mouth, turned around, and squatted properly.
When she caught a glimpse of the bright yellow robe hem with her peripheral vision, she softly greeted,
“Your servant wishes His Majesty ten thousand years of prosperity and peace.”
Kangxi walked past her nonchalantly, not even sparing her a glance, and sat beside Xiaozhuang with a faint smile.
Fang He secretly curled her lip and turned back to continue squatting.
“What were you discussing with the Empress Dowager and the Empress? It seems quite lively.”
Xiaozhuang raised her eyebrows slightly, with a smile that was not quite a smile, and pointed at Fang He, recounting the commotion she had caused in the hall just now.
Kangxi’s jaw tightened, but his smile remained unchanged as he glanced at Fang He indifferently.
“This wretch has always been unruly, and it’s not just a day or two. It seems I have disturbed the Empress Dowager’s peace. It’s all my fault.”
Xiaozhuang thought to herself, who are you to call others wretches?
She smiled and said, “It’s nothing. Let this girl get up. After all these years, I am used to it and won’t take it to heart.”
Kangxi was momentarily choked, then forced a ingratiating smile to Xiaozhuang, but turned to Fang He with a stern face.
“Didn’t you hear the Empress Dowager’s command? Get back to the Qianqing Palace and don’t be an eyesore here.”
Fang He looked at Xiaozhuang imploringly, “Matriarch, I have been thinking of accompanying you in your Buddhist rituals lately…”
“Zhasan Niu!” Kangxi glared at her, “Are you planning to defy my orders?”
“I dare not!” Fang He knelt down resolutely, determined not to leave.
“I simply will not return to the harem quarters.”
“That room is so small that you could bump into the walls with just a few steps. If you stay there too long and accidentally get up at night, you might commit the sin of self-harm. I am not ready to die yet.”
Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager exchanged glances, then both picked up their teacups again, looking outside.
Hmm… the weather is a bit gloomy; it seems like it’s going to snow again!
Kangxi took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with Fang He in front of the two senior empresses.
He pinched his forehead and said, “Then you can stay in the end room of the eastern warm pavilion…”
Fang He remained silent, only looking at Xiaozhuang pitifully.
Xiaozhuang did not want Fang He to be in the imperial presence every day and had to speak up, “At least this girl is now the highest-ranking consort. It is not appropriate for her to stay in the end room in the Cining Palace. She should stay in a side hall.”
“What, are you saying that because Consort Hui spoke, you are reluctant to let me keep your Consort Zhao to attend to me for a couple of days?”
Kangxi gritted his teeth and nodded with a forced smile, “The Empress Dowager is right. How about… let her stay in the Tousuo Hall? It will not disturb your tranquility, and it will also remind her to keep her duties as a consort.”
Do not forget to serve the emperor just because you remember to be filial.
The Tousuo Hall was right next to the Cining Palace, separated from the Qianqing Palace by the Yangxin Hall.
It was not too far from either side, nor did it violate any rules.
Xiaozhuang fell silent.
But Fang He was still reluctant to get up, hesitantly saying, “As far as I know, the Tousuo Hall also has two sections, with three main rooms in the front and back, and six side halls. I only have Chunlai with me…”
Kangxi was out of patience.
He pinched his forehead again and said, “I will have the Neiwufu send people to you later!”
“But… I really do not know how to pick people, and Chunlai does not have that ability either!”
She spoke even more softly and hesitantly.
“Unlike His Majesty, who has Wei Zhu by your side, and in the imperial tea house, there is also Sister Cui, both capable people…”
Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager watched quietly, both understanding why Fang He was making such a fuss.
They exchanged glances, and if they were not mistaken, they could see the emperor grinding his teeth.
But Kangxi’s expression remained very calm.
He had already figured out what this troublemaker was up to back in the Qianqing Palace.
He calmly said, “Are just the two of them enough? How about I lend you Eunuch Gu for a few days to help you?”
Fang He seemed not to understand at all, only timidly saying, “How dare I, Your Majesty!”
“However, the Neiwufu is now under the management of the Imperial Noble Consort. I heard that she is seriously ill and may not have the time to take care of my side…”
“It is inevitable to spend some silver to smooth things over, but my dowry…”
Kangxi’s expression did not change:
“I will have Liang Jiugong go to the Neiwufu personally to instruct them. Everything that is due to you, I will have it delivered to the Tousuo Hall without fail today.”
“Go!” he said, determined to see just how far this wretch would dare to push her luck!
To his surprise, Fang He knew when to stop.
As soon as Kangxi finished speaking, she straightened her back and quickly replied without even catching her breath:
“Your servant will strictly follow His Majesty’s instructions, and will surely be filial to the matriarch and the Empress Dowager, serve His Majesty well, and adhere to the palace rules, even more so than a cat.”
Kangxi: “If there were a cat like you in the palace, no one would be able to live in peace!”
“Enough,” Xiaozhuang said, trying to suppress her laughter and maintain a composed expression.
“I’m tired. Have Sumo’er escort the girl to the Tousuo Hall.”
Fang He quickly responded in a loud voice, “Your servant will go find Sumo’er right away and leave the Cining Palace as soon as possible!”
She got up and hurried away, determined not to give Kangxi the slightest chance to catch her.
Although she had already changed into her flowerpot-bottom shoes, she didn’t dare to chase her in the Cining Palace…
Hahaha, it would drive him crazy.
As soon as she ran out the door, she saw Liang Jiugong and even smiled at him before urging Chunlai to help her leave quickly.
Inside, Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but laugh at Fang He’s dog-like haste.
Liang Jiugong, on the other hand, was so stressed that he could hardly manage a smile in return; he was on the verge of tears.
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