Hopefully we can get the last bonus chapter out this weekend. Sorry for the delay! Things have been busy at work and I’ve had no energy to translate, and Odyssey hasn’t been able to edit.
Translator: Jalyss
Editor: Odyssey
Chapter 45
Imperial Concubine Xi’s lips trembled, her face turned red and blue, her eyes filled with disbelief, and her long nails dug into her palms tightly, causing her to feel bursts of sharp stinging pain.
She couldn’t believe that Consort Yi was so domineering!
Imperial Concubine Xi was an old woman in the palace. She was from a side branch of the Hesheli family. She entered the palace earlier than Yun Xiu. Although her mother’s family is not prominent, when she was promoted to Noble Lady, she was favoured for a long time because of her good looks.
Her parents had been very indulgent of her since she was young, which resulted in her spirit and outspoken temperament.
Unlike Yun Xiu, Imperial Concubine Xi was truly ‘arrogant due to favour’. Because of her flamboyance and tendency to be outspoken regardless of the occasion, she offended many concubines, including the then Empress Xiaozhao.
After being accused of disrespecting the empress, and the words from Noble Consort Tong and others, Kangxi’s love for her waned.
She was grounded and made to copy the palace rules… After being punished, Imperial Concubine Xi seemed to have woken up and curbed her inappropriate behaviour. She was busy regaining her favour all day long, but it was futile.
When she delivered soup, she was sent back by Qianqing Palace. She pretended to meet the emperor by chance, but got a scolding, which made her blush and fall into a dejected silence.
It was well known to everyone that Imperial Concubine Xi was brainless, and it almost became a joke in the palace. Yun Xiu also heard about this.
She thought that Imperial Concubine Xi would settle down after losing face, but she didn’t know that Imperial Concubine Xi was still jumping up and down. Imperial Concubine Xi even jumped in front of her!
With regards to the matter of spreading rumours about being the ‘only favourite’, only Imperial Concubine Xi and Imperial Concubine Ping would dance the most joyfully. Imperial Concubine Ping secretly fanned the flames and Imperial Concubine Xi ostensibly led the charge, while Imperial Concubine An and Imperial Concubine Jing just added fuel to the flames and followed behind to take advantage of the situation.
Imperial Concubine An and Imperial Concubine Jing had plenty of time to clean up, and Imperial Concubine Ping would not be proud for long. She had the Hesheli family behind her, she had Suo Etu, and one had to take into account the crown prince’s face… Everything would be settled later.
As for Imperial Concubine Xi, it was like picking on the weak. Her family was weak, she had no favour, and she had no children. Even if she was slapped, what would happen?
Yun Xiu just wanted to let the whole harem know the consequences of offending her.
After being kind for too long, they thought she was easy to bully. Were they dreaming?
…
Now that the centre palace was vacant, the imperial noble consort had no right to take care of the affairs. The noble consort was about to give birth. Consort Hui and Consort Rong were both assisting her in handling the palace affairs. Even if Imperial Concubine Xi wanted to file a complaint, she had nowhere to go. Therefore, she had no choice but to ‘air her grievances’ to the emperor.
Yun Xiu had planned everything. When she thought of this, her smile became more amiable and gentle.
“For the sake of Little Five and Little Nine, will the emperor punish Us? How can your father, Laishan, compare with my father?” Yun Xiu pinched Imperial Concubine Xi’s chin gently as she muttered softly. She then let go and raised her eyebrows, “Wet Nurse Dong, slap her mouth five times.”
It was only five slaps to her mouth, which was not really a severe punishment, but for Imperial Concubine Xi, it was undoubtedly like peeling off her face and pressing her to the ground.
How could she behave in the future if her dignity was ruined?!
Wet Nurse Dong responded with a serious face. With a wave of her hand, Imperial Concubine Xi was controlled.
The palace servant serving Imperial Concubine Xi was also restrained. She frantically struggled to break away, but it was no use. Under the shocked and frightened eyes of the other three imperial concubines, Wet Nurse Dong rolled up her sleeves and raised her hand—
‘Smack’, ‘smack’, ‘smack’…
There were exactly 5 crisp slaps, no more, and no less.
When Imperial Concubine Xi was being punished, Yun Xiu tilted her head slightly. She looked at Imperial Concubine An and Imperial Concubine Jing with cold eyes. She also looked at Imperial Concubine Ping, who was breathing with barely restrained anger. She looked away casually, with a slight smile on her lips.
That glance made Imperial Concubine An and the others feel as if they had fallen into icy water.
Consort Yi was trying to scare them. She was warning them…
After a long while, Wet Nurse Dong finished slapping. She asked the servant to let go of Imperial Concubine Xi and to step aside.
Imperial Concubine Xi covered her face in a daze and was speechless. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was about to shed tears.
“Look at this pitiful thing. She will gain wisdom after a hard time. Next time, take your brain with you when you go out. Go back to the palace and apply the powder to your cheeks. It will be bad if you delay.” Yun Xiu warned. She then held the palace maid’s hand and left the crowd.
***
The news that Imperial Concubine Xi was slapped spread like a wildfire. The entire harem was shaken by this.
When Consort Hui heard this, she put down her warm tea. Her expression changed slightly, and she frowned. “Imperial Concubine Xi and the rest are really asking for trouble. Can the crime of being the only favourite be dismissed so casually? If one steals a chicken, it will result in losing the rice. Nowadays, no one can control Consort Yi.”
Ying’er massaged her back and said in a low voice, “Consort, Consort Yi is too domineering just because she is favoured! Imperial Concubine Xi is just a small thing…”
Yes, she was so domineering. Consort Hui felt a little unhappy.
Although she intended to win over Mrs. Guo Luoluo to pave the way for Yinti, if Consort Yi’s arrogance was not suppressed, it was really uncertain who would be the leader of the three consorts in the future.
“What did the great empress dowager say when they left Cining Palace? What did the empress dowager say?” The two empress dowagers did not issue an edict to reprimand Consort Yi, which was equivalent to acquiescing to Consort Yi’s actions.
As Consort Hui spoke, her frowning increased. “Now the Imperial Noble Consort and the Noble Consort are not doing anything, We share the same consort position as her. We want to take care of it but can’t. We can only hope that the emperor will punish her!”
“Go and do some work and spread the word to the emperor’s ears.” Unsure, Consort Hui said calmly, “Just say that although Imperial Concubine Xi had transgressed, she should not have been slapped. After she returned to the palace, she washed her face and vomited her meal…”
When Consort Hui saw that Ying’er agreed, she sighed softly. The corner of her mouth twitched. “Consort Yi is very resourceful and scheming.”
She took advantage of the current leaderless harem situation, she pinched the softest persimmon among the four imperial concubines. She vented her anger and established her authority. She was unlike the stupid Imperial Concubine Xi.
Consort Hui had a premonition that the emperor would definitely not convict her, and that Ying’er’s arrangements were in vain.
If one was an enemy of such a person…
Her face darkened, and she said with a hint of urgency, “Send a message to Mingzhu. The plan to win over Mrs. Guo Luoluo cannot be delayed any longer.”
…
Compared to Consort Hui, Consort Rong from Zhongcui Palace remained silent and did not express any opinions.
Imperial Concubine Cheng felt happy, and her devotion to Yun Xiu became more sincere. Imperial Concubine Duan, who was watching, breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had not listened to Imperial Concubine Xi’s advice and had gotten involved, otherwise she would have been the one who suffered.
The ones below the rank of Noble Lady remained silent and looked at Yikun Palace with a hint of awe. The remaining few who had ulterior motives were horrified when they heard about Imperial Concubine Xi’s punishment, and feared that Consort Yi would notice them.
After all, things could only be hidden for so long. At noon, Wet Nurse Dong went to Zhangchun Palace while holding a tray.
Changchun Palace was Imperial Concubine An’s and Imperial Concubine Jing’s residence. They shared the same power and controlled the same palace. When they heard the announcement from the servants, Imperial Concubine An and Imperial Concubine Jing’s expressions changed drastically. They stood up suddenly. What was Consort Yi doing?
Wet Nurse Dong had enough of seeing their livid faces. She then said with a smile, “Our Consort has sent a gift to Noble Lady Bu.”
As she spoke, she unwrapped the red cloth on the tray and revealed several thick volumes of Buddhist scriptures. “The Consort said that Noble Lady Bu has been living in the palace for a long time and has a lot of free time. It is better to copy ten volumes of Buddhist scriptures to pass the time. This could be considered as accumulating good fortune for the third princess, isn’t that right?”
Noble Lady Bu was the biological mother of the third princess, and Consort Yi was the adoptive mother of the fourth princess. Because of Yun Xiu, Yi’erha often saw her imperial father. Among the several princesses, Kangxi favoured her the most.
The emperor’s favour was limited. If it was given to one, there would be less for the others. Noble Lady Bu thought very simply. As long as she suppressed Consort Yi, her third princess would be more valued by the emperor. Therefore, she had a role in the complaint.
Imperial Concubine An and Imperial Concubine Jing had ugly expressions, but they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, if Noble Lady Bu lived in the side hall of Changchun Palace, and Consort Yi directly intervened to punish them, wasn’t this a slap to the face of Changchun Palace?
But there was nothing they could do. Consort Yi had the decree from the Great Empress Dowager and was ordered to assist in managing the Six Palaces, therefore she had the power to discipline Noble Lady Bu. This move was indeed justified…
They could only watch helplessly as the Noble Lady Bu took the tray cautiously. Her lips trembled and she thanked Wet Nurse Dong with a pale face.
…
Consort Hui’s guess was correct. The emperor had no intention of punishing Consort Yi.
In Qianqing Palace, Kangxi summoned ministers to discuss matters after leaving court. Lunch was also served in the imperial study. After the ministers dispersed, he rubbed his brows, opened a folder, lowered his head, and started reviewing.
After a while, the emperor felt a little thirsty and reached out habitually. The tea cup he usually kept on his right side was missing.
Liang Jiugong had said he would go to make tea, but he was nowhere to be seen for a long time. The emperor frowned and asked Liu Qin, the deputy general manager of Qianqing Palace, who was standing a little further away, “Where did Liang Jiugong go?”
“Your Majesty, Steward Liang was caught up by urgent matters,” Liu Qin answered cautiously. When he saw that Kangxi looked a little worried, he rolled his eyes and said hesitantly, “He will be back soon. Just now, this servant heard something important…”
Kangxi glanced at him, lowered his head again, and waved his hand. “Speak.”
“Imperial Concubine Xi has suffered…”
Liu Qin only just said these few words before Liang Jiugong quickly walked into the hall holding a tea cup. He interrupted Liu Qin’s unfinished words. “Your Majesty, this morning, Imperial Concubine An, Imperial Concubine Jing, Imperial Concubine Xi, and Imperial Concubine Ping went to Cining Palace and asked to see the Great Empress Dowager. They said -”
The corners of Liu Qin’s mouth straightened immediately, and he bowed and stepped aside.
Kangxi’s eyes narrowed. “What did they say?”
“They said that Consort Yi is the only one favoured by Your Majesty. They wanted to ask the Revered Elder to make a decision for them.” Liang Jiugong saw that Liu Qin was quite sensible. He snorted internally, took a look at Kangxi’s face, and whispered, “Master Yi confronted them on the spot and disproved the rumor. After, the Consort became so angry that she slapped Imperial Concubine Xi.”
Kangxi’s face gradually turned cold, but when he heard the last words, he was unusually dazed.
He suddenly asked, “How many times did she slap her mouth?”
Liang Jiugong gestured with his hands. “Five times.”
The emperor was silent for a long time, chuckled, then shook his head. “That is too few. It’s not like her previous style.”
Liang Jiugong: “…”
The corners of Liang Jiugong’s mouth twitched.
After Kangxi finished speaking, he turned to look at Liu Qin beside him and asked calmly, “Why do you think that Imperial Concubine Xi suffered?”
Liu Qin’s eyes widened and he lowered his head to suppress the turmoil in his heart. When he heard this, he quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, “This servant was just about to report this matter. When this servant heard that Imperial Concubine Xi returned to the palace, she washed her face and vomited her meal shortly after. Consort Yi gave Noble Lady Bu several volumes of Buddhist scriptures, saying that she wanted her to calm her heart…”
When Liu Qin saw the emperor’s slightly scrutinizing eyes, his heart skipped a beat and he quickly added, “Consort Yi has been greatly wronged, so she acted like this.”
Kangxi looked back and said expressionlessly, “She washed her face and vomited her meal… You are right, Consort Yi should be aggrieved, but why should Imperial Concubine Xi feel aggrieved? She deserves such a punishment.”
As he spoke, his phoenix eyes were filled with coldness. “They are the ones who spread rumors. We think they have too much free time. Go and order Imperial Concubine An and the other Noble Ladies to copy the Buddhist scriptures together twenty times each. If they can’t finish copying, they are not allowed to leave.”
Liang Jiugong was speechless.
Consort Yi only punished them with writing ten times, but the emperor suddenly doubled the punishment… Why did the four imperial concubines and others have to suffer?
He glanced at the stunned Liu Qin with a smile, straightened his back. He thought to himself that if Liu Qin wanted to take his place, he needed to practice for a few more decades.
Who couldn’t see the emperor’s favouritism clearly? And he still wanted to try and bring down Consort Yi!
***
Even though she was mentally prepared, Consort Hui was still angered by Liu Qin’s reply.
“Consort Yi was wronged?” Consort Hui repeated in disbelief. She was so angry that she paced in her bedroom. She swallowed the disrespectful words she was about to blurt out.
Was there something wrong with the emperor?!
This obvious partiality frightened Consort Hui even more.
At this moment, Ying’er quickly lifted the curtain and whispered, “Consort, the noble consort is giving birth!”
—-
The author has something to say: [Small Theatre]
Question: Say a little secret about your master.
Liang Jiugong: The emperor has a serious illness that cannot be cured. Not only does he like to make up scenarios in his mind, he is also blind!
Wet Nurse Dong: If there is something that the Consort loves most in this life, it is not the emperor or the princes, but Buddhist scriptures…
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