The Woman Behind Kangxi: The Biography of Virtuous Concubine

Chapter 76
Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager sat upright on the seat, the Buddhist beads in her hand turned quickly as she chanted softly, and the first order was taken by Concubine Tong.

Ning De, Concubine Rong, Concubine Jing, and Concubine Duan were half-sitting on a low table beside them, and there were a few people who came to join in the celebration standing beside them, and they agreed to listen to Concubine Tong's chattering report to the Empress Dowager: "Empress Xiaozhaoren's younger sister, Niu Hulu, should not be conferred too lowly. If the concubine wants to follow the example of Empress Xiaochengren's younger sister, she will directly enter her as a concubine. How about you, old ancestor?"

The Empress Dowager did not speak, but continued to concentrate on reciting the scriptures. Ningde saw that the sandalwood sticks burning before the Empress Dowager sat a little short, so he stood up and quietly pulled out the wick with small silver scissors, and then sat down quietly again.

I heard the empress dowager's slow voice: "Have you returned to the emperor? What did the emperor say?"

Concubine Tong said that although the emperor saw that the empress dowager still had her eyes closed, she still got up and bowed before she sat down and replied: "The emperor means to obey the orders of the ancestors."

The Empress Dowager gave a "huh" and said, "Just do as you say."

Concubine Tong said softly: "Then I will arrange her in Chengxi Hall, the former residence of Empress Xiaozhaoren, and let the palace servants who serve her sister serve her." Concubine Tong remembered again, and continued, "Sister Yipin This time I was also selected, sister Yipin is still pregnant, if I send her sister together, although we can take care of each other, I am worried that it will be bad if I disturb sister Yi's rest."

The Empress Dowager put down the Buddhist beads in her hand, opened her eyes, and asked casually: "How many people did the Emperor keep this time?"

Seeing that the Empress Dowager had finished her meritorious deeds, Ning De got up and held up the padded mahogany plate on the side. While listening to Concubine Tong's reply, Ning De put the Buddhist beads in her hand on the tray presented by Ning De, and Ning De turned around. Pass the plate in his hand to the maid beside him.

"This time, there are not many left by the emperor. Except for the younger sister of Empress Xiaozhaoren and the younger sister of Yipin, the others are of ordinary background, and they are only Zhou Zheng. All the courtiers and concubines are educated and reasonable, and they are extremely virtuous. .”

The empress dowager smiled: "You say the same, so I don't worry. The emperor is grown up now, and I, as a grandmother, can't control him anymore. The harem will be handed over to you in the future. You juniors must Serve the emperor kindly, and don't make trouble for him in the harem."

Seeing the Empress Dowager standing up, Ning De hurried over to help her. The rest of the concubines could only listen carefully without looking sideways, not daring to be distracted at all.

Xiaozhuang went on to say: "The younger sister of Yipin you mentioned just now, let her be placed in the Yilan Pavilion. After all, they are all in the supporting hall of Chuxiu Palace, so that they can take care of each other even if they don't quarrel."

Concubine Rong laughed and said: "It's still the ancestor who thought carefully. I have seen that Yipin's younger sister is different from her elder sister. She looks cautious and cautious. It doesn't look like they came from the Guo Luoluo family. She looks very small. Petite and timid, now that she is arranged to live so close to her elder sister, she should be overjoyed!"

The Empress Dowager was also a little happy: "Really? Then I will see you some other day. Concubine Tong, you have time to arrange a time for the newly entered palace ladies to get together with you old people. I and You, Empress Dowager Hui, are old but not old at heart, so I love to see you young people playing lively and lively, as if you are a few years old now."

Concubine Jing took the conversation away: "How old are you? When the concubine entered the door just now, she looked from a distance and said that her elder sister had already arrived first. Just as she was about to say hello, when she came closer, she realized that it was the Empress Dowager. You were not rude just now, otherwise, wouldn’t you make all the sisters laugh at you? It’s all your fault that you were born too young and made the concubine almost embarrass herself!”

Ning De felt that Jingbi's words were very harsh in his ears. Although it was a flattery, he always felt that it was too obvious. He glanced at the face of the Empress Dowager, and it was really not very good. A few promises, often see Concubine Jing made a slip of the tongue, if not for her humble status, she would almost have smiled.

(End of this chapter)