Chapter 8

East Side Hall.

After the Kangxi Emperor departed, Borjigit sat there in a daze, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the pleasant surprise. Although the Emperor had not stayed the night, nor had there been any intimate gestures, he had spoken many private words to her.

The Emperor had said: The Noble Consort is unable to take proper care of the Fourth Prince, and he does not know who else in the palace could shoulder the heavy responsibility of raising the imperial heir.

The Emperor had also said: The Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager have always looked upon her with favor, and he trusts that the ancestors were not mistaken in their judgment.

Borjigit could not help but murmur the Emperor’s words to herself. When she finally snapped out of it, she hurriedly called out to the outside: "Cui Liu! Cui Liu!"

After the Emperor arrived, Cui Liu had been sent away to the back storage rooms. She had just managed to catch her breath while lying on the bed when she heard her mistress calling her name.

The young maid who shared the room looked at her with a mix of pity and worry, giving her a gentle nudge. "Go quickly, or the Lady will lose her temper again."

Resigned to her fate, Cui Liu climbed up, hastily smoothed her clothes, and hurried to the side hall.

Perhaps because she was in a good mood, Borjigit smiled when she saw her. "The Fourth Prince will soon be coming to the Chuxiu Palace. Look and see what else needs to be added, and don't hesitate to ask the Imperial Household Department for whatever you need."

Upon hearing this, Cui Liu was shocked. Having suffered earlier that afternoon, she dared not question her mistress again. She could only respond in a low voice, "Yes."

Borjigit did not trust anyone else with this errand, so Cui Liu had to handle it herself.

With the silver ingots given by her mistress tucked away, Cui Liu walked out, feeling utterly lost. Just as she exited the gates of Chuxiu Palace, she bumped straight into someone.

"What is the matter?" a voice as gentle as water drifted over.

Cui Liu looked up and found herself face-to-face with the soft and lovely countenance of Concubine De. She hurriedly pleaded for mercy, "Greetings to Concubine De. This servant did not mean to collide with you."

The sun had already set, and the weather was neither cold nor hot. Concubine De was taking the Sixth Prince to the Cining Palace to pay her respects to the Grand Empress Dowager. Halfway there, the Sixth Prince had insisted on playing in the Imperial Garden, which was why they had detoured to the entrance of Chuxiu Palace. She had not expected to run into someone from Borjigit's side.

It was Concubine De's maid, Shiliu, who had taken the brunt of the collision. Concubine De glanced at the Sixth Prince, who was being protected in his wet nurse's arms, and, satisfied that they were standing safely behind and had not been struck, she withdrew her gaze and said gently, "It is no matter. Go on with your business."

Cui Liu responded in the affirmative and, after the group had left, hurried back into Chuxiu Palace.

"What?" Borjigit exclaimed in shock. "Concubine De took the Sixth Prince to the Cining Palace?"

Thinking that Concubine De lived in the Yonghe Palace and would only pass by the gates of Chuxiu Palace if she were heading to the Cining Palace, Borjigit stood up in a rush. "Let’s go, we should go and see as well."

Concubine De, of the Uya clan, was the birth mother of the Fourth Prince. If one were to consider the closeness of blood, the Fourth Prince would certainly prefer to be near her.

...

Concubine De and Borjigit walked out of the Cining Palace together. The Grand Empress Dowager had not been sleeping well lately and was not receiving anyone.

Compared to Concubine De’s calm and composed demeanor, Borjigit felt very uncomfortable, having been denied entry to the Cining Palace for the first time.

Meanwhile, Pu Yu had exhausted all her eloquence and finally persuaded the Noble Consort to agree to go out for a walk.

The mistress and her maid wandered slowly through the palace. Tong Jiahe, feeling a spark of interest, visited several landmarks such as the Kunning Gate and the Imperial Garden.

"Oh my, isn't this our frail and sickly Noble Consort?"

Having just stepped out of the Qianqiu Pavilion, Tong Jiahe heard this sarcastic voice. Even without looking up, she could instantly conjure the image of a spiteful character.

Tong Jiahe looked toward the newcomer. It was indeed Borjigit, a lady of Chuxiu Palace. Behind her stood a graceful-looking consort. The woman gazed over with liquid, watery eyes, and despite the late hour, Tong Jiahe recognized her instantly as Concubine De, the birth mother of the Fourth Prince.

In the palace, the distinctions between Manchu, Mongol, and Han consorts were always clearly drawn. The Mongol consorts, in particular, had their own circles and rarely interacted with the Manchu consorts; as for the Han-martial banner consorts, they barely registered in the hierarchy.

That Concubine De of the Uya clan and Borjigit could walk together was a rarity. Even the usually steady Pu Yu could not help but glance twice.

The Mongol-born consorts, especially Borjigit, prided themselves on their noble status. Since Concubine De was of the Booi (servant) banner, how could Borjigit possibly hold her in high regard?

Indeed, before Borjigit could even speak, Concubine De softly explained, "This servant was taking the Sixth Prince out for a walk and happened to run into the Lady, so we walked a portion of the way together."

According to the rules of the Qing palace, when facing superiors like the Emperor, Empress, or Empress Dowager, a consort could refer to herself as a "servant" to show closeness. A low-ranking concubine could also call herself a "servant" when meeting a high-ranking consort.

Since the Uya clan was already the head of a palace, there was truly no need for her to humble herself before Tong Jiahe. Tong Jiahe raised an eyebrow. "You are already at the rank of a Consort (Pin); there is no need to call yourself a servant in front of me."

Concubine De was somewhat surprised. She had spent so much effort in the past, calling herself a servant thousands of times before the Noble Consort, just to have the Fourth Prince raised in her palace.

Was the Noble Consort trying to adopt a new temperament to deal with the Cining Palace and get the Grand Empress Dowager to relent?

Regardless of how virtuous and generous the Noble Consort appeared, it would be difficult for the Grand Empress Dowager to send the Fourth Prince back to the Chengqian Palace. Thinking of this, Concubine De became indifferent to the Noble Consort’s change.

Concubine De bowed slightly in acknowledgment and then naturally took over the conversation. "Where is the Noble Consort headed?"

If she left the fool Borjigit to speak first, she would likely offend everyone in the six palaces. She had not come out today to accompany her in acting foolish.

No sooner had Concubine De finished speaking than Borjigit sneered, "We are going to the Cining Palace to pay our respects to the Grand Empress Dowager. The Noble Consort is ill, so naturally, she cannot fulfill such filial duties."

When Concubine De looked at Borjigit again, her eyes held a hint of dissatisfaction.

Filial piety—to speak of filial piety, one must be the legitimate granddaughter-in-law of the Grand Empress Dowager; in the harem, only the Empress could truly claim that title.

As for herself and Borjigit, one was a Consort and the other a low-ranking Noble Lady (Gege)—what right did they have to use such a term?

Tong Jiahe ignored Borjigit’s provocation and replied simply to Concubine De: "I was idle, so I came out for a stroll."

Having said this, she turned to leave.

Concubine De understood; the Noble Consort had no intention of chatting with her.

That was fine. She was preparing to bring the Fourth Prince back to the Yonghe Palace, and from then on, her relationship with the Chengqian Palace would be like well water not interfering with river water; there was no need to get too close.

Who would have thought that Borjigit, like a firecracker set alight, would deliberately wait until the Noble Consort was not far away to speak loudly: "Sister Uya, look at our Sixth Prince, so fair and chubby. It shows how truly skilled you are at raising children. If every consort in the palace could treat the little princes like you do, it would be better for everyone. That way, we wouldn't end up troubling the Grand Empress Dowager, who should be enjoying her twilight years, to instead worry and exhaust herself."

Concubine De’s face darkened.

She had already been impatient with Borjigit's sudden attempt to get close to her today, knowing it was merely because the Fourth Prince had been taken to the Cining Palace and Borjigit was entertaining thoughts of raising him.

She could accept the Fourth Prince being with the noble and high-ranking Noble Consort Tong, but what was this about him following a low-ranking lady like Borjigit?

A mere Noble Lady, even lower in rank than herself. If not for the fact that she had the support of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager—both of whom were also of Mongol descent—Borjigit would have long since vanished from the harem's records.

To think she dared to harbor ideas of raising the Fourth Prince! And now, she even dared to insult the Noble Consort with her words.

Did Borjigit leave her brain behind when she stepped out?

The news of the Noble Consort fainting a while ago had spread through the six palaces. If she were to faint again from anger while she was present, she herself would surely be implicated.

As expected, the Noble Consort had heard her and stopped in her tracks.

Concubine De hated Borjigit deeply in her heart; this time, she could not even maintain a fake smile.

Borjigit had acted like a kitten before the late Empresses, not even daring to speak loudly. She was clearly only acting this way now because she saw that Concubine De lacked an Empress’s title and was not favored by the Grand Empress Dowager or the Empress Dowager.

This Mongol-born lady had been in the palace for some years, yet she was practically a peripheral figure in the Emperor's life. Aside from seeing him at the Cining or Ciren palaces, she could barely catch a glimpse of the hem of his robes.

This was intolerable.

Tong Jiahe stopped, turned around, and said to Concubine De, "Concubine De."

Concubine De, suddenly addressed by the Noble Consort, was bewildered, yet she politely asked, "What words does the Noble Consort have for me?"

"I advise you: when you are out and about, stay far away from mad dogs."