TPNCQ CHAPTER 9.1
When the emperor is not at home, each palace claims to be the King 9.1
On the tenth day of the second lunar month, Emperor Qianlong performed the ploughing ritual, which lasted for three days.
With the emperor away from home, each palace claimed to be the king!
Ahem, each palace had the time and mind to attend to important matters.
Jia Fei arranged affairs in the Jing shi fang, obtaining records from the past three months. Aside from the days the emperor spent with the empress in the central palace, he had chosen consorts' placards sixteen times: seven times at Chunxi Palace, twice at Yikun Palace with Xian Gufei, once at Jingren Palace with Chun Gufei, once at Yonghe Palace with Yu Fei, three times at Yanxi Palace with Ling Pin (Concubine Ling), once with Shu Pin (Concubine Shu), and once with Xiu Guiren (Noble Lady Xiu).
Lamei, seeing the mistress's nail guard nearly piercing through the records, quickly took them and gently advised, "Niangniang, be careful not to hurt your hand. Last November, Chun Gufei was about to give birth, and the emperor visited her. But considering her pregnancy, and now with her current appearance, there's no need for you to worry. Xian Gufei is managing the Six Palaces' affairs on behalf of the Empress, so she must have many matters to discuss..."
"Talking about Xian Gufei makes me angry. If I weren't pregnant and unable to manage everything, how could the power to assist in the management of the Six Palaces fall into her hands so easily? She's always doing favors and currying favor with other palaces. Look at the spectacle she made of her visit to Jingren Palace a few days ago, clearly opposing me," Jia Fei said coldly.
"Indeed, Niangniang, your priority now is to take good care of your pregnancy and give the emperor another little prince. No matter what Xian Gufei does, without children, she's merely relying on her family background and the emperor's old affections from before he ascended the throne. Let her handle these troublesome matters. You just focus on your pregnancy and winning the emperor's favor," Lamei said, watching Jia Fei's expression closely. Seeing her mistress's frown ease, she continued.
"Shu Pin has never been favored. The emperor visited her before the New Year, probably out of respect for the Empress Dowager's wishes. But Shu Pin has always been respectful to you and never acted pretentiously, so there's no need to mind her. She can't cause any trouble. It's that Ling Pin from Yanxi Palace..."
"A vixen, always trying to please the emperor. The emperor didn't allow me to accompany him during Dragon Head festival, clearly because of her instigation. The day before Dragon Head festival, the only placard he chose was hers. Last January, she was just promoted to Wei Guiren, and within months, she was made a Pin with the title Ling. She's always sweet-talking the emperor, opposing me. If I'm not careful, she might be on equal footing with me one day. What is she anyway?" Jia Fei said, her brows furrowing in anger as she grabbed a cup from the table and smashed it on the ground.
"Niangniang, please calm down. Such a vixen is not even fit to carry your shoes. You must not get angry. If she indeed instigated this, the emperor might have listened to her a bit. If you oppose her at this critical moment, you may not gain any benefit. Please calm down," Lamei knelt on the ground, advising earnestly.
"I know that. I won't do anything without certainty. I'll have plenty of ways to deal with her in the future," Jia Fei said, taking a deep breath to quell her rising anger. A flash of determination crossed her eyes. "Never mind Ling Pin, even that Xiu Guiren who entered the palace last year seems restless. One vixen in the palace is enough; there can't be another."
"Didn't Niangniang want to embroider a Hundred Blessings Quilt for the little prince a few days ago? I heard Xiu Guiren is skilled in embroidery and got her title because of it. Why not give her this task?" Lamei suggested with a smile, trying to gauge her mistress's intentions.
"Go, summon her."
—
Xian Gufei at Yikun Palace also found some time to relax. First, she went to Changchun Palace to pay respects to the Empress, reporting and consulting on recent affairs in the harem. Then she visited Cining Palace to serve the Empress Dowager, attending to her medicine and accompanying her for lunch. She also reviewed the past two months' expenses in the harem with the Department of Household Affairs, ensuring every detail was accounted for.
—
Ling Pin knew that with the emperor away, troubles could arise easily. So she stayed in Yanxi Palace, going nowhere. As long as she made no mistakes, others would have no reason to disparage her. She knew that even if Jia Fei was furious, there was nothing she could do against her.
The emperor always disliked concubines bickering. No matter what, it couldn't be brought to light.
Ling Pin had embroidered a set of sleeping garments for the emperor, featuring a pair of entwined mandarin ducks, a symbol of conjugal affection. She believed the emperor would appreciate it.
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敬事房 (jìng shì fáng)
敬事房 (jìng shì fáng) was an institution within the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing dynasties of China. It was responsible for managing the daily lives of the eunuchs and palace maids, as well as overseeing the emperor's sexual activities. The name "敬事房" literally means "Respectful Affairs Bureau", and it reflects the institution's role in ensuring that the emperor's sexual needs were met in a discreet and respectful manner.