Chapter 41: The Longevity Festival

At least it was finished within three days.

Holding a full set of undergarments in her hands, Wan Anran let out a long sigh. She looked down at her ten fingers, now tightly bandaged, and couldn’t help but sigh, “You’ve all worked hard.”

Even Consort Xuan could finally relax.

She gulped down a whole bowl of herbal tea to calm her agitated mood. But after only three deep breaths, when she looked up and saw Noble Lady Wan shedding tears, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and complained, “Most of these clothes were made by Haitao and Zisu. You still have the nerve to feel sorry for yourself?”

Originally, Consort Xuan had planned to supervise Noble Lady Wan closely.

Three days were more than enough to make a simple set of undergarments.

But even the most well-laid plans can go awry—she hadn’t anticipated that Wan Anran’s ten fingers wouldn’t cooperate at all. Worse, they seemed to sabotage each other. In just one day, her ten fingers had been pricked like sieves, and by the second day, it was too horrible to look at.

Seeing the situation was getting out of hand, Consort Xuan quickly called a halt.

Looking at the pitiful undergarment stained with blood, she had no choice but to have Haitao and Zisu work overtime to rush out a new set—while Noble Lady Wan only needed to embroider a few stitches at the end to express her sincerity.

Thinking back on it now made her feel a little guilty.

Consort Xuan sighed and rubbed her forehead, reaching out to poke Wan Anran’s forehead. “You ought to at least practice your needlework. You can’t even finish a single undergarment—how embarrassing!”

Wan Anran showed not the slightest bit of shame.

She raised her chin and said proudly, “I can do cross-stitching. But this kind of embroidery? That, I truly can’t do.”

Consort Xuan gave a cold laugh and didn’t bother responding.

Cross-stitching on fabric—what a joke. If such embroidery were presented, it would be a miracle if His Majesty didn’t laugh himself to death!

What’s wrong with cross-stitch?

It became all the rage in later generations. Cross-stitch isn’t just some ordinary craft!

Of course, Wan Anran only dared grumble about this in her heart.

On the surface, she obediently put away the clothes, wiped the sweat from her brow—task completed, all was well.

---

The 18th Day of the Third Month, the Seventeenth Year of Kangxi’s Reign.

The Longevity Festival banquet was held in the garden of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. The garden was in full bloom, with pomegranate flowers blazing like fire. Apricot and peach blossoms had yet to fall, and brightly colored roses were in a contest of splendor—each bloom charming and delightful to behold.

Wan Anran followed behind Consort Xuan as they entered.

All around them were exquisitely dressed imperial concubines. For example, the naturally beautiful Consort Yi wore a palace gown of crabapple red that made her look even more radiant. The tassels on her headdress swayed gracefully, and her makeup was detailed and refined, showing just how much care she’d taken—truly worthy of being Kangxi’s favorite.

Then there was Consort An, who favored a fresh and elegant style. Her slender waist swayed like a willow, and her smile was as bright as a spring blossom. Dressed in a light green palace gown, the rippling motion as she walked was mesmerizing.

There was the lively and adorable Consort Xi, the dignified and elegant Consort Hui, and the mature, older-sister-type Consort Rong… Whatever style one could think of, it could be found among them.

The myriad beauties dazzled Wan Anran to the point of awe. She couldn’t help but envy Kangxi—if she had transmigrated into his body, wouldn’t it be wonderful to cuddle up with all these pretty sisters?

Little did she know, Wan Anran and the others were also scenery in the eyes of others. Compared to the elaborately dressed concubines, the three from Xianfu Palace were like commercial airplanes in a squadron of fighter jets—complete oddities.

The three of them quietly took their seats.

The palace observed strict etiquette and hierarchy. Only after all the concubines had arrived did the Emperor and Empress make their entrance. The Emperor and the Crown Prince supported the Grand Empress Dowager, while the Empress and the Eldest Princess assisted the Empress Dowager. Three generations of the imperial family entered joyously together.

Consort Hui and Consort Rong’s expressions darkened.

Not only were their sons unable to attend the banquet from outside the palace, but what made Consort Rong even more bitter was that her own Third Princess, who was His Majesty’s biological daughter, was overshadowed by the Emperor’s adopted daughter—the illegitimate daughter of Prince Gong.

Consort Hui and Consort Rong’s rare good moods were instantly ruined, yet they had to force a smile to avoid detection. Internally, their resentment was a raging torrent.

Wan Anran glanced at Consort Hui, then at Consort Rong.

She silently shook her head—clearly, the seeds of their dissatisfaction had already been planted. No wonder, in the future, all the Princes would strive for the throne.

Best not to give birth.

If one had to give birth, it should be much later. Wan Anran was increasingly certain of her thinking and mentally gave herself a thumbs-up.

Once the Emperor and his party were seated, the Longevity Festival banquet officially began. The princes and princesses first came forward in turn to recite their blessings and present their gifts.

Next came the birthday offerings from the concubines.

For example, Consort Jing went all out. Her offering looked like an ordinary “longevity” character at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was composed of thousands of tiny “longevity” characters. This instantly delighted Kangxi, who nodded in approval.

Some gifts were impressively excellent, while others left everyone speechless. Like the gift from Noble Lady Wan—it plunged the entire venue into silence.

Just a set of undergarments???

That was the sort of thing concubines made in their spare time—one set, two sets, even three or four—to be sent to the Palace of Heavenly Purity or stored for when the Emperor needed them.

But Noble Lady Wan?

She actually presented this as a birthday gift?

Even the Emperor was stunned. The Empress sighed and quickly stepped in to explain, “Your Majesty, look at Noble Lady Wan’s fingers—they’re still bandaged. She’s never been skilled at needlework.”

Kangxi took a look.

It was true! Honestly, the same old question popped into his mind again. He asked the Empress seriously, “Just how did someone this dim-witted get selected into the palace?”

Empress Niohuru nearly burst out laughing.

She held it in. “Your Majesty, you can’t say that—Noble Lady Wan does have her strengths.”

“What strengths?”

“…Uhh…” The Empress faltered.

“See? Even you can’t name one.”

“…Noble Lady Wan can cook.” Inspiration struck. “She’s just not good at embroidery. But I thought the gloves she made for you were quite nice.”

“Trivial tricks—not the proper path.”

“Then next time Noble Lady Wan cooks something, Your Majesty, you shouldn’t sneak any bites.” The Empress covered her mouth and laughed.

“I only gave her face because she was thinking of me.” Kangxi scoffed.

The Empress fell silent.

After all, she couldn’t very well tell the Emperor: It sure didn’t look like that—you clearly just wanted to eat!

Unaware that the Emperor and Empress were discussing her, Wan Anran sighed to Nara Guiren, “The Emperor and Empress have such a good relationship.”

Nara Guiren nodded in agreement.

The nearby Consort Yi and others, who had once regarded Noble Lady Wan as a potential rival, now… shook their heads and cast her out of their minds entirely.

Just this? Just this?

And she’s supposed to be a potential favored consort? Isn’t it more likely that the Empress is just using her as a distraction to divert attention from someone else?

After the gift presentations, the highly anticipated performances finally began. Only then did Wan Anran truly understand why the concubines looked forward to these palace banquets—compared to the dry, suffocating banquets in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, this longevity celebration held in the garden of Cining Palace was far more lively and full of warmth.

At the banquet, elegant music floated through the air, and the tunes of zithers delighted the ears.

Following the opening performances of “Longevity and Long Life,” “Double Happiness and Blessings,” and “Peace in All Four Seas,” came the plays selected by the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress.

There were also interludes of acrobatics and dances—essentially, anything the Court Entertainment Bureau could dream up, they could stage. For Wan Anran, this was the first time she had seen such performances since arriving at the Qing palace. She watched with great interest, so absorbed that she didn’t even notice when the dishes were placed on the table.

It wasn’t until the rich aroma of food wafted over that Wan Anran realized the table was already laden with delicacies. The entire spread was an extravagant feast of rare and exotic dishes—each vibrant, steaming hot, and absolutely delicious. Compared to the family banquets in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, this was on a whole other level!

More importantly, many of these dishes were ones Wan Anran had never tasted before—like wild game that had long fallen out of favor in modern times, including bear paw, or species like the sturgeon. In future generations, sturgeon roe (caviar) would become world-renowned, but now it was relatively obscure. In the palace, it was more often cured and eaten, with the prized part being the nose meat.

Wan Anran sighed in regret.

She made a mental note to ask the Imperial Kitchen later—if they had any sturgeon roe, she’d like to try some. Her chopsticks landed on a braised deer tail. Its presence as a main course indicated how highly it was regarded in the palace.

Deer (鹿) was a homophone for “lu” (祿), meaning “prosperity.”

Wan Anran had never eaten it before.

The deer tail had been simmered until it was tender. With a gentle prod from the communal chopsticks, large pieces easily fell apart. Wan Anran picked up a portion with her own chopsticks—the aroma was mild and not at all unpleasant. As she watched the performance on stage, she placed the deer tail into her mouth.

It smelled delicious, but the moment it touched her tongue, Wan Anran’s pupils dilated in shock. A nauseating gaminess exploded across her palate. She instantly covered her mouth tightly, her stomach churning violently. Her face drained of color, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Haitao’s face went pale with fright. “Mistress!”

Her voice, slightly shrill, drew the attention of the other consorts. Lady Nara immediately noticed Wan Guiren’s abnormal condition. She held onto Wan Anran, calling anxiously, “Sister Wan? Sister Wan!”

Wan Anran clutched her mouth, nearly retching.

This was the Longevity Festival! What would happen if she threw up in such a setting? She forcefully suppressed the upheaval in her stomach and weakly murmured, “Don’t worry, Sister… I’m fine. I’m just not used to the deer tail. It’s a bit too gamey for me…”

But she couldn’t hold it in and gagged again.

She hurriedly clamped her hand over her mouth once more.

Lady Nara froze.

Before she could say anything, Consort Rong, seated diagonally across from Consort Xuan, gasped softly, “Wan Guiren… could it be she’s pregnant?”

Even though Consort Rong spoke in a hushed tone, every consort nearby heard her loud and clear.

Instantly, all their expressions changed dramatically.

The first to snap out of it was Consort Xuan. Though she had no personal experience with this, she knew what had to be done. Taking a deep breath, she commanded in a steady voice, “Haitao, quickly—help Wan Guiren inside to rest. Nanny Xia? Report this to the Empress immediately!”

A pregnancy at the Longevity Festival was a cause for major celebration.

Before Nanny Xia could reach the Empress, a quick-witted palace maid had already rushed forward to deliver the joyous news.

Kangxi’s expression immediately lit up with joy. He clapped his hands and laughed heartily, “Good! Good! This is wonderful! Liang Jiugong, hurry and summon the imperial physician.”

Nanny Xia was a step too slow.

Unlike the palace maid, who directly announced the pregnancy, Nanny Xia was cautious in her words. She noted that the court physicians took pulses every five days and hadn’t detected any signs of pregnancy so far. It could very well be a case of indigestion.

But Kangxi was unconvinced.

Thinking back, he sighed, “I was foolish. Last time I visited Xianfu Palace for barbecue, Wan Guiren had a particular craving for sour sauces. I didn’t want to say anything, but it was really quite sour. Now that I think about it, she may already have been pregnant, and her tastes just changed.”

The Empress was both delighted and somewhat anxious.

Unlike the always-troublesome Wuyashangzai, Wan Guiren’s unexpected news was indeed a cause for joy—but it also gave rise to concern.

She squeezed Kangxi’s palm gently. “Your Majesty, we should still wait for the imperial physician to confirm it. Wan Guiren only just survived a major illness before the New Year. Everything must be handled with great care. Even if she truly is pregnant, we must be cautious going forward.”

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded. “The Empress is right.”

Still, though she said that, her heart was full of expectation. She personally appointed Sumala to look after Wan Guiren, with strict orders to report back immediately if there were any developments.

If she was pregnant, that would be wonderful!

If she wasn’t pregnant, that would be just as well!

Everyone present was now filled with swirling thoughts, no longer in the mood to watch the performances. All attention had shifted to Wan Guiren.

As for Wan Anran?

She was completely bewildered as she was helped into the inner hall. Once she was seated on a soft couch, she finally came back to her senses.

Looking at Haitao, who was beaming with joy, and the anxious palace staff around her, Wan Anran gave a sheepish smile and said, “Maybe… maybe I just ate too much all at once. I’m really not pregnant. Truly.”