A Qing Dynasty Reincarnation: They Say Consort Tong Is Frail and Sickly

An Ning transmigrated, only to find herself the eldest legitimate daughter of the Tong family during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. Her grandfather was Tong Tulai, Grand Preceptor to the Crown Prince, and her aunt was Empress Xiaokangzhang. In other words, Kangxi was her cousin, and she was not the historical Empress Tong. Her predecessor fell ill after winter began and did not live to see the New Year. And so, a white-collar worker who had died in a car accident became the Tong family's eldest legitimate daughter. Of course, with her current health, whether she would even reach adulthood was anyone's guess. The Tong family had no particular expectations of her. Compared to her younger sister, who had been raised from childhood to become empress, her life was practically carefree, though she would occasionally fall unconscious just to remind everyone she was still around. Oh, and she also had to deal with the young Emperor Kangxi, who had yet to take up the reins of government. Looking at Kangxi, who was four or five years older than her, with most of his scalp exposed and a thin braid trailing from the back of his head, she sighed softly. "Cousin, you've gotten ugly." He used to have a bit of baby fat, but after becoming emperor, he must have had too much on his mind. The flesh had practically vanished from his face. He looked like he was aging before his time. Ten-year-old Kangxi: "...Cousin, you've gotten even thinner too. Are you about to go underground and join the ancestors?" Tong Anning immediately clutched her heart like Xi Shi and languidly collapsed onto the chaise longue. In a weak voice, she said, "Cousin, you really can see the future. A few days ago, I saw you wearing a pink tourmaline jade pendant. Why not give it to me as a burial offering?" After speaking, she even gave a very convincing cough. Kangxi's face darkened. "..." She might be in poor health, but she was definitely faking it now. Tong Anning immediately looked pitiful. "Cousin~~" The young Kangxi took a deep breath. "I'll have someone bring it to you tomorrow." Tong Anning recovered at once. Tong Anning had assumed she would spend her life leisurely waiting to die. Who could have guessed that when the palace held its selection, they would choose this sickly girl to enter the palace? She looked at her younger sister, Tong Anyao, who had been eagerly awaiting her turn, and twitched her lips in speechless disbelief. "Didn't you say it was my sister?" Tong Guowei sighed. "His Majesty was worried about your health. He thought you might be miserable if you weren't selected." Madam Tong immediately embraced her, heartbroken. "My poor daughter!" She made it sound like they were mourning a dead person. Tong Anning's face went dark. "Didn't you say I was exempt from the selection?" Tong Guowei: "The emperor's command cannot be disobeyed." He was honestly surprised too. The eldest daughter was entering the imperial palace, and no one knew how long she would survive. They would probably have to continue training the younger daughter as well. After Tong Anning entered the Forbidden City, the entire harem knew her as a frail invalid who brought bad luck to anyone who crossed her. A nasty remark left her distressed in body and mind, and a consort was put under house arrest. She suffered a grievance and took to her bed, and a consort was demoted. She got a minor injury and nearly died, and a consort lost her position. The consorts gazed at Kangxi in anguish. "Your Majesty~~" Kangxi smiled warmly. "The Noble Consort is in poor health. My beloved consorts, please bear with her." The consorts: "..." Shouldn't the Noble Consort be the one showing consideration for them? And so, every day, the people of the harem burned incense and kowtowed, hoping to learn when they could offer incense at Noble Consort Tong's memorial altar. But the palace seemed to have a way of keeping people healthy. Even after certain people had closed their eyes for good, the Noble Consort was still frail, sickly, and living her best life. Note: This is an alternate-history Qing Dynasty transmigration story. Everything serves the plot. Please don't nitpick historical details. Even if you do, I probably won't be able to argue with you. --- Next story: The Second-Generation Emperor's Wild Ride --- Drafting Huo Jinyu transmigrated. Gender: female. Occupation: prince. When she arrived, the original host was only five years old and had been a prince for less than a month. There was nothing complicated about the original host's identity. Her becoming a "prince" was entirely legitimate. Because her father, Huo Yan, formerly known as Huo Shitou, had become the founding emperor, posthumously known as Emperor Jingyuan. At the end of the Wei Dynasty, the population had been cut nearly in half. Officials and merchants colluded, the common people suffered, and natural disasters struck one after another, leaving them homeless. Rebellions erupted across the land, and Emperor Jingyuan eventually swept through the four seas and unified the realm. With the realm finally at peace, the people could at last recover and rebuild. Many breathed a sigh of relief. Huo Jinyu figured she might as well enjoy being an ancient prince for a while. And then... Emperor Jingyuan enfeoffed nearly thirty princes all at once. Every brother, nephew, and son who had helped him conquer the realm got a share. Huo Jinyu froze! Good heavens! She was a prince now, but could this really be allowed? Emperor Jingyuan said, "As long as you brothers stand together, you can protect the realm of the Jing Dynasty." Huo Jinyu looked at her brothers and could only laugh. Seriously, she had no idea her bargain-basement father was this naive! Naive? Emperor Jingyuan looked at the little "prince" his wife had given birth to. Watching her make a fuss was quite entertaining. Besides, if she wanted to become a prince in her own right someday, he would save her a fertile fief. If she didn't, that would be even simpler. Huo Jinyu never thought that this prince disguised as a boy could rise even higher and ascend to the throne. Looking at the mess her bargain-basement father had left behind, she felt an even bigger headache coming on. There was a severe drought and locust plague in the west, floods in the south, unrest along the northern frontier... and all those princes. Was she going to become a ruler who lost the country? She would be infamous for generations! Sigh! Being the second-generation emperor really wasn't easy! Things had come to this, so she could only roll up her sleeves and get to work! The officials discovered that although the new emperor was young, she had plenty of ideas. They watched her control floods, reform the bureaucracy, build seaports, find better crops... turn sand into glass, make sturdy cement for city defenses, build self-driving carriages and passenger-carrying sky lanterns... Everyone marveled that Heaven's Mandate must belong to the Jing Dynasty. They had thought the dynasty would fall apart after Emperor Jingyuan's death, but who would have guessed another Huo Jinyu would emerge? The entire court trusted the new emperor so completely that if she claimed to be an immortal, they would believe her without question. And then... They discovered that the new emperor was a woman! The entire court was stunned. They looked at one another in utter confusion. This had to be a joke! Huo Jinyu asked curiously, "Isn't the fact that I'm a woman even more astonishing than the fact that I'm an immortal?" The officials: "..." No. Both are astonishing. Still, regardless of whether His Majesty was male or female, choosing consorts was essential to the realm. The only thing that needed changing was who would be chosen. Some people who heard the news from the court and the countryside pointed at themselves in bewilderment, their faces dark with disbelief. "Consort?!" --- Upcoming story: The Whole Family Cultivates the Heartless Dao --- Everyone in the cultivation world knew that Wen Suyuan, an elder of the Sword Pavilion in the Heavenly Dao Palace, had extraordinary talent with the sword. She was a great cultivator in the Deity Transformation stage and a peerless beauty, admired by countless cultivators across the world. She was also the Heavenly Dao Palace's foremost expert. Unfortunately, rumor had it that her Dao companion had wounded her several years ago, after which she switched to the Heartless Dao. She became even more unapproachable. Luo Baiyi could be called Wen Suyuan's ex-husband. He was the most beautiful man in the cultivation world. When he and Pavilion Master Wen became Dao companions, everyone thought Wen Suyuan had been fooled by his face. Blinded by jealousy, they completely overlooked the fact that he was also a once-in-a-millennium genius of the Qingxu Sect, second only to his master in strength. What a pity that such an astonishing figure had also taken up the Heartless Dao. Everyone was curious to see which of them would kill their spouse first to prove their Dao. People discussed it every year, and any hint of activity at the Heavenly Dao Palace or Qingxu Sect was enough to set them buzzing. Later, another major event took place at the Heavenly Dao Palace: Wen Suyuan and Luo Baiyi's daughter, Wen Chenyue, had also taken up the Heartless Dao. The spectators were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the floor. Had the Heartless Dao saved their family in a past life? Why did the whole family have to devote themselves to it in this one? Still, they heard that Wen Chenyue had extraordinary talent with the sword too. She had reached the Golden Core stage at just sixteen, which was terrifying. Even using traditional cultivation methods, reaching the Golden Core stage at sixteen was extremely difficult, even for someone who had begun cultivating in the womb. People wondered whether the Heartless Dao had some special shortcut. When her senior brothers and sisters at the Heavenly Dao Palace asked about it, junior sister Wen Chenyue said, "Immortals do not fall in love. They go straight to Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation." The Heavenly Dao Palace disciples: ? Their junior sister was saying things they couldn't understand again. Wen Chenyue thought she was still progressing too slowly. She was genuinely worried that her mother in this life might kill her husband to prove her Dao. But... with her strength, she probably couldn't stop her. Maybe she should let her father die once first, so her mother could have her fun, then save him with a heavenly treasure. That way, they could avoid a painful romance and all the endless entanglement. Her real father, Luo Baiyi: "...What a dutiful daughter!" Later, the cultivation world's people decided that Wen Chenyue definitely wasn't practicing the Heartless Dao. Otherwise, why would the gentle and refined young sect master of the Luoxue Sect, the domineering and passionate prince of the demon race, the cold and decisive sword cultivator, and the flirtatious senior disciple of the Hehuan Sect all demand that she take responsibility for them? Wen Chenyue: "...I really am practicing the Heartless Dao!" Wen Suyuan was certain her daughter couldn't be at fault. It had to be because Luo Baiyi's constitution had affected her precious girl. Her expression turned cold, and she grabbed her sword and headed straight for the Qingxu Sect. Luo Baiyi: "...I suppose I should be called Luo scapegoat now." Theme: Even when trapped in a difficult situation, face life with optimism.