Chapter 16
The imperial noble consort was not an illiterate woman. She had heard of allusions from past dynasties.
As soon as Kangxi's question came out, her face turned paler.
What did the emperor say?
When did she ever have the idea that the emperor is an extremely fatuous and subjugated king?!
He also said that he would fulfill her wish and remove her position of imperial noble consort…
Such angry words made people feel cold all over their bodies, and their minds would inevitably go blank.
Kangxi suddenly became angry. The servants in the palace were so frightened that they knelt down on the ground, trembling and lying down.
Wet Nurse Zhen was frightened and anxious at the same time.
The imperial noble consort made a wrong move. But, even if she made a wrong move, the emperor shouldn't reprimand her like this.
How many years had it been since she first saw the emperor get so angry with the imperial noble consort?. But she was still his cousin!
Why was this? How could this be?!
Seeing that the imperial noble consort's lips were trembling and she was clutching her stomach looking like she was about to faint, Wet Nurse Zhen knelt in front of Kangxi. She kowtowed and burst into tears. "Your Majesty, calm down! The imperial noble consort admires you the most. How could she have such rebellious thoughts? Your Majesty! The imperial noble consort is still pregnant with a little prince…"
Kangxi looked at her coldly. When he heard the word 'little prince', his eyes flickered for a moment. He suppressed the anger in his heart, closed his eyes, and turned to Liang Jiugong. "Don't delay in the slightest. Go and summon the imperial doctor to come ."
Wet Nurse Zhen's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and she sighed in relief.
There was still room to manoeuvre. The emperor still missed the imperial noble consort.
Just now, the spy of Yonghe Palace spread the news that after Consort De returned to the palace, there was already an imperial physician waiting in the front hall without her ordering for him to come.
They heard it was an order from the emperor.
The succession of offspring was the top priority. The imperial noble consort was pregnant, which was equivalent to having an extra amulet. No matter how angry the emperor was, he would not ignore the child in the imperial noble consort's stomach.
Wet Nurse Zhen said that what the emperor said was all angry words, and that the culprit was Noble Lady Yuan!
She only hoped that the imperial noble consort could figure it out, and not get into a dead end, resulting in a fight with the emperor…
The anti-abortion medicine prepared by Imperial Physician Liu is very effective. Although the imperial noble consort was overly frightened, regretful, fearful and desperate, there was no sign of blood.
As soon as the words "summon the imperial doctor" came out, the imperial noble consort came back to her senses. Her hands were trembling. She broke down in tears and said, "Cousin…"
In a fit of rage, he vented his accumulated depression. The emperor then gradually calmed down, and glanced at Noble Lady Yuan in the corner.
"You must be thinking a lot during pregnancy. We understand." Kangxi sighed and rubbed the centre of his brows. "What I said just now… Let it pass."
As soon as these words came out, the imperial noble consort's nose twinged, and tears streamed down her face instantly.
"Ru Ying, you are my imperial noble consort." Kangxi paced back and forth, looking sideways at her. "You are also my cousin, the love between you and me is a matter of fact."
Before the imperial noble consort could speak, Kangxi said calmly, "But what about now? You're pregnant. It's fine if you can't sustain your energy, but We are disappointed in what you did. Revered Elder ordered that from tomorrow onwards, even after you give birth, Yinzhen will live in Cining Palace, together with Yinqi, so as not to overwork you."
As he said that, he turned his cold eyes to the corner, and his tone was full of disgust. "This Mrs. Yuan—"
Yinzhen, living in Cining Palace?!
The imperial noble consort's tears stopped, and she clenched her sleeves tightly. Before she could react, her attention was drawn away by the words 'Mrs. Yuan'.
Turning her head in an instant, the imperial noble consort looked at Noble Lady Yuan with a very gloomy expression.
Oh right, Mrs. Yuan!
Provoking the emperor and getting reprimanded, then losing Yinzhen… It was not an exaggeration to say that it hurt.
If it weren't for this bitch, how could she be reduced to such a state?!
"Cousin, it was Noble Lady Yuan who deceived your concubine…"
Before he could say anything, Noble Lady Yuan fell to her knees. She kept kowtowing, and cried loudly. "Your Majesty! There are thousands of mistakes which are this concubine's fault. If the emperor wants to deal with it, this concubine will never complain. But in all honesty, who wants to be a fake? The imperial noble consort was pushing every step of the way, so there was no choice for this concubine!"
With a sigh of relief, Noble Lady Yuan continued to cry. "This concubine has lived in the side hall for a long time, far away from the world. When paying respects, this concubine usually keeps her head down. Because of the banquet, she was even more pushy. This concubine doesn't know much about Consort Yi, let alone enough to imitate her dress. The imperial noble consort pushed this concubine! If Your Majesty doesn't believe this concubine, Your Majesty can send someone to this concubine's room to have a look… The clothes in the cabinet are all bright colors and the materials are quite precious. How can a simple concubine own such things? Asking the emperor to investigate thoroughly!"
There was a sound of something hitting the ground, and the sound of weeping blood.
The imperial noble consort's nails were embedded in the palm of her hand. Wet Nurse Zhen's complexion turned grey.
"This concubine does not want to lie to the emperor. Even if she lives in the side hall and is tortured by the imperial noble consort, this concubine will live with it!" Finally, Noble Lady Yuan said every word clearly.
As early as when Mrs. Yuan's grievance was filed, Liang Jiugong had already sent someone to the back room of the side hall.
Soon, the inspecting wet nurses rushed out and nodded to him.
Liang Jiugong's expression turned bitter, and he reported cautiously, "Your Majesty, it is true."
The air froze for a moment.
It so happened that Imperial Doctor Chen had arrived with a medicine box. The gray-bearded old man had bright eyes and was full of energy. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, he hesitated and dared not go forward.
Kangxi glanced at Noble Lady Yuan, and said calmly, "…Mrs. Yuan, move to Zhongcui Palace immediately, and be confined for half a month. Put away this behaviour. If you imitate Consort Yi again, We will never forgive you."
Noble Lady Yuan's heart was overjoyed, and she bowed down with tears in her eyes. "Thanking Your Majesty for his grace!"
Seeing that the imperial doctor arrived, Kangxi waved his hand, not bothering to take another look at the imperial noble consort. He commanded in a deep voice, "The imperial noble consort has had a hard pregnancy, so she is to rest and recuperate. The period is tentatively scheduled for one month. During this time, the palace power will be under the jurisdiction of the empress dowager. Consort De made a mistake in her words and deeds, so she is to be confined for a month and punished by copying the palace rules ten times."
Liang Jiugong sighed secretly. It was a sad state of affairs.
His Majesty had worked so hard! Women stay in their own bedroom to raise their babies with peace of mind and stay away from disputes. Although it was punishment, it was actually protection.
It was just what the imperial noble consort thought, but it was completely different from Liang Jiugong.
Rest? How was that different from grounding? It was just a nice way of saying it.
Consort De, that bitch, did something so wrong. The emperor took it lightly and only confined her for a month.
What about her? Without Yinzhen, without palace power, and without dignity… she had nothing.
Your Majesty, this was stomping her face on the ground!
The imperial noble consort watched Kangxi leave. She laughed miserably, and fainted in Wet Nurse Zhen's arms.
Yikun Palace.
As soon as Consort Yi woke up, the harem had changed.
"The imperial noble consort is resting, and Consort De is grounded? The fourth prince was moved to Cining Palace?" Hearing the report during breakfast, Yun Xiu slightly opened her eyes. Before she knew it, the silver chopsticks fell to the ground with a 'clack'.
Rui Zhu nodded and said with a smile, "That's not true! The emperor has issued an edict that the palace power will be under the jurisdiction of the empress dowager…"
Yun Xiu was still baffled. Wet Nurse Dong immediately accepted Rui Zhu's words, and said while beaming, "The empress dowager has not cared about palace affairs for a long time, but she suddenly took over the palace power. She is in a state of desperation, so she asked Revered Elder for help… If that is the case, the fifth prince will definitely be neglected. Just now the empress dowager sent Wet Nurse Qian here, saying that she wanted fifth prince to return to live in Yikun Palace for at least a month too! The prince will be here at noon tomorrow. "
Yinqi would come back to live in Yikun Palace?
Yun Xiu suspected that she had heard wrong.
But Wet Nurse Dong said that Wet Nurse Qian, who was beside the empress dowager, personally informed them… There should be nothing wrong.
After reacting, a surprised smile appeared on Yun Xiu's face in an instant. She quickly said, "Hurry up! Get someone to clean up the Nuan Pavilion, then go to Ningshou Palace! Pack up Yinqi's favorite things, and make his favorite meal…"
It was a bit incoherent.
"Consort, don't worry, this old servant knows what to do!" Wet Nurse Dong quickly helped her to sit down. "…Consort must have thought about things thoroughly. You should be concerned about your health. Everything needs to be done right."
"It is as you say." Yun Xiu suppressed her excitement a little, and picked up the bowl and chopsticks again.
After eating, she stroked her hair and temples. She was radiant. She said, "It's really double happiness today. In addition to the harem being cleaned up, we are able to get along with Little Five day and night. The emperor is really wise."
Yun Xiu thanked Kangxi from the bottom of her heart for the first time since having the dream that predicted the future.
Imperial Noble Consort and Consort De were her enemies.
Needless to say, Consort De was an old grudge. The imperial noble consort never had any grudges against her, but in order to win favour, she wanted to find a fake to replace her.
The imperial noble consort's strategy was successful. Yun Xiu looked calm and breezy on the surface, but in fact she felt a little overwhelmed.
Meeting Noble Lady Yuan was like looking in a mirror. How could she not be afraid?
Fortunately, she didn't have time to do anything. The enemy fought spontaneously and peace soon followed.
Without them, her sleep was a bit sweeter.
Although it had only been a month, it was already a pleasant surprise!
Could it be that she, Guo Luoluo – Yun Xiu, was lucky?
Yun Xiu was amused for a long time. She touched her belly and whispered, "Little Nine, your fifth older brother is coming. Isn't it a happy event? Mother is very happy…"
After noon, the noble consort of Yongshou Palace came to visit. Yun Xiu greeted her with a smile. "The peach blossom dew is ready, come in quickly."
Noble Consort Niu Gulu nodded, then pointed at her and smiled. "Why are you so happy? What good things happened?"
Yun Xiu blinked knowingly. "It's a good thing for you and me."
While talking, the two walked into the bedroom, sat casually on the lounge chair, and chatted with each other while eating pastries.
As they talked about the imperial noble consort's 'quiet rest', the noble consort covered her mouth and smiled. "She had a big fall, but we benefitted."
Yun Xiu said lazily, "Isn't that so? I'm so tired of thinking about this and that all day long."
The noble consort chuckled.
She was born in the Huangqi Banner family as Mrs. Niu Gulu. Her older sister was Empress Xiaozhao. If it was really about identity, the Tong family couldn't match her.
However, because of the emperor's mother's family, the Tong family prospered day by day. Niu Gulu's family was just the opposite. Since the death of her father from an illness, the family no longer had a pillar and was quite weak. The elder brother above was useless, and the younger brother below had not yet grown up.
After her elder sister left, only when she entered the palace could she bring blessings to the family. This was her mission.
Although the noble consort didn't care about the emperor's favour, she really didn't like the imperial noble consort's behaviour.
It was nothing more than being the imperial noble consort with the identity of being from the Tong family, but she still wanted to be the empress of the palace and stand on par with her older sister!
"… She wants to have a prince. Isn't it for the position of empress?" The noble consort laughed sarcastically. "Look at how many tricks she pulled, but now it is good. She has annoyed the emperor."
After she finished speaking, the noble consort pointed in the direction of Qianqing Palace, leaned her head closer, and whispered to Yun Xiu, "The decree, the previous dynasty will know immediately."
She was closely connected with the family and had a source of information that Yun Xiu did not know. As soon as these words came out, Yun Xiu's appetite was instantly whetted.
"Could it be that the Tong family has taken action?" Yun Xiu asked quietly.
"It's more than that!" the noble consort said softly. "Not only the Tong family, but the Hesheli family and the Nala family fought in various ways, and the court meeting had become like a vegetable market."
Vegetable market?
When she imagined Kangxi's livid face, Yun Xiu smiled for a while. "Why did it become a vegetable market?"
The noble consort also laughed, and lowered her voice, "What else could it be for? Becoming empress."
Chapter 17 mi
The noble consort softly spit out the words "become empress", with a sarcastic smile on her face. "Someone posted a note saying that the central palace has been vacant for a long time, and that they implore the emperor to name an empress. The imperial noble consort, Mrs. Tongjia is virtuous and has integrity, and is exemplary…"
As she said that, the imperial noble consort's smile widened a bit. "There was chaos in court. The imperial noble consort was in 'resting' again and was deprived of the palace power, which caused everyone to be shocked. Who expected that Tong Guowei would hint with that note? Suo Etu strongly opposed it but Ming Zhu seemed to agree. The emperor said nothing for the time being, but he had Tong Guowei accompany him during lunch."
Yun Xiu listened with relish, and then sighed. "The Tong family is in a hurry."
The Tong family produced Empress Xiaokangzhang. They then became the maternal family of the emperor, so they thought about having another empress. They want to go a step further to become the maternal family of the next emperor.
As everyone knew, the great empress dowager would not agree, let alone the emperor. At least, it was absolutely impossible while the imperial noble consort was alive.
Yun Xiu recalled the scene in her dream and shook her head slightly. The noble consort smiled, and echoed, "You are right… The Tong family is in a hurry, and someone is also in a hurry."
"Today, as soon as the court started, Suo Etu went to the door of the government's mansion, saying that he had an urgent matter to discuss, and the Tong family must not be allowed to get away with it." She sighed after laughing, "A-Ling'a couldn't make up his mind, so he sent me a message about the news. We see that he agrees to join forces."
This "government mansion" referred to the noble consort's, Mrs. Niu Gulu's, family.
Yun Xiu knew that the noble consort had always had ideas, so she asked softly, "How did you reply?"
The noble consort snorted coldly. "I will let him handle his errands in a peaceful manner, and won't get involved in the affairs of his successor, unless things go on for too long! Hesheli has Suo Etu, Mrs. Tongjia has Tong Guowei. All of them are pillars, but who is Niu Gulu?"
At that time, the noble consort's father, Ebilong, had a close relationship with Aobai. He even did not show respect for the current emperor, and never had a clear position. After Aobai fell, Ebilong didn't get any favours, and was deprived of all his posts. He only had an empty title.
The noble consort's heart was clear. The matter of her father had always left a knot in the emperor's heart. In the long run, it would affect the whole family.
In the absence of the emperor's family, joining forces with Suo Etu to meddle in the succession affairs was basically death.
"Fortunately, he is quite obedient…" After the noble consort finished speaking, she looked at Yun Xiu with a melancholy feeling in her eyes. "At this time, I envy you the most. Guo Luoluo's family has never been involved in court battles. Your father is far away in Shengjing. Why bother getting involved in these troublesome things?"
Yun Xiu knew that what the noble consort couldn't let go of was her family. She didn't want to continue feeding into the noble consort's worries, so she smiled lightly and changed the subject. "Don't talk about this for now. By the way, how is A-ling'a?"
A-Ling'a was the noble consort's brother. When he was listening to Qu'er the day before yesterday, he had a conflict with Ming Zhu's second son, Kuixu. Other people couldn't pull them apart, so in the end, both of them were injured."
"It's all over now." Speaking of this, a hint of anger appeared in the eyes of the noble consort. "It was Kuixu who provoked him first. But, with the backing of Ming Zhu, what can We do? Mrs. Nala is too deceitful…"
When mentioning Mrs. Nala, one must mention Consort Hui. Consort Hui had the eldest prince and Ming Zhu behind her. Even the noble consort had to give way about 30% of the time.
In the end, a woman in the harem had to have one of three things as foundation: family, favour, or offspring. Consort Hui had two items. Her back was stiff, and she was the head of the four consorts. She had always been disrespectful to the noble consort, and the noble consort never said anything.
This time, Kuixu and A-Ling'a had a conflict again!
Even if it was the other party's fault, the noble consort had no choice but to ask A-Ling'a to go apologise and ask to let bygones be bygones because she was concerned about Ming Zhu who was behind Kuixu.
The noble consort had told Yun Xiu all these things, aggrieved.
She suddenly thought of Noble Lady Liang, who came to ask for medicine, her angry face gradually turned into a smile, and she said slowly, "Consort Hui raised the eighth prince, and after all, he can't compare to her own son. Yanxi Palace's backyard caught fire. It's what she deserves…"
This kind of information should be used wisely at a critical moment.
The decree said that the imperial noble consort herself asked to rest because of the difficult pregnancy, and the palace power was handed over to the empress dowager. On the surface, all seemed normal, but who didn't know something was afoot?
There were many people in the former court and the harem who paid attention to this matter, and there were undercurrents of other ideas.
Kangxi stayed with Tong Guowei for lunch. The monarch and his ministers spent two hours alone. After a while, the news spread, and everyone who wanted to know now knew about it.
It was said that when Lord Tong left the palace, he was smiling and walking as if he was flying. When he returned to the mansion, he declined to see any visitors and didn't see anyone.
What did the emperor say to him?
Countless people wondered. Suo Etu had a bad feeling.
After a while, Madam Tong Guowei tidied up her appearance. She handed over the palace permit, and entered the palace.
…
"The emperor actually allowed Madam Tong to visit the imperial noble consort." Wen Yuan said, a little aggrieved. "Such a great grace, really…"
Taking rest was like grounding. Would Consort De be treated like this?
The noble consort paused, then sighed. "After all, she is the daughter of the Tong family. She is different from us."
She had already controlled her feelings and her face became serious.
Could it be that the emperor really had the idea of her becoming empress?
Yun Xiu just laughed at her. "You think too much at a young age. After the imperial noble consort gives birth, everything will be settled. What will come will come. Why worry so much?"
Yes, in the case of the imperial noble consort giving birth to a prince, there was still the crown prince to consider. The position of empress…
The noble consort was stunned. "It will be chaotic."
Then, she smiled and said to Yun Xiu, "You still see things clearly!"
After sending the noble consort away, Yun Xiu yawned lightly. She felt sleepy, not taking the future matters of the fight for empress to heart.
Thinking of today's "Double Happiness", and the vegetable market where all sides fought in the early morning, the corners of her lips curled up. She was unable to conceal her good mood.
Yun Xiu faced the window. The sun was warm, shining a layer of gold on the white jade-like face. Her sparkling eyes were half closed, and her long eyelashes fluttered. When Kangxi came, he saw this scene.
He waved his hand, stopping the servants from announcing his arrival, and slowly approached the soft couch. His rather gloomy mood since the early morning gradually improved, and his original thoughts of settling accounts faded away.
The ministers were so angry over his family affairs that they even put aside the established policy of supporting Shi Lang in attacking the Zheng family!
A note requesting the establishment of an empress had drawn out all sorts of evil people.
Suo Etu, Ming Zhu, and their faction's power was one of mutual exchange. On the contrary, it was the Tong family who first proposed to stay out of the matter in such chaos. Such a large court had the tendency to develop into party struggles…
Kangxi's eyes turned cold.
One was Baocheng's uncle and the other was Baoqing's uncle. If the fighting intensified, the court would be in chaos.
—Before that, Tong Guowei must be appeased.
After seeing off Tong Guowei, Kangxi threw away the memorial, and was unusually tired.
"Your Majesty, why doesn't this servant present the birthday gifts offered by the concubines?" Liang Jiugong waited on the side, not daring to breathe. When he saw the emperor wandering around the hall, he was suddenly enlightened, and cautiously said those words.
He thought that, no matter what the congratulatory gift from Consort Yi was, it would always make the emperor happy.
When Kangxi heard this, his depression disappeared. He suddenly became interested. "Present your Master Yi's share."
Liang Jiugong heaved a sigh of relief. He thanked Buddha and the gods for Consort Yi and happily sent someone to the warehouse. "Be careful. It belongs to Consort Yi…"
The little eunuch nodded repeatedly, but when he came back, he looked a little strange.
Where did Liang Jiugong have time to supervise him?
The head steward held the tray like a baby, walked quickly with a smile on his face, and lifted the red cloth. "Your Majesty, look at the precious and exquisite gift from Consort Yi—"
Uh, a few volumes of precious and exquisite Buddhist scriptures?
Instantly, Liang Jiugong's voice got stuck in his throat.
The corner of Kangxi's lips twitched. He looked down. His complexion suddenly turned blue.
…
"Xiuxiu."
With a sullen face, Kangxi leaned over and whispered something in Yun Xiu's ear, causing Yun Xiu to suddenly open her eyes. "…"
She jumped and then saw the handsome face. Her hands itched immediately.
If she hadn't been chanting "the emperor is wise" before, she might not be able to adjust for a while, and she might have done something outrageous.
Yun Xiu took a breath, and looked at him with a smile. "This concubine pays respects to the emperor. The emperor is in a good mood."
She didn't really have any intentions of wishing him good health.
How could Kangxi fail to hear the hidden anger in her words? He must have really frightened her.
Not only was the emperor not angry, but he became inexplicably guilty and touched his nose. "It's Our fault. We are sorry."
Then, he thought about it. No, he gritted his teeth and came to settle accounts with her. How could he admit his mistake first?
Kangxi coughed. His face darkened, causing Liang Jiugong to roll over immediately.
Liang Jiugong had a bitter face. He dawdled for a long time like a girl, before he stepped forward. "This servant greets Consort Yi…"
Yun Xiu noticed the tray in his hand. Her eyebrows twitched, and she restrained her bad premonition. "Your Majesty, this is…?"
"We have been looking forward to your congratulatory gift day and night, and this is the result?" Kangxi pointed at the tray with a blank expression on his face. "On Longevity Day, Our favourite Consort Yi presented a stack of Buddhist scriptures. Even if it was copied by hand, it is still a Buddhist scripture!"
Chapter 18
Looking at the stack of Buddhist scriptures neatly placed on the tray, Yun Xiu's eyes widened slightly. She was speechless for a while.
She originally thought that the emperor came to Yikun Palace on a whim, but it was actually a planned visit.
Was it because the gift was too shabby, so he came to inquire about it?
Ignoring the slight discomfort in her heart, Yun Xiu felt that the scene was extremely weird.
The emperor was the richest in the world. He sat on mountains and rivers. What did he even lack?
And here he was, fussing over a small birthday gift with her!
Besides, the unfeeling words in her dream 'If Consort Yi is domineering and disrespectful, you don't have to take Our wishes into consideration" were still fresh in her mind. Did he still hope that she would fight for favour with all her heart, and then fly to the flames and repeat the same mistakes?
Alright, what was wise and mighty was all an illusion.
Yun Xiu's face darkened. With a half-smile, she said, "Your Majesty, is this concubine's birthday gift shabby?"
Now, she was not afraid of the strength of the dragon at all.
If she didn't show respect, then it was just not showing respect. At worst, she would end up falling out of favour. She had children, had a family, played leaf cards like Consort Hui, who spent time with the eldest prince all day long. Wasn't life enjoyable?
Kangxi could no longer maintain being expressionless. When he saw that Yun Xiu looked like she was about to get angry, he actually showed a trace of grievance.
Before he had time to reprimand her, she put on a straight face. She was really presumptuous!
"In the harem, who would present Buddhist scriptures on Longevity Day? There would be no one else but you." Kangxi lifted the corner of his robe and sat beside Yun Xiu. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and snorted coldly. "You are conceited because you are spoiled and you even show Us this face."
Yun Xiu was stunned for a long while and suspected that she was wrong. What was with that aggrieved expression?
As soon as his words reached her ears, Yun Xiu fell silent. The emperor…something was really wrong.
It made her feel terrified. She avoided his fiery gaze and didn't dare to keep a straight face anymore.
After organising her speech for a while, Yun Xiu didn't want to suffer because of the congratulatory gift. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she said slowly, "The emperor's accusations made this concubine very sad. Not only did I copy those Buddhist scriptures myself, but they were also soaked with high-quality sandalwood, which has the effect of calming the mind. How can it be as unbearable as you said?"
As she said that, she glanced at Kangxi quietly. "The writing is deep and powerful, and displays all the wishes of this concubine. It's fine if the emperor doesn't understand it and compares it with the congratulatory gifts of other concubines. Yes, the Buddhist scriptures are simple and are not as good as the imperial noble consort's paintings or the screens Concubine Hesheli made…"
Wen Yuan and Rui Zhu lowered their heads with their sleeves folded. The edges of their eyes twitched as they thought to themselves that every stroke of the Buddhist scriptures were obviously copied by the servants.
Liang Jiugong was stunned when he heard it. While listening and pondering, he realised that what Consort Yi said was true! Even an eunuch like him felt the same way, and he felt a little guilty.
Kangxi was almost taken in by Yun Xiu. After listening to her explanation, he thought that it was both funny and he felt a little helpless.
Hey, what kind of nonsense was this?
She had a clever mouth and was good at talking.
When Yun Xiu mentioned the imperial noble consort and Concubine Hesheli, Kangxi's scalp felt numb for a while. He knew that he couldn't continue to argue with her, so he quickly stopped her, and kept coaxing her. "It's because We didn't think carefully. The Buddhist scriptures are not worse than them!"
Therefore, the emperor's original intention of coming to settle accounts was forgotten.
Kangxi turned his head and told Steward Liang, "Liang Jiugong, turn around and put the Buddhist scriptures in the most conspicuous place in the study…"
The corner of Liang Jiugong's mouth twitched, and he felt that the majesty of the emperor was shattered to pieces in front of Master Yi.
He held back the turmoil in his heart and pretended to bow calmly. "This servant obeys."
Yun Xiu looked at Kangxi in amazement, as if she had discovered a new continent. After a while, she burst out laughing and leaned on his shoulder. "The emperor is wise."
This was true, what it actually meant was—
The emperor had really lost his mind.
Kangxi's face was stiff and he looked a little bit annoyed. He was about to explode, but when he saw Yun Xiu's smiling eyes, all his anger dissipated.
Yun Xiu thought that this appearance was quite cute. How could the emperor in her dream have such an expression?
After thinking a lot for a while, she closed her eyes and realised clearly for the first time that reality could be changed.
At that moment, the emperor's attitude towards her had changed. His affection for her reached the point where she was startled.
It was possible that the tragic end she foresaw would never happen…
Yun Xiu's heart was filled with boiling water, scalding hot, and it throbbed unspeakably. After a while, her eyes became sharp, and she forced herself to calm down.
It was fun to change the reality, but she was no longer the former Guo Luoluo, Yun Xiu, who was full of love for the emperor, and could be happy for a long time after hearing some sweet words.
The emperor was illusory and unreliable. Who could be favoured forever?
When she got old and frail, she may still have affection with the emperor. At that time, the emperor took a young and fresh concubine to the garden to escape the summer heat, and occasionally rewarded her with a basket of food and clothing, and she had to be grateful to him again and again…
Yun Xiu sneered. Who wanted to live such a life?
In the future, Little Five, Little Nine, and Little Eleven, plus Yi'erha, were enough for her to deal with. She didn't have time to go back and forth with the emperor to test things out, or grasp the appropriateness of getting along, or to maintain the status quo.
After all, she was pregnant and could not be favoured. The emperor liked to run to Yikun Palace, so it was convenient, right?
Chengqian Palace was cold and dark, filled with a strong, bitter smell of medicine. As soon as Madam Tong Guowei entered, she was shocked.
The imperial noble consort's face was sallow, her eyes were closed, and she was lying on the couch. She was breathing weakly, her belly was swollen, and the brocade quilt arched abnormally.
Wet Nurse Zhen led Madam Tong to the couch, and called softly, "Imperial Noble Consort, Madam is here. Madam is here to see you!"
The imperial noble consort slowly opened her eyes and turned her head slightly, looking a little confused. "Mother…"
Madam Tong did not know how her daughter had become like this.
She was startled, angry, and heartbroken. Tears flowed out in disbelief and she held the imperial noble consort's hand tightly. "Ru Ying, mother is here. Mother is here!"
After she finished speaking, she asked Wet Nurse Zhen sharply, "What's going on? How did your imperial noble consort end up like this?! Where are the servants of Chengqian Palace?!"
Wet Nurse Zhen was about to speak, but the imperial noble consort shook her head.
Seeing her mother, her eyes immediately turned red. She struggled to get up and leaned on the soft pillow. "Mother, don't blame them. It was I who ordered the doors and windows to be closed tightly, so they are not allowed to serve close…"
Madam Tong was startled. "You are confused!"
Wet Nurse Zhen wept and said, "Madam doesn't know that, since the emperor issued the edict, the imperial noble consort has lost her strength. She is sick all day long, throwing up whatever she eats. And…"
Speaking of this, Wet Nurse Zhen broke down in tears. "That day when Imperial Doctor Chen came to check her pulse, he said the foetus of the little prince in the imperial noble consort's womb was weak or maybe has a congenital deficiency."
Congenital deficiency meant that he would be difficult to raise!
Madam Tong felt dizzy for a while. "Are you sure?"
"Imperial Doctor Chen takes the pulse of the empress dowager and the emperor, so he can't be wrong." When the imperial noble consort saw Madam Tong, her eyes lit up a little. She calmly said, "Imperial Doctor Liu also said that if you drink too much of the strong medicine, it will eventually hurt your body."
"Then you still insist on drinking that Hulang Medicine?!" Madam Tong pointed at the imperial noble consort with trembling hands and said again, "You are confused…"
The imperial noble consort finally couldn't bear it anymore, and burst into tears. "Mother! Your daughter can't help it! From the very beginning, this pregnancy has been difficult, so what can I do? Even if it hurts my body, I will give birth to him!"
Imperial Doctor Liu said with certainty that she was pregnant with a boy. The imperial noble consort was happy for a long time. While raising her baby with peace of mind, she had infinite vision for the future.
She wanted to give birth to a healthy prince and sit on the empress' throne in a glorious manner. She planned this for a long time, but it was a pity that she miscalculated.
The Hulang Medicine harmed her body, so how could it not affect the child?
The foetus was weak and may have congenital deficiencies. He could very easily die early…
After Imperial Doctor Chen left, the imperial noble consort was devastated and felt that there was no hope of living. The emperor reprimanded her so ruthlessly that Yinzhen was given to the great empress dowager to look after. Everyone in the court and harem knew about it and wanted to see her be a joke.
If the little prince died early, even if she overthrew Consort De, Consort Yi, and the noble consort, so what?
Without the credit of having a prince, it would undoubtedly be very difficult to become the empress.
Besides, her cousin was tired of her, so he won't make her the empress!
She cried out these words to Madam Tong wholeheartedly, as if she wanted to vent all her sadness, grievance, and panic in her heart.
Madam Tong was crying without saying a word, and then suddenly slapped her hard.
Wet Nurse Zhen was shocked and knelt down. The imperial noble consort's cheeks were in severe pain. She covered her face and murmured, "Mother?"
"My Tong family's daughter is not as useless as you are!" Madam Tong wiped her eyes, raised her brows, and reprimanded her sharply. "If your father finds out, the disciplinary actions the family serves you will not be light!"
Without waiting for the imperial noble consort to reply, Madam Tong sneered and said, "The majestic imperial noble consort, the number one person in the harem, actually huddled in the bedroom and complained about herself. What are you afraid of? Why are you panicking? You can still have another child even if this one dies! You must know that you are still the emperor's cousin!"
"Cousin?" The imperial noble consort seemed to have stepped on the most painful place, and laughed sadly. "How can the emperor care about this relationship?! He hates me so much!"
Madam Tong closed her eyes and raised her hand again. When faced with the imperial noble consort's mocking eyes, she finally dropped it.
"Ru Ying, you said that the emperor hates you." Madam Tong pointed to the other side of the Qianqing Palace, and said coldly, "You did something stupid yourself, and you tried to blame someone else? The emperor likely feels dissatisfied with you and is waiting for you to improve. If the emperor hated you, why did he keep your father for dinner, and why did he give your mother the grace of allowing me to enter the palace to see you?"
"Had dinner with father?" the imperial noble consort repeated in a murmur.
Madam Tong sighed. She then talked about her purpose of entering the palace. "Your father told me to tell you, stand upright and examine yourself thoroughly. Don't compare yourself to concubines like Consort De. To be an empress, you must look like an empress!"
After she finished speaking, Madam Tong touched her daughter's much thinner cheeks, and said in distress, "If the little prince is congenitally deficient, it's not an issue… With the status of the main palace, everyone will call you empress mother, and there will be children."
The imperial noble consort suddenly raised her head. Her eyes were astonishingly bright and she asked in a hoarse voice, "Becoming empress?"
"Your father asked someone to hand over the papers, and asked the emperor to select an empress." Madam Tong smiled and said softly, "It has not been rejected…"
The imperial noble consort was completely stunned.
In an instant, she seemed to see the light in despair. When she was drowning, she grabbed the driftwood, trembling. She firmly grasped the brocade quilt soaked in the smell of medicine!
Chapter 19
Yonghe Palace looked warm and peaceful.
"Mother, when will my younger brother come out?" Yinzuo's eyes were full of innocence, and he said coquettishly to Consort De: "I don't want fourth older brother anymore. I want my younger brother to play with me."
Although Consort De "was wrong in her words and deeds" and was confined for a month, the sixth prince was still living in Yonghe Palace. Kangxi did not prevent the mother and child from getting along.
In the past half a month, maybe he knew that he had implicated his mother. After Yinzuo cried, he became more dependent on Consort De. Their relationship had improved, and Consort De felt like they could depend on each other for life.
As soon as the Longevity celebration was over, she became ruthless and ordered a thorough investigation of Yonghe Palace, especially the sneaky palace servants around Yinzuo.
All of them were fine, except Mrs. Liu, the wet nurse who served Yinzuo. She had a family outside the palace that was not clean, and Consort De found out. Consort De was too lazy to listen to her excuses, so she was detained. Consort De was waiting for her grounding to be over before turning Mrs. Liu over to the Department of Punishment.
"It's better to kill by mistake than let someone go." Consort De smiled and looked at the terrified and desperate Mrs. Liu. Her voice was soft. "If you want to blame someone, then you can only blame yourself for going against Us. If you want to complain, then go to Mrs. Tongjia."
After being grounded by the imperial noble consort, Consort De had obviously changed. Her appearance was still beautiful, her temperament was as gentle as water, and her words were soft-spoken, but her eyes when she looked at others were much colder. When she occasionally glanced at the maids, the maids shuddered.
Yonghe Palace suddenly fell silent. Unless the sixth prince was there, there would be little laughter.
In this room, Yinzuo said childish things Consort De touched his head, and smiled softly. "Okay, we will follow our Little Six's order and let your younger brother play with you."
After coaxing Yinzuo to sleep in the afternoon, Consort De stared at him for a long time by the side of his bed. She closed her eyes and Wet Nurse Wu helped her back to her bedroom.
"What's the situation on the other side of Chengqian Palace?" She stopped smiling and asked lightly.
Wet Nurse Wu thought about it, and said softly, "A few days ago, after Mrs. Tong Guowei left, the imperial noble consort immediately passed on the meal. According to the little eunuch who was sweeping, the imperial noble consort's complexion improved day by day. He could not hear anything else."
After she finished speaking, she hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Also, the imperial noble consort originally refused to let the fourth prince come to the door, but for some reason, she suddenly changed her mind…"
Consort De sneered, and slowly spat out the words, "Those bad people are colluding with one another."
Wet Nurse Wu's complexion changed drastically, and she said anxiously, "Consort—"
How could this be said?
That was all for the imperial noble consort. The fourth prince was her own flesh and blood and the sixth prince's elder brother!
"Last year, Our little princess was born a few days ago." Consort De seemed calm, but there was a trace of pain that flashed across her face. "The imperial noble consort asked Yinzhen to come and visit… the next day, little princess left."
"Wet Nurse, tell me, there is no such thing as such a coincidence in the world! If the fourth prince didn't come, how could the little princess die early?!" Consort De's expression became agitated, and her voice was faintly sharp. "Now look at this! Because of him, this child almost died!"
This foetus was raised very well. Its pulse had always been strong. Even so, she had suffered due to the imperial noble consort and had bled.
The bleeding was stopped quickly, but according to the imperial doctor, if there was a leak, it would be difficult. They were not sure if the child would be healthy when they were born.
The imperial doctor could not give an accurate diagnosis.
Consort De almost fainted. Every time she thought about it, her heart would bleed with hatred.
At the Longevity Festival family banquet, wasn't the source of everything the fourth prince?
This son, born with misfortune, was born to be a debt collector!
"Yinzuo has been looking forward to this younger brother for so long. If he dies, how can I explain it to him? He will be sad." Consort De said softly, "They won't make things easy for Us, so how can We make it easy for them?"
Mrs. Tongjia wanted to be empress, so she had to shatter this dream with her own hands.
There was also that sharp-toothed Consort Yi who always ridiculed her. Wasn't it just because she gave birth to the fifth prince, and there was another one in her stomach, so she was highly favoured by the emperor?
Now the fifth prince lived in Yikun Palace, which was impregnable and she couldn't place anyone in there. However, this was not the case with the empress dowager's Ningshou Palace.
When Yinqi returned to the empress dowager's side, and if an 'accident' occurred, could that domineering face still laugh?
Kangxi made a decree. The fourth prince, Yinzhen, would be raised by the great empress dowager and live in Cining Palace.
The great empress dowager was willing, but she was old and exhausted after all. She had to supervise the selection process and teach the empress dowager how to deal with palace affairs. She was afraid that she wouldn't take good care of Yinzhen.
Wasn't Little Five sent to Yikun Palace to his biological mother?
But Little Four was different. Neither the imperial noble consort nor Consort De were suitable.
After thinking about it, only Suma Lagu could take care of the child.
Before the empress dowager made up her mind, the crown prince took the initiative to submit a request to the emperor, saying that after school, he would take his fourth younger brother to Yuqing Palace, and the two of them would do their homework together. When they were about to fall asleep, he would send his fourth younger brother back to Cining Palace. This way, there would be no need to bother the revered elder.
It wasn't just the great empress dowager, but even the empress dowager, who had always been indifferent, was inexplicably moved. She praised the crown prince for his pure filial piety and his brotherly love…
The empress dowager quickly praised him in Mongolian, which made the crown prince embarrassed. The fourth prince listened carefully, and followed the crown prince with an embarrassed expression, which made everyone laugh.
The crown prince needed to study to master three languages: Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese. The crown prince entered school early, so he was no stranger to Mongolian. Yinzhen's master had just taught him Chinese, so he had not even learned Mongolian, which was why his eyes were full of confusion.
"Yinzhen and Yinqi are just the opposite. It would be great if they could compliment each other," the great empress dowager said to the empress dowager.
The revered elder just said casually, but the crown prince remembered it in his heart.
…
On this day, the headmaster gave all the princes an afternoon off. The third prince, Yinzhi, packed up his equipment early and rushed to Consort Rong's Zhongcui Palace.
The eldest prince, Yinti came back from outside while sweating profusely with a longbow in his hand. When he saw the crown prince wearing apricot-yellow clothing with an imposing manner, he rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "Crown Prince, why don't we compete in archery? "
Hearing this, the crown prince's face darkened a bit. He said stiffly, "Eldest brother, do as you please. I have something to do."
After he finished speaking, he asked the fourth prince, Yinzhen, to follow in a low voice. The two headed towards the West Sixth Palace together.
Yinti squinted his eyes and snorted. When he saw no one around, he turned his head and told Xiao Xi'er, his personal eunuch, "Go and find out where the crown prince took fourth younger brother."
Xiao Xi'er quickly responded.
"Younger sister is really bothering older sister, so older sister doesn't need to see us off." Concubine Hesheli smiled elegantly. Before leaving, she gently said to Noble Lady Le, "That screen is suitable no matter where you place it…"
Who knew what Noble Lady Le said, but Concubine Hesheli smiled. The two gave their greetings to each other and said goodbye.
The crown prince was holding Yinzhen's hand. They happened to bump into Concubine Hesheli on the path leading to Yikun Palace. Concubine Hesheli heading back.
Concubine Hesheli was taken aback, and concealed her astonishment and joy. "Greetings to the crown prince. Greetings to the fourth prince!"
The crown prince nodded and smiled slightly. There was nothing special about her attitude. "Greetings, Concubine."
Yinzhen then gave his greetings to the concubine and was soon led away by the crown prince.
Concubine Hesheli stopped and looked back, feeling frustrated in her heart. She was also secretly surprised. The crown prince was going to Yikun Palace to find Consort Yi? Was he looking for the fifth prince?
She suppressed the sudden waves in her heart and calmly thought about it.
Could it be the crown prince's uncle who suggested making that move?
…
Suo Etu did mention Consort Yi and Mrs. Guo Luoluo's family to the crown prince.
He said, "Mrs. Hesheli's family would be hard to provide support alone. Mrs. Tongjia's and Mrs. Niu Gulu's families are not good. There is only Mrs. Guo Luoluo's family behind Consort Yi. For one, they are primarily involved with the army and are far away in Shengjing. They also have very little involvement in court affairs, so they are excellent allies…"
"Second, Mrs. Guo Luoluo's family have no ambitions. The fifth prince was raised by the empress dowager since he was young, so Your Highness should be good friends with the fifth prince."
As he said that, Suo Etu stroked his beard and sighed. "The most important thing is that Consort Yi has a very sacred heart! Since the emperor ascended the throne, I have never seen anyone who can compare with Consort Yi. "
The crown prince asked, "Even Empress Mother can't?"
Suo Etu said firmly, "No."
He told the crown prince that if he could be good friends with the fifth prince, thereby gaining the goodwill of Consort Yi and the support of Mrs. Guo Luoluo's family, the road to crown prince would be much smoother. Older brother Ming Zhu and the others would have nothing to worry about.
The crown prince always listened to his uncle's words, but he never thought of obeying them.
He looked up at the big characters 'Yikun Palace'. The crown prince let out a soft breath.
He really wanted to be good to his fifth younger brother, not because Consort Yi was favoured. His fifth younger brother was also not a threat.
Little Five couldn't tell lies. He laughed when he saw people and had vitality like that of a calf. He was completely different from Little Four. He was such a well-behaved and cute little brother, so who wouldn't like him?
If everyone was calculating like his uncle, how could there be any sincerity in the world!
Even imperial father was very satisfied with his actions, and he was rewarded many times.
A few days ago, the crown prince taught Yinqi Chinese on a whim. The effect was outstanding. He really had a sense of accomplishment as a teacher, and his favourability towards Yinqi gradually increased. His impression of Yun Xiu also improved.
What the revered elder said was true! If fourth and fifth younger brothers could learn from each other, then everyone would make progress.
…
As soon as the crown prince and Yinzhen arrived, the servants immediately announced their arrival.
Yun Xiu was feeding Yinqi fruit puree. She had a light smile and exuded an aura of gentleness.
After hearing the announcement, she was surprised for a moment. She quickly put down the silver bowl. "Please come in, crown prince and the fourth prince."
Since Yinqi moved to Yikun Palace, he had been living in the Nuan Pavilion. Wet Nurse Dong cleaned up Nuan Pavilion for Yinqi since she was worried about Yun Xiu's pregnancy. When Yun Xiu went to bed, Yinqi was not with her.
Consort Yi regretted that she could not sleep with her son, so she spent time with Yinqi every day.
There was no more gossip with the noble consort, the fixation on Little Nine in her belly had decreased, and she didn't really care about the emperor.
Yinqi's sweet "mother" could make Yun Xiu feel as satisfied as if she were bathing in the clouds.
Kangxi was very dissatisfied with this. Yesterday, he specifically emphasised that after lunch today, he and Yun Xiu would go to the Imperial Garden for a walk.
Yinqi was almost six years old. Why was he still clinging to his mother?
When she saw that she couldn't evade it, Yun Xiu had no choice but to agree. She chanted "great disrespect to him" countless times in her heart. On second thought, before the emperor came, she and Yinqi still had time to spend together!
—It was good now. The Imperial Garden was completely impossible to visit.
The crown prince led the fourth prince to the inner room. After greeting each other, Yun Xiu took Yinqi's chubby hand and the corners of her mouth rose. "The crown prince is here to find…"
Before finishing the word "Yinqi", Kangxi's intimate words floated in and interrupted her. "Little Five is not here today, right? It's time for us to be alone…"
Yun Xiu's heart skipped a beat.
The emperor entered Yikun Palace, so he specially ordered the little eunuch outside not to announce his arrival.
They probably didn't even have time to report the words "the crown prince and the fourth prince are here together"!
Kangxi was wearing a black dragon-pattern robe. His eyes were bright like stars. He strode forward, with Liang Jiugong following behind him step by step.
The emperor had a smile in his eyes, but the moment he saw the crown prince, the smile froze on his lips.
He glanced at them. Not only was Baocheng here, but also Little Four and Little Five.
Kangxi: "…"
Chapter 20
The emperor glanced around and met the eyes of the crown prince.
Both father and son had the same phoenix eyes. One was uncomfortable while the other was evasive.
It was Kangxi who was uncomfortable and the crown prince who was evasive.
The crown prince never thought that in private, imperial father and Consort Yi got along like that. So it was like this!
He was full of disbelief. It took him a while to react, then he muttered in his heart, 'what did Little Five do wrong? For imperial father to be so disgusted by him!'
Yinzhen's psychological activities were exactly the same as his second older brother's. Yinqi's face was blank, and slowly, he seemed a little aggrieved.
In the hall, there was a wordless silence.
Liang Jiugong looked around, smiled dryly, quickly retracted his neck, and tiptoed to the corner. Then, he wiped off his cold sweat, wishing he had never come.
Now, the majesty of the emperor had been shattered to pieces in front of the princes…
Who was to blame? There was no one to blame!
Kangxi stared at his sons, coughed, and remained expressionless for a while.
In the end, it was he who broke the silence first, with a stern face, ready to take the crown prince's knife. "Baocheng, did you ask the masters for leave? You even dragged your fourth younger to Yikun Palace. You've abandoned your studies and went out for fun. Is that behaviour befitting a crown prince?"
The crown prince opened his mouth and suddenly felt that he was wronged!
He puffed up his cheeks slightly, arched his hands, and said solemnly, "Answering imperial father, the chief master said that today I will be on vacation for half a day. Not only your son, but also eldest brother and third younger brother. Besides, your son brought his fourth younger brother here to teach fifth younger brother Chinese. We did not come here just for fun."
Kangxi: "…"
He put his hand to his lips, coughed again, and his complexion was unusually red.
He suddenly remembered that there was such a thing! There was some paperwork in his study room, and he readily approved it.
Kangxi's words of reprimand stuck in his throat. He wanted to praise the crown prince but couldn't, so he subconsciously looked at Yun Xiu.
Consort Yi covered her mouth and smiled silently. It was not an exaggeration to say she was close to uncontrollably laughing. Wet Nurse Dong supported her, frightened. She was afraid that something might happen to Yun Xiu's stomach.
Consort, it is disrespectful to laugh at the emperor!
Kangxi's face darkened instantly.
At this moment, Little Five's accusing voice was like the sound of heaven, saving his imperial father and his soon-to-be-suffering mother.
Yinqi opened his round eyes, angry and extremely wronged. "Imperial Father, what do you mean 'Little Five is gone'? You despise me, and you only care about mother!"
Because Little Five moved to Yikun Palace and Kangxi often "came uninvited" because of Yun Xiu, the number of times the father and son met greatly increased. The image of Imperial Father in Yinqi's heart became taller and clearer, and the awe of Kangxi gradually turned into closeness.
For example, normally, the little kid would never dare to complain.
Everyone present was taken aback. The crown prince looked at Yinqi in surprise. Did the fifth younger brother do this unintentionally, or was it deliberate?
…It should be unintentional, Little Five was not that clever.
The little crown prince sighed secretly, and thought regretfully that imperial father's deflated situation was a rare occurrence. It was gone so fast!
The fourth prince also looked at Yinqi in surprise. Not only was he surprised, but there was envy hidden in his eyes.
With a favoured mother like Consort Yi, the fifth prince dared to speak and act in such a manner. He was not afraid of the sky and the earth or imperial father blaming him. And his own mother… Recalling this, Yinzhen felt sad in his heart.
Hearing Yinqi's accusation, Kangxi's heart was relieved. His complexion improved a lot, and he was ready to give Little Five a good reward when he returned.
What a good boy. He was not as vile as his mother, who dared to make fun of him!
"We are wrong. Your imperial father doesn't only care about your mother." Facing Yinqi's increasingly aggrieved gaze, Kangxi felt a little guilty.
He glanced at Yun Xiu and saw that she was holding her belly, as if she was watching a scene. She had curved eyebrows and a smiling face. He was even angrier.
Look at her! She was even more arrogant! She knew that he would come, but she still kept Yinqi in the main hall. She also attracted Baocheng and Yinzhen, making it hard for him to stop halfway. His prestige plummeted.
Kangxi explained it to Yinqi nicely, but he had nothing to do with Yun Xiu in his heart.
He wanted to teach her a lesson, but when he looked at the harem, who could suit him better than Xiuxiu?
He could only continue to pamper her willingly.
Yanxi Palace.
Consort Hui took out a handkerchief. While wiping the forehead of the sweaty eldest prince, she scolded him. "The weather is getting hotter and the sun is out for longer. You can practice riding and shooting, but you have to be careful! If your skin peels off after being exposed to the sun, is it not your mother who will be heartbroken?"
At the age of twelve, Yinti was already half a head taller than Consort Hui. At this time, he lowered his head obediently and let Consort Hui scold him.
"Okay, let's go to the inner room to take a bath and freshen up, so as not to catch a cold…" Consort Hui stopped wiping Yinti and gave him a push. "The hot water is ready. Go quickly."
Yinti smiled, responded loudly, and walked away.
When he walked outside the curtain, his footsteps stopped. He turned his head, his expression slightly confused. "Mother, I asked Xiao Xizi to find out, and he just said that the crown prince took the fourth prince to Yikun Palace."
The master gave half a day off, but the crown prince went to Yikun Palace?
Consort Hui's expression froze. Yanxi Palace had not received any news, but Yinti had already said so, so it must be accurate.
How could this be?! The crown prince and Consort Yi had never met each other. Could something have happened that she didn't know about?
Consort Hui suppressed her smile. She suddenly felt a sense of uneasiness and quickly asked her son, "Why did the crown prince do such a thing?"
"I don't know." Yinti pouted, thought for a long time, and ended up guessing, "Didn't fifth younger brother move to Yikun Palace? He should be looking for fifth younger brother."
As he said that, Yinti's tone became more determined, revealing a look of disgust. "That's right! The crown prince always ran to the Cining Palace before, saying that he was teaching Yinqi Chinese. That made father emperor and the revered elder very happy. Just to receive benefits, he will pretend to be a good older brother who cares for his younger brother…"
He was still pretending. How old was he? What a hypocrite.
Consort Hui listened. "You said the crown prince often goes to look for the fifth prince?"
"Exactly."
"At such a young age, his scheming is so strong. It is not enough to win the fourth prince, but also the fifth prince." Consort Hui muttered something in a low voice, squinted her eyes, and suddenly asked Yinti, "How are your relationships with your younger brothers?"
Yinti thought for a while. "The relationship with the third and fourth younger brothers is not bad, but I am not that close with fifth younger brother."
This was actually expected. Yinzhi looked timid, but Yinzhen followed the crown prince. He disdained dealing with people who were related to the crown prince.
As for Yinqi, he was raised by the empress dowager since he was a child, and he was not yet old enough to go study. Except for the palace banquet, he, the eldest brother, had only seen Yinqi a few times!
How could Consort Hui fail to hear her son's insincere words?
She took a few steps forward, poked Yinti's forehead fiercely, and said bitterly, "Can't you learn from the crown prince and act like a brother and friend? It's fine not to worry about the third and fourth prince, but Little Five is Consort Yi's child – Little Five is not a threat, but Consort Yi is your father emperor's favourite!"
After taking a breath, Consort Hui continued, "Behind Consort Yi, there is the Guo Luoluo family who is rooted in the army. If Little Five is drawn over by the crown prince and Consort Yi pillow talks the emperor… Think about the consequences."
Yinti didn't take it seriously at first, but gradually changed his expression and became serious.
"Fortunately, my son found out early enough." Consort Hui sighed thoughtfully, and then told Yinti, "Keep an eye on the prince carefully, and don't neglect Yinqi. Mother doesn't usually have much interaction with Consort Yi, but it seems that has to change now…"
Since Madam Tong Guowei left, although the grounding in Chengqian Palace had not been lifted, the condition of the imperial noble consort was getting better day by day.
Well, that was not necessarily true. It was two extremes compared to before.
In the past, she suffered from sickness and would throw up whatever she ate, making her complexion sallow and thin. Now that she was getting better, her complexion was getting rosier. The symptoms of her sickness had completely disappeared, her appetite had suddenly increased, and her meals were delicious.
Within a few days, the imperial noble consort grew flesh. Not to mention her getting plumper, even her face had gradually changed back to being beautiful. It was not an exaggeration to say she was radiant.
This change made the servants rejoice, and Wet Nurse Zhen finally sighed in relief. After Imperial Physician Liu saw it, he was not very optimistic.
The imperial noble consort's condition was very sudden. It was as if she was supported by a breath of joy. Like a castle in the air, it would collapse with a slight push, and would fall when it really mattered.
To describe it in two words, one was "strange" and the other was "empty".
And eating too much was not a good thing!
Every time he took her pulse, Imperial Physician Liu wanted to express his hidden worries, but hesitated for a moment. He finally swallowed it back.
Last time, he tactfully advised the imperial noble consort not to overeat, but her cold eyes made him sweat profusely.
If he was not sent to the palace by Madam Tong, and he was still useful, Imperial Physician Liu had no doubt that his fate would be decided here.
The imperial noble consort's foetus was weak, which must be due to some strong drugs. While Imperial Physician Liu smiled wryly, he was quite upset in his heart. He tried to persuade her multiple times, but the imperial noble consort insisted on going her own way. What else could he do?!
Now, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. It was better to have a longer life.
…
Not long after, the imperial noble consort's rest was over, and Consort De's confinement was also finished.
The empress dowager seemed to be relieved, and quickly transferred the palace power back to Chengqian Palace. The imperial noble consort was eight months pregnant, so she declined to accept the appointment, but the empress dowager really did not want to handle palace affairs. The imperial noble consort had no choice but to split the palace affairs into several parts and hand them over to her confidants.
The fifth prince, Yinqi, moved back to Cining Palace and lived with the fourth prince, Yinzhen. They got along very well.
"It's come to this point and she still refuses to share power." Consort De laughed lightly. She was too forceful. In an instant, the rose petals scattered all over the ground in a mess.
…
Rumours suddenly spread in the palace. The eunuchs and maids all said in private that the emperor was about to choose an empress! The most likely candidate was the imperial noble consort.
The imperial noble consort was in the same position as the deputy empress, and she was about to give birth again. Regarding the matter of becoming the empress, the vast majority of people firmly believed that it would be the imperial noble consort, so their attitude towards Chengqian Palace became increasingly more respectful.
This was especially true for the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. No matter which department they were, they were extremely flattering, wishing to honour the imperial noble consort as an elder.
The rumours spread in private at first, but when the imperial noble consort found out, she couldn't hold back anymore.
Fortunately, the affairs in the south were complicated, and the emperor was busy regaining the lost ground, so he didn't notice it at all. After the imperial noble consort was frightened, she became ruthless. She used thunderous means to severely punish the disgruntled palace servants. Gradually, the storm dissipated.
She sent people to investigate the source of the rumours and took special care of Yonghe Palace, but she still couldn't figure out the cause and had to give up.
Soon it was the fifth of May.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, the Forbidden City would welcome the summer and get rid of bad luck. In the harem, almost every concubine wore new clothes.
The Imperial Household Department ushered in the busiest time of the year. The damaged part of the palace had to be repaired, the missing utensils had to be replenished, and the sedan chairs and guards of honour for the ladies were all replaced with new ones.
There would be a "rice dumpling banquet" at noon today. After that, they would follow the emperor to Xiyuan to enjoy the dragon boat. The imperial noble consort got up early and took 2 hours to dress. Then, with Wet Nurse Zhen's support, went over the imperial noble consort's ceremonial guard, which was carefully prepared by the Imperial Household Department.
The sky was clear. The sun was shining brightly. The phoenix flag fluttered on the sedan chair. Because the sun was too glaring, the imperial noble consort couldn't see clearly. She just took a quick glance and smiled with satisfaction. "It's much more beautiful than before, they have heart."
Wet Nurse Zhen helped her into the sedan chair, forced a smile, and suppressed her worries, "Imperial Noble Consort…"
The imperial noble consort was getting older. She should have stayed in the bedroom at ease like Consort Yi. She shouldn't be here! If there was an accident, what should she do?
"Don't worry, I know it well." The imperial noble consort patted her hand, and said calmly, "Consort De has gone. We should go…"
The unfinished words disappeared in the wind.
The Dumpling Banquet was different from the family banquet. It was a rare feast for the emperor and his ministers to enjoy together.
When the guard of honour of the imperial noble consort arrived, it so happened that Tong Guowei and Ming Zhu were walking together and were about to step into the threshold of the main hall.
There were whispers. Ming Zhu seemed to sense something. He looked out, carefully searched for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"Lord Tong." His voice was trembling. "There are colourful phoenixes on the phoenix flag. According to the regulations, the only one who can use the colourful phoenix is… the empress' honour guard!"