Chapter 31
When one looked at the Qing Dynasty, the princes were certainly honourable, but not all of them could be described with the words 'indescribably precious'.
Consort De, who was the daughter of a palace lady, could climb up to the position of fourth consort. In addition to her beautiful appearance and the children she had, the most important thing was to be cautious.
Yinzuo was her treasure, but how can she say that he was indescribably precious to everyone?
Mrs. Liu was Yinzuo's nanny, but not Consort De's confidant!
The imperial noble consort knew that even if Consort De had great ambitions, she would only hide them in her heart. Even if she was rotten to the core, she wouldn't show it to anyone.
However, if she wanted to condemn Consort De, it wouldn't be too hard to find a reason.
"She can only complain. The emperor gave the sixth prince such an eye-catching name." Speaking of Kangxi, after the imperial noble consort came back to her senses, there was no deep love in her eyes.
She then smiled softly, and murmured, "If he wants to complain, then he can only complain that he has Mrs. Wuya as his mother."
It was said that if one took action against a child, they would be punished by God, but Mrs. Tongjia was not afraid!
When Consort De made her move, when Suo Etu made his move, did they feel any pity for her? She was about to give birth!
She couldn't let her little princess go alone. She had to drag someone to be buried with her…
"Good child, how do you feel about mother asking the sixth prince to accompany you?" The imperial noble consort didn't feel any pain in her lower body. She stroked her lower abdomen and said softly, "There is also the Hesheli family and Yuqing Palace… No one can escape."
Suo Etu tried his best to plot against her! Why? It was not to help clear obstacles for the crown prince!
He wanted to remove all the existences that threatened the status of the crown prince so that the crown prince could ascend the throne smoothly. Then, he could be the second Dorgon1 and the second Oboi2, and control the government. He wanted to rule the world.
If he hunted geese all day long, he would eventually be pecked by a goose. Suo Etu was just a clown. He would eventually get into trouble.
"Tell me, what will the emperor think if something happens to the sixth prince? What will the great empress dowager think?" The imperial noble consort's smile deepened.
By the time the dirty water hit the surface, the crown prince would have no knowledge of it. It would be useless.
Back when the sixth prince was a month old, the emperor bestowed him the name "Zuo". It showed how much affection he had for the prince, which really made the harem restless, causing waves.
Suo Etu was shocked by the name of the sixth prince. He suddenly had thoughts that he shouldn't have, but they quickly dissipated, as if it was rain that had passed without a trace.
Consort De was born to a palace servant. How could she compare with the Hesheli family? She couldn't, unless the emperor was out of his mind!
…Even if the emperor was out of his mind, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty would not accept it.
It was him who was worrying over nothing.
However, the sixth prince was born of a concubine. His name overwhelmed the crown prince's name 'Reng'3. Suo Etu pondered this for a long time, but still refused to believe that this was the emperor's original intention.
It didn't make sense.
Wasn't this pushing sixth prince into the fire?
He thought about it for a long time, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He remembered someone—
The late emperor's most loved child, Empress Mrs. Dong'e's fourth prince. He was named Prince Rong when he was less than a year old. He also had the character "Zuo" in his name.
The Prince Rong back then was one who was loved by thousands of people!
The late emperor ecstatically called him 'Our First Son'. He became the crown prince when he was one year old. Even the empress dowager, who hated Dong'e's family, and the current great empress dowager had no opinion on Prince Rong. He was kind and loving.
When the great empress dowager thought about it, he was just a baby who was also the grandson of the old man. She would not do anything to vent her anger.
However, Prince Rong, Fubo, died before he was a year old. According to her father (Suoni), a cold fierce wind arrived and took his life.
Empress Xiaoxian couldn't handle it and became sick. She then passed away. The late emperor was completely disheartened and didn't even want the throne.
What happened later was a scar on the great empress dowager's heart. The courtiers also kept it secret and dared not mention it.
Suo Etu stopped recalling these things. His eyes were sparkling.
Prince Rong's line did not have an heir. The late emperor originally wanted to choose an heir, but died before he could make the decree. Therefore, Suo Etu speculated that the late emperor should have left a will, ordering the new emperor to adopt a male relative from the Aisin Gioro4 clan to inherit the torch from his beloved child.
The emperor ascended the throne when he was young, and there had been no movement for many years. But now, the sixth prince's name just so happened to correspond with the "Zuo" of Prince Rong…
The meaning was self-evident. Suo Etu was instantly relieved and was no longer hostile towards Yinzuo.
But these were all just guesses.
Four years later, the emperor successfully dealt with the Revolt of the Three Feudatories and regained the Zheng family's territory. Consort Yi gave birth to the ninth prince and Consort De was about to give birth. The emperor's thoughts towards the sixth prince had yet to be revealed.
—In the future, he didn't think there would be any.
It just so happened that rumours were spreading in private, saying that the ninth prince's ceremonial bath was not as good as the sixth prince's, and the name he was bestowed by emperor was even worse!
How could Suo Etu sit still?
In the end, God gave him a good opportunity. God wanted to help him, so he sent him the sixth prince's nanny. After interrogating Mrs. Liu, Suo Etu became even more certain that the sixth prince, Yinzuo, would be the enemy of His Highness the Crown Prince.
Consort De's ambition made him feel like there was a stick in his throat.
What a joke. A son from a woman born of a palace lady. How could he be worthy of the words 'indescribably precious'?
After several dynasties, the continued glory would only belong to the Hesheli family.
…
After straightening out his sleeves, Suo Etu looked up. In front of him were the large golden characters, 'Yuqing Palace'.
As the uncle of the crown prince and 'Minister Suo' of the imperial court, Suo Etu was usually very busy. He naturally didn't have time to teach the crown prince to read.
For the sake of the family, he went to Kangxi and got a job at Yuqing Palace. Every ten days, he got together with the crown prince, talked about their family relationship, or sorted out the affairs of the court. This was mixed with personal opinions. He could tell the crown prince…
Suo Etu was very satisfied with something so convenient.
His Highness was only ten years old and had not yet developed a group of supporters that belonged to the Eastern Palace. He was an elder, so he should do his best to guide the crown prince and help him. When His Highness ascended the throne in the future, who could surpass him in terms of merits and achievements?
Suo Etu put aside his distracting thoughts. He smiled and stroked his long beard, then strode towards the palace gate.
…
"We don't need to tell uncle about Our visit to Yikun Palace." In the study, the crown prince fiddled with the brush washer on his desk. He glanced at the palace people around him, and suddenly said, "Whoever dares to violate the decree, We will not let them off!"
He Zhu'er, his personal eunuch, was in the study serving him. There were also young eunuchs serving tea and water. The rest of them were said to be the crown prince's confidantes, but they were not.
In reality, they were Mrs. Hesheli's and Soetu's confidantes.
Kangxi loved the crown prince a lot, so he naturally gave him the right to select his own servants. After Liang Jiugong checked their backgrounds, he no longer controlled them much.
The crown prince lost his mother when he was very young. He had a good impression of the Hesheli family. Because of Suo Etu's care towards him, the crown prince was ignorant and very close to this uncle.
The crown prince grew up gradually. He had the vague sense of being a ruler. He knew that his uncle was doing it for his own good, so he kept the palace servants that were trusted by Suo Etu by his side. He didn't shy away from them at all.
In the past, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
But since his trip to Yikun Palace, the dense fog surrounding him was dispelled by Yun Xiu's words. The little crown prince was determined. In an instant, he seemed to have grown a lot.
Immediately afterwards, he clearly realised that the conversation with Consort Mother Yi must not be revealed at all. He could not even tell his uncle!
The crown prince glanced at the palace servants. He suppressed the sudden awkwardness in his heart along with the inexplicable displeasure. He then knocked on the desk and asked lightly, "Do you understand?"
At this moment, his expression resembled Kangxi greatly. It was as if his childishness had faded away. He had the air of being worldly and overbearing.
He Zhu'er bent down and respectfully answered him. The hearts of the other servants shivered, and cold sweat dripped down their backs uncontrollably.
His Highness was still so young!
That kind of momentum and that kind of majesty made it difficult for people to resist him.
But in an instant, they all lay down on the ground and kowtowed deeply. "This servant will obey Your Highness' orders!"
Qianqing palace.
"You said that you continued to investigate, but you wound up at a dead end?" Kangxi threw his pen and glanced at Liang Jiugong. "Useless thing."
Liang Jiugong shivered for a moment, kneeling on the ground reflexively. He felt like crying, but didn't.
The five hits with the board he suffered last time still hurt! The emperor must not punish him again.
Maybe because he heard the chief steward's internal voice, Kangxi rubbed his brows and said in a deep voice, "Just tell Us what's going on."
"Yes. Your Majesty, this servant is useless. We only found out the layout of the Imperial Household Department…" Liang Jiugong then paused, lowered his head, and said softly, "When this servant thinks about it, this servant did not misunderstand Imperial Concubine Ping. There were no traces of the incident where the fifth prince fell into the water! Those servants, after being tortured by the Department of Punishment, confessed everything. Some of them told the truth, some of them talked nonsense, and some of them even attacked Consort Yi…"
Hearing this, Kangxi's heart was filled with anger. He quickly turned his jade ring. "Continue talking."
"…No one was implicated in Yonghe Palace." After he finished speaking, Liang Jiugong held his breath and cried out inwardly.
There was no evidence to find, so it was not easy to convict Consort De, right?
Liang Jiugong had a new understanding of Consort De. If she was completely innocent, then nothing would happen. If she did something, it would be a scheme that was vicious and it would have been deeply hidden.
It was amazing to be able to not leave a single trace.
Liang Jiugong was engrossed in his thoughts when he heard Kangxi sneer and say "Mrs. Hesheli" softly. Kangxi then ordered, "Since the trail is cold, there is no need to continue. Gather people and thoroughly investigate the inner palace. Including the Embroidery Department, the Imperial Dining Room, the Department of Construction… Investigate everyone. We will check them carefully!"
Liang Jiugong was taken aback. He expected the Embroidery Department and the Department of Construction, but the Imperial Dining Room?
Mrs. Wuya's foundation was in the Imperial Dining Room, which…
"Don't beat the grass and scare the snake." Kangxi picked up his pen again, and solemnly warned them. He then said in a low voice, "We said before, We want to give an explanation to Master Yi. Investigate those filthy things! Go."
Newborn babies looked different every day.
By the time Yintang's wrinkled red skin and became white and tender, autumn had already arrived in the capital city. The heat of midsummer had faded.
On September 20th, when Yun Xiu was about to exit her confinement period, Consort De made a move in Yonghe Palace.
At that time, Consort De was having dinner with Yinzuo. The mother and son were close and harmonious.
In an instant, Consort De's complexion changed suddenly. She covered her lower abdomen with her hands. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, and she shouted, "Servant! Come here with an imperial doctor and midwife… Send someone to Qianqing Palace to tell the emperor!"
When had Yinzuo seen Consort De's face so pale?
This was the first time he had been around for the birth of a younger brother or sister, so he was worried.
How uncomfortable was his mother?
The four or five-year-old child kept calling for his mother. He turned around in a hurry with tears in his eyes.
Consort De only felt continuous, unbearable pain, which then intensified, instead of bursts of throbbing pain. Her heart suddenly dropped.
She had given birth to three children, so she knew what to expect. Judging from this level of pain, it would likely be a dystocia…
However, what she cared about most was still Yinzuo. She gritted her teeth and tried her best to comfort her son softly. "Yinzuo, don't be afraid… Mother will go to the delivery room first and will give birth to a younger brother for you soon… Go and play outside. How about you go to the small garden?"
She then said sharply, "Don't take sixth prince out yet!"
Consort De at this time was not as gentle as water. When she gritted her teeth and spoke, her almond eyes were ruthless, and she coldly glanced at the surrounding servants.
The palace servants agreed and quickly half-coaxed Yinzuo, who was sobbing. They had to half-push him. "Sixth prince, you can relax. This servant can show you around the small garden"
"Go away!" Yinzuo cried intermittently. "I want mother, I want mother…"
After he finished crying, he finally listened to Consort De's words. He wiped his face, left the palace servants behind, and rushed to the backyard of Yonghe Palace. He called out, "Don't follow me!"
The small garden was in the backyard. The servants sighed in relief. They hesitated for a moment, and in the end did not disobey the prince.
On that side, Yinzuo was walking around in a hurry in the garden, crying until his eyes were red.
He looked around with tears in his eyes. He suddenly noticed at the small door leading to the palace road a piece of ochre coloured clothing. It was very familiar…
Yinzuo was overcome with curiosity, so he stepped forward a few steps. All his attention was on it.
From the small door, there was a gentle and pleasant voice calling out. "Sixth prince? Sixth prince…"
Yinzuo opened his mouth slightly, and then had an expression of obvious joy.
It was as if he had found someone he could rely on. He opened his mouth and ran over, shouting happily while he ran, "Nanny Liu!"
1.(多爾袞) Dorgon: the 14th son of Nurhaci. He was a successful general who was instrumental in the Manchu's conquest of China. He ruled China as a regent for his nephew, Emperor Shunzhi.
2.(鰲拜) Oboi: a Manchu military commander who served under 3 emperors.
3.(祚 vs 礽) Zuo vs Reng: Zuo, as mentioned before, means blessing/throne, while the Reng means 'blessing' only.
4.(愛新覺羅) Aisin Gioro: the family name of the Manchu emperors in the Qing Dynasty.
Chapter 32
Yinzuo was like a treasure in Consort De's eyes. The mother and son spent all their time together. Even so, Mrs. Liu was also a very close and trustworthy person to him.
In the palace, after a prince or princess was born, they would be handed over to a nanny. The nanny would feed them and serve them. At most, the concubines would ask questions, but they would not breastfeed themselves.
Additionally, all the princes would leave their mother's side at the age of six. They would move into prince's house, and learn in the study. This was the rule. They spent more time with their nanny than their mother!
As the prince grew up and the nanny grew older, she would be permitted to leave the palace as a reward. She could enjoy her old age in peace. Like the old madam of the Cao family, Mrs. Sun. She was the current emperor's nanny. Not only was there an imperial decree, but the emperor also always remembered her. Whenever there were festivals, Kangxi would always bestow generous rewards to the Cao family. He was also extraordinarily gracious to the Cao family.
Mrs. Liu was a nanny personally selected by the Wuya family. After Consort De agreed, she was sent by the Imperial Household Department to take care of sixth prince. Because she was soft-spoken and took care of the sixth prince with all her heart, the sixth prince had deep affection for her.
Now, she was wearing the outfit that Yinzuo was most familiar with. She paid her respects with excitement. Her eyes were red. "It is good to see that the sixth prince is well. This servant has returned from visiting her hometown to see her relatives. It was a grace given by the Consort. This servant has been discharged from the errands in the palace early, but this servant couldn't bear to leave the sixth prince. This servant wanted to take a sneak peek…"
When she said the word "Consort", Yinzuo didn't see the resentment and hatred in Mrs. Liu's eyes.
Mrs. Liu's family background was very clean, except for a worthless younger brother who begged for money from her every now and then. A few days ago, her parents negotiated a marriage and were about to send betrothal gifts to the bride, but they couldn't come up with enough money.
Mrs. Liu felt sorry for her younger brother, so she grit her teeth and secretly took a golden hairpin from her superior's dowry, and then went out of the palace to pawn it.
Some palace servants have done this in the past, and they were still safe and sound. The wet nurse in charge basically turned a blind eye. But who told her to do this, which resulted in her being the outlet for Consort De's anger?
During the Longevity Festival, Consort De stumbled and experienced a huge setback and was grounded for a month. Consort De decided that there was a spy from the imperial noble consort around Yinzuo, so she became ruthless. She checked all the wet nurses, servants, and other workers.
The only thing she managed to find was something regarding Mrs. Liu!
Consort De held the opinion that she "would rather kill by mistake". Therefore, Consort De imprisoned her in a fit of rage, then turned her over to the Department of Punishment. After several rounds of torture, Mrs. Liu almost lost a layer of skin.
Later, when the sixth prince asked about her, Consort De told him softly that Nanny Liu had gone home to visit relatives. Nanny Liu also had family at home, so she would of course miss them, right?
Yinzuo pouted, but never asked again.
…
After going through such a catastrophe, how could Mrs. Liu not complain? How could she not hate?
After being rescued by the Tong family, her younger brother, who was about to get married, fell into the river and died.
And her son, who was only six years old, was almost abducted by traffickers when he was playing in the street. If her child's father hadn't found out, the consequences… would have been disastrous…
It was all Consort De's doing!
Mrs. Liu could not sleep well. Her eyes were red and her heart bled with hatred. She agreed to the Tong family's conditions and they arranged for her to stay in an unremarkable small courtyard in the suburbs of the capital. After a few days, Suo Etu found her.
…
After regaining her senses, Mrs. Liu looked at the extremely innocent sixth prince in front of her. She pushed aside her soft feelings towards him, hardened her heart, and no longer had any mercy.
After Yinzuo was pleasantly surprised, his eyes turned red again. He grabbed the nanny's sleeve and wept bitterly. "Nanny, I'm afraid…I don't want a younger sibling…I want mother…"
A worried look appeared on Mrs. Liu's face. She knelt down to comfort Yinzuo. "This servant knows all about this! The Consort will definitely give birth easily, and there will be no accidents."
As she said that, she took out a sachet from the front of her skirt. It was exquisitely crafted, embroidered with lotus patterns. It had the scent of the incense from Buddhist temples.
"Sixth prince, here is a peace talisman that this servant sincerely procured by going to the temple. It should protect the mother and her children." She spoke in a low voice. "This peace talisman is very powerful and very effective. It was given by an eminent monk. This servant will bury it and pray for the Consort and the prince, okay?"
The more she said, the brighter Yinzuo's eyes became.
"Nanny, what's the use of burying it in the garden?" Yinzuo shook his head quickly, then grabbed the sachet. He stuffed it in his robes like it was a treasure. He then wiped his tears and said eagerly, "Why don't you give it to me? I want to wear it all the time and pray for my mother…"
Mrs. Liu shot him a look of disapproval. She stopped talking for a long time, but finally was defeated by Yinzuo's hopeful gaze.
Her tone was gentle, and she said with great pity, "Since the prince wants it, this servant would naturally respond to the prince's wants. It's just—"
Yinzuo touched the sachet. His eyes lit up with joy, but when he heard the word "just", he panicked immediately.
"Just what?"
"Sixth prince, it's not that this servant is reluctant." Mrs. Liu hesitated. "It's just that the eminent monk said that prayers are only effective when they are sincere. If the existence of the peace talisman is exposed, its effect of being able to pray for blessings will be completely lost! If this suddenly appears and someone discovers its existence… It doesn't matter if this servant is punished, but this servant is just afraid that you will be blamed…"
Yinzuo understood. He interrupted her words like a little adult, raised his head, and said, "Don't be afraid, nanny, I won't mention it to anyone!"
This sachet had to be well hidden and he couldn't say anything about it to his mother. If he said anything, then not only would the effect of praying be ruined, but mother would also blame Nanny Liu. Was he that stupid?
Mrs. Liu's heart relaxed. She smiled gratefully. "Sixth prince is smart, so this servant can rest assured."
It took only a quarter of an hour for Consort De to undergo those events before the palaces got the news.
Not long ago, the imperial noble consort bled at the Dragon Boat Festival, and then had a difficult delivery. The concubines held their breath and did not dare to go to Chengqian Palace. They waited in their bedrooms.
When Consort Yi gave birth, Kangxi ordered them not to go. They were sour and jealous, but they did not dare to disobey the emperor's will. Yun Xiu could be in peace.
This time it was Consort De's turn, and the emperor did not order "no interruptions", so the concubines in the palace seemed to have gathered together outside, except for the noble consort, who was about to give birth, and Yun Xiu who was in confinement. All the concubines gathered together.
Consort Hui took the lead. Consort Rong followed, followed by Imperial Concubine Duan, Imperial Concubine Jing, Imperial Concubine An, and Imperial Concubine Xi. Concubine Cheng and Concubine Ping, who had not yet undergone the promotion ceremony, stood at the end with the same expression of worry on their faces.
Only they would know their own thoughts.
Hearing the weak groans and groans in the delivery room, Consort Hui turned her face away. She sat on the main seat, and then stopped the maid who was carrying a copper basin. "Have you gone to Qianqing Palace to inform the emperor?! "
At the same time, in the delivery room, Consort De was panting heavily. Her face was pale.
It had been two hours and the child hadn't shown any signs of coming out. Her strength was almost gone.
A difficult labour, how could she have a difficult labour?
Yes, she was plotted against by Mrs. Tongjia!
"Hurry up and make some ginseng soup…" It was all a blur. Consort De heard an anxious voice, "Consort, use your strength. The child will come out soon!"
She clutched the quilt tightly with her hands, so tightly that the veins on the back of her hands were exposed. "The emperor…has he come…?"
Wet Nurse Wu stood beside the bed anxiously, She exchanged glances with the head maid. She opened her mouth, dejected, but did not know what to say.
The little eunuch reported back that the emperor was calling important ministers to discuss matters, so they were gone. It was Steward Liang who came over to check in, and when he learned about the incident with the consort , he quickly interrupted the discussion and informed the emperor. However, the emperor reprimanded Steward Liang, saying "I know", and nothing more.
How could she tell Consort De the emperor's reaction?!
Seeing Wet Nurse Wu's embarrassed expression, Consort De's heart sank. She closed her eyes, and bit her lip until it bled.
His Majesty would not come to Yonghe Palace anymore!
She laughed at herself. A wave of unwillingness and resentment washed over Consort De. She murmured "Your Majesty", and immediately developed unprecedented strength. Suddenly, she felt as if she was falling, and she couldn't help but shout.
The midwife was extremely pleasantly surprised. "It's coming out, it's coming out!"
…
Consort De's shout was quite shrill, causing Imperial Concubine Ping, Mrs. Hesheli, who was waiting outside, to tremble. She subconsciously took a step back.
Imperial Concubine Cheng saw this scene from the corner of her eye. Her worried expression melted away. She turned her head and asked her gently, "Are you scared? Younger sister is still quite young and has never been pregnant. I suppose you don't know that this is a common occurrence. Drink some hot tea to calm down."
All of a sudden, everyone looked at Imperial Concubine Ping.
The emperor didn't come, so their smiles were a little bit brighter. They were free to pay attention to other things. Consort Hui covered her mouth, looked at Imperial Concubine Ping with an indiscernible expression, and thought that Imperial Concubine Cheng was a wonderful person! Every word and every sentence stabbed Mrs. Hesheli's heart.
Mrs. Daijia was an enigma. After she became an imperial concubine, she looked very different from before.
Imperial Concubine Ping forced a smile and lowered her eyes. "It's okay. Thank you, older sister, for your concern…"
She smiled on the surface, but her heart was complicated.
The imperial noble consort was in poor health, so they did not have to pay their respects. After the ninth prince's ceremonial bath, Imperial Concubine Cheng would go to Yikun Palace almost every other day.
The first time was to express her gratitude, but what about the next time? She actually took the seventh prince to Cining Palace to ask for an audience.
The fourth and the fifth princes lived in Cining Palace. In order to curry favour with Consort Yi, Mrs. Daijia wasn't afraid to be shameless and therefore tried her best.
Imperial Concubine Cheng was imitating that slut, Mrs. Guo Luoluo's style, quietly making trouble for her…
After years of being unfavoured, she gave birth to a crippled prince. How did Mrs. Daijia have such confidence? What a joke!
Hearing Imperial Concubine Ping's words, Imperial Concubine Cheng smiled gently and said, 'Alright', and then stopped talking.
Qianqing palace.
After the ministers withdrew, Kangxi turned his jade ring and asked without any emotion, "How is Consort De?"
Liang Jiugong took a step forward, and replied softly, "Consort De gave birth to a princess smoothly, but she is a little weak. The imperial doctor said… that she must be taken care of carefully."
"Take good care of her." Kangxi said. He then threw a pen and laughed angrily. "If she lives peacefully and obediently, nothing will happen to her!"
Half a month ago, Liang Jiugong went all out to check the embroidery workshop, the Imperial Dining Room, and various places under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department. He discovered a hidden force inside the imperial court. It was an intricate force within the Imperial Household Department, the Yishi Family.
Among them, the Wuya family was one of the aristocratic families, and there were many clues that had not been erased at the other end of the Imperial Dining Room.
Her power was too great, and Liang Jiugong became more alarmed the more he investigated.
This was particularly the case for Mrs. Wuya, whose power has been rooted in the Imperial Dining Room for generations. How much convenience had been provided to Consort De?
In these years, when one asked about Yonghe Palace, most of the things that reached the emperor's ears were good things about the sixth prince and Consort De. There was not a single piece of negative news.
The emperor originally planned to adopt the sixth prince as a son, but he felt begrudging, so he dragged it out until now.
That was how that news spread, but what about the food?
The emperor ate in the Imperial Dining Room. In addition, several dining rooms were set up to provide meals for the concubines and young masters.
The imperial noble consort did not have a small kitchen. Consort Yi also did not have a small kitchen…
When Liang Jiugong thought about it while kneeling on the ground, he trembled and sweated bullets. He was unable to speak for a long time.
All kinds of disputes caused by the fourth prince finally surfaced.
It was Consort De who started it first. She pretended to be close to the fourth prince, which provoked the imperial noble consort to think a lot during her pregnancy, so she made a bold move. After this back and forth, it had developed into the current situation.
Liang Jiugong lost his voice for a while. He didn't know how to describe things.
Consort De was the fourth prince's biological mother!
…
Last night, Liang Jiugong thoroughly discovered all sorts of past events and fearfully reported them to Kangxi. He then faced the emperor's thunderous wrath.
If Consort De had not given birth to two princes and was about to give birth, he had no doubt that His Majesty would immediately deprive her of her Consort position and impose severe punishment.
Now, the chief steward's heart thumped loudly. His Majesty was getting angry and hurting his body—
The next moment, Xiao Lizi's report was like the call of an angel, saving Liang Jiugong and successfully dispelling the emperor's anger:
"Your Majesty, Consort Yi sent someone to deliver lotus seed and lily soup!"
———
The author has something to say: [Small Theater]
Yun Xiu: Your Majesty must not become so angry. The crown prince is still too young to take on huge responsibilities! Come, drink a bowl of lotus seed and lily soup to relieve your anger.
Kangxi: …
Chapter 33
It wasn't just Liang Jiugong who was surprised, even Kangxi was taken aback for a moment. He suspected that he had heard it wrong.
After regaining his senses, the emperor's furious face slowly softened. The corners of his mouth raised slightly, and his tone was no longer cold.
"Bring it in," he said.
In the past half month, Kangxi came to Yikun Palace almost every day. He sometimes stayed for a quarter of an hour, sometimes for an hour.
The emperor used the name of Little Nine as a 'good reason' to talk to Yun Xiu. He was not annoyed at all when Yintang urinated on his dragon robe every now and then. Over time, he developed the special intuition of a baby daddy—
Yintang's mouth deflated and looked as if he was about to cry. Kangxi's mind rang an alarm, and he evaded it as fast as the wind!
This made the reborn Ninth Master very aggrieved. He cursed the old man countless times in his heart.
The old man was so shameless, even going so far as to bully a baby!
It was not an exaggeration that the father and son were fighting a battle of wits and courage. After this went back and forth for several rounds, Yun Xiu could no longer maintain a cold face.
After many days, her anger was gone. The emperor was not annoyed at all. He was still courteous. She couldn't believe what the emperor was like in this reality. Compared with her dream, he seemed to be a completely different person.
He had a very high tolerance for her, allowing her to be completely unbridled. He couldn't fake a fatherly heart towards Little Five and Little Nine… This included the matter of promoting concubines. Yun Xiu was grateful for these things.
During her labour, Yun Xiu suddenly learned of the news that Yinqi had fallen into the water, so she lost her composure. She said all those disrespectful 'evil words'.
When she thought about it later, wasn't this just venting her anger?
Dreams and reality were completely different. The reality had deviated from the original path. The emperor would never say something like 'Consort Yi is domineering and disrespectful', and she shouldn't take this for granted.
Her original resistance and rejection turned into deep helplessness. When the crown prince came to her in confusion and asked her what he should do, Yun Xiu also came to her senses.
In the future, in order to compete for the throne, she would appear on the stage after the princes' parts, and there would never be a smooth day. Now that she had made up her mind and had chosen the crown prince, she would not just watch the throne fall and the position of consort dowager slip through her fingers!
Very early on, Yun Xiu carefully considered helping the crown prince out of interest in order to protect herself and her children.
Little Five had absolutely no possibility of inheriting the throne. As for Little Nine… Well, the person in Little Nine's body… The more she looked at him, the more familiar he became. Even though she had a rough guess, she hadn't confirmed it, so she couldn't be sure.
If it is what she thought, then it would definitely not be peaceful.
Getting back to business, Empress Renxiao died early on and the crown prince was not close to any concubines. If she helped him ascend the throne then first, it was justified, and second, there would be no second empress dowager to oppress her and no one could bully her.
Now that the crown prince was still young, and he hadn't been led astray by Suo Etu, and had not created a rift with the emperor, it was less stressful to support him than supporting anyone else, right?
…
Yun Xiu's heart softened later on when she got to spend more time with the crown prince. She sincerely wanted to help him.
Yinreng was sensible and sweet-talking, and he took good care of Little Five and Little Nine. Who would hate this child?
When she thought of the crown prince losing his mother when he was young, she felt even more sympathetic.
Devising these strategies was, in the end, just a form of empty talk. In the end, it was not the courtiers or the wishes of the people that affected the succession of the throne, but the emperor's will.
When seizing the throne, whoever got close to the emperor's heart would take advantage of it.
Besides, the emperor lived a long life. When he got old, he would inevitably feel jealous of his son. It could result in failure, so she had to keep an eye on the situation all the time!
It didn't matter if she refused favour, and it didn't matter if they treated each other coldly. After several decades passed, her eyes had darkened due to the battle for the throne. Even if she wanted to cry, she couldn't…
After thinking it through thoroughly, Yun Xiu pondered for several days and came up with a brilliant idea.
Everything in the dream became a knot in her heart. It was impossible to merely eat and sleep for the rest of her life, but she could be a Beautiful Flower, and the closest and most trusted person of the emperor.
With the status of a Beautiful Flower, even without the title of the favoured consort, no one would dare to offend her.
Yun Xiu felt like this was a hit to her face when she thought of this. A cluster of small flames sprang up in her heart and she felt faintly uncomfortable.
It was Us who went back on Our word first.
With an ashen face, she ordered in a cold voice, "Rui Zhu, bring a bowl of lotus seed and lily soup to the emperor. Put in more lotus seeds and make it thick."
Consort Yi made the soup to reduce anger, but she actually made it for herself.
If anyone who didn't know Yun Xiu saw her expression, they would think that she was going to send a bowl of poison to Qianqing Palace…
Yintang, who was lying beside her and nibbling his feet, widened his eyes for a moment. He made a few sounds of grief and indignation. He kicked his feet and his saliva flowed uncontrollably.
Why did mother bow her head to the old man?!
Yintang may have had this reaction, but Rui Zhu didn't notice. She shrank back and asked cautiously, "Consort, forgive this servant for being deaf, you are talking about lotus seeds and not the yellow lotus?"
"…" Yun Xiu took a deep breath. Her face turned greener. "We don't want to seek death to that extent."
Wet Nurse Dong glared at Rui Zhu with a suppressed smile. Rui Zhu had a guilty conscience and ran away in a hurry.
On the other end, Kangxi drank the lotus seed and lily soup that Yun Xiu sent. He felt his anger disappear. His entire body felt warm and harmonious, and he was incredibly relaxed.
The emperor showed a gentle smile, which made Liang Jiugong, who was peeking at him secretly, dumbfounded. He thought that a bowl of soup from Consort Yi was no different from an immortal medicine.
Ever since the ninth prince was born, Steward Liang could finally relax a little.
He almost burst into tears. Wasn't this bowl of soup a sign that the past matters would no longer interfere with the present?
The two finally reconciled and he no longer needed to wait on Kangxi in fear. He sent his thanks to God and Buddha. He finally saw the light and no longer had to be criticised!
Kangxi, who was soothed by a bowl of well-timed soup, recovered his usual calm after laughing.
He took a brand-new brush, dipped it in cinnabar, lowered his head and wrote on the paper. He said as he wrote, "When Mrs. Wuya was in confinement, she led people to clean the inner palace and removed her spies."
"Her" referred to the restless imperial concubine and young master. These words were addressed to Liang Jiugong.
The emperor paused for a moment, and then said, "Pass down my order. Ming Zhu and Suo Etu will work together to clean up the Imperial Household Department. As for her family… If there is someone covering for her, don't remove their official position."
His tone was light, but it contained a sharp coldness.
Official Ming and Official Suo… These two people worked together, but would not obey the other. Ming Zhu would pull out Mrs. Hesheli's spies while Suo Etu would eliminate the power of the Tong family and the Nala family. They would not have any misgivings against the Wuya family.
The harem needed to be purged.
…
The emperor actually addressed Consort De as Mrs. Wuya.
Liang Jiugong didn't have time to sigh. He lowered his head slowly, hiding the turmoil in his heart. The emperor… The emperor was going to clean all the inner chambers of the imperial palace!
He quickly patted his cuffs, bowed his head and said, "This servant… will obey the order."
At the same time, at the martial arts training ground in the study area, the sun was gradually setting. The breeze brought the cool air in, and the afternoon riding and archery class was coming to an end.
The little crown prince was sweating all over. After he got off his horse, he took the handkerchief from Haha Zhuzi. He wiped his cheeks and downed a few mouthfuls of cold water.
The crown prince was standing in a corner and was about to straighten out his rolled-up sleeves. Suddenly, the eldest prince, Yinti, rode in on a full-grown brown horse towards him. He got extremely close while kicking up dust. This was mixed with the smell of horses. Yinti stopped right in front of the crown prince's face.
"…"
The crown prince turned around and coughed uncontrollably.
Yinti quickly pulled on the reins, as if he had just noticed the crown prince. He got off the horse nimbly, cupped his hands, and said in shame, "Second younger brother, I'm sorry! Just now, eldest brother was so fascinated by riding and ended up surprising you…"
The title "Second Younger Brother" was the title the crown prince hated the most.
Age only mattered after seniority. He was the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty first, and then Yinti's younger brother!
In formal occasions, Yinti had always addressed him as crown prince, but when there weren't many people, he had this kind of behaviour.
In the past, when the eldest prince provoked him, the little crown prince would always turn pale and clench his fists, but today was very different—
After finally stopping his cough, the crown prince said in a hoarse voice as he waved his hands, "Eldest brother likes to ride and shoot, so We are very happy. How can We be surprised? We should be more brotherly towards each other."
Yinti choked. His eyes widened slowly and he swallowed his next words.
Between brothers? He was very happy?
Did Yinreng take the wrong medicine?!
The eldest prince was incredibly shocked for a long time. He didn't know what to say. After a long time, he reluctantly replied, "What you said…is very true."
The attendants looked over. The fourth prince, who was learning how to mount a horse, and the third prince, who was frowning also noticed the commotion around the eldest prince and crown prince.
When Yinzhi saw the eldest prince standing with the crown prince, he felt a tremble in his heart. He feared that the two would fight. Yinzhen looked at the crown prince with worry, pulled on the sleeve of the third prince and walked. "Let's go and see…" See what their eldest and second older brother were talking about.
The third prince was reluctant, but allowed the fourth prince to drag him along.
When the crown prince saw Yinti's slightly blue face, his attitude became more cordial.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the third and fourth princes heading over and his smile deepened. "A few days ago, We wrote an acceptable article. After imperial father read it, he rewarded Yuqing Palace with a few fine foals. We know that eldest brother loves horses, so why don't you follow Us to have a look and you can choose one? How does that sound?"
The crown prince's expression couldn't be more sincere, but if one listened to his words, then what was he saying?
Wasn't the crown prince showing off his talents and imperial father's favour?
Yinti's face darkened, and he said 'no need' forcefully. He turned around with big strides and led the horse away quickly.
The crown prince said softly, "Eldest brother, walk slowly", which made the two puddings break out in goosebumps!
When Yinzhen saw his second older brother, he opened his mouth slightly. The doubts in his mind were bubbling.
The crown prince smiled and said, "Third younger brother, fourth younger brother, go to Yuqing Palace with second older brother to see the foals. Pick one you like! He Zhu'er, go to Cining Palace to invite the fifth prince."
Little Seven and Little Eight were too young. He would call them when they grow up…
After saying that, the crown prince paused, "Also send someone to Yonghe Palace to ask Little Six if he would like to choose a foal. The foals are docile and won't kick anyone."
Hearing this, Yinzhi immediately became excited. He happily called out 'thank you, second older brother', but Yinzhen bowed his head and looked a little unhappy.
The crown prince naturally knew why his fourth younger brother was unhappy.
Sighing softly, he pulled Yinzhen aside, and said in a low voice, "Consort De just gave birth to a little princess… We heard that your younger sister is weak and needs to be cared for carefully. Because of this, Consort De does not have enough time to take care of the sixth younger brother. We are his older brothers, so we should invite him. Why are you so awkward?"
It was just awkward!
The brothers from the same mother have been awkward for a long time.
Yinzhen didn't say anything, but his face suddenly turned red.
He pursed his lips, rubbed his fingers, and said after a long time, "I will listen to second older brother. I just want to treat sixth younger brother better…"
It seemed he was reluctant.
The crown prince heard Yinzhen's 'insincere words'. He touched Little Four's head with a smile, and coaxed him. "Good! Listen to second older brother. You can settle the score with a glib tongue."
Then, he said loudly, "…Third younger brother, let's go!"
Chapter 34
Yonghe Palace.
Wet Nurse Wu reported in a low voice, "Xiao Lianzi said that Chengqian Palace…"
Consort De was pale and hugged her baby. She heard her little daughter's soft crying while her eyes sank a little.
Two days had passed since the birth of the princess. Upon hearing the good news, both the Cining Palace and Ningshou Palace have rewarded her with things, which included many treasures, but the scale of the items was not comparable to that of Yikun Palace or Consort Yi's ninth prince.
That was all.
According to the usual practice, a prince was always more treasured than a princess. Consort De was disappointed. The little prince she had been looking forward to for a long time did not arrive. Instead, she had a little princess, who was born weak and needed to be vigilantly taken care of.
The imperial doctor said that if there was any negligence, then the consequences would be disastrous! He was afraid that if so, then the little princess would not be able to live past twenty!
After her sadness, anger, and resentment, Consort De gradually calmed down. She slowly accepted her reality, and ended up pitying the young girl.
It was an auspicious omen to have both sons and daughters… Yinzuo would like his little sister.
This was her daughter. How could she not feel pain for her daughter in the future? She would do her best to take care of her as she grew up, and see her get married and be a wife. She would watch her daughter be happy and healthy, and live a smooth life.
As for her original plan, she would let the empress dowager raise the princess…
Consort De closed her eyes, she didn't dare to do much anymore, and she couldn't bear it anymore.
The empress dowager may refuse. While the little princess' health was no match for Yinqi's health, if she went to Ningshou Palace, the princess would definitely not be able to survive without her mother's care.
Perhaps it was the mother-daughter nature that prevailed. Consort De felt sorry for the young girl. Even through her postpartum weakness, she urged the imperial doctor for a diagnosis and treatment all day long. She issued ruthless orders to take good care of little princess' body.
At the same time, a decree from Qianqing Palace was long overdue.
The ninth princess was bestowed the name Moyaqi. She was recorded in terms of seniority, fifth and was the fifth princess. Presumably, the emperor knew that Moyaqi was weak and rewarded Consort De several plants of precious medicinal herbs. These were mild in nature and could be taken by children without side effects, which allowed Consort De to relax a little.
The medicinal materials were personally escorted by Liang Jiugong. Consort De felt more comfortable now, and even her disappointment that Kangxi had not come gradually faded away.
The emperor may be entangled in government affairs. He would come soon… He still missed her and Moyaqi.
Before she had time to be happy, the rest of the concubines sent congratulatory gifts in unison.
Aside from the fact that the noble ladies were always present, the other concubines seemed to have made an appointment. They were led by the noble consort of Yongshou Palace. A steady stream of medicinal ingredients entered Yonghe Palace and within two days, the side halls had huge piles of these ingredients. Yonghe Palace was almost overwhelmed by the bitter smell of medicine.
Among them, Consort Yi's congratulatory gift was the heaviest as she sent the most medicinal materials.
The emperor sent medicine out of concern, but the concubines' delivery of medicine was quite different.
Especially Consort Yi!
Consort De's face was livid. She could no longer keep her facade. Before she could calm down, a shocking news came from the spy in Chengqian Palace.
Because the Tong family pleaded repeatedly, the imperial doctor did his best to treat the imperial noble consort, and her situation improved day by day. The emperor finally relented – the imperial noble consort was about to come back, and Chengqian Palace would no longer be closed.
"Is Mrs. Tongjia crazy?" After listening to Wet Nurse Wu's report, Consort De was speechless for a long time. She couldn't believe it. Her lower body throbbed in pain. "How can such a broken body get better?!"
The imperial noble consort's dream of becoming empress was shattered and her child died during labour, which all 'coincidentally' happened on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. A series of blows came one after another, pushing her to a dead end. Consort De was very sure, not to mention the deeply obsessed Mrs. Tongjia, that even a young man couldn't survive that.
After going through this incident, Mrs. Tongjia's life would be halved, and she would be bedridden from now on. She would not be able to make any more waves.
She wasn't afraid of the bitch's revenge either. People were crazy. How could there be such a thing as rational revenge?
A tiger with its teeth pulled out was nothing to worry about. Mrs. Tongjia was, at best, a skunk!
Every aspect was well thought out, but now, Mrs. Tongjia was about to return!
Consort De clenched the edge of the swaddle and took a deep breath. Her face was extremely ugly.
After all, the difficult labour hurt her body. If she didn't rest well during the confinement period, she would suffer from serious and minor illnesses in the future.
In addition to confinement, she also had to take care of the frail little princess and the young Yinzuo. She was exhausted and couldn't spare any energy to care about everything outside the palace.
She hated that bitch Mrs. Tongjia, who specifically chose to come out during her confinement period. It was obvious why.
And Consort Yi! In five days, it would be ninth prince's one month ceremony!
After the one month ceremony, Consort Yi's green head card1, which had been out for a year, would be placed back in again. She would have the emperor's favour. No one would be able to restrain her arrogance when that time came and no one knew what she would do.
…
It was not an exaggeration to say that Yonghe Palace was surrounded by a pack of wolves.
Consort De gritted her teeth. Her brain throbbed. Before she could think of a perfect way to deal with the two of them, she heard a report from outside that someone from Yuqing Palace had arrived.
When Consort De heard that the crown prince invited Yinzuo to pick a foal, her expression stilled. The corners of her mouth flattened. Despite the reluctance in her heart, she finally said, "Go and invite the sixth prince to come over."
The crown prince was Empress Yuan's biological son and the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty. Even the rest of the princes combined could not compare to his status.
The crown prince asked all the princes to choose horses. He did not forget the four-year-old Yinzuo. Everyone would praise His Imperial Highness for being friendly to his brothers and having an open mind.
If she declined, what would the emperor think? What would the courtiers think?
She was no longer the favourite of the past. She couldn't take another wrong step.
"Don't be afraid Yinzuo. Mother has asked Lü Ping to follow you." Consort De pulled Yinzuo over. She was full of worry in her heart and kept telling him, "If you don't want to play, just rest on the sidelines, or ask your second older brother for help. Remember, don't be with your fourth older brother. He has a stubborn temper, and he still remembers what happened on Longevity Day…"
After giving birth, Consort De hadn't recovered her energy yet. Her face was pale and her words concealed deep exhaustion. She did not notice the slightly abnormal blush on Yinzuo's cheeks.
When Yinzuo heard that he was able to go out to play, he was excited. He took Consort De's advice seriously.
But when he thought about his mother and his weak younger sister, he hesitated for a moment. He said in a low voice: "Mother, younger sister…"
"Your younger sister is sleeping soundly, so Yinzuo can relax." Consort De smiled kindly and lifted her up to show him. Her tone was tired, but her eyes were radiant. "Go. Mother will wait for you to return."
Only then did Yinzuo feel relieved and he ran off happily.
"Sixth Prince, wait for your servant!" Lü Ping called out breathlessly from behind.
As soon as Yinzuo heard Lü Ping, he immediately stopped. When he bounced around and turned his head, he suddenly felt unbearably dizzy.
The sixth prince's complexion suddenly turned pale. In the next moment, the dizzy feeling suddenly disappeared. The pallor faded away and his blush became more intense.
He blinked in suspicion, then ignored it.
He touched the hem of his clothes, then shouted, "Auntie, hurry up! If you're late, the horse will be gone!"
…
Yinzuo happily ran to Yuqing Palace. He was respectfully led to the martial arts training ground in the backyard by He Zhu'er, who was on guard.
The martial arts training ground was owned by the crown prince and occupied quite a large area. It was no different from the one in the upper study, and it was also connected to the stables. On the south side, there were several large black drums engraved with dragon patterns. They were majestic and full of royal style.
"Crown Prince, the sixth prince is here." After He Zhu'er's announcement, the crown prince came out from the other side of the stable, touched Yinzuo's head, and greeted the sixth prince with a warm smile.
Yinzuo was guarded by Consort De, and he didn't normally go out. He didn't spend much time with his brothers, so he was not familiar with them. Therefore, he restrained his happy expression.
But after Consort De's words and orders, he knew that the person in front of him was his second older brother, imperial father's favourite son… Yinzuo smiled shyly, and called 'second older brother' in a low voice.
The fourth prince, who was following the crown prince, heard Yinzuo call 'second older brother'. He snorted, then turned his head away, but secretly peeked at Yinzuo from the corner of his eye.
As soon as Yinzuo thought of what Consort De said, that his fourth older brother still remembered the mistakes he made at the Longevity Festival, he felt wronged.
He didn't mean it, but he heard the conversation between the two maids in the imperial garden, and thought that what they said was right. Therefore, he asked his fourth older brother out loud.
His fourth older brother was also mother's biological son, and he was his older brother, so he should be filial to their mother and be close to him!
Mother was right. His fourth older brother didn't want to get along with him. He didn't want to get along with his fourth older brother either.
Yinzuo also snorted. It was as if the two brothers were confronting each other, which gave the crown prince a headache.
The third prince looked at them, took a step back quickly, and looked up at the sky. The fifth prince, Yinqi, turned around and pulled Yinzhen with one hand and Yinzuo with the other. He quickly led them to the stables.
Yinqi shouted while he was running, "Fourth older brother and sixth younger brother can choose. Second older brother is very generous! I want that Black Whirlwind2, so don't fight me…"
His voice was so loud that it surprised the crown prince, who then he shook his head and laughed.
How was the pony Black Whirlwind? It was just a black pony which only reached his waist.
…
When they arrived at the stables, Yinqi chuckled and held on to the two of them. After a while, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
His fourth older brother's hands were a little cold, but even so, his temperature is not much different from his. However, his sixth younger brother's hands were scorching.
It was like it was on fire!
The fifth prince was still young, so he didn't understand why. He looked all over the place, but he was confused.
The two brothers, Yinzhen and Yinzuo looked around, but did not look at each other. They occasionally hummed, which sounded similar.
Yinqi unknowingly let go of their hands and scratched his head. "Stop humming. If you keep humming, your throat will go. Pick a horse! What is that saying? Opportunity… Opportunity only knocks once."
He was taught this proverb, and now he could use it proficiently. This made the crown prince very pleased.
The next moment, Yinqi tugged on the crown prince's sleeve and called 'second older brother' in a low voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Sixth younger brother's hands are really hot, like as hot as a fire," Yinqi said quietly. "Is he wearing too many layers?"
The crown prince's original smile faded away. His expression suddenly became serious, and he repeated, "Hot?"
The fifth prince nodded in affirmation.
Yinqi was only five years old and didn't understand these things, but the crown prince did.
He pondered for a moment and subconsciously wondered if his sixth younger brother had a fever.
The weather was getting cooler. It alternated between cold and hot, so it was possible to catch cold. Besides, Consort De had just given birth to a princess, so she couldn't look out for the sixth prince well. Perhaps she didn't discover this?
But Little Six fell ill in Yuqing Palace. He had a good relationship with him, after all.
If the imperial doctor was invited to take a look at his sixth younger brother, it would alert imperial father and the revered elder that he had a cold… If it turned out to be a false alarm, then he, the crown prince, would suffer numerous attacks.
Besides, he had an idea of what Consort De's temperament was like, which was completely different from Consort Mother Yi's.
She took sixth younger brother very seriously, and could end up blaming him…
After all, it was he who invited his sixth younger brother over.
After hesitating for a few moments, the crown prince moved his fingers. He sighed softly and finally made up his mind.
In that room, the awkward Yinzuo ignored the awkward Yinzhen. He looked at the pony by himself, touched it from time to time, and made sounds of exclamation.
The crown prince came striding forward and covered Yinzuo's forehead with his slightly cool hand. This action caused the latter to raise his head blankly and look at the crown prince in puzzlement.
The crown prince's right hand was pressed against Yinzuo's forehead for a moment. The crown prince had a bad premonition. His expression sank, and he immediately called He Zhu'er. "Summon the imperial physician—"
Consort De suppressed the worries in her heart after watching Yinzuo go away. She couldn't help but lay down on the couch exhausted. She slept for a long, long time.
In the low light, Wet Nurse Wu's eager voice called out, "Consort, Consort…"
Consort De's eyelashes moved. After a long while, she opened them with some displeasure.
Her almond eyes were half closed. She was about to ask 'what's the matter', when Wet Nurse Wu pointed to the back of the screen, lowered her voice, and said joyfully, "The emperor is here!"
Consort De was surprised and delighted in an instant. Her drowsiness disappeared and a healthy rosy glow appeared on her pale face.
She struggled to stand up and leaned on the soft pillow. There was a hint of tenderness in her hoarse voice. "Forgive your concubine for being impolite and being unable to pay respects to Your Majesty. A few days ago, Your Majesty bestowed precious medicinal materials, and even gave the princess a name. Your concubine is very grateful…"
Her tone was always soft and gentle, but Kangxi didn't pay attention.
He kept turning the jade ring, almost turning out an afterimage.
The emperor closed his eyes and interrupted Consort De's words. He asked in a low voice, "Yinzuo has been poisoned… You are his mother, so did you know?"
Accompanied by Wet Nurse Wu's terrified eyes, Consort De shuddered. Her cheeks lost all colour and she passed out.
1.(綠頭牌) Green head card: a plaque with the name of a concubine on it. The emperor would pick the plaque with the concubine he wanted to sleep with that night and the servants would then go inform the concubine.
2.(黑旋風) Black Whirlwind: this might be a reference to Li Kui, whose nickname was Black Whirlwind. He was known for his fearsome combat ability and dark complexion.
Chapter 35
In Yuqing Palace, the laughter suddenly disappeared, and the atmosphere was extremely stagnant. It was accompanied by a bitter medicinal fragrance.
There was a faint sob of a child: "It's hot… It's so hot…"
—The sixth prince was not suffering from a cold, but poison.
Imperial Doctor Li, who was carrying the medicine box, took the sixth prince's pulse and reported the results while trembling. The crown prince was shocked and immediately summoned the entire imperial hospital to take turns to diagnose and to provide treatment.
After a long while, the imperial doctors came to the same conclusion without any contradictions.
At first, they didn't believe it either. How could the prince be poisoned?!
They took turns to check his pulse as they suppressed the panic in their hearts. They carefully observed Yinzuo's eyelids and tongue coating, discussed their findings in low voices, and then boiled a bowl of good medicine to reduce his fever.
This medicine was mild in nature, so it was suitable for a young child to take. It was the safest prescription that could not go wrong.
Yinzuo was ignorant and didn't even notice that he had been poisoned. He was only occasionally dizzy… After drinking the medicine, his whole body got hotter.
It seemed that it got worse after taking the medicine!
"Hot…" He lay on the couch with his mouth pursed and tears in his eyes. Then, small patches of red appeared on his white and tender face.
His forehead was hot, but his hands and feet were cold. His body twitched slightly, and within a few breaths, he cried again, "Cold… Mother, I'm cold…"
The imperial doctors looked at each other with solemn expressions. They quickly acted, made medicine and discussed the medicine, and did not dare to delay any longer.
The sixth prince experienced dizziness, chills in his limbs, and body twitching, which was followed by unstoppable abdominal pain and vomiting. These were common signs of poisoning.
As the people in the court with superb medical skills, they could cure all poisons in the world as long as they were not strange poisons.
Before the imperial doctors could breathe a sigh of relief, their heart rates increased again—
As the saying went, if they couldn't tell what the sixth prince was poisoned by, then how could they cure him?
Imperial Doctor Li cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Reporting to His Royal Highness, the sixth prince is suffering from a common poison, which is really a blessing among misfortunes. This official guesses that prince was poisoned, at most, five days ago. Because it was discovered too early, and the toxin is only a toxin when it reacts with something else…drinking the heat-dissipating medicine is like ripening the toxin, resulting in this menacing attack…"
"This poison can be cured. We just need to find out the source." He paused. His tone became a bit hesitant. "However, this official can't guarantee whether the sixth prince will be as healthy as before."
A child who was only four years old was too young! There would be residual effects. It was just a matter of severity.
Imperial Doctor Li bowed his head deeply for fear that the prince in front of him would be angered.
The crown prince stood by the bed. His lips were tightly pursed and his expression was livid. The third prince opened his mouth wide in shock. The fourth prince held the fifth prince's hand tightly. He gritted his teeth and his eyes were red.
Lü Ping, the palace maid who was sent by Consort De to take care of Yinzuo, covered her mouth and burst into tears. She almost fainted.
She murmured, "The sixth prince stays in Yonghe Palace all day long. All the servants keep an eye on him. How could there be any chance of him getting poisoned? It was impossible, impossible…"
Yuqing Palace invited all the imperial doctors to look at the sixth prince. This was a big move, so it was difficult to hide it from others. The crown prince was not prepared to hide this move, so he hastily had someone report this to imperial father and the revered elder.
Within a short while, Cining Palace got the news. This shocking event also reached the emperor's ears.
At that time, Kangxi finally had time to pay his respects to the great empress dowager.
He took a sip of the milk tea, and slowly told the old madam what happened in the harem recently. "Your grandson promoted Imperial Concubine Cheng and Imperial Concubine Ping. This was something that was in consideration a while ago and had little to do with Yikun Palace…"
The great empress dowager glanced at him. Her heart was like a mirror. She did not refute his words, but said with a smile, "Imperial Concubine Cheng gave birth to Little Seven, so it is reasonable to confer her the title of imperial concubine. But little Hesheli is Baocheng's aunt after all, and she should be a consort. As the emperor made such an arrangement, We thought there was some reasoning behind it."
Kangxi was silent for a few breaths. He wasn't intending to hide this matter from his respected imperial grandmother, and said indifferently, "Mrs. Hesheli is not worthy of being a consort. She is not even worthy of being an imperial concubine!"
The great empress dowager was startled. She couldn't stop twisting the beads, and sighed after a long while. "Does this have something to do with Yinqi falling into the water?"
She had lived in the harem for most of her life, and she had long seen through the disputes between women. Sometimes they were stupid and sometimes they were ruthless. When they were stupid, she couldn't bear to look directly at them, but when they were ruthless, it was shocking.
Consort Yi had always been straightforward and knowledgeable. In the past, she would never be arrogant because she was favoured and she would never advise on such matters.
The great empress dowager cared about the rules. Even if she liked Yun Xiu, she couldn't help but frown when she heard about the matter of promoting concubines.
Giving advice was the empress' duty. Consort Yi had overstepped.
Considering that Yun Xiu had just given birth to Yintang and that the empress dowager interceded, the great empress dowager did not speak out to reprimand her. However, there was a lump in her heart, and she was not very comfortable.
One needed to be strong to be a mother, so she could see that the entire process was strung together. The great empress dowager understood everything, and she sighed. "I can't blame her…"
Compared with the appalling schemes and calculations of others, what Consort Yi did was a bold move. When she thought about it this way, she had the poise of her youth.
The great empress dowager hated people who attacked children the most.
What was wrong with a child being childish?
Yinqi was raised by the empress dowager, and she also watched him grow up. Little Five's place in the great empress dowager's heart was equal to that of the crown prince.
Didn't this cross her bottom line?
"Imperial grandmother is right. This matter has been difficult… Xiu… Consort Yi has suffered a lot. As for Mrs. Hesheli, your grandson knows what to do."
Kangxi didn't want to make the great empress dowager angry, so he turned his ring and changed the subject softly. "There is also the matter of the palace power. Imperial mother is unwilling to take charge, so after the noble consort gives birth, it will be handed over to her. Consort Hui, Consort Yi, and Consort Rong will be assistants. What do you think?"
The great empress dowager pondered this for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Although the imperial noble consort was going to come back, but for the sake of the imperial face and the peace of the harem, it was impossible for the palace power to return to her.
It was important to take good care of your body, but one shouldn't be like the past empress who died young and left the emperor alone… It was not worth it.
The noble consort had a high status, but she had no experience in governing alone, so it would be good to have the help of the four consorts.
Wait.
The great empress dowager suddenly realised that the emperor was talking about three consorts, not all four consorts!
Why did he leave Consort De out of it?
"Revered elder, Mrs. Wuya… is also not worthy of being a consort." Kangxi noticed the old madam's surprise, paused for a moment, and then said, "Your grandson doesn't want to say it clearly, for fear of polluting your ears."
The great empress dowager sighed and nodded at him. She knew that the emperor was furious!
She patted Kangxi's hand lightly with her palm. Her eyes couldn't be more kind. "You're old enough to decide these matters. You really don't need to ask Us. Only those few children, you…"
"I know." Kangxi nodded, his tone soft. "Why would We get angry at them? Yinzhen and Yinqi lived together, and gradually became lively. And Yinzuo…"
The emperor hesitated for a while. He wanted to ask the revered elder about her advice on succession. At this moment, He Zhu'er asked to see him in a panic.
Liang Jiugong's heart skipped a beat. Did something happen to the crown prince?
"Greetings to the emperor! Greetings to the revered elder! The sixth prince… The sixth prince has been poisoned and is now in Yuqing Palace. The crown prince doesn't know what to do, so he quickly sent this servant to report."
The great empress dowager was taken aback and the beads in her hand fell to the ground. Kangxi stood up suddenly, comforted the old madam, and then said in a deep voice, "Get the carriage."
…
When Kangxi arrived, everyone sighed in relief. It was as if they had found their backbone. Qiqi said, "Greetings to the emperor."
Kangxi strode to the bed and glanced at the sleepy Yinzuo. His body was twitching uncontrollably, his cheeks were blotchy, and he was muttering something.
Kangxi cared about the princes. Even though his love for Yinzuo was slightly weakened because of Consort De, but when he saw Little Six's appearance, the emperor's complexion was extremely dark. Anger rose in his heart.
Imperial Doctor Li lowered his head and explained the current situation of the sixth prince in a low voice.
Hearing the words "the cause of the poisoning is unknown", Kangxi flew into a rage. Only when he caught a glimpse of the crown prince's worried eyes did he manage to stop his anger.
"We pardon you for your innocence. You must treat the sixth prince in a safe and sound way. Investigate this matter quickly…" Kangxi sat by the bed and tucked Yinzuo in a brocade quilt. His eyes were heavy, and he suddenly heard some of the things Yinzuo was saying.
"Peace talisman… Mother, pray for blessings…" Yinzuo was a little confused, and unconsciously put his hands on his chest, showing a protective posture.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Kangxi listened to those few words, and stood up abruptly. "Doctor, search his body!"
"Consort! Consort!" Consort De passed out suddenly and Yonghe Palace fell into chaos.
Some of the palace servants got medicine and the others were busy. Consort De soon woke up.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her hands were trembling, and she felt immense pain, like a knife cutting her heart out.
How could Yinzuo have been poisoned?
How could Yonghe Palace be taken advantage of?
She thought as such, and therefore asked the same question. She called out to the emperor with tears streaming down her face, and the despair and helplessness in her voice was evident.
"His sachet was worn close to his body. It had a safety talisman inside… The talisman was mixed with the devil's trumpet, oleander leaves, the rhizome of a wolf's bane, and daffodils…" Kangxi closed his eyes. His voice trembled, which was rare for him. "They are all very poisonous individually, but the effect is amplified when they are together."
Mixing these together was actually not very useful; however, because they were placed next to the body, the clothes squeezed the safety talisman, causing the liquid to ooze out. This was what was harmful!
She yelled "Yinzuo" hysterically, quickly rolled off the couch, gritted her teeth, put on some clothing, and rushed out.
Wet Nurse Wu was shocked. Consort De gave birth less than 3 days ago!
"Your Majesty!" Wet Nurse Wu couldn't catch up. She knelt down helplessly. "Your Majesty, forgive me! This… this…"
"Let her go and get a sedan chair to keep out the wind." Kangxi didn't blame her. "Yinzuo also hopes that his mother will be there. Liang Jiugong, drive to Yuqing Palace."
Wet Nurse Wu raised her head in astonishment. She saw Kangxi's back as he walked away quickly. Her heart dropped instantly.
…
No one expected that Consort De would force her body to come to Yuqing Palace!
When the crown prince saw Consort De's appearance, his eyes flashed with surprise. He hesitatingly called out 'Consort De'.
Consort De turned a deaf ear to him. She threw herself directly in front of Yinzuo, covering his forehead with trembling hands while she cried continuously.
Yinzhen stood aside, lowered his head and didn't look at Consort De. He had a downcast expression. When Yinqi saw this, he scratched his head, opened his mouth, and uttered a lot of Mongolian. "The imperial doctor said that he can be cured! Sixth younger brother is out of danger and will wake up soon…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Consort De suddenly turned her head to look at him. The look she shot him was as if she was about to swallow him alive. That expression contained a shocking cruelty.
"How did the fifth prince know that Yinzuo was poisoned?" She asked in a rough voice.
At the same time, in Yikun Palace.
Wet Nurse Dong pointed to the exquisite wooden box in the centre of the hall with a livid expression. "Don't carry it yet! None of you can afford to shock the consort!"
Inside the box, there was a pair of dazzling red and gold head ornaments, and many strings of precious jade beads, and in the farthest corner lay a black bird—
It was a dead black crow. It had been pierced by an arrow and died in a miserable state.
Yun Xiu waved her hand to stop Wet Nurse Dong, and then stared at the wooden box. She frowned in silence.
"What does the imperial noble consort mean?" Rui Zhu was a little frightened. She didn't dare to look at the box.
"She wants to join forces with Us to deal with Consort De." Yun Xiu looked away. "No. She has already started."
This crow, sandwiched among the "belated congratulatory gifts", was meant for show.
The imperial noble consort… To say that she was crazy was not wronging her!