The Imperial Concubine choked with sobs and tears. When she raised her head, half of her makeup was smudged. How could she look so graceful
She covered her belly and asked the emperor to make the decision. She showed rare vulnerability in a way that was unexpectedly heartbreaking.
The Imperial Noble Consort gave a bitter smile: "... Defei finally gave birth to Yinzhen, and she was constantly involved. I didn't restrict him from playing with Yinzuo. But what she said today really touched my heart... Defei was right, children speak without restraint, how can I blame the Sixth Prince? I think it was just an unintentional remark..."
Defei's words of plea were stuck in her throat. She slowly bent down, closed her eyes, and felt as if she was falling into an ice cellar.
The Imperial Noble Consort said that Yinzuo was a child and spoke without restraint, so the blame could not be placed on him.
The implication is that it was her, the mother, who taught her these words personally.
It was also her fault for being careless. When Yinzuo curiously asked about Yinzhen, she smiled kindly and said in a light tone: "Your fourth brother treats Chengqian Palace as his own home, so how can he remember mother?"
She just said it casually, who would have thought that Yinzuo actually took it seriously.
No, not seriously.
How old was Yinzuo? He wouldn't remember it so clearly.
There must be some conspiracy by the Imperial Concubine, who led Xiaoliu to say such words!
…
After a little thought, Concubine De understood the whole story. How could she not know that this was a trap set by the Imperial Noble Concubine
She used Yinzuo as bait to disrupt the family banquet, and even threw away the dignity of a vice queen, just to throw dirty water on her and frame her with two crimes.
Firstly, he instigated Yinzuo with ulterior motives; secondly, he was disrespectful to the Imperial Noble Consort and intended to alienate the mother-son relationship between her and Yinzhen.
How could the emperor let her go in front of so many people
The Tong family is the emperor's maternal family. Although Tong Jia will not get away with it, the emperor will never punish her severely.
—Killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred of your own, how can a normal person do this
Now, no amount of explanation will be of any use, as Xiaoliu's words are the evidence.
No, she must not lose her composure, she has not lost yet...
The nails dug into the palm of her hand, causing waves of pain. Concubine De said nothing and prostrated herself deeply, as if she had accepted her fate.
Concubine Hui gasped and couldn't help but clench her embroidered handkerchief tightly, feeling extremely anxious. Concubine Rong was the same.
They had jointly arranged the dinner, and they thought it would be a harmonious and joyful occasion, but who could have imagined that something like this would happen!
Recalling that today was the Emperor's birthday, Rong Fei's heart sank and she looked up quietly.
As expected, the emperor's face turned livid, and there was no trace of the warm expression he had just had.
Kangxi kept turning his jade ring, and was so angry that he laughed. He glanced at the Imperial Concubine, paused, and then glanced at Concubine De.
One was pregnant for seven months, the other for five months, and they were restless all day long.
And I chose today specifically!
Good, very good.
The Empress Dowager has lived in the harem all her life, how could she not see the trick in this matter
The old lady sighed softly, fearing that the emperor would do something irrational in a rage, so she spoke before Kangxi: "Yinzhen, Yinzuo, you are all good children. Come to the old ancestor, come!"
The words of the Empress Dowager were like a rain of blessings from heaven, saving the Fourth Prince who was hanging his head and clenching his fists, and the Sixth Prince who was about to cry.
Kangxi was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and felt a little guilty.
It's also his fault that he neglected the affairs of the harem and caused the Royal Madam to worry so much.
Looking at the two children, the emperor's anger eased a little, and his impression of the Imperial Noble Consort and the Virtuous Consort fell to the bottom.
He glanced at Liang Jiugong and tapped the table with his fingertips.
Liang Jiugong understood immediately and let out a long breath: "Serve the meal—"
The palace ladies entered one after another, and the stagnant atmosphere gradually dissipated.
…
“Grandfather…” Yinzuo wiped his tears and spoke in a sobbing voice, but was interrupted by the Empress Dowager halfway through.
The Empress Dowager took Yinzuo's hand, touched Yinzhen's bald head, and smiled kindly: "Don't cry, the ancestors are here. Come, have some snacks to fill your stomach."
Yinzhen silently took the snack and put it into his mouth with red eyes.
The Empress Dowager sighed.
They are obviously brothers from the same family, but they are very different from each other. She saw that Xiao Si seemed to be resisting Xiao Liu.
It’s not worth using children as a raft!
The Empress Dowager's eyes became stern and she turned to the Imperial Noble Consort and the Virtuous Consort who were kneeling in the center of the hall.
Because the emperor did not ask them to stand up, they were still kneeling on the ground, and were now a little shaky.
The floor tiles were icy cold, and kneeling for too long was bone-chilling. However, the Imperial Concubine was well prepared, having worn thick knee pads and drunk a bowl of strong medicine to preserve the pregnancy. At the moment, her situation was much better than that of Concubine De.
But Concubine De felt scared.
Her lower abdomen felt cold and she felt a sense of falling. Although the sensation was not obvious, it scared her to death.
If she couldn't keep the baby, how could she stay in the harem? !
That day, the emperor stormed out of Yonghe Palace, and Concubine De clearly felt that the emperor's favor on her was not as strong as before.
Not to mention compared to Concubine Yi, even the less favored imperial concubine received rewards from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. But she got nothing, which made people laugh!
Without pampering, children become dependence.
Look, those servants in the Imperial Household Department who are responsible for judging the dishes should still treat her with respect as usual
She has deeper thoughts hidden deep in her heart.
Yinzuo was all alone, with no one to help him. In the future... she would have to give birth to a younger brother for him, so that she could better plan for the future and truly live up to the "zuo" in "guozuo".
Since the death of a little princess last year, Defei attached great importance to this baby and even made up her mind to hand him over to the Empress Dowager to raise as soon as he was born.
If she were a prince, she would be invincible like Yinqi and could better help Yinzuo in the future; if she were a princess, she might be able to avoid Fumeng's fate.
She considered every aspect, but the premise of everything was that the child was safe.
Concubine De bit her lip and became ruthless.
If anything goes wrong with this pregnancy, she will make sure Tong Jia is killed without a burial place, even at the risk of her life!
Nanny Wu, who was far away on the other side, quickly noticed something strange about Concubine De and became extremely anxious.
She gritted her teeth and was about to step forward to plead for mercy, but the Grand Empress Dowager seemed to have noticed something, slowly retracted her gaze, and waved her hand, "Royal Consort, Virtuous Consort, both of you get up. It's a happy day, so let's not talk about punishment or not. This matter will be discussed later."
Kangxi picked up a piece of green bamboo shoots with his chopsticks and said without raising his head, "Grandson listens to the Royal Madam."
Concubine De was stunned. Should we discuss it later
The Imperial Concubine's expression froze and she looked at Kangxi in disbelief. Kangxi seemed to sense something and slowly raised his head and glanced at her lightly.
Suddenly, the Imperial Concubine felt regretful. She seemed to be... getting further and further away from her cousin.
Then, looking at Concubine De, who had pale lips and was extremely weak, and the not-so-obvious spot of red at the corner of her robe, the Imperial Noble Concubine's expression gradually became firm, and she touched her bulging belly with a slight smile.
It's all worth it.
Once she gives birth to a little prince and becomes queen, who can compete with her
It is said that she hated Concubine De because of Yinzhen, and hated Concubine Yi because of the emperor's favor. This is true, but not entirely.
Currently, the Imperial Concubine, the Yi Concubine, and the De Concubine are all pregnant, and their pregnancy months are not much different from hers.
What if they gave birth to a prince and won the emperor's favor? How much of a threat would that pose to her
The Emperor's beloved youngest son, just one is enough!
No one could compete with her brother, no one.
It was clear that Concubine De could not keep the baby. Even if she gave birth, the baby would cry weakly, so there was no need to worry. Concubine Yi had Concubine Yuan to help, and as for Concubine Niu Hulu...
She had to think carefully and come up with a foolproof solution.
***
Accompanied by her son, Concubine Yi watched the show all night long with great interest. Not only did she eat to her heart's content, she also drank several glasses of warm juice.
After the dinner was over, Yunxiu bent down, held Yinqi's round cheeks, leaned over and kissed him, "Xiaowu, go to sleep obediently. Don't kick the quilt at night. Do you hear me?"
"Mother, Yinqi didn't kick the quilt." Yinqi opened his big eyes like black grapes and snorted, "My brother did!"
As I said this, I secretly thought, my mother's kiss smells so sweet, next time, I have to kiss her back.
Yun Xiu pinched his chubby cheeks and couldn't help laughing, "Brother, your hands and feet are not yet fully grown, it's too early for you to kick the quilt."
The Queen Mother stood aside happily, praising Yinqi in Mongolian and testifying for him: "Our Yinqi doesn't kick the quilt, and the Queen Mother knows it best..."
When Kangxi came over with the Empress Dowager on her side, he happened to see this heartwarming scene and heard Yinqi's "brave words" about not kicking the quilt.
The emperor was slightly startled, then burst into laughter, his focused eyes falling on Yun Xiu, not moving away for a moment.
The desk where Xiuxiu sat today was too far back.
Sitting in the front were the Imperial Noble Consort, the Noble Consort, and the Hui Consort; she did not want to show off, but just ate in silence with her head lowered, so that he could not get a good look at her.
His heart was moved, and suddenly, Kangxi had an impulsive idea.
Perhaps it was because the night was too dark, the impulse gradually solidified into a rope, and because of his self-restrained imperial cultivation, he suppressed it in his heart.
Wait a little longer. The harem structure has been established, and now is not the right time.
"Madam, I will help you here." Kangxi stopped where Yunxiu couldn't see him and said with a smile, "I'm sorry for the trouble you took with the dinner..."
The Grand Empress Dowager waved her hand and smiled, "You, the previous dynasty is busy with many things, and the Imperial Concubine is pregnant, so I have to take action! Please don't say such things."
Speaking of the Imperial Noble Consort, the Grand Empress Dowager shook her head and sighed, "She obviously can't take care of another child... The same goes for Consort De. How can Xiao Si be happy being caught between them?"
Kangxi stood with his hands behind his back and fell silent.
After a moment, he cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Please promise me..."
***
On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month or on major holidays, the emperor would always stay overnight in the Kunning Palace. This was a rule that had been passed down from generation to generation.
Since the death of Empress Xiaozhao, the new empress had not been appointed. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month and major festivals, the emperor would visit the Imperial Noble Concubine in the Chengqian Palace.
Today is the Emperor's birthday. Logically, after the banquet, the Emperor should come...
The Imperial Concubine suppressed the slight uneasiness in her heart and asked her servants to keep asking. When it was almost time for bed, the Emperor finally arrived.
Hearing the report, she breathed a sigh of relief, but then a strong feeling of bitterness surged over her, and she turned to look at Concubine Yuan.
"Serve His Majesty well." After a long pause, the Imperial Concubine said coldly, "If anything goes wrong, I will hold you responsible!"
Concubine Yuan replied respectfully.
…
When the emperor strode into the main hall, the people who came forward to greet him were not only the imperial concubine who had finished tidying up, but also a familiar figure.
“…” Kangxi almost thought he had taken a wrong turn and subconsciously curled the corners of his lips.
Then he looked closely and saw that it was a strange, beautiful woman who looked 30% like Xiuxiu and had imitated her behavior and dress!
Kangxi had been in power for many years, and he had seen all kinds of storms. But now he was shocked, and he couldn't stop smiling. He pointed at the imperial concubine and was speechless.
Liang Jiugong's heart skipped a beat, something bad happened.
When the Imperial Noble Consort saw that smile, she thought that the Emperor was surprised at Concubine Yuan's appearance and was probably quite satisfied with it.
She managed to stop feeling jealous and put on a virtuous smile: "Your Majesty, please be well. I am in my advanced period and cannot serve you, so I found a beauty from the side hall. Concubine Yuan is as beautiful as Concubine Yi..."
Before he could finish his words, Kangxi picked up the teacup beside him and smashed it down heavily.
The Imperial Concubine was startled and took a few steps back, her face suddenly pale, "Your Majesty?"
"Ridiculous." Kangxi laughed in anger, and found it unbelievable. "Comparable to Concubine Yi? Who do you think I am, and who do you think Yunxiu is?! She is just a fake, how can she be compared with Concubine Yi?!"
Under the extremely shocked and panicked gaze of the Imperial Noble Consort, Kangxi took a few steps forward, approached her, and asked softly: "In your eyes, Tong Jia, am I like a monkey in the garden, who can be led around and performed monkey shows for you?"
The phoenix eyes are deep, containing a frightening chill.
“No…” The imperial concubine’s tone broke as she murmured and stepped back.
Concubine Yuan had already retreated to the corner. At this moment, she was biting her lip and lowering her head to hide the slight smile on the corner of her mouth.
Kangxi laughed, turned the jade ring on his finger, stared at the imperial concubine and said, "You want to be Mu Xieli, but I don't want to be Gao Wei. Cousin, if you don't want to be the imperial concubine, can I help you?"