The Imperial Noble Consort was not an illiterate woman and had heard of some historical anecdotes.
As Kangxi questioned her, her face turned even paler.
What did the emperor say
When did she ever think that the emperor was an extremely incompetent ruler who would bring ruin to the country? !
He also said that he would fulfill her wish and no longer be the imperial concubine...
Such angry words made people feel cold all over and their minds went blank.
Kangxi suddenly became angry, and the palace servants who were serving him were so scared that they knelt on the ground and prostrated themselves on the ground trembling with fear.
Nanny Zhen was both terrified and anxious.
Your Majesty made a wrong move, but even if she did, Your Majesty should not have reprimanded her like that.
It had been so many years, but this was the first time she saw His Majesty so angry with the concubines, and at that, it was his own cousin, the Imperial Noble Consort!
Why is it so, why is it so?!
Seeing the Imperial Concubine trembling with her lips and about to faint while holding her stomach, Nanny Zhen knelt before Kangxi, kowtowed and burst into tears: "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down! The Imperial Concubine admires you the most, how could she have such a rebellious idea? Your Majesty! The Queen is still pregnant with the little prince..."
Kangxi looked at her coldly. When he heard the word "young prince", his eyes wavered for a moment. He suppressed his anger, closed his eyes, and turned to Liang Jiugong and said, "Don't delay for a moment. Go and ask the imperial physician to come."
Nanny Zhen's forehead was covered with cold sweat and she breathed a sigh of relief.
There is still room for maneuver, the emperor is still thinking about the empress.
Just now, the spy in Yonghe Palace passed on the news that after Concubine De returned to the palace, the imperial physician was waiting in the front hall without her instructions.
I heard that it was an order from His Majesty.
Continuing the family line is the top priority. The Empress' pregnancy is like having an extra amulet. No matter how angry the Emperor is, he will not ignore the Empress's belly.
According to Nanny Zhen, the emperor was just speaking in anger, and the culprit is Concubine Yuan!
I just hope that the Queen can think it through and not get stuck in a dead end and continue to argue with the Emperor...
Perhaps the pregnancy-preserving medicine prepared by Imperial Physician Liu was extremely effective. Although the Imperial Noble Concubine was extremely frightened and felt regretful, fearful, and desperate, there was no sign of bleeding.
As soon as the words "Please call the imperial physician" came out, the imperial concubine came back to her senses, her hands trembling, she cried and said, "Cousin..."
Perhaps because he was so angry and vented the anger that had been accumulating for a long time, the emperor gradually calmed down and glanced at Concubine Yuan in the corner.
"I understand that you have to think a lot during pregnancy." Kangxi sighed and rubbed his brows. "What I said just now was a bit too much."
As soon as these words were spoken, the imperial concubine felt a lump in her throat and burst into tears.
"Ruying, you are my Imperial Consort." Kangxi paced back and forth, looking sideways at her, "You are also my cousin. The affection between you and me is self-evident."
Without waiting for the Imperial Noble Consort to speak, Kangxi said calmly, "But what about now? You are pregnant and your energy is not sustainable, but you have made all the stupid moves, which disappoints me. The ancestor has ordered that from tomorrow until the time of your delivery, Yinzhen will live in the Cining Palace with Yinqi to prevent you from being overworked."
As he spoke, he cast his sharp eyes towards the corner, his tone full of disgust: "This Yuan family—"
Yinzhen, living in Cining Palace? !
As soon as the Imperial Concubine's tears stopped, she suddenly clenched her sleeves. Before she could react, her attention was drawn to the word "Yuanshi".
Turning her head instantly, the Imperial Concubine looked at Concubine Yuan with a gloomy expression.
Oh, by the way, Yuan!
Not only did he get scolded, but he also lost Yinzhen. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was seriously injured.
No matter what, if it weren't for this bitch, how could I have fallen to this point? !
"Cousin, it was Concubine Yuan who deceived me..."
Before she could finish her words, Concubine Yuan knelt down with a thump, kowtowed repeatedly, and cried loudly: "Your Majesty! No matter how many mistakes I made, they were all my fault. If Your Majesty wants to punish me, I will not complain at all. But honestly, who wants to be a fake? The Imperial Concubine is forcing me step by step, so how can I choose!"
After taking a breath, Concubine Yuan continued to cry, "I have lived in a side hall for a long time, far away from the world. I usually bow my head when paying respects, and I even refuse banquets whenever possible. I don't know much about Concubine Yi, let alone imitate her dress. It was the Imperial Concubine who taught me! If you don't believe me, you can send someone to my room to take a look... The clothes in the closet are all bright colors, and the materials are also quite precious. How can I own them? Please understand, Your Majesty!"
The sound was loud and clear, and it was heartbreaking.
The imperial concubine's nails dug into her palms, and Nanny Zhen's face turned pale.
"I don't want to deceive the emperor. Even if I have to live in a side hall and be bullied by the Imperial Concubine, I will accept it!" Finally, Concubine Yuan said word by word.
As early as when Yuan was seeking justice, Liang Jiugong had already sent people to the inner room of the side hall.
Soon, the checking maids came out quickly and nodded at him.
Liang Jiugong's face turned bitter, and he reported carefully: "Your Majesty, it is true."
The air stagnated for a moment.
Just then, Imperial Physician Chen arrived with a medicine box. The old man with white hair and beard had bright eyes and looked vigorous. Noticing that the atmosphere was not right, he hesitated and dared not step forward.
Kangxi glanced at Concubine Yuan and said calmly, "... Yuan, move to Zhongcui Palace immediately and be confined for half a month. Stop this behavior. If you imitate Concubine Yi again, I will not forgive you."
Concubine Yuan was delighted and bowed with tears in her eyes: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
Seeing the imperial physician arrive, Kangxi waved his hand, not wanting to look at the Imperial Concubine again, and ordered in a deep voice: "The Imperial Concubine has suffered a lot during her pregnancy, and she has taken the initiative to rest. The period is tentatively set at one month, and the power of the palace will be handed over to the Empress Dowager. Defei has made mistakes in her words and deeds, and she will be confined to her house for one month and punished to copy the palace rules ten times."
Liang Jiugong sighed secretly and sighed.
Your Majesty has good intentions! The ladies can stay in their own palaces to rest and take care of their pregnancies, away from disputes; although it is a punishment, it is actually protection.
But what the Imperial Concubine thought was completely different from Liang Jiugong’s.
Rest? What's the difference between that and house arrest? It's just a nice way of saying it.
Even though the bitch Defei did such a wrong thing, the Emperor treated her leniently and only confined her to her place of residence for a month.
What about her? She lost Yinzhen, her power in the imperial palace, her dignity... everything.
Your Majesty, you are trampling on her face!
The Imperial Concubine watched Kangxi go away, let out a miserable laugh, and fainted in Nanny Zhen's arms.
***
Yikun Palace.
As soon as Concubine Yi woke up, the situation in the harem had changed.
"The Imperial Concubine is recuperating, and the Virtuous Concubine is under house arrest? The Fourth Prince has moved to the Cining Palace to live?" Yun Xiu heard the report at breakfast time and slightly widened her eyes. Unconsciously, her silver chopsticks fell to the ground with a 'click'.
Ruizhu nodded and said with a smile: "That's right! The emperor has issued an edict, and the power of the palace is handed over to the queen mother..."
Yunxiu was still in a daze, and Nanny Dong immediately took over Ruizhu's words and said happily: "The Queen Mother has not been in charge of things for a long time. She has suddenly taken over the power of the palace and is overwhelmed. She has to ask the ancestors for advice... In this way, the Fifth Prince will definitely be neglected. The Queen Mother sent Nanny Qian just now, saying that the Fifth Prince should return to Yikun Palace to live. At least one month! The prince will arrive at noon tomorrow."
Yinqi returned to live in Yikun Palace
Yunxiu suspected that she had heard it wrong.
But Nanny Dong said that Nanny Qian, who was beside the Queen Mother, told her personally... so it shouldn't be wrong.
After realizing what was going on, Yun Xiu immediately smiled in surprise, her face full of joy, and she said quickly, "Quick, get someone to clean up the warm room and go to Ningshou Palace! Pack up Yinqi's favorite things, and make a copy of his favorite meals..."
It's a bit incoherent.
"Don't worry, Madam. I know everything!" Nanny Dong quickly helped her sit down. "... He must have considered everything carefully. You should take care of your health. You can't just be perfunctory about breakfast, right?"
"I'll listen to you, Madam." Yun Xiu suppressed her excitement a little and picked up the bowl and chopsticks again.
After finishing her meal, she stroked her hair, radiant with light and eyes, and said, "Today is a double blessing. Not only is the harem quieter, but I can also spend every day with Xiaowu. The emperor is really wise."
For the first time since she had the dream that predicted the future, Yunxiu thanked Kangxi from the bottom of her heart.
The Imperial Noble Consort and the Virtuous Consort were considered her enemies.
There is no need to talk about Concubine De, as that was an old grudge; the Imperial Noble Concubine had no grudge against her, but in order to win favor, she had to find a fake to replace her.
The Imperial Concubine's plan was successful. Yunxiu appeared to be calm on the surface, but she was actually very upset.
Meeting Concubine Yuan is like looking in a mirror. How can you not feel disgusted
Now, before she could do anything, the enemies spontaneously started fighting each other, leaving her with nothing to fear.
Without them, my sleep is sweeter.
Although it’s only been a month, it’s already a pleasant surprise!
Could it be that Guo Luoluo Yunxiu is blessed with good fortune
Yun Xiu was happy for a long while, and then she touched her increasingly round belly and whispered, "Xiao Jiu, your fifth brother is coming, are you happy? Mother is very happy..."
***
After noon, the Imperial Concubine of Yongshou Palace came to visit, and Yunxiu greeted her with a smile: "The peach blossom dew is already hot, come in quickly."
Imperial Concubine Niu Hulu nodded, then pointed at her and smiled: "Why are you so happy? Did something good happen to you?"
Yun Xiu blinked knowingly: "It's good for you and me."
As they were talking, the two of them walked into the bedroom together, sat casually on the kang, eating cakes and chatting.
Talking about the Imperial Concubine's "rest", the Imperial Concubine smiled and said, "She had a big fall, but we got some peace and quiet."
Yun Xiu said lazily, "Isn't it? She's always calculating this and that. I feel so tired for her."
The imperial concubine chuckled.
She came from the Niohuru clan, a prominent family in the Bordered Yellow Banner, and her elder sister was Empress Xiaozhao. If we really talk about status, the Tong family could not even come close to her.
The Tong family prospered due to the emperor's maternal family, while the Niuhuru family was just the opposite. Since the death of his father Ebilun, the family no longer had a pillar, and there was a lack of successors. The older brothers were incompetent and the younger brothers were not mature.
After her sister passed away, she was the only one who could enter the palace to bring protection to the family. This was her mission.
Although the noble concubine did not care about the emperor's favor, she looked down upon the behavior of the royal concubine.
It would have been fine if she had just become the Imperial Noble Consort due to her status as a member of the Tong family, but she actually wanted to be the Empress, standing shoulder to shoulder with her sister!
"… She wants to give birth to a prince, isn't it for the position of queen?" The imperial concubine laughed sarcastically, "Look, she has done so many tricks, and now she has angered the emperor."
After saying that, the imperial concubine pointed in the direction of the Qianqing Palace, leaned over, and whispered to Yunxiu: "Just issue an order and the former court will know immediately."
She has close ties with the family and has sources of information that Yunxiu doesn't know about. Once these words were spoken, Yunxiu's appetite was instantly whetted.
"Could it be that the Tong family has made some move?" Yun Xiu asked quietly.
"Not only that!" The imperial concubine said softly, "Not only the Tong family. The Hesheli family and the Nara family are fighting each other, and the court meeting is as noisy as a vegetable market."
Vegetable market
Imagining Kangxi's gloomy face, Yunxiu laughed for a long time: "How did it become a vegetable market?"
The imperial concubine also laughed and lowered her voice: "What else could it be for? To establish the empress."