The emperor glanced around and happened to meet the prince's eyes.
Both the father and the son have the same phoenix eyes, but one is uncomfortable and the other is evasive.
The one who was uncomfortable was Kangxi, and the one who was dodging was the prince.
The Crown Prince had never imagined that, behind the scenes, the relationship between the Emperor and Concubine Yi was actually like this!
He was full of disbelief, and it took him a long while to react. He then muttered in his heart, what did Xiaowu do wrong? Why was he so disliked by the emperor
Yinzhen's psychological activities were exactly the same as his second brother's; Yinqi looked confused, and slowly seemed a little aggrieved.
In the bedroom, silent silence permeated.
Liang Jiugong looked left and right, gave a dry smile, quickly shrank his neck, tiptoed to hide in the corner, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, wishing he had never come.
Now, the majesty of His Majesty has been shattered to pieces in front of the princes...
Who should be blamed for this? No one can be blamed!
Kangxi stared at his sons, coughed, and remained expressionless for a long while.
In the end, he was the first to break the silence, with a stern face, ready to attack the oldest prince: "Baocheng, it's ok that you didn't ask for leave from the teachers, but you also dragged your fourth brother to the Yikun Palace. Neglecting your studies and indulging in fun, how can a crown prince act?"
The prince opened his mouth and suddenly felt that he was wronged!
He puffed up his cheeks slightly, cupped his hands, and said seriously: "In reply to the Emperor's words, the head teacher said that today is a half-day off, not only my son, but also my eldest brother and third brother have neglected their studies. Besides, my son brought fourth brother here to teach fifth brother Chinese, not to indulge in fun."
Kangxi: “…”
He put his hand to his lips, coughed again, and his face turned red, which was rare.
Suddenly I remembered that this was indeed the case! When the memorial was submitted to the upper study, he approved it without hesitation.
Kangxi's words of reprimand were stuck in his throat. He wanted to praise the prince but couldn't, and subconsciously looked at Yunxiu.
Concubine Yi was seen covering her mouth and smiling silently. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was trembling with excitement. Nanny Dong supported her, terrified that something might happen to Yunxiu's stomach.
My queen, it is extremely disrespectful to laugh at His Majesty!
Kangxi's face suddenly turned dark.
At this moment, Xiaowu's accusing voice was like the sound of nature, saving his royal father and also saving his mother who was about to suffer disaster.
Yinqi opened his eyes wide, angrily, and said, "Father Emperor, what do you mean by 'Xiaowu is gone'? You despise me and only have mother in your eyes!"
Because Xiaowu moved to the Yiku Palace, and because Kangxi often "came uninvited" for Yunxiu, the number of meetings between father and son increased greatly. The image of the emperor in Yinqi's mind became taller and clearer, and his awe of Kangxi gradually turned into closeness.
For example, under normal circumstances, little kid would never dare to complain.
Everyone present was stunned. The prince looked at Yinqi in surprise. Was this a unintentional act by the fifth brother, or was he trying to rescue him on purpose
…It must be unintentional, Xiaowu’s brain is not that smart.
The young prince sighed inwardly, thinking with regret that it was a rare opportunity for the emperor to be humiliated, and it was gone just like that!
The Fourth Prince also looked at Yinqi in surprise, and there was a hint of envy in his eyes.
With a favored mother like Concubine Yi, the fifth brother dares to say and do anything, and is not afraid of anything. The emperor will not blame him. But his own mother... Thinking of this, Yinzhen felt sad.
After hearing Yinqi's accusation, Kangxi felt relieved and his complexion improved a lot. He was ready to turn around and reward Xiaowu.
What a good boy he is, unlike his bad mother who dares to make fun of me!
"You're wrong. The Emperor doesn't have your mother in his eyes." Facing Yinqi's increasingly aggrieved gaze, Kangxi felt quite guilty.
He glanced at Yunxiu and saw that she was holding her belly, looking like she was watching a fun event, with curved eyebrows and a smile on her face. He became even more angry.
Look, he has become more and more arrogant because of his favor! He knew that I would come, but he still kept Yinqi in the main hall and brought Baocheng and Yinzhen here, making it difficult for me to get off the tiger and destroying my dignity.
Kangxi explained to Yinqi in a gentle tone, but he was helpless about Yunxiu.
He wanted to teach her a lesson, but looking at the harem, who could be more to his liking than Xiuxiu
I can only continue to pamper her willingly.
***
Yanxi Palace.
Concubine Hui took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweaty forehead of the eldest prince while scolding him: "The weather is getting hotter and the sun is getting stronger. You can practice riding and shooting, but you have to know the limit! If you get sunburned, won't I, your mother, be the one who is heartbroken?"
At the age of twelve, Yinzhi was already half a head taller than Concubine Hui. At this time, he lowered his head obediently and allowed Concubine Hui to scold him.
"Okay, go to the inner room and take a shower to avoid catching a cold..." Concubine Hui stopped wiping and pushed Yinzhi, "The hot water is ready, go quickly."
Yinzhi smiled, responded loudly, and ran away.
When he walked outside the curtain, he paused and turned around, looking a little confused: "Mother, I asked Xiao Xizi to inquire, and he just replied that the prince took the fourth child to Yikun Palace."
The master gave the prince half a day off, but the prince went to Yikun Palace
Concubine Hui's expression froze. The Yanx Palace had not received the news yet, but since Yinzhi had said so, it must be accurate.
How could it be! The Crown Prince and Concubine Yi have never had any contact with each other. Could it be that something happened that she didn't know about
Concubine Hui's smile disappeared, and she suddenly felt uneasy. She quickly asked her son, "Why did the prince do this?"
"How would I know?" Yinzhi curled his lips, thought for a long time, and guessed: "Didn't the fifth brother move to Yikun Palace? He should be looking for the fifth brother."
As he spoke, Yinzhi's tone became more and more determined, revealing a look of disgust: "That's right! Before, the prince often went to the Cining Palace, saying that he wanted to teach Yinqi Chinese, which made the emperor very happy, and the old ancestor was very happy. Now that he has gained real benefits, he has to pretend to be a good brother who loves his younger brother..."
How old are you, you are so good at pretending? Hypocrisy.
Concubine Hui listened and slowly put her mind at ease. After a moment, she raised her voice again: "You said that the Crown Prince often went to look for the Fifth Prince?"
"Exactly."
"At such a young age, you are so scheming. It's not enough to win over the fourth brother, you also want to win over the fifth brother." Hui Fei muttered in a low voice, narrowed her eyes, and suddenly asked Yinzhi: "How is your relationship with your brothers?"
Yinzhi thought for a moment and said, "I have a decent relationship with my third and fourth brothers, but I am not familiar with my fifth brother."
This "acceptable" is actually just average. Yinzhi looked timid, and Yinzhen's heart was towards the prince. After all, he disdained to associate with anyone who had anything to do with the prince.
As for Yinqi, he was raised by the Queen Mother since he was a child and was not yet old enough to go to school. Except for festivals and palace banquets, he, as the eldest brother, had only seen him a few times!
How could Concubine Hui not hear that her son's words were insincere
She took a few steps forward, tapped Yinzhi's forehead fiercely, and said angrily: "Can't you learn from the prince and act like a brother? Three or four or two are fine, but Xiaowu is born to Concubine Yi - Xiaowu is not a threat, Concubine Yi is the one your father likes the most!"
After taking a breath, Concubine Hui continued, "Behind Concubine Yi is the Guo Luoluo clan, who are rooted in the army. If Xiaowu is won over by the crown prince, and Concubine Yi whispers in the emperor's ear, just think about the consequences..."
Yinzhi didn't take it seriously at first, but gradually his expression changed and he became serious.
"Fortunately, my son discovered it not too late." Concubine Hui sighed, as if thinking about something, and then told Yinzhi: "Keep a close eye on the prince. Apart from that, don't neglect Yinqi. Mother doesn't usually interact with Concubine Yi, but now it seems that she has to change..."
***
Since Madam Tong Guowei passed away, although Chengqian Palace has not been lifted, the condition of the Imperial Concubine has been getting better day by day.
That’s not entirely true. It’s completely different from before.
In the past, she suffered from morning sickness and would vomit whatever she ate, which made her face pale and skinny. Now, her face is getting rosy, the symptoms of morning sickness have completely disappeared, her appetite has increased suddenly, and she enjoys her meals.
After a few days, the imperial concubine gained weight. Not only did she become more plump, but even her face, which was not suitable for public viewing, gradually became beautiful again. It was no exaggeration to say that she was radiant.
This change made the servants excited, and Nanny Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief; but after examining the patient, Imperial Physician Liu was not very optimistic.
The Imperial Concubine's state was very abrupt, as if she was supported by a breath of joy, like a castle in the air, which would collapse with the slightest push and would not stand up to solid ground.
To describe it in two words, one is "strange" and the other is "virtual".
What's more, eating too much is not a good thing!
Every time after taking the patient's pulse, Doctor Liu wanted to express his concerns, but after hesitating for a moment, he swallowed them back.
Last time, he tactfully advised the Imperial Concubine not to overeat, but her cold gaze made him break out in a cold sweat.
If he had not been sent into the palace by Lord Tong and was still useful, Imperial Physician Liu had no doubt that his life would have ended here.
The Imperial Concubine was in a weak state, probably because of the strong medicine. Doctor Liu smiled bitterly, but he was quite indignant. He had tried to persuade her, but the Imperial Concubine insisted on her own way. How could he disobey her order? !
Nowadays, it is better to have less trouble than more, and no one will complain about having a long life.
…
Not long after, the Imperial Noble Consort's recuperation ended, and the Defei's house arrest also ended.
The Queen Mother seemed to be relieved and quickly transferred the palace power to Chengqian Palace. The Imperial Noble Consort was eight months pregnant, so she declined to take the position, but the Queen Mother was not good at handling affairs, so the Imperial Noble Consort had no choice but to divide the palace affairs into several parts and hand them over to her confidants.
The fifth prince Yinqi moved back to the Cining Palace and lived with the fourth prince Yinzhen, and they got along quite well.
"It's come to this, but she still refuses to share power." Defei chuckled and folded the rose petals with force. In an instant, the petals of the rose fell and scattered on the ground in a shapeless state.
…
Rumors suddenly spread in the palace. The eunuchs and maids were saying in private that the emperor was going to appoint a queen! The queen was the Imperial Noble Consort.
The Imperial Noble Consort held the same rank as the Vice Queen, and was about to give birth to a child; most people believed in the Queen's enthronement and became more respectful towards Chengqian Palace.
Especially the people in the Imperial Household Department, no matter which department they were in, were all extremely fawning and wanted to worship the Imperial Noble Consort like an ancestor.
The rumor was initially spread in private, but by the time the Imperial Concubine discovered it, it was already unstoppable.
Fortunately, the emperor was busy recovering lost territory due to the complicated affairs in the south, and he did not notice this at all. The imperial concubine was so angry that she became ruthless and used thundering means to severely punish the gossiping palace maid. Gradually, the storm disappeared without a trace.
She sent people to investigate the source of the rumor, paying special attention to the Yonghe Palace, but she was unable to find any evidence and had to give up.
Soon it was the fifth day of May.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, the Forbidden City welcomed the summer and got rid of bad luck. Almost every concubine in the harem wore new clothes.
The Imperial Household Department welcomed the busiest period of the year. The damaged palaces had to be repaired, the missing utensils had to be replenished, and the sedan chairs and ceremonial guards used by the empresses had to be replaced with new ones.
There will be a "Zong Banquet" at noon today, and then she will go to the West Garden with the emperor to watch the dragon boat race. The Imperial Concubine got up early and dressed up for an hour, then held Zhen Ma's hand and looked at the Imperial Concubine's ceremonial guards carefully prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The sky was clear, with the sun shining brightly, and the fluttering phoenix flags guarding the sedan chair. Because the sun was too glaring, the imperial concubine could not see clearly, so she just glanced at it roughly and smiled with satisfaction: "It's much more exquisite than before, they put a lot of thought into it."
Nanny Zhen helped her get into the sedan chair and forced a smile, suppressing her worries, "Your Highness..."
The queen is pregnant now, she should stay in the bedroom like Concubine Yi and should not attend! What if something unexpected happens
"Don't worry, I know what's going on." The Imperial Concubine patted her hands and said calmly, "Since Concubine De has gone, I should go too..."
With a shout of "Lift the sedan", the unfinished words disappeared in the wind.
***
The Zongzi Banquet is different from a family banquet in that it is a rare banquet where the emperor and his ministers enjoy themselves together.
When the imperial concubine's procession arrived, Tong Guowei and Mingzhu happened to be together and were about to step into the threshold of the hall.
Mingzhu seemed to sense something when she heard whispers in her ears. She looked outside, carefully identified for a moment, and suddenly opened her eyes wide.
"Master Tong." His voice trembled a little, which was unusual for him. "There is a colorful phoenix on the phoenix flag. According to the regulations, the one who can use the colorful phoenix is... the empress's ceremonial guard!"