"Mother, you finally managed to go out, why do you look so preoccupied?"

When Ning Chuge returned from horseback riding, he saw his mother sitting under the shade of a tree, lost in thought, so he turned around and quickly went over to her.

Xiuning looked up and saw her daughter's sweaty face. She shook her head helplessly. "Hurry up and wipe yourself. You can't act like this in this heat. You're a big girl now. Don't you know any better?"

Xiu Ning glared at Ning Chuge, and seeing the child grinning and completely unconcerned, she really had a headache. Oh dear, she didn't know what to say. The older he got, the more stubborn he became. If she didn't have confidence in herself, Xiu Ning didn't think she could control him.

"Mother, you worry too much. I understand everything."

Besides, she wasn't being reckless. Whether it was riding horses or practicing archery, she was preparing for the future. In any case, she had already understood her future destiny from her father's tone. So how could she not prepare in advance?

Xiu Ning reached out and tapped Ning Chuge's forehead, while also wiping away her sweat with a handkerchief. "You understand, but you can't be impatient."

Your mother knows you believe in the supremacy of strength, but sometimes appearance can solve most problems.

You should make good use of and amplify your strengths; relying on yourself is never shameful.

Fearing that Ning Chuge might go to extremes, Xiu Ning had no choice but to explain to her.

This can be considered a side effect of Ning Chuge spending so much time with Kangxi. Kangxi was an absolute advocate of power, and although he was of average appearance, he stood out entirely because of his personal charm. Ning Chuge's daily interactions with him were inevitably affected.

However, Ning Chuge is completely different from Kangxi. First of all, Ning Chuge's appearance was inherited from Xiuning. Secondly, Ning Chuge is a woman. In this era, even a powerful woman like Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang used her appearance to achieve her goals. So why can't Ning Chuge learn from her?

This is not about taking shortcuts; it's about making good use of your strengths to achieve your goals.

Xiu Ning spoke calmly, and Ning Chuge listened with ease. Neither mother nor daughter felt there was anything wrong with what she said. After all, the world was difficult, and women faced many restrictions. Everything was for a better life.

They made room for Ning Chuge to sit down and rest.

The mother and daughter chatted intimately, and occasionally Ning Chuge would do something funny, making Xiu Ning laugh out loud.

"Your Majesty, a message has just been sent from the palace," Chunyu said cautiously as she approached.

"News? Could something have happened in the palace?" Ning Chuge chimed in, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Chunyu.

Xiu Ning patted Ning Chuge's hand, indicating to Chunyu that she could speak up, since Ning Chuge was getting on in years and it was time for him to learn about matters concerning the harem.

"Consort Wuya in the palace is pregnant and should have been resting properly. However, on the day Consort An left the palace, she was assassinated by a palace servant. Fortunately, Consort An helped to block the attack, and Consort Wuya was unharmed. However, Consort An was injured in the abdomen by this person. The imperial physician diagnosed that Consort An may have difficulty conceiving in the future."

After finishing this long speech, Chunyu took a breath and added, "Just now, His Majesty issued an edict ordering the imperial physicians to do their best to save Consort An. Furthermore, regardless of whether Consort Wuya gives birth to a boy or a girl, they will be raised by Consort An."

"Aunt Chunyu, is Consort An really badly injured?"

Ning Chuge scratched her head. She felt like she was listening to gibberish, as if it were a magical story.

Chunyu nodded, "That's true. I heard that Consort An was not fully awake until the news arrived."

Ning Chuge turned to look at Xiu Ning, a hint of confusion in her beautiful eyes.

Xiu Ning reached out and touched Ning Chuge's hair. "Is there any news coming from Consort Tong?"

Upon hearing this, Chunyu shook her head. "I heard it's very quiet; they just sent the message to the palace."

"What evidence is there regarding the palace maid's assassination attempt?" Xiu Ning asked again.

Chunyu was taken aback by Xiuning's question, but then she realized what she meant and explained, "The palace servant who attempted the assassination committed suicide on the spot. I only heard that he had a conflict with Consort Wuya."

Xiu Ning looked down at the back of her hand. "So, the assassination attempt was just an escalation of conflict and had nothing to do with other forces."

Chunyu nodded, "That's right. His Majesty didn't pursue the matter; he simply entrusted it to Consort Tong for full handling."

It's highly likely that Consort Tong won't investigate anything further; she'll just try to smooth things over on the surface.

After listening to Xiuning and Chunyu's conversation, Ning Chuge leaned on Xiuning's lap and whispered, "Mother, why does this matter seem a bit strange?"

Both the timing and the outcome were coincidental. Even the most tragic one, Consort An, received offspring as compensation, so it seems that no one suffered a loss in the whole affair (ignoring Wuya Chenglin, who was used as a tool).

"That's strange, that's for sure. When a group of people are fighting, it's all about who's more ruthless."

Xiu Ning tapped Ning Chuge's nose, pointing out the suspicious points in the matter: "How did the palace servant who attempted the assassination get close to Consort Wuya? How did Consort An happen to appear, fail in her assassination attempt, and then successfully commit suicide without anyone stopping her?"

Furthermore, Consort Tong was in charge of palace affairs, and the lack of oversight in personnel management led to the incident. Why didn't the Emperor issue an edict to investigate?

These are all issues related to the incident, but Chunyu's explanations were vague, and Xiuning's understanding was fragmented. Some inside information was incomplete, which affected Xiuning's ability to make judgments and made her speak more cautiously.

Ning Chuge was stunned by Xiu Ning's question. She blinked her beautiful big eyes, opened her mouth, and it took her a while to realize that her mother was giving her a hint.

"This, this is a bit too crazy," Ning Chuge swallowed nervously. He felt that if it was really just a few people who caused this trouble, then they were truly fearless. "Father Emperor may not pursue it openly, but he certainly won't ignore it secretly."

Not every joke can be made public; it's a matter of principle, even if it doesn't have any other meaning.

Xiuning smiled and said, "That's why I say you should think things through before you do them."

Furthermore, the royal family's reputation and honor are of utmost importance at all times. You are also a member of the royal family, and even if you marry in the future, you will still bear the title of a Qing princess.

Ning Chuge, you must firmly remember your foundation, so that you will not make any big mistakes and can safeguard your bottom line.

Ning Chuge nodded earnestly, "Mother, I will remember."

The mother and daughter's conversation came to an end. Ning Chuge had other things to attend to, so she left Xiu Ning's place first.

After watching Ning Chuge leave, Xiu Ning simply summoned Chun Yu and asked her to arrange for the palace staff left behind to investigate the matter.

"There's no need to find out anything, just have people keep a close eye on Jingren Palace and Yonghe Palace."

This happened so suddenly; there's no telling what kind of twists and turns might occur later.

The child in Wuya Chenglin's belly is the next emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Whether Tong Jia Rongyue will be able to take over smoothly or whether Consort An's self-inflicted injury will prevail depends on the progress in the next few months.

However, it cannot be denied that the current situation is vastly different from what was recorded, and whatever happens is not surprising.