If they continue to stay in seclusion, Yonghe Palace will truly become a cold palace in name and in reality.

"Send someone to deliver a message to Consort Xian: His Majesty is going out again this time, and when he returns, he will definitely go to the Yuanmingyuan Garden to escape the summer heat."

For the two years before last and last year, Consort Xian could only stay in the palace to recuperate and recover.

I advised her to take advantage of her remaining abilities and consider the well-being of her two children.

Otherwise, who in the harem would bother to care for two unrelated children?

There is no one like her in the palace for the time being, and Consort Yu, who has some connection with Consort Xian, is too busy to take care of herself.

Heh~

Instead of hoping for others to have a good heart, it's better to place your hopes on yourself.

At least you can know whether you've done well or poorly, which is better than having to pray for others to have a conscience when you close your eyes in death. Thinking about it another way, you won't be able to leave this world in peace.

Yongshou Palace Main Hall

Consort Xian, lying on the bed in the inner room, desperately suppressed her cough.

Cui Rui brought over the prepared herbal medicine. Seeing her mistress's condition, she quickly helped her sit up from the bed and patted her back.

"Your Majesty, you have already used up the prescriptions that the imperial physician prescribed. Why don't you ask someone to come and give you another one?"

The prescribed herbal medicine was ineffective; drinking it made no difference compared to not drinking it at all.

Cui Rui pursed her lips, thinking to herself that her mistress was already suffering a lot due to her poor health. If she could not alleviate her pain with the help of medicine, she would truly be enduring it all in vain.

Year after year, Cui Rui used to think that her master was working too hard and disregarding her own health, but now her master was risking her life to stay here.

What good would it do? It's better to just get rid of it all.

After the medicine was cooled down, it was brought to Consort Xian's lips and she was instructed to drink it.

"Cough cough, cough cough cough"

Consort Xian held a handkerchief in her hand, but in the blink of an eye it was covered with brown soup.

The herbal decoction smelled terrible, bitter and repulsive.

Consort Xian frowned, moved her shoulder with difficulty, and refused to drink the medicine.

Cui Rui: ...

Cui Rui advised her master not to be willful, but to drink as he should, otherwise how could he take good care of his health?

"You said it yourself, this medicine has no effect, so why should I drink it?"

"Pour it out, and have the imperial physician come again to examine your pulse and prescribe a new medicine."

Unable to even alleviate the most basic physical pain, Consort Xian shook her head. Her body, which had become so thin that it was practically skin and bones, felt like it was about to fall apart with the slightest movement.

Cui Rui put down the soup bowl in her hand, and without trying to persuade her further, she simply replied in a low voice, "Yes."

"Cui Rui, how are Yong Qi and Ya Liqi? I haven't seen them for a while."

Consort Xian's thoughts were in a daze. It had been raining outside for days, and she was inexplicably in a coma for much longer than she was awake during the day.

Yongqi and Yaliqi moved into the prince's residence and the princess's residence, which made it inconvenient for them to return, and the three of them had less and less time to spend together.

Consort Xian took a breath, feeling that if things continued to develop in this way, they might not have many years left to be mother and son.

"Your Majesty, Prince Yongqi and Princess Yaliqi are both doing very well."

This morning, the two masters even sent servants to inquire about the Empress's recent condition.

At that time, Her Majesty was still asleep, and I was afraid of disturbing her, so I didn't inform her.

After Cui Rui finished speaking briefly, she prepared to tidy up the soup bowls beside her and send them out.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Consort Xian spoke up and asked Cui Rui to come over and chat with her.

chat?

Cui Rui looked puzzled. Nothing had happened at Yongshou Palace or the prince's quarters where Prince Yongqi and Princess Yaliqi were staying. Did Your Majesty want to hear about other things that happened in the harem?

Consort Xian did indeed have this intention, especially since her health was deteriorating.

Chen Yuwei's earlier suggestion at Yikun Palace to have Xingkui remind Consort Xian was, in a way, a remark that touched Consort Xian's heart.

Consort Xian also wanted to take the initiative to leave enough trump cards for Yongqi and Yaliqi, so that they could still live well in the palace after her departure.

Cui Rui stood by the bed, slightly hunched over, and briefly described some recent events that had occurred in the harem.

"...It's highly likely that Consort Rong will accompany the emperor. People from the Imperial Household Department have been going to Qixiang Palace recently, and the news has already spread."

The fact that the Emperor has been enjoying leaving the palace in recent years is common knowledge without Cui Rui needing to spread the word.

Consort Xian's health deteriorated rapidly after she went on a southern tour.

Knowing what kind of person the Emperor was, Consort Xian could only feel sorry for Consort Rong.

Once a perfectly good young woman enters the palace, she loses control of her own life, as her family and various forces restrict her movements.

In her early years, Consort Xian was willing to dedicate everything to the glory of the Hui-fa-na-la clan.

Now? That idea has long since faded away with the passage of time.

"Is it Consort Rong again?"

She opened her mouth and said something as if with emotion.

Then, she changed her approach and asked Cui Rui to find an opportunity when the Emperor left the palace to invite the Imperial Noble Consort to Yonghe Palace.

Cui Rui didn't know what her mistress wanted to invite the Imperial Noble Consort for, but she couldn't do without the two young mistresses.

They must have other plans.

Keeping her guesses to herself, Cui Rui nodded and reached out to tidy up Consort Xian's bedding.

When a person is sick, their body is not only weakened, but they also become more inclined to be quiet and sensitive to cold and heat.

Consort Xian had long been showing this tendency, so the main hall of Yonghe Palace was always dark and gloomy, whether it was day or night.

...

When the spring drizzle subsided and the long-awaited sun shone through the clouds onto the earth, the Emperor, accompanied by Consort Rong and a group of new favorites, leisurely departed from the Forbidden City by carriage.

Chen Yuwei stood on the high platform and watched the procession move forward, just as it always had.

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