Chapter 72

Fourth Prince Consort Guarjia was carefully nurturing her pregnancy, wanting some peace and quiet. However, this did not mean she could do whatever she wanted. For example, a certain concubine in Yonghe Palace did not allow her to have a peaceful pregnancy.

Paying respects to the emperor on the first and fifteenth of each month was an essential ritual. Consort De's understanding nature was naturally reserved only for Emperor Kangxi; no one else, including the Fourth Prince's wife, was worthy of such consideration.

In Consort De's heart, Yinzhen was just as despicable as Lady Guarjia.

Back when Lady Tongjia was still alive, that lowly maid Guarjia only had eyes for Lady Tongjia, who had become an Imperial Noble Consort, and completely looked down on Consort De, who was a bondservant.

Ha, the Guarjia clan, do they think they're so great?

Consort De overlooked the fact that when Consort Guargia entered the palace years ago, she was under house arrest and could not come to pay her respects, but she still sent gifts to him.

All she knew was that she would forever remember the insults others had inflicted upon her.

Take the Fourth Prince back then, for example. When he was young, he lived in Chengqian Palace and thought that his biological mother was Consort Tongjia. Suddenly, a concubine appeared, crying and asking him who she was. Consort De said that she was his mother. How could the Fourth Prince believe that? When the other party came over to hug him, he was so scared that he ran away immediately.

However, this matter kept Consort De in her mind, and she still thought that the Fourth Prince was an ingrate who didn't even care about his own mother.

However, they overlooked the circumstances of that year. How could Lady Tongjia possibly tell the Fourth Prince that she was not his biological mother?

Moreover, she still harbored resentment towards Lady Tongjia for taking her son, but back then, the palace rules stipulated that "concubines below the rank of concubine were not allowed to raise their own children," so she had no right to raise the child she had given birth to. If not Lady Tongjia, then there was Lady Niohuru...

Whose turn is it?

Consort De simply didn't care. Since she had suffered and felt wronged by the person, she naturally shifted all the blame onto that person, given her inferiority complex and pride.

The fault isn't mine, it's the world's! It's theirs!!

When Guarjia was pregnant, the nanny beside her advised her that she should let the Fourth Prince's wife take good care of her pregnancy at the Prince's residence.

The main reason was that the old nanny still remembered Consort Hui's lesson. Back then, Consort Hui was reprimanded by the Emperor, which made her a laughing stock in the harem.

But Consort De wouldn't listen at all, and even suspected that the nanny had been bribed by the Fourth Prince's wife. "Back then, when I was eight months pregnant, didn't I still go to pay my respects to Lady Tongjia?"

I've been caught in the rain, so I'm going to tear all the umbrellas to shreds.

Hearing Consort De's words, which were tinged with resentment, the old woman hesitated, "But, Your Highness, if something were to happen to the Fourth Princess Consort in our palace, it wouldn't be good if word got out..."

"How could it have gotten out?" Consort De glanced coldly at the old woman. Her Yonghe Palace, if she wanted to cover up some news, was that not allowed?

"Guarjia's health is weak, what does that have to do with us?" Consort De said indifferently, and directly pinned a crime on Guarjia.

A few days later, Consort De heard that the imperial physician had diagnosed the fetus in Lady Guarjia's womb as a boy.

"How lucky she is." Consort De sneered. However, when she bestowed the gifts upon Lady Guarjia, she did so in a way that no one could find fault with her. The generous gifts showed that Consort De valued the Fourth Prince's pregnancy quite a bit.

When the imperial physician told Fourth Princess Consort Guarjia that there was a 70-80% chance that the child in her womb was a boy, her once reserved expression turned into a wide smile. "Reward, reward!"

She knew this imperial physician; he was famous for being particularly accurate at determining the sex of a person by taking their pulse, both in his past life and this one.

The Crown Princess's first pregnancy was publicized as a princess, but the fact that she gave birth to a prince was later determined to be a deliberate publicity stunt to avoid being harmed.

Guarjia said she understood, adding that if she had been the Crown Princess back then, she probably would have done the same thing, since countless people were eyeing her belly.

But now...

As the wife of the unfavored fourth prince, Lady Guarjia was not noticed by ministers or concubines in the harem. The only ones who would be eyeing her unborn child were the few princesses in the inner courtyard.

For the Guarjia clan, this was no problem at all; they were just a bunch of trash.

So, very quickly, many people learned about it.

The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, has no son yet. Now, upon hearing that his wife is pregnant with a son, he came to the main courtyard with great joy, calling out, "Wife, wife."

Looking at the Fourth Prince's happy expression, although it was faint, the atmosphere surrounding Yinzhen was filled with joy.

The Fourth Prince and his wife were having a warm chat, much to the envy of the other concubines in his harem, especially Concubine Song, who had given birth to two princesses, both of whom were sickly and died young.

In addition, the other princesses also thought that when the wives were pregnant and unable to serve their masters, they could lure the masters to their courtyards and try to get pregnant as soon as possible.

A man's favor is fleeting; when a woman grows old and loses her beauty, she can only rely on her son for the long term.

For example, Consort Hui gave birth to the Emperor's eldest son—well, not exactly the eldest son, but the oldest surviving son—so the Emperor gave Consort Hui the position of the head among the four consorts.

Later... like the birth mother of the Eighth Prince, Lady Wei; the birth mother of the Twelfth Prince, Lady Wanliuha; and the birth mother of the Thirteenth Prince, Lady Zhangjia, because they arrived late, they ultimately didn't even get the rank of concubine.

They never dared to dream that the Fourth Prince would ascend the throne, but they still had a chance to win the position of concubine.

These were not major problems for the Guarjia clan.

At most, she could learn from the Third Prince's wife next door.

The Third Prince's wife was ruthless enough. Whether it was a concubine or a princess, there were always one or two accidents when she got pregnant. Even if she got through the pregnancy and gave birth, it was useless. Babies are the most vulnerable, and one or two accidents could cause them to catch a cold and die.

Therefore, although the Third Prince had many women who became pregnant, in the end, only his wife's legitimate son, Hongqing, survived.

Yes, that's right. After the Crown Princess's triplets' one-month celebration, Kangxi remembered that his other sons' children hadn't been named yet, so he just started handing out names one after another.

The Third Prince's legitimate son was named Hongqing, which has a good meaning, similar to Hongyao's.

In any case, in Kangxi's eyes, Hongyao was his precious grandson, and everyone else... had to be ranked after Hongyao. Yinreng was sometimes unreliable, but Kangxi felt that as the crown prince, Yinreng was not bad.

His occasional unreliability was evident in his approach to educating his children; Emperor Kangxi was not comfortable entrusting Yinreng with teaching Hongyao.

He thinks that only someone with experience like himself can see that all his children have become successful, which proves that he is right, doesn't it?

People tend to have a much deeper affection for the children they raise themselves than for children they haven't seen much, even if they are their own children and grandchildren.

Anyone can see that.

This includes several of Kangxi's sons, such as the Third Prince Yinzhi, who already had a legitimate son.

Among his brothers, the Emperor favored only the Crown Prince. Apart from the Crown Prince, he only cared about the eldest son. The others were treated as if they were adopted. He had gotten used to it.

The Crown Prince's son, Hongyao, may have already been chosen by the Emperor as the next successor.

So, is there any problem with Father Emperor taking Hongyao under his wing and teaching him? Absolutely not.

The eldest prince, Yinqi, didn't take it to heart. Mainly, it wouldn't make a difference if he did, since he didn't even have a son of his own, and he couldn't even ask his father, the Emperor, to teach him.

Fifth Prince Yinqi was even less qualified. His only son was born to him by Consort Liu. In front of his father, who favored legitimate sons over illegitimate ones, if he dared to say even half a word, he would be severely scolded by his father.

He wouldn't dare to stand out! Not to mention his own son, even he himself wouldn't rank in front of his father, the Emperor.

My younger brothers are even more so. I don't even have a son, how dare I say such nonsense?

The only one who felt there was a problem was the Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia. She thought that the Emperor was too hasty. The Crown Prince was going to be deposed eventually anyway, so what was the point of teaching Hongyao now?

However, Guarjia knew that the current emperor was in his prime and the crown prince was still favored by his father, so she could only quietly focus on her pregnancy.

It's alright, there's still plenty of time. Since Yinzhen will be able to seize the throne from among all the princes in the future, it means he's no ordinary person.

Who knows, I might be able to raise even more outstanding children, and myself as well...

In her previous life, Guarjia was called an "excellent crown princess" by her father, the emperor, so she naturally felt a sense of pride.

If it weren't for Yinreng's hindrance, Guarjia would have been confident that she could have held the position of Empress Dowager.

On the twice-monthly days for paying respects, Guarjia would think of the despicable Consort De, Uya, whom she found utterly repulsive; those born into the lowly bondservant class were simply disgusting.

Guarjia, who had never been oppressed by her wicked mother-in-law before, finally experienced what it meant to be a wicked mother-in-law. And she couldn't escape; her counterattack caught Consort De off guard, and Consort De happened to have the opportunity to get rid of her.

Wearing flat shoes and a thick fleece coat, even though it's February, winter in the Forbidden City is not over yet, and you can occasionally see snowflakes falling in the morning and evening.

The maids and nannies beside her carefully supported the Fourth Prince's wife. On the way from the prince's residence to Yonghe Palace, some snowflakes were still falling, making the ground a little wet.

Fourth Prince Consort Guarjia thought to herself, "Don't worry so much. I've walked this road for so many years, how could I possibly slip and fall?"

But before she could finish speaking, she looked down and saw her slightly protruding belly. Oh well, for the sake of the little prince inside her, that's the most important thing.

Upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, I was led inside as usual, but after entering the palace gate, I was stopped again at the entrance of the main hall.

The Empress Dowager hasn't gotten up yet, so let's wait here and not disturb her rest.

What could Guarjia clan do? They were branded as unfilial, which would ruin their reputation.

Shuanghua, who was beside her, couldn't accept it and looked at the maid from Yonghe Palace with some agitation. "Our Lady is pregnant. How can she be left to catch a cold here? Can't we let our Lady go inside and wait?"

Shuanghua was also very concerned about the baby in Fujin's belly. What maid or servant doesn't want their master to be well?

They can only prosper if their masters are good; otherwise, they'll be trampled on when they go out into the world.

It's like when a maidservant from Consort De of Yonghe Palace goes out with a maidservant from a concubine to fetch food from the kitchen, the person from Consort De's side is always fawned over by the kitchen staff, while the maidservant from the concubine's side not only has to wait, but may also be scolded for getting in the way.

The same principle applies.

Their wife is carrying a little prince, their fourth master's legitimate son, his only one!

"I will go in and inform her. Please wait a moment, Fourth Princess Consort." The maidservant beside Consort De said, "I understand. I will go and inform her right away. Please wait a moment."

Then, the Fourth Princess and her maid waited outside the main hall for a long time. The cold wind was howling, and no matter how thickly they were dressed, standing was tiring.

Moreover, the Fourth Prince's wife is currently pregnant, and she is already more tired, weak, and sleepy than usual. Standing here, she feels uncomfortable and dizzy.

Guarjia gently stroked her belly, soothing her in her heart: Mother's child, be good, just bear with it a little longer.

I still remember when I was pregnant in my previous life, the Crown Prince treated me very well because he was looking forward to having a legitimate son. Since I didn't have an Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager and my father would send people to give me gifts from time to time, or send the imperial physicians over.

She had never received such treatment before. All the grievances that the Fourth Prince's wife had suffered in her life were due to Consort De.

After waiting for a long time, my legs started to go numb, before they finally called me in.

Shuanghua was furious, but dared not say anything here, fearing that Consort De's people would hear and blame her. She didn't care about being blamed, but she was afraid that it would implicate the Fujin.

Once inside, Consort De wanted to have breakfast and asked Lady Guargia to serve her food, which amplified Lady Guargia's feelings of grievance and resentment.

But could she really refuse?

Unable to refuse, she had no choice but to start working there without a break. After serving Consort De her meal, she was kept there for a long time, and even the tea served to her was lukewarm.

At first, Guarjia would try to deal with Consort De tactfully over such trivial matters, but Consort De was no pushover. She used words like "righteousness" and "filial piety" to pressure Guarjia, which made Guarjia feel disgusted.

Later, Lady Guarjia realized that she might not be able to outwit Consort De in verbal sparring.

The key point is that her identity as a daughter-in-law naturally puts her under pressure.

She didn't drink a single drop of lukewarm tea, and it wasn't until almost noon that Consort De took pity on her and let her leave.

After Lady Guarjia left, news spread from Yonghe Palace that Consort De, being a good mother, was sharing her experience in raising children...

Guarjia was furious. Some pregnant women are naturally irritable, like Guarjia, who smashed a set of porcelain when she got home.

But could she speak ill of Consort De in front of the Fourth Prince? She couldn't; she could only praise Consort De. However, just because she couldn't say it didn't mean that the two maids beside her couldn't.

Sure enough, Shuanghua started rambling on and on without waiting for anyone to stop her. After she finished speaking, Guarjia scolded her coldly, "Don't you dare slander your mother's reputation."

How could the Fourth Prince not know what kind of person Consort De was? Holding his wife's hand, he said with a mixture of guilt and pity, "My lady, you've worked so hard."

He was more concerned about the baby in the wife's womb, asking, "Is the baby alright? Has it been bothering you?"

"Don't worry, sir, the child is fine." She had spent so much time and effort taking care of her health, how could she be so fragile?

Yinzhen was still worried, so he had the imperial physician summoned.

Finally, after the imperial physician declared that everything was alright, the Fourth Prince's wife and son were truly relieved. However, when this news got out, the most unhappy person was none other than Consort De.

What does this mean? Are you trying to make things difficult for me? You need to call the imperial physician just to leave my Yonghe Palace? What does this mean? Did my Yonghe Palace mistreat you?

In addition, she also heard from the imperial physician that she was fine! Do you understand? "Fine" means that the Fourth Prince's wife, Guarjia, was just complaining without any real illness.

Did she deliberately tell the people in the palace that she was a wicked mother-in-law?

hateful!

So, upon hearing that Fourth Prince's wife was alright, he specially summoned her the next day, intending to comfort her, as her mother was worried.

What could the Fourth Prince's wife do when summoned by Consort De?

The only option is to go.

She made up her mind that when the child was seven months old, she would have Yinzhen ask Consort De for leave. No matter what, the most important thing was to give birth to a healthy little prince safely.

Now……

When Consort De summoned me, the imperial physician said I was fine. If I were to ask Consort De for leave now, wouldn't that be a clear expression of my dissatisfaction with her?

Guarjia endured the obvious situation that allowed others to find fault with her.

When they arrived, they thought they would be made difficult by Consort De, but Consort De actually showed them concern and summoned the imperial physician.

Guarjia understood. Consort De was putting on an act in front of the imperial physician. In front of outsiders, Guarjia also presented a harmonious scene with Consort De. The imperial physician was thinking, "Isn't this good?"

Then, after the imperial physician left, Guarjia thought that Consort De was going to revert to her ugly ways. To her surprise, Consort De seemed to genuinely care about her.

That shouldn't be the case.

Guarjia left in a daze, feeling as if this trip was simply to care for her.

Consort De noticed her expression, sneered inwardly, and offered no explanation.

After Shuanghua and Lihua accompanied the Fourth Princess back to the Prince's residence, they didn't think too much about it. They simply felt that Consort De must have been frightened by their Princess. If something happened to their Princess, how could Consort De remain uninvolved?

Shuanghua's words made Lihua nod, "That's right, Madam, you are pregnant with the little prince now. No matter what, Consort De is still the little prince's maternal grandmother."

Unlike her two maids, Lady Guarjia felt that Consort De was plotting something behind the scenes.

We need to handle this carefully.

That evening, the Fourth Prince's wife specifically discussed this matter with Yinzhen, regarding her request for leave.

Yinzhen was a man who respected the rules. He felt that his wife's reluctance to pay her respects to her mother was a sign of her taking advantage of his favor.

But seeing the resolute look on the wife's face, he agreed.

However, when the Fourth Prince Yinzhen arrived at Yonghe Palace and mentioned this matter to Consort De, he was severely criticized by Consort De, who scolded him for being an ingrate, unfilial, and unwilling to even come to pay his respects to his mother.

Yinzhen endured it, and in the end, he did not argue with Consort De. Instead, he lowered his head and let Consort De scold him.

However, when he left, he was filled with guilt because he hadn't done what the princess had asked of him; it was the first time the princess had ever asked him for something.

As Yinzhen left, he could still faintly hear the sound of porcelain shattering behind him, accompanied by a woman's cursing, "I should have strangled him back then, what a thankless child!" The Fourth Prince felt a chill in his heart.

Because of Yinzhen's actions, Consort De felt that her previous attempt to make peace with the Guarjia clan was ridiculous. She thought that it would be better to let the fourth prince's wife give birth to a legitimate son first, since he would be the fourth prince's first son.

The main problem is that with so many people in the harem watching her, her Yonghe Palace is under the public eye. If something were to happen in her palace, wouldn't she end up like Consort Hui?

But now...

On the third day, the Fourth Prince's Consort, of the Guarjia clan, was summoned and then went to Yonghe Palace, where she was punished by Consort De for allegedly sowing discord and forced to kneel outside the main hall.

The maids from Yonghe Palace were standing guard nearby. Because of the Fourth Prince's wife, they had upset their Consort De's health. How hateful and unfilial!

Fourth Prince's wife knew that after Yinzhen returned last night with a dark expression and told her that her mother would not approve her leave request, she had already prepared herself mentally.

To the Fourth Prince's surprise, Consort De was so angry that she was forced to kneel for almost two hours. The cold air came from her knees, and her back and stomach felt icy cold.

Shuanghua and Lihua, as the maids of the Fourth Prince's wife, naturally knelt there together, pleading for her, saying things like "Our Prince's wife is pregnant." Unfortunately, Consort De had no interest in listening.

Such an unfilial ingrate deserves to die!

Wouldn't it be better if she miscarried? She wished that the fourth prince and his wife would die together.

Sure enough, the Fourth Prince's wife felt a pain in her stomach.

"Fujin, Fujin, you, you're bleeding..." Shuanghua screamed in fright, and the Fourth Fujin also looked down in terror. She could indeed feel the bleeding, but because it was so cold that she was numb, she didn't react.

"Ahhhhhh!! Madam, you, you're bleeding! Imperial Physician, quickly call the Imperial Physician!!" Pear Blossom cried out urgently in fear.

Unfortunately, their nervousness did not mean that the people at Yonghe Palace were equally nervous.

A maidservant hurriedly went in to report to Consort De that the Fourth Princess Consort was bleeding and it was suspected that she had miscarried.

Consort De raised an eyebrow. "Bleeding?" She sneered. "Pretending to be innocent, thinking you can make me nervous and scared with a self-inflicted injury?"

Did Lady Guarjia think she was the fourth prince? She had used this little trick on the emperor countless times when she was pregnant with her sixth son.

She, Wuya, was not one to show mercy to women.

The maid listened to Consort De's words and fell silent for a moment. She thought that the Fourth Princess Consort did not seem to be playing a trick, and besides, she had been kneeling at the door for almost a whole morning.

Consort De ignored it, leisurely drinking hot tea and eating pastries. After she was full, she reluctantly nodded, "Let the imperial physician come over, and while he's at it, help the Fourth Princess up."

When the Fourth Prince's Consort, Lady Guarjia, was helped in, there was already a small pool of blood on the ground. Lady Guarjia had only been pregnant once, and at that time, she was carefully cared for.

Pregnancy and childbirth are naturally matters of great care, and the anxiety of others will affect Guarjia's thoughts.

Therefore, at this time, Guarjia felt that her stomach was hurting a lot, and she was sure that she had miscarried.

Overwhelmed with grief and fear, she eagerly awaited the arrival of the imperial physician, hoping he could offer her reassurance.

Consort De spoke coldly and disdainfully, "It's just a little blood loss, not a miscarriage. Crying like your mother has died is bad luck."

Consort De's sarcastic remarks will only worsen Guarjia's situation. Yonghe Palace is not close to the Imperial Hospital, and the longer Guarjia waits, the more wild thoughts she will have.

The more you overthink, the more you will affect your perception of abdominal pain.

Guarjia was absolutely certain she had miscarried; otherwise, why would her stomach hurt so much and why was she bleeding? Her child!!!

"Imperial Physician, why hasn't the Imperial Physician arrived yet?" At this point, Guarjia no longer wanted to listen to Consort De's rambling. She looked at the maid beside her and asked nervously.

She would have been in real pain if she hadn't grabbed her maid.

My child, will something happen to the child...?

"Madam, please wait a little longer, the imperial physician will be here soon." Shuanghua was also anxious. If she could, she would rush to find the imperial physician and carry him over.

But, isn't there no other way?

This is Yonghe Palace, not the residence of the Fourth Prince.

When the imperial physician arrived, Guarjia thought she was beyond saving.

But to everyone's surprise, after the imperial physician's diagnosis, he said that it was just a case of miscarriage, and that taking deep breaths and drinking a few more doses of medicine would be enough.

"Really? But Imperial Physician, I feel a lot of pain in my stomach, and I'm bleeding so much." Guarjia couldn't believe it. Was the Imperial Physician lying to me? Had I miscarried? Had I lost the baby?

"Madam, take a deep breath. You're just too nervous." The bleeding is indeed a problem, but fortunately, Madam Si's health has been well taken care of beforehand.

"After you return, Fourth Princess, you should rest more and not overwork yourself," the imperial physician advised. After writing the prescription, he sent someone to collect the medicine.

Fourth Princess Consort looked up at Consort De, hoping to be allowed to rest. She couldn't just look after herself; she had been taking great care of herself, but what good had it done?

Consort De's antics were enough to undo all her previous efforts.

Consort De cursed inwardly at being stared at like that by the Fourth Prince's wife in front of outsiders, but her expression remained kind and gentle. "Listen to the imperial physician. From now on, you should take good care of yourself during your pregnancy at the Prince's residence. You don't have to come over to pay your respects to your mother."

You came to pay your respects voluntarily; it wasn't forced upon you by your mother.

Guarjia could not refute such words and could only nod in agreement, "Mother is right, your daughter-in-law will listen to you."

I will never come back before I give birth to my child, otherwise you're just trying to torment me.

After drinking warm water and relaxing, Guarjia realized, "Hey, really, my stomach doesn't hurt as much as before."

After sitting there for a while, carrying the medicine bag and having it examined by the imperial physician, he left.

However, on the way back, the place where the blood had flowed was cleaned by the people from Yonghe Palace. We couldn't very well tell others that this was the evidence of the Fourth Princess's miscarriage, could we?

They splashed water to clean it, but forgot to sweep it away. The winter frost quickly froze the area, not quite frozen, but rather hard and slippery.

The three people who had been kneeling all morning already had sore, aching, and numb legs. Guarjia didn't dare let Lihua and Shuanghua support her, for fear that if they didn't hold her steady, she would fall down as well.

As she happened to pass by, Guarjia forgot where she had been kneeling. The ground, covered with a very thin layer of ice, looked down at her from above, and no one could tell that anything was amiss.

Two maids, carrying medicine packets, walked behind, one on the left and one on the right, as if afraid that the princess might lose her footing and fall to the ground quickly to cushion her fall.

As she walked through this area, Guarjia accidentally stepped on it and slipped.

Upon seeing the Fujin slip and fall, Shuanghua was so frightened that she rushed forward to help her up, only to find that the icy ground below was indeed very slippery.

Three consecutive 'plop' sounds, and the one at the very bottom was still Guarjia, lunging forward...

"Ahhhhh!" With a cry of pain, Guarjia was panicked and desperate. This time, she could really feel the pain of her stomach starting to fall, which was even more painful than before.

The two maids turned pale and quickly scrambled to their feet, terrified.

Even Consort De's people didn't expect that she would slip and miscarry as soon as she stepped out of the house. It must be the Fourth Prince's wife's scheme to use the child to frame their Consort.

The imperial physician had barely left Yonghe Palace when he was summoned back.

Looking utterly dejected, he then noticed that the Fourth Prince's wife had tripped and fallen again shortly after he left? This…

That's incredibly unlucky!

In the end, the story ended with the Fourth Prince's wife losing her baby. Consort De was still confused, wondering why she hadn't been hurt after kneeling for half a day as punishment, but then she fell and miscarried while going out.

Isn't this a deliberate attempt to frame her Yonghe Palace?

"Can't you even watch where you're walking? The roads are slippery in the dead of winter. And what's wrong with your two maids? Not only did they not cushion their mistress's fall, but they even dared to step on you! It's all their fault!"

"How can you be the Fourth Prince's wife if you can't even discipline your maids?"

"Guards, drag them both away and beat them to death with sticks!"

Consort De immediately flew into a rage, and at her command, no one dared to disobey.

When Shuanghua and Lihua learned that the Fujin's baby had not survived, they knew that their own lives were in danger.

Now, all they can do is beg the Princess Consort to spare their family members, who truly know nothing.

But the depressed Fourth Princess Consort didn't hear their plea at all. She seemed to be still processing what had happened. How could it be... gone?

The imperial physician just said that her baby was safe, and Consort De also promised that she did not need to come to pay her respects. Guarjia thought that she could stay in the prince's quarters and take good care of her pregnancy.

Even if Consort De makes things difficult for her in the future, that's a matter for the future. Her patience is many times better than before.

Who knew, we had just stepped out of the main hall...

Seeing Guarjia's lifeless appearance, Consort De felt it was an ominous sign and did not want to leave Guarjia there. She immediately ordered that the Fourth Prince's wife be sent back.

Staying in Yonghe Palace to recuperate after childbirth? Dream on! Get lost.

When the Fourth Prince's wife was sent back, news of Guarjia's miscarriage was spread by people in Yonghe Palace.

She paid her respects to Consort De, but on her way back, she was knocked down by two maids who slipped and fell behind her, resulting in a miscarriage.

The key point is the following sentence, an exaggerated and amplified description that is bound to draw the reader's attention to what follows: it's all the fault of those two maids. As for why? Perhaps they were bribed or something.

Back in the inner chamber of the Fourth Prince's main courtyard, Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia, never imagined that her pregnancy was over...

Her... young prince.

She cherished her son dearly and protected him with utmost care.

Consort De was incredibly ruthless.

Ah, Uya clan!

From her past life to this one, she has never had a son. Even after being reborn, she is still bound by the ideas of this era, having neither a son nor a protective charm.

When Yinzhen ascends the throne, does he want to end up like Ulanara in his previous life, where he becomes empress but still has to live according to the stigma of his concubines?

That damned bitch, Consort De deserves to die!

While the Guarjia clan was filled with hatred, the Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, heard about the incident and hurriedly returned.

He was heartbroken too.

"Fujin." When the Fourth Prince arrived, he saw the Fujin's heartbroken expression. He stepped forward and, without saying a word, embraced her.

The Fourth Prince didn't know what to say; he just hadn't expected something like this to happen.

The story of how the Fourth Prince's wife suffered a miscarriage after being tripped and crushed by a maid on her way back from paying her respects to Consort De spread throughout the palace.

They all expressed their contempt for the maidservants around Lady Guarjia, wondering how Lady Guarjia could not teach her maidservants how to injure them after they fell down.

Not many people knew that Consort De disliked the Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia. Even if they did, it was Consort Huiyi and perhaps also Consort Tongjia (Empress Xiaoyi's half-sister, Lady Tongjia).

Consort De was usually very good at concealing her true feelings, and her gentle and mild demeanor made her seem just like a generous and tolerant imperial concubine.

With the subsequent rewards and consolation, the news spread throughout the road from Yonghe Palace to the Prince's Residence.

Emperor Kangxi intervened in the matter, and the families of the two maids were immediately executed.

This is utterly absurd!

He thought he would be able to see the fourth prince's legitimate son, and after receiving a generous reward, he would send an imperial physician to treat the fourth prince's wife's health. This could be considered Kangxi's way of showing his care.

The Empress Dowager followed the Emperor's lead, and the wives of the princes also presented gifts to express their condolences.

Alas, who could have imagined that things would be so difficult?

Of course, some people suspected Consort De, but no one dared to speak out, fearing that if word got out, it would come back to haunt them, even though it wasn't their business and they didn't want to get involved.

Crown Princess Jialuo has been busy writing so-called fertility secrets for the wives of the princes, which are ovulation cycle formulas plus some dietary supplements, and she can earn tens of thousands of taels of silver for it.

Of course I'm busy, who wouldn't be?

The wives were also delighted, feeling that they had bought a secret formula for having a child—no, a secret formula for fertility—for only tens of thousands of taels of silver! The saying that having a child depends on the man's seed is indeed true.

Those men also drank quite a bit, either forced or coaxed; in any case, the wives used every trick in the book.

At the same time, she was looking forward to the day when she could get pregnant.

If the wives were older and less cheerful, they would bring up two concubines and raise them on their laps.

We're busy. Your fourth wife had a miscarriage... So what if she had a miscarriage? What does it have to do with us? It's not a big deal.

Is anything more important than whether we can conceive? No!

Therefore, few people really paid attention to Lady Guarjia. After her two maids were beaten to death, Consort De pretended to send two more over, saying they would serve her.

He was sent directly to the chamber pot by the Guarjia clan.

Half a month after Guarjia sent the two maids to wash chamber pots, she recovered her mood, worked hard to take care of her health, and became gentle and virtuous, as if nothing had happened.

Consort De, who was originally paying attention to the Guarjia clan, snorted coldly. "That bitch is just being pretentious. She lost the child in her womb and still has the nerve to blame others?"

She even caused the Emperor to take his anger out on her, and Consort De felt utterly innocent.

In March, it was election day again, and the harem became busy and lively.

With the arrival of the new imperial concubines, the guards became even more stringent, and Lady Guarjia also emerged from her postpartum confinement period.

The hidden agents were moved one by one, and because there were so many people, they wouldn't be noticeable.

The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince jointly decided on the choice of their wives.

The twelfth prince, Yin Tao, was two years younger than the tenth prince, Yin E. Since no suitable candidate had been chosen, they would wait until the general election three years later to select a successor.

The Ninth Prince's wife was from the Dong'e clan, and the Tenth Prince's wife was from the Borjigit clan.

This was also for political reasons. Except for the tenth prince, Yin'e, all the other princes had mothers from the bannermen, the Niohuru clan, which was very powerful. They were afraid that he might have any disloyal intentions and compete with Bao Cheng for power.

In addition, this was also out of the father's love and care. Kangxi knew that his tenth son did not have the ability, so he simply removed him from the line of succession to the throne, which can be regarded as protecting him.

Of course, Emperor Kangxi would not mistreat the concubines he chose for himself.

However, the vast majority were delicate Han women, with some Manchu banner women and some Han banner women, but no Mongol banner women.

Once chosen, the placement in which palace is determined by Consort Tongjia, unless it is a palace she personally cares about.

His heart was set on the Qing Dynasty; such a trivial matter was not worth his attention.

Two delicate and beautiful princesses were placed in Yonghe Palace. Consort De knew that the Tongjia clan did it on purpose. No matter which Tongjia clan member it was, they all used such despicable and disgusting methods!

When Emperor Kangxi arrived that evening, Consort De tried to steal the spotlight, but unfortunately, her aging and fading beauty could not compare to that of a fresh, youthful flower, and she was even ridiculed in private.

Therefore, Consort De focused her attention on the inner palace, and Guarjia clan began their revenge.

What remains in Yonghe Palace should now demonstrate its power.

All the hidden plots and chess pieces were put to use. She really hated it. She was clearly healthy. She had asked the imperial physician if she had been healthy before. Would she have miscarried if she had fallen?

What could the imperial physician do at that time? He could only answer truthfully. As for the storms of criticism from others, he said, "Don't let them fall on me. I'm just a lowly imperial physician."

As the person in charge of the harem, Jialuo discovered that recently, for some reason, many more people in the harem had died.

An investigation revealed that the vast majority of deaths were accidental drownings, but...

There aren't that many unexpected events.

She even went to see His Highness the Crown Prince, asking, "Your Highness, do you think something serious has happened in the harem?"

[It feels like a haunted place? I've heard there are many wronged spirits in the palace!]

Or perhaps someone has done something bad and is planning to kill to cover it up?

Upon hearing the Crown Princess's words, Yinreng frowned slightly. He didn't agree with the idea of ​​a ghost story, but... what bad thing had happened? Was she silenced? That was possible.

None of the women in the imperial harem who managed to climb the ranks were clean-cut.

"Let Consort Tongjia handle it." Yinreng knew that his Crown Princess was not capable of investigating the case. In any case, Consort Tongjia was very free, so the Crown Princess might as well spend more time with him.

Since the birth of their three youngest sons, both the Crown Princess and Hongyao have been doting on their three little babies.

Although he also loves the three children very much, there's only so much time in a day. If he gives it to others, where will he find his own place?

"Should we handle this for Consort Tongjia? Well, that's fine too..." Jialuo knew her own limitations and had someone inform Consort Tongjia about the matter.

When Consort Tongjia's people from Yuqing Palace came over, they were quite surprised that the Crown Princess would entrust her with such an investigation.

However, he didn't refuse, seeing it as an opportunity for him to make a name for himself.

She entered the palace late, and her elder sister blocked her way. By the time she became a Noble Consort, she was not favored and had no power in the palace.

Want to seize power from the Crown Princess? That's difficult. Right now, it seems the Crown Princess is actually relinquishing power to her…

This must be thoroughly investigated.

But no one expected that just as Consort Tongjia was preparing to launch a grand investigation, a shocking piece of news arrived that took the harem by surprise.

Consort De of Yonghe Palace has passed away.

I heard that he got up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night last night, accidentally bumped into the wall, and died from a massive intracranial hemorrhage.

However, when the imperial physician arrived and examined her pulse, he discovered that Consort De had long been poisoned, which was a major factor leading to her death.

(End of this chapter)