Chapter 30 Kangxi's cold has subsided, let's end...

As soon as Emperor Kangxi recovered from his cold, the reconquest of Taiwan was immediately put on the agenda.

As early as the 20th year of Kangxi's reign, after the death of Zheng Jing, who was stationed in Taiwan, Kangxi had already formulated a plan to attack Taiwan by force. However, after the navy went to the front line, due to the disagreement among the front-line generals, the specific strategy for how to take back Taiwan was delayed again and again. It was not until the 22nd year of Kangxi's reign that the court finally came up with a plan to attack Taiwan, and the action to take back Taiwan began immediately.

The Rebellion of the Three Feudatories had just been quelled when war broke out with Taiwan. There were voices of opposition in the court, but Kangxi pushed forward the matter despite the opposition. He was so busy that he worked day and night. In his daily life, besides attending court, he would spend his time in the Hall of Mental Cultivation reviewing memorials and discussing matters at the front with his ministers.

When Emperor Kangxi was busy, he didn't have time to enter the inner palace. And now, most of the attention in the inner palace was focused on Consort De's pregnant belly. So Wen Shan thought this was a good opportunity to inoculate Yinzhen and Yinsi with smallpox.

Yinzhen was naturally unaware of this matter. Yinsi had previously discussed smallpox vaccination with Wenshan and was aware of it, but after much deliberation, Wenshan decided not to tell Yinsi that she was preparing to vaccinate them recently, fearing that Yinsi would become nervous and react strongly if he found out.

So one night, Wen Shan quietly entered the side hall of Yinzhen and Yinsi and gently blew smallpox powder into their noses.

Wen Shan didn't sleep all night, taking turns watching over the two of them in the east and west side halls. In the middle of the night, Yin Si started to have a fever and kept frowning.

Fortunately, it wasn't a high fever. Wenshan and Zhenzhu applied a cold compress to his head, and Yinzhi fell asleep again after a while.

Yinzhen was stronger than Yinsi, and his fever only started intermittently as dawn approached, but the condition was not serious.

As soon as it was light, Wen Shan sent someone to the Imperial Study to ask for leave from Yinzhen and Yinsi, saying that they had caught a cold yesterday and were currently ill, so they were asking for three days off.

When a prince falls ill and is unable to study, he must first be seen by Emperor Kangxi. Only if Emperor Kangxi nods in approval will the matter be considered settled. Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi is currently busy with matters concerning Taiwan and cannot attend to such matters. Since Yinzhen and Yinsi are raised in the same palace and are at an age where they love to play, it is understandable that they caught a cold together while playing. Emperor Kangxi glanced at the document and then approved it.

Yinzhen and Yinsi slept fitfully all morning. In the afternoon, Yinzhen was the first to wake up.

Wen Shan brought over the cooked porridge. Yin Zhen, wearing his nightgown, was leaning against the headboard. His complexion had returned to normal, so he seemed to be alright.

"Yinzhen, how are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Just to be on the safe side, Wenshan tested his forehead and asked.

Yinzhen obediently allowed Wenshan to check him: "It's alright now, Mother."

"But... why did Yinzhi and I suddenly catch a cold?"

Yinzhen had just woken up when he was told that he and Yinsi had both caught a cold the night before and had been unconscious all morning, but fortunately they were not seriously ill.

I felt dizzy, had body aches, and felt lightheaded and weak; it really felt like I had caught a cold.

However, he and Yinzhi did everything as usual last night. After having dinner with their mother, the three of them chatted happily for a while before returning to their respective palaces to rest.

How did you catch a cold?

Still with Yinzhi. "The wind picked up during the day yesterday, perhaps you caught a chill when you went to the Imperial Study, and it flared up at night." Wen Shan made up a lie without changing her expression, "Yinzhi is young and weak, so he must have caught a chill and then passed it on to you."

While still unconscious, Yinzhi was unfairly blamed by Wenshan.

"How is my younger brother?" Yinzhen, without suspecting anything, turned around and began to worry about Yinsi.

"Yin Si is fine too, his fever has gone down and he's sleeping now."

Yinzhen originally wanted to force himself to go see Yinsi, but Wenshan, fearing cross-infection, didn't let him go.

After Yinzhen woke up, Yinsi also woke up more than an hour later.

Wen Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Yin Zhen and Yin Si were both very healthy thanks to her care, and they didn't suffer too much during the smallpox vaccination.

As soon as Yinzhi woke up, he knew what had happened.

Wen Shan also brought him food. Yin Si had been unconscious for a longer time than Yin Zhen, but when he woke up, he was in better spirits than Yin Zhen.

"Mother, did you vaccinate me and my fourth brother yesterday?"

After dismissing all the palace servants, Yinzhi asked impatiently.

Wen Shan nodded and asked, "How are you? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Yinzhi had experienced smallpox inoculation before, and although he survived it, his reaction was much stronger than this time. His discomfort was particularly severe; he had a high fever for three or four days and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea. After the fever finally subsided, he had to stay in bed for half a month before he recovered.

This time, Mother said they had just caught a cold and could easily get over it.

The cowpox method was indeed much more sophisticated than the human variolation method.

By evening, the two brothers were almost fully recovered, and their appetites were even better than usual, so they ate their dinner with great relish.

Wen Shan specially prepared special meals for them, all of which were nourishing and gentle, light yet fragrant. Yinzhen and Yinsi had a great appetite and ate almost everything in no time.

After resting for another night, the two of them were both lively and energetic again the next day.

Wen Shan sighed that she had asked for too many days off, but since Yinzhen and Yinsi didn't seem to be going back to school early, she decided to stay at Xianfu Palace for another two days.

The previous dynasty had achieved successive victories in reclaiming Taiwan, and even Wen Shan in the inner palace had heard a lot of news about it. Yin Si had known from the beginning that this battle to reclaim Taiwan would be extremely successful, so he did not react much. However, Yin Zhen was very excited when he heard the news from the front.

The unification of Taiwan was indeed a major event on the territory of the Qing Dynasty, and we were proud of it.

"I heard from my master today that General Shi Lang has launched several attacks on Taiwan, and the battle reports will be sent back in the next few days."

Yinzhen has been paying close attention to the war situation at the front recently, and he often mentions it when chatting with Yinsi.

Meanwhile, Yinzhi was having a battle of wits with Laifu's toys. Two days ago, Laifu had chewed up Baoquan's toys, which Baoquan was going to take to be repaired. But Yinzhi waved his little hand and enthusiastically took them back himself, wanting to repair them himself.

Yinzhen watched his younger brother immerse himself in the toy-repairing business, shook his head helplessly, and waved his hand in front of his eyes.

"Did you hear me?"

How could a prince not care about such a big matter?

Yinzhi already knew the whole story of the attack on Taiwan, so he didn't really care. He didn't pay attention to what Yinzhen had said earlier either. He estimated the time and casually replied, "It's inevitable that the Taiwanese garrison will surrender. General Shi Lang is an expert in naval warfare and will be rewarded after returning to the capital."

Yinzhen: "...Taiwan has not surrendered yet."

"..."

Oops, I let it slip.

The war had just begun; the Taiwanese garrison might surrender or fight to the death. How could Yinzhi be so certain that they would surrender?

Especially after a few days, when battle reports came back from the front lines that the Taiwanese garrison had indeed surrendered.

Yinzhen looked at Yinsi with even stranger eyes.

Is my brother a prophet?

Yinzhi felt his scalp tingle under Yinzhen's gaze, and could only laugh awkwardly twice, saying that with their large army pressing in, and Taiwan being such a small place, Zheng Jing was already dead, and now it was his teenage son who was in charge of Taiwan. Wasn't it normal for them to be intimidated and surrender?

I'd rather be thought of as having foresight by my fourth brother than have my reborn identity exposed.

Yinzhen still had some doubts and felt that something was wrong with Yinsi. When Yinsi saw this, he immediately started to act cute and act spoiled, and only then did he barely manage to get away with it.

Yinzhi wished he could slap his own mouth a couple of times.

Forget it, it hurts too much. He doesn't have any masochistic tendencies. I'd better go see if there's anything new to amuse him in the harem to cheer him up.

Wen Shan was deeply moved by the experience of Taiwan's reunification from the perspective of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Just when the front lines were making rapid progress and the battle was about to end, a piece of news from the previous dynasty suddenly caused an uproar in the inner palace.

Suo'etu was dismissed from office by Emperor Kangxi for forming cliques and soliciting bribes, and he completely withdrew from officialdom to go home and rest.

Two years earlier, after the suppression of the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories, Songgotu had been reprimanded by Emperor Kangxi for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. At that time, he was simply removed from the cabinet, and the position of Grand Secretary fell to Mingzhu, who had just made great contributions in the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories. From then on, Mingzhu's momentum gradually surpassed that of Songgotu. This time, however, Emperor Kangxi could no longer tolerate it and directly stripped Songgotu of his power.

Meanwhile, Mingzhu, Songgotu's old rival, was the person in charge who made great contributions in the process of recovering Taiwan. The contrast between the two made Mingzhu seem even more triumphant, and he had no rivals in the court.

Soetu was the Crown Prince's support, while Mingzhu supported the First Prince. The rise and fall of these two also affected the Crown Prince and the First Prince.

Or rather, it mainly affected the eldest prince.

Kangxi's favoritism towards the Crown Prince remained unchanged. Kangxi believed that he himself was the Crown Prince's greatest political asset. At this time, the Crown Prince also had a deep father-son relationship with Kangxi. The dismissal of Suo'etu from office did not affect the Crown Prince's mentality.

But it was different for the eldest prince. With the downfall of Suo'etu, Mingzhu rose to power and officially became the most powerful minister in the court, second only to the emperor. Wouldn't the distance between him and the crown prince be getting closer and closer?

The eldest prince couldn't hide his smugness and started arguing with the crown prince again. As a result, he was severely reprimanded by Emperor Kangxi before he finally behaved himself.

At the end of the month, Consort De gave birth to a fair-skinned little princess. Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed. After losing two daughters in a row, he finally gained a healthy princess. On top of that, he had won a great victory in Taiwan. Emperor Kangxi generously bestowed upon her the same rewards as for princes, but with an extra three times more.

This little princess was the ninth daughter of the emperor, and her birth order was the fifth princess, who later became Princess Gulun Wenxian.

The little princess's third-day celebration was also a grand affair. Wen Shan attended the ceremony. The little princess was born chubby and fair-skinned, smiling at everyone she met, which was very endearing. Emperor Kangxi even held her in his arms for a long time in front of everyone, reluctant to let go.

Consort De looked much the same as before her pregnancy, sitting beside Emperor Kangxi with the Sixth Prince and smiling gently.

The Sixth Prince was only three years old, a cute and chubby-cheeked age. Consort De raised him well, and his eyes were clear and innocent as he sat obediently beside his mother.

With both a son and a daughter, and both children being favored by Emperor Kangxi, Consort De is now a highly sought-after figure in the palace.

After completing their postpartum confinement, Consort Niohuru and Consort Yi returned to the race for the Emperor's favor. During this period, Consort Tong and Consort Ding also rose to prominence, and their combined favor was no less than that of Consort Yi and the others.

It got even more interesting when Consort De joined the fray after her confinement period ended.

With several favored concubines pregnant, the once peaceful harem has once again become lively, with everyone vying for attention and using all sorts of ingenious tricks.

However, the death of the Eighth Princess truly weakened the Imperial Noble Consort's health. From then on, she was bedridden and constantly taking medicine. She also excused herself from paying respects to the emperors from other palaces and began to close her doors to guests, gradually becoming quiet in the palace.

Emperor Kangxi visited her several times and saw that the Imperial Noble Consort was heartbroken and looked like a withered tree. He could only sigh and said that there was nothing else he could do but let her rest and find peace of mind.

In recent years, Emperor Kangxi had quelled the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories and recovered Taiwan, which was the most triumphant time for him. With everything settled, Kangxi was in a good mood, and there were no major events in the court, so he visited the inner palace more frequently.

After visiting several of the recently favored concubines, including Consort Niohuru, Consort Yi, Consort De, and Consort Tong, Emperor Kangxi remembered Xianfu Palace and made a visit there when he had some free time.

"The Imperial Concubine's cooking skills are as good as ever."

Emperor Kangxi's top priority whenever he visited Xianfu Palace was to freeload a meal.

Strangely enough, although Emperor Kangxi ate quite a few meals at Xianfu Palace, the ones he couldn't forget the most were the dishes that Wen Shan brought to him when she went to Yangxin Hall to plead for Yinzhen's sake. The taste of those dishes was truly incomparable to even the finest wine and dew.

The dishes he tasted at Xianfu Palace again were naturally much better than those in the Imperial Kitchen, but they were still a bit lacking in flavor compared to the amazing taste of that day. Although they were still delicious, they weren't enough to make him remember them fondly.

After much thought, Kangxi realized that Wen Shan was extremely anxious and needed his help, so he naturally put a lot of effort into cooking for her. It was understandable that things were different.

The real reason, of course, was that Wen Shan only cooked it herself on the occasion at the Hall of Mental Cultivation; the rest of the time, the cooks in the small kitchen were in charge of the cooking.

Cooking for the emperor was too much trouble, and Wen Shan was too lazy to bother, so she always had the cook prepare it for her. However, Kangxi always thought that she cooked it herself.

It's best not to expose this beautiful misunderstanding.

So every time Kangxi came, Yinzhen and Yinsi would have a bitter look on their faces, because they couldn't eat their mother's cooking when their father came.

They especially had to hear their father, the Emperor, praise how delicious the dishes were. Only one thought occupied their minds.

Have something good to eat, Your Majesty!

That day, Emperor Kangxi had dinner at Xianfu Palace again, and took the opportunity to choose Wen Shan as his concubine to stay overnight at Xianfu Palace.

Before going to bed, Emperor Kangxi would read some memorials again, and Wenshan, having removed her hairpins and jewelry, would sit idly beside him.

Just as I was pondering what I could do to make amends to Yinzhen and Yinsi the next day, I was startled by the sound of Kangxi throwing a memorial on the table.

"That Li Guangdi is despicable."

Kangxi said coldly with a sullen face, and impatiently threw the memorial aside.

Wenshan didn't know what had happened and didn't dare to ask, so she could only roll her eyes but couldn't say a word.

Kangxi looked up and was amused by her blank yet racking-for-brains expression.

It seems that she always looks like this whenever he gets angry, wanting to say something but afraid of saying the wrong thing, so she hides to the side and acts like a quail.

Having grown accustomed to understanding and eloquent women, Emperor Kangxi found Wen Shan's simple and honest nature quite interesting.

As a result, Xianfu Palace suddenly stood out for a period of time, surpassing Yongshou Palace and Yikun Palace to become the place that Emperor Kangxi visited most often.

Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi's favor was always fleeting; after spending half a month at Xianfu Palace, he moved on to Consort Yi's quarters.

Wenshan breathed a sigh of relief; at least she was gone.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were so happy they wanted to celebrate that their food was finally going to be back to normal!

After Yinzhen and Yinsi were vaccinated against smallpox, they still went to the Imperial Study for classes every day as usual, and took Fuqi and Laifu for a stroll in the Imperial Garden. They lived a carefree life, going back and forth between the three places every day. When they had nothing to do, they would pester Wenshan to cook delicious food for them and tell them stories.

Wenshan felt that her repertoire of fairy tales was almost emptied by these two brothers, from Grimm's Fairy Tales to Andersen's Fairy Tales.

Ironically, these Western fairy tales translated into Chinese by Wen Shan piqued the interest of Yinzhen and Yinsi. Yinzhen's favorite was Aladdin's lamp, while Yinsi unexpectedly preferred the Little Mermaid.

Yinzhi even secretly asked Wenshan if mermaids really existed in later generations.

Wenshan stated that they were simply born in a later location, not that their species had changed.

Yinzhi sighed in regret. Wenshan asked him curiously why he liked mermaids. This kind of love story, where the protagonist is obsessed with love, didn't seem to be Yinzhi's type.

Yinzhi shook his head, looking as if his mother didn't understand his grief: "Mother, what I meant was that if mermaids' tears could really turn into pearls, wouldn't it be an inexhaustible resource if we kept them in captivity?"

In an attempt to change his exploitative, landlord-class mindset, Wen Shan deliberately misled him: "Only tears shed because of love, because of unwavering affection, because of the most sincere love in the world can turn into pearls."

She almost threw up after saying that.

“Hmm…then we can keep a secret watch on her. Send her a few men of whatever kind she likes, send her a few more and let her choose.” Yinzhi thought seriously. “Provide her with good food and drink, and let her be with the one she loves. She only needs to shed a few tears of happiness every day. Isn’t this much better than exploiting the people to fill the national treasury?”

"..."

Tears of happiness, Hyun, you're so virtuous.

Wen Shan racked her brains: "For a mermaid to come ashore is like walking on a knife's edge. Why force her to come into the human world when it's so painful?"

Wen Shan subtly reminded Yin Si that it was impossible for him to be happy living like this every day.

Yinzhi raised an eyebrow: "Why did you have to grow legs? Can't mermaids go ashore in their natural form?"

"Why not just keep her in water?"

Wen Shan laughed: "Didn't you want mermaids and humans to fall in love? How can they fall in love if they don't take human form?"

Yinzhi raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled warmly: "How can one be prejudiced against mermaids just because of their different birthplaces? If such a person exists, they are not worthy to appear before her."

"..."

I see, this is to send some unlucky guys who "voluntarily" fall in love with mermaids over there.

"It's perfect that they can live freely and be used by me." The more Yinzhi thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. It was just a pity that there were no such creatures as mermaids.

Wen Shan tried to explain to Yin Si what personal freedom and dignity meant, but she gave up when she saw Yin Si's eager eyes and his readiness to listen attentively to the lesson.

It's quite a stretch for her to be talking to a prince from a feudal dynasty about these things.

"Mother, why did you stop talking?" Yinzhi tilted his head and blinked.

Wen Shan ruffled his newly grown, soft hair and said, "I just realized you're a true son of Heaven, so there's no point in telling you this."

Yinzhi had gotten used to Wenshan occasionally using words he had never heard before, and when he heard the word "Celestial Dragon," he started asking Wenshan what it meant.

"Mother, are you mistaken? I am not born in the Year of the Dragon."

Yinzhi can now be said to have perfectly integrated the advantages of both generations, and has already achieved great success.

On the one hand, she can use her current cute and pretty appearance to act cute and charming, and on the other hand, she is meticulous in her thinking, with three traps in two sentences, making it impossible for Wen Shan to guard against her.

Wen Shan was so confused by his persistent advances that she was almost dizzy. Fortunately, at that moment, Pearl came in and said that Consort Yi had sent someone to invite Wen Shan to take the children to stroll in the Imperial Garden the next afternoon.

The weather has been a bit cooler lately, which is perfect for going out for some fresh air. Wen Shan readily agreed and then quickly slipped away under the pretext of preparing things for tomorrow's trip, escaping the clutches of Yin Si's endless questions.

The next day, Wen Shan took Yinzhen and Yinsi, along with Fuqi and Laifu, and led a large group of people to the Imperial Garden.

Consort Yi was holding the infant Ninth Prince in the pavilion, waiting for them. When she saw Wen Shan coming from afar, she happily went forward to greet her.

"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine."

Wen Shan helped her up: "Alright, we don't need these formalities between us."

Consort Yi has recovered well after giving birth, and now she is as beautiful and charming as a peach blossom after the rain, with every smile and frown full of charm.

"Let me see Ninth Prince." Wen Shan reached out and picked up Ninth Prince. Ninth Prince is now more than five months old. He is wearing an exquisite tiger-head hat and a light blue dress embroidered with auspicious patterns. He is blinking and staring at Wen Shan.

He didn't cry when Wenshan hugged him.

"My sister has taken such good care of the Ninth Prince; he's quite heavy when I hold him." Wen Shan had raised Yinzhi before, and she could tell from the first touch that the Ninth Prince was heavier than the average five-month-old baby.

Speaking of this, Consort Yi was a little worried: "Yin Tang was heavier than other children when he was born, and now I also think he is a bit heavy."

Although the child was chubby and adorable, being too fat was never a good thing. Fortunately, the Ninth Prince had never been sick, and although he was a bit chubby, it was not a serious problem.

"It's alright, he'll grow out of it. It just goes to show that our Xiao Jiu is a lucky child," Wen Shan said with a smile.

Wen Shan lowered the Ninth Prince a little so that Yin Si and Yin Zhen could see him.

"Yinzhen, Yinsi has come to see his younger brother."

It veered slightly in the direction of Yinzhi.

Yinzhi tiptoed over and saw only a white blob.

Yinzhi chuckled to himself. He never expected that the Ninth Prince would be so chubby when he was a child. He was quite handsome and dashing when he grew up. Thinking of the Ninth Prince's frivolous and dashing appearance in the past and looking at the chubby baby in front of him, Yinzhi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Wen Shan: "..."

What is that child laughing at?

Yinzhen glanced at him helplessly.

"Your subject is very fond of Ninth Brother because he is so handsome and cute, like a lucky doll in a New Year's painting," Yinzhi quickly added.

Since they were all children, Consort Yi didn't think that Yinzhi was making fun of Yintang, and immediately said, "Then the Eighth Prince can come to Yikun Palace to play with your Ninth Brother often in the future."

Although Yinzhi was not yet fully grown, he already had the appearance of being refined and gentle. When the concubines in the harem occasionally chatted about these princes, they all felt that the Eighth Prince had the most princely demeanor, being both gentle and noble as a member of the royal family.

Consort Yi naturally admired Yinzhi and always wanted to ask Wenshan for advice on how to raise children.

Although the Fourth Prince is somewhat aloof, since being raised in Xianfu Palace, he has become a well-mannered and disciplined child.

After praising Yinzhi, Consort Yi didn't neglect Yinzhen, who was standing to the side. Yinzhen was almost six years old, so Consort Yi smiled and asked, "Fourth Prince, would you like to hold Yintang?"

The last time Yinzhen saw a baby this size up close was when Yinsi was born, but he was too small then and his mother wouldn't let him hold his younger brother. Today, Yinzhen finally had the chance and was eager to try.

Seeing that he wanted to hug him, Wen Shan carefully placed Yin Tang in his arms and told him to hold him tightly so as not to drop Yin Tang.

Then I put my hands down below, just in case something unexpected happened.

Although he was a bit chubby, he was still quite handsome upon closer inspection. Yinzhen looked down at Yintang waving at him and thought that his ninth brother seemed to be a cute child as well.

After a while, with the little, soft bundle in his arms, Yinzhen didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. Just as he was about to ask Wenshan for help to take Yintang away, Yintang suddenly burst into tears.

Yinzhen was startled and at a loss for what to do.

Wen Shan quickly took it and saw that Yin Tang had urinated.

And it just so happened that he urinated on Yinzhen.

Wen Shan was both amused and exasperated, and quickly told Yin Zhen to go back and change his clothes. While everyone was in a daze, Yin Si secretly touched Yin Tang's chubby little face.

Well done, Ninth Brother, you've avenged yourself.