Chapter 16 Consort De

Why don't you ask about Yinzhen even once?

How should Consort De respond? Should she say that she doesn't actually care about Rouze, that she's just putting on an act, or that she doesn't really care about her eldest son at all?

Does she dare to say it? Is she even able to say it?

"Your Majesty, how could I? I know that Your Majesty, as a loving father, must have confirmed that Yinzhen is safe. Besides... besides, Zhen'er and I have never been close... I just didn't know how to bring it up..."

Consort De was naturally beautiful, a gentle and graceful woman. She sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face, which made people's hearts soften. It was a pity that the Kangxi Emperor was sitting opposite her.

When Kangxi saw that even at this point, Lady Wuya still couldn't resist subtly criticizing Yinzhen, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and coldly ordered, "Lady Wuya has behaved improperly before the Emperor. She is demoted to Consort De, confined for three months, and ordered to copy the Classic of Filial Piety one hundred times and hand it over to the Empress Dowager."

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…” Consort De, no, at this moment she should be called Consort De, Uya, suddenly looked up, a single tear sliding down her face, full of disbelief.

"Liang Jiugong, take him away." He didn't want to look at Wuya's face anymore; every time he looked at it, he felt like he was slapping himself in the face, blaming himself for misjudging people.

"Yes, sir." Ignoring Wuya's struggles, Liang Jiugong led his men to drag her away. Inside the hall, Fei Yanggu and his family of three knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.

At this moment, Kangxi had no interest in the consequences for Rouze. He coldly ordered, "Feiyanggu, take your daughter back and confine her to her quarters. We'll deal with her when Yinzhen wakes up. Get out of here."

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Fei Yanggu kowtowed repeatedly, feeling a sense of relief. Even if it was handed over to the Fourth Prince, as long as it wasn't dealt with immediately, there was still room for maneuver.

Fearing that he would displease Emperor Kangxi again, he helped his wife and daughter up, quickly took his leave, and went home to reflect on his actions.

Everyone had left, and Kangxi sat alone in the empty palace, muttering to himself, "Did I do something wrong...?"

In fact, Kangxi concealed the secret medicine involved, preventing it from taking effect. Although it was Yinzhen who orchestrated the scheme, Kangxi did indeed connect it to the Uya clan. Not only Consort De, but also the Uya family behind her, and even the bondservant banners.

Emperor Kangxi actually had some vague knowledge of the collusion among the bondservant officials, but it involved too many people, so he chose not to investigate further. His punishment of Consort De was partly due to Yinzhen, but more so as a warning to her and the bondservant banners behind her.

But at this point, Emperor Kangxi still had some fatherly compassion, and the only person he felt sorry for in the whole affair was his fourth son, who was still in a coma.

Thinking back to what he had learned from the secret guards that Yinzhen had truly walked on the edge of life and death, Kangxi's heart trembled. Recalling the time Yinzhen had spent with his cousin, and then thinking about how Uya had been so indifferent to him, Kangxi felt a growing sense of guilt. He felt ashamed of his son and also of his cousin's entrustment.

An idea had just formed in his mind, but he suppressed it forcefully for Yinreng's sake. Kangxi, eager to express his paternal love, decided to find a different way to make amends…

Meanwhile, after being sent back to Yonghe Palace, Lady Wuya learned, under the panicked gazes of the palace servants, that her mistress had been demoted to the rank of concubine. At the same time, the gates of Yonghe Palace were sealed off in front of them.

As the head maidservant of the Wuya clan, Zhu Xi was quite dignified. After calming the servants and dismissing the spies from some other minor concubines and ladies-in-waiting in Yonghe Palace, she carried a cup of calming tea into the inner hall.

"Your Majesty, please have a cup of tea and rest."

Sitting in front of the dressing table, staring blankly at herself in the mirror, Wuya Shi came to her senses and said softly, "Zhuxi, I was wrong..."

"Your Majesty..."

“You don’t need to comfort me,” Wuya stopped Zhuxi from speaking, and said earnestly, “I was wrong, I was really terribly wrong. These past few years, after becoming Consort De, everything has gone too smoothly for me. I had long since lost my vigilance, which led to my fall from such a high place…”

Uya touched the few faint wrinkles that had appeared at the corners of her eyes, which were not there yesterday. "This is a lesson. I was careless."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, with the two princes here, Your Majesty will soon be out of danger. Your disappointment is only temporary." Zhu Xi, watching from the side, felt a little sorry for you and gently comforted you.

"Yes, I still have Yinzhen. With the Fourteenth Prince around, no one can laugh at me! As for Yinzhen..." Wuya's face gradually turned sinister. She suddenly waved her hand, knocking all the jewelry on the table to the ground. "He's here to bring me bad luck. He's not my child. He's that wretched woman Tongjia's child. He's here to bring me bad luck..."

"Your Majesty!" Zhu Xi rushed to Wuya's side and grasped her hand, which was about to lash out again. "Your Majesty, please calm down. The walls have ears..."

"If I can't speak in Yonghe Palace, then I've been a Consort De for nothing... Look at me, from today onwards, I'm no longer Consort De... Consort De, Consort De, in the end I've become a mere Consort again, hahahaha..."

Uya stopped venting her anger, staggered to her feet, and collapsed weakly onto the bed, muttering, "I won't lose, I won't... Yinzhen, Yinzhen... why can't things go my way..."

"Your Majesty..." Seeing her mistress's emotional outburst, Zhu Xi didn't know what to say and could only quietly stand by her side. Although she felt sorry for Consort De, Zhu Xi couldn't help but feel a chill as she listened to her murmurs. She couldn't understand why Consort De was so hostile to her eldest son. Not only did she dislike him, but she also set a trap to frame him.

But it was ultimately her master's decision, and as a servant, she had no right to object.

The collapse and despair of Lady Uya in Yonghe Palace remained unknown to others. However, her demotion from Consort De to Concubine De became a source of amusement for many in the palace. Upon further investigation, the entire convoluted, bizarre, and unbelievable story unfolded.

First, the Eighth Prince Yinzhi went to the palace to seek the imperial physician, which also alarmed Liang Jiugong, the chief eunuch by Kangxi's side. Under everyone's investigation, he entered the Fourth Prince's residence.

Although the specifics of what happened are unknown, the two women dragged out of the Fourth Prince's residence were soon recognized as a mother and daughter from the Ulanara residence. Subsequently, a series of imperial edicts were issued from the Qianqing Palace: Fei Yanggu was stripped of his official position, the Jue Luo clan was stripped of their imperial titles, the Consort De was demoted, and the Fourth Prince Yinzhen was granted the title of "Prince Yong".

The first few decrees were entertaining enough, but the last one, the decree bestowing the title of prince, caused a huge uproar. A mother being demoted while her son was granted a princely title—it all seemed bizarre, and who wouldn't be curious?

Then, through deliberate leaks and investigations by those with ulterior motives, the story of the Fourth Prince's residence and the current state of Yinzhen, who was still in a coma, spread throughout the Forbidden City. Everyone suddenly realized that this was a form of compensation. No one suspected or envied anymore; they just wanted to say, "Is Consort De out of her mind?" and "The Fourth Prince—no, Prince Yong—is truly pitiful..."