The eleventh prince was a lovable child, intelligent and well-behaved. Although he was constantly ill from a young age, he was never gloomy or sensitive, and there was probably no one in the entire Forbidden City who didn't like him.

It was precisely because of his excellent character that his passing was all the more heartbreaking.

Consort Yi fell seriously ill because of this, and almost died along with her young son, whom she had lived in fear for more than ten years.

Fortunately, after the seventh day after Yinzhi's death, Yinqi's concubine, Lady Liu, fainted while attending to him and was found to be pregnant, which restored Consort Yi's spirits.

It's already remarkable that her youngest son has survived for so many years; she has two other sons to take care of and can't afford to get sick any longer.

With constant infighting in the harem and the princes growing older, it was the most vulnerable time for trouble to break out.

Moreover, the Guoluo clan is an old Manchu surname, and their influence in the court should not be underestimated. If her sons were instigated by others and got involved in things they shouldn't, or even became enemies among brothers, wouldn't she die with regrets?

There were quite a few concubines in the palace who lost their children, but Consort Yi was still able to hold on.

When Emperor Kangxi saw that Consort Yi had recovered, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Of all the concubines in the harem, Consort Yi is still the one that Emperor Kangxi values ​​most.

In the thirty-fifth year, Emperor Kangxi made a northern tour, which coincided with the Empress Dowager's birthday. It was rare for him not to be able to celebrate with the Empress Dowager in the palace.

Even so, the preparations in the palace were no less lively than in previous years. All the preparations began two months before the Empress Dowager's birthday.

Tong Wanyan, with her three chubby little boys, made the Empress Dowager beam with joy.

Because Emperor Kangxi was not in the palace, the slight sadness the Empress Dowager had felt was instantly dispelled by this coaxing. She even almost forgot about Emperor Kangxi altogether.

Since the last time Emperor Kangxi personally led an expedition against Galdan, Yinreng developed the good habit of sending letters to Emperor Kangxi in detail whenever they were separated.

As usual, the letter contained all sorts of interesting stories about the family, including matters big and small, from the palace.

The messenger clutched the thick envelope, thinking to himself that he hadn't expected the Crown Prince to be such a chatterbox.

During his northern tour, Emperor Kangxi received a personal letter from Yinreng during a rest stop. The letter's weight left him both amused and exasperated.

After unsealing the letter, Kangxi stroked his beard, smiling as he read it, occasionally chuckling. The two ministers sitting beside him exchanged glances, their conviction that the Crown Prince's position was secure only strengthened.

"The Crown Prince has grown up. What do you think of my Crown Prince?" After reading the letter, Kangxi smiled and looked at his trusted ministers.

The ministers who managed to rise to the position of accompanying Emperor Kangxi on his northern tours were all shrewd and capable individuals.

It was obvious that Kangxi was waiting for them to praise the Crown Prince.

The emperor and his minister were of one mind, praising Yinreng, who was far away in the capital, to the skies. Kangxi, who originally adored the crown prince, became so fond of him after the flattery that he wished he could return and have Yinreng sit on the dragon throne with him.

The Empress Dowager ultimately didn't truly forget her adopted son, Kangxi. After receiving his congratulatory letter and gifts, she busied herself sending him clothes and furs, forgetting that even in another month, Kangxi wouldn't be able to wear thick clothes. The river ice hadn't frozen yet; there was no need for such heavy clothing.

Regardless of whether it was appropriate or not, Kangxi was a person who valued sentiment.

No sooner had Kangxi received the fur coat and clothing from the Empress Dowager, a gift imbued with maternal love, than he ordered dried fruit and local produce to be sent to the palace for her to enjoy. Incidentally, he also intended to let Yinreng and Tong Wanyan benefit from the occasion.

When the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthday with a banquet, it was inevitable that concubines and younger relatives would accompany her.

Dong E Hailan sat down next to Tong Wanyan without hesitation, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Hongzhao and Tana have passed their fifth birthday and can no longer be held and rubbed in one's arms like before.

In place of her son was Hongsheng, who was still a little baby.

Dong E Hailan casually pinched Hongsheng's chubby little face, her touch very light, which felt quite comfortable.

"Why are you so distracted? Your fourth sister-in-law said that since the end of last month, she hasn't been able to get you to go out, and she's been very worried about you," Tong Wanyan asked softly, turning her head to the side.

Over the past few years, the initial sharp differences and barriers have been largely worn away.

Including the First Princess Consort, the princes' wives now get along quite well.

Of course, the closest relationship was between Tong Wanyan and the Fourth Prince's wife, who were sisters-in-law.

Dong E Hailan rubbed her head and quietly leaned closer to Tong Wanyan: "I haven't been here for almost two months."

Tong Wanyan's eyes widened slightly: "Isn't this a good thing? We've made things difficult for you these past few years, and we haven't been able to help you much."

Dong'e Hailan shook her head, glancing at Consort Rong's position: "I'm quite carefree. I'm doing well anyway, nothing's perfect. In a few years, I'll move out of the palace, and I'll only see her once every ten days or so. But, didn't I make a fool of myself last year? I had bloating and nausea, and I thought I was pregnant, which was a false alarm. This time, I dare not call the imperial physician again."

The prince's wife could take his pulse every month, but some signs of pregnancy could not be detected in just one visit.

Dong E Hailan is a person who cares about her reputation and doesn't want to be laughed at again.

Ulanara Fanghui overheard a couple of sentences and looked up with her round, auspicious face: "Why don't you come to my place next time, Third Sister-in-law, and let the imperial physician take a look at you too? We take each other's pulses at different times, and I don't have a mother-in-law to keep an eye on me."

Dong E Hailan was taken aback: "I was so obsessed that I forgot it could be done like this."

She hadn't truly forgotten that she could trouble Ulanara Fanghui; she was just afraid of losing face in front of her younger siblings.

Among the imperial concubines, Consort Yi and Consort Rong sat together. Although they didn't get along behind each other's backs, they put on a friendly, sisterly facade.

Lady Liu had just given birth to a big, chubby baby boy for Yinqi, who was incredibly adorable.

“I didn’t originally intend for the Fifth Prince to have an heir so early, after all, he hasn’t married yet and taken a principal wife. However, this joyous occasion came unexpectedly. Lady Liu is a good person, and her family background is also good. It’s a good thing that the Fifth Prince can become a father sooner and take on more responsibility.” Consort Yi knew where Consort Rong’s heart was, and her words hit the nail on the head.

Consort Rong's face twitched slightly: "The time is not yet ripe, it can't be rushed."

The Empress Dowager really liked the word "fate".

"Whose destiny hasn't arrived?" the Empress Dowager asked.

As the Empress Dowager was both an elder and the birthday celebrant, everyone's eyes turned to Consort Yi and Consort Rong as soon as she asked the question.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Consort Rong's hand under the table was twisting a handkerchief.

Consort Yi laughed heartily: "Replying to Your Majesty, Consort Rong and I were just talking about having children and grandchildren. Consort Rong is an old servant who has served His Majesty, and the Third Prince has been married for many years. Now that we are of age, it would be so wonderful to enjoy the company of our grandchildren."

"You've got the fifth prince's son, so you've told everyone you've got your hands on," the Empress Dowager said with a smile, not finding anything wrong with what Consort Yi said.

Seeing that Consort Rong's face was stiff and about to fall off, the Empress Dowager didn't notice at all and said, "Consort Rong, you should tell Yinzhi to hurry up. He has quite a few concubines in his harem."

That really hit me hard!

Consort Rong was furious, her heart ached, and her liver hurt. Didn't the Empress Dowager's words mean that her Yinzhi was incapable of making his woman bear a son?