"Imperial Physician Chen, Her Majesty the Empress's baby is breech! You must go and take a look!" said the Empress's head maid, A, anxiously.

Emperor Kangxi looked at Physician Chen and said, "Go in and see the Empress. Make sure she gives birth to a legitimate son."

At this point, did Kangxi truly feel intense disgust for the Empress?

So he hinted to Physician Chen that if he could only choose one of the two options, he should protect the imperial heir.

Emperor Kangxi was torn between his conscience and his desire for the Empress to die during childbirth. This way, he wouldn't have to make things difficult for her, he wouldn't have to punish her, and the Empress's reputation for being immoral would be gone.

But they also hoped the Empress would live, because if the Empress died, the child would be without a mother.

Emperor Kangxi lost his father at the age of eight and his mother at the age of nine. He knew all too well how difficult it would be for a child without a mother.

Physician Chen replied, "Your Majesty, I will go see the Empress immediately."

Midwife A: "Your Majesty, I am going to give you the position of the legitimate heir. Please bear with it."

Hesheli cried out in pain, "Ah... um... it hurts..."

After Physician Chen went in, he watched as the midwife adjusted the Empress's fetal position, first taking the Empress's pulse, and then administering acupuncture to relieve the Empress's pain.

Midwife A: "Your Majesty, please conserve your energy. The baby's position is just right now. If you exert too much force, you won't have the strength to give birth."

Hearing this, Hesheri endured the pain, for this child was her everything.

Midwife B: "Your Majesty, now follow me and do the breathing exercises: inhale... exhale... inhale... push."

Inside, the Empress was still struggling to give birth, but the concubines outside, especially Nara and Magia, were truly wishing that the Empress and her unborn child would die together.

So even though he appeared very anxious, as if he were worried about the Empress, he secretly wished the Empress would die immediately.

The same applies to Consort Zhao and Consort Tong.

Consort Zhao was unwilling to accept that she lost the struggle for the empress to a concubine's daughter because she was Ao Bai's adopted daughter.

Consort Tong was simple; she disliked all the women in the harem equally. In her eyes, she was the emperor's cousin and related to him by blood.

Therefore, if the Empress died, she would be the most likely person to become Empress. So she also hoped that something would happen to the Empress. It has to be said that Consort Tong never saw through Emperor Kangxi, nor did she ever see through Emperor Kangxi's attitude towards the Tong family.

I don't know where she got the confidence to think she could be an empress.

Wanwan's face didn't show any sadness, worry, or anything else, but in her heart she was thinking that the Empress was finally going to fall.

A loud "Ah..."

"It's born! It's a prince."

"Quickly take it out so the Emperor can see it."

Upon hearing the cry of a baby, Emperor Kangxi immediately stood up from his seat, his eyes fixed on the doorway.

When the midwife brought the baby out, she said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Empress has given birth to a prince."

Emperor Kangxi exclaimed, "Good, good, good! Quickly report to me so I can see the child!" He said this while bringing the child to him, but in reality, he went to the midwife himself to look at the baby.

Emperor Kangxi said excitedly, "This is my son, my legitimate son. Bring the child to the Empress Dowager so she can see him too."

The midwife then brought the child to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager, saying, "It's good that the baby has been born."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "Qiqige, take a look too."

Before the Empress Dowager could even glance at the child, a midwife's loud cry rang out from the Fifth Middle School: "Oh no! Her Majesty the Empress has suffered a postpartum hemorrhage!"

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this news.

Some who had been harmed by the empress hoped that she would die from postpartum hemorrhage.

Emperor Kangxi was at odds with his own thoughts, torn between his inner turmoil and his own mind.

Consort Zhao and Consort Tong were secretly delighted.

Finally, Kangxi said, "Chen Hao, you must protect the Empress's life."

Physician Chen Hao replied, "Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree."

After saying this, he immediately went into the delivery room to treat the Empress.

The concubines listened to Kangxi's words, but no one knew what they were thinking.

For them, the result was a good one!

"Ah..." This shrill scream startled everyone.

The Empress's head maid ran out, crying, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Your Majesty the Empress... Your Majesty the Empress... Waaah!" She was crying very sadly, it was unclear whether she was crying for the Empress or for her own future.

Kangxi asked, "What happened to the Empress?" But Kangxi already guessed it, because after the Empress's scream, there was no sound.

Chen Hao stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress... Your humble servant is incompetent."

"Her Majesty the Empress has passed away." After saying this, he immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to look at anyone's expression.

Kangxi immediately closed his eyes, then opened them again, as if all his strength had left him. Until the moment the Empress died, he didn't know what he was feeling; he seemed happy and unhappy at the same time.

"Understood, Consort Zhao, Consort Ming, Consort Tong, you are all responsible for giving the Empress a proper burial."

Consort Zhao, Wanwan, and Consort Tong immediately stood up and replied, "Your Majesty, we obey your command."

And just like that, Kangxi's first empress was gone (?_?).

For the past two weeks, Consort Zhao, Wanwan, and Consort Tong have been busy, first dealing with the Empress's remains. Although they didn't do it themselves, they had to be present.

Then came several days of mourning and the seventh day after death. After half a month, they all lost a lot of weight.

………………

Cining Palace

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang asked, "Whom does the Emperor intend to entrust Bao Cheng to for upbringing?"

Emperor Kangxi said, "It is inappropriate to entrust Bao Cheng, who is the legitimate son, to the concubines for upbringing."

Emperor Kangxi said, "In this harem, only the Empress Dowager and the Empress Mother could raise Bao Cheng."

However, it is impossible for the Empress Dowager to inherit the throne. According to Mongolian tradition, the child was raised by the Empress Dowager, so it is impossible for him to inherit the throne.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "I am old and I am afraid I will not be able to help Xuan Ye."

As for Qiqige, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang hadn't considered it either. After all, he was the legitimate son, and if he didn't inherit the Datong throne, then...

Moreover, it's impossible for the legitimate son to be entrusted to the Empress Dowager for upbringing.

Emperor Kangxi was in a difficult position because the only empress dowager in the harem who could raise the legitimate son refused.

Emperor Kangxi said, "Then I will think about it some more."

After saying this, he stood up, bowed to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, and left Cining Palace.

As Emperor Kangxi rode in a sedan chair back to the Qianqing Palace, he pondered who else would be suitable to raise Baocheng.

They looked around, but no one seemed right.

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi made a decision.

That means I will raise Baocheng myself.

Although Emperor Kangxi was unhappy that the Empress had harmed so many of his children, Bao Cheng was the legitimate son.

It's inappropriate to entrust them to anyone for upbringing.

Then I'll have to raise them myself.