"Sister Mei!" The first thing Jin Die saw when she woke up was Mei'er.

"You're awake." Mei'er was truly frightened when she saw Jin Die being carried back wrapped up and found that Jin Die was unconscious.

"Sister, why does it hurt so much? It hurts!" Jin Die said, frowning.

"Don't worry, I've already gotten some medicine to reduce swelling and stop bleeding. I've applied it to your area, and you'll be fine after a few days of rest." Mei'er hadn't expected Kangxi to be so drastic this time; Jin Die's area was a truly pitiful sight. Mei'er applied some ointment to reduce swelling and relieve pain.

"Here, this was just sent by the Emperor. Drink it quickly!" Mei'er brought over a bowl of dark, mushy medicine.

"What is this? Am I sick? Do I need to take medicine?" Jin Die asked, staring at the dark, gooey medicine.

"This isn't to cure your illness. This is a contraceptive soup! Drink it quickly, and from now on you'll be drinking this dark, gooey stuff with your sister too," Mei'er said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Contraceptive soup? Contraceptive!!" Jin Die repeated in surprise, staring at Mei'er in disbelief.

"You think I haven't been able to conceive? It's because the Emperor simply won't allow people like us to have children!" Mei'er said with a mocking smile.

"They won't let us get pregnant?" Jin Die repeated Mei'er's words as if waking from a dream, her heart immediately shocked by such a cruel reality.

"I'll go get you something to eat. You haven't eaten yet, have you? You should drink this contraceptive soup first." Mei'er placed the bowl of contraceptive soup on Jin Die's bedside, then stood up and turned to leave.

Their tents were located behind Kangxi's imperial tent, ready to serve the emperor at any time. When Mei'er emerged from her tent, it was already dark outside. The grassland sky was exceptionally clear and vast, with stars like diamonds set against the heavens. Behind the imperial tent were the tents of the accompanying princes, officials, and servants, while the ten thousand guards pitched their tents about five hundred meters to Kangxi's left.

Mei'er's indifferent figure moved nimbly among the white tents, as light as a ghost. She arrived at the temporary kitchen, where a flurry of activity was taking place. Besides the kitchen for over a hundred people, meals also needed to be prepared for ten thousand. Although Ban Gu had sent a large quantity of beef and mutton, it still needed to be thoroughly cooked.

Mei'er approached a kitchen eunuch and asked, "Excuse me, which chef is in charge of the meals for the palace maids?" She knew that the kitchen was a place where food was prepared according to rank. The chefs who cooked for the emperor were undoubtedly the most qualified senior chefs; those who cooked for the princes and ministers were naturally second-best; and those who cooked for the palace maids like them were naturally the worst.

"Look, it's all over there!" The kitchen eunuch was putting beef and mutton into a pot, presumably to prepare a meal for the ten thousand soldiers.

Mei nodded and immediately tiptoed among the cooks and eunuchs who were preparing meals. Reaching the table for the palace servants, she took two small dishes of side dishes and two bowls of plain porridge for herself and Jin Die's dinner. As for Yu Fen, she wouldn't concern herself with her; she was only mentioning the meal to Jin Die because she was injured and unable to move.

As Mei'er walked out of the kitchen tent carrying her food box, she happened to run into a young eunuch who greeted her with a grin, "Miss Mei'er!"

Mei'er naturally recognized him; he was none other than Xiao Wuzi, the personal eunuch of Ninth Master. The two of them walked one after the other, avoiding the crowded areas, and went around to the back of the kitchen via a path.

"This servant greets Ninth Prince!" Mei'er followed Xiao Wuzi into Ninth Prince's tent.

"No need for formalities. Miss Mei, do you still remember what happened between you and this Prince?" Ninth Master held a white jade fish-shaped pendant in his hand, playing with it.

"Reporting to Ninth Master, this servant has been keeping a close watch. However, the Emperor is keeping a close watch on me these days, and I cannot leave for the time being, which is why I have not been able to come and pay my respects to Ninth Master," Mei'er said with a curtsy.

"Oh. I wonder what Father Emperor has been busy with lately?" Ninth Prince waved to Xiao Wuzi, signaling him to stand guard at the tent entrance.

“I don’t understand the Emperor’s daily affairs of state. I’ve been keeping an eye on the matter that Ninth Prince asked me to keep an eye on, but I’ve never seen the Emperor mention it to anyone,” Mei’er said, bowing her head.

"So many officials submitted memorials, yet Father Emperor has never mentioned this matter again?" Ninth Prince asked.

Mei shook her head and said, "His Majesty almost never mentions that matter."

Ninth Master was taken aback, then said, "Alright, you can go back now. If anything comes up, I'll come looking for you."

Mei'er curtsied and then turned to leave. After she left, Ninth Master immediately left his tent and headed towards Eighth Master's.

"Eighth Brother, you're finally back! Where have you been?" Ninth Master arrived at Eighth Brother's tent and realized that he had already returned.

"I went with Dohar to see some gyrfalcons, what's wrong?" Eighth Master was sitting at the desk in the tent, seemingly in a good mood.

“Hai Dongqing?” Ninth Master said, “Dohar is the son-in-law of the Prince of Zhi, Eighth Brother, you should not get close to that Dohar.”

"He's just a son-in-law, not a son. Ninth Prince, if I can get the support of the Khorchin grasslands, my chances of being made crown prince will be much greater." Eighth Prince always felt that he was the best choice for crown prince.

“Eighth Brother, I just asked Mei’er, and she said that Father has not mentioned the matter of establishing a crown prince again. You and I went to great lengths to encourage more than thirty ministers to submit memorials recommending you, but Father just suppressed it. What does that mean?” Ninth Prince said.

"Father Emperor simply hasn't made up his mind yet." But the Eighth Prince couldn't hear him.

Ninth Prince had no choice but to stop talking. After having dinner together, the two went to see the gyrfalcon that Dohar had given to the Eighth Prince.

"Look, the best of these gyrfalcons is this one with black feathers and a white belly. Its claws and eyes are very bright, and its plumage is also very distinctive. It's truly a top-quality specimen," said Eighth Master.

"Yes, it is indeed a top-quality gyrfalcon." Ninth Master looked at the gyrfalcons again and again, and it was indeed the one in the middle that was the best.

“In a few days, Prince Zhi and the others will return, and there will definitely be a banquet then. I’ll take this opportunity to present this gyrfalcon to Father Emperor. What do you think?” said the Eighth Prince.

"Of course it's good. Father has always liked the gyrfalcon," said Ninth Prince.

As the two were discussing how to present this fine gyrfalcon to Emperor Kangxi, they had no idea that a storm was brewing and about to break.

Meanwhile, after Mei'er returned, she placed Jin Die's meal by her bedside, ate a few bites herself, and then went to serve in the imperial tent in front.