Chapter 55: A plea for help from Lao Shi's lazy, good-for-nothing Abahai...

In the silent room, Kangxi gazed down at the Consort for a long time, as if trying to see through whether her words were true or false, or as if trying to discern her true intentions.

But the Imperial Concubine kept her head down so that Kangxi could not see the expression on her face. He could only tell from her tense posture that she was not indifferent or confident.

After his unfathomable gaze lingered on the Imperial Concubine for a long time, Kangxi finally exhaled and said calmly, "Get up. It's cold in winter, and the ground is chilly. Don't hurt your knees, Imperial Concubine."

Her delicate hands, clasped together in front of her, trembled slightly. The Imperial Concubine let out a long breath, knowing that the most perilous first hurdle was over. She stood up and sat down in the chair next to Kangxi, but kept her head bowed, not looking up at him.

The Imperial Concubine ultimately did not seek help from the Niohuru clan outside the palace, and did not leak the information about the smallpox vaccination and water-based vaccination methods.

Without utilizing the Niohuru clan's influence outside the palace, and naturally, the Consort, who was confined to the palace and had limited access to the outside world, was unable to conduct clinical trials of the new smallpox inoculation method. There was no experimental evidence to prove the authenticity and correctness of the new method.

But the Imperial Concubine had her own considerations.

Firstly, the current Duke Guoyi is her elder brother, Faka. However, given the merits of the new smallpox inoculation method, the Consort could not guarantee that Faka would not become greedy. Moreover, the Duke Guoyi's household also has Aling'a, a direct descendant, eyeing the throne covetously. In the Consort's eyes, Niohuru was not someone she could completely trust.

Secondly, there is a possibility of accidents and injuries during clinical trials of the new variolation method. And in terms of variolation, no one can compare to the Smallpox Department established by the Imperial Medical Academy by order of the Emperor several years ago.

Instead of secretly seeking out doctors to conduct experiments with uncertain success rates, it would be better to directly and frankly inform the Emperor about the new smallpox inoculation method and let the Emperor oversee the matter.

Although the Imperial Concubine had not been in the palace for very long, during those four years she observed the Emperor's behavior and character with a detached eye and concluded that the Emperor was not a cold-hearted or intolerant ruler.

Regardless of the emperor's behavior in court, at least in the palace, he was very gentle with his elders, wives, concubines, and children.

Emperor Kangxi was very gentle with his concubines, treating them with respect and tolerance, and never wantonly trampled on anyone's dignity. In this respect, the concubines were fortunate.

Trusting in Emperor Kangxi's character and personality, and with Empress Xiaozhao as a reliable support, Consort Gui ultimately decided to hand over the booklet containing the new smallpox vaccination method directly to the Emperor—of course, the sheepskin booklet was fabricated evidence later by Consort Gui.

"I will personally send someone to verify the contents of this book." Kangxi put away the sheepskin book, his previous imperial majesty subdued, and looked at the Consort with a smile, asking gently, "Consort, you have rendered meritorious service by presenting this item. What reward do you desire?"

Without any refusal or pretense, the Imperial Concubine finally raised her head and said frankly, "This method has not yet been verified, so I dare not ask for too much. I only hope that Your Majesty will favor Yin'e and, when Yin'e grows up, choose a Mongolian noblewoman as his wife."

His eyes suddenly turned deep and profound. He gently stroked the bluish-white jade thumb ring on his right thumb with his left hand and said with a light laugh, "Your Highness is too hasty. Yin'e is still young. It is too early to bring up his marriage at this time."

Consort Gui looked up at Emperor Kangxi. Abandoning all pretense, she solemnly and directly stated her true intentions: "Your Majesty, I do not wish for Your Majesty to arrange a marriage for Yin'e now. It is simply that I do not intend for Yin'e to marry into a Manchu noble family."

The Imperial Concubine spoke so bluntly that even if Kangxi wanted to pretend not to understand, he couldn't. Moreover, the marriage alliance between Yin'e and the Mongols was very much to his liking, and he didn't want to simply reject the matter.

After a moment of silence, Kangxi nodded in agreement: "I grant your permission."

After a pause, although he knew that the Imperial Concubine was only expressing her willingness to form a marriage alliance with the Mongols and that she had absolutely no intention of participating in the struggle for the throne, and that she did not really have her eye on that noble lady, Kangxi still asked one more question: "Does the Imperial Concubine have a favorite noble lady?"

Since the Imperial Concubine had already taken a step back and chosen to marry into the Mongol tribe instead of the Manchu nobles, Emperor Kangxi would naturally not be stingy. He had already decided to choose a Mongol noblewoman from a powerful family as Yin'e's primary consort.

However, considering that Consort Gui was always calculating and might have other ideas about the choice of Yin'e's primary consort, Kangxi asked her a question, intending to satisfy Consort Gui's wishes and do things according to her wishes as much as possible, which could be regarded as compensation for Consort Gui and Yin'e.

The Imperial Concubine did not have a favorite noblewoman, but she did have a favorite Mongolian tribe. She sighed with a smile and said, "Yin'e is still young. It's too early to consider a marriage partner now."

A suitable candidate for the position of Fujin (Prince Consort) might not even be born yet.

"But I intend to find a primary consort for Yin'e in the Abahai tribe."

Emperor Kangxi paused, his gaze towards the Imperial Concubine becoming incredibly tender, tinged with a hint of melancholy. He sighed, seemingly lost in thought, "You truly have the heart of a loving mother."

When Kangxi was young, his birth mother, Empress Xiaokangzhang, was only a concubine and was not qualified to raise her son. Kangxi was raised by his wet nurse from a young age, and it was not until he ascended the throne at the age of eight and honored his birth mother, Lady Tong, as Empress Dowager Cihe that he was able to become close to his mother.

Unfortunately, she did not live long. Empress Xiaokangzhang only accompanied Emperor Kangxi for two years after he ascended the throne before passing away due to a serious illness.

Even though Emperor Kangxi cared for his mother day and night without taking off his clothes when she was seriously ill, and even tasted the medicine for Empress Xiaokangzhang himself, he still could not save his mother's life.

Emperor Kangxi lacked paternal and maternal love from a young age, and his childhood experiences left deep and lasting scars. As a result, he always wanted to make up for the regrets of his childhood—what he had not received and what had been absent from his life, he did not want to be absent from the lives of his children as well.

Emperor Kangxi held deep affection for his children and paid great attention to the princes and princesses in the palace. Now, seeing that Consort Gui was considering everything for Yin'e, he couldn't help but feel a softening in his heart and was moved by Consort Gui's maternal love.

Emperor Kangxi knew perfectly well why the Imperial Concubine chose the Abahai tribe.

Like the Khorchin, Abahai also had close ties with the Qing Dynasty through marriage in her early years.

Borjigit Namuzhong, a former concubine of Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji) and later bestowed the title of Grand Noble Consort Yijing in the thirteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, was from the Abahai tribe. She had one son, Prince Xiangzhao, Bomubogor.

Unlike the Khorchin, who supported Fulin's succession struggle and emerged victorious, Abahai was a loser. Their supporter, Bomubogor, lost the battle for the throne, and ultimately Fulin, whose mother was born in the Khorchin, ascended the throne, becoming the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Having lost the succession struggle to the Khorchin, the princes of the Abahai tribe were only county princes, which was not as high in status as the princes of the Khorchin, and the number of princes was also much less.

After Shunzhi ascended the throne, Abahai was not as noble as the Khorchin, nor did she have as close a relationship with the Qing Dynasty: both of Shunzhi's empresses came from the Khorchin tribe, and there were even noble ladies from the Khorchin in Kangxi's harem; but since the death of Consort Yijing, Abahai had no further marriage alliances with the imperial family.

The Imperial Concubine chose to marry Abahai because their families had not married into the royal family for two generations.

The Khorchin people had intermarried with the Qing Dynasty for generations, and countless princesses and noblewomen from the Khorchin married into the Khorchin, as did a considerable number of noblewomen from the Khorchin who married into the capital.

For the Khorchin, marrying a prince was an honor, but not a rare one; it was merely icing on the cake. They might not value this marriage or wholeheartedly protect Yin'e.

But Abahai was different; her tribe had not intermarried with the Qing imperial family for a long time. The fact that the son of the imperial concubine married Abahai's noble daughter as his primary consort was a timely help for Abahai.

Having experienced the failure of the succession struggle, Abahai might not support Yin'e's attempt to seize the throne, but they would value this marriage alliance and become Yin'e's support, and would never stand idly by and watch Yin'e be bullied.

Moreover, while the Khorchin tribe was indeed noble, their nobility was earned by the women of Khorchin. Empress Zhe Zhe and Consort Zhuang, the consorts of Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji) who are now the Grand Empress Dowagers, and Empress Dowager Cheng, the successor of Emperor Shunzhi (who is now the Empress Dowager), all contributed to the glory of the Khorchin tribe because of their high status within the Qing Dynasty.

But Abahai was different. Abahai was originally a member of the Mongol tribe who came to submit after the Empress Yijing remarried Emperor Taizong. Their titles mostly came from the strength of their tribe and from their real military achievements on the battlefield.

In terms of tribal strength, geographical location, and influence on the grasslands, the Khorchin tribe was far inferior to the Abahai tribe. The Abahai tribe had a superior geographical location, connecting the northern and southern grasslands, which was of great strategic significance to the Qing Dynasty and made it an object of the Qing Dynasty's efforts to win over and befriend them.

From any perspective, Abahai was a better marriage partner than Khorchin.

If the imperial concubine in the inner palace could think of these things, it was impossible for Emperor Kangxi, who ruled the court and had a clear understanding of the situation between the Qing Dynasty and the Mongols, not to have thought of them. In fact, in the short time after the imperial concubine spoke, Kangxi had already figured out how to maximize the benefits of this matter.

“Abahai…” Kangxi pondered for a moment, his excellent memory allowing him to instantly recall the current situation of the Abahai tribe. “Prince Abahai does not yet have a legitimate daughter. But fortunately, Yin’e is still young, so there is no rush.”

When selecting a primary consort for Yin'e from the Abahai tribe, even if the Imperial Concubine did not specifically point it out, Emperor Kangxi would give priority to the legitimate daughter of a prince.

Emperor Kangxi was Yin'e's biological father, not his stepfather.

No matter how wary he was of Yin'e's identity, he was only somewhat indifferent to Yin'e. Unlike his hopes for other princes to succeed, he did not expect Yin'e to be ambitious. However, if Yin'e really turned out to be a good-for-nothing and a playboy, Kangxi would not be very happy. He might even be very angry.

The Imperial Concubine did not dare to look directly at Kangxi, but she could tell his attitude from his words. A huge weight was lifted from her heart, and she was completely relieved.

Kangxi then smiled and continued, "It is still uncertain whether the contents recorded in this book are true. If they are indeed effective and can increase the success rate of smallpox inoculation, preventing smallpox from ravaging the country, then you, Consort, will deserve the greatest credit."

The Imperial Concubine naturally believed Yin'e completely, but she didn't dare to make any guarantees, fearing that any unforeseen circumstances might harm her and her son. So she insisted on her previous statement: "I discovered this booklet by chance, and I cannot be sure whether the contents are correct or fabricated."

"Your Majesty, you should not believe it so easily. It is better to have the head of the Imperial Medical Academy examine it before discussing anything else."

Even without the Imperial Concubine's reminder, Emperor Kangxi himself did not intend to act rashly.

Smallpox had an extremely high mortality rate, so it was no exaggeration to take it seriously. Emperor Kangxi originally intended to rewrite the contents recorded in the sheepskin book and give it to the imperial physicians in the smallpox department for research. It was impossible for him to start clinical trials right away.

For example, the water-based method, since it is an improvement on the way diseases are contracted, could have been tested on other diseases with lower risks first; while with cowpox, you would have to find a few cows for the doctors in the smallpox department first.

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 20:55:48 on March 9, 2023 and 10:36:15 on March 10, 2023!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: -浅浅笑か1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!