Consort Cheng arrived at Chuxiu Palace immediately after receiving the news.

"Sister Baozhu, what brings you here?"

When Consort Cheng saw that Wu Lingzhu's eyes were red and swollen, she first asked with concern, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"The Emperor is ill, and I am deeply saddened. I apologize for making you laugh, Sister Baozhu."

Upon hearing this, Consort Cheng's face turned sorrowful: "His Majesty is seriously ill, and I am also feeling bad. Although I am a few years older than Your Highness, I am not as resourceful as you. The Seventh Prince is still young. Do you think I should send some things to Yuqing Palace in advance?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Lingzhu's expression instantly turned cold: "His Majesty is just ill, sister, don't overthink it. We are His Majesty's concubines, so we should believe that His Majesty will be alright. The Crown Prince and I are not very familiar with each other."

This was the first time Wu Lingzhu had explicitly expressed her relationship with the Crown Prince to Consort Cheng.

Consort Cheng sided with Wu Lingzhu for two reasons: firstly, she felt Wu Lingzhu was reliable, and secondly, because of the Crown Prince behind her.

These words stunned her.

"Your Majesty, are you trying to trick me?"

Is it appropriate that the Crown Prince's aunt is not familiar with him?

Wu Lingzhu said helplessly, "The people around the Crown Prince are all loyal servants left behind by my sister. They are wary of me. I won't hide it from my sister. My family sent me to the palace to become the Crown Prince."

But the Emperor has been too good to me. I've felt loved and cared for by him. If the Emperor is truly... truly bad, I'm willing to go with him.

These words startled Consort Cheng, and also caught the attention of Cuizhu, who was standing nearby.

Finally, Cuizhu saw off Consort Cheng, who looked completely dazed.

Kangxi's illness was not serious to begin with. The Imperial Hospital had come, and the news was kept under wraps. Kangxi also wanted to see how his sons and concubines would react.

He had many spies throughout the harem.

Soon, reactions from all sides converged on him.

Wu Lingzhu's almost suicide-like declaration of love was very moving and deeply touched Emperor Kangxi.

He truly believed that Wu Lingzhu would stay with him through thick and thin.

Compared to the Crown Prince's behavior, although he already knew and the Crown Prince was saddened by his serious illness, the people around him almost burst out laughing.

The other concubines and children all wanted to curry favor with Yuqing Palace to varying degrees, since he hadn't even breathed his last yet!

There were so many matters of state to attend to! Emperor Kangxi couldn't stay ill forever. He was sick for a few days, then the Empress Dowager came to visit, and he recovered.

When Kangxi reappeared, his complexion was not exactly rosy, but it was definitely the complexion of a healthy person. The Crown Prince's face turned pale for a moment, which he could not hide.

He was scared; he knew to some extent what the situation at Yuqing Palace had been like during this time.

Emperor Kangxi glanced at the Crown Prince but said nothing. However, those around him could sense that the father and son were no longer as relaxed as before.

The transition from father and son to ruler and subject can happen in the blink of an eye.

After recovering from his illness, Emperor Kangxi first went to Chengqian Palace, and then to Chuxiu Palace. When he saw Wulingzhu, he took her hand and said, "You've lost weight."

Wu Lingzhu's eyes welled up with tears in an instant, and she said in a choked voice, "Your Majesty, I haven't lost weight. It's Your Majesty who has lost weight. I'm relieved that Your Majesty is alright."

Kangxi found solace in Wulingzhu. Two days later, Chunying came in with a sad face, but with a smile in her eyes and a low voice: "Your Majesty, Xiaodunzi fell into the water when he returned from the Imperial Household Department, and he is already gone."

Wu Lingzhu nodded, expressionless, and said in a sorrowful tone, "He has been with me for many years, running around for me. Send someone to investigate, to make sure he wasn't murdered. You personally handle his funeral arrangements, and make sure they are done properly."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will have Cuizhu investigate."

"Okay, go ahead."

Xiaodunzi's death was obvious without any investigation. Cuizhu investigated for several days and discovered an unexpected incident.

Wu Lingzhu said to Chunying, "Chunying, now I can have a child."

Because Emperor Kangxi allowed her to have children.

Xiaodunzi can handle it herself, but there's a difference between children who are expected to be expected and those who aren't.

It was early in the 28th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. Just after the New Year, Liang Jiugong came to report the good news: "Your Majesty, Consort Yi is pregnant, she has been pregnant for two months."

Kangxi stood up with a smile. He was happy, but not particularly excited. He was long past the age of getting excited about having a child, even though Wu Lingzhu was his most beloved concubine.

"I'm setting off for Chuxiu Palace to visit Consort Yi."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

In the past two years, although the Crown Prince is still the same Crown Prince and his treatment has not changed, the person in question knows that everything has changed.

The Crown Prince was quite pleased to learn that Wu Lingzhu was pregnant.

"Send someone to deliver some tonics to Consort Yi, as well as some dowry items that the Empress Dowager brought from her maiden home. Select some suitable ornaments from these items and send them to Consort Yi."

He wanted to play the emotional card.

The crown prince was genuinely afraid, afraid of losing his position.

The servant standing nearby was taken aback upon hearing this. The Crown Prince, seeing this, frowned and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

The servant lowered his head and said, "Master, there is something that Granny Wang didn't tell you. Granny Wang felt that Consort Yi was too favored and that it would be bad for you if she had a child. She once gave Consort Yi a contraceptive. The eunuch who did it in Chuxiu Palace accidentally fell into the water more than a year ago, so he stopped giving Consort Yi the contraceptive."

The crown prince was about to explode.

"Do you want to hear what you're saying? Why was no one ever told me about this? You accidentally fell into the water? You might as well laugh me to death!"

The crown prince was bewildered.

He knew that Hesheli sent people into the palace for his benefit, but he didn't know that the servants around him would be so bold as to give his favored aunt contraceptives.

He hated those brothers, but Consort Yi had a child, making them natural allies. They were a bunch of idiots; he might as well let them die from their stupidity.

"Do you think I'm a fool? Remember, your master is me, not Granny Wang or anyone else. I don't need you to use the guise of doing what's best for me to make decisions and call Granny Wang here."

"...Should we send anything to Consort Yi's side?"

The crown prince broke down, his expression almost cracking with laughter: "What's the point of sending him anything? He's already fallen into the water, are you going to send him up there to be laughed at? Get out of here right now."

The eunuch scrambled out of the room.

After he left, the crown prince couldn't hold back and smashed a set of teacups.

In Chuxiu Palace, Wu Lingzhu said with tears of joy in her eyes, "Your Majesty, I have served you for many years and now I have good news. I am so happy. I have been waiting for this child for many years. He has finally come."

Kangxi knew that Wulingzhu wanted a child.

Even the high-ranking concubines in the imperial harem, including Consort Tong, had given birth to a princess, although the princess died shortly after birth.

Because of this, Wu Lingzhu has been the subject of much sarcasm, with people implying she's a barren hen. The words weren't as harsh as they sounded, but that's the gist of it.

Thinking of this, Kangxi felt even more pity for him.

"This child has come at the perfect time. Once he is born, I will certainly cherish him dearly. My beloved consort, please don't cry. It breaks my heart to see him like this."

Wu Lingzhu burst into laughter through her tears: "Your Majesty is right. I will stop crying. I am happy today."

After saying this, Wu Lingzhu hugged Kangxi and nestled into his arms, and the palace servants in the room all withdrew.