Kangxi embraced the Empress and felt her emaciated state. He was filled with grief: "I remember it all. Yuwan brought me some snacks, but the Grand Tutor caught her red-handed. We were both punished. You can no longer come to the Imperial Study to bring me snacks."

After all, Kangxi was only 8 years old at the time. Although he was young and mature, he still had the characteristics of a child who is greedy and mischievous.

…

Before long, the Empress got tired, and after she fell asleep, Emperor Kangxi returned to the Qianqing Palace.

On the tenth day, at the hour of Shen (3-5 pm), the Empress passed away in Chengqian Palace.

This is the famous one-day empress. Before her death, she asked nothing of the emperor, but silently divided her property.

The following day, the Empress passed away, a turn of events both unexpected and anticipated. Emperor Kangxi suspended court for five days. All officials, from princes down to civil and military officials, as well as princesses, princesses and their consorts, and women of the second rank and above from the Eight Banners, gathered to mourn. They observed mourning for twenty-seven days.

To the surprise of Emperor Kangxi and his consorts, Lady Tongjia left something for each princess in the palace: a box of jewelry, some fabric and fur for each princess.

The concubines were still worried about the late Empress's intentions, but Kangxi understood that she was thinking of her own little princess who had died young.

The coffin of the late Empress was moved to the sacrificial hall outside Chaoyang Gate. The Emperor personally attended the ceremony. He ordered all princes and officials, civil and military officials, princesses, princesses and their consorts, and women of the second rank and above from the Eight Banners to gather and mourn. On the fifteenth day of the month, the Emperor personally attended the mourning ceremony for the late Empress. He then instructed the Ministry of Rites: "Empress Tong, of virtuous character, was renowned for her virtue and exemplary conduct. She served the Empress Dowager with utmost filial piety. She raised her sons with loving kindness. She was respectful and cautious in her conduct, and kind and benevolent in her dealings with her subordinates. She set a perfect example, influencing the entire palace. Recently, following her mother's instructions, she became my consort. I hoped for the long-lasting peace and prosperity of the inner palace, but unexpectedly, she succumbed to illness. She passed away on the twenty-first day of the tenth month of the twenty-ninth year of Kangxi's reign. I deeply cherish her virtuous example and grieve her deeply. She should be given a posthumous title to ensure her lasting legacy. The Grand Secretariat and the Hanlin Academy are hereby instructed to jointly draft a memorial. The Ministry of Rites is to carefully consider and promptly report the appropriate ceremonies."

Mourning every day is no easy task. In just a few days, the princes and princesses lost a lot of weight, and even the cultivator He Zhuo was finding it hard to keep up, since his spiritual power was now sealed.

Five days later, the Empress Dowager could no longer bear it and issued an imperial edict that pregnant women could mourn for half a day. Consorts Hesheli and Zhangjia in the harem were both pregnant with the emperor's child, Khoja was pregnant with the emperor's grandson, and there were also two pregnant women in the imperial clan. All of them received the imperial edict.

Consort Hesheli was the younger sister of Empress Yuan and enjoyed the privileges of a consort. She had been in the palace for many years before she became pregnant, so she naturally cherished her very much. However, she knew in her heart that she was only a link between the Hesheli family and the emperor and the crown prince. Emperor Kangxi had no feelings for her personally and she had never received his favor. Therefore, she dared not be negligent in mourning.

Within five days, she had become emaciated and pale, but even so, she gritted her teeth and persevered. If she were branded as disrespectful to the Empress, she would not be able to go on living, no matter how much she was the Empress's sister. She wanted to live; she never dared to hope for anything more, as long as she had a blood relative by her side.

Five days later, the Empress Dowager finally issued an imperial edict, but half a day was still not an easy time for the pregnant women. Later, the Empress Dowager could no longer bear to see them suffer, and after consulting with Emperor Kangxi, the pregnant women were allowed to kneel for another three days, thus shortening the time again.

Heaven did not hear Consort Hesheli's heartfelt words, because the Empress had passed away and she was in mourning and fasting. Although she had tonics to help her, it still damaged her health. On the 26th day of the first month of the 30th year of Kangxi's reign, Consort Hesheli struggled all night and gave birth to a little prince.