Chapter 99 The Empress Gives Birth

As the aftermath of dealing with Xiaolian gradually subsided, the card game in the side hall of Yongshou Palace had just restarted.

A series of hurried and cautious footsteps came from outside the hall.

Qin Huai'an, the head eunuch of Kunning Palace, turned pale and bowed urgently outside the palace gate to report.

"Your Majesty, Consort Jin, Her Majesty the Empress has suddenly gone into labor. The midwife and the imperial physician have entered the delivery room, and the Empress Dowager has also sent someone to inform her."

The laughter and chatter inside the hall suddenly froze.

Kangxi paused in his grip on the cards, then slowly placed them face down on the table.

The playful expression he had just shared with Jiang Nan vanished quickly, replaced by the calm demeanor befitting an emperor.

The eldest son... is ultimately different.

Despite the influence of Jiang Nan's fallacies and heresies.

He had fundamentally wavered in his belief in the primogeniture system and deeply understood the principle that only the virtuous should be chosen.

The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children remains an important symbol for maintaining the hierarchical order.

It concerns the very foundation of the Qing Dynasty's governance and cannot be taken lightly.

He stood up, his tone calm.

"I understand."

He turned to Jiang Nan, and seeing that she was heavily pregnant, but her face did not show much surprise, he said gently.

"Nannan, you are pregnant, and the delivery room is full of blood and noisy. You should rest in Yongshou Palace and don't need to go there."

This is both protection and thoughtfulness.

Jiang Nan nodded readily, as she hadn't originally planned to join in the fun.

She didn't care whether the Empress lived or died; she only cared whether the child could be born, and what would happen if it was.

She had anticipated and prepared for this long ago, based on her knowledge of history.

Going there now would only bring trouble and filth.

The main reason is that after the Empress gave birth, even if the Empress spoke with barbs, she couldn't retaliate too much.

"Your Majesty, I understand. Please rest assured."

At this moment, Niohuru also stood up.

Her expression was calm and composed, and her tone carried just the right amount of concern.

“Your Majesty, the Empress’s childbirth is a major event in the palace. Consort Jin needs to rest and recuperate. I have nothing to do, so I should go to Kunning Palace to wait for her and show my concern.”

But she had a different plan in mind.

Only by going there can we see for ourselves what kind of terrible consequences will ultimately result from the medicine that Hesheli used for so long?

Is it as weak and difficult to raise as expected, or will it simply die in the womb?

Emperor Kangxi glanced at Niohuru and nodded in satisfaction at her sense of propriety.

"Well, that's kind of you. Let's go together then."

"Liang Jiugong".

"Your servant is here!"

"Set up the carriage at Kunning Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty, prepare to travel to Kunning Palace—"

With a shout of "Greetings!", Emperor Kangxi led the way out of the side hall, followed closely by Consort Niohuru.

The group of people escorted the emperor and hurriedly headed to Kunning Palace.

Yongshou Palace fell silent instantly, with only the scattered mahjong tiles on the table and the faint aroma of tea remaining.

————————

When Emperor Kangxi and Consort Niohuru entered the inner hall of Kunning Palace.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was already seated in the central carved rosewood seat, her face calm and serene like a still well.

The Empress is, after all, the rightful ruler of the palace, and Lady Hesheli had entered the palace a month earlier to accompany her during childbirth.

Both in terms of sentiment and reason, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang needed to personally oversee the situation to demonstrate the imperial family's respect for the empress.

The imperial physicians, midwives, palace maids, and eunuchs inside the palace held their breath and hurried along. Upon seeing the emperor's arrival, they all knelt down and paid their respects.

Emperor Kangxi's bright yellow robe twitched slightly as he waved his hand.

"Get up, all of you. Serve them well and make sure there are no mistakes."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's gaze remained fixed on the direction of the sleeping quarters. Only when Kangxi approached did she slowly speak.

"The emperor has arrived."

Emperor Kangxi bowed slightly.

"Grandmother, how is the situation inside?"

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang spoke in a calm tone.

"Lady Hesheri is keeping an eye on things inside, so there won't be any trouble. It's just that this has only been going on for a short time, so it will take some more time."

She paused slightly, then continued.

"I am indeed feeling somewhat unwell. With Your Majesty watching over things here, I will return to Cining Palace to rest. If there is any news, Your Majesty, please send someone to inform me."

Kangxi quickly agreed.

"Grandmother, please go back to the palace to recuperate. Your grandson is here."

Sumalagu stepped forward to help her up, and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang got up and left.

The palace fell silent again, with only the Empress's painful screams echoing from the bedchamber.

Emperor Kangxi took his seat in the main position and summoned the head of the Imperial Medical Academy.

"Is there any danger in the Empress's delivery?"

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy bowed and reported back.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Her Majesty the Empress has been well-nourished for the past two months, and the pregnancy is stable. It's just that the offspring is a bit large, which may require some time and effort, but there shouldn't be any major problems."

Emperor Kangxi nodded and waved for him to step down from his post.

This wait lasted a long time, from the afternoon until late at night.

Inside Kunning Palace, the Empress's cries of pain rose and fell, casting an anxious shadow over everyone's face.

Consort Niohuru sat quietly to one side, her stomach already growling with hunger, and she was secretly annoyed.

The empress is so incompetent that not only does she cause the emperor worry, but she also has no choice but to stay by his side and go hungry.

If I had known this would happen, I should have eaten more snacks before leaving Yongshou Palace.

Unable to suppress her hunger any longer, she spoke softly, her voice filled with concern.

"Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. Would you like to have some snacks to tide you over?"

Kangxi noticed her restless posture and instantly saw through her thoughts.

"Is my beloved concubine hungry?"

Without waiting for Niohuru's response, he gave instructions to Liang Jiugong.

"Go and fetch some snacks."

"Yes, sir."

Just as Liang Jiugong was about to give his instructions, he heard a faint, mournful cry, like that of a kitten, suddenly coming from inside the bedchamber.

Upon hearing this, Kangxi abruptly stood up, his joyful expression instantly turning somber.

"That crying..."

It was exactly the same as the birth of Cheng Rui, who died young in his memory, and an ominous premonition surged from the bottom of his heart.

If it was said that in the past, the Hesheli clan secretly intervened to ensure that their legitimate son would be given way.

But this time it was in the Empress's own Kunning Palace. Throughout her pregnancy, she was surrounded by the Imperial Hospital, and her own mother was there to accompany her during childbirth. How could anything go wrong?

If it wasn't human doing, could it truly be that Heaven was against him, making it so difficult for him to have children?

No—Isn't Princess Ruixue in Yongshou Palace perfectly fine? And Nannan's unborn child is also safe and sound…

Why is it that the legitimate son born to the Empress is so weak?

Yes, it must be that Hesheli has committed many evil deeds in the past and is now suffering retribution.

He stood there, stunned, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

—————————

A moment later, the palace doors opened.

Lady Hesheri, with a solemn expression, slowly stepped out, carrying a baby swaddled with a dragon embroidered in gold thread, and curtsied.

Kangxi suppressed his frustration, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Please rise, Madam. How is the Empress? Is it a prince or a princess?"

Madame Heseri looked up, her eyes filled with undisguised sorrow, her voice heavy and hoarse.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is exhausted and has fallen into a deep sleep. The imperial physician is administering acupuncture, and her health should be fine."

Her voice was even lower.

"It's a young prince..."

Looking at her expressionless face, Kangxi understood most of the situation. He took a deep breath.

"Let me see him."

Lady Heseri turned slightly to the side; the baby in the swaddling clothes was pale, breathing weakly, and crying almost inaudible.

"What did the imperial physician say?"

Kangxi's gaze was fixed on the infant, and his voice unconsciously tightened.

Madame Hesheri seemed unable to hold back any longer and suddenly choked up, tears welling up in her eyes.

"The imperial physician said that the young prince was born with a deficiency of vital energy, and I'm afraid... he will not be able to grow up."

She pressed on with a trembling voice.

"Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant. The Empress has been taking meticulous care of herself during her pregnancy and has been given a constant supply of tonics. Why... why is this happening?"

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy immediately knelt down and reported this.

"Your Majesty, we have thoroughly investigated and found that Her Majesty the Empress's diet and medication during her pregnancy were all correct and without error. This condition of the imperial offspring is indeed a congenital disease that cannot be reversed by human intervention."

"Congenital deficiency? Another case of congenital deficiency!"

Kangxi practically gritted his teeth as he squeezed out those words.

Upon hearing the good news that the child would not survive, Consort Niohuru had long forgotten her hunger.

Hesheli, when you wake up and see your sick and weak son, how will you cope? You must be in unbearable pain.

The thought that she would never be able to conceive again was all due to Hesheli's machinations filled her with a sense of vengeful pleasure.

She stepped forward, offering words of respectful advice.

"Your Majesty, you must take good care of your health. You and the Empress are still in your prime, and you have a long future ahead of you. Right now, the most important thing is for the Empress to be healthy."

Then he spoke gently to Madame Hesheri.

"Madam, how is Her Majesty the Empress doing? Do we need more people to take care of her?"