"Cough cough, cough cough cough"
"Your Majesty, the herbal medicine is ready." Tan Yun carried the steaming bowl of soup to the bedside, looking at her mistress lying on the bed with a troubled expression.
Unfortunately, the weather has been cold lately, and Prince Yinreng has fallen ill. In order to take better care of the young prince, the master has had to frequently visit the side hall.
As a result, while running, he caught a cold and got sick.
The master's health is not very good. It is not easy to recover from an illness in the first place, and now it is even more difficult. He can only lie in bed and rest quietly.
"Ahem, hand over the medicine."
A fair, delicate hand reached out from beside the bed. Hesheli Fangyi straightened the bedding on her body and couldn't help but lower her head and cough again.
"Your Majesty, let me help you."
Seeing this, Tan Yun didn't want to hand the whole bowl of medicine to her mistress. She could only carefully hold the bowl and bring it to Hesheli Fangyi's lips.
"The imperial physician said how long I need to take the medicine."
With a slight furrow of her brows, Heshelifang looked at the dark, murky medicine in front of her with disgust, which made her already poor appetite even worse.
"The imperial physician said that His Majesty has been taking a lot of care lately, and it may not be easy for him to recover. He will need to drink this calming medicine for at least half a month."
As Tan Yun spoke, she fed the medicinal liquid she had scooped into a soup spoon into Hesheli Fangyi's mouth.
"In half a month, it will be the Lunar New Year again."
It was already November, and Hesheli Fangyi sighed inwardly. As the empress, she was already quite busy with palace affairs, and she was afraid that she would fall ill again after recovering from her illness and going out.
"Your Majesty, why don't you temporarily entrust some less important palace affairs to the Imperial Concubine and Consort Jia for their help?"
"This servant feels that you are always the one busy, and you also have to take care of the young princes in the palace. It's too tiring for you."
Tan Yun cautiously suggested that she was genuinely worried that her master would overwork herself and harm her health, as her constitution was already weak and there was no need to push herself so hard.
Tan Yun's suggestion was well-intentioned, and Hesheli Fangyi understood it, but it was like someone addicted to drugs. It was good to help her quit, but once she was addicted, could she really quit?
Shaking her head, Hesheli Fangyi was very clear about her insistence on the palace power: "No, once the palace power is handed over, it may not be possible to get it back."
Doesn't Hesheli Fangyi understand that it would be better to delegate her duties to others and have more free time? But she is the Empress, and with so many concubines in the harem dreaming of bringing her down, she has to be willing to gamble on that possibility.
Tan Yun: ...
Alright, it's best to leave this topic here. Tan Yun could only shut up and continue feeding her master the medicine.
As Hesheli Fangyi ate, she coughed. At the same time, she thought of the Shenxing Division incident, which she had passed safely. "Now that Guoluo has moved into Yikun Palace, it seems that the Empress Dowager will not pursue the matter."
The Guo Luoluo clan mentioned here is the culprit brought up from the incident at the villa, and the one who caused Hesheli Fangyi to lose her composure and ultimately had to seek help from her family to resolve the troubles of the Shenxing Division.
"The Empress Dowager worshipped Buddha and chanted scriptures every day, and she would not even show her face when the concubines requested an audience."
Your Majesty, although this matter has passed, we have lost most of our connections as a result.
Furthermore, according to a letter from the family, the only new connections that can be utilized will be when palace maids enter the palace next year.
Speaking of this, Tan Yun was also quite helpless. Too many people were sent to deal with the Shenxing Division. The family did help, but overall, it felt like a losing proposition.
Feeling that something was amiss, Tan Yun quickly put away the empty soup bowl and wiped her master's mouth with a handkerchief.
"The only place I can think of is the Censorate. If they can escape unscathed, then I will have nothing to worry about."
Fortunately, despite the heavy sacrifices, the safety of Kunning Palace was ultimately preserved.
Hesheli Fangyi thought it was a good deal. As long as she and Yinreng were doing well, Hesheli might be at a disadvantage now, but she would definitely make a profit in the future, just like Tongshi was now.
What was Tong Shi like before Kangxi ascended the throne? Now, looking at how Kangxi promoted Tong Shi after his ascension, it's clear why so many families hoped to send their daughters to the palace to compete for favor and bear children—it was a sure way to rise to the top.
Empress Hesheli Fangyi was relieved and focused on recuperating while handling palace affairs and taking care of Yinreng, completely unaware of the storm that was about to befall her.
On the other hand, the Empress Dowager, whom Tan Yun said was chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha every day, was not idle.
She held in her hand the evidence that Sumalagu had uncovered regarding the Shenxingsi incident, her face expressionless.
Sumalagu stood less than three meters away from the Empress Dowager. "Your Majesty, should we inform the Emperor about this matter?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager lowered her head and glanced at the letter in her hand, saying, "The Emperor wouldn't know?"
Such a bizarre thing happened, especially since the other party didn't even try to hide anything.
Sumalagu replied, "Perhaps it's out of consideration for the deep affection between husband and wife."
"Ha, what a loving couple!" But what loving couples are there in the royal family? Even those who are together have long since become doomed lovers!
Her eyes narrowed and slowly turned cold. The Empress Dowager inhaled and exhaled, and finally put the letter away.
"Arrest those who should be arrested, send those who should be sent away, and inform the Emperor."
The Empress Dowager rose and, supported by Sumalagu, walked towards the inner room.
"My lord, what about the Empress's control over the palace?"
"Since she doesn't want to hand it over, let her continue to control it. It's her own body, and what others say is useless."
Furthermore, those around the Crown Prince should be dismissed or released as appropriate.
The Empress Dowager was furious with the Empress's actions. She didn't care whether it was Hesheli's idea or Hesheli Fangyi's idea. Anyway, she had so many grandsons, she didn't necessarily have to rely on the Crown Prince.
Sumalagu was the Empress Dowager's servant, so she naturally had to obey the Empress Dowager in her actions.
Even though Sumalagu had a good impression of the Crown Prince, she could only sigh inwardly at the Empress's failed arrangement.
You can't blame anyone else for this; you chose this path yourself, so you have to grit your teeth and keep going.
...
The New Year celebrations of the sixteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign were lively, and even though the Empress was ill, she insisted on making sure the banquet at the Hehuan Palace was a success.
At the banquet, Xiu Ning looked at the Guo Luo Luo sisters sitting together, feeling a little conflicted.
Speaking of which, this Lady Guo Luo Luo, who did not enter the palace through the normal channels, still does not have a rank and is only called a concubine. Although she enjoys the monthly allowance of a noble lady, it still feels awkward.
In particular, this Lady Da Guo Luo Luo might have felt that her status in the palace was improper. She rarely went out except to pay her respects at Kun Ning Palace. Moreover, Yi Kun Palace was Consort Yi's territory. Even if Consort Yi was unhappy that her older sister had entered the palace and was competing with her for favor, she would not harm her like others would. Overall, Lady Da Guo Luo Luo's life in the palace was quite good.
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