"smallpox?!"
The weight in her heart lifted with a thud, and Hesheli Fangyi, unable to withstand the blow, fainted.
When she woke up again, news of Bao Cheng's smallpox had spread throughout the entire palace, and she herself had no chance to see Bao Cheng again.
"The Emperor has sent Bao Cheng out of the palace?"
Pulling Tan Yun back, Hesheli Fangyi was agitated. She couldn't accept Bao Cheng leaving her side; he was her guarantee for the future.
Tan Yun was so frightened that she quickly shook her head to comfort her, "Your Majesty, Prince Bao Cheng has been taken to the Qianqing Palace by the Emperor."
Since you have never had smallpox, and the Kunning Palace is not well-suited to care for Prince Baocheng, His Majesty has decided to personally take care of him.
From another perspective, this is an even greater honor than being taken care of by one's own empress. If it weren't for the emperor's personal approval, why would he have brought Prince Baocheng back to the Qianqing Palace?
"Your Majesty, rest assured, Prince Baocheng's condition improved considerably when he left. According to the imperial physician, there is a high chance he will be safe."
It cannot be 100% certain, because even adults die from smallpox, let alone young children whose physical condition is far inferior to that of adults.
After hearing Tan Yun's words, Hesheli Fangyi's panicked expression finally eased a bit, but she was still worried, especially since Bao Cheng had contracted smallpox this time, which was like showing her the cruelty of the harem and making her completely realize that the harem was never a trivial matter, but something that could easily lead to death.
"The Emperor took Bao Cheng back to the Qianqing Palace. What was the reaction at court?"
Rubbing her slightly sore head, Hesheli Fangyi understood that the previous dynasty could not do without Kangxi.
Tan Yun lowered her head slightly. "The ministers have expressed considerable opposition, but His Majesty has not yet made any statement on this matter."
Fearing that her mistress might be anxious, Tan Yun recounted the latest developments, and at the end, she did not forget to comfort her mistress, "The Emperor is the ruler of the Great Qing, and no matter what the ministers do, they cannot overstep his authority. Your Majesty need not worry too much."
Anyway, repeating the same old things over and over was pointless, because Hesheli Fangyi's expression remained extremely unpleasant.
"How can I not worry? Is the Qianqing Palace really safe?"
Hesheli Fangyi retorted, "Even the heavily guarded Kunning Palace had a slip-up, so how could the Qianqing Palace not be her territory?"
Tan Yun: ...
That's a difficult question to answer. Does it really mean that the Qianqing Palace is safer than the Kunning Palace? After all, it's the emperor's bedroom, and the security there is extremely strict.
Unfortunately, Tan Yun could only say these words in her heart; she was still quite sensible.
Now that something has gone wrong at Kunning Palace headquarters, she, as the palace maid in charge, cannot escape being held accountable.
"To ensure the success of a child, everything he comes into contact with is thoroughly researched and checked repeatedly."
But it was still an oversight; someone secretly tampered with the system and brought in the paracetamol.
Her teeth were grinding together, and Hesheli Fangyi clenched her fists, her eyes sharp with a look that seemed to want to tear people to pieces. "Those who can take action are none other than those restless concubines. They wish they could drag me and Baocheng down and replace us in their place."
How novel! The word "profit" is the origin of disputes throughout history.
"Does Your Highness have someone you suspect?" Tan Yun asked cautiously, afraid of accidentally provoking her mistress, who was already clearly acting strangely.
Hesheli Fangyi scoffed, "Doubt? There's no need to doubt at all. It's either Consort Nara or Consort Shu." There are many people in the harem who hate her, but only the birth mother of the eldest son and the next empress are more resistant to her.
"The two of them each have their own agendas. It's possible that the success of Baocheng was facilitated by their tacit cooperation."
Because Baoqing and Baocheng have a natural rivalry, and Consort Shu wants to become Empress, and her body has never had smallpox, and she has daily contact with Baocheng, she can kill two birds with one stone and fulfill the wishes of both of them.
After going over the whole thing in her mind, Hesheli Fangyi didn't think she was wrong. Tanyun was just a servant, and she wouldn't refute her mistress's words no matter how much she questioned them.
Hearing his master say this, Tan Yun had no choice but to ask his master what his next plan was. Tsk, was he going to take action to retaliate? It felt a bit hasty to do so.
"I cannot rest easy until I get this revenge," especially since Bao Cheng is still suffering in the Qianqing Palace. How could she accept that the culprit is free of punishment?
"Tanyun, arrange for our people to keep a close eye on Consort Nara and Consort Shu. They are insatiable and will definitely have other follow-up plans." Hesheli Fangyi did not directly teach them a lesson. Anyway, there was still plenty of time, and Hesheli Fangyi was not in a hurry.
Tan Yun nodded upon hearing this, "Yes, this servant understands."
...
After news of Bao Cheng's affair spread, the imperial harem experienced a brief period of chaos before quickly returning to calm.
The imperial physicians in charge would arrange for palace servants to carry out disinfection procedures every day to prevent smallpox from continuing to spread and cause disaster in the harem.
Going out for daily activities has become a luxury once again. Xiuning and her son Yide have resumed their habit of taking walks in the yard, which they find quite amusing.
Today was no different. Idel, with his short legs, wobbled along as a palace maid led him. Xiuning stood not far from Idel, a smile playing on her lips.
"Your Highness, the medicine package delivered by the Imperial Medical Academy has arrived."
Chunyu walked up to Xiuning and mentioned a trivial matter.
"Put them away carefully, especially those belonging to Ider. Some items need to be handled with extreme caution."
These medicine packets were prepared by the imperial physicians for disinfection. Before Bao Cheng recovered in the Qing Palace, all the women in the harem were temporarily confined to their palaces and unable to leave.
Chunyu nodded, her eyes turning to the young prince who was playing happily ahead. "My lady, I have noticed that one of the wet nurses beside the young prince is acting suspiciously. I have already reported this to Granny Sun, and Granny Sun is sending people to keep an eye on her."
Upon hearing this, Xiu Ning's expression shifted slightly. "Are there signs of a fight breaking out?"
Chunyu shook her head. "I'm not sure. Qixiang Palace has been quite strict lately, and that wet nurse hasn't had a chance to come into contact with outsiders yet."
Xiu Ning stroked her chin. "Find an opportunity to tell Granny Sun that even the best-laid plans can go awry. It would be better to turn the tables and use this as bait to lure the enemy in, thus catching them red-handed and reducing the danger around Ider."
Chunyu replied, "Yes, this servant understands."
...
At a certain time, Chunyu told Granny Sun what Xiuning had said.
After thinking it over, Granny Sun decided to use herself as bait and give that person a chance.
As expected, the wet nurse was caught by the palace servants waiting outside as she went out. Granny Sun searched her and found a small garment stained with smallpox scabs.
When Xiuning received the news, she was furious at the arrogance of these people. There really were people who were not afraid of death and used smallpox as a means to harm others.
"Thank you for your help, Granny. Ider will need your assistance in taking care of him. I will report this matter to the Emperor truthfully."
Xiuning politely saw Granny Sun off, then turned and threw the teacup next to the octagonal table on the ground, saying, "This is too much! She doesn't know what's good for her!"
If anyone crosses her bottom line, no matter who it is, she won't let it go easily.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com