Chapter 67 Consort Hui is ill
In Yunyun's eyes, the Eighth Prince was a junior, and this time it was indeed an impulsive act to protect the Qing Dynasty.
If it had been any other prince standing there, they would have either made self-deprecating jokes or teased back. Only Baoqing was quick to resort to violence at the slightest provocation, displaying a very distinctive style.
It's just a house arrest.
He was tired from traveling, so he took this opportunity to recuperate.
The Eighth Prince was comforted by his mother's reassurance that everything was alright, but he was still worried. After leaving the palace, he went to the residence of the Prince of Zhi.
The eldest brother was confined to his quarters, but Father Emperor did not forbid the other princes from visiting him; after all, it was a confinement, not a house arrest.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, the Eighth Prince smelled a strong aroma of meat: "Brother, are you roasting meat?"
It is obvious.
A grill was set up in the courtyard, and two servants were slicing fresh mutton. In the northeast corner, there was a pile of pine branches that had been burned to remove smoke.
Baoqing, with one leg on a bench, brushed the sauce onto the roasted meat and called out, "Eighth Brother, you've come at the perfect time. This mutton is freshly brought from the grasslands; it doesn't have any gamey smell. I just happened to have some free time, so I brought it to roast."
The Eighth Prince remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward and took the brush to help.
After baking several plates, Baoqing instructed the servants to quickly send them to the backyard for the Fujin (princess) to try, as they would taste best while hot.
As for him and the Eighth Prince...
Bao Qing waved for the servants who were slicing the meat to leave. “We two grown men don’t need to eat so delicately. Just roast a big piece and gnaw on it. I’ll have the servants bring two more jugs of wine, so the two brothers can have a good get-together.”
With no one around, the Eighth Prince couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what are you really thinking?"
It's unlikely that the eldest brother had no interest in that position. The powerful minister Mingzhu in the court was practically ready to tie a headscarf around his head and declare his support for the eldest prince, not to mention the officials in the Ministry of War…
The eldest brother still has some influence.
But it's not that the eldest brother is particularly proactive. He'll do any task given to him, but he never actively seeks out any tasks that could bring him fame. In fact, he's sometimes unreliable and does things that damage his reputation.
So what exactly is the eldest brother thinking?
The Eighth Prince, who considered himself quite intelligent, didn't understand this time.
"Don't just focus on the roast meat, try this sesame flatbread," Baoqing recommended to the Eighth Prince, explaining the new way to eat it. "I learned this way of eating when I was on duty at the Yongding River. The crust of the flatbread should be thin so that it releases a burst of steam when you open it. Then, add a piece of roast meat and scallions, and take a bite. It's delicious."
Baoqing had already eaten two of them in a row, like a starving ghost.
The Eighth Prince ignored him and continued, "The tasks that Father Emperor has arranged for us are also very interesting."
"Who doesn't know that Lord Suo'etu is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites? These two ministries are essentially the Crown Prince's private domain. Third Brother was assigned to compile books in the Ministry of Rites, and Fourth Brother occasionally has a job in the Ministry of Revenue. Isn't this blatantly making them support the Crown Prince?"
“Brother, your job is even more interesting. You were assigned to the Ministry of War when you went to the battlefield, and now you’re assigned to the Ministry of Works to repair water conservancy projects.”
One person, two departments—this is clearly a deliberate attempt to pit the eldest brother against the crown prince.
Baoqing, on the other hand, was quite indifferent: "No matter what Father Emperor arranges, we sons can only listen to him. Thinking too much will only add unnecessary trouble. Just live your life well now."
I have a strong sense of living in the moment.
He truly had no intention of overthrowing the crown prince and seizing the throne himself.
After all, his lifelong dream was to become a Baturu (a high-ranking official) and conquer new territories; he didn't have the patience to deal with all that political stuff.
Furthermore, the Crown Prince is truly a perfect heir, with both literary and martial talents, and his several regent duties have been flawless. Even if the Emperor were to abdicate now and let the Crown Prince take the throne, he believes the Crown Prince would be a good emperor.
As for himself, if he were to take office, I'm afraid that within a few years the family's legacy would be gone, and then everyone would have to go down and apologize to their ancestors.
Although she is straightforward, Baoqing is quite self-aware.
He's not cut out for this.
Moreover, the Emperor values the Crown Prince so much, having doted on him since he was a child. It's likely that the Crown Prince will be the one to ascend the throne in the end. These other princes are just whetstones for his own advancement.
Baoqing, who saw through everything, patted the Eighth Prince on the shoulder: "Just do your job well and don't meddle in other things."
This was his final piece of advice to his younger brother.
Whether the Eighth Prince received this gift from his eldest brother was unknown. He only knew that his eldest brother hadn't wiped his hands, and he could smell the strong aroma of roasted meat on his shoulder as soon as he turned his head.
-
After Baoqing returned to the capital, Mingzhu, feeling more confident, engaged in an increasingly heated rivalry with Suo'etu, and Suo'etu visited Yuqing Palace more and more frequently.
It wasn't until September of the 41st year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign that he embarked on his fourth southern tour.
Unlike before, this time he brought the crown prince along as well.
Soetu's engine stalled somewhat.
In the past, the Crown Prince was in charge of the country, which was a clear achievement of the Crown Prince. But now that the Emperor has taken the Crown Prince away, what will he do?
Smart people are those who think a lot and have broad minds.
Soetu then thought again, perhaps the Emperor was giving the Crown Prince an opportunity to appear in front of the ministers in Jiangnan, paving the way for the Crown Prince?
However, this conjecture did not come true. Halfway through the southern tour, the crown prince fell ill. Emperor Kangxi was so anxious that he developed several blisters on his lips and immediately ordered the trip to be turned back.
The four concubines had just enjoyed a month of carefree days with the Emperor away from the Forbidden City, thinking they could enjoy it for another month or two. But then, unexpectedly, the Emperor returned, shortening what was originally a month-long journey to just twenty days.
As Yunyun ate the crispy mountain served by the kitchen, she asked Baoqing, "Didn't you go to Yuqing Palace to visit the Crown Prince? How is his health?"
The Crown Prince is ill, and regardless of whether it is because of his status as the heir apparent or his younger brother, Bao Qing should show concern for him.
He did go, but he was kicked out by Kangxi before he could even enter the Crown Prince's bedroom.
“Your subject has not even seen the Crown Prince’s face,” Baoqing said, his dissatisfaction directed at Kangxi. “I know that Father Emperor cares about the Crown Prince, but don’t look at your own son with such a mentality that everyone is a murderer.”
He was at odds with the Crown Prince, but he didn't stoop so low as to harm his younger brother; the previous sweeping leg kick doesn't count.
He suspected that his father, the Emperor, was malicious, so he wanted them to think the worst.
In fact, the Crown Prince's illness this time had nothing to do with anyone else. It was entirely due to his own excessive worry and the fact that he was not used to the climate and water in Jiangnan, which caused him to suddenly fall ill.
Now that he has returned to the capital and has been carefully cared for by the imperial physicians, the crown prince was lively and energetic again in just over ten days.
When Baoqing came to Yanxi Palace to pay his respects, he complained to his mother, "In the end, the root of the problem lies with Father Emperor himself. He was the one who wanted to take the Crown Prince to Jiangnan. If the Crown Prince had stayed in the capital to oversee the country, he might not have suffered this."
For the Emperor to be so anxious, the Crown Prince's condition must have been extremely bad at the time.
It's all the Emperor's fault.
Yunyun thought so too, but she still warned Baoqing: "It's fine to say these things in Yanxi Palace, but don't spread them outside, or you'll be in big trouble."
Baoqing pressed a walnut for his mother with his bare hands, nodded and said, "Your son is not someone who doesn't know his own strength. Father Emperor is in a hurry. At this time, whoever bumps into him will be unlucky."
-
The Crown Prince's illness truly frightened Emperor Kangxi.
He no longer cared about any fears, fearing that his precious son would die before him, leaving him to bury his son. So he arranged a place for the imperial physician in a side room of Yuqing Palace, so that he could recuperate the crown prince and return home when the prince was fully recovered.
The physician, Li, who was under house arrest in effect, was on the verge of tears.
He has now switched to studying health preservation, but he used to specialize in women and children. He can't possibly still think of the crown prince as a child in the emperor's heart, can he?
That's exactly what Emperor Kangxi thought.
The prince's illness reminded him of when the prince was vaccinated against smallpox as a child.
Vaccination was a matter of life and death. He had had smallpox before, so he was not afraid. He insisted on skipping court for five days to accompany the Crown Prince to get vaccinated, saying that he was worried that the Crown Prince would be afraid if he didn't have a familiar person by his side outside the palace.
But in reality, it was he himself who was afraid.
That's still true today.
The crown prince had been seriously ill once, but then acted as if nothing had happened, continuing with his usual routine.
On the contrary, Emperor Kangxi, in his old age, took life and death very seriously. He would summon the crown prince to the Qianqing Palace from time to time and gave the crown prince treatment comparable to that of the emperor. The tribute cattle and sheep from Mongolia were also chosen by the crown prince.
He heard from the imperial physician that eating more beef and mutton would help nourish his body.
Baoqing noticed that the Crown Prince's face had become much rounder, and complained to her mother, "If the Crown Prince continues to be fattened up by Father Emperor like this, he'll be ready to be released from his cage soon."
He learned this phrase while on a business trip along the Yongding River; it's said to be a sarcastic remark about someone being fat.
Yunyun felt that Baoqing had become much more sarcastic after returning.
In the past, he would only say that the Crown Prince had gained weight.
-
Noble Lady Nara has recently fallen ill.
Having spent so many years face-to-face in Yanxi Palace, even Yunyun, who initially only saw him as a colleague, had unknowingly developed a deeper affection for him.
The east side hall still had the familiar layout, but it had more of Nara Noble's personal style.
"Please take some medicine, my lady," Bai Lan said, holding a full porcelain bowl with tears in her eyes. "How can you get better if you don't take medicine?"
Bai Lan served Nara Guiren for a long time, and even when she reached a certain age, she did not go out, saying that there was nothing to look forward to outside, so it was better to stay in the palace with her and become her aunt and nanny.
Consort Nara, as always, was concerned about saving face and didn't want them to see her looking haggard. So, she childishly turned away and said, "Let Consort Yuan drink it for me."
Yunyun came with Consort Liang and Consort Yuan.
Even at this point, Consort Nara still knew to pick on the weak and chose someone she could afford to offend.
Bai Lan, holding the medicine bowl, didn't feel comfortable touching Consort Nara, but Consort Yuan had no such concerns and went straight up to pull Consort Nara's shoulders so she could turn around.
He added viciously, "This medicine contains century-old ginseng. It's the money you lost in fifty card games. You haven't settled the debt you lost to me last time. Don't waste your money."
Yunyun and Consort Liang stood aside and watched the two of them argue.
In the end, Nara Guiren couldn't resist Yuan Chang's persuasive words and reluctantly drank the Chinese medicine, muttering, "It's a waste to boil this century-old ginseng. Bai Lan just doesn't know how to be thrifty."
Noble Lady Nara looked very energetic, or she acted very energetic in front of them.
The two pregnancies and two miscarriages caused her indescribable physical and mental damage.
This is something even the imperial physicians couldn't fix.
They all knew that Noble Lady Nara's lifespan was coming to an end, in the next few days.
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