Chapter 40: The Sixth Prince, the Seventh Prince, and the Fourth Prince...
The Sixth Prince, the Seventh Prince, and the Fourth Princess have all turned six this year. Following the precedent set by Yinzhen and Yinzhi in previous years, they moved to a separate residence outside the palace a couple of days ago to prepare for smallpox vaccination.
This time, the mother who was filled with fear and couldn't sleep at night became Consort De, Noble Lady Cheng, and Noble Lady Guoluo.
Following the example of Consort Rong's previous prayers for the Third Prince, Consort Cheng and Consort Guo Luoluo practically lived in Baohua Palace, chanting scriptures and praying for blessings every day.
Consort Yi and Noble Lady Guoluo are sisters, and she watched the Fourth Princess grow up. Therefore, she also went to accompany Noble Lady Guoluo for a few days. The Ninth Prince and the Eleventh Prince are still young and cannot be separated from their care, so she cannot stay in Baohua Palace for long.
Consort De also went several times, but unfortunately, she was still pregnant and could not worship Buddha in Baohua Hall all day like the two noble ladies. So she could only enshrine the Bodhisattva in Yonghe Palace and pray to him every day.
Wen Shan had heard a few days ago that the smallpox vaccination was not going well. All three children had severe symptoms, with persistent high fevers and unconsciousness. Compared to the two princes, the fourth princess was in better condition and pulled through first. Yesterday, a letter arrived saying that the fourth princess had woken up and was no longer running a high fever. As long as she rested for a few more days and her condition did not relapse, she could be sent back to the palace.
Consort Guo Luoluo and Consort Yi were overjoyed, almost bursting into tears with joy as they clasped hands together. They had finally overcome this major hurdle.
Conversely, Consort De and Noble Lady Cheng were even more anxious, worrying every day about their son who was suffering in the other courtyard, wishing they could take his place.
The Fourth Princess usually appears to be a bit more frail than the Sixth and Seventh Princes. Since the Fourth Princess could pull through, their sons can certainly too.
Consort De and Noble Lady Cheng could only console themselves with this thought.
Unexpectedly, news came in just one day later.
The Sixth Prince had a high fever for five days without improvement and passed away at dawn today.
The news first reached Emperor Kangxi, who was heartbroken at the thought of his usually lively and adorable son, Yinzhuo, dying young.
Emperor Kangxi closed his eyes and suppressed the report.
"Consort De is pregnant, so let's hold off for now and not let her know."
Liang Jiugong responded, and after a moment said, "However, I'm afraid we can't keep this from Consort De for long."
If the Sixth Prince doesn't return for a few days, Consort De should notice something is wrong. Moreover, such a major event as the death of a prince will spread quickly throughout the palace, making it difficult for Consort De to remain unaware.
Fortunately, those below him knew the gravity of the situation and kept quiet, only reporting it to Emperor Kangxi.
"This matter is not to be discussed in the inner palace," Kangxi said coldly. "Let's postpone it for a few days before informing Consort De."
Kangxi was worried that suddenly informing Consort De of Yinzhuo's death would harm the fetus in her womb.
"Yes, sir."
Liang Jiugong bowed and went to make the arrangements.
Inside Xianfu Palace, Wen Shan was also shocked to hear the news.
Although she knew that the Sixth Prince died young in history, she was not very familiar with this part of the story and did not know how old the Sixth Prince was when the accident happened. Yinzhi knew, but he and the Sixth Prince were not on good terms and there was no brotherly affection between them, so he would not interfere, let alone talk to Wenshan about it.
The Sixth Prince was always well-fed by Consort De and was very healthy. He was chubby and cute. Sometimes when Wen Shan saw him, she wondered why the child, who looked so healthy, had died so young. Could it be that he had a sudden illness?
I never expected it was because of smallpox vaccination.
"Consort De is still pregnant, and the seventh imperial daughter died a few years ago..." Wen Shan sighed. As a mother, Consort De must be heartbroken.
The seventh princess was born weak and never recovered in two months, while the sixth prince was always healthy and Consort De raised him like a precious jewel for six years. One can only imagine how painful it was for an elderly person to bury their young son.
When Yinzhi heard about this, he only looked up and glanced at it. He knew that Yinzhi would not survive this smallpox vaccination, so he was not surprised as it was something he had expected.
As for Yinzhen, no matter what, Yinzuo was his younger brother from the same mother. Although they had never been raised together and were not close on a daily basis, Yinzhen was still somewhat shocked and saddened.
Yinxiang had never met the Sixth Prince in either of his two lifetimes. He only knew that the Sixth Prince was born to Consort De, just like the Fourth Prince, but died young. The Fourth Prince had mentioned this younger brother from the same mother to him a few times, saying that he was clever from a young age and that Consort De and the Emperor loved him. He was the one Yinxiang could only dream of when he was a child.
Yinxiang could tell from Yinzhen's self-deprecating tone that the Sixth Prince and the Fourth Prince's relationship was probably not deep.
But after all, he was his own brother. Although they had never met, Yinxiang mourned for him in his heart. When he saw his fourth brother with his head down and not saying a word, Yinxiang crawled towards Yinzhen, wanting to comfort his fourth brother.
When Yinzhen saw Yinxiang waving at him, he reached out and hugged him.
Yinzhi snorted as he watched Yinxiang anxiously trying to comfort his fourth brother.
Wen Shan patted Yinxiang's head, then her heart skipped a beat.
"Next year, it will be time for Yinzhi to be vaccinated against smallpox."
Although Yinzhi had been vaccinated against smallpox beforehand, the vaccination process was still dangerous. When Yinzhen was vaccinated before, she lost her appetite and couldn't sleep at night. Now that the Sixth Prince had died from smallpox, Wenshan was even more worried about Yinzhi.
Yinzhi quickly moved closer to Wenshan and said, "Mother, don't worry."
Wen Shan rubbed Yin Si's head, said nothing more, and added more food to Yin Zhen's plate.
"Yinzhen, eat more."
Yinzhen nodded, pursed his lips, and said, "Thank you, Mother. I'm fine."
Wen Shan thought for a moment and decided that it would be better to let Yinzhen have some peace and quiet. So after the meal, she wanted to take Yinsi and Yinxiang to see Consort Min and Consort Wei.
Unexpectedly, Yinzhen also got up and said he wanted to go together, wanting to be with his mother and brothers.
"Okay, then we'll visit your two younger sisters this afternoon." Wenshan said with a smile, "You play with your brothers for a while, and your mother will make you some snacks."
Since Yinzhen wants to be with them, then they might as well stay in Xianfu Palace.
When the princes practiced riding and archery in the afternoon, Yinzhen left.
Yinxiang was a little drowsy, so Wenshan held him in her arms and fanned him to sleep.
“Mother, now that Father has suppressed this matter, no one knows about it, so we should just pretend we don’t know either,” Yinzhi said in a low voice.
Since Yinzhen went to the villa for smallpox vaccination last time, Yinsi saw Wenshan's worried expression and took the opportunity to place some people in the villa so that his mother would feel more at ease if he went for smallpox vaccination in the future. Therefore, Xianfu Palace learned about the incident involving the Sixth Prince immediately.
"The Emperor is afraid of disturbing the unborn child because Consort De is pregnant," Wen Shan said, expressing her understanding.
Consort De was already over eight months pregnant and about to give birth, but at this crucial moment, her son tragically died...
Wen Shan sighed, lamenting the impermanence of life.
Emperor Kangxi had mentioned this matter to Wenshan once. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau had calculated that the suitable date for smallpox inoculation was approaching, and Consort De's due date was also approaching. At that time, Kangxi was worried that if something went wrong, it would affect not only the Sixth Prince, but also the baby in Consort De's womb. However, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau only gave this one date this year, otherwise it would have to be postponed to next year. This time, not only the Sixth Prince was to be inoculated, but also the Seventh Prince and the Fourth Princess, so this matter could not be delayed.
Emperor Kangxi was also worried that the longer it was delayed, the more dangerous it would become, so after much deliberation, he decided to proceed with the smallpox vaccination this year.
As fate would have it, the Sixth Prince still got into trouble.
"Hmm? Could it be that someone deliberately bribed the Imperial Observatory to have the Sixth Prince vaccinated against smallpox when Consort De was about to give birth?"
Wen Shan recalled the palace dramas she had watched before, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Yinzhi smiled and said, "Mother, you're overthinking it. Vaccinating princes is a serious matter; no one would dare to tamper with it."
Besides, Father Emperor isn't stupid; he knows everything that's going on in the harem, it's just a matter of whether he wants to get involved or not.
Wen Shan was speechless; indeed, art transcends life.
Seeing that Yinxiang's eyes were about to close and he was about to fall asleep, Yinsi said, "Mother, you don't need to worry about me. Mother knows that I got through it before without any problems."
Yinxiang smacked his lips, just about to drift off to sleep, when he was suddenly jolted awake by Yinsi's words.
Wait, what did the myna bird just say?
How could he reveal that he had been reborn!
Moreover, Consort Xuan was not surprised at all. She simply hugged him and nodded, her worries undiminished. She said that although she knew, she was still worried.
Yinxiang's little head was spinning. Could someone tell him what was going on?
Yinzhi secretly chuckled to himself as he looked at Yinxiang's suddenly widened eyes.
"Mother, Thirteenth Brother is awake."
Yinzhi reminded Wenshan.
"Hey, why are you awake? Did your mother and brother wake you up while they were chatting?" Wen Shan coaxed him, wanting to carry Yinxiang into the room to sleep.
Yinzhi said coolly, "Mother, your younger brother doesn't know that you know I'm someone who has been reborn."
"ah?"
Wen Shan looked down at Yinxiang, whose big eyes were blinking, and pinched his little face, saying, "Oh, I see. Little Thirteen, your mother has known for a long time that your Eighth Brother is a person who has been reborn. You and your Eighth Brother are the same, and your mother has known for a long time too."
"..."
Yinxiang was dazed.
No, is that right?
He and his myna bird were both reborn, so why is Mother so calm?
Moreover, the myna bird had already exposed his true identity long ago; he had been pretending to be a baby for so long!
"It's alright," Wen Shan comforted him, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually, Mother isn't from this place either; she's from the future."
Yinxiang: "..."
Wen Shan was terrified when she saw Yinxiang suddenly kick his legs and faint. She picked him up and was about to go find the imperial physician.
Yinzhi stopped Wenshan, stroked his chin and said, "Thirteenth Brother, your endurance is too weak. You can't even handle this?"
Wenshan glared at him: "You, you're up to no good again."
Yinzhi smiled innocently. The thirteenth prince would find out sooner or later, and seeing that he was about to learn to speak, it was time to tell him.
After a while, Yinxiang slowly woke up. He used to think that Wenshan was unaware of his abnormality, so he could pretend to be a baby and occasionally act coquettishly with Wenshan. Now that he knew, he only felt embarrassed and didn't know how to face all of this.
"Why is Little Thirteen so listless? He's not as lively as before," Wen Shan said worriedly.
Yinzhi curled his lip. The thirteenth prince still hasn't gotten over his past life. His mother was so good to him, but he was so indifferent to her. Humph, he still had to step in.
Wenshan was extremely worried, fearing that the shock might be too great and frighten the child, who was still a baby who couldn't walk yet.
Yinxiang was deeply moved to see that Wenshan was still lovingly holding and comforting him, just like before. He reached out his little hand to touch Wenshan to indicate that he was alright.
The news of the Sixth Prince's death could not be kept secret for long.
Two days later, news of the Seventh Prince also reached the palace. The Seventh Prince's condition was not good either. Although his fever had subsided and he had survived, he was left with a disability in his left leg and would probably have to walk with a limp in the future.
Seeing that there was news of the Fourth Princess and the Seventh Prince, but no word from the Sixth Prince, Consort De knew that something bad must have happened.
Kangxi initially wanted to keep it a secret until Consort De gave birth, so he said that the Sixth Prince had woken up and was fine, but his symptoms were a bit more severe and he needed to recuperate in a separate courtyard for a few more days.
However, Consort De was anxious day and night because of her deep bond with her son. She asked someone to inquire about Yinzhuo's recent situation and begged Emperor Kangxi to let Yinzhuo write a few words for her so that she could feel at ease.
One day, a eunuch let slip that the Sixth Prince had passed away. Consort De fainted on the spot and then went into premature labor.
Fortunately, the fetus was almost full-term, and the imperial physician said there should be no major problems.
Consort Niohuru and Wen Shan rushed over upon hearing the news. Emperor Kangxi had already arrived and was sitting at the head of the table, looking intently at the report before him.
The eunuch who let slip the secret has been dragged aside and beaten to death by order of Emperor Kangxi. After Emperor Kangxi sent people to investigate the man's background, he discovered that it was Consort Tong who had deliberately disturbed Consort De's pregnancy.
The desperate cries of Consort De could still be heard from inside the palace, which were enough to make one's heart tremble.
After Consort Niohuru and Wen Shan greeted Emperor Kangxi, he gestured for them to rise.
"Please sit down."
Consort Niohuru and Wen Shan exchanged a glance. The sounds coming from Consort De inside didn't sound good. Consort Niohuru had already given birth to two children and had a difficult childbirth when she gave birth to the princess, so she knew as soon as she heard that Consort De's pregnancy was probably not going well and that she had likely had a difficult childbirth.
Although Wen Shan had never given birth, as a Noble Consort, she had to be there to watch over the concubines when they gave birth, so she had seen many of the concubines' childbirth experiences. Consort De's words did indeed sound particularly tragic.
Wen Shan couldn't help but worry for her, thinking that she should hurry up and give birth so that Consort De wouldn't suffer any more.
Regardless of Consort De's character, childbirth is an incredibly difficult experience for any mother.
"Consort Tong..." Kangxi's tone was unfriendly, and his whole body was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. "Send the Sixth Princess to Consort Duan to be raised. Consort Tong is impulsive and I'm afraid she won't be able to raise my daughter well. You two can handle this matter."
Consort Niohuru quickly agreed.
The fact that Emperor Kangxi didn't make things difficult for Consort Tong was already a testament to the fact that she had just given birth to a princess.
The midwife and the imperial physician rushed out and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort De was frightened and went into premature labor. She is now showing signs of a difficult delivery, and it will likely take some effort to give birth to the imperial heir."
"Do everything in your power to protect Consort De and the prince." Kangxi frowned and said, "Tell Consort De that I have specially conferred upon her mother the title of Lady of the Third Rank and awarded her one hundred taels of gold, so that she can give birth in peace."
Fortunately, despite the ordeal, Consort De gave birth to the twelfth princess. Although the process was somewhat dangerous, both mother and daughter were safe. However, Consort De suffered some injuries and needed to recuperate.
When Emperor Kangxi learned that Consort De had given birth safely, he returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Consort Niohuru and Consort Wenshan, seeing that everything was alright, left Yonghe Palace together.
"Although I don't like Consort De, the young child is innocent after all." Consort Niohuru sighed. "The Sixth Prince has passed away, and the newborn princess is also very weak. It's really pitiful."
The princess, whom Consort Niohuru gave birth to during a difficult childbirth earlier this year, had also been in poor health. Despite Consort Niohuru's careful care, her condition had not improved much, so Consort Niohuru felt particularly empathetic towards her.
Wen Shan also felt the same way; seeing such a scene always made her feel uncomfortable.
"Fortunately, the Fifth Princess is still with her. I imagine that Consort De will be able to do her best to support the Fifth Princess and the Little Princess," Wen Shan said.
Consort Niohuru turned to look at her and said, "Vaccination is a life-or-death experience. Shouldn't the Eighth Prince be vaccinated next year?"
Yinzhi will be the only one to be vaccinated against smallpox next year. The next two to be vaccinated are the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who are two years younger than him, so they will have to wait another two years.
Wen Shan was terrified when she mentioned it, and so was Consort Niohuru. Both of them sighed repeatedly before parting ways at the gate of Yonghe Palace and returning to their respective palaces.
"Mother is back."
Yinzhi was studying chess scores on the couch, preparing to practice his chess skills diligently. When he saw Wenshan return, he quickly dropped the chess pieces and ran over to her.
Wen Shan was a little tired. She patted his head and said, "Consort De gave birth to a little princess. Mother and daughter are safe and sound. Consort Niohuru and I are leaving now."
"Where is Yinxiang?"
“The thirteenth brother is already asleep,” Yinzhi said.
Yinxiang had a lot of questions he wanted to ask Yinsi, but his current health made him sleepy from time to time, and Yinsi was good at bluffing, so he brushed him off with a few words.
Wen Shan went to the side hall to check on Yinxiang and was relieved to see that he was sleeping peacefully.
Yinzhi held Wenshan's hand and led her back to the main hall, where he then attentively massaged her shoulders and legs.
"What's wrong with you?" Wen Shan asked him, amused.
He's being so attentive; he must want something from her.
"Mother, Father Emperor has sent the First Prince and the Crown Prince out of the palace to inspect the fields in the outskirts of the capital. The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince will also accompany them. Can I go along as well?"
Wen Shan exclaimed "Ah!" and then said, "Why didn't Yinzhen tell me?"
"It's just in the outskirts of Beijing, we'll be back in two days at most." Yinzhi hugged Wenshan's arm and said, "Please, Mother, let me go with Fourth Brother."
Yinsi guessed that Yinzhen would talk to Wenshan about this when he returned tonight, so he decided to take the initiative and persuade Wenshan to agree to let him go with her.
"Why don't you go ask your fourth brother or your father?" Wen Shan looked at him amusedly. "What's the use of coming to me? My opinion doesn't count."
Go ask Fourth Brother? Fourth Brother is upright and unyielding. He may spoil him in small matters, but he never hesitates in important matters. It would be strange if he could take him with him. As for asking Father Emperor... he'd better not embarrass himself in front of Father Emperor.
"Who said that? Mother's words are the most reliable." Yinzhi pleaded. "Let me go, Mother."
Having a rare opportunity to leave the palace, he wanted to take this chance to meet with officials in the capital.
Wen Shan was so bothered by him that she had no choice but to agree to say a few words on his behalf when Yinzhen came over tonight.
As expected, Yinzhen told Wenshan about it when he came that evening, and they set off early the day after tomorrow.
Yinzhi winked at Wenshan, who had no choice but to say, "Yinzhi is not young anymore, why don't you take him out to see the world?"
Yinzhen glanced at Yinsi, who looked back without any guilt and pretended to decline, saying, "Mother, Fourth Brother is going to do important business, so he definitely won't take me with him."
Wen Shan: "..."
Yinzhen nodded: "Eighth Brother is right."
Wen Shan was embarrassed; how could she continue the conversation after Yin Si's words?
Yinzhi secretly tugged at Wenshan's clothes again, signaling her to increase the pressure.
Wen Shan was helpless; she had to play the bad guy.
“He won’t be at peace in the palace if you leave. Why not take him out to see the lives of ordinary people?” Wen Shan added, “I will speak to your father, the Emperor.”
Yinzhen always listened to Wenshan, so when he heard Wenshan say this, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
As for Kangxi, Wenshan made some snacks and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and that was it.
Emperor Kangxi was also quite depressed at this time. The smallpox vaccination campaign had not gone very well. In addition to the Fourth Princess recovering completely, the Seventh Prince was left with a leg ailment, and the Sixth Prince died young. Even Consort De suffered a difficult childbirth, and the newborn princess was weak.
Emperor Kangxi was understandably troubled, and with the weather getting warmer, he had even less appetite.
Wen Shan thoughtfully prepared some appetizing and refreshing snacks. After offering a few words of advice to Kangxi, she brought up the idea of having Yinzhi leave the palace with Yinzhen and the others.
As Kangxi sipped his sweet soup, he looked up at Wenshan upon hearing this. Wenshan's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Kangxi would not agree. However, after a moment, he lowered his head and took another sip, then pondered and said, "Yinzhu should also formally enroll in school next year. He has been intelligent since childhood and it is time for him to go out and gain experience."
"However, compared to his older brothers, he was still younger, so he was made to stay close to the Crown Prince and Yinzhen."
When Wen Shan saw that Kangxi had agreed, she quickly returned to Xianfu Palace to tell Yinzhi about it.
Both Yinzhi and Yinzhen were leaving the palace, leaving only Yinxiang alone in Xianfu Palace. Wenshan could tell from Yinxiang's longing eyes that he also wanted to go with Yinzhen and Yinzhi, but he was too young. Yinzhi could at least follow along, but it was impossible for Yinxiang.
Watching Yinzhen and Yinsi leave, Yinxiang babbled in Wenshan's arms. Wenshan tapped his little nose and said, "I know you want to go too, but you're too young now."
"Shall I take you to Consort Min's place?"
Yinxiang nodded and smiled.
Fourth Brother and Consort De have long been at odds, so Consort Xuan has not brought Fourth Brother to associate with Consort De. Eighth Brother was raised by Consort Xuan since he was a child, but he is also very close to Consort Wei. At most every two days, Consort Xuan would urge Eighth Brother to visit Consort Wei at Yanxi Palace. It was fine for him to stay there for a meal and overnight. Now that he is still young and cannot walk by himself, Consort Xuan would carry him to Jingren Palace often, which has helped his mother a lot. He is very grateful to her.
Consort Min was overjoyed to see Wen Shan and Yin Xiang arrive. Wen Shan handed Yin Xiang to Consort Min to hold, and waved to Pearl and the others who followed behind to bring up the gifts.
"I brought some brocade and fabric for my sister. Summer is almost here, so it's good to have some cool and breathable clothes made. I'm not good at needlework, and we don't trust anyone else to make the Thirteenth Prince's clothes, so I'll have to trouble my sister." Wen Shan said with a smile.
Consort Min noticed that the clothes Yinxiang was wearing were specially made and sent to him a couple of days ago. They were made of fine fabric that was not included in her allowance, and she had spent a lot of money to buy them from outside. She guessed that the Imperial Concubine had noticed this and therefore specially brought some fine fabric to her.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Consort Min said sincerely, "I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's care."
She could tell from Yinxiang's plump and healthy appearance that Consort Xuan had taken good care of him, and she never prevented her from seeing Yinxiang. On the contrary, she would bring Yinxiang and gifts to see her every few days.
Seeing the harmonious scene between Consort Xuan and his mother, Yinxiang felt happy too. Now he had to admit that although this life was a bit strange, it was quite good.
Yinzhen and Yinsi went for two days. After returning to the palace, Yinzhen went to report to Kangxi with the Crown Prince and a few others. Yinsi had originally intended to go on the trip, so he did not take him along. Yinzhen instructed the eunuch beside him to send Yinsi back to Xianfu Palace.
Yinzhi was too lazy to see Kangxi, and couldn't wait to see his mother, so he readily nodded and hurried back to the palace.
Wen Shan missed him terribly after not seeing him for two days. The mother and son spent some time together, and then Yin Si coaxed Wen Shan to go and get him some food.
Yinxiang was sitting on the couch wearing a bright red undergarment. Yinsi leaned over and saw him playing with a toy he had used when he was a child.
“These nine-linked rings were specially made for me by my mother,” Yinzhi said.
Yinxiang glanced at him and snorted, but did not let go of his hand.
"Oh, Thirteenth Brother can say anything other than babbling?" Yinzhi sat opposite him and teased him.
"..."
Lazy Geographical Myna.
Yinzhi thought to himself that the thirteenth prince was playing with the toys his mother had made for him, yet he was still being evasive around her. He really couldn't understand why his usually straightforward brother was now so hesitant.
Yinzhi was also somewhat confused about this matter. Although he was close to Consort Wei in his previous life, he had been raised by Consort Hui since childhood until adulthood, and was already used to growing up without his biological mother. Naturally, he accepted it quickly. Yinxiang, on the other hand, was only raised by Consort Duan for a few years when he was young, and returned to Consort Min's side when he was three years old. Now that Wenshan was suddenly taking care of him, he was naturally not used to it.
Yinzhi deliberately stepped forward to snatch the nine-linked rings from him, but Yinxiang held on tightly and wouldn't let go.
"My mother made this for me!"
Yinxiang rolled his eyes inwardly. When did his eighth brother become so petty? It's just a nine-linked ring, is it really worth his eighth brother fighting over?
Just as the two were about to get into a passionate embrace, Wen Shan walked in.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yinxiang saw this and, in his anxiety, spoke for the first time.
"Mother—Myna!"
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