Chapter 89 It's quite a coincidence, in…
Unfortunately, given the early marriage and childbirth in ancient times, Emperor Kangxi was over forty years old and still had no grandson. The eldest prince's household only had one daughter, and the third prince and Yinzhen's wedding had not yet taken place.
Although the Crown Prince did not get married, he already had two children, and the origins of these two children were rather strange, which was quite a turbulent situation.
Moreover, Physician Zhang has already diagnosed that there is an 80% chance that the fetus in Wang's belly is a boy.
Therefore, if this child is born safely, he will be Kangxi's first grandson in a real sense.
This child is destined to never walk the straight path.
This news was naturally also told to Yinzhen and several others, including Wenshan.
"His Majesty ordered me to examine Miss Wang's pulse. His instructions were that if it was a girl, the pregnancy should not be continued, but if it was a boy, Miss Wang should be allowed to give birth to the child safely."
When Physician Zhang came to report, he took the opportunity of checking Wen Shan's pulse to make sure she was safe. Yinzhen and the others were also in Xianfu Palace.
Wen Shan frowned upon hearing this. Whether it was a boy or a girl, they were all the Crown Prince's own flesh and blood and royal blood. This sounded too heartless.
Yinxiang felt a pang of pity upon hearing this, after all, it was a child who had not yet been born.
In a way, they are all my blood relatives.
Neither Yinzhen nor Yinsi were particularly affected.
If it were a daughter, it would indeed be better to get rid of her. The Emperor's idea was the same as Suo'etu's eagerness to kill Wang Shi at the time.
They all wanted to do their best to protect the crown prince.
However, while Suo'etu was ruthless enough to eliminate both men and women, Kangxi, as the grandfather who had no grandsons, still had some compassion even though his sons could not be included in the imperial genealogy.
When Fucha was diagnosed with pregnancy, Wenshan remembered this matter and, since Yinzhi and Yinxiang had not yet left, she mentioned it.
"Wang, who has been raised in the palace, must be almost seven months pregnant now, right?"
Wang was brought directly into the palace by Emperor Kangxi and settled in Consort Ping's palace, which made Consort Ping feel as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly. Consort Ping naturally wanted to kill Wang, the woman who seduced the Crown Prince and caused him to be placed under house arrest. However, Wang was pregnant with the Crown Prince's child.
Moreover, Emperor Kangxi arranged for her to protect Lady Wang so that she could safely give birth to the child. Therefore, Consort Ping was extremely uncomfortable and could only hold her nose and have someone take good care of Lady Wang.
One can only say that Kangxi's arrangement was quite ruthless, a classic case of killing someone by destroying their spirit.
Yinzhi nodded and said, "Yesterday, Physician Zhang sent a letter to my son saying that Wang's mind was unsettled and that she might be in premature labor."
It's obvious how she could possibly have a peaceful pregnancy.
The crown prince was under house arrest, her father had been beheaded, and her whole family had been exiled to Ningguta. She was the only one left who had been assassinated and was now imprisoned in the palace.
No matter how I look at it, there seems to be no way out.
Now, Lady Wang lives in constant fear, only hoping to give birth to this child safely so that Emperor Kangxi will spare her for the sake of the child. She asks for nothing more than to be banished from the palace and become a commoner.
"Premature birth?" Wen Shan was somewhat surprised. "She's already seven months along. If she were to give birth prematurely again, wouldn't it just be a matter of one or two months?"
"Who can say for sure about such things?" Yinzhi smiled, not particularly interested in the child. "Let her give birth whenever she wants."
Then, coincidentally, Wang's affair was launched on the night of the Empress Dowager's birthday.
The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was scheduled for noon, and it was mainly organized by Xiao Tongjia. Wen Shan knew the Empress Dowager's preferences and also helped with some arrangements. After the lively event, she had just returned to the palace and taken a nap when Pearl woke her up.
Wenshan groggily opened her eyes and saw that it was already dark outside. At first, she thought that Pearl was worried that she would not be able to sleep at night because she had slept too much, but it turned out that Wang had started labor.
"The midwives prepared in Consort Ping's palace are already busy, and several imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital have also been called over."
After all, he was the Crown Prince's first child, so he was somewhat different from other children.
However, the child's arrival was rather dishonorable, and Consort Ping didn't know who to report to. She could only send someone to report to Emperor Kangxi, but Emperor Kangxi was discussing matters with several ministers from the previous dynasty and could not be seen. Liang Jiugong was also unsure whether he should go in to report.
The main problem is that I'm not sure if this counts as a happy occasion.
After much deliberation, she still didn't dare to go in and disturb Kangxi's meeting. She simply told Consort Ping in private to take good care of him.
Consort Ping thought it over and over and still felt that she couldn't take responsibility for this matter. At present, the highest-ranking person in the palace was Wen Shan, so she could only report to her.
"This kid really knows how to pick his days."
Wen Shan got up, yawned, and sat down in front of the bronze mirror. Pearl and Amber quickly tidied her up.
“That’s right. If the baby is born today, it will be born on the same day as the Empress Dowager,” Pearl said.
Wenshan: "I meant choosing a time when everyone has just finished their busy schedules to come."
I thought I could finally catch my breath, but now I have to get back to work.
When Wen Shan arrived at Consort Ping's place, she saw that Consort Tong and Consort Hui had already arrived.
"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine."
"No need for formalities," Wen Shan waved her hand and asked, "How is the situation inside?"
Consort Ping looked distressed: "It's a premature birth. The midwife said the baby is in a slightly breech position, so I'm afraid it will be tough."
Wen Shan felt a pang of sympathy as she listened to the piercing screams coming from inside.
No matter how many concubines she had witnessed giving birth, she still couldn't stand this occasion.
"Don't worry, Consort Ping. Although it was a premature birth, you have taken excellent care of her. I'm sure she will give His Highness the Crown Prince a healthy firstborn son."
Consort Hui, standing to the side, seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, raising an eyebrow with a smirk that seemed to speak volumes.
Consort Ping was so angry that her teeth itched. She only informed Wen Shan, but Consort Tong and Consort Hui came uninvited after hearing the news.
Consort Tong was alright. She already had the power to assist in managing the six palaces, so it was normal for her to come over. After arriving, she didn't say anything and just sat and waited.
Consort Hui was clearly just there to watch the show. The identity of Lady Wang and this child had always been ambiguous. Although she was raised in the palace, Emperor Kangxi never expressed any intention to bestow Lady Wang upon the Crown Prince. Therefore, this child was naturally an illegitimate child, and his birth mother was the daughter of a disgraced official, who was personally smuggled out by the Crown Prince.
The buffs are practically maxed out.
So this child is in a really awkward position, yet he is indeed the Crown Prince's first child in fact, making it difficult to know how to bring up the topic.
When Consort Hui opened her mouth, she claimed that the child was the Crown Prince's eldest son. Although this was true, it was also a clear mockery and humiliation of the Crown Prince. What use was such an eldest son?
"Sister Huifei, the woman inside was merely entrusted to my care by the Emperor. As for the child's identity, it's not something we can decide with a few words," Consort Ping said through gritted teeth.
Consort Hui curled her lip in disdain. It's common knowledge, so what's there to argue about?
Ignoring the subtle exchange between Consort Hui and Consort Ping, Consort Tong spoke only to Wen Shan, saying, "The Fourth Princess Consort is almost two months pregnant now, I wonder how her health is?"
As soon as Consort Tong mentioned Consort Hui, her attention shifted from criticizing the Crown Prince and Consort Ping.
The Crown Prince's illegitimate son was nothing to fear; she was just bored and came to watch the excitement. But the one in the Fourth Princess's belly might be the Emperor's first legitimate grandson, and a legitimate one at that. She was obviously more concerned about him.
Although this eldest grandson doesn't really have any practical use, it's always good to have a title.
If the eldest prince were to give birth to Kangxi's first grandson, he would then claim the titles of eldest son and eldest grandson.
Wen Shan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, sister. Fucha has always been in good health. Now she can only take good care of herself. It's just that she's still early in her pregnancy, so it's not obvious yet."
Empress Fucha is not showing any symptoms of morning sickness yet and continues to manage all the affairs of Chonghua Palace every day. Yinzhen originally wanted Empress Majia and Empress Ulanara to share these chores so that Empress Fucha could focus on her pregnancy, but Empress Fucha refused.
She said that she was not in a bad mood and could still manage for a while. If she really couldn't keep up, she would ask the two concubines to help. Besides, the affairs in the palace were not as complicated as those in the mansion. She had only been doing it for more than half a year before she got the hang of it. She was worried that Ma Jia and Ulanara would be flustered and cause trouble at this time.
Yinzhen understood that Lady Fucha was worried that during her pregnancy, not only would her favor be divided between the two concubines, but she would also lose her power to manage the household. Seeing that Lady Fucha's energy was indeed still good, he was afraid that she would overthink during her pregnancy and harm the fetus, so Yinzhen did not force her.
She only said that if she got too busy in her later months, she would ask Wenshan to come and help her.
Naturally, by then, it will likely still be Yinzhi who takes charge of things.
Empress Fucha was deeply moved by Yinzhen's words. She knew that the Fourth Prince must have understood her thoughts. He had asked her mother to take over the affairs of Chonghua Palace to reassure her and let her know that her position as the primary consort would never be shaken.
Thinking of this, Lady Fucha couldn't help but recall how her mother often sighed to her before her marriage, saying that the Fourth Prince was cold-hearted and didn't know how to take care of people, and with two such prominent concubines, she was afraid she would suffer if she married him.
Now it seems that Mother was worrying too much.
Although Fourth Master has a cold exterior, he is not cold-hearted and is very good at taking care of people.
Returning to the present, when Consort Tong mentioned that Lady Fucha was pregnant, she was just trying to please Wen Shan, as having many children and blessings is a joyous occasion.
Now that the Tong family and the Eighth Prince are becoming more and more involved, Xiao Tongjia naturally has to get closer and closer to Wenshan. However, Wenshan and Xiao Tongjia don't get along very well. Xiao Tongjia can also sense that the Consort treats her only so-so, so she doesn't make a special effort to get closer to her. But whether on the surface or in private, she has clearly stood on Wenshan's side.
Yinzhi once shook his head and said that Tong Guowei's daughter was not very smart. Tong Guowei and Longkodo were still avoiding him, but Xiao Tongjia was very close to him in the palace.
Yinxiang happened to be there at the time, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Fourth Brother is Mother's rightful son on the imperial genealogy, and Empress Xiaoyi also raised Fourth Brother. It is understandable that Xiao Tongjia is close to Mother."
Yinzhi thought about it and realized it made some sense, so he didn't care anymore. In short, it seemed that his father, the Emperor, didn't care much.
Consort Hui, watching Consort Tong and Wen Shan from the side, said sourly, "The first three months are the most critical. Your Highness, you must take good care of them to avoid any mishaps."
Consort Tong, waving her fan, said with a smile, "I heard that when the Grand Princess was pregnant, Consort Hui took care of her personally and even went to Baohua Palace to ask for many items. It was because of Consort Hui's sincerity that the Grand Princess and the little princess were both safe and sound."
Consort Hui: "..."
She personally took care of Lady Irgen Gioro and knelt before Baohua Hall so many times, not just for the sake of having such a little girl!
In the end, it's still because Lady Irgen Gioro and Lady Zhangjia are useless. After many years of marriage, they only gave birth to a good-for-nothing maid. We should choose a few more fertile noble ladies for Yinti to enrich his harem.
Consort Tong and Consort Hui exchanged a few sharp words, but Consort Ping had no interest in watching their battle and was only concerned about Wang, who was giving birth inside.
Wen Shan asked, "Has the Emperor been informed?"
Consort Ping nodded: "I sent someone, but the Emperor was in a meeting and said he wouldn't see anyone."
Wen Shan asked this because she was thinking that this was, after all, the Crown Prince's child. She wondered if the Crown Prince should be allowed to see the child after it was born. However, since the Crown Prince was under house arrest, they couldn't make that decision; it was up to Emperor Kangxi.
Consort Tong and Consort Hui got bored after arguing for a while. Inside, Wang's cries grew weaker and weaker. Although Consort Ping didn't like Wang, she was still concerned about the child. She grabbed a midwife who came out to get something and asked anxiously, "How is it? Is it not good?"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, the baby's position has been corrected. It's just that the mother is a little weak. The imperial physician has prescribed a formula to invigorate her spirit and replenish her energy, which is being prepared and will be fed to the young lady in a little while."
Consort Ping's heart was slightly relieved, and she hurriedly instructed the palace maid: "I remember there is a thousand-year-old ginseng in the storeroom. Quickly go and get it, cut off a few slices and let Wang Shi put them in her mouth."
Fortunately, less than half an hour later, the sound of a baby crying was heard. Consort Ping was overjoyed and immediately stood up and went inside. Wen Shan, Consort Tong, and Consort Hui followed her in.
Lady Wang was sweating profusely and panting heavily. A palace maid was washing her body. The midwife carefully wrapped the newborn baby in a quilt and brought him to them, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, mother and child are safe and sound."
Consort Ping lifted the quilt and glanced at the child. A hint of hesitation appeared on her originally cheerful face: "Why is this child so thin and weak?"
Wenshan also took a look and confirmed that he was indeed smaller than the average child.
The midwife quickly said, "The young lady is premature, so the baby boy is naturally smaller than a normal baby."
"Then why doesn't he cry much?" Consort Ping still felt something was wrong, wondering if there was something wrong with the child.
The midwife couldn't tell, so the imperial physician examined the child and said that the child was fine. He said the child was probably weak because of insufficient fetal development and premature birth, and that the child just needed to rest and recover.
Consort Ping breathed a sigh of relief, and after hesitating for a while, she still sent someone to inform Emperor Kangxi of the good news.
Consort Tong and Wen Shan had to come here to assist in managing the six palaces. Seeing that the child was born safely, they thought of leaving. Consort Hui originally wanted to give Consort Xuan a good scolding, but after exchanging a few words with Consort Tong, she lost interest and also took her leave.
After receiving the news, it was impossible to tell whether Emperor Kangxi was happy or not. He simply sat silently for a while before sending Liang Jiugong to Consort Ping's place to take the child to Yuqing Palace for the Crown Prince to see.
Although the Crown Prince was under house arrest, he still had some means of obtaining information, so he knew early on that Lady Wang had launched her attack. If the Crown Prince had ever been deeply in love with Lady Wang, then naturally there was some affection involved; otherwise, he wouldn't have exchanged her from prison. But now, his current state was entirely due to Lady Wang and her father, so naturally, he had no feelings for this woman whatsoever. And this child…
Although the Crown Prince was under house arrest and a number of palace servants in Yuqing Palace had been killed by Kangxi, his standard of living did not decline at all. When Liang Jiugong arrived with the child, he saw the Crown Prince staring blankly in the courtyard, with several palace maids following behind him carrying fruits and snacks and waving fans.
"This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince was awakened by Liang Jiugong's voice. When he looked up, he saw the small swaddled baby in his arms, which was wriggling slightly.
"Please rise, Eunuch Liang, this is..."
Liang Jiugong smiled broadly: "His Majesty instructed me to bring the child here for His Highness the Crown Prince to see."
The prince's breath hitched. He stepped forward and gently lifted a corner of the opening, seeing the child blinking at him.
Liang Jiugong: "It's a little prince. Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The prince touched the child's tender face blankly, and after a moment he came to his senses and asked, "Why does he look so thin?"
"The little prince was born prematurely, and there were some deficiencies in the fetus. The imperial physician examined him and said there was nothing seriously wrong; he just needs to be well cared for."
The Crown Prince nodded and let out a long sigh. Seeing the Crown Prince's expression, Liang Jiugong knew that the Crown Prince still liked this son, and immediately said with a smile, "Your Highness, would you like to hold him?"
Manchu custom dictates that one should hold one's grandchildren but not one's sons, but since it was uncertain whether the father and son would ever have the chance to meet again, Liang Jiugong no longer held any taboos about this.
Upon hearing this, the crown prince's expression changed, and he reached out to take the child in his arms.
This child is quite well-behaved and doesn't cry much. He stays still and doesn't move much when anyone holds him.
As he held his son in his arms, feeling the warmth of his soft little body, the Crown Prince suddenly understood the feelings his father had when he said those words.
When he was little, his father must have held him and raised him little by little like this.
The Crown Prince teased the child for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Has Father Emperor given any instructions on how to settle this child?"
Liang Jiugong shook his head: "His Majesty didn't say anything, only that he asked me to bring the young prince to His Highness the Crown Prince for him to see."
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes and looked at the child carefully for a few more moments before handing the child over to Liang Jiugong. He then said earnestly, "Eunuch Liang, please pass on a message to Father Emperor. I know that I am guilty and dare not ask for Father Emperor's forgiveness. However, this child is truly innocent. I hope that Father Emperor can have some mercy on him."
"Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will certainly deliver it."
Liang Jiugong didn't dare to stay in Yuqing Palace any longer, so he took the child and returned to Changchun Garden.
The crown prince watched his departing figure slowly disappear before turning back into the palace.
"You don't need to come in and serve me."
The crown prince went into the inner room and took out a letter that he had hidden underneath.
That was sent by someone from Songgotu a few days ago.
The inscription above stated that the only course of action now was a desperate gamble; if the emperor were to return with his army, there would be no way to reverse the situation.
With the Fourth Prince's momentum soaring and his primary consort becoming pregnant at this time, if he were to give birth to a legitimate son, then the Confucian officials in the court who favored the eldest son and grandson would have something to say.
The Crown Prince initially either scoffed at or dismissed Songgotu's plan.
Revolt? That's impossible.
Although he didn't consider himself a virtuous man or woman, he really couldn't bring himself to rebel and usurp the throne while his father was away on campaign.
But after seeing his newborn son, he wavered again.
If it really works out, then his son will no longer have to live a life of uncertainty. He is his eldest son and will become the most honorable eldest prince in the future.
The fact that Songgotu was able to send a letter shows that they still have manpower in the palace, and it is also convenient for Kangxi to do some things while he is at Changchun Garden.
The Crown Prince sat silently in the room for a long time, and finally sent someone to tell Suo'etu to find a way to come to Yuqing Palace for a chat that night.
When Wen Shan returned to her palace, neither Yinzhen, Yinsi, nor Yinxiang were there. Baoquan said that Yinsi had just come by and was planning to wait for her to return, but it seemed that he had something urgent to attend to and left in a hurry, leaving a message that he would come to pay his respects again in the morning.
It was quite late when Wang's child was born. Wen Shan nodded and prepared to wash up and rest, but unexpectedly, just as she was about to go to sleep, Kangxi arrived.
Wen Shan: "..."
This is truly bizarre.
When Kangxi came in from outside, he was still a bit hot. He looked up and saw that Wenshan had already changed into her nightgown.
"Have I disturbed your rest?"
Don't you know whether you've been harassed or not?
Despite the truth, Wen Shan still had to put on a smile and say, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? I just got back myself."
Kangxi naturally knew where Wen Shan had gone. He had also met the son that Wang Shi had given birth to for Yinreng before he came.
Kangxi asked Wenshan to sit down, and then sat cross-legged on the couch himself. Wenshan's heart skipped a beat when she saw him like this.
This is bad; it looks like we're going to have a long talk with her all night.
As expected, Kangxi spoke very frankly to her about how he had just met the Crown Prince's son.
"His appearance doesn't resemble Yinreng much when he was young," Kangxi said. "Only his eyes are somewhat similar."
Wenshan didn't dare to reply.
She has no idea what Kangxi's attitude is towards this child, and saying the wrong thing could easily backfire.
As expected, when Kangxi saw Wen Shan cautiously looking up at him, he sighed and said, "It's alright, there's nothing between us that we can't talk about."
"..."
There's too much to say, it's as if they're very familiar with each other.
"What does Your Majesty intend to do with this child?" Wen Shan asked tentatively.
If they want her to be raised in the palace, then we really need to find out the truth, since she still holds the power to assist in managing the six palaces.
Emperor Kangxi knelt down and turned the ring on his hand, saying calmly, "Its origins are unclear, so it cannot be kept in the palace."
"..."
Wen Shan was speechless and deeply admired Kangxi's casual and skillful speech.
Just now they said this was the Crown Prince's child, but now it's become someone of dubious origin.
Since she wasn't being raised in the palace, it had nothing to do with her, so Wen Shan didn't ask any more questions. Kangxi stayed silently for a long time, seemingly lost in thought, until Wen Shan was almost drowsy before he went to rest with her.
Within two days, arrangements were made for the care of Ms. Wang and the child.
Wang was originally to be exiled to Ningguta like her family, but Kangxi ultimately decided against pursuing the matter because she had given birth to a son for the Crown Prince. He simply let her leave the palace and that was the end of it. As for the child, it was impossible for him to be included in the imperial genealogy, but since he was of royal blood, Kangxi arranged for him to be raised by a leisurely prince as his son. In reality, he was just helping to raise him, because he couldn't let the child really end up among the common people.
Coincidentally, this child is also a descendant of the Crown Prince, and was named according to the character "Hong". Emperor Kangxi even gave special permission for the Crown Prince to personally name the child.
After all that work was done, Emperor Kangxi's second personal campaign against the Dzungars was finally put on the agenda.
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