Chapter 29 Smallpox can be deadly...
Smallpox can be fatal.
After the Crown Prince was saved from smallpox by a capable person in the seventeenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the Kangxi Emperor adopted this person's method of smallpox inoculation and immediately ordered all princes and princesses to begin smallpox inoculation when they turned six years old.
Although historically both Yinzhen and Yinsi successfully survived, it was still a brush with death. Wenshan felt a chill run down her spine after Kangxi's reminder.
Seeing her dazed expression, Kangxi thought for a moment. Yinzhen was five years old this year, and the Imperial Observatory should choose an auspicious day next year to start smallpox vaccination. The Third Prince hadn't been vaccinated yet, so why not have him vaccinated together with Yinzhen next year?
There have been quite a few princes and princesses since Yinzhen, and they will probably all need to be vaccinated against smallpox in the next two years.
"Don't worry, my princes are all blessed with good fortune and divine protection," Kangxi reassured Wen Shan.
You absolutely must get vaccinated against smallpox, and you should do it as soon as possible, otherwise it will be troublesome if you encounter a smallpox epidemic.
Kangxi rinsed his mouth, casually closed the folded document on the table, and gestured with his chin toward Wen Shan: "Sit."
Wen Shan had calmed down considerably by this time, nodded, and sat down opposite Kangxi.
"The Imperial Noble Consort has lost several children and is now seriously ill. I know she was extremely confused before and did many wrong things to Yinzhen." Kangxi twirled the thumb ring on his thumb, took a sip of water, and continued, "The Imperial Noble Consort submitted a memorial a couple of days ago. Take a look."
Kangxi picked up a memorial and pushed it in front of Wenshan. It was addressed to the Emperor and written in beautiful, delicate small regular script.
Wen Shan opened it, and on it was the Imperial Noble Consort's petition. Wen Shan thought it would be a normal letter of apology to Kangxi for the premature deaths of the princes and princesses, but the whole letter was about Yinzhen.
The Imperial Noble Consort didn't write much, but between the lines, there was truly heart-wrenching regret and remorse. The writing was deeply moving, and in the end, she only asked Emperor Kangxi to let her see Yinzhen one more time.
Why bother going all the way to Emperor Kangxi if you only want to see Yinzhen once?
Wen Shan blinked slowly: "What does His Majesty mean?"
Are they planning to send Yinzhen back again?
"After all, she raised Yinzhen. Let Yinzhen take some time to visit her," Kangxi said.
"Just a trip?" Wenshan asked again.
Kangxi looked at her with a half-smile, leaned back, and asked, "What, are you not satisfied?"
Wen Shan thought to herself, "How dare I be dissatisfied? Anyway, I can't fathom either Kangxi's or the Imperial Noble Consort's thoughts, so I might as well not think about it."
After spending a day and a night in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wen Shan was finally released from prison and returned to the Xianfu Palace.
As soon as she entered the palace gates, Yinzhen and Yinsi came to greet her. When she returned, it had rained a little, and Wenshan was a bit damp. She changed her clothes before talking to the two brothers in the hall.
Wen Shan told him that the Imperial Noble Consort wanted to see Yinzhen. After listening, Yinzhen remained silent for a while and then nodded.
"Since it is Father Emperor's order, I will obey."
"If you don't want to go..."
"Oh, Mother." Yinzhen looked up at her. "It's alright."
Wenshan sighed.
Yinzhen and Kangxi were actually quite similar in some ways, such as their firmness when making a decision.
Yinzhen decided almost immediately to go to Chengqian Palace in the afternoon.
Wen Shan didn't know what the Imperial Noble Consort was up to, or what she would say to Yinzhen. She didn't care whether she wanted Yinzhen to return to Chengqian Palace or sow discord between them. Wen Shan was only worried that the Imperial Noble Consort would say something that would hurt Yinzhen's feelings.
Yinzhen was a man of deep feelings and strong character; he appeared cold and hard, but in reality, he was most intolerant of these things.
When it was time for Yinzhen to study, he left Yinsi to chat with Wenshan.
"Mother, don't worry, Father will not let Fourth Brother return to Chengqian Palace." Yinzhi rested his chin on his hand and idly fiddled with Laifu's toys.
The Imperial Noble Consort was confined for so long back then, and the matter escalated so much. Even now, having lost two sons, given the Emperor's personality, he wouldn't change his mind and let the Fourth Brother go back.
“I’m not worried about that,” Wen Shan sighed. “Let’s not talk about that for now. Your father also mentioned something today: Yinzhen will be vaccinated against smallpox next year.”
This is the second thing that's giving her an even bigger headache today.
"You have even less to worry about," Yinzhi said with a smile. "You know that my fourth brother and I will both get through this safely."
She knew it, but the fact that the child was still suffering was heartbreaking.
Moreover, the things that happened between her and Yinzhi always made her worry that some things would not develop as they did in history.
Moreover, the current smallpox vaccination is done with human smallpox, which has a strong reaction and is quite dangerous. Wen Shan was thinking that she should privately vaccinate Yin Zhen and Yin Si with cowpox beforehand, so that it would be much easier when the official vaccination took place.
"Cowpox? Is this a method from later generations?" Yinzhi asked in surprise.
Wenshan nodded and briefly explained to him the differences between cowpox and human smallpox.
This is indeed a good thing, and Yinzhi wholeheartedly agrees.
Then Wenshan and I started figuring out where to get some smallpox powder.
In the afternoon, Yinzhen went to Chengqian Palace, and before leaving, he made a special trip to inform Wenshan.
"Go ahead, and if anything happens that upsets you, don't worry about it. Just come back," Wen Shan said with a smile, straightening Yinzhen's clothes.
Yinzhi waved to him from the side, urging him to come back soon.
Yinzhen nodded and smiled, "Mother and brother, don't worry, it's nothing. I'm just going to visit Mother Empress."
Yinzhen had not set foot in Chengqian Palace for almost two years. When he stood in front of the vermilion gate of Chengqian Palace again, he felt as if he had been in another world. Those memories that he had deliberately hidden surged up from his mind and filled his entire thoughts. A cool sensation crept up from the soles of his feet.
Yinzhen pursed his lips; although he had arrived, he didn't want to go inside.
"The Fourth Prince is here!"
Just as Yinzhen paused for a moment, preparing to have the eunuch knock on the door, the door suddenly opened. When Chen Mama saw the Fourth Prince, her eyes lit up and she quickly invited him in.
As soon as the door to Chengqian Palace was opened, a strong smell of medicine wafted out, as if the entire palace was soaking in a pot of medicine.
The flowers and plants in the courtyard were neglected; some were withered and others grew haphazardly. The palace servants who came and went all had their heads down and hurried along. The entire Chengqian Palace was completely silent and desolate.
When Chen Mama saw Yinzhen staring at the flowerbeds, she smiled bitterly and said, "Ever since the little princess passed away, Her Majesty has had no heart to take care of these flowers, and she doesn't even let the palace servants touch them, saying that they should just live and die on their own."
Juyue came out carrying the medicine and happened to see Yinzhen standing outside the hall. She exclaimed with delight, "Fourth Prince is here! The Empress was just talking about you!"
Juyue lifted the curtain and hurriedly let him in. As soon as Yinzhen entered the room, he felt that the atmosphere was very stuffy. The windows were covered and it was very dark. The Imperial Noble Consort was lying on the bed, and several palace maids were serving her medicine.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has arrived," Juyue whispered as she stepped forward.
The Imperial Noble Consort propped herself up and sat up. The palace maids lifted the curtains, and Juyue helped the Imperial Noble Consort to place a soft pillow under her before leading the palace maids away.
Since leaving Chengqian Palace, Yinzhen and the Imperial Noble Consort had only met a few times. Today, Yinzhen was truly shocked by the Imperial Noble Consort's weakness. He knew that the Imperial Noble Consort was bedridden, but he did not expect her to be in such a state of near death and dying.
Her face was no longer pale but rather ashen, and she was extremely thin.
The successive deaths of her son and daughter completely devastated her, both physically and mentally.
"Yinzhen greets His Majesty the Empress." Yinzhen took a deep breath and, following protocol, greeted the Imperial Noble Consort.
"Get up." The Imperial Noble Consort smiled weakly and beckoned to Yinzhen. "Sit down next to the Empress Dowager."
Yinzhen pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment before sitting down.
"You've grown up, you've grown so tall." The Imperial Noble Consort looked at Yinzhen with a smile in her eyes: "The Noble Consort Xuan has taken very good care of you."
"Mother has always been devoted to her son."
The Imperial Noble Consort was somewhat dazed: "Mother..."
Yinzhen never called her "Mother".
"Yinzhen, I was wronged by your mother in the past." The Imperial Noble Consort smiled bitterly after recovering from her daze and closed her eyes briefly: "The past is like smoke, there is no point in saying more. Your mother knows that no matter what you say now, it cannot make up for the mistakes you made."
Yinzhen's hand twitched, his head lowered and his eyelashes trembled slightly.
"Consort Xuan is a good person. Your mother is very relieved that you are staying with her. As for Consort De, you don't need to have any contact with her anymore. Your mother will take care of this matter for you as compensation." The Imperial Noble Consort's voice grew weaker and more hurried.
Yinzhen suddenly stood up: "Your Majesty, please rest well. I will not disturb you any longer."
"Wait, there's something you should take back." The Imperial Noble Consort took out a box from behind her and handed it to Yinzhen.
"Take it, this is a gift from the Empress Dowager."
After hesitating for a moment, Yinzhen finally accepted the offer after seeing the Imperial Noble Consort's earnest gaze.
As the Imperial Noble Consort watched Yinzhen's departing figure, she propped herself up and said again, "Yinzhen, it is your mother who has wronged you."
Yinzhen stopped abruptly.
The Imperial Noble Consort asked cautiously, as if grasping at a straw, "Will you still come to see your mother in the future?"
Yinzhen did not turn around, but simply nodded slightly.
"Your Majesty is ill, and it is only right that I come to visit you."
As the Imperial Noble Consort watched Yinzhen's figure gradually disappear, she leaned back again, two lines of clear tears streaming down her temples.
Juyue entered the room and, seeing the Imperial Noble Consort's appearance, quickly went forward: "Your Highness, what happened?"
"It's alright, I'm happy that Yinzhen is here." The Imperial Noble Consort sat up to recover.
A few fallen leaves drifted past the window, and the Imperial Noble Consort was momentarily stunned.
"Isn't it almost autumn?"
Juyue replied, "Your Majesty, July isn't over yet."
It's July now, and it's been almost two months since the little princess passed away.
Retribution, it's all retribution.
The way she treated Yinzhen in the past is now being punished on her children.
...
When Yinzhen returned to Xianfu Palace, Wenshan and Yinsi were waiting for him.
"You're back. Are you alright?" Wen Shan anxiously looked Yinzhen up and down, and only felt relieved when she found that he was unharmed and looked fine.
Yinzhen said, "It's nothing, my mother just said a few words to me."
"They gave me this back."
Yinzhen showed the box to Wenshan, and Yinsi also leaned over to take a look, eager to open it and see.
Wen Shan slapped away Yin Si's slightly unclean little hand: "This was given to your brother by the Imperial Noble Consort."
He turned to Yinzhen and said, "Just put it away yourself, don't worry about Yinsi."
Wen Shan had no intention of asking what the Imperial Noble Consort had said to him, nor was she curious about what was in the box.
Yinzhen looked down and said, "I don't know what's inside."
The box was unlocked and looked like a very simple wooden box, without any complicated carvings or polishing.
"Click—"
Yinzhen reached out and opened it.
Wen Shan and Yin Si exchanged a look of disbelief.
Inside was a box full of silver notes and land deeds. This much silver must have been all the dowry that the Imperial Noble Consort brought from the Tongjia clan.
Finally, there is a red jade seal engraved with the words "Tong Jia".
"This is the seal of the Tongjia clan." Taking advantage of Yinzhen's moment of stunned silence, Yinsi whispered to Wenshan, "With this, you can use all of the Tongjia clan's properties and connections."
The Imperial Noble Consort truly gave her all.
Yinzhen put the things back and closed the box.
"Fourth Brother will be incredibly wealthy in the future." Yinzhi teased Yinzhen on purpose, then took Wenshan's hand and said, "Mother, since Fourth Brother is so rich, your little treasury will have to be left to me!"
"You little money-grubber, you're dreaming." Wen Shan poked his forehead.
Yinzhi blinked his big, watery eyes and pulled Yinzhen away from home.
"Sigh, he's grown up and is no longer a nuisance. He's not the child his mother liked the most anymore."
"Brother, let's pack our things and leave together. Now that you have money, let's travel the world together."
"..."
Recently, Yinzhi has become increasingly dramatic in order to conceal his reborn identity from Yinzhen, and this kind of impromptu performance comes naturally to him.
Yinzhen was both amused and exasperated. He snorted and then ran out to play with Laifu.
After Yinzhi left, Yinzhen remained silent for a long time before finally putting the box away. A few days later, he went to Chengqian Palace again, but was unexpectedly refused by the Imperial Noble Consort on the grounds that she was unwell.
Upon learning this, Wen Shan thought that although she didn't know how the Imperial Noble Consort's feelings had changed, it seemed that she truly cared for Yinzhen and no longer harbored any ulterior motives.
The Imperial Noble Consort knew that Yinzhen still harbored resentment towards her, and even though she gave all her assets to Yinzhen, she was unwilling to use this to coerce him into visiting her.
After some time, Wen Shan finally obtained smallpox powder and happened to find a good opportunity to inoculate Yinzhen and Yinsi without Kangxi noticing.
The previous administration officially began taking over Taiwan.
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