As Kangxi followed behind Consort Yi, he muttered to himself, and for some reason, he seemed less dignified than he appeared in front of outsiders, appearing more approachable.
Consort Yi was indignant and, wearing flat embroidered shoes, walked briskly.
Emperor Kangxi wanted to coax her but didn't know how. Consort Yi had everything she needed, so he couldn't just offer her gold and silver as a reward.
Along the way, one person jogged ahead while another walked briskly behind, creating a novel sight in the Forbidden City.
Fortunately, the Forbidden City had strict rules, and the palace maids and eunuchs always walked close to the walls with their heads down, not daring to peek directly at the emperor's face.
Upon arriving at Yikun Palace, Consort Yi immediately said upon entering, "Close the door for me."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi instinctively took a large step forward, entering before Consort Yi.
"Listen to your master, close the door," Kangxi said.
Consort Yi was amused and annoyed by his shameless behavior: "Why doesn't Your Majesty go to the Princes' Residence to see the Eighth Prince?"
"He made a mistake, why should I go see him? Your health hasn't been good these past two years, and you were frightened by Xiao Jiu's illness today. You might not be able to eat dinner. I need to be with you to put my mind at ease." Kangxi took Consort Yi's hand and led her familiarly to the dining area.
Emperor Kangxi was very strong; Consort Yi was no match for him.
After being dragged along unsteadily for a couple of steps, Consort Yi couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"You laughed? I'm most afraid that you'll keep your anger inside. The fact that you can laugh out loud shows that you're not so angry with me anymore." Kangxi's voice became much brighter.
"I feel so wronged. Fine, they are all your children. Little Ninth deserves to go through this. I won't force you to make things difficult. Little Eleventh keeps talking about his Imperial Father. Your Majesty, would you like to spend some time with him tonight?" Consort Yi thought of her frail young son, her brow furrowed with worry.
Like her, Emperor Kangxi did not dislike Yinzhi; the child was born out of his own expectations.
However, from the moment he was born, the imperial physicians determined that he would not survive.
For the first few years, he didn't even have a name. In the end, thanks to Consort Yi's meticulous care and the medicine that kept him alive, he has managed to survive until now.
Born in the 24th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, now in the 31st year, Yinzhi's seven years of life were practically snatched from the jaws of death.
Emperor Kangxi both loved and dared not get close to Yinzhi. Knowing he would lose this son, he dared not let the bond between father and son grow too deep.
"After we finish dinner together, I will go and keep Eleven company. Consort Yi, the imperial physician says that Eleven's health has deteriorated again," Kangxi said.
Consort Yi swayed slightly, but quickly regained her balance.
She acted as if nothing had happened: "Your Majesty, no matter what, I did my best, and so did Eleven. Let's prolong our bond as mother and son as it may, so that at least we'll have someone to remember us by in the future. The imperial physician said back then that Eleven wouldn't live past three, but look, he pulled through, didn't he?"
"I know it's selfish of me to force Eleven to stay alive. I've tasted how bitter those medicines were. I've also experienced how painful acupuncture was. But Eleven also wants to live." Consort Yi's pupils were unfocused, and her expression was confused.
She didn't know if her decision was right or wrong, but she couldn't just watch her son die.
Kangxi's thoughts were similar to Consort Yi's; otherwise, who provided Yinzhi with those medicines? It was Kangxi who secretly ordered people to search far and wide.
When Yinzhi saw Emperor Kangxi and Consort Yi arrive together, he was very happy, and his thin face made his eyes look even bigger.
His eyes lit up as he said, "Father, Mother."
"Yinzhi looks much stronger than when I last saw you," Kangxi praised.
Yinzhi's eyes lit up: "Really? Father Emperor has become even more handsome."
"Did you learn such sweet talk from your ninth brother?" Kangxi asked in a good mood after receiving his son's praise.
After being reminded by Kangxi, Yinzhi realized that his ever-present Ninth Brother was not here today.
“My son is telling the truth. But what about Ninth Brother? Has he gone to play with Tenth Brother again?” Yinzhi asked.
Consort Yi secretly glared at Kangxi, thinking how she always knew how to bring up the most sensitive topics.
Originally, Yinzhi hadn't thought of Yintang, but Kangxi's quick remark reminded him.
Kangxi felt a soreness in his lower back, and he guessed that his back would be twisted when he went to bed with Consort Yi.
"The tutor in the Imperial Study assigned quite a lot of homework today. Your ninth brother hasn't finished it and is studying late into the night, memorizing and writing large characters." Kangxi's words were so convincing that no one could tell he was wrong.
Yinzhi believed it, after all, Yintang had spent many nights studying by lamplight, and the tutors in the Imperial Study were all ruthless and insane, assigning more and more homework than ever before.
Yinzhi naively believed Kangxi's words, and Consort Yi smiled with satisfaction.
She had the best temper in front of Yinzhi, and was kind and gentle, unlike the fiery-tempered Consort Yi.
Kangxi stayed with the mother and son, and when Yinzhi looked tired, the two of them went out.
Yinzhi slept very well. In his dream, he had a healthy body, able to run and jump, so that his father, mother, and brothers would not worry.
After being cared for for about half a month, Yinzhen was lively and energetic again, just like a hero.
After this incident, he and Yinzhi completely severed ties. Although they didn't speak ill of each other, they were distant and polite when they met, and no longer thought about being good brothers.
Emperor Kangxi had no complaints about this. Compared to the more unstable Yinzhi, he did indeed prefer the frank and generous Yintang.
The consequences of this matter go far beyond this.
With Consort Yi and Consort Gui in charge of the inner palace, a few subtle hints from them caused Consort Liang's life to deteriorate significantly.
Of course, even the worst life for a concubine with a child is better than her time in the Imperial Laundry. She still gets what's stipulated in the law, but she asks for things beyond her status, which are harder to manage through bribery.
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