Time soon entered the twelfth lunar month.
In previous years, preparations for the New Year festival would have already begun in various parts of the palace by this time, but this year, no one dared to mention it until the 10th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Everyone knew that the Empress Dowager was in trouble, so they were on high alert, fearing that they would do something wrong or offend their master and be dragged out to be beaten.
Kangxi's will became increasingly depressed as Xiaozhuang fell into a longer and longer coma.
Since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, he has been guarding the Cining Palace.
He also informed all the ministers in the cabinet early to stop the morning court session, and told them not to go to the Cining Palace to disturb him unless there was something important.
The palace ladies, princes and princesses all became restless, and even Yinreng had no interest in studying.
However, he was not very devoted to studying, and his previous concentration was just an act to fool Kangxi and his teachers.
Kangxi didn't ask him to recite much of the things in the books. What he asked him most often was his opinions on certain events recorded in the books.
Yinreng knew clearly the time of Xiaozhuang's death.
But the closer he got to that time point, the calmer he felt.
The twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month.
That day, Yinreng got up early, washed, put on his favorite set of casual clothes, and wore his favorite jade pendant given to him by Empress Xiaozhuang around his waist.
He put on his cloak and went to the study.
On this day in his previous life, he had only eaten a few bites of dinner before he was called to the Cining Palace.
So when lunch ended today and it was time for dinner, he just sat there quietly, looking at the food in front of him without eating a single bite.
When the young eunuch from the Cining Palace came to the study in a panic to summon him, Yinreng clenched his fists for a moment, then calmed down.
The young eunuch walked calmly towards the Cining Palace.
He knew he couldn't change the outcome.
Shortly after returning to this life, he tried to improve Xiaozhuang's physical condition by improving her diet and daily life. However, after carefully asking Su Malagu and several imperial doctors who treated Xiaozhuang, he found that Xiaozhuang's life was very regular and healthy, and there was never a lack of people around to entertain her and keep her entertained.
Yinreng only had some basic knowledge of medicine and had no idea how to treat Xiaozhuang's condition.
After a long time, he gave up.
Perhaps this is the true portrayal of "If the King of Hell wants you to die at three o'clock in the morning, how dare he keep you alive until five o'clock."
Compared with the previous few days, the Cining Palace today was even more deserted. Yinreng knew that this was because Empress Xiaozhuang asked Kangxi to send away all the concubines who were taking care of him during his illness.
When Yinreng stepped into Xiaozhuang's bedroom, what he saw was the haggard Xiaozhuang, and the grief-stricken Kangxi and the Empress Dowager.
The two of them sat on low stools on either side of the footstool, Kangxi sitting near the head of Xiaozhuang's bed and the Empress Dowager sitting at the foot of the bed.
"Ukuma Ma..."
Yinreng thought he couldn't cry, but the moment he saw Xiaozhuang, his eyes suddenly turned red. He wanted to kneel down and kowtow to Xiaozhuang, but Xiaozhuang just waved at him.
"Baocheng, come... come to Ukuma Ma..."
Yinreng mechanically walked to Xiaozhuang's bed and knelt on the footstool.
It turns out that the so-called calmness was just his disguise. When the day came when he had to watch his loved ones face death with his own eyes, all the disguises were broken.
Xiaozhuang forced a smile on her pale, dry face, and reached out to touch Yinreng's smooth forehead. Her voice was gentle but weak.
"Has Aijia Baocheng been frightened these days?"
Yinreng's originally calm expression was instantly torn into a crack.
"Yes... Ukuma Ma, you scared Baocheng. Please promise Baocheng that you won't scare him like this next time, okay?"
His tone remained calm, but his eyes became red.
The next second, tears began to flow down her cheeks, and her hands were clenched into fists on her legs.
There was clearly no sound, but it was this silence that made people feel heartbroken.
Kangxi had already had a talk with Xiaozhuang, and now looking at Yinreng's appearance, he burst into tears again.
Su Malagu, who was standing by, looked at everything in front of her. Her tear glands, which had long been dry, began to gather tears again. She turned her face away and refused to look anymore.
Xiaozhuang pulled the corner of her mouth and reached out to wipe Yinreng's tears.
"Good boy, don't cry. Ukuma Ma won't scare Baocheng anymore... You grew up right before my eyes. Back then, you were only this small..."
As she spoke, she circled her arms and gestured.
"You haven't got any teeth yet, but you smile when you see me and ask me to hold you..."
Xiaozhuang spoke steadily about Yinreng's childhood, in which she had participated. After she finished speaking, she wiped his tears.
"The phrase 'father and son killing each other' is too cruel, I really don't like it, so Baocheng, promise Ukuma Ma that no matter what, you will be on good terms with your father."
"Okay... okay, Ukuma Mama, Baocheng promises you... Baocheng promises you everything!"
Xiaozhuang smiled and nodded, then she looked at Kangxi.
"Xuanye."
"My grandson is here."
"My private treasury is divided into two parts. Qiqige takes 30% and Baocheng takes 70%. What do you think?"
Kangxi nodded.
"Grandson knows."
He was the emperor and had nothing he wanted. Although the things in the Empress Dowager's private treasury were valuable, he was not short of them.
Xiaozhuang looked at Yinreng,
"Those are for my great-grandson's wife. Baocheng, please take good care of them..."
"good!"
Apart from the Empress Dowager and Kangxi, only the Empress could use the things in Xiaozhuang's private storehouse. Her meaning was very clear. She was telling Kangxi that Yinreng would inherit the throne in the future, and only his wife could use those items.
Kangxi and Yinreng understood this meaning.
Yinreng didn't take this matter to heart, but he didn't want to reject the old man's good intentions.
He just smiled and nodded in agreement.
After everything was explained, Xiaozhuang felt obviously much more relaxed and asked Kangxi to call the rest of her great-grandchildren over.
The concubines were all smart people. Ever since Kangxi sent the concubines who were taking care of him this morning, they guessed his intention, so they informed their children early.
So soon, Xiaozhuang's bedroom was crowded with people.
Although there were many people, they were all smart and didn't dare to say anything.
Xiaozhuang glanced at all the princes and princesses, said a few words of encouragement, and then started to drive them away.
"I'm tired and want to rest for a while..."
Kangxi had no intention of getting up. He asked the Empress Dowager, Yinreng and others to return to their own bedroom first, while he wanted to stay with Xiaozhuang for a while longer.
Su Malagu helped Empress Xiaozhuang lie down, and Yinreng left with the others.
Only after walking out of the bedroom could Yinreng see the sky outside clearly.
Sure enough, it snowed again.
The capital city seemed to be too cold this year. Even though he was wearing a fine deerskin cloak, his hands and feet still felt cold.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
