Kangxi looked at a large pile of evidence against the empress, many of which said that Lady Nara and Lady Magia had secretly sent it to him.
But it is indeed understandable, after all, both of their children were killed by the Empress...
After guessing the whole story, Kangxi couldn't blame him for doing this, after all, it wasn't just their child, but his own child, a prince of the Qing Dynasty...
If Kangxi had truly killed the Empress, he would have been furious with his entire extended family, including all his children…
In the author's view, no matter how important the empress was, she was not as important as his own children, especially since that included almost all of them.
If, during the Empress's childbirth, only one of the Empress and the child could survive, Emperor Kangxi would definitely choose the child.
Emperor Kangxi was at a loss.
There must be a reason for deposing the empress, but if the empress's reputation for immorality spreads, what face will the Qing Dynasty have left?
Moreover, we are currently at a critical juncture in suppressing the Three Feudatories. If the empress is deposed, it will definitely affect the war. Those who oppose the Qing and restore the Ming or those who belong to the White Lotus sect will certainly use the empress's misconduct as an excuse, which will be detrimental to the court.
But if the Empress is not punished, what about his own children from before?
If I hadn't been implicated this time, wouldn't I have never known that my child—no, after the Empress gave birth to the legitimate son—would I still have children in the future?
If it weren't for Wanwan's affair that revealed the Empress's true colors, what would have become of the Qing Dynasty?
But we can't depose the Empress now. And if we punish her, she's pregnant, which would be difficult. Besides, what would people inside and outside the Empress's palace think if we actually punished her?
Emperor Kangxi was at a loss.
………………
The next day, after the morning court session, Kangxi took the evidence to the Cining Palace. This was a habit of his; whenever he encountered difficulties, he would always seek advice from his ancestor.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked at the stack of evidence against the Empress, but she was not surprised at all. After all, she knew all too well what kind of person her personally chosen granddaughter-in-law was.
Emperor Kangxi looked at his grandmother, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked at the stack of evidence against the Empress. Their faces were calm, as if they had expected it.
Emperor Kangxi tentatively asked, "Your Majesty seems completely unsurprised by what the Empress has done."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "I am not surprised at all. I have been in this palace for so many years. Do you think I can't see what kind of person she is, a mere maid?"
"But so what if I figured it out? By the time I found out, he was already the Empress. Besides, the Qing Dynasty cannot afford to have a second deposed Empress."
Because her son, Emperor Shunzhi, caused turmoil in the court and among the people by deposing Empress Meng Guqing, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang did not support the deposition of the empress; she preferred to support the empress's death.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "When Chengqing died, I discovered that his arm was among the many parts of the body that had been removed, including those of Chengrui, Saiyinchahun, and other children who had died in the harem. Almost every one of them was found to have been defiled by me."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "I have warned the Empress in secret, but she has not restrained herself. I have also told you not to trust the Empress too much, but you said that the Empress is your virtuous helper and that you have no worries in the harem."
"What can I do? I can't control it, so I can only ignore it. The Qing Dynasty cannot afford to have another deposed empress, so I can only turn a blind eye to it."
Emperor Kangxi had not expected things to turn out this way. When his ancestor told him about it, he did not pay much attention because the Empress did indeed do a very good job on the surface, and there was almost no fault in her.
Unexpectedly, his momentary lapse in judgment led to the empress, whom he trusted, nearly causing him to lose his lineage.
His own Baoqing was also saved by being sent to Nalan Mingzhu's residence.
I only have one son, Baoqing, who is still alive. If I don't send Baoqing out of the palace, won't I end up with no sons at all?
Emperor Kangxi also looked troubled. "Deposing the Empress is impossible, but punishing her is also difficult because she is pregnant."
Emperor Kangxi said, “Grandmother, please give your grandson some advice. I really don’t know what to do.” Kangxi looked helpless, and felt even more helpless inside.
"Now that things have come to this, we can only wait until the Empress gives birth to the child before making a decision."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang didn't know how to punish the Empress, after all, she was pregnant with the legitimate son, and if the legitimate son could be born safely, it would be a great achievement for the Qing Dynasty.
"The Empress's sins are unforgivable, but the children she lost can never be brought back. If you feel guilty, you can compensate the concubines."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "For now, let the Empress rest and recuperate in the Kunning Palace."
"After the child is born, you two will be promoted to Imperial Concubine to help the Empress with palace affairs, distribute the Empress's power, and maintain a good balance... That will be a decent option in the future."
Kangxi said, "It seems that this is the only way now. Your grandson thanks you, Grandmother." Kangxi stood up and bowed to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "Alright, let's leave this matter here for now. We'll make further plans after the Empress gives birth to the child."
………………
After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi sat on the dragon throne and thought it over and over again. He decided to give all the concubines who had given birth double their allowance as compensation to them.
The Empress's family naturally learned of this matter, especially Suo'etu, but he didn't dare to utter a single word.
He dared not have any contact with the Empress when the Emperor was angry, because he was afraid that if the Emperor got angry, he would not only depose the Empress but also exterminate her entire family. After all, he didn't even dare to think about what the Empress had done.
Soetu truly hadn't expected the Empress to do so much. If it had always been the Empress, the Emperor probably wouldn't have had any children besides hers.
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