"Your Majesty, Consort De has arrived," Liang Jiugong reported immediately to the Emperor, who looked somewhat dazed, after his afternoon nap. These past few days, Kangxi had begun indicating his intention to return to the palace. He had been residing in Changchun Garden for nearly half a year since last winter.
"Let her in," Kangxi said. He seemed to have recovered some of his energy; it seemed those pills had worked. He thought to himself silently.
Consort De, dressed in a blue-and-white porcelain brocade robe, entered with the help of palace maids. After standing still, she bowed and greeted Emperor Kangxi.
"My beloved consort, there's no need for such formalities. Come and sit down beside me." It had been a long time since Kangxi had seen Consort De, and upon seeing her again, both of them seemed somewhat distant. After all, they had once been deeply in love, inseparable.
Consort De walked to Kangxi's side, only sitting halfway on the couch where he was sitting. Kangxi looked at Consort De's profile; she was in her early fifties, but still very well-maintained.
"My beloved consort, do you know why I summoned you here today?" Kangxi asked, then gestured for Liang Jiugong to clear everyone out of the room, including the palace maids brought by Consort De.
"Your Majesty, I do not know. Please enlighten me!" Seeing that Kangxi had cleared the room, Consort De knew that he had something important to say, and she began to ponder.
"There are some memorials on my desk, go and take a look!" Kangxi said gently.
Consort De was startled and quickly stood up from the couch, curtsied to Emperor Kangxi, and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not. The empress dowager is not allowed to interfere in politics, how could I possibly read Your Majesty's memorials?"
"It's alright, I told you to look. Besides, there's no one else here, only you and I know," Kangxi said, squinting his eyes.
Consort De said no more, stepped over on her flowerpot-soled shoes, walked to Kangxi's desk, picked up the memorials he had mentioned, and began to read them one by one.
The more Consort De looked at these things, the worse her complexion became. She was wondering why Kangxi wanted her to see them. Was he here to interrogate her?
After putting down the last memorial, a chill ran down his spine. Those memorials were all urging Kangxi to establish an heir apparent as soon as possible. They were divided into two factions: some supported Prince Yong (Yinzhen) as crown prince, while others supported the Fourteenth Prince (Yinzhen).
Consort De walked gracefully to Emperor Kangxi, paused for a moment, and then curtsied, almost kneeling. She said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty! I was completely unaware that both brothers coveted the position of Crown Prince. Please, Your Majesty, allow me to burn all the memorials recommending these people!"
Emperor Kangxi took in Consort De's facial expression, knowing she was worried he would take his anger out on her two sons, so she apologized first. In truth, he wasn't angry. The deposed crown prince had been gone for over a year. The matter of establishing an heir should indeed be put on the agenda, but Kangxi was still pondering: who would be the best thing for the Qing Dynasty to do as crown prince?
"My beloved concubine, what crime have you committed? As my sons, which one of them hasn't thought of this? It's just that some dared to do it and fight for it, while others didn't dare," Kangxi said.
Consort De frowned, becoming increasingly alarmed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince are both your sons. They have never revealed a single word to me about their views on the position of Crown Prince. I really don't know what those people are up to, that they would so openly submit a memorial to Your Majesty."
The more relaxed Kangxi appeared, the more terrified Consort De became. The matter of deposing the crown prince had completely exhausted Kangxi; he no longer allowed anyone to mention it, and now both of his sons were being recommended in memorials—wasn't this putting him in a very difficult position?
Kangxi looked at Consort De, the woman who had been with him for nearly forty years, who was now kneeling before him in fear and trepidation.
"My beloved consort, get up! I believe in you." Kangxi couldn't bear to see Consort De's fear and spoke up.
With tears in her eyes, Consort De rose to her feet and looked at Emperor Kangxi, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you. But I am still ashamed. Prince Yong and the Fourteenth Prince are both beginning to covet the position of Crown Prince, which is truly not good. They are creating a difficult problem for Your Majesty. If Your Majesty is troubled and worried about these matters, it is truly my fault!"
Kangxi said, "My beloved consort, there's no need to blame yourself. I summoned you here today and dismissed everyone else to show you these things. Actually, I wanted to ask you a question: Who do you think I should choose as my heir? Between the fourth prince and the fourteenth prince, who do you think is more suitable?"
Consort De stood frozen in place, increasingly unable to fathom Emperor Kangxi's intentions. Although he kept reassuring himself, every word he uttered felt like an ice pick piercing Consort De's heart.
Kangxi just stared at Consort De, waiting to see how she would respond. Consort De had to weigh her two sons in her heart. Naturally, she loved her younger son more and her feelings for the Fourth Prince were not as close as those for the Fourteenth Prince. However, after spending so many years together, the Fourth Prince could no longer be ignored in her heart.
"Your Majesty, I am but an ignorant woman. How dare I comment on such an important matter as the selection of an heir? Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I truly cannot choose between the two of them. Moreover, Your Majesty has other children, and I cannot presume to speak on such matters," Consort De said, bowing her head.
Kangxi sighed and said, "Wanxiu, is it really impossible for us to even speak the truth to each other?"
Consort De was shocked and immediately knelt down again, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I will always be Wanxiu, but I don't know how to make a decision on such a matter of state, and I am afraid that my decision will bring disaster to my son. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Consort De was heartbroken. The fact that Emperor Kangxi could say those words to her proved that he still cared for her and wasn't completely infatuated with his younger concubines. Perhaps their past love and affection were now buried deep within their hearts.
Consort De admitted that she could no longer speak freely with Emperor Kangxi as she used to, because that Kangxi was no longer there. The current Kangxi had changed; he was older, and had more to consider. He had over eighty concubines, over thirty princes, and over a dozen princesses, while Consort De herself could only have him as her husband.
Consort De dared not say that her love for Kangxi was still the same pure love that the palace maid had for the young emperor, but she knew in her heart that she had always regarded the emperor as her eternal heaven. In everything she did, she thought of Kangxi first, and then herself and her children.
Emperor Kangxi gazed at Consort De and suddenly said, "I am telling you today that one of your sons will be the ruler of the Qing Dynasty."
Consort De's body trembled slightly, her mind and body surging with surprise and an inexplicable flutter.
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