"Your Highness, your period seems to be quite late this month," said the maid Zhuoma to Baoyue, who was lying on the lint-covered blanket.
"Zhuoma, I'm pregnant," Baoyue said without looking up, continuing to read the scroll of Mongolian script in her hands.
Zhuoma looked at Baoyue in surprise, then looked up at the commotion outside the tent and whispered, "Princess, after each of the Emperor's visits, he always has that Granny Ai bring him a contraceptive potion. Now that you're pregnant, won't the Emperor find it suspicious?" Zhuoma was Baoyue's trusted maid and knew everything about her.
Baoyue raised her large, slightly dark gray eyes, her thick eyelashes fluttering beautifully. She glanced at Zhuoma, her expression saying, "You know perfectly well, yet you insist on asking so clearly."
"Princess, what should I do if she asks?" Zhuoma understood. She knew that the princess was always bolder than men, so she had no choice but to suppress her fear and speak.
“Say it as you see fit. Does drinking the contraceptive soup guarantee that the child won’t be born? Who can say that this child isn’t of the Aisin Gioro family? Anyway, it’s all royal blood, who dares to question it?” Baoyue proudly raised her head and said with a look of contempt.
Zhuoma pondered for a moment, nodded, and then said, "Shouldn't this news be reported to the Emperor immediately? You are pregnant now and it is not appropriate for you to serve him in bed anymore."
Baoyue nodded and said, "Okay, go and tell them. Do you understand what I meant?"
After nodding, Zhuoma stood up, turned around, and walked out of the tent.
Several girls dressed in foreign attire stood at the entrance. They were all Baoyue's maids and guards, each possessing some martial arts skills, ready to protect Baoyue's safety at any time. Zhuoma was different from them; she had grown up with Baoyue since childhood. The two were not just sisters, but closer than sisters, and of course, more like mistress and servant.
Zhuoma walked all the way to Kangxi's tent, but was stopped by a pair of guards with swords drawn.
"Brothers, I have important matters to report to the Emperor. Please inform him on my behalf," Zhuoma said to the expressionless guard.
"The Emperor has ordered that no one be seen," the guard said expressionlessly. In the past few days, the army and the Dzungar Galdan tribe had clashed several times, but these were all minor skirmishes without a major battle. Both sides had their share of victories and defeats; the Tenth Prince had repelled an enemy nighttime attack the day before yesterday, but was wounded in the process.
Emperor Kangxi spent his days in his imperial tent discussing military affairs with his trusted ministers and generals, rarely venturing out. At night, if he needed to have sex with someone, he would only send them into his tent, and afterward, he would wrap them in his clothes and send them back. No one was allowed to stay overnight in Kangxi's tent.
Seeing that they showed no intention of making an exception, Zhuoma had no choice but to stand aside and refuse to leave.
At this moment, Liang Jiugong came over with two eunuchs. When he saw Zhuoma, he knew that she was Baoyue's maid, so he asked, "What brings the princess here?" He knew that Baoyue rarely came to see Kangxi.
Upon seeing that it was Liang Jiugong, Zhuoma immediately said, "Eunuch Liang, this servant has something to report to the Emperor. However, it's the same to speak with you, Eunuch Liang; you can simply convey the message."
Seeing that Zhuoma spoke solemnly, Liang Jiugong gestured for her to walk a few steps away from others and whispered, "Miss Zhuoma, please speak."
Zhuoma looked around and forced a smile, saying, "Father-in-law, our princess is pregnant."
Liang Jiugong assumed Princess Baoyue wanted to see Emperor Kangxi or make some request, but he never expected such a statement. Liang Jiugong knew that Kangxi always gave his young concubines contraceptives before their trysts. Perhaps due to his age, Kangxi had become less willing to father princes with these young women in recent years. Perhaps he felt that his twenty-odd princes were more than enough; furthermore, Kangxi's health had been declining, and his adult princes were beginning to show signs of rivalry, making him somewhat unable to continue having children.
Seeing Liang Jiugong looking at her incredulously, Zhuoma quickly said, "Father-in-law, our princess was also surprised. Every time she received the emperor's favor, Granny Ai watched her drink the contraceptive soup. But the princess's period was late this month, so I asked a doctor to examine her, and they found that she was already more than a month pregnant."
Liang Jiugong slightly concealed the surprise on his face and asked, "Alright, I understand. Miss Zhuoma, you may go back now. I will only report to the Emperor."
Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Zhuoma bowed to Liang Jiugong and then turned back.
At this moment, there was nothing of great importance in Emperor Kangxi's tent; rather, his headache had flared up again. The only people who knew this were Liang Jiugong and the imperial physician accompanying the army—his most trusted eunuch and the person treating him.
Emperor Kangxi ordered guards to stand watch at the tent entrance, not wanting anyone to break in and learn of his headache. It wasn't that Kangxi was afraid of others finding out; in warfare, morale is paramount. If morale is low, even the strongest army is vulnerable. Kangxi didn't want news of his headache to spread and shake morale. Secondly, as such a proud man, he didn't want others to see his vulnerable side. Only Liang Jiugong, the eunuch, was someone he didn't mind. He was a trusted servant who had served him for nearly forty years, and being a eunuch, he couldn't and wouldn't dare to show him any disrespect.
Liang Jiugong walked to the entrance of the imperial tent and said to the two eunuchs beside him, "Remember what I just told you. Go and do it. Remember, you are not allowed to tell anyone."
After giving these instructions, Liang Jiugong entered the imperial tent. Inside, the light was dim, and Kangxi was sitting on a fur cushion on an eight-immortal table, his hands supporting his temples, his brows furrowed, as if he were very uncomfortable.
"Jiugong, have you found the medicine?" Kangxi asked. It turned out that Liang Jiugong had gone to find the medicine with the little eunuch. It was only by chance that Zhuoma met him. He had been gone for several days and had just returned today.
Liang Jiugong hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, I have purchased the medicines that Physician Liu requested and have already sent them to him. Your Majesty, please rest assured. I have one more thing to report to Your Majesty."
Kangxi slightly opened his eyes and asked, "Speak."
Liang Jiugong hesitated for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "This servant is here to report good news to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, just now a maid from Princess Baoyue's side came over and said that Princess Baoyue is pregnant."
Kangxi stared blankly at Liang Jiugong, his expression unchanged by the "good news," because he didn't want Baoyue to get pregnant at all.
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