Chapter 56 Sending Consort Hui Back to Jingren Palace
Fanghua loved the peonies in her palace very much; apart from some large trees, she planted only peonies.
It's colorful, and you can find all kinds of things.
It can be said that there is a flower blooming in every season.
Kangxi was unaware of these matters.
However, he became interested after hearing the Empress say that, so he pointed to several beads and asked questions. The Empress answered all of them, which showed that she really liked them.
"I didn't know Fang'er liked peonies. It seems I don't know her very well."
That's an interesting statement.
Fanghua pretended not to understand, handed the child to the wet nurse who had come with her, and then pulled the emperor toward the garden on the side.
Doubting yourself? Well, then let you doubt yourself to your heart's content.
The flowers in Kunning Palace were all grown by her using spiritual spring water; each one is a rare treasure.
Others would be thrilled to get even one plant, but she had a whole palace full of them.
At first, Kangxi felt a little uncomfortable, but as he listened and strolled along, his mood improved with the Empress's explanations.
"Hmm, it's really nice. I like it very much too. I wonder if the Empress would be willing to part with it and give me a few?" She asked directly.
Fanghua was not stingy either; with a wave of her hand, she directly gifted the Emperor ten rare and exquisite potted plants.
This really pleased Emperor Kangxi.
He repeatedly praised the Empress for her generosity.
"Your Majesty wouldn't take away all my treasures with just a few words, would you? You must reward me with something nice." Fanghua didn't stand on ceremony and asked for it directly.
This made Kangxi laugh heartily, "Alright, you can choose whatever you like from my private treasury, shall we?"
"That would be perfect." She wasn't going to stand on ceremony with him.
After admiring the scenery outside, Fanghua pulled him into the main hall.
"Fang'er, is there something you need to tell me today?" The Empress rarely vied for favor; she would never seek him out unless he came.
If things are like this today, it's likely that they need something from me.
"There is something I need to say." Fanghua took a sip of tea and then slowly revealed what she wanted to say.
"Your Majesty, it's not that I'm dissatisfied with Consort Hui, but if things continue like this, everyone in the palace will have something to say, which will be bad for Consort Hui's pregnancy."
Kangxi sighed upon hearing this, "I know I've wronged them, but I have no choice but to go since the Empress Dowager has invited me." Once there, he couldn't do anything, and he was incredibly bored sleeping alone every night.
"I understand that the Empress Dowager is worried about Consort Hui, but we can't ignore the rest of the harem. Your Majesty should mention it to your grandmother. If this gets back to me, I'll have lost all my good things."
Fanghua's last words carried a hint of resentment.
When Emperor Kangxi arrived, he naturally learned that the Empress had rewarded Lady Ma and others for this matter.
"Have I not given you enough of a reward?" Kangxi glared at the Empress with a doting expression. "I've already let you choose whatever you like from the private treasury, Fang'er, so please don't throw a tantrum."
Fanghua glared at him, "What did I do wrong? Your Majesty is truly unreasonable."
The couple joked around for a while, and the emperor played with the children for a bit before leaving Kunning Palace.
When they left, they naturally took with them ten peonies from Fanghua.
Do you really think Fanghua is so generous?
Those peonies were not only watered with the sacred spring water, but also had some other things added to them.
Regardless, she forbids the emperor from having too many children in this life, as she does not want the struggle for the throne among the nine princes in her previous life to repeat itself.
Therefore, it's best to cut it off at the root.
After leaving Kunning Palace, Emperor Kangxi did not return immediately, but instead went to Cining Palace.
He didn't go to see the Empress Dowager or Consort Hui, but went directly to the Empress Dowager's palace.
The Empress Dowager was not at all surprised by the Emperor's arrival.
However, upon learning that he had come directly from the Empress's palace, her goodwill towards the Empress increased considerably.
"Grandson greets His Majesty the Empress Dowager." As soon as Kangxi entered, he greeted the Empress Dowager and then sat down next to her.
"How is Grandma Royal doing these days?"
The Empress Dowager was very pleased with her grandson's filial piety. "Good, I'm fine. Has the Emperor come today for some business?"
Emperor Kangxi had come with a specific purpose in mind, and given that he and his grandfather had always been outspoken, he didn't hide anything and told him what the Empress had told him earlier that day.
The Empress Dowager sighed after hearing this, "Your mother is bewitched. I will remind her. Consort Hui is a concubine, and it is not appropriate for her to stay in Cining Palace all the time. There are several princesses living here, which are very noisy and inconvenient for her to take care of her pregnancy. When Your Majesty leaves later, please take Consort Hui back to Jingren Palace."
This was an outcome that Kangxi had not anticipated. He thought that Consort Hui was carrying a Mongolian prince, and his grandmother would likely protect him to some extent.
Although he didn't know why his grandmother would do this, it wasn't a bad thing for him.
"Alright, I'll take them away in a bit, so as not to disturb Grandmother's rest."
After saying a few more words, Kangxi left the Grand Empress Dowager's residence and went directly to the Empress Dowager's residence.
After explaining his purpose, the Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time.
It was Consort Hui who stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am much better now, and it would be inappropriate for me to stay in Cining Palace. I will return to Jingren Palace today."
The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of worry, but seeing the Emperor's long face, she swallowed her words.
"Alright, I'll have Granny Sun go back with you to take care of you. If you need anything, have Granny Sun come to me." The Empress Dowager agreed, but she was still worried.
Kangxi didn't say anything, and when he left, he didn't even wait for Consort Hui.
Consort Hui, who was pregnant, felt very wronged.
But there was nothing she could do, no matter how wronged she felt, because he was the emperor, and she couldn't complain or hate him.
After Consort Hui returned to Jingren Palace, Fanghua sent someone to deliver an imperial decree, exempting her from paying her respects and inquiring about her well-being, and also arranged for an imperial physician to stay at Jingren Palace.
She valued Consort Hui's pregnancy even more than she had when she was pregnant with Prince Chenghu.
Who in the harem wouldn't say that the Empress is virtuous after hearing this?
The Empress Dowager went to the Grand Empress Dowager immediately to express her dissatisfaction.
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she threw her prayer beads down. "Qiqige, don't forget, you are now the Empress Dowager of the Great Qing Dynasty, not just Consort Hui's aunt." How could she be so foolish?
"Your Majesty," the Empress Dowager said, immediately suppressing her resentment and anger after being reprimanded. "Your subject is also worried about Gerile, after all, she is carrying the child of our Khorchin."
"Hmph, all the children in the harem are my descendants." The Empress Dowager was truly angered by the Empress Dowager.
He didn't come to take care of himself when he was sick, but instead stayed by Gerile's side every day.
What, now that the Khorchin have a prince, they no longer need her, the Grand Empress Dowager?
"Your Majesty." The Empress Dowager was at a loss, not knowing what she had done to displease her mother.
"From now on, you should mind your own business in the harem. I will take care of the child in Gerile's belly."
She would soon know the gender. If it was a prince, she would take care of him personally; if it was a princess, then it would be up to Consort Hui's fate.
The Empress Dowager no longer liked Gerile as she had before, after all, she couldn't stand the Emperor being controlled by a woman.
A rift developed between the two most distinguished people in the Qing Dynasty.
Fanghua quickly learned of this and decided to add fuel to the fire.
She sent Xiaofeng to keep an eye on the Emperor so she could see whether Consort Hui was carrying a boy or a girl.
Xiao Feng was just a bird; no matter how hard Kangxi tried, he could never have guessed that a bird could possess intelligence.
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