Chapter 62 Consort Hui Dies, One Dead and Two Lives
"The imperial physician said that you should drink your medicine as soon as you wake up. I have just finished decocting the medicine. Please drink your medicine first, and we can talk about anything else after you finish your medicine."
The Empress Dowager trusted Su Ma completely. Since she had said so, there must be nothing wrong. So she nodded and finished drinking the medicine.
Seeing that the mistress and servants ignored her, the Empress Dowager felt guilty and said nothing, obediently standing by her side.
Only after seeing the Empress Dowager finish her medicine did she step forward and say, "Empress Dowager, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have upset you." After saying that, she knelt by the bedside. She had naturally heard what the imperial physician had said yesterday.
Unexpectedly, she almost suffered a stroke from anger. Fortunately, the imperial physician saved her. Otherwise, she would have been too ashamed to face her mother.
The Empress Dowager did not rouse her from her reverie, but looked at her for a long time before slowly speaking, "Alright, I know you are worried about Consort Hui, I don't blame you."
Perhaps it was because of the medicine, but the Empress Dowager felt a little better. "Su, have everyone leave. You stay."
Su Ma responded with a yes, then dismissed everyone and closed the door before going to stand guard beside her master.
When no one else was around, the Empress Dowager sternly addressed the Empress Dowager, "Qiqige, tell me honestly, how did you know that I only wanted to protect Consort Hui's child?"
She always felt that there was a hidden hand behind everything, but she couldn't find out who it was even after having someone investigate.
The Empress Dowager was taken aback upon hearing this, and after a long while, she slowly said, "It was a servant by my side who overheard it outside, but I don't know exactly who it was." She wasn't stupid; after this reminder, she naturally realized that she had fallen into a trap.
"Your Majesty, who do you think is behind this?" The Empress Dowager had calmed down by now, unlike her frenzied state yesterday.
The Empress Dowager looked at the Empress Dowager who had come to her senses and sighed, "Qiqige, you value Consort Hui too much. Don't forget her mission when she entered the palace. She was first a princess of Khorchin, and only later your niece."
If she still doesn't listen after this much advice, then she will abandon Consort Hui.
There are quite a few princesses in the Khorchin region; they can just wait a few more days.
The Empress Dowager wept uncontrollably. “My mother, my brother only has one daughter, but her fate was arranged by me from the moment she was born. I don’t want her to end up like me, without favor or children in this harem for the rest of her life.”
She was naturally aware of everything Qiqige had done, and it was her indulgence that allowed Gerile to be molded into the kind of person the emperor favored.
She wanted to take a gamble, but in the end she got scared.
The Emperor doesn't even like Consort Hui as much as the Empress. He can still be somewhat considerate of the Empress because of her status, but Gerile is different. The Emperor has truly fallen for her, and she dares not gamble on that.
The Aisin Gioro family is known for its romantic nature, and she didn't want her grandson to follow in her son's footsteps.
Back then, his son Dorgon helped him, but Xuan Ye did not. All Xuan Ye had were people eyeing his power with covetous intent.
For the sake of the stability of the Qing Dynasty, she could not allow any accidental births.
"Alas, Qiqi, you should have thought of the worst outcome back then." After all, she was her own niece, and the Empress Dowager still felt sorry for her.
"Get up."
After waking her up, the Empress Dowager took her hand and said, "We can only choose between Consort Hui and the child. If you choose Consort Hui, you will never be able to have another child in the future. I believe you know what's important."
The Empress Dowager's earnest words sent a chill down the Empress Dowager's spine.
Choose one of the two.
How did she make the choice?
"The Queen's Mother."
The Empress Dowager's tears fell again, her grief almost suffocating her. "Gerile is still young. She can have another child later, but Gerile is gone. How can I face my brother?"
The Empress Dowager knew the bitterness in her heart, but that was the reality; they had no choice.
"Don't cry. I know how difficult it is for you, but for the sake of our Khorchin, this decision had to be made. I kept it from you before because I was afraid you would feel this way."
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice became choked with emotion. "The babies will be five months old soon. If we don't make a choice soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to save either of them."
Whether this is true or false, no one knows, but the Empress Dowager really disliked Gerile. She had none of the spirit of a Mongolian princess, but only the gentleness and tenderness of a Han woman.
And she couldn't stand people like that.
She had already planned to abandon Consort Hui.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have left the other three Mongolian princesses behind when the Mongolian envoys returned.
She certainly didn't place all her hopes on Gerile.
If Gerile gets into trouble this time, then another Mongolian princess will take her place in the harem.
The imperial harem must never be without Mongol concubines.
The Empress Dowager wept bitterly, but in the end she still couldn't make up her mind.
The Empress Dowager was also tired and didn't want to say anything more.
Upon seeing this, Su Ma immediately called out to the outside, ordering the palace servants to come in and attend to him.
They also ordered the Empress Dowager to be sent back.
When the Empress Dowager fell ill, Emperor Kangxi, as her dutiful grandson, visited her every day.
It is unknown whether the Empress Dowager has made up her mind or not, but she has taken pity on Consort Hui. Every time the Emperor comes to visit her, she will have someone take the Emperor to see Consort Hui.
After a while, half a month later, Consort Hui suddenly suffered a massive hemorrhage. Not only did she lose the baby, but she also lost her life that night.
Fanghua was woken up in the middle of the night.
"Your Majesty, please wake up! Consort Hui has passed away."
It was Granny Zhang who came in to call her, and her words startled the still somewhat confused Fanghua.
"When did this happen?" Fanghua quickly got up and dressed.
"Just now, a servant from Cining Palace came to report that Your Majesty, as the Empress, must hurry over there."
Fanghua nodded, not daring to dress up too much. After putting on an elegant dress, she didn't wear any headdress and headed towards Cining Palace.
Qiaoling was left behind to keep an eye on Chenghu, otherwise she wouldn't feel at ease.
Qiaoling is skilled in both martial arts and medicine, so keeping her by Chenghu's side would be the best thing.
When Fanghua arrived, the Emperor had already arrived.
Seeing the sorrowful expression on his face, Fanghua's eyes flashed with irony.
If he truly cared about the child in Consort Hui's womb, he wouldn't have allowed her to live in Cining Palace.
He probably wished the child were gone.
What he didn't expect was that Consort Hui was also gone.
She understood Emperor Kangxi; he loved beautiful women, and due to his Sinicized upbringing, he preferred Han Chinese women.
Although Gerile was not as famous as Consort Liang, Consort He, and Consort Mi in later periods, she was still considered a rare beauty in the eyes of Emperor Kangxi in his early years.
After all, her gentleness and thoughtfulness were unmatched by any of the concubines in the harem.
It's understandable that Kangxi was heartbroken at the time, as the person had passed away.
"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences." Fanghua said sorrowfully after bowing to the Emperor.
Kangxi looked up at the Empress, his grief evident in his eyes. "The Empress has arrived. Go and see Consort Hui one last time."
After saying that, he waved for the Empress to go to her bedchamber.
Fanghua rolled her eyes inwardly. They didn't know how to cherish life while they were alive, and now they're pretending to be so sentimental after they're dead.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he loved Consort Hui very much.
snort.
Men, they're all the same, none of them are any good.
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