Chapter 43 Newcomer Status
The obsessions of women in the imperial harem were children and favor.
Niohuru was certainly favored given her birth, but as for her child, she had to admit that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were truly ruthless.
If I lose my usefulness, will they scheme against me and kill me?
Thinking about his death in his previous life, he felt uneasy for some reason.
"It's alright, she still has a choice after she gets pregnant, doesn't she?" Fanghua stroked her chest and spoke softly to Xiaofeng after a while.
Having obtained sovereignty over the Phoenix Seal, Xiao Feng now has its own body, but it prefers its current appearance, so it still presents itself as a little parrot.
"If she chooses herself, then I can guarantee her a worry-free life." This can be considered her repaying the kindness of protecting Yinreng.
Without further ado, Xiao Feng replied, "Xiao Feng will obey its master." With that, it flapped its little wings and left Kunning Palace.
Meanwhile, in Yongshou Palace, Empress Niohuru had no idea that the child she longed for was already on its way.
She drank bowl after bowl of bitter medicine, hoping only that she could give birth to an heir for the emperor as soon as possible.
Days passed by, and Fanghua personally held a baby shower for the Third Prince on his third day. Looking at the weak child, she felt only irony.
Sometimes she wondered if the Emperor's failure to keep so many of his children in his early years was due to the many sins he and the Empress Dowager had committed, which was why they were being punished in this way.
But when she thought about the children he conceived later, she felt that God was unfair.
The baby's third-day celebration was followed by the baby's full-month celebration.
As a concubine, she naturally wouldn't have a grand celebration; they simply set up two tables in Chuxiu Palace.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager did not even show their faces, except for bestowing some gifts.
Emperor Kangxi did personally come forward, but when he saw his weak son, he could barely maintain his smile.
After spending the night at Nara's place, he went to Kunning Palace the following afternoon.
Including the eldest princess, there were only three children in the palace, and of the three, Chenghu was the strongest.
Emperor Kangxi did not want to see his weak son; he only wanted to see his eldest son, who was as strong as a young calf.
"Chenghu is so young, Fang'er, why are you feeding him cow's milk?" Kangxi was very surprised when he saw the wet nurse feeding the child with cow's milk.
Fanghua didn't know anything about scientific feeding; she only knew that she had added a lot of spiritual spring water to the milk.
This stuff is much better than a wet nurse's milk, and Chenghu is happy to eat it, as she wants to reduce the child's dependence on his mother's milk.
Fanghua looked at her son wolfing down his food and lovingly wiped away the milk that had spilled out of him with her embroidered handkerchief.
"I heard from the nanny that children in the common people eat a variety of foods from a young age, but they are very healthy. So I had someone add some cow's milk to Chenghu's diet. I didn't expect that the boy would like it so much. Now he doesn't like drinking the wet nurse's milk much anymore."
She specifically mentioned her health because she didn't want Emperor Kangxi to stop her from feeding her child with cow's milk.
Upon hearing this, Kangxi was somewhat puzzled. "There's such a saying? I've never heard of it before." Thinking of the deceased Chengrui and the frail Third Prince, he became interested.
"I heard it from the nanny, why don't we have her talk to His Majesty about it?" Fanghua saw that he was interested, so she didn't hide it from him.
Emperor Kangxi looked at his strong and healthy son with great satisfaction, and his smile deepened. "Hmm, let her explain." If it really worked, then all the wet nurses in the palace would follow suit, and perhaps his children would no longer be weak.
This old woman was none other than Granny Zhang.
Fanghua didn't just push people out for no reason; she genuinely had Zhang Mama thoroughly research the situation among the common people.
While the Emperor was listening to Zhang Mama's explanation, Fanghua was already playing with her chubby son.
The brazier in the warm room was cozy, and the small window let in some air, making the room less stuffy. The children had also taken off some of their clothes, giving them more room to move around, and they were naturally very happy.
The laughter and chatter inside the house soon carried to the outside.
Even the ever-questioning Emperor Kangxi couldn't resist the allure of the warm pavilion. "Alright, if it's really as you say, then you've done a great service, and I will reward you handsomely."
Having heard enough, Kangxi decided to have someone investigate. If what Zhang Mama said was true, then raising children in the palace should be done in the same way as in the common people.
If the imperial heir changes, it will truly be a great achievement.
"This servant dares not thank you; this is my duty." Zhang Mama dared not take credit; she would not refuse the Emperor's reward, and she would never take credit for it.
She knew all too well that her little prince was so strong because her empress had a miraculous medicine; if it were another child, it probably wouldn't have such a good effect.
But it's still better than being raised with excessive care.
After all, her children were raised in a rather rough and unrefined manner.
The emperor and empress played with the child for a while until the child fell asleep from exhaustion before leaving the warm pavilion.
"Chenghu is so robust; Fang'er has raised him very well." Having suffered the pain of losing his son and now his son's frail health, he was overjoyed to see such a healthy son.
"Fang'er, you've worked hard." Kangxi held his empress's hand, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Your Majesty, what you say is true. He is my own son, and of course I have put my heart into it." Fanghua glared at him, her voice tinged with resentment.
"Haha, it's my fault. Chenghu is not only my son but also Fang'er's son. I misspoke."
After exchanging a few jokes, Fanghua remembered the matter of the new concubine entering the palace.
So she asked, "Your Majesty, the day the new concubine enters the palace is just around the corner. I wonder what Your Majesty's plans are?"
This reminder reminded Kangxi of what the Empress Dowager had told him before.
A hint of unnatural lust flickered in his eyes as he asked, "What are the Empress's thoughts?"
The Empress Dowager wanted to use new women to counterbalance the Empress. Now that the Empress had a son, was favored, and held power in the palace, the Empress Dowager was worried that the Hesheli family would get out of control. Therefore, she selected two powerful princesses to enter the palace.
Since Gerile had been granted the title of Consort, the ranks of Lady Magiya, Lady Yehenara, and Lady Fuca could not surpass hers.
Otherwise, it wouldn't look good on a Mongolian face.
Consort Hui.
Kangxi then thought of Niohuru.
Thinking about her recent crazy behavior, he felt very uncomfortable, after all, he was the one who led the outcome.
"I don't have any particular ideas, but I was just thinking that since there are new concubines entering the palace, shouldn't the ranks of the older concubines also be adjusted?" Some positions should be filled by the older ones.
Zhang's daughter didn't meet my expectations, but at least she could give birth to a daughter, and I wouldn't have to lift a finger to help her. So, I could give her a little push.
"Fang'er is right. I wonder what Fang'er plans to do?" He was thinking of moving up the rank of Consort Niohuru as a way to appease her and make amends.
So Fanghua showed the Emperor what she had written before, saying, "Your Majesty, please take a look. These are my humble opinions. Please see if there are any places that need to be revised."
She didn't change the ranks of Consort Niohuru and Consort Hui, and only promoted the others who were usually favored. She promoted Lady Zhang to the rank of Noble Lady, which was considered a favor to the eldest princess.
Emperor Kangxi read it quickly, taking ten lines at a glance, mainly because there weren't many people in his harem.
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