Chapter 175 Heartless people deserve to die
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to support so many secret guards and talented generals in the army, including Xiao Dezi and his group.
That's right, Fanghua has already started training her own people to fight. It costs money to bribe these people, and her Huanyan Pavilion is no match for them.
Most of the money came from Changtai.
"It's nothing, I just don't know if Changtai has finished the big ship. Chenghu wants to travel next year, and I'd like Changtai to accompany him."
When Chenghu was mentioned, the faces of Borjigit's wife and the others turned very ugly.
When they learned that the eldest prince had lost a leg, they all cried bitterly.
They all clamored to visit the palace, but Fanghua refused them all.
Since they were injured, they have only received news, but they haven't even been able to see the eldest prince.
"Your Majesty, is the First Prince alright?" Consort Tongjia couldn't help but ask, mainly because she was genuinely worried.
Fanghua smiled and shook her head, her face showing helplessness, "Okay, everything is fine except for losing a leg."
The main hall fell silent at the Empress's words.
Indeed, even an ordinary person would not recover from losing a leg, let alone Chenghu, the eldest son of the Qing Dynasty.
"Let's not talk about this. You'll understand when you meet Chenghu. He's really a good person."
These words sounded like a show of bravado, and instead of comforting everyone, they made them even more upset.
How heartbroken must Your Majesty be to say such a thing?
well.
After seven days of mourning, Consort De's coffin was carried to the Eastern Mausoleum by the Second Princess and the Third Princess.
That was the mausoleum built by Emperor Kangxi for himself, and concubines who died prematurely were buried there.
The second and third princesses even requested permission to keep vigil for their mother at the mausoleum for three years.
For reasons unknown, Emperor Kangxi agreed to their request and not only that, he also sent trusted confidants to take care of and protect them.
I heard that the maids who serve the two of them are all former secret guards.
Fanghua didn't care about this.
Anyway, once a person dies, it's like a light going out; there's no longer any threat.
Yehenara clan's ambitions vanished, and the two princesses could no longer cause any trouble.
If you can win them over, they might even become an asset to your son.
On a bright and sunny day, Fanghua kindly had someone tell the Second Princess and the Third Princess the truth about Consort De's death.
The two reacted as she expected: resentment and hatred. Their hearts were being torn apart by the fact that their father had killed their mother.
In the end, Fanghua was disappointed because the two of them hid their hatred. She didn't even know whether she should tell Consort De about her failure as a mother.
Fanghua stopped paying attention to this matter because Kangxi had done something big.
"You mean the Emperor wants you to raise the Second and Third Princesses, but won't change the imperial edict?"
On this day, the Imperial Concubine came to Kunning Palace to discuss the adoption with the Empress.
She herself doesn't care. Whether it's a daughter or a son, they are all children in her eyes. She wouldn't mind raising two more.
But thinking of what Consort De had done, she still stepped into Kunning Palace.
"Yes, I don't have much hatred for Consort De. I just came to ask Your Highness. If Your Highness has no objection, I wouldn't mind raising a couple more princesses."
It would be better not to remember the jade tablet, as that would make Xizhu feel more at ease.
"I have no objection, but Consort, do you really think His Majesty would be so kind?" The Emperor's suggestion was quite unexpected. He wanted Consort to cultivate auspicious omens. Although she didn't know what he was up to, she believed in His Majesty's character and knew he certainly wouldn't want her to have an easy time.
Ever since the falling out, the Emperor has been wary of her in every way. As Chengren grows up, his suspicion and vigilance will only intensify.
He wanted to use the imperial concubine to control him, which he understood, but did he really not notice anything amiss between the imperial concubine and himself?
She didn't believe he hadn't noticed; perhaps his arrogance led him to believe that the Imperial Concubine would be at his disposal.
Consort Wan smiled, but her smile was full of sarcasm. "No, that won't happen. The Emperor is only doing this to curry favor with me, hoping that I will help him out of respect for the child. After all, the Niohuru clan behind me is not just for show; it can still be quite useful in certain situations."
The Imperial Concubine saw things very clearly, and it was precisely because she saw things clearly that she inquired with the Empress.
Otherwise, she would have taken the initiative to agree to it herself.
Seeing her say that, Fanghua smiled and said, "You see things very clearly. It's a pity that you only see the Emperor's outward actions. You still haven't seen through his deeper schemes."
She had some idea of what the Emperor was thinking, but she had an even bolder idea, though she didn't know if it would come to pass.
"Your Majesty, please speak frankly. There's no need for us to hide things from each other," the Imperial Concubine said, putting down her teacup and looking at the Empress with a serious expression.
Fanghua didn't answer her question immediately, but instead casually sipped her flower tea.
Just as the imperial concubine was about to lose patience, she spoke softly, "Don't forget that you are pregnant."
Her mere words caused the Imperial Concubine to gasp in astonishment, her red lips parting in surprise. "How dare he?!"
Although she knew the baby in her belly was fake, she didn't believe the Emperor would really do it again. Why would he treat her like this?
"Why wouldn't I dare? No matter what, we can fight amongst ourselves, but we can't shake the imperial court. In his heart, imperial power is the most important thing."
Fanghua looked at the Imperial Concubine with pity, "Didn't you see through his true nature before? What, has a fake fetus made you lose your mind again?" If so, her cooperation with the Imperial Concubine would have to be re-evaluated.
"I... I just didn't expect him to be so ruthless."
"Ha, ruthless, that's right, that's what a wise ruler does. Do you expect him to have any other emotions?"
Even with the Tongjia clan, the emperor only used them more than he truly cared for them.
True feelings exist, but they are few and far between.
That bit of genuine affection can't compare to imperial power.
"Alright, there's no rush. Just wait and see. If I'm wrong, you'll have room to maneuver, since you genuinely love children."
Don't scare her too much, or she'll think she's trying to bewitch people.
After the Imperial Concubine left, Qiaoling came in to report.
"Your Majesty, our people have discovered that Consort Rong went to the Qianqing Palace. News has come from there that Consort Rong wishes to raise the Second Princess and the Third Princess."
Fanghua never expected that the person who had been quiet for so long would make a move at this time.
She's good at specializing in this area.
The question of "Has His Majesty given his consent?" never ceased.
Qiaoling shook her head. "The Emperor neither agreed nor refused, but he did ask Consort Rong to dine at the Qianqing Palace."
This is a signal; the fact that the Emperor didn't refuse proves there's a chance. For the sake of her two sons, Consort Rong will definitely fight for it.
Little did she know that the Emperor's first thought was of the Imperial Concubine.
Since being named Crown Prince, Consort Rong has been living a quiet life with her two sons, seemingly resigned to her fate.
Now that she's pulled this stunt, I wonder what her plan is.
Forget it, the Third Prince, born to Consort Rong in the previous life, was also a good-for-nothing. If Chengren could deal with him in one life, he will be no problem in this one.
I should focus more on Seung-ho.
It is obvious who would suffer if anyone treated the Crown Prince like a child.
"His Majesty is good at calming people down. Don't interfere in this matter. I believe His Majesty will choose suitable foster mothers for the Second Princess and the Third Princess." As the Empress who was under house arrest, she would not meddle.
A few days later, Consort Rong did not receive a letter from the Emperor, but the Emperor himself came to Yongshou Palace.
No one knows what she said, but the imperial concubine never recovered afterward.
It's either a miscarriage or spotting.
Anyway, this pregnancy is very unstable.
Another afternoon passed, and the Imperial Concubine sent a message into Kunning Palace.
After reading the letter, Fanghua said, "As expected."
She thought to herself, "How could the Emperor be so kind as to let the Consort adopt Princess Jizhao's second and third princesses?"
It turns out they wanted to exchange her unborn child for the baby.
That's true, killing one and giving her two in return is fair.
After reading the letter, Fanghua burned it.
"Your Highness, has something happened?" Qiaoyun, who was serving the Empress, asked worriedly, seeing the Empress's pale face.
Fanghua shook her head. "It's nothing serious, but someone's going to die in the palace again."
As Fanghua had expected, half a month later, the Imperial Concubine's pregnancy failed to be saved, and she miscarried. However, she was luckier than the Consort De, as her body was not damaged.
Chengreng also spent that day in Kunning Palace with his mother and elder brother.
He was very surprised when he heard the news.
However, seeing the expression on his mother's face, he asked curiously, "Your Majesty, you don't seem surprised at all that the Imperial Concubine suffered a miscarriage?"
That shouldn't be the case.
His false pregnancy pills would cause a natural miscarriage at three months, not only without harming his body but also nourishing it. The Imperial Concubine's pregnancy was so far in advance; the Empress Dowager shouldn't be so calm.
"What's so surprising? Do you think your father would allow a high-ranking concubine to give birth to a prince?" With the crown prince's position secured and the court stable, now is not the time to disrupt the balance.
Upon hearing this, Chengren thought of Consort Niohuru from his previous life. Although she gave birth to the tenth prince, her health never improved. She later became pregnant again, but unfortunately, she lost the baby.
Not only that, but his body then rapidly deteriorated, and he died within a few years.
However, back then he had his father, the Emperor, protecting him. He listened to his father's words and treated his elder brother with respect. Even when his elder brother provoked him, he would tolerate it.
Looking back now, I'm afraid the death of Consort Niohuru was not so simple.
I just don't know if it has anything to do with Consort Yi.
"Empress Mother." Chengren trembled and threw himself into his mother's arms. "Empress Mother, don't leave your son. I will die without you and my elder brother."
In this life, he experienced maternal love and his elder brother's care. Now that he has lost them, he doesn't know what he will become.
"You brat, how could your Empress Mother bear to leave you? I'll follow you for the rest of my life. Don't complain about your Empress Mother when the time comes." Fanghua hugged Chengren tightly, knowing what he was afraid of.
“I won’t leave you either, but I can’t stand the constraints of the court. I’ll come back to you whenever you need me.” Cheng Hu stepped forward and patted his younger brother’s head, his eyes full of affection for him.
"no."
Upon hearing this, Chengreng immediately objected. In truth, although he was obsessed with becoming emperor, compared to the person he cared about more, that obsession became insignificant.
"Big brother, don't even think about slacking off. Anyway, if your younger brother has something to do, the older brother will do it. This is what the sage taught. Big brother won't forget that, will he?"
Seeing the two brothers bickering, Fanghua didn't take sides; whoever won, it would still be her son.
"Hehe, you know that your elder brother is not very learned, so he naturally can't remember the words of the sage. Good brother, you should just be a good sage and let your elder brother benefit from your glory and travel all over the world."
Chenghu, with a smug look on his face, provoked his adorable younger brother. Teasing his brother was also a joyful thing.
Chengren knows his elder brother's abilities very well, and he really can't force him to do things he doesn't want to do.
But he can hire outside help.
"Empress Mother, my elder brother is bullying me."
Seeing his younger brother being so shameless, Chenghu was both amused and exasperated.
"Don't give me that. Our mother respects our decisions the most. Calling her won't help. Unless you finish your own business first, it's not impossible for your brother to help you out. But that depends on what you do, little brother."
Her little hand stretched out, and her expectant look made people laugh.
"Big brother, you've changed."
"Big brother hasn't changed, it's just that you're too naive, little brother."
Seeing that the two had decided the winner of their fight, Fanghua smiled and stopped them, saying, "Alright, you're not three-year-olds anymore, why are you still making a fuss? But your elder brother's fate is in the hands of heaven, and your mother really can't help with this."
She chuckled and poked Chengren's chubby cheek. "Your Empress Dowager has seen your abilities. The small Qing Dynasty is no problem for you. But don't be like Yinzhen, who was abandoned by everyone. People are your greatest asset when you use them well."
She never believed that having all the power in one's own hands was the most advantageous thing. Whether one was an emperor or an empress, the most important thing was to have a discerning eye for people and a heart that could manipulate them.
Chengreng learned the art of being a ruler very well from his previous life, but Kangxi was too autocratic, and Chengreng learned this flaw perfectly, so he had to change.
"Once you become powerful, you will be fearless against all races. As long as you are strong enough, no one below you will dare to contradict you. Do you understand?"
She needs to teach him more about this.
"When you're a little older, how about I put the secret guards under your command?" Fanghua said calmly, playing with his fingers.
Chengren knew that his Empress Mother was raising a group of secret guards, and he also knew that his Empress Mother would hand over this team to him in the future, but he did not expect to be told so soon.
"You brat, stop thinking nonsense. You're my own son, why would I try to protect you? I'm not your emperor father." This brat is starting to play mind games with her.
"Empress Mother." Seeing that his hidden thoughts had been seen through by his Empress Mother, Chengren couldn't help but blush. "I'm just used to it."
“You always think you're right, and I can’t argue with you. But, Empress Dowager Chengren hopes that no matter what happens in the future, you will never doubt your elder brother and Empress Dowager, because we would rather die than not protect you.”
Knowing that he was too afraid of losing her, she had to give him a few more words of advice.
"What are you saying, Mother? If your son really becomes like that, would he still be human?" He would never do that. He is not Father Emperor and would not become a heartless emperor.
He wanted to be the most powerful emperor, not a ruthless one.
"Remember what you said. Your mother, the Empress Dowager, doesn't want this day to come."
····
The matter of the Imperial Concubine's miscarriage was eventually left unresolved. The imperial physicians concluded that the Imperial Concubine was too weak to bear the nutrients needed to carry the imperial heir, which led to the miscarriage.
The imperial concubine laughed loudly after hearing this.
But from then on, the Imperial Concubine never asked another question about the child.
She no longer responded to Emperor Kangxi's request for her to raise the second and third princesses.
However, after the Consort finished her postpartum confinement, she began to cling to the Emperor.
Those unaware of the situation might have thought the imperial concubine wanted to get pregnant again.
Even Emperor Kangxi thought so.
Unfortunately, they were all wrong.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com