Chapter 143 The Birth of the Second Son, Multiple Parties Collaborate
With so many women giving birth, the army of women to serve the emperor expanded once again. Although the harem was bustling with activity, no one dared to dance in front of the empress.
Anyone could see how much the Emperor valued the Empress's pregnancy. Anyone who dared to offend the Empress would be dealt with by the Emperor first, without the Empress even having to lift a finger.
Fanghua herself took the spiritual spring every day, hoping to give Yinreng a better physique.
After Chenghu learned that he had a younger brother, he would read to his brother every day after returning from school, acting like a strict older brother, which always made Fanghua laugh from ear to ear.
He always said that he would take over the teaching of his younger brother, which made Chenghu even more concerned about teaching his brother.
Of course, there are good and bad. Compared to Fanghua's peaceful life of resting during her pregnancy, the harem was still very lively. Consort De was released, and Lady Nara also started to cause trouble.
I don't know where they heard the news, but it said that the emperor intends to bestow titles and honors upon his concubines, and everyone is vying for them fiercely.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor hasn't even informed you about the grand investiture ceremony, and they're already fighting like this. What will become of them in the future?" Looking at the chaos in the harem, Zhang Mama was very worried.
She didn't want any trouble to happen in the harem while the Empress was pregnant, as it would be detrimental to the Empress's health during her pregnancy.
"You've already said something I don't even know. Do you think this can succeed?" The imperial consorts should be granted fiefdoms after the emperor has established his own fiefdoms. They're being too hasty.
Besides, even if there are many promotions, aside from a few with powerful backgrounds, no one can be promoted without her approval. Even if the emperor wanted to promote someone directly, he would have to ask her first.
The major shutdown is likely to continue for at least three more years.
Since this was the time when Emperor Kangxi bestowed titles and honors upon his concubines in the previous life, it's unlikely that this will become a variable.
"But what if?" Granny Zhang was still a little worried. "Why don't you ask the Emperor, Your Highness?"
Fanghua shook her head. "I won't go. The harem belongs to the Emperor. Although I am the Empress, there are some things I cannot be too proactive about, otherwise the Emperor will become suspicious." Now that she is pregnant again, she dares not gamble on the Emperor's mercy.
Seeing that the Empress was unwilling to get involved, Granny Zhang stopped talking and went back to attend to her own business, after all, she still had several apprentices to take care of.
Fanghua guessed correctly; Kangxi did indeed have the intention of bestowing titles and honors upon his concubines, but not now.
The situation in the Three Feudatories was causing him a great deal of trouble, and the news coming in the near future was not good.
The Ministry of Revenue's claims of poverty and the military's demands for funds had already greatly troubled him regarding the matter of abolishing the feudal domains. One reason was that he lacked funds, and the other was that his armed forces were weak.
Those ministers who advocated against abolishing the feudal domains all submitted memorials requesting the emperor to reverse the decision. In particular, feudal kings such as Wu Sangui cried out their grievances, saying that the emperor was discarding them after they had served their purpose.
This damaged Kangxi's reputation among the people, and Kangxi was someone who valued his reputation highly.
He naturally didn't want his reputation to be damaged.
Before he could salvage his reputation, Wu Sangui openly rebelled, and his followers in various places joined in.
Suddenly, Grand Secretary Songgotu challenged the Emperor in court, ordering him to execute the ministers who had suggested abolishing the feudal domains.
Kangxi naturally refused, and fearlessly issued an order to quell the rebellion.
Although it is unknown why Songgotu, who had always supported the emperor, acted this way, this incident made Kangxi's imperial authority even stronger in the eyes of his ministers.
Because of this incident, Suo'etu was sent to the front line by Emperor Kangxi.
This is completely different from my previous life.
When Tongjia Fujin entered the palace, Fanghua learned of this and thought that this was yet another unexpected turn of events.
But Fanghua was also worried about her third uncle, so she asked Xiaofeng to prepare a lot of life-saving pills for Tongjia Fujin to take out of the palace and give to Suo'etu.
In his previous life, Emperor Kangxi spent eight years pacifying the Three Feudatories, and Fanghua didn't want it to take the same amount of time in this life.
So she secretly sent a message to her people, instructing them to expedite the end of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories.
Although she doesn't have many people, she still has a considerable force.
With Songgotu leading the way at the front, she believed that this life would end sooner than the last.
The reason she wanted it to end so quickly was because she understood Kangxi; if the war went well, he would certainly not give up on displaying his imperial majesty.
And her plan to eliminate her heir would be able to be implemented.
She couldn't wait until he took over the reins of power with Galdan, after all, by then the children would be grown up and most of them would have already given birth.
She possesses a powerful asset that can cultivate a formidable army for her son. When Galdan splits, her son will be able to lead troops into battle. She wouldn't mind using Galdan to pave the way for her son's campaign, since Yinreng will be old enough to stand on his own at that time.
Therefore, this grand conferment of titles upon the imperial harem was merely a signal from Emperor Kangxi to motivate the military generals to work even harder.
One thing that Fanghua had to be wary of was Mingzhu, Nalan Mingzhu, who was from the same clan as the Nara clan in the harem.
Although they are beyond the fifth degree of kinship, they are still of the same lineage. Once the external threats are over, the civil war should begin.
This Lady Mingzhu has no choice but to be eliminated.
It cannot be denied that he is truly talented, but talent that cannot be used by her should be discarded.
In her eyes, Chengqing, born to Lady Nara, was not like that. He was neither the eldest son nor the legitimate heir. Consort Hui of this generation had the charisma and favor of the head of the four consorts.
She was nothing more than an unlucky concubine disliked by the emperor. If it weren't for Chengqing's sake, her life or death would have been uncertain.
Fanghua will not interfere in the affairs of the previous dynasty now, but she is certainly aware of them, which is why she gave Suo'etu so many life-saving items after Tongjia Fujin entered the palace.
After all, Suo'etu would be her son's biggest help, wouldn't he?
With urgent battle reports coming in from the front every day, Emperor Kangxi would not visit the inner palace for half a month.
Even when he entered the inner palace, he would only visit a few high-ranking concubines, and he visited Kunning Palace the most.
Because Kangxi realized that his reputation had been damaged, and that there were signs of anti-literati sentiment among the common people and scholars, he had to pay attention to his eldest son and empress in order to win over these scholars and Han officials.
Because Kangxi mentioned several times during his visits that he wanted to make Chenghu the crown prince.
However, Fanghua refused to go to any of them.
Kangxi wasn't angry. After Fanghua refused, he just smiled and changed the subject.
I might have the patience to play with Fanghua once or twice.
But after it happened many times, Fanghua became very annoyed.
“Your Majesty.” When Kangxi came over again to mention it, Fanghua couldn’t help but refuse to speak up, “Chenghu is too young, and besides, he only wants to be the Baturu of the Qing Dynasty. Don’t even think about making Chenghu the Crown Prince.”
"If Your Majesty truly wishes to establish a crown prince, then let it be the one in my womb, if it is a prince." Fanghua truly did not want to continue this charade with him.
She's pregnant, and she needs to be happy, both physically and mentally. If she gets upset every time, who can tolerate it?
When Kangxi heard the Empress say such a defiant thing, he was secretly pleased. He knew that the Empress was the least interested in power.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have refused so readily when he repeatedly mentioned making Chenghu the crown prince.
He's talking nonsense.
What's the point of making a child in the womb the crown prince? A child in the womb who doesn't even know if he's a prince or princess, what kind of crown prince is that?
"Your Majesty, please don't be silly. I'm just discussing this with you. Now that the court is stable, it's time to decide on an heir." Kangxi's voice was gentle, and knowing that he had offended the Empress, he quickly tried to appease her.
"Then Your Majesty, you may make the arrangements as you see fit. I will follow Your Majesty's orders. After all, I am just a woman, and I do not understand matters concerning the foundation of our ancestors."
That scoundrel, he tested her for so long just to find out what she was thinking.
Chenghu is definitely out of the question; we shouldn't ruin his path to success. He has another promising road ahead of him.
How could a mere human emperor possibly restrain them?
"Your Majesty should discuss such an important matter with your ministers. I will leave the decision entirely to Your Majesty."
Seeing that she had made such a statement, Kangxi stopped testing her and, of course, did not come to Kunning Palace again. He only sent Li Dequan over from time to time to express his condolences.
The Empress Dowager, however, left the palace again, saying she was going to pray for the Qing Dynasty. She also took Nara and the second prince with her, and everyone knew her intentions.
Since the Emperor has already agreed, what can Fanghua do to stop him?
How could a prince who had made no move to change his fate possibly allow the Empress Dowager's scheme to succeed?
In the thirteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, due to the rebellion of the Three Feudatories, the palace banquets lost their previous grandeur and extravagance.
After meeting her family and receiving some gifts, Fanghua made a brief appearance at a palace banquet before retiring to the palace to prepare for childbirth.
Spring came and went, and in February, Cao and Sun gave birth to the eighth and ninth princes of Emperor Kangxi, respectively. These two women were quite lucky, as they were carrying boys.
In April, Consort Rong of the Ma Jia clan also gave birth to the tenth prince for Emperor Kangxi, but apart from the normal rewards, her rank was not moved at all.
Lady Ma was naturally dissatisfied, but the Emperor held a grand third-day celebration for the Tenth Prince, which finally appeased her resentment.
As soon as Fanghua let go, one child after another appeared in the harem, truly a constant stream of good news.
Before she knew it, it was time for Fanghua to give birth. With the Empress Dowager not in the palace, she felt much more at ease during the delivery.
However, they still took precautions, not daring to entrust their own and their son's lives to others.
To Fanghua's surprise, someone actually tried to sabotage her during childbirth.
“This midwife is problematic. She’s pushing it in. Qiaoling, take her down.” Fanghua felt that the contractions were normal after labor started, but when the midwife said she could see the baby’s head, she felt a force pushing into her belly.
He immediately shouted out.
Qiaoling had been watching closely, and even if Fanghua hadn't said anything, she had noticed the midwife's problem and immediately took her down.
Regardless of whether it was in accordance with the rules, she personally delivered the baby for the empress.
Qiaoling studied medicine, so she naturally knew how to deliver babies.
She had been preparing for this day, just waiting for the day she could serve the Empress.
"Your Highness, follow my movements and push. Don't be nervous, the baby is doing very well." After taking over, Qiaoling immediately checked and found that the Empress's delivery was going very smoothly.
The shouts from inside the house, the bloody water being carried out one after another, and the female doctors coming in and out all indicated what the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty was going through.
Emperor Kangxi was extremely nervous, his eyes fixed on the inner room where people were going in and out.
The Imperial Concubine's slender, white fingers were intertwined in the handkerchief; if she exerted any more force, the handkerchief in her hand might not be able to withstand her strength and would break.
Everyone in the harem came to wait for the Empress to give birth. Except for Lady Zhaojia, who was about the same month pregnant as the Empress, everyone stood or sat outside the delivery room in Kunning Palace.
This was Fanghua's second pregnancy, and with the help of the spiritual spring, aside from the midwife's initial mischief, her delivery went very smoothly. However, something seemed amiss, and Zhang Mama dared not make a sound, fearing she might disturb her mistress's labor. Now that the mistress had finished giving birth, she promptly took over the duties.
Fanghua glanced at the people who had been knocked unconscious on the ground, looked at the children, gave Qiaoling and the others a few instructions, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after the Empress fell into a deep sleep, Zhang Mama personally carried the child out to announce the good news.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Empress has given birth to a prince for you."
Kangxi got up and went to Zhang Mama. He lifted the blanket and saw the eleventh prince wrapped up. His fair face and big, round eyes were filled with tears, which were very clear.
Unlike other newborns who have red wrinkles, this baby had a plump, fair, and lovely appearance.
"Haha, good, good, good!" Kangxi shouted three times in great joy, showing how happy he was that the emperor had given birth to another legitimate son for him.
Seeing the emperor so happy, the concubines nearby immediately offered their congratulations, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"Haha, rewards, everyone gets a reward."
Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed that the Empress gave birth safely. Not only did the servants of Kunning Palace receive a six-month bonus, but all the servants in the palace also received rewards.
After expressing her gratitude, Granny Zhang carried the child back to her bedroom.
The Empress has finished packing and returned to her bedchamber.
After Zhang Mama took the child away, Qiaoling and the others brought all the people captured in the delivery room to the Emperor.
Emperor Kangxi was initially overjoyed, but upon seeing these people, he immediately flew into a rage and ordered Wei Zhong to investigate.
Of course, Qiaoling and the others wouldn't listen to the Emperor completely; if the Emperor investigated, they would investigate as well.
This time, many people were involved, and it took a long time to investigate and clarify the matter.
When Kangxi saw the evidence presented by Wei Zhong, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "How dare you! You dare to plot against my own son! Wei Zhu, investigate for me. I want to see who else is colluding with the White Lotus Sect."
The matter was investigated, but Wei Zhong never expected it to involve the previous dynasty.
The White Lotus Sect is truly audacious; they actually dared to plot against the Empress's legitimate son.
"Yes, this servant will investigate immediately."
In the first half of the day, Qiaoling and the others also found what Wei Zhong had found. Although they were somewhat surprised, they also discovered something else.
However, since the Empress has not yet woken up, they can only wait and make a decision after she wakes up.
Compared to the Emperor's protection, Qiaoling and the others didn't have so many thoughts. If they dared to harm their young master, then they could expect to suffer the Empress's wrath.
When Fanghua woke up again, she heard her son crying. She asked Zhang Mama, who was guarding her bedside, in a hoarse voice.
"Your Majesty, please don't speak yet. This old servant will give you some warm water." Upon seeing that the Empress had woken up, Zhang Mama immediately went to serve her.
After drinking half a cup of warm water, the child stopped crying. Fanghua looked outside, her eyes filled with worry.
What's wrong with the child?
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. The prince is just hungry. Granny Ji is watching over him. Please don't worry," Granny Zhang said, noticing the princess's worry.
"Bring the child here so I can see him."
She hadn't forgotten that today was the day she was supposed to give birth, a potentially life-threatening situation. Now that there was no sign of anything happening, she was even more worried about the baby.
"Alright, this old servant will have the wet nurse bring it over for Your Highness to see." Zhang Mama's eyes were red, her heart filled with excitement and joy.
The Empress gave birth to another prince, which solidified her position, and no one could shake her power.
Fanghua leaned against the thick pillows and waited. While waiting for the child, Qiaoling brought over the warm porridge that she had prepared for the Empress.
"Your Majesty, please eat something. Childbirth must have taken a lot of effort."
"good."
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