After returning home, Yinzhen truly loved the Yunwu tea and would often have the palace maids brew it for him.
He usually drinks famous teas such as Maojian, Biluochun, and Tieguanyin. Occasionally, he drinks this lesser-known tea, which has a unique flavor.
After the pacification of Tibet, the talent show, which was originally scheduled for March, has only officially started in July.
After the imperial concubine selection in August, Yinzhen issued an edict to bestow marriage upon two adult princes in the palace, the sixth prince Hongye and the seventh prince Hongshi.
Hongye is seventeen years old this year, which is just right for marriage. His primary wife is Dong E, the second daughter of Xierda, the Minister of Rites. The wedding date is set for the end of the year, in November.
As luck would have it, this Lady Dong'e was the same mischievous girl who stood at the door and posed questions to everyone when Hongyao got married.
From a young age, Dong Eshi loved mathematics and was very talented in it. By her teens, she was able to manage the affairs of the entire household on her own, and could calculate all expenses clearly.
It's a perfect match for Hongye, a boy who's obsessed with money and excels at math.
Hongshi is one year younger than Hongye. His betrothed is Lady Majia, the daughter of the Commander-in-Chief. The wedding is scheduled for April of next year.
In November, Hongye got married. From then on, all six of Yunyi's children were married and could be considered adults, so she could temporarily put down some of her burdens.
After having her own little family, Yunyi let them grow on their own.
Four years passed in the blink of an eye, and it was the seventh year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign.
That year, a momentous event occurred that brought national mourning: on November 13th, the Emperor Emeritus passed away at Changchun Garden at the age of 69.
Emperor Kangxi, now the retired emperor, finally came to the end of his legendary life.
As a son, Yinzhen was greatly affected by his father's death, and he was very sad throughout the funeral.
Unfortunately, misfortune struck again. After the death of the retired emperor, Consort De, who was originally his wife and concubine, also began to have poor health and passed away within two months.
The loss of both parents in a short period of time was an even greater blow to Yinzhen, and after another funeral, he fell ill.
"Your Majesty, your health has been severely compromised by overwork, and this latest setback has further damaged your mental and physical well-being. I fear it may shorten your lifespan!"
The words of Imperial Physician Liu still echoed in my ears.
"Furthermore, I have discovered a toxin in your body. Judging from your pulse, Your Majesty, you have been poisoned for a long time, and this toxin has invaded your internal organs. I am truly powerless to help you with this."
Even though Yinzhen was unwilling to believe it, he had no choice but to accept it. The Imperial Physician Liu was already the most skilled doctor; if he said so, it must be true…
But he was also very puzzled. He would have Dr. Liu come over every day to check his pulse. If he was poisoned, he would definitely be able to detect it in time. How could he have been poisoned for so long without being noticed at all?
Yinzhen voiced his question.
At this moment, Judge Liu felt extremely guilty. He had not known that the Emperor had been poisoned, which was a serious dereliction of duty!
He kept his head bowed low, and only dared to answer with a cupped hand when he heard the question.
"Your Majesty, I am utterly incompetent. The poison you have been afflicted with is something I have never heard of or seen before. Moreover, this poison is very adept at concealing itself. When I examined your pulse earlier, I did not detect anything unusual. It was only after you fainted that the poison finally revealed itself."
...
After dismissing Imperial Physician Liu, Yinzhen remained deep in thought, wondering who had committed this heinous act.
After a long while, he beckoned Su Peisheng over to secretly investigate the matter.
A month later, after being treated by Imperial Physician Liu, Yinzhen's health finally improved somewhat, but the poison still could not be eliminated.
It was this serious illness that made him make up his mind.
Having made up his mind, he first went to the Empress to discuss it with her.
Ulanara did not object to this, and she had no sons; her only daughter married Song's nephew.
Even disregarding this relationship, Song's character and her children are better than others.
Both Li and Hongshi were dull-witted. Although Niohuru's Hongli was intelligent, he was in poor health. Geng's Hongzhou was even worse, being too mischievous and naughty.
Hongyao was the eldest son and was exceptionally intelligent from a young age. He had three brothers born to the same mother, who were both born to the Imperial Concubine.
Ulanara had long ago made this preparation; the throne was destined to be handed over to Hongyao.
Afterwards, Yinzhen summoned the court officials and, after some discussion, finally made a decision.
In May of the eighth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, Yinzhen first issued an imperial edict to bestow the title of Imperial Concubine.
Consort Songjia, of the Virtuous and Kind Nature, is gentle and virtuous, and conducts herself with prudence and integrity. When I was a prince, she served me with utmost respect and care, and bore me four sons and two daughters, thus contributing greatly to the imperial lineage. She is respectful to the Empress, kind to the concubines, and governs her subordinates with kindness and gentleness. With a gentle and benevolent heart, and virtuous character, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Imperial Noble Consort. May you illuminate the inner palace with your virtues, and welcome future blessings. May you further cultivate your wifely conduct, and ensure the flourishing of your descendants for eternity.
Just as the harem was still abuzz with the news that the Empress had been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort while she was still alive, an even more explosive piece of news came from the court.
The Emperor has appointed the eldest son of the Virtuous Imperial Concubine, Prince Duan Hongyao, as Crown Prince.
The newly appointed Crown Prince Hongyao is indeed worthy of the position; his talent and character are truly outstanding among his brothers.
At this time, Hongyao was 29 years old, almost middle-aged. In ancient times, this age would even be considered old.
Recalling the fate of the previous crown prince, Yinreng, the legitimate son of Emperor Kangxi, everyone is speculating whether this crown prince will repeat the same mistake.
However, just six months after Yinzhen was made crown prince, his health deteriorated rapidly, to the point that he could no longer get out of bed.
Although the Empress was worried, she still had to fulfill her duties, managing the affairs of the harem while arranging for the concubines to attend to her illness at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
There were rules for concubines to attend to the sick. Usually, they would be in groups of two or three. Because Yinzhen had relatively few concubines, the Empress arranged for them to be in groups of two.
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