Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded, then gave a signal with her eyes. Sumalagu understood and led the palace maids serving in the hall to leave, leaving only the grandmother and granddaughter in the hall.
Kangxi, puzzled, walked over and sat down next to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. "Father, what is the meaning of this?"
"Xuan Ye, what are your thoughts on Consort Tong's pregnancy?" Looking at her grandson, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by an extremely serious expression.
Kangxi's heart sank. He first probed Xiaozhuang's reaction, "This... Father, what are your thoughts?"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang expressed her concerns and worries, repeating what she had just said to Su Mala Gu to Emperor Kangxi, her tone filled with deep concern: "Your Majesty, I know your feelings for the Consort, but the Tong family is too powerful, and we must be wary. For the sake of the Qing Dynasty, for the sake of the Crown Prince, the Consort's child's identity is far too sensitive."
"Grandfather, I understand what you mean." Kangxi sighed, understanding Xiaozhuang's concerns, and assured her firmly.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, Baocheng is my son and also my Crown Prince. He is the legitimate son of Empress Hesheli and the Crown Prince of the Great Qing Dynasty. His position will never be shaken by anyone."
After a pause, Kangxi continued, "The Consort is kind and virtuous. She has been dutiful and dutiful in the four years since she entered the palace. Even if she is pregnant this time, she would never have such ulterior motives. You can rest assured about her. As for the Tong family, I will give them a good talking-to. The Tong family is my maternal family. I will not shortchange them on the honors they deserve, but I will not let them touch anything they are not entitled to."
Kangxi spoke very softly at the last sentence, so that only the two of them could hear it: "The Tong family has already produced an emperor. My position will only belong to Baocheng."
With Kangxi's resolute assurance, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was finally relieved, a great weight lifted from her heart. "With Your Majesty's words, I am at ease. Now that you have made this decision, you must do so."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang earnestly advised, "Xuan Ye, you must remember that now that you have ascended to this throne, every decision you make concerns the fate of the nation. Therefore, you must think thrice before acting and make every decision with utmost care. You must always consider the well-being of the nation and prioritize its interests. Now that Bao Cheng is the Crown Prince, you cannot allow anyone to threaten his position. You have done very well in this regard before. After Consort Tong gives birth to this child, if it is a prince, you must instruct him to befriend the Crown Prince. Furthermore, the Crown Prince's status is extremely important, and you cannot slacken in his upbringing. You must ensure that he becomes a qualified successor for the Qing Dynasty."
"Yes, yes, I know, Grandma, please rest assured! I'm all grown up now, you can rest and enjoy your old age. You shouldn't do too many of these troublesome things, it'll harm your health. Please take good care of yourself, I want to see you live to be a hundred years old."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang patted Kangxi's hand with great satisfaction. "Good! I trust you. You are a qualified emperor. You can handle these matters without worrying about them."
After personally handing a cup of hot tea to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, Kangxi replied with a smile, "Father, you can rest assured. I understand that the fate of the nation is of utmost importance. If Consort Tong has truly done something wrong, I will not be lenient with her. But if Consort Tong has done nothing wrong, I will not make things difficult for her."
Having reached a consensus, the grandfather and grandson stopped dwelling on the matter and began discussing other things. A peaceful atmosphere filled the Cining Palace; at this moment, the two most esteemed figures in the Qing Dynasty were just like an ordinary grandfather and grandson in a commoner's family.
In Chengqian Palace, Yunyi was enjoying the pastries sent by the imperial kitchen with great relish and a very good appetite. Little did she know that just moments before, in Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Kangxi had been discussing her pregnancy for quite some time.
The two men almost harmed her child. Fortunately, neither of them had that intention in the end.
Ruoshu brought in the medicine to help with the pregnancy and saw Yunyi eating heartily. Feeling a little helpless, she stepped forward and gently advised Yunyi, "Master, you've already eaten two plates of pastries. Stop eating now, or you won't be able to eat dinner later. The main meal is more important. These pastries are just to tide you over; don't eat too much."
Hearing Ruoshu's earnest words, Yunyi paused, feeling a little embarrassed. In order to salvage her image, she explained, "Ruoshu, I didn't mean to. I don't know why, but since I became pregnant, my appetite has been excellent. Seeing these delicious pastries, I couldn't resist and accidentally ate a little too much."
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