41st year of Kangxi
Two years passed in the blink of an eye. During these two years, Empress Niohuru passed away due to illness, and Emperor Kangxi's health deteriorated.
When Hutulinga and Erdemeng'e got married, it was the Empress who proposed to Emperor Kangxi. The following year, after their marriage, the Empress, due to her weak health, fell seriously ill and died in Kunning Palace.
Although Yunyi gave the Empress the Great Rejuvenation Pill produced by the system, which extended her lifespan.
However, the Great Rejuvenation Pill was not a panacea. Niohuru's health was not very good to begin with, and even though she had managed to live for more than twenty years, it was already the end of her lifespan.
Emperor Kangxi's health had been poor for two years. He was deeply saddened by the death of the Empress, and now his health was deteriorating.
Because the Emperor was in poor health and unable to handle the heavy workload of state affairs, for the past two years, all major state affairs and memorials have been handled by Crown Prince Yinzhen.
Fortunately, Yinzhen was indeed outstanding, handling important state affairs in an orderly manner. Although there was no emperor, there were no major problems with the administration.
The third prince, who was released from confinement a year ago, was initially very unconvinced, but Yinzhen proved his strength with his actions, making him admit defeat wholeheartedly.
The Third Prince was convinced, the Fifth Prince couldn't compare, the Sixth Prince always followed behind Yinzhen, and even the former Crown Prince Yinreng now admired his fourth brother.
All his brothers were convinced, and Yinzhen's position as crown prince was very secure.
Qianqing Palace
Emperor Kangxi, who had been in a coma for several days, was unusually lucid for a short while today.
After being helped up by Liang Jiugong and given his medicine, Kangxi asked the palace servants to help him change his clothes. He wanted to go out for a walk; after lying in bed for so many days, his bones felt like they were going to rust.
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Liang Jiugong paused, a guess forming in his mind. He lowered his head, suppressing the expression in his eyes, and responded softly.
Stepping out of the main hall, having not seen sunlight for many days, Kangxi unconsciously squinted.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight, feeling deeply moved.
On this day, Emperor Kangxi visited Consort Rong, Consort Yi, Consort Hui, Consort Jing, and others, and finally arrived at Chengqian Palace.
After lying in bed for several days, the imperial physicians all said that the emperor's illness was serious and he was unlikely to rise, and that he might...
But today, not only was Kangxi lucid, he was also able to visit the concubines in the inner palace. Yunyi knew in her heart that this was probably a final burst of energy before death.
Upon hearing the palace maid's report that the Emperor had arrived, Yunyi felt no surprise, only a sense of relief.
After the two were seated, Kangxi dismissed his attendants and ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to leave.
Kangxi reminisced about the past, and Yunyi watched him with a faint smile, acting as a good listener and occasionally chiming in.
Emperor Kangxi and Tong Yunyi grew up together as childhood sweethearts, one being a cousin and the other a cousin; their relationship was one of both familial and romantic love.
At this point, no matter what Kangxi said, Yunyi would just smile and accompany him.
Finally, Kangxi suddenly looked up at Yunyi, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes.
After taking a sip of tea, as if speaking casually, Kangxi asked a question.
"Cousin, we have been together for over forty years. If I were to pass away one day, would you be willing to go with me?"
A seemingly casual remark, yet it carried profound meaning in Yunyi's ears.
She smiled gently, as if she were still the same girl who loved the emperor wholeheartedly. "Cousin, you are joking. You are the emperor, and you will surely live to be a hundred years old."
This remark carried a hint of coquettishness, just like her cousin when she was a teenager. Kangxi didn't believe it, assuming that his cousin simply didn't want to answer the question.
After saying this, Ke Yunyi paused, then spoke again: "Cousin, I love you the most, and naturally I hope you can live a long life so that we can spend more time together."
Looking into Kangxi's eyes, which were filled with love, she spoke slowly but firmly: "But if that day ever comes, I will never live on alone!"
Emperor Kangxi took in his cousin's expression. Based on his years of experience as emperor in judging people, he knew that his cousin was not lying; these were her true feelings.
Somewhat touched, he sighed, pulled his cousin into his arms, and whispered a few words of comfort, "What I said just now was a joke..."
Buried in Kangxi's arms, where he couldn't see, Yunyi secretly rolled her eyes.
Upon hearing Kangxi's explanation, he nodded in acknowledgment.
After a brief moment of tenderness, Kangxi rose and left Chengqian Palace.
Yunyi watched his departing figure, her mind filled with thoughts.
Luckily, I reacted quickly. If I had hesitated or wavered even slightly, my true character would have been exposed.
As expected of an emperor, there's a hidden meaning in his words, especially that probing remark just now...
Shaking her head, Yunyi smiled somewhat sarcastically.
Ha! He keeps saying he loves Tong Yunyi, but in the end, he's just afraid that the original owner of this body and her family are too powerful and will threaten the future emperor's position.
He would only be at ease after his own mother, the Crown Prince's birth mother, passed away.
Otherwise, if the Crown Prince ascends the throne and I, a concubine from the Tong family, become the Empress Dowager, it's hard to guarantee that I won't favor my own family, putting the Emperor in a difficult position and allowing the power of the maternal relatives to become too strong.
Yunyi was neither afraid nor saddened by Kangxi's words. She was a modern person who had traveled through time, not the original owner of the body, and had no feelings for Kangxi.
She's gone, so be it. She won't die anyway; she's just leaving this world. Besides, her mission is complete, so leaving sooner won't matter.
It was precisely because she had no psychological burden that Yunyi so readily agreed to Kangxi's probing question.
On the other side, on the way back, Kangxi kept thinking about what his cousin had just said, feeling very conflicted.
After a day out, Kangxi's health was deteriorating, and he had lost all the energy he had when he left in the morning.
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