Chapter 54 The Tenth Brother's Salted Fish (a type of snack)
Consort Yi didn't find it troublesome at all. As long as Yinzhen, this little darling, was obedient and willing to go back to Yikun Palace with her, Yin'e would not only be willing to use him as bait to stay in Yikun Palace for a day, but he could also stay there for a long time!
Of course, Consort Yi knew that such a thing was impossible; the Tenth Prince was not a mischievous child like Yinzhen who was never home.
Since he only planned to stay at Yikun Palace for one day, Yin'e didn't bring much. He only brought a set of pajamas and his morning toiletries, which his wet nurse, Granny Wang, packed and took to Yikun Palace.
Since Yin'e would be going to Yikun Palace with him, Yin Tang no longer objected to leaving Yongshou Palace. He excitedly and happily ran to the side hall to pack his things.
Yinzhen stayed at Yongshou Palace for ten days. He brought quite a few of his daily necessities from Yikun Palace, and it wouldn't be easy to move them all at once. Moreover, Yinzhen might stay at Yongshou Palace again in the future, so there was no need to move everything back to Yikun Palace.
"Mother, I'll be back tomorrow morning," Yin'e said softly, holding the Imperial Concubine's hand. "Consort Yi is unwell, I don't want to trouble her."
It's possible that the two pregnancies were too close together, leaving insufficient time for recuperation; or it could be that the estrangement and complete break with her elder sister, Consort Guo Luoluo, left Consort Yi physically and mentally exhausted.
Consort Yi's condition has been deteriorating these past few days, and her complexion is visibly weak. Her face is pale, her expression is tired, and her pregnant belly is already showing, making people worry about her health and fear that it will wear her down.
The Imperial Concubine gently patted Yin'e's head, a little reluctant to part with him: "Alright. Tomorrow, your mother will have the kitchen prepare your favorite breakfast for you. Shall we have three-delicacy wontons and crab roe soup dumplings?"
Although Yin'e can only eat one or two pieces to taste, and still needs complementary foods and goat milk, he is very happy to be able to eat his favorite food.
As she snuggled close to Yin'e, the Consort's anxiety eased somewhat.
From the moment Yin'e was born, the Imperial Concubine had never been separated from him. Even after Yin'e turned one year old and no longer lived with the Imperial Concubine, moving from the warm pavilion in the main hall to the side hall, the Imperial Concubine would still send Lanzhi or Luyi to the side hall to check on Yin'e every night before she could feel at ease.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time that Yin'e had left the Consort to live outside Yongshou Palace, so it's no wonder that the Consort felt reluctant and had an indescribable anxiety.
"Tenth Brother!" Yinzhen finished packing his things and ran over from the side hall, his little face flushed with excitement. "Let's go! I'll take you to my place. I still have a lot of toys I haven't brought over yet. We can play together!"
Yin Tang held Yin E's hand and shook it back and forth. Now, without Consort Yi's persuasion or coaxing, he couldn't wait to return to Yikun Palace.
Seeing the stark difference in Yinzhen's attitude before and after, Consort Yi felt a mix of emotions. She was happy that the little devil was obedient and went back, but she was also a little sad that Yinzhen had such a good relationship with the Tenth Prince. After he had a falling out with her, he had even been overshadowed by her, his mother.
After Yin'e left, the Consort sat in a daze, feeling somewhat lost. Suddenly, she became listless, her expression downcast, and she couldn't muster any energy.
Although Yin'e wasn't always with the Consort when he was in Yongshou Palace, she knew in her heart that Yin'e was in Yongshou Palace, and nearby.
Now that Yin'e has gone to Yikun Palace with Consort Yi and Yin Tang, the feeling is quite different, and Consort Gui can't help but feel empty inside.
After sitting there blankly for a while, the Imperial Concubine remembered something important and forced herself to cheer up: "Very well, I'll take this opportunity..."
She pursed her lips, not uttering the rest of her words, but silently thinking to herself, "I'll take advantage of His Majesty's return to the palace to inform him about the new smallpox vaccination method."
After letting out a long sigh, the Imperial Concubine closed her eyes and regained her composure and rationality. She called out, "Lanzhi, have the small kitchen prepare a nourishing soup. You will personally deliver it to the Qianqing Palace."
Yongshou Palace, located in the Western Six Palaces, is the closest palace to Qianqing Palace among the Twelve Palaces of the East and West.
Even though she was closest to the Qianqing Palace and it was very convenient to travel between the two places, the Consort never went to the Qianqing Palace to seek attention as frequently as other concubines, and she never sent anyone to the Qianqing Palace to deliver any tonic soup.
It could be said that the Imperial Concubine, born into a noble family, was proud of her status, or it could be interpreted that she didn't actually care that much about Emperor Kangxi. She didn't need Kangxi's favor, nor did she care whether she could gain his genuine affection. As long as she could secure her position as Imperial Concubine, she would protect Yin'e herself.
In the evening, the nourishing soup, which had been simmering all afternoon, was ready, and Lanzhi personally carried the food box to the Qianqing Palace.
It was a rare occasion for the Imperial Concubine to send a tonic soup to the Qianqing Palace, and Liang Jiugong was somewhat incredulous when he heard the report from the eunuchs below.
He dared not delay and hurriedly went out to greet her, personally taking the food box from Lan Zhi's hands. He also said that he would definitely find time to tell the Emperor that Yongshou Palace had sent the tonic soup, thus cursing Lan Zhi well.
Although Liang Jiugong was a very important figure whom all the palace eunuchs and maids addressed as "Eunuch Liang," he always knew who he could disregard and who he had to treat with caution.
He certainly didn't need to curry favor with Lanzhi, but that didn't mean he could ignore the imperial concubine behind Lanzhi.
The emperor only truly cares about a few people in the palace. Liang Jiugong always treats their trusted confidantes and head maids with kindness. Even if the relationship isn't perfect, he at least builds goodwill, knowing that it might come in handy someday.
Taking advantage of a brief moment when Emperor Kangxi put down his memorials and rested, Liang Jiugong bowed and brought in the tonic soup sent from Yongshou Palace: "Your Majesty, the noble lady of Yongshou Palace has brought you some tonic soup. It smells so good. Would you like to try a bowl?"
Kangxi, who was resting with his eyes slightly closed, opened them upon hearing this. He glanced at the food box that Liang Jiugong was carrying and raised his slender eyebrows thoughtfully: "A tonic soup sent by the Imperial Concubine? That's quite rare."
Liang Jiugong stood bowing with a silly grin, not daring to interrupt.
Even though he found the whole thing at Yongshou Palace today quite strange, a smart person knows which topics to chime in on, when to agree, and when to keep quiet and pretend to be mute.
Kangxi grunted, pondered for a moment and then understood, and couldn't help but chuckle, "It seems that the Imperial Concubine has something to discuss with me."
He nodded, deciding to visit Yongshou Palace that evening.
Emperor Kangxi still had some memorials to review. He would stay in the Qianqing Palace to finish reviewing them before resting. He was also afraid that he would forget to go to the Yongshou Palace, so he specifically asked Liang Jiugong to remind him later.
With a wave of his hand, Kangxi gestured for Liang Jiugong to take the tonic soup sent from Yongshou Palace away, but he showed no intention of drinking it.
He knew that this tonic soup was made by the palace servants in the small kitchen of Yongshou Palace, and could not possibly have been made by the Imperial Concubine herself, so there was no need to give her face.
Otherwise, if the concubines sent tonic soup to the Qianqing Palace every day, receiving at least eight or ten portions of it daily, and if Kangxi had given them all the courtesy and tasted every single portion, he would probably have become a big fat man long ago, and the Fifth Prince would have become the prince most like Kangxi.
The winter sun sets early, and by the time Emperor Kangxi finished reviewing the memorials, it was already late afternoon. The sky was long since dark, with only the bright moon hanging in the night sky casting a bright, pure silver light that obscured the countless stars.
The Consort Gui, who was well-prepared for Emperor Kangxi's arrival at Yongshou Palace, served him attentively after receiving him, helped him remove his outer cloak, and had dinner with him. Everything was no different from when Emperor Kangxi had visited before, and she did not immediately mention the improved smallpox vaccination method.
After dinner, the Imperial Concubine served Emperor Kangxi his favorite Biluochun tea. The two sipped the tea, chatted occasionally, and enjoyed a comfortable and leisurely time after the meal.
Emperor Kangxi was very patient. He knew that the Consort's unusual behavior meant that she had something to tell him, but he was in no hurry to find out what it was. He waited for the Consort to speak for herself. The Consort was not a criminal, and Emperor Kangxi maintained a certain degree of respect for her.
Consort Gui did not keep Kangxi waiting for long. Seeing that Kangxi was in a good mood after drinking the tea, Consort Gui waved for Lanzhi and Luyi to lead the palace servants away, clearly indicating that she had something to report to him privately.
Seeing this, Kangxi, who had no idea what the Imperial Concubine wanted to say to him, put his teacup on the table and waved his hand to signal Liang Jiugong to follow him out.
Once only the two of them were left in the room, the Imperial Concubine stood up and, to Kangxi's surprise, knelt down: "Your Majesty, I have something to give to you."
Emperor Kangxi frowned slightly, a look of surprise on his face. He leaned forward and extended his hand to the Imperial Concubine, saying, "There is no need for such formality, Imperial Concubine. Just tell me what's on your mind. There's no need for such a grand gesture."
The Imperial Concubine shook her head slightly, not rising to her feet, but instead becoming even more serious: "This concerns some things left behind by my sister. I dare not act on my own initiative, nor do I dare to make decisions arbitrarily. I beg Your Majesty to personally examine them and make a decision."
A thoughtful expression crossed Kangxi's face. He now understood that the matter the Consort wanted to report was of great importance; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so cautious. However, Empress Xiaozhao had been dead for six years. What belongings could she possibly have left for the Consort to pass on to him today?
More than two years after Empress Xiaozhao's death, the Imperial Concubine entered the palace with the rank of Consort.
Before Consort Gui entered the palace, Emperor Kangxi kept all of Empress Xiaozhao's belongings, which were then handed over to Consort Gui after she entered the palace.
It is absolutely impossible that there were any relics that Kangxi did not know about and that needed to be presented by the Consort.
This was something that not only Emperor Kangxi was aware of, but also the Consort Gui herself, as she had personally received Empress Xiaozhao's belongings from him.
The Imperial Concubine crawled two steps on her knees and handed a rather old-looking sheepskin book to Emperor Kangxi: "Your Majesty, please take a look at this."
Kangxi narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly, frowned, and took the sheepskin book presented by the Consort. He instinctively concluded that this matter was actually unrelated to Empress Xiaozhao, but the Consort needed the title—which also meant that this matter was of great importance.
As Kangxi took the sheepskin book and began to peruse its contents, the atmosphere in the room, now consisting only of Kangxi and the Imperial Concubine, grew increasingly oppressive and heavy, so quiet that only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
After a long silence, Kangxi's calm voice, devoid of emotion, suddenly broke the stillness of the room: "Is what is recorded in this booklet true? Are there any empirical evidence to support the reform directions described therein?"
The Imperial Concubine lowered her head deeply: "Your Majesty, I do not know. I only found this handbook. Apart from this, I did not find anything else among my sister's belongings, and I also cannot confirm whether the contents of the handbook are true."
"But this matter is of great importance, and I dare not conceal it. That is why I am presenting this note and entrusting everything to Your Majesty for a personal decision."
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Author's note: Imperial Concubine: Bring out my powerful backer.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 15:48:18 and 20:55:48 on March 9, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Crocodile Steady (10 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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