Chapter 8 The Tenth Brother of the War God's Lazy Mother
When Consort Gui heard that Emperor Kangxi was going to visit Yin'e, her delicate hand holding the white porcelain teacup paused slightly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she subtly glanced at Kangxi and saw that he had taken off his outer coat and spent some time in the inner room where silver charcoal was burning, dispelling the chill that had settled on him. The Consort breathed a sigh of relief, and her aversion to him diminished considerably.
Regardless of what thoughts were swirling in her mind, the Imperial Concubine's beautiful and delicate face always held a gentle and warm smile, and she never revealed the slightest abnormality.
“It’s very cold in winter, so I’ve been keeping Yin’e in the warm pavilion these days.” The Consort replied to Kangxi’s question with a smile, her tone naturally filled with joy when she mentioned Yin’e. “It’s quite a coincidence, Yin’e is usually awake at this time, so it’s perfect to visit him now.”
Emperor Kangxi had originally planned to visit Yin'e during his visit to Yongshou Palace, and now, upon hearing from the Consort that Yin'e might be awake and not sound asleep, he became even more interested.
Kangxi slightly shifted the teacup in his left hand to the left, and Liang Jiugong, who had been quietly standing behind Kangxi to the left, immediately bowed and stepped forward, gently taking the white porcelain teacup that contained only a small amount of Biluochun tea.
As the chief steward of the Qianqing Palace, Liang Jiugong had reached the pinnacle of understanding the emperor's intentions. He was as if he had a radar installed on his body that could detect Kangxi's movements. He was extremely sensitive to Kangxi's every move and could accurately grasp Kangxi's thoughts most of the time.
The inner chamber where Consort Niohuru lived was connected to the warm pavilion. Lanzhi handed the teacup she had taken from the consort to a little palace maid standing to the side holding a round cup holder. Then she quickly walked to the door of the warm pavilion, lifted the thick cloth curtain to reveal a space large enough for one person to pass through, and raised the curtain for Kangxi.
call--
As the windproof curtain was half-lifted, a warm breeze, hotter than the inner room, blew out from the heated chamber, carrying with it a sweet and creamy milky aroma.
Liang Jiugong, whose job had been taken away, took a step back at the opportune moment. He was not angry, and his face was still smiling. He just gave Lan Zhi a slight nod in a way that no one would notice, as a sign of friendliness.
As the Grand Eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, Liang Jiugong was addressed as Grandpa Liang by all the eunuchs and maids in the palace when he left the palace.
Of course, this does not include some of the people who are favored by their masters, such as Lanzhi and Luyi, who are by the side of their master. Liang Jiugong is very willing to maintain a harmonious relationship with them.
After glancing at Lan Zhi, Kangxi walked through the lifted curtain into the warm pavilion with his hands behind his back.
The Imperial Concubine glared at Lan Zhi with a hint of annoyance, but her expression also revealed a touch of admiration.
Before the windproof curtain was lifted for long, the Imperial Concubine followed closely behind Kangxi into the warm pavilion.
As the Imperial Concubine passed by Lanzhi, who was behind a curtain, she gave Lanzhi a reassuring look, implying that there would be no bad consequences and that she could relax.
Having discerned the emperor's intentions, Liang Jiugong did not follow him inside, but instead remained outside the warm pavilion with Lanzhi, who had lowered the curtain.
The two exchanged a glance, and Lan Zhi made a waiting gesture before leading Liang Jiugong quietly into the corner room.
Soon, a young palace maid from Yongshou Palace brought hot tea and snacks, allowing Liang Jiugong to rest for a while while waiting for Kangxi's summons and being ready to serve at any time.
When Kangxi entered the warm pavilion, the wet nurses and nannies inside were already kneeling on the floor.
Luyi, who was originally watching Yin'e from the warm pavilion, was no exception. She knelt respectfully beside the cradle with her head bowed, but she was still holding a rattle drum that she hadn't had time to put away.
Kangxi roused everyone, strode to the cradle, and looked down at it.
Seeing Kangxi approach, Luyi, who was kneeling beside the cradle, did not have time to stand up. She quickly crawled back a few steps before bowing and standing up, ready to stand behind the Consort and listen to her instructions.
Green Forgot about the rattle drum she was holding. As she moved, the small, pure gold drumsticks were moved by the short, vermilion rope to strike the round drumhead inlaid with gemstones, producing a series of crisp, metallic drum sounds.
The booming drumbeats made the baby in the cradle lift his head and look in the direction of the sound. He cried out eagerly, his round, bright, black grape-like eyes filled with longing and expectation.
As Kangxi looked down at Yin'e, he saw that Yin'e was standing tall with his chest out and his little head held high, looking lively, clever and energetic. A few strands of satisfaction flashed across his eyes, and he nodded with satisfaction, saying with great joy, "Yin'e is well taken care of, he looks very healthy."
Seeing that Yin'e held his head up very steadily, Kangxi knew that his neck was strong and well-developed.
This is a good thing, indicating that Yin'e is physically strong and will not die young easily; there is a high probability that he will be able to establish himself in the future.
Consort Gui walked to Kangxi's side, smiled and sighed softly, "Yin'e is quite chubby-faced, I hope Your Majesty doesn't mind his weight."
As a loving father, Kangxi could not tolerate such words that belittled his son, and he quickly retorted, "Yin'e is not fat, he is blessed. It is good that he is strong and healthy, and he will be able to support you in the future."
"With Your Majesty's words, I am relieved. I only hope that Yin'e can grow up safely." A bright smile bloomed on the Consort's beautiful face, and a sense of relief and relaxation was revealed between her brows.
But soon, the Consort lowered her thick, raven-feather-like eyelashes, her cheeks flushed with a light pink like the sunset, and her eyes revealed a hint of embarrassed shame. Her voice also lowered: "I'm not afraid of Your Majesty laughing at me, but these past few days I've seen Yin'e becoming more and more prosperous. I was worried that I was taking too good care of him and that it would backfire."
She bit her lip, leaving pale marks on her red lips with her pearly white teeth. A glint of tears flashed across the Consort's eyes, and her voice was low, revealing a hint of fear: "This is my first time being a mother, and I am really unsure of myself. Sometimes I am afraid that I may have made a mistake."
Emperor Kangxi already felt guilty towards Consort Gui and Yin'e, which is why he came to Yongshou Palace to comfort them.
At this moment, the Imperial Concubine revealed her fear and anxiety about becoming a mother for the first time to him, and she looked trembling with fear that she might make a mistake. Kangxi felt a little pity for her.
Considering that the Consort was young and had no experience as a first-time mother, having to raise her son alone, Kangxi felt even more apologetic. He even thought of himself raising the Crown Prince after the mourning period in his early years, and felt a deep sense of empathy for her.
With his arm around the Consort's thin shoulders, Kangxi comforted her gently, "Don't worry, although this is your first time being a mother, you've done a great job. Yin'e is very strong and healthy thanks to your care."
These words were originally meant to comfort him, but as they continued, Kangxi also felt that the Consort had done a very good job.
So many children died young in the palace in the early years because the empress and concubines were too young, inexperienced, and not mature enough to withstand hardship.
If it weren't for the fact that so many princes had died, Emperor Kangxi wouldn't have gone to such lengths to select foster mothers for his sons, starting with Yinqi, just to ensure their survival. He even personally took charge of raising Yinreng, the crown prince, just to ensure the survival of his legitimate son.
The Imperial Concubine had only been in the palace for a few years, was still young, and was a first-time mother, yet she raised Yin'e very well. This was not something that could be achieved simply through meticulous care. It was enough to show that the Imperial Concubine not only genuinely loved her son but also possessed sufficient ability, which was why she had achieved such a result.
Unbeknownst to him, Kangxi's opinion of Consort Gui had risen even higher, and he felt genuine pity and remorse for her.
When Kangxi entered the warm pavilion, Yin'e, who was sleeping in the cradle, had his view obstructed. Because the gauze curtain hanging above his head did not immediately notice Kangxi's arrival, he was startled by the sound of the rattle drum in Luyi's hand. He thought that Luyi was teasing him, so he chased after the sound of the drum as before.
It wasn't until Emperor Kangxi praised him for being well-nourished and healthy, and heard a deep, resonant voice that was definitely not a woman's, that Yin'e realized a stranger had entered his warm chamber.
After a moment of stunned silence, Yin'e stared wide-eyed in shock: Could this person be Kangxi, his adoptive father in this life?
Taking a deep breath and gradually calming down, Yin'e made a definite judgment: it must be Kangxi, and no other adult man could enter the inner chambers of Yongshou Palace!
Later, when Yin'e tried to raise his head to broaden his field of vision, it wasn't to chase after the rattle drum, but to see what Kangxi looked like.
Soon, as Kangxi bent down beside the cradle and looked at Yin'e with a smile, the face of Yin'e's father in this life came into view.
This was a young man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He had a delicate appearance, with light-colored eyebrows, long phoenix eyes, a straight nose, thin lips, and a few faint freckles on the sides of his nose.
The young man smiled slightly, his expression very gentle. When he looked at Yin'e, his eyes revealed a look of affection. He did not look scary at all, but for some reason, people could not feel close to him. Instead, they felt that he was majestic and unpredictable.
"Could it be that I know his identity, so I'm viewing him with prejudice?" Yin'e muttered to himself, realizing that he didn't feel much joy or excitement after seeing his father.
However, this is to be expected, as Yin'e was already three months old when he first met Kangxi—not counting the time he was asleep at birth.
For Yin'e, who was reborn with his memories intact, Kangxi was originally just a father figure, and he wasn't even a very good father. It would be strange if Yin'e could have any feelings for Kangxi now.
The reason why Consort Gui was able to be truly regarded as a mother by Yin'e and win his sincere affection was because Consort Gui first gave Yin'e enough maternal love and care. As for Emperor Kangxi, he was still far from being a mother.
Having already seen what Kangxi looked like, Yin'e lost interest in him and no longer forced his head up, leaning back and resting his head in the cradle.
With her little feet up, the tired Yin'e decided to take a rest.
Then, the cradle-baby Yin'e was completely overwhelmed by the Consort's smooth and flawless acting.
Silently listening to the Imperial Concubine's plaintive whispers, if it weren't for the fact that Yin'e had spent the past three months with her and was already quite familiar with her personality, he would have been completely fooled by her.
But to be honest, even though Yin'e had the exam questions leaked in advance and knew that the Consort was acting, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her as an observer. He felt that she had a hard time and wanted to help her.
Ah, this...
A flash of inspiration struck Yin'e, and he suddenly remembered a phrase he had read somewhere and inadvertently memorized: "The Yongshou Palace produces war gods."
Although the basis for this statement is unknown, it is certain that the palace where the Imperial Concubine resided was Yongshou Palace. As for the God of War… well, if vying for favor is considered a battlefield, then the Imperial Concubine was undoubtedly a peerless God of War.
A note from the author:
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Yin'e: I get it now, my thigh is actually the Imperial Concubine!
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