Qianqing Palace
Emperor Kangxi had just finished the morning court session and was reviewing memorials.
Liang Jiugong entered the hall with a bow, a thin layer of sweat on his back. He carefully chose his words and spoke softly, "Your Majesty, has something happened to Consort Yu?"
"..."
Emperor Kangxi suddenly raised his head, his face tense, and said in a deep voice, "Consort Yu is pregnant with the imperial child. I specially granted her permission to rest and recuperate in Yikun Palace. How could something have happened?"
"Your Majesty, today is the seventh day after Consort Wanyan's passing. After Consort Yu went to the mourning hall to pay her respects to Consort Wanyan, she returned to Yikun Palace with Consort Xuan and encountered Consort Tong on the way."
"For some unknown reason, Consort Tong and Consort Yu got into a fight. Consort Tong tried to hit Consort Yu, who was unable to dodge in time and was pushed to the ground by Consort Tong, where she immediately bled."
With a heavy heart, Liang Jiugong succinctly reported the matter to Emperor Kangxi.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi's face turned ashen.
"It's Consort Tong again? It's Consort Tong again!"
"Liang Jiugong, prepare your carriage at Yikun Palace."
Liang Jiugong responded with a "Yes, sir!" and ran out of the Qianqing Palace, instructing the eunuchs and palace servants to prepare the sedan chair. The area outside the Qianqing Palace was immediately in a flurry of activity.
Aling'a, the half-brother of Consort Zhao, who was ordered by Emperor Kangxi to enter the palace for an audience, happened to see Emperor Kangxi hurriedly riding in his imperial carriage towards the inner palace outside the Qianqing Palace.
The thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, after pondering for a moment with a solemn expression, grabbed a young eunuch and asked what was going on. The young eunuch, seeing that the person asking was a powerful figure in the palace, and who had been preliminarily identified as the younger brother of the new Empress Zhaofei Niohuru, told Aling'a everything he knew.
Alinga pondered for a moment, then his eyes darted around before he quickly left the palace.
Cining Palace
When the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager learned the cause and course of events from the palace maid who delivered the message, their faces darkened, becoming so gloomy that they seemed to drip water.
A moment later, the Empress Dowager said coldly, "Consort Tong is utterly foolish. Consort Yu is carrying the Emperor's child; the imperial heir is of utmost importance. Even though she is a consort, how could she possibly strike Consort Yu?"
"I think I've learned all of Consort Tong's rules in vain."
The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes and silently chanted Amitabha Buddha, praying for the Buddha's blessing upon Consort Yu and the unborn child, wishing them safety.
After a pause, the Empress Dowager looked at Su Ma La Gu and said in a deep voice, "Su Ma, send word to Pei Qi, the nanny in Consort Tong's palace, to carefully teach Consort Tong the rules. Consort Tong shall not step out of Chengqian Palace until she has mastered the rules."
"yes."
Sumalagu responded in a deep voice.
The Empress Dowager hesitated for a moment, glanced at the Empress Dowager, and said thoughtfully, "I haven't had much to do in Cining Palace, and it's been a long time since I've gone out for a walk."
The Empress Dowager looked up at the Grand Empress Dowager and understood.
He quickly stood up and helped the Empress Dowager up. The Empress Dowager said softly, "It is rare for Your Majesty to leave Cining Palace. Today, I will shamelessly accompany Your Majesty to see the sights of the palace."
"Um."
The Empress Dowager responded, a kind and gentle smile on her aged face.
Fifteen minutes later.
Emperor Kangxi, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager all gathered at Yikun Palace. Consort Zhao, Consort Xuan, and other concubines in the harem waited anxiously in Yikun Palace. From time to time, Xu Lejin's cries of pain could be heard from the delivery room.
Inside the delivery room, Xu Lejin had a strange expression.
If the events of Bao Shou, Ushiha, and Unahi were to repeat themselves, she could clearly feel that her child was about to be born, but why did she feel no pain?
She felt no pain, but after taking the labor-inducing drug, her cervix had already dilated to two centimeters. She could only pretend to be in a lot of pain and feigned cries of pain.
Lianzhi turned to the side, blocking the midwife's view, and whispered, "Your Majesty, I have already informed the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager of your arrival as you instructed. The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the concubines are all waiting outside the palace."
Xu Lejin nodded.
Immediately afterward, Xu Lejin, panting heavily, said, "Lianzhi, get a few handkerchiefs and fold them into strips."
Lianzhi was surprised for a moment, then immediately went to prepare.
A moment later, Lianzhi handed Xu Lejin a strip of handkerchief. Xu Lejin gritted her teeth, bit the handkerchief, and pretended to be in pain, struggling occasionally.
Lianzhi and Ruhua exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly. They deliberately raised their voices, calling out from time to time, "Your Majesty, hold on, hold on, the little prince is about to be born."
"Your Majesty, push harder! Push harder!"
"Your Majesty, we can already see the little prince's head. His hair is thick and black, he must be a healthy little prince."
"Your Majesty,"
Xu Lejin looked at Lianzhi and Ruhua with a strange expression, her teeth clenched and her fingers tightly gripping the blanket under her.
As time ticked by, the expressions of Emperor Kangxi, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager, who were waiting outside the hall, grew increasingly somber.
The worry on Consort Zhao and Consort Xuan's faces grew deeper and deeper. Consort Tong knelt alone on the cool ground, feeling extremely fearful. She both hoped that Xu Lejin would give birth safely and hoped that Xu Lejin would have a stillbirth.
The hour of Wei (1-3 PM) has passed.
It was past midnight, and all that could be heard in the delivery room were the voices of the midwife, Lianzhi, and Ruhua. Xu Lejin was cooperating with the delivery, but she was filled with emotion.
The child in my womb is another torment.
She had a strong feeling that she was going to be born early, but now she's staying in my belly and hasn't come out yet.
As the hour of You (5-7 PM) ended, Xu Lejin's mother, Xie, received the news and hurriedly entered the palace, urging the eunuchs carrying her sedan chair. They rushed to Yikun Palace.
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