Seven days later
Xu Lejin experienced some morning sickness and consulted the imperial physician to take her pulse.
Physician Xu said respectfully, "Your Highness Consort Yu, the baby in your womb is healthy. You are now three months pregnant, and occasional morning sickness is normal."
"Your Majesty is in good health, there is no need to worry too much."
Xu Lejin nodded.
"Thank you, Imperial Physician. I am nearly thirty years old and pregnant again, so it is inevitable that I am a little anxious. Now that you have spoken to me, I am relieved."
"、、"
Physician Xu paused, then lowered his head. "Serving Your Majesty is my duty."
Fifteen minutes later
Xu Lejin asked Liuying to see Imperial Physician Xu out. Looking down at her belly, Xu Lejin murmured to herself, "My sisters and I, like Mother, are all very fertile."
"My eldest sister and brother-in-law have been married for many years and have always been very loving. Although my brother-in-law has several concubines and has given birth to illegitimate children, my eldest sister has given birth to seven sons. My second sister and Prince Gong had four daughters before finally having a son the year before last."
"My ninth sister married the third son of the Tara family, and over the years they had three sons and three daughters, a perfect family with both sons and daughters. My fifteenth sister married Prince Quanbao of the Gushan clan as his primary wife, and they had four sons and one daughter."
After a pause, Xu Lejin continued speaking.
"My seventeenth sister married Prince Chun as a secondary consort and gave birth to two sons and two daughters. My twenty-first sister married the fifteenth son of Prince An and gave birth to two sets of twins. My twenty-fourth sister married the seventeenth son of Prince An and gave birth to two sons and one daughter."
Ruhua and Nongying exchanged a glance upon hearing this.
After careful consideration, Ru Hua smiled and said, "Your Majesty's sisters are all blessed with great fortune, as is Your Majesty. Among all the concubines in the palace, only Your Majesty has the most princes and princesses."
"Your Majesty is now pregnant again; even greater blessings are yet to come."
Xu Lejin glanced at Ruhua and smiled.
"Ru Hua's words are getting sweeter and sweeter. Ying Chun, Lian Zhi, Qin Huai, Zi Wu, and Zhu Lan, all married by imperial decree and left the palace to marry, now have sons and daughters."
“If you had left the palace to marry back then, you would probably have both a son and a daughter by now.”
He glanced at Ruhua teasingly, and Ruhua immediately blushed.
Nongying and the others standing nearby covered their mouths, trying to suppress their laughter.
The next day
In the afternoon, Emperor Kangxi arrived at Yikun Palace.
Looking at Xu Lejin with affection, Kangxi pondered for a moment and then said, "My beloved concubine's younger brother, born of the same mother, passed the imperial examination last year."
"A fourteen-year-old who has passed the imperial examination is the first such person I have ever met since I ascended the throne."
After a pause, Kangxi continued.
"Last year, I mentioned to my beloved concubine that I wanted to arrange a marriage for her younger brother. My beloved concubine said that Huaizhen was still young and that she was afraid that women would interfere with his studies."
Xu Lejin frowned slightly and looked at Kangxi with a puzzled expression.
"Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated on behalf of my fifth brother. However, my fifth brother is only fifteen years old, the time when he should be studying for the imperial examinations. It is not appropriate for him to get married too early."
Emperor Kangxi nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "My beloved consort has thought things through. However, a few days ago, the Duke of Fuguo, Tao Sai, came to the palace and asked me for permission to betroth his thirteenth daughter to my beloved consort's younger brother."
"Duke Tao Sai, the Assistant Minister of State?"
Xu Lejin paused for a moment, looking at Kangxi in surprise.
She vaguely remembered that the Duke of Fuguo, Tao Sai, was the tenth son of Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji. His birth mother was a concubine, and her clan was unknown.
As the son of Emperor Taizong, the Duke of Fuguo is now forty-six years old and has married three wives and has countless concubines.
Tao Sai now has nine sons. His first wife, Yehenara, gave birth to his eldest, second, and third sons, all of whom died in infancy. His second wife, Ulanara, gave birth to his fourth son in the eighth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. His third second wife, He'er, gave birth to his sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth sons, of whom the sixth son died young.
The only illegitimate fifth son was born to his concubine, Lady Wang.
As for Tao Sai's daughters, most of them were born to concubines. Tao Sai was the thirteenth daughter.
Kangxi nodded slightly and said, "Tao Sai, the Duke of the State, is my uncle. His thirteenth daughter was born in the tenth year of Kangxi's reign. She is one year older than my beloved concubine's younger brother and was born to my second wife, Ulanara."
After a quick moment of thought, Xu Lejin looked up at Kangxi.
"Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated by your concubine and fifth brother. However, my fifth brother and mother once consulted a fortune teller who said that it is not advisable for him to get married too early. He should wait until he is eighteen years old before he can discuss marriage."
After a pause, Xu Lejin spoke softly with an apologetic expression, "The thirteenth daughter of the Duke of Fuguo is one year older than my fifth brother. A woman's youth fades quickly. If she is made to wait for my fifth brother for three years, I fear she will waste her precious youth."
"Um."
Kangxi responded and frowned in thought.
After a cup of tea
Emperor Kangxi laughed heartily and said, "In the household of Duke Tao Sai, the fifteenth daughter is born of the same mother as the thirteenth daughter; both are children of his second wife. As for my beloved concubine's younger brother, since he is to wait until he is eighteen to discuss marriage..."
"Tao Sai's fifteenth daughter was born in the twelfth year of Kangxi's reign. She is only one year younger than my beloved concubine's younger brother. I will issue an imperial decree to grant her marriage first, and then discuss the marriage date after my beloved concubine's younger brother turns eighteen."
With a burning gaze, Kangxi looked at Xu Lejin.
"What does my beloved consort think?"
Xu Lejin smiled and said, "My fifth brother is fortunate to marry the daughter of the Duke of Fuguo. It is a great blessing for me and my maternal family. On behalf of my fifth brother, I thank Your Majesty for your great favor. Long live the Emperor!"
As night fell, Kangxi did not leave Yikun Palace.
Because Xu Lejin and Consort Le were both pregnant and unable to serve him, Kangxi went to the West Side Palace to stay with Consort Shun, the former Consort Xiu, Consort Xiu, and the birth mother of Princess Buyinzhu.
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