From then on, Qingyin became a goddess after giving birth, and the legend of Consort Yu giving birth to quadruplets spread throughout the palace and beyond.
Qingyin, still recovering from childbirth, listened to Alisa's tales about being the incarnation of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, and was utterly exasperated.
...
If Qingyin didn't know the names in the story, she would have thought it was a very interesting tale of the wilderness. Unfortunately, after learning that it was about her, she was left speechless.
Seeing Alisa and the others who were so proud of her, Qingyin could only laugh along.
In Yanxi Palace, Consort Ling, upon learning that Qingyin had successfully given birth to quadruplets, was so angry that she smashed a batch of vases and precious artifacts she had purchased. She dared not smash the items sent by the Imperial Household Department, as they were all registered.
In the side hall, Ziwei, who shared a palace with Consort Ling, clutched her purse tightly. Beside her, Jin Suo, trembling, cried, "Miss, Consort Ling is not a good person at all. What should we do?" She shuddered as she recalled the little palace maid covered in wounds she had seen.
Although Consort Ling had been trying to hide what she was doing, if she hadn't discovered it after spending so much time in the same palace with Consort Ling, she wouldn't be the meticulous and attentive Ziwei.
Thinking of Consort Ling's increasingly erratic behavior, Ziwei's hesitant expression gradually turned firm. "Let's go find Consort Yu for help."
"Miss, will Consort Yu help us?"
Ziwei recalled the gentle-eyed Consort Yu who had accepted the purse, and said firmly, "Yes."
They originally planned to visit Consort Yu at night, avoiding people, but the Emperor stayed with Consort Yu every night, so they had no choice but to visit Qingyin during the day.
During this time, apart from Qingyin, who was confined to her room during her postpartum period and unable to take a bath, she received offers of allegiance from Ziwei and Lürou.
"What you're saying is all true." Qingyin really didn't expect Ziwei to reveal her true identity to her. Wasn't she afraid that Ziwei would deal with her directly for Xiaoyanzi's sake? Although she didn't like Xiaoyanzi, Xiaoyanzi was still a princess recognized by the emperor. For the sake of the royal family's reputation, she might not help her and might even send her to her death.
"Your Highness wouldn't do that." Looking at the determination and trust in Ziwei's eyes, Qingyin smiled. She truly liked this Princess Ziwei, so it was no wonder she wanted to help her.
Compared to the perfectly healthy Ziwei, the other girl was in a much worse state. Her body, once undressed, was covered in obvious scars, even her beautiful face was marred by exaggerated wounds. Even a beautiful jade has flaws. Qingyin readily agreed to Lurou's request. Her room had cameras and eavesdropping devices installed by the system, automatically blurring out any eavesdropping to make it seem plausible (an essential tool for palace intrigue). Upon seeing Ziwei and Lurou again, she immediately sent someone out to wait.
"Lvrou, the Emperor will definitely find out that you came to see me today, you know that?"
"Your Majesty, I know. If this matter can affect Consort Ling, I would gladly die for it."
Looking at Lü Rou kneeling on the ground with red eyes, Qing Yin felt a pang of tenderness in her heart, but this also stirred up murderous intent in her towards Consort Ling. She could not tolerate such a corrupt and depraved woman.
“Lvrou, I’m short of a gardener in my palace. I saw that you were taking good care of the peonies last time.”
Green Rou looked up in surprise. "Your Majesty..." Seeing the beautiful and charming Empress winking playfully, tears welled up in her eyes.
After Ziwei finished speaking about what had been weighing on her mind, she felt relieved. As she left Chunhe Palace, the memory of that familiar face deepened her aversion to Consort Ling.
Because of Consort Ling's affair, Emperor Qianlong felt disgusted but had to postpone dealing with her because of the baby's third-day celebration and full-month celebration for his quadruplets. Only when he thought of Qingyin and the children did his bad mood begin to improve.
Qingyin had four children: the eldest, Yonghui, was the sixteenth prince; the second, Yongheng, was the seventeenth prince; the third, Yongfu, was the eighteenth prince; and the fourth, Yongqi, was the nineteenth prince.
As the days went by, the children grew more and more lively and adorable, and their appearances resembled the best features of Qingyin and Qianlong. They were all incredibly handsome, especially the youngest, Yongqi, whose appearance was so striking that he looked like a male version of Qingyin.
The Empress, who often came to look after the children, exclaimed in surprise, "This child will definitely be a heartbreaker among the young ladies of the capital when he grows up!"
Emperor Qianlong, who happened to be visiting the children, was speechless upon hearing this. He thought the Empress was becoming increasingly unsteady. He glanced at her with disdain and then picked up one child in each arm.
Despite being glared at by the emperor, the empress continued to coax baby Yongqi openly. She had never seen such a small baby since Yongqi grew up, let alone such an adorable and good-looking baby. With those big, watery eyes staring at you, who could resist holding him?
Qingyin ignored their complicated conversation. She was in postpartum confinement and no one was allowed to hold her. She was forced to rest on this bed every day, so it wasn't her turn to be held by anyone.
All she hopes now is that this child will be liked more by his father and his Empress Dowager. She has taken care of too many children, and the thought of all the noise they make terrifies her. In the future, when she gets tired of them, she can simply hand them over to Emperor Qianlong and the Empress to take care of.
The full moon celebration came to a perfect end amidst everyone's praise and Emperor Qianlong's delight.
However, things in the palace were not over yet, and preparations for the welcoming ceremony for the Empress Dowager had begun.
At Mount Wutai, the Empress Dowager and Consort Yu (Yongqi's birth mother) were chanting sutras and worshipping Buddha in the temple. Speaking to Qing'er, who was dressed simply, the Empress Dowager said, "We have been praying for blessings at Mount Wutai for long enough. It is time to go back."
Qing'er: "Your Majesty should tidy up properly when you get back, so that the Emperor, who is concerned about Your Majesty, can be prepared."
Seeing Qinggege acting coquettishly towards the Empress Dowager, Consort Yu's eyes flashed with a hint of envy. Although she had been with the Empress Dowager for many years, she still couldn't quite grasp the proper boundaries in front of her and dared not be so presumptuous.
The day the Empress Dowager returned, the ceremony was grand, but I was the one who was spectacular.
Upon returning to the palace and hearing the news reported by her trusted nanny, Granny Gui, the Empress Dowager felt as if she had been gone for decades, not just a year. First, the Emperor casually recognized a commoner as a princess, and then he directly took Princess Guli from the Southern Frontier as Consort Yu, who was a widow who had already given birth to four princes. In addition, Consort Ling was confined to her quarters. All these news made her feel like she was growing up.
She rubbed her temples and asked her trusted nanny, Gui, "What kind of person is Consort Yu?"
Without hesitation, Granny Gui said, "Consort Yu's beauty far surpasses that of others, and she has never caused any trouble in the palace. Apart from being close to the Empress, she has very distant relationships with the other concubines. Although Consort Ling's matter may be related to Consort Yu, it is mostly due to her own reasons. In my opinion, Consort Yu is an honest person."
Hearing the rare praise from Granny Gui, the Empress Dowager became quite interested in this Consort Yu.
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