"Your Majesty, please allow me to finish. I understand your concerns back then, and I have never held any resentment. However, I cannot get over the hurdle in my heart. In the dead of night, I always hear Fu'an's small voice saying, 'Mother, I feel so bad, Mother, I am in so much pain...' I cannot sleep at night. Now it is actually better this way. I will go down and accompany Fu'an, so that she will not have to suffer."
Emperor Kangxi had many daughters, but he also experienced the pain of losing a son in his early years, a feeling that was indeed unbearable.
"Don't overthink it. Focus on getting better, and we'll bring Fu'an into the world."
Consort Tong shook her head: "That's not Fu'an anymore, Your Majesty. I miss Fu'an so much. Please grant my wish... grant my selfish wish."
Kangxi did not speak.
Consort Tong added, "There is one more thing, which I am afraid I will never have the chance to say if I do not say it now."
Kangxi: "Go on."
"I have been immersed in the grief of losing my daughter all these years and have neglected Yinzhen. Yinzhen is a good boy and knows how to be filial to me. However, I am afraid that I am not fortunate enough to take care of him. I hope that after I am gone, Your Majesty will take care of him a little more for me. Because of what happened in the past, my sister Consort De avoids Yinzhen. Yinzhen is also a thoughtful person who likes to keep his thoughts to himself. I am afraid that my departure will make Yinzhen suffer."
When Kangxi thought of his fourth son, who was upright and honest, he realized that his cousin's words were indeed true.
"I agree to your request. Yinzhen is also my son. I will not allow anyone to mistreat him. You should focus on recovering."
After Emperor Kangxi left, Consort Tong summoned her trusted nanny.
"Make a list of the items in the storeroom, and send them to Yinzhen after I leave."
The old woman looked sad: "Your Highness, what are you saying about leaving or not? You were just sick, and you'll feel better after taking some medicine."
“Granny, I know my own body. Yinzhen is a good boy. I have been negligent all these years. After I am gone, please take good care of him for me.”
Looking back on her life, Consort Tong realized that in the end, only her adopted son remained as her last concern.
The old woman's eyes reddened: "This servant will help Your Highness protect the Fourth Prince."
Consort Tong then went on and on, talking about how Fu'an was a tiny little thing when he was little, pitiful yet adorable, and about Yinzhen's childhood...
She fell asleep while talking.
After seeing that her mistress had fallen asleep, Granny Shun tucked the blanket around her before leaving.
Then I went to organize the warehouse.
She understood perfectly well that her master's time was drawing near, but understanding was one thing, and being reluctant to part with him was another.
On Yinzhen's side, Su Peisheng came to report: "Your Majesty, Granny Shun has arrived."
"Let her in to talk."
"yes"
"Is there something you need, Granny?"
Madam Shun said, "Your Highness, Her Majesty has been asking me to keep this from you, but you are the only person she cares about. I thought it best not to keep it from you, so I came to tell you about Her Majesty's condition while she was asleep."
Yinzhen naturally knew that Consort Tong was not in good condition, and he had also been in a bad mood because of this.
"Speak frankly, Granny."
"Your Majesty is feeling depressed and has fallen ill due to accumulated worries. She is also prone to overthinking lately. This servant would like to trouble the Fourth Prince to spend more time with Your Majesty."
Yinzhen already knew: "How is Mother's condition? What did the imperial physician say?"
"The imperial physician's advice is for Your Highness to rest and recuperate. As for anything else, I won't say anything more. I think the Fourth Prince should understand."
Even though Yinzhen had heard it by chance from the imperial physician, hearing it again from Granny Shun's mouth still made him feel uncomfortable.
"Tell me, Granny, what can I do?"
He knew that his adoptive mother could never let go of her younger sister who hadn't lived to see the end of her life. Since the imperial physician had said so, it was clear that there was nothing that could be done to save her. He was genuinely heartbroken, and he was also genuinely uncertain about the future. At the same time, it was also true that Consort Tong had never mistreated him over the years.
In his last moments, he did everything he could to fulfill his filial duty.
"Fourth Prince, just spend more time with Her Majesty. The only thing Her Majesty can't let go of is you."
Granny Shun understood that Fu'an was the Empress's unresolved issue, and that the only person in the world who could still move her was probably the Fourth Prince.
With the Fourth Prince by her side, it is hoped that the Empress can let go of her worries in her final days, and that she will have fewer negative attachments on the Bridge of Helplessness, and more fond memories of the beauty of the world.
"It's what I should do. I'm sorry to have troubled you to come and tell me."
Then Yinzhen went to the Qianqing Palace.
Liang Jiugong: "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince requests an audience."
"Let him in!"
"yes."
After entering, Yinzhen bowed and greeted Kangxi.
Upon seeing him, Kangxi thought of his cousin and said, "Get up and speak. What brings you here at this hour?"
“Your Majesty, Mother is unwell, and I request permission to attend to her. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request.”
Emperor Kangxi thought of his cousin's last wish, which was for this adopted son. He thought for a moment and said, "Since you are so kind, I will grant your request. Spend some time with your mother; she has had a hard life too."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen's eyes reddened: "Father is right, I will definitely stay with Mother."
Seeing his expression, Kangxi understood that he probably already knew about his cousin's situation: "A real man should be strong. Alright, go back now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave."
After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Yinzhen went to the Jingren Palace and began to attend to the ailing patient.
Yinzhen felt more gratitude towards Consort Tong than anything else. In the end, he understood that Consort Tong had actually done a good job for her adopted son, so her care for him during his illness was genuine.
With Yinzhen by her side, Consort Tong's pent-up frustration did dissipate somewhat, but ultimately, her foundation was crumbling, and this was all she could do.
Before long, Yinzhen had been attending to the ailing Consort Tong for over a month. The harem was now aware that Consort Tong's condition was likely not good, and Yinzhen's filial piety had spread throughout the entire palace.
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