"Then I wonder if we'll have the chance to catch a glimpse of the young prince!" Consort Yi seemed to have noticed something amiss as well. After all, Granny Chen claimed to be neither happy nor sad, but she seemed to exude a sense of melancholy.
"But the little prince was born prematurely and is weak, so it's not easy to carry him out. But this isn't outside the palace, so it won't be a problem for just a short while!"
Consort Hui also wanted to see the young prince who was going to steal her son's position as crown prince. She had tried every possible method for the past few months but had not been able to get the spy even half a step close to Chengqian Palace, which made her very anxious.
"That's right! Once the little prince is all dressed up, bring him out for me to see!" She had heard that children tend to bond with whoever they see first, and she thought that made a lot of sense.
"Well, His Majesty hasn't arrived yet, isn't that inappropriate?" Granny Chen said somewhat awkwardly.
"Judging by the time, the Emperor should be arriving soon. He'll just take a quick look first. Does the Empress Dowager intend to eat the little prince?"
Consort Wen also wanted to see if the young prince was weak or what. If he was sickly, how could he be the crown prince?
"Yes, this servant will go and fetch it right away!" Granny Chen thought maliciously, hoping they wouldn't regret it.
"Who assigned that midwife to deliver the baby for the Imperial Noble Consort? How could she be so disrespectful?"
The Empress Dowager frowned as she watched Granny Chen leave. If she were still in Shou Kang Palace, she would have had her sent to the Shenxing Division long ago.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager may not know, but the midwives of the Imperial Noble Consort were all personally selected by the Emperor. They are all the most skilled. Moreover, this is the Imperial Noble Consort's second pregnancy, so it is only a matter of time before she can have a smooth delivery."
Wanyi chuckled, saying that it was the first time the Empress Dowager had openly criticized the Emperor for being unruly; to them, the Emperor was the rule.
"I was just asking; it's fine if those with the ability are a little arrogant!" Alright! Those around the emperor certainly have the right to act without restraint.
"The young prince is here!" As soon as Granny Chen came out, someone exclaimed and surrounded her. Only Wanyi remained seated, while the Empress Dowager and Consort Wen stood up and took a few steps forward.
"Ah! What the hell is this?!" Those who suddenly saw the young prince's face screamed.
"Waaaaah!" The frightened little prince cried out loudly, his voice full of energy, showing no signs of the weakness of premature birth, if one ignored his ghostly appearance.
"Quickly, take him away!" The Empress Dowager was startled back to her senses by the crying, her heart still pounding.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, what... what exactly happened? The Imperial Noble Consort gave birth to a monster!" Consort Hui said rather subtly.
"What freak? She's clearly done so many evil deeds that even Heaven couldn't stand it and gave her a wicked child. The Imperial Noble Consort is probably being punished by Heaven!" Consort Wen thought to herself, gloating, and didn't hold back her words.
“It seems like divine retribution to you, Your Highness. Ever since the Imperial Noble Consort took charge of the harem, things have been anything but peaceful. Now that I think about it, there were always omens.”
Indeed, since the four consorts and Consort Wen took over the management of the harem, nothing major has happened! That's why people are even more convinced.
"This matter is so significant, let's wait for the Emperor to decide! Shouldn't we issue a gag order first?"
Wan Yi felt annoyed seeing that they were all secretly overjoyed, but on the surface they looked scared and their words were rude.
"Sister Chen is so calm, or does she know something?"
Consort Wen thought that since the Imperial Noble Consort was destined to fall, her only opponent was Consort Chen. In particular, Consort Chen had a son and a daughter, so her chances of winning were greater than Consort Wen's. Naturally, she had to drag Consort Chen down with her.
"I was scared too. My legs are so numb that I can't stand up, so I'm sitting down!"
Wanyi lied with a look of lingering fear, without even needing to think it through. After all, the Empress Dowager was the most powerful person present, and if she didn't issue a gag order, Kangxi wouldn't blame her. Besides, she had no power in the palace and couldn't make decisions on her own.
"What are you afraid of!" As soon as Emperor Kangxi finished his court session and learned that the Imperial Noble Consort had given birth, he rushed over here without even changing out of his court robes. As soon as he entered, he heard what Consort Wan said.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be well!" It is correct to bow first.
"No need for formalities! What were you discussing just now? And has the Imperial Noble Consort given birth?" Kangxi asked somewhat nervously. He especially hoped it was a princess, so that his previous words would no longer matter.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort has given birth to a baby boy, but..."
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, and most of the time people remained silent. Wanyi didn't speak either, after all, she didn't want to get involved in this mess. So the Empress Dowager had to step in and speak, since she was the most important person there, wasn't she?
"Brother...good!" Kangxi said "Brother" for a long time before finally saying "good." Anyone with eyes could see that Kangxi was overjoyed, but in reality, he was not happy at all. He was even thinking about how to prevent the Imperial Noble Consort from becoming Empress.
"However, Your Majesty must be mentally prepared when you see the young prince!" The Empress Dowager could only say this, seeing that Kangxi was completely immersed in the joy of having a legitimate son.
"Why is this!" No wonder the little prince is so weak! If you count the days, the Imperial Noble Consort is only eight months pregnant, and premature babies are always unusually weak.
"The Emperor will know when he sees it. Send someone to deliver the baby and bring the little prince in!" The Empress Dowager gestured to Granny Qiu, who was standing nearby.
"Your Majesty, the young prince has arrived!" The young prince was in the next room, so he arrived very quickly. Kangxi covered himself with the three blankets, and when he reached out and lifted them, he was startled.
"Who can tell me what's going on?" Kangxi was startled and stared blankly for a long time. The others dared not breathe and roared angrily.
"Your Majesty, perhaps it's something the Imperial Noble Consort ate during her pregnancy that caused the little prince's congenital disability? It's not like what they say, a divine punishment."
No one dared to speak up, so Wanyi became the one to stick her neck out and stir up trouble.
"Is it just a patching up of the face? Are there any other issues?" Kangxi wondered. Since the face was already so badly damaged, would the rest be alright?
"Your Majesty, the young prince's hand is only half of what it used to be, his right hand is normal, and his left foot is also missing half." Granny Chen didn't hide anything, her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"What else could this be but divine retribution? Tsk tsk, I wonder what the Imperial Noble Consort did to cause the little prince to end up like this."
Consort An has already withdrawn from the Imperial Noble Consort's camp, so she has nothing to fear about stepping on the Imperial Noble Consort.
"Alright, what happened today must not be spread, or you will be killed without mercy! The Imperial Noble Consort gave birth to a little prince, who died at birth. Because the Imperial Noble Consort failed to protect the imperial heir, she is demoted to the rank of Consort and confined to Chengqian Palace. She is not allowed to leave without being summoned. Dismissed!"
This is a family scandal that should not be aired in public. If it weren't for the fact that too many concubines saw and knew about it, he would have killed all the people in the know. If it were to get out, it would have a huge impact on the court.
Imperial Noble Consort Tong has completely fallen from grace. Emperor Kangxi, considering her family background, did not kill her. After Consort Wan and the others left, Kangxi issued an edict to kill all the palace servants in Chengqian Palace who knew the truth. Today is destined to be a day of endless bloodshed.
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