"Then this servant will go and make the arrangements right away." Granny Tong felt that something was amiss, but thought that she was probably overthinking it.
With the royal family and officials having been vaccinated with smallpox in advance, a nationwide vaccination program was implemented. On the advice of his ministers, Emperor Kangxi summoned doctors from all over the country to learn the technique and then return to their localities to carry out the vaccination.
As a result of this event, Kangxi's prestige among the people reached a new height, and some wealthy merchants even contributed money and effort to build Kangxi Temples for worship.
"Wan'er, you really have a good father." Kangxi was happiest recently, with everything going smoothly, so he stayed overnight at Wanyi's place today, simply because Wanyi's father and others discovered smallpox, a matter that benefits the country and its people.
"My father and mother are of course the best. I don't want to hear anyone say anything bad about them, or I'll get angry with them." As she spoke, Wanyi leaned softly against Kangxi.
"You haven't seen your family in a long time, have you?" Kangxi suddenly asked.
"This concubine has been in the palace for more than three years!" Three years is a long time since we last met, which is several decades in my previous life.
"Is that so? Then I will summon Lady Fucha to the palace tomorrow so that you and your daughter can have a good time together." Kangxi's gentleness was truly captivating.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Wanyi said, without rising to bow, but in her heart she warned herself not to fall in love with Kangxi for some petty gain. The love of an emperor is the most undesirable thing.
The next day, Wanyi helped Kangxi put on his court robes and had lunch. Then, she looked out the window with a restless expression.
"Please don't be anxious, Your Highness. Consort Suo Zhuolun must first pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager before she can go to Yongshou Palace. It will take some time. I have already instructed Xiao Dengzi to keep an eye on things. I will let you know when she arrives." Granny Kong said, looking at the absent-minded Wanyi.
"I understand, but it has been so long since I've seen my mother. I wonder if she's become a stranger to me, or if she's still the same as I remember." He doted on her so much, loved her so much, held her in his arms, and spoke of his heart and soul to her.
Wan Yi, however, forgot that she came from the modern world. She had completely integrated herself into the world and was now Suo Zhuolun Wan Yi.
Before long, Wanyi saw Xiao Dengzi, who was all smiles, swing on her and say, "Here she comes, Your Highness. Consort Suo Zhuolun has arrived and has already entered Chunyou Gate."
"Quick, see if there's anything wrong with me?" Wanyi pulled Hongxiu over and touched here and there helplessly.
"Your Highness is well, the Fujin will be here soon." Because Wanyi is a concubine, she is not allowed to go out to wait, as is the palace rule; she can only wait in the main room.
"Princess Consort Suo Zhuolun, the concubine has been waiting for quite some time." At this moment, Xiao Dengzi lifted the curtain for Princess Consort Suo Zhuolun.
The first thing that caught the eye was a woman with delicate features, dressed in court attire, who resembled Wanyi by about six or seven points. This woman was none other than Consort Suozhuolun.
"Mother, no!" Wanyi quickly stepped forward to help up Consort Suozhuolun, who was about to bow to her.
"Wan'er, etiquette cannot be disregarded, lest it cause you trouble." Consort Suo Zhuolun insisted on kneeling and performing the grand ceremony, after all, she didn't know if there were any spies in Wan'er's palace.
"Now that Mother has finished the national ceremony, it is time for your daughter to perform the filial ceremony. Your daughter greets Mother. Mother, may you be well." Ignoring the disapproval of Consort Suo Zhuolun, Wanyi pressed her down onto the chair on the right and performed a greeting.
"Good, good child." Only then did Consort Suo Zhuolun help Wanyi up and hug her in her arms. As if she had been lost and found again, she could no longer hold back her tears.
"Mother, don't cry, I want to cry too." Wanyi pouted, and this expression on her face was cute and funny, instantly making Consort Suo Zhuolun laugh.
"You! Still the same as always, always trying to amuse your mother." Consort Suo Zhuolun wiped away her tears, knowing that now was not the time to be sentimental, as she had come in with a mission today.
"Mother, how are Father and my brothers?" Granny Kong, with great tact, dismissed everyone in the room and then stood guard outside the door herself.
"It's all good, don't worry. Now the clan is also moving closer to us. Wan'er, you are not fighting alone in this harem. You have us behind you." As she spoke, Consort Suo Zhuolun took out a stack of silver notes from her bosom.
"Mother, you don't have to do this. I won't need that much in the palace. My eldest and second brothers will be getting married to Qin soon, so we need to save some for the family." Wan Yi couldn't be so selfish as to take it all.
"This is the clan's sincerity, my son! If you give birth to a son, the entire Sozhuolun clan and its relatives will gravitate towards you. What are these silver notes? Are you alright?"
When the topic of offspring came up, Consort Suo Zhuolun asked anxiously. After all, her daughter had been in the palace for three years, and there was still no good news. Perhaps she had been tricked.
"Mother, I'm perfectly healthy. I just feel that my position in the palace isn't strong enough yet, and I'm also unsure if I can raise a child on my own. So I've been using contraception. Besides, Granny Kong said that I'll recover better after giving birth when I'm older, and it won't hurt my body as much." She didn't want to become someone else's bride, but the time was about right, and she could have a child.
"That's good. When you get pregnant, your mother can come in to be with you during childbirth, and we can still see each other."
When Consort Suo Zhuolun thought that after this meeting, she didn't know when the next one would be, and that she could only accompany Wanyi during childbirth when Wanyi was the head of the palace, Consort Suo Zhuolun was just comforting Wanyi, and also comforting herself.
"Yes, the Emperor dotes on me. I'm doing very well in the palace, so Mother, you don't need to worry. Also, don't believe anything you hear outside the palace, whether it's good or bad. I'll handle things well in the palace. Please trust me. The Emperor is most wary of his concubines associating with court officials." Wanyi didn't want them to lose their minds and do something irreversible if they heard something was wrong with her.
"Mother knows, Mother knows." How could Consort Suozhuolun not know? Wanyi just didn't want to be a burden to them.
Consort Suo Zhuolun fell to the ground and left without having lunch at Yongshou Palace. Originally, there was a time limit for entering the palace, but Consort Suo Zhuolun saw that there wasn't enough time to have a meal, so she could only bid farewell to Consort Wan with reluctance.
After Consort Suo Zhuolun left, Wanyi actively prepared for pregnancy. She no longer needed to be urged to drink the nourishing soup prepared by Granny Kong every day; she would gulp it down in a few mouthfuls on her own, much to Granny Kong's delight.
"My lady, your period is two days late this month!" Granny Kong counted carefully on her palm.
"It's too late. Let Hongxiu go and collect the menstrual belt first! This afternoon, go and invite Physician Chen and Physician Ye to come and check my pulse." Regarding the pregnancy, it's important to keep it a secret until three months into the pregnancy.
"Yes, Your Highness, please keep an eye on things. I'll be right back." Granny Kong left happily.
"Child, whether you are the child from your past life or not, as long as you are born into my womb, you are my child." After Granny Kong left, Wanyi gently stroked her flat belly.
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