This summer, because there were many pregnant women and the Queen was ill.
Therefore, His Majesty did not take everyone to the lotus garden.
They arranged for the princes and princesses to go separately.
The older ones went there to escape the summer heat.
Now the eldest and second princes are able to leave the palace. Children at this age are precocious and can already have their own social interactions.
In other words, it's time to start working on the matter of establishing a crown prince.
The Ning family was devastated for a long time because of the Empress's affair, but they still had the eldest prince as a trump card.
Consort Ning's plan was indeed correct. There was no way to deal with the Ning family, and the Empress could not be relied upon. However, the eldest prince was the emperor's eldest son, so naturally, he had to be won over.
As for the second prince, no one really cares.
At this time, Yan Nangui was reading the letters sent by Yan Nan and Yang Shi.
This was a secret letter, though it didn't contain any secrets, but it still managed to bypass the emperor and be sent in.
"The Huo family is overjoyed because Consort Huo is pregnant." Yan Nangui smiled after reading it and handed it to Jiangxiang.
After glancing at it, Jiang Xiang nodded: "Yes, Consort Huo entered the palace as a royal attendant back then. She has never been favored over the years, and although she holds a high position, she is not an important person. Now that she is pregnant, things are different."
"Do you think she'll be able to have this baby?" Yan Nangui asked.
"Well... I think that even if we get our wish, there will probably be a lot of trouble," Jiangxiang said.
“Indeed, what does the Empress Dowager think?” Yan Nangui smiled. “If His Majesty saw that Consort Huo’s son was being linked with the Fifth Prince, what would he think?”
“The Ye family is the Empress Dowager’s maternal clan, with extraordinary honor, and they are all in the court. If we were to tie them down to the Huo family as well… tsk, this would likely bring endless trouble,” Jiang Xiang said.
"So go ahead and have the baby. It would be better if it were a son."
“Yes, but I’m more worried about Consort Xiangxian. She’s got her eyes on Consort Lu. If she succeeds, wouldn’t that be bad?” Jiangxiang asked again.
“I’ve been thinking about this matter lately. Lady Lu comes from a humble background, but she’s not lowly. Her children will at most be of low status, but they won’t be as unattractive as the Second Prince. As for Consort Xiangxian, it seems to us that her family’s wealth and status depend on her. But from the outside, her family is also a marquis, so how are they any different?”
"It's not hard to understand why she wants a child. After all, His Majesty hasn't appointed a crown prince yet. It's not like she has no chance. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, I looked at the princes and knew what they were so anxious about." After all, the eldest prince is already nine years old.
We should start to worry.
"There are more and more voices outside calling for the establishment of a crown prince. If Consort Xiangxian doesn't participate now, she won't be able to participate later." Favor will eventually diminish, and she will grow old.
Consort Xian was different from the Empress; after all, she was still a concubine.
The number of children in the harem has nothing to do with any one concubine.
Unlike the empress, who had no children of her own and could support others.
In the end, she was still the legitimate mother of a prince.
“Yes, this servant observes that the Fifth Prince is indeed very weak these days, as is Consort Jing, who falls ill every few days. If these two continue to be unwell, Consort Xiang will naturally feel that she has a chance,” Jiang Xiang said.
“These past two years, we’ve really neglected Consort Ke,” Yan Nangui said with a smile.
“Consort Ke… hasn’t served His Majesty the Emperor in the past two years; at most, he’s only come to dine with her,” Jiang Xiang said.
"Your Majesty, something has happened at Qixiang Palace," Shuanzi said as he entered.
Yan Nangui was momentarily stunned and didn't react in time.
"Your Highness, it's Consort Ye," Jiangxiang reminded her.
"Oh, what happened?" Yan Nangui asked.
"Your Majesty, it was the Fourteenth Prince. He fell while climbing a tree, and it seems he's not feeling well," Shuanzi reported.
"How old is this prince again?" Yan Nan asked, standing up beside him.
"She's over eleven years old, so she should be turning twelve soon," Shuanzi said, supporting her.
"Let's go take a look first, we won't take the chase," Yan Nangui said.
Shuanzi stood protectively in front of her the whole time and told her in detail: "They said that the Fourteenth Prince was climbing a tree to pick a kite. He slipped and fell, and there were some artificial rocks below him. He hit his head. The imperial physician has already gone there, but I asked the messenger, and he said... he has lost a lot of blood, so he's probably not doing well."
"Oh dear, why are you saying that? You're frightening Her Majesty," Chanyi hurriedly said.
"It's alright, but he's quite pitiful." Yan Nangui still remembered seeing that child during the Dragon Boat Festival. He was a handsome boy, but he was very thin and had grown thin.
“It’s tragic. Consort Ye became a consort at such a young age. If she can’t even protect her son now, it will be truly…” Yuanhua shook her head.
By the time the geese returned south, half the people had already left.
The Empress Dowager is also here.
Consort Ye sat on the outer veranda, neither crying nor moving.
The imperial physicians were all inside. After Yan Nangui went over to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines, he didn't ask any questions.
Qiao Baolin took the initiative to explain: "The imperial physician said that there was too much bleeding, and now we just need to see how it goes after it stops."
Yan Nangui nodded.
Just then, the Empress arrived. Even if she were imprisoned, His Majesty would have allowed her to come for such an important matter.
The imperial physicians in the room exchanged glances and all shook their heads.
It's no use, the skull is shattered, stopping the bleeding won't help.
The servants had all knelt down.
Half of the bed was stained red with blood and flesh, and the child's eyes were closed, his face no longer red at all.
Presumably, Consort Ye understood this, which is why she sat outside.
Before long, the imperial physician came out, and a eunuch shouted, "The fourteenth prince... has died."
Immediately, someone started crying.
Consort Ye remained in a daze, while the Empress Dowager wiped away her tears: "Good child, how could you leave like this!"
At this, everyone burst into tears.
But Consort Ye seemed to be startled awake, and suddenly laughed. She glanced at the Empress Dowager a few times, shook her head gently, and went back inside.
When Shu Chengfeng arrived, he could only issue an imperial edict posthumously conferring the title of Prince upon the Fourteenth Prince.
Consort Ye was granted the title of Noble Consort.
What's the big deal about a concubine losing her son?
If it weren't for the fact that Consort Ye was from the Ye family, it wouldn't be anything special. Now, she can be buried in a grand manner, but that's not what Consort Ye wanted.
What's the point of a grand funeral if your only son is gone?
Just a few days after the Fourteenth Prince's death, Lu Baolin finally announced that she was pregnant, already three months along, and ready to give birth.
His Majesty bestowed gifts according to the rules and also visited them.
By June, the weather was scorching hot, and the migrating geese were belatedly showing signs of life.
That is, they are afraid of the heat.
Extremely afraid, unable to bear even the slightest heat, her face turns bright red.
But the imperial physician dared not let her eat too much cold food, only a little occasionally. And he couldn't put too much ice in it either, which was truly unbearable.
Yan Nangui returned to his own home, drew a simple sketch, and ordered the Imperial Household Department to make a simple hand-cranked fan.
Place ice blocks underneath, pull the rope and turn it round and round. The wind that comes out is cold, as long as it doesn't blow directly on people.
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