Chapter 79 A Knot in the Heart Is Not Easy to Untie
“The pregnancy of Consort Fang, Consort Hui, Consort Fucha, and now Consort Wan.”
In the Shou Kang Palace, Yinzhen sat opposite the Empress Dowager, his head bowed, fiddling with a white jade tweezer in his hand. His voice was extremely low: "Since I ascended the throne, I have lost four children."
The Empress Dowager looked at his dejected figure and sighed softly, "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. Think of how Hongzhou and Wenyi were born safely. Now, the child in Consort Xian's womb has passed three months and seems to be settling down. There's nothing to worry about in the future."
"Only Ying'er can put my mind at ease." When Consort Xian was mentioned, Yinzhen's brows relaxed for a moment, then he frowned again and said nothing more.
The Empress Dowager didn't know where to comfort her. Ordinary families might have three or four sons, but in the royal family, it was far from enough. Especially compared to the late Emperor, the Emperor's children combined were not even a fraction of what they had.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager's brows furrowed with worry. "There are very few old people left in the palace. Consort Nian is confined to her quarters, Consort Xian is pregnant, Consort Duan is ill... and Consort Cao and Consort Jing have never been favored by the Emperor. Why not hold another selection of consorts and choose some confidantes for the Emperor to keep by his side?"
Why only mention the older women? Naturally, it's because the Empress Dowager looks down on the newly arrived concubines. Consort Hui was originally from the best family among the Han Bannermen and was the Empress Dowager's favorite, but she seems to have gotten stuck on her own stubbornness. Now, it seems Consort Wan is acting similarly, refusing to see the Emperor, and even when she does, she doesn't give him a pleasant look.
The Emperor is certainly not pleased that Consort Fucha has injured her face. Consort Rou looks timid and delicate, not like someone who can accomplish anything. It seems that there is really no one in the harem who can comfort the Emperor.
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager mention holding another imperial concubine selection, Yinzhen's brows furrowed even deeper. He shook his head and waved his hand to stop her, saying, "No need. The war is intense and the national treasury is empty. I have no intention of holding another selection. The harem is already so unsettled. Who knows what kind of chaos it will cause if another selection is held?"
You could tell just by looking at his face how irritable the emperor was.
The Emperor had no intention of electing an Empress Dowager, so there was nothing she could do. After thinking for a while, someone suddenly flashed into her mind—"Why not bring the Fourth Prince back from the Yuanmingyuan and raise him in the palace with the Third Prince and the others? It would be more lively for a group of children to be together."
When Hongli was mentioned, Yinzhen fell into a deep silence. He closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, and said without hesitation, "There's no need for that. There are plenty of people to take care of him in the Yuanmingyuan. Hongshi should focus more on his studies. Less play will allow him to read more books."
...
Shen Meizhuang stood at the entrance of Suiyu Pavilion, clutching a handkerchief. She hadn't come since the last incident, but today...
She calmed herself down, helped Caiyue step over the threshold and into the room. Suiyu Pavilion was eerily quiet, with not a single maid or eunuch in sight. Chen Meizhuang tentatively walked around the gauze curtains toward the inner hall, where she saw Zhen Huan sitting blankly on the bed in her nightgown, repeatedly stroking a small pink undergarment in her hand.
Hearing the sound, she slowly looked up towards the door. "...Sister Mei?" She tilted her head slightly, her voice hoarse with confusion. As soon as she opened her mouth, tears streamed down her face without warning.
Meizhuang was always stubborn but soft-hearted. Even though she had some resentment in her heart, she couldn't help but take two steps forward and stiffly hand her handkerchief to Zhen Huan.
"I know this is a difficult time, but you have to pull yourself together. How can you take revenge if you're so dejected?"
She still had unresolved issues in her heart, and even her words of concern sounded stiff. Zhen Huan wanted to take the handkerchief, but upon hearing these words, she suddenly paused, withdrew her outstretched hand, and looked up at the person in front of her.
"Revenge? The Emperor is determined to protect that vile woman and abandon my child. Do you think I don't want revenge? I dream about it!" It was as if her emotions, which had been building up for many days, had reached a breaking point. The more she spoke, the more difficult it was for her grief and indignation to dissipate. She even began to growl in a low voice.
Meizhuang was furious to see her like this. She had been holding back so much for days, and she was never one to hold back. "Are you the only one who lost your child? Didn't I? At least you know who killed you, but what about me? A few plates of almond pastries took the life of my unborn child. All the evidence pointed to you, but who could I seek revenge against?"
Zhen Huan's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that her sister Mei was still holding a grudge about this matter—"Sister, you don't believe me? I told you long ago that someone deliberately framed me, it was Consort Nian!"
Meizhuang's stubborn eyes were now filled with tears. She turned her head slightly upward and gritted her teeth to suppress her emotions. "I was in the room that day. I heard everything that happened outside. The Emperor believed in you. He spoke up for you the whole time and never asked me how I was doing."
She sniffed, took a breath, and continued, "And there's Consort Fucha's pregnancy. I was there that day, and I know it wasn't your intention. But Consort Fucha's child was lost because of you. She lost her child, and then you became pregnant. Who will she seek revenge on? Neither of our children were harmed by you, but you've been involved to some extent."
Amidst Zhen Huan's deeply shocked and bewildered gaze, Mei Zhuang turned and knelt down to face her—"Huan'er, all I ask for is someone who can believe in me and pity me, but the Emperor cannot do that. Therefore, I would rather live a lonely life in the palace than serve the Emperor again, but he has done almost everything for you..."
Zhen Huan stared blankly at the person in front of her, as if she were only getting to know her again today. The bodice she was clutching in her hand had quietly slipped away without her noticing. Seeing this, Mei Zhuang felt that there was no point in saying more, so she turned her head away and wiped the tears from her face—"I have said all I have to say. Take care... Consort Wan."
As if afraid of regretting her words, she stood up and fled from Suiyu Pavilion, moving so fast that Caiyue almost couldn't catch up with her.
Zhen Huan was left alone in the now-silent Suiyu Pavilion, looking anxious and uneasy.
——
Perhaps because the successive loss of his children had really hit him hard, Yinzhen did not stay overnight in the inner palace for several days afterward. Occasionally, he would go to Yongshou Palace to see Consort Xian and the children, or to Suiyu Pavilion to see Consort Wan, who was always pretending to be asleep.
He spent most of his time in the Imperial Study or the Hall of Mental Cultivation, reviewing memorials day and night.
Today, the approval process was particularly late. Hongzhao sat at his small desk, yawning repeatedly. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at his father, who had reminded Su Peisheng several times but still showed no sign of finishing. He then looked at Su Peisheng, who was standing to the side, looking hesitant and troubled.
Sigh, I guess I'll have to step in myself.
He stood up, stretched casually, moved his neck, and walked out from behind the desk as if no one else was around, swaying as he walked towards the seat of the emperor at the head of the table.
Su Peisheng seemed to sense something and quickly looked up, then glanced at the emperor who seemed completely oblivious. He wisely took two steps back, giving the father and son, who were both willing to give and take, room to perform.
After all, the sound of the golden bell at the end of the Fifth Prince's hair was not to be ignored in the extremely quiet Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Hongzhao walked around the long table to his father's side without saying a word. He placed his hands on the armrests of the dragon throne, knelt on one knee, and easily flipped into Yinzhen's arms.
Yinzhen had already noticed his actions, but he had been silently watching his every move. When he saw him playfully trying to snuggle into his arms, he deliberately leaned back to make room for him, and supported Hongzhao's bottom with his left hand to adjust his posture.
"You brat, you can't even study on your own, so you come here to bother me." He smiled with narrowed eyes, put down his pen, and lifted the child in his arms, letting him lean closer to him.
Hongzhao nestled in his father's arms as if it were his own right, fiddling with his braid with his head down, his tone somewhat aggrieved—"How dare I disturb you, Father? But I promised you before that I would study with you. If you don't sleep, I can't sleep either."
Hearing his pitiful words, Yinzhen found it even more amusing. He pretended to be serious and patted his thigh—"Oh? So You'er is too sleepy to keep going, so he came to beg his father?"
In public, they would address each other as "Father Emperor," but when no one was around, they would simply call each other "Father." This was an unspoken understanding between Yinzhen and Hongzhao.
Hongzhao nodded without any shyness, turned to face the Emperor, and said earnestly, "I am a gentleman and cannot break my promise. I can only ask Father to give way to me. Father promised to test my riding and archery skills tomorrow. I have learned a lot from Uncle Thirteen. Father is also a gentleman and cannot break his promise."
Yinzhen couldn't help but smile. He was in a rare good mood these past few days. He put his hands through Hongzhao's arms, lifted him up and held him in his arms. He stood up and said to Su Peisheng, who was also smiling, "Let's go. I'm sleepy. I'll grant our Prince Rui permission to go to bed as well."
As he spoke, he lifted Hongzhao up and then strode out with a smile.
The sudden feeling of weightlessness made Hongzhao hug his father's neck tightly, and his laughter, accompanied by the soft tinkling of the golden bell, made the Hall of Mental Cultivation lively again.
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