March of the 36th year of Kangxi
Yi Hua was awakened by excruciating pain that felt like her body was being torn apart. When she tried to raise her hand, she found that her arm was being held down forcefully.
Yu Xiao said to the midwife with delight, "The princess is awake! Quick, bring the ginseng soup."
Although Yi Hua still didn't understand what was going on, this body seemed to have a sense of self, and she endured the bitterness and drank it all in one gulp.
The midwife breathed a sigh of relief: "Madam, keep pushing! We can see the baby's head, it'll be over soon, push!"
Yi Hua's hands, gripping the bedsheets, were bulging with veins, as she used all her strength.
"Wah—" The baby's cries echoed throughout the room, and even the Fourth Master, who was waiting outside, could hear them clearly.
With such a loud voice, he must be a healthy young man.
The midwife's face was beaming with joy, her wrinkles crinkling as she smiled: "Congratulations, Fourth Master, your wife has given birth to a healthy little prince."
"Su Peisheng, reward him!" Yinzhen was excited to have a son, but his years of self-cultivation kept him looking calm and serious.
"How is the Fujin?" Yinzhen asked, recalling the woman's intermittent cries.
When Chen, Yihua's wet nurse, heard that the Fourth Prince was unusually concerned about his mistress, she felt relieved. Indeed, having a child made all the difference. She quickly said, "The Princess Consort has taken the ginseng soup and fainted from exhaustion. It's nothing serious."
Yinzhen glanced at his son, who was wrapped up tightly, through the curtain. His heart seemed to be filled with this little man. This was his eldest son, who would inherit his family business and continue his bloodline.
Thinking this way, Yinzhen even began to fantasize about how to enlighten him in the future, which was a completely new experience different from what the eldest princess had brought him.
"The servants of the main courtyard have served the Fujin (the principal wife) well, and each of them will be rewarded with half a year's salary. In the future, they should take even better care of their mistress," Yinzhen said loudly, turning the ring on his finger.
The servants were overjoyed and expressed their gratitude.
Holding the little prince, Granny Chen reminded him, "Your Highness, the prince is still too young to be exposed to the wind. Please come in and see him after the delivery room is ready."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen shifted his gaze from the swaddling clothes: "Take them inside. When the Fujin wakes up, go to the front courtyard to inform them that I will come to see them tomorrow."
Su Peisheng carried a lantern as Yinzhen returned to his study to write a memorial to his father, reporting that everything was well. Only then did he remember that he also needed to send someone to inform Consort De.
Yi Hua was in a deep sleep, but her mind was clear. In her confusion, she saw a woman dressed in fine clothes but with a emaciated appearance.
Her clothes looked very much like the imperial robes in later Qing Dynasty dramas, but the overly elaborate attire made the woman appear even more emaciated, as if she might ascend to heaven at any moment.
"You've arrived." The woman's voice was hoarse and difficult to understand.
"The child is healthy, thank you." The woman smiled happily, trying to show a smile. "In my previous life, because my mother was not healthy, Honghui was born weak. I didn't care about his health and forced him to study. He was so young and passed away without getting married or having children."
"I'm so tired. I'm so glad you came. I hope you can protect Honghui and help him grow up happily and healthily."
The woman's voice grew weaker and weaker, and she seemed to flicker in and out of sight, like a broken light bulb.
"From now on, you are me, Ulanara Yihua."
After speaking, the woman's gaze remained fixed on the newborn child, lingering for a long time until the smoke dissipated.
"Phew!" Yi Hua opened her eyes and looked up to see a bed curtain that was absolutely not made in accordance with modern technology.
The waves of pain in her body told her that everything that had just happened was real.
She's a recent college graduate and a working adult, enduring the torment of an unscrupulous boss during the day and being pressured by her family to go on blind dates after work. Her rare moments of leisure are spent scrolling through her phone and watching popular dramas while waiting for the shuttle bus.
She hasn't watched a single episode of the wildly popular shows "XX Legend" and "XX Strategy" from the past two years, but she can still talk about each story point in great detail.
No matter which period drama it is, the life of Ulanara, the first wife of Emperor Yongzheng, is a great tragedy.
The fact that her son Honghui, as the eldest son of the legitimate wife, received his posthumous title at the same time as Consort Nian's son makes it hard not to understand that she had forgotten about it before and only remembered it later.
No wonder Ulanara felt so resentful about this treatment that she was reborn. Unfortunately, her body was too weak, which allowed Yi Hua from the 21st century to become the rightful owner.
Yu Xiao carefully fed Yi Hua a cup of warm water: "Your Highness, you're awake. The little prince is very healthy and has been taken away by the wet nurse to nurse. His Highness was overjoyed and said he would come again tomorrow."
"Madam, please listen to my advice and say a few kind words to the master. Now that there is a young master, you can't let that one in the east continue to be so smug."
Yi Hua was sorting through the memories left behind by the original owner. It took her a while to realize that the east side the maid mentioned referred to Princess Li, who was now raising a princess and was pregnant with another child.
Emperor Yongzheng favored her for over ten years, until Lady Nian entered the palace. The old cabbage could not compete with the tender heart of the young cabbage, and with her incompetent son as well, she lost the emperor's favor.
Yi Hua's throat felt better as she said, "Don't say things like that in the future, especially when Prince Hong is around."
When Granny Chen returned and heard this, she quickly chimed in, "What you say is very true, Madam. As the principal wife, your proper duty is to manage the household well and raise the children."
Yi Hua looked behind Chen Mama, a little disappointed. She hadn't even seen the child herself yet.
Granny Chen carefully tidied Yihua's quilt: "Princess Consort, go to sleep now. I will definitely bring the First Prince here tomorrow."
The next morning, Yihua saw Honghui still asleep, and her heart melted.
This child was born from her last bit of strength, and was also raised by the original owner of this body with her last breath. Just looking at his clenched little fists filled her with joy. Is this the natural bond between mother and child? How amazing.
Yi Hua reached out and gently poked Hong Hui's cheek; it was even more tender than tofu.
He was chubby and fair-skinned, sleeping peacefully like a little angel.
The child sensed the external disturbance, his little eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he waved his hand twice, but did not open his eyes.
Seeing that the child hadn't woken up, Yi Hua continued poking him.
It's so much fun to do this repeatedly.
"Madam!" Granny Chen looked at her mistress disapprovingly. How could she treat the young master like a toy?
Yi Hua didn't take it seriously; having children was obviously just for her own amusement.
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