Chapter 80 The Empress Dowager prays for Yinreng. Yinreng paced anxiously outside the door…
Yinreng paced anxiously outside the door. Despite it being winter and nighttime, his forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. The suppressed, pained cries of Cheng Qianyue drifting through the window from inside the room startled him, making him restless.
He wasn't present when Cheng Qianyue gave birth for the first time; by the time he arrived at the west front yard, her labor was already nearing its end. This time, he stood outside completely, listening to the delivery inside. Whether it was because he felt a pang of sympathy or for some other reason, he felt that Cheng Qianyue's voice sounded exceptionally mournful.
His heart clenched heavily, a bitter and painful ache gripping him.
Just then, a young eunuch brought over a chair, but how could Yinreng possibly sit down? For a moment, he wanted to kick the chair over, but he managed to restrain himself. He repeatedly told himself to stay calm and composed!
Time ticked by, and suddenly the voice inside rose in pitch, like a nail piercing a hole in his taut nerves.
A chill ran down from the top of my head.
Then, the midwife inside called out loudly, "Quickly, the Crown Princess is dilated! Go get a few more basins of hot water." In no time, five or six people came out of the room and went outside to fetch water.
A moment later, palace maids and servants hurried over carrying basins of hot water. The last maid seemed not to see the steps clearly, and she stumbled and fell down the steps, the copper basin crashing to the ground with a loud thud. Chen He, Lin Quan'an, and the other eunuchs who were guarding outside immediately glared at her angrily, frightening the woman into kowtowing repeatedly, but she dared not utter a single utterance of begging for mercy.
Yinreng was already restless, and now he felt as if this pot had hit him hard. Everything that had happened since Cheng Qianyue started the scheme seemed like a harbinger of something bad.
Just then, the Third Prince rushed out from the east wing, his clothes not even fully buttoned, and he threw himself into Yinreng's arms, sobbing. "Father, what happened to Mother?" he asked, his face filled with panic.
When faced with the Third Prince's question, Yinreng's throat tightened. He dared not imagine how heartbroken the Third Prince would be without his mother.
Just then, Cheng Qianyue's wailing came from inside the house, mixed with the shouts and commotion of the crowd. Then the hot water that had just been brought in was brought out again, and a strong smell of blood filled the air.
"Mother!" The Third Prince burst into tears.
Yinreng's nerves pounded a few times, then he lifted his leg and strode outside. The Third Prince clung tightly to his leg, turning his head to look straight into the room, his eyes filled with worry and fear.
Yinreng squatted down and said seriously to the Third Prince, "Don't cry. You are my son. At this time, you must guard your mother like a door god and deter the surroundings."
The Third Prince wiped away his tears and sobbed, "Then where are you going, Father?"
Yinreng tore the Third Prince apart and said heavily, "I'll go and beg your Imperial Grandmother to protect your Mother." With that, he rushed out like the wind.
The Third Prince glanced at his father's departing figure, then looked at the main house with its gate tightly shut. After taking a few deep breaths, he ran to the foot of the side hall. Seeing a palace maid kneeling at the bottom of the steps, he sternly said, "What are you standing there for? Go inside and serve your mother!"
He scrambled onto a chair under the eaves on all fours and shouted into the house, "Mother, don't be afraid, don't worry, I'm watching over you outside." Then, looking down at the busy people around him, he yelled again, "I'm keeping an eye on things here. Anyone who dares to slack off will have them dragged out immediately!"
Yinreng left Jiefang Palace and hurried towards Kunning Palace. After passing through palace gates for a long time, he finally arrived at the east side of Kunning Palace. He knocked loudly on the door, making a clattering sound on the two round brass handles on the side door. After a while, the eunuch guarding Kunning Palace came to open the door, but as soon as he opened it a crack, he was pushed open by a force, and he immediately fell flat on his face.
"Hey, who is this? So arrogant, daring to break into Kunning Palace at night?!" The gatekeeper eunuch's eyes widened. When he looked up, he saw that the newcomer was wearing an apricot-yellow robe with five-clawed pythons. His heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. He hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects. When he looked up again, he saw that the Crown Prince was heading straight for the main hall of Kunning Palace.
The gatekeeper eunuch scrambled to his feet and immediately ran towards the rear of the East Warm Pavilion. "Good heavens, why is the Crown Prince here?"
Kunning Palace was originally the residence of Empress Renxiao, of the Heseri clan. Since her death, Kunning Palace has remained vacant, but its decor has been preserved as it was during her lifetime. The only difference is the portrait enshrined in the Buddhist hall, which depicts Empress Renxiao as she was in life.
Yinreng knelt down beneath the portrait of Empress Renxiao, tears welling in his eyes, and whispered, "Empress Mother..." His pent-up worries and grievances immediately found an outlet.
If the Empress Dowager is watching over us from heaven, we hope she can bless Cheng Jia and her child with safety.
Thinking this, Yinreng knelt down and kowtowed three times. When he raised his face, tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
He has almost nothing left. He was born without a mother and grew up entirely under the care of his father, the Emperor, and others. But so many things have happened over the years that have devastated him.
His maternal great-uncle, Suo'etu, died, and the servants who had served him since childhood were long gone. Although he still calls the Emperor "Father," in his heart, the bond between father and son has already fallen under the weight of imperial power.
His wife, the ministers who knelt before him, and the servants who attended him closely were all slaves praised by the emperor. His brothers, whether they defended him or chose to protect themselves, could not be fully trusted. In his eyes, only Lady Chengjia truly and completely loved him.
People often say that there is always a way out. Heaven has already taken away most of the people who cared for him. Is it not even willing to leave him with this little bit of comfort?
Yinreng clenched his fists in an instant.
He dared not imagine what would happen if Cheng Jiashi were gone. Without her by his side, he would be all alone. How long could he hold on in this precarious and dangerous position?
Yinreng knelt on the prayer mat, banging his head on the ground, refusing to lift it for a long time. He thought, "Empress Mother, please have pity on your son and bless him!"
A short while later, footsteps sounded outside the hall. Yinreng snapped out of his reverie but did not move. Sure enough, not long after, Kangxi entered from outside.
No sooner had Yinreng arrived at Kunning Palace than the head eunuch went to Qianqing Palace to report the news. Kangxi, being old and always waking early, was resting in bed when he heard from Liang Jiugong that the Crown Princess had given birth at Xiefang Palace, only to learn that Yinreng had rushed to Kunning Palace. Unsure of Yinreng's purpose, he simply brought his own men there. Upon entering, he saw Yinreng kneeling before a portrait of Renxiao.
"Your Highness, what has caused such a panic?" he asked in a deep voice.
Yinreng raised his head, knelt and took two steps toward Kangxi, then bowed and replied, "Father..." His throat choked, "Chengjia gave birth prematurely, I am worried, worried about her..." As he spoke, he prostrated himself.
Kangxi frowned, about to reprimand him for being a crown prince who shouldn't be flustered by a situation, especially one involving a woman's childbirth. But the next second, Yinreng's words reminded him of when Empress Renxiao gave birth.
Yinreng said, "As a child, I know the weight of my parents' kindness. I wish to pray to my mother in heaven that she will bless her grandson so that he will not suffer the same pain of losing his mother as I have."
Emperor Kangxi sighed deeply.
The pain of losing one's mother...
Kangxi thought of his mother, who had left him when he was still young and inexperienced at the beginning of his reign. He then looked up at the portrait of Empress Heseri, who appeared as serene and dignified as ever. She was the wife chosen for him by the Empress Dowager, his first wife, the first Empress of the Kangxi era, and the one who, after the Empress Dowager and his mother, showed him gentle care and love. Kangxi couldn't help but recall the anxious and worried he had been when Empress Heseri gave birth to Yinreng, just as Yinreng was now in a state of panic.
At that time, the Empress Dowager comforted him, saying that the ancestors would protect the Empress. However, the ancestors only protected the Crown Prince's safe birth, but took the Empress away. Over the years, he raised the Crown Prince alone, pouring out all his heart and soul into it. Besides the fact that the Crown Prince was the heir to the Qing Dynasty, he was also grateful that the Crown Prince had lost his mother at a young age and only had him, his father, to rely on.
“Baocheng, your Empress Mother in heaven will surely bless them.” Kangxi said in a deep voice, “Our ancestors will also bless them.” As he spoke, he walked over with faltering steps and placed his hand on Yinreng’s head, as if Yinreng were still a child.
Yinreng's body trembled, his eyes reddened, and he raised his head, whispering, "Father..."
Not long after, Liang Jiugong came to deliver the news, his face beaming with joy as he announced loudly, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, someone from Xiefang Palace just came to report that Consort Cheng has given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, and both mother and children are safe and sound."
Upon hearing this, Yinreng immediately sat down, his face showing relief as if he had just escaped a disaster.
"Good, good." Emperor Kangxi was delighted, then looked at Yinreng gently and said, "Go, go see your children."
Yinreng immediately straightened up, kowtowed several times to the portrait of Empress Renxiao, and hurriedly left with his entourage. Kangxi, watching Yinreng's hasty departure, breathed a sigh of relief and extended his hand to the side. Liang Jiugong quickly stepped forward, took the incense from the table, and respectfully presented it. Kangxi took the incense stick, lit it, and placed it in the incense burner on the high table.
He said softly, "Songgeli, our grandchildren have been born safely."
In the portrait, Empress Renxiao smiles at him amidst the rising smoke. She is so young and gentle, while Kangxi is already gray-haired and frail.
At this moment, Cheng Qianyue felt incredibly fortunate. She thought that if life was made up of hurdles, then she had already overcome this one. She wanted to open her eyes and laugh out loud, but she didn't have the strength at all; giving birth to two children had completely drained her.
At this moment, the Third Prince walked in from outside, frowned as he looked at the two swaddled babies crying, and said in a deep voice, "Take them away, don't disturb Mother." As he spoke, he kept walking into the inner room.
Those tidying up inside gasped in surprise at the Third Prince's arrival. He gave them a stern look, signaling them to leave.
After everyone left, the Third Prince, holding his breath, slowly made his way to the bed. After a long period of mental preparation, he slowly lifted a corner of the curtain, only letting out a sigh of relief when he saw Cheng Qianyue's chest he was breathing heavily. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and climbed onto the bed, supporting himself with his hands.
Although Cheng Qianyue was exhausted, she still felt the movement and thought, "Hmm? She just gave birth, could the child have grown up already?" Then she remembered that she seemed to have heard the Third Prince's voice during childbirth. Was that the Third Prince coming up?
At that moment, the Third Prince whispered in her ear, "Mother?"
Cheng Qianyue tried her best to reach out and touch him, her voice barely audible: "Good boy~" She was too tired to coax him anymore.
Although the sound was very soft, the Third Prince still heard it. He smiled happily, then lay down, not minding Cheng Qianyue's sweaty arms, and slowly closed his eyes while holding her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
