Emperor Kangxi looked at Empress Niohuru kneeling below with a strange expression. The court was currently giving important positions to Niohuru's father and brothers, so he could not afford to disrespect her.
Kangxi raised his hand, his voice filled with suspicion and warning.
"Empress, please rise. Since they couldn't find out, I'll come myself."
"Liang Jiugong, have someone investigate."
"Dig nine feet into the ground to investigate. I need to know the results within two hours."
Standing behind Kangxi, Liang Jiugong, who was already prepared, immediately took the order and quickly left the inner palace to arrange for people to investigate the results.
As Empress Niohuru slowly rose and sat back in her original spot, the other concubines, at Kangxi's signal, also returned to their original seats.
Under Kangxi's wrath, none of the women in the harem dared to utter a sound, sitting quietly like statues of great bearing.
Consort Yi glanced casually at Consort De, Uya, her mind filled with questions.
Could it have been Consort De, of the Uya clan, who did it?
She had originally planned to tamper with Consort Tong's delivery, but today's unexpected events disrupted her plans.
Upon hearing the news, I immediately gave orders that no one was to act rashly.
We can't let others shift the blame and we end up being punished unjustly.
Consort De, of the Uya clan, was also secretly observing everyone in the palace, her gaze finally shifting from the Empress to Consort Yi.
She hadn't even had a chance to make a move yet. Consort De, of the Uya clan, originally intended to wait until Consort Tong was about eight months pregnant before taking action, so that she would die in childbirth, taking the lives of both mother and child.
Hearing the painful groans coming from inside the palace, each one weaker than the last, Consort De, of the Uya clan, couldn't help but think maliciously.
Ideally, one person should die and two lives should be taken.
None of them should survive.
However, seeing Emperor Kangxi sitting firmly in the first seat, Consort De, of the Uya clan, suppressed all her inner impulses. Her face was full of worry and anxiety, like a little white flower that was always concerned for others, a truly understanding and considerate person.
I couldn't stop wondering who was behind this black cat today.
Many in the harem may have had the idea of causing Consort Tong to have a difficult childbirth, but few had the ability to take action.
As early as three months ago, Consort De, of the Uya clan, had already received reliable information from a eunuch who had been secretly placed in Kangxi's service.
Consort Tong's first child was a girl, so she did not gamble everything for a baby girl.
Originally, he planned to have his subordinates do something underhanded in August, which ultimately led to Consort Tong's difficult childbirth and the death of both her and her unborn child.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Before she could even make a move, someone else had already beaten her to it.
Consort De, of the Uya clan, showed even more obvious worry and anxiety on her face, and her inner gloating was almost overflowing.
Consort De, of the Uya clan, thought it over and eliminated them one by one.
I couldn't figure it out, and I felt that everyone in the harem was a suspect.
The eldest among them, Consort De, of the Uya clan, looked up at the opposite side and saw Consort Yi casually twisting the handkerchief in her hand, looking completely at ease.
Although she felt that Consort Yi was the most suspicious, after all, Consort Yi also hated the Tongjia clan, and she was now deeply favored by the emperor. If she really wanted to deal with the Tongjia clan, she would definitely have many opportunities.
However, judging from Consort Yi's personality and style, such insidious methods seem beyond her capabilities. Although Consort Yi is somewhat willful, she is straightforward and would disdain using such despicable means to harm others.
Consort De, of the Uya clan, who hadn't figured it out, wasn't unhappy at all. As long as Tongjia was suffering, she was happy.
Emperor Kangxi, seated at the head of the table, narrowed his eyes and surveyed the group of pretentious concubines below with a scrutinizing gaze.
His face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water, clearly indicating he was in an extremely bad mood.
The concubines, however, seemed oblivious, continuing their affected performances, which only intensified Kangxi's growing irritation.
He had originally planned to tell them all to go back and stay in their own palaces.
Just then, a very faint sobbing sound came from inside the inner palace. If it weren't for Kangxi's expressionless face, which kept everyone in Chengqian Palace from making a sound, the tiny, meow-like baby voice would have been completely inaudible.
When Kangxi heard this weak crying, his expression turned even more grim. He had lost many children in his early years, and he knew from this sound that the child would not survive.
A wave of sorrow and helplessness welled up in his heart, as if he were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard for him to breathe.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart, but the sadness surged up like a tide, making his eyes slightly red.
Despite having lost many children in his early years, he still couldn't help feeling a sense of sadness and helplessness.
He looked at the group of concubines in the harem with a blank expression, his voice flat.
"Go back to your own palaces and stay there. Don't come to Chengqian Palace unless necessary."
As the concubines slowly stepped out of Chengqian Palace, they heard the midwives inside say that they had given birth to a little princess, who was somewhat weak.
The concubines who had already turned around could no longer hide the schadenfreude on their faces. Some of them couldn't help but smile, covering their mouths with handkerchiefs, afraid that others would see it.
Those concubines who had already given birth knew from the faint, meow-like sound that such a child would not be easy to raise, especially in the palace, where the child was only seven months old.
It's a pipe dream to think that you can raise her. Even with Emperor Kangxi's protection, there are times when he can't protect her.
Anyway, all the concubines left in good spirits. The child they gave birth to was not healthy, and it was a princess. They also had health problems during childbirth, so they shouldn't think about getting pregnant again.
Consort Tong was already in poor health, and this childbirth made things even worse.
She suffered severe bleeding during childbirth and almost lost her life. She barely survived, but it damaged her very health, and she will probably never be able to give birth to a healthy child again.
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