Emperor Kangxi did not hear the baby crying, and his heart tightened, causing him to stop in his tracks.
Although he didn't like it, the child was already born, and he didn't want anything to happen to him.
Kangxi hurriedly walked back, intending to take a look and put his mind at ease.
"Now that the Imperial Noble Consort has given birth, and you have all been keeping watch all night and must be tired, go back and rest."
Consort Rong and Consort Hui exchanged glances, their faces both showing great seriousness.
Seeing that Emperor Kangxi was about to leave but then turned back, one could tell just how much favor Consort Tong enjoyed.
Consort Tong was already favored, and now that she has given birth to a prince, she will be even more unscrupulous in the harem.
When Kangxi entered the inner palace, he saw Imperial Physician Li taking the pulse of the little prince. The little white bundle of flesh made Kangxi's heart soften.
This sight reminded him of how Crown Prince Yinreng was when he was a child, a delicate and frail little thing.
"Give it to me, let me hug it."
Kangxi took the little prince in his arms and listened to the soft, weak sobs of the boy.
Emperor Kangxi looked very unwell; he knew as soon as he touched the child that this was not a healthy child.
"Imperial Physician Li, what's wrong with my son?"
Physician Li, who was quite old, had just finished stopping the bleeding for Consort Tong and was already covered in sweat.
As I took the young prince's pulse, my heart pounded even lower.
This is another child born with a heart condition, exactly the same as the Imperial Noble Consort's previous child, except that the child is in better health. With proper care, living to adulthood should not be a problem.
"Your Majesty, the young prince born to the Imperial Noble Consort is also born with a heart ailment."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi froze, recalling the little princess that Consort Tong had given birth to last time. He had only glanced at her before leaving, his face extremely grim as he stared at Imperial Physician Li.
"What did you say? Suffering from heart disease? How long can he live?"
Although Emperor Kangxi did not want Consort Tong to give birth to a prince with Tongjia blood, the fact that the child had already been born and then told that he would not survive made Emperor Kangxi even more upset.
Emperor Kangxi had already planned that, at worst, the child would be born, and he would bestow less favor upon him to ensure the position of Crown Prince Yinreng.
He never expected that his cousin would give birth to another son who wouldn't live long.
Emperor Kangxi tightened his grip on the young prince, as he was reminded of the pain of losing his children in succession in his early years.
When Physician Li realized that Emperor Kangxi had misunderstood his meaning, he quickly explained.
"Although the young prince also suffers from heart disease, fortunately he was born at one month old, so as long as he is well cared for, he can still grow up."
After saying this, Physician Li wiped the sweat from his forehead before stammering out the rest of his words.
"The Imperial Noble Consort nearly suffered severe bleeding during this childbirth, and her body is now completely... ruined, showing signs of... nearing its end."
In Chengqian Palace, besides Emperor Kangxi, only the Fourth Prince Yinzhen remained as his master.
Emperor Kangxi glared fiercely at Physician Li, his hands trembling slightly as he held the young prince. The nanny beside him quickly took the prince from him.
"Imperial Physician Li, I don't care what method you use, the Imperial Noble Consort must not be harmed."
Physician Li wiped his sweat repeatedly and nodded with a wry smile.
The King of Hell wants him to stay until midnight, but he has no ability to stay until dawn.
Although he believed his medical skills were good, he wasn't a god; the patient was already at the end of his life and there was nothing he could do to save him.
The best he can do is to nourish himself more regularly and try to live a few more months.
Of course, Physician Li wouldn't be so reckless as to say that directly to Emperor Kangxi; that would be tantamount to asking himself to die too soon, only to have the dark-faced Emperor Kangxi drag him away and execute him.
Naturally, he nodded hastily, indicating his stance that he would definitely save the Imperial Noble Consort's life.
Emperor Kangxi took a deep look at the infant prince in his swaddling clothes.
“Take good care of the young prince. If he doesn’t survive, I don’t think there’s any need to keep the people in Chengqian Palace.”
Kangxi strode out of Chengqian Palace and headed towards Yangxin Hall. Liang Jiugong followed closely behind, secretly groaning in his heart.
The days ahead are going to be tough. Lately, I don't know what's wrong, His Majesty's temper is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Emperor Kangxi always had a dark expression when he attended the morning court session. The court officials below looked at each other, and it seemed that nothing major had happened in or outside the palace recently.
Could it be that His Majesty has found out about my underhanded actions?
All the ministers nodded, and the usual arguments instantly fell silent.
They were afraid that Kangxi would make an example of one of them as a warning to his colleagues.
----
Consort Tong didn't wake up until noon, feeling utterly exhausted. She opened her watery eyes and immediately looked around.
"Granny, where is my little prince? Bring him here quickly so I can see him."
When the wet nurse saw Consort Tong lying on the bed, struggling to get up, she quickly advised her against it.
"Your Majesty, you can't move around right now. The imperial physician said you need to rest and recuperate for at least two months to fully recover."
"You're not alone now, so you can't be as willful as before. The little prince can't live without his mother."
"You must take good care of your health, live a long and healthy life, and accompany the little prince as he grows up."
The wet nurse's red marks at the corners of her eyes had not yet faded, and she cried several times upon hearing what the imperial physician said.
She just couldn't understand how the Empress, so young, could have died so quickly after giving birth to a prince.
Heaven has been so unfair to her mistress.
Her mother had longed for half her life, and it was only with great difficulty that she finally gave birth to her own biological child.
He also suffers from a heart condition.
The imperial physician said that as long as it is carefully cared for, it will definitely grow up.
Even healthy and strong women in the harem might not be able to survive, so it would be even more difficult to support someone with a heart condition.
Consort Tong held the little prince in her arms, unable to get enough of looking at him.
This is her child.
Her child with her cousin, the emperor.
She will surely grow up surrounded by love and affection, and live a life even better than the crown prince.
Consort Tong gently kissed the two little princes in her arms.
The wet nurse decided not to tell Consort Tong about the young prince's heart ailment for the time being.
Once I'm fully recovered from my confinement period and feel better, I'll explain the situation to the Empress in detail.
Otherwise, if Consort Tong knew this news, she definitely wouldn't have a good postpartum period, and might even cry every day.
The wet nurse was determined not to let that happen, and she secretly asked the imperial physician.
At first, Physician Li was unwilling to speak frankly. It was only after the wet nurse threatened and bribed him, and pleaded with him, that he finally got the truth from her.
The imperial physician then told the truth.
If she takes good care of herself, Consort Tong can live for a few more years.
If not cared for properly, it may not even survive a year.
A year is still an easy year to get through, but it's also possible that you won't even be able to get through a few months.
That depends on Consort Tong herself.
When the wet nurse heard the news, she almost fainted. She had raised the empress since she was a baby.
She couldn't let the Empress die like that, otherwise how could the young prince survive in this fierce and dangerous harem?
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