It was supposed to be a happy day, but in the middle of the night, Yonghe Palace suddenly summoned the imperial physician.
Early the next morning, the Imperial Concubine seemed to want to say something to the two children, but in the end she said nothing. After breakfast, she went to Yonghe Palace alone.
After the imperial concubine came back, she called them to the main hall.
Yinzuo asked his brother who was leading him forward: "Why did the Imperial Noble Mother call us over at this time? Do you know why, brother?"
"I am a human being, not a god. How can I predict the future?" Yinzhen replied calmly.
"Could it be that the Royal Mother remembered the interesting things that happened in my brother's childhood and wanted to tell Little Six~" Thinking of this, Yinzuo's eyes began to light up.
Yinzhen felt a little helpless, and didn't know why this little guy liked to hear these things so much.
"Didn't you hear enough yesterday?"
"How can it be enough? No matter how much, I will never have enough~" Yinzhen answered cheerfully.
Having said that, the two stopped talking and walked into the main hall together.
The Imperial Concubine supported her forehead, looking thoughtful. When she heard the two of them coming in, she straightened her back and looked over.
"Little Four, Little Six, the Yonghe Palace urgently summoned the imperial physician last night. I just went to the Yonghe Palace myself. Your sister is not feeling well. You two brothers should go and see her and comfort Concubine De."
I have heard palace servants use this description to talk about seriously ill slaves in the palace before. Not feeling well means dying soon. Yinzuo subconsciously looked at his brother. He was very panicked because his brother was his backbone.
"Thank you, my Royal Highness. Yinzhen will take Xiaoliu to Yonghe Palace right away."
When going out, Yinzuo almost tripped over the threshold, fortunately his brother supported him.
"Brother, sister...how come she suddenly became unwell?" Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with her because she had stolen his mother's attention, Yinzuo never thought that she would disappear.
Yinzhen held his hand tightly, life and death were determined by fate, he knew it very well. When he was just reborn, Yinzhen had thought about changing something, but no matter how he interfered, he could not change the predetermined fate, what was going to happen was bound to happen. Yinzuo only lived to the age of six in his previous life, and there were still more than three years left. Yinzhen kept repeating this in his mind.
"Xiaoliu, actually many children have died in the palace. Before big brother, there were several of our brothers and sisters, but they all died today. No one can say for sure about such things." It was rare for Yinzhen to talk so much to him, he just didn't want him to be too sad.
The two brothers didn't speak again until they walked into Yonghe Palace and saw the haggard Concubine De.
Yinzuo trotted over, hugged his mother's legs, looked up at her, his eyes full of worry.
"Mother~" He even called her in a very soft voice, for fear of scaring her. There was no other reason, but because mother was now in a state of disarray. Her eyes were staring at her sister in the cradle without blinking, which made Yinzuo feel very distressed.
Defei's reaction also slowed down. It took her a while to slowly turn her head to look at her two sons beside her. She pulled the corners of her mouth and tried her best to make an ugly smile. Her voice was also very hoarse, as if it was because she cried too much and did not take in any water.
"Little Four and Little Six are here. Can you guys come and talk to your sister and help mother wake her up?"
Yinzhen turned his head to look at the baby in the cradle who was breathing weakly and had a blue face, and pursed his lips.
On the contrary, Yinzuo agreed with a smile as he did in the past.
"Don't worry, mother. Xiaoliu will play with his sister right away."
Having said that, even Yinzuo could see that his sister couldn't get up to play. Yinzuo could only lie beside the cradle and talk to her in a low voice, just like the last time he saw her.
After a while, Yinzuo clearly noticed that his mother's mood was better than when he and his brother first came in.
"Aunt Qing, I'm a little thirsty~" Yinzuo had just talked so much with his sister that he was definitely thirsty.
"Sixth Prince, please wait a moment. I will get you a glass of water."
Aunt Qing came forward with a glass of water, passed it to Yinzuo, and said to him, "Sixth Prince, please have some."
Yinzuo took the glass of water but did not drink it. Instead, he held it in both hands and raised it in front of his mother.
"Drink first, mother~"
Defei looked at her youngest son's expectant eyes and finally took it. The cool water slid into her mouth and flowed through her throat, relieving some of the anxiety in Defei's heart.
"Another glass." Yinzuo quickly added before Aunt Qing turned and left.
"Yes." Aunt Qing glanced at her own mother, seemed relieved, and turned to pour water.
After Yinzuo took the second glass of water, he wanted to pass it to his brother, but his brother shook his head at him, so he drank it himself.
When Concubine De saw that he was drinking so quickly, she immediately felt a little regretful that she shouldn't have let him talk so much.
"It's all my mother's fault"
Yinzuo stepped forward and covered his mother's mouth, then buried himself in her arms.
"Don't worry, mom. My sister will be fine. Mom, Xiaoliu and my brother are here with us. We will be with you together~"
As Defei held her little son in her arms, her tears could not stop falling again. In the past, she heard the concubines in the harem secretly laughing at Rongfei for giving birth to so many children and losing so many, but she just laughed it off and did not take it to heart. But now that it was her turn, she realized how much pain she felt in her heart.
She raised her first two children, Xiaosi and Xiaoliu, well. Although Xiaoliu was ill when he was young, he eventually recovered. But her daughter suddenly fell ill in the middle of the night yesterday and now she can't even take medicine. Her current condition is more serious than Xiaoliu's. This is the child she carried for ten months and gave birth to. How can she not be heartbroken?
Summer clothes were already thin, and Yinzuo felt the wetness on his back. He patted his mother's back clumsily, imitating the way his mother used to comfort him.
"Don't cry, mom. Be good, mom~"
Yinzhen looked at his mother and Yinzuo hugging each other, then looked at the baby who was barely breathing, and frowned.
The two brothers stayed in Yonghe Palace for a whole day and returned in the evening.
During dinner, the Imperial Concubine asked, "How is it? Has the little princess's condition improved?"
Yinzuo lowered his head, and Yinzhen beside him shook his head gently at the Imperial Concubine.
The Imperial Concubine sighed. She had never given birth and had seen many things like this. Sometimes she would feel fortunate that she didn't have to endure the sorrow of seeing a loved one die. If it were her, she might not be able to get through it.
"You two should go to Yonghe Palace more often to accompany Little Princess and Consort De."
"Thank you, Royal Mother." The two brothers thanked in unison.
But unfortunately, the little princess who was only two months old in Yonghe Palace died that night, and Concubine De also fell ill.
Under such circumstances, the Imperial Noble Consort also allowed the two brothers to visit Yonghe Palace every day.
Defei was so heartbroken at the sudden loss of her daughter that she cried all day long while holding her daughter's clothes. Even Yinzuo could not rescue her from her despair.
When he returned to Chengqian Palace at night, Yinzuo nestled in his brother's arms and couldn't fall asleep. His mind was full of images of his mother's sadness and pain. After a while, he couldn't help but change sides.
"Can't sleep?" Yinzhen suddenly spoke.
Yinzuo asked somewhat embarrassedly: "Did I wake my brother up?"
"No, I can't sleep either."
Yinzuo finally breathed a sigh of relief. He thought his brother should be the same as himself, so he turned over and lay down, supporting his little face with his two little hands, looking at his brother and chatting with him in a low voice.
"Brother, it turns out that my sister is so important to mother. I shouldn't have thought badly of her before. I am mother's child, and so is she. It's natural for mother to love her. It's my fault that I didn't act as a good brother. I didn't spend time with her, and she disappeared. I will never see her again."
"Yinzuo, you don't have to blame yourself. Life and death are determined by fate. Everything is predetermined."
"Brother, if Xiaoliu becomes like his sister one day, will you be sad?" Yinzuo looked at him seriously.
Yinzhen frowned and said in a serious tone: "Don't say such unlucky words."
"Oh~" Yinzuo, who was scolded, lay back down in a depressed mood. He turned around with a little annoyance, turned his back to him and closed his eyes.
I was wondering when my brother would come to comfort me, but after a while I got too hot and actually fell asleep in a daze. He had been with my mother all day and was tired.
"Yinzuo? Asleep?" Yinzhen stood up, leaned over to take a look at the little guy, confirmed that he was indeed asleep, and then hugged him in his arms again.
After a while, a very light but firm voice suddenly rang out in the quiet room.
"You'll be fine, absolutely not!"
After his sister died, Yinzuo got up early every day and went to Yonghe Palace to accompany his mother. He was a sleepy person, but he insisted on going every day. Yinzhen was worried about him, so he also accompanied him every day.
Kangxi also visited Yonghe Palace once. He had experienced more such pain than Defei, so he could only advise her to be more open-minded and believe that they would have children in the future.
But Concubine De is the child's biological mother, how can she let it go easily? Although she agrees with him, she is still worried about him in her heart.
A whole month passed, and Yinzhen couldn't bear to see Yinzuo working so hard every day, and finally couldn't help but say something to his mother in private.
"Mother, the dead are gone, and the living are like this. My sister is your child, as are Yinzuo and me. We are all very worried about you. Yinzuo hasn't had a good sleep for a long time. Please take care of him. He is less than three years old, and he needs mother too."
Her two sons came to Yonghe Palace early every day to talk to her and make her happy, and then went back very late. Defei saw all of this. After hearing what Yinzhen said, her emotions slowly calmed down, at least in front of her two children.
"Brother, what can I do to make mother happy?" Yinzuo was a sensitive person. He still realized that mother had not really let it go. He had seen mother more than once, secretly looking sad while holding the small clothes she made for her sister.
"Maybe it will be fine when my mother has another sister." Yinzhen was not very sure.
"The next sister?"
"What next sister?" The imperial concubine suddenly walked in, followed by eunuchs carrying several boxes.
"Royal Mother~" Yinzuo jumped off the chair and ran to her.
"Do you know how Yinzuo can have another sister?" Yinzuo looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer.
The imperial concubine smiled, picked him up, walked to the couch and sat down.
"Why does little Yinzuo suddenly care about this?"
"Royal mother, please tell Xiaoliu first~"
The Imperial Concubine coughed lightly and said seriously, "Of course it requires the right time, right place and right people."
"Xiao Liu doesn't understand. Could your Madam Royal Highness please explain it in simpler terms~" Yinzuo pulled her sleeve and acted coquettishly.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. As for the timing, it naturally refers to good luck from God. As for the location, it means the place has to be right. As for the people, it all depends on your royal father." At this point, the imperial concubine blushed slightly. She was really embarrassed to talk about this in front of the child.
"Oh my God...this place...my Emperor?" Yinzuo muttered in a low voice.
"Then what will it take for God to agree?" Yinzuo asked.
"Generally, if concubines want to pray for offspring, they naturally place statues of Guanyin or Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. There are temples outside the city that are said to be very effective, and many people go there to worship."
"Then can the Imperial Noble Mother take Yin Zuo to pay her respects?"
The Imperial Concubine was immediately amused by him. She tapped the little guy on the forehead and said with a smile, "You, it's not that easy to leave the palace. But now that you mention it, I really want to go and pay my respects. The Double Ninth Festival is coming in a few days, and it's reasonable to go up high and look into the distance on the Double Ninth Festival."
So, when the emperor came to Chengqian Palace for dinner the next day, the imperial concubine found a suitable opportunity to talk to the emperor about going to the royal temple outside the palace to worship Buddha.
"Your Majesty, I have been thinking that the palace has been in turmoil recently. The Empress Dowager is not feeling well, and the little princess of Concubine De has just died. There are also rumors of ghosts in the palace. It just so happens that the Double Ninth Festival is just a few days away. Why don't I accompany Your Majesty to Tantuo Temple to pay homage and look far into the distance? It is also in accordance with the season."
Kangxi has indeed been worried about these things recently, but he is also a little hesitant.
Just then, Yinzuo ran up to him and started acting coquettishly.
"Father Emperor, go ahead, Xiaoliu has never been out of the palace before~"
Kangxi skillfully held the little guy in his arms and let him sit on his lap.
"Since Xiaoliu wants to leave the palace so much, I will ask them to make arrangements in advance."
"Long live the Emperor~" Yinzuo was so happy that he gave the Emperor a kiss on the face in front of everyone.
Kangxi wanted to laugh, but he had to consider his own imperial dignity, so he could only pretend to be unhappy and gently rebuked: "How dare you! You are defying the emperor's authority!"
Yinzuo shrank into his father's arms in fear.
"Xiao Liu knows he was wrong, Father Huang~"
The last four people who left the palace together were the Imperial Noble Consort, the Noble Consort, the Yi Consort and the De Consort. Of course, Yinzuo, who insisted on going with them, was also in the accompanying team.
Tantuo Temple is nearly thirty miles away from the Forbidden City. Sitting in the carriage all the way, Yinzuo, who was very excited at the beginning, soon felt bored. No matter how beautiful the scenery was, it was just the same old trees and grass. Moreover, he was very sleepy because he got up early. The ruts of the carriage on the bumpy official road made a particularly loud noise, and there were occasional bumps, so he couldn't sleep at all.
When he finally landed, Yinzuo felt that he was finally alive.
Fortunately, the stairs of this temple were not very high, and it was quite interesting for the group to walk up while enjoying the scenery. Yinzuo was small, and he could not walk for a while, so in the end he had to be carried up by the imperial guards.
After arriving at the temple, you will feel a warm and moist feeling, which is very different from the ordinary coldness in the mountains. Behind it is a high peak called Baozhu Peak.
Looking up, I saw towering ancient books surrounding the temple. It was autumn, and most of the leaves had turned bright yellow. In the blink of an eye, the yellow leaves were colorful and as bright as flowers, creating a profound artistic conception.
The monks in the temple had been waiting for a long time. They put their hands together and said in unison: "Amitabha, welcome the emperor and the ladies."
When they arrived at the temple, they naturally had to follow the procedure to burn incense and pray, and pray in unison. Even Yinzuo followed along obediently.
Next, the abbot explained Buddhism to Kangxi and the four queens separately. Yinzuo came out by himself, and Shunfeng, Shunshui, Madam Cheng, and two guards followed him to protect him.
Yinzuo walked around and visited many places. What interested him most was that he saw a huge fish made of stone hanging in the air.
A young monk following behind him said, "Sixth Brother, this is a stone fish. It is said to belong to the Dragon King of the South China Sea. Touching it can cure all diseases."
Yinzuo was surprised and said, "Is it so magical? Can it make people pregnant?"
This question really stumped the young monk. He stammered, "This... I haven't heard the abbot mention it either."
Yinzuo did not embarrass him and said to himself: "Forget it, I will ask myself later."
"Is there anything special about your place?" he asked again.
The young monk thought for a moment and replied, "There is a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in the temple. Why don't I take you to see it?"
"A thousand years? Great, great!" Yinzuo thought that since it could live that long, it might have become a spirit just like what was said in the book.
When we arrived at the place, there was no need for the young master to introduce it. We saw a big tree that probably required ten people to hug it standing quietly not far away. This ginkgo tree was lush and leafy, reaching into the sky. Its leaves had all turned golden yellow. When the wind blew, the leaves fell and fluttered in the air. After a moment, they fell to the ground.
Yinzuo couldn't help but walk forward, stretched out his hand, and just caught the four pieces.
Suddenly, a strange sound was heard from under the tree. Everyone quickly stood in front of the Sixth Prince and looked vigilantly at the place where the sound came from. A ball of fiery red suddenly jumped out.
"What is this?" Yinzuo had never seen such a little thing before, but he thought it was very beautiful.
"Sixth Prince, I think it looks like a fox." Nanny Cheng was knowledgeable and she was the first to answer.
"Fox?" Yinzuo tilted his little head. He found that this fox was particularly bold and was staring at him straight. It was much more interesting than the cats raised by the concubines in the palace.
The young master was worried that the two guards would hurt it, so he quickly stood up, opened his arms, and protected the little fox.
"Sixth Prince, it's a fox from the nearby mountains. It occasionally comes around this ginkgo tree. It won't hurt anyone, so please don't hurt it!"
"Then you should step back and don't hurt it." Yinzuo ordered the two guards who had already drawn half of their swords.
"Yes!" The two guards put away their swords and stood behind the Sixth Prince.
"Is it hungry?" Yinzuo squatted down and asked.
"Maybe, otherwise it wouldn't have come to this temple. It must have run out of food in the mountains and had nowhere else to go, so it came here." Nanny Cheng speculated.
"So what does it eat?"
"Meat, I guess!" the younger one continued.
Yinzuo suddenly remembered that his purse was filled with the dried meat that Luwu had prepared for him. The moment he opened the purse, the fox sniffed the scent and approached him tentatively.
"It seems that it really wants to eat meat."
Yinzuo took out two pieces of dried meat from his pouch, placed them on the ground in front of him, and then looked at the fox with interest.
Perhaps the jerky smelled so good and it was so hungry that it finally mustered up the courage to walk forward, lowered its head, picked up the jerky and started eating.
After eating, he licked his lips, still feeling it was not enough, and walked a few steps towards the only little cub with dried meat, then lay down on the ground, swinging his tail.
Yinzuo took out two more pieces of dried meat and placed them on the ground.
The fox immediately turned over, picked up the dried meat and started eating it again.
Yinzuo felt that its fur was shiny and smooth, and he couldn't help but reach out and touch it. After finding that it did not resist, he touched its tail and ears.
“It’s so cute~”
"You are still more adorable, Sixth Prince." The young master said honestly.
They had been out for quite a while, and Nanny Cheng was worried that the Emperor had finished his visit, so she said, "Sixth Prince, we should go back."
"Okay then, little fox, I'm leaving. I'll come to see you again if I have the chance in the future~" Yinzuo was quite reluctant to leave.
After touching it several times, Yinzuo finally stood up and walked back the way he came.
"Where did you go?" Kangxi squatted down and picked up Yinzuo who had just returned.
"Let's go inside, Father Emperor. There is a stone fish there. The little monk in the temple said that touching it can cure all diseases. Father Emperor, please take everyone to touch it, so that no one will get sick~"
Kangxi laughed heartily after hearing his son's childish talk.
"Okay, since Xiaoliu is so filial, let's go and take a look together."
On the way there, Kangxi discovered that he was holding four golden leaves in his hand, which looked very beautiful.
So I asked him, "What are you doing with these ordinary leaves?"
Yinzuo raised the leaves in his hand and said with a smile: "These are ginkgo leaves, and they are not ordinary leaves, they are leaves from a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree~"
"Oh? Is it true?" Hearing this, Kangxi became interested.
The abbot of Tantuo Temple smiled and said, "Sixth Prince is right. Our temple does have a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree."
"Then do you know if there is anything in this temple that can help me have more brothers and sisters? In addition to curing all diseases, can the stone fish help me have a sister? The little master said that only the abbot knows. You should be the abbot of this temple, right?" Yinzuo was still thinking about his previous doubts, so he asked him curiously.
The abbot replied, "Of course the stone fish can't do that, but the ginkgo tree is also called the 'Gongsun Tree', which means having many children and good fortune. Sixth Prince has already found what you want, so why do you need to ask me again?"
"Really?"
The abbot smiled but did not answer.
"Royal Mother, Mother, here~" Yinzuo handed the ginkgo leaves in his hand to the two mothers.
The Imperial Noble Consort and Consort De were naturally very considerate and took a piece from him with a smile. However, the Noble Consort and Consort Yi standing next to him felt a little awkward.
"There are two pieces left. Xiaoliu will give one to each of the two ladies~" Yinzuo did not hide any of them, but was very generous.
Both the Imperial Concubine and the Concubine Yi had been at odds with the Concubine De, and they felt a little uncomfortable when they looked into Yinzuo's innocent, clear, and unclouded eyes.
"Since Xiaoliu means well, you should accept them all." Kangxi just wanted good luck and did not really expect these four inconspicuous ginkgo leaves to play any role.
"yes."
The Imperial Concubine and the Concubine Yi then each took a piece from Yinzuo's hand and left.
No one touched the stone fish, because it had been touched by countless people, and as concubines, it would be a pity for them to touch it.
The group had a vegetarian meal in the temple and rested for a while before setting off for the palace. Before leaving, Yinzuo subconsciously looked back and saw the greedy little fox that had eaten his dried meat hiding behind a stone pier and secretly watching him.
The author has something to say:
Four leaves, four children, all born in the same year. Our Xiaoliu is definitely the fairy boy who brings children.
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