By the time Defei had completely recovered from the pain of losing her daughter and appeared in public again, it was already New Year's Eve this year.
The process is the same every year. The only difference is that this year at the New Year's Eve palace banquet, the Imperial Concubine was pregnant.
This year the Empress Dowager was ill and did not come. The Empress Dowager sat on the left side of the Emperor, and the Imperial Noble Consort sat on the right side of the Emperor. The Imperial Noble Consort took a bite of food at the banquet and felt unwell. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sweat broke out on her forehead.
Since he was closest to the emperor, he was immediately noticed.
"What's wrong with the Imperial Concubine? Are you feeling unwell?" Kangxi asked with concern.
"I seem to have a stomach disorder. I have been feeling nauseous for no apparent reason for the past two days."
The concubines in the palace who heard these words had different expressions. The concubines who had given birth all had the same guess in their hearts, but the Imperial Noble Concubine might not be really like what they thought after all these years.
The Imperial Concubine wanted to continue to apologize and ask to go back to the palace to rest, but she heard the Emperor say, "Go and get the imperial physician to see the Imperial Concubine."
Kangxi was still very nervous about this cousin who had been with him for more than ten years. In addition, after the death of the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, he always felt that his fate was too strong and he might be unlucky in marriage. This was one of the reasons why he had not yet promoted his cousin to the position of Empress.
The imperial physician was urgently summoned by the emperor in the middle of the night, thinking that something had happened to the emperor. He ran out of breath. When he arrived at the palace, he found that the imperial concubine was not feeling well. He was shocked.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and all the ladies."
Kangxi waved his hand impatiently and said to him, "Alright, show the Imperial Concubine what's going on."
"I obey your order!"
The imperial physician hurried forward, knelt on the ground, and took out the instruments used for taking pulses from the medical box he brought with him.
"Please place your wrist on this pillow."
The expression on the doctor's face became more and more serious, and the imperial concubine was also very nervous. Could it be that she really had an incurable disease?
Finally, the imperial physician smiled and said, "I congratulate the emperor, the empress dowager, and the imperial concubine. Your Majesty has been pregnant for more than three months."
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine was completely stunned. Her first reaction was not joy, but she wondered if the imperial physician had made a mistake in the diagnosis. How could she suddenly be pregnant? In the past ten years, she had never been pregnant once, and she had even given up hope.
"Really?" Kangxi was overjoyed and asked again.
"Your Majesty, the queen is already three months pregnant, which is not a small period. If Your Majesty is still worried, you can ask the two imperial doctors who are on duty with me today to check her pulse together."
"Then ask them to check again." Kangxi originally thought that his cousin was too weak to be pregnant. After all, so many years had passed.
"To be safe, we should be cautious." The Queen Mother also said so.
Finally, the three imperial doctors came to the same conclusion that the imperial concubine became the most watched person at the palace banquet.
I think that as long as the imperial concubine gives birth to this baby safely, if it is another prince, her position as queen will be a foregone conclusion.
Imperial Concubine Niuhulu clenched her handkerchief under the table, after all, man proposes, God disposes.
"Congratulations to the Emperor, congratulations to the Empress Dowager, and congratulations to the Imperial Concubine." Everyone in the hall stood up and congratulated in unison.
"You are so lucky, my Royal Concubine. I wonder if you could let me know how you became pregnant with the Dragonborn? I have been in the palace for two years and I am a little anxious."
The concubines all pricked up their ears. The Imperial Concubine was anxious after all, and she actually asked about this matter in public. It made sense. The Imperial Concubine had not been able to conceive a child for so many years, but suddenly she became pregnant. If she said that she didn't use some magic method, no one would believe it.
The Imperial Concubine was stunned. Everything was still the same as before. She did nothing. She had tried everything in the past. It was said that she had taken extremely effective prescriptions and prayed to gods and Buddhas, but all were in vain. What is destined to happen will eventually happen, and what is not destined to happen will not come no matter how hard you try.
Before she opened her mouth, she suddenly remembered that something happened in the palace three months ago, just before she became pregnant.
"As for other things, there is nothing special. Everything is normal for me. Nothing has changed in the past ten years. However, three months ago, I accompanied the emperor to Tantuo Temple. My sister, the imperial concubine, was also there. Do you remember that Xiaoliu gave me a thousand-year-old ginkgo leaf that day?"
Yinzuo, who was suddenly called, was still eating. Everyone looked at him. He could only cover his mouth with his two little hands and show everyone a cute, slightly shy smile.
"Of course I remember it." The imperial concubine remembered it immediately.
"Xiao Liu personally sent it to me. I liked the thought very much, so I put the ginkgo leaf in a brocade bag and hung it at the head of the bed. The abbot said that ginkgo means many children and good fortune, so I guess I am blessed with this."
Hearing these words, the eyes of the Imperial Concubine, the Concubine Yi and the Concubine De flickered slightly. That day, the three of them also got one each, but it was not hung on the head of the bed like the Imperial Concubine's.
Concubine Yi suddenly remembered that the leaf was indeed very beautiful, so she put it in the drawer of her dressing table. Besides, her menstrual flow last month was less than usual, so it couldn't be possible.
"Your Majesty, I also received the ginkgo leaves given by the Sixth Prince. Why don't you let the imperial physician take a look at me?" Concubine Yi seemed to be joking, but only she knew that she really had such a guess.
"I remember that the Imperial Noble Consort, the Noble Consort, you and the Virtuous Consort, all four of you received the ginkgo leaves given by Xiaoliu, so let the three imperial physicians take your pulse respectively." Kangxi just thought it was interesting and said it casually, he really didn't take it too seriously.
But after a while, two of the three imperial doctors actually showed joy on their faces.
"Congratulations, Queen Concubine Yi."
"Congratulations, Madam Defei."
The remaining imperial physician wiped the sweat from his forehead and could only say, "The Imperial Concubine is in good health."
After giving away four ginkgo leaves, Yinzuo gained three more younger brothers and sisters, and he was shocked himself.
At this time, Kangxi was overjoyed.
"Xiao Liu, come here."
Yinzuo couldn't help but burp, then let Nanny Cheng lead him from his seat to his royal father.
Unfortunately, Yinzuo was small and had short legs, so climbing the stairs was quite tiring for him. Kangxi walked directly to Yinzuo and picked him up.
"Thanks to you, Xiaoliu! You are truly my fertility-bringing fairy boy. Tell me, what reward do you want?"
After these words were spoken, even the eldest prince looked at Yinzuo with envy.
Yinzuo opened his mouth and burped again under the gaze of everyone. His little face suddenly turned red and he buried himself in his father's chest, not wanting to look up.
Kangxi was amused by his action.
"Your Majesty, Xiaoliu is still young. How would he know these things? Your Majesty should reward Xiaoliu with more delicious and fun things." The Royal Concubine did not want her favorite Xiaoliu to become a thorn in the eyes of everyone, so she asked for some insensitive rewards for him according to his preferences.
"Xiaoliu, tell me yourself, do you really want something delicious and fun?" Kangxi asked the little guy in his arms with a smile.
Yinzuo finally recovered. His face was still a little red, but his eyes were very bright. He said, "Father, next time you go hunting, can you take Xiaoliu with you~"
He had heard a lot of interesting stories from his brother the Crown Prince about their last hunting trip to Shengjing, and he really wanted to see it with his own eyes.
"How difficult is this? I promise you!"
Kangxi then gave him the green jade dragon pendant that he was wearing today, and then let him go.
After returning to his seat, Yinzuo casually handed the green jade dragon pendant to his brother. He was used to it, and most of the treasures he got from the Emperor's father were given to his brother.
This time, Yinzhen did not take it, but said to him: "Put it away yourself, this is the emperor's favorite thing."
It wasn't a big deal for him to keep those things for Yinzuo in the past, but this jade pendant has a different meaning. It might be of great use in the future and could win the emperor's favor. When Yinzuo grows up, he can live a more comfortable life.
"Okay then." Seeing his brother so serious, Yinzuo put the money into his purse and kept it for himself.
Yinzhi and Yinqi on the side both leaned over.
"Xiao Liu, were those ginkgo leaves really given by you?" Yinqi asked.
Yinzuo nodded, it was indeed him who sent it out.
"It's so effective! Can you give me one too?" Yinzhi looked at him expectantly.
"Third brother, I only took four leaves that day, but there are still many in Tantuo Temple. They are the leaves of the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in the temple. Why don't you ask someone to go there and take as many as you want?"
The second princess suddenly ran over and knocked her younger brother on the head.
"How old are you? You can't have children now, what do you need that for?"
"Second sister~" Yinzuo called out obediently.
"Hey! Xiaoliu is still the best behaved." The second princess reached out and pinched the little guy's chubby face.
Yinzhi rubbed his head which was hurt by the blow and said unconvincedly: "Didn't I want to keep it for my future wife?"
"You think long-term." The eldest prince who had been listening to their conversation in the front couldn't help but turn his head and interjected.
"Isn't it, brother, you must think so too!" Yinzhi replied.
After all, their mothers are both old and not suitable for having more children.
"But I really don't have any more. I got the leaves at Tantuo Temple. There was a gust of wind in the sky at that time, and I opened my arms to catch them. I just caught four leaves, and then I gave them all away." Yinzuo also found it quite magical. It was just four leaves.
"Well, it may not be really the effect of Yinzuo's leaves. Isn't the imperial concubine not pregnant?" Yinzhen didn't want Yinzuo to be involved in such disputes and become the envy of others.
“That’s right.”
A few days later, an interesting story spread. It was said that a palace maid from Yongshou Palace was sent to the Xinzheku, and the imperial concubine scolded her for not taking good care of things. Later, someone spread the news that this incident was related to the ginkgo leaves sent by the Sixth Prince.
More than a month later, on February 2, news came from Yongshou Palace that the imperial concubine was also pregnant. Now everyone was convinced of the ginkgo leaves from Tantuo Temple.
If Tantuo Temple was not a royal temple, the threshold would have been trampled flat by people. But even so, there were reports that a thief climbed over the wall and sneaked into the temple in the middle of the night. He did not steal the merit box, but went straight to the location of the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree.
Early the next morning, the young monk in the temple went over with a broom to sweep up the fallen leaves, but found the ground clean. If the tree had not been so tall, it would have been plucked out.
A month later, Concubine Yi's sister, Xiao Guoluo, also became pregnant.
Wan Liuha, who was on good terms with Concubine De, ran to Yonghe Palace. That day, Yinzuo and his brother were also in Yonghe Palace to accompany their mother.
"Rou Wan, I want to tell you!" Wan Liuha's excited voice stopped abruptly when she came in, because she found that there were two younger brothers, the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince, in the hall.
"Hehe! The Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince are here too. What a coincidence, haha." Wan Liuha laughed dryly.
"Please sit down. They are not strangers. You don't have to feel embarrassed." Defei smiled.
"Didn't you have something to tell me just now? What was it?"
Wan Liuha couldn't control her gossipy heart after all, and couldn't help but ask her good sister: "Did you know that little Guo Luoluo is pregnant?"
"I heard that the emperor was very happy. It was said that he rewarded the Yikun Palace with many good things."
"I just came out of her place, and she told me with a proud look that it was Concubine Yi who gave her the ginkgo leaves, which is why she got pregnant." Wan Liuha couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"You believe this?" Defei smiled and shook her head.
However, thinking of this, Defei glanced at Aunt Qing who was standing beside her to serve her. Aunt Qing immediately understood what her queen meant, took a step back, and quietly left.
"Of course I don't believe it. The emperor loves to go to the Yikun Palace on weekdays. When Concubine Yi was pregnant, he asked her own sister to sleep with her. It was difficult for others to even see the emperor, let alone pregnancy." Wan Liuha was still sober after all.
"Your Majesty." Aunt Qing came forward with a purse in her hand.
"Give it to Concubine Wan." Defei ordered.
"What is this?" Wan Liuha was puzzled.
"Little Guo Luoluo has sisters, and you have them too, so why envy her?" Defei looked at her gently and said.
Wan Liuha's eyes immediately turned red. Others said that he loved to curry favor with Concubine De, but he had only entered the palace with Concubine De and stayed together for a few years. He didn't even look at his current status and loved to go to Yonghe Palace all day long.
But in fact, during the years they supported each other in the palace, they were as close as sisters. Even after they became the emperor's concubines, their feelings never changed. Rouwan was now one of the four noble concubines, and she was just a small noble. But every time she came, Rouwan was very kind to her and never looked down on her.
"This... this is too valuable, I can't accept it! Rouwan, you should take it back and put it away!"
Defei touched her belly and said with a smile: "I already have two brothers, Yinzhen and Yinzuo, and I have another one in my belly. It doesn't matter even if I don't have this ginkgo leaf. But you are not from my palace after all, and I can't help you with anything else. This is also my blessing for you, so please accept it."
Yinzhen was stunned, he had never seen this side of his mother before. Needless to say, everyone knew how important offspring were to the women in the palace, and she actually gave him off as soon as she said it. He always felt that the reason his mother could stand firm in the palace was because she only cared about herself.
But he suddenly remembered that after he ascended the throne in his previous life, his relationship with his mother was very tense. However, his mother had taken the initiative to ask for grace for Wan Liuha, allowing her to promote Wan Liuha, who was only a concubine at the time, to the rank of Concubine Dowager. This Concubine Dowager Ding was truly a blessed person, as she lived to be ninety-seven years old.
"Empress Wan, you are my mother's sister, and therefore Xiaoliu's aunt. Consider this ginkgo leaf as a small gift from Xiaoliu to my mother. If you don't accept it, does it mean that you don't like Xiaoliu?" Yinzuo opened his big eyes and acted cute on purpose.
Wan Liuha's heart softened instantly, how could she bear to refuse?
"How can I be worthy of being called Aunt by Sixth Prince? Sixth Prince, please stop calling me that. Be careful not to let others hear it. I will accept it."
She couldn't help but stretched out her arms towards Yinzuo and asked tentatively, "Can I hug Sixth Prince?"
Yinzuo didn't care. He slid off the couch and threw himself into Wan Liuha's arms.
"Mrs. Wan, please give Xiaoliu a younger brother."
"Why not my sister?" Wan Liuha was puzzled.
"Because my mother already has a little sister in her belly~"
Wan Liuha knew that Concubine De had been feeling depressed over the loss of the little princess, and it took her a long time to get over it. She glanced at Concubine De and saw that she was very happy to hear these words.
"Xiao Liu, are you sure this is your sister?"
Yinzuo nodded affirmatively and replied: "It's my sister~"
A few days later, Concubine De went to Chengqian Palace to pay her respects to the Imperial Noble Concubine. With so many women together, they naturally loved to gossip. Now the most discussed topic in the harem was the ginkgo leaves from Natantuo Temple.
"Imperial Concubine, when does the Emperor plan to visit Tantuo Temple again this year?" Xipin, who had been favored for many years like the Imperial Concubine but had never been able to get pregnant, couldn't help but inquire about the news.
"This... I don't know either. Last September, the Empress Dowager was unwell, and there were rumors in the palace, so the Emperor decided to go to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings."
Of course, the fact is that because of Yinzuo's reminder, the imperial concubine did not tell the truth.
The concubines sat for more than an hour today before they dispersed.
Talking with this group of women, the Imperial Concubine felt a little dizzy.
Concubine De stayed as usual.
"This is your first pregnancy, so you must be particularly tired. You should rest more on weekdays. I have a list of things to pay attention to during pregnancy. When you are free, you can take a look at it for reference."
Aunt Qing stepped forward and presented the wrapped letter.
The personal maid beside the Imperial Concubine took it and handed it to her master. The Imperial Concubine flipped through two pages and nodded repeatedly.
"You are thoughtful. By the way, I didn't tell them just now that I went to Tantuo Temple because of what Xiaoliu said. Xiaoliu did it for you."
Concubine De didn't understand what she meant. She smiled and said, "Please help me solve this puzzle."
"During that time, you were grieving over the little princess who had just died, and Xiaoliu was very worried. He and Yinzhen thought that if you had another little princess, you wouldn't be so sad. He asked me how I could help you have his new sister. I told him that the right time, the right place, and the right people were all right, and then I mentioned the temple.
That little guy asked me to take him to the temple to pray on your behalf, so I found a chance to mention it to the emperor. The emperor initially refused, so Xiaoliu started to act like a spoiled brat. I didn’t expect that the emperor would actually agree after being pestered by him for a long time. Now you know that I am still blessed by you.”
Defei felt warm and sour in her heart, and her eyes gradually became moist. She turned her body and gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Thank you, Imperial Concubine, for informing me of this. I was indeed too sad and neglected Xiao Si and Xiao Liu."
"Yes, they are all your children. Don't be biased and hurt the children's hearts." The Imperial Noble Concubine has become a mother now, and her heart has become softer. It is rare that she said a caring word to Concubine De.
"I will keep the Imperial Concubine's teachings in my heart."
"Now that you and I are both pregnant, what I say is a reminder to you and myself that both children are wonderful and we should love them dearly. We can't let them feel that we love them less just because they have a younger brother or sister." After the little princess was born, the imperial concubine saw the disappointment in Xiaoliu's eyes.
"yes."
Yinzuo suddenly realized that both of his mothers were very kind to him. Not only did they cook all kinds of delicious food for him, but they also took the initiative to play with him.
The author has something to say:
The main thing here is the warm mother-son relationship. The mother knows Xiaoliu's care and dedication to her, and Wanliuha, also known as Concubine Ding, is the longest-lived concubine in the entire Qing court! She was still very happy in her later years, and Qianlong treated her very well.
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