The pearls and rubies on Heshen's official hat shone even brighter under the blazing sun. The silvery white and deep blood red intertwined, moving with Heshen's footsteps among the glazed tiles of the palace walls.
Yan Ning could tell from Heshen's expression that she had put him in a difficult position, and was about to give up when Heshen called her back, "Every year at the end of the year, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager go to Yuhua Pavilion to worship Buddha. You can only enter Yuhua Pavilion at that time!"
Yan Ning gave Heshen a slight curtsy before returning to Cining Palace. Along the seemingly endless palace path, Yan Ning, dressed in a light pink palace gown, passed through wall after wall.
Heshen had his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes hidden behind a misty haze. If Yan Ning were to return to the Fucha Mansion and elope with Fukang'an, he would rather Yan Ning stay in the deep palace and dedicate his life to protecting her.
The Empress Dowager has been mostly in a daze lately, sometimes not even recognizing people, and the Emperor's two daily visits to pay his respects have failed to wake her. Consort Shu's health is often unwell, while Consort Rong, though similar in age to Consort Shu, is in good health, so she and the younger Consort Dun are attending to her ailing condition.
When the Empress Dowager woke up, she did not want to see Consort Dun, and asked Consort Rong to leave as well. The moon-white and lotus-red oil-paper umbrellas were decorated with various palace flowers. As soon as the palace maids saw the two ladies come out, they quickly opened the umbrellas to shield their faces from the scorching sun.
Consort Dun, plump as she was, already had fine beads of sweat on her face as soon as she left the Empress Dowager's bedchamber. She took the ice block and jade incense burner handed to her by a palace maid. Jade is inherently cool to the touch, and with the ice block close to the burner, the coolness, along with the cold mist, flew out and melted under the blazing sun.
Consort Rong was born and raised in the frontier desert. Although she had lived in the capital for decades, she still couldn't shake her nature of resisting the scorching sun. She walked lightly ahead of Consort Dun, who was trembling slightly.
Yan Ning encountered the two consorts at the palace gate. As she curtsied, Consort Dun's face remained haughty, and she didn't even glance at Yan Ning. Consort Rong smiled sweetly at Yan Ning, her voice like a cool summer breeze, "Rise!"
Under the blazing sun, Consort Dun's round and smooth face reminded Yan Ning of Xiang'er, and a trace of sadness arose in her heart, intertwined with longing.
Yan Ning disregarded Consort Dun's disdain. The Emperor had a daughter late in life; though a princess, it had been a long time since a royal heir had been born in the palace. Moreover, the Emperor was nearly seventy, and naturally doted on Consort Dun's little princess. This affection extended to Consort Dun, whose position in the Emperor's heart rose steadily. This meant that Consorts Shu and Rong, who were also consorts, often had to be mindful of her mood.
On the contrary, it was Consort Rong's friendly smile that made Yan Ning suspicious, and she could only comfort herself that Consort Rong was just a kind person.
After being scorched by the sun for half a day, Yan Ning felt a chill as soon as she entered the Empress Dowager's bedroom, the sweat on her body was blown away by the cold air.
The scent of sandalwood wafted through the air, reminding Yan Ning of the sandalwood that Fukang'an had brought from the White Pagoda Temple, sandalwood that had been blessed by Buddha. Behind a light yellow veil, Granny Zhuang knelt before the bed, feeding the Empress Dowager her medicine.
Yan Ning walked over and knelt beside Granny Zhuang, looking like the Empress Dowager who was barely clinging to life. She recalled the meaning of the Emperor's words, but only remembered one sentence: "The relationship between the ruler and his subjects is like that between heaven and earth, and cannot be interchanged."
Fukang'an always entered the palace with a blank expression, probably because he knew of the Emperor's intentions. All the sons whom the Emperor wanted to make crown prince had died long ago, and no one alive today could match Fukang'an's talent and magnanimity.
Throughout his life, the Emperor aspired to emulate his grandfather, the Kangxi Emperor. However, the fratricidal struggle among Kangxi's nine sons for the throne in his later years served as a stark warning to the Emperor. The heart of an emperor is the deepest and most unfathomable, and Yan Ning began to doubt the appearances she had seen. She had initially thought that Fukang'an harbored resentment, unable to let go of the affair between the Emperor and his mother. Now it seemed that the Emperor was both wary of and fond of Fukang'an.
How could Fukang'an, with his unwavering loyalty to the Qing Dynasty, withstand such paternal love from the emperor?
The Empress Dowager's eyelids drooped and then opened again. When she saw Yan Ning kneeling beside her, her voice was weak and feeble, "Have you seen the Emperor? Does he like that candied chestnut soup? That's Wan Hui's favorite!" The smoothness of her face was replaced by withering. Without the cover of makeup, the brown spots on the Empress Dowager's face became more prominent.
Yan Ning glanced at Granny Zhuang. This had happened several days ago, yet the Empress Dowager still thought it was today. Yan Ning didn't know how to answer. Granny Zhuang laughed and raised her voice, "He loves it! His Majesty loves this candied chestnut soup the most!"
Yan Ning nodded hastily in agreement. The Empress Dowager slowly raised her hand, stroking Yan Ning's hair. "Then, my son, shouldn't you still keep your original intention? You must not let Kang'er participate in the struggle for the throne!"
Original intention?
The thick layers of clothing, both inner and outer, were damp with cold air, a chill seeping into Yan Ning's body. She slumped onto the couch, asking uncertainly, "Empress Dowager, are you aware that the Emperor has been wary of Fukang'an?"
The Empress Dowager did not reply, closed her eyes again, and fell into a deep sleep.
As the setting sun's heat faded, everyone in the palace harbored their own thoughts. The Empress Dowager didn't intend for her to foster a closer father-son relationship between the Emperor and Fukang'an; rather, she wanted to use her to keep Fukang'an in check. The Emperor must have initially harbored the idea of having Fukang'an acknowledge his ancestral lineage, which was why the Empress Dowager had stopped him.
Under the silvery light that day, the Emperor, aged like an ordinary man in his twilight years, slowly uttered words of helplessness at his sons' inability to return to his side. He also feared that his sons would fight each other for power. As Fukang'an's power grew stronger and his military achievements increased, the Empress Dowager's concerns for him had to be taken to heart.
What were the Emperor's true feelings for Fukang'an? And how meticulous were the Empress Dowager's thoughts as she lay on her sickbed?
Leaning against the window railing, Yan Ning looked at the embroidered handkerchief with clusters of lilies in her hands under the moonlight. She had finished embroidering it. Surrounding the two lines of vigorous regular script, the lilies, which were twisted and contorted, looked even more withered and worn.
Yan Ning had witnessed Fukang'an's loyalty to the Qing Dynasty firsthand while they were in the military camp. However, the Emperor and Empress Dowager's constant vigilance caused him to lose heart towards the palace he had loved since childhood.
But if the Empress Dowager didn't want Fukang'an to be recognized as a member of the imperial family, then why did she allow the Emperor to raise him in the palace? Yan Ning was full of speculation about the Empress Dowager lying on her sickbed. A woman who could stand out in the harem and remain unshaken must have relied on more than just her beauty.
Having just learned about the thoughts of those in the palace, Yan Ning tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The next day, while it was still dark and some palace lanterns had not yet been lit, Yan Ning ran in the dark to the palace gate to greet Fukang'an, who was entering the palace for court.
Yan Ning was covered in sweat and leaned against the palace wall, panting heavily. Fu Kang'an's face was no longer stiff, and his hand holding Yan Ning trembled. He had guessed a little about why the Empress Dowager had kept Yan Ning by her side.
Seeing Yan Ning's state, he was extremely anxious. "What happened? Is the Empress Dowager making things difficult for you?"
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