Heyue remembered that none of Nian's children had survived, but now there was a two-year-old named Fuhui. She wondered if Heyue had remembered it wrong.
Perhaps she died later?
In any case, the only princes of Yongzheng that Heyue knew of who grew up were Hongshi, Hongli, and Hongzhou.
The Empress Dowager is ill.
Imperial physicians and medicines were constantly being supplied to Cining Palace, but the Empress Dowager refused to take the medicine, saying she wanted to see her youngest son.
Emperor Yongzheng and the Empress Dowager were locked in a power struggle. One of them missed his youngest son and insisted on seeing him no matter what, completely disregarding the feelings of his eldest son.
A woman, dissatisfied with her mother's long-standing favoritism towards her younger son and her lack of care for her elder son, was willing to defy the emperor for the sake of her younger son.
Having endured for so many years, how could the Fourth Prince possibly tolerate it any longer? He resolutely refused to allow his younger brother to return.
Even though the Empress Dowager is now ill, Yongzheng still hasn't summoned the Fourteenth Prince back to the palace. However, the atmosphere in the Hall of Mental Cultivation is getting heavier and heavier, and the eunuchs serving him are all very careful, afraid of offending the emperor.
That morning, Su Peisheng, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, listened to the report from below, waved for the others to leave, and looked worried.
This Consort, doesn't she see that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are having a falling out? Instead of comforting the Emperor, she insists on going to Cining Palace, visiting it even more often than the Empress, her legitimate daughter-in-law. Isn't she deliberately trying to anger the Emperor?
Even the Empress was afraid of angering the Emperor and dared not approach him easily. But this Consort was acting as if she were serving her own mother. What would people think if they saw this? Wouldn't even the Empress be criticized?
No wonder the empress was happy.
Su Peisheng hesitated for a long time, unsure whether to tell the Emperor. But thinking that the Consort had been going to Cining Palace every day, the Emperor already knew. Wouldn't telling the Emperor again only make him angrier?
In the end, Su Peisheng decided not to report it.
Unexpectedly, Su Peisheng didn't say anything. After reviewing the memorials for a while, Yongzheng suddenly rubbed his temples, put down his pen in annoyance, and said, "Invite the Imperial Concubine over."
Su Peisheng immediately looked distressed; what he feared most had come to pass.
However, since the emperor had asked, he could not refuse to answer, so he replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has gone to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager."
Yongzheng's face instantly darkened.
Su Peisheng was filled with distress. Well, as expected, he had angered the Emperor. Why did this Consort have to do anything but walk into the line of fire?
"Go and invite the Imperial Concubine..." Yongzheng suddenly changed the subject halfway through his sentence: "Prepare the carriage for the Cining Palace."
Su Peisheng had served the emperor for decades, so how could he not know the emperor's thoughts?
He had been stubbornly refusing to see the Empress Dowager, but as soon as he learned that the Consort was in Cining Palace, he rushed over there. One reason was naturally to visit the Empress Dowager, and the other was because he was worried that the Consort was being bullied by the Empress Dowager.
With the Imperial Concubine becoming increasingly delicate during her pregnancy, how could she possibly have to serve the Empress Dowager? If the Empress Dowager were to raise her voice at her, wouldn't she be so frightened that she would miscarry immediately?
Ugh, ugh, ugh! Su Peisheng cursed himself inwardly. What was he thinking?
However, this is indeed possible. Last time, it was because the Consort went to serve the Empress Dowager that the Empress Dowager became angry with the palace maids around her. She smashed a teacup, soaking the maids from head to toe, which frightened the Consort so much that she went into labor.
Although she was ultimately unharmed, the Emperor was heartbroken and did not visit Cining Palace for many days, nor did he allow the Consort to go.
But the Imperial Concubine not only ignored him, but went again as soon as she recovered. Wasn't that a bit brainless?
The Empress Dowager was probably furious. She wanted to vent her anger, but she was also worried about the Consort's pregnancy and couldn't vent her anger. This wasn't serving the Empress Dowager; it was making her feel annoyed. Did she think the Empress Dowager had lived too long?
I wonder what this imperial concubine was thinking.
Although he thought this to himself, Su Peisheng still hurriedly ordered people to prepare the imperial carriage and carry the emperor to the Cining Palace.
Emperor Yongzheng alighted from his imperial carriage outside the Cining Palace.
Su Peisheng sent someone in to announce the emperor's arrival, only to see the emperor already striding inside. He quickly followed.
"This servant greets Your Majesty."
The nannies, maids, and eunuchs serving in Cining Palace all bowed to Emperor Yongzheng.
With a sullen face, Yongzheng went straight into the Empress Dowager's bedroom.
Consort Nian was standing in front of the Empress Dowager's bed, about to bow with the help of a palace maid, when Emperor Yongzheng strode forward and supported her. Seeing that her expression was alright and she did not look aggrieved, his expression softened.
The Empress Dowager saw this and felt a tightness in her chest, which made her already sickly complexion even worse.
Hmph! He doesn't even care about his own mother, but instead worries about his precious concubine! He's truly wasted his time raising her!
Yongzheng glared at Lady Nian with displeasure.
Ms. Nian lowered her head guiltily, not daring to look at him.
Seeing her pitiful state, how could Yongzheng bear to blame her?
His gaze turned to the Empress Dowager, and he bowed slightly to greet her: "Your son greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. How is Your Majesty feeling?"
Yongzheng believed that his expression was relatively mild, which was already a sign that he had taken the initiative to back down and wanted to make peace. He didn't expect the Empress Dowager to say anything comforting. As long as she looked a little better and was a little more amiable, Yongzheng's anger would subside.
To everyone's surprise, the Empress Dowager turned her head away and snorted coldly: "I am not well. If Your Majesty really cares about me, then don't let your Consort wander around in front of me, lest I hurt her. Also, release the Fourteenth Prince, and I will naturally be fine."
Yongzheng's face turned ashen instantly, and anger flashed in his eyes.
Consort Nian hurriedly grasped Yongzheng's hand and anxiously whispered, "Your Majesty..."
Yongzheng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said coldly, "If the Empress Dowager wants to see the Fourteenth Prince, she must first recover her health. If I were to let the Fourteenth Prince return now, he would surely accuse me of being unfilial and neglecting the Empress Dowager."
If Yongzheng had simply said that he would let the Fourteenth Prince return once his mother was feeling better, the Empress Dowager would have been overjoyed and would have immediately taken her medicine. But the addition of a few more words completely changed the tone.
This was also because neither the mother nor the son was willing to admit defeat. Moreover, Yongzheng had just been humiliated by the Empress Dowager and kept referring to himself as the Fourteenth Prince, so his words naturally sounded a bit stiff.
"Furthermore, the Imperial Concubine was worried about the Empress Dowager's illness and came to serve her even while pregnant. It's one thing for the Empress Dowager not to appreciate her kindness, but to disregard her concern like this is unreasonable. Doesn't such behavior betray the Empress Dowager's reputation for benevolence?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face paled instantly, and she stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Doesn't this imply that the Empress Dowager is unkind? How could she slander her own mother like this for the sake of a mere concubine?
In fact, when Yongzheng said this, he was implying that the Empress Dowager had neglected him, her eldest son, in the past. He harbored some resentment in his heart, so he used the Consort Gui to express it. It wasn't entirely to speak up for the Consort Gui.
Unfortunately, the Empress Dowager didn't understand and misunderstood, so she clutched her chest in anger and almost suffocated.
Upon hearing this, Consort Nian's eyes filled with tears, and she lowered her gaze in grievance.
Although she had served the Empress Dowager diligently these days, and even though the Empress Dowager disliked her and often gave her a hard time, she had endured it without saying a word, she was not without grievances in her heart.
She had thought that the Emperor would also find her meddlesome and would surely reprimand her, but to her surprise, he said these words, which perfectly captured what she had been thinking these past few days.
How could she not be moved and delighted?
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