Wan Anran's postpartum period was actually quite good.
Compared to the painful experience of giving birth in the summer, Wan Anran gave birth in winter both times, so it wasn't too hot and uncomfortable. The only thing she was unhappy about was the sticky feeling after not being able to shower for a month, and she always felt like she smelled bad from head to toe.
More importantly, in order to remove the odor, the palace servants used a large amount of incense materials, so that the sour smell had a hint of fragrance, and the fragrance had a hint of stench. In the end, Wan Anran felt that her nose could no longer distinguish between the sour smell and the fragrance.
My nose is probably ruined.
Wan Anran had the incense removed, but the room still couldn't be ventilated, so the smell became increasingly strange and bizarre. In Wan Anran's own words, it was like a stinky bomb was wrapped up, just waiting to erupt like a volcano when she finished her postpartum confinement.
Of course, this is a minor matter.
For Wan Anran now, the most important thing is to take care of Xiao Shier and maintain her health.
Wan Anran didn't actually pay attention to the latter at first.
After all, her skin was fair and supple, and even after pregnancy, it didn't sag or become loose, and there were almost no stretch marks on her belly. The Imperial Hospital had prepared a whole bunch of skincare formulas, but they were never used.
The problem lies in taking care of Little Twelve.
After raising Yinzhen, Wan Anran finally realized how rare it was that Yinzhen was so well-behaved, and why the other concubines always showed such complicated expressions when they heard her mention how easy and simple it was to raise him.
From then on, Wan Anran never had a good night's sleep. Little Yin Tao was unusually clingy, waking up every two hours and insisting on sleeping in Wan Anran's arms—if she took him away? The lights in Chuxiu Palace would definitely be on all night.
A disrupted sleep schedule will inevitably affect sleep.
Affected sleep inevitably affects the skin—for example, dark circles under the eyes. Wan Anran looked at her haggard face in the bronze mirror, almost bursting into tears. She summoned the imperial physicians with the utmost enthusiasm, not only sparing no expense but practically emptying her coffers.
The effect is quite obvious.
Anyway, after her postpartum confinement period, looking at her radiant, delicate, and fair skin, Wan Anran finally breathed a sigh of relief. Calculating it this way, it was now the twenty-fifth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, and she was already twenty-five years old. If she didn't take good care of herself now, she feared she would regret it in another three to five years.
Seeing her mistress holding the mirror and looking at herself from left to right, Leng Xia, who was serving her, gently comforted her, "Your mistress has delicate skin and a rosy complexion. She looks like she's only eighteen years old."
Wan Anran smiled slightly with delight.
She stroked her cheek thoughtfully—didn't all the concubines want to stay eighteen? Thinking of the concubines around her, which one of them hadn't looked the same for ten years, almost exactly the same as when she first saw them?
That makes sense, after all, the imperial concubines had all sorts of beauty regimens, and the quantity and variety of cosmetics and skincare products were no less than in later generations, allowing them to do whatever they wanted.
Emperor Kangxi arrived at Chuxiu Palace at the appointed time.
Before he could even get intimate with Qi Fei, whom he hadn't seen for over a month, he heard a sob beside him.
Kangxi looked down and saw the little one in the cradle crying softly, looking very aggrieved. Kangxi reached out to pick him up, but unexpectedly, Yin Tao cried even more aggrievedly, and he couldn't stop no matter how he tried to comfort him.
Only when Qi Fei took him in her arms did his crying stop.
Emperor Kangxi was frustrated but helpless. He could only watch as Consort Qi held and coaxed Yin Tao until Yin Tao started biting his fingers and snoring softly. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and quickly send someone to take Yin Tao away.
The palace servant picked up the woman with the problem.
Good heavens! Yin Tao started crying again. His crying wasn't the heart-wrenching kind; it was just sobbing and whimpering, like he had suffered countless grievances, a pitiful cry.
Kangxi: …………
If it were Yinzhi crying so loudly that he could lift the roof off, Kangxi could have had the palace servants simply carry him away. But Yinzhi was crying so pitifully that the words "I want the palace servants to take me away" lingered on his tongue, and in the end, Kangxi still couldn't bring himself to say them.
Wan Anran silently reached out and pulled Yin Tao into her arms.
Nestled in his warm, familiar embrace, Yin Tao's crying abruptly ceased. He nestled in his mother's arms, his cheeks flushed, looking incredibly adorable. Wan Anran looked at Yin Tao helplessly, thinking that this child would definitely grow up to be a drama queen.
The hall was completely silent.
Unable to carry her away, Wan Anran could only look at Kangxi with a troubled expression.
Why don't you leave?
Emperor Kangxi, understanding the implication in Consort Qi's words, was displeased. He frowned deeply and said, "Why is Yin Tao crying all the time? I don't think the Sixth Princess or the Eleventh Princess can cry as much as him."
Not to mention Yinzhen.
Wan Anran also said helplessly, "I also think that perhaps Yin Tao cried because he combined Yin Zhen's share of the tears."
Is there really such a saying?
Emperor Kangxi's lips twitched, but after glancing at Yin Tao being held in Consort Qi's arms, he felt that Consort Qi's words made a lot of sense.
However, this does not mean that I have to leave.
Emperor Kangxi gestured to the palace servants to help him remove his outer robe, then sat on the edge of the bed and embraced Consort Qi's slender waist.
It's not bad for the three of them to sleep together occasionally.
When Kangxi heard Yin Tao's punctual crying in the middle of the night, his expression darkened. Last time it happened in the first half of the night, but this time it happened in the second half. Not only did it give Kangxi a headache, but it also made him feel sorry for Consort Qi.
Watching Yinzhi drink milk with gusto, Kangxi muttered with a stern face, "He has never known how to make his father and mother worry about him since he was a child. How can he be filial when he grows up? I think we should let Yinzhen teach him a lesson."
Wan Anran: …………
"Your Majesty, are you still half asleep?" She nudged Kangxi, both amused and exasperated, "Your Majesty, please go to sleep."
Fortunately, Yin Tao only made a fuss for a short while every two hours.
This time, Kangxi slept soundly until dawn. He didn't wake Consort Qi, but tiptoed out of bed and poked Yin Tao, who was sleeping sweetly in Consort Qi's arms: "What a naughty boy."
Liang Jiugong helped the emperor change his clothes.
He glanced at the Emperor out of the corner of his eye, but there was not a trace of disdain in the Emperor's eyes, only tenderness. Liang Jiugong bent down slightly and smiled in agreement, "The Twelfth Prince is lively and healthy."
Kangxi straightened his clothes: "Of course I know."
But... Kangxi poked Yinzhen's chubby little face: "I remember Consort Qi used to think that Yinzhen wasn't lively enough. I wonder if she'll regret it later."
Emperor Kangxi stepped out of Chuxiu Palace.
After the court session ended, he followed his usual practice and called his sons to the East Warm Pavilion to take turns testing their lessons.
The boys' studies are all very good.
Needless to say, the Crown Prince did an excellent job in both reading aloud and explaining the meaning of the text.
The eldest prince, the third prince, and the fourth prince are also good.
Kangxi nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Yinzhen. Although Yinzhen was puzzled by his father's attention, he held the book and recited it fluently without the slightest hesitation.
Yinqi was slightly less capable, but he still managed to keep up.
The situation was much worse for the Seventh Prince, Yinyou. He only managed to get through it with some difficulty thanks to reminders from Yinzhen and Yinqi.
Emperor Kangxi was pleased to see the brothers' harmonious relationship and pretended not to care about their reminders. After testing the princes, he waved for them to leave, then thought for a moment and said, "Yinzhen, you stay."
Yinzhen was somewhat taken aback.
In the Imperial Study, he still adhered to the habits of his previous life, studying diligently and working in a low-key manner. However, he could not keep up his habit of being alone for the time being because of Yinqi and Yinyou.
The three of them currently form a small group.
The honest and kind fifth son and the low-key seventh son—although Yinzhen had a slightly 'sweet' trouble with them, he still felt it was a good thing.
Therefore, Yinzhen had no idea why his father had left him behind. He replied with a "yes" and stood there somewhat awkwardly.
After the others had left, Emperor Kangxi, with a serious expression, said, "Yinzhen, regarding your twelfth brother..."
Yinzhen's expression turned solemn.
Could it be that my twelfth brother is ill? Yinzhen's heart tightened, and his brows furrowed with anxiety: "Father, what's wrong with my twelfth brother?"
"Yintao..."
"..." Seeing his father's increasingly serious expression, Yinzhen became even more worried.
“You’re crying and making a fuss all the time. As the older brother, you need to discipline you properly.”
"...Huh?" Yinzhen's eyes widened, and he was momentarily stunned.
Emperor Kangxi offered an explanation.
The general idea is to have Yinzhen visit Consort Qi and Yintao, and to teach his younger brother not to cry and to be a sensible and obedient child.
Yinzhen: …………
Oh my god, is he still half asleep?
At this moment, Yinzhen and Wan Anran were thinking exactly the same thing.
Of course, this was simply wishful thinking. It wasn't until Yin Tao turned one year old that he stopped being so noisy and clingy.
Because Yin Tao found new pleasures.
He pushed himself up with his hands and feet, and crawled up as fast as a whirlwind. In the blink of an eye, he had crawled from the bedside to the doorstep. With just one sprint over, he could get out.
Today seems like a good day to escape.
Yin Tao's eyes sparkled as he waved his chubby little hands and crawled out. His plump little hands braced against the threshold, and little Yin Tao stood up!
He strained to lift his chubby short legs and climbed onto the threshold with all his might, waving his limbs like a little turtle.
Just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more.
Yin Tao was suddenly lifted into the air, and Yin Zhen carried him inside, saying, "Mother, Yin Tao is almost crawling out."
Wan Anran, who had been holding her breath and spying, peeked out.
She took the babbling protesting Yin Tao and chuckled helplessly, "Who told Xiao Wanzi to have so much fun? I couldn't help but let him be. Besides, Yin Zhen, you also loved adventure when you were little."
Yinzhen rolled his eyes.
He knew everything when he was a child, how could a normal baby know that? He rubbed the soft, fluffy Yin Tao and said earnestly, "Yin Tao, you have to be a good boy and behave, understand?"
"Good baby—!" Yin Tao grinned foolishly.
"Yintao is so clever!" The silly older brother, Yinzhen, was happy and satisfied. Full of fighting spirit, he carried his younger brother towards the study: "How about I read you a storybook?"
Wan Anran, who followed behind, felt helpless.
She stopped Yinzhen from saying anything more: "Yintao is still young..."
Yinzhen shook his head: "Yintao is not young anymore."
He looked at his mother and explained carefully, counting on his fingers, "When you're one or two years old, you can start recognizing characters; when you're three, you can start reading; and when you're four, you can start learning arithmetic..."
Yinzhen spoke eloquently.
Clearly, his arrangements for his younger brother were thorough and comprehensive, even including plans for his enrollment in the Imperial Academy.
Wan Anran fell into deep thought.
Listening to her eldest son's ramblings, Wan Anran felt as if she were seeing the parents of future generations who were pushing their children to excel. She shrank back and looked at Yin Tao, who thought the books in front of him were quite good and started tearing them up.
Wan Anran: …………
I'm sorry, Yin Tao, your mother can't save you QAQ
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