Princess Chunxi's marriage was scheduled for the beginning of the 29th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
After his wedding, Bandi of the Borjigit clan, a Taiji of the Khorchin Mongols, resided in the capital. Emperor Kangxi appointed him as a Grand Minister and ordered him to study at the Court of Colonial Affairs, suggesting a promising future in officialdom.
Most importantly, the couple seemed to be in perfect harmony, their relationship passionate. Princess Chunxi, who occasionally visited the palace to pay her respects, always had a sweet smile on her face and a shy demeanor that made people feel like they were stuffed.
The Empress's heart was finally at ease.
With a sense of relief, she began to busy herself with preparations for the Crown Prince's wedding. Unlike the eldest prince, whose wedding went smoothly and who already had two daughters, the Crown Prince's wedding preparations came to an abrupt halt once again not long after they had begun.
Wan Anran was still wondering what was going on when she turned around and learned from the Empress that something had happened to the family of the future Crown Princess, Guarjia.
Wan Anran was dumbfounded.
She couldn't help but exclaim in shock: "Guarjia's mother... has passed away!?"
The Queen nodded emphatically.
She pressed her forehead and gave a bitter smile: "The Ministry of Rites submitted more than a dozen memorials, all discussing the Crown Prince's wedding ceremony and details. It's been dragging on from last year to this year, and finally everything has been finalized, but..."
Wan Anran clicked his tongue in disbelief, a look of helplessness on his face.
She murmured, "This will drag on for thirty-two years... I remember the Crown Prince's concubine has already entered Yuqing Palace?"
In three years, let alone the affection between the Crown Prince and his concubine, Guarjia might become a stepmother as soon as she enters the palace.
The Empress sighed, "There's nothing we can do about it."
Not only the newly sent concubines, but after hearing about this, the Emperor also gave his son two more, not afraid that the future Crown Princess would have a heart attack upon hearing it.
Wan Anran didn't have much of an impression of the Crown Princess either, at most remembering her as a gentle-looking girl. After exchanging a few words with the Empress, she turned the conversation back to the princesses.
With Princess Chunxi's good marriage as an example, the second, third, and fourth princesses had higher expectations for the future. The three of them secretly visited Princess Chunxi several times, and then worked hard on riding and archery, hoping to have more topics to talk about with their future husbands.
The Empress, Wan Anran, and Consort Ning all strongly supported this.
Consort Rong could not dissuade her daughter and had no choice but to support her. As for Consort Zhaojia, although she disagreed, she also gritted her teeth and agreed with the support of her daughter and others.
Leaving aside other matters...
Following the Empress and Consort Qi is always the right thing to do; this has become a truth that almost all the palace concubines agree on.
With everyone working together, by the end of spring, the emperor finally agreed to their request, allowing Jingshan to be used as a hunting ground for the princesses on ordinary days.
Incidentally, Wan Anran felt that it was more important to learn more. Besides having the princesses practice hunting, she would also call them to Chuxiu Palace to teach them basic knowledge such as hygiene, recuperation, and isolation. Since they were at Chuxiu Palace, they would inevitably talk about food, and Wan Anran was happy to offer some guidance, such as on winemaking and the cultivation of fruits and vegetables.
These are things that princesses rarely hear about.
Besides learning music, chess, calligraphy, painting, horsemanship, archery, and medicine, the princesses also fell in love with rural life, planting flowers and herbs, growing fruits and vegetables, or raising cats and dogs, which added a bit of fun to their busy academic lives.
Of course, what Wan Anran was most looking forward to was the trip to the Mulan Hunting Grounds, but unfortunately her expectations were ultimately dashed.
Since May, Galdan had been frequently harassing Mongolia. At first, Emperor Kangxi did not take it seriously and only ordered the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs, Alani, to closely monitor Galdan's movements. However, Alani disregarded Emperor Kangxi's instructions and sent troops to launch a surprise attack in an attempt to capture Galdan.
Worse still, he not only failed, but was also routed by Galdan's attack, suffering heavy casualties. This greatly boosted Galdan's confidence, and he launched repeated attacks, showing a strong intention to march south in one fell swoop.
Emperor Kangxi could no longer sit still.
Enraged, he dismissed Arani from his post and decided to personally lead an expedition against Galdan.
The news caused a sensation in the imperial court and the inner palace. Not only did members of the imperial family and court officials take turns to persuade the emperor, but even the empress dowager and the empress could not sit still and tried to persuade the emperor.
Emperor Kangxi, who was still in his prime, did not agree.
Galdan had dominated Mongolia for many years, and now his power was growing, making Emperor Kangxi increasingly wary of him. He regarded Galdan as one of his greatest enemies and was determined to eliminate him in one fell swoop.
Under the emperor's pressure, the discussions quickly subsided, the court swiftly began preparations, and news continued to reach Wan Anran's ears.
For example, Tohqi also had to follow to the front line.
For example, when the eldest prince Yinzhi went to the Qianqing Palace to express his desire to follow his father to the battlefield, the emperor not only granted his request but also appointed him as a deputy general, intending to accompany Fuquan on the expedition.
Having experienced the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories and been frequently dispatched by Kangxi to suppress rebellions in various places, Fuquan was a highly experienced general. He was appointed as the chief general while Yinzhi was appointed as the deputy general. Wasn't this clearly an attempt to gain merit for Yinzhi?
The news caused an uproar in the imperial harem.
Consort Hui, who had been keeping a low profile for a long time, was both happy and worried. She was happy because once he made military achievements, Yinzhi would definitely be granted a princely title. She was worried because this was war!
Wan Anran, however, had different thoughts.
She gradually stopped kneading the dough, feeling a growing unease: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty is going to personally lead the expedition."
Nan Zhou nodded emphatically.
Her eyes held a hint of fear and unease, and it wasn't just Nan Zhou who noticed; everyone in Chuxiu Palace was on tenterhooks.
This is a personal expedition!
For the first time, Wan Anran lost all interest in making desserts. She ordered everyone to remove the items and walked around the hall again and again, her expression extremely serious.
Even Aunt Hai couldn't help but sigh.
Look at our master, even though he doesn't worry about anything on ordinary days, he can still be very serious when it comes to being serious.
Little did she know that her thoughts were completely different from Wan Anran's.
Wan Anran was puzzled. She vaguely remembered that Emperor Kangxi seemed to have fallen ill during his first campaign against Galdan. Although she couldn't remember exactly what illness Kangxi had or who treated him, Wan Anran clearly remembered that Kangxi's illness came on fiercely and he barely survived.
Wan Anran tossed and turned in bed.
She racked her brains but couldn't recall the name of the illness, so the only solution was to make more preparations. While Emperor Kangxi was visiting Chuxiu Palace, she muttered to herself for a while, "Your Majesty, on this long journey, you must bring enough medicine and imperial physicians. Be careful with your food and water along the way; make sure to boil the water thoroughly before using it. Also, pay attention to hygiene; bring plenty of soap, and wash your hands thoroughly after using it if it gets dirty… Oh, and also bring plenty of floral water and peppermint dew to prevent mosquito bites!"
Consort Qi usually seemed carefree, so her anxiety and worry surprised Emperor Kangxi. He smiled, holding Wan Anran's hand as he listened to her rambling, which made Wan Anran somewhat displeased: "Your Majesty, are you even listening to me?"
"Listen, everyone is listening."
“Your Majesty…” Wan Anran glared at Kangxi and asked with a stern face, “What I just said—please repeat it again.”
“Uh…” Kangxi’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat.
Looking at Consort Qi, whose eyes were blazing with anger, he felt extremely guilty: "Say it again, and this time I guarantee I'll remember it all."
Wan Anran repeated it over and over again, still not reassured.
She quickly copied a list by hand and handed it to Liang Jiugong: "Eunuch Liang, I am worried about the Emperor, so I can only entrust this to you."
Liang Jiugong: …………
He tried hard to suppress his laughter, and under the emperor's gaze, which was both amused and exasperated, he answered with a straight face.
Emperor Kangxi was quite pleased with himself.
Look at Consort Qi. You can't tell from her appearance, but you don't know how much she cares about me.
July 14th, the 29th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
Emperor Kangxi ordered the Crown Prince to oversee the state affairs and then led a large army to Ulan Butong.
In fact, Emperor Kangxi would travel abroad every year, and it was common for him to be absent for several months at a time. However, unlike usual, this time Wan Anran was unusually worried and anxious, unable to calm down at all. Ever since the emperor left the capital, she had been reporting to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility every day, trying to get firsthand information.
Not only were the Empress Dowager and the Empress somewhat surprised, but Yinzhi himself was also extremely worried about his mother's condition. He specially went to the Princes' quarters and called his fifth brother back to comfort their mother together.
The now handsome young Yinzhen came to pay his respects.
Seeing his mother's anxious and worried expression, he gently comforted her, "Father is blessed by Heaven, he will surely be alright."
As for the medicine that Khan Ama took in his previous life, I have already had it prepared. If Khan Ama was fine in his previous life, he will certainly be fine in this life as well.
The problem is that Wan Anran didn't know.
She rolled her eyes at her son, unable to reveal the fact that Kangxi would fall seriously ill this time, and fearing that her two sons would worry, she finally calmed down by copying two volumes of Buddhist scriptures.
Next up were the Empress Dowager and the Empress.
After much deliberation, both the Empress Dowager and the Empress concluded that it was the Emperor's personal campaign that had frightened Consort Qi. Therefore, the Empress Dowager and the Empress summoned Consort Qi separately to comfort her. To be honest, after comforting Consort Qi, their anxiety also subsided.
The Emperor will surely return safely.
However, just a few days later, news came from the front lines that the Emperor was ill, and everyone's hearts were in their throats.
The Empress Dowager announced a month-long vegetarian fast to pray for the Emperor's well-being.
The Empress and the concubines were in the same situation. Even so, a few days later, not only was there no good news, but news also came that the Emperor was seriously ill and in a coma!
The entire harem was in an uproar.
The concubines had different expressions. Some, like Consort Rong and Consort Xuan, didn't care. Others, like Consort Shun, were secretly delighted. Still others, like Consort Hui, were pale and flustered.
The relationship between the eldest prince and the crown prince is strained, and their competition is intensifying.
In the past, one could call it childishness, but now even a fool could see through the eldest prince's intentions. If something were to happen to the emperor and the crown prince were to ascend the throne, the eldest prince would likely suffer a terrible fate. Thinking of this, Consort Hui broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly rushed to Kunning Palace.
Wan Anran was one step ahead of her.
News of Consort Qi and Consort Hui's whereabouts quickly spread throughout the palace. The remaining concubines were also restless. Was it better to be the emperor's concubine or to be a concubine confined to the Cining Palace? Even a fool would know that the former was far better than the latter.
Soon, the Kunning Palace was filled with imperial concubines.
They looked at the Empress expectantly, whose face was more solemn than ever before: "My dear sisters, you have come at the right time. I have something to say."
The concubines' hearts were gripped tightly, and their breathing became lighter.
The Empress forced herself to speak: "Before His Majesty fell into a coma, he issued an edict ordering the Crown Prince to oversee the state, with the Third Prince Yinzuo, the Fourth Prince Yinzhi, and the Fifth Prince Yinzhen assisting. Furthermore, His Majesty is in his sickbed and has no one to attend to him. I have already ordered the imperial physicians to depart immediately, and several of my sisters will also be needed to accompany and care for him..."
The Empress paused slightly, then looked up at everyone.
Without hesitation, Wan Anran stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go!"
Consort Hui was a step behind, followed by Consort Ning.
Immediately afterwards, Consort Rong, Consort Xuan, Consort Xi, Consort Yi, Consort Duan, and others also stood up and asked to go and take care of the Emperor.
The Empress did not choose Consort Qi.
She had already made her plans, choosing Consort Hui and Consort Duan from among the palace concubines. In addition... the Empress scanned the entire room, her gaze pausing before landing directly on Consort Ping, and she couldn't help but show a hint of surprise on her face.
The concubines' gazes also fell on Consort Ping.
To everyone's astonishment, only Consort Ping remained seated among the concubines.
The unusual reaction drew the attention of the palace concubines.
The impatient Consort Yi was the first to lose her temper and clicked her tongue: "Sister Ping, how can you sit still at a time like this?"
Consort Ping's face turned pale.
Her knees trembled slightly as she slid off the chair and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! This concubine... this concubine is pregnant!"
Consort Ping's voice was filled with fear and trepidation, revealing her utter terror.
The Empress was already in a bad mood, and upon hearing this, her face immediately darkened: "Why aren't you helping your master to his feet?"
Consort Xuan rolled her eyes.
She scoffed, "Don't put on such a pitiful act. Anyone who didn't know better would think we forced you to go."
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