Chengqian Palace.
When Consort Wuya awoke, it was already the next day. She propped herself up and looked around but couldn't find her child. A sudden panic gripped her: "My child! My child! Where is my child? Where is my eleventh prince?!"
Hearing the noise, a maid lifted the curtain and entered.
Consort Wuya had never seen her before. The old woman smiled and said, "My lady Wuya, you gave birth to the twelfth prince, not the eleventh prince."
Wuya suddenly remembered this matter.
Consort Wan actually gave birth to a prince before her... Thinking of this, her heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by a pair of large hands, and her face gradually turned pale.
The old woman frowned.
However, her attitude remained unchanged; the curve of her lips was exactly the same. The nanny said gently, "The young prince is unwell and has been sent to the front hall for care. Consort Uya's health is also failing..."
Before the old woman could finish speaking, Consort Wuya froze. Her mind went blank, and she couldn't help but scream, "Your Highness!?"
The old woman was startled by her reaction: "This is the grace of the Imperial Concubine, and Consort Wuya should be grateful."
The word "grace" was emphasized.
Being raised by the Imperial Concubine would greatly enhance a prince's social standing. Anyone else would be extremely grateful, but the nanny immediately realized that Consort Wuya was a freak.
"grateful?"
Wuya let out an incredulous sneer, her face contorted as she screamed, baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, "The Imperial Concubine stole my child and you expect me to be grateful?!"
The old woman was so startled that she took a step back.
She couldn't hide the shock in her eyes, and quickly suppressed her smile: "What do you mean by 'snatched away'? It's a blessing that Your Highness took away the little prince born to Consort Wuya, it's for the good of the little prince and Consort Wuya—ah!?"
Uya often slapped the old woman across the face.
Screams and shouts rang out in the courtyard, and the commotion in the backyard was even heard all the way to the front hall.
Emperor Kangxi happened to be there.
He frowned as he stared at the baby in the swaddling clothes; his expression was not good.
It wasn't that Consort Tong insisted on taking the child away, but rather that the child was too weak. Perhaps due to being confined in the womb for too long, or perhaps because he hadn't been properly cared for before, the Twelfth Prince's cries were as weak as a kitten's, and his skin was as pale as snow. To put it bluntly, even if he were to grow up, he would need to be carefully nurtured in the future.
Consort Tong carefully closed the swaddling clothes.
The child was so weak that she dared not hold him for long and quickly had the wet nurse take the child back to the inner room. Consort Tong said in a low voice, "The imperial physician said that perhaps it was because Consort Wuya had been in her belly for too long that... It's all my fault."
"The child is so thin, only two-thirds the size of the eleventh prince. One reason is that it's trapped in her belly, but another reason is that I've noticed she's been causing trouble during her pregnancy." Kangxi said with a dark face, rattling off a string of words.
He had heard a lot about Consort Wuya's behavior during her pregnancy. The palace turned a blind eye because of her pregnancy, but he never expected that she would cause so much trouble that she couldn't even raise the child properly.
The commotion in the backyard reached them as soon as they finished speaking.
Upon hearing that Consort Wuya had started making a fuss as soon as she woke up, and that the Imperial Concubine had snatched the child and demanded that the Emperor make the decision, and looking at the Imperial Concubine with dark circles under her eyes and a haggard face, and thinking of the thin and weak infant in her swaddling clothes, Kangxi's anger surged.
It's not that it doesn't count, it's just that the time hasn't come yet.
At this moment, Kangxi's pent-up anger suddenly erupted. He would not only not help Consort Wuya, but also not reward her, or even promote her to the rank of Noble Lady or Consort as she had dreamed.
Emperor Kangxi gave the order.
From this day forward, Consort Wuya is demoted to a lower-ranking concubine and is forbidden from leaving the palace without imperial decree. His face darkened, and he spoke coldly and ruthlessly: "She can only leave when the young prince has fully recovered. If the young prince doesn't thrive, she can spend her entire life in the Buddhist hall!"
"Consort Wuya, no!" Consort Wuya's mind went blank. She scrambled towards the gate, trying to go to the front hall to explain things to the Emperor, but several nannies held her back tightly, saying urgently, "Consort Wuya! Consort Wuya! Take care of your health."
Uya screamed, "I want to see the Emperor! I want to see my child—!" But as she became agitated, she experienced another sharp pain in her lower abdomen, and something flowed out of her stomach. Uya broke out in a cold sweat, her face drained of color, and she collapsed to the ground.
The stench made several of the old women frown.
They concealed their disgust and hurriedly helped Wuya back to bed, hastily changing her menstrual belt.
Uya agreed, lying on the bed panting.
Her once beautiful face was now completely distorted, and she suddenly burst into tears on the bed—why was everything so different from what she remembered? Would her little prince still be able to ascend the throne in the end?
Uya agreed, trembling.
She had given birth to the Twelfth Prince? Consort Wan had given birth to the Eleventh Prince? Then…who was the little prince she had given birth to? Would he even survive? Her mind was a complete mess, and she muttered to herself, “My child, my child, the Eleventh Prince, the Fourth Prince…my child…”
Several old women wiped away their cold sweat.
After they left the room, they exchanged glances, and one of them whispered, "Has this Wuya Changzai gone mad?"
"...Probably not."
“Oh...we’re really unlucky.” Another nanny shook her head.
They exchanged a few words and then hurried to the front hall to report the news.
Consort Tong was preoccupied with worrying about the young prince and had no time to pay attention to Consort Wuya. What trouble could a mere consort cause in the courtyard? She ordered the palace servants to confine Consort Wuya to a side room: "Didn't His Majesty say that Consort Wuya can only be released when the young prince is fully recovered?"
Honestly, Consort Tong was genuinely willing for Uya to agree to come out this time, since that would at least mean the Twelfth Prince could survive.
Her gaze shifted, and her loving eyes fell on the soft little dumpling. Whether he smacked his lips, hummed, or slept, it made Consort Tong beam with joy.
The atmosphere in Xianfu Palace on the other side was peaceful.
The east wing was filled with warm, steamy air, making the whole room cozy. Wan Anran, her long hair loose, lay reclining on the couch, flipping through books while gently rocking a wooden cradle.
The wooden cradle was ordered by the Imperial Household Department two months in advance. It was carved from rosewood, and the curved bottom allowed the cradle to rock back and forth. Mao Tao slept soundly inside—no, it should be said that the baby spent less time awake and more time sleeping.
Orange-white pushed open the door and entered.
She stood still, shaking herself to clear away the snowflakes she had brought in before stepping inside. A smile graced her orange-white face: "My lady, I've found out."
Wan Anran looked up.
Ju Bai patted her chest, looking relieved: "Luckily we are in Xianfu Palace. I heard that Consort Wuya's little prince was taken back to the front hall by Consort Tong to be raised right after he was born."
Even influential people are not qualified to raise children.
Logically, the young prince should have been taken to the front hall and raised by Consort Xuan. However, just as she had never stopped Consort Nara and Wan Fu from being close, she had no intention of taking the young prince away and instructed Wan Anran and the palace servants to take good care of him.
Wan Anran nodded in relief as well.
Just thinking about the despair she would feel if she were separated from Xiao Mao Tao sent chills down Wan Anran's spine. She lovingly stroked Xiao Mao Tao's soft lanugo, and the news she had heard on the second day after giving birth suddenly flashed through her mind.
The emperor suggested to the empress dowager that they adopt the young prince.
Thinking about it this way, perhaps the little peach under my command is the Fifth Prince Yinqi, who was raised by the Empress Dowager and is kind, gentle and kind-hearted.
Fifth Prince, how are you!
Thinking about the historical reputation of the Fifth Prince Yinqi, Wan Anran was completely satisfied. She smiled and poked his round cheeks, murmuring, "My little twelfth..."
"Huh?" Zisu was taken aback.
Then, she said, both amused and exasperated, "My lady, what are you saying? The young master is the eleventh prince!"
Wan Anran: ...?
Wan Anran: …………?
After a long silence, a startled exclamation echoed throughout the East Annex Hall: "Eh?! ...
Zisu was startled.
She quickly explained, "Your Majesty, although it is true that Consort Wuya gave birth first, Your Majesty's delivery was quick. I heard that Consort Wuya gave birth as soon as Your Majesty's good news reached her. The imperial physician said that if it had taken any longer, the child might not have survived. Therefore, during the morning and evening greetings this day, Consort Tong even told Your Majesty that she wanted to thank the Eleventh Prince for the good fortune he brought!"
That's not the issue!
Wan Anran's face contorted, her neck choked as if someone had grabbed her, silencing her. After a long while, her head clicked as it turned towards Mao Tao, who was sleeping soundly in the cradle—the Eleventh Prince, meaning that the person in front of her was Yinzhen.
The future Yongzheng Emperor.
Wan Anran's chin fell to the ground with a thud, and she stood there frozen in place.
What about my dream of being a lazy bum?
If this continues, won't it turn into a palace intrigue dream? Wan Anran exhaled her soul, her whole body blank for a long time.
After a long while, she finally cheered herself up. Wan Anran secretly comforted herself, thinking about how many things had changed in the past year: the Empress hadn't died, and she had even been promoted to the rank of Noble Lady, right? It was quite possible that she, a lazy mother, had raised a lazy Yinzhen!
Yes! That's right!
Wan Anran nodded emphatically, lovingly stroking her little Maotao: "Maotao, grow up well. Your mother doesn't ask you to be outstanding, she only asks that you be safe and sound. Do whatever you want to do!"
The palace maids looked at each other in bewilderment.
What's gotten into my master this time?
Strangely, Little Peach, who had been sleeping soundly just moments before, suddenly started humming as if she had grasped something. The way her little mouth moved was incredibly adorable; just looking at her melted Hai Tao's heart. She chuckled and said, "Master, look, the little prince understands what you're saying and is agreeing!"
Wan Anran smiled and said, "Really?"
She carefully cradled the soft, fluffy peach in her arms, unable to resist kissing it on both sides. Perhaps it was a mother's connection with her child, for the little peach even opened its eyes briefly in her arms before closing them again.
"Master, did you see that? The young master's eyes are so bright and black."
"Mmm! Little Peach is so cute!" Wan Anran buried her face in Little Peach's body, her heart melting completely.
Who cares!
No matter how the future unfolds, for now, Mao Tao is just my little darling in my arms! We'll worry about the future when it comes.
Thinking of this, Wan Anran cheered up again.
Remembering the half-finished ball of yarn she had worked on last year, she quickly sent Ju Bai to the Imperial Household Department to inquire, wondering if the department had figured it out within a year.
If you figure it out...
Wan Anran thought about the uses of the yarn and gestured as she prepared to make hats, clothes, and shoes for Xiao Maotao.
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