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Translator: Jalyss
Editor: Odyssey
Chapter 46
After hearing Ying’er’s report, Consort Hui stopped walking and her expression changed. She no longer cared about Kangxi’s favouritism or Consort Yi’s behaviour.
“The noble consort has been pregnant for ten months, so she should have given birth…” Consort Hui said slowly, “Hurry up and get your cloak. Follow me to Yongshou Palace and wait there. You must not fall behind the others.”
When she spoke, the corners of her eyes drooped slightly. She was obviously unhappy, but her tone was impatient.
Ying’er knew her thoughts very well. Compared to Consort Yi, Noble Consort Niu Gulu was the one the Consort needed to be more wary of.
Mrs. Niu Gulu, whose family was from the Yellow Banner, was wealthy. The noble consort directly belonged to the lineage who made great contributions to the founding of the country, and whose dynasty also produced an empress. In terms of glory and heritage, Mrs. Nala couldn’t compare.
Even though Ming Zhu was there to help the Consort, the noble consort had lost the support of E’bilong and the clan gradually declined. However, her status was higher than that of the Consort and she still had the power to command the Six Palaces…
Due to the dispute between Young Master Kuixu and Aling’a, her master and the noble consort were at odds. Mrs. Niu Gulu had taken a hidden loss and would not let it go. Once she was out of confinement, the noble consort would truly be the number one person in the harem. By then, the Consort would not be able to avoid being suppressed.
It would be even worse if the noble consort gave birth to a prince!
Except for the crown prince, the little prince’s background would be the most noble one, and the eldest prince would not be able to compare to him.
The Consort originally wanted to put an end to future troubles, but after the emperor ordered people to rectify the Imperial Household Department, the power of the Nala family was considerably reduced. Yongshou Palace was tightly controlled by the noble consort. She could not find an opening, so she had to give up.
…
Consort Hui held onto Ying’er’s hand and got into the sedan chair. After she regained her composure, she put on a dignified smile. Her eyes were lowered and her lips twitched slightly.
God bless her. She must give birth to a princess.
***
Yun Xiu felt a lot more relaxed after having solved one problem on her mind. After returning to the palace, she had a faint smile and gave a few instructions to Wet Nurse Dong. Then, she took off her shoes and socks, leaned on the chair, ate her meal, and prepared to take a nap.
The news of slapping Imperial Concubine Xi would eventually reach Qianqing Palace. It might even increase her reputation of being domineering, but Yun Xiu was not worried at all.
If the emperor came to charge her that night, she was 90% sure that she would be able to coax him. Due to the emperor’s enthusiasm towards her, she was not sure that he would even reprimand her.
Consort Yi fell asleep with relief.
After she woke up, she heard some unclear shouting. She opened her eyes and saw that nanny came to greet her with Yintang in her arms.
“The ninth prince has been kicking after drinking milk. He is no longer sleepy.” The nanny smiled and paid her respects to Consort Yi. “This servant just said something about going to the front hall, and the ninth prince responded in kind. He must be missing the Consort a lot.”
Yun Xiu sat up straight and looked at the baby after hearing this. She then smiled softly and said, “Give him to Us.”
Because she had just woken up from a nap, her voice was slightly hoarse. This caused the baby’s ears to move and his feet to kick more energetically.
Yintang got his wish and landed in his mother’s fragrant arms. He looked around and he opened his mouth to shout, “Ah.”
He calmed down. His shouts were soft and coquettish, which made Yun Xiu soften her beautiful eyebrows.
The ninth prince, who was pretending to be young and stupid, didn’t know about his mother’s ‘feat’ that morning, otherwise he wouldn’t have behaved so sweetly.
This was also due to the flower and bird screen that he destroyed.
Ever since he got into trouble and was given a gentle lesson by Yun Xiu, Yintang had restrained his urges to be naughty. He opened his mouth and smiled sweetly all the time, which made people’s hearts melt like butter. Even Kangxi was generous and didn’t worry about the scratch marks.
Ignorance was bliss. The ninth prince felt happy that he had not witnessed his mother’s ‘arrogant and domineering’ attitude and ‘tongue-in-cheek’ style with his own eyes. At this moment, Rui Zhu, who was well-informed, walked in quickly and said eagerly, “Consort, the noble consort is giving birth.”
Yun Xiu was stunned, and so was Yintang. When they came to their senses, the faces of mother and son were filled with the same surprise, mixed with excitement and many other emotions.
Yintang kicked his legs and almost burst into tears.
Old Ten was finally here.
They enjoyed blessings and endured misfortune together. He couldn’t bear the feeling of being □□ by the crown prince and the others, so he would ask his younger brother to share this burden with him.
The ninth prince has had a hard time waiting for him!
His black eyes were astonishingly bright, and the word happiness was written all over his face.
“Quickly, get some medicinal materials to replenish her body, as well as the wild ginseng sent by the emperor, just in case the noble consort loses her strength…” Yun Xiu ordered quickly.
Wen Yuan solemnly agreed.
After giving the order, Yun Xiu looked at the sky and said with a smile, “She really knows how to choose the right time. After her confinement period, it will be the middle of winter, so she doesn’t have to suffer from the heat. That is really good.”
As she said that, she looked at the fat boy in her arms with emotion. She pinched his tender cheeks, chuckled, and pretended to have a regret. “It’s a pity that your mother can’t take you, otherwise, you would be able to see the tenth prince just after he was born.”
Yintang didn’t discover his mother’s ulterior motives, nor did he think there was anything wrong with the ‘tenth prince’.
He immediately fell into regret and unknowingly bit the fleshy pit on his hand. After the excitement passed, he felt a little sad.
When would he see the monkey-like Old Ten?
***
Yongshou Palace.
When Yun Xiu came, the imperial noble consort leaned her head on her hands and had a pale face. Consort Hui was sitting below. Consort Rong must have been on her way too.
Imperial Concubine Wu had not yet been released from the house arrest, and the only remaining principal positions were Imperial Concubine Duan and Imperial Concubine Cheng. When they saw the one who entered the palace, the imperial noble consort smiled and nodded. Consort Hui said kindly, “Sit down.” Imperial Concubine Duan averted her eyes a little. When the other noble ladies and young masters paid their respects, they showed a hint of fear.
Yun Xiu didn’t care how they reacted. After paying her respects, she listened intently with a tense look on her face. “How is noble consort’s condition? Is it going smoothly?”
“Everything is fine. There are no signs of a difficult labour.” After hearing this, the imperial noble consort replied with a smile, “The imperial doctor said that the noble consort is in good health and will not suffer for too long.”
Yun Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and then took a seat.
She glanced around briefly and raised her eyebrows slightly. “Why aren’t Imperial Concubine An and Imperial Concubine Xi here? This is considered rude.”
Her expression was one of genuine confusion, with a hint of displeasure.
…
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone’s expressions became a little strange.
Someone coughed lowly, and the imperial noble consort had to force herself not to laugh. Consort Yi was probably still on the sedan chair when Liang Jiugong passed the order.
She covered her mouth and her face turned a little rosy. “Ahem… Older Sister Consort Yi doesn’t know… Just now, the emperor issued an order to punish them each to copy Buddhist scriptures twenty times. They are not allowed to go out until they finish copying… so they can’t come to Yongshou Palace.”
Consort Hui was about to speak, but when she saw the imperial noble consort speaking first, she lowered her eyes.
Was Mrs. Tongjia afraid that people would forget her existence, and finally couldn’t help it anymore?
“So that is how it is.” Yun Xiu smiled and her eyes were full of colour.
After saying that, she shook her head and sighed softly. “The emperor’s punishment is understandable, but twenty times is too much… A small punishment but a big warning is enough, and this concubine doesn’t want to cause such a dispute.”
The imperial noble consort’s smile faltered and Consort Hui’s face became stiff. Consort Rong, who had just stepped into the palace door, almost tripped over the threshold.
Hey, what was she saying?!
…
In the delivery room, the eldest palace maid hurriedly held the wooden box and whispered to Wet Nurse Qi, who was guarding the bed, “This is a medicine sent by Wen Yuan from Consort Yi…”
The noble consort was sweating. In order to accumulate some strength, she bit the brocade quilt to prevent herself from shouting loudly. When the palace maid made her report, she listened in a daze. There was warmth in her eyes.
She pulled away the quilt, opened her mouth, and asked in a hoarse voice. “Consort Yi… what else did you say?”
The eldest maid hesitated for a while, but finally did not dare to disobey the order. She quickly recounted the conversation between Yun Xiu and the imperial noble consort.
The noble consort choked, curled her lips and smiled, then frowned in pain and sucked in the cool air with a hiss.
The midwives looked at each other. Wet Nurse Qi’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. She whispered, “Noble Consort, there is a time and place for everything, and yet you are still thinking about these things!”
During these days when the noble consort was living in seclusion and concentrating on raising her foetus, she most liked to hear people talk about Consort Yi.
Hearing her deal with Consort De and Imperial Concubine Ping was extremely satisfying. Her eyes were brighter and her appetite was a little better. Her usual dignity and poise were all gone.
This was not over yet!
At noon that day, the news that Consort Yi had slapped Imperial Concubine Xi outside Cining Palace swept through the Six Palaces like the wind. This included the remarks that Imperial Concubine Xi’s eyes Yikun Palace’s plaque…
After hearing this, the noble consort burst into laughter. In the next moment, her amniotic fluid broke.
Yongshou Palace suddenly fell into chaos.
Now, the noble consort was still like this. It was really, really… Wet Nurse Qi was speechless and worried at the same time. How could the noble consort laugh at this time?!
…
Yun Xiu never expected that it was due to such a reason.
She waited and became more anxious and restless. When the Empress Dowager and Kangxi arrived, everyone could see the concern under her frown.
At this moment, Kangxi couldn’t hold her hand. He felt more pity for her in his heart.
Compared with Xiuxiu, the others’ worried expressions were too fake. They obviously wished that the noble consort would have a difficult childbirth. They still dared to behave like this, thinking that he couldn’t see anything?
Kangxi ignored the concubine who came up to him and asked directly, “How is the Noble Consort?”
The imperial noble consort stood up and paid her respects. She lowered her eyes slightly, and smiled weakly. “Your Majesty, the imperial doctor said that everything is going well and that it should be done soon…”
Before she finished speaking, a loud cry pierced the sky.
“It’s a little prince!”
Consort Hui was stunned. Her smile widened a bit, and the hand holding the handkerchief tightened suddenly.
***
When the imperial noble consort returned to Chengqian Palace in a sedan chair, the lanterns were already on.
The cold wind in late autumn was very uncomfortable and gave her a headache. Her face was white and her hands and feet were cold. It took her a while to calm down before she walked away.
Wet Nurse Zhen quickly asked someone to make ginger soup and carefully supported her. “Imperial Noble Consort…”
“My body is no longer useful.” The imperial noble consort smiled bitterly, remembering the happy event of the birth of the tenth prince. Her eyes darkened, “It’s Mrs. Niu Gulu. The emperor actually allowed her to give birth to a prince!”
No matter how one said it, the noble consort’s own son was more noble than Yinzhen, the imperial noble consort’s adopted son.
In addition to the crown prince, another prince was born… The matter of Suo Etu could not be delayed any longer.
This had to be solved one by one.
She suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of urgency. She grabbed Wet Nurse Zhen’s hand, and asked quickly, “It’s been so long, why hasn’t father sent any news?” Suo Etu was still flourishing!
He told her to be careful and not to mention changing the jade record for the fourth prince. The imperial noble consort was silent for a long time, but finally listened.
But Suo Etu was different, and Mrs. Hesheli was different. It was a blood feud, a hatred that could not be eliminated! The imperial noble consort was still full of energy, not only for Yinzhen, but also for revenge.
Wet Nurse Zhen’s heart skipped a beat. She lowered her eyes and forced a smile. “Imperial Noble Consort, please don’t be anxious. The Master must be busy with business, so he can’t send a message…”
The imperial noble consort stared at Wet Nurse Zhen closely. Then, it was as if she noticed something. She coughed a few times, then grabbed Wet Nurse Zhen’s collar and said sternly, “Speak!”
Wet Nurse Zhen’s collar was pulled harshly. She took a few breaths with difficulty and called out ‘Imperial Noble Consort’ intermittently.
When Wet Nurse Zhen looked into the eyes of the imperial noble consort, they were already turning blood red. Wet Nurse Zhen didn’t hold any resentment at all. It was just the tip of her nose that was sore. “Master said… the time has not come yet, and to please endure it a little longer…”
The imperial noble consort pushed her away, staggered for a few steps. She was at a loss for a long time, then suddenly laughed softly.
“Endure it for longer?” She murmured, “Why? Haven’t I endured enough?”
It would be fine if he didn’t plan for Yinzhen’s matter, but he wouldn’t even avenge her.
The Tong family was severely damaged and their face was completely lost, but her father didn’t care at all!
“We never imagined that one day We would become abandoned by the family.” The imperial noble consort closed her eyes. “Okay, great. The next step is to send Ru Yue into the palace?”
Ru Yue was the second daughter of the Tong family and the biological sister of the imperial noble consort. She was now thirteen.
Wet Nurse Zhen trembled in disbelief. The imperial noble consort laughed sarcastically and swallowed the taste of blood in her mouth.
After a while, she said expressionlessly, “The time has come. They will not succeed.”
—
The author has something to say:
The Tenth Prince: … I never expected that I would be related to Mother Yi since I was born…
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