The Imperial Noble Consort choked back sobs, her tears streaming down as she lifted her head, her makeup smeared halfway across her face, leaving no trace of her usual dignified demeanor.
Clutching her abdomen, she spoke the words pleading for the Emperor’s intervention, her rare display of vulnerability unexpectedly tugging at the heartstrings.
The Imperial Noble Consort let out a bitter laugh. "...Consort De has given birth to Yinzhen after all, an unbreakable bond. I’ve never stopped him from playing with Yinzuo. But today’s words truly struck me to the core... Consort De is right—children speak without thinking. How can we blame the Sixth Prince? It must have been an innocent remark..."
Consort De’s plea for mercy instantly caught in her throat. She slowly lowered herself further, closing her eyes as if plunged into an icy abyss.
The Imperial Noble Consort had said that Yinzuo’s words were harmless, and no blame could possibly fall on him.
The implication was clear: it was his mother—her—who had taught him those words.
And it was her own carelessness to blame. When Yinzuo had curiously asked about Yinzhen, she had smiled warmly and casually remarked, "Your fourth brother treats Chengqian Palace as his own home. Does he even remember his mother anymore?"
She had only said it in passing. Who could have guessed Yinzuo would take it to heart?
No—not take it to heart.
Yinzuo was far too young to remember such words so clearly.
It had to be one of the Imperial Noble Consort’s spies, goading the child into saying such things!
...
With just a little thought, Consort De pieced together the truth. This was a trap laid by the Imperial Noble Consort.
Using Yinzuo as bait to disrupt the family banquet, even discarding the dignity befitting her status as the second-ranking consort—all just to smear her with two accusations.
First, scheming to manipulate Yinzuo.
Second, disrespecting the Imperial Noble Consort and attempting to sever the bond between her and Yinzhen.
Under the watchful eyes of the court, how could the Emperor possibly spare her?
The Tongjia family was the Emperor’s maternal clan. Though Mrs. Tongjia wouldn’t escape unscathed, the Emperor would never punish her severely.
—A thousand losses for eight hundred gains. What kind of sane person would resort to such tactics?
Now, no amount of defense would help. Yinzuo’s words were evidence enough.
No—she couldn’t panic. She hadn’t lost yet...
Her nails dug into her palms, the sharp pain grounding her. Consort De remained silent, pressing herself even lower against the floor as if resigned to her fate.
Consort Hui gasped sharply, clutching her embroidered handkerchief in agitation, while Consort Rong mirrored her distress.
They had worked together to arrange tonight’s banquet, expecting harmony and joy. Who could have foreseen such a scene?
Remembering that today was the Emperor’s birthday—the Wanshou Festival—Consort Rong’s heart sank. She stole a glance upward.
Sure enough, the Emperor’s face was stormy, all traces of his earlier warmth gone.
Kangxi twisted the jade thumb ring on his finger, letting out a cold, mirthless chuckle. His gaze swept over the Imperial Noble Consort, paused, then shifted to Consort De.
One seven months pregnant, the other five—yet neither could let a single day pass without stirring trouble.
And they had chosen today of all days!
Fine. Just fine.
The Grand Empress Dowager, having lived in the palace for decades, saw through the scheme at once.
The elderly matriarch sighed softly, fearing the Emperor might act rashly in his fury. She spoke before Kangxi could. "Yinzhen, Yinzuo—you’re both good children. Come to your great-grandmother’s side. Come!"
Her words were like sweet rain after a drought, rescuing the Fourth Prince, who stood clenching his fists, and the Sixth Prince, on the verge of tears.
Kangxi snapped out of his daze, a pang of guilt piercing his chest.
This was his fault too—for neglecting the affairs of the inner court, forcing his grandmother to step in.
Looking at the two children, the Emperor’s anger cooled slightly, while his opinion of the Imperial Noble Consort and Consort De plummeted further.
He flicked a glance at Liang Jiugong and tapped the table lightly with a fingertip.
Liang Jiugong understood at once, exhaling in relief. "Serve the dishes—"
Palace attendants filed in, and the suffocating tension gradually dissipated.
...
"Great-Grandmother..." Yinzuo wiped his tears, his voice trembling, but the Grand Empress Dowager gently cut him off.
Holding the child’s hand, she patted Yinzhen’s shaved head with a kind smile. "Don’t cry. Your great-grandmother is here. Have some pastries to fill your stomach."
Yinzhen silently took a pastry and stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes red.
The Grand Empress Dowager sighed inwardly.
Though born of the same mother, the two brothers stood worlds apart. She could see it—Yinzhen had begun to resist Yinzuo.
Using children as pawns? Unforgivable!
Her gaze sharpened as she turned to the Imperial Noble Consort and Consort De, still kneeling at the center of the hall.
Since the Emperor hadn’t permitted them to rise, they remained on the cold, unyielding floor, their strength beginning to waver.
The Imperial Noble Consort, prepared in advance, wore thick knee pads and had drunk a potent tonic to stabilize her pregnancy. For now, she fared far better than Consort De.
But Consort De was terrified.
A chilling numbness spread through her abdomen, accompanied by a faint but unmistakable sense of heaviness. It wasn’t severe, but it sent her into a panic.
If she lost this child, how could she ever hold her head high in the palace again?
Ever since the Emperor had stormed out of Yonghe Palace that day, Consort De had felt his favor wane.
Compared to Consort Yi, she paled—even the lesser-favored Noble Consorts had received gifts from Qianqing Palace. Yet she had gotten nothing, becoming the laughingstock of the court!
Without the Emperor’s favor, her children were her only refuge.
At least the servants of the Imperial Household Department, ever opportunistic, still treated her with the same deference as before.
But she had deeper ambitions, buried in the furthest corners of her heart.
Yinzuo stood alone, without allies. In the future... she would need to bear him a younger brother, to better secure his prospects—to truly live up to the meaning of his name, Zuò—"the throne of the nation."
After losing a young princess the previous year, Consort De guarded this pregnancy fiercely. She had even resolved to entrust the child to the Empress Dowager’s care once born.
If it were a prince, he could stand invincible like Yinqi, supporting Yinzuo in the years to come. If a princess, perhaps she might escape the fate of being sent to Mongolia in marriage.
She had considered every angle—but none of it mattered if the child didn’t survive.
Biting her lip, Consort De hardened her resolve.
If anything happened to this child, she would make sure the Tongjia woman paid with her life!
From across the hall, Nanny Wu noticed Consort De’s distress and grew frantic.
Steeling herself, she stepped forward to plead for mercy—but the Grand Empress Dowager, as if sensing her intent, waved a hand dismissively. "Imperial Noble Consort, Consort De, rise. This is a day of celebration. Let us postpone any punishments for another time."
Kangxi picked up a slice of bamboo shoot with his chopsticks, not bothering to look up. "This grandson obeys Grandmother’s will."
Consort De blinked. Postponed?
The Imperial Noble Consort stiffened, staring at Kangxi in disbelief. The Emperor, sensing her gaze, lifted his eyes and met hers with an indifferent glance.
In that moment, regret surged through her. She and her cousin—the Emperor—had grown so distant.
Then she turned to Consort De, whose lips were bloodless, her body frail. A faint trace of red stained the hem of her robes.
The Imperial Noble Consort’s expression firmed, a small smile curving her lips as she rested a hand on her rounded belly.
It was all worth it.
Once she bore a prince and became Empress, who could challenge her then?
They said she hated Consort De because of Yinzhen, hated Consort Yi because of the Emperor’s favor—and they weren’t wrong.
But that wasn’t the whole truth.
At present, the Imperial Noble Consort, Consort Yi, and Consort De were all pregnant, their due dates not far from hers.
What if they gave birth to sons who won the Emperor's favor? How much of a threat would that pose to her?
The Emperor’s beloved youngest son—one was enough!
No one could compete with her prince. No one.
Consort De’s pregnancy seemed unlikely to last; even if she delivered, the child would be weak and feeble, hardly worth worrying about. As for Consort Yi, Noble Consort Yuan was already working on that front. And then there was Noble Consort Niu Gulu…
She needed to think carefully, to devise a foolproof plan.
With her son by her side, Consort Yi enjoyed the evening’s spectacle, thoroughly entertained. Not only did she eat to her heart’s content, but she also drank several extra cups of warm fruit juice.
When the banquet ended, Yunxiu bent down, cupped Yinqi’s chubby cheeks, and planted a kiss on his face. "Be good and sleep well, Yinqi. No kicking off the blankets at night, understand?"
"Mother, Yinqi doesn’t kick the blankets," the boy protested, his dark eyes wide like grapes. He huffed, "It’s my little brother who does that!"
Secretly, he thought to himself: Mother’s kiss smells so nice. Next time, I’ll kiss her back.
Yunxiu pinched his plump cheeks and laughed uncontrollably. "Your brother’s arms and legs aren’t even strong enough yet. Kicking blankets is still a long way off for him."
The Empress Dowager stood nearby, beaming, praising Yinqi in Mongolian and vouching for him: "Our Yinqi doesn’t kick blankets. Your grandmother knows best…"
When Emperor Kangxi arrived, supporting the Grand Empress Dowager, he happened upon this heartwarming scene and heard Yinqi’s bold declaration about not kicking blankets.
The Emperor paused, then chuckled, his gaze lingering on Yunxiu, unable to look away.
Tonight, Yunxiu’s seat had been too far back.
The Imperial Noble Consort, Noble Consort Niu Gulu, and Consort Hui had taken the front tables, while Yunxiu kept a low profile, quietly eating with her head down, making it impossible for him to get a proper look at her.
A ripple of emotion stirred in his heart, and suddenly, an impulsive thought took hold.
Perhaps it was the deep night, but that impulse gradually solidified into a rope—one he suppressed with the restraint befitting an emperor.
Not yet. The balance of the harem was already set. Now was not the time.
"Grandmother, I’ll escort you no further," Kangxi said with a smile, stopping where Yunxiu couldn’t see him. "I’m truly sorry to trouble you with the banquet’s disputes…"
The Grand Empress Dowager waved him off. "You’re busy with state affairs, and the Imperial Noble Consort is pregnant. Who else but me could handle this? Enough with such words."
Mentioning the Imperial Noble Consort, the Grand Empress Dowager sighed and shook her head. "She clearly has no energy for another child… and neither does Consort De. Caught between them, how could little Yinzhen be happy?"
Kangxi stood silently, hands clasped behind his back.
After a moment, he bowed slightly and spoke with unusual gravity. "Grandmother, I must ask you to promise me…"
On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, or during major festivals, it was customary for the Emperor to stay overnight at Kuining Palace—a tradition passed down through generations.
Since the death of Empress Xiaozhao and with no new empress appointed, the Emperor now visited the Imperial Noble Consort at Chengqian Palace on these occasions.
Tonight was the Emperor’s birthday. By tradition, after the banquet, he should have come here…
The Imperial Noble Consort suppressed a faint unease, repeatedly sending servants to check for updates. Finally, as bedtime approached, the imperial procession arrived.
Hearing the announcement, she exhaled in relief—only for a sharp pang of bitterness to follow. She turned to Noble Consort Yuan.
"Serve His Majesty well," she said coldly after a pause. "If anything goes wrong, I’ll hold you accountable!"
Noble Consort Yuan bowed respectfully in acknowledgment.
…
When the Emperor strode into the main hall, he was greeted not only by the freshly dressed Imperial Noble Consort but also by a vaguely familiar figure.
"…" For a moment, Kangxi thought he’d entered the wrong palace, his lips quirking instinctively.
Then he took a closer look—a stranger, a strikingly beautiful woman who bore a faint resemblance to Yunxiu and even mimicked her mannerisms and attire!
Having ruled for decades, Kangxi had seen all manner of schemes. Yet this left him stunned. His lingering smile froze as he pointed at the Imperial Noble Consort, speechless.
Liang Jiugong’s heart sank. This was bad.
Seeing his expression, the Imperial Noble Consort mistook it for pleasant surprise, assuming the Emperor was pleased with Noble Consort Yuan’s resemblance to Consort Yi.
Struggling against her own jealousy, she forced a gracious smile. "Your Majesty, I am with child and unable to serve you properly, so I’ve brought a beauty from the side palace. Noble Consort Yuan is comparable to Consort Yi—"
Before she could finish, Kangxi snatched a teacup from the table and hurled it to the ground.
The Imperial Noble Consort recoiled in shock, her face draining of color. "Your Majesty?"
"Absurd." Kangxi laughed in cold fury, incredulous. "Comparable to Consort Yi? What do you take me for? What do you take Yunxiu for? A mere imitation—how dare you compare her to Consort Yi?!"
Under the Imperial Noble Consort’s horrified gaze, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "In your eyes, Mrs. Tongjia, am I nothing but a monkey in a circus, dancing to your tune for entertainment?"
His phoenix eyes burned with a chilling intensity.
"No…" The Imperial Noble Consort staggered back, her voice breaking.
Noble Consort Yuan had already retreated to a corner, biting her lip to suppress a smirk.
Kangxi chuckled darkly, twisting the jade ring on his finger as he stared down the Imperial Noble Consort. "You aspire to be Mu Xieli, but I am no Gao Wei. Cousin, if you no longer wish to be the Imperial Noble Consort, I can grant you that wish."
