On the fifth day of the second lunar month in the thirtieth year of Kangxi's reign, a grand investiture ceremony beyond the usual protocols arrived as a surprise, breaking the Imperial Noble Consort Yunxiu's one-sided cold war with the emperor and dispelling the gloom that had hung over Kangxi's head.
Once the emperor gave his word to hold a magnificent ceremony, he spared no effort. However, his makeup skills were far from "magnificent"—they could even be called downright dreadful. Yunxiu stared at her reflection in the bronze mirror for a long while without uttering a word.
Her face was caked in thick, snow-white powder, her delicately arched brows had been painted thick and straight, and the rouge applied so heavily that calling it "monkey’s bottom" would have been a compliment.
Despite his steady hands and seemingly practiced strokes, the final result failed to showcase even a fraction of the Imperial Noble Consort’s beauty. It was as if he had deliberately set out to make her look hideous.
If she were to appear at the Qianqing Gate like this, the resounding chorus of "May the Imperial Noble Consort enjoy boundless blessings" would likely get stuck in everyone’s throats.
Yunxiu touched her cheek lightly, and her fingertips came away stained with wet, bright red.
Had he used half a box of rouge on her?
She sighed softly, then spoke with a smile tinged with endless melancholy, "Your Majesty, I do not wish to frighten the court. As for these makeup techniques—who taught you?"
Kangxi grew increasingly embarrassed as he worked and finally stopped, calling for a basin of hot water to carefully wash off the mess.
Setting down the enamel box on the dressing table, he coughed heavily and evaded the question. "Ruizhu, you take over. We must not delay the auspicious hour."
Nanny Dong wiped a bead of cold sweat from her brow and exhaled in relief—her mistress’s reputation had been saved.
Years later, the noblewomen and titled ladies who had witnessed the ceremony could still recall the scene vividly. The Imperial Noble Consort’s grace and peerless beauty lingered in their minds, yet no words could capture even a fraction of her radiance.
Little did they know that her elegance had nearly been ruined by the emperor’s hands, almost becoming a tragic disaster. Yunxiu took this lesson to heart. From then on, Kangxi was barred from touching her dressing table, and all cosmetics were hidden away in her chambers. She even subtly questioned the chief eunuch, Liang Jiugong, about who had given the emperor such terrible advice.
Using the ceremony as a surprise was one thing, but the added "makeup service" was pure horror. Those imperial hands, accustomed to handling state affairs and reviewing memorials, were utterly unsuited for delicate feminine tasks.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. The Imperial Noble Consort fretted and warned, "His Majesty cares deeply for his appearance, applying jade cream twice daily—that’s perfectly fine. But after seeing his makeup skills, you must ensure he never takes up needlework in the future. Do you understand?"
Needlework?!
Liang Jiugong shuddered. "Y-yes, of course."
The end of the cold war between the emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort brought relief to the entire palace, all thanks to the Crown Prince’s clever idea—studying the sacred texts for inspiration. The person who had taught Kangxi his disastrous makeup techniques was a skilled palace matron specially arranged by the Crown Prince from Yuqing Palace.
With everything prepared, the Crown Prince eagerly awaited good news from his father. Seeing that his stepmother, Yunxiu, had accepted the investiture and even smiled at Kangxi as usual, the Crown Prince’s worries melted away. Beaming, he took Jingchu’s hand and said, "At last, I can spend more time with you."
Yet the very next day, memorials from the imperial study still arrived at his doorstep. Though fewer in number, they were still memorials. The Crown Prince stiffened, frowning as he whispered to Liang Jiugong, "Wasn’t my plan a success? His Majesty promised me."
Liang Jiugong hesitated before replying in a low voice, "Your Highness, this servant truly has no say in the matter. The emperor is displeased because you disrupted his... intimate pastime with Her Ladyship."
The Crown Prince paused. "What intimate pastime?"
Liang Jiugong winced. "Eyebrow painting."
The Crown Prince doubted his ears. "Why?"
"His Majesty’s skills were lacking, so Her Ladyship forbade him." The emperor’s grudge was clear.
After a long silence, the Crown Prince sighed gloomily, "Eunuch Liang, I feel stifled in the palace. This vast world seems to have no place for Yinreng. Even our late grandfather in the afterlife would surely weep for me."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Liang Jiugong bewildered.
How had this suddenly involved the late Emperor Shunzhi?
When the little princess Wu Linzhu was six months old, the Crown Princess Jingchu went into labor at Yuqing Palace after ten months of pregnancy.
As a first birth, it was arduous, but all ended well. After a day and night, the Crown Prince’s firstborn—the Imperial Eldest Grandson—was born, immediately bestowed with the name Hongchen by the Grand Empress Dowager.
The character "Hong" followed the generational naming convention, while "Chen" carried profound symbolism, even surpassing the auspiciousness of Prince Rong Yinzuo’s name, "Zuo."
By tradition, the Imperial Eldest Grandson’s name should have included the sun radical. Kangxi had earlier enthusiastically shortlisted characters like "Zhao," "Xi," "Chen," and "Chang," all bearing splendid meanings. But before he could settle on the best one, the Grand Empress Dowager claimed the privilege of naming.
As she put it, having lived to see the Crown Prince marry and now welcome his heir, granting the child a name would leave her with no regrets.
Faced with his most revered grandmother’s insistence, Kangxi could only yield.
Earlier that year, the Grand Empress Dowager’s hands had grown too weak to hold chopsticks, and she could barely eat anything beyond porridge. Yet when she proposed the name, her aged eyes gleamed with vitality as she asked, "What about 'Chen'?"
"Excellent," Kangxi replied without hesitation, his voice soft. "This grandson obeys you."
For Hongchen’s third-day and full-month celebrations, the Grand Empress Dowager, leaning on a cane and moving unsteadily, forced herself to attend each one.
True to her words, she seemed at peace. But by the tenth month, her health declined rapidly until she was bedridden, relying on medicine daily.
Without needing the imperial physicians’ reports, Kangxi sensed it—his grandmother’s time was near. She would soon leave him forever.
In the twelfth month of Kangxi’s thirtieth year, the entire imperial family gathered at Cining Palace, their faces shadowed with grief.
The Empress Dowager, supported by Yunxiu, wept uncontrollably, murmuring "Imperial Mother" repeatedly until Kangxi, too, could no longer hold back his tears.
"Living to this age is a blessing. Why all these tears?" The Grand Empress Dowager struggled for breath as Sumalagu helped her sit up against pillows. She smiled weakly. "Emperor Taizong and Empress Xiaoduanwen must have grown impatient waiting for me."
Her thoughts drifted. "Fu Lin is there too, waiting."
Her face, etched with deep wrinkles and framed by silver hair, spoke of a life weathered by time. Yet her expression was serene, fearless. Few remembered her as the once-renowned beauty of Khorchin, but none would forget her legacy—guiding two generations of emperors, revered by courtiers and cherished by descendants.
Her loving gaze swept over the weeping Empress Dowager, Kangxi, Yunxiu, the Crown Prince and his consort, and all the princes and princesses. Her smile grew brighter.
A quarter of an hour later, the Grand Empress Dowager dismissed everyone, leaving only Kangxi by her bedside.
"Xuanye, Baocheng has been raised under your personal care and has grown up before my eyes," the Grand Empress Dowager said, gradually regaining her energy as she propped herself up. "He is still young and bound to make mistakes. If that day truly comes, scold or punish him as you see fit, but never bottle it up in silence."
Kangxi's lips trembled, and he responded with a choked voice. How could he not understand his grandmother's concerns?
The specter of fraternal strife and paternal estrangement would never come to pass.
"The Crown Prince is already capable of standing on his own. My empire will be entrusted to no one but him," he murmured. "And to Hongchen as well."
"Good, good." The Grand Empress Dowager closed her eyes in contentment before opening them again. "There is one more matter I must discuss with you—the appointment of an empress."
Without waiting for the emperor to speak, she continued softly, "Though the Imperial Noble Consort holds the status of a deputy empress, she is still not the empress. What are your thoughts?"
Kangxi's breath hitched as the Grand Empress Dowager smiled warmly. "In that case, the Fifth Prince and the others would become legitimate heirs. With the Crown Prince in place, you fear my reservations, and you fear the talk of an ill-fated destiny, do you not?"
Kangxi abruptly lifted his head, his eyes red-rimmed. "Grandmother."
"Over these past days, I have gradually come to realize," the Grand Empress Dowager said, her gaze distant, "that the higher one stands, the colder it becomes. It is rare to find a true companion. The Imperial Noble Consort is nothing like Lady Dong'e. To have her by your side is a blessing."
"As for the talk of ill fate, of being a jinx to wives—" She suddenly laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "It is all nonsense. Even if it were true, the Imperial Noble Consort is blessed with profound fortune, enough to counterbalance yours. Look—she has raised three princes. Yinqi fell into the water as a child yet emerged unscathed. No one can harm her; no one can match her good fortune."
"Have you forgotten how the Imperial Noble Consort rushed to Rehe without hesitation, bringing the Crown Prince along to secure divine medicine? This was heaven-sent grace bestowed upon you." The Grand Empress Dowager grew more animated as she spoke. "Her devotion to you moved the heavens—how could it not move me, or the Empress Dowager?"
That the emperor could turn peril into safety was a stroke of fortune. With an empress who brings prosperity to his side, the nation’s fortunes would surely flourish.
The Grand Empress Dowager paused to catch her breath before concluding with a sigh, "She is worthy of Yinreng addressing her as 'Imperial Mother.'"
When the imperial physicians entered again and saw the Grand Empress Dowager’s flushed cheeks and sudden resurgence of vigor, they silently thought the same four words: a final rally before death.
She clasped the Empress Dowager’s hand and looked upon the gathered crowd of younger generations, imparting words of care and instruction to each in turn.
Finally, she declared, "I have no wish to disturb the peace of our ancestors. After my passing, I shall not be interred in Emperor Taizong’s mausoleum. Xuanye, your grandmother wishes to remain close to you, to watch as my grandson governs with diligence, emulating the great rulers of history."
A radiant light flickered before her eyes, and in that fleeting moment, she returned to the vast grasslands of Khorchin, to those carefree days of galloping freely on horseback.
Amidst rising sobs, the Grand Empress Dowager closed her eyes with a smile—a joyous passing.
The Empress Dowager wailed in grief, "Grandmother!"
The funeral bell tolled, white banners were raised, and the entire nation mourned.
