This was truly a "grand surprise" falling from the heavens.
Kangxi felt a sudden dampness on his chest, and his robe draped over his knees was soaked through. Before he could react, a stream of infant urine splashed all over him—only his imperial face was spared.
Holding Yintang in his arms, he froze for a moment, his expression turning a kaleidoscope of colors, quite a sight to behold.
Back when he had personally raised the Crown Prince, the bond between father and son had been intimate, yet even then, whenever Baocheng cried, got hungry, or wet himself, it was always the wet nurses who handled it. Rarely had he ever been peed on like this.
Moreover, little Yintang had unleashed his deluge without warning—no prelude, no hesitation—just a sudden, torrential downpour.
The sound of dripping filled the air. Liang Jiugong was momentarily stunned before he deeply bowed his head, shoulders trembling as he suppressed the laughter threatening to burst forth.
This little prince truly had no regard for His Majesty’s dignity! Barely a few days old, and already daring to provoke the dragon’s whiskers—what audacity!
Nanny Dong hesitated, wanting to step forward but not daring to, her feelings mirroring Liang Jiugong’s exactly.
Kangxi’s face darkened as he looked down at the child in his arms. Yintang blinked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
Having relieved himself so thoroughly, Yintang had completely forgotten his earlier wailing.
Heh. That felt good.
Who cares about humoring you?
The little one, gradually shedding his newborn-monkey appearance, grinned broadly—a sweet, guileless smile that radiated pure joy.
Kangxi: "..."
So small, yet neither scolding nor punishment was an option. If he dared, Xiuxiu would surely fight him tooth and nail.
He could only swallow his frustration.
That said, Yintang was undeniably strong—lively, healthy, and utterly unafraid of him. Truly, a child worthy of being his and Xiuxiu’s.
A brief silence settled over the hall before Kangxi’s resigned voice broke it: "You useless dog! Hurry and take your little master to be dried and changed… And fetch water—I need to clean up!"
Liang Jiugong immediately straightened, quickly agreeing before carefully taking the Ninth Prince into his arms, unfazed by the dampness covering his hands.
Once inside the inner chamber, meeting Yunxiu’s questioning gaze, Liang Jiugong’s mind spun. With a beaming smile, he said, "Your Highness, see how the moment His Majesty coaxed him, the little prince stopped crying and started laughing! Truly, the bond between father and son is innate—like hearts connected by a single thread!"
Hearing this, Yintang nearly spat out his milk from yesterday.
This bootlicking servant! Taking advantage of his mother’s distance to spin lies and flatter his master!
Father-son bond? Hearts connected?
As if he’d ever share such a thing with the old man!
Yunxiu didn’t believe a word of it, yet she couldn’t help but laugh at the chief eunuch’s antics. Her expression toward him was even warmer than the one she reserved for Kangxi.
Taking her son into her arms, a single touch told her exactly what had happened. Imagining the emperor’s disheveled state, she couldn’t suppress her amusement, her cheeks flushing with mirth as her eyes curved into crescents.
Handing Yintang to Wenyuan, she said gently, "Chief Liang, your daily diligence has not gone unnoticed by this palace."
Liang Jiugong was the foremost favorite before the emperor, his authority among the palace staff unmatched—his word was practically law.
Not only did palace consorts vie for his favor, even some court officials lacking imperial grace scrambled to curry his favor, showering him with gifts and favors.
Yet in both dreams and reality, this very man had treated her with utmost respect. In fact, his attentiveness toward her and the Yikun Palace had only grown more fervent.
Yunxiu faintly sensed that Liang Jiugong’s attitude toward her was nearly on par with his deference to the emperor.
Such an advantage delivered to her doorstep—why refuse it?
Though resolved to reject imperial favor, accepting Liang Jiugong’s goodwill was another matter. It would allow her to arrange loyal personnel, eliminate threats, and secure an unshakable position—ensuring she lived safely into the new reign… while also smoothing the path for the Fifth Prince, Yintang, and the others.
At this thought, her smile deepened, her tone softening further, leaving Liang Jiugong both flattered and flustered as he hurriedly denied any merit.
The chief eunuch’s heart swelled with delight.
Her praise left him floating on air—to think he’d surpassed even His Majesty in her regard!
Outside the curtain, Kangxi, having hastily cleaned up and changed robes, stood with a stormy expression, jealousy churning in his chest: "..."
Fine. Not only the Fifth Prince, Yintang, and Yierha—now even this dog Liang Jiugong dares to climb over my head!
...
Upon returning to the Qianqing Palace, Liang Jiugong, still beaming, diligently ground ink as he attended the emperor reviewing memorials—only to find himself abruptly targeted.
"The vermilion is too thick. Dilute it," Kangxi said coolly.
Liang Jiugong hastily complied, personally fetching water to adjust the mixture.
Kangxi dipped his brush, wrote a few characters, then flung it aside with a frown. "Too watery. It’s unusable. Look—you’ve ruined a perfectly good memorial!"
Liang Jiugong’s face paled, his earlier joy vanishing.
Trembling, he dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly in a desperate bid for mercy. "Your Majesty, this lowly servant deserves death—"
"Drag him out. Five strokes of the rod," Kangxi cut him off coldly. "And no leniency!"
At once, imperial guards waiting outside swarmed in, hauling the despairing Liang Jiugong away with remarkable efficiency.
As they did, they exchanged bewildered glances. How had the emperor’s most trusted eunuch provoked such wrath?
Strange indeed!
Since the Imperial Noble Consort had regained full clarity of mind, it was as if she had rallied. The Chengqian Palace no longer carried its previous air of gloom, and gradually, even the palace maids dared to whisper among themselves again.
"Counting the days, today must be the Ninth Prince’s third-day bathing ceremony?" The Imperial Noble Consort set down her medicine bowl and struggled upright, ordering her attendants to move her daybed by the window. Gazing at the sunlight for a long while, she suddenly spoke.
Though the Chengqian Palace had shut its gates, cutting off outside contact, the Imperial Noble Consort, having managed the inner court for years, still had her ways.
The Fifth Prince’s near-drowning, Yunxiu’s labor, even the promotions of Mrs. Hesheli and Lady Daijia to consorts—she had learned of every incident.
The room was stifling. Nanny Zhen’s hand, fanning her mistress, paused before she answered haltingly, "...Indeed, it is the third-day ceremony."
"Nanny, why so hesitant? Afraid of stirring my sorrows?" The Imperial Noble Consort chuckled softly before closing her eyes. "Yes… Had my little princess lived, her third-day and full-month celebrations would have been magnificent."
Nanny Zhen’s nose stung, her eyes reddening.
It was true—had the little princess survived, she would have already passed her first month...
The Imperial Noble Consort was the first to shake off the melancholy. "Enough. Let’s speak no more of this."
"Yunxiu is luckier than I… She escaped their schemes, gave birth to a healthy prince, and even repaid them in kind with a ‘generous gift.’" After a wistful sigh, she smiled faintly, lowering her gaze. "For the matter of the consort titles alone, I owe her a debt."
Nanny Zhen suppressed her sorrow and said softly, "Indeed. Consort Cheng has moved out of Yonghe Palace. Though Consort De says nothing on the surface, how could she not be displeased? It’s a slap to her face. And Consort Ping—her investiture ceremony was deliberately scheduled after Consort Cheng’s, placing her last among the six consorts. She had to force a smile while thanking Consort Yi for the favor. I heard… she was furious."
The Imperial Noble Consort burst into laughter, ignoring the pain in her lower body, until tears streamed down her face.
"Good, very good! Mrs. Hesheli, Mrs. Wuya! Consort Yi and I share the exact same enemies," the Imperial Noble Consort murmured between laughs. "To act so boldly and openly—how exhilarating."
Her words carried no trace of resentment toward Yunxiu; instead, there was even a hint of admiration.
As for her feud with Consort De, it went without saying—no amount of time could ever mend it.
Mrs. Hesheli, acting on Suo Etu’s orders, had tampered with her ceremonial procession, ruthlessly cutting off her future…
Compared to these grievances, what did her petty rivalry with Consort Yi over the emperor’s favor even matter?
When she thought about it, Consort Yi… had never actually struck against her.
Now that she had fallen so low, how could she still muster the energy to compete for favor?
"She took the first strike, but I won’t lag behind," the Imperial Noble Consort said lightly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Has Yinzuo’s wet nurse, Lady Liu, been properly arranged?"
Nanny Zhen nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. With the master’s intervention and Lord Mingzhu’s assistance, the Imperial Punishment Bureau found a lookalike to replace her. Yonghe Palace will never notice."
The Imperial Noble Consort scoffed. "Mingzhu is still willing to help me? How strange."
Topics involving the court were not something Nanny Zhen could comment on, and the Imperial Noble Consort didn’t expect her to. Instead, she smiled and abruptly brought up another matter.
"Lady Liu nursed Yinzuo from infancy, so they share a close bond. When she was taken to the Imperial Punishment Bureau, Consort De kept it from Yinzuo. The Sixth Prince threw tantrums for days, forcing Consort De to tell him that Lady Liu had gone home to visit family and wouldn’t return for some time…"
The Imperial Noble Consort left the rest unsaid, her thin, sallow face deepening in amusement. "Consort De is due to give birth soon, isn’t she? It’s only proper to return the favor—I mustn’t treat her shabbily."
In the birthing chamber of Yikun Palace, Yunxiu leaned against a soft pillow, staring absently at the roses in a porcelain vase.
"Your Highness, the third-day bathing ceremony was magnificent," Ruizhu said, thinking her mistress was worried about the Ninth Prince. She tucked the thin quilt around her and smiled. "The Ninth Prince’s cries nearly shook the heavens! The noble ladies and clansmen were utterly astonished. The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager couldn’t stop laughing, His Majesty was overjoyed, and even the Crown Prince said the Ninth Prince would surely grow into an excellent horseman and archer—he vowed to teach him personally."
Yunxiu hummed absentmindedly before snapping back to attention. "Little Nine’s cries shook the heavens?"
"Indeed! His little arms and legs are so strong—even the Fifth Prince in his infancy couldn’t compare," Ruizhu replied cheerfully.
Yunxiu made a thoughtful sound, her brows slowly knitting together.
If she remembered correctly, in her dream, Little Nine had not been a fussy baby at birth, nor had his bathing ceremony caused such a stir.
That was what had been weighing on her mind.
These past few days, Yunxiu had held Yintang almost constantly, only letting go when Kangxi visited and took the baby into his arms.
And every time—Little Nine would either wail, sniffle, or drench His Majesty in baby urine. The father and son were never at peace.
Thinking back, whenever Yintang returned to her arms after being held by the emperor, the little one’s expressions… were far too vivid.
Something wasn’t right.
She had raised the Fifth Prince, but he had done little more than eat and sleep—nothing like Little Nine!
Pouting and glaring were routine, and flailing his limbs was just as frequent.
That expression… it almost looked like disdain.
The more Yunxiu thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Her heart clenched, and her expression darkened abruptly.
Could it be… that Little Nine had been possessed?
Like in those supernatural tales—had some wandering spirit taken over Yintang’s body?
To show such disrespect toward the emperor, even daring to disdain him… the soul must have belonged to someone unrestrained and unruly in life.
But what infuriated her most was—
If the soul had been replaced, then her plans to discipline the little troublemaker had gone to waste!
How outrageous!
Ninth Prince: "…………"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
