Yinzuo was doted on by Consort De like the apple of her eye. Though the mother and son spent ample time together, Lady Liu remained a trusted and cherished figure in his life.
In the palace, whether a prince or princess, once born, they were handed over to the care of a wet nurse, who would feed and tend to them. The imperial consorts might inquire occasionally but never nursed the children themselves.
Moreover, by the time the princes turned six, they were required to leave their mothers' side and move into the Princes' Quarters to begin their studies in the Imperial Study—such was the rule. The time they spent with their wet nurses far exceeded that with their birth mothers!
As the princes grew older, the wet nurses, now aged, would retire from the palace to enjoy their later years in comfort. Take, for example, Old Madam Cao, the wet nurse of the current Emperor, Lady Sun. Not only did she hold an official title of nobility, but the Emperor also frequently remembered her, bestowing lavish gifts during festivals and showing exceptional favor to the Cao family.
Lady Liu had been carefully selected by the Wuya clan and approved by Consort De before being assigned by the Imperial Household Department to serve the Sixth Prince. Her gentle words and devoted care earned her deep affection from the young prince.
Now, dressed in the familiar attire Yinzuo recognized best, she bowed with trembling emotion, her eyes reddening. "Greetings, Sixth Prince. This servant was granted leave by Her Ladyship to visit family and had already relinquished my duties in the palace. Yet, I couldn’t bear to part without seeing Your Highness one last time..."
When she mentioned "Her Ladyship," Yinzuo failed to notice the resentment and hatred flickering in Lady Liu’s eyes.
Lady Liu’s background was spotless, save for a wayward younger brother who frequently pestered her for money. Recently, her parents had arranged a marriage for him but lacked the funds for the betrothal gifts.
Heartbroken for her brother, Lady Liu steeled herself and secretly took an unmarked gold hairpin—a reward from the palace—to pawn outside.
Others in the palace had done the same before without consequence, as the supervising matrons usually turned a blind eye. But fate had it that she crossed paths with Consort De at the worst possible moment.
After suffering a humiliating setback during the Emperor’s birthday celebrations, Consort De was confined to her quarters for a month. Convinced that spies of the Imperial Noble Consort lurked around Yinzuo, she ruthlessly purged his attendants, including the wet nurses.
Nothing suspicious was found—except for Lady Liu’s unauthorized outing.
Adopting a "better safe than sorry" approach, Consort De, in a fit of rage, had her imprisoned and later sent to the Punishment Office, where brutal interrogations left her barely alive.
When the Sixth Prince later asked about her, Consort De sweetly explained that Nanny Liu had returned home to visit family. "Even wet nurses have loved ones who miss them, don’t they?"
Yinzuo pouted but asked no further.
...
After enduring such torment, how could Lady Liu not resent and loathe Consort De?
No sooner had the Tong Family rescued her than her brother, on the cusp of marriage, drowned in a river—his body recovered lifeless and mute.
Then her six-year-old son nearly fell prey to kidnappers while playing in the streets. Had his father not intervened in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
It was all Consort De’s doing!
Lady Liu’s nights were sleepless, her eyes bloodshot with hatred, her heart bleeding with fury. She readily agreed to the Tong Family’s terms and was hidden in an inconspicuous cottage on the outskirts of the capital. Days later, Suo Etu sought her out.
...
Snapping back to the present, Lady Liu gazed at the naive Sixth Prince before her, hardening her heart and suppressing any lingering pity.
Overjoyed at first, Yinzuo’s eyes soon welled up again. Clutching her sleeve, he sobbed, "Nanny, I’m scared... I don’t want a little brother or sister anymore... I just want Mother..."
Lady Liu feigned concern, crouching to comfort him. "This servant understands! Her Ladyship will surely deliver safely without the slightest mishap."
With that, she retrieved an exquisitely embroidered sachet from her robe, patterned with lotuses and exuding a faint scent of temple incense.
"Look, Your Highness. Inside is a blessed talisman I sought from the temple to safeguard Her Ladyship and the child," she murmured reverently. "It’s extraordinarily potent, consecrated by a high monk himself. Shall we bury it in the garden as an offering for their well-being?"
The more she spoke, the brighter Yinzuo’s eyes shone.
"Nanny, what good would burying it do?" He shook his head vehemently before snatching the sachet and tucking it into his robe like a treasure. Wiping his tears, he insisted, "Let me keep it. I’ll wear it always and pray for Mother’s safety..."
Lady Liu pretended to hesitate, sighing after a long pause. "If the Prince wishes it, how could this servant refuse? But—"
Yinzuo’s fingers tightened around the sachet, his joy faltering at her tone. "But what?"
"It’s not that I’m unwilling," she said carefully. "The monk warned that the talisman’s power hinges on secrecy. If its existence is revealed, the blessings will vanish! Worse, if it’s discovered, this servant’s punishment would be trivial—but I fear Your Highness might bear the blame..."
Yinzuo’s face cleared with understanding. Touched, he squared his shoulders like a little adult. "Don’t worry, Nanny! I won’t tell a soul!"
He’d hide the sachet well—even from Mother. If word got out, not only would the prayers fail, but Consort De would punish Lady Liu. Was he that foolish?
Relieved, Lady Liu smiled warmly. "The Sixth Prince is wise. This servant is at ease."
News of Consort De’s labor spread through the palace within half an hour.
Not long ago, the Imperial Noble Consort had gone into premature labor during the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, leaving the concubines too wary to visit Chengqian Palace, each waiting nervously in their own quarters.
When Consort Yi gave birth, Kangxi had explicitly forbidden others from attending, sparking envy but ensuring her peace. Now, with no such orders for Consort De, nearly every high-ranking consort arrived—save for the pregnant Noble Consort and the still-recovering Yunxiu.
Led by Consort Hui and Consort Rong, followed by Concubine Duan, Jing, An, Xi, and the yet-to-be-formally-titled Consort Cheng and Consort Ping, their faces mirrored identical concern.
What truly lay in their hearts, only they knew.
As faint moans drifted from the delivery chamber, Consort Hui settled imperiously into the host’s seat and snapped at a hurrying maid carrying a brass basin, "Has the Emperor been informed at Qianqing Palace?!"
Meanwhile, inside, Consort De panted hoarsely, her face ashen.
Two hours had passed, yet the child showed no sign of crowning. Her strength was waning.
A difficult birth—how could this be?
Of course. It was all the Imperial Noble Consort’s scheme!
"Quick, go prepare the ginseng soup..." In her dazed state, Consort De heard an anxious voice. "Your Highness, push harder—it’s almost out!"
Her hands clutched the bedsheet tightly, veins bulging on the back of her pale fingers. "Has... His Majesty... arrived yet...?"
Nanny Wu stood anxiously by the bedside, exchanging a glance with the senior palace maid before helplessly parting her lips, unsure how to respond.
The young eunuch had reported that the Emperor was currently in a meeting with his most trusted ministers and was refusing all audiences. It was only when Chief Steward Liang stepped out to inquire that he learned of Consort De’s labor and hurriedly interrupted the session to inform Kangxi. Yet the Emperor had rebuked Liang Jiugong with a curt "We are aware," and nothing more.
How could they possibly relay such a reaction to Her Highness?
Seeing the distress on Nanny Wu’s face, Consort De’s heart sank. She closed her eyes, biting her lip so hard it split and bled.
His Majesty would not be coming to Yonghe Palace.
Self-mockery, resentment, and bitterness surged within her. Muttering "Your Majesty" under her breath, she suddenly summoned an unprecedented burst of strength. A sharp, uncontrollable cry tore from her throat as a heavy sensation overtook her body.
The midwife’s voice rang out in delight, "The head is crowning!"
......
Consort De’s cries were so piercing that Consort Ping, Hesheli, who was waiting outside, shuddered and instinctively took a step back.
Noticing this, Consort Cheng slowly smoothed the worry from her expression and turned to her with gentle concern. "Are you frightened? You’re still young and have never been with child—this is perfectly normal. Here, have some hot tea to calm your nerves."
In an instant, all eyes turned to Consort Ping.
With the Emperor absent, their smiles had loosened slightly, leaving room for idle observations. Consort Hui covered her mouth, studying Hesheli with an inscrutable gaze. How clever of Cheng, she thought. Every word she speaks is a needle to Hesheli’s heart.
As for Lady Daijia—once a silent figure, she had changed drastically after being elevated to concubine status.
Forcing a smile, Consort Ping lowered her lashes. "It’s nothing... Thank you for your concern, elder sister."
Outwardly composed, her mind was clouded with dark thoughts.
The Imperial Noble Consort had been unwell, leading to a temporary suspension of morning greetings. But after the Ninth Prince’s third-day bathing ceremony, Consort Cheng had begun visiting Yikun Palace almost every other day.
The first time was to express gratitude—but what of the times after? She had even taken the Seventh Prince to Cining Palace to seek an audience.
Cining Palace housed the Fourth and Fifth Princes. To curry favor with Consort Yi, Daijia had shamelessly exhausted every trick in her book.
And that wasn’t all. Cheng had also taken after that wretched Mrs. Guoluoluo, quietly making life difficult for her...
After years without the Emperor’s favor and giving birth to a disabled prince, where did Daijia find the audacity? What a joke!
Hearing Consort Ping’s reply, Consort Cheng smiled warmly again. "It’s only natural," she said before falling silent.
Qianqing Palace.
Once the ministers had withdrawn, Kangxi twisted the ring on his finger and asked coldly, "How is Consort De?"
Liang Jiugong stepped forward and answered softly, "Consort De has safely delivered a princess, though the child is somewhat frail. The imperial physician says... she will require meticulous care."
"Meticulous care." Kangxi repeated the words before suddenly hurling his brush down in fury. "Had she simply lived quietly, none of this would have happened!"
Half a month prior, Liang Jiugong had launched a thorough investigation into the embroidery workshops, imperial kitchens, and various departments under the Imperial Household Agency, uncovering a deeply entrenched faction within the palace—the powerful bondservant clans.
Among them, the Wuya clan was one such family, and traces of their influence still lingered in the kitchens.
The bondservants’ reach was vast, and the deeper Liang dug, the more alarmed he became...
Especially the Wuya family, who had been rooted in the kitchens for generations—how many advantages had they secretly provided Consort De?
All these years, whenever news of Yonghe Palace reached the Emperor’s ears, it was almost always praise for the Sixth Prince or Consort De herself. Not a single negative word ever slipped through.
Over time, Kangxi, who had initially intended to designate the Sixth Prince as heir, grew reluctant and kept postponing the decision.
If even the flow of information was so tightly controlled, what of the food?
The Emperor dined from the imperial kitchens, but separate kitchens had also been established to serve the consorts and lesser nobles.
What if the Imperial Noble Consort had no private kitchen? What if Consort Yi had none either?
The mere thought made Liang Jiugong drop to his knees, trembling, drenched in cold sweat, unable to speak for a long time.
The conflicts surrounding the Fourth Prince had finally come to light.
It was Consort De who had struck first, feigning closeness with the Fourth Prince to provoke the Imperial Noble Consort during her pregnancy, leading to a fierce retaliation. Back and forth it went, escalating into the mess they faced now.
Liang Jiugong remained silent, at a loss for words.
Consort De was the Fourth Prince’s birth mother!
......
The night before, Liang had uncovered the full truth and, trembling with fear, reported everything to Kangxi—only to face the Emperor’s thunderous wrath.
Had Consort De not borne two princes and been on the verge of childbirth, he had no doubt the Emperor would have stripped her of her rank and punished her severely on the spot.
Now, the chief steward’s heart lurched again. Your Majesty, rage harms the body—
Just then, Little Lizi’s announcement came like a heavenly reprieve, dissolving the Emperor’s fury:
"Your Majesty, Consort Yi has sent lotus seed and lily soup!"
Yunxiu: Your Majesty, you must not let anger harm your health. The Crown Prince is still too young to shoulder the weight of the throne! Here, drink this soup to soothe your temper.
Kangxi: "......"
