Noble Consort Wu—no, she should now be addressed as Noble Consort Wu—widened her eyes in disbelief upon hearing Kangxi’s decree. For a long moment, her mind went blank, and she stood frozen by the bedside.
Slowly, she released Yinzuo’s hand and collapsed onto the floor, her body limp, no longer able to conceal her emotions.
One blow after another struck her, and Noble Consort Wu lost all composure. She simply couldn’t believe she had fallen to such depths. Covering her face, she felt as though trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake no matter how she struggled, only sinking deeper into despair.
What had she just heard?
Yinzuo… Yinzuo was still unconscious, yet the Emperor had decided to adopt him out to Prince Rong, the son of Empress Xiaoxian—that short-lived child who had died before reaching his first birthday!
No, it couldn’t be.
Adoption, succession… How could something so absurd happen?
Little Yinzuo was her lifelong hope. How could he become someone else’s son? How could he no longer call her his mother or the Emperor his father?!
In the depths of the palace, he was her only lifeline, the one she relied on for survival.
Noble Consort Wu couldn’t bear the thought of Yinzuo leaving her. Gritting her teeth, she summoned all her strength to keep from fainting on the spot.
Yinzuo was the flesh of her heart, the pillar of her future. Without him, what was the point of all her careful schemes? They would only serve others in the end!
The Fourth Prince was no longer her child. Moyaqi was frail and needed constant care… But what use was a princess, no matter how noble or favored?
She had only Yinzuo left.
Noble Consort Wu’s eyes were bloodshot. She no longer cared about the disgrace of her demotion, nor about venting her anger or questioning the origin of the sachet.
With a piercing cry, she staggered forward on her knees, clutching at Kangxi’s robes, her voice hysterical and incoherent: "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said Yinzuo will recover, he will! Punish me as you will, I accept it all—but Yinzuo is so young! How could you bear to give him away? He’s only four! Without his father and mother, how will he live?!"
Kangxi brushed her hands away, his phoenix eyes cold and authoritative as he spoke with chilling calm: "Yinzuo will still be raised in the palace. He will still call me his father and receive the same treatment as his brothers. Apart from the changes to the imperial genealogy and the matter of succession, nothing else will change."
His words left no room for appeal—the decree was final.
Noble Consort Wu’s hands fell limp, her face deathly pale. Mechanically, she parted her lips, overwhelmed by a tidal wave of despair. She couldn’t see beyond her own anguish.
The Sixth Prince, despite his young age, had suffered greatly—and the intrigues of the harem, including Noble Consort Wu’s own actions, were partly to blame. With this decree, the four-year-old would be freed from the treacherous whirlpool of palace politics, spared from further schemes, and allowed to live in peace. Was this not the Emperor’s mercy as a father?
Moreover, even if the poisoning left lasting effects, no one would dare neglect him.
—Yinzuo was now Prince Rong of the Second Rank. In the palace, aside from the Crown Prince, everyone would treat him with respect. In the future, if he distinguished himself with merit or when a new emperor ascended, he would undoubtedly be elevated to a first-rank prince…
Yunxiu adjusted her cloak, her gaze lingering on the unconscious child in the bed as she lost herself in thought.
Reality had diverged from her dreams. Yinzuo had survived, while Consort De—now Noble Consort Wu—had reaped the bitter fruits of her actions: demoted, stripped of her title, and confined to her quarters for two months.
Retribution. It was all retribution.
Noble Consort Wu—how much better it sounded than Consort De!
Suppressing her satisfaction, she glanced at her eldest son, Yinqi, who was fidgeting nervously, his dark eyes moist with guilt. "Mother, I was wrong."
Earlier, after Yunxiu had finished her "weak" performance—leaning back in her chair, holding Yinqi’s hand, and soothing his reddened eyes—she had let him believe she was heartbroken.
A child so young couldn’t possibly harbor ulterior motives. Yinqi had noticed Yinzuo’s condition and reported it to the Crown Prince out of pure concern—she knew this well.
She didn’t blame him for saving Yinzuo, but…
Seeing Yinqi’s tearful, pitiful expression, Yunxiu felt a mix of anger, affection, and amusement. She pinched his ear lightly, scolding in a hushed tone: "You’ve got nerve. You saved Yinzuo, yet you let others shame you into silence, unable to defend yourself! In the end, your mother had to step in for you. Aren’t you ashamed?"
Yinqi froze.
Staring at his suddenly fierce mother, his tears forgotten, he stammered, "Mother… you were pretending to cry?"
Yunxiu: "…"
Consort Yi snorted in exasperation, deciding to ignore this troublesome child for now.
But now, the "troublesome child" had come to apologize!
She reflected deeply.
Even the most well-behaved child needed discipline when necessary.
Suppressing a smile, Yunxiu lowered her voice and asked, "So you admit you were wrong. What exactly were you wrong about?"
Yinqi racked his brain for an answer, but before he could speak, Noble Consort Wu suddenly surged forward with unprecedented fury, lunging at Yunxiu.
Her face was ghastly pale, twisted with hatred, as if she had nothing left to lose. Her hands clawed at Yunxiu’s throat—
Wenyuan gasped in horror, crying out, "My lady!"
Yunxiu merely gazed coolly at the disheveled woman before her, her lips curling into a mocking smile, unafraid.
Kangxi, caught off guard, reacted too late. His eyes darkened with fury as he roared, "Wu Yashi! Guards!"
Fortunately, Nanny Dong and Wenyuan blocked Noble Consort Wu just in time, and a swarm of eunuchs and maids rushed in to restrain her, throwing the scene into chaos.
…
The Empress Dowager, supported by Nanny Qian, hurried into the hall just in time to witness the commotion.
Shocked, she shouted, "Stop this at once—!"
The Empress Dowager, who spoke Mongolian and only basic Manchu, rarely involved herself in palace affairs. Known for her gentle and kind nature, she seldom lost her temper—yet now, her voice rang with unmistakable anger.
The servants immediately released Noble Consort Wu, and the entire Yuqing Palace knelt in unison: "This humble servant greets the Empress Dowager…"
Kangxi cast a worried glance at Yunxiu before striding forward. "Imperial Mother, why trouble yourself to come?"
"The Grand Empress Dowager was concerned about Yinzuo and sent me to check on him," the Empress Dowager replied sternly. "Had I not come, Yinqi would have been bullied to death! And this is Baocheng’s Yuqing Palace!"
The sudden outburst of anger from the Empress Dowager sent the palace servants kneeling once more. Kangxi hurriedly steadied her, his voice laced with remorse, "Imperial Mother, this is my negligence..."
"I understand. With Yinzuo in such a state, the palace is in chaos," the Empress Dowager sighed, her gaze then landing on the disheveled Noble Consort Wu. Pointing at her, she snapped, "Consort De, even if the Sixth Prince lies unconscious, this is no place for your tantrums!"
The title "Consort De" struck like a sharp blade, piercing Noble Consort Wu's heart.
She swayed unsteadily before collapsing to the ground in a faint.
Kangxi watched the scene, his fury with no outlet, and barked, "Fine, fine. Guards, take the Wu family woman back to Yonghe Palace. You—" he pointed at a trembling imperial physician, "—follow and ensure her 'madness' is cured!"
The word "cured" was emphasized with a chilling weight. The physician, shrinking like a quail, hastily obeyed, grabbing his medicine box and fleeing as if for his life.
Yunxiu gave Wenyuan a subtle nod, and the latter swiftly approached Nanny Qian, the Empress Dowager’s attendant, whispering a few urgent words.
Nanny Qian masked her surprise before relaying the message to the Empress Dowager, who froze momentarily before exhaling deeply. "Perhaps this is for the best... truly for the best."
If little Yinzuo survived this ordeal, brighter days lay ahead...
"Yinqi, it’s stifling here. Return to Yikun Palace with your mother and play with your younger brother for a while. Your grandmother will join you for supper later, hm?" She turned to Yinqi with gentle instructions, then inquired after Yunxiu’s health before clasping the Crown Prince’s hand. "Dear child, you’ve done enough. With me watching over Yinzuo, go and rest!"
Yunxiu offered a serene smile, glanced at the emperor, and performed a graceful curtsy.
"I’ll have Liang Jiugong accompany you. Summon the imperial physicians for a thorough examination," Kangxi said, his tone softening slightly as he addressed the servants. "Serve her diligently—no neglect will be tolerated."
Liang Jiugong led the chorus of acknowledgments, and soon, the hall fell into silence.
The Empress Dowager stepped forward, pressing a hand to Yinzuo’s fevered brow. She sighed again, avoiding any mention of Noble Consort Wu.
"That poisoned sachet..."
"Imperial Mother, I’ve already ordered an investigation. We’ll know more once Yinzuo wakes," Kangxi murmured, eyes dark with lethal intent. "He must know where it came from."
The Empress Dowager clasped her hands, whispering a prayer. "May the heavens strike down those who dare harm a royal prince."
Just then, Yinzuo’s eyes fluttered open. Blurrily making out the figures around him, he clutched his chest and whimpered, "Nanny... Nanny Liu..." His usual sparkle had dulled.
—The Sixth Prince—no, Prince Rong—had awakened?!
News of the Crown Prince summoning the entire Imperial Hospital had spread swiftly among the imperial consorts, stirring shock and speculation. The abrupt departures of Consort De (fresh from childbirth) and Consort Yi (still in confinement) to Yuqing Palace, followed by the Empress Dowager’s hurried palanquin ride, signaled an impending storm.
Consort Rong, informed through her ties to the Third Prince, remained composed. Consort Hui, however, sent multiple envoys for updates, too agitated to console her sulking Eldest Prince as she paced her palace with a grim expression.
The only one utterly unperturbed—even gleeful—was the Imperial Noble Consort in Chengqian Palace, poised for her return to prominence.
Hours later, two imperial edicts were proclaimed in succession:
Consort De was demoted to Noble Consort Wu, stripped of her honorific title. The Sixth Prince was adopted into Prince Rong’s lineage and granted the title of Commandery Prince.
The Imperial Noble Consort stared in disbelief before bursting into laughter. "Noble Consort Wu! The Wu family woman!"
Served her right—the wretch had finally met her downfall.
Her mirth faded quickly, replaced by a mutter: "No funeral bells... How tenacious."
The words dripped with resentment before dissolving into the wind.
Beyond the palace walls, Suo Etu paused in grinding ink, his expression shifting from relief to fury.
Every calculation, yet he’d overlooked one flaw—the Crown Prince’s interference had ruined his scheme by sheer coincidence!
Though the outcome wasn’t ideal, Yinzuo’s adoption at least settled one concern.
Yet, upon hearing of the Crown Prince’s actions, Suo Etu yanked out a few beard hairs and slammed his desk.
"His Highness has lost his senses!"
Author’s Note: Mini Theater—
Yunxiu wept pearly tears, stirring Kangxi’s pity.
Crown Prince: Wow, taking notes
Yinqi: Wow, Mom’s fake-crying
...
Yinqi, you’re in danger!
