Upon hearing Ying'er's report, Consort Hui halted her steps, her expression shifting instantly. For a moment, she forgot about Kangxi's favoritism and Consort Yi's ostentation.
"Counting the days, Noble Consort Niu Gulu has been pregnant for ten months... she should be giving birth soon," Consort Hui said slowly. "Quickly, fetch me a cloak. I must go to Yongshou Palace at once—I cannot afford to lag behind."
As she spoke, the corners of her eyes drooped slightly, betraying her displeasure, yet her tone was urgent.
Ying'er understood her mistress's thoughts all too well. Compared to Consort Yi, Noble Consort Niu Gulu was the one Consort Hui truly needed to guard against.
The Niu Gulu clan of the Bordered Yellow Banner was a prominent family. Noble Consort Niu Gulu's direct lineage had ancestors who rendered great service in founding the dynasty, and their house had even produced an empress. In terms of prestige and heritage, the Nara clan could not compare.
Even though Mingzhu had supported Consort Hui in court, Noble Consort Niu Gulu no longer had Ebilong's backing, and her family was gradually declining. Yet her rank was higher than Consort Hui's, and she held authority over the imperial harem...
Due to the conflict between Young Master Kuixu and A Ling'a, Consort Hui and Noble Consort Niu Gulu had fallen into discord, and the Niu Gulu clan had suffered a covert loss. They would surely not let the matter rest. Once Noble Consort Niu Gulu recovered from childbirth, she would truly become the foremost figure in the harem, and Consort Hui would find it difficult to gain any advantage.
And if Noble Consort Niu Gulu gave birth to a prince—that would be even worse!
Aside from the Crown Prince, this little prince would have the most noble lineage, far surpassing the Eldest Prince.
Consort Hui had originally intended to eliminate the threat, but after Kangxi ordered the reorganization of the Imperial Household Department, the Nara family's influence had greatly diminished. Yongshou Palace was tightly controlled by Noble Consort Niu Gulu, leaving no room for interference. She had no choice but to abandon her plans.
...
Consort Hui steadied herself with Ying'er's support as she boarded her palanquin, suppressing her unease and replacing it with a dignified smile. Her eyes lowered, and her lips twitched faintly.
Heaven bless us, let it be a princess.
With one worry resolved, Yunxiu felt considerably lighter. Returning to her palace, she allowed a faint smile to grace her lips as she gave Nanny Dong a few instructions. Then, removing her shoes and socks, she reclined on the heated kang to dine and prepared for a short nap.
The news of her slapping Concubine Xi would eventually reach Qianqing Palace, perhaps even adding to her reputation for arrogance. Yet Yunxiu wasn't the least bit concerned.
If the Emperor came that night to reprimand her, she was ninety percent certain she could placate him. Moreover, given his persistent affection—so thick-skinned it couldn't be driven away—whether he would even scold her remained uncertain.
Consort Yi drifted off to sleep with a peaceful heart.
When she awoke somewhat, hearing faint babbling, she drowsily opened her eyes to see the wet nurse carrying Yintang in for greetings.
"Ninth Prince finished his milk and started kicking about, refusing to sleep," the wet nurse said with a smile, curtsying. "The moment I mentioned coming to the front hall, he started babbling in agreement. He must miss Her Highness terribly."
Yunxiu sat up and gazed at the swaddled child, her expression tender. "Give him to me," she said softly.
Her voice was slightly hoarse from just waking, causing the baby's ears to twitch and his little feet to kick even more excitedly.
Yintang, now nestled in his mother's fragrant embrace, rolled his glass-like eyes and let out a soft, "Ah."
His limbs settled, and his cooing carried a hint of sweet pleading, melting Yunxiu's heart.
The Ninth Prince, blissfully unaware of his mother's earlier "heroics," would never have acted so—adorable—if he had known.
This was also thanks to the floral-and-bird screen he had destroyed.
After the mischief and the mild scolding from Yunxiu, Yintang had toned down his mischievousness, spending his days grinning sweetly enough to turn hearts to mush. Even Kangxi had magnanimously let go of the red marks incident.
Ignorance was bliss. The Ninth Prince, having not witnessed his mother's "tyrannical" and "sharp-tongued" dominance over the concubines, was thoroughly content.
Just then, the well-informed Ruizhu hurried in, curtsying urgently. "Your Highness, Noble Consort Niu Gulu has gone into labor."
Yunxiu froze. So did Yintang. When they regained their senses, their faces mirrored identical expressions of delight, mixed with excitement and other emotions.
Yintang kicked his legs, nearly moved to tears.
Tenth Prince, you’ve finally arrived.
They say brothers share fortune and hardship alike. The torment from the Crown Prince and the others is too much for me to bear alone—I need you to share the burden.
I’ve waited so long for you, little brother!
His dark eyes sparkled brilliantly, brimming with sheer joy.
"Quickly, gather some nourishing herbs—and the ginseng the Emperor gifted, in case Noble Consort Niu Gulu loses strength..." Yunxiu hastily instructed.
Wenyuan solemnly acknowledged the order.
After giving her commands, Yunxiu glanced at the sky outside and chuckled. "She certainly knows how to pick her timing. By the time she finishes her confinement, it’ll be deep winter—no suffering from summer heat. Perfect."
Then, as if sensing something, she looked down at the chubby child in her arms, pinching his soft cheeks lightly. With a playful sigh, she feigned regret. "What a shame I can’t take you along. Otherwise, you could see what your Tenth Prince looks like fresh from the womb."
Yintang didn’t detect his mother’s ulterior motives, nor did he find her confident "Tenth Prince" remark odd.
Instead, he fell into genuine disappointment, unconsciously nibbling on the dimples of his hands. Once the excitement faded, a touch of sadness crept in.
When would he get to see his monkey-like little brother?
Yongshou Palace.
By the time Yunxiu arrived, the Imperial Noble Consort was leaning weakly on the seat of honor, while Consort Hui sat composedly below. Consort Rong was likely on her way as well.
Noble Consort Wu was still under confinement, leaving only Concubine Duan and Consort Cheng among the ranking consorts present. When Yunxiu entered, the Imperial Noble Consort greeted her with a nod and a smile, while Consort Hui warmly urged her to sit. Concubine Duan’s gaze flickered away nervously, and the lower-ranking ladies showed faint traces of fear as they curtsied.
Yunxiu paid no heed to their reactions. After exchanging greetings, she focused intently on the inner chambers, her expression tense. "How is Noble Consort Niu Gulu? Is the labor proceeding smoothly?"
"All is well, and there are no signs of difficulty," the Imperial Noble Consort replied with a smile. "The imperial physicians say she is in good health and won’t suffer long."
Yunxiu exhaled in relief and took her seat.
Scanning the room briefly, she raised a brow. "Why aren’t Concubine An and Concubine Xi here? It’s rather discourteous to be absent during Noble Consort Niu Gulu’s labor."
Her tone held genuine puzzlement, tinged with faint displeasure.
...
The moment she spoke, the atmosphere shifted oddly.
A few stifled coughs arose, and the Imperial Noble Consort nearly laughed aloud. When Liang Jiugong delivered the edict, Consort Yi must still have been in her palanquin.
Covering her mouth, her complexion brightened slightly. "Ahem... Sister Yi, it seems you weren’t aware. Earlier, His Majesty issued a decree ordering them to copy Buddhist scriptures twenty times each—they’re forbidden to leave until they finish... Hence, they cannot come to Yongshou Palace."
Consort Hui had been about to speak, but seeing the Imperial Noble Consort take the lead, she lowered her gaze and remained silent.
Internally, she scoffed. So, the Tongjia woman fears being forgotten and finally couldn’t hold back?
"I see," Yunxiu said, realization dawning. Then, with a radiant smile and a glimmer in her eyes, she looked every bit the dazzling beauty.
With that, she shook her head and sighed softly, "The Emperor's punishment is understandable, but twenty repetitions are a bit excessive... A light reprimand would suffice. This concubine does not wish to stir up such disputes."
The Imperial Noble Consort's smile froze, Consort Hui's expression stiffened, and Consort Rong, who had just stepped into the hall, nearly tripped over the threshold.
Listen, what kind of talk is this?!
...
In the birthing chamber, a senior palace maid hurriedly carried a wooden box and whispered to Nanny Qi, who stood by the bedside, "These are medicinal herbs sent by Consort Yi through Wenyuan..."
The Noble Consort Niu Gulu endured with great effort, her face drenched in sweat. To conserve her strength, she bit down on the embroidered quilt, stifling any loud cries. When the maid reported, she faintly caught the words, her eyes softening with warmth.
"Consort Yi... did she say anything else?" She pulled the quilt aside, her voice hoarse as she spoke.
The senior maid hesitated for a moment but, not daring to disobey, quickly recounted the conversation between Yunxiu and the Imperial Noble Consort.
The Noble Consort seemed to choke for a second, then curved her lips into a smile, only to wince in pain immediately afterward, hissing as she drew in sharp breaths.
The midwives exchanged glances, while Nanny Qi's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. She whispered, "Your Highness, what kind of time is this to be thinking of such things?"
During these secluded months of pregnancy, Her Highness had taken great delight in hearing about Consort Yi's exploits.
Hearing how she brought down Consort De and outmaneuvered Consort Ping had brought her immense satisfaction, brightening her eyes and even improving her appetite. All traces of her usual dignity and composure vanished.
And that wasn't all!
At noon, news of Consort Yi slapping Concubine Xi outside Cining Palace spread like wildfire through the six palaces, along with those piercing words—that Concubine Xi's eyes were fixed on the plaque of Yikun Palace...
Upon hearing this, Her Highness burst into laughter—and the next moment, her water broke.
Yongshou Palace was instantly thrown into chaos.
And now, in the midst of labor, Her Highness was still like this—truly, truly... Nanny Qi was both speechless and worried. Who could laugh so carelessly during childbirth?!
...
Yunxiu had never imagined there was such a backstory.
She grew increasingly anxious, almost restless, and by the time the Empress Dowager and Kangxi arrived, anyone could see the concern beneath her furrowed brows.
Given the circumstances, Kangxi couldn’t take her hand, but his heart ached for her all the more.
Compared to Yunxiu, the other consorts' worried expressions were far too fake. They clearly wished for the Noble Consort to suffer a difficult birth, yet they put on such a show—did they think he couldn’t see through it?
Kangxi ignored the consorts who stepped forward to greet him and cut straight to the point: "How is the Noble Consort?"
The Imperial Noble Consort rose to curtsy, her gaze slightly lowered as she replied weakly, "Your Majesty, the imperial physicians say everything is proceeding smoothly. It shouldn’t be long now—"
Before she could finish, a loud, clear cry pierced the air.
"She’s delivered! It’s a little prince!"
Consort Hui’s smile widened in shock, though her grip on her handkerchief tightened abruptly.
By the time the Imperial Noble Consort returned to Chengqian Palace by palanquin, the lanterns were already lit.
The cold autumn wind was unbearable, biting at her skin and giving her a headache. Her face was deathly pale, her hands and feet icy. It took her a while to steady herself before she could walk.
Nanny Zhen hurriedly ordered ginger soup to be prepared and carefully supported her. "Your Highness..."
"My body is useless now," the Imperial Noble Consort laughed bitterly. Thinking of the joyous news of the Tenth Prince’s birth, her eyes darkened. "Yet Mrs. Niu Gulu—His Majesty actually allowed her to bear a prince!"
A Noble Consort’s own son, no matter what, would always be more esteemed than Yinzhen, a son raised by the Imperial Noble Consort.
Now, besides the Crown Prince, there was another infant standing in her way... She could delay no longer with Suo Etu.
They had to be dealt with, one by one.
A sense of urgency unlike anything she’d felt before surged within her. She grabbed Nanny Zhen’s hand and demanded sharply, "It’s been so long—why hasn’t Father sent any word?" Suo Etu was still thriving!
He had warned her to proceed cautiously, never to bring up altering the jade records for the Fourth Prince. The Imperial Noble Consort had remained silent for a long time, ultimately heeding his advice.
But Suo Etu was different. The grudge against Mrs. Hesheli was a sea of blood and hatred that could never be washed away! The only reason the Imperial Noble Consort still clung to life was for Yinzhen—and for revenge.
Nanny Zhen’s heart skipped a beat. She averted her eyes and forced a smile. "Your Highness, don’t fret. His Lordship must be occupied with important matters..."
The Imperial Noble Consort stared at her as if sensing something amiss. A fit of coughing wracked her body before she yanked at Nanny Zhen’s collar and hissed, "Speak!"
Nanny Zhen’s collar was pulled so tight she could barely breathe. Gasping, she managed to choke out, "Your Highness..."
Looking into the Imperial Noble Consort’s eyes—now nearly blood-red—Nanny Zhen felt no resentment, only a sting in her nose. "His Lordship said... the time isn’t right. He asks Your Highness to endure a little longer..."
The Imperial Noble Consort shoved her away, staggering back. After a long moment of dazed silence, she suddenly let out a low, broken laugh.
"Endure?" she murmured. "Haven’t I endured enough?"
If he wouldn’t plan for Yinzhen, fine—but he wouldn’t even avenge her?
The Tong Family had suffered heavy losses, their dignity in tatters—yet Father didn’t care in the slightest!
"I never imagined that one day, I would become my family’s discarded pawn." A metallic taste rose in the Imperial Noble Consort’s throat. She closed her eyes. "Fine. Just fine. What’s next—will they send Ruyue into the palace?"
Ruyue was the Tong Family’s second daughter, the Imperial Noble Consort’s younger sister, now thirteen—a tender age.
Nanny Zhen trembled in disbelief. The Imperial Noble Consort scoffed, swallowing the blood in her mouth.
After a long silence, she said flatly, "The time has come. They won’t succeed."
Who would have thought that from the moment I was born, I was tied to Consort Yi...
