Consort Rong looked left and right, then covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her smile laced with a hint of sourness. "Sister Consort Hui, with your boundless maternal heart, has exhausted herself preparing for the Fifth Princess's full-month celebration, disregarding even her own health. Truly, this humble one is in awe."
It was well known that after the Tenth Prince's third-day bathing ceremony, Moyaqi's full-month celebration was approaching, yet Noble Consort Wu remained confined to Yonghe Palace. Given the princess's frail constitution, who would preside over the ceremony?
Not just Consort Rong—many were curious and couldn't help but speculate. Some said the Emperor, in his benevolence, might pardon Noble Consort Wu and lift her confinement. Others suggested the Empress Dowager might be invited to elevate the Fifth Princess's status and resolve the awkward situation.
Rumors swirled endlessly. But just yesterday, whispers spread through the palace—the Emperor had entrusted the Fifth Princess's full-month celebration entirely to Consort Hui.
This news stunned the entire harem. Countless envious and jealous gazes turned toward Yanxi Palace, allowing Consort Hui to bask in the spotlight.
Among them, Consort Rong, unaware of the details, was the most visibly sour after her initial shock.
The Emperor trusted Consort Hui far too much!
Both of them had worked diligently to manage the harem, yet such a grand favor had fallen only to Consort Hui.
The phrase "a mother's heart" was the Emperor's own praise for Consort Hui. Could it be that he intended to entrust the Fifth Princess to her care?
Consort Rong suddenly realized she had underestimated Nara.
While Consort Yi and the former Noble Consort Wu had been favored, bearing child after child, the Fifth Prince was raised by the Empress Dowager, and the Fourth Prince by the Imperial Noble Consort—only one prince remained by their side. Meanwhile, Consort Hui, quietly and without fanfare, had raised the Eldest Prince and the Eighth Prince. If she were to also raise a frail princess who had won the Emperor's pity…
The more Consort Rong pondered, the more wary she became.
Seeing the dark circles under Consort Hui's eyes and her exhausted demeanor—a stark contrast to Consort Yi—she sneered inwardly, gloating. Who are you putting on this act for? Everyone knows about your so-called 'motherly heart'!
Feigning concern, she added, "Sister, perhaps you should summon the imperial physician? If you're tired, you must rest more..."
Already displeased by the comparison with Yunxiu, Consort Hui's expression darkened further when she sensed Consort Rong's thinly veiled schadenfreude, her lips tightening into a grim line.
Yunxiu glanced at her, idly adjusting her fingernail guard, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes.
She had no intention of being the sole target in the spotlight—someone else ought to share the burden. Being favored invited jealousy, and wielding too much power was no different.
Chengqian Palace.
The Imperial Noble Consort reclined on the couch, wrapped in thick blankets. She coughed softly, accepting the medicine bowl from Yinzhen's hands, her eyes warm with affection as she drank it all in one go.
"Your Highness, these are the candied fruits the Fourth Prince loves most," Nanny Zhen said, presenting a small jar, her wrinkled face creasing further with a smile. "The prince said they're very sweet..."
Yinzhen's round cheeks flushed slightly at the words. He tugged at his sleeves, opening and closing his mouth awkwardly, clearly flustered.
The Imperial Noble Consort observed his reaction, first amused, then suddenly overcome with emotion, her eyes reddening.
How foolish I was in the past, she thought bitterly. When I was pregnant, I actually distrusted this child. And I’ve reaped the consequences...
Turning her face away to compose herself, she finally spoke softly, "What Yinzhen likes, your mother likes too." She popped one into her mouth.
The sweetness cut through the bitterness of the medicine, and she nodded at Yinzhen. His eyes brightened, a small thrill of happiness bubbling within him—until his gaze fell on the medicine bowl, dimming again.
"Mother, when will your cough get better?" he asked hesitantly, then scowled. "Those imperial physicians never give a straight answer! What good are they?"
The Imperial Noble Consort knew the truth of her illness. Her smile faded slightly, tinged with resignation.
Since the difficult childbirth that left her with lingering ailments, she had been bedridden, plagued by one illness after another, never experiencing a single day of comfort. Now, with winter setting in, her cough was accompanied by chills and abdominal pain—even with warming pans, the cold seeped into her bones at night.
The imperial physicians, shrewd as they were, avoided offense, always framing their diagnoses optimistically. But the Imperial Noble Consort knew better—her condition was incurable.
She had seen the fear and hesitation in their eyes.
After the difficult birth, she had spared Imperial Physician Liu, though she never summoned him again. This time, sensing the inevitable, she called for him and calmly said, "Speak the truth. I will not hold it against you."
After a long pause, Imperial Physician Liu finally confessed, "Your Highness... the cold has penetrated your core, damaging your foundation. There is no cure. It may... even affect your lifespan."
He phrased it delicately, but she understood.
So it’s come to this, she thought.
How much longer did she have? A year? Two? Ten?
After dismissing him, the Imperial Noble Consort shattered a teacup in a fit of rage, weeping until she nearly lost her breath.
But what good were tears? The verdict was final.
Now, all that remained was revenge. Wuya could no longer stir trouble—only Suo Etu remained.
Once vengeance was done, she would amend Yinzhen's lineage records, pave his future, and ensure the Tong Family's continued prosperity...
Just as her plans neared completion, the Imperial Noble Consort never imagined that her own father, Tong Guowei, would refuse to avenge her.
The family has abandoned me, she realized bitterly. They must be preparing to send my second younger sister into the palace.
What use was an Imperial Noble Consort with no real power? Unable to aid her family, only a burden.
In that moment, her heart turned to ice. She no longer cared—coldly, she set her plans into motion.
...
After Mingzhu and Suo Etu's sweeping reforms of the Imperial Household Department, Emperor Kangxi had also purged the inner palace. The Tong Family's influence had dwindled drastically, their numbers reduced to a fraction. The Imperial Noble Consort, too, was left with only her most loyal attendants in Chengqian Palace.
Beyond them, the few hidden agents left by her aunt, Empress Xiaokangzhang, were her final trump cards.
Hearing Yinzhen call out "Mother," she snapped out of her thoughts, masking the ruthlessness in her eyes. Gently, she stroked his shaved head. "My child, you must learn patience. Rashness leads nowhere. Earlier, the imperial physicians assured me I would recover soon—you simply didn’t hear it. I know you worry, but you must never take your anger out on others. Understand?"
Yinzhen nodded, though only half-comprehending, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment.
The Imperial Noble Consort picked up another candied fruit and smiled as she asked him, "Mother has heard that in the A-ge Residence, our Fourth Prince has been taking good care of the Rong Prince. Yinzuo has also grown to rely on his fourth brother..."
Yinzhen abruptly looked up, then just as quickly lowered his head, stammering for a long moment, "Mother, I... I..." He vaguely sensed that his mother disliked his sixth brother and grew so flustered he didn’t know what to say, his voice trailing off into a whisper: "...I haven’t."
He despised the mother in Yonghe Palace, and by extension, he despised his sixth brother.
That day in Yuqing Palace, when Yinzuo was poisoned and Noble Consort Wu had shrieked accusations at him, Yinzhen had shouted back in anger before storming out of the hall—and in that fury, he had even felt a flicker of hatred toward Yinzuo.
But hatred came as quickly as it faded. Remembering how his sixth brother had lain on the bed, burning with fever and unconscious, the Fourth Prince’s eyes reddened.
A few days later, when he learned that Yinzuo had been enfeoffed as the Rong Prince and that the once-brilliant Rong Prince would never be the same again, Yinzhen found himself, almost without thinking, walking toward Yinzuo’s courtyard...
The Imperial Noble Consort knew that their residences were placed close together by the Empress Dowager’s arrangement. Seeing Yinzhen’s panicked expression, she gave him a gentle, reassuring smile and said softly, "Don’t be afraid. Mother isn’t blaming you."
Her slightly cool hand rested on his forehead, and Yinzhen slowly widened his eyes, falling silent.
Then, in her tender voice, the Imperial Noble Consort continued, "Yinzhen, caring for your younger brother makes Mother very proud. How could I be unhappy? Mother has come to realize... the bond of blood between brothers can never truly be severed. From now on, you must grow closer to the Rong Prince."
