Chapter 47 – Autumn

Kangxi had already spoken before he realized it.

Under the astonished gazes of the concubines and children, his old face flushed red. He coughed forcefully, feigning calm as he withdrew his hand. “Baoxing, why don’t you try too?”

“Hehe, I already touched it just now!” The Crown Prince Baoxing was beaming with joy.

Before his relationship with Wan Fu improved, the Crown Prince had little affection for his younger siblings and never approached the pregnant concubines. This novel experience was his first ever. Gazing at Noble Lady Wan’s belly, his eyes sparkled. Clinging to Kangxi’s robe, he exclaimed, “When my younger brother or sister is born, I want to play with them too!”

“You’ll have to wait until he’s grown enough to play with you—that’ll take a few more years!” Kangxi laughed heartily, reaching out to ruffle his son’s hair.

Baoxing looked disappointed.

He let out a sigh, propping his cheeks up with both hands, pouting.

Wan Fu ran over with little steps to Baoxing’s side, reaching out his tiny hand to pat Baoxing’s head. “Little brother will play with Crown Prince Brother!”

Baoxing let out a playful squeal and scooped Wan Fu into a big hug. The two little ones immediately tumbled together into a ball, laughing and squealing. Their joyous noise softened Kangxi’s features considerably.

Watching the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince together, the Empress seemed thoughtful. She took the opportunity to raise a suggestion. “Your Majesty, speaking of the Fifth Prince and the Tenth Prince… shouldn’t they also return to the palace? Concubines Hui and Rong have mentioned it several times. I feel pained seeing their longing, and besides, isn’t it time for the Fifth Prince to begin schooling?”

The Fifth and Tenth Princes?

Calculating the time, it did seem about right.

Kangxi nodded. “What the Empress says is reasonable.”

Then he looked down at Baoxing and Wan Fu. “Weren’t you just saying you wanted younger brothers to play with you? Soon, some brothers will be returning to play with you. Aren’t you happy?”

The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up. “New younger brothers?”

Kangxi laughed. “And even a big brother for Baoxing!”

“Waaah!” Baoxing cried out in amazement.

Thinking himself the oldest, he gaped, cheeks flushed bright red. “Imperial Father is amazing! You can even give Baoxing a big brother!”

Kangxi: ………

That statement had a lot of unintended implications.

Looking at the innocent and imaginative Crown Prince, Kangxi was caught between laughter and exasperation. He reached out and tapped his son’s head. “Nonsense! That’s your Mother Consort Hui’s child—he was born before you, just raised outside the palace temporarily.”

Only then did Crown Prince Baoxing have an epiphany.

Then another question popped up. “Why were Fifth Brother and Tenth Younger Brother sent out of the palace?”

Naturally, it was to avoid infant mortality.

But how could Kangxi explain that to such a young child? As he pondered how to phrase it, Baoxing hit him with another lethal question: “Then why wasn’t Ninth Brother sent out of the palace?”

Baoxing stared curiously at his Imperial Father.

Just as cold sweat started forming on Kangxi’s forehead, Wan Fu sprang forward to interrupt Baoxing. He crossed his arms, cheeks puffed out angrily. “Crown Prince Brother, do you hate Wan Fu?”

“No way!”

“You had that look like, ‘It would’ve been great if Wan Fu had also been sent out of the palace!’” Wan Fu’s bright eyes locked onto Baoxing’s guilty sideways glance, noticing every twitch.

Wan Fu erupted in fury.

The Crown Prince hurriedly tried to coax and placate his younger brother.

Seeing Baoxing’s attention successfully redirected to Wan Fu, Kangxi could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He took two steps back, distancing himself from his two sons, and finally felt at ease enough to discuss arrangements for the Fifth and Tenth Princes’ return with the Empress Dowager.

Such as where the young princes would live, and their schooling matters.

The Tenth Prince aside, the older Fifth Prince Baoqing was already of age to move into the Prince’s Quarters. The Empress thought for a moment. “Concubine Hui with the Fifth Prince, Concubine Rong with the Tenth Prince—they’ve been separated for quite some time. Why don’t we have them live together again, so they can deepen their bond?”

“Very well. Let it be done as the Empress suggests.”

“And what about the Prince’s Quarters? Should it be renovated before they move in? We’ll also need to select suitable companions and readers—should we let Concubine Hui pick the candidates herself?”

“That’s fine. Have her submit a list of names, and I’ll review them.”

The Empress agreed. Speaking of studies reminded Kangxi that not only should the Prince’s Quarters be renovated, but also the Imperial Study Room. With a sigh, he added, “Since they’re about to begin school, the name Baoqing sounds too plain and not elegant enough…”

“Your Majesty means…?”

“I already have ten sons and six daughters. The child Noble Lady Wan is carrying would rank as the eleventh.”

What about the one Lady Uya is carrying?

The Empress Niohuru silently scoffed but maintained an attentive expression, waiting for the Emperor to continue.

“I’m thinking, why not give the imperial sons and daughters a proper rank order. For instance, Baoqing can be the First Prince, Wan Fu the Third Prince… and while we’re at it, change their names too?” Kangxi spoke slowly, growing more pleased with his own idea the more he elaborated. However, renaming them was not something that could be decided on the spot. After thinking for a moment, he said, “There’s no rush—let me ponder this carefully.”

As long as the names are finalized before they begin school.

With something weighing on his mind, Kangxi didn’t linger. He turned to return to his palace. But just as he stepped into Qianqing Palace, he suddenly realized he had forgotten something.

What was it he forgot…?

Behind him, Liang Jiugong timidly reminded, “Your Majesty—the herbal ointment.”

Good grief!

He had completely forgotten the main purpose of his visit.

Kangxi’s face darkened instantly.

Go back now to hold Noble Lady Wan accountable? Kangxi felt utterly stifled. Moreover, that soft, gentle sensation still seemed to linger in his palm. If he lost his temper at Noble Lady Wan, what if the little prince inside got frightened? What if he got startled because of him? But if he didn’t get angry, then Noble Lady Wan wouldn’t learn her lesson!

Kangxi stood frozen in place.

Whether he went back or not, either way it left a bitter taste. A fire burned in his chest with no outlet.

Just then, Nanny Xia from Kunning Palace arrived in haste. What she brought was exactly the herbal ointment Kangxi had been waiting for. As she presented it with both hands, Kangxi, while surprised, couldn’t help showing some suspicion in his gaze. He asked coolly, “This wasn’t something the Empress split off for me, was it?”

Nanny Xia shivered.

She dropped to her knees and respectfully said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, all three mistresses of Xianfu Palace are cautious and meticulous. First, anything used by the Emperor must be carefully vetted. Second, Qianqing Palace is not a place where palace concubines may enter freely. Sending the ointment to Kunning Palace explains this reasoning clearly. How could the Empress dare to keep any for herself or substitute anything else?”

What she said was logical and well-founded.

Kangxi’s suspicion eased considerably. After signaling Nanny Xia to withdraw, he held the herbal ointment and turned it over in his hands for a while. Then he commanded, “Someone, go to Xianfu Palace and tell Xuan—no, tell Noble Lady Wan that in the future, if she has anything to send, she’s to send it directly here. What’s the point of sending it to the Empress only to have it sent again?”

A young eunuch stepped forward and acknowledged the order.

Just as he was about to leave, Kangxi called out, “Wait a moment.”

He lifted his eyes to look at Liang Jiugong. “You go instead. I think Noble Lady Wan is a fool. If we don’t spell it out clearly, who knows what strange thing she’ll cause next time.”

Liang Jiugong responded promptly and hurried off, shaking his head the whole way.

What a peculiar situation!

…Wait a minute, why did that thought feel oddly familiar?

Liang Jiugong delivered the message to Xianfu Palace.

Wan Anran didn’t pay it much attention—her entire focus was on the mission to exterminate mosquitoes.

She had many tricks but none of them worked.

She wiped out a bunch of mosquitoes only for more to swarm in. It was useless! Wan Anran, heavily pregnant, found herself to be the only one in the palace who couldn’t use mosquito repellent. Where once the mosquitoes had evenly “shared the rain and dew” across the palace, now they all swarmed into her rooms. She was attracting them even more than before.

It was a bitter and ridiculous defeat.

Wan Anran cried in frustration, and in the end, the most effective method was still the humble mosquito net.

At the same time, she made up her mind.

Even from inside the net, her spirit remained unyielding. Staring at the swarming mosquitoes, she said in a solemn voice, “Fine, I admit defeat this year. Next year, we fight again! So how about letting me off this time, and you come back next year?”

The mosquitoes: bzz bzz bzz?

Wan Anran’s offer of peace was not accepted. The mosquito disaster lasted all the way until autumn when the sudden chill finally drove them off.

But Wan Anran didn’t come out of it any better.

As autumn arrived, her belly grew even heavier, and going outdoors became impossible. She longed for the swing in Jingyang Palace, craved the freshly delivered but forbidden persimmons, and dreamt of the plump and juicy hairy crabs…

Wan Anran was full of sorrow.

Autumn, the season of appetite and harvest—there was so much delicious food, and all she could do was stare at it.

Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara had gotten used to this.

Bathed in Wan Anran’s pitiful gaze, they felt no guilt at all. On the contrary, they enjoyed their food even more.

Mmm! So tasty!

Wan Anran puffed up her cheeks in frustration. She picked up a bowl of bird’s nest soup and drank it blandly. Rubbing her round belly, she muttered, “Mother has sacrificed so, so much for you.”

Haitao couldn’t help laughing. “Mistress, after the baby’s born, you can eat however much you want. Just endure a bit longer now.”

“I know, I know…” Wan Anran rested her face on her hands, eyes locked on the hairy crab. Just look at those plump claws, that snow-white tender meat, and that golden crab roe…

Wan Anran slurped audibly in longing.

Zisu came in with a tray, smiling as she placed it in front of Wan Anran. “Mistress, look! The imperial kitchen made this especially for you!”

Round, chubby crab-shaped buns!

Wan Anran looked up in delight—then quickly fell into deep thought. Wait… no! Even the appearance didn’t resemble real crabs! Her excitement faded instantly. She had no interest in fake crab substitutes.

Zisu didn’t give up. With a sweet smile, she said, “Why not? Mistress, look at this golden-red skin. And when you break it open, the golden filling looks just like crab roe!”

Who are you trying to fool?

Wan Anran broke one open and took a look. “This is clearly a custard bun!”

“As long as the flavor is close…”

“Custard buns are sweet, and crabs are salty!”

Trying to pass off a custard bun as a crab?

Wan Anran gave her two words: Heh. Pathetic.

Zisu still didn’t surrender.

She said with confidence, “Mistress, this custard bun is savory.”

“A savory custard bun?” Wan Anran was skeptical, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she picked one up. One bite, and the soft dough and golden filling melted in her mouth—the sweetness and saltiness blended perfectly. It didn’t taste like a regular custard bun at all… Actually, it was pretty good. She polished it off in just a few bites.

The problem was… Wan Anran couldn’t help but complain, “Even if it’s lava-style and savory, salted egg yolk and crab are still two totally different things, aren’t they?!”