Chapter 54: The Incident

The joy that had filled the Hall of Chengqian Palace just moments ago had been completely swept away. The room full of guests erupted in startled cries, and the young eunuch who had just been preparing to shave the baby’s head collapsed onto the ground in fright, his mind in complete shock.

If he had stepped forward a moment earlier—

With the Twelfth Prince convulsing and seizing like this, at best, the razor might have cut his skin; at worst, it could’ve been fatal… Not only would he have lost his own life, he might have brought disaster on others too! The young eunuch scrambled backwards in a panic, and his retreat happened to clear a path, allowing the Noble Consort of the Tong clan to rush forward.

Noble Consort Tong leapt toward her son.

Her face was filled with terror. Cold sweat streamed down her cheeks, smudging her delicate makeup. She pressed down on the Twelfth Prince’s twitching limbs, trying to stop his abnormal movements—but what use was that? The little prince’s convulsions grew more and more violent, until eventually, even foam began to spill from the corners of his mouth.

All she could do was hold her son helplessly, casting a desperate look at Emperor Kangxi. “Your—Your Majesty…”

Kangxi’s expression was dark.

This was clearly a seizure! He immediately ordered someone to wedge a pair of chopsticks between the baby’s teeth and barked, “What are you all standing around for? Get the imperial physicians in here—now!”

“Yes, yes! The physicians! Quickly!”

“Call the physicians—!” Palace staff bolted out of the hall in a frenzy. The chaos that had overtaken Chengqian Palace made the assembled Madams all frown deeply. And in the hearts of both the Emperor and Lady Heshe (the Noble Consort Tong), a heavy weight sank to the bottom of their chests.

A surge of fury burned hot in Kangxi’s chest.

He looked around at the many noblewomen of the imperial clan. It was easy to imagine that this incident would be known to every family of the imperial house before the night was out.

He closed his eyes.

So be it, so be it! As long as the Twelfth Prince could be saved, all other matters could be dealt with later.

Just as the Empress of the Niohuru clan rushed into Chengqian Palace, the imperial physicians also arrived at the palace gates. The crowd inside made the Empress frown. The auspicious hour hadn’t even passed, and they were already preparing to dismiss the guests? If only it were the imperial clan—this event was sure to reach the ears of even ordinary officials.

A seizure during the full-month celebration?

The Twelfth Prince suspected of having a serious illness?

Just thinking about the gossip that would follow made the Empress’s temples throb painfully. She gave a low, steady order: “Ladies, Chengqian Palace is in disarray right now and unfit for hospitality. Please follow Nanny Xia to Kunning Palace for a while.”

The noblewomen all agreed at once.

They all secretly let out a long breath of relief. Whoever insisted on staying behind in Chengqian Palace would be a fool—wasn’t that just begging the Noble Consort to hold a grudge? With solemn expressions but lightened hearts, they quickened their steps and headed toward the exit.

As they approached the palace doors—

Before they could step out, Kangxi suddenly spoke: “There’s no one in Kunning Palace either. Nanny Xia, take the Madams to Xianfu Palace instead.”

—What!?

Not just the Madams, even the Empress’s eyes widened in disbelief, and Noble Consort Tong’s face turned ashen.

This was supposed to be the full-month celebration of the Twelfth Prince. She was the one who invited these guests—how could Xianfu Palace end up reaping the benefits? Her vision went dark. A wave of blood surged in her throat. She truly could not understand why everything she painstakingly arranged always ended up benefiting Xianfu Palace.

Noble Consort Tong struggled to stay upright.

With a pale face, she whispered, “Your Majesty—”

Kangxi ignored her.

Sending the guests to Xianfu Palace sounded like an offhand remark, yet it was decisive. He turned his attention back to the Twelfth Prince. “How is he?”

The imperial physician’s face was grave.

Noble Consort Tong was deathly pale, unable to say a word.

She understood now.

His Majesty was displeased with her. Very displeased. He was openly slapping her face in public. Noble Consort Tong looked down at the Twelfth Prince in her arms, waves of bitterness surging through her heart.

Hadn’t he been doing better just recently?

It was all that Wuyash clan woman’s fault for causing such a scene and bringing misfortune on the baby. If she had carried this child herself, surely she could have given the Emperor a bright, lovable, and healthy son.

While Chengqian Palace was filled with gloom, Xianfu Palace on the other hand was stunned into silence. Upon hearing Nanny Xia’s message, and learning that the noble Madams of the imperial clan would arrive within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, everyone in Xianfu Palace was dumbfounded.

What had gotten into the Emperor?

Consort Xuan, Noble Lady Nara, and Wan Anran all screamed inwardly in unison. Wasn’t this just painting a target on their backs for Noble Consort Tong’s wrath? Who did things like this?! Could the Emperor have done it on purpose?

The three women exchanged bewildered glances.

The hall was silent. The palace attendants wore expressions of confusion and helplessness. Everyone held their breath, waiting for their mistresses to decide what to do.

Even Nanny Xia thought the Emperor was being unreasonable.

But what choice was there now? The Emperor’s words were as good as law. No matter how awkward this situation was, the Madams of the imperial clan would still have to grit their teeth and come to Xianfu Palace.

There was no more time to hesitate.

Nanny Xia reminded urgently, “Consort Xuan, the Madams will be here very soon!”

Consort Xuan waved her hand and quickly ordered the servants to clean and reorganize the courtyard. As for the lack of food and drink? Wan Anran was quick to catch on and immediately began barking instructions.

Bring out the braziers!

Bring out the roasted meats!

Bring out the fine wine!

Watching the bustling activity inside Xianfu Palace, Nanny Xia was dumbfounded. “This… this really doesn’t seem appropriate, does it?”

Who holds a full-month banquet like this?

Wan Anran patted her shoulder solemnly and said, “Then Nanny Xia, have you ever seen a full-month banquet where the ceremony was already finished before the guests even arrived?”

Well… no.

Nanny Xia thought for a moment and then grit her teeth. “Alright then, let’s just do it like this!”

Surely this was a first for everyone present in their entire lives.

Everyone in Xianfu Palace sprang into action. They split up into teams, each with a clear task, efficiently organizing all the necessary arrangements.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince Baosheng and Wan Fu were ecstatic.

They still hadn’t had enough of their earlier snowball fight. Now they charged back into the courtyard with loud cheers, diving into the snow, laughing and tussling with glee.

Only the Eldest Princess remained standing in the hall.

She didn’t join her two younger brothers in play. Instead, she quietly stood by the cradle, staring at her Eleventh Brother in a daze.

Yinzhen’s eyes were wide open.

In her previous life, the Eldest Princess was especially quiet and serene. She grew up in Cining Palace and, apart from Yinqi, had rather distant relationships with her other brothers and sisters.

But while the relationships were distant, the Eldest Princess had a gentle and considerate nature. Even when Yinzheng had lost his foster mother, was not favored by his birth mother, and had a difficult life in the Princes’ Quarters, he still received a great deal of help from her.

Yinzheng looked at the Eldest Princess, whose face was full of worry, and while stretching out his tiny hand, began babbling.

His tender voice immediately drew Wan Anran’s attention. She quickly came over to check on Maotao, and after confirming he was fine, she also noticed the Eldest Princess’s odd behavior. With some concern, she asked, “What’s wrong, Eldest Princess? Aren’t you going out to play with the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince?”

The Eldest Princess shook her head.

She twisted the handkerchief in her hands, her anxious expression making Wan Anran’s heart tighten. “What’s the matter? Did someone in the palace upset you?”

Hearing this, Nanny Xia also paused what she was doing and hurried over to the Eldest Princess. “Little mistress, did someone in the palace gossip or speak badly to you? Who was it? Tell Nanny, and I’ll make sure they get what they deserve!”

Most likely, the Empress could no longer bear children.

Ever since this matter was revealed by Her Highness, and since she treated the Eldest Princess as her own, all the loyal servants had showered the Eldest Princess with love and affection. Frankly, if she hadn’t been inherently gentle and tolerant, she would’ve turned into a spoiled, unruly child long ago.

Of course, the better her temperament, the more the palace staff adored her. Now, upon hearing that someone might have bullied the Eldest Princess, Nanny Xia’s face immediately turned stern, and she was already thinking about having the culprit captured as soon as they were identified.

The Eldest Princess shook her head again.

Now everyone became even more worried. Wan Anran spoke seriously, “Eldest Princess, if someone bullies you, you must speak up and fight back. Otherwise, they’ll think you’re a pushover, and who knows what awful things they might say next time!”

“Lady Wan is quite right.”

At some point, Consort Yi had come over and now nodded in agreement. She also tried to coax the Eldest Princess into speaking up, but seeing that the girl still wouldn’t say a word, she made her own guess. “Could it be… the Crown Prince?”

“Ahem!” Crown Prince Baocheng poked his head in, clearly displeased, and glared at Consort Yi. “It’s not me! Eldest Sister is afraid of the Prince Gong’s Madam!”

Everyone echoed in astonishment, “Prince Gong’s Madam!?”

Prince Gong’s Madam was the Eldest Princess’s biological mother, and by all rights, she did have authority over her… But still? Wan Anran couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. “Eldest Princess’s mother is the Empress. No matter what, Prince Gong’s Madam has no right to interfere with you. When she sees you, she’s the one who should kneel and perform the courtier’s salute.”

Everyone nodded in strong agreement.

As the Empress’s adopted daughter, if Prince Gong’s Madam really ran around trying to meddle in her affairs, people would start questioning whether she’d lost her mind!

The Eldest Princess bit her lip and said softly, “But… Mother is still there…”

Everyone immediately understood what the Eldest Princess was afraid of.

Her birth mother was Prince Gong’s secondary consort. The Eldest Princess must be worried that if she angered Prince Gong’s Madam, her birth mother would be the one to suffer the consequences.

That was indeed a tricky situation.

Just as Wan Anran was looking worried, it was Consort Yi who spoke up firmly. “Don’t worry, Eldest Princess! I’ve heard that Prince Gong has angered His Majesty. Most likely, Prince Gong’s Madam won’t dare trouble you. In fact, she might even come to you begging for mercy on Prince Gong’s behalf!”

“What happened…?”

“Prince Gong did something that made the Emperor furious… Consort Xuan, you’ve heard about it too, haven’t you?” Consort Yi asked mysteriously.

Consort Xuan had just lifted the curtain and entered. She froze for a moment, then nodded. “I heard… Prince Gong took Wu Sangui’s granddaughter as a concubine!”

Wan Anran’s mouth fell open.

The Eldest Princess’s almond-shaped eyes also went wide.

This explosive news sent everyone’s thoughts into a frenzy. For a long while, no one could snap out of their shock.

“You want me… to plead for him?”

“Eldest Princess, you must not plead for him. This concerns the Three Feudatories. If you plead for him, you’ll only anger the Emperor!” Wan Anran rejected the idea immediately.

“That’s right. Besides, Prince Gong taking a concubine—how could his daughter possibly justify it? No matter how you act, you’ll be in the wrong!” Consort Xuan said sternly.

“Then… what should I do?”

“The best thing you can do,” Consort Yi said gravely, “is to pretend you know nothing. As for Prince Gong’s Madam, the more confident and assertive you are, the less she’ll dare to raise her voice. She won’t dare mistreat your birth mother—in fact, she might have to hold her in high regard.”

The Eldest Princess’s eyes opened a little wider.

The fear and uncertainty that had clouded her face vanished in an instant. She tightly clenched her slightly damp palms and nodded earnestly. “Alright. I will… I will try.”

Once everything was ready at Xianfu Palace, the Madams arrived as well. No matter how awkward they felt inside, they still wore friendly smiles on their faces—especially when they saw the Crown Prince was present, and their smiles became even more warm and flattering.

They were surprised to find that the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess, who had only briefly appeared at Chengqian Palace, were now playing in Xianfu Palace. Everyone couldn’t help but marvel and whisper curiously among themselves as they entered.

Compared to the magnificence and grandeur of Chengqian Palace, Xianfu Palace had a cozy, homey feel. The woolen cushions laid over the benches and couches delighted the Madams, and the collection of exquisite, unusual little trinkets drew words of praise from them.

Especially when they reached the backyard, everyone revealed expressions of surprise. Seeing their astonishment, Consort Xuan remained calm and composed as she said, “You all must be tired. Sit down and rest. These grilled meats are favorites of both the Emperor and the Empress. Please, have a taste.”

And indeed—

After keeping up appearances at Chengqian Palace, enduring the full moon ceremony, and walking all the way to Xianfu Palace… the mention of food reminded them of how hungry they actually were. Without hesitation, the Madams sat down, deciding to fill their stomachs first.

With grilled meat, fine wine, beautiful scenery, and a soothing atmosphere, the chaotic thoughts in the Madams’ minds slowly faded away. In small groups, they began chatting and laughing once more.

Only Prince Gong’s Madam remained deep in thought, stealing glances at the familiar yet distant daughter born of her own womb.