Chapter 56: Business Opportunity

The atmosphere in Xiánfú Palace was harmonious and joyful, but over at Chéngqián Palace, things were far worse than before the full moon banquet. The imperial physicians wore grim expressions, going in and out constantly. When faced with the Emperor’s questions, they broke out in cold sweat, stammering and evasive. Not one of them could guarantee that the Twelfth Prince’s condition was stable.

Even the most senior imperial physician was no exception.

It was only after Imperial Physician Wu inserted needles that the Twelfth Prince’s convulsions stopped. Wiping his cold sweat, he replied in a low voice, “Your Majesty, the Twelfth Prince’s condition… I fear it’s not very good.”

Kangxi’s heart sank heavily.

His gaze swept across the young child lying on the couch, his lips trembling. “Didn’t it seem over the past month that the Twelfth Prince had improved quite a lot? He seemed stronger—why did he suddenly fall ill like this?”

Imperial Physician Wu stole a subtle glance at Consort Tong.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally whispered, “Your Majesty, the Twelfth Prince was already frail by nature. I fear he may have been frightened, which triggered the sudden episode.”

Perhaps it was the full moon banquet, which shouldn’t have been held, that brought this on. Of course, that wasn’t the root cause. Before he could explain further, he saw the Emperor’s face stiffen, a dark cloud gathering in his eyes.

As for Consort Tong—her vision went black.

She had a vague sense of foreboding all along, but when Imperial Physician Wu confirmed it, her entire body went limp, collapsing backward.

Madam Zhao cried out in alarm and hurried to catch her mistress. She pinched her philtrum and applied acupuncture, finally bringing Consort Tong back to consciousness. The moment she woke up, she grabbed Imperial Physician Wu’s sleeve. “Physician Wu, you must save Ah-Mo! Save Little Twelve! He’s only one month old—just one month!”

Imperial Physician Wu frowned deeply.

He hesitated repeatedly, unsure whether to speak, but after a long pause, he answered solemnly, “Your Majesty, Noble Consort, please forgive this humble servant, but I must confess my guilt.”

As his words fell, he dropped heavily to his knees. His reaction made both Kangxi and Consort Tong’s hearts skip a beat.

Kangxi immediately ordered the palace staff to withdraw, then barked sternly, “Imperial Physician Wu, tell me the truth—what exactly is wrong with the Twelfth Prince?”

Imperial Physician Wu took a deep breath, then hardened his heart. With a resolve like that of facing death, he answered in a low voice, “The Twelfth Prince appears to be afflicted with hydrocephalus, also known as ‘Jie Lu’ (Skull Opening). It was documented in Sui-Tang Chaoyuanfang that children suffering from this have abnormally large heads, suffer from intense pain, uncontrollable seizures, persistent vomiting. Unless the skull is opened to relieve the pressure… otherwise, only Chinese medicine can be used to manage symptoms. Even then, only one or two in ten survive—and most survivors are either mentally impaired or develop dementia…”

Dementia?!

It was as if Consort Tong’s head had been struck by a hammer, or like a thunderclap exploded beside her ears. Her mind buzzed, her thoughts in turmoil—she nearly passed out again.

But her greater fear kept her conscious. She supported her body and desperately grabbed the Emperor’s arm, pleading, “Your Majesty, cousin! Twelve can’t have hydrocephalus, right? He can’t, right? Please say he can’t…”

Her sobs were filled with desperation and despair.

Over the past month, Consort Tong had poured all her attention into caring for the Twelfth Prince. Kangxi knew this. Even if she had been a little smug and wanted to show off at the full moon banquet, it could still be chalked up to a mother’s love.

As for the Twelfth Prince—

Kangxi stared at the child with the large head and frail body, feeling as though his heart was being squeezed tightly by a large hand, struggling to breathe. At the same time, he understood: if word got out that an imperial prince had been born with a cognitive disability, the panic it could cause throughout the Qing court would be unimaginable.

But this was his child!

Kangxi held Consort Tong in his arms. After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh. “Imperial Physician Wu, I entrust the Twelfth Prince to you. Do everything in your power to save him. If he cannot be saved… then that is the child’s fate.”

Imperial Physician Wu bowed deeply. “This humble servant… obeys the imperial decree!”

The Twelfth Prince’s true condition remained a secret. Aside from the fact that his convulsions had caused the full moon banquet to end abruptly, none of the other consorts knew what was really going on. Most sighed at his misfortune; others gossiped about Consort Tong’s luck and misfortune with barely concealed glee.

Some even tried to visit Chéngqián Palace to check on the situation.

Unfortunately, the palace gates were tightly shut. Consort Tong had no intention of receiving any visitors. All her energy was focused solely on the Twelfth Prince.

Why hadn’t the news of his illness spread?

The guests from the previous day quickly sensed something was off. They were extremely cautious and, except for mentioning it to their own lords, did not speak of the Twelfth Prince’s condition to outsiders.

The only exception was Consort Tong’s birth mother, Lady Heshieri.

Worried sick, she pulled Tong Guowei aside and nagged him endlessly. “What are we going to do? He’s just the son of a lowly Second Class Attendant, yet she’s throwing herself into this like it’s her own flesh and blood. Honestly, how foolish!”

Tong Guowei waved her off. Compared to Lady Heshieri’s anxious demeanor, he remained calm. “Let her be. If the child really has hydrocephalus, there’s no way to keep him alive. Let His Majesty see her motherly devotion—then in the future, she can adopt a healthy child. No—better yet, she should give birth to her own healthy one.”

After a pause, Tong Guowei hesitated, then said, “You should bring Jingwan back to the main residence for proper upbringing.”

Jingwan was Tong Guogang’s illegitimate daughter.

Hearing the implication in her husband’s words, Lady Heshieri’s expression darkened. She couldn’t help but whisper, “It’s only been a few years… is that really necessary?”

But Tong Guowei didn’t think much of it. “Better to be prepared than scrambling at the last minute. She’s going to go through the selection process anyway. Starting early and learning court rules won’t hurt.”

If the Noble Consort gave birth to her own child later, the illegitimate daughter could still find a good marriage through association. If she never did, then the girl could enter the palace as support. Tong Guowei had it all planned out. Before Lady Heshieri could object further, he made the decision. “My mind is made up. That’s how it’ll be.”

With that, he quickly took his leave.

Lady Heshieri slumped into a chair, pressing a hand to her forehead in distress. When she thought of her daughter in Chéngqián Palace and that doomed Twelfth Prince, all she could do was sigh endlessly.

The entire court—inside and outside the palace—was in turmoil because of Chéngqián Palace. Yet Xiánfú Palace remained tranquil and at peace.

Wan Anran sighed softly for the little Twelfth Prince, then turned all her attention back to Maotao. The knitted wool clothes were beginning to take shape. Full of enthusiasm, Wan Anran dressed Maotao in a cute lamb-ear hat, a little shirt, and tiny pants. And, of course, she added a little cape to complete the look.

Yinzhen curiously reached out to touch the wool.

It was softer and smoother than woolen fabric and lacked the unpleasant odor of sheep. The plush, fluffy texture felt incredibly comfortable. What surprised him most was that in his previous life, he had never seen this kind of material before. With confusion on his face, he tilted his head and tugged at the fabric, making puzzled babbling sounds.

“Looks like the little one really likes it!”

“Of course,” Wan Anran replied, fully content as she held Maotao in her arms, showering him with kisses from left and right.

Regarding the constant kisses from his mother, which he had long since gotten used to, Yinzheng remained calm and composed. He even understood that as long as he didn’t resist with his little hands and feet, the kissing session would usually end quickly.

But if he did resist? Heh.

Noble Lady Wan would pin him down in the little cradle and kiss him from head to toe — don’t ask how Yinzheng knew this. These were all hard-earned lessons from his personal history.

When Kangxi walked in, this was the exact scene he saw.

The heavy weight on his heart caused by Twelfth Prince’s illness lightened slightly, and he smiled, saying, “Look at Little Dumpling, he’s already expressionless from all your teasing.”

Yinzheng responded with a soft coo.

Wan Anran didn’t find Kangxi’s sudden appearance at all surprising. As always, this entire Forbidden City belonged to Master Kang — he could go wherever he pleased, and she had no control over it.

She curtsied with Little Dumpling in her arms.

Kangxi stepped forward, but instead of helping her up, he casually picked up Little Dumpling from her arms.

Wan Anran: …

This lousy man really couldn’t be relied on.

Kangxi carefully examined the Eleventh Prince.

Holding the chubby, round Yinzheng in his arms, Kangxi finally felt his heart settle. Look at those bright eyes, those doughy cheeks, the strong little arms and legs — clearly, the Eleventh Prince was healthy!

A question mark floated above Wan Anran’s head.

Why was the Emperor grinning foolishly at Little Dumpling? She didn’t bother to engage, and casually used a ruler to measure Kangxi’s hand.

Perfect, no change in dimensions.

Wan Anran’s mind raced with plans. She would knit a pair of wool gloves — that would be the Emperor’s New Year’s gift. For someone like her who could knit tiny clothes, gloves were a piece of cake. No big deal at all!

At that moment, Kangxi noticed the clothes on Little Dumpling and let out a surprised “Huh?” as he reached out to feel the fabric. “This is…”

Wan Anran smiled sweetly. “This is yarn made from wool. I instructed the Imperial Household Department to develop it last year. It took a whole year before they produced the final product.”

After a pause, she glanced at Kangxi and added, “When the New Year comes, I’ll also present Your Majesty with a set.”

“Gloves?” Kangxi recalled her earlier sneaky hand-measuring and frowned. “You gave me gloves last year, and now you’re giving me gloves again this year?”

Even laziness should have its limits.

Wan Anran was clearly displeased. She pouted and said, “What do you mean, lazy? Your Majesty, this was something I instructed the Household Department to start working on a year ago. It took them a whole year just to get the raw materials ready. I had to study and practice repeatedly before finally producing a result…”

Kangxi looked over the new hat, new clothes, new pants, and new cloak on Little Dumpling, and raised an eyebrow. “These are… prototypes?”

They looked far more intricate than gloves.

Wan Anran faltered for a moment, but then argued confidently, “Little Dumpling is a young prince, of course he deserves the best craftsmanship.”

You always have an excuse, huh?

Kangxi couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. He fiddled with the yarn in the basket, picked up a ball, and studied it closely. “Can this yarn be mass-produced?”

Wan Anran shook her head.

Under Kangxi’s increasingly disdainful gaze, her voice grew lower and lower, softer and softer. “I… I’m not sure about that…”

There was definitely a note of contempt in his expression, and Wan Anran was not having it. Embarrassed and angry, she snapped, “After all, I’m foolish. I merely came up with the idea. The actual development was done by the Imperial Household Department. If Your Majesty wants details, perhaps you should ask them directly — that would be much faster!”

Foolish.

Development.

Don’t know.

It sounded like she was being modest, but upon closer inspection, it really seemed like she was mocking him? Kangxi stared at her for a long moment. The tension in the air was enough to make even Yinzheng nervous. He let out a soft whimper and reached out his chubby hand to grasp his Imperial Father’s.

Kangxi looked down.

The Eleventh Prince’s dark eyes gazed at him with innocent admiration, his fluffy lamb hat adding to his overwhelming cuteness.

Kangxi’s stiff expression instantly softened, and he turned over the little hand in his. “Little Dumpling mustn’t follow your mother’s example. You must be clever like your Imperial Father, understand?”

“Your Majesty, what do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean? Didn’t you just say yourself that you’re foolish?” Kangxi gave Wan Anran a half-smile — after all, those weren’t his words. Then he wiggled Little Dumpling’s fingers. “Isn’t that right, Little Dumpling?”

Yinzheng: ………

He let out a feeble coo.

Fine, she might be foolish, but “foolish” didn’t have to mean hopeless, did it? Wan Anran puffed out her cheeks in indignation, eyes practically sparking with fire as she glared at Kangxi.

Having seen how Imperial Consort Tong and Consort Virtue interacted with the Emperor in his past life, Yinzheng couldn’t help but reflect that, in this life, his mother and Imperial Father’s relationship was… truly unique. He suddenly felt a deep sense of admiration for his own mother.

Though Kangxi had teased her plenty, in the end, he still gave high praise and encouragement for Wan Anran’s idea of processing wool into yarn. He even decided to summon officials from the Imperial Household Department for further inquiry.

If this could be mass-produced…

Kangxi’s heart stirred with excitement. He felt as though he had just discovered a brand-new industrial chain.