The winter of the twentieth year of Kangxi’s reign was exceptionally cold. Even though it was only early winter, snow had already begun to fall, its vast white expanse adding a touch of desolation to the world.
The consorts, who usually stayed indoors due to the snowy weather, had gathered together in unspoken agreement after every imperial physician from the Imperial Academy of Medicine had been summoned to Chengqian Palace, each of them speculating about what had occurred.
Chengqian Palace was the residence of the Noble Consort of the Tunggiya clan. Since the death of the previous Empress, the Noble Consort held the highest status in the palace, so it was no wonder they were so concerned.
Inside Changchun Palace, Consort Hui looked at Consort Rong and the others. Knowing what they were thinking, she took the initiative to share the reason: “I only just heard the news myself. It’s said that the Fourth Prince offended the Noble Consort.”
There were no secrets in the palace, and such a major event could not be hidden. Consort Hui saw no point in keeping it to herself; it was better to speak up and earn a favor. However, her calm and casual demeanor stung the eyes of many.
Consort Rong was among them. Looking at Consort Hui, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy. Although they both held the Concubine rank, only they knew the reality of their internal positions. She and Consort Duan had originally been bondservant palace maids from the Imperial Household Department, only allowed to serve the Emperor by the grace of the Grand Empress Dowager.
In contrast, Consort Hui had not only entered the palace through the formal selection process but also had the backing of the Mingzhu Mansion. Her life was significantly better than theirs.
Bitterness rose in Consort Rong’s heart, but she did not let it show on her face. Instead, she assumed an appropriately surprised expression. “The Fourth Prince? Hasn’t he always respected the Noble Consort? How could he offend his adoptive mother? Could it have something to do with the one in the Palace of Eternal Harmony?”
As Consort Rong voiced her careful suspicion, Consort Hui shook her head without a word. Chengqian Palace was airtight, and no news had leaked out. Even if Consort Hui had a way to find out, she would not openly provoke the Noble Consort.
Consort Rong was no fool either. Seeing that Consort Hui did not wish to discuss it further, she subtly changed the subject, uttering auspicious words wishing for the Noble Consort’s safety. The others chimed in, but their minds had already drifted elsewhere.
At that moment, in Chengqian Palace, the physicians had already departed. Madam Hesheli remained in the bedchamber with her daughter. Seeing her daughter’s pale complexion, she felt a profound sense of pity.
The head maid, Zhilan, timely offered a cup of hot tea and whispered a persuasion, “Madam, you have been sitting for nearly an hour. Why not rest on the soft couch for a while? Dong Zhu and I will stay here and watch over her.”
Madam Hesheli did not force herself to stay up. Leaning on Zhilan’s hand, she stood up, her face etched with deep fatigue. “I don’t know how heartbroken Her Ladyship will be when she wakes up.”
Zhilan did not dare respond to that, offering only words of comfort instead.
Madam Hesheli had been anxious beyond measure when she heard the news this morning. Fortunately, the Emperor was considerate and allowed her to enter the palace to accompany the Noble Consort. Now that the die was cast, no matter how much her heart ached, she had to pull herself together to plan for her daughter. “Where is the Fourth Prince now? Was there any warning of today’s incident?”
To the Noble Consort, today’s event was truly a calamity out of nowhere. The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, had been brought to Chengqian Palace to be raised while he was still in swaddling clothes. The Noble Consort had no children of her own and had taken meticulous care of the Fourth Prince. However, the Noble Consort had a cold personality, leading others to believe she did not like the Fourth Prince.
Children have a natural love for their mothers. During the years before he knew the truth, the Fourth Prince was extremely attached to the Noble Consort. Although the relationship between mother and son had its bumps, they managed to get along.
But the Noble Consort was, after all, the Fourth Prince’s adoptive mother. She had never intended to keep this a secret, planning to explain it to the child when he was older. However, she was caught off guard when the child found out first and questioned her directly.
The Noble Consort was momentarily stunned. Her already bloodless face turned instantly ashen, and she actually collapsed, unable to bear the shock. The palace maids panicked, but no matter how they pinched her philtrum, they could not wake her.
The Noble Consort had always been physically weak. They initially thought she had just been provoked, but after an examination, the physicians said it wasn’t just shock—the Noble Consort had suffered a miscarriage.
The fetus had not yet stabilized before its life was extinguished. Zhilan and Dong Zhu were devastated upon hearing this.
Now, hearing the Madam mention the Fourth Prince, Zhilan immediately focused her mind to answer, “The Fourth Prince is currently at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. After I summoned the imperial physicians, Mama Suomalagu came personally to take him away.”
“As for the warning you mentioned, Madam, I am by Her Ladyship’s side all day and noticed nothing unusual. Just the day before yesterday, the Fourth Prince was still trying to be close to Her Ladyship…”
She had been serving nearby then. There was a hint of caution in the Fourth Prince’s eyes, but there was more of an attachment to Her Ladyship, no different from usual.
They had not perceived any abnormality, which was why the sudden incident resulted in such a tragedy.
There were words Zhilan did not speak aloud, but Madam Hesheli understood. The Fourth Prince was but a three-year-old toddler; how could he have such a calculating mind?
She worried if someone had used the child.
“Could he have been instigated by someone?” Madam Hesheli’s words trailed off, her eyes instinctively drifting toward the outside. There was nothing out there but a palace wall, but in the direction beyond that wall lay the Palace of Eternal Harmony.
The birth mother of the Fourth Prince, Consort De, lived in the Palace of Eternal Harmony. It was only natural to think of Consort De now that a rift had formed between the Noble Consort and the Fourth Prince.
But as the head maid of Chengqian Palace, Zhilan would not engage in spreading gossip. She stated frankly, “That one rarely has contact with the Fourth Prince.”
The Noble Consort disliked others discussing these matters, and Consort De, out of fear of the Noble Consort’s authority, never dared to assert herself as the Fourth Prince’s birth mother. Mother and son only saw each other once or twice a year at palace banquets during festivals; they exchanged only brief greetings and never even had a conversation.
Furthermore, Consort De now had the Sixth Prince. There was truly no need for her to do this. An Imperial Prince offending his adoptive mother would be considered a moral failing; as the prince’s birth mother, what kind of reputation would she have left?
Even for the sake of the Sixth Prince, she would not be so foolish.
Zhilan spoke subtly, and after calming down, Madam Hesheli could also understand. Her earlier suspicion was merely a result of being blinded by worry. Afterward, Zhilan asked if they should send someone to bring the Fourth Prince back.
The noble lady sighed softly and said, “We will wait until Her Ladyship wakes up before making a decision.”
Madam Hesheli was unwilling in her heart, but she did not lose her composure. She knew clearly where she was and understood it was not her place to make decisions here. Her only hope now was for her daughter to wake up soon.
When Tong Lanshu regained consciousness, she felt a splitting headache. Before she could even open her eyes, she heard people around her calling her name. When she forced her eyes open, what met her sight was an unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar people.
Before she could speak, a segment of memory was forcibly shoved into her mind. She pressed her forehead in distress, an unconscious groan escaping her lips. The people around her immediately fell into a panic. “Call the imperial physician! Quickly, call the imperial physician!”
There was a great commotion in the room. A physician hurried over to check her pulse, followed by the sound of hushed conversations. Tong Lanshu heard the people before her calling her “Noble Consort.” The pronunciation was clear and standard, but she felt as if there was something between them, making it difficult to hear clearly.
She was struggling to digest the memory that did not belong to her, finally managing to understand where she was and what had happened.
Meanwhile, outside the bedchamber, the physician had already explained the Noble Consort’s condition to Zhilan. Although the fetus had not been stable, to be safe, they would still treat her as if she were in confinement.
Tong Lanshu finally came to her senses, her head aching even more at the physician’s words.
In the Noble Consort’s situation, it should have been a chemical pregnancy. It wasn’t truly a pregnancy, much less a miscarriage. What kind of confinement was this?
Yet, Tong Lanshu could not say any of this. She was a newcomer and feared that saying too much would lead to mistakes, letting Madam Hesheli notice something was wrong.
Madam Hesheli was simply grateful to the heavens that her daughter had woken up; how could she care about anything else? Thus, under Madam Hesheli’s constant chattering, Tong Lanshu’s mind grew clearer. She thought rapidly, and leaning against a soft pillow, she spoke her first words since waking: “The Fourth Prince… where is he?”
“At the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, with the Grand Empress Dowager,” Madam Hesheli answered quickly.
Tong Lanshu struggled to calm her emotions before speaking. “Send someone to bring the Fourth Prince back.”
The adopted son of Chengqian Palace staying at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility would eventually be seen as improper.
As soon as Tong Lanshu spoke, Dong Zhu took the initiative to accept the task. Seeing that no one else was nearby, Madam Hesheli showed a bit of her emotions. “Your Ladyship…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but Tong Lanshu could understand her meaning, even though they were essentially strangers. She guessed it was because of the extra set of memories. The word “Mother” was just about to leave her lips when she suddenly remembered something and forced herself to change it. “E… E-niang.”
“This was something that couldn’t be kept anyway… there’s no need to be hard on the Fourth Prince.”
“If this spreads, it will only make people laugh at us.”
Tong Lanshu understood the principle that more talk leads to more mistakes, so she didn’t explain much. Madam Hesheli, fearing she would trigger her daughter’s grief, did not say more and did not notice anything unusual.
After about half an hour, Dong Zhu returned with someone from the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.
The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, was only three years old, the age when children are most adorable. However, the toddler currently following Dong Zhu had a face full of timidity. The corners of his eyes were red, and his eyelids were somewhat swollen; it seemed he had been crying for a long time. Despite being the one most aggrieved, he stood there obediently, a tiny little figure. Looking at him, Tong Lanshu felt a pang of pity.
As Yinzhen looked at his pale mother, his already thin frame shook again. He stepped forward cautiously to pay his respects. “Greetings to E-niang.”
Tong Lanshu didn’t know what was appropriate to say, so she simply nodded at Yinzhen.
Yinzhen knew he had done something wrong and stood timidly to the side. At three years old, he was still at an age of half-understanding and could not fully grasp the difference between a birth mother and an adoptive mother.
However, the words of his older brothers and sisters—”He was given to the Noble Consort to be raised”—had stuck in Yinzhen’s heart like a thorn.
He quickly peeked at the Noble Consort and then immediately lowered his head as if he didn’t dare look again. After Tong Lanshu glimpsed the usual way the mother and son interacted from her memories, she also gradually fell silent.
The Noble Consort had a cold personality, even when facing a child. As an infant, he had no memory and didn’t perceive the problem, but a three-year-old toddler was at a sensitive age and could clearly sense an adult’s emotions. Their interaction had always been a bit strained, and now it was as awkward as it could possibly be.
The bedchamber was very quiet. Just as Tong Lanshu wanted to say something to break the heavy atmosphere, she was interrupted by the eunuch announcing a decree outside. However, Tong Lanshu did not get the relief she hoped for.
Appearing along with the eunuch’s rhythmic announcement was a pair of bright, shimmering boots. Tong Lanshu’s actions were faster than her thoughts. Before she could even think, she struggled to get up, intending to salute along with the people in the room.