Tong Lanshu moved quickly, but the person entering from outside was even faster. Before she could struggle to her feet, the figure in bright yellow robes had already appeared before her, naturally halting her movements. "Rising so abruptly, be careful not to feel dizzy again."
The gentle, familiar tone reached her ears. Tong Lanshu felt the undeniable touch on her arm and couldn't help but lift her gaze. What met her eyes was a dignified face, its stern authority softened by the gentle tone.
She instantly understood the identity of the person before her. Suppressing the panic in her heart, she offered a faint smile. "Your Majesty."
The man before her gave a slight nod and naturally took a seat nearby.
While the emperor had prevented the Noble Consort from performing formal greetings, others were not so fortunate. The bedchamber was immediately filled with a circle of kneeling figures, Madam Hesheli among them. "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
"No need for such formalities, Aunt." Xuan Ye's tone was indifferent as he instructed Madam Hesheli to rise, inquiring with concern about family matters.
Madam Hesheli answered each question in turn, then took her leave, mindful of the time.
Xuan Ye, however, spoke to detain her. "The Noble Consort has only just awakened. Aunt should stay and keep her company a while longer. I imagine the Noble Consort would most wish to see you now."
Though grateful for the emperor's thoughtfulness, Madam Hesheli politely declined. "Your Majesty's compassion for the Noble Consort is her great fortune. That you address this humble servant as 'Aunt' fills my heart with gratitude. Yet, precisely because of this, I must not overstep the rules."
With matters put thus, Xuan Ye did not insist further, instructing a eunuch to escort his aunt respectfully out of the palace.
Once Madam Hesheli departed, many of the attending palace servants also dispersed, allowing Tong Lanshu to notice the small child standing to the side.
She had not yet had time to settle Yinzhen earlier, and the arrival of Kangxi had interrupted matters. Now, with the servants gone, the child stood timidly not far away.
When the emperor first arrived, he had also performed the proper greetings, though his young voice was lost amidst the crowd. Now, with the crowd dispersed, Yinzhen approached to pay his respects once more. "Your son greets Imperial Father."
At just three years old, still unsteady on his feet, he could nevertheless perform the rituals with proper decorum.
Xuan Ye beckoned the child closer. Noticing Yinzhen's reddened eyes, he offered a few words of comfort before instructing a palace servant to take the child away.
Yinzhen, however, lifted his gaze to Tong Lanshu, somewhat reluctant to leave.
Tong Lanshu echoed Kangxi's words. "Listen to Imperial Father. Go and rest first, change your clothes, and then come back later."
With this assurance, Yinzhen finally left contentedly.
After Yinzhen's departure, the bedchamber grew even quieter. Tong Lanshu did not know why Kangxi had come and felt somewhat apprehensive.
Xuan Ye had come to give the Noble Consort an explanation. He had already ordered an investigation into the day's events, initially suspecting someone was stirring trouble behind the scenes. To his surprise, it turned out to be the children's inadvertent words.
The relationship between Yinzhen and the Noble Consort had always been strained. Upon learning he was not her biological son, he naturally wanted clarification.
As matters between mother and son were not for outsiders to interfere with, Xuan Ye had not intended to intervene. He never expected the Noble Consort would lose her child because of this.
The candlelight in the bedchamber flickered, much like Tong Lanshu's dazed expression. She had not anticipated that Kangxi would personally come to explain matters to her.
Tong Lanshu knew she should not keep her head bowed indefinitely, yet she lacked the courage to stare directly at Emperor Kangxi. Her gaze subtly settled on a nearby candlestick instead.
The memories in her mind now served their purpose, as the fleeting recollections gradually merged with the gentle voice before her. Tong Lanshu gleaned a thing or two from them, roughly understanding the nature of the relationship between Kangxi and the Noble Consort.
Perhaps due to their kinship, Emperor Kangxi had always shown particular favor toward the Noble Consort, who was also his cousin from the Tong Jia clan.
Yet Tong Lanshu dared not presume too much, resorting instead to the safest approach—playing the role of the Noble Consort as she remembered.
"Does Yinzhen know about this?"
The question seemed abrupt, but Xuan Ye understood what the Noble Consort was asking. He paused for a moment before replying, "Yinzhen is still young."
The miscarriage might be comprehensible, but it had little to do with Yinzhen himself. The imperial physician had already clearly informed the emperor that this pregnancy had never been stable to begin with, and it would not have been viable even without the conflict between the Fourth Prince and the Noble Consort.
To place the blame on the child under such circumstances would be too unjust.
While the reasoning was clear, acceptance varied from person to person.
Seeing the Noble Consort bring up the matter, the emperor felt somewhat helpless. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed the gloom in Tong Lanshu’s expression dissipate slightly. "Your subject consort does not wish for others to discuss this."
Tong Lanshu’s voice was soft, yet it conveyed her stance clearly. Xuan Ye detected the underlying meaning in her words and felt deeply comforted. He grew even gentler toward Tong Lanshu, urging her to rest well and recover, assuring her that there would be more children in the future.
Tong Lanshu’s previously calm heart grew agitated at these words.
Children? Children?!
Historically, Noble Consort Tong had only one child, who died before reaching a month old.
While infant mortality was high in ancient times, with many children not surviving their first month, Noble Consort Tong and Kangxi were cousins. Tong Lanshu couldn’t help but ponder the implications.
This chemical pregnancy might have been an indelible pain for Noble Consort Tong, but for Tong Lanshu, it resolved a tremendous problem.
Now that the problem was gone, she certainly wouldn’t go looking for trouble.
Tong Lanshu had been somewhat dazed earlier, but her thoughts were now growing clearer. She was Kangxi’s Noble Consort, expected to share his bed…
Previously, she had thought the imperial physician was exaggerating, but now Tong Lanshu only wished to observe a double confinement period.
Her mind raced with countless thoughts. She wanted to say something but feared angering the emperor, yet she also felt today was a perfect opportunity. Some matters could not be avoided by feigning ignorance. With this in mind, she lowered her gaze and unconsciously placed a hand outside the brocade quilt, resting it on her abdomen. "Your Majesty… your subject consort no longer wishes to bear children."
Her voice was calm, yet tinged with a sense of resigned despair.
Her sorrowful demeanor gave Xuan Ye pause, and Tong Lanshu quickly seized upon this detail, laying bare her thoughts. "The imperial physician once declared that your subject consort is not suited for childbearing. Yet I refused to accept it… Over the years in the palace, I have sought medical advice and remedies, hoping for a son to bring joy to my life. But it seems fate has not granted this wish."
Tong Lanshu possessed Noble Consort Tong’s memories. Though she couldn’t fully comprehend Noble Consort Tong’s longing for a child, she could vividly sense the frustration and despair—whether driven by the family’s desire for an Age or her own yearning to become a mother.
But all of this had vanished with Noble Consort Tong’s departure, leaving no way to know for certain.
"The medicine was too bitter," Tong Lanshu said quietly. Hearing the calmness in her voice, Xuan Ye felt a pang of heartache for his cousin.
Children are a matter of fate; if they are not meant to be, they cannot be forced. Besides, Xuan Ye was never short of women to bear his children.
Thus, he spoke to console her, "I thought something serious had happened. If you don’t wish to bear children, then don’t."
Tong Lanshu never expected things to go so smoothly and was momentarily stunned. "Your Majesty, are you not angry?"
"Why would I be angry for no reason?" Xuan Ye chided gently. "The imperial physician said you worry too much. I was wondering what could be troubling you, but it turns out you’ve been dwelling on this all along. Are you afraid that without a child, I would neglect you?"
Tong Lanshu did not respond to this, murmuring softly instead, "Your subject consort was just worried Your Majesty would be angry."
This was the second time Xuan Ye had heard such words. He frowned and looked at the Noble Consort, asking, "Is there something you wish to say to me?"
The Emperor’s question was rhetorical. He could clearly see that his cousin had something on her mind but was unwilling to speak. Softening his tone, he urged, "The imperial physician just advised you not to overthink. Why are you being so stubborn? If you have something to say, speak plainly. Hesitating like this might make others think I’ve mistreated you."
"Without a child, can I not become Your Majesty’s Empress?" After much hesitation, Tong Lanshu mustered the courage to ask. Everyone knew Noble Consort Tong came from a noble background, but the step from Noble Consort to Empress was far more than a mere change in title.
Due to her knowledge of history, Tong Lanshu was well aware that Noble Consort Tongjia would eventually become Empress Xiaoyi. However, that empress’s reign was tragically short-lived, ending with her passing the very next day. The thought left Tong Lanshu somewhat disheartened.
Kangxi’s reluctance to appoint an empress was later speculated by historians to stem from his fear of being a jinx, as both his previous wives had died in their prime.
This, the future Tong Lanshu knew, but the present Noble Consort Tong did not.
The topic of appointing an empress was highly sensitive. She had never intended to be presumptuous, but how could she let Kangxi know what she was truly thinking?
Not only did she not wish to bear children, but she also sought ways to avoid sharing the imperial bed.
After speaking these words, Tong Lanshu wondered if she would even live to see the next day.
The astute Emperor could not help but grow vigilant. The dignity of the Son of Heaven was not to be challenged. His expression turned cold, and his gentle demeanor vanished, his words pressing down on Tong Lanshu until she could barely breathe. "Did Tong Guowei ask you to say this?"
Tong Lanshu’s already pale face lost even more color. Trembling, she replied, "It has nothing to do with Father. You know, Your Majesty, I have never agreed to the matters he proposed."
Though somewhat flustered, Tong Lanshu was not entirely frightened. In her memories, Kangxi had always been gentle with Noble Consort Tong, partly due to their familial ties, but more importantly because Noble Consort Tong was sensible and never opposed Kangxi or sought benefits for her family at his expense.
Xuan Ye glanced at her, feeling a headache coming on. "Could it be that I’ve wronged you?"
Some words were permissible for Xuan Ye to say, but not for Tong Lanshu. She simply lowered her head and remained silent.
Hearing Tong Lanshu’s words and recalling his cousin’s usual conduct, Xuan Ye’s stern tone softened once more. "The matter of appointing an empress is for me to consider." He spoke calmly, not intending to explain further, but out of heartache for his cousin’s loss of a child, he added, "When I appointed the Niuhulu clan as Empress, she had no children."
"The Ministry of Rites has already selected a date. I will soon confer titles upon the Six Palaces. If you do not recover your health quickly, you cannot complain if others laugh at you."
Xuan Ye did not continue the discussion about appointing an empress, believing his cousin was clever enough to understand. Tong Lanshu listened clearly and nodded along with his words.
With the myriad affairs of state demanding his attention, Xuan Ye, seeing that his cousin seemed in good spirits, prepared to return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to attend to government matters. He urged her to rest well, saying, "I will visit you again tomorrow."
Tong Lanshu nodded and watched as he departed.
The imperial procession left Chengqian Palace and headed directly for the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The neighboring Yonghe Palace remained quiet, its gates tightly shut, and Xuan Ye showed no intention of stopping there.
As tranquility returned outside Yonghe Palace, the senior palace maid Shiliu entered the main hall to report, "Master, His Majesty's procession has moved far away."
Inside the main hall, Consort De was amusing a one-year-old infant in her arms. Upon hearing the report, she merely nodded casually.
She appeared entirely unconcerned, but Shiliu grew increasingly anxious. "Your Highness, I've heard that it was the Fourth Prince who offended the Noble Consort. What do you think should be done?"
Consort De casually picked up a cloth doll from the kang to entertain the child and said softly, "That is a matter between mother and son."
Her words sounded somewhat cold and detached. Hearing this, Shiliu looked at her master helplessly. "Your Highness, clearly you are the one who…"
"Be careful with your words." Consort De's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and she quickly interrupted Shiliu, speaking earnestly, "The Fourth Prince is the son of the Noble Consort."
Consort De looked at Shiliu and spoke each word deliberately. Shiliu understood clearly, her face filled with heartache as she gazed at Consort De. "Your Highness…"
Shiliu had been by Consort De's side since she was appointed as a Changzai. Consort De naturally understood that Shiliu's concern stemmed from affection for her. Though she had initially intended to keep some thoughts to herself, facing such a loyal maid softened her resolve. "His Majesty will soon be appointing titles in the rear palace. The Noble Consort is to be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. A son gains status from his mother. Having such an esteemed adoptive mother is a good thing for the Fourth Prince."
Before becoming Consort De's palace maid, Shiliu had spent many years navigating the complexities of the Forbidden City. She understood her master's meaning but couldn't help feeling biased. Stubbornly, she insisted, "You could also secure a bright future for the Fourth Prince."
"Such words should only be spoken between us, master and servant. If they were to spread, others might think me presumptuous." Consort De knew Shiliu spoke out of concern, but she couldn't help smiling wryly at the remark.
She was of humble birth, after all, and her prospects were inherently limited.
The Tong Jia clan member entered the palace with the title of Consort, became a Noble Consort within a year, and would soon be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. In the future, she might even become the mistress of Kunning Palace.
How could Consort De possibly compare?
"But the Noble Consort will have her own Age in the future." Shiliu's voice was not particularly soft, and Consort De was well aware of this.
There were things she hadn't shared with Shiliu. Even if everyone thought her cold and heartless, it didn't matter. If she did not assert herself as the Fourth Prince's birth mother, the Noble Consort might regard her more favorably, and the Fourth Prince, unaware of the truth, would grow closer to the Noble Consort.
She hoped that in the future, even if the Noble Consort had children of her own, she might, in recognition of Consort De's discretion, show more care for the Fourth Prince.
Yet such thoughts were not meant to be shared with outsiders.