Wen Shan watched Yinsi’s composed and calm demeanor with a mixture of expected familiarity and strangeness.
Yinsi had always been obedient and endearing in front of her—he was a child who knew how to win people over. Although she had previously thought him precocious, when interacting with Wen Shan, Yinsi would still act cute and playful to make her happy.
Yet his current demeanor made Wen Shan feel as though she was catching a glimpse of the strategic and deeply calculating “Virtuous Prince of the Eighth Rank.”
But upon closer look, wasn’t this still her youngest son, whom she had personally cared for day and night—nursing him, changing his diapers, and watching him grow?
Though Yinsi appeared calm and collected, his palms and back were already covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.
Would Mother… be frightened by him? Would she still accept him?
Unexpectedly, Wen Shan only stared blankly for a moment before slowly saying, “I understand.”
“Alright, Mother understands. Now cover yourself well and go to sleep.”
Seeing Yinsi sitting there in thin sleepwear, Wen Shan quickly tucked him into the blankets: “No kicking off the covers. It’s so cold—if you catch a chill again, it’ll be troublesome.”
Although the room was heated by a warm stove, with the bitter cold outside, it was still important to stay warm.
Yinsi listened in bewilderment to Wen Shan’s usual fussing and reminders. He blinked as she tucked him into the warm bedding.
“Mother, don’t you have anything you want to ask me?” Yinsi inquired.
He had already prepared himself for interrogation, but it seemed as though Mother didn’t mind anymore.
“We’ll talk after you wake up.” Wen Shan patted his head and said softly, “If you don’t nap at noon, you’ll be as listless as a frostbitten eggplant in the afternoon. Sleep first.”
After all, Yinsi was right here and wouldn’t run off. Better to let the child sleep first—it would also give her time to sort through these matters.
“Mother, given the current situation… it’s hard for me to fall asleep,” Yinsi said helplessly. After dropping such a bombshell, his heart was still uneasy—how could he possibly sleep so soundly?
Wen Shan thought it over and agreed. She helped Yinsi put on an extra layer of clothing and let him sit up.
“First of all, is your Fourth Brother alright?” Wen Shan asked cautiously after some thought.
Yinzhen was also a very clever child. What if both sons were reborn? Then the three of them truly were “birds of a feather.”
Yinsi shook his head: “Fourth Brother is perfectly normal.”
Wen Shan breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned in mysteriously: “Then let Mother tell you a secret—just between the two of us.”
“Mother comes from a later era, from… a time after the Great Qing has fallen.”
Yinsi’s eyes widened. What had Mother just said?!
What later era?
What did she mean the Great Qing has fallen?
To avoid overwhelming Yinsi’s young heart, Wen Shan even deliberated and decided not to tell him that in the era she came from, not only had the Great Qing vanished, but even the institution of emperor no longer existed.
Throughout thousands of years, dynastic changes were common occurrences. The Great Qing couldn’t last forever either, so Yinsi only felt a slight pang of emotion and accepted the news of the dynasty’s fall relatively well. He didn’t press for reasons, knowing that such matters would only bring distress. For now, he was solely focused on living comfortably—these headaches could be left for Fourth Brother to handle in the future.
He thought to himself, no wonder Mother had changed so much in this lifetime, and why the situation in the palace was entirely different from before. Many of the questions that had troubled Yinsi now had their answers.
It turned out that Mother, like him, was originally not from this world.
Yinsi felt an inexplicable joy in his heart, as if a secret yet unbreakable thread now connected him and his mother.
After taking a moment to compose himself, Yinsi asked, “Mother, so you know all about what happened between me and Fourth Brother, right?”
“The Nine Dragons Seizing the Throne? It’s quite famous in later generations, oh, the Virtuous Prince~” Wen Shan had fully adjusted by now and was even teasing Yinsi with a smile.
Sure enough, Yinsi’s face flushed red: “Mother, that’s just what the court officials called me randomly.”
Yinsi had arrived in this world after his death in confinement during the fourth year of Yongzheng’s reign, completely unaware of what happened afterward. Now that he knew Wen Shan was from a later era, he pestered her to tell him about subsequent events.
Upon learning from Wen Shan that Fourth Brother had only reigned for thirteen years before passing away, Yinsi fell silent for a long while.
In his previous life, he would have celebrated with drums and gongs, but now he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy.
The truth was, Fourth Brother was a man of deep emotions—to those he acknowledged, he would give his whole heart. Just look at how he treated the Thirteenth Prince.
As for his enemies, like Yinsi… well, he also gave his whole heart, though in a more literal, physical sense.
Truly, he was a man of clear love and hate, with a resolute personality that brooked no sand in his eyes.
Even now, in their childhood, hints of this temperament could be seen in Fourth Brother’s behavior.
Having spent a year with Yinzhen, Yinsi’s attitude toward him had already quietly changed under Yinzhen’s daily care and companionship.
“I wondered why you were so hostile to your brother when you first came to Xianfu Palace. So you were holding a grudge,” Wen Shan recalled Yinsi’s various “misdeeds” toward Yinzhen back then. She still vividly remembered how Yinzhen had been anxious every day, worried that his younger brother disliked him, wanting to play with him but not daring to approach.
Thinking back on it now, Yinsi felt a bit guilty. In hindsight, he had indeed taken his anger out on the wrong person.
“Do you still resent your Fourth Brother now?” Wen Shan poked Yinsi and asked.
“That’s all in the past,” Yinsi shook his head, then added after a moment’s thought, “Actually, Fourth Brother was a good emperor. Given the circumstances at the time, he was more suited than I to steer the Qing dynasty.”
“Then… do you still want to be emperor in this life?”
Yinsi looked at Wen Shan with disbelief: “Of course not. Let Fourth Brother continue being emperor.”
“My previous life was exhausting enough. Now I just want to be a leisurely prince, with Fourth Brother watching over me, just like how he treated the Thirteenth Prince before,” Yinsi secretly compared himself.
Wen Shan reminded him, “The Thirteenth Prince worked himself to death even earlier than your Fourth Brother.”
Yinsi: “…”
“Then let the Thirteenth Prince continue doing the work in this life. I’ll stay with Mother,” Yinsi quickly changed his approach, habitually starting to act spoiled with Wen Shan.
By the end of their conversation, only one question remained: whether to tell Yinzhen about this.
Actually, Wen Shan only brought it up as a formality, as the two quickly reached a tacit understanding—they would wait until Yinzhen noticed something unusual on his own.
After discussing everything, Yinsi finally asked cautiously, “Mother, then what about me…”
“You’re still my son, of course,” Wen Shan smiled and pulled Yinsi into a hug. “No matter who you are, in Mother’s heart, you’ll always be the son I’ve held and raised since childhood. Mother will love you forever.”
Yinzhen was somewhat caught off guard by Wen Shan’s direct approach.
Watching his flustered expression, Wen Shan thought to herself that he was still just a child after all.
That afternoon, when Yinzhen came as usual to accompany his mother and younger brother, he noticed something different about the day.
His mother and younger brother would occasionally exchange inexplicable smiles, and their glances toward him held a strange quality. Yinzhen asked Wen Shan seriously if she and his brother were keeping something from him.
“That’s right, Mother and Yinzhen have a little secret,” Wen Shan said with a laugh.
Yinzhen nodded along beside her.
A secret known only to him and his mother.
Yinzhen felt somewhat defeated: “Can’t you tell me?”
Wen Shan and Yinzhen shook their heads in unison.
Yinzhen was frustrated but not overly upset. He had come to understand that everyone had their secrets. He secretly thought that one day he too would share secrets with his mother and with his brother—secrets he would tell no one.
In the days leading up to the New Year, the Crown Prince visited several more times. His excuses ranged from discussing studies with Yinzhen to checking in on Yinzhen. After exhausting all plausible reasons to join for meals, the Crown Prince gave up pretenses and began sending messages every few days asking if he could come over to eat.
Even Kangxi was surprised by how frequently the Crown Prince visited Xianfu Palace. But when he considered Wen Shan’s culinary skills, it didn’t seem hard to understand. Still, Confucius had said, “The noble man seeks neither satiety in food nor comfort in dwelling. He is diligent in tasks and cautious in speech.” As the heir apparent, the Crown Prince shouldn’t indulge too much in pleasure. Thus, before the New Year, Kangxi put a stop to the Crown Prince’s meal-seeking visits to Xianfu Palace.
Although Wen Shan wasn’t particularly thrilled about the Crown Prince’s frequent visits for meals, she also felt disdain for Kangxi’s behavior.
It wasn’t as if Kangxi himself ever missed a meal there either.
He too came quite often for meals.
Privately, Wen Shan asked Yinzhen about Kangxi’s true attitude toward the Crown Prince. While he appeared extremely fond of him now, he ultimately deposed him as heir not once, but twice.
Hearing Yinzhen personally recount the events of the Nine Princes’ struggle for the throne filled Wen Shan with anticipation. Even though historical records existed from later generations, they were inevitably incomplete or completely contrary to the actual situation at the time.
After thinking for a moment, Yinzhen said, “Emperor Father truly cherished the Crown Prince. His protection and genuine desire for him to inherit the throne were real. But the Crown Prince wasn’t worthy of that trust. If not for Emperor Father’s favor, there wouldn’t have been a second reinstatement.”
Soon after the Crown Prince was reinstated, Kangxi realized that Yin Reng was indeed unfit to be heir, let alone emperor. Between fatherly affection and the foundation of the Qing Empire, Kangxi chose the empire and deposed the Crown Prince once again.
Since Wen Shan and Yinzhen had laid their cards on the table, they often gathered to chat. Yinzhen was curious about the court situation after his death, while Wen Shan was fascinated by the true story of the famous Nine Dragons’ struggle for the throne.
“Third Brother? Third Brother always supported the Crown Prince. He didn’t have much ambition of his own and later focused on compiling books and writing essays.”
“Old Fourteen and Fourth Brother didn’t have a close relationship. They rarely interacted.”
“Emperor Father passed away suddenly. At the time, Longkeduo conveyed Emperor Father’s verbal decree—there was no written will. While it might be plausible to say there was something suspicious about Fourth Brother’s ascension, the theory that ‘passing the throne to the fourteenth son’ was altered to ‘passing the throne to the fourth son’ is utterly absurd.”
Finally, Yinzhen dropped a bombshell on Wen Shan.
At the beginning of the succession struggle, Yinzhen’s chances of winning were not great and he wasn’t taken seriously by others. At that time, the two well-known factions were the Crown Prince Party and the Eighth Prince Party.
Contrary to Wen Shan’s assumption that Yinzhen was initially part of the Crown Prince Party, he had actually been a member of the Eighth Prince Party at first.
However, unlike the Ninth and Tenth Princes, he was merely a peripheral figure with shallow involvement.
Moreover, according to Yinsi, it was highly likely that Yinzhen had been putting on an act back then, already harboring ambitions for the throne but biding his time while concealing his true intentions.
After the first deposition of the Crown Prince, when Yinsi was implicated by The Eldest Prince and consequently fell out of favor with Kangxi, Yinzhen completely shifted his stance and broke away from the Eighth Prince Party.
Yinsi also secretly complained to Wen Shan about how unreasonable Fourth Brother had been back then. After Yinzhen ascended the throne and began purging Yinsi, he once ordered Yinsi to surrender all the imperial edicts Kangxi had written to him. Yinsi reported that some could no longer be found, but Yinzhen didn’t believe him and repeatedly pressed him. Left with no choice, Yinsi swore to heaven that if he spoke even a single false word, his entire family would perish. Unexpectedly, Yinzhen used this against him, accusing him of harboring treacherous intentions and deliberately cursing him.
Because Yinzhen and Yinsi were also part of the same family.
Wen Shan: “…”
Wen Shan broke into a cold sweat, never expecting there had been such an episode. No wonder Yinsi had initially disliked Yinzhen so much.
Wen Shan also gave Yinsi a general account of what happened after his death.
“Hongli inheriting the throne was expected after all. Fourth Brother didn’t have many sons, and he placed exceptional importance on Hongli.Yinsi, munching on the cheese sticks Wen Shan had specially made for him, said vaguely: “The Decacontinent Elder? Quite the boastful title. But living to that age is indeed impressive, and he even became Emperor Emeritus. Tsk tsk.”
Yinzhen had taken Fuqi for a walk in the Imperial Garden. Wen Shan dismissed all the palace attendants and, while making lucky knots, chatted with Yinsi.
Wen Shan said: “It’s said that he was raised by your Emperor Father for a few years and was designated as the virtuous imperial grandson. He deliberately avoided exceeding your Emperor Father’s sixty-one-year reign, which is why he abdicated.”
“That part is true, but it wasn’t for several years.” Yinsi’s small hand eagerly reached for the biscuits nearby again. “Emperor Father did bring him into the palace to raise him for a period. I don’t remember exactly how long, but it definitely wasn’t as long as several years.”
Yinsi’s assessment of Hongli was relatively positive—he had both skill and cunning, so Fourth Brother choosing him was logical.
However, when he heard that this nephew had later rehabilitated him, restoring his clan status and Imperial Genealogy records, he didn’t rejoice but instead frowned.
“Isn’t what this kid did just confirming those rumors about Fourth Brother pressuring and killing his brothers?”
What filial piety indeed.
Wen Shan thought to herself, that’s because you don’t yet know your Fourth Brother published an epic masterpiece titled “Awakening to the Great Righteousness,” originally intended to debunk rumors but ending up spreading those very rumors across the entire realm.
Just as mother and son were chatting animatedly, the door suddenly opened and Yinzhen rushed in with Fuqi.
It had started snowing outside, so Yinzhen had returned early today.
“Mother, what were you and younger brother talking about? Who is Hongli?”
“…”
Yinzhen and Yinsi never needed announcements when entering the hall, so Zhen Zhu and the others didn’t stop him. Yinzhen had stood under the eaves for a while brushing snow off his clothes and happened to overhear Mother and younger brother talking inside.
He just didn’t hear clearly, only catching the name Hongli.
“Nothing important, just a character from a storybook. Mother was telling your younger brother a story,” Wen Shan casually made up an excuse.
Fortunately, Yinzhen didn’t press further and instead pulled up a stool, eagerly wanting to listen along.
Yinsi wriggled and said, “Brother can’t listen.”
Yinzhen: ?
“Because Mother already finished telling the story. If you want to listen now, you’ll have to help Mother with chores.”
Wen Shan watched helplessly as Yinsi directed Yinzhen to fetch snacks and fruits, both amused and exasperated.
Yinsi grinned at Wen Shan with crescent-shaped eyes: “Mother, since Fourth Brother went to get food for us, you’ll have to tell us a story later.”
“…”
What a clever little rascal—he’d managed to rope her in too.
On New Year’s Eve, Wen Shan got up early to steam red bean rice cakes and three-delicacy buns before going to Yinzhen and Yinsi’s room to wake the children and dress them in new clothes.
“These outfits were handmade for you by me and Lady Wei.” Wen Shan nodded in satisfaction as she watched Yinzhen and Yinsi put on the well-fitted, smart-looking clothes.
Yinsi looked down at the intricate embroidery, then pattered forward and said, “Mother, one should be honest—these were made by Lady Wei, weren’t they?”
The embroidery and craftsmanship were clearly beyond what his mother could produce.
To distinguish between his two mothers, Yinsi called Lady Wei “Wei Mother” when speaking to Wen Shan, and referred to Wen Shan as “Xuan Mother” when with Lady Wei. But when both mothers were present, Yinsi would often mix up the names, making Wen Shan and Lady Wei laugh.
Wen Shan: “…”
This little imp was talking nonsense—she had sewn on the buttons herself!
Seeing Wen Shan’s expression darken, Yinzhen quickly dragged his younger brother outside to put new clothes on Fuqi before their mother could get angry.
“Yinsi, tidy your bed later—it’s a complete mess,” Wen Shan’s light voice carried from behind.
Yinsi nearly cried—if he’d known this would happen, he wouldn’t have teased his mother.
Now he’d have to struggle with the bedsheets again.
What could his tiny body even accomplish?
Yinzhen pinched his cheek: “Serves you right for undermining Mother.”
Yinsi stroked Fuqi’s smooth fur and snorted without responding.
Yinzhen suppressed a laugh: “Alright, I’ll help you tidy up later.”
After breakfast, Wen Shan buried herself in the small kitchen to prepare the New Year’s Eve feast. Since this was their first New Year together, she wanted to make it special. During preparations, she received special requests from the Empress Dowager and Rongfei.
Both had been pestered relentlessly—the Empress Dowager by the Fifth Prince and Rongfei by the Third Prince. The Empress Dowager was easier to handle since Wen Shan often sent meals to Cining Palace anyway, but Rongfei had agonized for a long time before finally giving in to the Third Prince’s persistent begging and personally visiting Xianfu Palace.
She sat for quite a while too embarrassed to speak her request—after all, asking the Noble Consort to cook for them during New Year’s was rather presumptuous.
Wen Shan, worried about the fish cooking in her pot, grew impatient with Rongfei’s hesitation and directly asked what she needed. Steeling herself, Rongfei explained how the Third Prince had cried and insisted on eating Wen Shan’s cooking for New Year’s Eve.
After speaking, Rongfei hurriedly had her palace maid present the gifts she’d prepared.
“Noble Consort, I know this visit is abrupt, but I mean no disrespect. It’s just that Yinzhi pestered me all morning, and I had no choice but to come.”
Now raising two children herself, Wen Shan completely understood Rongfei’s helplessness when confronted with a determined child—no mother could withstand such tactics.
Besides, Rongfei had brought generous gifts. Wen Shan glanced briefly and saw four or five palace maids holding rosewood trays.
“I understand a mother’s heart,” Wen Shan thought for a moment and said, “How about this—after the palace banquet concludes, I’ll have someone deliver a food box to Zhong Cui Gong. You and the Third Prince can keep vigil together.”
Rongfei was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed gratitude, saying she’d be immensely thankful even if Wen Shan just prepared one or two simple dishes to appease the Third Prince.
Wen Shan was quite pleased with these diners who appreciated her culinary skills. Before Rongfei departed, she specially packed some freshly steamed rice cakes and buns for her to take back and comfort the Third Prince. Rongfei was so moved she nearly teared up, thinking the rumors were indeed true—Noble Consort Xuan was sincere and unpretentious, someone worth getting closer to in the future.
The evening palace banquet unfolded much as Wen Shan had anticipated—grand in scale with many attendees. Given it was New Year’s Eve, the laughter exchanged over clinking cups felt notably more genuine.
Wen Shan mused that the phrase “it’s the new year after all” truly remained a universal tool for setting aside grudges.
Niuhulu Noble Consort and the Imperial Noble Consort sat on either side of Kangxi. The Imperial Noble Consort’s health had clearly improved, her complexion rosier than before, while Niuhulu Noble Consort, now wielding significant authority and consistently favored by Kangxi, glowed with vitality.
Particularly in recent days, the Imperial Noble Consort had grown more low-profile—never meddling in palace affairs and behaving with greater humility, deliberately avoiding conflicts with Niuhulu Noble Consort.
The Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager, advanced in years, only stayed briefly at the banquet before returning to Cining Palace. Watching the elder matriarchs depart, Wen Shan instructed Zhen Zhu to return to Xianfu Palace and deliver the pre-prepared dishes to Cining Palace.
Tonight’s offerings from the Imperial Kitchen were quite decent—by Wen Shan’s assessment, far surpassing their usual standards. A standout was the eight-treasure duck, exceptionally flavorful. Wen Shan busied herself feeding Yinzhen and Yinsi. From his elevated seat, Kangxi observed his consorts—all engaged in cheerful toasts and conversation—except Wen Shan. After an initial customary greeting and toast, she’d buried herself in the food before her.
As one of only two noble consorts in the palace, her prestigious status made her inconspicuousness truly unprecedented.
Kangxi shook his head. Noticing this, Yifei rose beside him, offered some auspicious blessings, and toasted Kangxi. This sparked a chain reaction, with other consorts—especially those who rarely saw Kangxi all year—seizing the opportunity to make their presence known.
By Xu hour (7-9 PM), the banquet wound down. Kangxi would proceed to Cining Palace to keep vigil with the Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager, accompanied this year by the Imperial Noble Consort.
Niuhulu Noble Consort was naturally displeased, but though she held authority over the six palaces, the Imperial Noble Consort’s status equated to a secondary empress—a position she couldn’t openly challenge.
Wen Shan paid no mind to these dynamics, simply linking arms with Noble Consort Wei to return to Xianfu Palace.
She had already prepared dumplings that afternoon. For good luck, everyone wrapped a few more together before boiling them. The New Year’s Eve feast was so lavish that even Yinzhen and Yinsi—accustomed to Wen Shan’s cooking—praised it profusely.
After the meal, they brought out fruits and pastries. As Wen Shan chatted idly with Noble Consort Wei, Yinzhen and Yinsi played nearby with Fuqi.
“Mother! Mother! Fuqi looks like she’s going into labor!”
Yinzhen suddenly rushed over, face full of anxiety.
Wen Shan started, then calculated—Fuqi’s due date was still half a month away. She immediately sent someone to the dog kennel to fetch help.
Fortunately, Fuqi gave birth smoothly, delivering two puppies before the dog kennel staff arrived.
One was pure black, while the other had a small patch of white on its neck.
After all the busy work, it was exactly midnight. Wen Shan looked at the two newborn little lives and thought to herself that it was indeed the beginning of the new year—the coming year would surely go smoothly.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, good news came from the imperial harem.
Yifei was pregnant.
Meanwhile, Defei was already over six months pregnant. She gave birth to a princess during the transition from spring to summer in the twenty-first year of Kangxi’s reign. The princess should have been ranked as the Seventh Daughter, but she was born frail. Despite two months of meticulous care, she could not be saved. Defei was heartbroken, and it was only after Kangxi spent several days with her that she began to recover.
Soon after, both Niuhulu Noble Consort and the Imperial Noble Consort became pregnant one after another. With three high-ranking consorts pregnant at once, the sorrow brought by the princess’s early death was gradually overshadowed.