With two consorts pregnant in the palace, some of the anxiety that had weighed on Kangxi’s mind due to the situation at the front lines began to ease. The war could not be concluded in just a day or two, especially since the three feudal lords held complete military, administrative, and financial control over their respective provinces, making it clear that matters could not be rushed.
Such troubling matters, however, had yet to reach the ears of Yiqing, who was growing up safely and happily within the Palace of Compassion and Peace. She was approaching her second birthday, and had recently been permitted to eat some of the same dishes prepared for adults.
She no longer needed her nurses to hold her or feed her during meals; instead, she would sit properly at her own small dining table and eat slowly and carefully with a spoon.
This special table had been commissioned and crafted by the Imperial Household Department upon the Empress Dowager’s orders, after she noticed that Yiqing was eager to feed herself. There was no elaborate carving or decoration required, only a smooth coat of lacquer, giving it a simple and comfortable appearance.
It was the same as usual on this day. By the time the late afternoon arrived, the hour for dinner had come. Yiqing had been sitting in front of her small table waiting eagerly for quite some time, her large eyes fixed intently on the palace maids moving back and forth carrying plates, bowls, and dishes.
Although she was now allowed to eat the same food as adults, her meals were still prepared with reduced seasonings, or sometimes no seasonings at all. The Empress Dowager had instructed the Imperial Household Department to make special plates and dishes of an appropriate size for her table. While the table itself was not large, it could comfortably hold seven or eight different courses when set with these smaller dishes.
The imperial kitchen staff knew very well how favoured the princess was, and they never dared to skimp on ingredients or prepare her food carelessly.
As expected, once all the dishes had been placed on the tables for the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager, palace maids knelt down and began arranging plates of food on Yiqing’s table.
Her small table was placed at a slight distance from where the elders ate, positioned in such a way that passing servants would not easily trip over it, while also ensuring that the Empress Dowager and others could look up at any moment and watch her eating.
Mealtimes were of great importance to Yiqing. Having lived entirely on milk for her first year of life, she considered these simply prepared dishes, lacking as they were in strong seasonings, to be every bit as delicious as the finest cuisine in the world. She gripped her spoon carefully and reverently, scooped up a spoonful of rice, and lifted it unsteadily to her mouth.
Her arm movements were still somewhat uncoordinated and awkward, but as long as the food reached her mouth, that was all that mattered.
After eating her rice, Yiqing turned her attention to the dish placed closest to her—steamed cured meat and fresh bamboo shoots, a speciality of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. But in the imperial palace, there were chefs from every corner of the country, so such delicacies were readily available. This had recently become one of her favourite dishes. Although the salted cured meat had been removed from her portion, the dish still retained a pleasant savoury flavour. Since salt was considered the foundation of all tastes, this simple seasoning alone made it far more enjoyable to eat than many other dishes.
Nurse Zhang watched Yiqing from the side with a smile on her face. It was best that the princess was not a fussy eater; children who ate well grew strong and healthy. Although she was only two years old, she looked just as tall and sturdy as most two-and-a-half-year-old children born into ordinary families.
Once the meal was finished, Yiqing followed her nurses obediently to take her afternoon nap. Every day, after eating and moving about for a short while, she would rest for an hour or so, and once she woke up, she would play until nightfall before going to sleep again.
A real child might have been reluctant to take naps, but Yiqing carried within her the spirit and experience of an adult who had long endured the exhausting work culture of working long hours every day. To her, the opportunity to rest in the afternoon was something she welcomed and cherished wholeheartedly.
The Empress Dowager watched as Yiqing walked out accompanied by her nurse. She was still such a small child, yet she stubbornly refused to be carried. Only when she came to a high threshold that she could not step over on her own would she allow herself to be lifted for just a moment; for every other part of the journey, she insisted on walking by herself.
“The Empress is getting heavier with the child by the day,” the Grand Empress Dowager said. “Have the midwives from the Hešeri family been brought into the palace?”
“They arrived several days ago,” Su Ma La Gu replied with a smile. “The Imperial Household Department has also arranged two additional midwives to stand by in readiness. The imperial physicians say she is likely to give birth sometime this month.”
“We must not overlook the situation with Consort Zhaojia either,” the Empress Dowager interjected. “Many people are keeping watch over the Empress’s condition, but have all necessary arrangements been made for Consort Zhaojia?”
“Her family has not sent any midwives of their own, but the Imperial Household Department has already assigned experienced staff to attend to her.”
The due dates of the Empress and Consort Zhaojia were almost identical, and according to the imperial physicians’ examinations, both women were expected to give birth within the same month. Kangxi looked forward to the arrival of these children greatly, for the number of young members in the imperial family was still quite small.
The Grand Empress Dowager nodded casually, satisfied to know that the Imperial Household Department would never dare to treat these two favoured consorts with anything less than the utmost care and attention. There was naturally no need to worry about the Empress; she had already given birth once before, which meant the risks and dangers associated with childbirth would be significantly lower this time. Consort Zhaojia, however, was experiencing pregnancy for the first time, and the risks she faced were much greater, making it all the more important to remind the Imperial Household Department to pay close attention to her needs.
Yiqing was woken up after resting for about an hour. Nurse Zhao spoke to her in a soft and gentle voice, careful not to disturb her too abruptly. This was done to ensure she did not sleep too long during the day, which might make it difficult for her to fall asleep at night.
Still half-asleep, Yiqing rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly, her mind still feeling dazed and confused as she adjusted to being awake.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to go and play in the small garden today?” Nurse Zhang asked as she helped Yiqing change her clothes, smiling warmly. “Perhaps that flower you were looking at yesterday has finally bloomed by now.”
The day before, Yiqing had discovered a peony flower that was just beginning to open its buds in the small garden of the Palace of Compassion and Peace. She had sat waiting beside it for nearly an hour, hoping to witness the exact moment it bloomed. The flower had looked as though it would open wide at any second, yet throughout the entire hour she watched, it showed no sign of unfolding its petals at all.
As evening began to fall, Yiqing had no choice but to return to her quarters reluctantly, her heart filled with disappointment.
Nurse Zhang and Nurse Zhao had been with her the entire time, so they knew very well how much the little girl had been thinking about that flower.
The small garden was located just a short distance from the main buildings of the palace, which was exactly why the Empress Dowager felt comfortable allowing Yiqing to go there with only her attendants. It was close enough to be safe, but far enough that the walk there and back provided just the right amount of exercise for a small child with short legs, allowing her to complete her daily physical activity in one simple trip.
The season was turning towards summer, and the weather was neither too hot nor too cold, making it the perfect time to go outside without worrying about her catching a chill or suffering from the heat.
Hearing this, Yiqing’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she nodded her head vigorously.
Perhaps because she had lived as a child for quite some time now, Yiqing found herself acting in more childish ways from time to time, and even her way of thinking had become simpler and more straightforward. She was nothing like the capable and sharp-witted person she had been in her previous life, when she had had to navigate complex relationships with colleagues and manage her way through the challenges of the workplace.
After waking up, Yiqing first went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. The Grand Empress Dowager had already gone to rest, while the Empress Dowager was sitting in the main hall, busying herself with some small object in her hands. As soon as she saw Yiqing enter, she set aside what she was doing, lifted the little girl into her arms, and spoke to her affectionately for some time before setting her down again.
After leaving the Empress Dowager’s side, Yiqing set off toward the small garden.
Following close behind her, in addition to her two nurses, were also two young eunuchs and four palace maids. The Empress Dowager had given strict orders that at least three or four attendants must always be present with the princess, stating that one or two people were simply not enough to ensure her safety.
Although the distance was short, it still took Yiqing nearly half an hour to reach the garden, as her small legs moved much more slowly. What an adult could cross in a single step required her to take two or three steps just to cover the same ground.
As soon as she arrived, Yiqing went straight to the spot where she had sat the day before. To her disappointment, the peony flower had already half-opened by the time she reached it.
“Ah…” Yiqing let out a small sigh, disappointed that she had missed the chance to see the very first petal unfurl.
“You are so young, yet you are already sighing like an old soul?”
A voice filled with amusement rang out from nearby, and Prince Gong stepped forward from behind the trees and flowers.