Hearing these words, Kangxi trembled all over. He had read medical texts in the past and understood exactly how serious postpartum hemorrhage was.
Now, Kangxi’s voice came out hoarse and strained, Where are the imperial physicians? What do they say?
Liang Jiugong mumbled and stammered, unable to speak clearly. What could the physicians say, or rather, what dared they say? Fewer than one in ten women who suffered from this condition could be saved. Everyone in the palace knew how deeply His Majesty cherished the Empress. Under such circumstances, all the physicians could do was burn incense and pray to Heaven, hoping that Her Majesty would be strong enough to pull through.
Receiving no answer from Liang Jiugong, Kangxi rushed swiftly toward the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
From the time he had begun ruling in person at the age of fourteen, he had been taught that an emperor must never let his emotions show freely. Even when his heart was filled with chaos and anxiety, his expression must remain calm and composed.
But right now, every lesson his grandmother and his tutors had taught him had vanished entirely from his mind. There was only one thought occupying his thoughts: his beloved wife was now in grave danger. If he had known this pregnancy would carry such terrible risks, he would have given up this child entirely, as long as it meant keeping her safe and well.
When he arrived at the palace, the Grand Empress Dowager was standing guard outside the main hall, and the Empress Dowager had also come to be present.
Xuanye, the Grand Empress Dowager spoke, her voice carrying a soothing tone as she looked at Kangxi, whose forehead was glistening with sweat.
Kangxi walked to the entrance of the hall, paying no heed to the voices of those around him bowing in greeting and calling out their respects. Grandmother…
Inside the hall, the imperial physician was taking Empress Heseri’s pulse, his face and back soaked through with perspiration. Judging by the pulse readings, it was already clear that there was little hope of saving her. Yet everyone in the palace knew how much His Majesty valued the Empress. If they failed to bring her back from the brink, what kind of fate would await them?
The sun gradually climbed to its highest point in the sky, but not a single word was spoken by those standing vigil outside the chamber. It was only when the sun began to sink toward the west that the physicians finally emerged from within, knelt before Kangxi, and confessed their failure and begged for forgiveness.
Ignoring all attempts to stop him, Kangxi rushed inside, desperate to see his wife one last time.
By this time, Empress Heseri had closed her eyes forever. The dimples that would appear whenever she gave even the faintest smile were nowhere to be seen. She lay on the bed with a serene expression, while all around her, palace maids and matrons wept softly.
Kangxi raised his hand, which trembled slightly, and gently touched her cheek. He could feel no breath leaving her nostrils, and her skin had already grown faintly cool. The wife who had walked beside him for eight or nine years was truly gone from this world.
This realization made Kangxi feel as though the room was spinning. A faint ringing sound seemed to echo in his ears, soft yet overwhelming, filling every corner of his mind. For a moment, his thoughts seemed to fade into a blank void, and then flashed rapidly through every memory of the years he had spent with her.
He thought of Chenghu, the child they had once lost, and the boundless joy and excitement they had shared the day he was born.
He remembered the moment he had finally gained full control of state power, and the thrill he had felt as he shared the news with his beloved wife.
He recalled the days following Chenghu’s passing, when they had sat together in silence, their hearts heavy with sorrow too deep for words.
And he remembered the time when they had learned that she was with child once more, standing side by side as they saw the delight written clearly on the faces of the imperial physicians.
Scene after scene seemed to play out before his eyes, until all those precious memories faded away, replaced by the sight of Empress Heseri lying motionless on her bed, her life having come to an end.
Slowly, his senses began to return, and the pain filling his heart tangled together with all the happiness he had once known, making his head throb with an agony that felt as though it would tear his mind apart.
Your Majesty, the voice of his grandmother came from behind him. The Empress has departed from this world. Now…
Her words sounded distant, as if coming from far away.
Waaah…
Then came the sound of an infant crying, sharp and clear, and the sound pulled his reason back from the brink. This was their child, the child his wife had fought so hard to bring into the world.
The funeral arrangements for the Empress were carried out with great solemnity and grandeur. Kangxi suspended all court proceedings for five days and wore plain mourning robes throughout this period.
In accordance with tradition, the death of the nation’s mother called for signs of mourning across the land. White mourning banners were hung outside homes both within and beyond the capital. Government officials were wise enough not to do anything that might displease the Emperor at such a time, for everyone knew of the deep affection between the imperial couple, and any troublemaking now would certainly be met with severe punishment.
Yiqing learned of the tragedy on the day after the Empress’s passing. When she saw that the wet nurses and attendants who cared for her had all begun wearing plain mourning garments, she immediately sensed that something terrible had happened.
While palace maids and matrons were forbidden from wearing clothes in bright, striking colors, this did not mean they were expected to dress in dull, plain fabrics, let alone pure white. Normally, they wore garments in shades of green or blue—colors that were modest and appropriate for their station.
It was only when she was carried before her Imperial Mother’s memorial tablet and saw the many imperial consorts and noble ladies of the court following the instructions of the young eunuchs standing at the front, beginning to weep and mourn, that she knew the dark premonition in her heart had become reality.
As the official mother of all the imperial children, Empress Heseri required that even the youngest children, who were still too young to understand what had happened, be brought forward to offer incense as a mark of filial respect. At the same time, mindful that the children were still very small, the Grand Empress Dowager decreed that they could be taken away immediately after performing this simple ritual, so that the young ones would not be distressed or unsettled by the somber atmosphere of the occasion.
The loss of that gentle and loving woman who had been like a true mother to her cast Yiqing into a state of deep sadness for a long time afterward.
With the Empress gone, and no consort of sufficiently high rank present in the palace for the time being, the Grand Empress Dowager temporarily took charge of managing all matters within the inner court. Fortunately, the Empress had already established clear rules and procedures for most affairs during her lifetime, so the Grand Empress Dowager did not need to expend excessive time and energy on these responsibilities.
The details of the funeral were handled by officials of the Imperial Household Department whom Kangxi had personally appointed, so there was little need for further concern or oversight.
The only matter that required attention was the fact that Kangxi was overwhelmed by grief, and the newborn son left behind by the Empress had been sent to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility to be cared for temporarily.
Although the child was being raised within the same palace, Yiqing was unable to see her younger brother for the time being. He was still far too small, and the Second Prince spent most of each day sleeping peacefully.
It was only after Empress Heseri’s coffin had been moved to the temporary mourning hall that the palace maids and eunuchs were permitted to change out of their mourning clothes and return to their usual attire.
It was also at this time that Kangxi finally came to see the child for the first time.
He had found it difficult to face this child. This was the last precious gift his beloved wife had left him, and the poor little one had lost his mother from the very moment of his birth. Yet at the same time, whenever he looked at the boy, his heart was filled with conflicting emotions, as he could not help but think that it was the very act of bringing him into the world that had cost his wife her life.
It was this tangle of complicated feelings that had kept Kangxi away from the child for so long. Even when he came to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility to pay his respects to his elders, he would not step foot inside the chambers where the infant was being cared for.
As he looked at the Second Prince, who was being held in the arms of his wet nurse and was smiling happily, Kangxi’s expression was heavy and filled with conflicting thoughts.
This child is already three months old, said the Grand Empress Dowager, standing beside Kangxi. It is time he was given a formal name.
Let him be called… Baocheng.
And who do you intend to entrust with raising him? the Grand Empress Dowager asked further.
Ever since Kangxi had made it clear that he would not choose a woman of the Borjigit clan to be his Empress, the Grand Empress Dowager had understood that her grandson was determined not to rely too heavily on that family, as his father and grandfather had done before him. He was willing to grant noble titles and high rank to women of the clan, but he would not elevate any of them to the position of Empress. As such, it was highly unlikely that this son born of his official spouse would be brought up here in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility under the care of herself and Aruna.
I intend to raise him myself, Kangxi declared. Bring the child to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
This boy was not only the last living reminder of his beloved wife, but also a precious opportunity to uphold Han traditions and rituals, which would help strengthen ties and win the support of the Han officials and people.