Given the current capacity of Yin Cheng's small brain, it was clearly not suitable for pondering such tangled questions. Just figuring out who he was had already consumed too much of his energy, and before long, he fell asleep again.
Sumalagu returned with the wet nurse, instructing her to take good care of the child, then supported the Empress Dowager as they went to bid Empress Heseri her final farewell.
The young Emperor experienced the pain of losing his wife for the first time. He slumped to the ground, all the joy from just having a legitimate son gone, tears streaming uncontrollably.
"Did the Empress have any last wishes?"
The Empress Dowager asked.
Kangxi covered his face and said, "She said she was going to see Cheng Hu."
Cheng Hu was the first son of Kangxi and Empress Heseri. He had been frail since birth and, after struggling to raise him to the age of four, passed away in just a few days due to vomiting and diarrhea caused by eating too much meat.
Kangxi had lost several children, but Cheng Hu's death had hurt him the most.
"Grandmother, the Empress resents me,"
Kangxi cried, clinging to the Empress Dowager's legs. "She resents me for not returning in time to see Cheng Hu one last time—"
The Empress Dowager's eyes also reddened. She reached out and stroked her grandson's head, comforting him, "No, she wouldn't. The Empress said that because she didn’t want you to grieve for her. Xuanye, the Empress has gone to accompany Cheng Hu, leaving the little Imperial Prince to you. You must take good care of him for her sake!"
Kangxi wept and said, "Grandmother, I want to name the little Imperial Prince Bao Cheng, to honor the Empress's love for her child."
The Empress Dowager repeated the name but shook her head. "Cheng Hu died young. It’s better to avoid such associations. How about Bao Cheng, with 'Cheng' meaning success?"
"Bao Cheng, good. Then let it be Bao Cheng."
Kangxi struggled to his feet. "I want to see Bao Cheng."
Meanwhile, Yin Cheng—no, Imperial Prince Bao Cheng—was doing his best to express his dissatisfaction.
He had been picked up and shaken awake, and before he could even open his eyes, something was pressed to his lips.
Having drunk one less bowl of Meng Po's soup, Bao Cheng, though physically an infant, was mentally too mature to accept being fed by a strange woman.
Unable to speak, his only means of resistance was—
Crying.
When Kangxi hurried in, he heard his little son, who had remained quiet no matter what he did earlier, wailing loudly.
"Wretch!"
Kangxi shouted angrily, striding forward and snatching his son from the terrified wet nurse who knelt trembling on the ground. "What did you do to Bao Cheng?"
The wet nurse clutched her clothes, trembling. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This servant only wanted to feed the little Imperial Prince."
Kangxi looked down at his son in his arms. Bao Cheng, who had been crying loudly just moments ago, had now quieted down, staring at him with round, wide eyes.
This child’s eyes and brows looked so much like the Empress’s.
Gazing at the infant in his arms, Kangxi was reminded of his beloved wife, whom he had just lost, and tears once again streamed down his face.
The little Imperial Prince, who should have been oblivious as a newborn, stretched out his small hand and patted Kangxi’s chest, babbling as if to comfort him.
Though Bao Cheng couldn’t yet see faces clearly, he knew the one holding him was Kangxi, his father in this life.
His mother had just passed away, and his father’s tears fell on his hand, stirring a sudden ache in Bao Cheng’s heart, who had initially felt little connection to his parents in this life.
Later historians, when analyzing Kangxi's feelings for Empress Heseri, often mix in many objective factors, always attributing political influences to an emperor's remembrance of his wife.
Yet no one considers that Kangxi at this time was barely twenty years old, and what he had lost was the wife who had accompanied him through the most difficult times.
Even an emperor, as noble as he may be, is still human, and the heartache of losing a loved one is the same for all.
Bao Cheng's current brain capacity did not allow him to ponder so much; he only instinctively empathized with the sorrow of Kangxi, who held him in his arms.
Unable to speak, he babbled and cooed, trying to use his cuteness to alleviate Kangxi's grief. However, his young father clearly could not appreciate his filial piety. Though he stopped crying, he handed Bao Cheng back to the wet nurse.
"Bao Cheng is crying from hunger. Hurry and feed him."
Bao Cheng: …What a scoundrel of a father!
"Waaah—"
The human infant used his only weapon to fiercely defend his psychological dignity, firmly refusing to accept this method of feeding.
The wet nurse rocked and soothed him, but no matter what she did, she could not quiet the little Imperial Prince, whose cries shook the heavens.
To make matters worse, the Emperor was still present, so she could not simply breastfeed him, and for a moment, she grew so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead.
"Where did this wet nurse come from? She can't even soothe a child properly!"
Seeing this, Kangxi felt distressed and took his son back into his arms. The moment Bao Cheng, crying with snot and tears all over his face, returned to his father's embrace, he fell silent, transforming from a noise-maker back into an adorable, pleasing little bundle.
Sumalagu sighed and said, "The little Imperial Prince is still closer to the Emperor. He stops crying as soon as the Emperor holds him."
Kangxi freed one hand to take the handkerchief offered by Liang Jiugong and wiped his son's face, saying pityingly, "Bao Cheng must know that the Empress is gone, which is why he is like this."
But the Empress Dowager sensed something amiss and spoke up, "Someone, call the imperial physician to examine this wet nurse."
Bao Cheng had just been born; how could he possibly understand such things? It was merely instinctive closeness or aversion.
Logically, the wet nurse should carry the scent of milk, which he ought to prefer. Such abnormal behavior now surely meant there was something wrong with the wet nurse!
Startled, Kangxi suddenly glared at the wet nurse, who panicked and kowtowed, crying out her innocence.
Liang Jiugong led two young eunuchs forward, covered her mouth, and dragged her out. After a while, he returned to report, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician says the wet nurse's milk is somewhat abnormal, likely caused by some medication she took earlier. The specifics require further investigation."
"How dare they!"
Kangxi kicked over a bronze brazier on the floor. "To dare harm Bao Cheng right in front of me—do they truly think I am made of clay?!"
"Liang Jiugong, interrogate her thoroughly. Anyone who had a hand in this shall be sent to apologize to the Empress!"
The wrath of an emperor must be quelled with lives.
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes but did not speak to stop him.
If this matter were not severely punished today, it could lead to endless troubles in the future.
Her great-grandson had just been born, and already someone could not tolerate him. Without his birth mother to protect him, how treacherous the road ahead would be for this child.
"Your Majesty, with the Empress newly departed, Bao Cheng cannot remain in Kunning Palace. Who do you intend to have raise him?"
The Empress Dowager suddenly asked.
Kangxi hesitated, for Bao Cheng's status was too special.
He was the legitimate son born to the Empress. None of the other consorts in the palace were qualified to raise him, nor could he be sent out of the palace like Baoqing to be raised in the home of a minister.
Kangxi looked toward the Empress Dowager—
If Grandmother were willing to personally raise the child, it would naturally be the best choice.
But the Empress Dowager shook her head: "Emperor, if you send him to Cining Palace, do you know what that would mean? Have you truly thought this through?"
Although Bao Cheng was the legitimate son, he was merely the legitimate son. While his status was half a step above the other imperial princes, he was not truly elevated to a transcendent position.
However, once Kangxi entrusted him to the Empress Dowager for personal upbringing, others would place higher expectations upon him, because the Empress Dowager was someone who had personally nurtured two generations of emperors—a figure too extraordinary.
This was also why, despite the successive deaths of imperial princes in the palace, the Empress Dowager had never considered intervening.
Kangxi was only twenty-one years old, far from the age where he needed to designate an heir. The Empress Dowager did not want scheming individuals to exploit her affection to pressure Kangxi.
In her heart, her great-grandson was far less important than her grandson.
Kangxi walked over and looked down at Bao Cheng, who had been coaxed to sleep in Sumalagu's arms, his heart filled with hesitation.
In truth, even before the Empress had gone into labor, he had already considered the matter of designating an heir.
Now, the Three Feudatories were rallying Han Chinese under the banner of the former Ming dynasty, posing as if they intended to divide the realm with Da Qing along the river. Among the Han officials in the court, it was inevitable that hearts grew restless.
No matter how brave the Eight Banner System soldiers were, the Manchu population remained small. To stabilize the empire, winning over the Han people was of utmost importance.
The Han people placed great emphasis on the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. When Suo'etu proposed designating an heir, several Han Grand Secretaries expressed agreement, revealing the prevailing sentiment.
If he took the opportunity to designate his legitimate son as Taizi, it would not only stabilize hearts but also show the Han people that Da Qing was willing to embrace Han culture, further aiding in unifying the realm.
But the drawbacks were equally evident.
First, Bao Cheng was too young. Once designated as Taizi, he would inevitably become a target.
Even before an heir had been designated, there were already those who could not tolerate him and sought to harm him in secret. If an heir were truly designated, how could his safety be ensured?
Second, the Manchu nobility would never easily accept a Taizi appointed solely by an Imperial Edict.
Due to the chaos caused by the abolition of the Three Feudatories, many imperial princes were growing restless, and there were even rumors of reviving the old custom of the Eight Princes' Deliberative Council. At this critical juncture, they would never accept a Taizi appointed solely because he was the legitimate son, without any recommendation.
The matter of designating an heir had both advantages and disadvantages, and Kangxi had weighed them for a long time without reaching a decision.
As the grandmother and grandson remained silent, cries suddenly sounded from the doorway, followed by a woman walking in while wiping her tears.
"The Empress was so young—how could she be gone just like that—"
The Empress Dowager, of the Borjigit clan, was already in her thirties but still prone to tears. With reddened eyes, she rushed to the Empress Dowager's side. "Imperial Mother, what are we to do now?"
Kangxi looked at the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager looked at Kangxi. Then, both grandmother and grandson turned their gaze to Bao Cheng, sleeping soundly in Sumalagu's arms.
Sumalagu, ever perceptive, immediately handed Bao Cheng to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had never borne children herself. Suddenly handed such a tiny infant, she was momentarily flustered, even forgetting to cry.
Thus, while Bao Cheng remained completely unaware, he was given to a grandmother who was not his own.
"Mother, the Empress left in such haste, leaving behind only Bao Cheng as her last trace of flesh and blood. I truly cannot bear to see him suffer, so I must trouble you to endure some hardship for a while. At this moment, I trust only you."
Thus spoke Kangxi.
"Yes, the Empress has always been filial, and haven't you often said you feel close to her? This is also your own grandson, so you must take good care of him."
The Empress Dowager said the same.
The Empress Dowager was a bit bewildered. She felt the responsibility had come too suddenly, yet she also believed the Empress Dowager and Kangxi would not deceive her. Blinking her eyes in confusion, she finally nodded and, accompanied by Sumalagu, first carried Bao Cheng back to her Ningshou Palace.
"Mother is pure and kind-hearted, so I must trouble Grandmother to keep a close watch over her."
Kangxi said with concern.
The Empress Dowager nodded: "Rest assured, I have long arranged for guards to protect everyone in Ningshou Palace."
This niece-turned-daughter-in-law of hers had lived her entire life in her own world, without a trace of wariness toward others. For so many years, she had secretly protected her, and now protecting one more little great-grandson was nothing.
Just as Kangxi was about to express his gratitude, Guwen Xing entered again.
The eunuch Gu, known throughout the palace for his smiling tiger demeanor, was unusually angry this time. Gritting his teeth, he reported: "Your Majesty, Prince An refuses to leave. He says if he cannot see Your Majesty today, he will dash himself to death outside the palace!"
Kangxi had experienced great joy and sorrow today, and his heart had been heavy all along. He simply dared not vent his emotions in front of the Empress Dowager.
Now, hearing Guwen Xing's message, his anger flared up instantly. He roared furiously: "Is he deaf? Can he not hear the palace's mourning bells? Since he wants to die, I will personally send him to his grave!"
With that, he actually went to fetch the sword hanging on the wall for warding off evil spirits, took it in hand, and was about to charge outside.
The Empress Dowager casually picked up the rattle drum she had just used to amuse Bao Cheng and hurled it forcefully, striking Kangxi precisely on the elbow. In pain, Kangxi loosened his grip, and the sword fell to the ground.
The servants in the room had long since wisely pressed their foreheads to the floor, pretending they did not exist.
Panting heavily and clutching his elbow, Kangxi stopped in place and did not charge out further.
"The Empress has passed away, and the Emperor is deeply grieved. He orders the Grand Secretariat to suspend court for five days as per custom."
The Empress Dowager spoke slowly, as if she were not the one who had just thrown a rattle drum at her grandson.
Guwen Xing acknowledged the order and then asked: "And Prince An—"
The Empress Dowager walked over, pulled Kangxi back, and pressed him to sit down. Then she said coldly: "After he finishes dashing himself, have someone send him back to his princely residence. Do not bring ill fortune upon the Empress."