Bao Cheng was awakened by hunger, and the only way he could express his need was—
Crying.
Although the Empress Dowager had never given birth or raised a child, Sumalagu was meticulous. As soon as Bao Cheng began to cry, his mouth was stopped with a spoonful of warm goat’s milk.
The little dumpling had no sense of taste yet, only instinctively absorbing the energy needed for survival, swallowing mouthful after mouthful.
Sumalagu was very patient, slowly feeding Bao Cheng the entire small bowl of goat’s milk, then personally wiping his mouth and chest clean.
“The wet nurses selected earlier can no longer be used. It will take some time for the Imperial Household Department to make new selections. The imperial physician said we can give Imperial Prince Bao Cheng goat’s milk for now,”
Sumalagu carefully explained to the Empress Dowager. “The goats are raised by us in the palace. Fresh milk is boiled and delivered daily, inspected by the imperial physician before being given to Imperial Prince Bao Cheng.”
The Empress Dowager, who had never raised a child, was deeply worried: “If he only drinks goat’s milk, will the little Imperial Prince get enough to eat?”
Sumalagu quickly cautioned: “Empress Dowager, whatever Imperial Prince Bao Cheng eats or uses must first be approved by the imperial physician. You must not act on your own!”
Although the Empress Dowager and Kangxi both believed it was most appropriate to entrust Bao Cheng to the Empress Dowager’s care, Sumalagu couldn’t help feeling it was unreliable.
Their Empress Dowager was still a young woman who loved to act spoiled—how could she possibly be a good Imperial Grandmother to Imperial Prince Bao Cheng!
An older child taking care of a younger one—they could only hope no mistakes would be made.
Sumalagu, still uneasy, went on and on, instilling in the Empress Dowager the details of how to raise a child. Meanwhile, Bao Cheng’s mind was spinning in circles.
Help, why did he suddenly wake up unable to understand what the people around him were saying?
This is China, right?
Ancestors, could you please consider the feelings of your descendants and speak Chinese!
What Bao Cheng didn’t know was that earlier, in Kunning Palace, everyone had spoken Chinese according to Kangxi’s habit, while now, in Ningshou Palace, they naturally spoke Mongolian according to the Empress Dowager’s preference.
For Bao Cheng, who had never been exposed to minority languages, Mongolian was no different from a foreign tongue.
Yet in the days that followed, he was forced to listen to this “foreign tongue” every day.
The only consolation was that his young grandmother was not a strict rule-follower. At least regarding his unwillingness to accept feeding from wet nurses, after he cried loudly a few times, the Empress Dowager chose to follow his wishes, continuing to feed him goat’s milk daily.
The Imperial Household Department, sweating profusely from the rush, once again selected wet nurses, only to have them sent back in a bundle. Chief Eunuch Guwen Xing personally investigated the wet nurses from top to bottom, ultimately concluding—
Their noble Imperial Prince Bao Cheng probably had an innate dislike for human milk.
The well-traveled Eunuch Gu didn’t think this was a big deal. So what if his tastes were different? What was wrong with a precious Imperial Prince being picky?
But Kangxi was deeply troubled.
He had not given up on the idea of establishing an heir, but Bao Cheng was still too young. He needed to be raised a bit more, and his health confirmed, before an edict could be issued to confer the title.
The Taizi of Da Qing did not need to be exceptionally intelligent, but he had to be healthy enough to live, at least until Kangxi pacified the Three Feudatories and firmly held the empire in his grasp.
Kangxi was fond of Empress Heseri—who wouldn’t love a beautiful, virtuous, gentle, and intelligent wife? But fondness was one thing; the imperial education Kangxi had received since childhood absolutely did not include the trait of deep devotion.
Due to the events involving the late emperor and Empress Xiaoxian, the Empress Dowager specifically did not impose restrictions on Kangxi regarding women when educating him.
From childhood to adulthood, Kangxi was never lacking in the company of outstanding women.
Empress Heseri was excellent, but the other consorts in the palace were not lacking either—Manchu, Mongol, and Han women, each with their own charms, plump or slender, all possessing their unique allure.
Thus, when Empress Heseri died in difficult childbirth, he was heartbroken at the time, but after the grief subsided, he quickly calmed down and began contemplating what to do next.
Since he intended to establish an heir, he could not so quickly appoint a new empress to trouble the Taizi. However, leaving the empress’s position vacant would inevitably lead to constant disputes in both the court and the harem.
After careful consideration, Kangxi decided to first set up a "target" in the palace, giving those who wished to stir up trouble a focus, so as to avoid endless speculation that would only cause unrest.
This "target" was Empress Niohuru, the daughter of Ebilun.
In terms of lineage, Empress Niohuru was no less distinguished than Empress Heseri and was worthy of becoming the next empress.
Thus, even before Empress Heseri’s mourning period had ended, Empress Niohuru was brought into the palace and settled in Yongshou Palace.
Although she was only granted the rank of consort, discerning individuals could see that this Consort Niohuru was destined to become the future empress.
Originally, Bao Cheng should not have known about these matters.
But just as he was using his limited energy to try to understand Mongolian, this newly arrived Consort Niohuru barged into his presence.
Bao Cheng had been in this world for over two months. His eyes, which he had initially suspected were severely nearsighted, gradually began to clear up.
Although he still could not see distant objects clearly, he could now distinguish the faces of people who came close to him.
As a human infant, Bao Cheng did not actually get to see many people.
On ordinary days, the most frequent faces he saw were those of the Empress Dowager and her attending maids, followed by the wet nurse who took care of him but did not breastfeed him, as well as the Empress Dowager and Sumalagu, who often came to check on him.
As for his biological father, who was said to dote on him dearly, Bao Cheng had never once seen him while awake.
Seeing the same familiar faces every day, the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar young woman who dared to pinch his cheek prompted Bao Cheng to unleash the ultimate weapon of a human infant—
Crying, wailing loudly.
No matter who this woman was, if she dared to poke his face with such sharp nail guards, she surely had ill intentions, so crying was the right response.
Empress Niohuru actually meant no harm; she simply hadn’t thought things through.
She was a girl who had been pampered and spoiled at home. In the past, when she teased her younger siblings in this manner, her family would only praise her. Some concubines even deliberately brought their children to her, asking her to play with them. Thus, in her view, reaching out to pinch Bao Cheng’s cheek was a gesture of affection and closeness.
However, she never expected that her pinch would cause Bao Cheng to burst into loud wails. In a moment of panic, she covered Bao Cheng’s mouth with her hand, hoping to stop his crying.
This scene happened to be witnessed by Kangxi, who arrived a step too late.
The moment Kangxi saw Empress Niohuru covering Bao Cheng’s mouth, he broke into a cold sweat. Without thinking, he rushed forward and kicked Empress Niohuru away, then quickly picked up Bao Cheng and loudly called for the imperial physician.
He deeply regretted why he had brought Empress Niohuru to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Originally thinking she still had a childlike nature that would please the Empress Dowager, who could have imagined she harbored such malicious intent—she actually tried to smother Bao Cheng!
This was not only his legitimate son but also the crown prince he had determined in his heart. If he were harmed by Empress Niohuru, he would have no choice but to slaughter her entire family!
The Ning Shou Palace always had imperial physicians on duty, and they quickly arrived to examine the situation.
Apart from a few red marks on his cheeks accidentally scratched by Empress Niohuru’s fingernail guards, Bao Cheng was otherwise unharmed. However, Empress Niohuru was injured by Kangxi’s kick, vomiting two mouthfuls of blood.
The hurriedly arriving Empress Dowager ordered Empress Niohuru to be sent back to Yongshou Palace immediately, then pulled her grandson aside to reprimand him.
“She is the successor empress you chose yourself—how could you lay hands on her!”
If not for Sumalagu’s intervention, the Empress Dowager’s cane would have struck Kangxi.
Kangxi lifted the hem of his robe and knelt on the ground, appearing to acknowledge his mistake but showing no sign of submission: “She dared to harm Bao Cheng—why shouldn’t I strike her?”
“Your Majesty, how old is Consort Niohuru? How could she harbor such evil intentions?”
Sumalagu advised, “This servant has asked the attending wet nurse. It was Consort Niohuru who accidentally woke Bao Cheng, and when the Imperial Prince cried out, the young lady panicked and covered his mouth in her inexperience—but she did not cover his nose.”
Since she hadn’t covered his nose, there was clearly no intent to harm.
Yet Kangxi remained furious: “Accidentally? Inexperienced? Nanny, she is the future empress! Today she dares to cover Bao Cheng’s mouth; who knows what she might do to harm him tomorrow! Bao Cheng has lost his birth mother—naturally, I must think more for him. Had I known Empress Niohuru had such a temperament, I would never have chosen her to preside over the Central Palace!”
“Enough! You speak as if you plan to enthrone her as empress right now,”
the Empress Dowager said irritably, thumping her cane on the ground. “Bringing her into the palace first was precisely to properly educate her for a few years, wasn’t it? Don’t exaggerate the danger either. Her heart isn’t wicked—she’s just a bit spoiled. Have someone instruct her carefully, and that will suffice.”
“Today, your kick was no light matter. When she wakes, go see her yourself. Don’t let resentment take root in her heart.”
The Empress Dowager instructed.
Kangxi was naturally unwilling, stubbornly refusing to comply. The Empress Dowager added, “I’m not asking you to like her as you did Empress Heseri, but don’t forget why you brought her into the palace at this time! Xuanye, when will you ever overcome this impulsive nature of yours? If you keep acting recklessly, go to Fengxian Hall yourself and confess your faults to your late father!”
Bao Cheng lay beside the Empress Dowager, listening intently to this entire lecture from Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang to her grandson.
They were speaking in Mandarin, so Bao Cheng could understand clearly, roughly grasping what had just happened.
Kangxi thought Empress Niohuru intended to harm him and had kicked her fiercely, while Empress Niohuru was the future successor empress Kangxi had chosen for himself.
Although it was wrong to kick someone without first clarifying the situation, Bao Cheng was still moved by Kangxi’s protective love for him.
In his previous life, Bao Cheng’s parents had divorced early. His birth mother went abroad alone, leaving him to be raised by his father.
His father was actually quite good to him, but like many parents, he was exceptionally strict with his son. No matter what happened, he would always blame Bao Cheng first without asking for the details.
Especially regarding the issue of getting along with his stepmother, although he had always tried to accept her, there were still constant conflicts. Yet, every time, his father would unconditionally side with his stepmother, blaming him for being unreasonable, which only worsened his relationship with her. Eventually, they went from being relatively friendly strangers to becoming enemies.
On the day before he arrived here, his stepsister had begged him to take her to the movies. Feeling a moment of softness, he agreed and took her.
In the dark cinema, his sister accidentally tripped and bruised her knee. When they returned home, his stepmother went into a frenzy, blaming him. When he tried to explain, his father responded with a harsh slap across his face.
Bao Cheng had never imagined that one day, he too could have a father who would protect him without asking any questions.
Even if the "shelf life" of this paternal love might not be long, it was still tempting enough.
If things went as they did in history, at least until he grew up, this paternal love would not disappear. And if he could avoid becoming the Taizi, perhaps this love could last forever.
No matter what, at least for now, he really liked his current Ama.
Bao Cheng stretched out his hands toward his blurry father in the distance, babbling and calling out for a hug. His cries made the Empress Dowager, who had been wearing a stern expression, finally soften. She reached out to pick him up and scolded, "You’re not even as sensible as Bao Cheng! Get up, can’t you see Bao Cheng is looking for you?"
Sumalagu quickly helped Kangxi to his feet. Kangxi stepped forward and took his son from the Empress Dowager’s arms.
The little dumpling had now shed his reddish hue, growing increasingly fair and adorable.
He stretched out his tiny paws, trying to grab the jade pendant hanging from Kangxi’s chest, but couldn’t quite reach it.
Kangxi personally untied the string of jade beads from his chest and placed them in his son’s hands. Listening to his son’s giggles, his anger melted away, and his heart softened like a pool of spring water.
Although everyone said today’s incident was a misunderstanding, recalling the scene he had witnessed upon entering the hall, Kangxi still felt a lingering fear.
He had originally thought Ning Shou Palace was the best place for Bao Cheng, but now he realized he hadn’t considered enough.
Leaving aside whether the Empress Dowager knew how to raise a child, the palace consorts would still come to pay their respects, wouldn’t they?
With so many people around, who knew if someone with ill intentions might try to harm Bao Cheng?
No, leaving his son in the rear palace was simply too risky.
Kangxi lowered his head to look at his well-behaved son, who was playing with the jade beads, and suddenly had an idea—
What if he took him back and raised him himself?
His son was so well-behaved; surely he’d be easy to raise, right?