Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Spring of the 20th year of Kangxi's reign. ...

Spring of the 20th year of Kangxi's reign.

Although it was spring, the weather this year was not as warm as in previous years. It snowed heavily last night. When I opened my eyes in the morning, I saw a vast expanse of white outside the window. It was especially beautiful to see through the vermilion window lattice. The room was warm. Listening to the sound of the charcoal stove burning, Wen Shan sat up wrapped in a quilt and admired the snow scene for a while.

Fortunately, the throne of the empress was vacant now, so she didn't have to get up early in the morning to pay respects in the snow.

It was lunchtime before she went to the small kitchen to make a crucian carp tofu soup and fried milk and took them to the Cining Palace.

As soon as she entered the Cining Palace, Wen Shan saw a small figure wearing a small green hat kneeling at the steps in front of the main hall.

Wen Shan frowned. Why was such a young child allowed to kneel in the ice and snow?

When she got closer, she found that it was the fourth prince Yinzhen, who was only three years old.

The future Emperor Yongzheng.

Yinzhen looked a little frail without his cloak, and a thin layer of snow fell on his body. His small body was trembling a little, but he still gritted his teeth and remained stubborn and silent.

Wen Shan walked to the corridor, and Aunt Heyu, who was standing beside the Queen Mother, saw her coming and hurried over to greet her.

"I pay my respects to Concubine Xuan. It's a pity that you came here because the Emperor is talking to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager."

Aunt Heyu's face was also a little solemn. Wen Shan keenly felt that something was wrong today and said, "It's okay. I'll wait here for a while."

After that, she looked at the Fourth Prince Yinzhen who was kneeling upright on the ground: "What's wrong? Why is the Fourth Prince kneeling here?"

At this point, Aunt Heyu began to sigh and showed reluctance: "The Fourth Prince bumped into His Royal Highness the Crown Prince this morning. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has not been in good health recently. He fainted after fighting with the Fourth Prince. The Emperor got very angry when he found out and made the Fourth Prince kneel here and not get up without the Emperor's order."

"Did he fight?" Wen Shan asked in surprise: "Did the Fourth Prince hit the Crown Prince?"

Everyone in the palace knew that the Crown Prince was the apple of the Emperor's eye. He was raised by the Emperor himself and loved him very much. All the princes and princesses combined did not love the Crown Prince as much as he loved them. How could the Fourth Prince fight with the Crown Prince?

"That's not the case." Aunt He Yu hurriedly explained: "The Crown Prince was angry and kicked the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince happened to fall down on the steps, and the Crown Prince fainted in anger."

"..."

Wen Shan was speechless. Yinzhen was also a bit unlucky.

Not to mention that he was beaten, he fainted himself, so it was all his fault.

The one who fainted was Kangxi's precious Crown Prince. There was really no place to complain.

"Didn't the Imperial Concubine come to beg for mercy?"

Imperial Concubine Tong Jia was Yinzhen's adoptive mother. Yinzhen was brought to her palace a few days after he was born. There was no reason for her not to come and see him now.

Aunt Heyu sighed again, and looked at the Fourth Prince with a bit more distress in her eyes: "The Imperial Concubine is pregnant, and she is not feeling well. She said she has rested."

"..."

Wen Shan was silent again. This really sounded a bit miserable.

The father doesn't love her, and the mother doesn't love her.

"Give the Fourth Prince some more clothes. It's cold and freezing, don't let the child get frozen." Wen Shan was also a little distressed. After a closer look, she saw a bruise on Yinzhen's forehead, which should be caused by falling from the steps.

Aunt Heyu was embarrassed: "The emperor is angry, how dare we."

Wen Shan also understood their embarrassment and only said: "If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility. Go get a cloak."

This is the advantage of having a strong family background.

Although she usually has a low presence in the palace, her background is really strong. She is from the Borjigit family, and she is a relative of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager. Kangxi would usually give her some face.

Aunt Heyu quickly ordered someone to get one. Wen Shan took it, walked down the steps, squatted in front of Yinzhen, took out a handkerchief to wipe his red face, and then tied the cloak on him.

Yinzhen didn't expect Wen Shan to come over to put clothes on him, and even hid for a while, saying in a serious manner: "Thank you for your kindness, Empress Xuanfei. The emperor punished me to kneel here and reflect on my mistakes. I dare not add more clothes."

His tone was full of grievance, stubbornness and resentment.

After all, he was a child, or he was angry with his parents.

But as a father... I'm afraid he wouldn't feel sorry for Yinzhen because he was frozen.

Wen Shan forced him to wear a cloak and brushed off the snow on his body: "Your father is angry, he will be fine in a while, don't be angry with your father, your health is more important."

Yinzhen's clenched fist loosened. He had never had any contact with this Concubine Xuan before, and only saw her from a distance a few times. He only thought that she was gentle and kind, but he didn't expect her hands to be so soft and warm.

In the Cining Palace, Kangxi and the two elders were also facing each other silently.

In the end, it was the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang who couldn't help but speak first: "Emperor, it's just a fight between children. The prince has woken up. Let Yinzhen get up first. The child is also injured."

The empress dowager also echoed.

At this time, Kangxi was in his prime. He had been in power for many years and had eliminated his biggest political enemy Oboi. He had long lost his youth and was replaced by a mature emperor who monopolized power and made plans.

"Grandmother, Yinzhen has been moody since he was young, and today he dared to contradict the prince. He should be taught a lesson."

Kangxi still respected and loved this grandmother who raised him, but he was angry when he thought of Yinreng being carried back to the Yangxin Palace in a coma this morning.

"Hesheli died early, and Yinreng was raised by you and is the prince. The relationship is naturally different, but Yinzhen is also your flesh and blood. However, you didn't ask a question when a three-year-old child fell down the stairs. Even if there is a difference in the length of the ten fingers, you should not be too harsh." The Empress Dowager advised earnestly.

Su Malagu, who was standing by, brought tea to serve the three masters, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty will understand these principles when you are young. The Empress Dowager should worry less. When she heard about this today, she was so anxious that she didn't even have breakfast."

Kangxi's tone softened immediately: "It's my grandson's fault that I made my grandmother worry."

Xiaozhuang waved her hand, drank a sip of the milk tea that had just been served, and said slowly: "I just think that Yinzhen is a pitiful child. He has not been raised by his mother since he was a child. The imperial concubine is pregnant now and is in a state of discomfort and can't take care of him. If you, as a father, don't pay more attention, no one in the palace will dare to treat him badly."

The Empress Dowager had said this, and Kangxi could only let Yinzhen get up first and send him back to Chengqian Palace for treatment.

Su Malagu was relieved to see that Kangxi's attitude had finally eased. The emperor had become more and more arbitrary in recent years. It would be bad if he and the Empress Dowager had a fight over this matter.

Su Malagu said: "Empress Xuan has just come to

pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. She saw that the Fourth Prince was weak and cold and is taking care of him. Your Majesty does not need to worry." In recent years, Wen Shan came to the Cining Palace almost every day to chat and entertain the two old ancestors and also brought some fresh food. The palace maids in the Cining Palace also liked this humble Empress Xuan, so Su Malagu was willing to take this opportunity to say a good word to Wen Shan to make her presence felt.

Kangxi was not impressed by Concubine Xuan, who liked to hang out in the Cining Palace to please the Grand Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother. He only remembered that she was born in a noble family but was not arrogant, and could be described as gentle and docile, so he just nodded and said: "Concubine Xuan is thoughtful."

The Grand Empress Dowager's expression moved, and she drank a sip of tea and said: "Concubine Xuan is diligent, careful and appropriate. Since the Imperial Concubine is not feeling well and has no time to take care of the Fourth Prince, why not let Concubine Xuan take care of her before the Imperial Concubine gives birth."

The Queen Mother also nodded in agreement: "Wen Shan has always been thoughtful, so it's good to take care of her for a while."

Kangxi was a little hesitant. Concubine Tong Jia was his cousin, and he had favored her since entering the palace. The two had a deep relationship. Now that she was pregnant, taking Yinzhen away from her didn't know if it would hurt her cousin's heart.

The Imperial Grandmother and the Imperial Mother must have been a little angry because the cousin deliberately avoided suspicion and didn't come today.

"This is a win-win solution. Just take care of him for a while. After the imperial concubine gives birth, the fourth prince will be sent back." The Empress Dowager made the final decision. "This way, the fourth prince will have someone to take care of him and will not disturb the imperial concubine's pregnancy."

Kangxi had no choice but to agree.

Wen Shan, who was still waiting in the corridor at this time, had no idea that she was about to have a big baby.

The door curtain with thick bear skin suddenly opened, and a bright yellow figure walked out. Wen Shan was shocked and bowed.

"Get up." Kangxi helped her up and took a serious look at his Concubine Xuan for the first time.

Unlike other Mongolian concubines who were bold and spoiled, Concubine Xuan looked more delicate and gentle, with a calm and calm look between her eyebrows, more like a Han woman raised in the water town of Jiangnan.

Even Kangxi had to admit that she looked very suitable for raising children. At first glance, she looked like a good wife and mother.

Wen Shan lowered her eyebrows and wondered what was going on today. Usually, Kangxi would just glance at her and pass by. Why didn't she leave today?

She kept praying in her heart for this person to leave quickly. She was annoyed when she saw him.

Fortunately, Kangxi was not familiar with her and had nothing to say. He just looked at her for a few times and walked towards Yinzhen who was still kneeling.

Yinzhen's back straightened up a little bit, and he stubbornly did not look up and just stared at the snowflakes on the ground.

Wen Shan's heart was lifted up all of a sudden. Looking at Kangxi's momentum, she couldn't help but worry that this dog emperor would hit the child.

Fortunately, Kangxi just stopped in front of Yinzhen, looked down at him for a while, and then said: "Get up."

Yinzhen gritted his teeth and said: "Your son dare not."

Wen Shan: "..."

He didn't listen to what I just said to this child at all, and he was still angry.

As expected, Kangxi was aroused by his attitude of going against him.

He snorted coldly, and laughed instead of getting angry: "Okay, your personality is really not suitable for being raised in the imperial concubine's palace. When the imperial concubine gives birth in the future, you will probably bear a grudge against your brother and sister-in-law, and have no filial piety."

Kangxi's words can be said to be very heavy. Yinzhen raised his head and looked at his father in disbelief, with tears in his eyes. The three-year-old child was still frightened. He stammered: "Huang Ama..."

Kangxi left with a wave of his sleeves, leaving Yinzhen alone kneeling in frustration in the snow.

Wen Shan was almost furious watching from the side.

Is this what you should say to a three-year-old child? !

As soon as Kangxi left, Su Malagu came out and greeted Wen Shan and said with a smile: "Empress Xuan, the emperor and the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager have just agreed that you will take care of the fourth prince for a period of time before the imperial concubine gives birth."

Wen Shan was stunned, "Aunt, what did you say?"

Let her raise Yinzhen?

Su Malagu took the food box from Wen Shan's personal maid Zhenzhu and urged: "The Empress Dowager said that you should hurry up and bring the Fourth Prince back to the palace to summon the imperial physician for treatment. You don't need to come in to thank me. I will take today's food in now. The Empress Dowager is thinking about this."

After that, she bowed and lifted the curtain and went into the house.

Wen Shan was left alone in the wind.

Why did she take a child back for no reason when she just came to deliver a meal?

Yinzhen, who was still kneeling on the steps, also heard Su Malagu's words. He quietly looked at the expression of Concubine Xuan. Seeing the surprise and dullness on her face, his heart sank a little bit. Sure enough, he would not please anyone.

My mother didn't want him anymore because she had the sixth brother, and my noble mother didn't want him either. Concubine Xuan was unwilling to take him back.

Just when he was lost, a pair of embroidered shoes with light pink flowers appeared in front of him. Concubine Xuan smiled and touched his head gently.

"Okay, little Yinzhen, then you come home with me." Even after a long time, so long that Yinzhen was about to leave

the world, he could not forget the warm and soft hands that picked him up from the snow and said they would take him home with a gentle smile.