Chapter 37: Wenshan and Yinsi both knew…

Wenshan and Yinsi both knew that Concubine Min was pregnant with the Thirteenth Prince, Yinxiang. Wenshan was eager for Min's child, but Yinsi's face sulked whenever Wenshan mentioned it. Wenshan

teased him about competing with the Thirteenth Prince for Yinzhen's favor, which angered Yinsi so much that he ignored her all day. Finally, Wenshan coaxed him into a coaxing state by making Yinsi his favorite crispy duck.

Yinzhen would be moving from Xianfu Palace to the Ganxi Wuzhao starting this year. Wenshan had been anxious for over a month, constantly packing Yinzhen's belongings, fearing he'd miss something. She was also concerned that the people in the Ganxi Wuzhao wouldn't serve him well enough, and she nearly took half the Xianfu Palace residents with her.

Seeing Wen Shan frantically directing the palace servants to prepare this and that, putting everyone in a state of utter exhaustion, Yinzhen intervened to save the nearly numb Xianfu Palace staff.

"Mother, I'm only going to sleep in the West Fifth Residence at night. I usually come back to Xianfu Palace,"

Wen Shan said bitterly. "You're in the Shangshufang during the day and only come back at night. Now you don't even sleep here, mother."

Doesn't that mean she'll barely see Yinzhen any more?

It's over. So sad, my heart is breaking.

Yinsi watched from the sidelines, eager to see how his fourth brother would soothe his mother, who was on the verge of tears.

"How about I ask the Grand Empress Dowager or the Emperor to keep you for a few more years?"

If that was the case, they had to find a way to keep Yinzhen here.

"You're still so young! How can Mother be at ease if you live out there by yourself?"

Yinzhen was helpless. He was already seven years old, and the Book of Rites states that boys and girls should not sit together until they're seven. Naturally, he couldn't live with Mother anymore. Moreover, he wasn't the only one living in Ganxi Wusuo; the eldest and third princes had already moved there.

Wen Shan grew increasingly anxious as she thought about it. She gritted her teeth and actually prepared to go and beg Kangxi for help, but Yinzhen, startled, quickly stopped her.

"Mother, it's customary for a prince to move out of the inner palace at seven. Even if you ask, the Emperor won't agree."

Instead, he would scold Wen Shan for being such a spoiled child.

Yinzhen gave Yinsi a look, signaling him to stop watching and come help.

Yinsi jumped down, hugged Wenshan's arm, and said sweetly, "Don't be sad, mother. I'm still here even if you're gone. I'll always be with you, mother."

Wenshan looked at him dimly, "You're four years old this year. In three years, you'll be leaving me, too."

By then, she'd be an empty-nest before she was thirty.

"..."

It was the first time Wenshan realized how severe her separation anxiety had become.

She sighed daily, worried that Yinzhen wasn't doing well out there. Even Kangxi, who had finally managed to find time to visit Xianfu Palace amidst his busy schedule, noticed. "What's wrong with you lately? You look down," Kangxi asked, noticing Wenshan gazing blankly into the candlelight.

Ever since returning from her southern tour, Wenshan had been forced to cook for Kangxi. Kangxi had already given her a hard time during his tour, and upon returning, seeing her discerning taste, he stopped mentioning her using someone else's food to perfunctorily satisfy him. He simply visited Xianfu Palace more often than before.

During the Southern Tour, Wen Shan's daily interactions with Kangxi gave her a glimpse into the art of getting along with him: it was best not to play tricks on such a master manipulator; sincerity was the ultimate weapon.

So, Wen Shan, resting her chin on her hand, picked up a pair of scissors and snipped the candle wick that was about to burst, and said distressedly, "Yinzhen will soon be moving to Ganxi Wusuo, and I'm worried."

Kangxi chuckled at this and began to lecture her, "You're the one who spoils the children the most. It's the ancestral rule that princes move to Ganxi Wusuo when they turn seven. How come everyone else can go, but Yinzhen can't?"

Fortunately, while Wen Shan coddled the children in these mundane matters, she was unwavering in the bigger picture. Seeing Yinzhen and Yinsi raised to be smart and sensible, Kangxi finally felt comfortable entrusting the two princes to Wen Shan.

Wen Shan, rarely playing dirty, said, "I didn't raise the other princes, so isn't it normal for me to worry?"

"Concubine Hui and Concubine Rong aren't like you. When Yinzhen and Yinzhi moved to the Ganxi Wusuo, I saw they were so happy." Kangxi also became interested and started arguing with Wen Shan.

What comparison is there?

Wen Shan was even more upset by this. She snorted, "That's because I'm honest and wouldn't lie to the emperor."

"That's nonsense." Kangxi tapped Wen Shan on the head with the book, but his tone was full of laughter.

Seeing Kangxi's good mood, Wen Shan bravely asked if Yinzhen could move out later.

But when it came to such a serious matter concerning the upbringing of the prince, Kangxi stopped joking with Wen Shan and immediately stated that there was no room for negotiation and that the rules must be followed.

"How about this? I promise you that if Concubine Min gives birth to a princess, she will be raised in Xianfu Palace, and you can raise her until she gets married."

Kangxi watched Wen Shan, who rarely acted like a spoiled child, and while he felt good, he also felt a little soft-hearted. It was impossible for Yinzhen to stay, but it was okay for Wen Shan to raise a princess who could always be in his arms.

"..."

This was a big, round pie.

She couldn't tell Kangxi that she knew Concubine Min was pregnant with the Thirteenth Prince.

And even if Concubine Min was pregnant with a princess, the rule that a princess didn't have to be raised by a concubine or above was a rule. Why separate a child who could have been raised by her own mother?

Seeing that she was silent, Kangxi realized the flaw in his previous statement and continued, "It doesn't matter if this baby is a prince. I promise you that if a concubine below the rank of concubine gives birth to a princess, I will bring her to you."

Wen Shan came to her senses and said quickly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, but I am now inseparable from Yinzhen and Yinsi. I don't think I can take good care of the princess. It's better for her to stay with her mother." Wen Shan

was never one to refuse, so Kangxi saw that she really had no intention of doing so and did not mention it.

Even though Wen Shan was reluctant, the day for Yinzhen to move to Ganxi Wusuo still arrived. Yinsi saw that his mother, who had been in a low mood since morning, finally burst into tears after sending his fourth brother to Ganxi Wusuo, and immediately lost his composure.

"Mother, don't be sad. Fourth Brother will come back every day from now on."

Yinzhen quickly said, "Yes, after school, I'll come back to Xianfu Palace to have dinner with you."

Wenshan wiped her tears. In fact, crying just now made her feel much better. Wenshan had already started preparing Yinzhen's living quarters in the Ganxi No. 5 Residence long ago. It was almost identical to Yinzhen's in Xianfu Palace. He had no problem living there, and the people around him were all carefully selected by Wenshan, which made Wenshan feel relieved. She

was only a little sad emotionally, but now a little crying would make her feel better.

After Yinzhen moved into the Ganxi No. 5 Residence, Wenshan adjusted after two days and found that it wasn't as scary as she had imagined. She didn't see anyone all day long.

Yinzhen came to Xianfu Palace for breakfast every day and then took Yinsi to the Shangshufang. In the evening, he came back for dinner and talked with Wenshan and Yinsi before returning to the Ganxi No. 5 Residence.

It seemed that life was very similar to when Yinzhen still lived in Xianfu Palace.

To cheer Wenshan up, Yinzhen somehow found several incredibly beautiful koi fry, which he placed in a transparent glass aquarium. They looked stunning in the sun.

Wenshan kept them in the courtyard, placed them beside the flowers on the porch. Every day, she would watch the koi play for a while before feeding them. She had truly recovered from the dejection she had felt in the past few days.

Wenshan shifted her attention to the fish, and within a few days, they had grown considerably. She visited them several times a day, even cooking less often.

Gradually, feeling neglected, Yinzhen and Yinsi wondered if they had let a wolf into their house. They hadn't expected these koi to be vixens, seducing their mother.

Yinsi took the initiative, pestering Wenshan to tell him stories and forbidding her to feed the fish.

"Be good, Mommy's taking you to the yard. Bao just made a new hanging basket, it's so beautiful."

Wen Shan was eager to go out to see her precious koi, but Yinsi tugged on her sleeve, saying it was getting cold outside and he didn't want to go out.

Unexpectedly, Wen Shan's anxiety intensified, and she ran out.

"Oh, I forgot it's been getting cold lately. What if they get frozen outside?"

Yinsi followed, helplessly saying, "Mommy, they're fish. How could they possibly get frozen?" How could

something living in water be susceptible to the cold?

Wen Shan went out to see them and was heartbroken. "

Of course not! Don't you look less energetic than before?" She looked rather listless.

Yinsi looked around but couldn't see any difference. They were still as dull and lazy as ever, unwilling to move except when feeding them.

Sometimes Yinzhen and Yinsi even wondered if Mommy was raising fish or turtles.

Wen Shan, however, insisted that the fish were frozen by the cold weather, and began directing Bao Quan and the others to carry the fish tank inside.

Yin Si: "..."

He finally experienced what it meant to shoot himself in the foot. He actually let these little vixens into the house!

What will happen next?

Yin Si began to wonder how likely it was that he had instigated Fu Qi to catch and eat the fish.

As for why Lai Fu hadn't done it?

Of course, Fu Qi had to take the blame for this unfortunate job. Fourth Brother was too busy to take care of him anyway, and he was the one who fed and walked the dog. It was time for this stupid dog to pay his due.

Although there was a period of chaos in Xianfu Palace, Wen Shan's mood had clearly returned to its previous relaxed and cheerful state.

Yin Zhen and Yin Si breathed a sigh of relief at Wen Shan's renewed happiness. They hadn't expected their mother to be so upset about Yin Zhen's move to Ganxi Wusuo for so long.

Even Concubine Yi and Noble Concubine Nianhulu, who came to visit, found this matter a little funny.

"The princes will all leave their mother when they grow up. Now they are reluctant to let their sister go just to the Ganxi Wusuo. What will happen if the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince get married and move out of the palace to build their own residences in the future?" Concubine Yi said with a smile.

The Fifth Prince had not been raised by Concubine Yi's side since he was a child, so Concubine Yi accepted this matter well. Even if it was the turn of the Little Nine to move to the Ganxi Wusuo in the future, she would not think anything of it.

However, Noble Concubine Nianhulu, perhaps because she was pregnant, became more emotional. Putting herself in the shoes of Little Ten, she would definitely be heartbroken and reluctant to let him go. So this time, Noble Concubine Nianhulu and Wen Shan stood on the same front to fight against the "heartless and ungrateful" Concubine Yi.

Concubine Yi was no match for the four and could only admit defeat in embarrassment.

"So daughters are so much more caring." Concubine Yi caressed Noble Concubine Niohuru's belly and said, "It would be wonderful if Sister Niohuru's baby was a princess. It's such a shame that none of us three have daughters."

Wen Shan paused, then thought about it carefully. It seemed to be true. The three of them had six princes, all of them scoundrels, not a single sweetheart.

Noble Concubine Niohuru smiled, "I'm hoping this one will be a daughter, too."

Having both a son and a daughter is always the dream of most people.

Wen Shan smiled, "Then my sister will surely be happy this time."

Noble Concubine Niohuru was older than Noble Concubine Min, so she should have given birth in September. While everyone in the palace was focused on Noble Concubine Niohuru's pregnancy, Concubine Ping focused her attention on the relatively unknown Noble Concubine Min.

Since Soetu's dismissal, the Hesheli clan has declined significantly, while the Niohuru clan is deeply entrenched. Since the new Niohuru clan leader, Alinga, officially inherited the title of First-Class Duke and entered the imperial court, his power has only grown. Consort Niohuru already has a son and is now pregnant with a second, which has made the Hesheli clan increasingly anxious. Of the

princes currently in the harem, only the Tenth Prince, born to Consort Niohuru, can rival the Crown Prince in terms of maternal status. If Consort Niohuru gives birth to another prince, the two brothers' mutual support will be in jeopardy.

And there's an even more complex problem: Consort Niohuru is now close to Consort Xuan and Consort Yi. These two have a separate family and five other princes. If the three of them were to join forces to support the Tenth Prince...

the thought of them colluding to support the Tenth Prince is a headache.

Later, when Wen Shan learned of this, she found it somewhat amusing. The brothers had indeed joined forces, but it wasn't to support the Tenth Prince, but Yinsi.

It was clearly unrealistic to manipulate Concubine Nianhulu's pregnancy, so Concubine Ping pondered what she had wanted to do before but hadn't:

adopt a prince to support the Crown Prince.

Concubine Ping had considered this idea when the twelfth prince was born, but Concubine Ding and Concubine Tong had orchestrated it and secured the prince's birth. At the time, Soetu hadn't yet been dismissed from office, and the Hesheli clan was still relatively stable, so Concubine Ping tried and didn't pursue the matter further. But if

Concubine Min's child was a prince, she would have to secure it.

Concubine Min's position precluded her from raising a prince, and customarily, she was given to Concubine Duan, the main concubine. Concubine Duan had long since fallen out of favor after years of quiet service in the palace, having earned her position through seniority. Therefore, Concubine Ping felt she had a good chance of bringing the child into her own harem.

So, Ping acted decisively and found an opportunity to raise the matter with Emperor Kangxi.

Now, among the high-ranking concubines in the palace, Concubine Ping was the only one without a child.

Kangxi also knew what Concubine Ping was planning, or rather, she hadn't even considered hiding it.

With Soetu dismissed from office and Concubine Nianhulu pregnant again, these events, combined, would indeed shake the status of some of the crown princes.

Kangxi watched with a cold eye as not only those in the harem but also those in the imperial court began to stir.

So, after a moment's deliberation, Kangxi didn't directly agree to Concubine Ping's proposal, but he also didn't refuse. He simply said they would discuss it after Concubine Min gave birth.

But this was basically an agreement.

It was just that Kangxi had a habit of not leaving things in a dead end, leaving some room for maneuver.

The news spread quickly throughout the palace, and Wen Shan was so shocked she almost dropped her chopsticks when she heard the news.

Leaving the Thirteenth Prince to be raised by Concubine Ping?

It didn't seem like such a thing had happened in history.

Wen Shan asked Yinsi privately, and Yinsi also said that in the previous life, the Thirteenth Prince was raised by Concubine Duan as usual. It was not until Concubine Min gave birth to another daughter and was promoted to Concubine Min in the 28th year of Kangxi's reign that the Thirteenth Prince was taken back.

But Yinsi didn't care much about it, saying: "The Thirteenth Prince was originally a member of the Prince's party, and now it's not a bad thing."

Now it's good, he has become a member of the Prince's party who has been trained since childhood.

Yinsi couldn't help but laugh in his heart, this is also a good thing, so that he

doesn't have to think about the deep brotherly love between the Thirteenth Prince and the Fourth Brother every day. Yinsi is a very possessive person

. Since he has already determined that the Fourth Brother is his biological brother in this life, then the Thirteenth Brother who is the best in the universe should stay as far away as possible. Yinsi has been slowly infiltrating the harem in recent years, and there is basically nothing he doesn't know. Wenshan was surprised and asked him why Concubine Ping suddenly wanted to support the Thirteenth Prince. Yinsi thought it was interesting, and the reason was somewhat related to Wenshan.

When Wenshan heard that it was because of her good relationship with Concubine Nianhulu, she got a few black lines on her head.

Is this the flapping of butterfly wings?

In fact, the people in the harem did not react much to this matter. After all, there are too many princes now. The prince born by a noble lady is really nothing. Concubine Ping can raise him if she wants

. The only victim is Concubine Min.

Concubine Min does not want her son to be caught up in the vortex of struggle and become a tool of others as soon as he is born. So since she learned the news, Concubine Min has been worried and unable to eat.

Concubine Min thought about it and decided that Wen Shan was the only one who could help her in the palace. So she went to visit Wen Shan with a big belly.

Wen Shan was also embarrassed when she heard Concubine Min's request. Emotionally, she and Concubine Min had a good relationship, and she had some reasons in this matter. Of course, the most important thing is that this is the Thirteenth Prince. For the sake of Yinzhen's face, she is willing to help Concubine Min.

But Yinsi had already explained to her that Kangxi favored the Crown Prince, and that his position in the court was precarious, so Kangxi intended to give the Thirteenth Prince to Concubine Ping for his upbringing. Whether or not this would succeed was another matter; it was primarily a political signal, signaling to everyone that the Emperor was on the Crown Prince's side.

This meant that the Thirteenth Prince's fate was no ordinary harem feud, and Wen Shan had little say.

Seeing Concubine Min's anxious, bulging belly, Wen Shan couldn't bear to refuse outright, so she told her everything Yinsi had said.

Concubine Min was a discerning woman, and from what she heard, she knew it was a heartfelt confession.

"Your Majesty, I understand what you mean. Thank you very much," Concubine Min said, though somewhat disappointed, but grateful for Wen Shan's words.

Seeing her dejected expression, Wen Shan paused, adding that it was still too early for Concubine Min to give birth, and if things turned out well, she would do her best to help.

Upon hearing Wenshan's words, Concubine Min burst into tears of gratitude and didn't ask for anything else. Whether they succeeded or not, she would always remember Wenshan's kindness.

After Yinzhen and Yinsi returned from the Shangshufang, they heard from Zhenzhu and the others about Concubine Min's request for Wenshan's help. Yinzhen wasn't enthusiastic about the matter, but he saw the current situation clearly and advised Wenshan not to interfere.

Yinsi agreed, believing the matter was already a foregone conclusion and there was no need to intervene.

Wenshan sighed, "I think so too, but is there really no other way?"

She looked at Yinsi, who spread his hands and shook his head.

Wenshan pursed her lips, pinched Yinzhen's face, and explained that it was because of him that she was worried. Yinzhen looked confused, not understanding. Yinsi understood but pretended to be confused by suppressing a smile.

After finishing their meal and washing their hands, Yinzhen and Yinsi sat on the couch playing chess and chatting with Wenshan.

"If Mother wants to help Concubine Min, there's only one way," Yinsi said after giving birth. "That's to have Concubine Min promoted to the rank of concubine, and have her raise the child herself."

He then glanced at Yinzhen and asked, "Brother, what do you think?"

Yinzhen thought for a moment, then remained noncommittal. "That's not a simple solution either."

A promotion at this critical juncture would be the same as the Emperor giving up on Concubine Ping raising the Thirteenth Prince.

"Actually, there's an even simpler way..." Yinsi didn't finish, only curling his lips at Yinzhen.

Yinzhen understood. Yinsi's point was that since the Emperor was worried about Concubine Niohuru's dominance, separating Mother, Concubine Yi, and Concubine Niohuru would naturally avoid such problems. It

would be simple, easy, and effective.

Mother, however, might not be happy about it.

After all, the three of them had been getting along quite well lately, chatting and laughing frequently.

When Yinzhen returned to Ganxi No. 5 and only Yinsi and Wenshan were left, Yinsi came over and said, "Mother, there are some things that Fourth Brother said just now that I can't say. Please don't worry about it."

"You forgot that Concubine Nianhulu gave birth to a princess."

Wenshan's eyes lit up. How could she have forgotten this in her anxiety? Once Concubine Nianhulu gave birth, the atmosphere would naturally ease.

It would be much easier to find a solution then.

Yinsi held his chin and glanced at Wenshan, and asked, "Mother, do you really want to help the Thirteenth Brother?"

Wenshan sighed and said, "Since the Thirteenth Brother and your Fourth Brother depend on each other, I really want to help."

"..."

What do you mean by depend on each other?

Mother, can you not use such fanciful words?

Before Concubine Niohuru gave birth, the matter was indeed difficult to deal with. Even Yinzhen and Yinsi could not think of any good solution. So it was not until September that Concubine Niohuru gave birth to a princess. This time, Concubine Niohuru suffered a dystocia and injured her body. The imperial physician diagnosed that it would be difficult for her to get pregnant again. Only then did the situation take a turn for the better. The

former court and the harem were all keeping an eye on Concubine Niohuru's pregnancy. In the end, it was a princess and Concubine Niohuru could not give birth again. Many people in the prince's party breathed a sigh of relief, and Concubine Ping's hanging heart was also relieved.

After the princess was born, Yinsi came to find Wenshan to talk about this matter.

Wenshan saw his rare serious expression and asked him what was wrong.

"My son can ask Concubine Ping not to take away the thirteenth brother, but I want the thirteenth brother to be raised in our palace."