Chapter 43 Chapter 43 The Empress Dowager's illness...

The Empress Dowager's illness was severe. Wen Shan rushed over upon hearing the news, and Kangxi arrived shortly thereafter.

The Empress Dowager was now aging, and Wen Shan and Su Malagu discussed sending the Fifth Prince to accompany her, fearing she might be frightened. They planned to keep the situation a secret for now and wait and see how the Empress Dowager fared.

Although the Empress Dowager was feverish, her face was pale, her body frail, her breathing shallow, and she looked as if she had aged ten years.

Kangxi examined her personally and asked the imperial physician what was wrong.

Wen Shan sat by the bed with a wet towel, wiping the Empress Dowager's body with Su Malagu. From behind the curtain, the imperial physician trembled, saying that the Empress Dowager was old and hoped Kangxi would prepare something soon to celebrate the occasion.

Wen Shan wept as she listened. Su Malagu whispered to comfort her, "Don't be sad, Imperial Concubine. The old ancestor loved you the most. If he wakes up later, he will definitely not want to see you like this."

Kangxi, who was outside, felt his heart sink as he listened to the imperial physician's words. He glanced inside and asked in a low voice, "Tell me, how long does the Grand Empress Dowager have left?"

Several imperial physicians prostrated themselves on the ground. The court judge said, "The Grand Empress Dowager is frail now, and it's autumn and winter, and the air is dry. I have exhausted all my medical skills, but I'm afraid she won't last until the end of the year."

Kangxi closed his eyes and waved, "Go away."

Wen Shan finished wiping the Grand Empress Dowager's body, and the palace maid came in with the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician. Just as Wen Shan was about to take the medicine, she bowed and said, "Noble Concubine, the Emperor has requested a visit."

Su Malagu took the medicine and said, "Noble Concubine, please go. I'll be guarding this place."

Wen Shan bit her lip, glanced at the Grand Empress Dowager, and then stood up and left.

Kangxi sat cross-legged on a couch in the outer room, rubbing his thumb ring. Seeing Wen Shan approach, his gaze darkened.

"Sit down,"

Kangxi pointed to the seat across from him. Wen Shan nodded and took the seat.

Wen Shan knew from his expression that something was amiss. This year had been a difficult time for the Grand Empress Dowager, and despite her meticulous care, it seemed she hadn't survived.

The two were silent for a moment before Kangxi said, "You and Concubine Nianhulu, have the Imperial Household Department prepare the funeral supplies over the next two days. Everything necessary should be prepared, as a way of cheering up the Empress Dowager."

Wen Shan should have offered words of comfort, but her heart ached, tears threatening to fall at the mere mention of this matter. She had no desire to address Kangxi, so she only hummed a low "hmm. "

Kangxi sighed. Liang Jiugong came in to report that Master Ma Qi was waiting for Kangxi at the Hall of Mental Cultivation regarding the floods in the south, and then hurriedly left.

The Grand Empress Dowager finally awoke that evening. Her fever, while still far from gone, had subsided considerably, though she still had a slight headache.

Wen Shan had spent the entire day in the Cining Palace. When the Grand Empress Dowager opened her eyes, she saw her serving by her side, her red and swollen eyes staring at her.

"Don't cry," the Grand Empress Dowager patted her hand. "Birth, aging, sickness, and death—no one in this world can escape them."

She was already seventy-five years old, a long life.

"Grandfather, please don't say such things. I'll be fine." Wen Shan forced a smile.

"I know my health very well. I haven't felt well since the beginning of the year." The Grand Empress Dowager took a sip of warm water from Wen Shan's hand. "If it were a common funeral, this would be considered a happy funeral. You all should stop looking so sad."

Wen Shan disliked hearing such words: "Grandfather, please don't keep saying such things. It's unlucky."

The Grand Empress Dowager was amused: "You are usually the most distrustful of such things, but now you are taking it to heart."

Wen Shan pursed her lips. Normally, it was normal. How could it be like this?

The Grand Empress Dowager woke up, drank the medicine, and fell asleep again. Wen Shan had wanted to stay here to watch over her, but the Empress Dowager, who had been sent here, persuaded her to go back, saying that the Thirteenth Prince was still young and needed help, and that the Eighth Prince was waiting for her in Xianfu Palace.

Wen Shan had no choice but to accompany the Empress Dowager until the hour of Xu, when she was repeatedly urged to go back.

Yinzhen and the other two were also waiting for her at Xianfu Palace. The Empress Dowager had fallen ill this time, and not a single prince or princess had been summoned, not even the Fifth Prince had been allowed to see her. So Yinzhen and the others could only wait for news in Xianfu Palace.

"Mother, how is Mother Huang Wuku?" Yinzhen asked first.

Yinsi helped Wenshan sit down and massaged her shoulders, while Yinxiang crawled over to sit beside her.

"The imperial physician said it was due to old age," Wenshan choked. "Maybe she really has reached the end of her life."

Yinsi and Yinxiang had already explained to Yinzhen while Wenshan was at Cining Palace that the Empress Dowager had also passed away this year before, and fate could not be defied.

However, because Wenshan often visited Cining Palace, Yinzhen and Yinsi often accompanied her, enjoying the Empress Dowager's care in this life. They were both unhappy and distressed.

Only Yinxiang was young. The Empress Dowager had been ill the year he was born, and Wenshan hadn't taken him there often.

Yinsi had people planted in the Imperial Hospital, and in the afternoon, he got the pulse case of the Empress Dowager. The brothers gathered together to discuss how to comfort their mother. Although the generations are a bit confusing, their mother and the Empress Dowager can really be said to be as close as mother and daughter. The Empress Dowager took care of everything for their mother. It was the Empress Dowager who worked behind the scenes to keep Yinzhen and Yinsi in Xianfu Palace.

The Empress Dowager was gone, and their mother must be heartbroken.

Although they had a lot of words to say to comfort her, they couldn't say a word when they saw Wenshan's appearance. They

could only accompany Wenshan silently. At night, Yinzhen had no choice but to go back to Ganxi Wusuo. Yinsi ran to the main hall with his little pillow and said that he wanted to sleep with Wenshan.

So he and Yinxiang slept with Wenshan on each side.

The Grand Empress Dowager took the medicine and felt better for a while. Wen Shan visited the Cining Palace every day. When the Grand Empress Dowager was in good spirits and interested, she would play cards and chat with her. When she wasn't, she would rack her brains to read her some books.

Everyone in the palace knew that Noble Concubine Xuan and the Grand Empress Dowager were the closest, and Noble Concubine Nianhulu was understanding. She told Wen Shan to just accompany the Grand Empress Dowager wholeheartedly and to prepare all the funeral rites ordered by Kangxi.

However, Wen Shan also knew that Noble Concubine Nianhulu had been extremely worried recently. The little princess, born last year, had been in poor health and her condition had recently begun to relapse. Wen Shan vaguely remembered that Noble Concubine Nianhulu's daughter didn't seem to have grown up. After asking Yinsi and Yinxiang, she confirmed that the little princess and the Grand Empress Dowager had died in the same year, meaning both had occurred this year.

Wen Shan felt embarrassed to burden Concubine Niohuru with the responsibilities of two people, so Yinsi ultimately took over that portion of the palace duties, though Wen Shan still handled them publicly.

In October, Concubine Niohuru's little princess died before her first birthday. She was devastated and wept day and night. This daughter hadn't come easily; the birth had been difficult and her body had been damaged, preventing her from having another child. Some concubines even thought she resented her daughter, saying she was infertile, not just because she was a princess.

But she never blamed the little princess, knowing she had suffered in the womb and was in poor health from birth. The imperial physicians warned her that she would be difficult to raise and needed to be carefully cared for and protected from any shock to ensure her continued health. She meticulously protected her daughter, but ultimately, she lost her life. The Tenth

Prince, who was also deeply devoted to this little sister, was also deeply depressed after the little princess's death. She wasn't as cheerful or playful as usual in the Shangshu Room and spoke much less.

The Ninth and Tenth Princes were the same age and had played together since childhood. Seeing the Tenth Prince in this state, they had no choice but to run to Yinsi for help.

The Eighth Prince was good-tempered and doted on his two younger brothers, so the Ninth and Tenth Princes were very close to him.

Yinsi hushed the Ninth Prince aside, saying that the Tenth Prince might want to be alone for a while and asked him not to disturb them.

The Ninth Prince seemed to understand, but he knew that Eighth Prince's words were always right, so he obeyed.

Regarding the young princess's death, Kangxi's decision to confer the rank of Heshuo Princess on her was to avoid a grand funeral, given her youth and the illness of the Grand Empress Dowager. He bestowed her with the rank of Heshuo Princess and buried her according to customary practices for deceased princesses.

Kangxi may not have had deep feelings for this young girl, but Consort Niuhuru was different. She personally handled every aspect of the little princess's funeral, dragging her heartbroken and ill body through the day, feeling dizzy and light-footed, and refusing to allow anyone to interfere.

Wen Shan took over the preparations for the Empress Dowager's funeral, and with the help of Yinsi and Yinzhen, she was able to handle the arrangements.

However, although Kangxi had ordered a simple funeral for the little princess, word of it eventually reached the Empress Dowager.

One day, when Wen Shan went to help the Grand Empress Dowager with her medicine as usual, she suddenly said, "I heard yesterday that another child in the palace died."

Wen Shan knew she couldn't hide it anymore, so she nodded and said, "It was Consort Niuhulu's eleventh daughter, who was buried a few days ago."

The Grand Empress Dowager sat up and took a few breaths, recalling, "I remember that Consort Niuhulu's daughter seemed to have been in poor health since she was born."

Su Malagu put a soft pillow under the Grand Empress Dowager and said, "Grandma, you remember it clearly. When the little princess was born last year, you asked me to send a white jade ruyi for her to rest her head on."

The Grand Empress Dowager's eyes were a little cloudy. She coughed twice and continued, "Xuanye has had many children born in recent years, but many have also died. The Sixth Prince just passed away, and now we have lost another princess." "

Don't worry, Grandfather. Many princesses and princes are in good health." Su Malagu comforted her, "Look at the Fifth Prince, and the three princes of the Imperial Concubine. They are all as strong as calves."

Speaking of Yinzhen and the others, the Grand Empress Dowager suddenly forced herself to cheer up and asked someone to go to Xianfu Palace to bring Yinzhen and Yinsi, saying that she hadn't seen them for a long time and missed her two great-grandchildren.

While waiting for Yinzhen and Yinsi to come, the Grand Empress Dowager suddenly said, "Emperor Wen has been dead for many years. Don't disturb him after I leave. Besides, I don't want to be buried so far away in Zhaoling. I want to be closer to my children and grandchildren. Bury me near the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the late emperor."

Wen Shan forced a smile and said, "Grandfather, it's too early for you to say this now."

The Grand Empress Dowager smiled and said nothing. But soon Yinzhen and Yinsi arrived.

After greeting the Grand Empress Dowager, she beckoned, "Yinzhen, Yinsi, come to Mother Wuku."

Wen Shan led them to sit beside the Grand Empress Dowager's bed.

"Su Ma, tell the attendants to leave. I need to speak to Yinzhen and Yinsi."

Su Malagu sighed, and then sent the palace maids away.

"Look, your mother has been ill for so many days, and you haven't even come to see me," the Grand Empress Dowager glanced at Wen Shan with a stern look.

Yinzhen said, "Mother said Mother Wuku needs to rest and recuperate, and she's afraid our presence would disturb her."

The main reason was that the Grand Empress Dowager hadn't even seen many of the concubines during her illness, let alone the princes and princesses. Even Yinzhen and Yinsi, who had grown up in the Grand Empress Dowager's care, had no choice but to avoid suspicion.

"Yinzhen has grown up." The Grand Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, examining him carefully. She smiled and said, "He's a big boy now. In a few years, he should be getting married."

Yinzhen was a little embarrassed. Yinsi, wanting to please the Grand Empress Dowager, pretended to be jealous and said, "Mother Wuku only sees Fourth Brother, not Yinsi."

"Who said that? Our Yinsi has grown quite a bit." The Grand Empress Dowager treated both equally, touching Yinsi's hand and saying, "You are all good children. It's a pity that Mother Wuku won't be able to see you get married and have children."

Wenshan was crying nearby. The Grand Empress Dowager noticed and said, "Your mother has shallow eyes. She's like this before I'm gone yet. What will she do when I'm really gone?"

Su Malagu came in carrying several boxes. The Grand Empress Dowager sat up and opened them herself. Inside the first one were some keys, there looked to be dozens of them.

"Wenshan, come here." The Grand Empress Dowager waved at Wenshan and handed her the box.

"Here are the little things I've saved over the years. I can't bring them with me when I'm born, and I can't take them with me when I die. My children have all passed away, and in the end, there's no one left to take care of them. So I leave them all to you."

Wen Shan's eyes welled up. "Grandfather..."

"Alright, be happy, don't cry." The Grand Empress Dowager patted her hands and took another box.

The Grand Empress Dowager handed the box to Yinsi. Yinzhen and Yinsi looked at each other, not understanding the Grand Empress Dowager's intention.

"Your mother is a sincere and kind person, without any ulterior motives. The only thing I'm worried about is her." The Grand Empress Dowager took a few deep breaths and continued, "She now has three princes under her care. Although none of you are registered under her name, you're still conspicuous in Xianfu Palace. It's fine now that you're still young, but when you grow up, she'll inevitably be the target of public criticism. And what will she do then, when I'm gone?"

Yinzhen promised, "Don't worry, Mother Wuku. We will protect you."

Yinsi nodded.

The Grand Empress Dowager smiled and nodded. "They're all good children, especially Yinsi. I know you've been clever since you were young, and you've grasped palace affairs instantly. You're more adaptable than your fourth brother, so I'm leaving these things for you." The Grand Empress Dowager

opened the box, revealing a stack of papers.

Yinsi glanced down. At the top were some names, followed by information about their positions, families, and contacts.

Yinsi gasped. These were the connections the Grand Empress Dowager had accumulated over sixty years in the palace.

"Use them well, and protect your mother and you brothers." The Grand Empress Dowager continued, "Yinqi isn't a shrewd child, so you should also protect him. But remember one thing: never go beyond the Crown Prince, or the Emperor will be in trouble."

The Grand Empress Dowager didn't need to explain. Yinzhen and Yinsi understood, especially Yinsi, who saw the list clearly: it consisted entirely of people from the harem, none with ties to the previous dynasty.

After these instructions, the Grand Empress Dowager finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Wenshan, "Take these keys, and have Suma take you to the storeroom."

Wenshan, knowing the Grand Empress Dowager was deliberately trying to get her out of the way, nodded and followed Suma Lagu out.

Only Yinzhen and Yinsi were left in the room. They calmed the Empress Dowager down, and Yinzhen asked again: "Does Mother Wuku have anything else to tell us?"

The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled slightly: "You two are smart children, and it's easy for you to talk."

"Although Wenshan now has three of you, you are not her biological children after all, and your biological mothers are still in the palace." The Empress Dowager's tone gradually calmed down, "I understand that it is difficult to weigh the grace of giving birth and raising a child. You just need to touch your heart and ask your mother if she has done her best to raise you with all her efforts?"

Yinzhen and Yinsi both nodded, and they already understood what the Empress Dowager wanted to say to them by deliberately sending their mother away.

The Grand Empress Dowager was ultimately worried about Mother, fearing they might eventually favor their own mother and neglect her, leaving her truly alone.

"Alright, you can go back," the Grand Empress Dowager said, a little sleepy. "Go back and think carefully about what I told you today."

Yinzhen and Yinsi bowed politely before leaving. Wen Shan, having not gone to the storehouse with Sumalagu, remained guarding the door.

Seeing them emerge, she inquired about the Grand Empress Dowager.

"Mother Wuku was a little sleepy, so she let us out first," Yinzhen said.

Wen Shan nodded, saying, "Then you should go back to Xianfu Palace first. Mother will stay here for a while."

Yinxiang, unannounced, was alone in Xianfu Palace, bored and waiting for his two brothers to return.

He had been practicing walking lately, but he could only manage a few shaky steps with support, so he mostly sat on the couch.

"Fourth brother, how is the Empress Dowager?" Yinxiang couldn't wait to ask when he saw the two of them coming in one after another.

Yinsi sat down next to Yinxiang, casually picked up a piece of honeydew melon, and ate it slowly: "Not very good, Imperial Physician Zhang said it might happen in the next two days."

Yinzhen said nothing and sat down opposite the two of them.

The Empress Dowager summoned them today, which could be regarded as her last words.

Yinsi showed the pile of contacts given to him by the Empress Dowager, and Yinxiang, curious, came over to take a few glances.

"There are so many people here, and they are so diverse, including the Yiku Palace, the Yanxi Palace, the Yongshou Palace... There are even the Imperial Kitchen and the Four Treasurys." Yinxiang raised his eyebrows, "Eighth brother, you have such a wide range of people in just a few years since you came back." He

is worthy of being the Eighth Brother.

When it comes to making connections, he and his fourth brother combined are not half as good as the Eighth Brother.

Yinsi glanced at the list and handed it to Yinzhen. Unexpectedly, Yinzhen showed no interest in reading it. "This is from Mother Wuku. Keep it."

As Mother Wuku had said, everyone has their strengths, and when it comes to manipulating people's hearts and minds, he's no match for his eighth brother.

Yinxiang was surprised. "Was this given by the Grand Empress Dowager?"

That made perfect sense; such a deep understanding truly required decades of immersion in the palace. Yinxiang hadn't been to the Cining Palace with Wenshan much, and his understanding of the relationship between her and the Grand Empress Dowager was somewhat hazy. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why would the Grand Empress Dowager hand over the staff she's managed for so many years to my eighth brother?"

"Not to me, but to my mother," Yinsi said, his eyes lowered. "Not only that, but Mother Wuku's savings over the years have been left to my mother."

Yinxiang was shocked. In his two lifetimes combined, he'd only met the Grand Empress Dowager a few times, and had heard more about her from others.

Everyone says that the Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, having served through three dynasties, was the pillar of the Qing dynasty. Deeply entrenched in both the previous dynasty and the imperial harem, she single-handedly supported the emperor's father and his wife, securing their thrones. She was a truly remarkable figure.

But he hadn't expected that in this life, the Grand Empress Dowager would be so devoted to his mother.

Seeing his astonishment, Yinzhen peeled an orange and handed it to him: "My mother and the Grand Empress Dowager have a deep bond. You're still young, and there's so much you don't know."

Yinxiang pondered, reflecting on how much the palace had changed in the years since he'd been away.

The Grand Empress Dowager's illness took a sudden turn for the worse after she had given her instructions to Yinzhen and Yinsi, as if she had suddenly collapsed from a sudden loss of breath.

Wenshan began to stay in the Cining Palace from day to night, and sent Yinxiang to the Jingren Palace, where Concubine Min helped care for him.

The entire harem was now filled with a profound silence. With the Sixth Prince and the little princess having died in quick succession, and the Grand Empress Dowager now faltering, even the Imperial Gardens were sparsely populated. Suddenly, the harem seemed deserted, no one moving about.

Wen Shan had stayed in the Cining Palace for several days until one rainy day, when Kangxi braved the drizzle to arrive.

The autumn rain was chilly, and Kangxi's clothes were damp when he entered. Su Malagu offered to help Kangxi change his clothes, but Kangxi waved her off and hurriedly asked, "How is the Empress Dowager?"

He had just received word that the Grand Empress Dowager was ill, prompting him to hasten to her arrival.

"The imperial physician is inside treating her." Wen Shan's eyes were red and swollen, with bruises under them, a sign of having not slept well in days.

Kangxi went inside to see the Grand Empress Dowager, barely breathing. The imperial physician was administering acupuncture, hoping to give her a final pep talk, at least to allow the Emperor to speak a few words.

The imperial physicians were busily engaged, so Kangxi withdrew and raised his hand to call for Wen Shan.

"I heard that the Empress Dowager once said she didn't want to be buried with the Emperor in Zhaoling Mausoleum, but wanted to be buried near the Emperor's Xiaoling Mausoleum."

Wen Shan nodded. "The Empress Dowager said that Emperor Wen had passed away a long time ago and there was no need to disturb his peace."

Kangxi said nothing more, only a "hmm. "

Wen Shan could see his dilemma. This was against etiquette, but refusing to agree was also against filial piety. It was indeed a dilemma.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has awakened and is asking you to come in and talk." Su Malagu lifted the curtain and emerged from the inner room.

Kangxi hurried inside. The imperial physicians had already left. The Empress Dowager, holding her eyes open, leaned back on the pillow. Seeing Kangxi enter, she smiled and said, "The Emperor is here."

"Grandmother."

Su Malagu brought a stool for Kangxi and then quietly withdrew.

"I have been thinking about the past these days." The Empress Dowager's eyes were wandering. "I remember that you were only eight years old when you first ascended the throne, and now you are a qualified emperor."

Kangxi was also moved when he thought of the support the Empress Dowager had given him when he was young.

"I don't have anything to ask of you. You have done a good job. When I go to the underworld and meet all the ancestors, I will have a clear conscience." The Empress Dowager took a few breaths and said, "I only have one thing to ask of you now." "

Grandmother, please feel free to say it. As long as your grandson can do it, I will do my best." Kangxi said.

The Empress Dowager propped herself up, looked at Kangxi and said, "Wenshan has been with me for many years. I treat her like my own daughter. Now I can't help but make plans for her."

"Among the three princes now being raised in Xianfu Palace, I hope the emperor can assign one to Wenshan's name to give her a lifelong support."