Chapter 89 Chapter 89 It's unfortunate, in...

it's unfortunate. In ancient times, when marriage and childbearing were so common, Kangxi, at forty, still had no grandchild. The eldest prince's family only had a daughter, and there was still no sign of a grand wedding between the third prince and Yinzhen.

Although the crown prince hadn't yet married, he already had two children. Although the births of both children were somewhat strange, it was still quite unexpected.

Furthermore, Imperial Physician Zhang had already diagnosed that Wang's pregnancy was 80% likely a boy.

Therefore, if this child could be born safely, it would truly be Kangxi's first grandson.

However, this child was destined to die.

Naturally, this news was also shared with Yinzhen and Wenshan.

"The Emperor has ordered me to examine Miss Wang's pulse. He has instructed that if it's a girl, she will not be kept; if it's a boy, she should give birth safely."

Imperial Physician Zhang arrived while checking Wenshan's pulse. Yinzhen and the others were also in Xianfu Palace.

Wen Shan frowned upon hearing this. Regardless of gender, they were the Crown Prince's own flesh and blood, and indeed, royal blood. This sounded too heartless.

Yinxiang felt a little pity for this; after all, it was an unborn child.

In essence, it was also their closest blood.

Yinzhen and Yinsi were unmoved.

If it had been a daughter, it would indeed have been better to dispose of her. The Emperor's thinking mirrored Soetu's eagerness to kill Wang.

Both were intent on protecting the Crown Prince.

It was just that Soetu was so ruthless as to eliminate both sexes, and Kangxi, as a grandfather without a grandson, felt a certain sympathy for a son, even if he couldn't be included in the imperial genealogy.

Wen Shan had remembered this incident the moment Fucha diagnosed her pregnancy, and she mentioned it just as Yinsi and Yinxiang were still waiting to leave.

"Wang, the woman kept in the palace, is almost seven months old now, right?"

Kangxi had brought Wang directly into the palace and placed her in Pingfei's palace, leaving Pingfei feeling as uneasy as if she had eaten a fly. She naturally wanted to kill Wang, the woman who had seduced the crown prince and led to his imprisonment, but she was pregnant with the crown prince's child.

Furthermore, Kangxi had assigned her to ensure she would safely deliver the child, so Pingfei was utterly distressed and could only hold her nose and have Wang carefully cared for.

Kangxi's arrangement was truly cruel and heartbreaking.

Yinsi nodded and said, "Imperial Physician Zhang sent my son a letter yesterday saying that Wang was feeling restless and might be in premature labor."

It was easy to imagine how she could possibly rest assured and nurture her baby.

The crown prince was under house arrest, her father had been beheaded, and her entire family had been exiled to Ningguta, leaving her alone. First assassinated, and now imprisoned in the palace.

No matter how she looked at it, there was no way out.

Wang Shi now lived in constant fear, desperately hoping for a safe birth so that Kangxi would spare her for the sake of the child. She desired nothing more than to be banished from the palace and become a commoner.

"Premature birth?" Wen Shan was surprised. "It's already seven months. If it's premature again, wouldn't it be just a matter of a month or two?"

"Who can say for sure about such things?" Yinsi smiled, uninterested in the child. "She can give birth whenever she wants."

And by sheer coincidence, Wang Shi's pregnancy happened on the evening of the Empress Dowager's birthday.

The banquet was scheduled for noon, primarily organized by Tong Jia Shi. Wen Shan, knowing the Empress Dowager's preferences, had helped with some of the arrangements. After the celebrations were over, she had just returned to the palace for a nap when Zhenzhu woke her.

Wen Shan blearily opened her eyes to see that it was already dark outside. At first, she thought Zhenzhu was worried she'd gotten too much sleep and couldn't sleep, but it turned out to be Wang Shi's.

"The midwives in Concubine Ping's palace are already busy, and several physicians from the Imperial Hospital have been summoned."

After all, this was the Crown Prince's first child, so there were some differences.

However, the child's arrival was so disgraceful that Concubine Ping didn't know who to report. She had no choice but to send a message to Kangxi, but Kangxi was conferring with several ministers from the previous dynasty and was nowhere to be seen. Liang Jiugong was unsure whether to report it.

Mainly, he was unsure whether this was a happy occasion.

After much deliberation, he didn't dare to interrupt Kangxi's meeting, but privately told Concubine Ping to take good care of the child.

Concubine Ping, after much deliberation, felt that she couldn't handle the situation. Since Wen Shan was the highest-ranking official in the palace, she had no choice but to report to her.

"This child really knows how to choose the right day."

Wen Shan stood up, yawning, and sat down in front of the bronze mirror. Zhenzhu and Amber swiftly helped her.

"That's right! If the baby is born today, it will share the same birthday as the Empress Dowager," Zhenzhu said.

Wen Shan: "I said come when everyone's just finished their work."

She thought she'd finally had a break, but she was back to work.

When Wen Shan arrived at Concubine Ping's place, she saw Concubine Tong and Concubine Hui already there.

"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine."

"No need to be so formal," Wen Shan waved her hand and asked, "How's the situation inside?"

Concubine Ping's face was bitter. "It's a premature birth. The midwife said the baby's position is a little off. I'm afraid she'll have to endure some hardship."

Wen Shan felt a pang of sympathy as she listened to the shrill screams from inside.

No matter how many concubines she'd witnessed giving birth, she couldn't stand this scene.

"Don't worry, Concubine Ping! Although it's a premature birth, you've taken such good care of me. I'm sure she'll give His Royal Highness a healthy firstborn."

Concubine Hui, beside her, was unsure what to say, her brows raised in a sinister way.

Concubine Ping was furious. She'd only informed Wen Shan, but Concubine Tong and Concubine Hui had heard the news and arrived uninvited.

Concubine Tong was fine, as she already had the authority to assist in the management of the six palaces, so her presence was perfectly normal. Upon arrival, she said nothing, simply sitting and waiting.

But Concubine Hui was clearly there for the fun. Wang's status with the child had always been ambiguous. Although raised in the palace, Kangxi had never expressed any intention of giving Wang to the crown prince, so the child was naturally illegitimate, born from a mother who was the daughter of a convicted official, one who had been smuggled out by the crown prince himself.

The buffs were stacked high.

So this child was truly embarrassing, yet it was indeed the crown prince's firstborn, leaving everyone unsure how to approach the matter.

Concubine Hui immediately claimed that the child was the crown prince's eldest son. While this statement was true, it was also clearly a mockery and humiliation. What good would such a firstborn son do?

"Sister Hui, the woman inside was merely entrusted to your care by the Emperor. The child's status isn't something we can decide with a few words," Concubine Ping said grumblingly.

Concubine Hui curled her lips in disdain. It was already known to everyone, so what was there to refute?

Concubine Tong ignored Concubine Hui and Concubine Ping's arguments and only spoke to Wen Shan, "Fourth Lady is almost two months pregnant now, right? I wonder if she's doing well?"

The mention of Concubine Hui shifted her focus from the bullying of the Crown Prince and Concubine Ping.

The Crown Prince's illegitimate child wasn't a concern; she'd simply come to observe the excitement out of boredom. But the Fourth Lady's unborn child, who might very well be the Emperor's first legitimate grandson, a legitimate one at that, clearly concerned her more.

While the title of eldest grandson didn't have much practical significance, it certainly held a place.

If the eldest prince could bear Kangxi's first grandson, he would have secured the title of eldest

son and grandson. Wen Shan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, sister. Fucha has always been in good health. We just need to take good care of her now, but she's still so young, so we can't see anything."

Fucha hadn't shown any symptoms of morning sickness yet, and continued to manage the daily affairs of Zhonghua Palace. Yinzhen had initially wanted Ma Jia and Ulanara to share these chores so Fucha could focus on the pregnancy, but she declined.

He said she wasn't seriously ill and could still manage for a while. If she truly ran out of energy, he could ask the two concubines to help. Besides, the palace wasn't as complex as the palace, and she'd only been working there for over six months before getting the hang of things. He worried that Ma Jia and Ulanara would be overwhelmed and cause trouble at this moment.

Yinzhen understood that Fucha was worried that during her pregnancy, not only would her two concubines divide her favor but also her management duties. Seeing that Fucha still had enough energy, he worried that her excessive thoughts might harm the fetus, so he didn't force her. He

simply said that if she became overwhelmed later in life, Wen Shan would be asked to come and help manage the household.

Naturally,

Yinsi would most likely still be in charge. Fucha was deeply moved by Yinzhen's words. The Fourth Master must have understood her intentions. He had asked his mother to take over the management of Chonghua Palace to reassure her, to assure her that her position as the legitimate wife would remain unshaken.

Thinking of this, Fucha couldn't help but recall how her mother had often lamented to her before her marriage, saying the Fourth Prince was cold-hearted and uncaring, and that marrying into his family with two prominent concubines would be a difficult endeavor.

Now it seemed her mother had been worrying too much.

The Fourth Prince, though cold-hearted, was not cold-hearted and was indeed caring.

Back to the present, Concubine Tong's mention of Fucha's pregnancy was intended as a subtle way to please Wenshan, as having many children and a happy life was a blessing.

With the Tong family and the Eighth Prince increasingly entangled, it was only natural that little Tongjia would grow closer to Wenshan. However, Wenshan and little Tongjia didn't get along well, and she could sense that the Imperial Concubine treated her with indifference, so she didn't make a point of approaching. However, both outwardly and privately, she clearly sided with Wenshan.

Yinsi had once shaken his head, saying that Tong Guowei's daughter wasn't very bright. Both Tong Guowei and Longkodo were still avoiding him, but little Tongjia had become more attached to him within the palace.

Yinxiang happened to be there at the time and thought for a moment, saying, "Fourth brother is Mother's legitimate son, as stated in the Imperial Genealogy. Empress

Xiaoyi also raised Fourth brother, so it makes sense that little Tong Jia and Mother are close." Yinsi pondered this and thought it made some sense, but he

let it go. It didn't seem like the Emperor cared much anyway. Concubine Hui, watching Concubine Tong and Wen Shan, said sourly, "The first three months are the most critical. Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, must take good care of her, lest anything go wrong." Concubine

Tong, waving her round fan and smiling, said, "I heard that when the First Lady was pregnant, Sister Hui took care of her personally, even going to Baohua Palace to request many items. Sister Hui was so sincere that the First Lady and the little princess are safe."

Concubine Hui: "..."

She personally took care of Irgen Jueluo and knelt so many times in Baohua Palace, not just for a little girl!

Ultimately, it was Irgen Jueluo and Zhang Jia who were disappointing. After years of marriage, they had only produced a useless maid. It was necessary to select a few more fertile and fertile noblewomen for Yinzhen to fill out his harem.

Concubine Tong and Concubine Hui exchanged a few sharp words, but Concubine Ping showed no interest in their sparring, her mind preoccupied with Concubine Wang, who was in labor.

Wen Shan asked, "Has the Emperor been notified?"

Concubine Ping nodded, "We've sent someone, but the Emperor is in a meeting and won't see anyone."

Wen Shan asked this question, thinking that this was the Crown Prince's child after all. Should he be allowed to see it after it was born? However, since the Crown Prince was under house arrest, they had no say in the matter; Kangxi had the final say.

Concubine Tong and Concubine Hui felt bored after arguing for a while, and Wang's cries inside became weaker and weaker. Although Concubine Ping did not like Wang, she was still very concerned about the child. She grabbed a midwife who came out to get something and asked anxiously: "What's wrong? Is it not good?"

"Don't worry, your majesty, the fetal position has been corrected, but the adult is a little weak. The imperial physician has prescribed a prescription to invigorate the spirit and replenish qi. It will be fed to the girl later."

Concubine Ping's heart was relieved a little and she hurriedly ordered the palace maid: "I remember there is a thousand-year-old ginseng in the warehouse. Go get it out quickly and cut a few slices for Wang to hold in her mouth."

Fortunately, the sound of a baby crying was heard in less than half an hour. Concubine Ping was overjoyed and stood up and went inside. Wen Shan, Concubine Tong and Concubine Hui also followed.

Wang was sweating profusely and panting heavily as a palace maid cleaned her body. A midwife carefully wrapped the newborn in a blanket and brought it to them, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Both mother and child are safe."

Concubine Ping lifted the blanket to take a look, a hint of hesitation crossing her previously beaming face. "Why is this child so thin?"

Wen Shan took a closer look, and indeed, he was smaller than an average baby.

The midwife quickly replied, "The young lady was born prematurely, and the young man is naturally smaller than an average baby."

"Then why isn't he even crying?" Concubine Ping still felt something was wrong. Perhaps there was something wrong with the child?

The midwife couldn't tell, so the imperial physician came forward to examine him, who declared the child to be fine, stating that the child's frailty was likely due to premature birth and a small fetus. He needed to rest and recuperate.

Concubine Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief, and after a moment's hesitation, she sent someone to inform Kangxi of the good news.

Concubine Tong and Wen Shan had come over to assist in the management of the six harems, and upon seeing the child's safe birth, they were about to leave. Concubine Hui had originally intended to have a good time with Concubine Ping, but after a few exchanges of words with Concubine Tong, she lost interest and left as well.

Kangxi, upon receiving the news, couldn't tell whether he was happy or unhappy. He simply sat in silence for a while before sending Liang Jiugong to Concubine Ping's place to take the child to Yuqing Palace for the Crown Prince to see.

Although the Crown Prince was under house arrest, he still had some means of obtaining information, so he knew of Wang's actions long ago. If the Crown Prince had been affectionate with Wang at the time, there certainly was some affection, otherwise he wouldn't have released her from prison. But now, his current state was entirely due to Wang and her father, so naturally, he felt no affection for this woman. And this child...

Although the Crown Prince was under house arrest, and Kangxi had executed a number of the palace servants in Yuqing Palace, his standard of living remained unchanged. When Liang Jiugong arrived, carrying the child, he found the Crown Prince lost in thought in the courtyard, several palace maids following behind him, carrying fruits and snacks, and fanning them.

"Your servant greets His Royal Highness."

Liang Jiugong's voice startled the Crown Prince awake. He looked up to see the tiny, slightly wiggling child in his arms.

"Eunuch Liang, please rise. This is..."

Liang Jiugong smiled broadly. "The Emperor has commanded me to bring the child to His Royal Highness." The

Crown Prince's breath hitched. He stepped forward and gently lifted a corner of the cloth, catching sight of the child blinking at him.

Liang Jiugong: "It's a little prince. Congratulations, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The prince blankly touched the child's delicate face, then recovered a moment later and asked, "Why do you look so thin?"

"The little prince was born prematurely, with some deficiencies in the womb. The imperial physician examined him and said it's nothing serious. Just take good care of him."

The prince nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Liang Jiugong saw the prince's expression and knew he still loved his son

. He smiled and said, "Your Highness, would you like to hold him?" Manchu custom cuddled grandchildren, not sons. Since it wasn't certain whether father and son would ever meet again, Liang Jiugong didn't hesitate.

The prince's expression shifted at the words, and he reached out and took the child in his arms.

The child was well-behaved, not fussing much, and remained quiet in anyone's arms.

Holding his son in his arms, feeling the warmth of his soft little body, the prince suddenly understood what his father had felt when he had spoken to him. It seemed

his father had held him like this, raising him little by little.

The Crown Prince teased the child, then looked up and asked, "Has the Emperor given any instructions on how to dispose of this child?"

Liang Jiugong shook his head, "The Emperor hasn't said anything, only that I bring the young prince to His Royal Highness."

The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, examined the child carefully, and handed him to Liang Jiugong. Then, with deep emotion, he said, "Eunuch Liang, please tell the Crown Prince a message. Yinreng knows his sins are grave and dares not ask for His Royal Highness's forgiveness, but this child is truly innocent. I hope Your

Highness will show him some mercy." "Don't worry, Your Highness. I

'll take him there." Liang Jiugong, not daring to linger in Yuqing Palace, carried the child back to Changchun Garden.

The Crown Prince watched him disappear before returning to the palace.

"No need to follow me in and serve."

The Crown Prince entered the inner chamber and retrieved a letter he had hidden underneath.

It had been delivered by Soetu some time ago.

It stated that the only option now was a desperate struggle; if the Emperor returned with his troops, there would be no turning back.

Seeing that the Fourth Prince was gaining momentum and his wife was also pregnant, if a legitimate son was born, the Confucian officials at court, who valued eldest sons and grandsons, would have something to say.

The Crown Prince had initially been dismissive, if not scornful, of Soetu's plan.

Rebellion? How could it be possible?

Although he considered himself no righteous man, he simply couldn't bring himself to usurp the throne while his father was away on a campaign.

But after seeing his newborn son, he wavered.

If this could be accomplished, his son wouldn't have to live a life of uncertainty; he would be his eldest son, and would be the most honored of the eldest sons.

Soetu's ability to deliver the letter indicated that they still had personnel within the palace, and it would also be convenient for Kangxi to make moves in Changchun Garden.

The prince sat alone in the room in silence for a long time, and finally asked someone to tell Soetu to find a way to come to Yuqing Palace tonight for a chat.

When Wenshan returned to her palace, Yinzhen, Yinsi and Yinxiang were not there. Baoquan said that Yinsi had just come and wanted to wait for her to come back, but it seemed that he had something urgent to do, so he left in a hurry and left a message to come and pay his respects tomorrow morning.

It was quite late when Wang's child was born. Wenshan nodded and prepared to wash up and rest. Unexpectedly, Kangxi came just as she was about to go to bed.

Wenshan: "..."

What a ghost.

Kangxi came in from outside with some heat, and looked up to see that Wenshan had already changed into pajamas.

"Did I disturb your rest?"

Don't you know whether you disturbed your rest or not?

Despite this, Wen Shan still managed a smile and said, "Your Majesty, what are you talking about? I just got back."

Kangxi naturally knew where Wen Shan had been; he had also met the son Wang had given Yinreng before arriving.

Kangxi asked Wen Shan to sit down, and he himself sat cross-legged on the couch. Wen Shan's heart skipped a beat when she saw him like this.

This wasn't good. It looked like he was going to have a long conversation with her all night.

Sure enough, Kangxi told her frankly that he had just met the crown prince's son.

"He doesn't look much like Yinreng as a child," Kangxi said, "only his eyes are a little bit similar."

Wen Shan didn't dare to respond.

She had no idea how Kangxi felt about the child, and it was easy to step on the wrong topic.

As expected, Kangxi saw Wen Shan cautiously looking up at him and sighed, "It's okay. There's nothing we can't talk about."

"..."

There were so many things he couldn't say, as if they knew each other well.

"What does the emperor plan to do with this child?" Wen Shan asked tentatively.

If the child was to be kept in the palace, then she really needed to inquire, after all, the power to assist in the management of the six harems still rested in her hands.

Kangxi knelt, twirled the ring on his finger, and said calmly, "After all, her origin is unknown, so she cannot be kept in the palace."

"..."

Wen Shan was speechless and impressed by Kangxi's ability to come up with an answer.

Just now, she had said that this was the prince's child, and now its origin was unknown.

Since it was not to be kept in the palace, it was none of her business, so Wen Shan did not ask any more questions. Kangxi remained silent for a long time, who knew what he was thinking. Only when Wen Shan was almost drowsy did he go to rest with her.

Within two days, arrangements had been made for the care of Wang and the child.

Wang was originally going to be exiled to Ningguta like her family, but Kangxi finally did not pursue the matter because she gave birth to a son for the prince, and just let her leave the palace. As for the child, it was impossible to put him on the imperial register, but he was of royal blood after all, so Kangxi arranged for him to be with an idle prince as his son, which was actually just to help raise him, because he couldn't let the child really live among the people.

Coincidentally, this child was also the next generation of the prince, and was named Hong. Kangxi also allowed the prince to come and pick him up in person. After

all this busy work, Kangxi's second expedition to Junggar was finally on the agenda.