Chapter 98: The Fifth Fulinjin

Chapter 98: The Fifth Fulinjin

An Qing never expected things to progress so smoothly. After Mai Dong made a round in the Imperial Medical Institute, the matter was almost completely resolved.

First, she confirmed with Little Doctor Qi whether the prescription had been altered. Upon confirming that it hadn't, she went directly to Director Qi and demanded a thorough investigation. Director Qi knew how important this pregnancy of the Fifth Fulinjin was and did not dare to be careless. He immediately began an internal investigation within the Imperial Medical Institute.

It was also quite coincidental. Following An Qing's instructions, Mai Dong intended to secretly find the person Liu Jiashi had hired. However, before she could act, the person, out of guilt or perhaps due to not expecting An Qing's swift actions, revealed their mistake on the spot.

After that, everything became much simpler. With the person's testimony, Ma Xiang directly brought the little eunuch from Liu Jiashi's side for interrogation. After some severe questioning, he confessed everything.

Then, Ma Xiang led people to control Liu Jiashi and Baijia Shi. An Qing did not interfere further and did not even see them again.

Yinqi was informed by Ma Xiang's men and rushed back immediately. He first came to the main courtyard to ensure An Qing was unharmed before heading to the front courtyard to handle the matter.

The matter was not difficult to investigate. With solid evidence, Liu Jiashi could not argue. Baijia Shi, after a brief panic, quickly regained her composure and insisted on her innocence, claiming she had no intention to harm the Fulinjin.

But such petty tricks could not deceive Yinqi, who grew up in the imperial harem. He ordered the palace maids around Baijia Shi to be interrogated, and soon they confessed everything under torture.

With this, the matter was thoroughly resolved.

After taking everyone away, Ma Xiang asked in a low voice, "Master, what should we do with these two?"

Yinqi stared at his toes, sitting silently for a long time, as if finally making a difficult decision. "If the heart is corrupt, it cannot be kept."

Otherwise, it would surely lead to greater disaster.

Hearing this, Ma Xiang was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Yinqi's concerns. Having spent many years in the imperial harem, he had seen too many cases where hesitation led to irreversible consequences.

Considering An Qing's pregnancy, Yinqi did not involve her further in the matter. However, she was informed of the outcome.

In the end, the public result was that Baijia Shi, citing a sudden serious illness, was taken out of the palace in a carriage and sent to the royal estate to recuperate. Liu Jiashi was placed under house arrest again, this time with guards, more akin to imprisonment than confinement.

Upon hearing this outcome, Cui Liu and the others were clearly unhappy, feeling the punishment was too light. After all, Baijia Shi being sent to the royal estate did not preclude her from returning someday, and Liu Jiashi's confinement might be lifted at any time.

They had acted so maliciously, targeting their own mistress, yet received such a mild punishment. It seemed too lenient.

Little Xizi hesitated, wanting to say something, but seeing the Fulinjin's belly, he swallowed his words silently.

Having grown up in the palace, he knew more than others. Sometimes, the seemingly mild punishments were not necessarily good news.

An Qing also sensed something from Yinqi's words. She was not foolish and had heard of the methods used within the royal family, but she did not want to think about it further.

She could admit she was avoiding it.

In her past life, An Qing had deeply analyzed her personality. Deep down, she disliked conflict and did not enjoy fighting. But growing up in an orphanage, she sometimes had to fight back to avoid being bullied.

Being kind often led to being taken advantage of. She knew that fighting back was necessary when faced with malice, but that did not mean she enjoyed the trouble.

Perhaps this was why she loved farming so much.

An Qing chose not to see Liu Jiashi and Baijia Shi because she was tired of it all. What was the point of meeting them? They would only say the same things, which she could easily guess. Both sides in a dispute always believed they were right, so what was the point of pointless arguments?

Sometimes, she thought that if everyone could live peacefully, it would be great. But people have different aspirations, and some conflicts are inevitable.

Perhaps due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, An Qing felt a bit melancholic. Realizing this, she quickly adjusted her mindset.

Life is full of disappointments, and her current situation was already quite good. She would face challenges head-on, and life would continue as usual.

Perhaps due to her travels over the past year, she found the palace life incredibly dull. Of course, the discomfort of late pregnancy also contributed to this feeling.

Entering the final trimester, An Qing's feet started swelling, and she occasionally experienced leg cramps. As her belly grew larger, her movements became more cumbersome. She slept excessively during the day but often tossed and turned at night.

Only then did she truly understand how challenging pregnancy could be.

Days continued to pass slowly, and Imperial City welcomed another snowy season.

An Qing's annual project of watching snow in the Forbidden City had to be paused. Instead, she stayed indoors, warming herself by the stove, petting cats, and watching the snow through the window.

After naming the calico cat Snowball, An Qing finally named the kittens before they grew into adult cats. One was called Bongbong, and the other was called Tiaotiao.

These names were simple and straightforward, reflecting their lively personalities. An Qing felt they suited them well.

But Cui Liu was quite disdainful. "Master, your names are too casual. Look at other people's cats; they are named 'Wuyun Taxisnow' and 'Moyu Chuipearl,' which sound elegant. Your names lack grandeur."

An Qing was unfazed by the criticism. "I told you to name them, but you insisted I do it. Now that I've named them, you're unhappy. What can we do? I've done my part, so deal with it!"

At this moment, Chunxiao entered with a bowl of silver ear lily red bean porridge. "Master, we're not unhappy. Only Cui Liu is."

She placed the porridge in front of An Qing, gesturing for her to eat while it was still warm.

An Qing was indeed hungry. She noticed that hunger increased during late pregnancy, but she had to be mindful of not eating too much to avoid a large baby. Thus, she had to eat small meals frequently.

Cui Liu pouted, saying, "You don't know the hardships of raising cats. Come here, Bongbong and Tiaotiao. Let me take you for a walk."

An Qing couldn't help but laugh at her antics.

This girl was truly someone who complained but acted differently. Despite her complaints, she called the cats' names more fluently than anyone else.

Where did her phrase "not knowing the hardships of raising cats" come from? It was because these two kittens now lived in her and Perilla's room.

The reason was that these energetic kittens might accidentally hurt An Qing. Nurse Xu, sent by Concubine Yi, moved their original nest from the east warm pavilion to the west warm pavilion. Cui Liu volunteered to take care of them.

Nurse Xu was sent by Concubine Yi, personally chosen for An Qing. Since her pregnancy, she needed an experienced nursemaid, and both Concubine Yi and the Empress Dowager were not at ease. In the end, Concubine Yi selected one from the Imperial Household Department and sent her to An Qing.

An Qing did have a wet nurse, who should have accompanied her. But since she married from Horqin to the Imperial City, the wet nurse had a family and grandchildren, and An Qing did not want to separate her from them, so she left her behind.

However, since Nurse Xu arrived, An Qing realized the importance of having an experienced nursemaid. Although Mai Dong knew medicine, she was still young and inexperienced in many matters. After all, medical books could not cover everything.

In the following days, snow fell several times in the Imperial City. Before long, it was once again time for the Forbidden City to bustle with preparations for the New Year.

This year's New Year could be considered the most relaxed one for An Qing since she married into the Forbidden City. The Empress Dowager had directly issued an edict exempting her from all activities. So while others were frantically busy, she spent her time leisurely flipping through storybooks in her room.

Truly, being free of responsibilities felt light and easy.

After the New Year, it quickly became the first month of Kangxi's thirty-ninth year.

At this time, An Qing's belly had grown even larger, as she described it, like an inflated balloon.

"Madam, Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace has brought Little Prince Honghui," Perilla reported as she entered.

An Qing was currently lounging on a soft couch in the outer room when she heard this and couldn't help but be momentarily stunned. Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace had come?

"Please invite them in."

An Qing did not show much surprise at Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace's arrival. In recent months, since she couldn't go out, Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace would visit every now and then, often bringing along Honghui.

Apart from Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace, the Eighth Princess also occasionally brought the Tenth Princess to keep her company.

By the time Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace led Honghui inside, An Qing had already sat up from the soft couch. Seeing the two, she warmly waved at Honghui.

"Honghui, come over here to your Fifth Aunt."

Honghui looked up at his mother, and after receiving her permission, obediently approached, "Honghui greets Fifth Aunt."

The little boy, nearly three years old, had a chubby and adorable face.

An Qing pulled him closer and smiled, "Honghui is such a good boy."

She then looked up at Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace and gestured for her to sit down.

Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace noticed the cushions and blanket on the soft couch behind An Qing and guessed that she must have been resting just now. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she said, "Did we come at an inconvenient time? Did we disturb your rest?"

An Qing waved her hand, "No, I wasn't sleepy, just feeling lazy and wanted to lie down."

Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace nodded slightly, looking at her belly. Indeed, this stage was prone to laziness; she remembered feeling the same way when she was pregnant with Honghui.

"Calculating the days, you must be close to your due date, right?"

An Qing nodded, "The imperial physician said it should be around this time."

Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace smiled, "It's really coming soon. You must be very excited, right?"

Every expectant mother looks forward to meeting their child, especially as the due date approaches.

An Qing softly agreed, "I am quite excited, but perhaps not in the way you think."

"I just want to get this baby out so I can feel lighter."

Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace found her description amusing yet strangely fitting.

"Fifth Aunt, was my sister well-behaved today?" Honghui asked, looking at An Qing's belly in a soft voice.

Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace immediately corrected him, "Mother told you, little children shouldn't say such things. Your Fifth Aunt clearly has a brother in there."

Honghui responded with an "Oh," a hint of disappointment crossing his face.

But he really wanted a sister.

An Qing understood Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace's concern but didn't mind, "Fourth Sister-in-law, it's fine. A sister is good too. Whether it's a brother or a sister, Fifth Aunt doesn't mind."

As long as the child is healthy, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl.

With that, she smiled and gently patted Honghui's little bald head, indicating it was alright.

Moreover, she believed that children's predictions were baseless. Based on her limited experience, children usually say what they want.

Princess Third's daughter Bayar had said she had a brother in her belly because Bayar wanted a brother.

And her elder brother's daughter Duo Lan, who wanted a sister, had pointed at her belly saying it was a sister, which made both An Qing and her mother laugh.

Honghui was no different.

Although An Qing said she didn't mind, Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace still felt a bit embarrassed, "I don't know why, but this child keeps wishing for a sister."

An Qing smiled without saying anything more about wishing for a sister.

She knew that Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace had injured herself during Honghui's birth, and the imperial physician had said she might not be able to conceive again. Mentioning it would truly hurt her feelings.

"Fifth Aunt, can Honghui see the strawberries you planted?" Honghui tilted his head and asked.

An Qing smiled, "Of course."

She then signaled Perilla to take him there, and Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace instructed the servants accompanying Honghui to go with them.

They were clearly used to this request, as he must have visited many times before.

Thinking about the strawberries in her greenhouse, An Qing couldn't help but feel happy. With her careful tending, the strawberries had already started to bear fruit, and the fruits looked promising. They would likely ripen in a few days.

After months of anticipation, the strawberries were finally going to be ready to eat.

After performing the proper greetings to An Qing and Princess Consort of the Fourth Palace, Honghui followed Perilla out.

Every time An Qing saw him, so small yet so well-mannered, she couldn't help but marvel, "Honghui is just like Fourth Brother."

He behaved with strict propriety, adhering to rules and regulations, just like his father, except for his young age, which prevented him from fully concealing his emotions. Even his appearance was similar.

The Fourth Princess Consort naturally understood the implications of An Qing's words. She helplessly shook her head; her husband was indeed a man who placed great importance on rules, and this extended to his strict expectations of Honghui.

Fortunately, Honghui did not resent it and aspired to emulate his father in everything, which made their relationship harmonious.

"Fourth Sister-in-Law, have you heard the news from the palace?" the Fourth Princess Consort asked.

An Qing was taken aback. What news had come from the palace recently? She hadn't heard Cui Liu mention any gossip.

"Fourth Sister, you can see that I've been confined to this courtyard all day. How could I possibly hear any news?"

The Fourth Princess Consort thought about it and realized it was true. Without further ado, she said, "I heard from others that His Majesty intends to let the princes who have already received titles leave the palace and establish their own households."

An Qing sat up straight, her eyes shining as she looked at the Fourth Princess Consort. "Really? Is this information reliable? Did Fourth Brother tell you?"

Being able to leave the palace and establish a household was a tremendous blessing.

She knew roughly that around the fortieth year of Kangxi’s reign, Yinqi and the other princes would be allowed to leave the palace and establish their own households, but the exact timing was uncertain.

The Fourth Princess Consort was startled by her reaction and hurriedly supported her. "Be careful; don’t fall."

A pregnant woman shouldn't make such sudden movements; it was too dangerous.

An Qing responded with an "Oh," obediently sitting back down, then stared eagerly at the Fourth Princess Consort, waiting for her reply.

The Fourth Princess Consort found this amusing. She always knew that her Fifth Sister-in-Law had a childish side, but now that she was about to become a mother, she expected her to be more mature. Instead, it seemed to have gotten worse.

"It wasn't your Fourth Brother; my mother told me today when she came into the palace. I also sent someone to inquire, and apparently, the news has spread throughout the palace."

She herself was unsure, which is why she came to ask An Qing, only to find that An Qing knew even less than she did.

Hearing this, An Qing felt a bit disappointed. It was just another rumor. In recent years, rumors about leaving the palace and establishing households circulated every now and then. If it was just a rumor from the palace, there was little to rely on.

However, if the news came from the Fourth Princess Consort's mother, it might mean something significant. After all, the Fourth Princess Consort's family still had many influential positions in the capital, and they might have picked up some information through official channels.

An Qing thought more about it and believed it was possible. She had planned to share the good news with Yinqi when he returned in the evening.

Unexpectedly, before she could speak, she was dazzled by Yinqi's joyful demeanor.

"Is there some good news?"

An Qing blinked, wondering if it was what she had guessed.

Yinqi smiled happily. "Did you figure it out?"

An Qing thought, how could she not notice with his grin stretching from ear to ear?

"Let me tell you some good news. Today, His Majesty finally issued an edict allowing us to leave the palace and establish our own households," Yinqi said.

Although An Qing had guessed, hearing that Kangxi had actually issued the edict still surprised her.

She had initially thought Yinqi had merely heard some rumors, but the news he brought was concrete.

So, they were really going to leave the palace. At that moment, An Qing's joy reached its peak.

After all, who wouldn’t prefer a spacious villa over a cramped living space?

While her description of the palace as a "cramped living space" was somewhat exaggerated, the environment in the princes' quarters was indeed quite small. The confined life within the palace walls held no charm for her.

Apart from her attachment to her beautiful mother-in-law and the Empress Dowager, as a princess consort, she could visit the palace anytime she wished. With a simple request, she could enter without issue, eliminating any concerns.

Seeing An Qing's excitement, Yinqi quickly explained, "But the process of establishing our household won't happen immediately. We need to wait for the funds His Majesty grants for setting up the household, and then we'll have to renovate the mansion."

They would also need to furnish the mansion, which would take nearly a year.

An Qing understood this well.

Over the years, each prince's household had been assigned long ago. Apart from other considerations, Kangxi's financial constraints prevented him from granting each prince the substantial sum of 230,000 taels, delaying the edict for them to leave the palace.

A year was manageable; she could certainly wait. Her wish was to move out by the time her child turned one.

Both An Qing and Yinqi were clearly excited about leaving the palace. Yinqi immediately sent Ma Xiang to fetch the floor plan of the mansion granted by His Majesty and discussed with An Qing how to renovate it.

An Qing was very interested. After all, this mansion would be their permanent residence, so it needed proper planning.

The mansion granted to Yinqi was once the residence of a high-ranking official from the previous dynasty. Due to lack of maintenance over time, the Imperial Household Department would thoroughly renovate it.

This was a major project, but it had the advantage of allowing them to customize the mansion according to their preferences.

For An Qing, everything else was negotiable, but she insisted on having a large plot of land within the mansion for experimental farming. She wanted to start hybrid breeding research once they moved out.

The space in the palace was too limited, and the small plot in her courtyard was insufficient for her experiments. While the Royal Manor was spacious, it wasn't practical for daily visits. Establishing their own household would provide the freedom she needed.

Due to this news, An Qing was delighted for several days.

Every day, she enthusiastically studied the floor plan. Honestly, if it weren't for her current condition, she would have gone out to inspect the site herself.

However, leaving the palace was out of the question as her due date approached. The atmosphere in An Qing's courtyard grew increasingly tense.

Concubine Yi and the Empress Dowager had arranged for wet nurses and midwives to stay in the courtyard early. They also sent trusted servants from Yikun Palace and Ningshou Palace to assist.

The delivery room was prepared, and the Imperial Medical Bureau had been notified. Everything was ready for the upcoming birth.

That day, as usual, after having their evening meal, Yinqi accompanied An Qing for a stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion.

Everything was going well, and they were enthusiastically discussing matters related to the residence when, suddenly, An Qing felt a warm sensation between her legs.

She... seemed to be going into labor!