Chapter 051

Chapter 051

On the way back, they were supposed to take the same route they came from, but Lady Uya felt uneasy and decided to take a different path instead.

She was cautious and vigilant throughout the journey, constantly reminding her attendants to watch their steps.

This outing had left Lady Uya highly strung, fearing that something might go wrong.

Leaving the banquet early made her feel uneasy, but she thought taking a different route should be safe.

Inside the Jiaotai Palace, Kangxi had not even stayed for half the event before he excused himself, citing pressing state affairs.

The Imperial Noble Consort quickly stood up and said considerately, "Your Majesty's presence has already brought me great joy. I respectfully bid you farewell."

The birthday banquet was not a significant event, and Kangxi's brief attendance had already made the Imperial Noble Consort's celebration grand. If Kangxi had stayed longer, the Imperial Noble Consort would have found it strange.

The other concubines also rose to bid farewell, feeling a pang of disappointment.

After all, the Emperor had only stayed for a short while before leaving.

They hadn't seen the Emperor for a long time, and they had hoped to catch a glimpse of him during the Imperial Noble Consort's banquet. But it had been such a brief encounter.

However, they only dared to whisper in their hearts, not daring to voice their thoughts, as even the Imperial Noble Consort didn't seem to mind, so how could they?

After Kangxi left, the atmosphere in the hall visibly soured, and the mood turned somber.

The concubines exchanged a few words and forced smiles, and even the dance performances were watched with distracted attention.

At this moment, a servant from Duan Pin's palace hurried in and whispered something to Duan Pin's head maid.

Upon hearing the news, the head maid's expression changed, and she immediately whispered into Duan Pin's ear. Duan Pin, who had been composed, nearly lost her composure and asked in a low voice, "Have people been sent to look for her?"

"They have, but she hasn't been found yet," the maid replied with a troubled expression, clearly indicating the severity of the situation.

Duan Pin's face paled, and she was overcome with panic. Why did the Fourth Princess have to stir up trouble at this moment? She had never been unkind to her, so why was she so obsessed with Zhang Shi?

"Go check Zhang Shi's quarters. Maybe she sneaked off to see her again," Duan Pin urged.

"There's no one at Zhang Shi's quarters," the maid shook her head.

The fact that Zhang Shi was also missing escalated the situation.

Zhang Shi was nowhere to be found, which meant she must have sneaked off to meet the Fourth Princess. The two of them were likely hiding in some corner of the palace.

Normally, Duan Pin kept a vigilant eye on the Fourth Princess, preventing her from sneaking off to see Zhang Shi.

But today, Duan Pin had brought many people to the Jiaotai Palace, leaving fewer attendants in the palace. As a result, the Fourth Princess had vanished in the blink of an eye.

The wet nurse had scoured the area for a long time but couldn't find the Fourth Princess. She even went to Zhang Shi's quarters, but Zhang Shi was also missing.

As time passed, the Fourth Princess remained missing, and they could no longer conceal it. They had to report it to Duan Pin at the Jiaotai Palace.

But Duan Pin was also bewildered. Even though the imperial princes were more precious, the disappearance of a princess was not something she, as a concubine, could handle alone.

However, mentioning it now would undoubtedly lead to serious consequences.

"Sister Duan Pin, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale? Has something happened in your palace?"

Someone had already noticed Duan Pin's distress and asked.

The tone, though seemingly concerned, actually carried a hint of schadenfreude.

Concubine Duan glanced at Concubine Jing, who had spoken, feeling extremely irritated. It was also tough for Concubine Jing; while Concubine Xi, sitting beside her, remained silent, Concubine Jing in front had already spoken up.

Concubine Duan hesitated, torn between hiding the news of the Fourth Princess's disappearance and continuing the search herself, only reporting it when absolutely necessary.

However, the consequences of not reporting it immediately could be dire if something happened to the Fourth Princess.

After weighing the pros and cons, Concubine Duan decided to report it to the Imperial Noble Consort immediately, let her decide, and then send more people to help with the search.

This way, they could find the Fourth Princess quickly, and she would at most be guilty of lax supervision, not a serious offense. If something happened to the Fourth Princess due to delay, her role as a foster mother would be finished.

Having thought through the stakes, Concubine Duan stood up, walked out, and directly knelt down to plead guilty.

"Concubine Duan, why are you doing this?"

Concubine Duan's actions startled the Imperial Noble Consort, who then inquired what had happened.

The other concubines also looked over, curious about what was wrong with Concubine Duan.

Just when everything seemed dull, now everyone was on edge.

"Reporting to the Imperial Noble Consort, just now someone from my palace informed me that the Fourth Princess sneaked out while her wet nurse wasn't paying attention. We went to Zhang Shi's residence but found it empty. It seems Zhang Shi coaxed the Fourth Princess to sneak out and meet somewhere. I truly have no choice but to report this, fearing that the Fourth Princess might be in danger without anyone to attend to her, which is why..."

As she spoke, Concubine Duan couldn't help but wipe her tears and continued,

"If this matter weren't so serious, I wouldn't dare to disturb the joy of this grand banquet. I beg Your Highness to send more people to help search for the Fourth Princess and Zhang Shi.

I usually don't hinder Zhang Shi from seeing the child, but Zhang Shi is always acting mysteriously. I fear the Fourth Princess might be influenced, so I have people keep a close eye. Normally, they are watched closely, but today, just because I came to celebrate Your Highness's grand banquet, such an incident occurred..."

In her words, she shifted most of the blame onto Zhang Shi.

Zhang Shi was the biological mother of the Fourth Princess. When the Fourth Princess was brought to her, she already knew Zhang Shi was her birth mother and wasn't very close to her. When she first arrived, she would cry every day to see Zhang Shi, and no amount of gentle coaxing helped.

Concubine Duan could only have people keep a close eye on the Fourth Princess, minimizing Zhang Shi's contact with her.

But no matter how well she watched, she couldn't stop the Fourth Princess from wanting to find her birth mother.

Originally, she also pitied the Fourth Princess. Her own Second Princess had died young, and when the Fourth Princess was sent to her, she treated her as if she were her own deceased Second Princess.

But who would have thought that the Fourth Princess would still long for Zhang Shi, never truly bonding, and now causing such a big trouble.

Concubine Duan felt a deep resentment towards the Fourth Princess. Once she was found, she would definitely impose stricter supervision to prevent this ungrateful child from causing more trouble.

"The Fourth Princess is frail. It's dangerous for her to be lost in the palace without anyone accompanying her. Concubine Duan, how could you be so careless!"

Concubine Jing seized the moment to add insult to injury.

She thought, no wonder Concubine Duan looked so upset; it turned out the Fourth Princess was missing.

Concubine Duan secretly hated Concubine Jing, who always thrived on chaos.

Previously, she had been jealous of Concubine Duan for being able to adopt the Fourth Princess, and now she was taking the opportunity to kick her while she was down.

The Imperial Noble Consort's smile faded, and her expression turned serious. "Enough, Concubine Jing, say no more. The priority now is to find the Fourth Princess immediately. This matter also needs to be reported to the Emperor at once, and more people should be sent to search."

With that, the Imperial Noble Consort ordered people to start searching immediately and sent someone to the Qianqing Palace to inform Kangxi. This grand banquet was effectively ending early, as there was no mood to continue.

"Concubine Duan, please rise. Kneeling like this won't solve anything. Sit down and wait for news with us."

The Imperial Noble Consort allowed Concubine Duan, who was still kneeling, to rise first. After all, she was a high-ranking concubine, and it was inappropriate for her to kneel for so long. The Imperial Noble Consort then had someone help Concubine Duan to her feet.

The other concubines, feeling it inappropriate to leave, sat quietly, waiting for news.

The Imperial Noble Consort sat at the head of the room, her expression calm. It was her grand birthday banquet, and such an incident had occurred. All the concubines thought that the Imperial Noble Consort must be deeply displeased.

Consort Tongjia, on the other hand, remained indifferent. If it weren't for the fact that no one had left, she would have wanted to leave early.

It was just the Fourth Princess, a sickly child born of a lesser consort. Why should so many people wait together for news?

Kangxi had just returned to the Qianqing Palace and barely begun reviewing memorials when Liang Jiugong approached anxiously, "Your Majesty."

"What is it?"

Kangxi asked without looking up, his brush continuing to move.

"Just now, the Imperial Noble Consort sent someone to report that the Fourth Princess had gone missing. Concubine Duan has already sent people to search once, but she hasn't been found yet. The Imperial Noble Consort has already dispatched more people to join the search," Liang Jiugong said quickly.

Kangxi's brush trembled, leaving a stray mark that ruined the memorial.

He looked up and said with composure, "Immediately dispatch guards to join the search. They must find the Fourth Princess as soon as possible. Report back to me as soon as there is any news."

Liang Jiugong did not dare to delay and quickly ordered the guards to dispatch in teams to search different areas, instructing them to report back immediately if they found anything.

With such an incident occurring, Kangxi could no longer focus on reviewing memorials. He sat expressionlessly for a while.

After some time, Liang Jiugong returned with a grim expression, "The Fourth Princess has fallen into the water and has perished. Lady Wuyachang, who also fell into the water, is now in labor but remains unconscious."

Before he could finish, the delivery maid said that even if Lady Wuyachang woke up later, she might still face a difficult birth, potentially resulting in the death of both mother and child.

Kangxi's face darkened, and he struck the table, "What exactly happened? Explain it clearly to me."

He refused to believe it was mere coincidence that both the Fourth Princess and Lady Wuyachang had fallen into the water. There must be someone's hand behind this.

Why would Lady Wuyachang, who had left early, encounter the Fourth Princess, who had slipped away?

Liang Jiugong did not dare to delay and quickly recounted the entire incident from beginning to end.

The Fourth Princess's birth mother, Concubine Zhang, had become unstable after the death of the Eldest Princess. The Fourth Princess, born afterward, was also frail and sickly from birth.

This further agitated Concubine Zhang, who became even more anxious about the Fourth Princess.

However, Concubine Zhang turned to praying to deities and Buddhas, claiming that the court physicians were useless. She often secretly discarded the medicine prescribed for the Fourth Princess, forbidding her from taking it.

As a result, the Fourth Princess's health only deteriorated further.

Concubine Zhang insisted the medicine worsened the Fourth Princess's condition and forbade its use, as the Eldest Princess had taken medicine regularly but still died young. Therefore, she also forbade the Fourth Princess from taking medicine.

She claimed that praying to deities and Buddhas would protect the Fourth Princess.

Later, as the Fourth Princess's condition worsened, the servants feared that if things continued this way, the Fourth Princess might truly die. If that happened, Concubine Zhang might survive, but they, as servants, would face certain execution. Thus, they brought the matter to light.

It was then discovered that Concubine Zhang had been secretly discarding the Fourth Princess's medicine, praying to deities and Buddhas every day, and even deluded herself into thinking that the Fourth Princess was getting better.

Upon learning of this, Kangxi immediately ordered the Fourth Princess removed from Concubine Zhang's care.

By then, the Fourth Princess's condition had been so neglected that she was near death. It took a long period of recuperation for her to recover.

During that period, Concubine Duan was the one who cared for her.

Princess Fourth could no longer be raised by Lady Zhang. Since Consort Duan had been quite attentive in her care, and she had no children of her own, having previously lost a Second Princess at an early age, it was believed that she would take good care of Princess Fourth. Thus, Emperor Kangxi entrusted Princess Fourth to Consort Duan.

Princess Fourth's body had become very frail from being raised by Lady Zhang. Even though Consort Duan later ensured that everything was done to take care of her, Princess Fourth still fell ill frequently, suffering repeatedly, which was quite distressing.

If this were the only issue, it would have been better, but Princess Fourth was already old enough to remember when she came to Consort Duan. She remembered Lady Zhang as her birth mother and often cried to see her. Despite nearly dying while under Lady Zhang's care, Princess Fourth still thought of her fondly.

Lady Zhang, resentful that Consort Duan had adopted Princess Fourth, was prevented from seeing her.

Later, Lady Zhang somehow obtained a talisman paper, claiming that if burned and the ashes mixed into water for Princess Fourth to drink, her health would fully recover, and then Lady Zhang could reclaim her.

However, fearing Consort Duan's interference, Lady Zhang secretly met with Princess Fourth. When the wet nurse and nanny stepped away for a moment, Lady Zhang instructed Princess Fourth to use the opportunity during the Empress Noble Consort's birthday banquet, when most of the palace attendants would accompany Consort Duan, to send the wet nurse away and secretly meet her.

She said she had something special to give Princess Fourth, so she could stay with her birth mother forever, and warned her not to tell Consort Duan, or she would prevent it.

Princess Fourth, who hadn't seen Lady Zhang in a long time and missed her, believed what Lady Zhang said. On the day of the Empress Noble Consort's birthday banquet, taking advantage of the wet nurse and nanny's distraction, she slipped out to find her birth mother, Lady Zhang.

Lady Zhang had been waiting outside all along. Seeing Princess Fourth slip out, she took her to the place where the talisman paper was hidden.

The talisman needed to absorb the essence of the sun and moon. Once the right moment arrived, it would be taken out, burned, and the ashes mixed into water for Princess Fourth to drink.

Lady Zhang believed this, as she had already become somewhat deranged. After Princess Fourth was adopted, Lady Zhang's condition worsened. While others might not have believed such claims, Lady Zhang was firmly convinced.

Princess Fourth, having been raised by Lady Zhang, was accustomed to her and deeply relied on her, so she believed everything Lady Zhang said.

Although the talisman water tasted terrible, Princess Fourth drank it. Lady Zhang watched expectantly for the effects to take hold, but Princess Fourth's complexion began to change, and she started to experience stomach pain. Soon, she couldn't help but clutch her stomach and cry out, her cries becoming increasingly pitiful, which terrified Lady Zhang, who was already on edge.

Unable to believe the sudden change, she thought about seeking help, but to avoid drawing attention, she had deliberately brought Princess Fourth to a secluded path with few palace attendants after dark. There was a pond and a pavilion here, which was convenient for the talisman to absorb the essence of day and night, and then under the moonlight, Princess Fourth would drink the talisman water and recover.

But after Princess Fourth drank it, she did not get better; instead, she began to cry out in stomach pain. In a panic, Lady Zhang shouted for help, running around wildly until she encountered Lady Wuya on this path. With only a few people accompanying her, Lady Wuya could not stop the deranged Lady Zhang.

"Help! Help! Come and save the Fourth Princess!" Zhang Shi only trusted Wuya Shi and urged her to quickly order someone to save the Fourth Princess. Concerned about her pregnancy, Wuya Shi dared not resist and was dragged by Zhang Shi to the pavilion. During this, Wuya Shi was both frightened and panicked, and after the shock, her water broke.

Upon reaching the pavilion, the Fourth Princess was in unbearable pain. Hearing voices but not seeing anyone, she lunged forward. Wuya Shi instinctively protected her belly and pushed the lunging Fourth Princess away. The Fourth Princess, too weak from pain to stand firmly, tumbled out of the pavilion and fell into the lake, struggling briefly before sinking.

Seeing the Fourth Princess fall, Zhang Shi, in a frenzy, tried to push Wuya Shi into the lake as well, desperately clinging to her, and both fell into the water.

A maid, sensing trouble when Zhang Shi abruptly accosted Wuya Shi, hurried off to summon help. By the time help arrived, they had to dive in to rescue both the Fourth Princess and Wuya Shi.

The Fourth Princess was just a child, and Wuya Shi was about to give birth, both more valuable than Zhang Shi. However, when the Fourth Princess was pulled out, she was already lifeless, with blood from her ears and nose, not drowned but poisoned by the toxic charmed water she had consumed.

Wuya Shi, shocked and with her water broken, fell unconscious after inhaling water and was sent to deliver her baby without regaining consciousness. The imperial physician had already used silver needles to stimulate her, but Wuya Shi remained in a coma, her life hanging by a thread.

Zhang Shi had been arrested, and the Imperial Noble Consort had ordered her to be detained pending punishment. Now, with all the concubines waiting at Jingren Palace for Wuya Shi's delivery, her survival hung in the balance.

After delivering his report in one breath, Liang Jiugong didn't dare ask for water, overwhelmed by the night's chaos.

"Where did Zhang Shi get the talisman?" Kangxi asked succinctly, hitting the crucial point directly—who gave Zhang Shi the talisman and for what purpose.

"The Department of Punishments has already interrogated her. Zhang Shi was deranged, her words disjointed, seemingly related to the White Lotus Cult," Liang Jiugong said nervously, swallowing hard.

The White Lotus Cult was a taboo subject, and the idea that someone from the cult had infiltrated the palace to bewitch Zhang Shi was alarming. If they could bewitch Zhang Shi today, who knows what they could do tomorrow...

Despite his fury, Kangxi remained eerily calm, stating coldly, "Follow the clues, better to err on the side of caution and eliminate all suspects." His eyes were filled with murderous intent.

This command was not directed at Liang Jiugong. A shadowy figure materialized, dropping to one knee, "As you command," and then vanished in a flash.

——

Jingren Palace

The Imperial Noble Consort and Consort Tongjia sat together waiting, but there was still no movement from Uya Changzai in the side hall. The other concubines couldn't resist whispering among themselves.

"Could it be that Uya Changzai..." someone hinted with a mouth gesture, implying a tragic outcome of both mother and child.

"Ah!" Another person covered her mouth, pretending to be shocked. In reality, it was all an act. In the harem, the birth of any child, especially a prince, was a threat. They secretly wished for Uya Changzai to meet a tragic end.

However, they still had to put on a show of concern for Uya Changzai, which was the norm among the women of the harem.

Sometimes, in such situations, they would even prepare something irritating to rub on their handkerchiefs. When needed, they would use it to immediately redden their eyes and shed tears.

The concubines gathered together were anything but quiet. The Imperial Noble Consort had to speak up to silence them, "Be quiet. Uya Changzai is in critical condition. Stop making noise. If you don't want to stay here, you may leave."

Her stern face and imposing demeanor were truly befitting of the Imperial Noble Consort. Seeing that her grand birthday banquet had turned into such a mess, it was clear that the Imperial Noble Consort was in a terrible mood. The concubines, not daring to provoke her, quickly quieted down.

Even Consort Tongjia thought the same.

She felt no sympathy for Uya Changzai's misfortune. Uya Changzai had chosen an unusual path instead of the safe one, and as a result, she encountered the deranged Zhang Shi. Who could she blame for such an outcome?

However, the Imperial Noble Consort's birthday had already been marred by the loss of the Fourth Princess. If Uya Changzai also met a tragic end, it would indeed be an ill omen for the Imperial Noble Consort's reputation. Consort Tongjia used her handkerchief to cover her rising smile.

The Imperial Noble Consort was undoubtedly tense and serious because of this, unable to maintain her usual facade of a polite smile.

The Imperial Noble Consort kept a close eye on Uya Changzai's condition, appearing very nervous, likely fearing that Uya Changzai might indeed meet a tragic end, which would tarnish her reputation.

Only Su Yi thought differently. She felt that the Imperial Noble Consort was actually quite excited. Several times, the Imperial Noble Consort's hands had trembled uncontrollably, as if she was suppressing her inner excitement.

Both the Imperial Noble Consort and Su Yi knew that Uya Changzai's child would be a prince.

In fact, no one present wished more than the Imperial Noble Consort for Uya Changzai to survive.

Suddenly, a scream came from the delivery room, and someone rushed out to report, "Imperial Noble Consort! Uya Changzai, she..."

The Imperial Noble Consort leaned forward, her face growing even more serious due to her tense nerves, "What happened to Uya Changzai?"

"Uya Changzai, she..." The midwife was about to say that Uya Changzai had stopped breathing, implying a tragic outcome.

At that moment, Su Yi covered her rising smile with her handkerchief.

The Imperial Noble Consort was inwardly overjoyed, but her expression showed the opposite. She swayed as if struck by a blow, and Yu Zhi quickly stepped forward to support her, "Your Highness!"

Just then, another maid rushed out with a joyful expression, waving her hand, "Midwife, come quickly! Uya Changzai has regained consciousness! She just coughed up the water she had inhaled and is calling for you to come back and help."

The maid's face was filled with joy. Upon hearing this, the midwife hurriedly bowed to the Imperial Noble Consort, "Your Highness, Uya Changzai has regained consciousness. The situation has improved. I must go back to assist."

With that, she hurried back inside.

The sudden turn of events made the Imperial Noble Consort's expression twist momentarily, but before anyone could notice, her face had already lit up with joy, and she smiled.

"It's good that Uya Changzai has regained consciousness," the Imperial Noble Consort said, gripping Yu Zhi's hand tightly. She exhaled as if relieved, "That midwife nearly scared me. Thankfully, it was a false alarm. Uya Changzai will surely pull through."

Her face showed relief, but her nails dug so deeply into Yu Zhi's hand that it caused her great pain. Yu Zhi, though in great pain, dared not show it and instead calmly helped her mistress sit down.