Chapter 052

Chapter 052

Consort Tongjia, standing nearby, remarked, "Lady Uya Changzai is truly fortunate."

To have nearly drowned and choked unconscious, yet still able to wake up and give birth—what a strong will.

The others all seemed somewhat in awe.

Su Yi covered her mouth with a handkerchief, coughing now and then. Yun Hua, anxious, patted her back. Su Yi shook her head; she wasn't really coughing; she just couldn't suppress her laughter. Suppressing it turned into coughing.

Ah, it's too early to celebrate.

Su Yi looked at the 'joyful' smile on the Imperial Noble Consort's face and couldn't help but cough a few more times. Staying up all night was worth it, even if it was exhausting.

She looked every bit the fragile beauty, and the others truly didn't realize she was faking her coughs.

Thinking she might be having another episode, they all moved slightly away, pulling out handkerchiefs to cover their noses and mouths, some even waving them about. "Consort Rong, if you're really not feeling well, perhaps you should inform the Imperial Noble Consort and return early."

Lest your coughing infect us.

Just as the words fell, "The Emperor has arrived—"

Now was not the time to avoid Consort Rong, so they all hurriedly bowed, worried that at this hour, everyone was exhausted, their makeup smudged and attire disheveled, and now the Emperor had arrived, leaving no time to tidy up.

The Imperial Noble Consort had already stood up to give up her seat. Kangxi walked over expressionlessly and sat down, raising his hand to signal them to rise. The Imperial Noble Consort stood up and took her place beside Kangxi. "Your Majesty, you've come."

The other servants, seeing this, immediately went to arrange new seating; they couldn't have the Imperial Noble Consort standing indefinitely.

"What's the situation inside?" Kangxi's face was cold, his eyes deep, revealing no emotion.

The Imperial Noble Consort spoke gently, "Your Majesty, the midwife just came out with an update that Lady Uya Changzai has regained consciousness and is now in labor."

After a pause, she added, "It seems Lady Uya Changzai is truly fortunate and will surely present Your Majesty with a healthy prince." The Imperial Noble Consort spoke with a smile, seemingly trying to add a touch of joy to the somber atmosphere.

After all, with the loss of the fourth princess tonight, if Lady Uya Changzai could deliver a prince, it might counteract some of the night's bad luck.

Unfortunately, despite all her efforts and extensive preparations to prevent this child's birth, it had all come to naught!

The Imperial Noble Consort was fuming inside, but on the surface, she had to feign happiness and congratulate Kangxi.

Kangxi didn't appear particularly pleased, looking at the Imperial Noble Consort beside him, he calmly said, "Is that so? Are you so certain that Lady Uya Changzai will present me with a little prince?"

When Kangxi looked at her, the Imperial Noble Consort felt a tightness in her chest. His gaze, meeting hers, seemed to see through her inner malice. She dug her nails into her palm, the pain helping her regain some composure.

"I can only hope. Whether it's a prince or a princess, it's a joyous occasion. Too much has happened tonight; please don't strain yourself, Your Majesty."

At this moment, the servants had arranged new seating. The Imperial Noble Consort glanced and felt a wave of relief; she really didn't want to be near Kangxi at that moment.

Kangxi shifted his gaze, "Tonight, the Imperial Noble Consort has indeed been hard at work. Please, take a seat."

This statement had a double meaning, both acknowledging her busyness tonight as the Imperial Noble Consort and hinting at her orchestration of the evening's events, even at the cost of ruining her own grand celebration to achieve her goals.

Kangxi's tone was flat, his expression unreadable. The Imperial Noble Consort didn't catch the underlying meaning, taking it at face value. Seeing that Kangxi didn't press further, she smiled and replied, "It's no trouble, Your Majesty. It's my duty."

With Kangxi's arrival, all the concubines crowded forward. Su Yi, with Yun Hua and Qinxin, edged backward. Yun Hua was puzzled; why should they yield their place to others? They were being pushed to the periphery.

Su Yi whispered, "I feel a bit stifled, I need some fresh air outside."

Yun Hua, hearing this, thought it made sense; her lady's health was more important, so she said nothing more.

She was feeling a bit stifled, but mainly she was worried about that dog of a man, Kangxi, who was still dragging her out at this time, drawing resentment towards her.

She decided to retreat to the back; after all, Consort Rong was still in front.

Looking at the wall of beauties ahead, Su Yi felt a bit safer.

Just as the Imperial Noble Consort had just sat down, Kangxi asked, "Where is Consort Rong? I don't see her."

The Imperial Noble Consort glanced around, not seeing her good sister, as she had been preoccupied with the affairs of Uya Shi and hadn't noticed where Consort Rong was.

Consort Tongjia, seeing the Emperor arrive, first spoke with the Imperial Noble Consort for a while, and not noticing her presence, instead began to inquire about Consort Rong, deliberately speaking, "Your Majesty is looking for Consort Rong, isn't she over there? I see her standing next to Yipin."

Kangxi looked over and saw Consort Rong in a sky-blue robe with yellow crane feathers standing next to Yipin. Consort Rong quickly curtsied, showing a gentle smile, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked over, but he quickly looked away, "No."

Consort Rong's smile stiffened immediately; she guessed that the Emperor was calling for Consort Rong, but how could he be so blunt about it? Yipin beside her couldn't help but laugh out loud, making Consort Rong's face even more embarrassed.

The Imperial Noble Consort gently interjected, "Your Majesty is looking for Min Yi, isn't it? Min Yi isn't feeling well, she must have gone back."

This seemed to be an excuse for Su Yi, but with so much happening tonight and all the concubines present, who could leave early? Only Su Yi had left first, which seemed like setting her up.

Kangxi didn't believe it, saying, "I saw her when I arrived."

Liang Jiugong had been looking around and suddenly his eyes lit up; he knew it, Consort Rong was easy to find, "Your Majesty, I see Consort Rong over there."

Then he took his whisk and made his way through the concubines to find Consort Rong at the back. If you asked how he saw her, he didn't need to look at the front, Consort Rong was definitely at the back, while others moved forward to bow, she bowed and retreated.

Su Yi's situation was like a spectator suddenly finding herself the spectacle.

"Consort Rong, His Majesty requests your presence at the front," Liang Jiugong said with a smile.

Looking at Liang Jiugong bowing and gesturing for her to go forward, the surrounding beauties' murderous glances were barely concealed. Su Yi really felt like vomiting blood this time.

"Mm," Su Yi appeared calm, but her flowerpot shoes were almost crushed under her feet. This dog of a man really couldn't be dealt with; when there was trouble, he really used her as a shield!

Kangxi's expressionless face softened slightly as Consort Rong approached, knowing she must be cursing him in her heart, but he still reached out his hand to her.

Su Yi glanced at it, placed her hand in his, and he quickly grasped it, pulling her over and making some space for her, "You're not feeling well, you shouldn't be standing."

The space was indeed spacious enough for two, but the Imperial Noble Consort was seated separately on the other side, while Kangxi had Consort Rong sit with him.

Consort Tongjia, watching from the side, was seething with anger, barely containing her frustration, "Your Majesty, this is against protocol, perhaps I should have someone bring another chair for Consort Rong."

"No need, there's enough space, let the others sit down as well," Kangxi disagreed, then instructed the other standing concubines to sit down and wait, making Consort Rong's situation not so special after all.

But how was this the same?

Consort Tongjia wanted to say more, but Nanny Wang quickly pulled her back, shaking her head. Consort Tongjia gritted her teeth and said no more.

Su Yi sat down looking truly ill; it was really the dog man's fault, but she was the one bearing the consequences, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

'Thank you so much, can't you let me go a day without taking a couple of hits?'

'You really can't be dealt with.'

Normally at this hour she would have been resting, staying up this late was already uncomfortable, and now with her emotions fluctuating so much, things were bound to go wrong.

Su Yi felt a surge of blood, a metallic taste rising in her throat; this time she was really unwell. She forced it back down, her face even paler, it was quite frightening at this late hour.

She leaned on the armrest, sitting silently, her breathing deep and long.

Kangxi wasn't actually trying to avoid her at this moment; he genuinely wanted to see Consort Rong.

Sitting here, with everyone within his sight and hearing, there was no one he could truly confide in.

Noticing that Consort Rong's complexion was truly unusual, although she often complained of chest tightness and discomfort, Kangxi knew that she was usually just exaggerating and wasn't actually unwell.

But now, she wasn't complaining about chest tightness, and her unusual silence made Kangxi feel that something was amiss. "Call another imperial doctor," Kangxi said to Liang Jiugong beside him. Liang Jiugong instinctively glanced at Consort Rong, who was sitting nearby, and quickly instructed the accompanying eunuchs to summon Imperial Physician Wang from the Imperial Hospital, the one who often attended to Consort Rong.

"Snuff bottle," Kangxi asked Yun Hua beside him for the snuff bottle.

Yun Hua was momentarily stunned but quickly retrieved it and handed it to the Emperor with both hands.

Kangxi took it, opened it, and placed it under Consort Rong's nose, gently patting her back. Su Yi, after smelling it, found that the floral and fruity scent somewhat alleviated the metallic taste she had suppressed earlier, and her nausea slightly eased.

This series of actions was something Yun Hua often did, but tonight, with her nerves on edge, she dared not make any moves.

"Feeling better?" Kangxi closed the snuff bottle and handed it back to Yun Hua, his eyes showing some dissatisfaction. How could this palace maid be so negligent as to not notice her mistress's discomfort?

At this hour, Consort Rong would usually have already retired for the night. Staying up this late, she must be feeling unwell.

Yun Hua thought to herself that she had messed up, being so distracted that she failed to keep an eye on her mistress.

Su Yi glanced at Kangxi in surprise and nodded, "Feeling better."

If it weren't for fear of alarming others, she wouldn't have had to suppress it.

But if she had been at the back, she could have vomited and cleaned up without anyone noticing, saving a lot of trouble.

The other concubines were practically seething with envy, thinking they were only able to sit down thanks to Consort Rong!

Yipin didn't dare provoke Consort Rong at this moment, so she could only needle Rongpin beside her. "Rongpin, Consort Rong, almost the same title. We're sitting here thanks to another Consort Rong."

Since she was feeling uncomfortable, she didn't want Rongpin to feel any better either.

She even thought to herself, why hadn't Rongpin been more ruthless back then and ruined Consort Rong's face? It would have been better if she had, allowing her to recover in a few days. What was the point now?

Now she understood clearly that the Emperor's heart was entirely on Consort Rong, with no room for them.

When had the Emperor ever cared about whether the concubines were comfortable? Even if others mentioned it, he would only order a physician to be called. A few words from the Emperor would make them ecstatic, but when Consort Rong was unwell, the Emperor personally patted her back.

Rongpin held back but couldn't resist retorting, "Is Yipin venting her anger on me?"

If you have the guts, go say it to the Emperor yourself. Why come to me?

Yipin snorted, her words sharp. "How could I dare? I'm just feeling indignant on Sister Rongpin's behalf, being overtaken by a newcomer and losing so miserably."

"No need for Yipin's concern. I'm doing just fine."

Rongpin didn't believe Yipin's nonsense. Yipin was just trying to provoke her into dealing with Consort Rong again. If you have the guts, do it yourself. Why provoke me? Earlier, Yipin's sharp tongue was relentless, but now, facing Consort Rong, she's lost her voice.

Imperial Noble Consort watched quietly, her face adorned with a gentle smile, showing no signs of jealousy. Instead, she spoke with concern, "Min Yi, if you're feeling unwell, you should have told me earlier. I would have let you return to rest sooner. There's no need to force yourself to endure. Did you think I wouldn't let you leave?"

Her tone at the end carried a hint of reproach, as if chiding Consort Rong for being too reserved, preferring to endure discomfort rather than speak up, only showing it now.

Her words sounded caring, but there was something off about them.

Consort Tongjia pursed her lips, thinking that the Imperial Noble Consort was quite skilled at making snide remarks. It seemed that her affection for Consort Rong, her supposed sister, wasn't entirely genuine.

Otherwise, how could she be both concerned and digging a pit and applying eye drops at the same time, suggesting that Consort Rong wasn't feeling unwell earlier but conveniently so when the Emperor arrived?

Su Yi thought to herself, isn't it because your mind was elsewhere to notice?

But she still intended to use some rhetorical techniques to polish her response.

Kangxi, however, cut straight to the point, "The Imperial Noble Consort has been quite busy tonight. It's understandable that she didn't notice Consort Rong's discomfort."

Su Yi glanced at Kangxi, whose expression remained unchanged, as if unaware of the impact his words had on the Imperial Noble Consort.

It was unclear whether he intended it or not, but the Imperial Noble Consort was deeply affected.

The Imperial Noble Consort was already upset tonight due to things not going as planned, and now seeing Kangxi and Consort Rong interacting so warmly, she couldn't help but show a bit of resentment towards Consort Rong. The Emperor's response to her seemed to carry a hidden meaning—was he dissatisfied with her for neglecting Consort Rong's discomfort?!

Imperial Physician Wang arrived, following a eunuch carrying a medicine box, sweating buckets from rushing over in the middle of the night, clearly making an effort to arrive as quickly as possible.

"Your Majesty..." the Imperial Noble Consort began to say something, but Kangxi raised his hand to stop her.

Imperial Physician Wang, without even catching his breath, began to go through the formalities, "No need for formalities, come and check on Consort Rong first."

Imperial Physician Wang took a moment to calm his breathing, then knelt down and placed a small pillow under Consort Rong's wrist for diagnosis. Yun Hua quickly covered it with a handkerchief, and Imperial Physician Wang placed his hand on it to feel the pulse, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream from Uya Changzai startled everyone present. Consort Tongjia, startled, couldn't help but exclaim, "What the hell is Uya Changzai screaming about?"

Nanny Wang quickly tried to cover for Consort Tongjia's outburst, "Uya Changzai has no experience. Screaming during childbirth is not good; it can drain her strength. Someone should go in and remind her not to scream too loudly, or she might lose her strength, which would be bad."

Su Yi, despite her long life, had never heard someone give birth before. The scream sounded excruciatingly painful, which was exactly why she hadn't wanted to come in the first place.

Although someone had already gone in to tell Uya Changzai to stop screaming, and the screams had ceased, the increasingly strong smell of blood in the air was overwhelming, causing the suppressed sweetness in her throat to surge up again.

Su Yi had suppressed it once before, but now it surged up again, and she couldn't hold it back any longer. She coughed, and blood spilled from her mouth, staining the white handkerchief with marks resembling plum blossoms.

Consort Rong suddenly spitting up blood startled everyone present.

"Ah! Consort Rong!"

Exclamations rose and fell.

Consort Tongjia, who was close by, was also scared out of her wits by Consort Rong.

....

She had previously thought Consort Rong was feigning illness, putting on a show, but now it seemed she was genuinely unwell. This was really scary; Consort Tongjia had never seen such a scene before.

Having seen many feign illness, she was shocked to encounter someone who was truly ill.

The Imperial Noble Consort also paused, stood up, and took a couple of steps forward, "Consort Rong, are you alright? Let me see..."

Kangxi, however, wasn't buying the Imperial Noble Consort's act. She wasn't really Consort Rong's sister, so how could she really give a damn about her? He simply said, "Don't all gather around her at the same time."

Su Yi: Just kill me now.

What's the difference between this and public humiliation?!

She weakly leaned back into the chair, and Kangxi quickly reached out to steady her. Su Yi rested her head on his shoulder, her eyelids half-closed, too exhausted to even whine.

"Consort Rong!" Kangxi, without a handkerchief, used his sleeve to wipe the blood from Su Yi's mouth. Su Yi turned her head away in disgust, thinking the sleeve was unclean; she wanted a handkerchief.

Hearing her still fussing over the cleanliness of his sleeve, Kangxi snapped, "Handkerchief!"

Liang Jiugong quickly took a handkerchief from a palace maid and handed it to Kangxi. Kangxi snatched it impatiently, his expression annoyed, "Turn your face back." But his hands were gentle and meticulous as he wiped the blood.

Kangxi had rarely seen Consort Rong cough up blood, mostly just coughs, and thought her health had improved. He was shocked by her sudden vomiting of blood tonight, suspecting foul play.

The emperor's suspicion made him immediately wonder if Consort Rong had been poisoned or sabotaged, as everything seemed to happen at once tonight.

Imperial Physician Wang took out a bottle of medicine from his medical kit and handed two pills to Consort Rong to calm her qi and blood.

Su Yi didn't want to take them; the pills were too large, but that wasn't the real issue. She felt much better than before.

A palace maid quickly handed over a cup of warm water. Kangxi took it, and Yun Hua fed the pills into Su Yi's mouth, despite her reluctance. Su Yi didn't want to take them.

But since it was Yun Hua feeding her, she had no choice. The moment the pills entered her mouth, a concentrated medicinal taste shot up to her head, overwhelming her.

Su Yi wanted to spit them out, but Kangxi forced her to drink the water, making her swallow them. The medicinal taste overwhelmed the taste of blood.

Su Yi was now overwhelmed by the medicinal smell, unable to speak.

Imperial Physician Wang advised that she couldn't drink too much water now, so after just one sip, Kangxi took the cup away, preventing her from drinking more.

She couldn't even drink more water to suppress the medicinal taste, much to her frustration.

"Your Majesty, I need a quiet place to perform acupuncture on Consort Rong. This location is unsuitable."

The lighting was insufficient for acupuncture.

Kangxi didn't hesitate, "Return to the Qianqing Palace," he commanded.

He then looked at Liang Jiugong, "You stay here and keep watch," he ordered.

He left Liang Jiugong to monitor the situation and report back if anything arose.

Kangxi didn't leave the matter to the Imperial Noble Consort but had his own man stay behind.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

After giving orders, Kangxi picked up Su Yi and departed. Imperial Physician Wang and the others hurriedly followed. The concubines bowed as they watched them quickly depart on a sedan chair.

They wished they were the ones sick, so they might be the ones receiving care.

Consort Tongjia sat down irritably. This whole night, one fell into the water, another got sick, and she gained nothing. It seemed everyone came to her Jingren Palace for a visit.

Seeing the Imperial Noble Consort still standing, Consort Tongjia, in her displeasure, didn't miss the chance to make the Imperial Noble Consort unhappy too.

"Sister Imperial Noble Consort, are you worried about Consort Rong? With the Emperor accompanying her for treatment, you needn't worry. Please sit down and wait with me to see when Lady Uya will give birth."

She couldn't help but glance at the closed door. No matter what Lady Uya gave birth to, she would propose to the Emperor to let her raise the child. Lady Uya's hard work in childbirth would only benefit her.

As for Lady Uya, she had almost died, but then she suddenly woke up. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was different.

Awakened, Lady Uya felt the familiar pain in her lower body. The people around her looked delighted, including her maid. Before she could think more, the pain in her belly overwhelmed her.

Lady Uya was in so much pain she was barely conscious, unsure if she was dreaming or not. Then she heard someone say, "Mistress, the Emperor is coming. You must push harder to deliver the child."

Hearing this, Lady Uya felt as if she had grasped a thread. Had she returned?!