Chapter 055

Chapter 055

After a while, Kangxi asked again, "Has Consort Rong awakened?"

He was inquiring if she had awakened, not if she had risen.

Kangxi, who usually had no trouble sleeping, was suddenly awakened by Consort Rong in the middle of the night.

Last night, as he was sleeping, Kangxi felt something pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. When he woke up, he saw a black head resting right on his chest, with Consort Rong almost half of her body pressing down on him.

Kangxi took a deep breath to calm himself. No wonder he felt increasingly suffocated as he slept—Consort Rong had been practically using him as a mattress.

Just as Kangxi was about to move her aside, she suddenly woke up—or rather, it seemed she hadn't been asleep at all.

Consort Rong raised her head and gazed at Kangxi, her eyes cool and detached, as if to say, "Oh, you're awake."

Then, with faint dark circles under her eyes, stark against her pale skin, it was evident she hadn't slept. "What's the matter now?" she asked.

"I'm feeling restless and can't sleep well. I need to hold you," Su Yi murmured weakly, resting her head back on Kangxi's chest. She didn't budge when he tried to move her, clinging to him like a limpet.

Before Kangxi could even start to feel the mild irritation, he heard:

'The pillow is too hard, the bed is too hard, I just can't sleep well.'

'How can this person sleep so deeply???'

'This is much more comfortable.'

Kangxi: ...

So she's using me as a cushion?!

Absolutely not!

Kangxi managed to get her off, and it went smoothly. With a soft thud, Su Yi's face was buried in the bed, lying motionless beside him, looking like a lifeless fish.

Kangxi decided to ignore Consort Rong, assuming she'd be fine after a while.

Indeed, she lay there silently, motionless, as if asleep, but in reality, Consort Rong wasn't sleeping at all.

She stayed in that position, 'Wuwuwu—'

Kangxi opened his eyes and glanced over. Indeed, Consort Rong wasn't making any noise, but she was beginning to stir mentally.

Kangxi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, suddenly sitting up. He looked at Consort Rong, lying motionless, and sighed resignedly, "Alright, alright." He then reached out, drew her back into his arms, and gently patted her back with his arm beneath her neck. "Can you sleep like this now?"

"Mmm," Su Yi murmured, satisfied. She even shifted her position to keep pressing against him.

'This is bearable.'

She was quite content.

Kangxi couldn't help but yawn. Bringing her to the Qianqing Palace seemed to be more trouble for him than for her.

Back in Yonghe Palace, there weren't so many shenanigans.

But here in Qianqing Palace, she stayed up half the night, sitting by the bed and watching him sleep. Kangxi would remember this for a long time.

This time, he held her while sleeping to prevent her from getting up and sitting by the bed again. But instead, as he slept, he felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

She really has some stamina.

Kangxi, who had finally fallen back asleep, didn't sleep for long before he had to get up at dawn. He had to get up quietly so as not to wake Consort Rong.

While Kangxi was up early washing and preparing for court, Consort Rong was sound asleep on the quilt, completely unaware. Kangxi secretly took a deep breath, feeling more and more that he needed to assign Consort Rong more challenging tasks.

Liang Jiugong hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, Consort Rong is still asleep."

She was still lying there, motionless.

According to the maids, it was normal for Consort Rong to sleep in, especially after staying up late last night. She might even sleep until the afternoon.

Liang Jiugong's expression froze when he heard this. He couldn't believe there was actually a concubine who slept so much.

But no one dared to wake Consort Rong at this moment.

It was said that Consort Rong had a bit of a temper when she woke up. If you tried to wake her, she might not throw a tantrum, but she would stare at you with a piercing gaze, making you wonder what she might do next.

It sounded rather intimidating.

But if Consort Rong behaved like this in her own palace, it would be one thing. However, this was Qianqing Palace, and if Consort Rong acted the same way, His Majesty might think she was being spoiled and breaking the rules.

His Majesty was very particular about rules, and Consort Rong's behavior might displease him.

Liang Jiugong hesitated whether to make excuses for Consort Rong, as she was actually quite easygoing, just not in the best health, and it was normal for her to sleep in.

But before Liang Jiugong could make excuses, Kangxi reacted calmly upon hearing that Consort Rong was still asleep.

"Keep an eye on the time. When it's almost lunch, have the maids wake her up. After lunch, let her do as she likes."

Kangxi wasn't surprised that Consort Rong was still asleep.

After a moment of thought, he added, "Have Baocheng join Consort Rong for lunch. After lunch, make sure someone watches her take the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician." He emphasized the word "make sure."

After speaking, Kangxi's tongue still felt a little sore.

The medicine prescribed by the imperial physician was bitter, and if Consort Rong didn't drink it all, this matter wouldn't be easily resolved.

Having Baocheng join Consort Rong for lunch would make it harder for her to refuse the medicine in front of the child. Thinking of this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Kangxi's eyes.

It was just a pity he couldn't see Consort Rong's face after drinking the medicine.

Kangxi spoke naturally, surprising Liang Jiugong.

His Majesty wasn't at all angry about Consort Rong sleeping in. Instead, he remembered to have the maids wake her up so she wouldn't miss lunch, and even had the young prince join her for the meal. He also made sure to remind her to take her medicine.

Such treatment was probably only given to Consort Rong in the entire harem.

(Consort Rong: I'm numb. Would you like this treatment?)

——

After waking up from the exhaustion of childbirth, Lady Uya drank a bowl of chicken soup that had been prepared in advance to fill her stomach before she finally recovered.

Not seeing the child, she asked, "Where is the child?"

"Madam, the Fourth Prince is with the wet nurse," replied the maid who was attending to her, speaking softly and with a submissive demeanor. She was a maid who had been with Lady Uya for a long time, even following her when she became Consort De. It wasn't until she was older that she was allowed to leave the palace.

Lady Uya surveyed the surroundings, finally recognizing the layout and furnishings of this place from her memories. Was this the side hall of Jingren Palace?

In other words, had she returned to the time right after giving birth to her fourth son?!

This period was arguably the most difficult and humiliating time for Lady Uya. The fourth son, whom she had struggled to give birth to, was taken away by Consort Tongjia just after he turned one month old.

She was promoted to Uya Daying as compensation.

Even after being promoted to daying, she continued to live in the side hall of Jingren Palace. Although she and her fourth son were in the same palace, Consort Tongjia had ordered people to keep them apart, preventing her from seeing him.

Her fourth son grew up by the side of that despicable Consort Tongjia, becoming increasingly close to her and showing no affection for his own mother, which made Lady Uya's heart ache.

If she hadn't become pregnant again and been fortunate enough to be promoted to concubine, she wouldn't have known how long she would have had to endure.

Later, after losing a child, she finally gave birth to her fourteenth son and secured her position as Consort De. The Emperor also doted on her fourteenth son, but in the end, it was her fourth son who ascended the throne, while her fourteenth son...

Just thinking about this, Lady Uya couldn't contain her hatred for her fourth son.

If it weren't for the early death of Consort Tongjia, her fourth son would never have remembered her existence as his mother. It was only after Consort Tongjia died that he thought of her.

The mere thought that her fourth son was raised by Consort Tongjia made Lady Uya feel extremely uncomfortable. Her fourth son didn't resemble her in any way but was strikingly similar to that despicable Consort Tongjia.

After her fourth son ascended the throne, she became deeply depressed and eventually died. She never expected to be reborn in her youth, right after giving birth to her fourth son.

Lady Uya was filled with resentment. Why couldn't she have been reborn during the time when she was promoted to Consort De?

At that time, she was already a consort and didn't need to compete with lower-ranking concubines for the Emperor's favor. She could sit back and watch the younger concubines fiercely compete for the Emperor's slightest attention.

She only needed to sit there and enjoy the spectacle without getting involved, as no lower-ranking concubine could easily surpass her position.

But now she was just a low-ranking daying. Would she have to endure all over again and wait another thirteen years to reach the position of Consort De?!

This was unbearable for Lady Uya, who had long been accustomed to a life of luxury in the position of Consort De and later became the Empress Dowager, where no one dared to disrespect her.

Especially since she would once again be subordinate to that woman, Consort Tongjia.

If Consort Tongjia didn't die, she might not even be able to rise to the position of consort based on seniority!

As Lady Uya thought about these things, her expression became terrifying.

The aura of someone who had lived in luxury for many years was indeed intimidating, frightening the maid beside her, who couldn't understand what had happened to Lady Uya.

"My lady, what's wrong?"

Lady Uya, interrupted in her thoughts, looked displeased at the maid who had spoken. The maid was frightened by her still unsoftened gaze. "My lady...?"

Lady Uya spoke with displeasure, "The master hasn't spoken, yet you dare to speak without permission?"

Her tone carried a sense of superiority, making the maid feel very uncomfortable.

Usually, Lady Uya didn't lose her temper often and was very quiet, rarely speaking harshly. But after giving birth to the fourth prince, it was as if she had become a different person.

In reality, it was because Lady Uya was still a low-ranking daying and was heavily suppressed by Consort Tongjia in Jingren Palace. She didn't dare to act arrogantly. Her looks weren't outstanding, so she had to focus on her character, tightly controlling her temperament.

Moreover, because she came from a lower-ranking family, she had to maintain a facade of gentleness and kindness to climb the ranks.

The palace was filled with maids from similar backgrounds, and it was likely that every few people she met were somehow related.

Although she had become one of the Emperor's women, her rise was tied to her lower-ranking family, and she couldn't escape this as she climbed higher.

After all, in the early years, apart from her, the other concubines were all of higher status than her.

If it weren't for the fact that there was a Lady Liang Guiren, who was of even lower status, and she had ascended to the position of concubine, no one dared to mention her origins in front of her anymore.

Moreover, with the Emperor favoring some Han women in his later years, those were even more beneath notice, so her own background didn't stand out as much.

And as Lady Uya Changzai grew older, naturally she couldn't compare to the newcomers in terms of youthfulness, so her favor naturally diminished.

She still had the Fourteenth Prince, and with a son, her position was secure, so she grew indifferent to the Emperor's favor.

She treated the maids more kindly to build a good reputation; otherwise, how could she have earned the title of 'Virtue'?

But now, starting over again, Lady Uya Changzai felt not only surprise but also the pain of having to endure it all over again.

She had already become the Empress Dowager, the most noble person, and even the Emperor, her son the Fourth Prince, dared not show her any disrespect.

Now, being a lowly Changzai again, someone anyone in the palace could step on, Lady Uya Changzai hadn't yet adjusted to this change in status.

Thus, she didn't hide her true nature much, which made the maid notice something was off.

Thinking it troublesome and being in a weak position now, Lady Uya Changzai had to turn around and say to avoid further complications, "I was just too tired earlier, that's why I acted like that; it wasn't my true feelings."

She had just given birth, her body was very weak, and her face was sallow; speaking weakly like this provided a very reasonable explanation.

The maid nodded, understanding now, and seeing Lady Uya Changzai continue as before, she didn't pay much attention to Lady Uya Changzai's earlier strangeness.

"Then, my lady, would you like to eat something, or would you like to see the Fourth Prince?"

She stood up and tucked Lady Uya Changzai's blanket in, asking considerately.

Usually, after giving birth, one would want to see the child, so that's why she mentioned it.

Mentioning this, Lady Uya Changzai's eyes flashed with impatience. Why was this maid so tactless? Why didn't she notice earlier? "No need, the wet nurse can take good care of the Fourth Prince. Let's not trouble the child by moving him back and forth; there's no rush for now."

Lady Uya Changzai lowered her head to drink warm water, looking very confident in the wet nurse's ability to care for the Fourth Prince.

But Lady Uya Changzai was not of concubine rank; she couldn't raise her own child. Now, Lady Uya Changzai hadn't finished her postpartum confinement. By the time the Fourth Prince was a month old, he would be taken in by another concubine.

Although they could meet in the palace, it wasn't as if they could see each other whenever they wanted; there were many restrictions. Why didn't the lady take this chance to see more of the Fourth Prince?

The maid's mouth moved, but in the end, she didn't say anything.

Lady Uya Changzai had already dismissed her.

Now, her body was very weak; she just wanted to rest well, not to deal with this maid anymore, let alone see that child.

Even if she had to do it all over again, she still detested the Fourth Prince. Giving birth to him had almost cost her half her life, and doing it again was just as hard!

Waking up with one foot already in the grave, even harder than before, was this Fourth Prince just here to torment her?

At this moment, Lady Uya Changzai didn't realize at all that this period was not the same as what she had experienced before.

Previously, when Lady Uya Changzai gave birth to the Fourth Prince, she hadn't fallen into the lake; she just couldn't hold on and passed away, which led to the current reborn Lady Uya Changzai.

But Lady Uya Changzai thought it was the same as before, and her impatience with the maid for not gathering information led to this misinformation.

After all, Lady Uya Changzai had been living in comfort for many years and had lost that cautious mindset she once had.

The main hall over there...

Consort Tongjia was currently inquiring about the situation of Lady Uya. Upon hearing that Lady Uya had woken up but had not asked to see the Fourth Imperial Prince, she thought it was strange. Lady Uya didn’t seem anxious to see her child.

"Is Lady Uya afraid of developing feelings for the Fourth Imperial Prince, and then being reluctant to let him go when the time comes?" Consort Tongjia said to Nanny Wang beside her.

The wet nurse was soothing the Fourth Imperial Prince nearby. Consort Tongjia had specifically asked the wet nurse to bring the Fourth Imperial Prince to the main hall, thinking that if Lady Uya sent someone to request to see the child, she would first give Lady Uya a hard time.

She intended to tell Lady Uya that the Fourth Imperial Prince would soon be taken under her care, and that she needed to get acquainted with the child beforehand, advising Lady Uya to rest well and not to worry about other matters.

To her surprise, Lady Uya did not send anyone to take the child back, which left Consort Tongjia somewhat unsettled.

"Your Highness, Lady Uya is a deep and scheming person. She might be harboring ill intentions. After all, Lady Uya cannot raise the Fourth Imperial Prince now, so she must have resigned herself to fate. Your Highness need not compete with Lady Uya anymore; she is now under your control, how could she possibly turn the tables?

Now, the Imperial Noble Consort is the more pressing issue. The Imperial Noble Consort is competing with Your Highness for the Fourth Imperial Prince, so Your Highness must make early preparations."

Nanny Wang looked down on Lady Uya from the bottom of her heart. In her view, it was crucial to settle the matter of the Fourth Imperial Prince early. Having a prince would at least provide some security for Your Highness.

If Your Highness were to have her own prince in the future, the Fourth Imperial Prince could assist from the side. If not, Your Highness would still have some security in her later years.

Nanny Wang had watched Consort Tongjia grow up, so Consort Tongjia was more inclined to listen to her advice. "Then, Nanny, what should I do?"

"The Fourth Imperial Prince is now in Jingren Palace, having just been born. Your Highness could invite the Emperor to Jingren Palace to see the Fourth Imperial Prince, then make a good impression on the Emperor, and say something sweet to him.

The Imperial Noble Consort is in Yikun Palace, and the fate of the Fourth Imperial Prince is still undecided. How could the Imperial Noble Consort come and take the Fourth Imperial Prince away?"

Lady Uya resides in the side hall of Jingren Palace, so it is only natural that the Fourth Imperial Prince is now in Jingren Palace.

Consort Tongjia found this reasoning quite sound and agreed with Nanny Wang's suggestion. "Nanny makes a good point. I will invite the Emperor to come and see the Fourth Imperial Prince in a few days."

However, the Fourth Imperial Prince, having just been born, was not very attractive. If it weren’t for Nanny Wang telling her that all newborns look like this, and that the Fourth Imperial Prince would be handsome once the redness fades in a few days, Consort Tongjia would have been pretty disgusted.

She still had her doubts. How much better could the Fourth Imperial Prince look in a few days? But now, he wasn’t much to look at. Consort Tongjia decided to wait a few more days before inviting the Emperor, so at least the Emperor wouldn’t be repulsed.

---

Qianqing Palace

As lunchtime approached, Su Yi was gently awakened by Yun Hua's soft voice. She opened her eyes to a blurry vision, closed them again for a while, and then opened them to see the figure before her clearly.

"Yun Hua?"

Su Yi was still a bit out of it as Yun Hua helped her up, but the sight of the bright yellow reminded her that she was still in Qianqing Palace.

"Your Ladyship, it's time to get up for lunch," Yun Hua gently reminded her, already holding a warm, wet cloth to wipe Su Yi's face.

Seeing that Su Yi still didn’t want to get up, she added, "The young prince is already waiting for you outside."

As she spoke, she felt a twinge of sadness for Her Ladyship not having slept well.

Qinxin, watching Yun Hua's expression from the side, knew exactly what Yun Hua was thinking and felt a wave of speechlessness inside.

Their Ladyship could sleep so long in Qianqing Palace without being disturbed, which was truly a first.

Up until now, it was the Emperor who was concerned that Her Ladyship might miss lunch, hence the order to wake her up. Nothing else was said. Throughout the morning, Qinxin had received numerous mixed looks from the palace maids of Qianqing Palace, both overt and covert.

The looks of envy and surprise were really complicated.

Qinxin rarely showed much expression. She had also heard the Qianqing Palace maids say that serving as Consort Rong's chief maid gave her an extraordinary, composed demeanor.

Qinxin: Actually, she just wasn't very good at making expressions.

When Su Yi heard the little milk dragon was already waiting outside, she couldn't stay in bed—it would be too embarrassing to keep him waiting.

So after washing up, she told Qinxin not to bother with any elaborate hairstyle, just to pin her hair up casually with a hairpin.

She changed into a moon-white qipao dress and went out.

The little milk dragon sat upright, waiting patiently without looking around.

Hearing footsteps, the little milk dragon turned and, seeing Su Yi, broke into a big smile. He got up, walked over to Su Yi, and instead of asking for a hug, just tugged at her sleeve, "Consort Rong, are you feeling better now?"

Clearly, he knew Su Yi had been unwell the previous night and had summoned the imperial physician.

Seeing Su Yi, he wanted a hug but considerately didn't ask to be picked up, instead standing by her side, holding her sleeve as he talked.

Su Yi patted his head, saying, "I feel much better after sleeping. What brings you here?"

She hadn't expected that with Kangxi absent, he would send the little milk dragon to dine with her.

Usually, he was very strict; even when the little milk dragon interacted with her, Kangxi would be present, seldom allowing them to be alone.

The little milk dragon replied, "The Emperor said Consort Rong has no one to dine with, so he sent me to accompany you." Then he added softly, "And to make sure you take your medicine, Consort Rong."

Hearing the first part, Su Yi wondered if that dog man had a change of heart, sending the little milk dragon to dine with her—quite thoughtful. But then she heard the second part.

Naturally, she thought.

Even absent, he had to send a little one to supervise her.

Under the little milk dragon's sparkling gaze, how could she even think of skipping her medicine?!

She had to keep up a good image in front of the little milk dragon, didn't she?!

"Consort Rong, are you unhappy? Don't you want me to dine with you?" Noticing Su Yi's lack of response, the little milk dragon spoke with a hint of grievance, showing some emotion.

How could she not comfort him?

"No, no," Su Yi said, bending down to touch his face, "I'm thrilled to see you; I was just too happy to react right away."

The little milk dragon was easily comforted; Su Yi's words instantly cheered him up, "Yes, yes!"

Su Yi pinched the little milk dragon's chubby cheeks and was about to speak when she noticed his face felt unusually warm. She then felt his hands, which were unexpectedly cool.

"Why are your hands so cold? Aren't you dressed warmly enough?"

Su Yi glanced at the nearby wet nurse as she spoke.

"In reply to Consort Rong, the little prince usually dresses this way. I have been taking care of the little prince for a long time, and he has never been cold due to insufficient clothing," the wet nurse replied.

The wet nurse's reply implied Su Yi was overthinking, suggesting she, as the wet nurse, knew the little prince's habits better—a subtle dig at Su Yi, tempered by their status difference.

The little milk dragon didn't catch any of this and just said, "I'm not cold, Consort Rong."

Su Yi looked at the wet nurse, who was pretending to be humble, and didn't press her attitude, saying to the little milk dragon, "If you're not cold, that's good. Let's have the meal served."