Chapter 058

Chapter 058

"Bang!" Kangxi slammed the memorial in his hand onto the table, laughing bitterly, "What a Suo'etu!"

Kangxi laughed for a while before his expression turned cold. Suo'etu was indeed reckless.

The Empress had died young, and Baocheng had no mother by his side. The mother's family was indispensable for the Crown Prince. If he wanted to take action against the Hesheri family, it would inevitably affect the stability of the Crown Prince's position.

Baocheng was still young and could not risk losing the strong support of his mother's family.

Moreover, the Revolt of the Three Feudatories had not yet been suppressed, and the war was intense. Suo'etu was indispensable.

He could not risk being too harsh on Suo'etu.

Even if he knew about this matter, he would not really do anything to Suo'etu now, nor would he reveal that the Crown Prince's mother's family had attempted to harm the Crown Prince.

Otherwise, how would Baocheng regard his mother's family in the future?

Suo'etu had actually used this untested smallpox remedy on his Crown Prince!

Kangxi's eyes were dark and menacing. He appeared unnaturally calm, forming a stark contrast with his earlier extreme anger, which made him even more frightening.

Liang Jiugong stood by, trembling with fear, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible at this moment.

The most terrifying thing about the Emperor was not when he was angry, but when he was extremely angry yet held back his fury, not because he didn't care, but because it was not yet the right time. Once the time came, he would strike without warning.

Just like when Ao Bai was in power, dominating the court, repeatedly disrespecting the Emperor in front of him, making decisions without regard for the Emperor.

But at that time, the Emperor had not acted out, even indulging Ao Bai's actions, discreetly reassigning Ao Bai's people to positions outside, granting them high positions and generous salaries, seemingly flattering Ao Bai, but in reality, it was like boiling oil.

Ao Bai's people were all sent out by Kangxi, but Ao Bai thought Kangxi respected him, and with his own overwhelming power, he did not notice anything amiss.

Thus, under Kangxi's steady retreats, Ao Bai fell into an isolated and helpless situation without realizing it.

Afterwards, Ao Bai's faction was utterly destroyed by the Emperor. Who could have guessed that the once-powerful Ao Bai would end up like this, defeated by the sixteen-year-old Emperor.

Liang Jiugong thought to himself, "Minister Suo, really..."

This time, someone must take the blame for this matter.

The Crown Prince contracting smallpox, one incident after another in the palace recently, had already enraged Kangxi, who was determined to uncover the truth. The Revolt of the Three Feudatories had not yet been suppressed, and the harem was so troublesome.

A concubine had even gotten involved with remnants of the White Lotus Sect, one link after another, only catching a few minor players, not important figures at all.

Such actions were a direct insult to Kangxi.

As soon as Baocheng had an accident, the staff reshuffling in the palace was so rapid, and the clues left by Zhang Shi also disappeared completely.

If there was no one in the palace assisting, how could the remnants of the White Lotus Sect disappear so quickly just because of Suo'etu's actions!

Without the help of high-ranking concubines, how could this be achieved?

First, the Fourth Princess, Uya Shi, failing in one scheme and then causing more trouble. The Imperial Noble Consort, who wielded palace authority, even if not the Empress, was really too capable of stirring up trouble.

Kangxi, who had previously tolerated the Imperial Noble Consort, could no longer tolerate her wielding palace authority.

He did not want to be busy with the affairs of the court while also having to worry about what was happening in the harem.

Not long after the Crown Prince's incident, the Imperial Noble Consort, securely positioned in the Yikun Palace, received a reprimand from the Grand Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace.

The Grand Empress Dowager criticized her for failing to properly manage the affairs of the inner court, despite being the Imperial Noble Consort in charge of the six palaces.

With so many recent mishaps in the inner court, she, as the Imperial Noble Consort, bore an inescapable responsibility.

Since she was unable to manage the palace affairs effectively, she was instructed to take a rest and temporarily step away from her duties.

This meant her authority over palace affairs was revoked.

The Imperial Noble Consort was caught off guard by the Grand Empress Dowager's sudden move.

She couldn’t understand why the Grand Empress Dowager was targeting her.

The Crown Prince had contracted smallpox, so why was the blame directed at her? She was the Imperial Noble Consort, but not everything was under her control. She had never interfered with the Crown Prince's daily life.

The Crown Prince had smallpox, yet she was reprimanded. What kind of logic was this?

She quickly prepared herself, removed all her jewelry, swapped her luxurious Imperial Noble Consort attire for plain clothes, and rushed to the Cining Palace to apologize to the Grand Empress Dowager.

Arriving at the Cining Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort, dressed in plain clothes and without her hairpins and ornaments, came to apologize, displaying a humble attitude.

Despite the Grand Empress Dowager's reprimand, the Imperial Noble Consort showed no anger. Instead, she apologized fearfully, leading the servants to believe she had faced an unfair ordeal.

While the Imperial Noble Consort managed palace affairs, she couldn’t oversee everything. The death of the Fourth Princess resulted from Zhang Shi's negligence, and Uya Shi's difficult childbirth was also caused by Zhang Shi's malicious actions. The Crown Prince contracting smallpox was accidental, and the Imperial Noble Consort was simply unfortunate.

"Please inform her I'm here to apologize to the Grand Empress Dowager."

The Imperial Noble Consort still looked somewhat haggard, having come in plain clothes without any makeup.

Kangxi governed with a strong emphasis on filial piety and was deeply attentive to the Grand Empress Dowager. Even when busy, he never forgot to visit the Cining Palace regularly to pay his respects.

If the Imperial Noble Consort aspired to become the Empress and the Grand Empress Dowager accused her of unfilial behavior, it would essentially cut off her path to the throne, as long as someone intended to use this as a pretext.

After the Grand Empress Dowager's reprimand, failing to apologize promptly would harm her reputation.

Whether the Grand Empress Dowager would see her or not, the Imperial Noble Consort had to make this trip and display a proper attitude of apology.

The Imperial Noble Consort was thoroughly tired of these strict rules.

But no matter how dissatisfied she was inside, she couldn’t show the slightest hint of it on her face.

"Grand Empress Dowager, the Imperial Noble Consort requests an audience. She is dressed in plain clothes and has removed her hairpins and ornaments, waiting outside to apologize to you."

Suma Lagu, the Grand Empress Dowager's attendant, reported this, awaiting her instructions.

"Tell her I am unwell and to return."

Holding her prayer beads, the Grand Empress Dowager didn’t even look up, unsurprised by the Imperial Noble Consort's arrival.

The Imperial Noble Consort quickly thought to remove her ornaments as a gesture of apology.

This time, however, she hadn’t intended to deliberately target the Imperial Noble Consort to strip her of authority.

"Yes, Grand Empress Dowager." Suma Lagu nodded and prepared to deliver the message to the Imperial Noble Consort.

Waiting outside, the Imperial Noble Consort's heart sank upon seeing Suma Lagu emerge. It appeared Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang didn’t want to see her. Sure enough,

Suma Lagu bowed slightly, her expression calm as she said, "My respects to the Imperial Noble Consort. The Grand Empress Dowager is indisposed and may not be able to see you. Please return."

The Imperial Noble Consort knew immediately that this was a pretext.

It wasn't that the Grand Empress Dowager was unwell; it was evident she was deliberately avoiding her, hence Suma Lagu was sent out to deliver this message.

"If the Grand Empress Dowager is indisposed, it is even more my duty to attend to her and provide care. I cannot simply leave like this."

The Imperial Noble Consort was not one to give up easily. Otherwise, why would she have come all this way?

"Imperial Noble Consort, the Grand Empress Dowager has already taken her medicine and just now fallen asleep. Please return," Suma Lagu replied, unmoved.

If the Grand Empress Dowager refused to see her, no amount of argument from the Imperial Noble Consort would change that. She couldn't possibly force her way into the Cining Palace.

The Imperial Noble Consort cursed Suma Lagu in her heart, calling her an old witch putting on airs and graces. But Suma Lagu had served the Grand Empress Dowager for many years and was a senior figure in the palace.

Even Kangxi showed her respect, let alone the Imperial Noble Consort. She couldn't put on airs in front of Suma Lagu, as that would be a slap in the face to the Grand Empress Dowager.

"If the Grand Empress Dowager has already fallen asleep, then I shall take my leave," the Imperial Noble Consort replied politely.

Suma Lagu bowed slightly again, "The Grand Empress Dowager must not be left unattended. This servant will return now." With that, she turned and went back into the Cining Palace.

The Imperial Noble Consort seethed inwardly. She couldn't fathom what had possessed Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang to treat her so dismissively. She, a dignified Imperial Noble Consort, was being treated with such disregard. The Grand Empress Dowager could simply refuse to see her without consequence.

As the deputy empress, she was supposed to oversee palace affairs. Why had Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang stripped her of her authority over the palace? It was clear that this old witch was seizing the opportunity to consolidate power.

No, she couldn't let this happen. She couldn't lose her authority over the palace like this.

Meanwhile, the Niohuru family soon learned that the Imperial Noble Consort had been reprimanded by the Grand Empress Dowager and temporarily lost her authority over the palace. They were briefly thrown into panic, unsure of the Grand Empress Dowager's intentions.

The reasoning was flimsy at best.

The Grand Empress Dowager hadn't interfered in palace affairs for a long time. The palace affairs had been under the Imperial Noble Consort's control since her days as a Noble Consort, and she had managed them well without any mistakes.

The Niohuru family couldn't help but wonder if this was truly the Grand Empress Dowager's intention or if there were ulterior motives.

They dared not think too deeply about it.

——

The little milk dragon's fever continued to climb, and the high fever wouldn't subside. At first, he could still wake up, but as the temperature continued to rise, he slipped into a coma, occasionally muttering nonsense.

The imperial physicians tried to lower the crown prince's temperature, but it remained persistently high. The illness was severe, and if the high fever persisted, even if the crown prince survived smallpox, his cognitive abilities could be compromised.

The fear was that if the temperature didn't drop and kept rising, it could damage his brain, especially since the young crown prince was so small. Administering medicine was tricky—too little would be ineffective, and too much could be harmful. It was a difficult situation.

Kangxi had already vented his frustration once, ordering the imperial physicians and doctors to find a way to treat the crown prince.

But smallpox had always been a dreaded disease. Even Dorgon, the Prince Yu and uncle of the Shunzhi Emperor, had died from smallpox after suffering for dozens of days.

Even the Shunzhi Emperor himself, despite all precautions, couldn't escape smallpox and eventually died from it. The emperor knew firsthand how dangerous it was, as he had survived smallpox himself. Not everyone was as fortunate as him.

Especially now, with the young crown prince's high fever refusing to subside, the situation was even more dire. The imperial physicians and doctors had discussed various methods to reduce the fever, but nothing worked. The crown prince's high fever persisted.

Kangxi paced back and forth, unable to sit still.

Su Yi, too, had been up all day without rest, tending to the little milk dragon by changing the cloth on his forehead. She remained silent, her eyes filled with worry.

At first, the fever wasn't too high, but it gradually worsened. After searching the crown prince's residence thoroughly, they found powdered scabs from a smallpox patient on an object the crown prince often played with. This contact had made the little milk dragon's condition even more critical.

He was too young to withstand it.

Suo'etu still believed the situation was under his control, not realizing that his plan had already been hijacked by others. They had swapped the cowpox scabs for smallpox scabs, using his actions to muddy the waters. They believed that only by making the Crown Prince's condition increasingly critical would Kangxi be too preoccupied to focus on other matters. With just a moment of respite, they could successfully escape.

In the end, it was Suo'etu who carried out this act, with the White Lotus Sect merely fanning the flames. Even if the emperor investigated, it would look like the Hesheri family's doing.

If the Crown Prince died young, it would be even more beneficial for them. Not only would it make the emperor lose his beloved son, but it would also aid the Hesheri family. Why not seize the opportunity?

The Crown Prince's condition was worse than expected.

However, because the Qianqing Palace was locked down, Suo'etu was cut off from updates. He could only guess the timing based on earlier trials. At this point, the illness wasn't severe yet, so Suo'etu kept stalling, avoiding recommending anyone to Kangxi who could treat smallpox.

Unbeknownst to him, the Crown Prince was already at death's door.

Su Yi hadn't slept, and after Kangxi arrived, they both stayed by the Crown Prince's side, neither getting any rest. Su Yi, after a full day of exhaustion, was starting to feel the strain, coughing now and then.

"Consort Rong, go rest. I'll stay here," Kangxi said, noticing her pale and worn-out look. He knew she wasn't in good shape and had probably hit her limit after a full day of exhaustion.

"Your Majesty, I'm not tired. Please go rest and come back later to relieve me. The Crown Prince can't be left alone," Su Yi refused.

Even in his delirium, the little milk dragon would cry and fuss if familiar faces weren't around. The imperial physicians had warned that the Crown Prince shouldn't cry, as the high fever made him prone to fits and seizures.

Seeing Consort Rong's deep care for Baocheng, Kangxi felt a sense of warmth. He reached out and held her hand, patting the back of it, about to say, "You've been very considerate."

'Darn it, if you don't leave, what am I supposed to do?'

'The little milk dragon is burning up so badly. If we wait any longer, he might really suffer brain damage. Why don't you go rest and let me transfer some spiritual energy?!'

'I'm about to collapse. Can't you just take a rest?'

Su Yi was screaming inside. With Kangxi always by their side, she had no chance to transfer spiritual energy to ease the Crown Prince's condition.

Now he was telling her to rest, but she was scared that if she did, the little milk dragon might end up permanently damaged.

With people always on watch, she could send others away, but Kangxi was a different story. If he didn't leave, she'd have to keep waiting, and he just wouldn't budge.

Kangxi looked at Consort Rong, who smiled back at him, showing no signs of worry.

Did Consort Rong have a plan?

Kangxi's face showed signs of fatigue, as if Consort Rong's words had brought it to the surface. "Then I'll leave it to you. I'll come back later to relieve you. If you can't hold on, go and rest."

"Understood, Your Majesty. Please take care of yourself."

Su Yi was surprised that it had been so easy to convince Kangxi to leave. Her smile became more genuine.

Liang Jiugong was also surprised that Consort Rong had managed to persuade the emperor to rest. Since the Crown Prince's condition had worsened, Kangxi had been by his side without leaving, despite Liang Jiugong's repeated reminders to take a break.

Liang Jiugong feared that if the Crown Prince didn't recover soon, the emperor might collapse from exhaustion, which would be disastrous.

Kangxi didn't know what Consort Rong had in mind, but recalling that she had always treated Baocheng with kindness, and given that the imperial physicians had no solutions, he decided to trust her this once.

As he stood up to leave, he glanced back at Consort Rong, who was changing the cloth on Baocheng's forehead, before finally departing.

As soon as Kangxi left, Consort Rong waited for a while longer before instructing the servants waiting outside to stay in the outer chamber. The room was too crowded and stuffy at that moment, making the little crown prince even more uncomfortable. With her guarding him, they could be summoned if necessary.

Originally, the palace servants were already anxious, fearing they might contract smallpox while serving the little crown prince. After some servants began to show symptoms of fever and were isolated, their fear peaked.

By now, the servants were filled with panic, worried that if the little crown prince didn't recover, most of the servants in the Qianqing Palace would fall ill as well.

When Consort Rong instructed them to wait outside, it gave them some distance. The servants quickly complied without hesitation, as they could still hear any commotion from inside.

However, it was unexpected that Consort Rong showed such concern for the little crown prince. Even at such a critical time, she dared to stay close to him. Previously, it was thought that her closeness to the little crown prince was due to his noble status as the crown prince, and that being close to him would bring her many benefits.

In short, although Consort Rong and the little crown prince seemed to get along well on the surface, it wasn't necessarily out of genuine affection. It might have been out of obligation due to their respective statuses.

But now, it was hard to say. At a time when her life could be at risk, Consort Rong still stayed by the little crown prince's side, comforting him. What other consort would do that? It seemed there was some genuine care involved.

If it were merely pretense, she would have avoided him at all costs. Consort Rong could have easily excused herself, claiming illness, and retreated to another palace to rest.

After Consort Rong had everyone sent away, she didn't have time to worry about what they were thinking. She looked at the little crown prince, who was burning up and flushed red, and pulled him out from under the blankets to hold him in her arms. The little crown prince curled up into a small ball.

Originally, she had hoped the little crown prince would recover on his own, but the situation had taken a turn for the worse, and the imperial physicians were at a loss.

She had no choice but to try this method.

Consort Rong held the little crown prince and began to slowly transfer vital energy to him. A faint glow appeared around her, as if she were enveloped in a soft light, giving her a mystical presence.

At first, the little crown prince squirmed in discomfort, but gradually his breathing became steady, and he fell asleep peacefully in her familiar embrace.

The little crown prince had initially felt as though he were on fire, the sensation so unbearable that he wanted to cry, struggle, and escape. He wanted to open his eyes, but everything remained dark.

Then, he found himself in a cool embrace, and the burning sensation slowly subsided.

His body no longer felt as uncomfortable. The familiar scent around him reminded him of his mother. Once the discomfort faded, the little crown prince fell asleep peacefully in her arms. Earlier, the burning sensation had made it impossible for him to rest, and several times he felt like he was on the verge of dying.

The little crown prince's expression relaxed, and his brow smoothed out. If it weren't for the pox marks on his body, one might have thought he was perfectly healthy, not in the midst of an illness.

Meanwhile, Consort Rong continued to slowly transfer vital energy to him. The faint glow around her gradually faded, and her face grew increasingly pale. Blood rose to her throat, but she kept her mouth shut, afraid that if she opened it, blood would spill out.

If the little crown prince woke up and saw her spitting blood, it would surely frighten him. Consort Rong swallowed the blood back.

This was the drawback, but fortunately, although she had expended vital energy, the little crown prince continuously replenished her with purple energy, allowing her to keep going.

After some time, the little crown prince woke up feeling hungry. During his high fever, he hadn't been able to eat, clenching his teeth tightly, making it difficult to feed him. Now, after sleeping for a while, he woke up hungry.

When he opened his eyes and realized he was in Consort Rong's arms, he felt a quiet sense of joy. Consort Rong had been holding him all this time, no wonder he felt so familiar and slept so peacefully.

Seeing Consort Rong with her eyes closed, the little crown prince, being considerate, didn't want to wake her. He attempted to rise quietly, moving slightly, but Consort Rong quickly opened her eyes and smiled at him without saying a word.

"Consort Rong, I'm a little hungry," the little crown prince said shyly, fiddling with his fingers, as if apologizing for waking her.

Consort Rong acknowledged with a hum, then got up and turned her back to him, calling out to the servants waiting outside, "The little crown prince is awake. Bring some easily digestible food." She didn't turn back, instead raising her hand to cover her mouth.

The servants were overjoyed to hear that the little crown prince had awakened. After all, he had been in a high fever and on the brink of death. The imperial physicians had said that if he didn't wake up soon, his life would be in danger.

They had been anxious, knowing that if the little crown prince died, they, being servants, would face severe consequences, likely losing their heads for failing to care for him properly.

It was a relief that the little crown prince had awakened. Being able to eat was a good sign. As the servants went to prepare food and entered to serve, they noticed Consort Rong covering her mouth, but blood was seeping through her fingers. One of the servants was about to cry out in alarm, but Consort Rong raised her hand, signaling for them to remain silent.

Consort Rong wanted to leave, but the little crown prince tugged at her sleeve, "Consort Rong?"

Was Consort Rong leaving?

The maids were startled to see Su Yi, let alone the little milk dragon. So she didn’t turn around, keeping her back to him, her voice weak. "Baocheng, Consort Rong’s feeling a little tired and needs to rest for a bit. You stay here and eat obediently, okay?"

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but cough twice.

Hearing this, the little milk dragon, realizing that Consort Rong was unwell yet still stayed by his side, immediately dared not to cling to her anymore. He obediently said, "If Consort Rong is tired, go and rest. Baocheng will be good."

He spoke obediently, though he really wanted Consort Rong to stay with him. But he knew Consort Rong would get tired if she stayed, so he didn’t push it, only saying, "Then after Consort Rong has rested, come and see Baocheng again."

He tugged gently at Su Yi’s sleeve, making a small request.

"Mm," Su Yi nodded, though she wanted to turn around and pat his head to praise him for being so good, she instead pulled her sleeve free and left. As she lifted the curtain, her steps faltered, having suppressed her coughs for so long. Now she coughed violently, blood staining her palm.

The maids panicked, terrified by what they saw. Yun Hua, sobbing, rushed to support the swaying Su Yi. "Quick, call the imperial physician for Consort Rong!"

Su Yi wanted to say it was nothing, but she could imagine how frightening she must look. Her flowerpot shoes unsteady, Su Yi lost her balance and collapsed. Yun Hua couldn’t hold her up, just as she was panicking, a figure had already pushed her aside, rushing over with a gust of wind, picking up the unconscious Su Yi in one swift motion.

"Call the imperial physician!" It was Kangxi.

His face grim as he picked up Su Yi, carrying her to the prepared resting chamber. The imperial physician, having already rushed over upon receiving the news, was ordered, "Quick, see what’s wrong with her."

Kangxi, struggling to keep his emotions in check, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the unconscious Consort Rong.

Although he had told Consort Rong to go and rest, how could he rest? He had been not far away, having people keep an eye on the situation. Consort Rong had indeed sent all the maids away.

Kangxi, suppressing his anxiety, restrained himself from acting, sitting there with his eyes closed but never truly asleep. When there was movement over there, Kangxi suddenly opened his eyes and got up to ask about the situation. The maid said Baocheng had woken up, feeling hungry and wanting to eat. Only then did Kangxi’s hanging heart settle; Consort Rong had not betrayed his trust.

He was about to check on Baocheng when he saw Consort Rong collapse. Without time to think, he had already gone up to catch her.