Chapter 088

Chapter 088

As soon as Yun Hua stepped out of the Yonghe Palace, she heard a sudden voice say, "Your task is only to keep watch." The voice seemed to emerge out of nowhere, but Yun Hua was not startled. She didn’t even turn around to find the source of the voice.

"I know, but if the target dies, we will all be punished," Yun Hua replied without looking back, her voice soft but clear enough for the other party to hear.

The figure hidden in the darkness watched Yun Hua's back. In just a blink, he disappeared and did not follow her.

At least try to mask your speed. No normal maid could run that fast.

Qianqing Palace

Liang Jiugong was on night duty when a servant attending to the Crown Prince hurried over. Seeing the servant's hurried approach, Liang Jiugong quickly went forward to inquire, "Why the hurry? Has something happened with the Crown Prince?" Liang Jiugong also became nervous.

"Liang Jiugong, the Crown Prince just woke up and is insisting on going to the Yonghe Palace to see Consort Rong. The maids cannot calm him down, so we came to inform you. What should we do?" The servant said with a troubled expression.

The wet nurse couldn’t calm him either. The little Crown Prince wanted to go out and was throwing a tantrum. They were still holding him back but didn’t dare to use force. In the end, they had no choice but to come to Liang Jiugong.

Since it concerned the Crown Prince, Liang Jiugong couldn’t make the decision on his own. It was late at night, and it was impossible to let the Crown Prince run to the Yonghe Palace. But if they didn’t, the maids wouldn’t have come over unless they really couldn’t calm him down. Liang Jiugong could only say, "Let me go consult the Emperor first."

Liang Jiugong carefully said, "Your Majesty." The Emperor should not have fallen asleep yet.

Kangxi had just woken up and heard Liang Jiugong's voice. He spoke indifferently, "What is it?" His tone revealed no emotion.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince just woke up and is demanding to go to the Yonghe Palace. The maids were unable to calm him down," Liang Jiugong carefully reported.

A moment of silence followed in the room. Liang Jiugong didn’t hear the Emperor's reply and wondered if His Majesty hadn’t heard clearly. Should he repeat it?

Finally, there was a response from inside, "Bring the Crown Prince over."

"Yes, Your Majesty." After receiving the reply, Liang Jiugong immediately told the maid who had come earlier to go back and bring the Crown Prince to the Emperor. Presumably, with the Emperor stepping in, the Crown Prince could be calmed down.

Liang Jiugong waited outside and soon saw the Crown Prince running towards him, looking very unhappy, with slightly red eyes. The maids were chasing after him, afraid that if they weren’t careful, he would run off.

Liang Jiugong was about to go forward to meet him when the little Crown Prince ran past him, struggling to push the door open. Liang Jiugong quickly went to help push the door. He couldn’t just watch the Crown Prince push the door. As soon as there was a gap, the little Crown Prince rushed in.

Kangxi was already sitting up and turned to look at the rushing Baocheng. His feelings were somewhat conflicted. After having that dream, he was unsure how to face Baocheng.

How had things come to such a strained situation between 'him' and the Crown Prince? Father-son affection was gone, replaced by mutual wariness and suspicion.

The little milk dragon had no idea of his Imperial Father’s complicated feelings.

He had just managed not to cry in front of the maids, but now, seeing his beloved Imperial Father, he couldn’t help but start sobbing. As soon as he saw his Imperial Father, he ran over like a little fireball, throwing himself onto the Imperial Father’s bed. "Imperial Father," the little Crown Prince began to sob.

Kangxi looked at Baocheng, who was crying with a snot bubble, and his complex feelings instantly turned silent. Why was he crying like this?

This son, with his tears and snot, was rubbing against him, almost treating his clothes like a handkerchief. Kangxi, who had a touch of fastidiousness, was no longer feeling conflicted. He reached out to pull Baocheng away and asked, "What’s wrong?"

If you have something to say, don’t wipe your snot on me. Even though he was his son, Kangxi discreetly pinched the hem of his clothes, trying to pull it away.

The little milk dragon didn’t know that his Imperial Father found his runny nose a bit much. Hearing the Emperor’s question, he immediately felt like he had found solace. "Imperial Father, I miss Consort Rong. I want to go see her." He started to cry again, tears falling.

Kangxi placed his hand on Baocheng’s shoulder, preventing him from lunging forward. Having no handkerchief at hand, he grabbed the nearby quilt and used it to wipe Baocheng’s face.

But Kangxi wasn’t experienced. The quilt was large and unwieldy. As soon as he covered Baocheng’s face, it was like he was roughly wiping it clean, unlike the gentle and careful motions of a nanny. Baocheng made a painful expression.

"Why are you suddenly insisting on seeing your Consort Rong?"

After wiping once, Kangxi saw that the tears and snot were finally cleaned off for the time being. He put the quilt down, seemingly casually but deliberately threw it far away.

The little milk dragon’s cheeks were a bit red after the rough face-wiping. Seeing this, Kangxi coughed awkwardly.

"I just want to see Consort Rong," said the little milk dragon unhappily, before pursing his lips and falling silent.

Kangxi recalled the thunderclap that had just sounded. Baocheng was probably woken by the thunder and, feeling scared, wanted to see Consort Rong. "Were you scared awake by the thunder? Are you afraid to sleep?"

"No," the little milk dragon vigorously shook his head. "I’m not afraid of the thunder."

It wasn’t because of the thunder, but after waking up tonight, his heart felt unusually panicked, and he desperately wanted to see Consort Rong immediately. However, the servants were blocking him, saying it was late and Consort Rong had already gone to bed, telling him to wait until tomorrow. But the little milk dragon wanted to see her right away. He was both anxious and angry at being stopped.

"How about tomorrow? It’s very late now, and you know Consort Rong will get sick if she doesn’t sleep well. Do you still want to see her at this hour?"

Kangxi stroked Baocheng’s head as he spoke gently. He could have scolded Baocheng for making a fuss just to see Consort Rong—it wasn’t something a crown prince should do, nor should he cry over such matters. But Baocheng was still a child, and in his eyes, there was only trust and dependence on his Royal Father.

The little milk dragon’s eyes turned red, and his voice choked. "...No." He sniffed. "I don’t want Consort Rong to be sick."

But couldn’t they go see her secretly?

Seeing this, Kangxi said, "In the morning, Royal Father will have someone take you to see her." It had been some time since Baocheng last saw Consort Rong, so it wasn’t surprising that he missed her, but it was too late at night for a visit.

The little milk dragon nodded. "Okay," then wanted to crawl onto the bed, curl up in a corner, and stare longingly at his Royal Father. "Baocheng wants to sleep here."

It seemed like he wanted morning to come quickly so that when his Royal Father got up, he could follow and go see Consort Rong soon.

Faced with Baocheng’s pitiful expression, what could Kangxi say else? He could only nod. He originally wanted to tuck Baocheng in properly but then remembered that the quilt was just used to wipe Baocheng’s tears and snot. Kangxi hesitated for a moment before placing the used side of the quilt over Baocheng.

After all, it was Baocheng’s own mess; he couldn’t disgust himself.

The little milk dragon thought it was really kind of his Royal Father to cover him with the quilt. He hadn’t been sure if his Royal Father would let him stay.

Meeting Baocheng’s shining eyes, Kangxi’s hand paused slightly while tucking the quilt.

---

Zhongcui Palace

Of course, Rongpin, who was watching every move in the Yonghe Palace, hadn’t rested either. She was waiting to see the drama unfold.

Rongpin hadn’t planned to do anything, but it was too much of a coincidence that Jingren Palace had set up a stage for a play. She didn’t believe it was just a coincidence.

She had thought that Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia truly didn’t mind, but it turned out she was wrong. When they had tried to urge Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia to lead them to Cining Palace, Tongjia had pretended to be oblivious. So, she had been waiting for this moment all along.

"It’s so coincidental that Consort Rong urgently needs a physician, and just as quickly, the Fourth Prince catches a cold and fever. Jingren Palace even managed to get ahead of Yonghe Palace and summoned all the on-duty physicians from the Imperial Medical Office. It seems even Heaven doesn’t want Consort Rong to have an easy time."

Rongpin was copying Buddhist scriptures to pass the time, feeling quite pleased.

At this moment, she couldn’t afford to sleep, or she might miss the drama.

"I heard that the situation in Yonghe Palace is quite critical now, and Consort Rong is close to death, her breath barely there. If the physicians are delayed even for a short while, she might not survive."

When comparing the Fourth Prince and a mere consort, the importance wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Even if the people from Yonghe Palace went to Jingren Palace to request some physicians, Imperial Noble Consort might only spare one, and that would depend on whether she would permit Yonghe Palace to successfully make the request.

"As long as Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia delays a bit, even if Consort Rong survives, she won’t have much time left. I want to see how hard Consort Rong’s life is this time."

Rongpin looked down at the Buddhist scripture she had been copying and, noticing the extra 'Rong' character she had written, angrily crossed it out with her brush.

As long as Consort Rong is alive, it’s like a thorn in her side.

As soon as the imperial doctors arrived at Jingren Palace, they immediately went to check on the Fourth Prince.

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia stood nearby, looking tired and worried. Nanny Wang was speaking beside her, "While the wet nurse was bathing the Fourth Prince, she didn’t realize the water had gotten cold. It wasn’t until Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia decided to check on the Fourth Prince that we discovered he had a fever. If we had discovered it later, who knows how high the fever could have gotten."

This was their explanation. Several imperial doctors were examining the Fourth Prince. While it was true the water had been cold, something still felt off.

The Fourth Prince’s body was very cold, his hands and feet ice-cold. Though he had a fever, if he had caught a cold during the bath, his body should be burning up by now, even if he felt cold.

The imperial doctors were puzzled but were focused on discussing the Fourth Prince’s treatment and consulting about the prescription. The Fourth Prince was young, so the medicine needed to be mild.

The wet nurse never expected things to turn out like this. She was now held to the side, her hands and feet bound, a cloth stuffed in her mouth, leaving her unable to speak.

She wanted to explain that the Fourth Prince had been fine while under her care. He had been perfectly fine when she brought him to Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia. Fearing he might catch a cold, she had dressed him in an extra layer and wrapped him up tightly before bringing him there. They hadn’t been exposed to the wind along the way.

If the Fourth Prince had had a fever, she would have known.

But shortly after she had brought the Fourth Prince to Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia and returned, servants arrived to accuse her of neglecting her duties in caring for him.

The Fourth Prince had caught a fever, and she hadn’t reported it immediately. If it hadn’t been for Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia discovering it and promptly summoning the imperial doctors, who knows if the Fourth Prince would have burned into a stupor by the next day.

The wet nurse cried out that she was innocent, but before she could get two more words out, a cloth was shoved into her mouth, and she was bound and dragged away.

The wet nurse wanted to explain to Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia that the Fourth Prince had not had a fever earlier. But one of the maids who had been taking care of the Fourth Prince alongside her said that during the evening bath, the water had been a bit cold. They had asked the wet nurse to have someone bring more hot water, but she had refused, trying to take a shortcut. She had insisted on using the cold water for the Fourth Prince’s bath, which led to him catching a fever and becoming unconscious.

The wet nurse looked at the person speaking in disbelief, her eyes wide. No! That person was lying! It hadn’t happened that way at all!

"Mmph!"

Someone was framing her. The bathwater had been scalding hot. She had personally adjusted the water temperature to be neither too cold nor too hot before giving Fourth Prince a bath.

How could she possibly have used cold water to bathe Fourth Prince? The child was fragile, and she was afraid he might catch a cold. She didn’t dare delay and quickly dried and dressed him, wrapping him tightly in a cotton blanket.

"Stop denying it. Fourth Prince is seriously ill, and as his wet nurse, you cannot escape responsibility. If you try to shirk blame, there’s no need. The Imperial Noble Consort will just find a more competent wet nurse for Fourth Prince," said Nanny Wang, her expression cold and her tone icy.

This essentially sealed the wet nurse’s fate.

The sudden illness of Fourth Prince became the perfect opportunity to make the wet nurse the scapegoat. It had to be her negligence. The Imperial Noble Consort, on the other hand, had happened to discover the fever and immediately summoned the imperial physicians, acting as a caring mother by Fourth Prince’s side.

Hearing this, the wet nurse’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Nanny Wang’s cold expression, remembering how different she had looked when she handed over Fourth Prince. Suddenly, it dawned on her.

She had initially thought someone was framing her, but now there seemed to be another reason.

She remembered clearly how the Imperial Noble Consort had suddenly asked her to send Fourth Prince over. It had all been so sudden, and at that time, Fourth Prince had been perfectly fine, without any fever. But as soon as she returned, Fourth Prince fell ill and needed a physician.

Nanny Wang saw the change in the wet nurse’s expression and knew that she had figured something out. This was exactly why the wet nurse could not be spared.

"Rest assured, although you have been negligent in your duties to Fourth Prince, the Imperial Noble Consort will not implicate your family."

Nanny Wang spoke slowly, seemingly trying to calm her, but in reality, she was issuing a threat. The wet nurse was being told to keep her mouth shut and accept the blame. If she dared to speak out or implicate the Imperial Noble Consort, her family would suffer the consequences.

The message was clear. Even if she claimed it was the Imperial Noble Consort behind this, it would be seen as her attempt to escape punishment by falsely accusing the Imperial Noble Consort. In the end, the Imperial Noble Consort might remain unscathed, but her own life would be in danger, and her family could be implicated.

The wet nurse felt her heart sink in despair. This had struck her where it hurt the most.

Consort Tongjia could easily deal with her family if she wished, so the wet nurse didn’t dare take the risk.

She no longer struggled and gradually became quiet, knowing she would have to accept the blame.

Nanny Wang felt satisfied with the situation. Since Fourth Prince had fallen ill with a fever, there had to be a scapegoat, and who better than the personal wet nurse who had been taking care of him?

"Nanny Wang, a young eunuch from Yonghe Palace is requesting a meeting. He says that Imperial Noble Consort Rong has fallen critically ill and is in urgent need of a physician," a servant from Jingren Palace reported.

Meanwhile, the young eunuch from Yonghe Palace was being kept outside and not allowed to enter.

Nanny Wang looked at Consort Tongjia. The people from Yonghe Palace had indeed come.

Although she had known about it in advance, Nanny Wang still feigned surprise and concern as she walked over to Consort Tongjia. "Your Highness, Imperial Noble Consort Rong is unwell and needs a physician. But Fourth Prince is currently feverish and cannot be left without a physician."

The young eunuch from Yonghe Palace, who was being kept outside, was anxious to the point of desperation. Although he had expected this, he was now so anxious he felt like he was on fire. He shouted with all his might, "Consort Tongjia, our Imperial Noble Consort is critically ill! We beg you to spare a physician for Yonghe Palace to treat her!"

His voice was so loud that those inside could hear him clearly.

The physicians attending to Fourth Prince exchanged glances, finding the coincidence surprising. Both Fourth Prince and Imperial Noble Consort Rong were ill at the same time?

"Consort Tongjia, I have already prescribed medicine for Fourth Prince, and someone has been sent to fetch and prepare the medicine. But Imperial Noble Consort Rong..."

Before he finished, Consort Tongjia interrupted, "My Fourth Prince is still feverish. How can he go without a physician? Why aren’t you all thinking of ways to ease Fourth Prince’s suffering? What if something happens to him? He is still so young!"

She walked over, holding Fourth Prince’s cold little hand, her eyes a little red and her tone anxious. She truly looked like a worried mother caring for her young child.

Fourth Prince, shivering from the cold, was already in a state of confusion. Yet, even in his haze, he knew that it was Consort Tongjia holding his hand. He found it laughable that she was putting on such a convincing act. She was deceiving everyone present.

Even though her warmth was what his body needed due to his fever, he still wanted to push her away. But his body was too weak, and he lacked the strength to do it. He could only remain in his confused state, half-conscious and not fully comatose.

"Consort Tongjia, but someone needs to go to Imperial Noble Consort Rong’s side."

The physician forced himself to speak. They were all here, and Fourth Prince’s condition wasn’t extremely critical. The necessary measures had been taken, and it would be sufficient to leave Physician Wan, who specialized in pediatrics, to attend to Fourth Prince. Someone needed to go to Yonghe Palace.

However, Consort Tongjia said, "Isn’t Imperial Noble Consort Rong’s condition always the same? She always recovers in the end. Fourth Prince is still young and fragile. This is his first time falling ill, so it deserves more attention. You all should focus on treating Fourth Prince first. We can attend to Imperial Noble Consort Rong later when Fourth Prince’s condition improves."

She gently patted Fourth Prince’s swaddling clothes, soothing the restless child, and refused to let any physician leave.

The physicians exchanged glances, starting to understand the situation. Consort Tongjia won’t let them leave to treat Imperial Noble Consort Rong, or at least she intended to delay their departure. Considering the travel time to Yonghe Palace, Imperial Noble Consort Rong’s condition might worsen due to the delay...

But with Consort Tongjia using Fourth Prince as a reason to keep them there, they found themselves in a difficult spot. If they left and something happened to Fourth Prince, Consort Tongjia could blame them for mishandling his treatment and neglecting the imperial prince.

At the same time, if something happened to Imperial Noble Consort Rong, they could also be held accountable...

They were indeed in a tough spot.

If they left, they would offend Consort Tongjia. If they didn’t go and something happened to Imperial Noble Consort Rong, they could also be blamed. But if they stayed, Consort Tongjia might defend them. Considering this, the physicians didn’t dare to say anything more and continued to discuss Fourth Prince’s condition.

Nanny Wang then instructed the servants to go outside and tell the young eunuch from Yonghe Palace that the physicians were occupied with Fourth Prince and could not attend to Imperial Noble Consort Rong for the time being. She asked him to have Imperial Noble Consort Rong wait a little longer.

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch from Yonghe Palace knew something was amiss. Even though several physicians were here, it would have been possible to spare one to go to Yonghe Palace.

"We beg you, let us through! Our Imperial Noble Consort is really in critical condition! If we don’t get a physician soon, she..." the young eunuch shouted desperately.

But the servants blocking him took no notice, continuing to hold him back.

"Stop shouting so loudly! You’re disturbing the physicians attending to Fourth Prince. Imperial Noble Consort Rong is often ill, it’s not the first or second time. What’s the harm in waiting? Fourth Prince is experiencing his first illness, and his condition is much more critical. The imperial prince is precious, of course, we must prioritize Fourth Prince!" the servants said rudely.

This is a situation that holds up no matter who you talk to. Imperial heirs are the most precious, and someone like Consort Rong can't possibly compete with the Fourth Prince for a doctor. "You can only blame your misfortune that your mistress fell ill at an inconvenient time," said a maid with a sarcastic tone, her eyes filled with contempt.

The eunuch from Yonghe Palace knew it would be hard to get a doctor from Jingren Palace, but being there in person made him furious. This was obviously on purpose. All the doctors were called to Jingren Palace, and not a single one was being spared. They were essentially leaving their mistress to die.

"This servant requests to see Imperial Noble Consort! Please, Imperial Noble Consort, spare an imperial physician for Yonghe Palace! Mistress! Imperial Noble Consort!"

The eunuch began to shout loudly, trying to break through the people blocking him.

If Consort Rong dies, Yonghe Palace will fall, and all of us servants will be scattered without any direction. Consort Rong had always been kind to the palace servants, and if they were assigned to other places, there was no guarantee they would end up with a good master. So, no matter what, they had to go all out at this moment.

He had no other choice but to cause a scene. If Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia still refused to spare a doctor, her reputation would suffer as well!

Consort Tongjia was somewhat irritated by the noise outside. "That damn servant is making a racket outside. Who gave him the courage? Nanny Wang! Go teach that dog some manners!"

"Yes, Your Ladyship." Nanny Wang agreed, her face stern as she called some people and went outside. How dare he make such a racket here at Jingren Palace.