Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Kangxi had not enjoyed the benefits of being a bystander for long when, due to today's incident, all the palace staff in Yonghe Palace were on edge. In an effort to make up for forgetting to feed Pothead, they fetched the cat food with remarkable speed.

As soon as the food arrived, Pothead thought, 'This fight isn't worth my time.'

It's all to the advantage of that stinky two-legged creature and his little one.

Don't be fooled by the kitten's chubbiness; it's not at all foolish.

Eating is a cat's top priority!

In the blink of an eye, Pothead, who had been arguing with the little milk dragon, started to bury its head in the food. The little milk dragon was delighted and immediately came over to tug at Su Yi's sleeve, acting cute.

This one is easy to please, Su Yi thought with satisfaction, patting Kangxi's hand to signal him to stay aside for now.

What's so cute about a jerk compared to a little milk dragon?

The little milk dragon is really a well-behaved child, having already forgotten that just moments ago, the Honored Mother Consort did not take sides between the cat and the little milk dragon. Now he was secretly pleased that Pothead was eating on the side and no longer competing for the Honored Mother Consort's attention.

Kangxi: "..."

Kangxi gave a calm glance to the palace maid who had 'timely' delivered the food.

The palace maid had just received a look of approval from the lady, but then was unsettled by the Emperor's glance, not understanding what was wrong. She didn't dare delay even a moment!

She had moved as quickly as possible, fearing that Pothead, being extremely hungry, would cause a ruckus and give the Emperor and the lady a headache.

Never expected that whether it was fast or not, it all depended on the situation.

"Honored Mother Consort, Baocheng has a gift for you."

The little milk dragon smiled very sweetly. Recently, he had lost a tooth, not a front tooth, but one of the front ones, so when he grinned, a gap from the missing tooth would show.

Because of this, the little milk dragon didn't smile much anymore, and when he couldn't help it, he would only give a slight smile without showing his teeth, looking much more grown-up.

But once the worry had passed, the little milk dragon was so happy to see Su Yi that he grinned, showing his gums, which made him look even cuter.

"Really? What is it?" Su Yi smiled and asked, not reminding him that he had been reluctant to smile recently because of losing a tooth, even though he looked super cute.

Why did losing a tooth make him so self-conscious? He wasn't like this before.

If he doesn't smile more now while he's still cute and young, he won't look so milky when he smiles later.

Kangxi unconsciously touched his nose, masking his guilt over mocking the child.

Fortunately, at this moment, the little milk dragon was too busy to remember how his dear old father had mocked him for looking even sillier when he smiled right after losing his tooth, making the child self-conscious and hesitant to smile until his tooth grew back.

The little milk dragon remembered the gift box he had been holding earlier and thought it had fallen to the ground, not knowing if it was damaged. He grew anxious and regretted blurting it out, worried about what to do if it was damaged beyond repair.

Luckily, when the eunuch brought over the box containing the gift, the little milk dragon took it and felt the box, voicing a slight worry that it might have been dropped on the way. The eunuch quickly assured him that everything inside was fine.

They had padded the inside with lots of material to prevent any damage from bumps, just in case it might get broken.

The little milk dragon had thoughtfully prepared a gift, which made Kangxi seem unprepared.

When Su Yi took the gift box, she glanced at Kangxi, clearly thinking, look at you, and then look at the little one.

Kangxi: "..." Darn it!

Has this little rascal forgotten how infuriating his earlier remarks were!

And he still wants a gift!

Oh, how irritating.

Little milk dragon stood nervously to the side. Su Yi opened the gift box and saw... a big, round... egg?!

It had some patterns and was made of porcelain.

But...

Su Yi smiled, picked it up, and generously complimented, "It looks very... unique, this little thing." She was speechless.

Then she nudged Kangxi to signal him to speak, saving her from an awkward silence.

"Ah, it does look quite round," Kangxi said, raising his hand to cover his mouth, speaking earnestly.

It's really big and round.

It's not easy to craft something so perfectly round.

Su Yi nodded, about to say she'd treasure it, when little milk dragon anxiously urged, "Honored Mother Consort, you haven't opened it yet."

"Oh, I haven't opened it yet?" Su Yi laughed awkwardly.

Noticing a seam in the middle, it resembled a large roly-poly toy that could open to reveal a smaller one inside, possibly with even tinier ones within.

Could there be another smaller... one inside?

Su Yi's hands trembled slightly as she opened it, "I'm so excited, my hands are shaking."

Su Yi smiled and explained, trying to maintain her composure.

Kangxi cleared his throat, keeping a straight face, though he was trying not to laugh.

Under little milk dragon's eager gaze, Su Yi thought she'd have to compliment even another patterned... egg, wondering who the genius behind these designs was.

Little milk dragon, the creator, was also nervous, fidgeting with his sleeve.

Hmm, what's this?

Upon opening it, Su Yi was stunned, "This is..."

She pulled out a smaller doll inside—a porcelain figure of herself in a qipao dress.

It was a cute rendition, matching the style of the drawing she'd given little milk dragon on a small wooden plaque.

Su Yi was surprised; clearly inspired by her drawing style, the doll was crafted and fired to stand steadily.

"It's me," Su Yi said, gently holding the carefully crafted porcelain doll, her eyes soft with joy.

"Baocheng drew it and had it made," little milk dragon murmured, fidgeting, wishing he weren't so clumsy and could have carved it himself, still a bit dissatisfied.

Su Yi reached out, patting the nervous little milk dragon's head, "Baocheng put a lot of thought into this; I really like it."

Seeing that Honored Mother Consort really liked it, little milk dragon's nervous little heart finally relaxed, he had been worried that Honored Mother Consort wouldn't like it.

"There's more inside!" the little milk dragon added, smiling sweetly.

Su Yi opened it again and chuckled. "It's the bowl-cut figure." Inside was a similarly chubby bowl-cut figure, looking up in a coquettish manner.

Placing it next to the porcelain doll, it looked just like the bowl-cut figure, coquettishly looking up at Su Yi, asking for a hug.

Even though the little milk dragon and the bowl-cut figure didn’t always get along, the dragon had captured its expression perfectly, making it lively and full of character.

Kangxi, seeing how moved she was, couldn’t help but think that when he’d given her the snake bracelet, she hadn’t been nearly this touched!

How outrageous! This is unbelievable!

Su Yi held the porcelain doll, admiring it endlessly, and even said she’d put it in the most visible spot so she could see it every day.

Kangxi, feeling a little jealous, glanced at the oddly shaped doll, wondering what she found so special about it.

"Ahem," Kangxi cleared his throat softly, trying to get their attention. When no one responded, his face fell, and he coughed louder.

At this moment, the importance of Liang Jiugong truly became apparent.

"If you're thirsty, drink some water," Su Yi said without looking up. She wasn’t coughing anymore, so why was he?

It wasn’t like her cough was contagious. Was he really going to blame her for it?

The little milk dragon nodded, confused. His father’s voice had been fine earlier when scolding him about his studies, so why was he coughing now?

Kangxi gave a flat "Oh" and took a big sip from his teacup.

The bowl-cut figure kept eating, completely unfazed—human drama was none of its business.

After chatting gently with the little milk dragon, Su Yi had Qinxin place the doll on her dressing table so she could see it every day.

She got up to change and fix her hair. She wanted to get ready so she wouldn’t be rushed later.

"Imperial Consort?" Kangxi thought to himself. Since she was already awake, it wouldn’t hurt to make an appearance later, just to be safe—it’d only be for a moment.

But he hadn’t brought it up yet.

Su Yi turned to him with a mysterious look. "I have a feeling something’s going to happen tonight. I need to go and make sure things don’t get out of hand."

If she went late, she might miss all the fun.

Kangxi: You just want to see the excitement, don’t you?

"Is that so? How can the Imperial Consort be so sure something will happen tonight?" Kangxi asked gently, his tone hinting at something more.

The little milk dragon looked baffled: ???

What’s happening? Why are they leaving me out of the conversation?

Su Yi smiled and replied, "I used my brain, you know."

Stop asking questions that make her look dumb. She’s not clueless, you know.

Was the problem with the morning court beads really just a coincidence?

Kangxi lowered his gaze and remained silent.

—

The Grand Empress Dowager, recalling the Junior Concubine's retching and fall, felt uneasy. She also ordered someone to summon the imperial physician to examine her.

If she were indeed with child, it would be a cause for celebration.

The imperial harem had not witnessed such joyous news in a long while.

Though she had thought the Junior Concubine's earlier display was overly conspicuous, if she were indeed pregnant, it would still be early in the term. To draw such attention at this stage, was she not concerned about potential threats?

Without protection, safeguarding the child would be challenging, but that was a concern for later.

She had just fallen, but the carpeted floor should have cushioned her.

Yet, of all days, it had to be today, risking overshadowing the Rong Noble Consort.

The Emperor had her come first to ensure no 'accidents' occurred without someone to oversee.

Yet, this 'accident' was not entirely unwelcome. Though distracted, the Grand Empress Dowager's expression remained composed.

The physician had yet to arrive when the maid, who had assisted the Junior Concubine, rushed in to report her bleeding.

The bleeding must have resulted from her earlier fall.

Bleeding was nearly a definitive sign of pregnancy.

Only an unstable pregnancy would result in bleeding from a fall's shock and impact.

No wonder the Junior Concubine was so panicked after a fall, despite landing on a maid unharmed.

Initially, it appeared she was staging a scene to draw attention.

Now, it seemed the Junior Concubine herself might have known, explaining her fright after the fall.

As they helped the Junior Concubine to the side hall, her qipao was already bloodstained, startling the supporting maid.

Then, they saw the Junior Concubine clutching her abdomen, her face contorted in pain.

During the fall, though cushioned by the maid, the frail Junior Concubine immediately felt abdominal pain and began bleeding.

The terrified maid dared not let the Junior Concubine walk further, fearing increased bleeding. Instead, they carried her to a couch, ignoring the bloodstains, and hurriedly informed the Grand Empress Dowager.

This now concerned the royal child. The Junior Concubine herself was of little consequence, but a pregnancy would change everything.

Uya, the former maid who kept a low profile and was often ill, had risen to become the De Noble Consort, remaining a thorn in the Imperial Noble Consort's side.

The concubines' expressions varied, and the Imperial Noble Consort, though conflicted, remembered her duties. "I will immediately send more people to summon the physician."

But she only urged them on; no one could have anticipated this situation.

It would take time for the physician to arrive, and it would depend on the Junior Concubine's luck whether she could hold on until the physician arrived to save the royal child.

The Grand Empress Dowager didn't care much for the Junior Concubine, but she was concerned about the royal child. She sent experienced matrons to take care of her first, advising the Junior Concubine not to panic and to stay calm.

It would be best if they could save the child.

The imperial harem had not witnessed such joyous news in a long while. If they could save the child, it would at least break the current dominance of the Rong Noble Consort in the harem.

Today, the Grand Empress Dowager came, actually hoping that the Imperial Noble Consort Rong's severe cough might prevent her from attending.

Although she has the emperor's favor but no child, if she gains the nurturing affection of caring for the crown prince, for a long time, no one will be able to rival the Imperial Noble Consort Rong.

"What should we do? That sister seems to be in her early months, maybe she hurt her belly when she fell earlier, poor thing," Consort Xian feigned concern.

After speaking, she covered her rising lips with a handkerchief, nothing but schadenfreude.

Whether the Junior Concubine's belly can be saved or not, tonight, the limelight that the Imperial Noble Consort Rong previously enjoyed will surely be overshadowed, finally dispelling the gloom that Consort Xian has felt all day.

Regardless of the fact that during the conferment ceremony, the emperor made an exception for the Imperial Noble Consort Rong, now that the Junior Concubine is pregnant, it serves as the best slap in the face to the Imperial Noble Consort Rong.

If she miscarries tonight, it would be even more amusing and interesting.

She is somewhat eager to see what expression the Imperial Noble Consort Rong will have if she really accompanies the emperor and finds out that a Junior Concubine has just fallen and bled, possibly about to miscarry.

Consort Xian was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost couldn't hide her smile with her handkerchief.

The emperor is the ruler of the nation, how could he only guard the Imperial Noble Consort Rong? Those who couldn't intercept earlier were too noisy and failed, much ado about nothing, but those who acted quietly have succeeded, and their pregnancies are competitive.

Consort Yi was annoyed but in no mood to speak, unconsciously reaching out to touch her abdomen, but just as she raised her hand, she stopped abruptly.

Meanwhile, Consort Hui was wondering which palace the Junior Concubine was from.

If she can keep the child, it might not turn out to be another Uya; if the child is born, especially a prince, and is safely delivered, the mother's low status would certainly bar her from raising the prince.

The Imperial Noble Consort Rong is likely to adopt the child with the emperor's favor, just like the previous Imperial Noble Consort.

It would be much more legitimate than the crown prince's position.

And being a young child, if handled well, even if not the biological mother, she could be more like the real mother.

Consort Hui, burdened with heavy thoughts, had to consider more for the status of the eldest prince; any prince born in the harem would be a threat in the future.

So, it would be better if the Junior Concubine actually miscarries, the harem wouldn't have to keep an eye on her pregnancy, and it would also slap the Imperial Noble Consort Rong, dampening her sharpness, which would be more beneficial.

Thinking this, Consort Hui suddenly realized—could it be that the Junior Concubine's situation today was a backup plan!

How could she just slip and fall while being helped by palace maids?

At this critical moment, if the Junior Concubine bleeds and miscarries, the banquet tonight will surely be called off.

Regarding the royal child, both the Grand Empress Dowager and the emperor will have to be more attentive, other matters can be postponed.

The more Consort Hui thought about it, the more she felt this was the case.

This backup plan indeed strikes the key point.

However, this seems more like a woman's setup.

Besides, the Hesheli family, which originally depended on her to relay messages to Mingzhu for reminders, how could they set up this plan so quickly, not only preparing the initial move but also setting up a backup?

And this backup, even she in the harem, probably few present would have noticed that the Junior Concubine could be pregnant.

If the Junior Concubine had concealed it well, with the Imperial Noble Consort Rong attracting most of the attention, no one would have noticed anything unusual about her.

She could have quietly stabilized the pregnancy until the later months, then pretended to accidentally reveal it.

But it just had to be revealed tonight.

It is evident that someone had made preparations in advance, knowing the background of this Junior Concubine, and thus planned to exploit her miscarriage to ruin today's banquet and eliminate the potential threat of another prince in the future.

Truly brilliant.

Consort Hui concealed the complex emotions in her eyes to avoid letting others notice anything amiss.

"Go and urge them again," said the Grand Empress Dowager.

She no longer had the patience to fiddle with her prayer beads or listen to the concubines' banter.

At this moment, the junior concubines also knew better than to keep joking.

The Imperial Noble Consort sat nearby, gently comforting the Grand Empress Dowager, urging her not to worry too much and to take care of her health.

After all, they had already urged once before, and urging again would yield the same result; the imperial physicians couldn't magically appear.

The Grand Empress Dowager replied with a noncommittal "Hmm."

The Imperial Noble Consort held back but still had to force herself to offer some symbolic words of comfort.

The concubines below couldn't stay calm any longer; even without speaking, they exchanged knowing glances.

At this very moment,

"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived—"

"The Crown Prince has arrived—"

"The Rong Noble Consort has arrived—"

These important figures have finally arrived!