Chapter 2

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Consort Chen seemed not to notice Eunuch Xu and his entourage, weeping bitterly at the main hall’s entrance as she pleaded, "I beg Consort Gui to forgive me; I did not mean to cause trouble."

The sudden loud cry early in the morning startled Tong Jiahe, who was having breakfast inside. Glancing at Pu Yu, she saw his expression was equally perplexed. Straightening her clothes, she prepared to step outside and see what drama was unfolding.

Upon stepping out, a wave of heat hit her face; the alternating cold and warmth was unbearable, causing her to frown. On the main hall’s steps stood a delicate-looking woman, whose attire matched the description Pu Yu had given of the usually modest Consort Chen.

Tong Jiahe quickly scanned the scene and noticed a half-open birdcage at Consort Chen’s feet, with two young eunuchs kneeling nearby, trembling.

The commotion was likely related to the missing bird.

Consort Chen had been crying at the doorway for some time. Now, seeing Consort Gui emerge, she discreetly observed her.

The Forbidden City had felt as stifling as an oven these past few days, and today’s heat was even more intense. Standing outside for a moment left the skin burning painfully.

Consort Gui was always sensitive to heat. Having been pampered in the Tong household for over a decade, she was familiar with all kinds of cooling remedies from across the land. Even after entering the palace, the emperor never let her suffer; ice was used as liberally as possible.

Now, seeing Consort Gui furrow her brows, Consort Chen grew excited.

Though Consort Gui carried the dignity of a noble daughter from a prominent family, she could be petulant at times. Consort Chen had longed and hoped for this moment.

“What’s going on here?” Tong Jiahe asked in a neutral tone.

She did not direct the question at anyone in particular, as if it made no difference whether Consort Chen or the young eunuchs answered.

"Consort Gui, the bird has flown away..." one of the braver eunuchs replied, voice trembling.

They had both watched helplessly as the bird escaped, their faces pale with despair as they exchanged hopeless glances.

The pair of yellow birds had been recently procured by the Tong family and gifted into the palace to amuse Consort Gui, who cherished them greatly. She had immediately assigned the two eunuchs to care for them, explicitly instructing that the cage be hung outside the main hall of Chengqian Palace, so anyone exiting would see them.

The eunuchs dared not neglect their duties. They tended to the birds like precious treasures, even arranging shifts to guard the cage through the late night, fearing any noble’s cat would disturb the birds.

Should anything go wrong, Consort Gui could easily blame the consorts for neglect and punish them accordingly.

Having carefully nurtured the birds for only a few days, Consort Chen had now let them escape. The eunuchs feared how Consort Gui’s wrath would fall upon them and wished they themselves had been the ones to fly away.

Upon hearing it was just the birds that had flown off, Tong Jiahe relaxed. Fortunately, it was not a catastrophe. Pu Yu, however, subtly signaled to her to look at Consort Chen, whose face was stained with tears.

Since the Fourth Prince had been taken to Cining Palace, the palace atmosphere had been unsettled. Consort Chen lived in the rear halls, but to come to the main hall so early and release the birds—something about it felt off.

Tong Jiahe grew cautious and scrutinized Consort Chen carefully.

Consort Chen wore a simple, elegant pink-blue robe today, perhaps having left in haste, for her collar was somewhat loose.

After a moment's thought, Tong Jiahe decided to wait for Consort Chen’s next move before confirming her suspicions. She then turned to the two eunuchs, "Rise. Today’s incident is not entirely your fault. Your pay will be docked for three months. Serve diligently henceforth, and let this be the last time."

The eunuchs looked at Consort Gui in disbelief. Anything valued by the masters was worth more than gold in the eunuchs' eyes.

Although this was an unfortunate accident, Consort Gui’s leniency had saved their lives.

Normally, Consort Gui’s rewards were generous. As long as they could continue serving in Chengqian Palace, losing three months’ salary was insignificant. The two wept and vowed never to err again.

Consort Chen, seeing Consort Gui ignore her and first deal with the eunuchs, felt displeased but masked it with a look of grievance.

Feigning nonchalance, she glanced toward the main gate of Chengqian Palace, finally catching sight of the bright yellow figure she had longed for.

Before Tong Jiahe could speak, Consort Chen abruptly knelt down with a thud, tears streaming, "I did not do it on purpose, I beg Consort Gui for a chance to live."

“Every fault is mine. I beg Consort Gui to show mercy for the years we have shared this palace.”

All eyes turned to Consort Gui, awaiting her response.

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Eunuch Xu, hoping to remain invisible, swallowed hard.

Having served in the palace for over twenty years, he had heard and seen countless absurdities. Letting a pair of birds fly away could have been trivial, but Consort Chen was clearly intent on escalating the matter.

The palace was full of onlookers curious to see how Consort Gui would handle a consort who angered her. Though temporarily out of favor, Consort Gui could easily deal with a powerless consort like Chen.

Consort Chen was using Consort Gui as a stepping stone to gain the emperor’s favor. If this was truly her plan, then she was a crafty woman indeed; few could have lain low under Consort Gui’s watchful eyes in Chengqian Palace for years as she had.

Consort Chen’s sudden kneeling startled Tong Jiahe.

Consort Chen had first released the birds. Now, kneeling and crying as if her life depended on it, one could easily mistake it as if she was begging for her life.

Besides, in the Qing palace, no consort was expected to kneel before a higher-ranking consort like this. Her kneeling was unusual and aroused suspicion.

From Tong Jiahe’s years of reading and watching dramas, when someone suddenly shows weakness, it means the protagonist has arrived. In the palace, the male lead was obvious.

A quick glance at Pu Yu, who looked as if facing a dire threat, confirmed Tong Jiahe’s suspicion.

Palace intrigue was arriving, albeit belatedly.

She personally did not mind the rivalry for favor—indeed, she approved of it. Most women entered the palace for their family’s future; competition was natural. But stepping on others to advance oneself was vile.

In an instant, Tong Jiahe devised a plan.

"Pu Yu, help Consort Chen up."

Seeing Consort Gui’s expression, Pu Yu felt reassured and hurried to assist Consort Chen.

Yet, Consort Chen hesitated, fearful and uneasy, refusing to rise despite Pu Yu’s efforts, her expression as if grievously wronged, as though Consort Gui had forced her to kneel.

Tong Jiahe sneered inwardly; as she suspected, once Consort Chen knelt, she would not easily stand.

Behind her was the main gate of Chengqian Palace; the gaze there seemed to pierce through her. Consort Chen must have been waiting a long time for the person standing there.

Suppressing her emotions, Tong Jiahe looked at Consort Chen with a faint, knowing smile. Disgusting, isn’t she? Who isn’t?

All saw Consort Gui raise her hand, trembling slightly, pointing at the birdcage on the ground. She took a few unsteady steps forward, then stared silently at the cage for a long while.

Consort Gui seemed shattered, her voice faint and sorrowful. "That was a gift personally chosen by my Second Brother. I treasured it dearly. I never imagined..."

Tong Jiahe paused just right, sighing softly, leaving ample space for imagination. Not a word mentioned Consort Chen, yet every word implied her.

Because Consort Chen had let the birds fly away, imagine how heartbroken I am.

The next moment, Tong Jiahe fainted amid the crowd’s alarmed looks.

Pu Yu rushed forward and caught Consort Gui before she could hit a pillar.

"Consort Gui!" Pu Yu cried anxiously.

"Consort Gui has fainted from overwhelming grief!" Pu Yu’s sharp exclamation sealed the matter.

Who was to blame for Consort Gui’s ‘heartbreaking’ state was now obvious.

Suddenly, Chengqian Palace erupted into chaos...

—

Recently, after morning court sessions, Emperor Kangxi often went to sit in Yonghe Palace. The occupant of Yonghe Palace, Virtuous Consort Wuya, was gentle and spoke softly; being with her was very comforting.

Especially with the steady stream of good news from the south, Kangxi’s mood was exceptionally good. Even the consorts producing more sons paled in comparison to this joy.

Virtuous Consort, noticing the emperor’s constant smile, guessed there must be good news from the court. There were palace rules forbidding consorts from meddling in state affairs; neither the Empress Dowager nor the Grand Empress Dowager ever asked the emperor about governance, so Virtuous Consort dared not either.

Since the emperor had come to her palace, she naturally wanted to give him even more joy. She signaled a servant to bring the wet nurse to fetch the Sixth Prince.

The Sixth Prince was nearly a year and a half old, at a very active age. Upon seeing Kangxi and Virtuous Consort, he flashed a few baby teeth and said, "Han Ama, Ama..."

His "Ama" (father) was pronounced clearly, but "Emniang" (mother) was mumbled. Kangxi’s smile grew wider seeing the plump, well-raised prince.

The Sixth Prince was always by Virtuous Consort’s side, having not yet learned to say "mother," but was articulate in calling "father." His intelligence pleased Kangxi immensely.

After some playful interaction, the prince’s energy waned, and his nurse reminded that it was time to eat.

Kangxi, intrigued, stayed to watch his son eat.

The Sixth Prince could now eat solid foods; he finished a bowl of minced meat porridge. Virtuous Consort washed her hands with warm water and personally fed him. Soon, the bowl was empty.

After the servants cleared the dishes, Virtuous Consort reached to the prince’s chest, saying, "It’s hot today. Change him into light, breathable clothes; otherwise, he’ll sweat and be uncomfortable, and his midday nap won’t be peaceful."

Her careful concern for the prince’s wellbeing showed how attentive she was. The princes and princesses all had wet nurses and servants to care for them; consorts need not attend to every detail.

Kangxi glanced at Virtuous Consort with new appreciation.

The Sixth Prince resisted changing clothes, wriggling on the bed and kicking as the nurse tried to hold him. Virtuous Consort gently coaxed him. After some fuss, they managed to dress him properly.

Now dressed, the prince nestled in his nurse’s arms, yawning, unconcerned that he had been so exposed earlier before Kangxi.

This was Kangxi’s first candid appraisal of his son. The Sixth Prince was taller and sturdier than others his age, resembling the eldest prince in physique and the Crown Prince in looks, both handsome like their mothers.

The Sixth Prince embodied the best traits of Kangxi’s two favorite sons, filling the emperor with joy.

Virtuous Consort had borne two healthy princes. Though the Fourth Prince was sent to be raised by the Noble Consort after his full month, he was robust and rarely ill.

Lower-ranked consorts were not permitted to rear imperial heirs. The eldest prince had been sent to be raised by the Grand Minister Gali, the third prince by Minister Chuoerji. After the births of the Fourth and Fifth Princes, they were sent to the Noble Consort and the Empress Dowager respectively.

The Fifth Prince could occasionally visit Yikun Palace, but the Fourth Prince had not returned to Yonghe Palace since his full month. The Noble Consort guarded him as her own eye. Kangxi had never brought up letting Virtuous Consort see the Fourth Prince.

Because of this, Kangxi felt indebted to Virtuous Consort, trying to compensate her with exclusive titles and generous rewards elsewhere.

Looking again at Virtuous Consort, Kangxi’s thoughts deepened.

Virtuous Consort was kind and raised healthy children. Both the Fourth and Sixth Princes were hers. If the Fourth Prince were returned to Yonghe Palace, she would surely care for him as attentively.

Consort Gui’s disorderly conduct had caused the Fourth Prince to be taken to Cining Palace. Considering the Tong family’s influence and the Empress Dowager’s stance, Kangxi kept weighing the feasibility of this idea.

In the end, his sense of guilt prevailed. Kangxi casually remarked, "Little Six is beginning to recognize people. When you’re free, you can take him to find Yin Zhen. They are close in age and should be able to play together."

With the Sixth Prince visiting the Fourth, mother and son could meet and spend time together...

These words carried deep meaning. Virtuous Consort’s heart raced, her hand clenched tightly beneath her sleeve, nails digging into her palm. The day’s events felt like a dream, but the pain in her palm kept her from calmly weighing the pros and cons.

For two years, she would never forget her most miserable day, the bitterness and pain of having her child taken away to be raised by another lingering in her heart.

Her body trembled slightly as she looked in disbelief at the young yet commanding emperor. His seemingly simple but meaningful words gave her immense hope.

Had the emperor truly... agreed to return the Fourth Prince to her?