Chapter 6

The young Fourth Prince was dressed today in pale green. Because he had rushed over in such haste, the fair little face beneath the heat had turned bright red, making him so adorable that one could not help wanting to reach out and pinch his cheeks.

Tong Jiahe and the Fourth Prince stared at each other, and with the smallest effort one could already guess that the Grand Empress Dowager had certainly taken notice of them.

The air in the hall seemed to have frozen. The Grand Empress Dowager’s appraising gaze fell upon her, and Tong Jiahe unconsciously slowed her breathing.

The Fourth Prince, whom the original owner had longed for day and night, stood right before her. Yet reason told Tong Jiahe that until the Grand Empress Dowager spoke, she could not say a word. Not even calling out “Fourth Prince” was allowed.

Calm down. Be calm.

“Mother Tong...” After being discovered, the Fourth Prince took the initiative to speak.

His child’s voice was soft and milky, yet filled with grievance and longing. At his call, Tong Jiahe could not help but look at him.

The Fourth Prince hurried forward a few small steps, then stopped a short distance away, tilting his head to ask, “Has Mother Tong’s illness gotten better? Does it still hurt? Yinzhen is worried about Mother Tong.”

The attendants in the Palace of Heavenly Longevity had told him that Mother Tong was ill, and that was why he had been brought to the Grand Empress Dowager’s side. For a child, illness meant only pain. He was worried, unable to imagine how badly Mother Tong must be hurting.

Since coming to the Palace of Heavenly Longevity, the wet nurse he was close to no longer mentioned anything about the Palace of Great Brilliance, and even the words “Consort Noble” were never spoken again.

Had Mother Tong come this time to take him home?

Yinzhen’s earnest and worried tone melted Tong Jiahe’s heart completely, yet she could not answer.

The Fourth Prince’s milky, childlike concern dispelled the tense and suffocating atmosphere in the hall. The Grand Empress Dowager’s expression softened as she looked meaningfully at the wet nurse by the Fourth Prince’s side.

Could it be that she had deliberately taught the Fourth Prince to do this, so that Consort Noble would have an excuse to take him back to the Palace of Great Brilliance?

But judging by the behavior and expressions of the consort and the wet nurse, it did not seem as though they had conspired in advance. Besides, the Palace of Heavenly Longevity was as sealed as an iron bucket; for the attendants around the Fourth Prince to have been here these past few days, they would not have had the chance to send word to the Palace of Great Brilliance.

“Mother Tong.” Seeing that the other ignored him, the Fourth Prince called out again.

A pair of wet, shining eyes fixed tightly on Tong Jiahe, as though afraid she might vanish before him.

Tong Jiahe lowered her head slightly and saw the Fourth Prince’s genuine worry, and the anxiety in her heart eased by more than half. So long as the Fourth Prince recognized her, she had confidence she could bring him back to the Palace of Great Brilliance.

Only, whether her “illness” at this stage was better or not would still have to be decided by the Grand Empress Dowager.

“Mother Tong is very well. Yinzhen, don’t worry.” In truth, unable to bear seeing the Fourth Prince’s little face all creased up, Tong Jiahe smiled at him gently.

That she was well did not mean the illness was cured; it was a tactful answer to Yinzhen.

The Fourth Prince nodded obediently, gazing longingly at Tong Jiahe’s face, his two hands seeming to have nowhere to rest as they moved from before him to behind his back.

Tong Jiahe could tell that Yinzhen wanted her to hold his hand, but with so many people present and the atmosphere clearly wrong, he did not dare say so.

The once affectionate mother and son, Consort Noble and the Fourth Prince, were now so restrained. The Fourth Prince was not yet three, and already he knew how to read faces. Seeing this, even Pu Yu’s heart felt as though it were breaking.

The Grand Empress Dowager could not help but take another look at Consort Noble. After not seeing her for so many days, her temperament had in fact steadied somewhat; that was rare indeed.

Then she looked at the wet nurse standing beside the Fourth Prince. Her conduct was respectful and measured; on the day she arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Longevity, she had only panicked for half a day before regaining composure. This showed that Consort Noble had a good eye for people, and those she chose for the Fourth Prince were all proper and dependable.

Pity that while her servants were devoted to the prince, their mistress had become dazzled by the throne of Empress and no longer had her heart in caring for and raising the Fourth Prince.

“Yinzhen.” The Grand Empress Dowager smiled, her eyes narrowed. “Good child, come here.”

Tong Jiahe kept a proper smile on her face as she watched the Fourth Prince walk solemnly toward the Grand Empress Dowager. Only after the little one had paid his respects did he allow his wet nurse to hold him as he sat down.

The Grand Empress Dowager asked how he had eaten today, how he had slept, and then smilingly had people take him away.

From the moment the Fourth Prince entered until he left, only half an incense stick of time had passed. Tong Jiahe’s heart tightened. Judging from Consort Noble’s past behavior alone, this was already the limit of the Grand Empress Dowager’s tolerance in allowing her to meet and stay with the Fourth Prince.

As soon as the Grand Empress Dowager finished speaking, the Fourth Prince froze on the spot. He had not yet had the chance to tell Mother Tong how many characters he had learned lately.

The children in the palace matured early. Even the Crown Prince and the Great Prince were proper and disciplined in the Palace of Heavenly Longevity, not daring to overstep, much less act recklessly.

Though the Fourth Prince still had words unfinished, he obediently took his wet nurse’s hand and walked toward the hall’s exit. He held back until his eyes turned red, but tears still fell.

Before the tears had even reached his chin, they were quietly wiped away by the wet nurse, who paid close attention to his every movement.

The Grand Empress Dowager was willing to bring the Fourth Prince to be raised in the Palace of Heavenly Longevity; it was the Fourth Prince’s honor, a great blessing from heaven. Even if... deep down he was unwilling, he still had to put on a joyful face.

Tong Jiahe’s gaze toward the Fourth Prince was tender and calm. Only after watching him go far away did she withdraw her eyes.

She would certainly find a way to bring the Fourth Prince back to the Palace of Great Brilliance. This was not only the original owner’s wish, but her own as well.

From behind, Pu Yu watched the current state of mistress and prince. The two were still close; if not for the Grand Empress Dowager’s insistence, the Consort would have eagerly taken the Fourth Prince home today, and the Fourth Prince himself would have been willing to go back with her.

Having seen the Fourth Prince, Tong Jiahe no longer had any reason to linger in the Palace of Heavenly Longevity. Seeing that the Grand Empress Dowager’s patience with her had already reached its limit, she rose, curtsied, and withdrew.

---

Watching Consort Noble’s departing figure, the Grand Empress Dowager’s expression grew obscure and unreadable.

The Emperor had been unable to grow up at his birth mother’s side, and now that he was the Son of Heaven, he naturally showed great favor to the Tong family. That favor was reflected in the two Tong uncles holding high office in court, and Consort Tong receiving unique grace in the inner palace.

If the Consort had no child, then one could be brought to her to raise. After all, lower-ranked consorts did not have the qualifications to personally rear an imperial heir, so this could hardly be called excessive partiality.

Yet when the Fourth Prince was coldly treated in the Palace of Great Brilliance, the Emperor could still turn a blind eye for Consort Noble’s sake. The Grand Empress Dowager had become somewhat unsettled. What if the Emperor transferred the regrets he had toward his birth mother onto Consort Noble, and no longer held his offspring in regard...

Once that thought took root in her heart, it could no longer be uprooted.

It was she who had ordered the Fourth Prince be brought to the Palace of Heavenly Longevity when the Consort was gravely ill, and she had done so. Imperial heirs were precious in the palace, and only by keeping them under her own eye could she feel at ease.

Yet today she had seen at once the Fourth Prince’s attachment to and reluctance to part from Consort Noble.

The Fourth Prince had been sent from the moment he was a month old to Consort Noble in the Palace of Great Brilliance, and she had carefully raised him for more than two years. The child did indeed have real feelings for her; otherwise he would not have rushed out from the rear hall at the mere mention that Consort Noble had come.

The Grand Empress Dowager began to hesitate. At the very least, the child should be allowed to choose the mother he liked.

But Consort Noble... she had neglected the imperial heir; she was unfit.

The Emperor had already lost so many princes before, and heirs were hard to come by. If the inner palace lost its rules and everyone could neglect imperial heirs as they pleased, she would never permit such a climate to harm the future of Great Qing.

Thinking this, her earlier hesitation vanished without a trace.

“Su Mo’er, whom do you think the Fourth Prince should be raised by?” the Grand Empress Dowager asked the person beside her.

Suma La Gu gave a gentle smile, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes making her look all the more kindly. “In this servant’s view, the Fourth Prince is closer to Consort Noble.”

“You, you’re always so blunt. We have kept each other company for decades; how can you not understand what I mean?” The Grand Empress Dowager pointed at her and laughed in mock rebuke.

Suma La Gu laughed along with her, though she did not mention Consort Noble again.

“Well, it can’t be helped. After all, Consort Noble raised him for three years. The Fourth Prince is still young; feelings come quickly and fade quickly as well.” The Grand Empress Dowager sighed. “After some more time, he’ll have nearly forgotten.”

Suma La Gu waited quietly and patiently for the Grand Empress Dowager to finish. If she did not ask, she did not answer; listening carefully was enough.

Decades, unchanged.

The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly asked, “Has the nanny chosen by the Tong family been sent to the Palace of Great Brilliance?”

“This servant heard that she is still learning the rules at the Imperial Household Department. It seems they mean to wait a little longer.” Suma La Gu replied in Mongolian.

The mistress and servant usually spoke Mongolian. Only when the Emperor came would they use some Manchu; Chinese was spoken even more rarely. Though most of Great Qing was now Han, the Grand Empress Dowager’s Chinese remained at the level of understanding and speaking some common phrases.

After a moment, the Grand Empress Dowager let out a soft, derisive laugh and said carelessly, “It’s been hard on them, worrying so anxiously in court as well. Consort Noble has always been a pampered little thing in her family. Send her there sooner, so the Tong family need not keep fretting over her situation outside, and so they won’t keep taking this matter before the Emperor and making a fuss.”

The Consort had misread the imperial will and lost the Emperor’s favor. How long her bond with him would last now depended entirely on her own fortune.

Because of Empress Xiaokangzhang, she had been lenient toward the Tong family. She only hoped Consort Noble would know the bigger picture and consider the broader interest as well as the dignity of the imperial house.

---

At the Palace of Great Brilliance.

When Tong Jiahe returned from the Palace of Heavenly Longevity, she removed all the hair ornaments from her head and had Pu Yu simply coil her hair up, finally inserting a gold filigree jade hairpin.

In this sweltering heat, even the sight of such green ornaments brought a feeling of coolness.

Just then, a properly dressed palace maid entered from outside and curtsied to Tong Jiahe. “Consort Noble, the people from the Imperial Household Department have come, saying they are here to send several attendants for our palace.”

Each part of the palace conducted selections once a year. If that opportunity was missed and any consort later found herself short of hands, the Imperial Household Department could also be asked privately to make up the shortage.

Tong Jiahe remembered that the original Consort Noble had not instructed the Imperial Household Department to send anyone over, so she asked, “Who ordered these attendants to be sent?”

The maid who had entered shook her head. “This servant does not know. This time it was Eunuch Xu from the Imperial Household Department leading them here.”

Eunuch Xu was a well-known senior eunuch in the Imperial Household Department. Over the years he had received no few rewards from Consort Noble and could be considered to have some ties with the Palace of Great Brilliance.

Pu Yu explained, “On the day Your Ladyship fainted, Eunuch Xu also came, with several people behind him. I suppose the last assignment was not completed, so they chose today to come.”

Eunuch Xu, seeing the people come out from the room, greeted Consort Noble with a cheerful bow, and the several attendants behind him followed suit.

When the Fourth Prince was taken away by the Grand Empress Dowager, several attendants from the Palace of Great Brilliance went with him, and even one of the big maids by Consort Noble’s side had been reassigned. Could this be to fill those vacancies?

Tong Jiahe swept her eyes over them and noticed that among the attendants there was a nanny in her forties, standing somewhat incongruously among the young maids.

Before Tong Jiahe could ask, Eunuch Xu explained his purpose. “The Emperor said that Your Ladyship does not have enough people serving at your side, so he ordered this servant to bring some over for you.”

With that, Eunuch Xu turned and pointed to the nanny beside him. “This one is Nanny Wu.”

Tong Jiahe studied Nanny Wu closely. She had a round face and gentle features, the sort of appearance that put one at ease, not the kind that seemed able to cow others. But anyone specifically mentioned by Eunuch Su was certainly no simple person.

Nanny Wu curtsied to Tong Jiahe. “This servant pays respects to Consort Noble.”

The moment Pu Yu saw Nanny Wu bow, her eyes lit up.

Eunuch Xu was a seasoned old hand in the palace. Watching from the side, even he secretly marveled that Nanny Wu’s gesture of respect was exceedingly proper and beautiful.

On the way here, he had casually chatted with Nanny Wu for a few words. Her conduct was refined, her speech open and straightforward; she was a clear-minded person. Eunuch Xu had already judged in his heart that this one was no ordinary person, and that she would have a promising future in the Palace of Great Brilliance.

Smiling, Eunuch Xu gave Nanny Wu a few pointers, laying down a favor in advance.

An expert sees the craft; a layman sees the spectacle. After taking in the spectacle, Tong Jiahe accepted Nanny Wu. After questioning the other palace maids Eunuch Xu had brought, she also had Pu Yu arrange their placements.

With the task completed, Eunuch Xu drank a cup of tea in the Palace of Great Brilliance and prepared to leave.

Pu Yu offered him a handful of gold melon seeds, but Eunuch Xu would not take them and repeatedly waved them away, saying this was only his duty.

Seeing that the things in Pu Yu’s hands could not be sent out, He Weilu exchanged a glance with her and had her go into the room to serve Consort Noble. If there was to be any talk of private ties among eunuchs, it would be much easier than among palace maids. When he found a chance another day, he would speak with Eunuch Xu in more detail.

Inside the room, Pu Yu supported the Consort as she sat down.

Tong Jiahe’s fingertips were icy cold, and she clutched Pu Yu’s hand without letting go.

That day, the Grand Empress Dowager had taken the Fourth Prince’s wet nurse and the five personal maids who attended him to the Palace of Heavenly Longevity, and today the Emperor had filled the vacancy in the Palace of Great Brilliance.

What exactly did Kangxi mean? Was he no longer planning to let the Fourth Prince return?

If he were truly determined not to let Yinzhen come back, what should she do? Start with Kangxi himself? Or send word outside the palace to seek help from the Tong family?

A familiar yet unfamiliar sense of despair rose slowly within her, stinging the tip of her nose sour. In the palace, every step had to be found by oneself; one wrong move, and there would be no undoing it.

No one told her whether this step was right or wrong.

Was this the predicament the Consort had faced before her death? Tong Jiahe froze.

Pu Yu looked at her mistress’s desolate expression, anxious and worried. If Tingyu were here, that would be wonderful; with her to comfort the Consort, she certainly would not let Her Ladyship sink into such gloom.

After wilting for quite some time, Tong Jiahe clenched her teeth in her heart: she had already met the Grand Empress Dowager, so why should she fear that grandson of Kangxi’s!

Her renewed fighting spirit made Tong Jiahe feel as though she could eat an ox for supper. Quickly digesting her emotions, she said calmly, “Call Nanny Wu in. I have something to ask her.”

Pu Yu understood at once and, bringing Nanny Wu inside, dismissed the attendants in the room.

“Old servant Wu, I pay my respects to the Eldest Miss.” Seeing that no one else was present, Nanny Wu immediately made her identity clear, kneeling and bowing her head hard to the ground.

So she was someone sent by the Tong family.

Tong Jiahe’s expression stiffened slightly. Just now she had been wondering whether to seek help from the Tong family, and in the blink of an eye they had sent someone over. It was just unknown what the Tong family wanted this person to help her accomplish.

If the Tong family’s intentions ran counter to her own, she would still keep Nanny Wu in the Palace of Great Brilliance. Only in the future, Nanny Wu would be confined to training the young maids outside the room and would never again be allowed inside to serve.

Some things were better made plain from the outset.

Toying with a jade bead bracelet, Tong Jiahe smiled. “Nanny Wu, there are no outsiders here. If the family has brought you any message, just say it directly.”

The household’s intent was for her to slowly guide the Consort, but seeing the Consort so direct, Nanny Wu could no longer plan for the long term.

Her serious face carried a trace of resolve. “Consort Noble, the household asked me to bring you a message: you must never become pregnant.”

The words were like thunder from a clear sky, stunning Tong Jiahe into long silence. Even Pu Yu was filled with disbelief.

In the palace, whether a consort bore a prince or a princess, she would count as having a support for the future; that had always been so throughout the dynasties.

The Tong family actually did not want Consort Noble to become pregnant!