Chapter 85 (1/2): Reincarnation
The morning sun had just risen, a streak of vivid red breaking through the darkness as always, illuminating the majestic vermilion walls and golden roofs, but also reflecting the scattered white mourning banners, stretching between the palaces, covering all the vitality, making the entire Forbidden City even more solemn and dignified.
The Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Rites responded swiftly.
Before the women of various noble families could enter the palace, by the time the consorts and concubines arrived at Cining Palace, the palace gates and vermilion corridor pillars were already draped with plain white cloth.
The mourning canopy in the courtyard had also taken shape with sheer white gauze.
Each of the consorts and concubines had red-rimmed eyes, dressed in the plain mourning garments that had long been prepared, kneeling quietly on the cushions in the courtyard, silently shedding tears.
Even though everyone knew His Majesty was inside Cining Palace, not a single one dared to utter a sound.
After the palace attendants finished dressing Xiaozhuang in her burial attire, Kangxi dismissed everyone, remaining alone in the bedchamber, not making a sound.
It wasn’t until the sun fully rose that the princes, ministers, and noblewomen eligible to enter the palace arrived, preparing for the three kneelings and nine kowtows, to escort the Grand Empress Dowager’s coffin to lie in state at the Cining Palace main hall.
At that moment, someone noticed something amiss.
Aling’a’s mother, the Old Madam of Duke Niu, exclaimed in surprise, “Why aren’t the Empress Dowager and Consort Zhao here?”
A Ministry of Rites official hurriedly whispered, “Reporting to Old Madam, after the Empress Dowager heard of the Grand Empress Dowager’s passing, she fainted and has not awakened yet—”
As for Consort Zhao, the official didn’t dare say a single word.
The Imperial Noble Consort and the Noble Consort had already noticed, guessing that His Majesty was probably worried that the old ancestor’s passing would affect Fang He’s unborn child, so he didn’t let her come.
That’s why both the Imperial Household Department and Ministry of Rites kept silent.
But the always rule-abiding old madams of the imperial clan couldn’t stand to see such unfilial behavior, and immediately raised their voices to remind the Ministry of Rites officials who were pretending to be blind.
“No matter what, the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager is a national mourning. Even if Consort Zhao is pregnant, she should observe filial piety.”
The Ministry of Rites official looked toward Fuquan, the acting Chief Minister of the Imperial Household Department, who frowned.
“Consort Zhao is still under confinement…”
A respected old madam with a red sash interrupted Fuquan.
“Then that’s your fault!”
“How dare you not inform Consort Zhao of such a major event? Hurry and send someone now! If you delay, you’ll ruin Consort Zhao’s reputation!”
Consort Xi couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “But His Majesty just came from Yanxi Palace!”
The scene fell silent for a moment, and the old madams’ faces grew even uglier.
The Ministry of Rites officials and the noblewomen from the Censorate couldn’t help but frown.
So Consort Zhao knew, but still dared to rely on her pregnancy and not come?
How dare she!
Li Dequan had been standing at the door all this time.
Hearing the commotion, he hurried inside to report to Liang Jiugong.
Wei Zhu’s face instantly turned pale.
Others wouldn’t think the mistress might be giving birth, simply because they weren’t that attentive and assumed it wasn’t time yet.
But he knew his sister’s temperament.
She would never slack off at such a moment—there was only one possibility.
“I’ll go back and check at once!”
Wei Zhu bowed, then took off running.
The voices outside were never loud.
By the time the Emperor, having changed into mourning attire with red, swollen eyes, came out, everyone had composed themselves, loudly hailing His Majesty, and began the three kneelings and nine kowtows, awaiting the golden coffin to lie in state.
When Wei Zhu returned, whether from exhaustion or fright, his face was deathly pale.
He didn’t even bother to wipe his sweat, dropping to his knees at the door, breaking the solemnity with a slightly choked but clear voice.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Consort Zhao, upon hearing of the old ancestor’s passing, was overwhelmed with grief and has suddenly gone into labor!”
The Imperial Noble Consort and others were all stunned—there were still five days left before nine months, so no one had considered the possibility of childbirth.
Let alone the old saying about the eighth month being risky—unless it was a difficult birth, the child’s birthday would coincide with the old ancestor’s death anniversary…
With His Majesty’s filial piety, this child might never see his father on their birthday.
Consort Zhao’s timing was so precise that even those inclined to gloat felt awkward, so at this moment, no one dared to show a hint of a smile.
Kangxi, who had just finished a bout of weeping inside the hall, was dazed for a moment before reacting to what Wei Zhu had said.
He instinctively took a step forward, but upon seeing the old Empress Dowager’s golden coffin, suddenly remembered where he was.
He paused for a moment, then hoarsely instructed, “Li Dequan Liang Jiugong, go guard Yanxi Palace.”
With all eyes on him, Kangxi didn’t say another word, but the look he gave Liang Jiugong said everything.
Liang Jiugong understood immediately.
The master felt Li Dequan’s presence was not enough, so he wanted him, as Chief Eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, to oversee Yanxi Palace, forbidding any unauthorized personnel from entering or leaving.
No matter what happened, the safety of Consort Zhao and her child was the top priority.
He immediately agreed, and, taking the still-breathless Wei Zhu, hurried off to Yanxi Palace.
They had just stepped through Yanxi Palace’s main gate and hadn’t even passed the Shadow Wall when Liang Jiugong heard Fang He’s loud wailing.
“Ahhh! Old Ancestor! How could you leave just like that, wuwuwu~”
“Ah, Old Ancestor, please go slowly! The child is desperate to meet you, trying with all its might to come out, ah ah ah!”
“Old Ancestor, you promised to name the child, wuwuwu… How can you go back on your word!!”
Liang Jiugong: “…”
If not for the circumstances, Liang Jiugong would have laughed at the dramatic rise and fall of her cries.
Actually, for the Grand Empress Dowager’s age, passing peacefully in her sleep counted as a happy death.
Even during mourning, some joy should be shown, celebrating the old ancestor’s virtuous life and ascent to heaven.
So all the crying in the Forbidden City combined probably wasn’t as loud as Consort Zhao’s alone.
Fortunately, everyone’s attention was on Cining Palace, so there was hardly anyone at Yanxi Palace; otherwise, there’d be no need to report the good news—everyone in the palace would know Consort Zhao’s labor progress.
As Liang Jiugong and Wei Zhu hurriedly wiped their sweat, everyone inside the birthing room—including the midwife—stared dumbfounded at Fang He.
She was crying with particular vigor, her black hair sticking to her cheeks, making it impossible to distinguish between tears and sweat.
Anyone unaware would think Consort Zhao was simply exhausted from childbirth, but the midwife knew the mistress’s cervix hadn’t dilated much yet.
Fang He’s wailing didn’t stop.
They say childbirth is painful, and even before the birth, the pain is real.
She was prepared, but didn’t expect it would hurt so much even before labor truly began.
At least she didn’t need to pinch herself or use Fragrant Mint Floral Water to force tears anymore.
Clinging to Chunlai’s arm, she sobbed so hard her whole body trembled.
“Old Ancestor, how could you leave like this wuwuwu… I want to follow you too, wuwu~”
“If you’re watching from heaven, please look after my child, wuwu~ It still wants to meet Ukuma-mama, wuwuwu~”
Chunlai and Fule’s ears were buzzing from all the crying.
The two of them couldn’t figure it out—sure, everyone was sad about the Grand Empress Dowager’s passing, but… was it really this heartbreaking?
“Master, please… don’t be too sad. The old ancestor surely wouldn’t want to see you like this!”
Fule pinched her own hand hard, holding back tears as she tried to comfort her mistress as gently as possible.
‘If the mistress kept crying, how would she have the strength to give birth later?’
Fang He shook her head, tears still streaming like rain.
“I really am heartbroken. Yesterday, the old ancestor even said she’d hold the three-day celebration for my child, wuwuwu~”
She didn’t want to waste so much energy either, but her waters had broken at the worst possible time.
To prevent anyone from later using the child’s birth and Xiaozhuang’s death to make trouble, she had to put on a convincing act.
She needed to strike first, making it clear that this child was eagerly awaited and dearly loved by Xiaozhuang.
If she exhausted herself crying but the child was born safely, it could be said that Xiaozhuang’s spirit in heaven was protecting them.
As for having no strength, Fule had already prepared Renshen Pills in advance; a few secretly swallowed would do.
Though it might harm her body a bit, as long as the child was safe, she could recover slowly during her confinement.
Thinking this, Fang He took a break, then resumed her loud crying.
Perhaps because it was a premature birth, her cervix dilated especially slowly.
From morning until nearly noon, Fang He’s voice was almost hoarse from crying, yet she still wasn’t fully dilated.
The midwife grew anxious.
Though the amniotic fluid was leaking slowly, after so long, it was nearly gone.
Recalling how the Chief Eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, the Imperial Doctor, and even the Empress Dowager had all warned her about the family’s safety, the midwife gritted her teeth and spoke up.
“Consort Zhao, we can’t wait any longer. If all the water leaks and you haven’t given birth, it could be dangerous. We’ll have to use Labor-Inducing Medicine to help the little one descend.”
Fule frowned in her mind, ‘If the mistress took both Renshen Pills and Labor-Inducing Medicine, it would be too much harm to her body.’
But Fang He didn’t even blink, her hoarse voice firm.
“Then have Physician Zhang Yuyi prepare it himself, quickly!”
Just before noon, the medicine was quickly prepared.
Fang He pinched her nose and drank a bowl, swallowing two Renshen Pills along with it.
Soon after, Fang He felt the pain intensify, as if something was pushing straight down from her belly.
She couldn’t help but cry out.
“Ah!! It hurts!!”
The midwife glanced at her, a smile appearing at last—it was finally starting.
“Madam, listen for my cues. When I tell you to push, push with all your strength…”
Fang He was in so much pain she couldn’t speak, gripping the birth ropes above the canopy, clenching her teeth and breathing deeply, listening to the midwife’s instructions.
When the midwife told her to push, she took a deep breath and continued her mourning cries.
“Wuwuwu! Old Ancestor, I miss you so much!”
“Push again!”
“Ahhh! Old Ancestor, my child misses you too!!”
“I see the head, madam, push!”
“My child and I both miss you—eh?”
In the midst of excruciating pain, as Fang He was screaming, she suddenly felt something slip out of her body.
Then, with a loud “wah,” a baby’s cry broke the tension in the room, making everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief.
After Fang He expelled the afterbirth, the midwife swiftly cleaned the baby, wrapped her in swaddling, and carefully stepped forward.
“Congratulations, madam, it’s a healthy little princess!”
Fang He ignored her own discomfort and pain, waving eagerly.
“Hurry, let me see!”
The midwife placed the baby by Fang He’s pillow, then joined Xinke and the others in tidying up the room.
Fule watched the proceedings intently, while Chunlai went out to report the good news to Liang Jiugong.
Only Fang He paid no attention to anything else, her eyes fixed on the tiny, wrinkled, red bundle.
This time, she didn’t cry out loud, but her nose stung so much she could barely breathe, her eyes quickly misting over so she could hardly see the little old-man-like face.
At last, she had a family member.
Someone connected by blood, who would love her.
Suddenly, she felt all the loneliness and emptiness of two lifetimes had been for this moment, waiting for this little one’s arrival.
She wiped away her tears roughly, cradling the baby in her arms, tears streaming down uncontrollably, so much so that she dared not touch the baby too rashly.
Fule saw her mistress’s face flushed red from crying and grew anxious.
“Master, are you feeling unwell? Let me check your pulse?”
“I’m fine.” Fang He’s voice was hoarse to the point of barely making a sound, but her tone was gentler than ever.
“It’s just… my Nine Princess is ugly-cute, so cute she made me cry.”
Fule: “…”
She didn’t understand, but guessed her mistress was calling the baby ugly.
She quickly comforted her, “The medical books say all babies look like this at birth. The redder their skin, the fairer they’ll be when they grow up, so don’t worry, the uglier the little princess is at birth, the prettier she’ll be later!”
Fule craned her neck, carefully examining the newborn.
This was her first time seeing a newborn.
Afraid her words weren’t convincing enough, Fule nodded vigorously.
“The little princess is indeed ugly right now—definitely the ugliest newborn in the palace!”
Fang He: “….”
Very good, next time don’t say that, or the little mistress might bite you.
The midwife had already left, and with no outsiders around, Xinke and Xinnan covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.
Outside, Liang Jiugong heard Cui Wei’s announcement of the good news.
He looked up at the sky, then asked the midwife for details, barely able to hold back his laughter.
Consort Zhao truly was the ancestor of the palace—even childbirth was different for her.
Other consorts, fearing lack of strength, would bite on wooden sticks to conserve energy, at most crying out a few times when they couldn’t bear it.
But this ancestor spent hours in the birthing room wailing for the dead, then finished childbirth in the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Luckily, both Consort Zhao and her daughter were safe, so a little extra joy from Liang Jiugong wasn’t out of place.
After composing himself, he hurried back to Cining Palace to report the good news.
The main hall’s mourning altar and the canopy in the courtyard had been fully set up, with a central aisle and plain gauze draped on both sides; the left for the princes and ministers, the right for the noblewomen.
As soon as he entered, faint sobbing could be heard, with Buddhist Monks inside and outside the hall chanting sutras and striking wooden fish.
Liang Jiugong, carrying a mix of sorrow and joy, along with a tinge of bittersweet emotion, walked toward the couch by the window.
Kangxi was silently copying out the Rebirth Sutra.
“Your Majesty, Consort Zhao has given birth to a little princess. Both mother and daughter are safe.”
Kangxi gently lifted his wolf-hair brush, trying to force a smile, but couldn’t manage it, his mind too muddled to respond for a long while.
“Have Li Dequan serve at Yanxi Palace these next few days. Instruct the Imperial Household Department that Consort Zhao and her wet nurse’s diet need not be restricted.”
His voice was no better than Fang He’s, hoarse and heartbreaking.
Liang Jiugong turned away to wipe his eyes with his sleeve, then quickly brought over a cup of warm water, earnestly advising, “Master, you must take care of your health.”
“When I went to Yanxi Palace, Consort Zhao was crying so hard she almost had no strength left to give birth. It’s only thanks to the old ancestor’s blessing from heaven that both mother and child are safe.”
“The old ancestor is watching. If she saw you neglecting your health like this, she wouldn’t be at ease.”
Kangxi’s eyes burned, but he said nothing more, merely taking a sip of water before lowering his head to continue copying the sutra.
He knew the old Empress Dowager’s passing was a happy one, and he should, like everyone else, feel comforted by her virtuous life.
But she was the grandmother who had raised him, the only person in the world who truly loved him.
No matter how many consorts, concubines, and heirs there were in the harem, they all depended on him, the Emperor, to survive.