Chapter 6

“Does the esteemed Consort Kang feel unwell anywhere?” Qingzhu noticed that Consort Kang had been listless since waking up.

Typically, Consort Kang was most lively in the morning while dressing. Even if she stayed inside Luhua Palace all day, she meticulously prepared herself.

The dressing table was adorned with small wooden boxes inlaid with gems, each containing an array of luxurious jewelry. A single hairpin or pair of earrings from these boxes would be enough for an ordinary person to live on for decades.

Consort Kang was the sole concubine favored by the emperor for many years, so provisions from the Palace Internal Affairs Bureau were sent directly to Luhua Palace. Though her rank was only that of a consort, the treatment and provisions were on par with or even exceeded those of the empress.

For instance, the large East Pearls, used only by the emperor and empress, were not considered rare in Luhua Palace. Though not directly sanctioned by the emperor, their presence was a tacit approval from him, given that he had never objected.

This preferential treatment fueled the Grand Princess’s hatred towards Consort Kang. With no empress, it seemed outrageous for someone of Kang’s lowly background to receive such treatment, as if she had turned the world upside down. The Grand Princess, who coveted the empress’s position for her daughter, Pei YuQian, saw Kang’s favor as a significant obstacle.

Kang Yuyi remained indifferent, showing no interest as the attendants dressed her. She wondered why she was waking up in the palace after a whole night’s sleep. Had she been interrogated by the emperor? Was she the original consort? What if she had been treated as an evil spirit?

Her naturally weak disposition left her entangled in fear, resulting in soft sobs and large tears, making her appear pitiful. Despite often causing trouble and acting pretentiously in the past, she now found herself sobbing silently.

The emperor felt a pang of pain, a kind of emotional turmoil that he disliked. So, he removed the things deeply embedded within her body, cleaned himself and her, and then went to bed fully clothed.

Before the morning court session, he instructed the palace maids to report directly to Zhaoming Palace if the consort showed any abnormalities.

Zisu placed a red gold phoenix hairpin in her hair. Seeing her reflection in the mirror, Zisu was captivated by her beauty.

Kang Yuyi muttered to herself: Qin Shizi has become the emperor, and this consort looks exactly like me, with the same name—Kang Yuyi. Could this mean that a maid from the Wang residence has climbed the ranks to become a consort?

Qingzhu and Zisu unsure whether to report this to the emperor saw her lost in thought.

Zisu hesitated before asking, “Your Highness, are you missing the Crown Prince?”

The Crown Prince, born during the Lantern Festival, was taken to Renshou Palace immediately after birth to be raised by the Empress Dowager.

Qingzhu frowned at Zisu’s question, knowing Consort Kang’s aversion to discussing the child.

Despite the emperor’s requirement for Consort Kang to pay respects to the Empress Dowager on the first and fifteenth of each month, she could visit on other days if she truly missed the Crown Prince.

Kang Yuyi snapped out of her daze. If Qin Shizi is now the emperor, then the Empress Dowager must be the Crown Prince’s mother. Even though she didn’t want to reveal she wasn’t the original consort, she decided to visit.

Renshou Palace and Luhua Palace were on the eastern side of the palace, a short distance apart. However, Consort Kang, being delicate, used a sedan chair covered with luxurious brocade for transportation.

After getting off the sedan chair, Kang Yuyi grumbled inwardly about the excessive rules in the palace.

Unfortunately, she arrived just as the Empress Dowager was in the small Buddhist hall on the west side of the palace.

“Would you like to visit the Crown Prince in the east wing first, Your Highness?” asked the chief maid of Renshou Palace, Fuling.

Kang Yuyi nodded slightly in agreement, surprising Fuling.

Renshou Palace was as large as Luhua Palace, with several sections. The Crown Prince, raised in the east wing was cared for by wet nurses and attendants.

The noise of the sedan chair stopping outside Renshou Palace drew attention. Wet nurses and attendants hurriedly brought the Crown Prince out to greet her.

Except for the wet nurse holding the Crown Prince, everyone else bowed respectfully. Kang Yuyi nodded and said warmly, “Please rise.”

The wet nurse held a chubby baby with curious eyes gazing at Kang Yuyi. Despite his chubbiness, his features resembled hers and showed traces of the emperor’s features.

Kang Yuyi couldn’t help but poke his chubby face, her heart melting. The Crown Prince, who liked her, laughed at her touch.

The wet nurses and palace maids were taken aback. Consort Kang, who usually showed disdain for the Crown Prince, had come to see him on a day other than the prescribed days and even poked him.

The eldest prince was already very fond of her, and when she poked him, he immediately let out a clear, melodious giggle.

However, the wet nurses and attendants present were all stunned.

In the past, when Consort Kang came to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager on the first and fifteenth days of each month, she wouldn’t even glance at the eldest prince.

Even when the Empress Dowager asked her to hold the child, she did so reluctantly, and after a brief moment, handed him back to the wet nurse.

As the only son of the current emperor, it seemed that the only person bold enough to so blatantly show disdain for the child was Consort Kang, his biological mother.

Everyone was puzzled. Despite the fact that this was the first child conceived after many years of trying, Consort Kang had a strong aversion to him.

Yet, inexplicably, the eldest prince was very fond of her. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar calendar, when Consort Kang came to pay her respects, he seemed to sense her presence early, waking up and staring at her with his big round eyes.

People were bewildered as to why Consort Kang, who had always disliked the eldest prince, would come to visit him on a day other than the first or fifteenth and even poke him with her hand.

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