Good things come in threes (Part 2)

  Jin's arrival at Qian Xi Er So has caused such a stir, it's as if she's smearing black ink on her own face. Fortunately, I had instructed the nanny to teach Jin the rules and told her that after entering Qian Xi Er So, she could form an alliance with Su Shi. Who would have thought...? Consort Xi rubbed her temples in pain, having gifted a woman to serve her son, only to end up with all the women in the back courtyard of Qian Xi Er So being confined, and those who weren't were locked in their rooms to nurture their pregnancies. Thinking again about Yiru Gen Ruo Shi, who had given birth to a daughter but was promoted to pin rank and resided in Yonghe Palace as the main consort, her heart felt even more annoyed. In a calm tone, she asked Qin Nanny beside her: "Do you think this is something Yunzhu did?"

  "Master wants to point out that someone has a heart for the fourth prince's affairs, and that day was the day when the fourth princess formally introduced Jinshi to others. At that time, she let them get along with each other, but soon something happened. If it were arranged by the fourth princess, wouldn't it be embarrassing? In my opinion, it is more likely that Gaoshi took action. In the Yuqing Palace, Liu Shi and Zhang Shi followed behind Gaoshi and didn't get along with Fucha Gege at all."

  "That Gaodi, I've always looked down on her, but she's just a concubine who was promoted to be a noble lady, every day looking so seductive and cunning. You say, is there any involvement from the Ula Nara family in this matter? Gaodi had been close to the Empress Dowager before her death, and it was discovered that Su Shi and Jin Shi were both people she had recommended to serve Emperor Qianlong. Could it be that the Ula Nara family is clearing the way for Mingyu to enter the palace next year?"

  Xigui felt more and more that this was possible. For a time, she couldn't even be bothered to give Yunzhu any more trouble - no matter what, she was still her own daughter-in-law. The most important thing was not to let the Ula Nara family grasp Hongli or hold too much influence over him, otherwise how could she ensure that after Hongli took power, her own family would gain the greatest benefits?

  Originally, I thought that Gao and Wulana would join forces to control Yunzhu, but now it seems that even before they could do so, the person who was supposed to be controlled has already been frustrated everywhere, and if things go wrong, he might even tarnish his own image in his son's heart.

  The more I think about it, the more annoyed I become. "That Ke'erqin is really useless. After all these years, she still can't win over Hongli. If only she could give birth to a prince, that would be of some help. Unfortunately, she's just not capable of doing so."

  Next year's draft, or else find a suitable girl in the family, what can Ulanara do that I can't?

  "Let's wait and see how many palace maids are released from the two palaces of Qianxi and Yonghe this year, and arrange for a few people to go in."

  "Yes."

  "Your Ladyship, I have something to report!" It was Gui Yatou, the elderly attendant who served beside Empress Xi. As one of the senior attendants responsible for managing the palace's internal affairs, she had personally come over, which meant that there must be some major news. Empress Xi almost instinctively said: "Come in."

  Guizhen wanted to pay her respects, but Xi Guifei impatiently said: "Alright, alright, if you have something to say, then speak quickly. You're all elderly people in front of me, why be so formal?"

  "It's slave's good fortune to be able to serve in front of mistress, slave is grateful and doesn't dare to be presumptuous, in case master gets tired of slave, slave will have no place to cry. Gu Mistress, however, was being very serious and polite, but her words were full of familiarity with Guo."

  Xī Guì Fēi saw her like this, knowing that the news was not related to Chéng Qián Gōng, put down her heart, and her complexion also relaxed a lot. After Guì Yǎo got up, her face became solemn again, "Report to Master, just now people from Dōng Sān Suǒ came to report, Yǒng Yīng Xiǎo ā Gē has left."

  "What?!". Xi Guifei was shocked and stood up, even Qin Mama also had a surprised face: "Didn't you say that the fever had subsided and the person woke up just the other day? How could it be...?"

  After all, Xi Guifei had taken care of Hong Yu for several years and still cared about him. As the eldest son of Hong Yu, Yong Ying was also very well-behaved and obedient, often visiting Cheng Qian Palace with Wu Fu to pay respects. Xi Guifei liked him a lot. At this moment, suddenly hearing that he had left, the jealousy she felt towards Yu Fei Ge due to him turned into sympathy and faint sadness.

  "The imperial physician said that he had eaten food that conflicted with his medicine. Rong Yong's body was already weak at the time, so he didn't pull through."

  Xi Guifei sneered, "When Yongying was ill, the Dong Sansuo was being extremely careful and cautious, yet they still managed to serve food that clashed with her medicine..." This Wu Zaku Shi really made Yu Fei look good during the selection of consorts. But as for this Dong Sansuo, from head to toe, including herself, there were no more than five people in total who could manage things like this!

  Qin's nanny was silent, but a glance told her that someone had made their move. Taking advantage of your illness to take your life, ah. The eldest son, indeed it is difficult to escape one's fate?

  "Chunhui, bring me a set of plain clothes, and let Qin Yiniang and Chunlan accompany me on this trip." Xigui Fei sighed, which had extinguished the hope in the hearts of Qianxi and Erxi again. Yunzhu was still pregnant with her eldest grandson after all.

  She arrived at the East Three Pavilions, and Xi Guifei comforted Yu Fei, who was wiping away tears, for a few words. She turned her head to look at Wu Fu Jin, who had fainted once and woke up again, crying uncontrollably. Her eyebrows furrowed, "What's the use of crying now! As the legitimate Fu Jin, you can't even manage the East Three Pavilions properly. Your brother is ill, and yet food that clashes with his body was able to get close to him, enter his mouth... Hurry up and collect yourself, and help Yongying settle her affairs properly."

  Yu Fei was extremely disappointed in this daughter-in-law, but as the birth mother of Hong Yu, she couldn't say anything to Wu Fu Jun at this time. Hearing Xi Gui Fei scolding her now, she also felt a lot of relief.

  At this time, Hong Yu came in. Xi Gui Fei saw his haggard and thin appearance, which made her even angrier. "Look at how thin you've become..." Her eyes also turned red, and she couldn't help but stare blankly at Wu Fu Jin.

  "Xie E Niang, I'm fine." Hong Yu wiped his face, still feeling a bit dizzy. "It's just that this period of time, I've been worried about Yong Ying and haven't rested much."

  Xī Guì Fēi pulled his hand and patted it, "Cheer up, investigate thoroughly what's going on. This kind of thing... can't happen again."

  "I know." A flash of cold light flickered in Hong Duan's eyes. This time, Ning Sha would not let a single one go!

  "I heard two days ago that Yongying's illness has taken a turn for the better. Is it because the imperial physician's medicine was also incorrect?"

  "The imperial physician didn't prescribe the wrong medicine." This was certain, Hong Duan said in a low voice. "At first, Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law came over and used the method of using strong liquor to bring down the fever to save Yongying's life. Fourth Sister-in-law even left behind the nourishing Yulan fruit and instructed us to take good care... It was our own negligence." Despite being cautious a thousand times and ten thousand times, they still let someone find a loophole in the kitchen.

  "It's that child who has nothing to do with you," said Xi Guifei. "Those who commit crimes should be punished, and those who should be killed should be killed. However, as parents, you must not be too overwhelmed by grief, making it difficult for the child to leave, and also worrying your mother."

  "Yes."

  "Shi, support your master." Xi Guifei turned her head and said to Yu Fei: "I'll send you back to rest, I think you're about to collapse too. It's up to the two of them to stand up now, we can't protect them for a lifetime."

  Looking at Wu Fu Jin, who had somewhat cleared up her expression, Yu Fei looked at her son again and nodded, "Sister is right."

  ……

  Back in the Chengqian Palace, Xi Guifei was lying on the couch with her eyes closed, resting. Qin Mama personally took over the thin quilt that Chun Tao brought and covered her with it. Suddenly, she heard her say: "It seems that Yunzhu's nourishing body Yu Lan fruit is not as effective as nourishing face. If it can really revive the dead, then Yongying would not have lost his life so easily."

  Qin said: "Of course, nourishing the body requires long-term use to be effective. If it takes effect in a short period of time, wouldn't that make it an immortal medicine?"

  "You're right."

  She originally thought that her physical health was not as good as in previous years, wondering if she should stop using the beauty fruit and switch to a nourishing regimen. Now it seems that even after a year or two, it would still be difficult to see any effect. In that case, it's better to continue using Qin's nourishing soup. Moreover, having used the beauty fruit, Yu Lan, just thinking about it makes her unable to bear the consequences of her skin getting worse.

  Her looks are no longer among the beautiful ones, and without youth, how can she face those imperial concubines who rely on their family background and beauty to gain favor and promotion?

  On the other side, after Yongzheng received this news, he quietly stayed in his room for half a day before ordering the secret guards to investigate the cause of Yongying's death. He coldly watched Hongdiao handle the matter, and only then did he hand over the investigation materials for him to see.

  Three concubines of the East Palace died quickly, one was a gege and the other was a shiqie. Even Ce Furen Zhang Jia's Hong You became cold. However, Wu Furen, after completing Yongying's funeral, became very calm for a period of time. Gradually, she changed and became unrecognizable, her methods in managing the inner courtyard were strong and hard, and her treatment of people and handling of affairs became much more mature. She gradually had the majesty and confidence of an imperial son's furen.

  Her feelings with Hongyu did not become estranged due to Yongying's early death, on the contrary, they trusted and respected each other, discussed everything together, and their love did not decrease. It's just that this kind of love, compared to before, is more rational, more mature, and more in line with the times.

  Yunzhu thought, this price was paid with a small life.

  The days just passed by in a dull and uneventful way.

  At the end of July, when Li Rongbao was fifty-four years old, Hongli and Fu Heng returned as promised to accompany her to the Fucha Mansion to celebrate her birthday. Yunzhu received another good news that Liu Sao Baolan had been pregnant for two months. She was in a particularly good mood, congratulating Li Rongbao on having another grandson or granddaughter next year, and also told Guwalgiya Shi that next year's selection of concubines would bring another sister-in-law (referring to Old Eight Fu Qian) into the family.

  In fact, she was still most looking forward to Fu Heng. In unofficial histories, there were many speculations about his wife and Hongli, even believing that his son Fucha An was Hongli's illegitimate child.

  Of course, this is impossible. Since the Qing dynasty had the affair of Emperor Shunzhi and Empress Xiaoxian, the rules and etiquette for men and women gradually became stricter. How could an emperor and a palace maid find time and place to have an affair? If it were true, it would be hard for Fu Heng to still have another child, Fucha An, with his wife.

  However, the possibility of Emperor Qianlong intervening in Fu Heng's marriage is very high, and the possibility of Li Rongbao and Guwalgiya doing so is relatively small. To say that they had three legitimate sons and one legitimate daughter, only one of them, Fu Wen, was truly in charge of their own marriage.

  Afraid that the children would bump into Yunzhu, who was pregnant, several aunts let them go out to play after a while. Yunzhu couldn't persuade them otherwise and had to give the gifts she had prepared for her nephews and nieces ahead of time, watching as they happily went out.

  A house full of women, chatting about trivial domestic and palace life, unusually cheerful. Gradually, the topic turned back to Yunzhu's belly.

  Yun Zhu's belly was round and smooth, looking well-maintained. However, Guagua Jia and several aunts looked at her stomach with concern, thinking that it was already over four months, yet not much smaller than others' six-month-old bellies.

  "There's nothing, just my appetite has improved a bit." Yunzhu smiled, but didn't dare tell them that there was more than one child in her belly, or they would worry even more. The royal family was very taboo about twins, especially those who looked alike. Even princesses were not spared, and as for the imperial princes, usually only one could be kept.

  "There are still five or six months left, you should be more restrained. If the fetus is too big during production, it's not good for both the mother and the baby." Guajia couldn't help but say, "Are you sleeping extravagantly now? When you're awake, move around more, don't be lazy all day..."

  "Mother, I know, I know." Yunzhu had heard enough of the whispers around her, her ears were almost growing calluses. "Guo and the others remind me every day."

  Shu Mu Lu and Ma Jia couldn't help but laugh when they saw Yun Zhu's pleading gaze, saying: "Don't worry, Eldest Sister, the young lady is very considerate of others, she knows her own body best."

  "How can I not worry." Guwalgiya sighed softly, looking at her daughter with a hidden deep affection in her eyes. When she heard that Empress Hejing sent another concubine to Yongzheng's palace after her daughter became pregnant, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her daughter. Fortunately, Hongli was someone who could control himself and truly valued Yunzhu, otherwise, which wife could have a smooth life with such a mother-in-law?

  "Now that you're older, be careful with what you eat and wear, and when you go out, don't let others take advantage of you, got it?"

  ……

  The Fu family's attention to Yunzhu's belly was no less than that of the imperial family. It wasn't until now that Yunzhu slightly realized the importance of the child in her womb - previously, she had been immersed in the joy of becoming a mother and spent every day at the Duanxi Second Estate, where she had almost forgotten about the hidden status of being the child's Ama, the invisible storage master.

  The Empress Dowager's retirement, Yongzheng's vigilance towards the early death of Yongying, and Hongli's secret preparations all contributed to Yunzhu having the most leisurely few months since entering the palace. She finally made her move on the evening of the Wan Shou Festival.

  This year was the fifty-fifth birthday of Yongzheng, and although the Longevity Festival was not grandly celebrated, it was not cancelled either. The news that a child is about to be born brought more shock than joy, as there were still quite a few days before the expected birth date, which was only over seven months away.

  Today's weather was originally rare with high skies and clear air. At this moment, the sun is about to set, and the brilliant sunset glows with a reddish hue, covering nearly half of the sky. Upon hearing the news, people involuntarily shifted their gaze towards Qianxi Second School, but were startled by the dazzling light created by the interplay of the sunset's rays and the glazed tile roof of Qianxi Second School.

  It's like a rainbow-colored pillar supporting the sky!

  Recalling the words of Qintianjian's people about Yunzhu's fate, Yongzheng was determined and hastily ordered Su Peisheng to wait at the two temples in the west. If there was any news, he would come back to report.

  Because Yunzhu was often holding her breath in space, eating fruit and sleeping, plus her subtle control over her body, the labor pains started less than an hour later, she had already given birth to her first daughter, followed by a son, and finally a little girl who looked like a kitten.

  Three children came out, and she was already soaked to the bone. In her two lifetimes, she had never experienced such a painful yet extremely fulfilling feeling. Supporting herself with her last bit of clarity, she took one look at the three children, who were all pale and tender despite being premature, and only after hearing Ling Shu and Su Wen say that the children were very healthy did she finally let out a sigh and pass out.

  Standing outside the delivery room, Hong Li let out a sigh of relief after hearing that Yun Zhu had given birth to two daughters and one son. Without even looking at the children, he anxiously asked Gu Mama as soon as she came out: "How is Madame?"

  Madam Guo smiled: "The mistress fainted after seeing the princess and the prince, this childbirth still has some burden on her body, she needs to take good care of herself for a while, fortunately there's no big problem." She increased the publicity of Yunzhu's hard work.

  Triplets! Hongli naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

  "What about the kids?" He suddenly remembered that triplets were premature and didn't know if they could stand on their own, originally thinking there were only two in his belly, but unexpectedly there were three.

  Suwan had brought Mingxin and Shimu out, carrying three babies. "Your Majesty, please look, this is Ergege." Two days ago, Su Baoju had given birth to Hongli's eldest daughter.

  The little baby was wrapped in a pink cotton quilt, and Hongli went over to take a look. To his surprise, she was different from the wrinkled red baby born by Madame Su. She was delicate and lovely, with a small, exquisite round face, a pair of dark eyebrows, eyelashes that curled upwards, a slightly upturned nose, and full red lips... In Hongli's heart, a strange feeling arose, as if their blood vessels were connected, and he felt a surge of tenderness and pity at first sight.

  "The one wrapped in pink and blue is the Second Prince." The Second Prince was about the same age as the Second Princess, also delicate and tender, with a small face that didn't look much like his sister's. His eyebrows were somewhat similar to those of his imperial father, but more refined and handsome.

  "This is the third one." Wrapped in a soft yellow cotton quilt, Hongli looked at it and felt a pang in his heart. This daughter was smaller than her siblings by more than a circle, like a small cat, with a tiny face, light eyebrows, thin lips, and looked extremely similar to Yunzhu.

  "Dr. Su, quickly take their pulse and examine them," he instructed somewhat nervously.

  "Hmm." Imperial Physician Su was also very anxious, as Director-General Su was still waiting for a response to the Emperor.

  Dr. Su smiled all over her face after carefully feeling the pulse of the newborn baby and checking his body: "Although Little Gongzi and Xiao A'ge were premature, they have been well-nourished in their mother's womb and there is no problem."

  "Thanks to Doctor Su!" Hongli let out a sigh of relief and happily said to Wu Shu, "Reward!" Everyone in the two palaces of Qianxi received rewards, and both Doctor Su and Su Peisheng each received a very generous red envelope. "Doctor Su reported the good news to the Emperor."

  Su Peisheng did not decline and accepted the reward with a bow: "Congratulations to the Fourth Prince, I will go back to the Emperor now."

  "Good, this is a triple celebration, joy from heaven! " After listening to Su Peisheng's description of the three babies, Yongzheng was relieved and delighted. Immediately, a batch of rewards poured in like flowing water towards Qianxi Second House. Of course, he also didn't forget to send the birth times of the three babies to the Imperial Observatory for the astrologers to calculate.

  In an instant, there was a grandson and two granddaughters, all healthy and fair-skinned. The smile on Consort Xi's face became even more radiant. As a result, the distance between Hongli and Hongxiao grew even greater. "Qin Mama, increase the prepared rewards by 20%, I want to personally go to the Western Palace to see my dear grandchildren."

  "Yes." Qin Ayi also had a smile all over her face.