Chapter 11 Mother and Daughter's Heart-to-Heart Talk

Chapter 11 Mother and Daughter's Heart-to-Heart Talk

The Emperor woke up at noon, but he was severely depleted. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy stayed by his side constantly, and it took three days before Kangxi was able to get out of bed and walk.

For some reason, he sent many gifts to Kunning Palace, but he himself never stepped inside the palace.

Before he knew it, it was the Ghost Festival. Kangxi's health had almost recovered, and he had to step into Kunning Palace again. Perhaps the previous events had made him uneasy, because he refused to stay in the side hall again. So he slept in the same bed with Fanghua, who was heavily pregnant.

The next day was for ancestor worship, and that night Emperor Kangxi simply slept soundly to conserve his energy for the grand ceremony the following day.

Fanghua was fine with it; for her, it was most comfortable without him by her side. But she wouldn't drive him away, after all, the Emperor's honor still rested on his shoulders.

To become the supreme empress dowager, the emperor's favor is indispensable.

The next day, the emperor and empress dressed up and set off to worship their ancestors.

Throughout the journey, Kangxi treated Fanghua with utmost care; anyone who didn't know better would think he was a wonderful husband.

Fanghua was happy to cooperate, after all, this was the Empress's favor.

The concubines below could only look on with envy.

As long as I live, you will all be my concubines.

Ancestor worship is hard work. Fanghua completed all the rituals while heavily pregnant, but couldn't keep up on the way back.

Naturally, she was unable to attend the palace banquet that day, but this gave Niohuru the opportunity to be the first lady of the inner palace to entertain the court officials.

However, Fanghua met her mother, Borjigit Fujin, that very night.

"Mother." Fanghua felt a pang of sorrow upon seeing her mother, who looked much younger, because she had witnessed her mother's hair turn white overnight after her death.

Furthermore, because her clan sent another daughter into the harem as a pawn to gain power, she ultimately could not endure it and passed away prematurely.

In this life, she will never let those tragedies repeat themselves, and she will make sure her mother enjoys her old age in peace.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Borjigit's wife followed the proper etiquette, performing the grand ceremony for her daughter before rising with the help of her servants.

"Mother, why do we have to be like this?" Fanghua's eyes were already filled with tears, her heart aching for her mother.

"Ritual must not be abandoned."

She remembered what those people said when the Emperor was choosing an Empress: 'How can the daughter of a Manchu commoner be an Empress?'

Ultimately, through her father's machinations, her daughter became the rightful empress of the Qing Dynasty. As a result, her entire clan was used by the emperor, becoming his eyes and his sword.

It was her daughter who suffered. She was married off at a young age and could have been treated like a precious jewel at home, but for the sake of her family, she had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the mother of the nation at such a young age.

"There are no outsiders here, Mother. How have you been these days?" She had only seen her mother once since she became pregnant, and had not seen her family since.

At that time, the emperor was busy dealing with Ao Bai, and her father, brothers, uncles and aunts all worked for the emperor. She was restricted from leaving the palace, and several months passed between them.

"Yes, Mother is fine. As long as you are well, Mother is better than anything else." Borjigit looked at her somewhat thin daughter and felt very sad.

However, she dared not show it on her face, for fear of making her daughter overthink things, which would then implicate the prince in her womb and be a greater loss than gain.

Fanghua's feelings were no better than her mother's. For her mother, it might only be a few months since they last met, but for Fanghua, it was decades. How could she not miss her? How could she not think about her?

"I'm fine, Mother, don't worry. I'm doing well in the palace. As long as you, Father, and my younger siblings are all well, I'm fine too."

Nothing is better than family.

Hearing her daughter's words, Borjigit's wife felt relieved. "You're still the same as when you were little, always thinking about us."

My daughter has been filial since she was a child, but as she became someone else's wife at a young age, she received less pampering from her family.

“We are all well. With you in the palace, the Emperor has entrusted your father with important responsibilities. I heard that the Emperor intends to bestow upon your father the title of Duke Chengyong. I came here today to ask you about this matter.”

Her husband was not as good at pleasing people as her brother-in-law. The emperor clearly valued Suo'etu more now, and her husband also valued the emperor's rewards.

Upon hearing this, Fanghua began to recall her past life. It took her a while to remember this. In her past life, her father did not have the emperor's favor because he did not have an uncle. Even though he was granted the title of Duke Chengyong, he did not achieve much in the court.

The court officials all said that Father received this title because of his two daughters.

Sigh, it seems that my father and uncle are also plotting something, which is not a good thing.

"Mother, it is true, but tell Father not to worry. The favors bestowed by the Emperor are all imperial grace. No matter what reward Uncle receives, he must not be unhappy." She was revealing some information in this way.

In any case, as long as the Hesheli clan could do something for her son, they were all her clansmen. At worst, she could just give her family more financial support in the future.

With me here, how can anyone bully me at home?

Even if my uncle becomes a high-ranking official in the future, can he surpass me, the empress?

"Sigh, it seems your father guessed right. Soetu has indeed taken over all of your grandfather's connections and influence." Borjigi Fujin felt a pang of sadness, but also thought it was for the best. As long as the children were safe and sound, that was more important than anything else.

"Mother, don't worry. Father has military merits. As long as he doesn't rebel, he'll definitely rise to prominence in this life."

She should give him a warning; if her father develops other intentions, it might affect her position in the harem.

“Mother, teach your younger brother well. We shouldn’t worry about the present, but look to the future.”

Borjigit seemed to have been persuaded, and the worry on her face finally disappeared.

After giving a few more instructions, Fanghua had someone escort Borjigit Fujin to the palace banquet. After all, the Empress's birth mother would attract attention if she didn't show up.

After the person left, Fanghua sighed, "It really is fate."

She is the Empress, and now she is pregnant with the legitimate son, but who knows that all of this is at the cost of her father's and her descendants' future?

Neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager would allow the maternal relatives to become too powerful. Soetu was just an uncle, and the Emperor was better able to handle some matters.

"Your Highness, it's late. Please make yourselves settled early. I'll go and comfort Master in a few days." Given how much Your Highness is favored at home, Master won't make things difficult for you.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Granny. But when you leave the palace, please take some things for my father, mother, and siblings." Although they don't need to control the court like that, they still need to live to be a hundred years old.

I can't let my younger brother die young like in my previous life, and my younger sister end up as a lonely concubine, dying alone in this cannibalistic harem.

Father and Mother died in sorrow due to the oppression from their uncle and the emperor.

"Yes." Granny Zhang knew that Her Highness had a good treasure, and now it seemed that Her Highness intended for the Princess and the Master to take it. That was very good.

No matter how close your uncle is, he is not as close as your own parents, brothers, and sisters.