The Virtuous Concubine

Concubine Tong had been seduced by Kangxi for so many years, and she understood what kind of person he was. Since the emperor did not make her the queen, it meant that it was impossible in this life, so she had long given up on the position of queen to avoid unnecessary troubles. She had tried many ways to get the Fourth Prince, but she couldn't get him. On the contrary, the child showed his intelligence and memory early, so it was difficult to raise him. What's more, Concubine De is now one of the four concubines, and her power is becoming more and more prominent. It is tantamount to a fool's dream to want to take the Fourth Prince away from her.

Although she didn't know where her obsession with the Fourth Prince came from, when she saw the Seventh Prince today, the feeling that "this child should be born by me" was even stronger than that of the Fourth Prince.

The Seventh Prince's face was strikingly similar to her aunt's, and she herself had inherited this similar face from her aunt. Liuying, who was beside Concubine Tong, couldn't help but sigh: "If the Queen gave birth to a prince, he and the Seventh Prince would look like brothers from the same mother when standing together."

These words were like a fine needle, gently piercing Concubine Tong's heart, making her even more anxious. But she was not the queen, and it was not easy for her to take the Seventh Prince and raise him herself. They were the first pair of twins in the Qing Dynasty, and it was impossible for them to be separated and raised separately.

Of course, she didn't mind taking Princess Wenxian, who looked exactly like her cousin, with her. But she knew that the Empress Dowager would never agree, her cousin would never agree, and even Concubine De, who seemed gentle and harmless on weekdays, would not give the child to anyone else.

The last time she was slapped in the face by Kangxi and the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace was still fresh in her mind. She did not dare to act rashly for the moment. She could only run to Yonghe Palace when she had nothing to do and visit the Seventh Prince and Princess Wenxian in the name of visiting.

Bai Fu and Bai Xia were used to it. Last time, Concubine Tong tried to snatch the Fourth Prince, but was choked back by her own master. When her master was a noble lady, she could always slap Concubine Tong back, but this time it was even more impossible. So they were very calm and only reminded the people below to be extra careful to look after the little prince and Princess Wenxian.

Ma Lu, who was in confinement, was very happy to know that her daughter was so favored. She actually asked Aunt Shu Yu to help her spread the rumors that the princess would be married off and die young to Kangxi. She knew Kangxi very well. Kangxi seemed very rational and kind, but in fact, he was an extreme person who loved her and hated her.

Xiao Si'er takes after him in this regard!

He doted on Wen Xian so much, and there was no need for marriage at the moment, so naturally he would not have the intention to marry Wen Xian far away. So Shu Yu used Yu'er, one of his subordinates, to instigate and spread a few words, and the matter was settled.

If this didn't work, Malu would have another trick up his sleeve. Fortunately, it was successful once. Malu even watched Kangxi through the video to make sure that Kangxi had written the imperial edict that Wen Xian would not marry far away before going to bed.

In fact, she was also in a difficult position when facing Concubine Tong. She felt from the bottom of her heart that Concubine Tong was a pitiful and hateful person, and she didn't even need to take revenge on her. Concubine Tong would be offline in two years... There was no need for her to dirty her hands at all.

Moreover, she observed Xiao Si'er and noticed something different about him. Xiao Si'er had no feelings towards most concubines or palace maids, and could be said to be very cold. But he was very good to Jingyi and was also okay with Concubine Tong. Sometimes he was in a state of entanglement, wanting to get close to them but deliberately keeping a distance.

Malu called this playing hard to get, a scumbag's tactic. Although Concubine Tong failed to seize the child, the gifts she gave to Xiao Si'er were more valuable and caring than those given by the crown prince. As Concubine Tong came more often, she inevitably said a few words to Malu outside the delivery room, which gave her some face.

Malu also thought that her child had a godmother who would become the queen one day, and even began to think about whether she could use the appearance of Concubine Tong and Xiaoqi to help the Fourth Prince plan for the support of the Tong family. The Tong family is now in its heyday, and in the future it will be called "Tong Banchao"!

In the original life, Yinzhen's successful ascension to the throne was inseparable from the support of the Tong family, especially Tongjia Longkodo. In this life, due to the mission, Malu found a way to keep the fourth prince and raise him herself. The mother-son relationship is quite good, but this drawback will gradually appear as the fourth prince grows up.

Thinking of this, Malu sighed. Would the Fourth Prince regret it? Would he regret that his mother rejected Concubine Tong Jia's olive branch and kept him by her side, but missed out on the support of the Tong family and the status of being half a legitimate son?

How could a man, especially a royal son who was at the center of power, not be envious of power? Would he despise me for being incompetent? Malu was thinking wildly because of the progesterone, and the system was at a loss. The system tried to comfort her, but it seemed a little helpless in the face of such complex human emotions.

"System, do you think he will understand my choice?" Malu asked softly.

The system was silent for a moment before responding: "Everything you do is out of love for the Fourth Prince. You have been protecting and nurturing him in your own way. He will definitely understand. Moreover, in his heart, family affection may not necessarily be inferior to power."

"But what if he can't understand? What if what he craves is power, the legitimate status that would allow him to stand at the pinnacle of power? If he loses the throne because I raised him, what should I do with the subsequent missions?"

There was a hint of confusion in Malu's eyes.

It was the first time that the system saw Malu so conflicted. The system comforted her in a softer voice: "Every child has his or her own path to take. You cannot foresee the future, nor can you decide everything for him or her. All you can do is give him or her love and support on his or her way to growth, and guide him or her to become the person he or she wants to be."

Malu thought about it and decided that there would be a way. Besides, she had just given birth to twins, and Kangxi had given her so many favors and special treatments. According to Kangxi's character, she would probably be out of favor for a long time.

It doesn’t mean that Kangxi will not come to Yonghe Palace, after all, there are his three great treasures here. But Malu herself, as the personal favor of Concubine De, should be very limited in the foreseeable future. After all, Kangxi pays the most attention to balance. Because of the matter of the children, he can directly compete with Concubine Tong and Concubine Wenxi in the palace. . . This is not the situation he wants to see.

The system was puzzled: "You three are just right, the three-legged tripod that Kangxi likes."

Malu shook his head: "This three-legged tribe is in jeopardy. If any of the remaining three concubines rely on Concubine Tong, Concubine Wenxi or me, this balance can be broken at any time. The most terrifying thing is that the three of them stick together, which will make it even more complicated."

The system finally understood: "Then Kangxi's neglect of you is just what you want. You are not keen on serving Kangxi anyway."

Malu smiled slightly, with a sly look in his eyes: "That's right. There is a time for favor and a time for disfavor. It's time for the feng shui to turn to someone else's family!"