The Virtuous Concubine

Malu did not wonder for long. After all, the child would be back soon, and the most he could do was to remind the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make preparations in advance, so as to avoid neglecting the beauty and having to complain to Kangxi.

Then keep two clean people and give them to the new favorite concubine to observe. Normally, Malu would not use these spies, only to report any unusual movements or major events.

As for the soup that would end my family's demise, I could arrange it for Kangxi when I come back.

According to Malu, giving women in the harem sterilization drugs or contraceptives is simply a thankless task.

Not to mention that there are too many concubines, but when the menstruation comes every month, the amount, color, pain, and duration are all very obvious indicators!

It would be better to give it to Kangxi, so that he would be the only one to suffer.

Even if he discovered that something was wrong with himself, he didn't dare make it public. He could only swallow his anger and quietly investigate and treat the problem.

Now Rong Ji's position in the Imperial Hospital is only second to the judge, and with the influence of the Nalan family and the Wuya family, they can control a few more imperial physicians. . . We can also mention the position of Imperial Physician Gu.

After thinking about it, Malu suddenly realized that the Yonghe Palace lineage had gained a lot from this trip to the south of the Yangtze River.

Yinzhen led Yinzuo and Wenxian on a trip to Jiangnan, where his reputation soared among officials, literati and the common people.

The fact that they attended to Kangxi's illness also won Kangxi's favor, and the reputation and impression of the three of them for filial piety were firmly established.

Add to that the imprisonment of the eldest and third princes, and the crown prince's loss of power, and the Yonghe Palace turned out to be the most proud palace in the harem!

Not to mention the two princes who were recently born in Yonghe Palace. Once they grow up, they will be princes.

If Malu knew that the Cao family and the Li family had joined the Fourth Prince, he would probably laugh his face off.

The lineage of Concubine De of Yonghe Palace was successful in both the previous dynasty and the harem.

Malu put aside the secret letter and rested after the baby's birth. She ate donkey hide gelatin, bird's nest and other nourishing foods every day, and her complexion improved greatly.

Jingyi suffered. Although Doctor Gu's medicine was as gentle as possible, it was harmful to the body to induce labor. Malu sent all the precious ginseng sent by the Nalan family.

In some way, it was the Nalan family's compensation to Jingyi. This ginseng was not ordinary. It was specially found from the depths of the White Mountains and Black Waters, and then rushed to Shengjing, and then rushed all the way to the palace.

The ancestors of the Qing Dynasty were the Jianzhou Jurchens. Before the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Aixinjueluo Nurhaci, became famous, he lived in the mountainous and forested Jianzhou.

There are abundant mountain products there, and ginseng is especially famous for its production.

However, the fresh ginseng that was dug out was difficult to preserve for a long time. The Jurchens had no choice but to use the old method, wrapping the fresh ginseng in birch bark and then soaking it in water to keep it moist.

However, Han merchants often dislike ginseng because it is too moist and are unwilling to buy it.

At the same time, wet ginseng cannot be stored for long and will rot if stored for a long time. The Jurchens had to keep the price very low so that they could sell it as quickly as possible.

In order to solve this problem, it is said that Nurhaci ordered people to cook and dry the fresh ginseng before selling it. Sure enough, the shelf life became very long, and this gradually became a customary practice.

However, once ginseng is cooked, its medicinal properties are naturally lost. When it arrived in the capital, what the dignitaries used was, in theory, the dregs of the medicine.

After being dried, the cooked ginseng will slowly decompose into real residue.

Therefore, fresh ginseng is extremely rare, let alone such a good year. After all, if it is not sold, it will rot quickly.

Since Little Fourteen was born, the ginseng quota in Yonghe Palace has not changed, but it has all become fresh ginseng, and the supply has never been interrupted.

Malu naturally didn't want to waste it, and Jingyi gave half of it. Malu didn't want to eat it herself, but she boiled water with it, and then mixed it and distributed it to the servants of Yonghe Palace.

As a result, everyone in Yonghe Palace had ruddy complexions and was full of energy. They knew the preciousness of the fresh ginseng water and were grateful for the gift from their master.

Sometimes when Malu held the Fourteenth Prince in her arms, she felt like she might have given birth to a baby.

However, before Malu could be happy for long, Su Malagu arrived.

The visitor had bad intentions. Su Malagu came here on the orders of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang to discuss the marriage between the Fourth Prince and Wen Xian with Empress Defei.

Although Malu was already alive and kicking, she was still in confinement after giving birth. She had no choice but to sit on the bed and meet Su Malagu, a respected elder in the palace.

She brought the headband that Wen Xian had sewn for her before she left. Although it was not exquisite, it was very comfortable and warm.

Su Malagu looked at Malu carefully before she said respectfully, "Your Highness, Concubine De is in good spirits. Look at the stitches and embroidery. Was this headband made for you by Princess Wenxian? The princess is really clever, filial and well-behaved."

Ma Lu forced a smile, knowing that Xiaozhuang was definitely not holding back anything good! She could only nod and say, "Aunt, you are too kind."

Su Malagu smiled and showed the many gifts she brought. "Your Highness, I came here on the orders of the Grand Empress Dowager to ask if you are doing well after giving birth. The Grand Empress Dowager is very concerned about you and the little prince."

Malu sneered in her heart, but remained calm on her face: "Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. I am fine. When I am out of confinement, I will personally take the child to the Cining Palace to pay my respects."

Su Malagu could not help but praise Concubine De for her good teaching, saying that all her children were healthy, lively, intelligent and ambitious.

Malu looked at this kind old woman and thought her face looked extremely hideous.

Seeing that Malu just smiled and didn't respond, Su Malagu had to confess her purpose: "The Empress Dowager thinks that the outstanding personalities of the Fourth Prince and Wen Xian are comparable to the two from Borjigit..."

Malu quickly interrupted Su Malagu and said, "Aunt, I feel sad when I hear you say that. Yinzhen and Wenxian are still very young, how can I bear to give them up? You are tearing my heart out!"

As she spoke, she picked up a handkerchief and pretended to cry. Bai Fu, who was beside her, also hurriedly comforted her: "Master, you can't cry during the confinement period!"

Malu listened but didn't buy it. She continued to sob with her handkerchief covering her face.

Su Malagu felt helpless for a moment when she saw Malu's reaction.

She sighed slightly and said, "My queen, the Borjigits are the golden family on the grassland, and the grass and water they own are the most abundant on the grassland."

"The Empress Dowager is here. I have to say something unpleasant, but isn't it better to marry a prince or princess from Khorchin than to marry one of the allies from Outer Mongolia? Other princesses and princes can't get one even if they beg for it."

Malu was even more angry after hearing Sumalagu's words. She suppressed her emotions and said, "Aunt, I don't care about honor or not. Yinzhen and Wenxian are my children. I just hope they can grow up safely and happily. They are still so young now and will stay with me for many years."

Su Malagu quickly followed Ma Lu's words and said, "My prince will soon be able to understand the world of men, and he is not young anymore. The emperor was also engaged at this age. If the queen can't bear to part with the fourth prince and the princess, you can arrange the engagement first."

Seeing how persistent Sumalagu was, Malu guessed that it was Empress Xiaozhuang who had given the death order.

She had no choice but to bring up Kangxi to refuse: "The marriage of princes and princesses is not something that I, a concubine, can decide. The emperor still needs to make the decision."