The Virtuous Concubine

When Yinzuo is unable to come to the fore, only Wen Xian's efforts can compete with Yinzhen, form a stable situation, and allow the Yonghe Palace to form a joint force.

Otherwise... With Fourth Brother's temper, I guess he would have to sell all the dogs in Yonghe Palace by the pound. And if Fourth Brother fails, Fourth Brother and the entire Yonghe Palace will need another layer of protection.

Malu felt a complex emotion when she heard Yinzuo's words. She looked at her sensible son and thought of her daughter who had gone to Jiangnan, and her eyes were slightly red.

"You are all good children. I understand your intentions."

Seeing that his mother understood Wen Xian and himself, and had no intention of teaching them not to be so wary of their fourth brother, Yinzuo smiled with relief and showed his fangs.

It was a rare opportunity for the mother and son to chat alone, and they talked for a long time before they dispersed.

At dawn the next day, Xue Lan, who served Concubine Wenxi, actually came to Yonghe Palace and asked to see Malu.

Malu's heart moved, and he quickly got up from the bed: "Bai Xia, go ask what's going on, I'll wash up first."

Bai Xia took the order and left, while Malu quickly washed and dressed with the help of the maid.

Wen Xi and she had some superficial feelings, but their relationship was not close. Sending someone over at this hour must be something important.

Not long after, Bai Xia came back to report: "Your Majesty, Xue Lan said that Imperial Concubine Wen Xi wanted to discuss the preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet with you, and she was sent here to invite you over for a chat."

The emperor has already handed over the family banquet to her, why is he coming to me again?

She thought for a moment, then ordered, "Get ready, I'll go see the Imperial Concubine."

When Malu arrived at Concubine Wenxi's bedroom, he was shocked at the first sight.

The imperial concubine's face was as pale as paper, and she leaned weakly on the couch, as if she was holding on with all her strength, and had no more strength left. Seeing Malu coming, she forced a sad smile and said, "I'm sorry, sister, I can't get up to greet you."

Malu shook his head and sat on the left side of the imperial concubine under Xuelan's guidance.

"Sister, your words are too serious. You are not feeling well, so please don't be polite."

Wen Xi's physical condition probably didn't allow it. She didn't wear any pearls or jade on her head, and her clothes were very thin, making her look quite weak and frail.

Malu looked at her again, waiting for her to speak. Wen Xi was not rude, and was so polite when he asked her to sit in the honorable seat. He probably wanted to ask her something.

Imperial Concubine Wenxi coughed a few times, but the coughing became more and more severe. Finally, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and forced herself to breathe slowly before she spoke: "Sister, I invited you here today under the pretext of the Mid-Autumn family banquet, but I actually have something to ask of you."

Ma Lu secretly said that it was bad - it was probably not easy for her to come straight to the point like this. On the way here, I thought she was going to leave the family dinner to me, but I didn't expect Wen Xi to come up and tell me frankly.

Sure enough, Wen Xi stretched out his hand with a wry smile and slowly unfolded the handkerchief, on which was a shocking stain of bright red blood.

Ma Lu's face changed slightly, and she was shocked. Concubine Wenxi said weakly, "Sister, I know that I will not live long, and now there is only one thing that worries me. Yin is still young, ignorant, and careless. He doesn't know the dangers of fighting in the palace. I beg you to help me take care of him after I leave."

Of course Malu would not agree. What a joke! How could she take care of so many children? The tenth prince was already in his early teens. According to the calculation of the Kangxi Dynasty, he was already twelve years old!

What to take care of? The children in the palace matured early, so why would she need to take care of them?

If she agreed today, Yinzhen would be able to poke a hole in the roof of Yonghe Palace. His hatred for the Tenth Prince was second only to that for the Eighth Prince. She would not interfere with the Tenth Prince and make him alienate her.

What's more, what kind of background does Concubine Wenxi have! How could she let herself take care of him? She could just send a girl from the clan, how could she ask someone who has nothing to do with her to take care of him.

Ma Lu comforted her, "What nonsense you are talking about, it's so unlucky. You should take good care of yourself. Are there any good doctors and good medicines in the palace? When you recover, wouldn't it be better for you to take care of the Tenth Prince yourself?"

After hearing what Malu said, a hint of disappointment flashed in Concubine Wenxi's eyes, but she also knew that her request was indeed a bit abrupt, and it would definitely not be easy to get the other party to accept it all at once.

She had no choice but to throw the bloody handkerchief on the table, and then took another handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Although she was asking for help, she still hoped to maintain her dignity as the daughter of a first-class duke and a double-character imperial concubine.

"Sister, you think I'm confused because of my illness, and you're trying to trick me. A dying person knows his or her own physical condition best."

Seeing Concubine Wenxi like this, Malu couldn't help feeling a little pity, but she really didn't dare to take on this troublesome matter easily.

"Sister, why are you so pessimistic? Being depressed is not good for your health. You are of noble status, how can the emperor just sit there and do nothing? He will definitely let the imperial doctors do their best to treat you."

Imperial Concubine Wenxi smiled bitterly, "Sister, you don't know that my illness is already incurable, and I'm afraid there's no way to save me. The reason I'm still alive is that the Emperor doesn't want to cause any more trouble before the Crown Prince's concubine comes into the family. The eldest prince's concubine is pregnant, so it's only natural that the Emperor is worried about the Crown Prince's affairs... Don't you know?"

Before Malu could ask if she knew that the eldest prince's wife was pregnant, Wen Xi sighed again:

"The only thing I am worried about now is the Tenth Prince. He is still so young. If no one takes care of him, I don't know how much grievance he will suffer in this palace."

Ma Lu was silent for a moment, then said, "Don't worry, sister. The emperor will make proper arrangements for the tenth prince." Imperial Concubine Wenxi shook her head, "Sister, I can see clearly in this palace. To be honest, the emperor has so many children, but he only cares about the crown prince and Wen Xian. Moreover, among all the people in the harem, I only trust you. You are the only truly kind and generous person among all the high-ranking officials in the harem... If you are willing to take care of the tenth prince after I leave, I will die without regrets."

Malu thought to himself that Kangxi was indeed not that great, but you didn't let me go either.

Putting me on such a high pedestal is nothing more than trying to kidnap me and make me agree?

"Sister, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that it's extremely inappropriate to do so, and the emperor won't agree. I think the emperor will definitely find a suitable person to take care of the tenth prince, so you can just focus on recuperating. The tenth prince's affairs still need you, his biological mother, to worry about."

A flash of despair flashed across Concubine Wenxi's eyes, and tears welled up again. "Sister, I know this is difficult for you, but I really have no one to trust. If I leave, the Tenth Prince will be left without protection and will definitely be bullied. Sister, please help me this time for the sake of our past relationship. I won't let you help me in vain, the Niuhulu family still has some assets——"