Harem Daily Life

After only three days in the hot spring palace, someone came from Prince Yong's mansion to report that Concubine Hui had suddenly fainted. The imperial physician said the symptoms were serious. Prince Yong could not sleep at night and begged the Queen Mother and His Majesty to go and see her.

It was not convenient to leave in the middle of the night, so when it was just daybreak, He Linzhang had the children left in the hot spring palace while he took the empress dowager and the queen back to Beijing first.

The atmosphere in Prince Yong's Mansion was very solemn. Because Concubine Hui fell ill, everyone's face was covered with worry.

The Empress Dowager, with red eyes, was helped by Tao Yanyan to the bedside of Concubine Hui. She held Concubine Hui's hand tightly and called out twice in a trembling voice. Concubine Hui just opened her eyes and said nothing.

"How come he is so seriously ill? Wasn't he still able to walk before the New Year?" the Queen Mother said uncomfortably.

Princess Yong sighed, "Your Majesty, Mother's cough relapses in winter. It was fine in the past few years, but in recent years it has become increasingly severe. She looked better before the holidays, and I thought she might be fine this year. Who could have imagined that she would suddenly faint in the courtyard yesterday..."

Princess Yong wiped her tears as she spoke, "The imperial physician said that Mother has used all the medicine she can. Now... it's only a matter of time."

The Queen Mother couldn't help but shed tears. Over the years, her former sisters had left her one by one, and with each passing, her heart was filled with sorrow.

She looked at Concubine Hui, who was barely breathing on the hospital bed, and said sadly, "Look, you are two years younger than me, so how come your body is not as good as mine?"

Seeing that the Queen Mother was too sad, Tao Yanyan was afraid that something might happen to her, so he immediately stepped forward and patted her on the back to comfort her.

"You all go out for a while, I will have a few private words with the Concubine Dowager."

Everyone had no choice but to leave the bedroom and wait outside.

"Royal brother, I didn't want to send anyone to disturb you at night, but Mother... has been talking about Father appearing in her dreams for the past few days, and she even personally copied a scroll of Buddhist scriptures as an offering... I didn't expect that yesterday..."

He Linzhang patted Prince Yong's arm and said, "I will order the imperial physician to do his best to treat you, but... you must also be mentally prepared."

Inside the bedroom, Concubine Hui paused for a long time before she spoke softly, "Sister, don't be too sad. This is something that happens to everyone when they get old."

The Queen Mother wiped away her tears and said, "Just hold on a little longer and leave in two years, okay?"

Concubine Hui showed a forced smile on her face: "The late emperor came to call me, and it was me that he missed the most that he called first."

Although they were joking, a faint sadness flowed between them.

"Sister, thank you so much for taking care of us mother and son for so many years. If it weren't for your generosity and open-mindedness, I'm afraid Prince Yong and I would have been dead long ago. The late emperor was afraid that your Shu family's relatives would dominate, so he brought me up to balance you. He also compared our two sons constantly, making them compete for everything since they were young. Ahem, ahem…"

The Queen Mother quickly patted her on the back to calm her down.

"Don't say that. That ungrateful person has no friendship in his heart. He only uses tricks."

Concubine Hui finally stopped coughing and chuckled twice: "But he didn't succeed. After all, our two children are the best of brothers."

The Queen Mother patted her hand gently and said, "I also have to thank you for being willing to take Prince Yong to his fiefdom. This completely dispelled the instigation of some court officials."

Concubine Hui sighed, "The past is so fleeting, it seems like it was just yesterday. When I'm gone, sister, please don't be too sad. Just walk around the world more and see more on my behalf. Let me stay with the late emperor for a few more years in the afterlife, so that he won't look down on me again when you come."

The Queen Mother was about to cry again, but she managed to hold it back.

"Don't say such nonsense. The doctors are still waiting outside. They will find a way."

Concubine Hui just smiled and said, "Sister, tell me, that bitch Concubine Li has already said a lot of bad things about us. I don't know if I can defeat her when I go down there."

The Queen Mother held her hand tightly and said, "If you are unhappy, then don't fight. Let them get along with that pair of bastards. Out of sight, out of mind."

Concubine Hui couldn't help laughing, and then she started coughing violently.

She finally stopped coughing, but tears came out of her eyes.

"Son of bitch? If the late emperor knew you called him that, he'd be so angry he'd come back to confront you."

The Queen Mother couldn't help but laugh: "Do you think I'm afraid of him? I have sons and daughters-in-law to help me, and so many grandchildren. I'm not afraid of him."

Concubine Hui's eyes showed reluctance. "Sister, I'll leave my son in your care. He... made some mistakes in the past, but he should have come to his senses over the years. As for the others in Prince Yong's Mansion, if you like them, please help them, and if you don't, just ignore them. As for the child born by Princess Yan, she's having a hard time in this mansion and no one likes her. If possible, please take her away and find her a good husband in the future. I'll be at peace with myself."

The person that Concubine Hui was referring to was He Yanran, the little princess of Prince Yong's Mansion, who was born to Princess Qinghe during the marriage.

The Queen Mother nodded and said, "Okay, I will raise her myself, don't worry."

Concubine Hui showed a look of relief on her face and raised her hand to point outside. The Queen Mother's heart tightened and she immediately called everyone in.

Prince Yong walked in front, and the queen mother's grandchildren knelt on the ground.

Tao Yanyan moved the empress dowager aside and gave her place to Concubine Hui's relatives.

Concubine Hui looked towards Prince Yong with great effort, her lips moving. Prince Yong hurried closer and heard his mother's weak but clear voice: "Assist His Majesty well, and do not have any more delusions."

Prince Yong nodded with tears in his eyes: "Don't worry, mother. I will take note of this."

Concubine Hui looked at her grandchildren again, her gaze lingering on He Yanran for a moment, as if relieved. She slowly closed her eyes, her hands falling limply.

The palace was suddenly filled with sobs. Prince Yong knelt beside the bed in grief, and the Queen Mother couldn't hold back her tears. He Linzhang walked forward, patted Prince Yong's shoulder, and offered silent comfort.

The funeral of Concubine Hui was very grand. With the consent of the Empress Dowager, she was buried according to the ceremony of the Queen and buried in the imperial mausoleum. The mausoleum was located to the right of the late emperor, in the same position as the deputy queen.

After Concubine Hui's funeral was over, the Queen Mother fulfilled her promise and took He Yanran to her care. Although Prince Yong disapproved of his mother's arrangement, he respected her opinion and did not object. However, Princess Yong was quite critical of this, feeling that it would be seen as unfavorable by outsiders, who would think that she, as the princess, was too harsh in her treatment of the young princess, and that this would lead to gossip about her behind her back.

"My mother has her reasons for making such arrangements. You should hurry up and pack up and send the person back to the palace." Prince Yong was so sad that he had been drinking for several days and was a little impatient.