Consort Rong desperately tried to stop them from taking the child, but who dared disobey the Emperor's decree? Even the wet nurse, without batting an eye, carried the Seventh Prince and followed Eunuch Xia away.
"Li Qingshu..." Consort Rong’s eyes were bloodshot. She had never dreamed that the seemingly harmless Consort Shu would strike such a blow at this moment.
She had always maintained a proper demeanor, only to have the Seventh Prince snatched away after his full moon.
"You, Li, I swear we are enemies for life." Consort Rong immediately ordered her attendants to help her dress and adorn herself. She intended to question the Emperor himself, to ask why he had treated her this way.
Unfortunately, the Emperor refused to see her.
Consort Rong knelt before the palace gates for two hours, yet the Emperor still did not grant her an audience, sending Eunuch Xia instead to tell her to return.
The winds in the palace had shifted.
Consort Rong, who had been highly favored after giving birth to the Seventh Prince, had suddenly lost her standing. Although her title was not revoked, nor was she cast into the cold palace, the Seventh Prince had been taken to Consort Shu.
With the Emperor refusing to see her, even if it was not a formal punishment, she was clearly being put on ice for a period.
Helpless, Consort Rong limped back to Qitai Palace and smashed everything in her chambers to vent her emotions.
Meanwhile, Li Qingshu was cradling the Seventh Prince, her eyes never leaving him.
The infant's features were already distinct at his full moon. The child resembled Emperor Chenghua by seven parts, and Consort Rong by three. Consort Rong, while not a peerless beauty, was comely, and the child was naturally well-favored, with plump little hands and feet that brought joy and boundless hope.
Li Qingshu’s eyes were filled with emotion. If Fourth Madam were still alive, she would be a grown young lady by now. When she was little, she would lie in her arms just like this, and Li Qingshu could never look her fill.
"Your Highness," Aunt Wenxi reminded her gently.
Li Qingshu came back to her senses, handed the child to her, and then turned to the Seventh Prince's wet nurse. "Care for the Seventh Prince as you always have. As long as you remain diligent, this Consort will not mistreat you."
The woman immediately knelt. "Your Highness, please rest assured. This servant will abide by the rules and take excellent care of the Seventh Prince."
"Good, you may go."
The woman stood up, trembling, and carried the Seventh Prince to a small courtyard in the back.
"Wenxi, find someone to keep an eye on her. Ensure the Seventh Prince's safety."
"This servant understands. However, Your Highness, Consort Rong is also a Consort. She could have raised the Seventh Prince herself. Why would His Majesty bring the Seventh Prince here?"
Li Qingshu knew that Li Man'er had played a significant role in this, as she had promised to provide her with a safeguard.
She assumed the Seventh Prince was that safeguard.
Even if His Majesty were to pass away and a new emperor ascend the throne, with the Seventh Prince still young, he likely wouldn't pose a threat to the new emperor. Now that the Seventh Prince was registered under her name, once the prince reached the age of seven, they could go to their fiefdom and live a carefree life, free from the confines of the imperial city.
Thinking of this, Li Qingshu felt a surge of warmth. She had been in the palace for over a decade and was thoroughly weary of it.
When Li Man'er heard the news, she merely raised an eyebrow. Everything was proceeding as she had planned, and there was nothing to be surprised about.
However, she anticipated that Consort Rong would make her move next.
Li Man'er's thoughts were not amiss. How could Consort Rong willingly let her child, born through great hardship, be taken by another?
Feigning illness, she remained in her palace. On the day of Laba Festival, she secretly disguised herself as a young eunuch and found Qi Yihan within the palace, seeking a word.
Consort Rong, her face bare of makeup, performed a deep bow to Qi Yihan and said, "This servant greets His Highness."
Qi Yihan recognized her immediately and frowned. "What are you doing?"
The palace was teeming with informants. Her actions were tantamount to courting death.
"Your Highness, you need not speak. Just listen to this humble one."
The more furtive and suspicious one appeared, the more attention one attracted. If they simply spoke, as long as no one overheard, there would be no issue. If others saw, they would merely assume a young eunuch was trying to curry favor with His Highness the Ninth Prince, never suspecting Consort Rong's audacious act of disguising herself as a eunuch to approach Qi Yihan.
Consort Rong poured out the words she had rehearsed countless times in her mind, whispering, "Your Highness, His Majesty is suspicious and has never truly trusted you. Now that his health is improving and the Empress Dowager and the Eldest Princess have fallen, he is likely to target you. The Crown Prince's affairs, though not directly concerning Your Highness, will likely be twisted and connected to you in the end. Therefore, if Your Highness wishes to protect yourself, there is only one way."
Qi Yihan stared intently at her, stating only, "Your courage is growing." She was no longer a hidden guard but an ambitious consort, even aspiring to be Empress Dowager simply for giving birth to a prince.
"A man without ruthlessness cannot succeed." Consort Rong knew Qi Yihan understood her meaning. She continued, "Your Highness is upright and naturally despises such tactics. However, that person likely will not think so. Only by eliminating you will he feel at ease. Your Highness, the child is still young and understands nothing, like a blank slate. Whoever guides him, helps him, and is good to him in the future will be considered his father in his heart."
Qi Yihan: Absolutely not necessary!
"As long as Your Highness is willing to assist us, mother and son, how can our great endeavor fail? You will be Regent, and the empire will be as good as yours."
Indeed, all the signs were moving in the direction Li Man'er had predicted. Consort Rong's words were almost identical to what Li Man'er had said before.
"Your Highness, I have no other opportunities. I do not wish to grow old and die in this palace, unable to raise my own son openly by my side."
Qi Yihan did not refuse her, merely saying, "You should return for now!"
A flicker of ecstatic joy flashed in Consort Rong's eyes. She knew of Qi Yihan's capabilities; he was so exceptional that if he set his mind to something, nothing was impossible.
"In that case, this servant will await your good news."
Consort Rong quietly returned to her palace, her heart pounding rapidly.
However, a moment later, she remembered that the wedding day for His Highness the Ninth Prince and Li Man'er was fast approaching, and her initial joy diminished somewhat.
All her girlish fantasies had revolved around Qi Yihan. He was her master, her guiding light. She had once believed that even if her master took a princess consort, he would still take her as a concubine, because she was so special, her heart devoted entirely to him.
To her surprise, after her affections were revealed, her master had sent her into the palace.
The events of the past had turned to smoke and drifted away; now, she could only press forward.
Perhaps, when her son ascended that position, everything would change. At that time, even if Li Man'er was the Ninth Prince Consort, she would be trampled underfoot, and would have to respectfully call herself Empress Dowager!
Thinking of this, Consort Rong could not help but chuckle. The frustrations of the past few days finally dissipated somewhat.
Just you wait and see.