Rebirth Plan to Save Leader

Chapter 8

Capture the Emperor’s favor, maintain control over the harem situation, and educate her son well.

These were the goals Li Mu set for herself after realizing she had become Empress Hesheli.

Several days later, Nanny Zhou said with a frown, “Your Majesty, the concubines in the harem seem to be in a frantic struggle lately. Concubine Ma Jia has been inviting the Emperor to her palace for many days now, and the Guo Luo sisters are desperate to cling to him constantly. Should we send someone from Kunning Palace to reprimand them?”

“There is no need for that. If no one fought or struggled during a Grand Investiture, the palace wouldn’t be lively enough. Besides, the Grand Empress Dowager and I are still here; they wouldn’t dare go too far.” Li Mu thought to herself that the Tong family was likely unable to sit still by now; they would have to enter the palace before the Grand Investiture to reap the greatest benefits.

Now was her time to be leisurely, sitting steady like a strategist on a fishing platform. “Bring Yinreng to me.”

Li Mu accepted the child with a smile. By then, Yinreng’s eyes could already perceive objects. She picked up a rattle-drum, and the child’s gaze followed its movement. When lying on the bed, he began to lift his head; that little face straining to look up struck a chord deep in Li Mu’s heart.

This was Li Mu’s first time raising a child, and she deeply felt that this boy was a little treasure bestowed upon her by the heavens—so well-behaved and adorable. “Baocheng, call me ‘Imperial Mother,’ alright? Be good~”

The baby was blowing bubbles, unable to understand his mother’s words, but he instinctively smiled sweetly, which was incredibly endearing.

“Why aren’t you teaching him to say ‘Imperial Father’?” The Emperor’s voice rang out. Li Mu paused, grumbling in her heart that this fellow had entered again without announcement, but when she looked up, she wore a sweet smile. “Your Majesty, you’ve arrived. Come and look at Baocheng; this child is drooling again.”

Without a second thought, Li Mu thrust Yinreng into Kangxi’s arms. She didn’t care about the Manchu tradition where a father doesn’t hold his own son; she only knew that without physical closeness, there could be no father-son affection.

Kangxi instinctively caught the child. The baby grinned at him, fair and tender, looking very lovely. A surge of softness rose in his heart. This was his legitimate son, the offspring of himself and his first wife, and the future heir who would take over his empire. Thinking this, he temporarily overlooked the Empress’s occasional lapses in protocol.

The Empress’s soft, fair hand lightly grasped his arm. “I was thinking of letting Your Majesty teach Baocheng personally. Your Majesty, don’t be fooled by how well-behaved Baocheng is now; when he grows up, he might not necessarily listen to his Imperial Mother. It all depends on Your Majesty. I feel that as long as you are here, I have nothing to worry about.”

In Kangxi’s arms, Yinreng heard the voices and kept turning his ears toward his mother. Li Mu laughed and tapped his head, then continued to lean against the Emperor’s side as if he were her lifelong pillar of support.

Kangxi paused, looking at the Empress’s sweet, soft smile. His heart was touched. An Empress who was always waiting for his return, busy either with palace affairs or caring for their child—this feeling was very special. He felt a bit of reluctance seeing the Empress waiting for him so forlornly. In the future… he should find more time to visit her.

“Empress.” Kangxi didn’t realize his tone was much gentler than usual. “Yes?” Li Mu looked up at him, puzzled.

“I intend to invest Yinreng as the Crown Prince.”

Li Mu paused for a moment, then smiled. “That is wonderful. When Yinreng grows up, he can help Your Majesty. I only feel immense happiness. Now, I manage the harem so Your Majesty has no worries at home, and in the future, Yinreng can assist you in the court so you won’t be so tired. It’s truly good; as long as it is Your Majesty’s decision, I support you completely.”

She was full of sweetness. Kangxi looked at her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. Perhaps only the Empress didn’t care that Yinreng becoming the Crown Prince meant he would be the next ruler of the Qing Dynasty. It wasn’t that the Empress didn’t know what it meant, but her first thought was that he wouldn’t have to work so hard in the future.

Yes, they were a family. The Empress only thought about their family living happily and his well-being as a husband.

Yinreng suddenly stirred in his arms, seemingly squeezed too tight by his father’s embrace. His mouth puckered, and he was about to cry. Kangxi didn’t understand why the child was fine one moment and crying the next; he instinctively looked to the Empress.

“Your Majesty, soothe him. Just a little coaxing will do,” Li Mu said softly. Yinreng had already been fed and changed, so the issue likely lay with the Emperor.

Kangxi awkwardly patted the little Prince’s back, the words of comfort seemingly difficult to say. “…Baocheng, be good.”

Yinreng keenly perceived the loosening of his father’s grip. His little mouth twitched, and he stopped crying. He rubbed against his father’s chest, gave a small yawn, and closed his eyes to fall into a deep sleep.

The weight of the child pressing against him was more gentle than anything he had ever felt, making Kangxi realize with absolute clarity at this moment that the child in his arms was his own flesh and blood—a being connected to him by lineage, a tiny life that needed him. This was his little Prince.

He had to have the Imperial Household Department prepare quickly. He had originally intended to delay until the grand one-month banquet, but Kangxi no longer wanted to wait. Settling Yinreng’s status as the heir as soon as possible would resolve a major matter in his heart.

Looking up, he saw the Empress watching him with the same longing gaze as always. Kangxi handed the child to the wet nurse and, amidst the Empress’s cry of surprise, scooped her up and walked toward the bed…

…

Once Kangxi’s attitude shifted, it became quite obvious. The concubines in the harem clearly noticed that the Emperor had been visiting the Kunning Palace much more frequently of late. They were obviously trying to increase their leverage for the Grand Investiture, but the Empress was standing in their way.

“The Empress already has a legitimate son, yet she still competes for favor with the concubines!” The younger Lady Guo Luo simply couldn’t contain her anger. Although she understood that as the Emperor’s wife, it was normal for him to visit Kunning Palace frequently, she just couldn’t accept it.

She had no children and relied on a bit of favor to maintain her standing in the palace. Meanwhile, the Empress was of noble birth, became Empress the moment she entered the palace, and possessed both a legitimate son and the Emperor’s respect. If the Empress also gained the Emperor’s romantic favor, wouldn’t her own favor be spread even thinner?

She was deeply uneasy but didn’t dare act rashly; after all, the cautionary tale of Lady Ulanara was still fresh in her mind. But in the face of a Grand Investiture, who could remain calm? A slow start meant falling behind at every step. She had risen from a palace maid to a concubine; how could she not hope to go from a lowly “Sub-Mistress” to a titled Consort? It would be even better if that rank were higher.

A servant nearby spoke softly, sounding both seductive and worried for their master. “I have heard that the Emperor’s maternal cousin has grown to be exceptionally beautiful. If she enters the palace, the Empress likely won’t be able to be so arrogant.”

“The Emperor’s cousin?” The younger Lady Guo Luo hesitated. She knew this person was from the Emperor’s mother’s family. In terms of status, she was of the level that would leap over her head the moment she entered the palace. If the cousin entered, the Empress indeed wouldn’t be able to be as arrogant as she was now.

But wouldn’t the cousin’s entry also consume her own favor?

Lady Guo Luo’s gaze turned sharp. “Speak. Who exactly told you to say this to me?” The subtle guidance from the servant couldn’t fail to trigger her suspicion.

“I beg for your forgiveness, Mistress!” The servant immediately knelt and pleaded. “I was only thinking of you. Yesterday, someone from Concubine Ma Jia’s side approached me personally, wanting to join forces with you to resolve this matter.”

“Join forces?” Lady Guo Luo fell into deep thought.