That damn girl just said she would treat The Emperor like a real father, how could she?
The Emperor still had some shame left!
He couldn’t have her on night duty; how would he be able to summon his concubines then?
But just as Liang Jiugong was about to turn around, confused and feeling wronged, he heard the Emperor’s cold voice.
“Come back!”
Liang Jiugong instinctively glanced at the imprint on his backside and quickly went back into the main hall.
When he saw the Emperor’s mood had calmed down, Liang Jiugong suddenly felt like he’d been struck by lightning.
He had wondered why Fang He had smiled oddly before leaving.
It turned out, this time, he had been used to take the blame for that little troublemaker!
Liang Jiugong cursed the girl silently in his heart and nervously asked, “Master, should I ask Fang He to practice writing in the outer corridor?”
Kangxi furrowed his brows slightly.
It was a good idea, but he had worked so hard to make her plump and healthy.
During the winter sun, it would be too glaring for her to be out there.
He couldn’t let her further lower his aesthetic standards.
He couldn’t be bothered to argue with Fang He anymore.
“Have the room at Dongnuange cleared out. Go tell the consultant to personally watch her while she writes. Every day, make sure to circle the mistakes and have her copy them a hundred times, at least finish learning the Four Books for women.”
“Huh!” Liang Jiugong’s eyes flashed.
He hesitated before asking, “Master, what about Fang He’s duties?”
It was fine to treat Fang He well, but if she was treated like a guest in Qianqing Palace, that would draw too much attention.
No matter how useful Fang He was, a strict ruler like Kangxi wouldn’t allow it.
And if she was overly favored, people from the previous and imperial courts would definitely try to use her for their own agendas.
Liang Jiugong wanted to know how far Kangxi was planning to take this.
Kangxi’s face became more indifferent.
He wasn’t planning on keeping the troublemaker for nothing.
Yue Le, that old man, wouldn’t die just yet, and this blade was still young—its edge not fully revealed.
But as for the harem, with both the Niu Hulu and Yi concubines pregnant at the same time, Tong family’s uncles had repeatedly tried to send a Tong Jia girl into the harem to bear a child for the Empress Dowager.
His cousin hadn’t even made it to the fifteenth banquet and had already fallen ill.
She wasn’t happy, but he guessed she wouldn’t be able to resist her family’s pressure.
He didn’t want to send another He Shili girl into the palace either.
Instead, while everyone’s attention was on the Empress and Yi concubine, he would focus on ensuring the Tong Concubine’s pregnancy was secured.
If Tong Concubine gave birth to a princess, it could be credited to his cousin as a way of consoling her for the loss of her daughter.
Kangxi paused, tapping his fingers on the low table, and after a moment, he instructed.
“As for Fang He, I will personally guide her. As for what duties she will perform, that’s up to her. You don’t need to interfere with the news.”
With Fang He causing distractions up front and the movements in Yongshou Palace and Yikun Palace at the back, as well as the Internal Affairs Office and Imperial Medical Office being busy with the pregnancy, if Tong Concubine still couldn’t keep her child, it would be her own fault.
After a brief pause, Kangxi gave another order.
“Tell Chunlai, from now on, Fang He’s master is her. Before she proves herself, I don’t want any accidents to occur. Do you understand what i said?”
Liang Jiugong’s heart trembled, but he didn’t show any surprise.
As usual, he quickly bowed and responded.
“I understand what I need to do, Your Majesty.”
Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. “Go, and tell that troublemaker to start practicing writing in the corridor tomorrow.”
“If she doesn’t write fifty legible characters every day, have her stand night duty in the corridor. No need to waste the food from the imperial court!”
Liang Jiugong: “…Yes, I will arrange it immediately.”
Unlike Fang He, when she was dragged out to take the blame and met Liang Jiugong, she immediately got her revenge.
But in the next few days, Liang Jiugong didn’t see any sign of her being angry or resentful.
In fact, Fang He was even more cautious and kind than before.
He arranged a rough servant girl, Ke Wan, to clean up the small room in the corridor and keep an eye on Fang He while she practiced writing.
Fang He: “…………”
Locking someone up in a small black room to write?
This was definitely Liang Jiugong’s biggest revenge on her!
What she didn’t know was that after Liang Jiugong arranged things for her, he summoned Qi Sanfu, another eunuch who frequently served the Emperor, to the palace and instructed him.
“If the Emperor asks about me, you say I went to the Internal Affairs Office. The old ancestor is about to visit the hot spring palace, so we need to remind the Internal Affairs Office to be more careful, so the Emperor doesn’t worry.”
Qi Sanfu nodded, understanding.
But little did he know, once Liang Jiugong exited through the Moonlight Gate, he leaned against the lion statue outside, in the corner, and pinched his thigh hard.
Others might not notice, and even the Emperor himself couldn’t distinguish between indulgence and care.
But Liang Jiugong could.
After observing for several days, he clearly knew the Emperor wasn’t treating Fang He like just any servant.
He had been serving the Emperor since he was four years old, and not to boast, sometimes Liang Jiugong understood the Emperor better than anyone else.
Although the Emperor had married in the fourth year of Kangxi, it wasn’t until the eighth year that he truly fell in love.
The woman from Mongolia, fiery and passionate, almost made Kangxi give up on suppressing the Northern Mongol bloodline.
Unfortunately, that woman had someone else in her heart, like a moth to the flame, and in just six months, she passed away, returning to the eternal heavens, leaving Kangxi with a bitter resentment, issuing a decree to never honor her with the title of “Hui.”
Back then, Kangxi had been far more impulsive, disregarding rules to help the Hui Concubine leave the palace and meet her lover, who was about to return to Mongolia.
For this, the old ancestor had a fierce argument with the Emperor.
Now, with the Emperor’s authority stronger than ever, Liang Jiugong had only realized after more than half a year that while Fang He might not compare to Hui Concubine in beauty… well, not by a long shot…
And although her temperament… let’s say, it wasn’t fiery like Hui Concubine’s, and she was much more pragmatic…
Fang He still had a certain vivacity about her… something completely different from Hui Concubine’s reckless passion…
Well, if the Emperor thought of Fang He as a replacement for Hui Concubine, Liang Jiugong was sure that Hui Concubine would rise from the grave in fury.
Liang Jiugong gritted his teeth and slapped his forehead, shaking his head as he gave up trying to calm his nerves and continued on his way to the Internal Affairs Office.
Perhaps he was overthinking things.
When he returned to the Qianqing Palace after checking the arrangements for the Empress Dowager and the Empress’s procession at the Internal Affairs Office, ready to report to the Emperor, he saw Qi Sanfu giving him a knowing look, raising his chin.
“Liang Grandpa, His Majesty has been reading for a while and has called in a few ministers. After finishing, he went to the small room. It’s been a stick of incense, and he hasn’t come out yet.”
Liang Jiugong’s heart skipped a beat.
A stick of incense… It wasn’t enough time to do much, but the Emperor had been in that small room longer and longer!
His face tightened as he waved his hand at Qi Sanfu.
“You go, tell the guards to keep a close watch, no one should come or go freely. Also, make sure the other servants are warned, so they know what to say and what not to say.”
“If any rumors spread, you all know what my methods are. There are plenty of places on the royal estate to send dumb and deaf people to work!”
Qi Sanfu quickly suppressed his surprise, his voice tense as he responded, “Yes, I understand. I’ll take care of it.”
After warning everyone, Liang Jiugong could not contain his own confusion.
He hesitated for a long time outside the Hongde Hall before gathering his courage and walking toward the door of the small room, leaning in to listen.
As he eavesdropped, he heard Fang He sobbing and gasping, making Liang Jiugong’s eyes widen in shock.
“Ugh… Your Majesty, please be gentle, it’s swollen, really swollen! Don’t be so vigorous!”
Kangxi’s voice was cold but had a lazy, nasal tone, sounding slightly hoarse.
“I won’t repeat myself. If someone comes to you, you let them offer what you want with their own hands. Think about what you want to do before speaking to me.”
Liang Jiugong shivered inwardly.
Good heavens, did he even need to ask?
As long as someone became a favored concubine in front of the Emperor, they could get whatever they wanted!
Before he could think any further, he heard the Emperor scold Fang He impatiently, and it sent a chill down his spine.
“Now, take off that annoying thing from your body!”
Liang Jiugong took a deep breath.
Why couldn’t he hear Fang He’s voice anymore?
Could it be that the Emperor had silenced her himself…?
He knew how vigorous the Emperor could be…
But this was still broad daylight!
If the ancestors found out the Emperor was indulging in such behavior during the day, they’d skin him alive!
Grinding his teeth, Liang Jiugong took a deep breath, determined to act for the Emperor’s reputation, and rushed inside.