The palace servants who usually served here were nowhere to be seen, and the palace maids responsible for attending to the Emperor—who normally wouldn’t leave his side—were also absent.
Whenever they weren’t present… Fang He shuddered inside.
As the saying went, “There’s never a quiet moment without trouble brewing!”
That wretched eunuch Li Dequan was just as devious as his godfather—had he sent her in to be the scapegoat for the Emperor’s amusement again?
Cursing the ancestors of the Li family in her heart, she nervously held her breath and made her way toward the eastern side hall.
Kangxi was seated cross-legged on a luohan couch, reading.
This time, it wasn’t a book on chess strategy—the densely packed traditional characters made Fang He’s eyes spin despite her perfect vision.
Quickly averting her gaze, she cautiously set the tea cup beside the low table.
Just as she was about to kneel and retreat, Kangxi suddenly spoke.
“Why aren’t you wiping the tea cup with a cloth?”
Fang He’s heart skipped a beat.
She immediately dropped to her knees, cursing herself for being so easily intimidated while keeping her expression neutral.
She replied hesitantly but truthfully, “Your Majesty, the palace maid who usually serves in the Tea Room isn’t feeling well today. I was temporarily assigned to take her place and didn’t prepare a cloth.”
Every word was true—just not the whole truth.
She hadn’t planned to bring a cloth in the first place.
She didn’t want to stand out by doing anything different from the others.
Her work was done—now it was time to sit back and let others take the risks.
Why should she work too hard?
Kangxi’s gaze lifted from his book.
He leaned lazily against the table and studied Fang He.
He spoke in an indifferent tone, “Raise your head.”
Fang He screamed internally—what was going on now?
She was already considered an old maid by the standards of this era—what was there to look at?!
But she dared not disobey Kangxi’s command.
When the Emperor unexpectedly spoke to a lowly palace maid, Fang He’s first thought wasn’t the romantic scenes from TV dramas or novels—it was pure terror.
If it were Yongzheng or Qianlong, she might not have been so afraid.
Those two had grown up in an era of absolute imperial power, where no one could challenge their rule.
As long as the outcome was what they wanted, they wouldn’t care if their subordinates played a few mind games or schemed a little.
But Kangxi had spent years being suppressed by regents and noble relatives, suffering under the influence of powerful clans.
The more gentle and kind he appeared, the less he tolerated defiance.
Respectfully, she lowered her gaze and lifted her head just enough for Kangxi to get a clear look at her.
Kangxi’s eyes briefly swept over her face before he nodded.
“Indeed, not very good-looking. No wonder you don’t even bother to fulfill your basic duties—you’re so afraid of being an eyesore that your loyalty is actually commendable.”
There were no dedicated water-fetching maids in the Imperial Tea Room.
By regulation, aside from the supervisor, all six palace maids shared the same duties.
Fang He: “…”
Wow, so you really just love running your mouth, huh?
No wonder the future Emperor Yongzheng had such a sharp tongue—clearly, he inherited it from his father.
Like father, like son!
Kangxi’s voice suddenly turned cold.
“Are you cursing me in your heart?”
Startled, Fang He’s head shot up.
Meeting Kangxi’s deep and unfathomable gaze, she immediately lowered her head again and bowed deeply.
“Your Majesty, I would never dare! Your kindness is boundless. I am grateful for the reward you bestowed upon the Imperial Tea Room—how could I possibly curse my master?”
“If I were ever so disrespectful, may the heavens strike me down with lightning!”
And if the lightning did fall, it should strike this tall, arrogant, and insufferable man first!
Kangxi raised an eyebrow slightly.
This girl’s eyes… they looked somewhat like those of the young Lady Zasghuri in her portrait from years ago.
Her eyes were clear and bright, yet filled with a watery glow, with confusion and disbelief lingering in them.
They seemed almost as if they could speak, making her otherwise plain face appear a bit more pleasing to the eye.
Kangxi still wore a stern expression.
“Since you know how to be grateful, you’re not completely foolish. But do you know your mistake?”
Fang He: “…This servant knows her mistake. In the future, I will always carry a cloth with me.”
I’ll prepare a stack of cloths made from mourning garments and mourn him to death!
Kangxi didn’t respond immediately.
“Is that the only mistake?”
Fang He: “…This servant is dull-witted.”
It was obvious that Kangxi was acting strangely, and she racked her brain to figure out what other mistake she might have made.
Doing her job well, improving work efficiency, and not competing for attention shouldn’t be considered wrong in any era.
Her mind didn’t even go in that direction.
The more nervous she became, the harder it was to think.
Did she desecrate his ancestors’ graves in her past life?
Seeing her confused expression, Kangxi’s lips curved slightly in amusement.
Did she really think it was that easy to read the Emperor’s mind?
“Go back and reflect on it. If Nanny Xu’s words could inspire you to show such loyalty in keeping track of the dates, you should be able to figure out your mistake.”
Kangxi’s voice regained its usual calm tone, but there was no warmth in his words.
“If you can’t figure it out, then there’s no need for you to return to the palace.”
Huh?
Fang He could hardly contain her excitement, and her breath caught for a moment.
Was there really such a good opportunity?!
The summer palace was only busy for a few months of the year, while the rest of the time was relatively idle.
With enough silver, it was convenient to come and go.
If she could stay at the summer palace, her chances of escaping the palace would be much higher!
Pretending to be terrified, she quickly responded with a trembling voice—
“This servant will obey…”
Kangxi seemed to sense something and interrupted her lightly, “The summer palace is quiet. If you truly can’t figure it out, there’s no rush—you have a lifetime to think it over here.”
Fang He: “…”
I curse your ancestors for eight generations!
In her fury… she didn’t even dare to show her anger.
She knelt down again, her voice unexpectedly resolute—
“As long as the master lives long and prospers, this servant would be willing to grow old and die in the summer palace. I would never dare commit an act of disloyalty.”
“This servant will do exactly as the master commands and will reflect deeply, ensuring that the master is never disappointed!”
Kangxi: “…Leave.” You’ve said everything there is to say—what more can I say?”
After Fang He left the hall with shaky legs, silence filled the room for a moment, then a burst of suppressed laughter echoed through the air.
Kangxi wasn’t truly angry; he simply found Fang He more amusing than he had expected.
He couldn’t resist testing her to see how much of her courage was genuine and how much of her foolishness was an act.
If her cleverness outweighed her foolishness, it would be worth arranging a good marriage for her so that she could become a sharp blade aimed at the Prince An’s household when the time was right.
***
Fang He had no idea that tonight’s disaster had been caused by her lineage.
Dragging her legs, which felt as heavy as cotton, back to the Imperial Tea Room, she finally pieced together where she had gone wrong.
The truth was, the education she had received in her past life was entirely different from the norms of this world.
Kangxi truly lived up to his reputation as one of the greatest emperors in history—his aura was far more overwhelming than any of the powerful figures she had served before.
It had momentarily left her too stunned to react.
Master Kang was displeased because she had presumed to guess the Emperor’s preferences… and even had the audacity to teach others to follow suit… making it seem as if the Emperor lacked depth in his own judgment!
Ran Xia noticed her exhaustion and came over to ask about it, but this time, Fang He didn’t bother playing dumb and simply brushed off the inquiry with a few vague words.
But the moment she sat down beside the tea cabinet, a spark of realization hit her, and she secretly ground her molars in frustration.
He wanted her to admit her mistake, huh?
Fine.
She’d admit it—but she wasn’t going to abandon Wei Zhu either.
Since Master Kang didn’t like people scheming… why not take a more straightforward approach?
The next day, after her shift, Fang He told Qin Gugu and Cuiwei about the Emperor ordering her to reflect on her actions.
Their reactions were much faster than hers—both of them turned pale in an instant.
But they couldn’t blame Fang He for it.
Qin Gugu only gave a token punishment, instructing Fang He to reflect in the side room, which actually gave her the perfect excuse to rest for a few days.
Cuiwei felt a little guilty.
While she envied Fang He, she also made sure to discreetly warn her when the other young palace maids weren’t paying attention.
Cuiwei genuinely didn’t want Fang He to be forced out of the Imperial Tea Room.
Unlike her previous domineering attitude, she sincerely gave her a few heartfelt pieces of advice.
“In the future, no matter what happens with the Emperor, don’t say a word. After this incident, if anyone dares to pester you again, just tell me—I’ll curse them out for you.”
“You also need to be more cautious. You’ve only got a little over two years left before you can leave the palace. Life outside may not be easy, but with your personality… marrying into a decent and honest family might not be a bad thing.”
Fang He understood Cuiwei’s good intentions.
She thanked her by slipping her a few high-quality handkerchiefs left behind by her original body.
Then, she dutifully played the role of a remorseful servant, staying in the side room for several days, putting on a full display of self-reflection.
Once Kangxi took some of the palace servants with him on a hunting trip, and there were fewer people paying attention to the side rooms, she quietly slipped away—heading straight for Anping Hall.