Cao Yin’s weakness was his family, but Fang He… Kangxi’s lips curled slightly as he lowered his gaze to the moon-white silk pouch in his palm.
Under Fang He’s wary gaze, he toyed with the pouch and smirked.
“Then tell me—how exactly are you keeping me in mind?”
Fang He slightly lifted her pale face.
“After thinking it over, the most important thing for me right now, besides learning to read and write properly, is to take good care of my body—to put on a little weight. That way, Your Majesty won’t be throwing away damaged goods, right?”
Kangxi: “…………”
How did this little thing manage to make laziness and gluttony sound so justified?
“Besides, I know I lack social skills, so I’ve been going to the imperial tea room to learn from palace maids who are good at handling people. That way, in the future, I can guide my husband and serve Your Majesty together with him!”
Fang He racked her brain, trying to pledge her loyalty in a way that might actually work.
Perfect.
Hopefully, this old fox would be so touched that he’d let her keep Dajin, Dabao, and Dabei—the rest of her silver stash!
She raised four fingers solemnly.
“I swear to the heavens, not a single word is a lie. If I—”
“Enough,” Kangxi cut her off, his expression suddenly cooling.
“I don’t need the loyalty of a night-soil collector.”
He tossed the pouch back into Fang He’s arms.
“Come here. Show me the writing you’ve been practicing for the past month. If I’m satisfied, I’ll take care of Yin Qi.”
“If I’m not satisfied…” Kangxi’s face returned to its usual cold, regal appearance, like a sky clearing after a storm.
“…then you’ll return the Empress Dowager’s reward, exactly as it was, to me. I’ll personally return it to the Empress Dowager for you.”
Fang He: “…………”
Damn it.
She wasn’t the only one who had figured out his preferences—he had also found her weak spot.
For someone else’s Hermès, she had been thrown into the Qing Dynasty.
For her own silver, what other choice did she have?
Pressing her lips together, her once-pale lips now carrying a healthy color, she took a deep breath… and then dared not sigh.
Suppressing her frustration, she trudged over to the huanghuali wood desk in the corner.
Fueled by anger, she grabbed the brush and wrote with such force that the ink seeped through the paper, acting as if she were staging a protest.
Kangxi waited impatiently, flipping through memorials as he let her fume.
It wasn’t until she finally ran out of steam that she reluctantly picked up her brush again and, holding it like a live grenade, carefully wrote a neatly structured Thousand Character Classic.
“These few characters are not bad.”
Before she could even finish the last stroke, she suddenly felt the presence of someone standing behind her, carrying the faint scent of dragon musk.
Startled, her hand trembled, and a blotch of ink ruined the final character.
Her heart pounded wildly as she stared in a daze at Kangxi, who was now marking up her carefully written Thousand Character Classic with red ink.
He had circled… seven characters.
Ignoring the fact that seven out of a thousand was an absurdly small ratio—how had this man walked so silently?!
Kangxi tapped her forehead with his red brush. “What are you spacing out for?”
“You spent over a month and only managed to write seven decent characters. And you still have the nerve to slack off?”
“You knew I wanted to teach you—why didn’t you send your assignments to me earlier?”
Fang He mumbled, “This servant is slow-witted… Ow!”
Clutching her forehead, she was furious enough to curse, but considering the man in front of her was someone she couldn’t afford to offend, she held back the urge to jump up and down.
But her little face was already puffed up like a steamed bun.
“You’re so busy! If I dared to bother you with my dog-scratch handwriting and made you unhappy, wouldn’t I lose my chance at a promotion and a raise?!”
Kangxi’s eyes filled with laughter.
The little groundhog that had been smacked finally seemed to have learned her lesson—this time, she was telling the truth.
And perhaps it was because he had been looking at her for too long, but somehow… even though she was just as plain as when they first met, the more he looked at her, the more pleasing she seemed.
Seeing that she was on the verge of jumping up in frustration, Kangxi—who had many consorts—knew well that a woman shouldn’t be pushed too far.
No matter how smart she was, if provoked too much, she might act irrationally.
He had to maintain a balance.
With a smile, he sat in the seat Fang He had vacated and comforted her with a few words.
“I’m really worried for you. Naturally, I want you to show some outstanding talent first, so you can quickly retrieve the silver I’m holding for you. Don’t you think that makes sense?”
Fang He: “…………..Yes.” FUCK!
Since when did “outstanding” mean physically outstanding?!
Kangxi’s tone became even gentler.
“I’ve noticed that ever since the southern tour, you’ve developed a keen interest in learning. Your intelligence isn’t far off from the princes and young lords. You must not waste such talent….”
Fang He: “…………….This servant is ashamed.” Screw you!
Did this man really have no self-awareness about why she suddenly became “interested in learning”?
But before she could say anything, Kangxi’s cold, handsome face suddenly took on the grave and regretful expression of a teacher lamenting a wasted prodigy.
“Otherwise… no matter how much I cherish talent, I’d have no choice but to gradually deduct all your silver…”
Fang He immediately raised her head.
“This servant understands! I promise to study well!”
Wu wu wu!
This bastard !
He really got her right at her weakest spot !
Kangxi stood up in satisfaction, walked back to his desk, and took a sip of tea to hide the smile at the corner of his lips.
After working on government affairs for a while, just as he was calculating that it was about time for a short break, he lazily called out to Fang He, who was practicing calligraphy in the corner.
“Good girl, come here. Roll over.”
Fang He: “……”
Is this emperor seriously bullying a powerless little palace maid out of pure revenge?
Where was his morality?
Where was his bottom line?
Where was his dignity?!
Kangxi watched as her little dark face cycled through shock, resentment, and speechlessness—each reaction more vivid than the last—and finally couldn’t hold back a low chuckle.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”
He had deliberately dangled the carrot in front of her, watching her resist yet still begrudgingly chase after it.
It was even more entertaining than teaching the crown prince.
This little girl had a unique energy about her—hidden in the morning mist, faintly discernible at first, but once discovered, she shone as brightly as the rising sun.
Such a spirit…
It didn’t exist in the palace.
Kangxi had never seen the legendary elegance of Ulinju Laofujin, but he thought, perhaps one day, he might have the chance to witness the demeanor of her descendants.
Keeping his expression neutral, he calmly explained as he analyzed Fang He’s entrance into the palace.
“You think the palace servants are making things difficult for you just because you’re a second-class maid? You should know—even a third-class maid, if valued by me, would be untouchable.”
Fang He remained silent.
She knew this already. People only respected power.
If necessary, she didn’t mind using Kangxi’s influence to protect herself.
But for trivial matters like this, she didn’t want to be marked as Kangxi’s person.
Kangxi seemed to understand her thoughts.
He simply smiled faintly and shook his head, as if sighing at how naïve she still was after all this time in the palace.
“From the very beginning, I never hid your existence. You should already have a rough idea of why I brought you in. Everyone knows you are mine. Only you, foolishly, are still in denial.”
Fang He’s thick eyelashes trembled slightly.
She remained composed as she calmly explained.
“This servant understands. Every honor Your Majesty bestows comes with a pre-set price. Once I accept the benefits, I must be prepared to pay the cost—no matter what it may be.”
“I do not want to use your power recklessly. By staying within my bounds, I ensure that whatever price I pay is one I can truly afford, so that I may serve Your Majesty for a lifetime.”
She knew exactly what kind of game this man was playing.
A kite—
The more eye-catching it was, the more people would compete to catch it.
The one holding the string remained hidden, free to manipulate as they pleased.
They didn’t care about the kite’s safety—if one fell, they would simply replace it with another.
The flashier she became, the sooner she would be discarded.
As long as she could safely leave the palace, Fang He didn’t mind being a kite.
But she would never be stupid enough to fly straight into danger.
If she was lucky, she’d find a simple family to marry into.
If not, she’d focus on completing the emperor’s tasks—being a widow had its own perks, didn’t it?
She would make sure that every consequence she faced was one she could bear.
Kangxi’s gaze flickered with an unexpected glint of surprise—maybe even a hint of admiration.
He clearly hadn’t expected a mere palace maid to understand such things so thoroughly.
After a brief pause, he smiled at her once more—not teasing this time, but with genuine appreciation.
“I was right. You truly are one of the rare intelligent women in this palace. It almost makes me reluctant to let you leave.”
Fang He’s eyes widened.
This—this is some horror story bullshit!!!
A chill ran down her spine.
Her heartbeat raced like never before, and at the same time, her brain went into overdrive.
She immediately held her breath, her face flushing red, and put on an expression that was both deeply moved and bashfully excited.
“Master… Your Majesty’s foresight is unparalleled. You are truly a rare and exceptional ruler. Hearing you say you’re unwilling to part with me… it has moved this servant so deeply that I—”
Before she could finish speaking, a loud noise erupted from the doorway.
BANG!
Kangxi’s teacup slipped from his fingers, shattering against the low table.
Li Dequan, his face deathly pale, clutched his head as he stumbled to his feet, looking absolutely horrified.
His expression was pure disbelief—so intense it practically stabbed through his chest.
Trembling, he fell to his knees.
“Th-this servant is guilty beyond redemption! This servant will go receive punishment immediately!”
Without waiting for an answer, he scrambled out the door as if his life depended on it—running as though he had seen a ghost.
No!
Seeing a ghost would have been better than hearing that conversation!