How could someone eavesdrop with such righteous indignation?
Oh, this lord never acts like a normal person…
Fang He brazenly complained in her heart, watching helplessly as Kangxi led Liang Jiugong into the side room.
The side room she now lived in was less than ten square meters, but compared to the cramped space where her original self had lived with five others, it was spacious enough to make Cui Wei marvel at its roominess several times.
For the first time, she felt the side room was too crowded, making it hard to breathe.
Of course, the suffocating feeling wasn’t just due to the lack of space.
After Kangxi entered, his cold and imposing aura, even though he tried to suppress it, still permeated the room.
Liang Jiugong was practically bending himself into a shrimp, while Wei Zhu also knelt down, not daring to breathe too loudly, his greeting stuck in his throat.
Kangxi’s calm gaze sent chills down everyone’s spine.
Fang He instinctively slid off the bed and obediently stood to the side, crouching in a respectful bow.
Kangxi casually sat on the edge of the bed and spoke indifferently.
“All of you, leave!”
This time, Fang He didn’t dare to argue, allowing Liang Jiugong, whose expression was unreadable, and Wei Zhu, who looked worried, to quietly exit.
She then changed her position, still crouching on the ground with her head bowed.
With the others gone, the fatigue in Kangxi’s voice could no longer be concealed.
“Get up. You dared to skip duty for twenty-one days in a row, yet you still act so subservient in front of me?”
Fang He: “…”
Goodness, this lord, busy with countless affairs, was actually keeping track of her days?
She hesitantly stood up, still keeping her head down and remaining silent.
Working in the front hall department, one could lack many skills, but the ability to read the room was indispensable.
Kangxi was clearly in a bad mood.
She had the guts to skip duty, but not the guts to provoke an already furious tiger.
Yet, Kangxi maintained his calm demeanor, his voice soft.
“Tell me, who exactly harbors ill intentions?”
“That night when I was drunk, where did I crush you that made you lie down for so many days?”
Fang He thought to herself that if she dared to speak, her grave would be overgrown with grass by next year.
So she replied honestly,
“Your Majesty, it was this servant who harbored ill intentions, wanting to slack off. You didn’t crush anything.”
Kangxi nodded with a cold laugh,
“Then who gave you the audacity to slander me in front of the imperial physician? I don’t want your life, but if you don’t explain yourself clearly today, a beating is unavoidable.”
If it weren’t for the fact that the imperial physician didn’t dare to spread any word from the Qianqing Palace, the entire palace’s concubines would be sending soup, overwhelming Liang Jiugong!
Fang He quickly glanced up, her eyes clearly reflecting the meaning,
“Of course, it was you who gave me the audacity.”
She twisted her fingers in distress,
“Your Majesty once said you would cherish this servant… At first, my body was in pain, then I felt unwell, so I reported it to the Imperial Household Department and took some extra time off.”
The so-called “unwell” was her period.
According to palace rules, maids on their periods couldn’t serve the masters.
She scoffed at this rule, but it didn’t stop her from using it to slack off.
Kangxi: “…”
He must have been drunk and slurred his words.
When sober, he would never say such things!
Fang He lowered her head again, her expression unreadable, but her voice sounded pitiful.
“This servant knew Physician Qin’s character and thus spoke frankly, not saying a single inappropriate word. This servant is willing to confront Physician Qin on the spot.”
The places she said hurt indeed did hurt.
Didn’t he realize how much force he had used?
Including the leg pain…
Cough, even a slight pain counts.
Supporting this tall and sturdy lord to relieve himself was a heavy burden for her!
“This servant heard Your Majesty’s words that night and was both flattered and incredulous. I used this opportunity to confirm Your Majesty’s intentions in my own clumsy way.”
“Confirm my intentions?” Kangxi found these words oddly grating.
He stood up, lifted Fang He’s chin, and scrutinized her face inch by inch.
She had grown a bit paler, but it still wasn’t the jade-like complexion he dreamed of.
Fang He took a deep breath, her heart trembling as she blinked,
“This servant wanted to confirm it wasn’t just a dream. Since I’ve received Your Majesty’s golden words, as long as I don’t betray you, I won’t have to worry about a cup of poisoned wine in the future.”
That’s why she dared to act out, right?
If Kangxi couldn’t even tolerate this bit of audacity, then a beating was fine.
At least it would wake her up, making her stop dreaming of a glorious exit from the palace.
As for losing her life, she had carefully considered it, and the possibility was almost zero.
Although her background was still unclear, the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager’s special favor towards her was very obvious.
If she didn’t take advantage of this and aim high, she would miss the boat.
Kangxi seemed to see through Fang He’s hidden confidence beneath her panic, staring intently into her clear eyes, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.
“Why did Yin Guan tell you to stop applying powder? You even put on an act in your own room. Do I need to remind you of the crime of deceiving the emperor?”
The answer, which Fang He had almost memorized from lying idle, came without hesitation.
She blinked and replied,
“It was Auntie Su, who serves the Grand Empress Dowager, who reminded this servant.
Since I’ve been hiding my true appearance, the powder must be changed gradually in color, or it would also be a crime of deceiving the emperor.
This servant was in a dilemma, truly not wanting to deceive, so I hid in my room and didn’t go out.”
Kangxi: “…”
This little rascal managed to spin it around.
He wouldn’t easily refute Auntie Su’s words, so he took a step forward, coolly looking down at Fang He, who had to tilt her head back, her eyes darting around.
“You don’t want to deceive the emperor, or you don’t want to serve me?”
Fang He was forced to take a step back, instinctively lowering her gaze,
“This servant wouldn’t dare to think that.”
Kangxi took another step forward, his voice growing colder.
“I think you dare very much!”
“No one is more audacious than you, daring to disdain serving in the imperial presence. If life outside the palace is so good, why did you even enter the palace?”
Fang He’s anger was slowly being stoked by Kangxi’s approach.
But as a corporate drone used to enduring, and with Kangxi’s tone still relatively calm, she tried to suppress her rapidly beating heart and slowly explained.
“This is the most revered place in the world, and you are the supreme ruler like the bright moon in the sky. How could this servant dare to disdain? It’s just that this servant is a boar unable to appreciate fine pearls…”
Kangxi suddenly stepped forward again,
“Tell the truth, or you’ll never leave the palace.”
Fang He was forced to sit back on the bed by his sudden movement, raising her eyes in panic, only to discover his barely concealed irritation, with a hint of… sadness in his eyes?
She inwardly sneered.
She, the bird trapped in a cage being toyed with, hadn’t even started to feel sad, yet he was already upset.
Since when did she become so important?
Thinking of Wei Zhu’s earlier mention that Kangxi had gone to Yonghe Palace in the evening and returned so quickly… it must be that the sixth prince was unwell.
Suddenly, her anger became harder to suppress.
In a place where even a child couldn’t be kept alive, why should she stay, becoming this man’s emotional toy?
She mustered her courage and looked at Kangxi,
“No matter what this servant says…”
“I’ll pardon you.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier!”
Fang He immediately said,
“This servant indeed doesn’t want to stay in the palace!”
She spoke with righteous indignation,
“You know this servant’s nature-lazy, gluttonous, and greedy-which makes me unsuitable for serving in the imperial presence.”
“This servant is the last of the Xu Jia family. I promised my aunt to leave the palace and find a husband to continue the Xu Jia bloodline…”
Kangxi controlled his anger.
Not only was she lazy, gluttonous, and greedy, but she was also lustful!
“If you stay in the palace…” Kangxi leaned on the bed, bending down to meet her gaze, “having a child wouldn’t be difficult.”
Now it was Fang He’s turn to control her anger.
She retorted without thinking,
“You mean like Tong Pin, who had a child that might end up being someone else’s? Or having to constantly guard against accidents while pregnant?”
“This servant could be the undisputed mistress of my own household, letting my children carry the Xu surname. Why would I want to make my aunt restless even in the afterlife!”
This was the first time Kangxi saw Fang He show her sharp edges.
Even during the incident on the dragon boat, she hadn’t been this cutting.
But what did she know?
Tong Pin’s premature birth wasn’t entirely De Fei’s fault.
If it had escalated, the child might not have survived.
He wasn’t just trying to discipline the Tong family.
Only in the Imperial Noble Consort’s care did the child have a chance to live.
But he wasn’t used to explaining his actions, and when it came to being harsh, Kangxi had never lost to anyone.
He straightened up, looking down at Fang He with a smile,
“Want to continue the Xu Jia bloodline? You had Wei Zhu and Chen Ping investigate your background inside and outside the palace. Did you think you could hide it from me?”
“As for being the undisputed mistress, with your current ferocious appearance, have I ever laid a finger on you? How do you plan to be the undisputed mistress?”
Fang He bit her lip and remained silent. As for being the mistress, you just pretend not to hear, huh?
Who would want to be a concubine when they could be the main wife!
But as Kangxi stood straight, his imposing shadow looming over her, the little anger she had just vented shrank back.
Kangxi leisurely sat beside her, even leaning casually against her bedhead scaring Fang He so much that her heart almost jumped out of her throat, nearly making her leap up.
“Your Majesty! This servant is dirty…”
Her words were cut short as Kangxi, leaning against the bedhead, immediately spotted the food containers through the gaps in the screen due to Fang He’s laziness.
There were six of them!
The knot of frustration and anger in Kangxi’s chest, caused by Yin Zhi, inexplicably dissipated a bit.
Though he was still sad, he managed to gather his spirits and pushed the screen aside.
“Liang Jiugong said you had no appetite and were weak…” Kangxi said with a half-smile as he opened the containers, most of which were empty.
The remaining ones were filled with the imperial kitchen’s specialty pastries, both sweet and savory.
Upon closer inspection, Kangxi even spotted the Eight Immortals cake and the pepper-salt pastry from lunch.
Earlier, when he went to Yonghe Palace and saw Yin Zhi struggling to breathe, it felt like a knife was piercing his heart.
Uya Shi was also forcing a smile, and he barely touched his dinner.
He casually picked up a piece of pepper-salt pastry and put it in his mouth.
Fang He felt even more heartbroken than Kangxi had in Yonghe Palace.
This was food she had bought with her hard-earned money!
She hadn’t even had a chance to eat much of it!
She was willing to share with Cui Wei, but Kangxi… she’d rather throw it in the toilet than let this miser have it!
Seeing Fang He’s pained expression, Kangxi’s appetite grew.
As a man who practiced martial arts daily, his appetite was actually quite large.
In public, he maintained a sense of moderation, but with no one around, no one would know how much he ate, so he could indulge a little.
Soon, a plate of pastries disappeared under Fang He’s heartbroken gaze.
With his stomach full, the emptiness in his heart also lessened.
Kangxi perked up and glanced at Fang He,
“Don’t you want to know your background?”
Fang He instantly straightened up.
If a plate of pastries could buy her some gossip, it didn’t seem like such a bad deal.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she unconsciously took two steps forward, reverting to the obedient little mouse.
Kangxi knew she wasn’t; she was more like a queen cat.
But he didn’t keep her in suspense,
“Your father was the illegitimate son of the former Blue Banner Commander, Zha Sihuli Walda.”
Fang He couldn’t help but take a sharp breath.
Wasn’t the information in that sentence a bit too much?
The locals were playing so wild?
She didn’t know that her great-grandmother played even wilder.
Kangxi didn’t mention it, only saying,
“Your aunt, because your grandmother was improper, angered your grandfather to death.
That’s why she entered the palace after your grandfather’s death and has been indifferent to you.”
“The Walda family was exiled to Ningguta for a major crime, and now only a cousin who shares the same great-grandmother as you is still alive.”
Fang He covered her mouth, hissing softly, providing ample emotional value.
The information in this sentence was even more overwhelming!
Kangxi was slightly taken aback by Fang He’s reaction but continued,
“Without protection outside the palace, as a descendant of the Zha Sihuli family, according to the law, if your identity is verified, you should also be exiled. So stop thinking about continuing the Xu Jia bloodline.”
He shared the same thought as Su Muer: the ancestors of the Xu Jia family might not want a descendant like Fang He.
But Fang He thought otherwise.
In an instant, she felt confident enough to bring out her hidden skills.
Previously, because she didn’t fully understand Kangxi, she had been cautious, only making small moves in her room.
Now, she suddenly felt that she didn’t need to understand Kangxi to be sure of leaving the palace!
She put her hand down, looking pitifully at Kangxi, secretly pinching her buttock, her eyes slightly red.
Damn, that hurt!
“This servant believes that the grace of nurturing is greater than the grace of birth.This servant has never heard of the Zha Sihuli family but grew up eating and using the Xu Jia family’s resources.”
Kangxi calmly reminded her,
“You grew up eating the Aisin Gioro family’s resources.”
Fang He: “…… Anyway, since my parents are buried in the Xu Jia family’s ancestral tomb, and I am the child of my mother and father, I am naturally a descendant of the Xu Jia family.”
“Because of my unusual background, my aunt knew but still saved me from hardship. This servant can never repay this kindness…”
Other than giving the Xu Jia family more children, that is!
Kangxi suddenly stood up and asked,
“Do you like the gold box I gave you?”
Fang He: “……”
It weighed ten catties, a thousand taels of silver.
How could it not be good?
But she didn’t want to answer such an obvious trap, so she just bit her lip and remained silent.
Kangxi leisurely walked to the door, slightly tilting his head, his voice much firmer than when he arrived.
“The trinkets inside are just for you to play with. If you stay, this will be your monthly allowance.”
After saying this, Kangxi didn’t linger and directly left.
Fang He almost couldn’t catch her breath.
If she left the palace, wouldn’t she lose twelve thousand taels of silver a year?
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