Until they reached the Rehe Palace, Fang He never left the carriage except for occasional bathroom breaks.
She didn’t have a habit of making herself conspicuous; she either rested peacefully in the carriage she shared with Chun Lai or quietly stayed in front of Kangxi, her gaze at everyone as if they were all heartless scoundrels.
Kangxi didn’t tell her who had heard everything, intentionally making her remember this lesson.
He also decreed that Fang He was not allowed to touch alcohol without his permission from then on.
It wasn’t even her idea to drink!
Did he think she didn’t know that this pettiness was revenge for that twist and mockery that night?
Liang Jiugong and Chun Lai didn’t dare to defy Kangxi’s orders.
No matter how Fang He tried to probe, they kept their mouths shut.
Fang He wasn’t afraid of losing face; that wasn’t as important as money or food.
She was just worried that the entire capital would know there was a palace maid in the imperial presence who could imitate a dog’s bark, and who might even become a concubine in the future.
Once the palace intrigues began, others would use this against her.
Even if it wasn’t humiliating, it would be incredibly annoying.
And the culprit was still treating her listless state as a joke…
What was the difference between this and petty schoolyard squabbles?
She hated this kind of behavior the most, but this was the life she was destined to lead.
Thinking of the confined life within the four walls of the palace, Fang He just wanted to move to another planet.
So, even two days after the hangover, as they entered the palace, she still couldn’t muster any energy.
Kangxi wasn’t actually that petty.
It was just that Suoetu sent memorials three times a day, reporting that while the Qing soldiers were mapping the border near the three forks of the Yalu River, they encountered Koreans secretly harvesting wild ginseng from Shengjing, which led to a conflict.
The Koreans were armed with bird guns, and the Qing soldiers were shot, resulting in over a dozen casualties.
What’s more, the Koreans were particularly defiant, shielding the culprits who fled.
After being captured, they refused to hand over the criminals, claiming that the area where they harvested ginseng belonged to Korea.
Kangxi was furious.
The area east of Shengjing, where the wild ginseng was most abundant, had always been Qing territory.
How dare these Koreans, from such a small country, act so brazenly?
Even their king wouldn’t dare to be so bold.
Where did they get their confidence?
Recalling the Battle of Yaksa, the tribes of the western desert had never shown up.
The Dzungars could collude with the Russians, so why not with the Koreans?
Kangxi knew that the Yaksa war wasn’t over yet, and it wasn’t the time to start another conflict.
To guard against the Russians sending more troops and the Dzungars stirring up trouble, he ordered the troops to speed up their march to Rehe while sending an edict back to the capital, instructing the Lifanyuan and the Ministry of Rites to handle the matter jointly.
The Ministry of Rites quickly submitted a memorial, stating that they had sent civil officials to Korea to demand their king hand over the criminals, conduct a trial, and give the Qing a proper explanation.
At the same time, the Lifanyuan also submitted a memorial, requesting the use of the garrison troops in Shengjing to search for the criminals and their families, ensuring the initiative remained in the Qing’s hands.
As soon as Kangxi stepped out of the carriage, without even taking time to wash up or rest, he immediately issued an edict approving the measures.
He also ordered Suo’etu to return to the capital immediately to oversee the matter, which barely brought the incident to a close.
When he returned to his chambers, Kangxi realized Fang He wasn’t there.
He asked Liang Jiugong, “Where is she?”
Liang Jiugong’s expression was,
“The young lady said she was still feeling unwell after the hangover and went to rest after washing up.”
After a pause, he cautiously added,
“This servant noticed that the young lady has been listless these past two days, probably still upset about the drunken incident…”
Kangxi slapped his forehead.
He had only wanted to test her limits, knowing that her wailing would inevitably spread and force her to prepare for the consequences.
But he had been so busy that he forgot about it, and that rascal was probably fuming.
Sitting in the bathtub, he instructed Liang Jiugong,
“Go and invite her over properly. If she’s unwilling to move, tell her I have good news for her.”
Liang Jiugong went out and ordered Li Dequan to personally fetch her.
Li Dequan, who had been secretly enjoying the spectacle for days, thought to himself,
“…..”
He muttered inwardly, if the Emperor summoned anyone else, even if they were on their deathbed, they’d crawl over.
But with His Majesty, he actually has to coax her.
No wonder that ancestor is becoming more and more unruly.
Isn’t this all the master’s own doing?
Fang He had been listless for two days and was almost at her limit.
She wasn’t the type to worry unnecessarily; she was just employing the strategy of ignoring petty squabbles and not engaging.
But to maintain her image, she hadn’t eaten much, and it wasn’t convenient to sneak food outside, so she was really hungry!
Finally, back in her room, Fang He secretly nibbled on some pastries, then put on a melancholic expression before heading to the imperial presence.
As she entered, she softly greeted him, and when she curtsied, her body swayed weakly like a willow in the wind.
“May Your Majesty be at peace.”
Kangxi suppressed a laugh as he watched her perform.
Liang Jiugong had just gone out to inquire, and as soon as Fang He returned, Wei Zhu had brought over a food box.
“Rise. I’ve been busy these past two days and forgot to properly discuss your drunken incident.”
Fang He weakly stood up, lowering her eyes and gently shaking her head,
“Your Majesty, please don’t tell me. I don’t want to know how many embarrassing things I did. Otherwise, I might leave the capital overnight and never return to this place of sorrow.”
Kangxi raised an eyebrow, looking at Fang He with a half-smile,
“You really don’t want to know?”
Fang He subtly glanced at Kangxi’s expression, feeling as if he could see right through her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly changed her tone.
“Whatever Your Majesty tells me, I’ll listen. So… please do tell.”
Kangxi’s lips curled slightly.
She was stubborn, but she was also the most adaptable.
But he really didn’t like her listless demeanor, so he pulled her closer with a smile and didn’t keep her in suspense any longer.
“That night, you “
Li Dequan suddenly called out from outside,
“This servant greets Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and the honorable ladies.”
Fang He: “…”
Damn it, she was halfway through undressing, and they had to show up right now?
Her eager gaze was almost glued to Kangxi’s face, and she unconsciously leaned closer.
Even a whisper would do!
Illicit affairs are more thrilling, Your Majesty!
“Alright, not many people heard. We’ll talk later.”
Kangxi saw the urgency in her teary eyes and chuckled softly, reassuring her before getting up to greet the Empress Dowager.
He had been away from the imperial presence for a few days, and it couldn’t be hidden.
His mother was getting older and might have been alarmed, so he needed to comfort her quickly.
Fang He was so angry she wanted to punch the air in her heart.
What was the difference between saying that and not saying anything?
When the Empress Dowager entered with the concubines, and the concubines curtsied, she saw the lingering smile on Kangxi’s face, followed by the crestfallen Fang He behind him.
She teased, “What’s wrong? Did you scold this girl?”
The Empress Dowager quickly examined Kangxi, relieved to see he was fine, and smiled.
Kangxi laughed and called for them to rise, personally helping the Empress Dowager to her seat.
He deliberately put on a playful act and feigned innocence,
“This girl is favored by you and my grandmother. No one dares to offend her in the imperial presence. I cherish her too much to scold her.”
Standing nearby, Consort Hui and Consort Rong, who understood Mongolian, paused their smiles.
Consort An and Consort Jin, seeing this, also inadvertently shifted their gazes to Fang He.
Consort Hui’s heart couldn’t help but tighten when she saw Fang He’s face.
She was older now and received less favor, so she hadn’t seen Fang He much, but the girl’s delicate face was nothing like the dark complexion Yin Shi had described.
Not only was she not dark, but she was also so fair that her skin was almost flawless.
Even with bangs covering half her face, it was clear she was a beauty.
Consort Rong’s heart also raced.
She had served Kangxi longer than Consort Hui and knew him very well.
Unless the Emperor had taken a liking to a woman, he would never speak of her in such a tone.
Consort An and Consort Jin, who had always received less favor, were more curious than anything.
Seeing Fang He standing obediently with her head lowered, very proper, they didn’t think much more of it.
The Empress Dowager, hearing Kangxi’s words, showed a genuine smile.
She subtly glanced at Consort Hui and Consort Rong and called Fang He over.
“Oh, this girl is getting more and more beautiful.”
Fang He, hearing Wuyunzhu’s translation, gave the Empress Dowager an embarrassed smile,
“This servant does not deserve such praise from Your Majesty.”
This kind-hearted wealthy lady seemed to genuinely like her, after all, true fondness couldn’t be hidden, even more so than Kangxi’s gaze.
If only the wealthy lady and Kangxi could switch genders.
The Empress Dowager held her hand and said to Kangxi,
“When I first saw this girl, she was still quite dark. I liked her even then, and strangely, my mother felt the same way.”
“Later, I even specially asked the shaman, who said this girl’s birth chart is dominated by wood and earth. My mother and I lack wood and earth, so this girl is destined to be with us.”
Since Yue Le was still alive, Fang He’s background wasn’t suitable to be revealed, so Kangxi hadn’t let Fang He grow out her bangs.
But the Empress Dowager didn’t want Fang He to be looked down upon, so she and Wuyunzhu came up with this method.
Fang He looked at Wuyunzhu, but Wuyunzhu didn’t say anything more.
She could only guess that this was a compliment.
Especially seeing the expressions of Consort Hui and Consort Rong… Tsk, it seems excellence really can’t be hidden.
The Empress Dowager smiled at Kangxi,
“You must not mistreat this girl, or my mother and I won’t stand for it.”
Kangxi knew how much truth was in the shaman’s words, but he simply nodded with a smile.
“I’ll remember. As long as she doesn’t try to reach the heavens, I’ll make sure no one in the imperial presence mistreats her.”
Fang He thought, all talk.
If there were any live pigs in the palace, they’d climb trees to see it!
Consort Hui, who was listening nearby, felt a sour pang in her heart and inwardly sneered.
Even without Consort Rong’s understanding of Kangxi, she could sense something.
It seemed that even before the next selection of palace ladies, the harem would gain another favored one.
Consort Hui and the other three had come to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, and upon learning that the Empress Dowager was coming, they accompanied her to see the Emperor.
Consort Hui and Consort Rong came for their sons, to show their concern.
Consort An and Consort Jin were there to gain some presence, hoping the Emperor would remember to summon them to his bedchamber.
But everyone knew the Emperor had just returned and needed rest, so they didn’t dare to linger and left with the Empress Dowager.
However, as soon as Consort Hui returned to her courtyard, she immediately instructed her personal maid, Banxia-
“Go and find out how the Emperor treated Fang He on this trip, and whether he summoned her to his bedchamber.”
It wasn’t easy to gather information in the Qianqing Palace, but during the trip, the imperial carriage was in everyone’s sight, making it hard to hide anything.
With so many guards following, it was easy to spread rumors.
As Fang He had expected, it was simple to find out something.
Banxia didn’t delay long and returned before dinner to report to her mistress.
“I heard that after the sixth prince passed away, it was Fang He who served the Emperor. They doesn’t have any records.”
“But on this trip, Fang He and Chun Lai were the ones who served closely, and they were also the ones who stood watch at night.”
Banxia hesitated but added,
“I also heard that some guards heard Fang He singing in the Emperor’s room after getting drunk…”
Consort Hui sneered repeatedly.
She had underestimated this old palace maid.
After nearly ten years in the palace without a sound, she had managed to climb the ladder just before leaving the palace, daring to use any lowly seduction technique.
Indeed, there were no honest people in the palace; it was just that she hadn’t caught the opportunity before with her plain looks.
Relying on being some sort of old acquaintance’s descendant, she was probably eager to climb into the Emperor’s bed.
If Fang He were just an ordinary palace maid, Consort Hui wouldn’t have minded another sister in the harem.
But what was most detestable was this kind of nepotism.
The palace already had a Tong Jia Shi, which was enough to disgust her.
Hearing the Empress Dowager and the Emperor’s tone, she didn’t want to add another ancestor she couldn’t afford to offend.
Early the next morning, on her way back from paying respects to the Empress Dowager, Consort Hui invited Consort Rong, Consort An, and Consort Jin to admire the flowers.
The weather in Rehe was pleasant, and there were still a few Camellia japonica ‘Eighteen Scholars’ in the garden, which looked quite nice.
“Sister Rong and the two younger sisters, why not come and take a look?”
Consort Rong waved her hand,
“I’ve already seen them. You and the two younger sisters can go.”
In the past few days, Yin Zhi had been playing around and had a slight fever.
She didn’t have the heart to admire peonies.
Consort Hui stopped Consort Rong and gave her a meaningful smile,
“Sister Rong probably doesn’t know, but this time we’re admiring the newly bloomed flowers in the garden.”
“Although they’ve been around for a while, they’re at their most beautiful now. If you don’t go see them, you’ll regret it.”
Consort Rong’s heart stirred.
She was a thoughtful person and had dealt with Consort Hui for many years.
She knew there was more to her words.
After a moment’s thought, Consort Rong had her personal maid, Bai Shao, return to take care of Yin Zhi, while she brought another palace maid and went to the garden with Consort Hui.
Consort An and Consort Jin, being of lower rank, had no choice but to follow.
The actual Rehe Palace was still under construction, and the place they were staying in was only a small part of it, not very large.
This garden couldn’t compare to the imperial garden.
So, Consort Rong and the others didn’t see the new flowers Consort Hui mentioned, only the lush flowers of the chinaberry, rose mallow, and yellow jasmine.
The carefully tended Camellia japonica ‘Eighteen Scholars’ were still the two in the center.
The four of them walked to a pavilion near the river in a corner of the garden and sat down.
After the palace maids served tea and left, Consort Rong immediately spoke.
“Alright, what flowers did you call us here to admire?”
Consort Hui smiled, not in a hurry to speak, and took a sip of tea first.
Seeing Consort Rong frown, she then said leisurely,
“Yesterday, we saw that Fang He girl looking unwell in the imperial presence. I heard something rather peculiar.”
Consort An clicked her tongue, suppressing her impatience,
“Sister, are you talking about her getting drunk? I heard about that too.”
Consort An, from the Han Army Banners, was the daughter of Gang’atai, the third-rank commander of the Xuanfu garrison.
She had relatives and former subordinates in the imperial guards.
It was hard for her to gather information in the palace, but in Rehe, without her needing to ask, people brought her news.
But she had loved martial arts since she was young and sought favor mainly for her family.
She wasn’t interested in these convoluted schemes.
Consort Rong and Consort Jin, however, seemed intrigued.
“She got drunk? Did she drink with the Emperor?” Consort Rong asked in surprise.
“Ordinary palace maids don’t have that privilege.” Consort Hui chuckled,
“Not just drunk. I heard she even opened the windows, hugged the Emperor, and sang while drinking. It was quite the scene.”
Consort Jin, from the Chen family, widened her eyes and said,