After leaving Yunya Guan, Cui Wei’s rationality slowly returned, though she remained somewhat uneasy.
“Master, maybe we should go back? What if someone finds out?” she whispered.
Spying on the Emperor’s movements was no trivial matter.
Of course, the spectacle was still worth watching.
Cui Wei quietly suggested, “Why not have Chunlai help you deliver something to His Majesty, then take the opportunity to sneak a look?”
Fang He crouched slightly as she walked forward calmly and asked, “Cui Wei, do you know what’s most important when watching a spectacle?”Â
Cui Wei noticed someone ahead and immediately stepped in front of Fang He.
This was hardly the time for such talk!
“Master, let’s go back and—”
Before she could finish, Fang He brushed past her and pulled a plain embroidered pouch from her sleeve, tossing it toward the two palace maids standing nearby.
The two maids, who had been trimming the branches, immediately set down their scissors, picked up the pouch, and then, as if not seeing anyone, quickly left.
Cui Wei was stunned.
Fang He proudly stepped forward, picked up the two roughly sharpened scissors, and handed one to Cui Wei.
“First,” Fang He said, lowering her head as she began trimming the shrubs seriously, “you must create a safe… environment for watching the spectacle.”
“Snip, snip”, she continued moving forward.
She shook her head with a sigh and said “What is love in this world? It leaves a person penniless. Tsk tsk, fifty taels of gold can’t buy a loss, nor can it buy deception.”
Having observed many such dramas over the years, Fang He naturally wasn’t reckless.
There were twenty-five taels inside the pouch, plus another twenty-five, and she had already asked Chunlai to select a reliable steward to deliver it, carefully picking the right ‘spectator’ for the job.
She held so much gold and silver just to use it on these scissors!
Cui Wei realized it: for her master, watching the spectacle was more important than wealth.
She stopped trying to persuade her.
Who didn’t like to watch a good show?
Hastily, Cui Wei grabbed the scissors and stepped in front of Fang He, shielding her, afraid that if they were discovered, they might be recognized.
Whether it was effective or not, loyalty had to be shown.
A little further back, Yinzi watched in disbelief.
He glanced at Zhang Chang as if in a dream.
“Wait, she even bribed the palace guards?”
Even if Imperial Consort Zhao could conceal her identity now, she had just left Yunya Guan and had to cross a bridge by Dianthus Pavilion before reaching where Yinzi was watching.
Dianthus Pavilion was near the Crown Prince’s residence, Jiayin Hall, guarded by palace guards.
These two sneaky figures were more conspicuous than if they had walked openly.
Yinzi never expected Imperial Consort Zhao to be so brazen as to bribe even the guards.
To put it bluntly, this smacked of illicit dealings!
“My Lord, look at what she’s wearing,” Zhang Chang muttered, wryly.
“Though it’s a palace maid’s qipao, it’s almost autumn now. No maid would still wear unwashed summer clothes. Whether guard or servant, just a glance shows she’s a noble.”
“Look where she came from, and you’ll know who she is. Even Steward Liang calls her ‘Ancestor’. She’s just disguised to move outside. Who dares notice?”
What if Imperial Consort Zhao wants to surprise His Majesty?
To survive in the palace, one must have keen insight.
As a prince, Yinzi couldn’t match his personal eunuch’s understanding of such matters.
He pondered silently and realized it made sense.
It was like two little mice following behind, unseen by guards or palace staff — same principle.
He nodded subtly, “Still in mourning, I’m not curious about such spectacles.”
Zhang Chang asked, “Then what are you doing?”
“However, as the elder brother—” Yinzi suddenly took a few steps back, pulling Yinzhi and Yinzhen, who were hiding behind a tree, out into the open.
“I must satisfy my younger brothers’ curiosity.”
Yinzhi was about to protest, urging them not to tarnish his reputation—he was just curious about what their elder brother was up to…
But before he could speak, Yinzi covered his mouth.
“Don’t you want to see what trouble Imperial Consort Zhao has gone through to watch?”
Reluctantly, Yinzhi grunted.
‘Well… maybe a little curious.’
Mainly because Fang He was so mysterious.
They had known Fang He for a long time and should have been more familiar with her than others.
But unlike other palace women—maids or consorts—who would at least greet princes and princesses for appearances, Fang He had a knack for ignoring them entirely, slipping away faster than a mouse every time they crossed paths.
Since Fang He formally reentered the palace, appearing properly before people… there were fewer disturbances.
So while stories about Imperial Consort Zhao were everywhere, few really understood her.
Now that they had finally caught a trace of Imperial Consort Zhao, even Yinzhen was a bit curious.
He tightened his lips, silently following his two older brothers.
Cui Wei spotted Tongjia Wanying, giving a warning glance to her master, “She’s right there. How did you know she’d come back into the garden?”
Yinzhen already recognized who was by the lake.
Thinking about how this involved their Imperial Mother, he wanted to leave quickly and tell County Princess Tong not to embarrass herself and to return.
But Yinzi and Yinzhi were already guarding him.
One crossed his arms, the other covered his mouth, both perfectly coordinated.
Fang He didn’t notice the noise behind her.
She leaned in to watch and whispered to Cui Wei.
“When I read those juicy novels years ago… well, not less than eighty out of a hundred had this kind of plot: love at first sight ruins a life.”
“The Second Princess is filled with thoughts of her beloved. How could she willingly marry another? After all, the other family lacks a claim to the throne.”
“From my years of experience, the Second Princess entered the palace this time to bravely pursue true love!”
Such as power, status… or even death.
Tongjia Wanying entered the palace today in a plain white qipao, with a subtle ‘water moon’ pattern on the collar and cuffs, making her delicate face appear even more tender.
Ah!
She was slowly walking along the lakeside, lost in thought.
Fang He nodded in her heart, ‘White robe and battle armor—that’s someone ready to risk everything.’
Cui Wei frowned and asked, “But she’s already betrothed. What can she do now? She can’t just throw away her family’s status, can she?”
“There are many ways,” Fang He replied, turning to Cui Wei with slight confusion.
“There have been so many rounds of palace selections. Haven’t you seen princes being ambushed by maids in the imperial garden?”
Cui Wei said, “At the last selection, Da Ago was just old enough to marry. The maids… threw themselves at him recklessly, shamelessly.”
Fang He: “Ohhh, right.”
All just kids in primary school.
Mainly because the Da Fujin was already almost having her second child.
Fang He had momentarily forgotten this fact.
She quickly glanced around.
Seeing no one nearby, she excitedly shared classic plot tropes with Cui Wei.
“From what I know of the Second Princess, she’s somewhat clever. She probably won’t recklessly throw herself at someone. I think there are three possibilities.”
Hidden behind the tree, Yinzi and Yinzhi’s expressions shifted subtly.
Actually, during the last selection, they had seen maids throw themselves at the Crown Prince.
Mistaking them for assassins, the Crown Prince had jumped back in fright, and his personal eunuch kicked one maid into the lake.
She was silenced and sent out of the palace quietly.
Yinzhen’s face darkened as he looked up and saw the Crown Prince standing behind a tree on the opposite side, glancing over at them slyly, clearly reminded of this incident.
At that time, their elder and third brothers were in the study, laughing at the Crown Prince’s lack of charm and cowardice.
They nearly came to blows in the training grounds that afternoon.
Yinzhen helplessly cupped his hands to salute the Crown Prince, who immediately raised a finger to silence him.
Though they missed the main spectacle, at least they could see how bold Imperial Consort Zhao was in using Fourth and Fifth Princes to threaten him.
It wasn’t a wasted trip.
Fang He counted on her fingers.
“The first possibility: she calmly and elegantly pleads guilty, taking all the blame upon herself, begging the Emperor not to punish Imperial Noble Consort. When she stands, she stumbles and falls into the Emperor’s arms.”
“The second: tears flow before words, she cries out ‘cousin’, recalls the Xiaokang Empress, explains her mistakes as a way to get closer to her aunt, faints in his arms.”
“The third: seeing His Majesty, she panics like a frightened child, praises him to death, claims she’s the strongest in the palace, not knowing what happened, then runs off in panic and falls into his arms.”
The four brothers: “Is His Majesty’s embrace really that attractive?”
Fang He recalled soap operas from her past life, clicking her tongue.
“Just then, they slowly spun together, eyes locked, true love discovered. Since the Emperor holds her, she naturally can’t marry anyone else!”
Cui Wei’s brow furrowed deeply, as did Yinzi and the others.
Did Imperial Consort Zhao really have palace servants and eunuchs ready to die for her?
Even if someone stumbled, cried, and fainted, insisting on falling into His Majesty’s arms… by Imperial Consort Zhao’s logic, that true love must be the ever-watchful Liang Jiugong or Li Dequan.
Just as Cui Wei was about to object, Fang He suddenly pulled her down low.
“Shh—here they come!”
The brothers tensed.
Though they thought Fang He’s talk was nonsense, her analysis made them want to see if His Majesty would actually fall for it.
After all, as sons, they had to be ready to protect their father’s carriage!
Kangxi emerged from the Niangniang Temple and spotted the Second Princess of the Tongjia clan, recently titled County Princess, looking this way from nearby.
He raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but recall Fang He’s words about a ‘troublemaker’, feeling somewhat annoyed.
It seemed he really didn’t understand women.
First Uya, then Tongjia.
Sometimes, thinking about the full harem of consorts, he felt a chill run down his spine.
So it was no surprise he indulged that scoundrel.
Few in the palace lived as authentically as she did, whether male or female.
Kangxi didn’t intend to give the Second Princess a hint, only glanced at Liang Jiugong and ordered him to clear the way.
If it weren’t for coming to offer incense to the Imperial Mother, he would have ridden in his imperial carriage and avoided this hassle.
Liang Jiugong hurried over to ask County Princess Tong to temporarily retreat, but soon returned with a troubled expression.
“Your Majesty, County Princess Tong says it was ordered by Imperial Noble Consort to deliver a message…”
Kangxi frowned but thought of his cousin’s deteriorating health.
The Imperial Physician said it was due to excessive worry, causing emotional blockage.
She might not survive to return to the palace.
“Bring her here to speak.”
Soon, Tongjia Wanying was summoned before Kangxi.
Fang He and Cui Wei stayed far away, unable to hear the conversation.
They excitedly waved their scissors and crouched lower, quietly edging closer.
Yinzi and the others, wiser, had already sent someone to fetch a telescope, allowing them to see without moving.
“Your Majesty, your humble servant greets you,” Tongjia Wanying knelt calmly with red eyes.
Kangxi asked coldly, “What message does Imperial Noble Consort want you to deliver?”
Tongjia Wanying bowed low and replied, “I dare to say, my sister has much to say but dares not disturb Your Majesty. Seeing her suffer, I took the liberty to speak on her behalf.”
Before Kangxi could get angry, she raised her tear-filled eyes.
“Your Majesty, all that has happened was my doing alone. I was deeply homesick and wanted to serve the Emperor like Auntie did, so I made many mistakes without my sister’s knowledge.”
“Actually, I only admire Imperial Consort Zhao and mean no harm… but I admit my errors and am willing to accept all punishment.”
“Please, Your Majesty, for Auntie’s sake, visit my sister often. Her only hope now is to see you once more…”
Her sobs choked her voice.
Cui Wei and the prince’s were dumbfounded, casting secret glances at Fang He.
Goodness, the Second Princess’s performance nearly guessed Fang He’s every thought!
Fang He nodded eagerly.
She had been guessing possible outcomes, but the Second Princess not choosing just one and wanting everything?
Impressive!
Kangxi grew slightly impatient but paused when he noticed Tongjia Wanying’s familiar attire, falling silent briefly.
Yinzhi’s eyes lit up, whispering, “I’ve seen that outfit before—in a painting at Jingren Palace…”
Yinzhen’s face darkened completely, fists clenched so tightly his nails nearly pierced his palms.
County Princess Tong was trying to imitate the Xiaokang Empress, using Imperial Matron and Imperial Mother to seduce His Majesty?
How shameless!
At this moment, his disgust for the Tongjia family reached its peak.
Kangxi’s expression softened.
Earlier, Tong Guowei had recounted events before the Imperial Mother entered the palace, mentioning this.
Tong Guowei said the Imperial Mother made her own clothes and that none of the family’s ladies pleased her as much as Tongjia Wanying, who resembled her preferences.
Thinking of Tong Guowei still chanting sutras at the temple for the Imperial Mother, Kangxi decided not to fuss over a mere girl.
But words still had to be said.
“Since you know your mistake, reflect well and behave properly in Shengjing.”
Kangxi stepped forward and coldly added, “As for other matters, they are none of your or your father’s concern. I do not want a next time!”
Tongjia Wanying’s face paled suddenly, kneeling, too frightened to speak further.
She understood the danger of serving a tiger but would rather die in the palace than live a meaningless life in Shengjing.
Seeing Tong Momo rush over, she gritted her teeth and stood to follow.
“Your Majesty, I will remember your order and not speak again. But my sister is truly ill, Your Majesty—”
Before she could finish, Tong Momo came rushing over, panic-stricken.
“Your Majesty! Master, she suddenly fainted. The Imperial Physician says it’s been building for days. Please come see her!”
Fang He and Cui Wei, eavesdropping silently, exchanged glances in shock.