Catching the aroma of food outside, she shoved Kangxi away, eyes fixed on the servants setting the dishes.
The moment they left, she scrambled toward the table-after over an hour of strenuous activity, she was starving.
Oddly, despite the initial pain, Kangxi’s skills had somehow improved, leaving her more exhilarated than harmed.
Her pitiful act was purely to ensure supper wouldn’t be replaced by another round of exertion.
But the instant her feet touched the floor, her legs gave way, nearly sending her into a full bow before Liang Jiugong and Chunlai-until Kangxi’s booming laughter caught her mid-fall.
Men always took pride in rendering women unable to walk.
Still amused, Kangxi dismissed everyone except Liang Jiugong and Chunlai, pulling Fang He back into his arms.
Fang He was carried to the table and seated.
“It seems I won’t need Guoguo to teach me, but you still need to practice your riding and archery with me properly.”
Fang He: “…………”
Is this “riding and archery” even legitimate?
She merely smiled politely at Kangxi, her hands trembling as she stuffed the food Chunlai had picked for her into her mouth.
At this moment, she finally understood the necessity of having someone serve meals.
Sometimes, being pampered too much made standing up to grab food herself nothing short of a fool’s dream—just managing not to shove it up her nose was already an act of sheer willpower.
After finishing the meal, she prepared to take her leave, justifying herself with unshakable confidence.
“With so many eyes and ears outside, and since Your Majesty wishes for me to enter the palace to attend to your health-only then can I earn merit and be promoted to concubine—I shouldn’t stay overnight, lest it invites gossip.”
“San Niu takes her leave now. Goodnight, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty…”
Kangxi didn’t even give her a chance to walk away, scooping her up horizontally and carrying her inside.
“Back at the Cao family villa, when you were snoring in my bed, you weren’t this considerate, were you?”
“Stay put and talk with me. I’ll help you digest your meal-unless you’d prefer an alternative method.”
Fang He:”……”
Be human!
Do you think I won’t exhaust myself vomiting on your bed?!
Early the next morning, the memorials to be sent back to the capital needed reviewing.
However, Kangxi, being health-conscious, didn’t give her the chance to exhaust herself in a battle of attrition.
He let her rest in the room, focusing instead on the second…
Fang He, drowsy after eating, drifted off to sleep-only to be awakened not long after and subjected to another round of muffled protests.
Though Liang Jiugong kept the news tightly under wraps, on the following ship, Consort De had already received word of Fang He’s night with the Emperor.
“Xiao Quanzi’s report says they were at it in broad daylight, not even afraid of word getting back to the palace and upsetting the Empress Dowager,” Hedong reported briskly.
With someone stationed near the Emperor, sending messages while traveling was far easier than within the palace walls.
The consorts’ ships were close enough to the imperial barge that a few hand signals and a telescope were all that was needed to relay information.
Consort De, in the midst of blending incense, paused as her hand trembled slightly.
A pinch too much clove-meant only for fragrance— ruined the entire batch.
With a serene expression, she discarded the hundred-tael worth of incense and began anew.
“No need to rush this news back to the capital. Let’s wait a little longer the palace must be bustling right now.”
Though she had never met Fang He, many at court had.
Xiao Quanzi had already uncovered Fang He’s identity, and thus, so had Consort De.
Her suggestion that Fang He play the role of Zhasihuli’s widow and seek favor wasn’t out of kindness.
A dead woman suddenly resurrecting in Jiangnan was an act of deceiving the Emperor.
Of course, if the Emperor insisted she was Zhasihuli’s widow, no one would dare openly challenge it.
Before she had even finished mourning her late husband, she was already leading His Majesty astray.
If she were to become pregnant…
What qualifications does a criminal or a wanton woman have to become a consort?
Even if the Emperor disregarded propriety and rules, the Dowager Empress would never allow Fang He to attain a high rank.
If Fang He were to bear a young prince, given her frail constitution, it would be easier to remove the mother and keep the child than to ensure a safe delivery.
With all the high-ranking consorts already having princes, who would be more suitable than Virtuous Consort, who had no prince of her own to raise?
Thinking of this, Virtuous Consort couldn’t help but frown slightly.
If Qin Xinrong were still here, things would be much easier.
What a pity…
She set down the incense roller with some annoyance and asked indifferently, “What’s the news from the capital?”
Hedong paused before replying softly:
“Word from the capital says that the illegitimate son of the Qin family has been sent to the countryside and adopted out. As long as Imperial Physician Qin isn’t a complete fool, he’ll know what to say and what not to say.”
Daring to leak imperial secrets meant the Qin family was already doomed.
If Qin Xinrong was smart, he would understand what to do, knowing his master had left a root for the Qin family.
“Poor thing. If the Qin family is wiped out, send that child to reunite with his family,” Virtuous Consort sighed lightly.
“If His Majesty shows mercy and spares the Qin family… then may Buddha bless us. Have the child castrated and sent into the palace, then find a way to place him near Zhasihuli.”
A blood feud, with kin outside waiting for him to seek vengeance-what fine material.
Let’s not waste it.
Hedong shuddered inwardly.
The more she understood her mistress’s ruthlessness, the more careful she became, lowering her head and quickly agreeing.
As Virtuous Consort had anticipated, the palace was indeed in an uproar, as if shaken by an earthquake.
Upon receiving the message from Virtuous Consort, Lady Tongjia quickly realized that Virtuous Consort wanted to use her hand to eliminate Fang He.
She had no intention of obliging.
But the messenger from Virtuous Consort hesitantly revealed that Fang He might be the late Consort Xi, who should have been buried in the imperial mausoleum.
Lady Tongjia could no longer sit still.
If it were just a widow, like Noble Consort Yi’s sister, the palace would merely gain another low-ranking consort.
As the Imperial Noble Consort, Lady Tongjia naturally wouldn’t care.
But if it were Fang He-who had once saved the Emperor, whom the Emperor personally sought out, and whom he now doted on endlessly… then once Fang He returned to the palace, she might even solidify her status as a posthumously honored Noble Consort.
One Niohuru was already a thorn in Lady Tongjia’s side.
She couldn’t stand by and watch another Noble Consort rise in the palace, one who shared a unique bond with the Emperor.
During her visit to the Cining Palace to pay respects, Lady Tongjia casually mentioned how the Emperor had specially sought out a widow in Jiangnan and kept her by his side.
Her words sent shockwaves through the court.
Noble Consort, Consort Hui, Consort Rong, and even Noble Consort Yi nearly dropped their teacups.
They weren’t just jealous-they felt humiliated.
The palace was filled with beauties of every kind, and the newly selected flowers from the imperial selection bloomed like a hundred blossoms.
How could His Majesty disdain them so much as to favor a widow from the south?!
Even Lady Guoluoluo couldn’t help but clutch her handkerchief in anger.
Her beauty surpassed even her sister Noble Consort Yi’s, which was why the Emperor had brought her into the palace.
Though she was remarried, her status as a widow prevented her from receiving a high rank, yet she still held a unique position of dignity in the palace.
Another widow had entered the palace.
From now on, she would be nothing.
Anyone of higher rank could humiliate her for the rest of her life.
Consort Hui cautiously spoke up, “Old Ancestor, Empress Dowager, His Majesty’s decision is… rather outrageous. If word gets out, it won’t sound good!”
Consort Rong remained silent this time.
Since she’d already fallen out of favor, whoever entered the palace mattered little to her.
The Emperor’s eccentricities were nothing new anyway.
Noticing Consort Rong’s meaningful glance, Consort Yi straightened her posture and addressed Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang:
“Old Ancestor, back then His Majesty only allowed my younger sister into the palace because of my father’s merits and my longing for family while pregnant. The entire Gorolo clan took pride in this and remained utterly loyal.”
“But if any ordinary widow can now enter the palace to serve, what becomes of the selection process for imperial consorts?” Consort Yi continued deliberately.
“Sister Yi makes a valid point. His Majesty promotes Han learning, and with many Han ministers at court, who knows what chaos might erupt if this becomes known…”
The Empress Dowager remained silent on the matter.
“Enough,” Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said coolly, glancing at Lady Tongjia. “Don’t believe every rumor you hear. If you don’t trust your own husband, I at least believe the Emperor isn’t as foolish as you imagine.”
“Instead of meddling in affairs, focus on raising your children properly. I don’t want to hear any more reports about young princesses and princes needing imperial physicians.”
“You may all withdraw. I’m tired.”
Consort Tong’s eyes reddened as she wiped away tears, not daring to speak further.
Lady Tongjia paid no attention to Consort Tong’s distress, her own face flushed with anger.
What could she do if Consort Tong’s daughter was frail?
Everyone at Chengqian Palace had done their utmost to care for the child.
Upon returning to Chengqian Palace, it wasn’t long before servants were secretly burying broken porcelain shards in the courtyard.
“Your Ladyship mustn’t ruin your health with anger,” Lady Tongjia’s personal matron advised earnestly.
“Even if that wretched woman is Consort Xi, His Majesty had her enter under the Jasihuri name to conceal her deception against the throne.”
“A widow entering the palace won’t attain high rank. When she returns, she’ll still have to kneel before you you can deal with her however you wish.”
“What matters most is regaining your health. When His Majesty returns, win back his favor and focus on bearing a prince soon.”
Lady Tongjia touched her abdomen bitterly, exhausted.
“He won’t even let me call him ‘cousin’ anymore! The physicians say my constitution is naturally weak-how could I possibly bear a prince?”
Even if she were a widow, winning His Majesty’s favor could lead to high rank after bearing children.
She wouldn’t let anyone else have that advantage.
In this palace, she alone should share that special bond with the Emperor!
Gritting her teeth, she ordered, “Send word to my family. My father has long wanted my younger sister to enter the palace, hasn’t he? I’ll have her come to Chengqian Palace under the pretext of attending to my illness.”
“I can help her gain favor too, but the family must do something for me in return!”
Matron Tong rejoiced inwardly her own family still served at the Duke’s residence.
The Duke had repeatedly sent messages urging this very arrangement, but her mistress had remained unmoved until now.
Now that her mistress relented, the Duke would surely agree to any request, whether one thing or a hundred.
After all, her mistress remained a daughter of the Tong family!
“Just give the order, my lady. This old servant will have the message delivered tonight.”
Lady Tongjia leaned in with a cold expression, whispering, “Have someone keep an eye on Yangliuqing…”
On the eighth day of the seventh month, the imperial dragon boat arrived at Yangliuqing.
Emperor Kangxi disembarked there, switching to land travel as he entered the royal palanquin with Fang He.
Though Kangxi claimed he wasn’t some reckless youth, to Fang He’s eyes, he behaved like a child with a new toy-unable to get enough of playing with it.
The problem was, this scoundrel must have studied at some improper institution, as his repertoire of tricks surpassed even those from later generations.
Except for five days when she used her monthly cycle as an excuse, she hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep since, waking up near noon every day.
Chunlai had stopped asking about breakfast altogether, simply announcing that lunch was ready whenever Fang He awoke, advising her to eat early so she’d have appetite for dinner.
On their last night aboard, Kangxi had insisted on cuddling her despite her irritation.
The issue was they were both wearing the emperor’s new clothes his comforting didn’t require words at all!
Exhausted, she’d only fallen asleep after midnight, and now with less than three hours of rest, Chunlai had woken her at dawn for disembarkation.
Now in the palanquin, when Kangxi tried pulling her close again, Fang He couldn’t take it anymore-she kicked him squarely in the shin.
“Sweltering weather like this you might not mind the heat, but I do! Stop crowding me!”
Eunuch Liang Jiugong and the others had never witnessed Fang He laying hands or feet on the emperor before.
They paled instantly, dropping to their knees in terror, not daring to lift their heads as they awaited imperial wrath.
This wasn’t Kangxi’s first time being kicked.
Fang He’s temper had been unpredictable throughout the journey.
When in good spirits, she cooperated beautifully-sweet nothings like “darling brother” and “precious” flowing freely, even boldly clapping from behind bed curtains to summon tea.
The problem was those weren’t her palms clapping but the imperial posterior!
On bad days, scratches through the curtains or kicks were mild offenses.
The left side of his chest still ached faintly where fabric met skin.
With teeth marks littering his body, not only had he lost interest in summoning other consorts he wouldn’t dare even if he wanted to.
Should word get out, this little minx would be beaten to death before even entering the palace gates.
Strangely though, whether she was cooperative or contrary, her mischievous cunning always brought him deeper pleasure each time.
Addicted to the marrow’s flavor, he’d abandoned even the rule of resting two days after three nights of intimacy, currently having no intention of reprimanding Fang He.
He simply waved everyone out, smiling as he brushed his robe and poured her chilled tea.
“This emperor was inconsiderate, failing to notice your recent irritability. Shall we summon the imperial physician?”
Fang He thought to herself she wanted to establish her identity as a widow, not live it daily.
Anyone working round-the-clock outside menstrual cycles, with a third of that time spent on physical labor, would be irritable.
She gulped down the tea lazily, too exhausted to argue with this insatiable boss, reclining against the pillows.
“I’m sleepy. Let me nap just don’t disturb me. No need for physicians.”
But Kangxi wasn’t ready to let her sleep.
“Didn’t you consult the physicians before? Specifically asking Chief Physician Lu about contraception methods besides abortifacient teas?”
Fang He’s eyes snapped open at Kangxi’s meaningful gaze, confusion dawning.
“Didn’t you tell me to enter the palace first to attend to the sick? I wouldn’t harm my own health. Is even this not allowed?”
Kangxi thought to himself that if it were for contraception, given Fang He’s current status, it would naturally be permissible.
The tonic she drank daily had already been laced with herbs that prevented conception without harming her body.
He very much wished to have children with Fang He, but unfortunately, the time was not yet right.
If it weren’t for the fact that this Third Sister Zha was the highest-ranking and most suitable female relative of the Zhasihuli clan, with blood ties closest to the Walda lineage, he wouldn’t have chosen a widow’s identity for Fang He.
But what did it matter if she was a widow?
If he wished to elevate someone, no one could stop him.
He pulled Fang He onto his lap again, stroking her back gently to soothe her.
“Once you enter the palace, you’ll have to serve the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager for at least a year or so. With that merit, you’ll be promoted to concubine my imperial mother won’t object, and as for my imperial grandmother… I’ll handle it.”
“Once Yue Le dies, I’ll overturn the Zhasihuli case. Then I’ll make you an imperial consort. Don’t be impatient…”
Fang He grew increasingly puzzled as she listened, no longer minding the heat as she stared at Kangxi in confusion.
“What are you talking about? The more I listen, the more confused I get.”
She already knew all this!
Kangxi sighed, placing his hand on her abdomen.
“The chief physician of the Imperial Hospital said you’ve been following the fertile period for conception, avoiding the less fertile days… You’re even more temperamental than I am!”
Fang He:”…..”
If she remembered correctly, she had only asked about contraceptive methods and had obediently cooperated based on the “seven days before and eight days after” menstrual cycle rule.
Could it be that this era believed those were the fertile days?
She looked up at Kangxi with a complicated expression-just how had this man managed to become the emperor with the most sons?
If it wasn’t due to diligence, then it must be…
Kangxi, noticing her expression, kissed her lips.
“Be good. I’ll discuss it with my imperial grandmother. At the latest… I’ll have you enter the inner palace by the end of the year.”
“Alright…” She suppressed a laugh, sighing inwardly-what excellent virility!
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