Since the twenty-fourth year of Kangxi, after the complete pacification of Ryukyu, the Emperor had essentially gained total control over the imperial power.
He held absolute authority in the Court Hall, and no one in the Imperial Harem dared to contradict him.
As his imperial prestige grew, no one dared to cause trouble openly.
The court and the harem could be described as calm and tranquil.
Therefore, whenever a sudden piece of excitement occurred, everyone in both the front court and the back harem was extremely eager to investigate.
They looked for opportunities to see if they could use the situation to climb the social ladder.
Previously, when Fang He was shielded by the Empress Dowager in Shoukang Palace, waves of consorts and noblewomen came to pay their respects like they were watching a monkey at a show.
They did this just to understand the situation clearly.
It was only later, when everyone realized the Empress Dowager was merely lending a hand for the sake of an old acquaintance and that the Emperor hadn’t even spared a glance at this Noble Lady Lan, that their enthusiasm gradually faded.
However, before the weather could even turn warm, the excitement resumed.
On the second day of the first month, Noble Lady Lan served the Emperor.
There was no call for water to bathe; instead, Liang Jiugong personally escorted her back to Shoukang Palace.
Furthermore, Sumalagu was requested to come out and teach this Noble Lady the rules.
At the same time, Kangxi issued an Imperial Edict, ordering Noble Lady Lan to be grounded in Shoukang Palace.
No one was allowed to enter or leave without a decree.
Her maid, Cui Xi, was taken to the Office of Punishment and Investigation and never returned to Shoukang Palace.
This excitement came too fast and too fiercely.
The Emperor had not punished a harem consort like this in many years.
This was clearly a sign that her favor had frozen over!
So, although everyone was dying of curiosity to know what had happened, not a single person dared to approach Shoukang Palace.
The Empress Dowager even sent Wulinzhu to the back hall to ask what was going on, but she was stopped by Sumalagu.
“My Lord has ordered that this lady has had a strange encounter that concerns the fate of the country. Only I am to serve her. Without My Lord’s command, no one is allowed to interact with her.”
Wulinzhu was startled.
To have the Emperor call out Sumalagu, who was normally practicing silent cultivation in the Great Buddha Hall of Cining Palace, meant two things.
First, Sumalagu truly could go an entire day without saying a single word.
Second, it demonstrated the Emperor’s gravity regarding the matter.
She returned to the front hall and whispered to her master in fear, “I believe it now. This Noble Lady Lan… I am afraid she truly crossed the gates of hell.”
If it was a strange encounter concerning the fate of the country, could it be something a mere mortal should know?
Perhaps she really had heard something from Wulinzhu.
The Empress Dowager never intended to go against Kangxi.
Even if Fang He was the descendant of an old friend, she was not her sister Wulinzhu.
Shielding her a little was fine, but there was no need to offend the Emperor for her sake.
But if Fang He truly had seen her sister…
The Empress Dowager could not sit still and made a special trip to Qianqing Palace.
Upon her first glance at Kangxi, the Empress Dowager was so startled she almost forgot her purpose.
“Emperor, are you ill? Have you called the Imperial Doctor?”
In those usually deep and unfathomable Danfeng eyes, there were now bloodshot streaks.
There were dark circles under his eyes, and the man looked exceptionally haggard.
Kangxi knew exactly why the Empress Dowager had come.
He didn’t want to tell her that he hadn’t slept a wink all night because he was so shocked by Fang He’s words, so he simply respectfully invited the Empress Dowager to take a seat.
“Imperial Mother, rest assured. I was merely startled for a moment. That woman of the Zashuhu Li clan… does indeed have quite a background.”
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, “Did she truly see my sister?”
Kangxi froze for a moment and thought, ‘That brat whose words could anger a man to death—did she really see a ghost?’
No wonder her reaction had been like that when she heard a noise in Kunning Palace that day…
‘Can she really see ghosts?’
At this moment, Fang He’s different explanations to the two of them subtly merged.
Kangxi, who had been hesitating between locking her up for interrogation or keeping her close to slowly win her over, instantly made up his mind.
He said impassively, “I still need to confirm this matter. However, she does have a fated connection with the Aisinjueluo clan. After this, I will have to trouble the Imperial Mother to look after her a bit more.”
If what Fang He said was true, and she had given birth to five children with him in another timeline, how could that not be considered a fated connection?
As soon as the Empress Dowager returned to Shoukang Palace, an Imperial Edict was delivered from Qianqing Palace.
It stated that the Zashuhu Li clan had performed meritorious service in attending to the Empress Dowager and was specially promoted to Noble Lady.
Although Cui Xi did not return, the Imperial Household Department followed the regulations for a Noble Lady’s rank and specially sent two senior palace maids, two junior palace maids, and two eunuchs to serve Fang He.
It was… well, how should one put it?
Aunt Cui Wei from the Imperial Teahouse replaced Cui Xi, and the imperial maid Jinghao was there too.
They were all old acquaintances.
The junior palace maids were unfamiliar, but those two eunuchs… that kid Wei Zhu was there with Cui Fuchuan, smiling in a way that could only be described as sycophantic.
Fang He was so angry she laughed.
It turned out that the Cui Fuchuan she had used for decades, the Uncle Cui who had diligently guarded the gates of Yanxi Palace, was actually one of Kangxi’s men.
‘Heh, I wonder what other surprises that dog of a man has that I don’t know about.’
Setting aside how Fang He was mentally whipping her own man while looking at these four old acquaintances, the entire harem was shocked when the imperial decree was issued.
This Noble Lady Lan didn’t just avoid falling from favor; she had been promoted two ranks within half a year without bearing a child or even serving in the bedchamber!
Who could stay calm after this?
Consort Yi, who was favored by the Empress Dowager, immediately used the excuse of sending congratulatory gifts to come to Shoukang Palace to investigate.
But when she hurried to Shoukang Palace, she found it empty.
Noble Lady Lan had been summoned to Qianqing Palace to attend to the Emperor.
Furthermore, this attendance lasted until the Dragon Raising Its Head festival.
Even the court ministers began to gossip about this matter… yet no one could figure it out.
This was because Fang He attended the Emperor every day during the daylight hours but returned to Shoukang Palace before the locks were set.
It was said she was attending to the Empress Dowager’s bedtime, so she was given special grace by the Empress Dowager and did not have to wake up early for morning greetings.
For over a month, none of the harem’s consorts managed to catch even a glimpse of this Noble Lady Lan.
Noble Consort Tongjia, who had gone to the Hot Springs Palace and only returned at the end of the year, and Noble Consort Wenxi, who was bedridden with illness, were both filled with wonder.
They sent people to Qianqing Palace to deliver soup and gather information.
Naturally, Consort Hui, Consort Rong, Consort De, and Consort Yi were not idle either.
Each used their own methods to discreetly inquire about news from the Emperor’s presence.
When Zhao Chang tremblingly presented the various methods used by the different factions to the Emperor, Kangxi’s face turned so black it was unbearable to look at.
The Imperial Kitchen, the Imperial Teahouse, the Duaning Hall, the Imperial Household Department… every place related to the Emperor’s food, clothing, housing, and transportation actually had spies from the harem.
As he looked at the dense list of names covering several pages, he slammed his hand down on the small table on the Luohan Couch in rage.
Liang Jiugong and Zhao Chang were too terrified to even breathe, kneeling on the ground with faces as pale as ash.
Liang Jiugong, in particular, was the one who technically managed all the palace maids and eunuchs of Qianqing Palace, though they officially belonged to the Department of Ceremonies.
With so many spies appearing… many of whom had even bribed him to be promoted to the Emperor’s presence, he was already starting to wonder when the grass on his grave would start growing.
Zhao Chang was not doing much better.
Besides protecting the Emperor, the Shadow Guards were also responsible for supervising everyone around the Emperor to ensure no one leaked his movements, preventing the Emperor from encountering danger.
Not only had he failed to find the spies in Qianqing Palace, but even the Shadow Guards had been infiltrated.
Fortunately, it was only the outer perimeter.
If the identities of the Shadow Guard’s Six Ministries were known, not a single member of his Zhao family would survive.
While the two men were half-dead from fear, the newly promoted Noble Lady Lan, Fang He, sat across from Kangxi without even blinking.
This was nothing.
She had seen scenes where Kangxi was so angry he wanted to kill people.
She casually poured a cup of Jin Yinhua Dew for Kangxi, her voice adopting a tone of gentle virtue.
“Your Majesty, please drink some tea to cool your anger. What will we do if you ruin your Dragon Body… This is less than half of it. There will be plenty of time for you to be angry later.”
Liang Jiugong and Zhao Chang were practically ready to cry for Fang He.
They desperately wanted to know if their counterparts in the other timeline were still alive.
With an ancestor like this, whose mouth was likely smeared with poison, every word she spoke threatened countless lives.
Who would have the ability to serve her?
The fury on Kangxi’s face stiffened for a moment as he glared sharply at Fang He.
“Do you still not remember exactly who everyone is? Do you want me to send you to the Office of Punishment and Investigation to help your memory?”
Fang He curled her lip and sat up straight in dissatisfaction, muttering in a low voice, “Do you think traveling through hundreds of years in a dream is that easy? You should be secretly happy that I can remember what I saw and heard just by seeing the relevant people!”
“Be careful not to scare me again, or I might forget everything I’ve remembered.”
In truth, Fang He felt bitter in her heart.
After acting the part of a mystic, she realized that reality was not a fairy tale.
No profession was easy!
When Uya-shi was dealt with in her time, it was the twenty-eighth year.
She hadn’t yet given birth to the Fourteenth Prince, nor had she become one of the four powerful consorts in the harem.
Many of her tracks could not withstand investigation.
The Fang He of this timeline had followed Aunt Xu long ago, so there was no incident of Consort De accidentally slipping up in front of her.
Thus, Fang He couldn’t use cross-verification to catch her tracks.
The master and apprentice pair in the Imperial Kitchen who made noodles were gone.
Doctor Zhao of the Imperial Doctors had also suddenly died of an acute illness while on leave at home.
In over four years, the current Uya-shi, who had established a firm foothold in the Imperial Household Department, had enough time to do many things.
Seeing Kangxi’s expression grow colder, she tapped her head and suddenly remembered the schemes Consort De had used against the other three consorts and the Noble Consort.
She said coldly, “Has Your Majesty never thought about how Empress Xiaoyi’s child died so young? Consort Yi’s first two children were born safely; why did something suddenly go wrong with the Eleventh Prince?”
She added pointedly, “In this palace, whichever palace has the most children born safely—besides representing that the mistress of that palace is not jealous—also represents that her methods are extraordinary. She can make Your Majesty constantly miss her while gaining a reputation for virtue. As long as no one can surpass her, isn’t that enough?”
To clear out the spies around the Emperor, they could only start with this winner of the harem.
Even if there were things she couldn’t remember, the Shadow Guards weren’t just there to eat for free.
In the timeline she came from, Zhao Chang was able to lead men to follow the clues and wipe out all the personnel planted by Uya-shi and the other three bondservant families.
He could naturally do the same here.
Kangxi understood.
He subconsciously frowned, “Impossible. Consort De is indifferent to the world…”
Fang He impatiently interrupted Kangxi’s words, “Massive amounts of silver from the Imperial Household Department are sent to her hands, enough for her to buy people’s hearts and grasp Your Majesty’s thoughts. She coaxes Your Majesty so much you’d almost pull out your heart for her. She truly doesn’t need to compete.”
Speaking of women, Fang He really looked down on this Master Kang.
Was he smart?
He was coaxed into circles by a woman with a heart like a scorpion.
Was he stupid?
He knew exactly who she was talking about.
Was he affectionate?
This lord clearly liked Lady Wang very much, but because of her status as a Han woman, he did her a favor and stood by with one eye closed while the harem bullied her.
Rather than saying he couldn’t allow a Han woman to hold a high position, it was better to say he only cared about his own pleasure and never truly valued women.
Because of the further reinforcement of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, even the noble daughters of the Manchu clans were being “pickled” by it.
The status of women was so low it made Fang He exceptionally irritable.
For example, right now, Kangxi understood the mockery of his intelligence in Fang He’s words and immediately became enraged.
“You are being insolent! Do you really think I—”
Fang He was quick-mouthed and interrupted him again, “You only know how to yell about killing and execution. Are you expecting me to clap my hands and say Your Majesty is so wise?”
“I’ve clearly told Your Majesty already. As long as you close the palace gates and thoroughly investigate the Imperial Household Department, there are no hidden secrets that cannot be found. Even your precious Crown Prince has a body full of lice waiting for you to catch them.”
“On one hand, you don’t want to make a big scene to protect the Crown Prince’s dignity, and on the other, you want to eliminate deep-seated corruption and continue the national legacy. How can there be so many good things in the world where you get everything you want? Even if there were, would they all belong to the Aisinjueluo clan?”