Since she couldn’t outsmart them, she had to rely on sincerity.
But she didn’t know if it was too much.
There were wells in the hot spring palace too, right?
But someone had sent her a priceless treasure earlier.
Not considering the windfall, it must be related to her identity again.
Unfortunately, that damn adoptive father… No
Her half-father never mentioned a word.
She wasn’t foolish, though.
This was in the imperial palace, not a gift from the Emperor, so it had to be from either the Empress Dowager or the Empress.
She gambled that the old affection for that treasure could save her life.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang gazed steadily at Fang He, whose small head was barely visible, with an expression that was both amused and teasing, and said to Su Mo’er,
“Since the Emperor has spoken, I can’t very well go against his wishes. For now, let Fang He stay by your side and learn more.”
Fang He was a bit bewildered.
What else was there to learn?
Checks… no, silver?
But in front of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, Fang He didn’t dare show any sign of disappointment.
She swallowed her bitterness and meekly followed Su Mo’er out.
Once again, she had a new mentor and had to move again, this time from the side room to the room next to Su Mo’er’s.
Just as Fang He and Su Mo’er turned the corner of the main hall, the Empress burst in with Wulinzhu.
“Aunt!”
The Empress hurried into the bedroom and, upon realizing that only Shan Mo was there, hesitated, awkwardly greeted Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, and looked around.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, in a huff, said,
“Do you think I’m going to eat her?”
“Where is she?”
“I didn’t mean that…” The Empress sat down awkwardly and explained,
“It’s just that she looks so much like Wulinzhu, and I was worried she might disturb your peace of mind.”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang snorted coldly,
“Do you think Wulinzhu could have lived so comfortably as a widow without my protection?”
Although it was Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang who had forced Wulinzhu to leave the palace, she didn’t dislike that clever and uninhibited girl.
Who wouldn’t like a good-looking and lively younger generation?
It was just that life is unpredictable.
“You don’t dislike Wulinzhu?” The Empress showed a surprised look.
Back then, when Fulin insisted on taking Wulinzhu as his consort under the pretext of a distant kinship and even forced her, the Empress, to issue the decree, it was the Empress Dowager who intervened, confining Wulinzhu in the Cining Hall and forbidding her to go out.
Not long after, Wulinzhu was married to the Zhasihu Li family, a match also arranged by the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, in a good mood, explained a bit.
“Even without her, there would have been Dong E. Fulin’s target was North Mongolia and Keerqin. Wulinzhu’s heart was not in the palace, and she protected you several times. I’m not senile yet.”
The Empress’s eyes brightened, “Then would you allow Fang He to stay in the palace?”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang suddenly laughed,
“Don’t you think to ask if that girl is willing to stay in the palace? She was just playing tricks in front of me, trying to get me to let her out.”
Although Fang He and Wulinzhu had different personalities—one cautious and the other uninhibited—they both disliked being confined within the palace walls.
They were like the women of North Mongolia, yearning for the sky outside, even if it meant facing wind and rain.
She didn’t dislike them, but she couldn’t fulfill their wishes.
The Empress hesitated, “If she is unwilling… then perhaps bestowing a good marriage on her would be acceptable.”
As for Kangxi’s peculiar behavior, the Empress didn’t take it to heart.
The Emperor, if he wanted a woman, could find any kind he wanted.
If there weren’t enough, there was always the triennial selection of consorts.
She wanted to make up for the regret of Wulinzhu’s unfortunate marriage and let Fang He live more freely than Wulinzhu had.
“It’s too late,” Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said coolly.
“If I ask Xuan Ye for the girl, you know his temperament; he’s cut from the same cloth as his father.”
Both were of the Aisin Gioro clan, and from a young age, they only liked to hear what was useful to themselves.
Fulin openly opposed his mother, while Xuan Ye subtly competed with his grandmother.
This troublesome father and son duo gave her endless worries.
“What can be done?” The Empress’s heart tightened, and her brows furrowed.
She knew that if her aunt didn’t confront Kangxi, perhaps his infatuation would fade in time.
The more she opposed him, the more likely it was that the Aisin Gioro clan would produce an emperor deeply in love.
That would be a direct affront to the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sighed,
“Do you know, even if Fang He were to leave the palace, given Xuan Ye’s temperament, he would surely have already chosen a family for her, involving the front court, which could be a deadly affair.”
“Even if she survives, who knows, another Dong E might emerge. Why go through all that trouble?”
Everyone thought that she and the Empress detested Dong E.
In reality, both she and her niece were clear that perhaps Fulin had some affection for Dong E, but the fundamental reason was the struggle for imperial power.
What was the end result?
Dong E couldn’t even keep her child and died young.
Fulin himself couldn’t hold on and passed away early.
“If she stays in the palace, even if I’m not around, you and Su Mo’er can at least ensure she lives a life of honor and luxury, better than Wulinzhu, who died on the way back to Shengjing.”
The Zhasihu Li clan was exiled, and Wulinzhu, as a descendant of the Jueluo clan, didn’t have to go with them.
However, since she was involved in a major crime, it was impossible to let her stay in the capital, so she was sent back to Shengjing to be confined.
At that time, Wulinzhu was ill.
If she had stayed and recuperated properly, she might have lived longer, but the journey and her melancholy caused her to pass away before reaching Shengjing.
This was also why the Empress detested the Zhasihu Li clan.
The Empress was silent for a long while and said nothing more, seemingly accepting the situation, which made Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang breathe a sigh of relief.
As long as Qiqige didn’t cause trouble, she could gauge Xuan Ye’s temperament and ensure Fang He stayed.
At worst, she could bestow a consort rank on her.
Over time, without anyone’s objections, her grandson would eventually lose interest.
It would be better than causing unrest in Shengjing.
Even if Xuan Ye had other plans, without the opportunity presented by Fang He’s lineage, he would at least have to wait until those young princes grew up.
Once Yue Le was gone, none of that old man’s sons could uphold the future of the Anqin Prince’s Mansion.
It wouldn’t be too late to reclaim the Zhenglan Banner then.
After sending the Empress off, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang felt a weight lifted from her heart, drank a bowl of medicine, and fell into a deep sleep.
But the Empress didn’t return to Yan Hui Hall; instead, she went to the garden in the imperial palace and sat alone until dusk fell.
When it was time for the evening meal, Wulinzhu worriedly reminded her,
“Your Majesty, we should go back.”
The Empress murmured, “Back then, Egeqi never got what she wanted, and now her descendant can’t get what she wants either. How can I face Egeqi?”
She had never lived a single day of freedom since marrying into the Aisin Gioro clan.
Why should she allow the descendant of an old friend to continue sacrificing her life for the Aisin Gioro clan?
Wulinzhu was terrified by her words, “Your Majesty, please don’t act rashly. The old ancestor is not in good health and can’t be shocked. The Emperor… he is not your biological son!”
The Empress stood up calmly, “Rest assured, I won’t act recklessly. Aunt is right, some things just have to be done slowly…”
“By the way, take back the box of southern pearls the Emperor returned and send it to that girl again. Tell her to take good care of herself. Such a fine young lady shouldn’t waste herself.”
Wulinzhu was skeptical all the way, but seeing that her mistress didn’t act strangely anymore, she served her evening meal and then took the sourwood box to Xuan Ning Hall.
When she arrived, Fang He was in the room, covering her mouth and whimpering.
Listening outside the door, it sounded as if someone had wronged her.
Wulinzhu was frightened and rushed in,
“What——What are you doing——”
Fang He, with tears in her eyes, looked up, a tear sliding down her rosy cheek.
It fell on her cheek, like a newborn peach blossom gently touched by the spring rain, trembling and blooming with a sweet and innocent fragrance.
But this peach blossom charm… was on one side, not the other.
Su Mo’er helplessly held up the facial hair removal thread,
“This girl hasn’t had her face opened. The face powder she used is unusually moisturizing. If people see it, they will laugh”.
At present, women’s skin is not only required to be fair but also to have a texture like congealed fat.
After washing off the face powder, Fang He’s skin did look good at first glance, but upon closer inspection, oh my, what a pale monkey.
Wulinzhu leaned in to look at the side of Fang He’s face that hadn’t been threaded.
Sure enough, there was a layer of fine down on her face, especially noticeable on the sides of her ears and the corners of her lips, which detracted from her good looks.
She put down the box, “I’ll help you with this too.”
Fang He, seeing the familiar box, couldn’t even get excited.
She just wanted to cry out loud.
She shouldn’t have trusted the face powder made by the dark guards!
She forgot that the dark guards were men, and at that time, having a beard was considered beautiful.
If they needed to disguise themselves, it would be with a long beard.
They must have added something to make hair grow in the face powder!
Ugh, she had never had her face opened in two lifetimes.
Who could tell her why it hurt more than plucking leg hair?
The peach-like blush on her face was all from the pain of hair removal.
But she didn’t know at first and happily endured it.
Now she couldn’t just leave half done, could she?
After her face was threaded, Fang He’s eyes were swollen, and she was sobbing, her gaze drifting towards the sourwood box.
Just then, she needed something yellow and shiny to comfort her aching face!
So the person who sent her the gift was related to her background—it was the Empress!
She had mistaken the source.
Fortunately, they were still in the imperial palace, and it wasn’t too late…
Yun Zhu suddenly said,
“This is what the master asked me to send over for Miss Fang He to take care of her skin. Later, Aunt Su will use it for her, and her life in the palace will be easier in the future.”
Fang He suddenly froze, and the excitement of regaining the treasure faded away.
The Empress wanted her to enter the harem?
Su Mo’er saw Fang He’s dejected look and couldn’t help but feel amused and exasperated.
“The master has plenty of southern pearls here. The master doesn’t need much now, and there’s enough for everyone. You might as well take these back for the Empress to use”.
“The master’s meaning is that since Miss Fang He has hidden her true abilities, it’s better to take things slowly and reveal her talents gradually. Otherwise, if someone accuses her of deceiving the Emperor, that would be a serious problem.”
Su Mo’er saw Fang He slowly lift her head, her ears perked up, and she couldn’t help but laugh as she spoke slowly and deliberately to her.
“The matter of entering the harem is not urgent. Our master here loves to compete with people. As long as no one goes against him, maybe in a year or half, he might let it go. It’s hard to say.”
Fang He suddenly realized that Kangxi and Yongzheng were truly father and son, both stubborn.
Had she been wrong to resist staying in the palace with all her might earlier?
Then she felt a chill.
No, if she hadn’t refused, this rebellious master might insist on keeping her.
If she hadn’t refused, with her inexplicable charm, what if that guy took advantage of the situation and took her in?
This was not a choice at all; it was a trick question, a pure trap!
Fang He helplessly discovered that, just like a sow can’t climb a tree, she couldn’t rely on anyone!
She had to rely on herself.
She secretly ground her teeth.
Fine, fine, fine, forcing her to reveal her last resort, was it?
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