The sedan chair quickly returned to Qianqing Palace.
Fang He had purposely sent Jiujiu to Shoukang Palace to free up time to properly “talk” with the child’s father.
As soon as they entered the hall, Fang He immediately arranged for hot water to be brought up, allowing Kangxi, who had been standing in the cold wind near the North Gate for quite some time, to bathe and change clothes.
When Kangxi came out, Li Dequan arrived carrying steaming ginger soup prepared by the Imperial Kitchen.
The piping hot ginger soup warmed Kangxi’s body, and after more than a month of travel, he finally relaxed completely.
He sighed contentedly, leaning against the soft pillow of the Luohan Couch, smiling warmly at Fang He.
“I’ve been away from the palace for only a few months, yet Guoguo’s management has become increasingly meticulous.”
Fang He pursed her lips, wanting to say that she had done a better job back when she was a palace maid—this was nothing.
But if she said that, it might seem like she was slacking off after getting promoted.
She changed the subject and asked, “Just now, Your Majesty wanted me to report something?”
Kangxi smirked faintly, “Before I left the capital, you were tender and gentle in your care, making me feel at ease. At that time, you coaxed me into thinking you were obedient and sensible, so that I would think of you more and leave Li Dequan to protect you fully.
“Even at night, you acted unusually clingy with me, all for the sake of conceiving a little prince, hoping to draw out those lurking demons and monsters so they could’t take advantage while I was away from the palace. Is that right, or not?” Â
Fang He smiled slyly, “Nothing escapes Your Majesty’s notice. You already know everything—what more do you want me to say?”
Kangxi’s expression turned serious as he looked at her, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll be angry when I return?”
“Angry?”
“There’s more than one way to assert authority. With your intelligence and the Guoluo clan’s methods, why cause such a scene in the Imperial Garden?”
Fang He was not pleased to hear this.
She had performed well at the city gate earlier, so why was she suddenly losing points now? Â
She straightened her neck and said firmly, “There are indeed many methods, but I am not the Emperor. Even when Your Majesty privately punishes someone, it is done with dignity. No matter how subtle I am, in their eyes, I am still that childless palace maid who once served right before Your Majesty.”
“The Emperor and Eunuch Gu both taught me how to handle subordinates; I believe this is the best way!”
If her methods were any gentler, endless troubles would follow.
She was utterly fed up with these people always stirring up trouble and just wanted to put them in their place once and for all.
Liang Jiugong and Xinhua, who were attending inside the hall, listened nervously as their two masters seemed on the verge of arguing.
They were afraid not only that the two might break apart, but that if a fight broke out, they servants would be the ones suffering the consequences.
After all, the Emperor had never won when arguing with Noble Consort Zhaoyuan.
Moreover, Fang He was heavily pregnant, so no one was surprised that Kangxi was holding back his temper and venting it elsewhere.
Xinhua, while anxious, couldn’t help but want to laugh a little.
At this moment, their mistress looked just like the Nine Princess secretly eating candy and refusing to admit it.
The only question was whether Fang He, with her big belly, might get so angry that she’d have to go back to Yanxi Palace to contemplate her mistakes.
But to Liang Jiugong and Xinhua’s surprise, Kangxi showed no sign of backing down this time.
He snorted lightly and pulled the determined Fang He into his side, wrapping an arm around her.
If there weren’t others in the hall, he would have slapped the peony embroidery on her back right then and there.
“I never said it was wrong for you to give them a beating, and you could have left it to Li Dequan to handle. With the Dragon Pattern Jade Pendant and the Shadow Guard, not even Baocheng would dare disobey an Imperial Edict. Yet the end result was the same.” Â
Seeing Fang He still unconvinced, Kangxi grew even more displeased.
“Do you know that I learned from Zhao Chang that you risked your safety going to the lakeside, even bringing Jiujiu to cause a commotion? You were awakened by nightmares for several nights?”
“If…” Kangxi’s voice faltered, and he gently caressed her round belly, sighing deeply.
“What am I supposed to do with you?”
He didn’t even dare speak the word ‘if’—if anything were to happen, no matter how many people accompanied her, it would be too late.
Thinking of these possibilities, even Gualdan’s crushing defeat as a broken dog in those days could not make him happy.
Fang He was momentarily stunned and unconsciously shrank her neck like Jiujiu, feeling guilty.
Especially seeing the helpless worry on Kangxi’s face, she felt a sharp sting in her heart from being truly cared for and treasured for the first time.
He was not upset with her for causing trouble or acting rashly, but angry that she put herself in danger.
Fang He was used to relying on herself and to others not standing by her in difficult times.
Even when Kangxi had spoiled her before, she had been pragmatic and had never fully trusted him. Â
But now, seeing the favoritism and worry in his eyes, she found it impossible to be defiant.
She whispered, “I was afraid of troubling Your Majesty.”
Kangxi raised an eyebrow, “Is it not troubling you now?”
“The letters sent to Your Majesty are even more than the memorials I must review. The concubines in the harem and the ministers are relentless, all waiting for me to give an explanation.”
“From now on, I won’t risk myself again, okay?” Fang He leaned against his shoulder, unusually yielding.
“What do you plan to say to them? Should I… write a memorial too?”
Kangxi’s feigned sternness broke as Fang He teased him.
She was mischievous; the memorials Crown prince wrote were so full of despair and regret that the words almost leapt off the page. Â
“After the meal, give me a proper explanation. Tell me how you should be punished if you mess up again.” He tapped her head and helped her to stand to eat.
“As for the others, they deserve it. I haven’t dealt with them yet—will take care of it all together later.”
Fang He: “…..”
Are these two ‘explanations’ the same thing? Â
After waiting half the morning, Fang He grew hungry and smelled the fragrant dishes, even better than what her small kitchen made.
Recently, the Imperial Manor had delivered a batch of small silverfish raised in the hot springs, battered and fried—one bite with no bones to spit out—delicious beyond words.
Before the tenth month, Fang He had suffered morning sickness and couldn’t bear the fishy smell.
But after ten months, her appetite returned suddenly.
The silverfish delivered to her palace had all been eaten. Â
Now only the Imperial Kitchen had some left.
They also sent a steaming hot pot, a broth fresh with fish and mutton, paired with lamb slices as thin as cicada wings, and the Imperial Kitchen’s secret Zhuyu Beef—dishes Fule often warned her not to eat too much of for fear of “heatiness.”
She couldn’t argue with Kangxi while eating and, pulling the tired Emperor who had barely eaten breakfast due to travel fatigue, she devoured two plates of silverfish and five plates of meat.
Maybe it was because Fang He ate so well, or perhaps because Kangxi hadn’t eaten with her for a long time, he enjoyed the meal so much that he was slightly restless from fullness.
Seeing the shocked Liang Jiugong beside him, Kangxi was a little embarrassed and cleared his throat.
“Reward the Imperial Kitchen ten taels of silver. I want to talk with the Consort. You all may leave; no need to serve us.”
Xinhua placed the digestive tea brought by the Imperial Teahouse on a low table and retreated with Liang Jiugong.
Once the hall was empty, Kangxi immediately stood and supported Fang He, who was holding her lower back, walking circles inside the hall.
Sweating from the meal, neither dared go outside in the cold for fear of catching a chill, so they stayed indoors to digest.
Kangxi teased her, “It’s understandable that I can’t find good food outside, but why do you look like you haven’t eaten for days?”
Fang He protested, “Isn’t it normal to be haggard and lose appetite for tea and food ‘for you’?”
“Oh?” Kangxi’s smile deepened, “Do you miss me, or the stag I hunted?”
Fang He’s eyes suddenly brightened.
Though her stomach was stuffed to the throat, Fule was sure to make her take bland heat-clearing medicinal food, and a good meal was not yet in sight.
She grinned at Kangxi, “Of course it’s you… and the stag—I want both! Especially the stag! A big iron pot stew—I’ve craved it for so long!”
Kangxi replied, “Once the Imperial Physician has checked your pulse and approves, I will have it sent into the palace.”
Fang He pouted, “Where is it now?”
“At the Imperial Manor being raised,” Kangxi kissed her lips and smiled.
“If it were brought in dead, it would stink all the way back to the capital.”
Seeing her displeasure, Kangxi added, “The three golden grains you wanted have been harvested, too. I’ve had them sent to the Imperial Medical Institute. As long as your pulse record is fine, they’ll be delivered to Yanxi Palace together.”
Fang He brightened again.
The grain seeds had been brought to the capital for nearly half a year, and finally, she could eat them. Â
Her mood lifted with full belly and warmth.
Leaning in front of Kangxi, she smiled softly, “May I serve Your Majesty by bathing you?”
Kangxi immediately recalled Fang He’s earlier mention of “paying the grain tax.”
That phrase was only said before he left the capital—that all subjects of the realm must pay grain to him as Emperor, so he must reciprocate to her…
This matter was best not dwelled upon.
Kangxi, who had been away from the capital for nearly half a year, barely distracted himself enough to forget her earlier words, but now his body was suddenly on high alert again.
He tried to suppress the fire within and spoke hoarsely,  “Be good, don’t cause trouble. You’re heavy now. Wait until after your confinement period… then all my grain will be yours.” Â
Fang He: “..…”
Afraid of overeating after being hungry for so long. Â
She whispered, “Fule says it’s fine as long as I’m careful.”
In her past life, a colleague was nearly seven months pregnant and still had… intimate relations.
Pregnant women’s estrogen levels are naturally unstable, and such desires rise higher than usual. Â
Counting the days precisely, she was only five and a half months now.
As long as she moved gently and didn’t put pressure on her belly, it would be fine. Â
Kangxi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as Fang He’s soft, coquettish voice stirred him.
Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t hold back from ordering outside. Â
“Send in hot water—I want to bathe!”
Outside: “…”
Didn’t he just bathe before the meal? Â
Liang Jiugong thought about how eating hot pot would leave a strong smell and didn’t question it, immediately calling for hot water to be brought in.
Xinhua also returned to the hall, preparing to serve the masters separately.
Kangxi, expressionless, ordered, “No need to serve. All of you leave.”
Only then did Liang Jiugong realize what was going on.
Shocked, he glanced at Fang He, who sat on the soft couch, holding a copy of Zizhi Tongjian in front of her face seriously. Â
Were these two ancestors unhappy that their previous quarrel didn’t escalate and had to add fuel to the fire to fight for real?
But since the Emperor had given the order, they had no choice but to obey and quietly waited outside the hall, straining to listen.
It wasn’t curiosity—they feared the two might get carried away and were ready to summon the Imperial Physician if anything happened.
But no matter how much they listened, there was not a single sound inside the hall.
Liang Jiugong was utterly baffled, ‘Had they fought or not?’Â Â
In fact, behind the screen and in the bathing tub sat two fully prepared for battle, but this time, they planned not to use their fists.
They agreed to be gentler, more gentlemanly—only words would be exchanged.
Fang He bit Kangxi’s sun-darkened arm from the frontier and leaned back into his embrace, controlling the gentle sway of the water with her palm.
Kangxi gripped the bathing tub firmly, afraid of using too much force, letting Fang He bite him with varying intensity, leaving the rhythm to her.
The hot water made their sweat drip endlessly, each drop breaking the water’s surface, blending indistinguishably.
When the water gradually cooled, Fang He finally breathed heavily, her eyes red as she softly collapsed into the waves.
Kangxi’s temples showed prominent veins, yet he never became the fierce general.
He restrained himself, lifting the exhausted Fang He, wrapping her in a cotton cloth, and carrying her into the pavilion behind the curtains.
Candlelight flickered on the pale yellow curtains, swaying gently with the breeze, casting round shadows.