Liang Jiugong gave a wry smile and said, “You ask this servant, but I really can’t guess. Mistress Zhen… she’s no ordinary person. Only Your Majesty can truly understand Mistress Zhen’s pulse.”
Kangxi chuckled softly, glancing toward the Imperial Household Department.
He had a rough idea of what Fang He was capable of—after all, the Imperial Harem was currently under her control.
This scoundrel might cause chaos over trifles without any consistency, but when it came to major matters, he never slipped up.
Yet Kangxi was still curious.
He knew Yinreng was digging himself into a dead end, but the boy wasn’t careless.
The Shadow Guards had been keeping a close watch on Suo’etu and Yuqing Palace, and had found no other movements from the Crown Prince.
How could Fang He be so sure that once the Imperial Household Department was involved, the crown prince would no longer dare to reach out?
Fang He wasn’t so certain herself, so she and Concubine Jing went to the Niangniang Temple to make some last-minute prayers.
“Amitabha, may Heaven protect us. I pray that my heart’s desires come true. I vow to offer ten jin of five-flower pork…”
Concubine Jing knelt beside Fang He and muttered, “Be a human being for once!”
She couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time as she stood and placed incense sticks into the burner.
“You might as well pray that I read the scripts carefully.”
“Blind fool, just consider this me worshipping you, but you’d better have a good explanation later. This matter can only be blamed on the gods and Buddhas.”
Fang He’s expression remained unchanged as she also placed three incense sticks into the burner.
Concubine Jing: “…..”
This woman wasn’t afraid the gods and Buddhas would overhear!
If you said Fang He believed in Buddhism, she spoke recklessly with no reverence.
If you said she didn’t, her appearance was even more devout than Concubine Jing herself.
Concubine Jing had no idea there was a kind of faith called “adaptive belief”—believe when convenient, oppose feudal superstitions otherwise!
After leaving Niangniang Temple, Fang He and Concubine Jing strolled in an open area by the Front Lake, finally talking about serious matters.
“If the consultant can’t keep secrets, I had him pass the message to you so the Emperor knows what we’re planning and watches our moves. From now on, everything depends on you.” Fang He’s eyes sparkled like stars as she looked over the shimmering lake, full of determination.
Concubine Jing smiled and nodded, “Our two moves are enough to confuse the Crown Prince’s people, making them think we believe his foolishness, yet afraid to act decisively and only able to defend passively.”
“After the re-selection, talented women from across the country will come to the capital. That’s the perfect time for them to act, the Crown Prince—”
Concubine Jing’s head suddenly throbbed painfully.
She looked toward the horizon and stopped talking.
In the scripts, Fang He’s first major loss came from the Crown Prince; it even caused quarrels with Kangxi and almost led to Yin Hui’s downfall because of those who kissed up and stepped on others.
The Academy
For a long time, the two couldn’t restore their previous harmony.
Fang He immediately understood and asked, “You can’t tell me what you know, but you can change the ending, right?”
Concubine Jing didn’t answer, unwilling to spoil any more spoilers.
She only smiled and asked, “To what extent do you want to go?”
Fang He knew Concubine Jing was asking whether they wanted to push the Crown Prince into a dead end or just give him a deep enough lesson.
“If he wants to pull me down, I’ll naturally bite back.” Fang He said without hesitation.
But the longer she stayed in the palace, the more she understood Kangxi’s bottom line.
She wasn’t as reckless as before.
She smiled at Concubine Jing and said, “I don’t think he’ll be a good emperor, but somehow I feel this matter is useless unless the Emperor agrees.”
Concubine Jing understood and smiled, “My second aunt hasn’t come to visit me in the Garden for a long time. Maybe she’ll come tomorrow.”
Fang He smiled but said nothing.
That was good.
To take the initiative and strike quickly was the best way to catch people off guard.
Early the next morning, Hesheri, the wife of Tong Guowei, sent a message into the Garden.
Fang He didn’t receive her greetings personally and directly ordered Cui Wei to send her to Yunya Guan.
After Concubine Jing dismissed her attendants, Hesheri immediately asked, “Does the Consort want to send word back to the manor about some good news? But…”
She looked hopefully at Concubine Jing’s belly.
The entire Tong Family was waiting for her good news, knowing that Concubine Jing already managed part of the palace affairs.
Concubine Jing smiled wryly and replied, “I’m not pregnant. Forget about it at home. Everyone inside and outside the palace knows the Emperor favors the Imperial Noble Consort. If I truly conceive, the Tong family will be doomed.”
Hesheri: “….”
“Then why did the Consort call me in?”
Concubine Jing got straight to the point, “I have something to ask you to tell Father and Second Uncle.”
“In the past, the Tong Family opposed the Imperial Noble Consort, which displeased both the Emperor and Imperial Noble Consort. Without the merit from the Dzungar campaign, the Tong Family would be finished by now.”
“Now there’s an opportunity. As long as the Tong Family helps the Imperial Noble Consort with one matter, all previous grievances can be wiped clean.”
“In the realm of power, there are no permanent enemies, only eternal interests. I believe the Tong Family can think this through.”
But Hesheri abruptly stood up and refused flatly, “Impossible!”
“I have two daughters who were harmed by her. Even if she becomes Imperial Noble Consort, she’s nothing but an orphan. Who does she think she is?”
Thinking of the second Princess’s frail health in Shengjing, and how she was still tormented by her in-laws, Hesheri could barely hold back the urge to spit on Fang He.
What right did she have to ask the Tong Family for help!
Concubine Jing pinched her temple.
She’d forgotten—the Tong Family’s shrewdness all lay with the men.
As for the women… better not mention it.
She kept a blank expression and explained in terms the palace women could understand: “Aunt, you must understand one thing: no more princes of the Tong Family will appear in this dynasty’s palace.”
“If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the best the Tong Family can do is limp back to Shengjing to survive, the worst… the new ruler might find faults and wipe out the entire clan.”
“You stand here as a State Duke’s wife, speaking about who deserves what only because the Imperial Noble Consort is merciful and hasn’t held the Tong Family’s past against them.”
Concubine Jing stood and looked down at the frozen Hesheri and continued, “Once the new ruler takes the throne, you, your husband, and your sons might not even be worthy of entering the palace to pay respects. What I’m saying today is the Tong Family’s only chance. Aunt, are you sure you want to choose a dead end for your descendants?”
No, she couldn’t.
The anger Hesheri had just now drained away instantly.
She collapsed back onto her seat, her face ashen, listening as Concubine Jing whispered.
Unlike Hesheri, who still struggled for her daughter suffering in Shengjing, Tong Guogang and Tong Guowei wasted no time after hearing Concubine Jing’s message.
They summoned Erlundai and Longkodo to the study to discuss how to support Imperial Noble Consort.
The Tong men were clearer than Hesheri—helping Imperial Noble Consort meant opposing the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince ascended, the Tong Family, as the maternal clan of the former emperor, might survive but the Suo’etu faction would never tolerate their glory.
Returning to Shengjing in honor was a pipe dream.
On the contrary, if the Crown Prince were brought down, the position would be fiercely contested by the Fourth Prince and Fifteenth Prince.
The Tong Family would prosper.
The next dynasty would surely see princes born of the Tong bloodline.
Tong Guogang said to Tong Guowei, “The Concubine is close with Imperial Noble Consort. This matter should be led by the main house. From now on, we will support the Fourth Prince.”
He glanced at Erlundai and Longkodo and said, “As for you two, follow the Fifteenth Prince’s lead!”
Erlundai and Longkodo readily agreed.
They knew better than to put all their eggs in one basket.
Erlundai laughed heartily, “I’ll take more concubines later. Longkodo, you too. Let’s have more children. The Fifteenth Prince is only two years old. Ha, both Zhuzi and Fifteenth Prince’s Fuqin positions are still vacant.”
His father and Tong Guowei: “…..”
‘No need to be so desperate.’
Longkodo nodded vigorously, “We can try our best!”
After shooing out the laughing Erlundai and Longkodo, Tong Guowei became serious.
“Big brother, the Imperial Household Department is deep and dangerous, especially outside the palace. Our family is involved. We should only give Concubine Jing enough evidence to save face. Before the Emperor shows his stance, we mustn’t reveal everything.”
“No need to wait.” Tong Guogang interrupted, giving him a sideways glance.
“You’re too scheming. If my daughter and Imperial Noble Consort were fools, Wan Ying wouldn’t have gone to Shengjing.”
“If we want to surrender, we must show sincerity. The Concubine is right. This is our family’s only chance. If we miss it, the Tong Family will only slide downhill.”
Compared to scheming, Tong Guogang, better at warfare, grasped the bigger picture more than his younger brother.
Seeing his brother’s insistence, Tong Guowei had reservations but didn’t argue further.
He turned to issue orders to have the evidence they held over the years delivered to Concubine Jing during the re-selection.
When the re-selection ended, Kangxi received news from the Shadow Guards that Yinreng had been secluded in Danning Residence, ostensibly reflecting on his mistakes but in fact sulking without any moves.
Fang He, meanwhile, was busy spoiling Jiujiu, who had just had a tooth pulled.
She spent her days entertaining Yin Hui, making sure Jiujiu was happy, with no other moves made.
When Zhao Chang reported before the throne, he was quite nervous.
The Shadow Guards’ primary duty was to protect the Emperor and handle matters that couldn’t be made public.
In intelligence gathering, unless given a “Tian” (Heaven) order, they were even less informed than palace eunuchs.
But the “Tian” orders couldn’t be used often, as frequent use would draw too much attention.
Too many times, and they wouldn’t be Shadow Guards anymore—they’d cause panic and backlash among the ministers.
Kangxi was unsurprised.
He merely chuckled and placed a black chess piece on the board, immediately capturing over half of the surrounded white pieces.
“A few are playing military strategy with me. Let them be. Keep a close eye on outside developments. Any news involving the Crown Prince and Imperial Noble Consort must not leak outside the palace.”
Zhao Chang relaxed and bowed low, “Yes, this servant understands.”
No matter how fierce the fights inside, outside everything must remain calm and peaceful.
The dispute between Imperial Noble Consort and the Crown Prince was confined to the palace.
Coincidentally, Yinreng was also playing chess, holding the white pieces.
On the board, black and white pieces each controlled half the board.
The white pieces, slightly behind, attacked fiercely, while the black pieces advanced steadily but lacked momentum.
Xu Bao entered with a report: “Your Highness, a eunuch delivering fresh fruit from the Imperial Household Department to the Garden reported that the scholar betrothed to the second daughter of the Governor of Zhili has arrived in the capital. He is staying at an inn outside the northern city gate.”
Yinreng abruptly placed a white piece, instantly reversing the game’s momentum.
Only one move away from encirclement, he could swallow most of the black pieces.
He smiled and looked up and asked, “How long until the talented women arrive in the capital?”
Xu Bao bowed and replied, “The Ministry of Rites says by the end of May. Then the final selection will be held at various academies, with the palace selection in mid-June.”
“The talented women from Zhili should arrive by mid-May.”
“Good. Then have the news of that person’s residence whispered into Abukai’s second daughter’s ear. When they run, have Ling Pu arrange people outside to facilitate them. No other action is needed.”
Xu Bao smiled and responded, admiration clear on his face.
How did their master get so clever?
Too smart!
Abukai, the Governor of Zhili and a branch uncle of the eldest prince’s wife, was also the current head of the Irgen Gioro clan.
If the Irgen Gioro daughter had the chance to escape because of the Women’s Academy and even eloped with a Han man openly…