The next day, after Fang He finished socializing with the consorts of the lords from Beimeng alongside the Empress Dowager, she asked Consort Yi to stay with the Empress Dowager and the children, then took Xinhua with her to the imperial tent.
As soon as she entered, Kangxi looked up at her with a smile, clearly pleased, though his gaze held a slight chill.
“What wind has blown the Imperial Noble Consort over to me today? Now, that’s something new.”
Fang He: “……”
‘By the looks of it, last night’s incident wasn’t minor. Just listen to the way My Lord is speaking.’
Early this morning, she had already heard that apart from the Crown Prince and the Eleventh Prince, all the other princes had been punished last night; even the youngest, Yin Xiang, hadn’t managed to escape.
Thankfully, Er Bao was too young to be present; otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have escaped a beating either.
Say what you will about Kangxi valuing his sons, but he’d almost never punished the princesses; all the beatings were reserved for the boys.
When Consort Yi heard that the Fifth Prince and the Ninth Prince had been punished, she was quite curious… ahem, worried.
Even Consort Hui and Consort Rong, who rarely spoke kindly to Fang He, softened their tone, hinting for her to find out just what the princes had done wrong.
Fang He herself was curious, feeling like she’d been hiding for long enough—so she rushed over.
She pretended not to notice Kangxi’s sarcastic tone and, with a smile, offered her greetings.
“Your Majesty, this concubine wishes you peace and all good fortune!”
Kangxi gave a snort of laughter, got up, and pulled her to her feet.
“Amazed you even remember which way the doors open before the throne—if it’s you seeking to draw in yang energy, you’re first in line, but if it’s something to avoid, you vanish. I tossed and turned all night, yet you two heartless creatures couldn’t care less.”
Fang He hurriedly hugged him back, putting on a pitiful face and said, “Your Majesty wrongs me! When the Empress Dowager was ill, I blamed myself, knowing Your Majesty was busy. This concubine was only trying to show filial piety on your behalf.”
The Empress Dowager had been especially kind to her even before she’d known it, even risking trouble with Xiaozhuang and Kangxi to help her escape, never asking for anything in return.
For Fang He, who’d never experienced familial affection in either of her two lives, the Empress Dowager was even closer than a real mother.
In the palace, the only two people she could truly trust without reservation were the Empress Dowager and Qiao Cheng.
She had always thought that this trust, along with the company of the children and herself, was the best repayment she could offer.
But for so long, she’d never noticed the Empress Dowager’s homesickness, nor seen anything amiss during their journey.
She was even more ashamed than Consort Yi.
The Empress Dowager had visited Beimeng years ago, but her emotions hadn’t been as turbulent as this time.
Fang He asked the Imperial Physician in a roundabout way, and learned it was probably because the Grand Empress Dowager had passed away, and the Empress Dowager’s old friends in Beimeng were gone too—now, in her old age, it weighed on her more.
Fang He was worried, sticking closely to the Empress Dowager these days, afraid she might get too emotional upon seeing the old family, or feel sad knowing how few old friends remained.
She nearly slept in the same room as her.
When Fang He wanted to coax someone, her words were always effective.
She observed carefully; lately, the Empress Dowager’s smiles had become more genuine, and her health had greatly improved.
Only then did she have time to turn her attention to coaxing Kangxi.
Kangxi knew well that he couldn’t compare to the Empress Dowager in Fang He’s heart, but he didn’t mind much—he just didn’t want Fang He to brush things off too easily.
He pulled Fang He to sit on the luohan couch beside him, looking at her with a half-smile.
“Wasn’t it too hot around me before, and now that it’s cold, you remember me again?”
After so many years together, Kangxi was used to Fang He’s seasonal enthusiasm.
From late autumn to early spring, the colder the weather, the more affectionate this troublemaker became.
From late spring to early autumn, the hotter it got, the more she disliked people around her—not even Jiujiu or Er Bao were exceptions.
Fang He really wanted to say, “If you already know, why ask?”
‘Just looking for a hit, huh?’
But thinking she still needed to fish for gossip, she switched tactics and snuggled in even closer with a more aggrieved look.
“You’re wronging your concubine terribly.”
She lifted her head and continued, “The truth is, I didn’t come to you because my feelings for you are too deep, Your Majesty!”
Kangxi: “……”
‘You can spin anything, can’t you?’
Seeing that Kangxi didn’t believe a word, Fang He sighed quietly and clutched her belly.
“You don’t know—I was scared out of my wits when my monthly came late. Fule also said that the contraceptive soup I have been drinking is less effective than what the Department of Ceremonies makes, and that over time, one can build up a resistance…”
Kangxi frowned and immediately wanted Liang Jiugong to summon the Imperial Physician.
She was already thirty; in other families, in a few years she could be a grandmother.
Kangxi didn’t want to risk Fang He having any more children at her age.
Fang He already had a son and a daughter, and Kangxi didn’t lack for either princes or princesses.
When Fang He said she didn’t want more children, he’d had the Imperial Physician and Fule prepare a contraceptive formula for her.
He just hadn’t expected that the medicine would lose its effect.
If something happened on the road, it’d be no joke.
Fang He quickly stopped him, “My monthly already came, it was a false alarm.”
“But Fule said the effect isn’t as good as before. She needs time to adjust it, so I’ve been avoiding you lately.”
Kangxi let out a breath, a little exasperated.
“So in your mind, I’m that lustful?”
Even without doing anything, he liked just holding this troublemaker while sleeping.
It wasn’t as if they were wild every night, or that he hadn’t encountered her time of the month before.
As for those superstitions about women being unclean and blood being inauspicious, Kangxi had never cared—he’d seen more blood than anyone.
Fang He thought to herself, ‘just judging by the handprints that never had time to fade from her waist, how could he even ask such a thing?’
But she couldn’t say that; instead, she lowered her head shyly, and lightly thumped Kangxi a few times.
“Oh, Your Majesty, you’re so annoying—must you have me say that it’s me who can’t resist whenever I see you?”
With a ‘thump’, Li Dequan, who was entering from outside, bumped his forehead on the felt bundle at the door, while Xinhua, serving inside the tent, blushed bright red.
‘The master really dared say anything so bold!’
Only Liang Jiugong remained calm, bowing his head toward his chest.
With Chunlai not around, only he was left to suffer in silence.
Really, compared to slapping the Emperor, hearing some licentious words was easy to accept.
Li Dequan just covered his head and took a deep breath; although not as unfazed as his godfather, he acted like he hadn’t heard anything, already mostly used to it.
“My Lord, Zhao Chang requests an audience.”
Kangxi, his ears burning from Fang He’s little fists, replied calmly, though his voice was a bit hoarse, “Let him in.”
Seeing that she’d managed to coax him, Fang He was just about to ask about last night’s incident when Zhao Chang’s request came, and she hesitated about whether she should leave.
Though she didn’t know Zhao Chang’s exact status, he was always close to Kangxi, so she could guess he was probably a Shadow Guard.
“Your Majesty… should I excuse myself?”
Kangxi said calmly, “Didn’t you want to know what happened last night? Stay and listen.”
Since she’d come running right after last night’s commotion, Kangxi wasn’t about to let her off with a few sweet words.
He had a few scores to settle with her as well.
When Zhao Chang entered, he saw his master smiling and looking particularly pleased, with the Imperial Noble Consort seated nearby.
He hesitated, wondering if he should come back another time.
After all, what he had to report was sure to spoil the good mood.
Kangxi thought Zhao Chang was hesitating because of Fang He.
“Just say it.”
Zhao Chang had no choice but to kneel and report: “As Your Majesty ordered, this servant has investigated—Prince Changning earlier had his attendant seek out a young eunuch to accompany him at the palace’s side residence, but the choice was rushed and the prince was not satisfied.”
“These past ten days, the attendant found several more, and finally settled on the one from last night. This eunuch, who sweeps at Prince Changning’s residence, seems to have been a last-minute choice, and so far, nothing seems amiss.”
Fang He’s eyes were blank—’what did a ‘bedfellow eunuch’ mean, and for whom?’
Kangxi seemed to know what she was thinking.
He curled his lips at her, his voice even colder than before.
“Previously, Changning saw me pulling a page’s hand at Sihai Teahouse and assumed I had a taste for young men—so he specially found one for me.”
‘Oh my!’
Fang He suddenly felt her butt getting hot.
“Oh, and by the way,” Kangxi added lightly, “Changning was tipped off by Prince Jian Yabu, who also witnessed it.”
“That fellow is the biggest gossip in Jingcheng. Now, the entire court likely thinks I have such tastes—the censors have already submitted memorials dropping hints to me…”
“Perhaps I should just go back to attend to the Empress Dowager!” Fang He jumped up, righteously declaring, “The grassland winds are harsh, and the Empress Dowager has been getting easily inflamed these days—she could catch a chill. I really must see Doctor Lu.”
She turned to leave.
Luckily, on the grasslands she didn’t have to wear flowerpot shoes and could move fast.
If she slowed down even a little, she feared her own backside would share the princes’ fate.
But no matter how quick she was, she couldn’t outrun Kangxi.
Kangxi stretched out his leg, tripping Fang He so she stumbled right onto his knee.
He calmly wrapped an arm around her waist and told Zhao Chang, “Continue.”
Zhao Chang glanced at the overlapping pale-blue banner uniform and dragon robe, and could sense the Emperor’s relaxed mood, but his own scalp prickled all the more.
“Replying to My Lord— The eldest prince stumbled across Prince Gong by chance last night. This servant found out it was because of what happened in Spring Garden with the Imperial Noble Consort. Afraid of another assassin, he came to protect Your Majesty.”
Fang He inhaled sharply—she felt a headache coming on.
No, when she watched a spectacle, she always hoped for as few witnesses as possible, and rarely ever charged ahead heedlessly.
Yet all these princes had gathered together—was this “the more the merrier, the less the blame”?
Were they afraid they wouldn’t get beaten enough?
Weren’t they dragging her down with them?
If word got out, people would think she’d corrupted the children!
She pitifully shot a look at Kangxi—she didn’t care about others, but please, Your Majesty, don’t misunderstand!
Kangxi turned her face back.
He didn’t suspect her at all—usually, these princes were never so unruly.
Zhao Chang continued: “Then the Eldest Prince went to the Third Prince, who fetched the Fifth Prince… Third Prince said, recalling your warning about brotherly harmony, he didn’t dare leave his brothers out, so gave all the princes a chance to show filial piety to Your Majesty.”
Fang He quickly bit her tongue—’so filial, it was almost laughable.’
Kangxi massaged his forehead, suppressing the urge to scold his sons.
“If so, why didn’t they call the Crown Prince?”
Zhao Chang took a deep breath and said, “The eldest prince said, they didn’t call the Crown Prince last time either—he didn’t know why the Crown Prince wasn’t involved this time.”