By the time Emperor Kangxi finished his meal, it was nearly the fourth watch of the night.
Even outside the palace, he was accustomed to rising at the hour of Yin.
Having slept early the previous night, there was still over an hour before his usual waking time.
Kangxi decided not to sleep further and prepared to attend the memorials he had delayed yesterday.
However, after Liang Jiugong helped him dress, Kangxi paused for a moment and then returned to the bedroom.
Upon entering, he saw Fang He lying on her side in the bed, her small hand propping up her rosy cheek, smiling brightly.
“Your Majesty, are you sleepy after eating? Come to bed, I’ve already warmed it up for you.”
Kangxi: “..Speak properly.”
Fang He obediently sat up, still smiling at Kangxi with her lovely face, “Yes, yes, it’s been a while since I last served Your Majesty, I’ve forgotten the rules. Let me help you change first~”
Kangxi had originally intended to see what this rascal was up to, remind her to behave, and then go to review the memorials.
But as Fang He approached with a charming smile, her small hands gently undoing the buttons of his robe, his Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he found himself unable to step away.
Before he knew it, he was being pulled by Fang He to sit on the bed.
She clung to his waist like a fox, using her clever strength to lean back.
Kangxi instinctively held onto her slender waist, his tone cold but unable to hide his helplessness.
“What mischief are you up to now?”
Fang He blinked innocently, “I’m just serving you properly—”
A vein twitched at Kangxi’s temple as he reached out to pull her onto his lap, startling Fang He into clinging to his neck.
“I was wrong, wrong, wrong! I just thought that since I angered you earlier, I should serve you even better from now on…..”
“You always admit your mistakes, but I’ve yet to see you change.” Kangxi subtly relaxed his grip, letting her hang in his arms.
“And then?”
Fang He chuckled, “And then… well, I’m a widow now, I can’t be a court lady anymore, so I won’t have a monthly allowance, right?”
She blinked her clear, innocent eyes pitifully at Kangxi.
“I still remember the last time I accompanied Your Majesty on a southern tour, except for the time on the dragon boat, my feet were blistered.”
“And when we went to the palace, I shivered all night from the cold, and also, also…….”
Kangxi’s lips curved slightly as he interrupted her, “Get to the point!”
Fang He puffed out her cheeks, “The point is, you should return the monthly allowance I worked so hard for!”
“Chunlai said that Liang Jiugong personally went to Qiao Cheng to take it, and he even took the glutinous rice I stored at my uncle’s place for making face powder.”
Is he that desperate?
Since he can’t leave now, Fang He is best at quickly accepting reality and doing her utmost to make herself comfortable.
What’s a quarrel?
Even if there’s a blood feud, She would get her silver back first, then kill her whole family.
So Fang He shamelessly cooed at Kangxi, “Although I’m now Zha Sanniu, I’m still a sister to Xu Fang He, so inheriting her estate isn’t too much, is it?
Kangxi: “….”
This rascal has no qualms about her own ‘death.’
But he wasn’t going to let her have her way so easily.
There was no reason for him to be half-dead with anger while she remained unscathed, doing as she pleased.
“Xi Fei’s silver…” he began slowly, and under Fang He’s eager urging, he smiled faintly, “Naturally, it has been buried with Xi Fei. Don’t even think about it.”
Fang He was stunned for a moment, then quickly let go of Kangxi and lay down beside him, her eyes vacant, murmuring, “You’re forcing me to dig up my own grave…”
Kangxi coughed lightly, suppressing his amusement, “However, since Zasihuli has been married before, she naturally has a dowry…”
“Huh?”
Fang He quickly turned over, pulling Kangxi down to lie beside her, eagerly hugging his arm, her attitude becoming fervent once again.
“I knew Your Majesty is the best, the very best emperor in the world~”
Feeling the softness on his arm, Kangxi’s body tensed up immediately, especially a certain part below.
Earlier, when he had applied medicine to this rascal, just those two curves had made him recite the Diamond Sutra for half an hour before he could fall asleep.
Now, even though he had no desire to touch her due to her humiliation, his body couldn’t resist the temptation.
He warned in a hoarse voice, “If you don’t want to die in my bed, behave yourself and stop tempting me!”
Fang He: “…”
Damn, I’ve gotten used to hugging Sister Naren and Lady Liang.
Her body stiffened, and she subtly let go, inching back a bit, thinking it wasn’t noticeable.
In truth, she was fully prepared for whatever might happen at this point.
But… she had heard from her colleagues and Geng Shuning that fights at the head of the bed often lead to reconciliations at the foot, and they were usually quite intense.
Given his size and her frame… she wasn’t ready to die yet.
She forced a laugh, “I was wrong… Please don’t misunderstand, I’m more than willing to serve Your Majesty, but with your prowess, this little time wouldn’t be enough, and I dare not delay Your Majesty’s important matters…”
Kangxi closed his eyes expressionlessly, always so glib with words!
Her subconscious resistance didn’t escape him, and it only fueled the fire of desire mixed with anger burning in his chest.
No one had ever dared to reject him like this, only this rascal, yet he couldn’t punish her for such a thing, leaving him feeling stifled and pained.
He sat up with a cold face.
Fang He sensed trouble and, with a stiffened scalp, grabbed his hand, shaking it lightly as if pleading for mercy.
“It’s still early, where are you going…”
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t!” Kangxi scolded, his eyes cold and fierce.
“What’s yours will be yours, and I’ll give it to you when it’s time. If you keep chattering, get out and confine yourself to the side room!”
Fang He shrunk her neck, a man with unfulfilled desires was truly unbearable.
But she couldn’t let Kangxi leave like this; she knew all too well how petty this man could be.
She pleaded softly, “But I’m scared alone, I can’t sleep. I won’t say anything more, will Your Majesty stay and sleep with me a bit longer?”
She made a zipping motion over her mouth, her clear eyes full of ‘I’ll be obedient,’ pulling the quilt up to her chin, just staring at him eagerly.
Kangxi took a deep breath inwardly, sitting with his back to Fang He, his face stern.
Not long after, a soft and mischievous little hand slipped into his palm.
He looked down at the small hand intertwined with his, suddenly remembering the afternoon when she had danced her fingers on the back of his hand, and the anger in his heart involuntarily subsided by half.
With a quiet sigh, Kangxi pressed his hand to his temple, closed his eyes, and focused for a moment, only to suddenly feel drowsy again.
He pretended to casually turn over and lie down, tilting his head slightly to see Fang He already asleep, her little mouth slightly open.
Kangxi angrily withdrew his hand.
The movement was not small, yet it didn’t wake Fang He at all.
Clearly, someone had indeed eaten their fill and was now comfortably dozing off, even smacking her lips unconsciously and tangling the blanket under her legs…
He took a deep breath.
He had been a fool to believe a single word from that scoundrel!!
By the time Fang He woke up, the daylight was already bright.
The summer sun even filtered through the cracks in the window, scattering a fine, starlike pattern on the floor, casting a glow over the bright yellow curtains and rosewood furniture in the room.
She stretched lazily as she got up and asked Chunlai, “What time is it? Where’s the Emperor?”
Seeing Chunlai’s subtle expression as she looked at her, Fang He paused mid-stretch and covered her mouth, leaning forward to peek.
“What did I do this time?”
She hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol last night!
Chunlai also covered her mouth and whispered very softly, “Last night, His Majesty stormed off to the study, telling you to scram as soon as you woke up, but also ordered that no one should disturb you…”
To be honest, even when Fang He had been in the Emperor’s presence before, Chunlai had never seen him so furious, as if he wanted to strike someone down but couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Chunlai was somewhat puzzled.
Was the power of a life-saving favor and a second chance really this overwhelming?
Fang He acted as if she hadn’t heard.
She had exhausted what felt like three of her own brains last night-standing firm without pushing things to the brink, yielding without losing her dignity, delivering cutting words that hit hard, and then having to coax him back with physical suffering…
If she couldn’t even have a little freedom to sleep after all that, she might as well give up and lie down waiting for death.
“Then I’ll scram to…” She was about to ask where when Li Dequan hurried in, bowing deeply.
“Greetings, Miss. His Majesty has instructed that he’s busy these days, and you’re free to do as you please while waiting.”
Fang He didn’t quite understand.
“So I can go out?”
Li Dequan quickly replied, “Of course, Miss. You’re not under house arrest.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?” Fang He raised an eyebrow.
“You jest, Miss. As long as you take Chunlai and the guards assigned to protect you, and let us know in advance, I can arrange a carriage for you immediately.” Li Dequan’s smile remained unchanged.
The entire Tianya Inn was under surveillance by hidden guards, and the city gates of Jiangning, Suzhou, and Yangzhou were also closely monitored.
There were even undercover guards secretly ‘protecting’ Fang He, and Chunlai’s martial skills were no joke…
If Fang He could still manage to escape under these circumstances, they might as well hang themselves from a tree branch rather than wait for the Emperor’s wrath.
Though Fang He wasn’t aware of the behind-the-scenes arrangements, she could easily guess that Kangxi must have made thorough preparations to be so confident.
Still, she happily jumped up and urged Chunlai to help her get ready.
The more closely she was watched, the more Fang He feared that Madam Liang and the others might act impulsively in a moment of anger.
Knowing Kangxi’s temperament, he might forgive them once, but he would never tolerate a second offense.
She didn’t want everyone to end up as prisoners trapped in the inn because of her.
They had left in such a hurry before, but now that she could go out, it was a good opportunity to settle some matters.
She patted her bottom and left the Cao family villa.
In the next moment, the news reached Emperor Kangxi, who was in the midst of receiving the governors of Jiangning, Yangzhou, and Suzhou.
He let out a light scoff, as expected.
This reignited the nameless fire in his heart, causing the governors reporting on the military garrisons and water transport situations to break into a cold sweat, nervously wiping their brows.
Kangxi didn’t want personal matters to interfere with state affairs, so he suppressed his emotions without a trace and calmly ordered, “Summon Consort De to attend me in an hour.”
Liang Jiugong, his scalp tingling, acknowledged the order, but his heart began to race.
Was the Emperor planning to make that ancestor jealous through Consort De?
But considering how she could sleep soundly for six hours after a quarrel and rise only when the sun was high, would she really care about who the Emperor favored?
If she did, would she have left so carefree?
As Liang Jiugong, his head full of worries, went to summon Consort De, Fang He had already boarded a boat, swiftly heading west along the Zhenyang River.
By noon, she had returned to the inn.
As soon as she entered the inn, Lin Chen, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted her and immediately called out, “Boss! Boss… your sister is here!”
Now that Fan Su had officially become Fan Shaohui, Fang He no longer needed to disguise herself.
She was dressed in women’s attire, and to avoid revealing her identity, Lin Chen had to fabricate a sister.
Although Lin Chen had seen his boss in women’s clothing before, the family and the inn couldn’t afford the agate-colored brocade Fang He was wearing now.
As Fang He walked, she resembled the first light of dawn, with waves of crimson clouds swirling around her, complementing her jade-like complexion and the gentle chime of her emerald hairpin…
Everyone in the inn felt as though they were witnessing the most beautiful scene of Jiangnan in midsummer.
Naren and Madam Liang hurried out, only to be greeted by this breathtaking sight.
The anxiety in their eyes suddenly paused and gradually faded away.
In that moment, they felt that perhaps this little rascal was meant to be cherished and held high in the palm of someone’s hand.
And if that person were the most powerful man in the world, maybe than sharing a husband with others is not such a difficult thing to accept.
In the Inn Madam Ling and Naren took Fang He to the second floor.
Naren looked at Chunlai next to her and figured out that she was a martial artist.
So they were sure that the bastard was safe, Madam Ling said:
“When you go back, I’ll will prescribe you some health-preserving prescriptions. You can take them with you and some earn extra money .”
“Are you scared? Did the baby bothered you ?” Fang He particularly patted Madam Ling’s belly one short and one long.
This was Morse code that Fang He had learned during a scripted murder mystery game in her previous life, meaning “no.”
She only knew “yes” and “no,” and had taught it to Madam Liang as a secret signal.
Lady Liang sighed inwardly, realizing that Fang He was determined to return to the palace.
The travel permits she had prepared earlier could no longer be used, and it seemed that they would have to stay quietly in Jiangnan for the time being.
Naren also noticed this, but she took it in stride.
After all, before helping Fang He escape, she had secretly inquired for a long time and knew that Fang He held a special position in front of Emperor Kangxi.
Since they had lost the bet, it would be a miracle if the domineering Qing emperor would let Fang He go.
She calmly said, “Don’t worry about the inn. There will always be a share for you here. At the end of the year when we settle the accounts, I’ll have someone send your portion to the palace.”
Fang He knew Naren was referring to the gold box and the southern pearls, and she didn’t refuse, nodding with a grin as if it were only natural.
“Of course, without me as the boss, our inn wouldn’t have done so well. I won’t be able to eat Xiao Qiao’s dishes anymore in the future, so you’ll have to give me a bigger share of the profits!”
When the two of them heard her mention Qiao Xiaoyuan, they instinctively glanced at Chunlai.
Chunlai just kept her head down, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.
Fang He didn’t mind and laughed, “I came here today specifically for the spicy grilled fish. Hurry up and have Xiao Qiao make it and bring it to me personally!”
“By the way, I still have some things to say to them. You two can go about your business; no need to keep me company.”
Naren and Lady Liang understood that this was Fang He’s way of openly cutting ties with Xiao Qiao.
Since Fang He didn’t see anything wrong with it, they didn’t say much either.
Lady Liang rolled her eyes and stood up, “All you do every day is sleep and eat. I’ll be curious to see if you can give birth to triplets like a pig in the future!”
After the two left, Fang He didn’t have to wait long before she smelled the mouth-watering aroma of spicy and savory flavors.
Even Chunlai couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
Good heavens, it smelled a bit fishy, but there was also a more unfamiliar, stimulating scent that couldn’t be blocked even by covering her nose.
No wonder the young lady had been craving it…
Qiao Xiaoyuan and Lin Chen came in together because Qiao Xiaoyuan couldn’t see clearly and was afraid of spilling the dishes.
Lin Chen set the dishes down, winked at Fang He, and then left with a smile, leaving Qiao Xiaoyuan standing awkwardly in his apron.