Once the physicians finished taking her pulse, Kangxi asked gravely, “Well?”
Lu Wuning knelt and replied, “Your Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager is not seriously ill. It is merely due to her earlier consumption of…”
“Ahem!” Xiaozhuang suddenly coughed heavily, sitting up from Fang He’s embrace.
“This old one is fine. It’s just a slight chill. There’s no need for you to fuss, Emperor.”
In truth, after being cared for by Fang He, she had been eating well, sleeping soundly, and her skin no longer itched as much.
But with comfort came cravings.
No matter how revered Xiaozhuang was in the eyes of others, age had made her somewhat willful like a child.
She had been fixated on roasted lamb and couldn’t let it go.
Sumala and Fang He dared not indulge her, resorting to coaxing or playful refusals, which only fueled her stubbornness.
While Sumala and Fang He were away at the grand Buddhist hall offering scriptures, Xiaozhuang had even gone so far as to secretly order the kitchens to prepare roasted lamb.
After indulging, she suffered from internal heat.
To cool down, she had the windows opened to air out the smell and catch a breeze-but no more than half an hour later, the imbalance of inner heat and outer chill made her fall ill.
With so many consorts outside, if this were revealed in front of them, Xiaozhuang’s dignity would be lost.
Kangxi raised a brow slightly, sensing the attempt to conceal the truth.
He didn’t press further, instinctively glancing at Fang He instead.
Fang He blinked at him and smiled.
“Her Majesty is in good health. She just has a headache from our nagging. A few more bowls of medicinal broth, and she’ll be right as rain.”
She turned to Xiaozhuang with a grin.
“Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
Xiaozhuang: “…That’s the way of it.”
Though the thought of more bitter medicine made her stomach churn.
A flicker of amusement passed through Kangxi’s eyes he had likely pieced together the truth.
Grand Imperial Mother was otherwise well, but when it came to her appetite… she bore an unfortunate resemblance to a certain troublemaker.
Just as he relaxed and opened his mouth to speak, Tong Jia abruptly entered, cutting him off.
Lady Tong Jia entered and immediately knelt down.
“Forgive my intrusion, Old Ancestor. I had something urgent to say and couldn’t wait. I’m willing to accept any punishment afterward.”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang glanced at Sumala without changing her expression, and Sumala immediately went out to dismiss the others.
In a stern voice, the Empress Dowager asked, “What matter couldn’t wait, that you had to bring it up while I’m ill?”
Without mincing words, Lady Tong Jia pointed directly at Fang He.
“The Zhasihuli woman has a fate of misfortune-a lone star destiny. Not only does she bring misfortune to her husband and children, but she also bears the fate of the ‘Two Pillars of Adversity,’ harming relatives and friends. She must not remain in the palace!”
Outside, the Noble Consort Hui, Noble Consort Rong, Noble Consort Yi, and Noble Consort De, who had been about to take their leave at Sumala’s instruction, all halted in their steps, unwilling to leave.
A glint of amusement flashed in Noble Consort De’s eyes.
Her efforts to send news from the Emperor’s presence to Chengqian Palace had not been in vain.
Lady Tong Jia knew how hard the Emperor had been trying to influence the Empress Dowager’s decisions-no wonder she couldn’t sit still.
Inside, Lady Tong Jia continued, “Old Ancestor, you shouldn’t have had to suffer this cold in the first place. It’s because this ill-omened person is by your side that you’ve had to endure this hardship!”
Everyone present was startled, and the Empress Dowager’s face darkened instantly.
She didn’t know Fang He’s fate, but if anyone was to be harmed, it shouldn’t be her aunt-it should be her.
In the palace, people would dare say anything to gain favor!
Kangxi couldn’t hold back his rebuke.
“Lady Tong Jia, how dare you! Do you even know what nonsense you’re spouting?”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang lowered her gaze without speaking.
She had said before that Fang He wouldn’t find it easy to enter the inner palace.
She just hadn’t expected the Tong family to have the means to win over the Imperial Astronomers.
Without solid proof, Lady Tong Jia wouldn’t be mad enough to spout such wild claims here.
Fang He’s expression was similarly unruffled.
Entering the palace as a widow and working in a feudal society-if no one used superstition against her, that would be the real surprise.
Tears suddenly streamed down Lady Tong Jia’s face as she glared at Kangxi.
“In Your Majesty’s heart, am I the kind of person who would make baseless accusations?”
“Previously, when you and the Zhasihuli woman disembarked at mao hour on the eighth day of the seventh month, the Sixth Princess and I were fine. But by chen hour, we suddenly fell ill without warning.”
“Noble Consort Hui also fell ill around the same time, vomiting and suffering from diarrhea. The imperial physicians diagnosed us as having been invaded by wind pathogens, but Noble Consort Hui and I had our windows closed all morning. Where would wind pathogens come from?”
“Later, after the Zhasihuli woman entered the palace, the Sixth Princess and I couldn’t recover, and even Tong Pin fell ill. I had no choice but to consult a diviner, who said our ailments clashed with the fate of someone in the palace.”
Lady Tong Jia’s sharp gaze turned to Fang He as she enunciated each word.
“I summoned the Chief Imperial Astronomer to divine, and he calculated that a lone star was moving from south to north, straight into the northwest, seizing others’ fortunes to elevate itself.”
“Other than the Zhasihuli woman, no one else has the palace in this description.”
Returning to the capital from the south was indeed a journey from south to north, and Cining Palace was located in the northwest corner of the Forbidden City.
Kangxi asked with a grim expression, “By your logic, Chunlai has also just entered Cining Palace. If I were to make her a consort, what would you say then?”
Fang He glanced at Chunlai, who dropped to her knees, trembling in fear.
The boss was as fierce as a tiger-look how scared the poor girl was.
Lady Tong Jia sneered.
“I didn’t want to say more at first, fearing I might wrong someone. So I specifically asked the abbot of Fayuan Temple to divine this person’s birth chart-—and it matched the Zhasihuli woman’s exactly. How do you explain that?”
Before Kangxi could speak, her tears began to fall like rain, her face etched with sorrow.
“If Your Majesty still refuses to believe me, simply summon the officials from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the masters from Fayuan Temple. One inquiry will reveal the truth.”
“I have long lost Your Majesty’s favor, merely clinging to life for a few more years. Soon, I will no longer offend Your Majesty’s eyes, nor would I ever slander the woman Your Majesty holds dear in order to compete for favor.”
Hearing her speak with such grief, her entire being so desolate it seemed devoid of joy, Kangxi recalled their past affection and couldn’t bring himself to speak harshly.
His cousin’s health was indeed fragile.
If he dismissed her now and suppressed this matter, there was no telling what the Tong Jia clan might do.
Once word spread, memorials accusing him of filial impiety would flood the court.
With the Tong family’s influence, he had no illusions about keeping this quiet.
If that happened… the accusations of Fang He being a femme fatale or cursed with an ill-fated destiny would become even harder to resolve.
After a moment’s contemplation, he turned to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
“Imperial Grandmother, matters of fate are elusive and cannot be judged by one person’s words alone. But since this concerns Your Majesty’s health, I dare not take it lightly. Perhaps we should confine Fang He to the Grand Buddha Hall for now.”
“I will investigate this thoroughly and give you a proper account. What do you think?”
He didn’t consult Fang He, knowing her intelligence would allow her to understand this was for her protection.
With Zhao Chang on the case, the truth would surely come to light.
If the Tong family was behind this…
A dark glint flashed in Kangxi’s eyes.
He would have to discipline his uncles properly.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang glanced at Fang He.
She knew the true cause of her illness and had no objections, but wondered how the girl would react.
In the past, Kangxi had been nothing but tender and affectionate toward her, treating her like a precious treasure, never speaking a harsh word.
Now, Fang He faced not her doting lover, but the Emperor of the Great Qing.
If the Tong family’s ambitions had grown and their methods were sophisticated enough to evade imperial investigation… this girl might spend the rest of her days with Buddhist scriptures as her only companions.
Fang He raised her head and smiled gently at the Empress Dowager, showing no trace of dismay or shock.
She had faced poisoned wine before this wasn’t her first realization that Kangxi was the emperor.
Kangxi’s gaze followed the exchange between the Empress Dowager and Fang He, settling on the latter.
For some reason, seeing Fang He’s smile filled him with inexplicable panic.
He longed to stand by her side and force Tong Jia to retract her words.
He felt transported back to that forest in Northern Mongolia, once again understanding that for the stability of court and harem-and to protect Fang He he couldn’t indulge his impulses.
He had to let her endure this injustice first.
“Zhasihuli…” he began hoarsely, “you should first—”
Fang He suddenly rose, turning her back to him as she knelt before the Empress Dowager.
Her clear voice rang out: “Venerable Ancestor, this subject has been wronged. There are words I must speak.”
A violent tremor passed through Kangxi’s heart.
He suddenly remembered what Fang He had whispered against his shoulder that day on the dragon boat in Jiangning.
The panic surging within him darkened his expression.
Tong Jia’s sharp voice cut in:
“What right does an ill-omened creature like you have to—”
“Silence! Whether she is ill-omened is for me to decide!” Kangxi roared coldly.
“Let her speak!”
Stunned by the emperor’s fury, Tong Jia froze momentarily before looking up at Kangxi in disbelief.
She was just one step away from becoming the queen of the harem, being the emperor’s maternal cousin!
Even if it meant slapping her in the face and disregarding the dignity of his maternal family, he still insisted on protecting this lowly woman born of an illicit affair?!
Fang He ignored the storm brewing behind her and simply gazed calmly at Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
Running into a useless boss wasn’t uncommon for a working woman-she had never relied on others in either of her lifetimes.
The Empress Dowager, who had been unable to get a word in, now looked at Xiaozhuang anxiously.
“Aunt, please give her a chance to explain!”
Xiaozhuang pinched her temples and leaned wearily against the pillow.
“Enough. It was just me indulging in food and falling ill, yet this commotion makes me wonder if I’m not sick enough.”
Before the Kangxi Emperor or the Empress Dowager could speak, Xiaozhuang pointed at Fang He.
“Speak if you have something to say-but think carefully before you do. Don’t act rashly.”
After all, as long as Kangxi wanted to protect someone and she herself wasn’t dead yet, the worst-case scenario was simply leaving the palace under a new identity.
What she feared most was Fang He losing her temper and doing something foolish, which would only bring pain to loved ones and joy to enemies.
Fang He nodded in understanding.
“This humble girl is well aware. In fact, before coming to the capital, someone once told my fortune-but their reading was the complete opposite of the Imperial Noble Consort.”
Xiaozhuang raised an eyebrow and asked:
“Oh? What did they say?”
Fang He’s next words stunned everyone inside and outside the room.
Those who were anxious or gleefully watching the drama alike.
She said, “That Taoist master claimed I was born with the destiny of a phoenix. An ordinary man truly couldn’t bear the weight of my fate.”
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