This little rascal was actually more responsive to softness than force-how foolish of him to only realize it now.
“I’ve thought it over. It’s only natural that you don’t trust me,” Kangxi murmured, his deep voice gentle in her ear.
“I’m bound by the court and the harem, often unable to act as I wish. It’s no wonder you doubt me.”
“My anger was mostly at myself for failing to protect you properly. These past few nights, in the quiet, I’ve come to understand that.” He lifted his gaze, looking deeply into her eyes.
“I can’t promise you’ll never face hardship in the future. So if you have the means to secure your place in the palace, I should be glad for you.”
“From now on, do as you wish. I won’t make promises I can’t keep, but I’ll always stand by your side and give you the strength you need.”
Fang He instinctively rested her hands on Kangxi’s shoulders, melting into his embrace as her eyes slowly reddened.
Did the sun rise from the west today?
Had he really taken the wrong medicine?!
What were the odds of this happening?
She could cry from sheer disbelief.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling lightly against him, her voice trembling.
“This concubine… was so afraid. Afraid that… one day, Your Majesty would grow to despise me for being ruthless.”
Kangxi: “……”
Not a trace of that fear had been visible when she’d been so bold in the Empress Dowager’s palace.
Hearing the hint of a sob in her voice, he wanted to lift her chin to see if she was crying.
Instead, he softened his tone further.
“Fang He, don’t be afraid. As long as you don’t threaten the empire, staying just as you are now is more than enough.”
Fang He buried her face even deeper into Kangxi’s embrace, clutching his waist tightly-she absolutely couldn’t look up now, afraid she might burst out laughing and reveal her teeth.
Her voice trembled more intensely, “Your Majesty, you treat this concubine so kindly…”
“Endangering the nation’s foundation?”
The Qing dynasty would collapse within three centuries without her help? With so many “talented” people in the Qing court, she’d gladly admit defeat.
Kangxi gently patted her shoulder to comfort her.
“Since you know I treat you well, from now on, whatever you want, just tell me directly. No need to beat around the bush and break my heart.”
Mostly because he couldn’t always scold his ministers, nor could he bear to punish this little troublemaker he could only coax her.
Fang He finally looked up, revealing eyes reddened from suppressed laughter-no, from overwhelming emotion.
“If Your Majesty says so, this concubine wouldn’t be so ungrateful.”
“What this concubine wants is… gold boxes, gold chests, gold nuggets, cordyceps, ginseng, bird’s nests—just century-old ones will do, this concubine isn’t picky.”
Kangxi:”…..”
At this point, you might as well ask for the moon!
He took a deep breath but still couldn’t suppress a low chuckle, lightly pinching Fang He’s cheek.
“Fine, your monthly allowance will be exchanged for these. You won’t lack for anything.”
Wanting to hear more of Fang He’s provoking words, Kangxi subtly changed the subject while massaging her stomach.
“Still feeling bloated?”
Half an hour had passed, so naturally Fang He wasn’t bloated anymore.
Caught off guard, she shook her head.
“Ah—” Mid-shake, her entire world spun as Kangxi swept her up into a bridal carry and headed toward the eastern warm chamber.
The palace doors had been left slightly ajar in case the emperor needed attendants.
Upon hearing Fang He’s surprised gasp, Chief Eunuch Liang Jiugong immediately knew what was about to happen and signaled the servants to enter.
This time, Fang He was gently placed onto the curtained bed-though the figure descending upon her showed no such gentleness, trapping her firmly beneath him.
“Your Majes― Mmph!” Before she could speak, darkness enveloped her vision as her lips were captured.
Only feverish sounds escaped her now, all coherent speech lost.
Then, like a skilled musician finding his instrument’s strings, he swiftly drew forth reactions that made her eyes widen with muffled cries, her gaze growing increasingly dazed.
Just as she was about to surrender completely to the swirling heat, a movement at the edge of her vision revealed five figures standing beyond the curtains!
“Ah!” Instinctively, she kicked out, her foot connecting with Kangxi’s shoulder.
Before he could react, she’d already burrowed under the bright yellow covers, her face burning scarlet.
Her blush came not just from embarrassment but anger-she’d forgotten about the observers.
Everyone enjoys watching, but nobody wants to be the one being watched!
Kangxi took a deep breath, his displeasure rising at Fang He’s unusual reaction-though not directed at her, but at Liang Jiugong.
Knowing full well his intimacy with Consort Zhao differed from others, yet still sending attendants in—as if afraid people wouldn’t know the mighty emperor could still…
“Liang Jiugong, get in here!” he commanded in a low voice.
“Send them all out. Without my order, no one is allowed to enter the hall today!” Liang Jiugong hesitated,
“Your Majesty, this… this goes against protocol. The palace records will have to be presented to the Empress Dowager later.”
Kangxi:”…”
So his imperial grandmother would have even more reason to scold him?
A square pillow flew straight out from behind the curtains, hitting Liang Jiugong squarely on the head.
“Scoundrel! I decide the palace rules here. Get out and close the doors!”
Helpless, Liang Jiugong could only scramble to catch the pillow and usher everyone out.
Still, he dared not completely disregard his duties, straining his ears to listen for any sounds inside.
At first, there was nothing the Zhaoren Hall was too vast, and with the doors shut, no voices could be heard.
But soon, he caught faint, suppressed cries.
There also seemed to be slapping sounds… though not quite the kind one might expect from intimate relations.
Liang Jiugong had a rough idea of what was happening and silently grumbled to himself.
No wonder His Majesty didn’t want anyone watching who knew he had a penchant for personally disciplining his concubines?
This was definitely not something to spread around.
He dismissed the other attendants, instructing Li Dequan, Qi Sanfu, and the eunuchs from the Office of Palace Affairs to keep their distance.
Only Chunlai remained with him by the hall entrance.
Chunlai’s hearing was far sharper than Liang Jiugong’s.
Where he heard nothing, she could faintly make out the Emperor’s low murmurs of comfort and the sounds of him coaxing someone to vent their anger.
If Liang Jiugong knew who was actually being “punished”…
Chunlai’s face flushed crimson, and she ducked her head even lower, pretending she hadn’t heard a thing.
Inside, Kangxi held Fang He close, glancing ruefully at his reddened arm.
“Only you would dare raise a hand against me in the imperial bed.”
“Then go favor someone else! Give me my clothes-I’ll take my leave now… wuu~” Fang He yanked the covers over her head, her earlier fright having sapped all enthusiasm.
Not wanting to hear her dispirited words, Kangxi silenced her with a deep kiss, murmuring indistinct reassurances between breaths.
“So what if they hear? Back on the dragon boat…” It wasn’t as if they hadn’t heard before.
But when Fang He parted her lips to bite back, he pressed a palm firmly over her other mouth, soothing her with gentle strokes.
Only when the frightened beauty in his arms was flushed like the evening clouds did he leisurely lower his head, freeing her lips to voice her protests.
After one release, Fang He simply wanted to sleep.
Yet the sensitive skin of her ears and neck tingled under feather-light touches, leaving her unbearably restless.
“Enough… just hurry up!”
She could already feel the damp chill of the sheets and longed to clean up quickly, nestling fresh and warm under the covers.
In the dim glow of the bed curtains, Kangxi’s eyes occasionally flickered with dark intensity.
Having coaxed her into the bed curtains, with the whole night ahead, haste was the last thing on his mind—nor did he intend to rush.
In the blink of an eye, Fang He found herself flipped onto her stomach, a scorching heat pressing against her back.
A muffled whimper escaped her as if scalded by a furnace.
Outside, the snow fell heavier, gradually blanketing the entire Qianqing Palace in white.
The hidden guards could no longer cling to the roof eaves and had no choice but to retreat to sheltered corners.
Even the bitter cold was preferable to listening to the heated cries within.
The night watchman’s clapper echoed strangely expansive in the snowy silence, making the darkness beyond the palace lanterns seem all the more profound.
The candlelight inside the room cast a warm glow on those slender, pale legs, making them tremble even more noticeably.
Fang He’s voice had already gone hoarse, and the top of her head felt numb from hitting the headboard too many times.
Tears streamed down her face as she could barely even lift her arms anymore.
Pleasure.
Over and over, like flipping pancakes, he had taken her three times without even calling for water.
The two of them were drenched in sweat as if it were summer, sticky and suffocating.
Yet her mind kept screaming in ecstasy, forcing her to bite down on this bastard again and again.
Whether she was on her stomach, side, or back, she could no longer keep up, trembling uncontrollably like someone with Parkinson’s.
“Wuuu… I’m sleepy, let me sleep…” she begged in a breathless whisper.
Only now, with her mind as sluggish as paste, did she finally realize why this man had been so gentle and coaxing earlier.
Was this some ancient version of a pig-butchering scam?
Lure someone in… but even butchering pigs wasn’t this exhausting!
She couldn’t take it anymore.
Summoning the last of her strength, she wriggled desperately toward the edge, her trembling hands reaching out…
She needed to use her final ounce of energy to call for water.
She was truly about to die of thirst inside these bed curtains!!
“Once we’ve settled the accounts, I’ll let you sleep,” Kangxi’s voice was also hoarse as he pulled her back by the waist from behind, holding her sideways.
Since she entered the palace, he hadn’t touched Fang He, yet the urge to crush her and swallow her whole had surged repeatedly just so she could never use that mouth of hers to provoke him again.
What he had said earlier was true.
He had also feared she might pull some new trick, complaining about aches here and itches there, just to slip away from under his nose once more.
After holding back for months, if he didn’t settle these accounts properly, he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Fang He’s tears, drawn out by the stimulation, trickled from the corners of her eyes onto the arm wrapped around her neck.
Her hair was disheveled, her face flushed red, her eyes, nose, and lips all swollen terribly.
Inside, she was crying even harder.
Wuuu…
She had prepared herself to “pay interest” for her dowry, which was why she had eaten and drunk so eagerly…
But she never expected this man to be so greedy-not only did he want the interest, he intended to take back the principal and interest all at once!
Emperors truly had black hearts, so very black!!
Outside, Liang Jiugong, despite having a charcoal brazier at his feet and wearing thick cotton-padded robes, was nearly frozen stiff.
He had Li Dequan check the time it had already been three hours…
The faint noises from inside had grown quieter, yet there was still no sign of stopping.
He glanced discreetly at the eunuch from the Office of Imperial Records, who was stomping his feet in the corner, and thought to himself that he’d have to speak to Gu Wenxing later the imperial records couldn’t document everything.
Even during the Emperor’s most vigorous moments in the past, it had never lasted this long.
Not summoning imperial consorts might harm His Majesty’s health, but prolonged and frequent sessions like this would harm him even more!
If the Empress Dowager found out His Majesty was like this…
Regardless of how Consort Zhao fared, Liang Jiugong, as the one who failed to advise the Emperor and safeguard his well-being, would undoubtedly face a beating.
Fortunately, after another quarter of an hour, the commotion inside finally ceased, and Kangxi called for water in a raspy voice.
Fang He didn’t hear a thing she was already fast asleep from exhaustion.
None of the films she had watched were this long.
How on earth had this man managed to stay so… vigorous?
Kangxi carried the limp and sleeping Fang He to bathe, and she didn’t even wake up, being tucked into clean, warm bedding like a ragdoll before promptly starting to snore.
Kangxi was physically exhausted too, but his heart was filled with an unprecedented satisfaction.
Even if Fang He could be infuriating, he had still managed to coax those sweet words out of the little rascal-so all in all, he hadn’t lost out at all.
With Kangxi’s formidable self-control and boundless energy, he only slept for less than two hours before rising refreshed for the morning court session.
By the time he returned from court, Fang He still hadn’t woken.
Chunlai and Wenqin from the Qianqing Palace were attending to her in the Zhaoren Hall.
“Tell the imperial kitchen to prepare another serving of last night’s dishes, along with a bowl of pear and bird’s nest soup,” Kangxi instructed Liang Jiugong with a smile.
Instead of going to the Hongde Hall, he simply stayed in the Zhaoren Hall to review memorials.
When Fang He finally awoke, it was only half an hour before noon.
After freshening up, she could go straight to lunch.
Chunlai stepped forward to help Fang He bathe.
This time, Fang He didn’t have the strength to wash herself and had to let Chunlai do the work.
Wenqin waited outside the screen.
The moment Chunlai removed Fang He’s inner robe, her face flushed red again.
Last night, it had been the Emperor who bathed her mistress-only now did she see…
Even though she had seen her fair share on the southern inspection tour, there were marks… even below the navel…
Just thinking about how those marks had gotten there made Chunlai’s embarrassment spread down to her neck.
She glanced outside, then leaned close to Fang He’s ear, whispering so Wenqin couldn’t hear, “Mistress, should I ask Chief Liang for some ointment?”
Judging by the marks on her mistress’s body, she must have suffered quite a bit last night-who knew where else might be injured?
Fang He’s expression was rather complicated.
“No need,” she rasped softly.
“I’m not hurt.”
And that was the most infuriating part-that utterly unskilled brute who had scared her half to death, what kind of teacher had he found?!
If there had been even a moment of pain beyond her tolerance last night, she could have made a scene and stopped that relentless heat.
But most of the discomfort had come from too much pleasure.
Her skin was too sensitive, and some of the marks were even left by that brute supporting her so she wouldn’t be sore the next day.
So while she was as exhausted as if she’d run a marathon, her whole body aching unbearably, there wasn’t a single spot that actually hurt.
Even the place that should have hurt the most-her mouth-didn’t.
Fang He had been puzzled when she got up, but now, hearing Chunlai’s words, she understood he must have applied ointment last night.
Well, no, there was one place that was uncomfortable.
She pointed to her throat.
“Get me some sweet soup to soothe my throat.”
Chunlai paused in her gentle wiping and whispered, “His Majesty has already ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare pear and bird’s nest soup for you.”
Fang He: “……”
How thoughtful of him…
Wait, why was he being so thoughtful?
Supported by Chunlai, she stumbled out weakly to the warm eastern chamber, where lunch was already laid out.
Kangxi approached with a smile, half-lifting and half-guiding her to sit down-still without setting up a small table.
“Eat well. Rest some more after lunch. I’ve prepared other delicious dishes for you tonight.”
Fang He’s vision darkened abruptly.
Please tell her there wasn’t any “dragon stick” among them, was there?!