This midday meal, Fang He didn’t enjoy as much as last night’s dinner, completely wasting the Imperial Kitchen’s fine craftsmanship.
If she managed to eat without getting food up her nose, it could be considered her being focused.
After the meal, they rested for a while.
Kangxi glanced at the water clock and spoke with a faint smile.
“I will accompany you…..”
“No need!” Fang He reacted like a startled rabbit, her clear black-and-white eyes still slightly swollen, looking at Kangxi warily.
The moment the words left her mouth, seeing Kangxi’s expressionless face, she hurriedly racked her brain to smooth things over.
“Your concubine knows Your Majesty is busy with state affairs. How could I dare to disturb you further in the imperial presence? Perhaps I should return to the rear palace first…”
Kangxi suppressed a laugh and stepped forward, giving her legs a meaningful glance.
“Can you even walk?”
Fang He: “……”
What kind of nonsense is this in broad daylight?
She was about to say there were still palanquins when Kangxi, still smiling, effortlessly picked her up.
“Behave. I won’t touch you today. According to protocol, after conferring you as a concubine, I must favor you for three consecutive days. But with your current state, it’s best not to push yourself.”
Feeling Fang He’s small fists pressing against his chest, Kangxi looked down at her with an amused smirk, the darkness in his eyes making her heart race.
“If you don’t behave… I wouldn’t mind continuing tonight.”
Fang He instantly unclenched her fists, mentally slapping this man a hundred times over, but on the surface, she softened like a well-petted cat, gently kneading the dragon robe.
Her still slightly hoarse voice also softened.
“Your concubine is just afraid of wrinkling Your Majesty’s robes. If others saw, they might think I don’t know my place~”
Kangxi scoffed inwardly as if she had ever known her place.
But he kept his word.
After lying down, though his burning hands weren’t entirely well-behaved, he ultimately didn’t do anything, just held her close, closed his eyes, and actually prepared to sleep.
Fang He heaved a sigh of relief.
While that had been enjoyable, too much of anything was bad.
Too much pleasure was torture she was convinced she’d been drained of her vitality.
As Kangxi’s breathing gradually steadied, Fang He yawned.
She had just gotten up not long ago but was already sleepy again.
Before dozing off, she grumbled inwardly that this bastard must have been exhausted last night too.
After all, he had done most of the physical labor.
One drop of that was worth ten drops of blood-by that logic, he was practically suffering from blood loss.
When night fell and, after washing up, Kangxi still just held her to sleep, Fang He became even more convinced of this.
She secretly speculated that perhaps His Majesty’s habits needed adjusting.
At his age, doing it three days in a row was unsustainable— better to do it once and rest for a month, recharge before the next round!
Having slept most of the day, she slept soundly at night too.
Early on the third morning, Fang He was already lively and energetic.
Taking advantage of Kangxi being away at Hongde Hall handling state affairs with the Crown Prince, Fang He quietly asked Cui Wei, who had been sent to attend to her.
“So? So?”
She had dismissed both Wenqin and Li Dequan, pushing a plate of roasted pumpkin seeds toward Cui Wei, setting the stage for some juicy gossip.
“How many palaces lost their minds? Come on, tell me, let me have some fun.”
Cui Wei gave Fang He a complicated look-she had never seen someone so eager to gossip about herself.
Glancing at the door, Cui Wei unceremoniously grabbed a handful of pumpkin seeds, covering her mouth as she whispered.
“Nothing from Chengqian Palace, but someone smelled medicine there. There hadn’t been any the past few days you understand, right?”
Fang He nodded like a pecking chick, “Oh, I totally get it now. Tsk tsk, no wonder they hold such high positions—their temperaments are simply incomparable.”
Cui Wei: “…… The Zhongcui Palace and Yonghe Palace have indeed been quiet. I heard another golden Buddha was enshrined in Zhongcui Palace. Oh, and Lady De and Noble Lady Zhangjia have grown increasingly close.”
“Tsk tsk, that’s what you call destined fate!” Fang He remarked meaningfully, saying something Cui Wei didn’t quite understand.
Although Yong Lao Si (the Fourth Prince) didn’t get along with Consort De, his bond with the Thirteenth Prince began precisely because of the friendship between Consort De and Lady Zhangjia.
Seeing Cui Wei about to ask, Fang He quickly changed the subject, whispering, “By the way, where on earth do you get all these insider rumors?”
Back in the servant quarters, Cui Wei had shared many secrets unknown to outsiders with her.
For instance, the death of the Eighth Princess was linked to Consort De, and the successive deaths of Consort Rong’s children likely had the hand of the late Empress Niohuru…
Logically, even Kangxi and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang might not know all these secrets.
How did Cui Wei, who had idled in the Imperial Tea Bureau for seven or eight years, come by such information?
Last time Fang He asked, Cui Wei had only smiled mysteriously without answering.
After all, they weren’t close partners back then.
But now Fang He had to ask.
She liked to prepare in advance; if Cui Wei ever slipped up, she needed a plan to save both their necks.
This time, Cui Wei didn’t hold back.
Leaning close, she whispered in Fang He’s ear, “You know my maternal aunt is from the Bordered White Banner’s Baoqi lineage, but you don’t know my mother’s family is from the Plain Yellow Banner’s Fucha clan.”
“Though my mother was only a concubine’s daughter, the Plain Yellow Banner’s Baoqi were the earliest servants to follow the imperial family. Unlike other Baoqi, they’re deeply entrenched in the palace, with connections in both the court and the inner palace. Naturally, they get news more easily than others.”
While the four great Baoqi families of the Imperial Household Department-the Cao, Liu, Ma, and Uya clans of the Bordered Yellow and Plain White Banners-handle most practical affairs and serve outside, they aren’t as well-informed as the long-entrenched Fucha and Tianjia clans of the Plain Yellow Banner.
The Donggo clan should have been among them too, but ever since Consort Donggo during the Shizong era, their numbers in the palace dwindled, leaving them unable to compete with the other two.
Aunt Qin’s position in the Imperial Household Department also relied on the influence of the Fucha Baoqi.
Otherwise, how could a woman barely thirty like her become a chief stewardess there?
Fang He pondered so the Uya clan was one of the four great Baoqi families?
That explained how Consort De managed to plant spies in the emperor’s presence.
She wanted to ask Cui Wei about the Uya clan, but remembering their surroundings, she hesitated.
Some words were harmless if overheard, but others…
She decided against it.
Cui Wei cracked melon seeds and said, “Yongshou Palace has been quiet too. The lady in Chuxiu Palace hasn’t been favored yet and only cares about the Crown Prince, staying out of these matters. But Changchun Palace and Yikun Palace…”
“Yikun Palace?” Fang He was surprised.
“Has Consort Yi gone mad too?”
She wasn’t surprised about Consort Hui’s restlessness.
But in her memory, Consort Yi had always been clever and ostentatious on the surface but, like herself, never crossing the three powers’ bottom lines.
After that sarcastic episode in Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager had already warned Consort Yi.
She shouldn’t be acting up now!
“It’s not the Imperial Consort, but Lady Guoluoru. She and Consort Hui have practically moved into Xianfu Palace these past two days.” Cui Wei probably knew why Lady Guoluoru was so restless.
With her mistress’s beauty setting the standard, Lady Guoluoru-who had entered the palace as a widow-had lost all her pride and could only endure the mockery of others.
If Lady Guoluoru had been thick-skinned, she wouldn’t have nearly tethered the Fourth Princess to her waistband after the rumors spread about the young prince’s death.
Fang He was curious, “I remember Consort Xuan is also from the Borjigit clan? Wasn’t she out of favor?”
“Well… Consort Xuan… she’s a bit different from most people.”
Cui Wei tapped her temple, unsure how to explain.
“She was only thirteen when she first entered the palace and even raised cattle and sheep inside. She once barged into the Hall of Heavenly Purity unsummoned to roast lamb for His Majesty…”
“…Oh, and I once overheard the elders mention that the Duan Yi Palace once retrieved a torn dragon robe from Xianfu Palace…”
Cui Wei, worried her mistress might feel uncomfortable hearing about others serving the Emperor, quickly added:
“Consort Xuan has never been favored since entering the palace, yet she was notorious for her arrogance. It wasn’t until the thirteenth year of Kangxi’s reign that she was confined to Xianfu Palace and things settled down.”
Because she had never been favored, Consort Xuan was mockingly called the “Xianfu Palace Miss” until the twentieth year, when she was granted the title of Consort out of respect for the Grand Empress Dowager.
Fang He’s jaw dropped.
From her original memories, she knew Consort Xuan had entered the palace in the year after Consort Hui’s death.
That was the eleventh year of Kangxi’s reign—when the Emperor was only nineteen… and had been forced into it by a thirteen-year-old Consort Xuan?
“Good heavens…” She covered her mouth to stifle a gleeful laugh.
The young Kangxi Emperor must have been… a little weak, huh?
Hahaha!
“What’s so funny?” Kangxi walked in from outside.
Cui Wei hastily hid the melon seeds in her sleeve and curtsied properly.
Seeing Kangxi wave her off, she quietly stepped aside.
Fang He looked at Kangxi’s tall, imposing figure and couldn’t quite picture him having his robes torn off.
But the more she thought about it, the funnier it became.
She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she couldn’t stand straight.
When Kangxi approached, she collapsed into his arms, still giggling.
Kangxi caught her effortlessly, pinching her cheek.
“Were you two gossiping about me?”
He had a feeling this little troublemaker was laughing at his expense.
Cui Wei immediately knelt in denial-how dare she speak ill of the Emperor?
She had only shared some truths… and a bit of family gossip.
Fang He finally managed to stop laughing and quickly changed the subject.
“Your Majesty, you’ve finished your duties so early today?”
Back when she served in the imperial presence, Kangxi had been swamped with year-end affairs, sometimes even skipping meals so much so that Liang Jiugong had nearly gone gray with worry.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to gossip with Cui Wei in someone else’s territory.
Kangxi hummed lightly.
“I was worried the Crown Prince might ruin his health from hunger. It’s fine to rest at noon before resuming work.”
It wasn’t just the Crown Prince he was concerned, he also feared the little glutton in Zhaoren Palace might use hunger as an excuse to run off again.
Fang He wasn’t a mind reader, but she was generous with sweet words.
She wrapped her arms around Kangxi’s waist and swayed gently, her voice dripping with honey.
“I knew His Majesty would be considerate, afraid I might go hungry. I’m so touched. Why don’t I order the meal for Your Majesty?”
Kangxi neither agreed nor disagreed.
Unlike Fang He, he wasn’t particularly fond of food.
He simply smiled ambiguously, stroking her back.
“So you plan to repay my kindness with what’s already mine?”
Fang He: “……”
Trade?
Give you an inch and you take a mile!
She stood up righteously.
“Of course not!”
“I must repay Your Majesty with my own sincerity. Later, I’ll eat an extra bowl of rice… no, two bowls!”
Kangxi: “…”
Her appetite was almost equal to several concubines combined.
Sometimes, he worried she might overeat.
Fang He had been eyeing the palace’s eight famous pastries for a long time.
This time, she unapologetically ordered her favorites-pepper- salt cakes and Grand Preceptor cakes.
Before speaking further, she hesitated slightly, then added roasted lamb and a few light, cooling side dishes.
She also instructed Liang Jiugong, “Add a bowl of pear and bird’s nest soup, and another of deer antler chicken broth for His Majesty.”
Deer antler chicken broth replenished yang energy.
This man might look strong, but… pfft!
He still needed some extra nourishment— especially since she hadn’t even conceived yet.
During the meal, Kangxi noticed Liang Jiugong’s peculiar expression as he served the deer antler broth and the fragrant, tender roasted lamb.
He couldn’t help but suppress another sigh.
He had been worried about exhausting her, yet here she was, fretting over his stamina?
Fang He was happily devouring roasted lamb ribs when she suddenly noticed Kangxi watching her with an amused smirk.
Especially when he scooped up the deer antler broth-those deep, phoenix-like eyes practically spelled out, “Just you wait.”
She instinctively shrank her neck, feeling a twinge of unease.
Did he think… she was implying he wasn’t up to the task?
But the unease lasted only a moment before she unapologetically ladled herself a bowl of braised lamb, eating with relish.
She was well-rested anyway.
If he wanted a fight, so be it she wasn’t afraid!
Worst case, she could always back down halfway.
To her surprise, during their afternoon nap, Kangxi did nothing but hold her quietly as they slept.
Fang He, who had mentally prepared for a daytime tryst, felt like a fooled deer.
His restraint suited her just fine.
After today, she could return to her own quarters and focus on recuperating.
Once she was fully recovered, she could always seduce this rascal into giving her a child later.
With that in mind, by evening-before Kangxi had even finished his work in the Hongde Hall-Fang He had already prepared her bath, planning to sleep early and return to her own palace.
His recent attentiveness gave her 80% confidence he wouldn’t disturb her.
And indeed, Kangxi wouldn’t easily wake a grumpy little troublemaker-so he didn’t even wait for her to fall asleep before returning.
In the bathing chamber, Fang He chatted softly with Cui Wei while washing herself when suddenly, Cui Wei stopped responding.
“What…?”
She turned, cutting herself off mid-sentence as she hurriedly covered what she could.
Looking up, her scalp tingled.
“Your Majesty, why are you… Mmph!”
Kangxi cupped the back of her neck, sealing her lips in a deep kiss while his other hand leisurely undid his robes.
“I heard you called for water early, so I came specifically to assist Consort Zha with her bath.”
Fang He: “……”
Then why are you taking off your pants?!
Although the bathtub in the Qianqing Palace wasn’t small, the commotion in the water was even louder… and why did it feel a bit thrilling?
She felt herself melting into weakness in an instant.
But she truly didn’t have the hobby of being watched though she wouldn’t refuse moving to the bed either…
Kangxi didn’t give her a chance to speak.
He stepped into the bathtub and, with practiced ease, guided her to sit facing him on his lap.
“I’ve just realized,” Kangxi murmured, leisurely admiring the view that belonged solely to him, his lips brushing against Fang He’s as he chuckled, “Consort Zha looks even fairer in the water.”
“Jade stove, icy mat, skin like mutton-fat jade, melting sweat on water, traces of the heart’s desire. Be like mandarin ducks in delight— I urge you, seize today’s joy… Your intentions… I’ve long understood.”
Fang He:”……”
You understand, but I don’t!
Semi-illiterate!
She’d have to study poetry properly later!
Clutching Kangxi tightly, her arms wrapped around his neck, she whispered urgently, “Your Majesty, can we go behind the curtains? I’m afraid…”
Kangxi remained unmoved, engrossed in his craft, leaving Fang He momentarily too distracted to argue.
“If you’re cold, cling to me. I run hot-I won’t let you freeze…”
But the palace’s heated floors made it far from cold-she didn’t need warmth!
Fang He finally found a moment to protest, but before she could speak, a muffled gasp escaped her, and she clung to Kangxi desperately.
Enveloped in the trembling ripples of water, she suddenly felt as if she’d been placed over a flame-like smoke curling from a fire, drifting helplessly.
Outside, Liang Jiugong and Cui Wei stood guard.
The chamber doors weren’t fully shut, and both could hear the scandalous sounds, accompanied by the constant splashing of water overflowing the tub.
Even as seasoned palace veterans, they couldn’t help but flush from head to toe.