After the meal, as the Empress Dowager prepared to rest at Shoukang Palace, Fang He, not wishing to disturb her, headed directly to the Grand Buddha Hall.
The Empress Dowager stopped her and specifically instructed, “The Grand Buddha Hall is quiet and cold at night. If anyone neglects their duties, simply send a word to me, and I’ll have Wuyunzhu deliver what you need.”
The attendants at the Grand Buddha Hall belonged to Cining Palace, and even if they slacked, Fang He might not dare to complain.
The Empress Dowager made this declaration in the courtyard of Cining Palace, ensuring the message reached the Grand Buddha Hall to deter any disrespect.
Fang He flashed a bright smile at the Empress Dowager.
“I know Your Majesty cares for me. Rest assured, I go to the Grand Buddha Hall for solitude and to recuperate.”
“When I return, I promise you’ll see me lively and well.”
The Empress Dowager smiled faintly, though her amusement was subdued.
Fang He hadn’t specified the duration of her retreat, nor had the Empress Dowager mentioned it.
No one knew how long Fang He would stay in the Grand Buddha Hall, only hoping the Qianqing Palace would soon uncover the mastermind behind this.
A sharp glint flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
If she discovered who had harmed the descendants of Wulinju, she was no longer the ornamental empress of the past-this time, she would skin them alive!
After the two left Cining Palace, Sumala and Nanny Liu attended to Xiaozhuang as she lay down.
Nanny Liu stepped out to guard the door, leaving the mistress and servant to converse.
Xiaozhuang’s face had shed its earlier feigned indifference, now brimming with smiles.
“You’ve always been better at reading people than I am. That girl… truly has the fate of nobility, born to thrive in the palace.”
At first, she deliberately let the concubines grumble and complain, yet never made things difficult for Fang He, keeping the girl on edge.
Later, just as Fang He began to relax, she abruptly summoned her for a reprimand—all to gauge Fang He’s true nature.
Having lived most of her life, she had little patience left for rules and pettiness.
After all, when she meets Huang Taiji and Fulin in the afterlife, they’ll have plenty to settle this matter hardly tips the scales.
Her heart ached for Kangxi, this child who lost his father and mother so young.
Though he lived in luxury to safeguard the Qing dynasty, he’d scarcely known a day of true ease.
Had it been a few years earlier, she wouldn’t have been so open-minded.
But after teetering on the brink of death several times this past year, she suddenly let go.
If there was someone warm-hearted by Kangxi’s side… as long as they weren’t some scheming wretch, it might be for the best.
Life was long, and she trusted Kangxi wouldn’t disappoint her.
What worried her more was him ending up alone, a true solitary ruler.
As it turned out, Kangxi’s fortune far surpassed Huang Taiji and Fulin’s-that girl was exceptional, her spirit stronger than most.
Sumala smiled along. “Does Your Majesty no longer fear the palace harboring some femme fatale now?”
“Back at the hot spring palace, when I spent days with Consort Zhao, I noticed she was unlike any woman of this age-more like us from the northern steppes.
Countless women are trapped within the Forbidden City’s walls, and even now, countless more scheme and claw their way in, backstabbing and maneuvering… so many have climbed over others’ corpses.
Even we, master and servant, have blood on our hands no amount of daily prayers can cleanse.
Fang He is different.
She struggles in ways others find peculiar, all to keep her own joy alive.
Even when forced into danger… she grows more spirited than when favored.
Thinking of it, Sumala nearly laughed.
Anyone else would’ve crumbled under such humiliation, but the cruelty of those behind it lay precisely there.
Yet in Fang He’s eyes, once dulled, a fire had reignited-wild and untamed, like the fervor of galloping steeds across the grasslands.
Xiaozhuang rested her chin on her hand, a faint smile playing on her lips as she drifted into memories of the steppes.
The details had faded, but she still recalled the exhilaration of riding free.
Yet even in that freedom, one must always guard against falling-the wilder the ride, the sharper the instinct for caution.
She shook her head with a chuckle.
“None of us compare to her. Though trapped in the palace, her heart remains unshackled by these four walls.”
After a pause, she lay down and closed her eyes.
Just as Sumala thought she’d fallen asleep, a muffled instruction drifted from behind the bed curtains.
“Burn the unsealed will.”
Trusting Fang He’s boldness, she decided to believe her this once.
By the time Emperor Kangxi received the news, Fang He had already settled into the Grand Buddha Hall.
His vermilion brush paused mid-stroke, a drop of cinnabar ink staining the memorial—a glaring crimson blot on white paper.
Kangxi frowned.
“She truly volunteered to enter the Grand Buddha Hall?”
Liang Jiugong bowed cautiously.
“Many in Cining Palace heard it, Your Majesty. Yu Quangui wouldn’t dare lie.”
Kangxi steadied himself, resolving to finish the memorial first.
Yet when he raised his brush again, the suffocating tightness in his chest made the characters swim before his eyes.
He tossed the brush aside, pressing his thumb ring against his forehead to quell the rising agitation.
The very composure he’d praised in Fang He that morning now infuriated him—she’d made her distrust blatantly clear.
Not that he demanded her dependence, but couldn’t she investigate evidence while remaining in the main palace?
Such drastic measures…
Just how incompetent did she think her emperor was?
“Tell Zhao Chang,” Kangxi commanded darkly, “he has fifteen days. Trace every connection from that dead maid’s quarters to the imperial kitchens. Fail, and they’ll all face the Tribunal!”
Liang Jiugong’s heart pounded as he rushed to deliver the edict personally.
Zhao Chang needed no explanation-the emperor’s wrath was evident.
With expanded investigative authority and ample manpower in the capital, leads emerged swiftly.
By the Lantern Festival’s end, a thick dossier of evidence lay before the throne.
Kangxi’s expression turned glacial at the first page.
What elaborate machinations for mere humiliation-observers withholding information, gleeful spectators, opportunists wielding borrowed knives, silent facilitators…
Traces spanned the entire court.
The teacup shattered in his grip, scalding water soaking through his robes to sear his skin, fueling the inferno within.
Magnificent.
Truly magnificent!
These self-proclaimed royal servants probably devoted less scheming to battling the Dzungars.
Liang Jiugong ventured timidly, “Your Majesty, anger harms the body. Only by preserving yourself can you vindicate Lady Fang. Might I assist in changing your robes?”
Kangxi’s throat constricted around unvented fury, craving nothing more than to purge the Forbidden City’s audacious vermin.
Yet he knew -pushed too far, the entire capital would tremble.
With northern Mongols, western tribes, and the city itself at boiling point, composure was paramount.
He stood abruptly, selecting several documents to thrust at Liang Jiugong.
“See these dealt with,” he ordered through clenched teeth, the command dripping with icy rage.
“Go to the Cining Palace and show this evidence to Her Majesty the Grand Dowager. Let her handle this matter personally!”
Liang Jiugong inadvertently glanced at the document and immediately spotted the words “Consort Xuan.”
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed to conceal his shock.
If this were to upset the Grand Dowager to the point of harming her health, Consort Xuan’s death wouldn’t even begin to atone for her crimes.
How could His Majesty…?
He dared not dwell on it further.
Summoning Li Dequan to assist the Emperor in changing clothes, he hurried off to the Cining Palace.
When Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang received the evidence, she was, as Kangxi had anticipated, unsurprised even calmer than he had been.
She asked Liang Jiugong, “How does the Emperor plan to deal with the others involved?”
Liang Jiugong marveled inwardly.
No wonder this grandmother and grandson were the ultimate victors such foresight was unmatched in the entire Qing court.
With cautious deference, he replied, “Your Majesty, His Majesty did not specify, though his expression was rather grim.”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang understood at once.
A moment’s reflection revealed her grandson’s intentions.
Recently, the imperial physicians had declared that she had survived the most critical period of her illness.
The next challenge would be enduring the coming winter.
Only then did Kangxi dare to shift this trouble to the Cining Palace.
With her seasoned wisdom, the Empress Dowager knew well that scheming against the Emperor’s favored consort in the Qianqing Palace, under the watchful eyes of all, was no simple feat.
Many must have been involved.
But they couldn’t act against everyone at once, nor could they act hastily.
The best course was to lay a covert trap, wait for news of the peace negotiations to return, and decide whether to wage war or make peace with the Dzungars.
Only then could they settle all scores in one sweep.
This meant Fang He would have to endure a little longer.
Her grandson wanted her to make an example of Consort Xuan, to personally vindicate that girl and ensure no one would dare bully his favored consort over past grievances.
Hah…
These two rascals were truly cut from the same cloth, each more calculating than the other.
She really owed them this much!
Rubbing her temples, she instructed Nanny Liu, “Take Nanny Wu to the Xianfu Palace-bring several attendants with you. Gag Consort Xuan, bind her, and bring her to the Cining Palace. No need to avoid witnesses.”
Then, she turned to Sumala:
“Go to the Grand Buddha Hall and fetch that girl. Tell her the Grand Dowager knows she’s been wronged, and since it was our own family who caused the trouble, she’ll receive a satisfactory resolution.”
“Have the storeroom opened. Gather fifteen sets of valuable and dignified trinkets-enough to make it clear that I’m rewarding Consort Zhao for her devotion to prayers, which caused her to miss the palace banquet on the fifteenth.”
“Furthermore, issue my decree: Anyone in the palace caught gossiping, regardless of rank, shall receive fifty strokes of the rod. Life or death matters not!”
After a pause, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang pressed her fingers to her temples and added, “And have a physician on standby.”
That girl was the type to seize any opportunity to climb higher.
If she decided to make a scene, the Empress Dowager would have no choice but to play the frail old woman and feign illness to intimidate her.
In reality, the moment Fang He stepped through the door and saw Consort Xuan bound like a criminal, her disheveled appearance more fitting of a madwoman, she remained even calmer than the Empress Dowager.
Standing gracefully before the Grand Dowager like a freshly bloomed white lotus, she wore an expression of pained reluctance as she pleaded, “Your Majesty, was this truly necessary?”
“If word spreads of Consort Xuan’s actions, tarnishing Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager’s dignity, how could this concubine ever face anyone again?”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was left speechless for a long moment.
Fighting back both laughter and exasperation, she tapped Fang He’s forehead in mock reproach.
“You’ve nearly lost all face, but Her Majesty and I can spare some dignity to patch you up. There’s no need for you to grovel like this.”
“Being bullied yet still pleading for mercy-that’s hardly the way of a Northern Mongol woman. The more I think about it, the more it disgusts me.”
Fang He’s smile remained unchanged.
If Xuan Pin had the brains to scheme so meticulously in the Qianqing Palace, she’d chop off her own head for Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang to use as a stool.
Her expression grew more serious. “This concubine isn’t joking with Your Majesty. It’s truly unnecessary. No harm came to me it was merely improper behavior causing some embarrassment.”
“If Consort Xuan were severely punished, it wouldn’t just tarnish Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager’s dignity, but also make others think this concubine is vicious and petty-more so than even His Majesty.”
Gagged, Consort Xuan struggled violently nearby, her dagger-like gaze practically slicing Fang He to pieces.
She wanted none of this bitch’s crocodile tears or shameless boasting about her relationship with the Emperor!
Neither Xiaozhuang nor Fang He paid any heed to Consort Xuan’s tantrums.
Fang He’s willingness to settle matters quietly secretly relieved Xiaozhuang.
At her age, she truly had no energy for such drama.
With a smile, she asked, “Then how do you suggest we handle this?”
“This concubine believes Concubine Xuan acted this way because prolonged confinement has narrowed her perspective.”
Even while pleading for mercy, Fang He couldn’t resist a jab, provoking louder muffled curses from Concubine Xuan.
Adopting a thoughtful expression, Fang He suddenly clapped her hands.
“I have it! While wrongdoing can’t go unpunished, I genuinely wish to avoid escalation. Why not send Concubine Xuan to the summer palace to reflect under the pretense of praying for Your Majesty’s blessings?”
“We could have Martial Matron and the strong eunuchs supervise, restricting her movements between her chambers and the riding grounds. Perhaps two hours of vigorous daily riding might broaden her perspective?”
Growing more enthusiastic with her idea, Fang He added cheerfully, “With summer approaching, Concubine Xuan could return with Your Majesty, putting this matter behind us.”
“This preserves Your Majesty’s dignity while serving as a warning. After all, no other consorts possess the equestrian skills of Northern Mongol women.”
Xiaozhuang recognized the flattery but couldn’t help smiling wider age had made her fond of sweet words.
“This old one finds your proposal excellent. So be it.”
Patting Fang He’s hand, she glanced meaningfully at Fang He’s abdomen.
“Since you’ve suffered injustice, there’s no need to visit the Grand Buddha Hall. We wouldn’t want certain someone’s heartache to trouble this old one again.”
“Return to your palace and rest well. When you conceive, this old one will personally restore your lost dignity.”
This was an implicit promise of promotion once Fang He became pregnant.
With perfect demureness, Fang He blushed slightly and obediently withdrew with Chunlai.
When Cui Wei learned of this, she nearly exploded with rage.
“You’re letting Concubine Xuan off so easily?”
“Do you know how malicious she was? Half the New Year’s banquet dishes contained wine! Even without the pear soup, you couldn’t have escaped-“
She’d spent weeks uncovering the imperial kitchen’s movements and was already fuming.
Now hearing Fang He’s leniency, she nearly stormed to Cining Palace to slap Concubine Xuan senseless.
Fang He’s smile from the Cining Palace had vanished, her expression now calm as she said, “Don’t worry. First, she’s not the main culprit. Offending the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager for her sake isn’t worth it. Better to seize this chance for something more practical.”
Before Cui Wei could voice her frustration, a cold smirk suddenly appeared on Fang He’s face.
“Second, unless… the Emperor passes away, she’ll never return to the palace in this lifetime.”
Earlier in the Qianqing Palace, she had seen a completed survey map.
Though it wasn’t labeled, it bore the characters for ‘Ruijing Pavilion’ and the ‘Main Palace Gate.’
Coincidentally, this was a place Fang He had visited in her previous life with her boyfriend the Changchun Garden.
Since it was already completed, Emperor Kangxi wouldn’t be taking anyone to the South Garden this summer.
He would undoubtedly go to Changchun Garden instead.
Since Consort Xuan had the audacity to scheme against her, let her enjoy her confinement in the temporary palace.
As for horseback riding….. heh.
Had it been a decade or two ago, Consort Xuan might have welcomed the arrangement.
Even Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang would have thought Fang He was being kind.
But after over a decade of pampered living in the palace, this spoiled Northern Mongol woman wouldn’t last an hour or two on horseback each day.
Fang He doubted her legs would hold up.
She had never been a good person.
Even if she avoided unnecessary bloodshed, it was only due to her upbringing in her past life a way to accumulate blessings for her children.
Besides, more ruthless methods?
Consort Xuan wasn’t worthy of them.
Fang He dismissed Chunlai and Wei Zhu, then asked Cui Wei in a low voice, “What have you found out about the high-ranking consorts’ palaces?”
Cui Wei hesitated, scratching her head slightly in discomfort.
“I did spend some silver and got vague hints that many were involved. But digging deeper proved impossible.”
She leaned closer to Fang He, pointing toward the Qianqing Palace, and whispered, “The Fucha clan’s matron told me someone had sealed their lips.”
Fang He let out a soft scoff.
“Fine, I understand.”
Since that bastard didn’t want her to know, he shouldn’t blame her for extracting the truth from him in her own way.