Fang He not only missed lunch but also slept straight through dinner.
She woke up hungry in the middle of the night, only to find herself pinned down by an unusually heavy arm, her legs trapped beneath his weight.
The disparity in their strength and size was too great-no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
Frustrated, she wriggled her hand upward from beneath him, grabbed Kangxi’s ear, and began kneading it repeatedly, determined to wake him up.
Kangxi felt the sting in his ear and had no choice but to seize Fang He’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze.
“What kind of bad habit is this? If you’re not pinching my waist, you’re tugging at my ears-what’s wrong with you?”
Kangxi truly couldn’t understand.
He suspected Fang He had developed an addiction to tormenting him.
This troublemaker wasn’t just more uninhibited than most women behind the bed curtains-she even had habits that most men wouldn’t dare indulge in.
For instance, she had a tendency to pinch him repeatedly in her sleep…
And if her sleeping posture was off, she might even take a bite!
Even when he held her securely in his arms, if he wasn’t careful, her claws would find their way to his ears, living up to her reputation as a little rascal.
Fortunately, it didn’t hurt much, so Kangxi let it slide.
But while it was manageable in winter-when thick hats could hide the evidence-now that it was too warm for hats, it would be downright embarrassing if his ministers caught sight of it.
Fang He rubbed her growling stomach and sighed dramatically.
“Perhaps this concubine simply wishes Your Majesty’s ears would soften a little, making it easier for my pillow talk to reach you and for you to hear the opera currently performing in my belly!”
More importantly, she wanted him to understand human decency and act like a proper person instead of always behaving like a wolf.
This was her most sincere wish for her “boss,” naturally ingrained into muscle memory through repetition.
Kangxi: “……”
He had met with ministers in the afternoon and had already eaten dinner, so he wasn’t hungry at the moment.
Of course, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried waking this troublemaker earlier.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t slept enough at the time and had flailed her slender, pale legs in protest, nearly kicking him in the face again.
Liang Jiugong and Chunlai had been present in the imperial chambers and, failing to lower their heads in time, witnessed the entire spectacle, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Furious, Kangxi swatted her once, swiftly drawing the bed curtains shut to let her sleep to her heart’s content.
Now, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sat up, leaning down to nibble at Fang He’s plump earlobe.
“Next time I call for you to get up and you refuse daring to throw a tantrum-I’ll have you starved for three days, permitted only water!”
Fang He: “…..”
Sure, sure, we’ll talk about it next time.
Seeing Fang He hugging her stomach pitifully, whimpering without a word, Kangxi knew his threat hadn’t frightened her.
He tapped her forehead and, resigned, got up with her.
Late-night meals shouldn’t be too heavy to avoid indigestion, but the imperial kitchen always kept pear-infused bird’s nest soup ready for Fang He.
Along with her favorite pepper-salt cakes and dragon’s beard cakes, they also prepared a small plate of jujube paste pastries each bite-sized for easy eating.
The tasting eunuch had already sampled the desserts and bird’s nest soup, but Fang He still instinctively glanced at Fule.
Fule gave a slight nod.
Though she specialized more in health preservation, Fule had studied extensively before entering the palace.
In the past, the Su and Liang families had been close, and the Su family’s collection included many of the Liang family’s techniques—all of which Fule had memorized.
Over the years, she had frequently cross-referenced her memory to refine her ability to recognize various poisons, conflicting medicines, and harmful ingredients.
In some respects, her medical skills might not surpass those of the imperial physicians, but when it came to health preservation and poison detection, even the Imperial Medical Academy couldn’t hold a candle to her.
Fule blinked at Fang He, who then stuffed her mouth full of pastries and took a sip of the sweet bird’s nest soup, looking like a little squirrel -so adorable it made people want to laugh.
Even Kangxi couldn’t resist having a bowl.
The silent exchange between Fang He and Fule didn’t escape the sharp eyes of Kangxi and Liang Jiugong.
Liang Jiugong instinctively glanced at the emperor.
Kangxi merely lowered his gaze to the white porcelain bowl with lotus patterns in his hand, lightly rubbing his thumb ring, neither approving nor disapproving of Fang He’s cautiousness.
By the time they lay down again, half an hour had passed.
Kangxi chuckled as he pulled Fang He into his arms, teasing her casually.
“Are you still worried about being poisoned in front of the emperor?”
Fang He yawned, nestling against him lazily.
“Your Majesty must be joking. If even your side isn’t safe, then this concubine might as well find a block of tofu to crash into and end it all.”
She wrapped her arms around Kangxi’s waist, her drowsiness deepening.
“I just want to conceive. Some foods aren’t good for the baby, and who knows when it’ll come? I can only be extra careful…”
Her last words were nearly whispered, and even after a full day’s sleep, Consort Zhao’s restful breathing soon warmed Kangxi’s heart.
He shook his head with a wry smile.
Whether this stubborn woman truly trusted him or not, she at least longed for their child.
As for the rest… time would tell.
Only when Kangxi’s breathing steadied in sleep did Fang He tilt her head slightly, opening her eyes to gaze thoughtfully at the canopy above.
She knew Kangxi was trying his best to accommodate her, fulfilling the promises he’d made.
Yet she still didn’t know how to trust him.
Sooner or later, this would become a thorn in both their hearts.
For now, it was manageable.
But once they had a child, and if she wanted them to have every advantage…
This issue had to be resolved.
She sighed inwardly.
Life in the imperial family-whether for adults or children-was fraught with worries, enough to shorten one’s lifespan.
Unlike little Fan Liang from Sister Liang’s family, who lived carefree and had already started speaking before turning one!
Through Xiao Chenzi, Liang’s wife had sent word when helping palace maids bring items into the palace.
She said Fan Lianghan’s first word was “Mama,” but his second wasn’t “Papa”-it was “Guoguo” (fruit).
Clearly, Liang’s wife and Naren often spoke of Fang He around the child.
Yet her own child was still nowhere in sight, and there’d be no chance for them to play in the mud with little Lianghan.
The thought dimmed even the joy of good food.
Taking advantage of the fresh air after yesterday’s rain, Fang He heard a new flow had been arranged in the garden by Lotus Dam.
She brought Chunlai along for a stroll.
Since arriving at Changchun Garden, Fang He had practically enjoyed exclusive favor.
Though it hadn’t been long, she hadn’t stepped foot in Yunya Pavilion, staying solely in Chunhui Hall.
This time, no one dared complain to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang anymore.
Even the Noble Consort knew the current Consort Zhao could no longer be compared to the lowly palace maid Fang He of the past.
Perhaps in the future, if she bore a child-aside from the crown prince-other princes and princesses might very well live under her child’s shadow.
After receiving the golden certificate and seal of authority, formally taking charge of palace affairs, Lady Niohuru finally understood this truth clearly.
She knew the Emperor must have discovered how she had instructed the Imperial Household Department to accommodate Lady Xuan during that New Year’s Eve banquet.
Had it not been for Hailaxun turning a blind eye out of respect for the Niohuru family, Lady Xuan wouldn’t have been able to bribe palace maids let alone request extra dishes with wine.
Kangxi usually showed leniency toward those in the inner court, especially for the sake of imperial heirs.
But once he decided to discipline someone, he could make them suffer without leaving any room for complaint.
Lady Xuan and the Gorolo clan had humiliated Fang He, so the Emperor ensured Lady Xuan could no longer maintain her position in the palace, while the Gorolo clan was further disgraced.
The Imperial Noble Consort stood idly by?
Then from now on, she would be stripped of all authority.
Consort Hui secretly instigated trouble?
The Emperor used the Empress Dowager’s hand to keep her from seeing her eldest son and daughter-in-law, forcing her to swallow her anger.
Lady Niohuru understood well-because of her father Ebilun’s status as a regent, the palace had always treated her with reluctant deference.
That was why, when she overstepped, the Emperor handed full control of palace affairs to her.
Only after taking charge did she realize how delicate the balance between the inner court and the outer court was.
Managing the Imperial Household Department’s myriad duties from daily provisions to trivial matters required meticulous attention, as any misstep could trigger unforeseen consequences.
This was an open scheme, the Emperor’s harshest punishment for her.
Because she couldn’t relinquish this power-she needed it to pave the way for Yin’e she had no choice but to exhaust herself handling every palace affair flawlessly, satisfying both the Grand Empress Dowager and the Emperor, even as her health steadily declined.
Love?
From the night she coughed up blood in Yongshou Palace before leaving the palace, Lady Niohuru no longer had the heart to compete with Fang He for favor.
She didn’t know how much longer she had to live, but her focus was no longer on the Emperor’s affection… or perhaps she had never truly held it.
Only now did she see clearly-a woman of the Niohuru clan should not be shackled by love.
Faced with Fang He’s current prominence, Danning Residence remained silent-just like Rongfei, who had been separately housed in Shiguzhai beside Ruijing Pavilion.
So when Fang He came to admire the flowers, the palace servants, having received advance notice, promptly prepared tea and refreshments in the pavilion.
The lower-ranking concubines who had come out for fresh air tactfully kept their distance.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to curry favor with Fang He… but the impact of that slap she had given Lady Xi was still too fresh, and those of lower status dared not risk provoking her without understanding her temperament.
Still, not everyone avoided her.
After admiring the flowers, Fang He entered the open-air pavilion, which offered clear visibility—even more convenient than Chunhui Hall.
She had a daybed brought over and continued sketching her cross-referencing charts there.
Qiao Cheng, through a eunuch from the Office of Palace Affairs, had sent her another list of names.
This batch mostly consisted of families outside the palace connected to the Uya clan and their relatives-beyond this, even Qiao Cheng’s abilities had limits.
She had already matched seventeen names from the previous list, four of whom had dealings with Qin Xinrong, two from the Imperial Kitchen, one from the cleaning staff, and another from the laundry service.
Among them was the Imperial Kitchen’s pastry chef, known as “Chen the Blade,” whose skill in delicate pastry sculpting was unparalleled.
No grand banquet was complete without his creations.
Most of the pastries served in the Imperial Kitchen, especially those for Kangxi, came from his hands.
His apprentice was called Xiao Quanzi.
Whenever Qin Xinrong went to the imperial kitchens to buy pastries, he would often slip some silver to this young lad.
As for the palace maid Chunmiao, who was in charge of sweeping, she belonged to the Shumulu clan of the Plain White Banner’s bondservant household.
Coincidentally, one of Consort De’s uncles had a concubine from the Shumulu clan.
Because she had borne two sons, she was highly regarded in the Uya household, and her family frequently visited.
The newly appointed laundry matron, Nala, was a replacement after Bai Min’s aunt had been dismissed.
She was a bondservant of the Bordered Yellow Banner.
This woman had no connection to the Uya clan inside or outside the palace.
But Qiao Cheng was meticulous in his investigations.
He even looked into the wives’ families of several Uya men, adding much to Fang He’s workload.
Strangely enough, Consort De’s maternal family, the Saiheli clan, was related by marriage to the Nala clan.
Though not the same branch as Matron Nala, they were only one generation apart.