The second-class palace maids were being trained to become first-class, so Fang He had to show some care.
Cui Wei was the head maid of Yanxi Palace, and Fang He had Chunlai take the wet nurse’s place.
The “Xin” generation were the first-class maids.
The second-class maids were the “Fu” generation.
Fang He racked her brains and could only come up with Fuyuan and Fule, then named the others Fuping and Fuan.
For the rest, she simply chose auspicious meanings: Fue, Fuxi, Fujin, and Fuyin.
With nothing to say in reply, Fang He squinted her big eyes—so like Jiujiu’s—and smiled at Kangxi.
“Did Your Majesty come to Yunya Guan to accuse me, or to test my naming skills?”
Kangxi picked a grape, peeled it, and popped it into Fang He’s mouth, his smile deepening.
“I’ve set the stage, but I haven’t heard a word from my beloved. What do you think about what I mentioned before?”
He had deliberately made it seem like he was arguing with Fang He, so people would think he was suspicious of her, prompting the Tongjia clan and Suo’etu to act more boldly and push Fang He upward.
That way, it would be easier for Kangxi to raise Fang He’s rank and put those unruly ministers in their place.
Fang He understood this—she ought to have spread word of her fear, so that the old fox Mingzhu would take the bait and submit a memorial himself.
But after waiting and waiting, Kangxi still hadn’t seen any movement from Fang He, so he had to pull Mingzhu into the court struggle himself.
This troublemaker probably hadn’t figured out the intricacies yet.
She’d had people keep an eye on the Tongjia and Niuhulu clans, and Zhao Chang had reported back.
In Kangxi’s view, Fang He was clever but not well-versed in palace intrigue—she might not understand the hidden currents.
He gently wiped Fang He’s lips and said, “If you can’t figure it out, I’ll explain it to you. But you should know what to do.”
Fang He grabbed his hand and, on purpose, spit the grape seed into his palm, pretending to be annoyed.
“It’s still the mourning period. What kind of sincerity can I show you? If I’m not sincere enough, does that mean you won’t protect me and Jiujiu?”
Kangxi peeled another grape, circled it around Fang He’s lips, then suddenly put it in his own mouth, cupped her neck, and kissed her, sharing the grape’s sweetness.
His voice was low and intimate, mingling with the soft sounds of their embrace.
“Of course I’ll protect you both. But if you can’t come up with an answer and won’t show me your sincerity, I’ll just have to get it myself.”
Before Fang He could retort, he bit her tongue lightly.
“Of course, I’m more patient than certain troublemakers. I’ll wait until the mourning period is over, then slowly, slowly get what I want.”
Fang He’s heart raced under his hungry gaze.
Some things were better left unthought—she’d been abstinent for a year!
She quickly pushed Kangxi away.
“Then you have to answer a question for me first.”
Kangxi, seeing the blush on her cheeks, was in a particularly good mood.
“Ask away.”
“Does the harem have to have a Tongjia woman?” Fang He leaned on the low table, tilting her head to look at him.
“If the Imperial Noble Consort is gone, will you pick another Tongjia woman for the harem?”
Kangxi was not an ordinary man.
With just those two questions, he immediately realized Fang He had seen through the truth behind the reincarnation rumor.
He was surprised so he asked, “Who told you?”
Fang He put on an innocent face.
“Can’t I figure it out myself?”
Kangxi was skeptical.
In truth, the Tongjia clan’s methods weren’t very sophisticated.
The secret guards hadn’t even needed to investigate closely to spot their handiwork.
But that was where the Tongjia clan was clever.
Tong Guowei hadn’t done anything truly wrong—he could even be called loyal to the Emperor.
As an uncle, he merely expressed concern that His Majesty might neglect his favored consort, dropping a few hints to ease Kangxi’s worries.
He offered Nalan Mingzhu the chance to return to court, and the old fox knew Kangxi wouldn’t punish Tong Guowei for it, so he accepted gladly.
Once Mingzhu owed him a favor, there was no need for Tong Guowei to do anything else.
Mingzhu, eager to counter Suo’etu, would naturally help Tong Guowei promote a Tongjia woman to high rank, so they could jointly oppose Suo’etu.
Kangxi, a master of court balance, had long since understood the game.
But when Fang He had taken revenge on Uya-shi, she hadn’t even realized the importance of cleaning up afterward.
Now, suddenly, she understood the Tongjia clan’s roundabout scheming—it was quite a surprise for Kangxi.
If she’d had this mindset earlier, he wouldn’t have had to shield her so many times, stirring up such a commotion.
Seeing Fang He stare at him with wide eyes, just like the Five-Colored Tiger in the Bamboo Basket, Kangxi’s lips twitched, but he wisely kept silent.
After a pause, he took Fang He’s small hand and said, “Actually, whether or not a Tongjia woman enters the palace isn’t important—but there are a few things I have to consider.”
“First, all the other princes have maternal relatives in the palace and at court, except Yinzhen, Wuxiha, and Garudai. That puts them at a disadvantage. When they grow up, it’ll affect their prospects and marriages.”
“Second, if the Tongjia clan had no suitable girls, it wouldn’t matter. But if they do and I don’t show favor, it’ll hurt my uncle’s pride. If I need them to handle affairs, subordinates always watch for cues—there might be resistance.”
Fang He was unhappy, but Kangxi hesitated, then explained further.
“The Tongjia clan is my mother’s family. To some extent, they represent my influence at court. They will always be loyal to the imperial family and serve me, so I can’t deny them this honor.”
Fang He nodded in understanding, standing up and leaning against Kangxi, looking forlorn.
“As long as you treat the Fourth Prince and the two princesses well, isn’t that enough? Can’t you just not let a Tongjia woman into the palace?”
Kangxi laughed. “You don’t like the Second Lady of the Tongjia Clan?”
“Any woman who comes into the palace to compete with me for… my man—I won’t like!” Fang He blurted out.
“This is all about the harem’s status, after all.”
“To be clear, they’re hoping to pull down the Crown Prince and make another Tongjia emperor. I’d never dare forget the Grand Empress Dowager’s instructions.”
Kangxi was silent for a moment, tapping her forehead with a cryptic look.
“You dare say anything. If I show too much favor to Yinzhen, it’ll only bring more trouble.”
He sighed, “And if you want power in the harem, the Second Lady of the Tongjia Clan is the best choice.”
Fang He looked up mournfully, then straddled Kangxi and hugged his neck.
“Then I’ll give up power for now. I just don’t want her in the palace. If you insist, I’d rather take Jiujiu to Huangxin Village to guard the Grand Empress Dowager’s tomb.”
Kangxi’s face darkened as he tried to pry her arms away.
“Nonsense!”
“What if I want to be unreasonable?” Fang He clung to him, deliberately acting jealous.
“I just don’t want anyone calling you ‘Cousin’ in front of me. Rather than watch it happen, I’d rather not see it at all.”
Her jealousy left Kangxi unable to fool himself.
She was clearly worried that Tongjia Wanying would become the next Uya-shi.
And her possessiveness—her desire to be his only—left Kangxi both pleased and uneasy.
So she really meant it when she said she wanted to be the only one—not just to provoke him during arguments?
His head began to ache again.
He held his temper and tried to reason with Fang He.
“This is Tong Guowei’s doing. I’ve already looked into it. The Second Lady of the Tongjia Clan has always been obedient and well-behaved. Even if I give her honor, she won’t surpass you.”
After a pause, Kangxi’s tone grew firmer.
“No matter what, there will always be new people entering the harem. Every three years, there are new selections. If I agree with you now, what about in the future?”
Fang He’s smile faded.
With so many unfaithful colleagues, the thought alone was depressing—she could practically feel darkness even with her eyes open.
She pouted, pushing Kangxi away and standing up.
“You used to say that as long as I wanted something and you could give it, I’d get it eventually. Turns out that doesn’t include being your only.”
“If you like your kind cousin so much, why come to me?”
“Fang He!” Kangxi’s frown deepened.
“You should know that if I only favored you, you’d become a thorn in everyone’s side—at court and in the harem. You should think of Jiujiu and not be so willful.”
The two parted on bad terms—or rather, Fang He pushed Kangxi out the door.
“I need to cry and mourn the love that died before it even sprouted. Please leave me to reflect.”
Kangxi: “…”
Did she look like she was reflecting?
She looked more like she was about to cause trouble!
Kangxi left Yunya Guan with a cold face, and even back in Chunhui Hall, he couldn’t help complaining to Liang Jiugong.
“Do you think I’ve spoiled her too much? How could she come up with such an outrageous idea? Who am I doing this for?”
“Am I supposed to ignore all the consorts, disregard the dignity of the princesses and princes, neglect the ministers’ honor, and just stay by her side all day, doing nothing else?”
Liang Jiugong: “…”
‘And whose fault is that? I’ve advised you to visit the other consorts’ palaces, but have you ever gone?’
‘Now you think that consort is spoiled? I even feel sorry for Imperial Consort Zhao. If you hadn’t given her hope, would she have acted out like this?’
Kangxi glared at him coldly.
“What are you muttering about? Cat got your tongue?”
Liang Jiugong bowed nervously.
“Replying to Your Majesty, I’m just an old eunuch who knows nothing of love.”
“But in my humble opinion, since you’ve been going to Imperial Consort Zhao’s place so often and not staying overnight with other consorts, it’s no wonder she feels this way.”
“If you want her to understand the situation, why not have her stay with the Empress Dowager for a while, and visit the other consorts more? She’ll understand soon enough.”
Kangxi slammed the chess manual onto the board.
“Then she’ll probably be so happy she won’t want to return to Yanxi Palace. Even the Imperial Mother would give me a look, and the late Empress Dowager would scold me from the grave for not caring for people…”
Who was he tormenting, exactly?
Liang Jiugong: “Then this humble servant has no solution.”
Anyway, you just like being around that consort.
No wonder you’re so frustrated.
Kangxi grew angrier the more he thought about it.
“I’ll have a Tongjia woman enter the palace, just watch!”
It was always him putting the steps right under that troublemaker’s nose—for her safety!
He wasn’t wrong.
No way would he give in first!
Three months of mourning meant no meat; a year meant no weddings or funerals, nor childbirth.
He refused to believe that, once the dust settled, the troublemaker still wouldn’t understand.
***
When news spread that Kangxi had left Imperial Consort Zhao’s place in a rage again, Tongjia Wanying guessed that His Majesty was particularly displeased with Imperial Consort Zhao’s refusal to yield.
She immediately sent word to her father to keep pushing Fang He in court.
When the struggle between Mingzhu and Suo’etu’s factions reached its peak, and the Imperial Noble Consort personally submitted her request to step down, there would be nothing left for Imperial Consort Zhao to do but yield as well.
Even if the Emperor promoted Imperial Consort Zhao to Imperial Noble Consort because of the Ninth Princess’s supposed reincarnation, if she lost favor, it would be easy to deal with a consort who had no foundation and no sons.
Wanying soon received her father’s reply: he would act at the next morning court session, and Tong Nanny should prepare the Imperial Noble Consort’s memorial and wait near Jiugong Sanshi Hall.
Once her elder sister became Noble Consort, the seat would be hers in the future.
Wanying felt the situation was set, and in a great mood, took the palace maids from Chengqian Palace to the garden to pick flowers, under the pretext of making sachets to mask the medicinal smell for her sister.
Coincidentally, Fang He and Consort Yi were also talking in the garden.
“I’ve sounded out His Majesty. A Tongjia woman will definitely enter the palace, and he’s set on choosing the Second Lady of the Tongjia Clan.”
Consort Yi wasn’t surprised.
“A concubine from the main branch can’t compare to Tong Guowei’s legitimate daughter, but I think, even for the Crown Prince’s sake, it’ll be hard for her to become Noble Consort.”
“The Fourth Prince is already half a legitimate son. If he gains a Noble Consort aunt and the Tongjia clan as his maternal family, the Emperor won’t let him threaten the Crown Prince’s position.”
“So the safest move is to act through the Crown Prince. If he cries to His Majesty, no matter how much the Tongjia clan plots, at most she’ll be a consort. If you become Imperial Noble Consort, I have a good relationship with the Niuhulu Noble Consort, and keeping her in check won’t be a problem.”
Consort Yi sighed, “The only issue is, if we act through the Crown Prince and His Majesty finds out, he’ll be unhappy.”
“That’s fine. He’s already unhappy.” Fang He mused, replying casually.
Consort Yi: “What happened when His Majesty went to Yunya Guan?”
She wasn’t especially curious, but yesterday the Emperor had sent her some of her favorite calligraphy books and double-sided embroidery patterns, subtly hinting that she shouldn’t visit.
Did His Majesty think she was a bad influence on Imperial Consort Zhao?
Before Consort Yi could say more, Yingtao announced, “Your Highness, Imperial Consort Zhao, the Second Lady of the Tongjia Clan is here.”
Fang He instantly made up her mind and said confidently, “Having just the Crown Prince cry won’t be enough. The Tongjia clan has brought in Mingzhu and Suo’etu—if we’re going to put on a show, we can’t have fewer actors than they do, or we’ll lose face!”
Consort Yi’s heart skipped a beat as she watched the smiling Tongjia Wanying approach, her voice trembling.
“Imperial Consort Zhao… Xing Guo, what are you planning?”
“Of course, it’ll be a double act!” Fang He stood up, beaming as she went to greet Tongjia Wanying.
“Oh my, this must be the Imperial Noble Consort’s younger sister? You look familiar—as if we’ve met before. You seem so dear to me.”
‘Still the same familiar troublemaker’s vibe.’