Chapter 033

Chapter 033

"Then keep sending them."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Liang Jiugong couldn't help but feel sorry for Consort Rong.

Having vegetarian dishes once in a while is fine, but eating them every day without any meat is pretty tough.

Even if one is ill and cannot have heavy meals, at least some meat could be added to the dishes. Why is Your Highness being so hard on Consort Rong?

To others, it seems like Your Highness hasn't visited Consort Rong in over ten days, and might have already forgotten about her.

But Liang Jiugong has to check on Consort Rong's daily activities every day.

Because Your Highness might ask at any time, and he cannot be unaware.

He just couldn't understand, if Your Highness is so concerned about Consort Rong, why doesn't he visit her? What kind of game are they playing?

Yonghe Palace

Su Yi's peaceful time was interrupted by the Imperial Noble Consort's visit.

Right after finishing lunch and about to take a nap, she heard that the Imperial Noble Consort had arrived.

Su Yi, already settled comfortably on the bed, hesitated for a moment about whether to get up, and decided not to.

Clutching a handkerchief, she let out a few muffled coughs, just as the Imperial Noble Consort walked in and saw her.

Noticing Su Yi coughing, the Imperial Noble Consort hurried over, sat beside her, and patted her back, her face filled with concern. "Why are you coughing so much, Min Yi?"

While speaking, the Imperial Noble Consort subtly checked Su Yi's complexion. Up close, it was easy to tell if the paleness was from makeup or real.

The makeup back then was far less natural and seamless than in later times, making it easy to spot.

After a few more coughs, Su Yi wiped her mouth and put the handkerchief aside.

Turning to the Imperial Noble Consort beside her, she spoke weakly, "Sister, I wanted to get up and greet you, but my body just won't cooperate, and I feel so weak. Please forgive me."

The Imperial Noble Consort glanced at Su Yi's lips and the white handkerchief to confirm there were no traces of makeup.

Hearing this, the Imperial Noble Consort, still playing the role of a caring sister, naturally expressed that she didn't mind.

"Min Yi, you're so ill, why talk about formalities with your sister? We are family, and I won't blame you."

She gently reached out to smooth Su Yi's stray hair and then touched her face, her eyes filled with pity.

Her gaze at Su Yi was soft, just like her outwardly gentle and tender demeanor.

Her performance as a good sister was quite convincing, though it would have been better if she had remembered to remove her long fingernail guards before smoothing her hair and touching her face.

The long fingernail guards almost made Su Yi reflexively react.

"Have you taken the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician? Why haven't you gotten better? Your sister is very worried about you." The Imperial Noble Consort held Su Yi's hand, her eyes slightly red, and looked down at her slender wrist, which seemed as if it could break easily. "Look at you, you've lost so much weight."

She now believed that Consort Rong was genuinely ill.

Some concubines can be seen with good complexion even without makeup, rosy and glowing. To feign illness, they would need makeup to create a pale, bloodless appearance. She had just touched Consort Rong's face, which was clean and smooth, with no traces of makeup.

Her wrists and other areas were indeed very thin, and her undergarments hung loosely, looking like that of a patient.

This left the Imperial Noble Consort feeling somewhat conflicted.

When the Imperial Noble Consort mentioned her weight loss, Su Yi felt a bit upset.

Wasn’t this all because of the vegetarian diet she had been eating every day!

Her discomfort seemed even more genuine on her face. "I drank it, but there's been no change."

In fact, she had secretly poured it away.

The medicine must have contained coptis, making it extremely bitter with just one sip, and drinking water didn’t alleviate the bitterness much. The previous medicine was already bitter, and the thought of it getting even more bitter...

At first, Su Yi tried to endure and drink it, but later found the medicine even more bitter. Drinking it wouldn’t make her happy, and she couldn’t feel better for the rest of the afternoon, so she began to think of ways to secretly dispose of it.

"Don’t worry, just focus on getting better," the Imperial Noble Consort comforted, patting the back of her hand.

Then she had the supplements she brought placed down, filling an entire table and more, looking quite impressive.

"Sister brought you some supplements; your body is weak, so you need to nourish it more."

Such 'kindness' was difficult for Su Yi to accept.

These things were destined to gather dust in the storeroom.

"Thank you, sister, for your generosity."

Was it really generous?

Supplements are beneficial, but with something added, they become harmful, just a waste.

The Imperial Noble Consort had begun preparing so early, planning to use it eventually, so if something went wrong, it wouldn’t be traced back to the things sent long ago?

Su Yi was truly weary of dealing with this sister who had ulterior motives.

What sisters? Although the Imperial Noble Consort was beautiful.

But she was also very picky and felt no goodwill towards the Imperial Noble Consort, who wanted to use her to bear a child.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough... cough."

Su Yi suddenly started coughing several times in a row, covering her mouth tightly, seemingly trying to suppress the cough, but to no avail, still coughing heavily.

She coughed until her eyes were watery, frowning in discomfort, struggling to breathe.

Seeing Consort Rong coughing as if she might not catch her breath the next moment, the Imperial Noble Consort's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain, silently holding her breath, moving slightly away from Consort Rong, afraid the cough might be contagious.

Having ascertained the situation, the Imperial Noble Consort didn’t want to stay any longer. After all, Consort Rong’s coughing was really inauspicious, and she was afraid of getting infected, starting to cough herself.

She began to find an excuse to leave. "Alright, alright, sister won’t disturb your rest anymore. Don’t overexert yourself. Sister is waiting for you to recover quickly, then we sisters can have a good chat." As she spoke, she had already stood up.

"No need to see sister off." Then she walked away with seemingly elegant but actually somewhat hurried steps, as if she couldn’t hold her breath any longer and needed to get out quickly to breathe some clean air.

As soon as the Imperial Noble Consort left, Yun Hua hurried over to pat Su Yi’s back, saying heartbrokenly, "Your Highness, why are you coughing so badly again? It was better earlier."

Su Yi was indeed a bit tired from coughing. It was quite a strenuous task. Fortunately, the Imperial Noble Consort didn’t stay long and left.

After catching her breath, she said, "I’m a bit thirsty."

After coughing for so long, my throat is parched. I need to drink some water to soothe it before I can speak.

Yun Hua quickly poured warm water for Su Yi, who downed the entire cup in one go.

"Yun Hua, have someone put these things away," Su Yi pointed to the pile of tonics. These days, the storeroom has nothing but various tonics.

"Yes, Your Highness. I’ll have someone put them away properly."

When she turned around, she saw Su Yi lying down again, looking like she was ready to sleep.

She couldn’t help but think to herself, 'Her Highness really can sleep a lot.'

But being sick, she probably doesn’t have much energy.

Su Yi: Nah, I’m just lazy.

At dinner, Su Yi noticed that the meal wasn’t all vegetarian for once!

This instantly perked her up. If it’s like this, I won’t feel sleepy.

Just as Su Yi was about to grab her chopsticks, Yun Hua quickly stopped her, "Your Highness, hold on!"

"Why?" Su Yi looked confused. The food’s already here—what are we waiting for?

"While you were napping, someone from the Qianqing Palace came by and said His Majesty will be dining here tonight," Yun Hua explained gently.

She waited to see her mistress’s delighted reaction, sure that His Majesty’s arrival would make her happy.

Su Yi blinked, "But the food’s already here, and His Majesty hasn’t shown up yet. He probably isn’t coming."

If he doesn’t come, what then? Am I just not supposed to eat?

"His Majesty has arrived—"

The drawn-out announcement made Su Yi feel like she’d been slapped.

Well, at least he’s here. Now I won’t have to eat vegetarian dishes anymore.

The imperial kitchen is ridiculous. They claim that since Her Highness is sick, greasy foods like fish and meat are off-limits, so they keep sending over these fancy vegetarian dishes.

But no matter how fancy, they’re still just vegetables!!!

Kangxi, wearing a dark blue casual robe, strode in with a confident air, his hands clasped behind his back. Su Yi switched into her professional mode, putting on a bright smile and stepping forward to greet him.

"Your servant greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy endless happiness and peace."

The maids around them all dropped to their knees.

This time, Kangxi didn’t make Su Yi hold her curtsy for long. Instead, he naturally reached out to help her up.

"Consort Rong, you’re unwell. No need for such formalities," Kangxi said kindly, thinking she wouldn’t have anything to complain about this time.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness," Su Yi said, standing up with a look of gratitude and surprise.

Her reaction was exactly what Kangxi had hoped for.

But—

"I’ve already finished the bow, and now you say there’s no need for formalities?"

"If you really didn’t want me to bow, you should’ve stopped me earlier."

"Tsk, men are so hard to read—saying one thing but meaning another."

Kangxi’s expression almost froze; this woman’s words were as tricky as a fox—claiming to be moved while secretly cursing him in her heart.

The maids around them didn’t notice the tension at all, still thinking the two were being affectionate.

After both sat down, Kangxi looked at Su Yi beside him:

"Lately, I’ve been tied up with state affairs and haven’t had time to visit you. You look thinner than before."

This was his way of explaining why he hadn’t been able to visit her for many days.

Though Consort Rong wasn’t emaciated, to Kangxi, she looked as thin as a twig, like a breeze could topple her.

"Your Majesty’s duties are important. My health has been up and down, but I’m used to it. I apologize for causing concern," Su Yi managed to say politely.

Then she shifted the topic, "It’s rare for Your Majesty to dine here. The imperial kitchen has prepared new dishes. Please try them before they cool."

She handed Kangxi the chopsticks, smiling eagerly to encourage him to eat.

"The food’s ready, so stop stalling and dig in, sir."

Kangxi, who had hoped to reconnect with Consort Rong, held back his words again.

He finally started eating.

Su Yi picked up her chopsticks, eyeing the plate of braised pork ribs.

The rich color was something she hadn’t seen in ages.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm. "Consort Rong."

"What is it?" Su Yi asked, smiling but confused.

Inside, she was thinking, *What now?!!!*

Kangxi, usually expressionless, gave a gentle smile and said softly, "You’re unwell—you shouldn’t eat greasy food."

Su Yi’s smile faltered. She tilted her head, "What did you say? I didn’t catch that."

*What’s he going on about?!*

"You’re unwell—you can’t eat this," Kangxi repeated patiently, gesturing to the separate meat and vegetable dishes.

Su Yi laughed awkwardly, "But the food’s already here."

"That’s mine, Consort Rong. Yours is over there," Kangxi said, tilting his chin toward a spread of vegetarian dishes.

True, there were more dishes than usual, as the meals were upgraded when Kangxi visited.

But still!

What’s the point of all those fancy dishes?!

They're still just vegetables, and I just wanted a bite of braised pork ribs!

Eating nothing but vegetables for so many days straight—anyone would find it unbearable.

Su Yi was growing increasingly irritable, her smile overly bright, as she asked in a deceptively gentle voice, "So you're saying, I should just watch you eat?"

Kangxi was in a good mood, suppressing the urge to smile, and spoke with a serious face, "This is for your health. It’s best to avoid these for now—just abstain."

"Crap!" Su Yi really couldn't hold back.

"Hmm?" Kangxi was slow to react, but he sensed it wasn’t something pleasant.

"Heh." Su Yi lowered her head, pursed her lips, and chuckled softly, looking at the stir-fried vegetables on the table, secretly gritting her teeth, "Consort Rong means, stir-fried... vegetables. They look really good—why don’t you try some?"

'You dog! I never expected you to be this ruthless!'

'Deep breath, calm down, exhale—'

After psyching herself up...

She motioned for the maids who were taste-testing the food to step aside, then she picked up her chopsticks and started serving Kangxi, not caring about the usual rules of tasting at this moment.

She spoke softly, "Consort Rong’s appetite has been small lately, so I can’t eat much, but the way Your Majesty eats is especially appetizing.

You’ve finally come today. Here, let Consort Rong serve you, surely you wouldn’t deny me such a small request."

As she spoke, a piece of crispy pork plopped into Kangxi’s bowl.

Su Yi looked at him expectantly, saying nothing.

It felt wrong not to grant such a small request, after all, Consort Rong hadn’t asked for much, just this once.

"I allow it."

He picked up the food and reluctantly ate it.

The moment he finished, more food was piled into his bowl, so fast it was as if the next dish was already on standby. Kangxi had a sinking feeling, his chopstick-holding hand trembling slightly.

He had already vaguely guessed what Consort Rong was trying to do.

Su Yi smiled sweetly, "Eat up. It’s Consort Rong’s first time serving someone, so it's inevitable to be a bit hasty. Your Majesty, please don’t mind."

Kangxi: I’m... getting nervous.

Liang Jiugong watched as Consort Rong kept piling food onto the Emperor’s plate, serving, serving, the Emperor's face getting uglier with each bite.

The maids feared the Emperor might snap, throw down his chopsticks, and storm off, but despite his ugly expression, Kangxi didn't leave, and ate all the food served.

He ended up eating a lot, while Consort Rong hadn’t touched a bite.

She watched the Emperor eat with a gentle smile, his face growing darker while hers grew sweeter.

The scene was indescribably bizarre.

Consort Rong acted oblivious to the Emperor’s expression, still eagerly piling food onto his plate.

Liang Jiugong was stunned—Consort Rong truly had nerves of steel, her boldness definitely among the top in the harem.

Kangxi couldn't keep up with how quickly Consort Rong was piling food onto his plate. Before he even noticed her movements, his bowl was already heaped like a small mountain with food.

Every dish was something he'd just said he wanted to eat, and not a single veggie in sight.

Eating like this was bound to make him feel greasy.

Just as he was about to say "enough," Consort Rong shoved a mouthful of food into his open mouth, cutting him off.

Liang Jiugong glanced upward, debating whether to interrupt Consort Rong or let the Emperor tough it out a little longer. If it got too bad, the Emperor would surely say something.

Kangxi tried to chew and swallow the food in his mouth, but when he saw Consort Rong's chopsticks coming again, he grabbed her hand. He chewed and swallowed quickly, forcing a smile. "That's enough, Consort Rong. I'm full."

Consort Rong said with some regret, "Your Majesty is full already? I barely served you anything! Are you just saying that because you're worried I'll get tired, but you're actually still hungry?"

'Wasn't he quite determined just now?'

'Have a few more bites—it's really good.'

Kangxi decided to let it go.

"Consort Rong, you've been so busy feeding me that you haven't eaten anything yourself. If you don't eat soon, the food will get cold," Kangxi said, eyeing Consort Rong's overly cheerful smile, and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually, I just thought about it, and it doesn't have to be so rigid. A little won't hurt."

Then, taking her hand, he guided the chopsticks to her mouth.

Consort Rong opened her mouth and ate, feeling extremely tempted. She'd been holding back earlier, watching each bite go into his mouth instead of hers, and she'd wanted to smack someone.

But thinking about how the jerk was suffering more than her, Consort Rong felt a little better.

"Alright, then I'll eat by myself."

Then she ignored Kangxi and started eating on her own. Who could stop her? Nobody!

Kangxi shot Liang Jiugong a look, and the ever-attentive eunuch instantly knew what the Emperor needed. He quickly had someone brew tea and brought a cup to Kangxi as fast as he could.

Kangxi gave Liang Jiugong an approving nod, and Liang Jiugong stood a little taller with pride.

Originally, there was a rule about drinking tea—no more than three sips. But now, Kangxi didn't care about that and took several sips to relieve the greasiness, though it didn't help much.

He had intended to tease Consort Rong, but in the end, he was the one suffering.

Kangxi felt this wasn't right. If this continued, Consort Rong would become more and more unruly... right?

Kangxi quickly closed his eyes and then opened them to see the almost empty plates.

"Consort Rong, you..." Kangxi swallowed hard, unsure whether to praise her for her good appetite or to tell her not to eat too much to avoid overeating.

Consort Rong glanced at Kangxi, clearly too busy to talk, and with her eyes told him to speak if he had something to say, otherwise wait until after the meal.

Earlier, Consort Rong had mentioned that her appetite hadn't been good recently.

Kangxi looked at the plates, somewhat uncertain. If this was considered a poor appetite, then there was no one in the world with a good appetite.

"Yun Hua, I want some water."

Consort Rong wasn't fond of drinking tea, and Yun Hua knew this well. She quickly poured the prepared water and handed it to her, receiving a gentle glance and a sweet smile from Consort Rong.

No matter how often she looked, those peach blossom eyes were always captivating. Yun Hua nodded and stepped back, her face tinged with a faint blush.

Su Yi started sipping the warm water, which was just the right temperature, enjoying it as if she were savoring tea after a meal.

Kangxi, who had been observing the whole scene, felt something was off but couldn't quite figure out what. He was about to say something to Consort Rong when there was some commotion outside the Yonghe Palace. Liang Jiugong sent someone to check what was happening.

He muttered to himself, wondering if it was someone from another palace coming to invite them.

After some time, a young eunuch came back and reported to Liang Jiugong.

He hurriedly told Kangxi what was going on, "Your Majesty, Consort Le has gone into labor."

Consort Le was Yipin's younger sister. After becoming pregnant, she had been resting and rarely came out. Compared to her sister Yipin's flamboyance, Consort Le appeared much more low-key.

Hearing this, Kangxi didn't react much and just said, "Hmm, I see."

While childbirth was a major event for the women in the harem, and the Imperial Noble Consort would often oversee the process, many concubines would also attend.

As for the Emperor, he didn't need to wait outside every time a concubine was giving birth. He only did so when the Empress was in labor.

Other times, it could take a day or even half a night before the child was born, and sometimes it could be as long as three days and nights.

The Emperor couldn't possibly wait around that long. He would usually be informed, and if the child was born, he would then go to see the baby.

Consort Le had just gone into labor, and it was uncertain when the child would be born.

Su Yi, who had been listening, gradually lost her relaxed demeanor and started to feel uneasy, occasionally touching her stomach.

Ah, she felt like she was going to throw up.

After speaking, Kangxi turned to Consort Rong and noticed she didn't look well again. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what was wrong now.

In the blink of an eye, Consort Rong suddenly remembered something.

"I ate too much and feel like I'm going to throw up," Su Yi said, clutching a spittoon, about to throw up.

At that moment, Kangxi also felt nauseous but had been holding it back. However, the sound of Consort Rong retching beside him made it increasingly difficult for him to hold back.

His stomach lurched, and Kangxi quickly grabbed the spittoon from Consort Rong and vomited first.

Liang Jiugong was alarmed and immediately sent someone to get the imperial physician. A group of people gathered around Kangxi, extremely worried.

Su Yi, who had been beaten to it by Kangxi, watched him vomit and stayed silent.

Well, it was fine. Kangxi could vomit and summon the imperial physician, and now she didn't have to worry about whether she should attend the birth.

That was just fine.