Chapter 048

Chapter 048

"Yonghe Palace called for the imperial physician? A burn? Hmph, I thought she was smart, but she actually burned herself just to defend a maid. She hurt herself just to make that lowly Wanbi suffer too?"

Yipin, who had washed her face several times yesterday, felt her skin had worsened and was utterly annoyed with Consort Rong. She had specifically instructed her maids to keep an eye on Yonghe Palace.

The news she received only made her angrier.

Yesterday, Consort Rong had come to her palace to cause a scene.

She had even sent soup to the Qianqing Palace at noon, hoping the Emperor would visit her palace. Yet, the Emperor went to Yonghe Palace instead, allowing Consort Rong to come out on top.

Consort Rong had seemed to be losing favor recently, with the Emperor no longer visiting Yonghe Palace. But now, it seemed she was regaining favor.

Yesterday, the Emperor not only went to Yonghe Palace but also brought the Crown Prince with him. Although the Crown Prince was present, it still showed the Emperor's willingness to reconcile with Consort Rong.

If the Crown Prince hadn't been there, the Emperor might have even spent the night at Yonghe Palace.

The more Yipin thought about it, the angrier she became. She had gone to provoke Consort Rong, not only failing to gain any advantage but also allowing Consort Rong to regain the Emperor's favor.

She felt furious, realizing that while she had sent soups to the Qianqing Palace, Consort Rong hadn't sent anything to appease. In the end, she gained nothing and unintentionally aided Consort Rong in regaining the Emperor's favor.

Yipin glared at Wanbi, her rage growing.

"Consort Rong burned her hand this time. Even if the Emperor was still angry, seeing her injured would likely melt his anger. Hmph, she just stumbled into luck," Yipin fumed.

Wanbi had burned her hand, but Yipin didn't care for her well-being. Wanbi had to wrap her hand with bandages herself and asked a friendly maid to get some burn ointment. She applied it herself, knowing her hand wouldn't heal quickly.

However, Yipin didn't allow her to rest and instead demoted her to doing menial tasks, accusing her of incompetence.

Wanbi knew Yipin was venting her anger on her.

Especially after learning the Emperor had gone to see Consort Rong instead of visiting her, Yipin blamed Wanbi for failing in her duties.

But Yipin didn't consider that without her orders, Wanbi, a mere maid, would never have dared to act so boldly.

In the end, Yipin didn't even stand up for her!

Wanbi couldn't help feeling resentful.

Especially when comparing her treatment to Yun Hua's, Wanbi harbored even more hatred toward Yipin.

Although Consort Rong was also detestable, it was Yipin who had caused her this misery!

Her younger sister was still serving in the Imperial Noble Consort's palace and hadn't been transferred to Yonghe Palace to serve Consort Rong.

She feared her sister might be sent to Yonghe Palace to be mistreated, as the Imperial Noble Consort was Consort Rong's sister. If Consort Rong really asked, the Imperial Noble Consort wouldn't refuse her for the sake of a maid.

Her sister had also explained why the sachet ended up with Consort Rong. Fortunately, Consort Rong had only been trying to scare her.

——

Yikun Palace

The Imperial Noble Consort, well-informed about the happenings in the palace, quickly learned everything.

Not only about Yipin's palace but also about Yonghe Palace.

"Since her hand was scalded, send some ointment over to Yonghe Palace," the Imperial Noble Consort said with apparent concern.

"My sister is truly sentimental and righteous. How could she let herself get hurt over just a palace maid? Next time, I’ll have to give her a good talking-to and tell her not to do such things again."

However, Consort Rong's actions actually pleased the Imperial Noble Consort.

Being overly sentimental and righteous in the harem is a major taboo. There is no true affection in the harem; even those who serve by your side might betray you, and Kangxi is hardly someone to rely on.

The fact that Consort Rong has such a weakness is a good thing for her. After all, she is Consort Rong's elder sister. As long as she takes good care of Consort Rong, it will be easier to handle things in the future.

This put her mind at ease.

As an emperor, Kangxi has no real capacity for affection, and the women of the harem must vie for his fragile and fleeting favor. As long as one remains in the harem, such struggles are inevitable.

Even she is constantly scheming and plotting.

Ever since becoming Niohuru, she has always seen herself as the future empress.

This has become her obsession. No matter who stands in her way, she’ll get rid of them. If a pawn proves useless, she’ll replace it.

——

Yonghe Palace

Originally, Yun Hua, who had scalded her hand, intended to rest and recover for a few days before returning to serve her mistress. She had also told Qinxin not to inform the mistress.

Unexpectedly, the mistress found out, and not only that, she even went to Yipin’s place to stand up for her.

To make Wanbi feel the pain of being scalded, the mistress even personally held a scalding teacup and burned her own hand. This left Yun Hua unable to sit still.

If it hadn’t been for the Emperor’s visit last night and the mistress being exhausted from the day's events, Yun Hua would have gone to see her earlier.

The next day, Yun Hua arrived early to wait. After the mistress woke up, she stood by, eyes red, watching Qinxin change the mistress’s bandages.

If her own hand hadn’t been injured, Yun Hua would have wanted to personally change the mistress's bandages.

Su Yi stayed calm while changing the bandages, but both Qinxin and Yun Hua felt the situation was very serious, each being more cautious than the other.

"The medicine Imperial Physician Wang prescribed is indeed effective. The swelling on the mistress's hand has subsided quite a bit," Qinxin said while applying the ointment.

Yesterday, her palm was still red, but today it looked much better.

"I told you it’s just a minor burn, and it will heal soon. Both of you, stop looking so worried, especially you, Yun Hua. Take a good rest these few days and wait until your hand is fully healed."

Yun Hua’s hand was scalded much worse than hers, so she needed to rest properly during this time to avoid scarring.

Although a small scar might not seem like much, girls always care about their looks, especially on such a visible part of the body. After all, it was an undeserved hardship.

Just as Yun Hua was about to say something, Su Yi gently patted her head and said in a doting tone, "Alright, be good now." Her gentle smile instantly left Yun Hua unable to refuse.

Yun Hua was deeply moved. Before coming to Yonghe Palace, she had never expected to encounter such a kind mistress.

In the harem, the most common advice was to remember one's place. The mistresses in the harem could be good or bad-tempered, but no matter what, fulfilling one's duties was the most important.

If one served under a kind mistress, life would at least be easier, without constant scolding or kneeling punishments. But if one encountered a difficult mistress, being mistreated was something one had to endure silently, gritting one's teeth and bearing it.

For this reason, when Yun Hua was transferred to Yonghe Palace to serve, she was filled with anxiety, fearing that the newly promoted Consort Rong would be difficult to deal with.

But ever since she came to Yonghe Palace and had the fortune to serve as a senior maid by the mistress's side, the mistress had always treated her well. This time was no exception...

Whoever encounters such a situation would have to accept their misfortune and endure it, since it's the mistress who is being difficult. One can't expect their own master to seek justice for a mere servant.

Giving some medicine for proper recovery is already considered generous.

But her mistress is just... different.

Yun Hua entered the palace at a very young age, and honestly, no one in the palace has treated her better than her mistress. She will definitely serve her mistress well in the future.

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but tear up. But fearing her mistress would notice and comfort her, Yun Hua held back her tears, forcing a smile instead.

Qinxin quietly applied the medicine, feeling a pang of envy for Yun Hua.

Consort Rong had been so kind to Yun Hua that Qinxin almost wished she had been the one scalded instead. Would Consort Rong stand up for her the way she did for Yun Hua?

After quickly applying the medicine, Qinxin reached for gauze to wrap Su Yi's hand, but Su Yi stopped her.

"Just leave it open; it feels better this way. Wrapping it with gauze would be too uncomfortable. Besides, I’m staying in Yonghe Palace, so my hand won’t get hurt. Let’s not bother with it."

Qinxin nodded and said, "Yes, mistress."

"Alright, the medicine has been changed. I want to rest a bit more. I went out yesterday, and though I didn’t notice it then, today my body aches and feels exhausted."

Qinxin and Yun Hua took her words seriously, knowing Su Yi rarely left the palace. After such a long walk yesterday, it’s no wonder her legs and feet were sore. Even Qinxin felt a little sore, so of course the mistress would too.

So they quietly left, not wanting to disturb Su Yi’s rest.

Once alone, Su Yi examined her freshly treated palm.

If she weren’t worried about healing too fast and raising suspicions, she’d have healed already to avoid this sticky ointment. Her hand reeked of the ointment, and by morning, even the bed smelled like medicine. The smell was overpowering.

Truthfully, her burn wasn’t even that bad.

When she picked up the scalding teacup yesterday, she’d shielded her palm with spiritual energy, so she could hold it without issue. She could’ve avoided the burn, but a normal person’s palm, soft and callus-free, would’ve shown signs of scalding. Without any burns, it would’ve seemed odd. Calling a physician was the only logical move.

If she hadn’t been scalded, it would’ve looked suspicious.

Yipin might not have noticed, but Wanbi’s hand was red and blistered, while Su Yi’s showed no burns—that would’ve been suspicious.

Especially to the Imperial Noble Consort, who is from the present world and has experienced a time-traveling adventure. Naturally, she would think of things others wouldn’t.

If the Imperial Noble Consort were to connect this and realize that she wasn’t the only one who had gained such an opportunity, suspecting her identity, it wouldn’t be a matter of taking things slowly anymore, but acting swiftly to eliminate her.

Then she would look for other candidates who could bear a prince for her.

Because the imperial harem is never short of women, but currently, as long as Su Yi appears to be a native in the eyes of the Imperial Noble Consort, she remains the best candidate to bear her child.

Once it's discovered that Su Yi also has a similar life experience, having also gained an opportunity to come to this Qing dynasty, a sense of crisis would naturally arise.

Then, inevitably, Su Yi would become the person the Imperial Noble Consort most fears and wishes to eliminate immediately.

While the other is still in a high position and they are not yet ready to openly break relations.

It's better to let the other think that she is just too sentimental and genuine.

Because such a Su Yi would make the Imperial Noble Consort feel more at ease.

After all, such a point is the most trivial in the Imperial Noble Consort's mind, and also the easiest to exploit.

Lately, the Imperial Noble Consort had been scheming a lot, so Su Yi decided to use this chance to make her back off.

So, just before handing the teacup to Wanbi, Su Yi withdrew her spiritual energy. Without her spiritual energy shielding her, Su Yi's palm got burned almost instantly, but she gritted her teeth and didn’t let it show.

Only after returning to Yonghe Palace did she finally let the burn be known.

As luck would have it, Kangxi showed up, and with him around, word of her burn and the call for the imperial physician spread like wildfire.

Su Yi gazed at her ointment-covered palm and smiled faintly.

——

The little milk dragon was having a rough time because his imperial father had piled on more studies.

Lately, when the imperial father checked his studies, he’d grown stricter, leaving even the little milk dragon, who usually handled study stress well, feeling swamped.

But each time, the imperial father would remind him that a real man shouldn’t be soft or cry easily, asking if he didn’t want to grow into a towering, steadfast nine-foot-tall man.

A towering, steadfast nine-foot-tall man would never cry.

This made the little milk dragon hold back his tears, swallowing them down.

What’s more, the imperial father stopped taking him to see Consort Rong. When he asked to go, the imperial father would say, "You haven’t even finished your studies, and you want to go play? Not a chance."

After finally finishing his studies, the imperial father would say it was late and he should go to bed early, or else he’d never grow tall and end up as short as the imperial father.

Little milk dragon: Huh?!

After a few days, the little milk dragon finally caught on that something was off. Why has the imperial father been saying this so much lately? Is he mad?

But that day, the imperial father clearly said he wasn’t angry.

The little milk dragon innocently asked his dear imperial father if he was upset about what happened that day, but the imperial father brushed it off.

He just said not to blame the imperial father for the heavy workload.

"But..." something still felt wrong.

But soon, under the glow of the imperial father’s affection, the little milk dragon got sidetracked and only remembered after leaving that he was supposed to confront him.

How did he end up back here?

Seeing the little crown prince’s struggles, Liang Jiugong felt deeply sorry for him and could only silently shed a tear of pity.

Lately, Kangxi had been practicing using his left hand to pick up food. Once he’d made some progress, he brought Baocheng along to Yonghe Palace again.

He realized that without Baocheng around, Consort Rong had zero patience for him. The sweeter her words, the more annoyed she was underneath.

With Baocheng there, Consort Rong was at least a bit less maddening.

After all, when he lost his temper, Consort Rong didn’t bat an eye. She’d even keep up the act, shedding a few tears in front of him, but the moment he left, she’d stop crying and was probably grinning ear to ear inside.

Being cold didn’t help either. Consort Rong just stayed in her Yonghe Palace, sleeping late, eating, drinking, sleeping, listening to storytelling, and not feeling sad or upset at all.

Originally, he wanted to wait for Consort Rong to soften up and take the opportunity to change her temperament, but as he waited, it was he who felt increasingly uncomfortable.

Kangxi felt somewhat defeated. Consort Rong's indifference made it clear she didn't care about him, so it didn't matter whether he visited Yonghe Palace or not.

Instead, it was he who needed her. She was his chosen candidate to balance the harem and topple the Imperial Noble Consort.

If it weren't for his mind-reading ability, he wouldn't have known that the Imperial Noble Consort's background was so fantastical. Though strange, the emperor's inherent suspicion compelled him to believe it.

Ruthless by nature and holding a high position, she was even plotting to have her child compete with Baocheng. However, rashly acting against the Imperial Noble Consort was out of the question, as the Niohuru family backing her was something Kangxi had to consider.

The Imperial Noble Consort's father, Ebilun, had been stripped of his title as Grand Tutor after Kangxi eradicated the power of Oboi. However, later, Kangxi showed leniency towards Ebilun, no longer holding past grievances against him. He even visited the Niohuru residence during Ebilun's serious illness, showing his favor, and thus elevated the Imperial Noble Consort, allowing her to hold a high position in the harem.

This was because Kangxi had just removed Oboi and cleared his influence. To control the court and to win over influential senior ministers such as Ebilun, he needed to stabilize the people's hearts and consolidate the court's power.

On the other hand, after Ebilun's fall, the power of the Bordered Yellow Banner was severely weakened.

Meanwhile, due to the Empress, the Hesheli family's influence rapidly expanded, especially with Baocheng as the Crown Prince. To curb the Plain Yellow Banner's further expansion of power, Kangxi had to support the Bordered Yellow Banner to counterbalance the Plain Yellow Banner, ensuring no single banner would dominate.

If the Imperial Noble Consort were to fall and Consort Rong were to replace her, the Niohuru family would not be upset, as there would still be a Niohuru in the harem maintaining the family's glory.

This was what Kangxi had to consider.

Between the two Niohuru women, Consort Rong, though peculiar, with an unusual background, bold, willful, and difficult to get along with, at least had no ill intentions.

She was even quite affectionate towards Baocheng.

Unlike the other consorts in the harem, who harbored jealousy and malice towards Baocheng, Consort Rong treated him better than she treated Kangxi.

Consort Rong was the most fitting choice; Kangxi couldn't find anyone more suitable in the harem.

Even without the Yipin issue, he wouldn't continue to be at odds with Consort Rong.

After careful consideration, Kangxi decided to reconcile and headed to Yonghe Palace. Taking advantage of Consort Rong's visit to Yipin, Kangxi seized the chance to visit Yonghe Palace.

Bringing Baocheng along was very useful, as Baocheng genuinely missed his Consort Rong.

Having practiced picking up food with his left hand, Kangxi naturally brought Baocheng along to Yonghe Palace.

The little milk dragon was still wondering if his father was retaliating by increasing his studies when he was immediately overwhelmed by the news that his father was taking him to see Consort Rong. He quickly forgot about his father's possible retaliation and eagerly followed him to Yonghe Palace to visit Consort Rong.

Liang Jiugong, observing the naive Crown Prince, shook his head inwardly. The Crown Prince no longer worried about whether the Emperor was deliberately increasing his workload and happily followed the Emperor.

Upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, the Crown Prince felt rejuvenated.

Having not seen Consort Rong for several days, it felt like an eternity.

He immediately rushed to hug her, making Kangxi raise an eyebrow. He had just said that a man shouldn't always be clingy and affectionate, but the Crown Prince forgot all about it upon seeing Consort Rong.

Su Yi, upon seeing the little milk dragon, felt her joy instantly overshadow her irritation at Kangxi's presence. She happily picked up the little milk dragon, who was begging for a hug.

The little milk dragon laughed so hard that his teeth showed, but then remembered, "Consort Rong, your hand..." He struggled to get down, not wanting to burden her, but Su Yi held him firmly, smiling gently and saying, "My hand is better now, I can hold you."

The two hugged happily, while Kangxi coughed from the side, reminding them of his presence.

This time, Consort Rong quickly noticed him.

But her expression was less enthusiastic than when she first saw the little milk dragon, and she casually remarked, "Oh, Your Majesty is here too."

Then she asked for tea to be brought in, "Come in and sit, don't just stand there." She acted like a host, inviting them to sit and make themselves at home.

Kangxi was speechless...

Although he knew that Consort Rong didn't really care for him, when Baocheng wasn't around, she would at least pretend to be thrilled about his arrival.

Even though he knew she probably cursed him under her breath, at least on the surface, she maintained some decorum, right?

Why can't Consort Rong even bother to pretend now that Baocheng is here?

Kangxi kept his cool, deciding not to argue with Consort Rong over these matters.

During the meal, Kangxi deliberately used his left hand to serve himself, several times deliberately picking dishes right in front of Consort Rong, just to make her notice that he was using his left hand.

But Consort Rong's hand had already healed, and she was using her right hand to serve herself, too busy swapping dishes with Baocheng to notice he was using his left hand.

This left Kangxi's desire to show off a bit deflated.

But Kangxi, after days of secret practice, wasn't ready to give up. He stopped serving himself in front of Consort Rong and instead started serving her directly.

When Consort Rong saw him serving her, she simply said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

'What's gotten into him, serving me all of a sudden?'

'And I don't even like this dish!'

'It's nice of him, but I wish he wouldn't.'

Kangxi was baffled: !?

Didn't she notice he was using his left hand?

How come even Baocheng didn't notice?

So Kangxi tried serving Baocheng instead, sure he'd notice.

The little milk dragon simply thanked his dear father for serving him, and that was it.

Kangxi, after all his secret practice, was frustrated that no one noticed.

Liang Jiugong, standing nearby, was barely holding back his laughter.

While Consort Rong and the little prince were clueless, Liang Jiugong, as the emperor's chief steward, knew exactly what was going on.

The emperor was clearly trying to show off, but sadly, no one noticed.

Liang Jiugong found it very hard to keep from laughing.

Knowing too much can be dangerous. It's hard to keep a straight face in front of the emperor.

Kangxi still wasn't quite willing to give up; he couldn't believe that Consort Rong really didn't notice.

But maybe she really didn't?

"Consort Rong, is your hand better now? Are you using your right hand to pick up food?" Kangxi pretended to care.

Su Yi noticed Kangxi was acting unusually today, and now he was rambling again. "Yes, it's better now, didn't I just mention that earlier while holding the little milk dragon?" Why is he bringing it up again?

"Yeah, I noticed, Consort Rong's hand is really better, it's even paler now," the little milk dragon seriously agreed, even opening his little hands, opening and closing them like tiny kitten paws.

"Oh, that's great. I was just worried you weren't fully healed and still uncomfortable using your left hand," Kangxi stressed the words "left hand."

Su Yi glanced at Kangxi and thought he was acting strange.

Since when did he start rambling like this?

Kangxi saw that Consort Rong was looking at him, and his left hand holding the chopsticks moved slightly, as if by accident—did she notice?

Did he really need to spell it out?

"Oh, got it," Su Yi replied calmly, then grabbed some food and placed it in Kangxi's bowl. "Thanks for caring, eat up."

'Eat more, talk less.'

'Stop with the nonsense, I don't get it.'

Kangxi was fuming and was about to say something when, "Wow! Imperial Father, you're eating with your left hand!"