Chapter 061

Chapter 061

In recent days, all the memorials have been sent to the Grand Secretariat, and the Emperor has yet to review them.

At this critical moment of pacifying the Three Feudatories, the Emperor has not reviewed any memorials for several consecutive days, indicating that the Crown Prince's illness has also reached a critical stage.

"It's about time," Suo'etu calculated the timing. These days, His Majesty has been guarding the Crown Prince while also issuing edicts to seek renowned physicians.

The next morning at court, a minister stepped forward from the ranks, intending to recommend a seventh-rank county magistrate from Hubei—Fu Weige—to Kangxi.

"Oh?" Kangxi remained expressionless.

"Your Majesty, this person has employed very unique methods in Hubei to cure many smallpox patients. After the Crown Prince contracted smallpox, Your Majesty has been deeply concerned, and so have I.

Thus, I ordered people to search for someone capable of treating smallpox. Fortunately, we were not entirely unsuccessful and indeed found someone. Therefore, today I take this opportunity to recommend Fu Weige to Your Majesty."

The minister spoke in this manner, presenting himself as someone who shares the Emperor's worries and cares for the Crown Prince.

The Mingzhu faction secretly scoffed at this, thinking it was nothing more than Suo'etu's echo, not genuine concern for the Emperor.

"Really?" Kangxi's face lit up with a hint of joy, and the worry between his brows dissipated slightly, as if suppressing excitement. "Since this Fu Weige has a method to treat smallpox, then quickly summon him. You have done well, my minister."

Kangxi's face showed joy, but his eyes were cold.

The Hesheri family indeed had someone recommended who was capable of treating smallpox. How very good.

The Qianqing Palace was sealed, and the news was blocked. The Hesheri family did not know that the Crown Prince was already improving and could recover even without Fu Weige.

The Hesheri family had already found Fu Weige but did not recommend him immediately when the Crown Prince contracted smallpox. Instead, they waited, only stepping forward to recommend him when the Crown Prince's condition was at its worst.

Their plan was to exploit Kangxi's concern for Baocheng's illness, knowing that if someone could cure the Crown Prince's smallpox at this time, Kangxi would heavily rely on Fu Weige.

Smallpox had been a long-standing issue for Kangxi. If there was a way to combat it, he would undoubtedly value such a person.

In this way, the Hesheri family would gain the favor of recommending Fu Weige and also win over this future important official.

Moreover, when Baocheng grew older and understood more, he would know that during his severe illness, it was his maternal family who found the person to treat him, allowing him to recover.

He would remember the kindness of his maternal family, and in the future, the Crown Prince would be closer to the Hesheri family, leaving no room for others to criticize.

What a clever move by the Hesheri family, what a clever Suo'etu, truly worthy of being taught by Sony.

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi's joyful expression faded, and he remained silent, causing Liang Jiugong's fragile nerves to tense up again.

Kangxi silently tackled the backlog of government affairs that had piled up over the past few days.

Liang Jiugong reminded him once about meal time.

But with so many memorials piled up, it was impossible to finish them all at once. Kangxi did not stop; he needed to handle the most urgent ones first.

Kangxi had always been diligent, reviewing and handling all the memorials he could each day, never letting them pile up until the next day. Only this sudden incident had caused such a backlog.

Liang Jiugong observed Kangxi's expression and knew he would not stop. He dared not disturb him again, only occasionally replacing the tea.

Unnoticed, the sky darkened, and Kangxi finally stopped, stretching his stiff neck. Liang Jiugong quickly stepped forward to massage Kangxi's numb shoulders.

Seizing the opportunity, he said, "Your Majesty, you have been reviewing memorials all day. You did not have lunch, and now it is dinner time. Perhaps you should eat first, as your health is of paramount importance."

Kangxi pinched the bridge of his nose, exhausted from a day of reviewing memorials. "How is Baocheng?"

He hadn't gone to see the Crown Prince all day and still didn't know how he was doing.

"Your Majesty, the Consort Rong is taking care of the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has been taking his meals and medicine on schedule, and his condition remains stable with no signs of complications. The imperial physician says that in a few more days, the Crown Prince should recover."

Though the question was about the Crown Prince, Liang Jiugong cleverly brought up Consort Rong.

"Has Consort Rong been staying with the Crown Prince all this time?" Kangxi asked, propping his head on his hand.

"Yes, when the Crown Prince is asleep, Consort Rong rests on a nearby couch. They also have lunch together, and I presume they are having dinner together now as well."

Liang Jiugong continued to massage Kangxi's shoulders as he replied.

He said this, thinking that His Majesty might go over there for dinner, where the meal would be more enjoyable.

"Hmm." Kangxi responded curtly and then fell silent.

Liang Jiugong didn't dare to urge him further and silently continued massaging his shoulders. It wasn't until Liang Jiugong's hands began to ache that Kangxi finally said, "Have the meal served."

It seemed he had no intention of joining the Crown Prince and Consort Rong for dinner.

When Kangxi dined alone, the atmosphere was always quiet, and the rules were strictly enforced. The maids carefully served, tasted, and arranged the dishes.

At one point, the tension in the room was so thick that a maid accidentally dropped a spoon while serving soup, the clatter echoing loudly. She immediately turned pale, knelt down, and kowtowed, begging for forgiveness, her voice trembling.

The maid wasn't strikingly beautiful, but she was somewhat attractive, and her nightingale-like voice added to her charm.

Liang Jiugong's eyebrow twitched, and he quickly stepped forward, scolding in a low voice, "Clumsy fool! Leave at once and await your punishment!"

He cautiously glanced at Kangxi's expression.

The Emperor's mood wasn't particularly good at the moment, and this maid had chosen the wrong time to make a mistake.

The maids who served the Emperor's meals were all rigorously trained and selected. Such mistakes were unacceptable, as the supervising officials would punish them harshly to prevent recurrence.

If it was truly an accident, Liang Jiugong's scolding was actually giving her a way out. If she left now, nothing would happen, and at most, she would be reprimanded or lightly punished, and the matter would be over.

But instead of seizing the chance to leave, the maid continued to plead, her voice growing even more melodious despite her fear.

Liang Jiugong's face darkened, thinking to himself that this maid didn't know what was good for her.

*Thud.* Kangxi set down his chopsticks and said coldly, "Enough noise. Twenty lashes."

The maid froze, stunned by the unexpected turn of events. At first, it seemed His Majesty hadn't intended to punish her, which was why even when Liang Jiugong scolded her and told her to leave immediately, she didn't leave right away. Instead, she continued to speak, but instead of helping her case, it only led to her being punished.

The maid's face fell, and her voice cracked, no longer as pleasant as before.

Thus, even the most enchanting voice can crack under genuine fear.

Liang Jiugong stepped back to his original position. "Remove this maid at once."

If only she had known better. She ignored the order to leave, foolishly believing she could outwit the Emperor, as if His Majesty wouldn't see through her.

The harem is filled with countless beautiful women. Did she truly believe anyone could rise above the rest?

Even the most favored concubines remain demure, respectful, and obedient in His Majesty's presence. Lady Uya was merely an exception. Had she not been carrying the royal child, she might have faded into obscurity.

Soon, the maidservant was dragged out, her mouth gagged, and given twenty strokes of the rod. Though the number wasn't large, twenty strokes were enough to incapacitate her for several days, especially if the eunuch didn't hold back.

If the eunuch had been deliberately harsh, twenty strokes would have left her skin and flesh barely injured, but her spirit would have been shattered.

Seeing that the Emperor had put down his chopsticks, Liang Jiugong asked, standing nearby, "Your Majesty, won't you eat a bit more?"

The Emperor had barely eaten anything.

"Clear the table."

Kangxi actually had little appetite. After dealing with a pile of memorials, he felt quite tired and not particularly hungry.

After bathing, Kangxi read a few more memorials until he yawned, feeling drowsy, and decided to stop.

"Your Majesty, are you ready to retire?" Liang Jiugong asked from the side.

Kangxi shook his head, stood up, and walked out, "I will go see the Crown Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It was only natural for the Emperor to visit the Crown Prince today, as he hadn't seen him yet. So, he followed the Emperor to the Crown Prince's quarters.

When Kangxi arrived, the young eunuch guard outside was about to speak but was stopped by Kangxi's raised hand.

Liang Jiugong gestured from behind for them to keep quiet, lest the Crown Prince be awakened by the noise.

Kangxi's footsteps were soft. As he approached the inner chamber, he heard Consort Rong telling a story.

The Crown Prince's voice carried a hint of sleepiness, but the child was stubbornly staying awake, asking about the next part of the story.

Kangxi paused to listen. The story Consort Rong was telling was quite entertaining, though somewhat fantastical, meant more for amusement. It was no wonder the Crown Prince, who hadn't read such miscellaneous books before, would enjoy it.

"Very well, I said I would stop here, and you should go to sleep," Consort Rong paused the story and said. The Crown Prince whined, "No, I want to hear a little more. Just a little more, Consort Rong, and then I'll sleep."

He was being adorable, but Su Yi wasn't fooled. He was stubbornly fighting sleep to keep listening.

"Do you enjoy the story so much? You can hear more tomorrow," Su Yi said, tucking him in, clearly not intending to continue.

Earlier, the little milk dragon had used those puppy eyes and a sweet voice to beg for more, just a little more, but that "little more" had already been extended many times.

"Alright," the little milk dragon said reluctantly. It was the first time someone had told him a bedtime story, and time had passed so quickly. He really had only heard a little bit.

She was about to leave, and he didn't want her to go.

Consort Rong tapped the little milk dragon's nose and smiled gently, "Do you want to hear a lullaby?"

"Yes!" The little milk dragon didn't know what a lullaby was, but he agreed immediately. It was Consort Rong singing a little tune to help him sleep.

The little milk dragon quickly forgot about the bedtime story he had been so eager to hear. He tucked his little hands back under the covers, his eyes sparkling with anticipation, clearly ready.

Consort Rong sat by his bedside, softly humming a melody without words. The tune was unique but very beautiful and soothing.

Her hand gently patted the little milk dragon's blanket. The lullaby seemed to work; while listening to the story, he had stayed awake, but now his eyelids quickly drooped.

The little milk dragon fought to stay awake and listen a bit longer, but soon he was deeply asleep.

Seeing that the little milk dragon was asleep, Consort Rong smiled but didn't stop immediately. She hummed a little more before finally stopping.

Finally, the little milk dragon has fallen asleep.

This is truly a lullaby, one she heard in the cultivation world. It sounded very pleasant, and back then, she was curious about everything and wanted to learn everything. Over time, she dabbled in a bit of everything.

Su Yi lowered her head and yawned, then got up as well. She needed to hurry back to sleep, otherwise her body would start acting up again, and she would become a medicine junkie.

The medicine was also extremely bitter, bitter enough to make her head fall off. Even in the Qianqing Palace, there was a little milk dragon watching her to make sure she drank it all.

What could Su Yi do? The little milk dragon, though small, obediently drank the bitter medicine without a fuss. How could she not drink it?

Su Yi got up and was about to leave when she opened the curtain and met eyes with Kangxi standing there.

Su Yi's eyes widened slightly, her mouth slightly agape, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

At the same time, she reached out and pinched Kangxi's soft spot.

Swift and accurate.

Kangxi hadn't expected Consort Rong to dare to pinch him, and actually do it. He couldn't help but let out a hiss, and was immediately silenced by Consort Rong covering his mouth and pulling him outside.

Kangxi was also afraid of waking Baocheng, so he followed Consort Rong out, but his eyes clearly conveyed, "We'll address this matter later once we're outside."

Liang Jiugong, he was already stunned. Consort Rong actually dared to do it; when there was trouble, she really took action.

He followed behind the two without saying a word. At this moment, he shouldn't be here; he should be outside getting some fresh air.

Once outside, Su Yi released her hand from Kangxi's mouth and said, "You walk so silently, standing there silently. I almost screamed when I came out. Luckily, I reacted quickly and didn't wake the little crown prince Baocheng. Otherwise, would you have to coax him back to sleep?"

She had finally managed to get him to sleep. The little milk dragon became even more clingy when he was sick.

As soon as Kangxi came out, he wanted to address the matter with Consort Rong, to properly reprimand her for her earlier act of defiance, which was a serious offense. But Consort Rong beat him to the punch, scolding him first.

"No, you almost screamed, but why did you have to pinch me?"

Kangxi thought about the sharp pain and felt that his soft spot was still sore. Others might flirt and tease without actually doing anything, but Consort Rong actually did it!

Kangxi grew angrier the more he thought about it and was about to say more.

"Well, it was a slip of the hand. I thought I was so tired that I was hallucinating." Su Yi stepped forward and touched him. "Are you okay? I was just a bit quick; my hand acted on its own."

'I thought I was dreaming, and then I turned around and ran into this scoundrel. I just pinched to see if it was a hallucination.'

"You thought I was your hallucination, so why didn't you pinch yourself? Why pinch me??"

Kangxi couldn't understand and was utterly shocked. What kind of reasoning was this?

"Pinching myself would hurt," Su Yi said, holding Kangxi's hand with an innocent look.

Kangxi laughed in anger. "So you know it would hurt, but pinching me doesn't hurt, is that how it works?"

"Yes," Su Yi nodded vigorously.

'That's right, pinching you wouldn't hurt me, but you would scream in pain.'

"Nonsense. Speak properly, stop playing around."

Kangxi glanced at Consort Rong, who was tugging at his sleeve, his expression cold and unyielding, appearing difficult to reason with.

"Alright, Your Majesty," Su Yi obediently let go, neatly folding her hands in front of her and walking beside Kangxi.

Kangxi waited for a while, but she didn’t say anything more. "Consort Rong, do you think the matter of you pinching me earlier is just going to pass like that?"

Su Yi turned her face in surprise and said, "What else?"

'Is this really not over yet?'

She suddenly realized, "Later, I’ll bring you some ointment. It will heal quickly after applying it." She spoke considerately, her face showing that this should be right.

Kangxi’s expression was indescribable. "No need."

He refused, as if a small matter needed a big fuss. Forget it!

Su Yi walked for a while and realized Kangxi was heading the same way. She looked at him, seeing no reaction, her steps synchronized with his.

"Aren’t you heading back to rest?"

Kangxi looked at her strangely. "Isn’t that where I’m going?"

The entire Qianqing Palace belongs to him. Where he sleeps, can Consort Rong stop him?

Hmph.

Thinking this, Kangxi felt refreshed.

"Oh," Su Yi said quietly.

'Ugh, now I have to share the bed. How does he always pick so well?'

'Out of more than thirty beds, you had to pick this one.'

Kangxi’s lips curled slightly, but he didn’t speak.

When they arrived at Consort Rong’s temporary quarters, Kangxi noticed some changes, especially the bed, which now had several thick quilts. The porcelain pillow had been replaced with the soft pillow used previously in Yonghe Palace, filled with buckwheat hulls.

Liang Jiugong helped Kangxi remove his outer robe, leaving him in just his bright yellow undergarments. Kangxi sat by the bed, feeling somewhat uncomfortable on the overly soft mattress.

Consort Rong loves sleeping on these soft things, Kangxi thought to himself. But he deftly grabbed several soft pillows and leaned back against them, feeling pretty comfortable.

Usually, it was Consort Rong who enjoyed leaning like this. Kangxi, to maintain his imperial dignity, never joined in, thinking it didn’t match his style.

But now, as Consort Rong sat at the dressing table, applying something to her face and not joining him, he decided to lean for a while.

Kangxi asked Liang Jiugong to bring a book. He sat there flipping through the book, but his eyes weren’t on the pages. Instead, they were fixed on Consort Rong in front of the dressing table.

After a while, he glanced at the book a few more times, pretending to turn the page.

After a while, Consort Rong finally joined him. Kangxi pretended to be engrossed in reading and didn’t speak.

Kangxi sat at the head of the bed, while Su Yi sat in the middle. She pulled up her trouser legs, ready to soak her feet. Soaking feet before sleep makes sleeping more comfortable.

The water was a bit hot. Su Yi didn’t immediately put her feet in but stepped on the edge of the foot tub to test it, then pulled back, testing again and again until she finally prepared to step in.

Then she saw a large foot suddenly appear in the foot tub.

Su Yi looked up. Kangxi, who had been sitting at the head of the bed, had come over and stepped into the foot tub. She looked at him, her expression somewhat subtle. "Your Majesty, don’t you find it hot?"

Although the foot-soaking water is adjusted for temperature, Su Yi doesn’t like to adjust it, preferring it to be quite hot. He stepped in—didn’t he find it hot?

The answer is,

He insisted!

Kangxi's neck veins bulged, and the veins on his face pulsed slightly, his expression somewhat restrained, yet he insisted, "It's not hot."

Of course, he wanted to save face.

"Oh," Su Yi said, dragging out her words, "Impressive. I still think it's a bit hot; it took me a while to get used to it." By now, she could also put both feet in, still hot, but much better than the one who just plunged in.

Her small, jade-like feet stepped in, contrasting with the large foot, the three lined up side by side.

Kangxi slowly adjusted and decided to put his other foot in too, making the space narrower. Su Yi's feet had nowhere to go, unwilling to be squeezed into a corner, she felt numb, after all, this was her foot-soaking bucket.

So Su Yi stepped right on Kangxi's foot. Kangxi looked at her, raised an eyebrow, and then gestured for her to look at the foot-soaking bucket.

Su Yi defended herself, "This is how two people soak their feet together. And if Your Majesty wants to soak his feet, you can have the servants get another bucket for you." Then she stepped on his foot once more.

'Soak if you want, but I'm not going to be the one at the bottom!'

Kangxi moved, and Su Yi's foot slipped off, but soon her foot was stepped on again. Su Yi, feeling indignant, stepped back.

"Your Majesty, if you really want to soak your feet, you can have the servants get another bucket for you." Why do you have to compete with me? It's such a bad habit.

Some water splashed out, getting the hem of their pants wet. Kangxi said, "Alright, let's stop messing around."

Su Yi nodded, still stepping on his foot, and agreed.

Liang Jiugong watched from the side as the two squeezed into a single foot-soaking bucket.

To be honest, His Majesty isn't in the habit of soaking his feet, and clearly, they could have used two separate buckets, with plenty of space and enough hot water. It's just a simple order, not much trouble at all.

Su Yi soaked her feet comfortably, and because it felt so good, she started to feel drowsy. With a human pillow beside her, Su Yi leaned slightly against Kangxi, intending to doze off for a bit—she wouldn't actually sleep.

But as she dozed off, she actually fell asleep.

Kangxi felt a weight on his shoulder; the water was no longer hot, and the person on his shoulder hadn't moved. He realized Consort Rong had fallen asleep. He quietly ordered the foot-soaking bucket to be removed.

Kangxi moved her to the bed. Consort Rong's feet were still wet and not dried, and as she sleepily tried to burrow into the blanket, she intended to dry them on the quilt. Kangxi frowned, grabbed her foot, and gave it a light tap.

He took a dry cloth, covered her foot, and wrapped it up. "Messy, not drying your feet before sleeping," he said, his tone somewhat disdainful, but he lowered his head to dry her feet.

Consort Rong's feet were very delicate, now soaked in hot water, even the toenails looked delicate, the toes chubby and somewhat cute, the instep thin, as if the skin was clinging to the bone, not much flesh, but very beautiful.

Many people have good looks, but few have delicate and beautiful feet.

The maids had long lowered their heads, not daring to look closely, but Liang Jiugong felt a shock, although it was against the rules, no one spoke up to say it was inappropriate.

Kangxi almost finished drying, his fingers couldn't help but caress the instep a few times, his eyes deep. Su Yi felt her feet getting cold and wanted to retract them into the blanket.

She tried to pull back but failed, Su Yi sleepily moved again, this time succeeding, Kangxi let go.

Su Yi felt comfortable and fell deeply asleep again. Kangxi had the candles extinguished and also lay down, he still used the porcelain pillow, while Su Yi used a soft pillow, which she had specially arranged for him.

She was very accommodating, not insisting that others also use soft pillows.

The truth was, she only made one with buckwheat hulls, the others were cotton which she didn't like, so she let the dog man sleep on the hard porcelain pillow.

Su Yi occupied a soft pillow alone, her back to Kangxi, hugging one in her arms, sleeping very comfortably.

Kangxi, used to the porcelain pillow, didn't find it unusual at first, but now he felt the porcelain pillow wasn't appealing, turning over twice to stare at Consort Rong's back.

He wanted to join her.

Moving the porcelain pillow, he turned over and rested his head on Consort Rong's pillow, sharing it with her.

He sighed, it was indeed quite comfortable, his large arm wrapped around Consort Rong who was facing away from him, and Kangxi closed his eyes and fell asleep.