Chapter 067

Chapter 067

"Your Ladyship, are you sure you want to go? Maybe we should head back first," Yun Hua advised as she followed, thinking it wasn’t the right time. What if the Emperor also got angry with you?

Su Yi’s face was pale, seemingly exhausted from walking. Despite the cold weather, a light sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, her lips colorless, appearing visibly frail. Yet, she shook her head firmly, "I have to go, or I won’t be able to rest easy."

Yun Hua assumed she was referring to the Imperial Noble Consort, her sister, who had been deposed, and that she wanted to plead for her sister’s sake, hence feeling uneasy. Although understandable, pleading at this time wouldn’t be of any use.

But Su Yi actually meant something else.

If the Imperial Noble Consort was deposed, it would be more beneficial than harmful to her.

This way, she could avoid enduring the Imperial Noble Consort’s facade of a gentle elder sister, feigning deep affection while secretly plotting to use her as a pawn.

Moreover, the fact that she could still come out suggested that the eunuchs’ focus wasn’t on her.

She had deliberately spoken in front of the leading eunuch, and his attitude remained very polite. Imperial Physician Wang had also come along, initially thought to be called in advance for her, fearing she might be stimulated and need immediate medical attention, hence coming together.

But Imperial Physician Wang didn’t stay by her side; instead, he went to the storeroom, indicating that this trip required a physician to identify certain things. Since Imperial Physician Wang often treated her, being a familiar face, his presence hinted at underlying messages.

The focus of the eunuchs and the physician wasn’t on her. The result of her waiting there probably wasn’t just for her to see, but had other intentions. She decided to seize this chance to visit the Qianqing Palace.

Although Su Yi truly didn’t care about the Imperial Noble Consort being deposed, given their previous superficial sisterly relationship, both putting on acts, making it unclear who was sincere.

But on the surface, she was still the Imperial Noble Consort’s sister, previously under her care. Even though the other’s deposition was a fact, if Su Yi remained indifferent and didn’t plead for her sister, it would reflect poorly on her.

Thus, Su Yi resolved to make her way to the Qianqing Palace. Whether Emperor Kangxi would see her was one thing; her going was another.

She deliberately didn’t take a sedan chair, making it seem like she was in a hurry, dragging her sick body to plead for her sister. If Emperor Kangxi didn’t see her, she had already done her part on the surface, and had prepared the rest of the reasons.

She planned to return, fall ill, and remain bedridden for some time, unable to do anything about her sister’s situation, her heart willing but her body failing her, scarcely able to safeguard herself.

And the Niohuru family hadn’t yet reacted to send her a message. Once they did, they would inform her that the Imperial Noble Consort had been abandoned, advising her not to plead for her sister to avoid Emperor Kangxi’s wrath.

After all, she was now the only Niohuru in the Niohuru family. Although they might criticize her for not considering the bigger picture by pleading for her sister at the Qianqing Palace, they would also perceive her as valuing familial bonds.

This way, the Niohuru family could confidently shift all the resources originally intended for the Imperial Noble Consort to her.

To convincingly feign weakness, Su Yi walked a few steps and then stopped to rest, appearing visibly frail and struggling, so much so that the maids who caught up were already nervous, fearing she might collapse before reaching the Qianqing Palace.

Before she even reached the Qianqing Palace, some well-informed people had already learned that Consort Rong was going to plead at the Qianqing Palace.

With the Imperial Noble Consort fallen, many in the harem were secretly delighted.

After all, the competition for status was always fierce. The Niohuru family had previously suppressed them with their family background, but now that they had fallen, how could they not rejoice?

Even if Consort Rong hurried to the Qianqing Palace to plead, it wouldn’t help, so they were even more looking forward to Consort Rong making a foolish mistake, angering the Emperor like her sister.

Previously, when the Qianqing Palace was sealed off, they initially gloated, thinking that if Consort Rong, with her sickly body, also contracted smallpox, the imperial physicians, busy saving the Crown Prince, might not be able to attend to her, and she might just pass away. But who knew, after a fever, Consort Rong was fine.

She even managed to stay in the Qianqing Palace, seeing the Emperor more often than they did, making them realize that Consort Rong wasn’t unlucky, but rather fortunate!

However, the Imperial Noble Consort’s charge was harming the royal heir, a charge that was firmly established. Consort Rong’s trip was just hitting a wall.

Now, they were happy to see the misfortune of the Niohuru sisters. Previously, one was the Imperial Noble Consort, the other Consort Rong, the harem almost becoming the Niohuru family’s domain.

Su Yi walked and stopped along the way. If it weren’t for the cold weather with little sun, she would have preferred to skip the process and just feign illness.

Coincidentally, when Su Yi finally reached the Qianqing Palace, she happened to meet Liang Jiugong, who was returning to report.

Su Yi looked at Liang Jiugong, and Liang Jiugong also saw Su Yi. He fell silent for a moment, at a loss for words.

Liang Jiugong had just personally led the team to handle Consort Rong's sister. Now, returning to report, he ran into Consort Rong. If you asked him what was going through his mind at that moment, was he panicking?

He was indeed a little panicked.

Liang Jiugong only wished his legs weren't so slow. How could he have just bumped into Consort Rong?

But Liang Jiugong was a man who had seen the world. Even if he was a bit panicked inside, he could maintain his composure on the surface.

Liang Jiugong quickly regained his composure, bowed to Consort Rong, and said, "This humble servant greets Consort Rong. Is Consort Rong here to see the Emperor?" In fact, what he said was unnecessary. Why else would Consort Rong come to the Qianqing Palace if not to see the Emperor? Surely not to see him?

Su Yi thought to herself, "Isn't that stating the obvious?"

Of course, on the surface, she also entered polite mode. "Yes, please inform the Emperor on my behalf, Liang Jiugong. If the Emperor does not wish to see me, then I have nothing more to say. I will trouble you, Liang Jiugong."

As she spoke, Su Yi's expression turned bitter and helpless.

Her main concern was the latter part. Whether the Emperor saw her or not didn't matter. The key was that if he didn't see her, she hoped Liang Jiugong would come out and let her know, so she wouldn't be left waiting outside.

Liang Jiugong smiled and agreed, "Then please wait a moment, Consort Rong. This humble servant will go in and inform the Emperor for you."

Then he hurried in as if he had wings on his feet. He truly felt a bit guilty towards Consort Rong. If he had walked a bit faster, he wouldn't have bumped into her. Fortunately, Consort Rong didn't seem intent on making things difficult, which put Liang Jiugong at ease.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant has returned to report. Niohuru has been relocated to another palace, and other matters have been taken care of as well."

Liang Jiugong first reported this matter, then noticed that the Emperor nodded slightly but said nothing more. He paused before speaking again.

"Additionally, when this humble servant returned, I happened to run into Consort Rong at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace. She said she came to request an audience with Your Majesty. I am unsure whether Your Majesty wishes to see her or not." With that, he handed the problem over to the Emperor.

"Why is she here?" Kangxi looked up and asked.

"This humble servant is not entirely sure. I just returned from the Cold Palace, and the people Li Dequan took to Yonghe Palace haven't returned yet."

When Liang Jiugong returned, he had wanted to ask Li Dequan what was going on. Why had Consort Rong come to the Qianqing Palace? Had the people he sent not found anything?

But then he found out that Li Dequan hadn't even returned yet—he was still at Yonghe Palace!

Yet Consort Rong had already shown up.

This was truly... Liang Jiugong could only say so much.

In any case, whether the Emperor saw her or not wasn't up to him. At most, he was just a messenger.

Kangxi frowned. "What is Li Dequan up to?"

Liang Jiugong wasn't sure how to respond to this. He had no idea what was going on.

Who would have thought that Li Dequan hadn't even returned yet, and Consort Rong had already shown up? Although Consort Rong looked frail, Liang Jiugong was actually a bit afraid of her. After all, this woman often tested the Emperor's patience and still managed to come out unscathed.

Kangxi rested his chin on his clasped hands and pondered for a moment. "Send someone out through the side entrance to avoid Consort Rong. Go and see what Li Dequan is dawdling about. Why hasn't he returned yet? Let Consort Rong wait outside for a while. Once Li Dequan returns, inform me."

"Yes, this humble servant will send someone swift-footed to hurry him along." Liang Jiugong was about to leave when he heard the Emperor say, "Wait, come back."

Liang Jiugong turned back. "Your Majesty? Do you have any other orders?"

Kangxi paused for a moment. "When you ran into Consort Rong, what was her reaction?"

This question left Liang Jiugong stumped. Consort Rong's reaction? Hmm, it was... strangely calm?

But this doesn't seem to be the case either; it's not as if she was particularly anxious.

Liang Jiugong pondered for a moment on how to phrase it, noticing that Kangxi was already growing impatient, and hurriedly replied, "I noticed that Consort Rong's complexion didn't look well, probably due to fatigue from the journey. She only mentioned wanting to see Your Majesty and said nothing else."

Hearing this, Kangxi paused, lost in thought. Liang Jiugong stood there, unsure whether to continue and send a eunuch to check on Li Dequan's situation or to wait for the Emperor's response.

Kangxi suddenly glanced at him, "Why are you still standing there? Go and find Li Dequan."

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty, I will go immediately." Liang Jiugong felt the familiar pinch of a tough spot, a scenario he was all too familiar with.

Liang Jiugong thought to himself, then called for a swift young eunuch to quickly go and see what was happening.

Thinking that Consort Rong was still waiting outside, he debated whether to tell her the Emperor was busy and to wait.

But how long was she supposed to wait?

After some hesitation, Liang Jiugong decided to send a young eunuch to inform Consort Rong, telling her to wait a while as the Emperor was currently occupied and unable to see her at the moment.

At least this way, Consort Rong would know what to expect.

However, the eunuch took this as a brush-off, a polite way of saying that the Emperor did not wish to see her, a common tactic used when the Emperor wanted to avoid meeting someone.

Thus, the eunuch relayed the message in a practiced manner, and those who understood the implications knew what it meant.

Upon learning that Kangxi was too busy to see her and that she should wait until he was free, Su Yi went quiet, her expression distant. Her fragile appearance tugged at the young eunuch's heartstrings.

The young eunuch thought Consort Rong was quite pitiful at this moment, as it was widely understood that such a response from the Emperor was a veiled refusal to meet. Consort Rong was unfortunate to have such a sister, likely to be implicated as well.

Inside, Su Yi was seething with frustration, finding such indirect responses utterly exasperating.

It trapped her there, boiling with irritation.

If the Emperor had directly told her to leave, she could have just gone back.

Now, they claimed to be busy but also told her to wait.

Was he playing games with her? Could she simply walk away?

Wouldn't that make it seem like she wasn't truly determined to plead her case?

Su Yi forced a smile at the young eunuch, showing an understanding expression, then walked back and forth outside the Qianqing Palace with Yun Hua's support.

Liang Jiugong figured his vague message at least kept Consort Rong informed, and that should be fine.

Back with the Emperor, Liang Jiugong patted himself on the back for a job well done. Kangxi was already reviewing memorials, appearing as usual.

Liang Jiugong glanced over, ready to look away, but something seemed amiss. He looked back again, squinting to see that Kangxi's memorial was actually upside down.

Liang Jiugong: Should he point it out or not?

In the end, Liang Jiugong played dumb, too scared of a scolding to point out the mistake.

"Why hasn't Li Dequan returned yet?" After a while, Kangxi asked again.

Liang Jiugong checked the time; it hadn't even been a cup of tea's worth, yet the Emperor was already pushing. It would take longer than a cup of tea to get there, but Liang Jiugong couldn't say that. He could only reply, "Perhaps he was delayed on the way."

Kangxi said nothing, continuing to look down at the memorial, but realizing it was upside down, he nonchalantly turned it right side up. Liang Jiugong saw it but said nothing.

Su Yi paced back and forth outside, her movements reflecting the turmoil in her heart. A fleeting expression passed over Su Yi's face. Good, she had paced long enough; it was time for something more exciting. She instructed Yun Hua to stand aside, no longer needing her support.

Yun Hua was puzzled, "Hmm? What's wrong, Consort Rong?"

"Yun Hua, I suddenly feel quite cold. Could you go back and get me a hand warmer? I forgot to bring one in my haste, and I don't know when the Emperor will see me. With something to warm me, I can keep waiting."

Su Yi's hands were ice-cold, and her face bore a look of distress.

Yun Hua hesitated for a moment. She was worried about leaving her mistress alone, but upon touching Su Yi's cold hands, she decided to fetch the hand warmer. Otherwise, Su Yi might catch a cold from waiting too long.

She nodded immediately, "Then, Consort Rong, I will go and fetch the hand warmer."

Su Yi nodded, watching Yun Hua's hurried departure. Now, she was alone.

Earlier, the maids who had followed her on the way had been dismissed by Su Yi, who claimed that it was inappropriate to bring so many maids when she was going to plead for mercy.

The eunuch guarding the Qianqing Palace overheard Su Yi's words and thought to himself, wouldn't it be easier to ask for a hand warmer directly from the Qianqing Palace? Surely, they wouldn't refuse such a simple request. Why go all the way back to fetch one?

Soon, the eunuch realized what Consort Rong was up to.

Consort Rong had been standing with her back to them, cloaked, but her figure still appeared slender and fragile. Perhaps today's events had indeed taken a toll on her.

Consort Rong was really struggling.

Before the two eunuchs could finish their silent lament, Consort Rong suddenly turned around, her cloak billowing like a gust of wind as she swiftly passed between them. She moved so quickly that it startled them awake.

The two eunuchs: ?!!

They turned their heads to see that Consort Rong had already moved a considerable distance away. Despite wearing platform shoes, she moved as if she were in flat shoes.

But now, the real problem was stopping Consort Rong!!!

"Consort Rong, you cannot enter!"

Realizing the situation, the two eunuchs quickly chased after her, shouting.

After all, the Emperor had not given any orders to see Consort Rong. How could they dare let her in? If they failed to stop her, wouldn't they be in trouble?

The two eunuchs hurriedly ran after her, shouting, "Consort Rong, you cannot enter!"

They thought they had just been briefly distracted and had let Consort Rong slip past them. Now that they were running, they should be able to catch up and stop her.

But they were wrong. They couldn't catch up to Consort Rong, who was wearing platform shoes.

They could only follow behind, desperately shouting. Other servants, realizing what was going on, also tried to stop Consort Rong, but to their astonishment, she was incredibly agile, dodging everyone without anyone even touching the hem of her robe.

In their rush, some servants even collided with each other.

Liang Jiugong, standing nearby, thought he heard something. After listening for a while, he realized he wasn't mistaken. The noise was getting louder and closer. Liang Jiugong frowned. What was going on with the servants? The Qianqing Palace strictly prohibited loud noises, and Liang Jiugong was no exception.

Emperor Kangxi also heard the commotion. He hadn't been able to concentrate on the memorials, and now the noise made him even more irritable. In a displeased tone, he said, "Liang Jiugong, go and see what's happening. Why is there such a racket?"

Hearing the Emperor's impatience, Liang Jiugong promptly responded, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will go immediately." He rushed to investigate the situation.

Liang Jiugong rushed to the door, about to step out, thinking he would give those servants a good scolding. "Bang!"

The door was kicked open right in front of Liang Jiugong. His heart skipped a beat, and his mind went blank. He couldn't believe anyone would dare to kick the door here. Thinking it might be an assassination attempt, he reflexively shouted, "Bad, there's an assas..." Before he could finish saying 'assassin,' he was cut off.

After clearly seeing who the person was, Liang Jiugong spoke dryly, his tone somewhat uncertain, "Consort... Rong?"

For a moment, he was at a loss, unsure whether to loudly reprimand Consort Rong for her audacity or not.

Su Yi slowly retracted her foot, the flowerpot base on her foot now seemed like a lethal weapon, as she looked expressionlessly at Liang Jiugong.

Liang Jiugong glanced at the kicked-open door, now bearing a noticeable dent, and his mouth twitched. He dared not speak further, realizing why it had been so noisy outside; it seemed the group of servants had failed to stop Consort Rong.

The servants who had been chasing closely behind now stood awkwardly, heads bowed, not daring to look at the expression of the chief eunuch. It wasn't that they hadn't tried to stop Consort Rong, but she was as swift and nimble as a rabbit, and they hadn't even managed to touch the hem of her dress.

Liang Jiugong called out awkwardly, "Consort Rong, how did you get in? His Majesty is currently occupied..." He turned to glance at the emperor, waiting to see his reaction.

"I know, the Emperor is busy, so to save time, I came directly. If he's too busy to see me, he should just say so. Telling me to wait a while, but how long is that? A cup of tea, an hour, a day?"

As Su Yi spoke, she adjusted the hem of her qipao dress and strode in.

Liang Jiugong eyed Consort Rong's flowerpot shoes, fearing a kick from them. His old bones wouldn't survive such a blow.

But he still stepped forward bravely to block her, "Consort Rong..."

Kangxi's voice came as a relief to Liang Jiugong, "Why must you always be so impatient?" His tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Liang Jiugong sighed in relief; he no longer had to block her, saving his old bones. He then waved at the servants standing outside, heads bowed, signaling them to leave quickly. The servants understood and quickly left at the fastest speed.

Liang Jiugong was about to retreat, preparing to close the door and give them space to talk. After all, it wasn't appropriate for him to stay; he was quite perceptive.

"Eunuch Liang, as the Emperor's confidant, there's no need for you to leave. There's nothing here that you shouldn't hear."

Liang Jiugong: !!!!!

Consort Rong, please don't ensnare me.

Li Dequan, what are you up to? Why so slow!

It's been a while, and I, with my old limbs, have been back for some time. Why haven't I seen any sign of Li Dequan yet!!

Now, the burden falls entirely on me. Liang Jiugong felt a deep sense of weariness in his heart.

Kangxi had already stepped down from his position, "I only asked you to wait a while, not indefinitely. You've grown increasingly bold."

Kangxi's sharp eyes noted Consort Rong's intrusion; though not particularly angry, he still had to say a few words. As Kangxi approached to lecture further, he, like Liang Jiugong, noticed the obvious dent on the door. His eyes subtly shifted, and his steps suspiciously paused.

But as an emperor, such scenes couldn't intimidate him, no way!

"Your Majesty has always known that I am not a patient person. In a moment of urgency, I came to seek clarity," Su Yi quickly changed her expression, calming down, and looked steadily at Kangxi.

"After Your Majesty deposed my sister, what are you planning next? Sending someone to Yonghe Palace, are you also planning to convict me of some crime?

I am impatient, so I didn't wait for that eunuch and came directly. I am here now, you can punish me. There's no need for formalities; you can now accuse me of trespassing into the Qianqing Palace and convict me."

Liang Jiugong, listening to Consort Rong's words, was sweating profusely, inwardly exclaiming that he shouldn't have dawdled and not left earlier. Now, being here, based on experience, he was most likely to be implicated.

Consort Rong's words were like adding fuel to the fire. Without even looking at the Emperor's face, he could guess how ugly it must be now.

Kangxi's expression was initially calm and steady, but as he listened to Consort Rong's words, his face gradually darkened.

He said in a deep voice, "Is this how you think of me?! You've already decided that I want to convict you?!"

Kangxi stepped forward and grabbed Consort Rong's shoulders, his gaze fixed on her, with an expression that seemed ready to erupt in anger, looking quite intimidating.

At this moment, Su Yi lightly laughed, as if finding Kangxi's words somewhat amusing, she softly said, "Your Majesty's actions, how do you expect me to think of you? Haven't you always been using me?"