Chapter 076

Chapter 076

Su Yi couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, and she really did laugh out loud, saying, "How clever, using the Emperor to pressure me." She was removing the nail guards from her hands, placing them one by one on the table.

Su Yi sat there laughing, seemingly very pleased, but none of the maids or eunuchs around dared to laugh out loud.

Especially the little eunuch who had eaten a large bowl of greasy pork knuckle was trembling, wishing he could stay as far away from Chef Wang as possible. He couldn't forget how Consort Rong had smiled gently one moment and then kicked him hard the next, leaving him no time to react.

Suddenly, Pot Lid leapt from Su Yi's arms and bolted away, disappearing in an instant. Only the maid responsible for taking care of Pot Lid could follow and chase after it, lest it run off and disappear.

Chef Wang was still holding up at this point. Seeing Consort Rong laugh, she appeared even more harmless and fragile, like the kitten in her arms, giving no sense of threat, appearing harmless, fragile, and easy to manipulate, making him even less afraid.

"This humble servant dares not, but this is the servant's duty. If the dinner is not prepared early, delaying the Emperor's meal, and if His Majesty inquires, this servant dare not deceive. At that time, Consort Rong might not be able to handle the consequences. This servant is thinking of the Consort's best interests."

His tone was laced with threat. Chef Wang said he dared not, but his words were full of implications.

The little eunuch kneeling not far from him trembled and moved a bit to the side, thinking he should stay away from Chef Wang to avoid being implicated. The Yonghe Palace maid who was watching his movements glanced at him but said nothing, understanding his actions.

"Alright, release Chef Wang, stop restraining him," Su Yi suddenly said to the servants holding Chef Wang, signaling them to release him.

The two servants obeyed and let go of Chef Wang, though puzzled, they obeyed and stepped aside.

Seeing this, Chef Wang thought Consort Rong was afraid and didn't dare to cause trouble anymore, so he became even bolder, thinking her too soft-hearted.

Although he was still kneeling, his posture seemed somewhat casual. After being released, he shrugged as if shaking off the wrinkles on his clothes, about to say something, when his pupils suddenly dilated, seeing Consort Rong right in front of him. Before his body could react, the world spun before his eyes.

"Bang!"

Chef Wang was suddenly grabbed by the collar by Su Yi, who lifted him violently from the ground and slammed him down like throwing an object.

In a blur, Chef Wang was slammed to the ground with a loud bang, even sliding a distance before stopping. The impact of his body hitting the ground echoed loudly.

Before anyone could react, Su Yi stepped on his chest with her foot. Compared to before, it seemed like a light touch, as if she wasn't using any force, just resting her foot there, making it seem like Chef Wang could easily push her off if he tried.

But in reality, Chef Wang was still dazed from the fall and hadn't recovered. His chest felt crushed under immense weight, making it hard to breathe. He was in pain all over, unable to move, not even having the strength to lift his hand. His earlier arrogance had vanished.

Although everyone's attention was on Consort Rong, no one saw clearly how, in the blink of an eye, Chef Wang had been thrown by Consort Rong.

Yun Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, but she quickly hid her unusual expression, showing a similar look to the other servants.

Su Yi didn't maintain her gentle facade this time. Instead, she looked calm, glaring down at him with authority, her tone steady but her aura more imposing than before, "Who do you think you are, using him to pressure me?"

Chef Wang's face turned from pale to red as he struggled to breathe. His face, which had been pale from pain, was now flushed red from suffocation, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. He now understood why the eunuch who delivered the meal had been kneeling so obediently.

He had thought the little eunuch was just timid and easily frightened.

"Do you think the Emperor would quarrel with me over not eating the slop you cooked, something even pigs would refuse? Look at what you've made, those greasy lumps. If they weren't white, forgive my bluntness, I would have thought they were lumps of shit!"

Seeing him half-dead, Su Yi disdainfully lifted her foot, her expression returning to normal, starting to unleash her venom.

The other servants didn't dare to breathe too loudly at her words. The Consort's analogy was a bit harsh.

Su Yi seemed to remember something and added, "Ah, slip of the tongue, I didn't mean to say the Emperor likes to eat pig food." But this added explanation was somewhat perfunctory.

No need to make such a point of it.

Chef Wang gasped for air as if he had just survived a disaster, feeling like he had narrowly escaped death. But as the danger passed, his anger flared up again. Hearing her say his food was like shit, he felt insulted and was about to rebuke Consort Rong for casually beating and scolding servants.

Su Yi seemed to sense this and looked over. Her cold gaze instantly doused Chef Wang like a bucket of water, and the pain in his chest brought his rationality back.

"Have someone inform the imperial kitchen that Chef Wang, having received a reward from Yonghe Palace, was so overjoyed that he carelessly fell down the stairs, broke his ribs, and is now unable to prepare the evening meal.

I believe the imperial kitchen is full of talents, and even if one person is temporarily missing, they can still manage. Chef Wang's excellent skills should be kept away from the Emperor to avoid any embarrassment.

If the Emperor truly wishes to taste Chef Wang's signature dishes, he can choose one from here to present to the Emperor, so he can see for himself what these so-called good dishes are like. It's not fair for me to enjoy them alone; I'm not that selfish."

Su Yi's explanation was quite offhand, and later she even started to blatantly lie, with the earlier complaints probably being her true feelings.

But at this moment, no one dared to raise any objections. Someone quickly stepped forward to take on the task. Now they stood tall, their master's assertiveness naturally boosting their confidence.

Su Yi looked towards the servants who had been kneeling and dared not get up to deliver the meal. Seeing Su Yi's gaze, the servants felt a sense of oppression, starting to tremble uncontrollably, fearing they might be the next to lie there unable to get up.

The little eunuch who had earlier eaten a large pot of pig's trotters now felt a strange sense of relief, perhaps because Chef Wang had been dealt with more severely. He now only felt some pain in his knees and shoulders, along with a bit of nausea.

Chef Wang had broken his ribs.

The little eunuch, because of this comparison, felt an odd sense of calm.

"You," Su Yi pointed at a few of them, and those pointed at trembled even more.

Su Yi softened her expression, showing a gentle smile, "Don't be nervous, I just want you to come over and feed Chef Wang some of the dishes he made. Isn't he unable to get up now? You feed him; every dish must be eaten. Any problems? If so, tell me."

How to solve it depends on the situation.

"No, no, we have no issues, Your Highness."

At this point, who would dare to raise any issues? These bullying servants were nearly scared to death.

Seeing that Consort Rong only asked them to feed the dishes and did not do anything to them, they felt as if they had escaped a disaster.

"Good, you can leave after feeding him," Su Yi added with a smile.

At this moment, the servants from outside Yonghe Palace all wanted to quickly escape from this place. Hearing that they could leave after feeding, they didn't need any urging, "Then we will get up and go fetch the dishes." They carefully looked at Consort Rong, asking if they could get up.

Su Yi slightly raised her hand, signaling that they could get up. The servants quickly stood up, their knees numb from kneeling, stumbled a few times but didn't care, hurriedly taking the cold dishes from the table to Chef Wang's side.

Chef Wang wanted to resist, but the servants were well-coordinated. Originally, Chef Wang had little strength left, and now they held him down, preventing him from moving, and started stuffing food into his mouth.

Su Yi had already turned and headed towards the inner room, not planning to watch any further. The rest was no longer interesting; her authority had been established, the warning had been given, and she believed no one would dare to mess with Yonghe Palace again, considering whether to test her softness.

"Qinxin, you handle the rest, I'm a bit tired and want to rest. Also, don't call me for the evening meal, don't disturb my rest," Su Yi yawned slightly, covering her mouth with her hand, appearing somewhat sleepy.

"Yes, Your Highness," Qinxin replied, indicating she would handle the matter properly. When she looked up again, her gaze towards the not-too-distant Chef Wang, who was about to vomit, was cold.

There is more than one chef in the imperial kitchen; losing one Chef Wang, there will soon be another Chef Li. How could the imperial kitchen lack people with vacancies?

Yun Hua stood there watching Consort Rong's figure, and after Consort Rong was out of sight, she slightly lowered her head, quietly standing there with Qinxin to manage the scene, though Qinxin was in charge.

Su Yi maintained a steady pace all the way back to the inner room, then stumbled a few steps, her hands somewhat frantically taking out a handkerchief, covering her mouth as she coughed a few times, spitting out a large amount of blood. Faced with this situation, Su Yi remained as calm as if she had just spilled water, wiping the corner of her mouth.

After she stopped vomiting blood, the blood-stained handkerchief was held up in the air by Su Yi, her other hand making a gesture, and the blood-stained handkerchief suddenly self-ignited in the air, quickly burning to ashes. The ashes had not yet fallen to the ground when a gust of wind blew them out of the window, dispersing into the air.

After doing all this, Su Yi dragged her body to the bed, sitting cross-legged to begin meditating.

Although she had already obtained a portion of the purple energy, it was still not enough. Normally it was fine, but with the slightest movement, her body would start to protest. Not only was this body too fragile, but ever since she came here, the world's will had been suppressing her, which was extremely frustrating.

Over at Jingren Palace, Consort Tongjia was leisurely painting her nails, her mood very good, already thinking about how Consort Rong would be feeling frustrated.

She had not instructed the imperial kitchen to withhold Consort Rong's meal portions and had even sent large fish and meat to Yonghe Palace, albeit a bit late. What could Consort Rong do even if she was unhappy?

Consort Tongjia instructed the Imperial Household Department to replace the red charcoal sent to Yonghe Palace with black charcoal. She also allocated some to Consort Liang in the side palace, planning to proceed step by step.

The Niohuru clan had recently faced many issues, and with Consort Rong under house arrest, if she didn’t keep a low profile and endure, her dignity would not hold up against that of Consort Tongjia.

Even if Consort Rong wanted to discuss matters with her, she would have to wait until the house arrest was lifted.

Feeling aggrieved, Consort Rong discovered that the lesser consort in the side palace was more favored. Could she remain calm and avoid clashing with Consort Liang?

If the Emperor happened to see Consort Rong targeting Consort Liang during his visit, it would be quite amusing.

Compared to Consort Rong, Consort Tongjia felt less threatened by Consort Liang, who was merely a lowly servant from Xinzhuku, even more humble than the Uya family, and thus unlikely to rise to any significant position.

Consort Rong’s family background and status posed a greater threat.

While Consort Tongjia was pondering these matters, a palace maid came to report that someone from Cining Palace had arrived.

Consort Tongjia straightened up slightly and had the maid invite the visitor in. The person who entered was not Suma Lagu but Nanny Wang, a familiar figure from Cining Palace who served the Grand Empress Dowager, though not as prominent as Suma Lagu. Nevertheless, Consort Tongjia put on a smile.

After all, someone from the Grand Empress Dowager’s palace might have something important to convey, and Consort Tongjia did not want to be seen as disrespectful.

"Nanny Wang, you are too polite. What matter has brought you here on behalf of the Grand Empress Dowager?"

Nanny Wang took a food box from a maid behind her and said, "I am here on the orders of the Grand Empress Dowager to deliver this food box to Consort Tongjia. She said you would understand upon seeing it. I know nothing more. The box has been delivered, so I shall take my leave."

Consort Tongjia had someone take the food box and, seeing Nanny Wang about to leave, instructed her chief maid to escort her out.

Then she ordered the box to be opened, wondering what the Grand Empress Dowager had sent.

The palace maid slowly opened the box, and upon seeing its contents, her expression became uneasy. She glanced at Consort Tongjia and Nanny Wang, unsure of what to say.

"Stop stammering, what is it?" Consort Tongjia grew impatient and urged.

Nanny Wang, who had been with Consort Tongjia since her childhood, sensed something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, please see for yourself," the palace maid presented the box to Consort Tongjia, not daring to look at her expression.

Upon seeing the contents, Consort Tongjia’s face darkened. She waved her hand, disregarding the wrapping, and knocked the box off the table. The greasy, unappetizing dishes spilled onto the exquisite carpet, ruining it. Consort Tongjia’s temples throbbed with anger.

Consort Tongjia exclaimed furiously, "What does the Grand Empress Dowager mean by sending such things to me?! Has she lost her mind?"

Nanny Wang, who had been with Consort Tongjia since her childhood, knew she was speaking recklessly. Fearing she might say something inappropriate in front of the palace maids, who had not been dismissed, and if such words reached the Grand Empress Dowager, it would be disastrous.

Nanny Wang quickly intervened, "Your Majesty, be cautious," bringing Consort Tongjia back to her senses. She sat there, her mood fluctuating.

"Your Majesty, there must be a reason the Grand Empress Dowager sent these. Please calm down," Nanny Wang advised.

She then ordered a trusted servant to find out what had happened in Cining Palace that day.

Consort Tongjia sat there with a grim expression, her agitation mounting.

Soon, the servant who went to gather information returned. It turned out that a servant from Yonghe Palace had taken a food box to Cining Palace.

They claimed that the Imperial Kitchen had prepared some fine dishes, and Consort Rong, feeling it improper to enjoy them alone, had sent some to Cining Palace.

They said the Imperial Kitchen had specially prepared these dishes for her delicate health, thinking the Grand Empress Dowager, with her sensitive stomach, might also appreciate them. Thus, she had selected a few dishes to send to the Grand Empress Dowager as a token of respect.

Consort Tongjia grew angrier as she listened, exclaiming, "That Consort Rong, how dare she report to the Grand Empress Dowager!"

"Nonsense! How could the Grand Empress Dowager believe Consort Rong’s lies?! Consort Rong is clearly showing disrespect to the Grand Empress Dowager!"

Nanny Wang also sensed the Grand Empress Dowager's intentions. After Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia directed her anger towards Consort Rong, Nanny Wang quickly dismissed the other servants, leaving only herself and the Imperial Noble Consort in the room.

As for the mess on the floor, the servants would clean it up later.

Nanny Wang slowly advised, "Your Highness, please take it easy. If your anger becomes known, others might think you are dissatisfied with the Grand Empress Dowager. If such rumors reach His Majesty, who is extremely filial to the Grand Empress Dowager, and he believes them, it would be a great misunderstanding. You know how much His Majesty respects the Grand Empress Dowager."

"How could I dare to be angry with the Grand Empress Dowager? I am furious with Consort Rong! How dare she take this matter to the Grand Empress Dowager, without any shame! She has no shame!"

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia was boiling with rage. She had done all this to teach Consort Rong a lesson, and it had only just begun. Yet, Consort Rong had immediately gone to the Grand Empress Dowager to complain!

And even got the Grand Empress Dowager to send something to her!

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia truly wished she could rush over to Yonghe Palace and slap that wretched Consort Rong.

"The fact that the Grand Empress Dowager sent this food box means she is already aware of the situation. Your Highness, you might need to hold back a bit," Nanny Wang said with a serious expression.

If the Grand Empress Dowager had not cared about this matter, she would not have sent the food box. By sending it, she was signaling for the Imperial Noble Consort to tone things down and not go too far.

"Nanny, are you saying that I should fear that Niohuru?!"

"That is not what I mean, Your Highness. This is just for now. You have just taken control of the palace affairs, and it is not wise to escalate things with Consort Rong at this time. The Grand Empress Dowager's action is also a subtle reminder. Your Highness, please do not act impulsively."

The Grand Empress Dowager not explicitly pointing out the issue was still a way of saving face for the Imperial Noble Consort.

After all, if the Grand Empress Dowager had directly scolded the Imperial Noble Consort for mismanagement and favoritism right after she took over, it would have hurt her reputation.

Nanny Wang was looking out for Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia, patiently explaining the situation to her. There would be plenty of chances later to handle Consort Rong more subtly.

At dinner time, Yun Hua was about to go into the inner room to fetch Consort Rong, but Qinxin stopped her, "Yun Hua, didn't you hear what Her Highness said? She said she doesn't want dinner, and no one is to disturb her rest."

"Oh, I forgot. But Sister Qinxin, Her Highness didn't eat lunch either. If she doesn't eat dinner, how will her body hold up?" Yun Hua said with concern.

Qinxin replied, "Her Highness knows what she's doing. Yun Hua, just focus on your own duties."

All she could do was prepare some snacks in case Her Highness got hungry later and needed something to munch on.

Yun Hua, treated this way by Qinxin, stayed calm and didn't get mad. She just nodded, showing she got it.

As night came and the palace quieted down, Consort Rong stayed still in her room. Following her earlier orders, the servants, seeing no new commands, got ready to turn in for the night.

Yun Hua swapped shifts with the night guard, saying she was concerned about Her Highness and wanted to stay and keep an eye out.

After keeping watch for a while, Yun Hua gently pushed open the door to the inner chamber. As she turned her back to close the door, she felt a gust of wind, and the hairs on her neck stood on end. She spun around but saw no one.

Was that just the wind?

Yun Hua crept around the screen and saw Consort Rong lying on the bed, eyes closed, looking like she was asleep. Yun Hua looked around, slowly approached, and watched Consort Rong for a while, listening to her breathing to confirm that she was indeed in a deep sleep. She looked around again but found nothing unusual.

Looking at the sleeping Consort Rong, Yun Hua's vigilant expression softened, as it often did when she cared for Consort Rong. She gently pulled up the blanket and then slipped out quietly, going back to her watch outside.

The moment the door shut, Su Yi, who had seemed asleep, opened her eyes. She looked wide awake, not like someone who'd just woken up. She calmly sat up, continuing her meditation.

What happened in Yonghe Palace didn't go unnoticed in Qianqing Palace, where they knew even more details.

Liang Jiugong, after hearing the report, had to carefully organize the information before presenting it to His Majesty. Consort Rong's words were quite sharp.

"What makes you think the Emperor would side with you over something even pigs wouldn't eat?"

"I'm not saying the Emperor enjoys pig food."

Liang Jiugong wanted to say that Consort Rong couldn't have spoken those words without some personal resentment.

And then there was that 'pile of something resembling shit.'

This was really too much for him—it was extremely vulgar.

Liang Jiugong closed his eyes, stretched his neck, and spit everything out in one go without pausing. Then he took a deep breath, almost choking, and saw Sire looking at him. Liang Jiugong was startled, "Sire?"

Kangxi, hearing Liang Jiugong's rapid-fire speech, clenched his fists but kept his cool, saying, "Liang Jiugong, who are you speaking so quickly for?" He paused, unable to hold back, "Huh?!"

"Should I repeat it, Sire?" Liang Jiugong smiled awkwardly, speaking cautiously.

Seeing that Sire remained silent, Liang Jiugong now spoke at a normal pace, but when he reached those particular phrases, his words tumbled out faster, as if on fast-forward.

Kangxi listened, his expression growing more and more inscrutable.

"How bold of her, she must really have it out for me, daring to mock me like this."