Chapter 082

Chapter 082

"Consort Rong, what do you mean by that? Is there a problem with the fragrance?" Consort Liang asked, trying to maintain a natural expression.

She wondered if Consort Rong had tampered with the fragrance. Even the thought of such a possibility made Consort Liang feel utterly uncomfortable, and she wished she could immediately throw away all the unused fragrances and sachets.

"I’ve heard that bees were attracted to the sachet. Am I wrong for pointing this out?"

Su Yi replied with a puzzled expression, her hands not stopping as she applied the medicine. Her hands were steady, showing no nervousness. She quickly finished treating the areas where Consort Liang had been stung.

"I see, I never expected the sachet to cause such a huge issue, and it even got the maids who went with me stung. It’s really..."

Consort Liang immediately put on an apologetic expression. She knew that even if Consort Rong had meddled with something, she would never admit it. For now, she had to act as if she didn’t know and pretend nothing had happened, but as she watched Consort Rong apply the medicine with her head lowered, she felt a chill down her spine.

Su Yi handed the ointment to a maid nearby and exchanged a few more words with Consort Liang before leaving.

As soon as Consort Rong left, Consort Liang immediately instructed the maids to dispose of the unused fragrances and the sachets that had not been used.

However, she remembered something and asked the imperial doctor to examine the fragrance she had been wearing along with the sachet to see if there was a problem. The sachet that she had left in the imperial garden was retrieved after the bees had dispersed.

But the imperial doctor examined everything and said there was no problem. As for why the bees were attracted, it might be because the fragrance was particularly strong and more attractive to bees compared to real flowers. Such incidents were rare. Generally, the sachets and fragrances prepared in the palace were made in a way that didn’t cause such issues.

The imperial doctor advised that it would be best for the young mistress not to make so many sachets and fragrances herself, as not getting the balance right could attract bees in the future. Although the imperial doctor’s words were tactful, Consort Liang grew even more embarrassed and frustrated.

She was humiliated because of this incident, and even though the imperial doctor found no issues, Consort Liang still felt that Consort Rong must have done something else that she hadn’t discovered.

When she returned to the main hall, Guogaitou was running and jumping all over the place, acting like a giant rat.

The servants were chasing Guogaitou, almost bumping into each other.

But because of Guogaitou’s agile dodging, none of them could catch it.

Guogaitou had already knocked over many things in its pursuit, with some servants chasing after it and others hastily picking up the scattered items. The whole scene looked like a mess.

On closer inspection, it turned out that Guogaitou was chasing a bee that had flown in. The bee looked chubby and slightly larger than usual.

Although the bee looked like it struggled to fly due to its size, it was actually quite fast. Guogaitou attempted several ambushes but failed to catch the bee every time.

Guogaitou was furious at its repeated failures.

When Guogaitou missed and fell to the ground, it glared up at the chubby bee and angrily meowed for a while. It was clear that it was cursing in cat language.

Even when the servants picked it up and held it in their arms, it still struggled to get free, as if it wanted to continue the fight.

"Guogaitou," Su Yi called out calmly.

Looking at the situation, she realized that in the short time she had been away, the cat had already started wrecking the place. It seemed that not only dogs could wreck homes, but cats could too.

When the servants saw her return, they immediately knelt down, wanting to explain what had happened.

"Your Highness, a bee flew in just now. We were trying to chase it out, but before we could, Guogaitou started chasing the bee everywhere, and things ended up like this."

They had tried to catch Guogaitou, but it was too agile and small, darting around faster than them.

Even Guogaitou, which had been trying to protest, now adopted the demeanor of a guilty culprit, pretending to be well-behaved.

"Little troublemaker, causing a mess and then pretending to be good. This is the umpteenth time. You all clean up first, and the reward money for this month will be doubled."

Su Yi gently picked up Guogaitou and patted its head, saying with a hint of annoyance, "Just a while ago, you tore a hole in the window, letting the wind in at night, and now things have escalated. You’ve knocked over so many things, and some fragile items have even been broken. The servants have been cleaning up your mess for long enough; it’s indeed time to double their rewards."

It’s truly a loss—having a cat means paying for broken things.

Guogaitou meowed a few times, seemingly talking back in protest. Su Yi poked it and looked at it with squinted eyes, "Still talking back? No fish snacks for the next three days. No one is allowed to secretly give Guogaitou any fish snacks; let it learn a lesson."

Within a few words, Guogaitou had its fish snacks confiscated for three days. Its little head probably hadn’t even realized they were taken away because of its latest destruction.

Su Yi looked at Yun Hua beside her. "Especially you, Yun Hua. Don’t you dare secretly feed it fish snacks."

Yun Hua replied softly, "Yes, my lady," glancing at Guogaitou, who was trying to act cute and pretend to be obedient. Alas, this time, I can’t help you, Guogaitou.

The fat bee that had been flying high just moments earlier slowly descended and flew towards Su Yi.

Yun Hua immediately said, "My lady, the bee is flying towards you. It must have caught your scent when it was near Consort Liang. Quickly, let’s get rid of this bee before it stings you!" She started looking around for something to shoo the bee away, making sure to prevent it from stinging her lady.

This must be the same bee that followed Consort Liang back.

But the chubby bee seemed to lose its strength and quickly landed on the silk flower of Su Yi’s headpiece, making it difficult for Yun Hua to shoo it away. "My lady, please don’t panic. I’ll help you take that silk flower off."

Qinxin was also nervously clasping her hands. If her lady got stung, the swelling would take days to go down!

As soon as Yun Hua finished speaking, Su Yi had already lifted the silk flower off. The chubby bee was lying inside it.

Guogaitou tried to slap the silk flower away with its paw. It had been chasing that bee for so long and hadn’t caught it. Now it wanted to take the opportunity to strike, but Su Yi pressed its head down with her hand, preventing it from moving on her lap.

Guogaitou: Why did everything suddenly go dark???

The servants watched nervously. Just as they were about to suggest that Su Yi throw the silk flower away, they heard her say after observing for a moment, "This bee is quite cute, especially for its size."

It was clearly larger than an ordinary bee, causing its wings to look small in comparison.

The servants: It’s still a deadly bee when it stings.

Guogaitou still tried to resist, pawing at Su Yi’s hand, but it kept its claws retracted, using only its soft paws.

"Be good, don’t make trouble," Su Yi stroked it to calm it down, soothing it into behaving.

Although Guogaitou still wanted to fight that annoying bee, since the human told it to behave, it reluctantly obeyed, lying there. After Su Yi stroked it once, it pawed at her again, signaling her to continue.

The chubby bee crawled out from the silk flower and rolled on Su Yi’s hand before flying back to her headpiece, as if it had found its favorite nectar and didn’t want to leave.

Seeing everyone still tense, the chubby bee finally left Su Yi’s headpiece and flew out, almost drunkenly.

After the bee flew out, the servants couldn’t help but relax. Enough people had been stung by bees today. If Consort Liang got stung too, the entire palace would be laughing at Yonghe Palace for a long time.

"It was probably lost. It flew away; see how nervous you all were," Su Yi said casually, stroking Guogaitou’s fur, not too concerned about the bee.

But Qinxin, still concerned, spoke up, "My lady, you should probably change your clothes. You were close to Consort Liang earlier, so the bee must have been drawn in by the scent. It would be best to change into something new."

It was fortunate that the chubby bee didn’t sting anyone.

Su Yi agreed and changed her clothes. Yun Hua, who was tidying up Su Yi’s clothes, sniffed them but couldn’t smell anything, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Was it really an accident?

She quickly finished and got ready to send the clothes to the laundry bureau for washing.

As Su Yi adjusted her collar, her expression remained calm. Of course, the clothes wouldn’t carry any scent. That fragrance wouldn’t linger on clothes.

Since your eyes aren't functioning well and your mouth can't speak, avoid looking at anything and refrain from speaking for the time being.

The person in Jingren Palace who was most severely stung by bees seemed to be deliberately targeted by them. Even Consort Liang, who was wearing a fragrant pouch, was stung less severely. It's really a mess now; her eyelids are so swollen that her eyes have become slits, making it hard to see clearly. Her mouth is also swollen, and it hurts to speak.

Consort Tongjia felt eye pain just looking at Ting'er's condition. She instructed Ting'er to return and recover before coming back, and during this time, someone else would come to serve her.

However, the servant temporarily replacing Ting'er wouldn't easily allow her to return.

By the time Ting'er recovered and returned, the opportunity would have long passed. There wouldn't be a place for her anymore.

After all, Consort Tongjia is at the height of her influence, and everyone wants to make a good impression in front of her. If they could attend to her personally, it would be even better.

They would definitely seize this opportunity, ousting Ting'er. By then, Consort Tongjia may no longer remember Ting'er.

In the evening, Kangxi arrived, first visiting Consort Liang before coming to Su Yi. At that time, it was still early, and Su Yi was having her dinner.

When Kangxi arrived, he exclaimed, "Consort Rong, how can you still eat?"

Su Yi, holding a bowl in one hand and placing food she had picked up with her chopsticks into her mouth, swallowed before asking, "What's the matter? Why can't I eat?"

Isn't it normal for her to eat at this time?

"Consort Liang was stung by bees and couldn't eat anything. Yet, you certainly have a good appetite," Kangxi said with a noticeably displeased tone, as if he was unhappy that Consort Rong wasn't concerned about Consort Liang's injury and was still able to eat.

"My appetite has always been fine. Is there something you need?" Su Yi replied calmly, thinking it wasn't a big deal.

'It's like you've got a serious problem. Do you have to act crazy to be comfortable?'

"There's a problem with Consort Liang's perfume and fragrant pouch. Do you know about this issue or not?" Kangxi stood with his hands behind his back, asking with a cold face and a somewhat accusatory tone, as if he was about to directly ask if she had ordered someone to tamper with them.

From visiting Consort Liang and then coming to Consort Rong so quickly, it was as if he was there to accuse her, suspecting that Consort Rong had a hand in Consort Liang's misfortune and was there to seek justice for Consort Liang.

Liang Jiugong really wanted to wipe his sweat.

The servants present couldn't help but feel tense. Some even cursed in their hearts, thinking that Consort Liang was an ungrateful person. The noble lady had treated her well and even visited her injury today, yet she dared to speak ill of the noble lady in front of the emperor.

She even made the emperor question the noble lady. Consort Liang is truly an ungrateful person.

"Oh," Su Yi thought it was nothing serious and continued to eat another chopstick full of food.

"Oh?! Consort Rong, do you have nothing to explain? Just an 'oh'?" Kangxi stood there with a strong presence, his tone somewhat aggressive.

Su Yi replied helplessly, "What do I need to explain?"

'This is really picking a bad time. How absurd.'

Then, somewhat impatiently, she said, "Don't be unreasonable here."

Upon hearing this, Kangxi didn't back down but continued, "Are you feeling guilty? I didn't expect you to be such a person. If you're dissatisfied with Consort Liang living in the Yonghe Palace, you could have brought it up. I would have found another palace for her to live in. Don't deliberately target her."

Hearing this, Su Yi vaguely realized that he was here to pick a fight.

"I don't have any issues with Consort Liang," Su Yi said with an expression that clearly thought he was being absurd.

"Then she said, 'Fine, if that's what you think, there's not much I can do about it.'

Su Yi sighed, a touch of sadness on her face, looking a bit misunderstood and at a loss for words.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she took another bite of her dish and rice. Talking was just an afterthought; eating was the main event. Nothing could distract her from her meal.

In fact, she even sped up her pace, her chopsticks moving so fast it was like she was eating in fast-forward, just at a faster pace.

Kangxi had deliberately said it to provoke Consort Rong, but she hadn’t reacted at first. Even after she did, she was actually still eating?!

And what did she mean by, 'if that's what you think, there's not much I can do about it'??!

Consort Rong wasn’t even angry, and Kangxi, who had intended to provoke her, now actually found himself a bit angered by her response. 'Consort Rong, I am speaking to you, and yet you dare to continue eating! Are you not putting me in your eyes?!'

His hand, pointing at her, was shaking uncontrollably in anger.

'Look at you, then look at me,' Su Yi said, pointing at his physique and then her own eyes, 'How could I possibly see you that way?'

To put it bluntly, it was true.

Before Kangxi could reply, Su Yi added, 'I’m not just eating and ignoring you. I’ve been speaking to you the whole time.'

I just happened to eat a few more bites while you weren’t finished talking.

'Talking pure nonsense! And you're acting all high and mighty?! Do you really think I wouldn't dare to punish you?!' Kangxi’s face darkened, looking like he was about to explode, the veins in his hands showing as he struggled to contain his anger.

Just moments ago, Kangxi hadn’t fully been in the right state of mind, but now he looked truly terrifying.

All the servants present were frightened, dropping to their knees without daring to speak.

Liang Jiugong felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. This battlefield had once again been laid bare between the Emperor and Consort Rong.

Su Yi wasn’t falling for any of it, 'So what do you want to do?'

'Did water get into your brain? Are you bringing your craziness here? Is the pressure too much, so you came here to vent on me?!'

Su Yi was starting to get really angry.

If anyone else were mindlessly eating their meal and someone came over acting crazy, they’d probably explode right on the spot. She had been responding the whole time, and now it seemed like he was getting more worked up.

Kangxi suddenly waved his hand aggressively at Consort Rong, as if he was going to hit her. Su Yi didn’t even bat an eye, daring him with her eyes.

Some servants couldn’t bear to watch and closed their eyes, but Kangxi’s hand passed in front of Su Yi. He then swung it sideways, snatched a dish from the table, and slammed it onto the floor.

The entire sequence happened so quickly. The servants who hadn’t shut their eyes were already trembling, but since the slap didn’t land on Consort Rong’s face and instead a dish was smashed, they couldn’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.

While smashing things was still frightening, it was better than actually hitting Consort Rong. If he had really struck her, how could she hold any dignity afterward?

Su Yi could feel the gust of air from his hand. She looked at the dish that had been thrown to the ground and sighed in relief. Thank goodness.

It wasn’t a dish she particularly liked.

Her eyes couldn’t help but glance at the dish she did like. Good, it was placed far away from the annoying man, still safe."

Consort Rong's private thoughts were overheard by Kangxi, who immediately glanced over and quickly spotted the dish that Consort Rong liked. It was indeed positioned relatively far away, but coincidentally, Kangxi's arm was quite long, and he was able to reach it by stretching out.

Kangxi still looked angry, and throwing one dish wasn't enough. He immediately grabbed another dish, intending to throw it.

It happened to be the dish that Consort Rong liked. He muttered, "Eat, eat, eat. You're always thinking about food. When will you ever..."

Su Yi, expressionless, took the chopsticks in her hand and thrust them directly onto the table.

The chopsticks easily pierced through the tablecloth and the tabletop as if through paper, standing straight up, half-submerged in the table like two incense sticks.

The visual effect was stunning.

Kangxi's words were immediately cut off.

He still held the dish in his hand but couldn't resist gripping it more firmly to make sure he wouldn't drop it.

He stood there for a moment, then reluctantly set the dish back on the table.

The sound of the dish colliding with the table was somewhat loud, but the food didn't spill. It was still intact, though the loud sound seemed like a final act of defiance.

With a cold face, he said, "Hmph, do you really think I'm afraid of you? I'm just letting you win."

Kangxi glanced at the chopsticks stuck in the table and couldn't resist touching the surface, feeling its thickness. It was the kind of table that would hurt your hand if you slammed it.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Su Yi asked coldly, her tone flat.

She had only now truly cooled down, having previously been distracted or indifferent.

Kangxi's expression also turned cold, his tone still somewhat harsh. "No, I've already said everything I needed to. You should behave and not act like this again." It wasn't clear what exactly he was referring to.

Then he turned and directly left, his departure somewhat hurried.

Liang Jiugong, after rising, hurriedly bowed to Consort Rong and quickly followed the emperor's footsteps.

Once Kangxi left, the others present dared to relax completely, realizing they had broken out in a cold sweat.

That was terrifying!

The emperor had come over to demand an explanation from Consort Rong, and they almost came to blows. No, they had already started. Just when everyone had been frightened by the emperor throwing things, their consort had one-upped him.

"Get me a new pair of chopsticks," Consort Rong said gently.

The servants didn't dare delay and quickly handed her a new pair of chopsticks. Some of the maids tried to remove the chopsticks stuck in the table, but they were embedded too deeply and couldn't be pulled out.

Seeing the maid struggling, Su Yi reached out with her left hand and gently pulled. The chopsticks that were firmly embedded came out easily.

Su Yi placed the chopsticks into the hands of the stunned maid, who couldn't help but touch them, wondering if they were ordinary chopsticks.

They appeared to be normal chopsticks, which meant it was the consort who was extraordinary. When she had lifted and thrown Chef Wang last time, it was clear that Consort Rong, though seemingly delicate, possessed great strength. But to be able to stab chopsticks into the table...

The servants became even more cautious and meticulous in their work.

Meanwhile, Consort Liang, who had been keeping an eye on the main hall, soon received the news that the emperor had just left, still visibly angry.

This should have been good news, as it indicated that the emperor had left Consort Rong's presence in a foul mood.

However, Consort Liang was not as happy as expected. It was said that the Emperor went to confront Consort Rong angrily on her behalf, to vent his anger on her. In reality, when the Emperor came just now, he didn’t even sit down.

He only asked a few questions to get to the bottom of what had happened. Consort Liang gave a rough description but intentionally left some details vague, intending to convey a double meaning—one that could be understood normally, and another that could be directed towards Consort Rong.

Observing the Emperor’s reaction, Consort Liang decided which angle to continue from. If the Emperor seemed displeased, she would immediately change her tone.

Seeing that the Emperor seemed to understand it in the other way, Consort Liang continued, hinting that the words Consort Rong said when she visited were a bit off.

Watching the Emperor’s expression, Consort Liang then said it might just be her overthinking. Usually, Consort Rong treated her very well. But her eyes couldn’t help but brim with tears, making her appear more vulnerable. A beauty in tears tends to soften hearts, and she wanted to take this opportunity to draw closer, moving forward as if to nestle in the Emperor’s arms.

Consort Liang felt relieved that she had managed to protect her face from the bee stings, even though her hand had been stung. Her face was still fine; otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to come forward at this moment.