Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Su Yi’s eyes snapped open, and she quickly pulled out the dried fruit. "Yun Hua, you..." Her voice trailed off, "How do you walk so quietly?!"

Did you just float in here??

Is it done already?!

At this moment, Kangxi stood there expressionless, his hand still not withdrawn. Yun Hua held the dried fruit in both hands, her face the picture of innocence.

Clearly, he was behind it.

Su Yi forced a smile, wondering how to tactfully backtrack after being caught talking behind someone's back.

"Actually, I hadn’t finished speaking just now. After all, a father has a lot to consider. How can it be so careless? I’ve never been a father before, so it’s normal for me not to understand. I was just getting to that." Su Yi spoke softly.

Just a second ago, she accused him of dragging his feet, and now it’s over so quickly?

Kangxi ignored her, just staring at her in silence, awkward, not even trying to come up with a better excuse.

The tension in the air grew, but Su Yi wasn’t one to stay quiet just because others were.

"So, uh, want some? This snack’s really good, super sweet." Su Yi began to change the subject.

She glanced at Yun Hua, who silently held out the snack.

Kangxi didn’t even look at the snack. "If I eat it, you won’t think I’m some guy trying to steal your snacks, right?"

Su Yi: It made her seem so stingy, tsk.

"How could I, Your Majesty? Why would you even think that?" Su Yi chuckled, her face showing a 'you’re so funny' expression.

Yes!

"You didn’t wash your hands," Kangxi pointed out.

Su Yi: Huh? What’s the big deal about not washing my hands?

"You just held the cat, and now you’re eating without washing your hands," Kangxi continued to remind her.

She’d eaten without washing her hands.

Su Yi suddenly froze!

She really had forgotten.

Because she had just won the argument, she felt like walking with a breeze, and when she came back, she just...

She had already eaten one, and now she was holding another one, which Kangxi had just handed to her.

Hold up!

"You didn’t wash your hands either!" she said.

"Hmm," Kangxi acknowledged. He had indeed just touched the cat and hadn’t had time to wash his hands.

"Then why did you give me something to eat?!" Su Yi held the dried fruit in front of him. No wonder he didn’t even glance at the snack earlier!

Wait, if he knew he hadn’t washed his hands and he wasn’t going to eat, why did he give it to her, and then remind her afterward???

Kangxi's expressionless face revealed a slight smile, softening his aloofness.

"Hmm." Even a single word betrayed a hint of amusement.

Su Yi smiled, but it was a bit forced.

She was so done with this!!!

Su Yi, throwing caution to the wind, ate the preserved fruit in her hand, saying with a bit of a fierce tone as she chewed, "You think I’m scared? A little dirt never hurt anyone! Pot Lid takes a bath every day! He’s spotless!"

Pot Lid is such a clean little cat!

At this moment, Yun Hua couldn't help but add, "Madam, Pot Lid hasn’t had a bath for two days. You said you’d wait until today to wash him."

Su Yi froze mid-chew, unable to swallow.

She wanted to spit it out but had nowhere to do so. She reached out her hand to catch it, but then felt a bit disgusted with the idea of catching her own spit, leaving her in an awkward limbo. Su Yi felt like slapping herself.

Seeing this, Yun Hua quickly put down the small plate and hurried to fetch the spittoon from the inner room.

Kangxi sighed, holding out his hand, "Spit."

Su Yi stared at his palm in disbelief: ?!

Wait, I don’t even want to catch it with my own hand.

Seeing her hesitation, Kangxi calmly said, "I’ll wash my hands later. Cats lick their fur after using the litter box, right?"

This line of thought easily led to the assumption that if Pot Lid had done his business and then licked himself, he might continue to lick his fur.

The thought was horrifying. Pot Lid wouldn’t do that, no way.

Su Yi: Gross!!!

Su Yi finally spat it out.

She slumped to the side, feeling filthy!

"I need to rinse my mouth," she muttered weakly.

Yun Hua, holding the spittoon, was stunned to see Consort Rong spit into the Emperor’s hand, almost dropping it.

She hastily handed the Emperor her handkerchief to wipe his hands.

The spittoon was hastily put down, "I’ll get clean water right away," she said, darting out.

Kangxi wiped his hands casually, while Su Yi, looking miserable, clung to the spittoon, trying to vomit out what she had just eaten. Maybe it was possible?

After a few dry heaves, Su Yi only spat out air.

Kangxi sat down, glanced at the half-dead Consort Rong, and chuckled, "Didn’t you just say, ‘A little dirt never hurt anyone’?"

Su Yi wanted to roll her eyes at him. She could have been happy, but this damn man ruined it.

"Forget I said that!" she snapped.

Kangxi sat there, smirking, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

Soon, Yun Hua, Qinxin, and Liang Jiugong returned with warm water for rinsing and washing.

Su Yi quickly got up when she saw it, eager to rinse her mouth. She grabbed the warm water and started right away, looking a bit rushed and not very graceful.

But Su Yi was so focused on rinsing her mouth that she didn’t even glance at Qinxin, leaving her no chance to subtly remind her to be more graceful.

Kangxi was washing his hands nearby, while Liang Jiugong handed him a ready dry towel. At this moment, Kangxi noticed that one side of Liang Jiugong’s face was swollen while the other side was fine, and his eyes grew slightly cold.

On the other side, Su Yi had just put down her cup and was about to wash her hands when she noticed it too. She spoke up, "Liang Jiugong, it’s only been a moment, but one side of your face is almost swollen like a pig’s head?"

The clear marks of nail guards were still visible. Slapping with nail guards really has a different effect, huh? Did Rongpin lose her temper and go on a slapping spree?

Liang Jiugong slightly bowed his head and said, "I’m sorry for making the Consort laugh."

Kangxi looked at the slap mark on Liang Jiugong’s face and said, "You can’t even handle a simple matter. Useless." His tone was unreadable, not even showing anger, as if even Rongpin was too much for him to handle.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jiugong’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately knelt down to beg for punishment, "It is this servant’s fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Showing up with such a face, Liang Jiugong admitted that there was a hint of subtly reporting the matter, but he absolutely dared not say anything more. It was obvious, but having to put up with it silently was really frustrating.

Kangxi could easily see through Liang Jiugong’s little plan, and that’s why he was displeased. His gaze grew colder as he looked at Liang Jiugong, who was kneeling with sweat beginning to form on his palms. The tension in the air grew.

Suddenly, water splashed on Kangxi’s face. He instinctively turned around, his eyes still carrying the coldness from before, and looked at Consort Rong, who wasn’t being careful while washing her hands.

Su Yi looked over with a puzzled expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"

She really seemed unaware of what had happened.

Oh, what a coincidence that the water just happened to splash onto his face.

Yun Hua and Qinxin, who had witnessed the entire scene of the Consort deliberately splashing water onto the Emperor’s face, remained silent as if they had seen nothing.

They didn’t see anything at all.

"It’s nothing. I was just checking on you," Kangxi said with a slightly heavier tone. Just as he was about to turn away, he quickly turned back, seeing Consort Rong raising her hand in a delicate gesture, ready to do it again.

Hmph, he saw it coming.

After being caught, Su Yi reacted quickly, immediately extending her hand toward him and saying cheerfully,

"Your Majesty, look, my hand is truly beautiful. Isn’t it just like the saying, 'fingers like peeled scallion roots, slender and jade-like'? Doesn’t that perfectly describe my hand?"

This wasn’t her being vain; her hands were genuinely beautiful.

Kangxi looked at the hand she had shaped into a delicate gesture. Her fingers were slender and perfectly proportioned, with distinct joints. The back of her hand was thin and fair, and her nails, though not long, were neatly trimmed and rounded. Kangxi’s gaze lingered on Su Yi’s hand for a bit too long.

Oh no, I know my hands are beautiful, but you don’t have to stare so intently.

Kangxi snapped out of it and placed the towel he had just used to wipe his hands over hers, pushing her hand aside as he said, "As thin as chicken claws."

Su Yi’s delicate gesture instantly turned into a desire to flick him with her fingers. Ha! Where’s the sincerity between people?

Would it kill him to honestly compliment her beautiful hands? Would it cost him a piece of flesh? Would his conscience ache?

Su Yi disdainfully wanted to throw the towel back at him but then remembered something. She forcefully grabbed Kangxi’s hand and placed the towel in his palm, saying with a tone of sincerity,

"Your Majesty, you should keep it to wipe your hands. I don’t lack such things. Your Majesty doesn’t need to take care of me in every little thing."

In reality: Hmph, you used it and now you’re giving it to me? I don’t want it.

Kangxi realized that when Consort Rong referred to herself as "this consort," it seemed submissive on the surface, but it was actually when she was being sarcastic.

When he saw Liang Jiugong kneeling nearby, his tone softened slightly, "You may rise."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liang Jiugong finally felt a wave of relief and hurriedly stood up. Sweat dripped from under his hat brim, sliding down from the edge of his forehead. He didn’t even dare to raise his hand to wipe it.

If it hadn’t been for Consort Rong suddenly diverting His Majesty’s attention, the little schemes he had tried in front of His Majesty would have been enough to get him into trouble.

"Qinxin, find some ointment for Liang Jiugong’s face," Su Yi said after wiping her hands.

"Yes, Your Ladyship," Qinxin replied promptly.

Liang Jiugong checked His Majesty’s reaction and, seeing no response, he accepted, "Thank you, Your Ladyship, for your kindness."

Su Yi smiled warmly, "No need to thank me. I just don’t want people to think I hit Liang Jiugong when he returns with His Majesty with a swollen face."

She was a fragile beauty who couldn’t lift a thing and needed to rest after just a few steps. She certainly didn’t look like someone who could hit others, so she couldn’t be blamed for it.

Kangxi, who caught her inner thoughts, was momentarily speechless, trying hard to control himself from showing a complicated expression toward Consort Rong. Consort Rong, does she have some misunderstanding about herself?

Yun Hua: Her Ladyship might actually be right!

Liang Jiugong couldn’t help but smirk despite the pain.

If Rongpin had hit him, his face would just swell for a few days and heal.

But if Consort Rong hit him, with her strength to kick down doors and drive chopsticks into wood, she might knock his teeth out. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

"Your Ladyship, you’re joking," Liang Jiugong said with a strained smile.

Qinxin quickly brought the ointment, which Liang Jiugong carefully tucked into his sleeve.

Noticing everyone’s reactions, she realized she’d missed another of Her Ladyship’s dramatic moments. She decided to ask Yun Hua about it later.

Liang Jiugong’s face wouldn’t heal fast, but he couldn’t take time off just for that. Taking days off to heal and letting someone else fill in was unthinkable. Many were eager to take his place!

So he continued to serve by His Majesty’s side as usual.

The news of his beating caused quite a stir.

People wondered who dared to hit Liang Jiugong, who was seen as His Majesty’s right-hand man. Who could have hit Liang Jiugong? Was it Consort Rong or Rongpin?

The gossip was lively. After all, humans are inherently gossipy.

As they chatted, they often confused which Consort they were talking about. It was confusing and frustrating to talk about.

But soon, the servants didn’t have to fret.

Because...

Rongpin finally had her Third Prince back.

Looking at the Third Prince, who had been well taken care of by the nannies in the Empress Dowager’s palace and had even gained some weight, Rongpin still acted as if the Third Prince had suffered greatly and had lost a lot of weight. She hugged the Third Prince and cried, showing the excitement of having him back.

The nanny who returned the Third Prince was livid. Rongpin’s behavior made it seem as if the Empress Dowager had mistreated the Third Prince, as if they hadn’t taken good care of him.

This Rongpin!

The nanny held back her anger and kept her cool without showing it on her face. After leaving the Zhongcui Palace and returning, she immediately told the Empress Dowager about it.

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager also felt uncomfortable.

Although the Fourth Prince was the one she was supposed to raise, for the Third Prince, who was temporarily assigned to her, even if she didn't particularly like him, she had instructed the servants to take good care of him, making sure the Third Prince was safe in her care.

She had managed to fatten up the Third Prince a bit before sending him back to the Zhongcui Palace, yet Rongpin acted like the Third Prince had been neglected, which made the Empress Dowager feel as disgusted as if she had eaten a fly.

When the Third Prince was first sent over, he was indeed quite thin!

But the Empress Dowager couldn't argue with Rongpin over this. She couldn't help but bring it up when speaking to the Grand Empress Dowager.

"Rongpin just doesn't get it. It was right for the Emperor not to let the Third Prince continue to live with Rongpin but to send him to the West Fifth Compound for care. See how spoiled the Third Prince has become with Rongpin."

The Grand Empress Dowager was also very dissatisfied with Rongpin, who kept stirring up trouble and still didn't understand.

Even the Fourth Prince, who is not yet a year old, cries less than the Third Prince. The better behaved the Fourth Prince is, the more it highlights how spoiled the Third Prince has become. Baocheng, without a mother by his side, has become sensible and obedient at an early age, which is heartbreaking. Yet Rongpin has raised the Third Prince to be like this!

Fortunately, sending him to the West Fifth Compound and slightly separating him from Rongpin, it won't be difficult to straighten out the Third Prince.

"You're right, Your Majesty. You don't know, when the Third Prince was sent back, Rongpin immediately hugged him and burst into tears, as if the Third Prince had suffered under my care."

God knows, she is already old and doesn't have the energy she had when she was younger. The Third Prince's crying is sometimes very loud, keeping her up at night. The noise wears her out, and she still has to check on the Third Prince's condition.

After all the fuss, she couldn't sleep well and now has bags under her eyes. Rongpin's behavior of acting as if she had mistreated the Third Prince made her blood boil.

"Qi Qige, these days, you have been taking care of the two princes, it's been tough." The Grand Empress Dowager patted Qi Qige's hand and comforted her, as she had seen everything.

"It's not tough. The Fourth Prince is well-behaved, and just seeing him makes me happy." The Empress Dowager said with a smile.

"I know you're very thorough and will definitely take good care of the Fourth Prince. As for Rongpin, you don't need to pay too much attention to her. She won't be laughing for long." The Grand Empress Dowager said with a meaningful smile while fingering her prayer beads.

The Empress Dowager didn't quite understand. Was it because the Third Prince was to be sent to the West Fifth Compound?

Soon, the Empress Dowager also knew why.

Rongpin, or rather, now she should be called Lady Xian.

The title 'Rong' had been with her for so long, starting from when she was a noble lady, she was Rong Noble Lady, and later she was promoted to Rongpin.

For her, this title held extraordinary significance.

Moreover, for concubines with titles, their titles are basically never changed unless they reach a position like Consort Tongjia, where adding a title makes a difference.

But now, she has changed from Rongpin to Lady Xian.

Rongpin almost fainted on the spot.

She had never thought that one day, she would no longer be Rongpin.

When she had hit Liang Jiugong earlier, she had returned to her palace feeling uneasy, but after a few days, she saw no reaction from the Emperor and thought the matter was over.

Unexpectedly, just after she sent the Third Prince to the West Fifth Compound and returned, she learned that her title had been changed from 'Rong' to 'Xian'.

This blow was even greater than sending the Third Prince away from her side to the West Fifth Compound. For a moment, she forgot the sadness of just sending the Third Prince away.

The Emperor said that she was gentle in virtue and skilled in etiquette, more suitable for the title 'Xian', so it was changed to Lady Xian.

But! This did nothing to comfort Rongpin at all.

Why did the Emperor change her title?

She had held this title for a long time, while Consort Rong only received the 'Rong' character later.

Although she had been quite resentful and bothered by the issue of Consort Rong's title, deep down she still felt that her title 'Rong' was far superior and more dignified than Consort Rong's 'Rong'.

The character 'Rong' is too frivolous, and paired with Consort Rong's face, it was merely because of her looks that she received such a 'fitting' title, which couldn't compare to her own 'Rong' character.

But now! Why didn't the Emperor change Consort Rong's title instead of changing hers?

She absolutely refuses to be called Lady Xian! She won't stand for it!

Lady Xian even felt the urge to storm over to Yonghe Palace and demand if Consort Rong was satisfied now?!

She would never believe that the Emperor would humiliate her over Liang Jiugong, a mere eunuch!

It must be that Consort Rong, that conniving woman, whispered something in the Emperor's ear again, leading him to change her title!

When Yipin found out, she sneered, "Lady Xian, 'Xian' sounds like 'idle,' who knows what it really implies."