Chapter 119

Chapter 119

When the imperial physician received the order and hurried over, he wasn’t as winded as he used to be after running.

The Emperor had always been in good health and took great care of himself, so aside from routine pulse checks, the physician’s services were rarely needed.

The Grand Empress Dowager, though elderly, was in good health and didn’t need daily visits from the imperial physician.

With Consort Rong now in the picture, the imperial physician, who hadn’t exercised in ages, had to start working out again to avoid being carried around.

This time, after running over, he wasn’t as out of breath, showing his efforts had paid off.

When he arrived, the maids looked at him like he was a savior, making his heart skip a beat—he thought Consort Rong might be seriously ill again.

But when he walked in with a stern expression, he found Consort Rong had only cut her hand.

The imperial physician: ....

He wanted to say, ‘This is just a scratch.’

The maids’ nervousness made him think Consort Rong was seriously ill, scaring him, but it was just a false alarm.

Still, he kept a straight face and focused on stopping the bleeding first.

Though the scratch was minor to the physician, on a palace consort’s delicate body, it was a big deal.

The cut was deep, and the bleeding hadn’t stopped even with medicinal powder, so it needed to be cleaned again.

After examining it, the physician thought the deep cut might scar, but he kept that to himself.

But Consort Rong stayed calm. Most consorts would panic over a scratch, worrying about scars and being demanding during treatment, which often troubled the physicians.

Though Consort Rong seemed delicate, she didn’t make a fuss and was actually the calmest one there.

After bandaging her wound, the physician told the maids to keep her hand dry for the next few days. As for the scar, he’d prepare and send over ointments to fade it. Once the wound healed, she could apply the ointment daily, and the scar would fade over time.

Qinxin made sure to jot this down.

Kangxi was lecturing. He hadn’t planned to say much, but Consort Rong’s indifferent attitude, while everyone else was on edge, reminded him of her habit of admitting mistakes but not changing, which annoyed him.

Su Yi wanted to tune out the lecture, just nodding along, but Kangxi demanded a proper response—nodding wasn’t enough.

‘Put those away,’ Kangxi ordered the maids to clear the tools.

Just as Su Yi thought it was over, she said, ‘Wait! There’s just a little left—let’s finish it before putting it away.’

She planned to stay up late and finish it tonight.

‘Put it away,’ Kangxi said flatly.

Su Yi pouted, looking upset, and muttered, ‘No.’

The maids hesitated, unsure whether to take them or not.

Kangxi glanced at her bandaged hand, his expression unchanged but his tone softer, ‘Take it out again once the injury heals.’

‘Alright,’ Su Yi nodded, seemingly giving in, knowing better than to argue with Kangxi now.

When you’re not around, I’ll have them take it out again. You can’t watch me all the time—the maids will still listen to me.

Then they heard Kangxi instructing the maids not to let her touch anything until her wound healed, or else they would be punished if they failed to keep an eye on their mistress.

Su Yi: !!

Su Yi was secretly fuming beside him. Kangxi then turned and gently patted her bandaged hand, saying softly, "You'll feel better in a few days. Just be patient and follow orders for now."

The time of the earthquake is still uncertain. Uya’s prediction must be off, but it suggests the earthquake will occur after that timeframe. He has already sent people to watch for any unusual signs.

Uya still has her uses and will serve as a pawn to keep the fourth prince in check later on.

Kangxi plans to use the earthquake as a divine warning to reform the government.

Officials at every level exploit the people, siphoning their wealth into their own pockets. The people endure immense hardship, while ministers engage in rampant favoritism. Kangxi has seen all this and wants to make changes.

Today, he used the secret medicine incident to reprimand the Tong family. Though Kangxi didn’t act right away, it didn’t mean he was idle.

The Tong family has gone too far. Kangxi isn’t even forty, yet they’re already meddling in the succession.

Even though he needs to maintain a balance of power in the court, it doesn't mean Kangxi can tolerate the Tong family meddling in the harem.

He deliberately tasked the Niohuru family, who have a history of conflict with the Tong family. With Kangxi’s silent consent, they won’t hesitate to root out spies.

The Niohuru family is eager to prove themselves and won’t hold back.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I’m deeply touched," Su Yi said with an exaggerated smile.

'You’re ruthless!'

Kangxi pulled his thoughts back, as if he didn't hear the curses in her heart, and replied with a mix of tenderness and indulgence, "Who makes me so reluctant to punish you? If you misbehave, I’ll have to punish others instead."

Su Yi: "...." No, act normal. This act doesn’t suit you.

Su Yi smiled silently, not for any other reason but because he’d learned to play this game too.

As they prepared to rest, Su Yi didn’t drift off as quickly as usual, which Kangxi found odd. He listened as Consort Rong mentally counted sheep—one, two, three, so many sheep.

At first, Kangxi wondered if Consort Rong was counting sheep because she craved lamb. Unfortunately, her hand wasn’t healed, so even if she wanted lamb tomorrow, she’d have to avoid it.

But Consort Rong wasn’t tired yet, and Kangxi, listening, began to feel sleepy.

He ended up falling asleep before Consort Rong.

Su Yi still hadn’t fallen asleep. When she heard Kangxi’s steady breathing, signaling he was asleep, she quietly got up, stepping over him with a swift but silent motion, her bare feet making no sound on the floor like a cat’s.

Once down, Su Yi glanced back at Kangxi, still asleep with no sign of stirring, and silently scoffed.

She hurried to her dressing table, eyeing the pile of hairpins. Though not as sharp as a carving knife, Su Yi could still make them work.

After a quick scan, Su Yi grabbed one and tiptoed to the outer room, retrieving her half-finished wooden plaque. She started using the hairpin’s sharp end to continue carving.

Time was running out. She needed to finish this plaque quickly.

The earthquake would come earlier than expected.

Originally set for July 28th, the earthquake would now strike sooner.

Uya had wanted to use the earthquake to make a name for herself.

Since Uya wanted to be the first to inform Kangxi, Su Yi naturally wouldn’t step forward.

As long as someone spoke up, it could prevent many casualties. Su Yi hadn’t even considered stopping it.

Even if Uya wasn’t forthright in her disclosure and tried to scheme, she would still speak up before July 28th, or she’d miss this chance.

As for the power struggles between Consort Tongjia, Consort Liang, and Uya in Jingren Palace, it had nothing to do with her. After all, Kangxi was watching their every move.

No matter what, they couldn’t change the outcome.

Kangxi, having long seen through everything, still feigned taking the medicine, though the original secret medicine had already been replaced by his order.

It was replaced with a milder drug.

If he didn’t take the medicine, how could he use this incident to pin the blame on the Tong family?

Even though the Tong family was Kangxi’s maternal family and Tong Guowei was his uncle, in the eyes of the emperor, they were first and foremost his subjects.

After assessing the situation, Consort Liang had become a disposable pawn, her final use being to take the blame for Consort Tongjia.

Of course, Su Yi didn’t want to bother with any of this, because what was important now was the little milk dragon.

The earthquake was approaching too quickly; she had to prepare a talisman ahead of time.

As Su Yi made the final stroke, a small array carved on the wooden talisman was completed.