Chapter 121

Chapter 121

"This is the sweet soup your Consort Rong sent," Kangxi said, then calmly looked at Consort Rong.

Upon hearing this, the little milk dragon immediately turned to Consort Rong, showing a happy smile and asking sweetly, "Consort Rong, Baocheng also wants to drink sweet soup."

She met the little milk dragon's eager gaze, then at Kangxi who seemed serious beside her.

Su Yi was speechless.

You were waiting for this, weren’t you?

No wonder you downed the first two bowls so quickly, and now you're sipping the remaining half bowl slowly!

So that’s why you were lingering!

Seeing that Su Yi didn’t respond immediately, the little milk dragon tilted his head and asked, "Consort Rong?"

Su Yi shrugged it off, slightly raising her chin towards Kangxi, "Your Imperial Father finished it all, there's none left."

Hearing this, the little milk dragon looked at his Imperial Father, then at the empty little bowl, understood, and pouted, "Imperial Father." He was a little miffed.

Imperial Father didn’t leave any for him!

Now the shoe’s on the other foot, and it was Kangxi’s turn to experience the dilemma Su Yi had just faced.

Consort Rong!

Su Yi feigned innocence as she said that she had advised him not to drink it all alone, but he didn’t listen, and drinking so much didn’t even seem to fill him up.

Kangxi, who was already regretting after finishing: ...

Kangxi cleared his throat awkwardly with a fist against his lips, about to say something, but Su Yi quickly added, "Your Majesty, perhaps you’ve had too much sweet soup and feel a bit nauseous, why not drink some plain water to ease it."

Su Yi pushed forward the untouched water, speaking with feigned concern.

The little milk dragon looked at Kangxi even more pitifully, Imperial Father never drinks sweet soup, hmph.

Consort Rong was quick on the uptake.

"If Baocheng wants to drink sweet soup, have the imperial kitchen send over some more, it’s all made by them anyway."

She had simply brought it along, and having the imperial kitchen send more was just a matter of giving an order, so she acted immediately, "Qinxin, have someone go to the imperial kitchen and ask them to send more sweet soup."

Kangxi hesitated mid-sip, then continued drinking as if nothing had happened.

Liang Jiugong thought to himself: When the ladies send soups and broths, they always like to claim they made it themselves.

That’s what they say, but the taste is always familiar, made by the imperial kitchen.

After all, the ladies, being of noble birth, rarely lift a finger, not really skilled in cooking, but they would participate a little, like adding salt or sugar, thus getting involved, and using the claim of 'handmade' to show their effort.

Consort Rong was straightforward, admitting it was from the imperial kitchen.

The little milk dragon perked up, "Mmm." Since it’s made by the imperial kitchen, it’s fine.

Then he quietly added to his Imperial Father, "Baocheng thought Consort Rong had made the sweet soup herself, that’s why he was upset for not getting to drink it, not because he’s really greedy."

The little milk dragon was utterly endearing, once his brief sulk was over, he immediately explained to his dear Imperial Father the reason for his earlier unhappiness, it wasn’t that he was being selfish.

Kangxi: ....

Liang Jiugong: "Phew!" That was close; I almost burst out laughing.

The Crown Prince didn’t need to go out of his way to explain.

The Imperial Kitchen quickly sent over the sweet soup again, the speed was impressive, to say the least.

Su Yi, while drinking the newly delivered sweet soup, thought with a hint of envy, it arrived way faster than when it was sent to her place, and it seemed to taste better too.

The Emperor’s perks are on another level. Next time, I might as well skip bringing it, just have it sent when I arrive—quicker and more convenient.

The little milk dragon was also sipping from his bowl. Although the taste was similar, he was just happy.

Kangxi sat by and watched, ruining the mood with a reminder, "Baocheng, after you finish the sweet soup, go back and continue with your studies."

It’s exhausting; the old man’s always harping on about studies.

The little milk dragon’s joy was short-lived, but he obediently replied, "Yes, Imperial Father."

Su Yi looked at the little milk dragon with a bit of sympathy. Man, the academic pressure is even tougher than regular school.

He’s up before the crack of dawn every day.

She reached out and touched the little milk dragon’s head, who then nuzzled her hand, obediently returning a smile, as sweet as a dumpling.

Being so cute as a child, even if he starts studying every night, it probably won’t stunt his growth. Historically, he’s known as a handsome man, so he shouldn’t be short.

What kind of handsome guy is short, anyway?

Su Yi thought she was sneaky as she glanced at Kangxi. If he were nine feet tall, that’d be the cherry on top.

Seeing Kangxi suddenly look over, their eyes met, his look was kinda intense.

Su Yi: Hmm?

She returned a gentle smile, seemingly flustered, she averted her gaze.

Others might not catch Su Yi’s drift when she glanced over, but how could Kangxi not know!

It’s just that Consort Rong didn’t say anything at this moment, Kangxi didn’t even have a reason to blow up.

Because Consort Rong quickly shifted her attention, just watching Baocheng polish off his sweet soup.

The little milk dragon was wiping his mouth after finishing, but his movements were slow, trying to drag out the moment.

Thinking, ugh, he has to get back to his studies. The sweet soup was so little, he sipped it as slowly as possible, but it was gone before he knew it.

"Imperial Father, Baocheng will go back now." Typically, in front of the Imperial Father, the little milk dragon is on his best behavior.

Because Kangxi, even though he cares for the little milk dragon, doesn’t spoil him much, staying stern most of the time, so the little milk dragon is a bit afraid of Kangxi, and usually doesn’t dare to act as clingy and spoiled as he does with Su Yi.

If the little milk dragon did that, his dear Imperial Father might teach him a lesson—with a spanking.

"Hmm." Kangxi responded indifferently.

Then the little milk dragon looked at Su Yi, ready to leave, but not without throwing himself into her arms and making a request, "Consort Rong, come see Baocheng again next time."

Su Yi didn’t forget her purpose for coming.

"Hey, isn’t your birthday coming up soon? Consort Rong got you a gift. I was going to give it to you then, but after some thought, I decided to give it to you earlier, so you won’t get swamped with gifts on your birthday."

The little milk dragon, sad about leaving, suddenly brightened up, his eyes lit up with excitement, "Really?!"

No way, that’s awesome!!

Ever since he knew that Consort Rong was going to prepare a gift for him personally, he’d been counting down the days.

The little milk dragon, thrilled to see Consort Rong, now beamed like a little sweetheart.

Su Yi pulled out the small wooden plaque she’d made.

The plaque was smaller than half a palm, and it was not thick. A red string looped through it, and at the connection between the plaque and the string, there was a very small jade bead. The carving wasn’t as detailed as a master’s work, but it was still pretty and delicate.

The little milk dragon gasped as he took it and then saw the small figure pattern on the plaque, his face flushed with excitement, "Is that me?!"

He recognized it at first glance, it was him!

Su Yi nodded with a smile, "I whipped it up quickly."

She slipped the plaque around his neck. The little milk dragon carefully touched the plaque, planning to stash it away safely later, to avoid damaging it.

As if reading his mind, Su Yi touched his head with her uninjured hand and said, "Make sure to wear it, okay?" Her eyes were gentle, "This is a talisman to keep you safe as you grow up."

The little milk dragon hesitated, as this was something Consort Rong made for him personally. What if it gets ruined from wearing it all the time?

Then he heard Consort Rong say, "You’ll get new gifts every birthday."

Hearing he’d get gifts every year, the little milk dragon nodded eagerly, excitedly grabbing her hand and shaking it, "Baocheng will wear it well."

He happened to grab Su Yi's injured hand, but since she had been covering it well with her sleeve, the little milk dragon didn't notice at all.

He was holding Su Yi's hand happily, acting like a cute little puppy, even though he had accidentally pressed on her wound, Su Yi didn't show any sign of pain.

"Good boy," she said with a smile.

Kangxi, who had been watching from the side, noticed that Baocheng was holding Consort Rong's injured hand, but Consort Rong acted as if she wasn't hurt, "Alright, Baocheng, it's getting late," he reminded.

This time, the little milk dragon, still excited from receiving the gift, happily said, "Okay, Consort Rong, Baocheng is leaving now." He waved goodbye, imitating how Consort Rong had waved earlier.

"Go ahead," Su Yi also waved at him.

Seeing that the gift had been given and the little milk dragon had left, she also got up to leave, "It's getting late, I should... what's wrong?" Kangxi was holding her wrist and pulling up her sleeve to her wrist.

Seeing that there was no blood on the bandage, "Nothing, just checking if it's better," Kangxi explained in a calm tone, then let go of Consort Rong's hand.

"Then Consort Rong really thanks Your Majesty for your concern," Su Yi replied dryly.

How could you tell if it's better or not through the bandage?

Kangxi still had a lot of things to do, and taking this time to accompany Consort Rong and Baocheng was just a brief break. Once they left, he had to return to his busy state.

He needed to make some preparations before the earthquake came.

After getting the time revealed by Uya and the long discussions and speculations from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, all these needed Kangxi to make decisions.

Should he stick to the date Uya mentioned, July 28th, or take a gamble, betting that the earthquake would come earlier.

Consort Rong stayed up late to make the small wooden plaque, and when Kangxi went to check Baocheng's homework, he also carefully examined the small wooden plaque, wondering if there were any hints hidden inside.

But it looked like just a plain little wooden plaque, with nothing particularly special about it. At most, the little figure on it looked strange, and the patterns on the back seemed purely decorative, carved for aesthetic purposes.

Why did Consort Rong rush to send it to Baocheng and tell him to wear it?

He also brought up the recent animal anomalies, testing the waters, wanting to see her reaction.

Hearing this, Consort Rong paused, her eyes flickering with surprise, but she quickly adjusted her expression, saying that anomalies happen for a reason, perhaps as some kind of omen.

But she thought to herself,

'It’s too early for these signs to appear; it might be happening earlier.'

'So much has changed; Niohuru died a year early, and the earthquake might also come sooner than expected.'

'Should I speak up?'

Consort Rong seemed to be contemplating whether to speak, "Your Majesty, isn’t July 28th the day..."

But halfway through, she suddenly stopped, her face went pale. She tried to speak again, but ultimately couldn’t get the words out. Even her thoughts seemed to stop at that moment, her mind going blank.

Finally, Consort Rong just said she felt unwell and left with unsteady steps.

Was it that Consort Rong didn’t want to say it, or couldn’t?

Had the time for her to speak already passed, allowing her to speak freely, while the earlier time, a divine secret, couldn’t be revealed?

And Kangxi had already issued orders for the troops to be on standby.

——

Uya had gotten attention, but not the kind she was hoping for. How had the Emperor found out her secret?

The thought of those cold, black-clad men made her shiver. They made her tell them when the earthquake would happen.

She’d planned to use this to force a meeting with the Emperor—without seeing him, Uya didn’t want to speak.

But the black-clad men didn’t let her stall.

Used to a life of luxury, Uya couldn’t withstand their methods. Even trained assassins feared falling into their hands, let alone Uya, who had long been pampered and couldn’t endure hardship. She spilled everything in no time.

Previously, with Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia’s people watching, she could still know what was happening outside. But now, she truly had no idea what was going on in the outside world. She was still in Jingren Palace, but it felt as if she had been cut off from the rest of the harem.

At this moment, Uya really wished Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia would remember her, even if it was just to torment her. At least they seemed to want to keep up her public image, but they wouldn’t let her contact the outside world.

Every day, they made her write down what she knew. Uya knew her life was still spared because of the information she possessed, but what would happen after she finished writing?

So, Uya decided to write only a little each day, constantly requesting to see the Emperor, but there was no response.

Uya also threatened to stop writing, but these people had ways to torment her, forcing her to continue.

She tried to fabricate some information, but the black-clad men warned her that if she deliberately wrote falsely, the consequences would all be repaid on her.

She thought about ending her life but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Even though she had been reborn, she was still Uya, still a noble of the harem. A concubine’s suicide would bring disaster to her family, and she couldn’t risk it.

——

In the palace, some people were added in secret, while others disappeared.

It was like a few red beans mixed into a pile of green beans, with the red beans disguised in green bean skins, blending in seamlessly. At a glance, no one could spot the difference.

It appears to be setting the stage for a conspiracy.

The mastermind behind the conspiracy was sitting in a courtyard at this moment, gazing at the black and white chessboard before him. The chin revealed from under the mask bore a slight smile, and his voice was hoarse and low, "Becoming a king isn’t a walk in the park."

The person standing beside him looked devout, like a believer, "Master, with your brilliant strategy, you’re bound to succeed."

——

Kangxi received yet another urgent report from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. The strange animal behavior showed no signs of abating and instead grew more severe.

The divination revealed a highly ominous hexagram, and even some places experienced large-scale ground fissures and collapses.

Those areas were typically sparsely populated, but if it weren’t for the villagers chasing escaped pigs and sheep who ran over and discovered the situation in fear and reported it, and it happened to be a time when attention was focused on these earthquake omens, they would have immediately sent people to investigate. Normally, it wouldn’t have drawn much attention.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau officials had argued repeatedly, nearly coming to blows, before concluding that the earthquake was highly likely to occur within these two days.

Kangxi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again, all emotions now hidden. He said in a deep voice, "Call for someone."

——

By the Emperor’s order, Mongolian-style tents were hastily set up in the palace, and all the masters and servants of the various palaces were gathered here, not allowed to stay in the palaces.

The palace was suddenly abuzz with activity, and the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were escorted out by guards.

Though the reason remained unclear, at this moment, neither the Grand Empress Dowager nor the Empress Dowager delayed with words. Without packing, they promptly left their palaces.

Since the matriarchs of the harem raised no objections, the other concubines and servants dared not have any opinions either.

The attendant tasked with guiding the Crown Prince to Kangxi’s side, the eunuch in service to the young Crown Prince, had already been silently killed, his eunuch robe stripped off, and the body hidden in a relatively secluded place where no one would notice.

Using the nearby rockeries and grass for cover, the body would not be discovered for a while, and by the time it was found, it would be too late.

The assassin, disguised, assumed the eunuch’s appearance, replaced his eunuch robe, and blended in with the other eunuchs, maids, and guards, waiting for the right moment.

Initially planning to strike before the master’s predicted earthquake, taking advantage of the unpreparedness.

Now, with the Emperor’s sudden order, it somewhat deviated from the original plan.

The so-called Emperor abruptly issued such a command, as if he also knew that an earthquake was about to occur.

However, whether he knew or not, while escorting the young Crown Prince from the Qianqing Palace to the stationed Mongolian tents, it would be their time to act.

As the group led the Crown Prince out, halfway through, the assassins mixed among them suddenly acted together with their accomplices, catching everyone off guard.

The eunuchs and maids were utterly terrified, trembling all over at the sight of this scene, completely useless, and could not be relied upon to stop the assassins.

The guards, upon reacting, unsheathed their swords and rushed forward to engage with these assassins.

But they were well-coordinated and highly skilled, making it impossible to capture all the assassins at once.

Two were tasked with handling the guards, while one, under the cover of his accomplices, snatched the unprotected young Crown Prince from the panicked crowd of maids.

The assassin wasted no time in the fight, immediately took the Crown Prince, and left, using qinggong to quickly head to the destination calculated by the master.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, the Shadow Guards hidden in the dark naturally could not just watch as the Crown Prince was abducted and were about to stop the fleeing assassin.

But a ghostly figure appeared, cloaked in black, with a hood and mask, making it impossible to see the face.

This figure appeared without a sound, single-handedly restraining them all, and they could only watch helplessly as the young Crown Prince was taken away.

When did this guy show up!

They hadn’t noticed him at all!

The assassin who snatched the Crown Prince had already vanished with him in no time.

The assassins involved in this operation were naturally skilled, all experts with excellent lightfoot techniques.

Because the earthquake was imminent, time was tight and could not be delayed; they had to act swiftly and decisively.

The reason for choosing this moment to act was to ensure that the emperor’s lackeys could not rescue the Crown Prince in time, ensuring he’d die in the earthquake.

Plus, when the quake hit, they had to lay low for a while, as engaging in combat would likely not end well, resulting in unnecessary losses. Their infiltrated manpower was limited, and it would be unfavorable if the Shadow Guard noticed something was wrong and all came to rescue.

On the other side

On the emperor’s orders, the concubines, maids, and guards in the palace were all rushing to open areas.

The crowd swelled, and everyone, not knowing what was happening, gathered together with uneasy expressions, while the guards were posted around.

But Kangxi couldn’t just sit around like the others.

Not only did he need to deploy troops and arrange for everyone in the palace, but he also had to order people to bring all the commoners to open areas, without even letting them grab their valuables or lock up.

Such an urgent command, without explanation, sparked grumbling all around, though no one dared to voice them directly. Yet, they grumbled openly and secretly, worrying about their valuables at home and whether they would be stolen without being locked up.

Even though the common people harbored complaints, with so many soldiers around, they dared not speak out. However, some nobles were more troublesome, even trying to throw tantrums and disobey.

But those who caused trouble at this time were immediately suppressed and dealt with. Being people who cared about their reputations, they dared not make a scene in front of so many, fearing future ridicule when dealing with others.

Su Yi held Guo Gai Tou in her arms, and as the earthquake approached, the cat grew increasingly anxious and restless.

If it weren’t for being in Su Yi’s embrace, surrounded by her comforting presence, it would surely have panicked and fled to a place it deemed safe.

Kangxi’s decision this time could save many lives, and after this event, his prestige would naturally rise to a higher level.

She knew the earthquake was coming and had a rough idea of when, but she couldn’t say it directly, as it might change again. She could only subtly hint through other means.

Kangxi was uncertain about the exact time of the earthquake. If the earthquake didn’t happen sooner, his reputation would take a hit from all this fuss.

If Kangxi had insisted on the original earthquake time or had chosen not to react in this way, then when such a natural disaster struck, the casualties would be severe. Kangxi, as in history, would issue an apology decree to appease the people after the earthquake and then deal with the losses and casualties brought by the disaster.

This would still be better than if he had caused a loss of imperial dignity by making a fuss this time, but the casualties would undoubtedly be tragic.

The once clear answer suddenly shifted. Should he pretend not to know or make a new choice? Kangxi was indeed gambling this time.

Su Yi stood quietly, holding Guo Gai Tou. She had already changed into flat shoes; standing in flowerpot shoes at this time would be torture.

She didn’t even wear a qitou but instead had her hair in a simple bun, looking light and carefree.

Some ladies were still wearing flowerpot shoes and large qitou, or at least elaborate hairpieces adorned with pearls, gold, and silver hairpins. It looked tiring, but they had no spare clothes or shoes and had to keep up appearances.

The tent felt suffocating, so Su Yi stepped outside, quietly holding Guo Gai Tou.

Guo Gai Tou had grown a lot, eating well and often, with plenty of snacks like small dried fish, and it had grown rapidly, becoming quite heavy to hold.

Yun Hua was concerned her Lady might tire from holding the cat too long, especially since her Lady’s hand was still healing.

As the earthquake drew nearer, Pot Lid grew increasingly panicked. If Su Yi weren’t holding it and someone else took over, Pot Lid would have already cried out and struggled to escape.

Su Yi was about to refuse but then sensed the feedback from the wooden token, indicating the little milk dragon was in danger.

Her expression stayed calm, but she felt a surge of killing intent.

Su Yi smiled at Yun Hua and said, “Alright.”

Then she passed Pot Lid to Yun Hua.

Yun Hua smiled, taking Pot Lid to adjust it comfortably.

However, Pot Lid, though scared but calm in Su Yi’s arms, suddenly shrieked in Yun Hua’s embrace. Its ears half-perked, alert, and then it abruptly jumped out of Yun Hua’s arms and darted away.

“My… My Lady!” Yun Hua was about to call someone to chase Pot Lid, but no one was allowed to leave casually. If Pot Lid ran away, who knows what might happen.

She turned to reassure the lady, telling her not to worry and that they would bring Pot Lid back immediately. But a gust of wind swept past her, and the lady dashed by, “Pot Lid!” The lady had run after Pot Lid.

“Lady!” Yun Hua’s eyes widened as she cried out in shock.

“Quick, catch her!” She hurriedly called out to stop Consort Rong, lest she run out.

The lady was too quick, and the maids couldn’t react fast enough. The lady had already run quite a distance away.

Yun Hua’s face fell as she tried to chase her, but the guards, finally alert, stopped her.

Yun Hua couldn’t risk revealing her identity by fighting the guards, so she informed them that the one who had run out was their lady, urging them to bring her back quickly.

Hearing this, the guards were baffled. If a maid or eunuch had run out, they wouldn’t care about their fate. But this was a lady, and not just any lady—it was Consort Rong, who had been quite favored recently.

How could they ignore this? If something were to happen to her, they would be blamed for their incompetence.

They quickly informed their superiors and prepared to search for Consort Rong. The pampered ladies couldn’t have gone far unnoticed. They should be able to find Consort Rong and bring her back soon.

As Su Yi ran out chasing Pot Lid, leaving Yun Hua’s side, the Shadow Guard who had been hiding in the shadows naturally took over, immediately chasing after Consort Rong to bring her back.

But as they passed a corner and were about to catch up, the consort chasing the cat suddenly disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, Consort Rong was gone.

Damn! Lost her, and now of all times!

The Emperor had ordered all palace personnel not to linger inside the palaces but to stay in open areas, without stating the reason. The people were on edge, clueless about the situation, but they knew an earthquake was highly likely today.

If they lost Consort Rong and couldn’t find her before the earthquake struck, it would be disastrous.

The Shadow Guard was about to continue searching when he felt a gust of wind behind him—danger!

Instinctively, he tried to dodge but was too late, losing consciousness. Before blacking out, he wondered when this person had appeared behind him. If it weren’t for the palm wind, he wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual at all!

And behind the Shadow Guard was none other than the missing Su Yi, with Pot Lid now firmly clinging to her shoulder.