Chapter 132

Chapter 132

Men's hearts are as unpredictable as the ocean; their moods can sour in an instant.

Su Yi remembered that she hadn’t applied the ointment yet. Though it wasn’t necessary—the wound would heal quickly on its own, leaving no scar.

But if she skipped it entirely and it healed too fast, wouldn’t that raise suspicions?

So she made a point of applying it diligently every day. At least it wasn’t something she had to ingest—just a topical treatment.

But the smell was overpowering.

Su Yi swept her hair to one side, dipped her fingertip into the black, paste-like ointment, and dabbed it on the wound, which had already begun to scab.

The fragrance was instantly drowned out by the pungent ointment, as if she’d been marinated in it.

After applying the ointment, Su Yi busied herself with little tasks, clearly stalling bedtime.

"The candlelight is too glaring," Kangxi grumbled.

He was irritated that she hadn’t gone to bed or blown out the candle, leaving it too bright to sleep.

Su Yi:... Seriously? A single candle? In modern times, it’d be too dim to even see properly, let alone do anything useful!

"Fine."

Su Yi got up and walked over to blow out the candle.

Even without the candle, Su Yi didn’t miss it.

She strode to the bed, kicked off her shoes, and was about to step over Kangxi.

As she was mid-step, a hand suddenly seized her ankle and yanked her down, throwing her off balance.

Of course, standing on one leg wouldn’t make her a roly-poly toy! Anyone would’ve toppled!

Su Yi landed right on top of Kangxi, using him as a cushion, and he let out a muffled grunt.

Su Yi: *Sigh*.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Su Yi asked nonchalantly, still sprawled on top of Kangxi.

Even with her slender frame, the impact felt like a several dozen pounds rock.

It was enough to crush a chest with a rock.

Let alone hitting a more sensitive spot.

If she’d just rolled over and settled down before hugging, this wouldn’t have happened.

"I’m fine!" Kangxi said through gritted teeth as he shoved Consort Rong off to the side.

"Good. Your Majesty, don’t pull that again. No surprise, just a scare. If you’d gotten hurt, it’d have been a grave offense."

Su Yi pretended to be concerned.

Then Kangxi shoved her again, this time right up against the wall.

The distance between them suddenly widened, enough to fit two more people lying down.

Su Yi: What the...?

Hold up, this is my bed, and you’re shoving me into the corner? What’s the deal here? This is insane!!!

"Your Majesty?" Su Yi called softly.

"The ointment you put on reeks, keep your distance," Kangxi said as he turned his back to her.

Su Yi: What?

She quickly realized he was complaining about the smell of the ointment on her.

Wow, you’re something else.

Su Yi didn’t say a word, just closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Kangxi was taken aback that Consort Rong had gone to sleep without a word—totally out of character for her.

But he’d just been humiliated, and Consort Rong stayed cool as a cucumber, not a hint of inner chaos, even managing to mentally rib him, which doused the fire in Kangxi’s chest.

Kangxi tried to force himself to sleep, but just as he was dozing off, he got a sudden kick in the back.

The kick sent Kangxi sprawling off the bed.

Though the thick carpet cushioned his fall and he wasn’t hurt, the shock of the kick left Kangxi sitting on the floor, stunned.

His face turned stormy.

As he sat up, he spotted a pale foot dangling over the edge of the bed.

No doubt who the culprit was.

"Consort Rong!" Kangxi’s voice was filled with anger, his teeth clenched, making it sound quite menacing.

"...Huh?" Su Yi peered up from the bed, groggy, like she’d just been roused.

Spotting Kangxi on the floor, she asked, "Your Majesty, what are you doing down there in the middle of the night?"

Kangxi seized Consort Rong’s ankle, his face thunderous, and snapped, "This is on you!"

Consort Rong actually had the nerve to kick him—she was getting gutsier.

She clearly wasn’t asleep; her sleeping habits were a bit wild, but she’d never kicked anyone before.

Now she kicks him and wakes up instantly? No way she was really asleep!

She usually slept like a log, but now she’s up in a flash? Kangxi couldn’t help but think it was deliberate!

"Oh, really?" Su Yi paused, as if remembering, "I thought I kicked something—turns out it was you."

"Need a hand? You okay?" Su Yi asked, feigning concern.

She said it, but her hand stayed put—only her foot, still in Kangxi’s grip, twitched.

Totally insincere.

Kangxi’s smile turned dark, and in the dim light, it looked almost sinister, a far cry from his usual cool composure.

The skin on her ankle was delicate, and Kangxi couldn’t resist caressing it a few times. He rose from the ground and flipped over, still gripping the foot that had kicked him, and pressed down on her.

Her slender leg was immediately draped over his shoulder.

If Su Yi hadn’t been so flexible, she would’ve been forced into a split, like a painful stretch, unable to stifle a scream, ruining the mood.

She provocatively stepped on his back, but instead of backing off, he grew even bolder.

The two of them now faced each other, with Kangxi completely engulfing her in his presence.

So close they could feel each other’s breath, his scorching breath felt like it could burn her.

Below, only a thin layer of fabric separated them.

This was the closest they’d ever been, more intimate than ever before.

Kangxi stared intently at Consort Rong, his eyes burning, whether from anger or something else, it was unsettling.

He’d been holding back for far too long.

Su Yi stretched out her slender, pale arms, hooked them around his neck, and pulled him down, bringing them even closer. She whispered against his lips, "Are you mad?"

Her voice was like a little hook.

Her loose robe had slipped open at the collar, revealing her slender collarbone, her skin, pale as jade, glowed.

His breathing grew heavier as he gazed at her.

He grabbed Su Yi’s hands from his neck but didn’t release them.

Instead, he effortlessly pinned both wrists above her head with one hand.

Then he lowered his head and kissed the small mouth that had deliberately spoken provoking words.

The kiss was rough and punishing.

His other hand tugged impatiently at her loose robe.

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh during Kangxi’s act of fixing her hands above her head, letting out some laughter.

This made him kiss even more fiercely, as if retaliating for Su Yi’s earlier distraction.

'Ouch'

He actually bit her.

Su Yi bit back without showing weakness, and now both of them were bleeding.

Su Yi’s bite was heavier than Kangxi’s.

But even when bitten and in pain, he refused to retreat, his gaze growing even more intense, not closing his eyes.

And this didn’t affect him at all as he quickly stripped off her clothes.

He used the loosened belt to bind her wrists.

The woman’s breathing was rapid, her face like a peach blossom, her affectionate eyes watery as she watched his actions, seemingly trying to soften his heart.

But unfortunately, she had looked at him the same way last time, her eyes full of affection, only to turn around and deliver an unexpected chop.

"Behave." The man's voice was hoarse, but his hands didn’t stop tying her hands.

He seemed feverish, his skin almost burning.

The night stretched on endlessly.

Liang Jiugong, dozing on guard outside, was jolted awake by the noise inside and quickly ordered water to be readied.

It was impossible not to be shocked.

When the Emperor stayed at Yonghe Palace, he had always just slept under the covers.

Initially, Liang Jiugong feared for His Majesty's health. With the stunning Consort Rong by his side, why hadn’t His Majesty touched her? It was rather strange.

Eventually, Liang Jiugong stopped caring. After all, it was the Imperial Household Department’s problem, and he dared not ask. He simply observed the Emperor and Consort Rong’s unchanged dynamic.

Was it because of that daring maid tonight?

It was entirely possible.

Kangxi softly kissed her pale neck, enveloping her fully from behind. Sweat trailed down his jaw, landing on her skin.

His heated lips teased her earlobe, his deliberate bites sent shivers through her, causing her to curl into him.

Then, Kangxi’s cheek brushed Su Yi’s ear, and he let out a soft chuckle, his face brimming with satisfaction.

His voice was deep and raspy, sending a tingle through her ears.

His powerful arms tightened around her.

They drew closer, like entwined mandarin ducks.

Her voice, now slightly hoarse, mingled with her usual gentle, cool tone, creating a soothing sound.

Feeling too lazy to move but uncomfortable with the stickiness on her body, Su Yi unceremoniously ordered Kangxi around.

Kangxi, being very obedient at this moment, picked her up and carried her to the prepared bathtub.

The two couldn’t resist playing around in the water again, splashing most of it out and leaving the floor wet.

The water had also cooled down, so they dried off and returned to bed.

The beddings had been replaced with fresh ones. Feeling refreshed as she lay down, Su Yi ignored Kangxi and quickly fell asleep.

After a long night of activity, she was exhausted.

She fell into a comfortable sleep.

Kangxi, on the other hand, had just fallen asleep when it was almost time to get up for the morning court.

Although he had only slept for a short while, he felt quite refreshed.

He looked invigorated, with a sense of ease in his expression that was quite different.

Before leaving, Kangxi returned to the bedside, looked at the still sleeping beauty, and kissed her lips for a while.

Only when the awakened beauty pushed him away impatiently did he chuckle softly, tuck her in, and then leave.

After Kangxi left, the room returned to silence. Following his orders, no one disturbed her sleep.

Su Yi slowly opened her eyes, her face looking a bit distant and cold. She rolled over, as if drifting back to sleep, and there was no further movement.

At the same time, a faint soul, now noticeably more solid than before, emerged from her body.

The soul looked somewhat like the body lying on the bed, but its forehead bore a silver flame-like mark.

Su Yi observed the once-transparent soul, now more tangible.

Earlier, you could see right through the back of her hand, but now it could obscure things, appearing more solid.

The soul's wounds had been partially mended by the rich dragon energy.

The difference was like swapping a mild tonic for a potent elixir.

Paired with the dual cultivation techniques Su Yi had studied, the results were clear.

Not only did it aid her recovery, but the other person also reaped some rewards.

It wasn’t a one-sided exchange where only one person profited.

Both could gain from it, though the other person didn’t realize it yet.

Su Yi had been eager to try this approach for a while.

This time, she simply went along with it.

It wasn’t out of the question before, but since Kangxi used traditional medicine as an excuse, Su Yi refused to humor him.

This time, with just a small effort, she ended up weakened for so long.

The lurking cultivators were another issue, leaving Su Yi too impatient to wait.

The sudden heavenly tribulation violently hurled her here, where she encountered someone who seemed to be a fellow cultivator.

This made Su Yi question whether the heavenly tribulation had been orchestrated.

Other Mahayana cultivators facing the heavenly tribulation had typically been stuck in the Mahayana realm for millennia, if not tens of millennia.

Only after a sudden epiphany could they truly break through and summon the ascension tribulation.

But she had barely reached the Mahayana stage when the ascension tribulation struck.

Even Mahayana cultivators who’d prepared for millennia or longer had a hard time enduring it.

Let alone her, a newly advanced Mahayana cultivator who’d just reached the stage.

She’d even deliberately held back her cultivation, not planning to progress further, yet the ascension tribulation still came.

She’d thought herself unlucky before, and it was sheer luck her soul hadn’t dispersed.

But now, it seemed, that wasn’t true.

She looked at the body lying on the bed. Without a soul inside, the body's complexion turned pale, and its breathing became so weak it was almost nonexistent, resembling a corpse. Anyone who saw it would think it had no life left.

Su Yi sighed and then returned to the body, lying down again.

Su Yi slept as usual until she naturally woke up. After finishing her meal, someone from the imperial pharmacy presented a bowl of freshly brewed medicinal soup.

The maid said, "This is a tonic. Your body is weak, so this will help nourish and restore it."

It was probably to explain her physical weakness, explaining that she needed to replenish after her duties, so as not to overstrain her body.

Seeing that Consort Rong did not move, but instead propped her chin with a somewhat disdainful glance, showing no desire to drink, the maid added,

"Your Highness, this medicine was specially formulated by the Emperor. It tastes sweet and is not very bitter."

"Nah, I’m not drinking that," Su Yi replied casually.

"Your Highness, this is the Emperor’s order..." the maid was about to continue persuading, bringing up the Emperor in an attempt to get Consort Rong to drink the bowl of medicinal soup.

"Hmm, weak is weak, whatever. Anyway, drinking it won’t make much difference, it’s the same as always. Even if I don’t drink it, I won’t die anytime soon."

Su Yi directly gave up, usually only drinking medicine when coughing up blood or when there was no other choice, thinking that taking medicine would slowly improve her condition, but in fact, it was of no use.

Now drinking tonic medicine, and it’s said to be not bitter, like there’s any medicine that isn’t bitter these days.

"Your Highness, you might let down the Emperor’s thoughtful gesture," the maid continued to persuade.

"Alright," Su Yi, fed up with the pestering, "Is it really not that bitter?" She leaned over to smell it, hesitating like she had a fear of taking medicine.

"Your Highness, here are the prepared candied fruits," the maid offered the candied fruits.

"Why bother with tonic medicine for no reason, no need to avoid anything, right?"

"No need," seeing that Consort Rong was finally ready to drink, the maid quietly sighed in relief.

This was really difficult, Consort Rong feared bitterness, feared taking medicine, and just now she didn’t want to drink, her words were pretty blunt, who says they won’t die anytime soon.

Forcing her wasn’t an option, only by repeatedly mentioning that the Emperor was doing it for her good could she be persuaded.

Fortunately, it worked.

Su Yi took a sip, the taste was really off, indeed not very bitter, but the flavor was just odd.

She downed it all in one go, grimacing.

Putting down the empty bowl, she felt nauseous and covered her chest, took some plain water to rinse her mouth, and repeated several times before feeling somewhat better, her face looking pale, "It would have been better if it was just bitter."

Seeing that Consort Rong had finished drinking, they could finally report the task done, and the people from the Imperial Pharmacy then withdrew.

"Don’t mess with the taste of medicine, either make it all sweet or all bitter, not half bitter and half sweet."

Su Yi, covering her chest, spoke with lingering fear, the weird taste almost made her gag.

Yun Hua, standing by, handed her some candied fruits and asked if she wanted to eat a couple to suppress the taste.

Su Yi reached out and ate three candied fruits, using the sweetness to drown out the weird taste before stopping.

Yun Hua had been watching her expression, quietly watching for any unusual signs from Consort Rong.

But Consort Rong seemed much the same as usual, now holding her cat, Pot Lid, stroking its fur, feeding it small dried fish.

Seems like she didn’t notice.

Su Yi played with Pot Lid for a while, then remembered something and ordered someone to bring over the cute cat paw jade pieces picked out yesterday to be matched with beads and sent over.

At this moment, a messenger from Cining Palace came to Yonghe Palace, saying that the Grand Empress Dowager summoned her.

At these words, the servants were all on edge.

After all, that is the Grand Empress Dowager, the matriarch of the palace. For her to summon their mistress now, it’s likely not a friendly visit.

Upon hearing this, Su Yi asked them to wait while she went back to change her clothes and get ready.

After all, it was acceptable for her to wear casual clothes in her own palace, but if she were to meet the Grand Empress Dowager, it would be too informal. She needed to change into something more suitable for meeting the Grand Empress Dowager, so the old maid remained silent.

After Su Yi entered the room, she signaled Yun Hua to send someone to the Qianqing Palace with a message.

Yun Hua understood and left immediately.

Qinxin quickly searched for the clothes the mistress would wear to meet the Grand Empress Dowager, preparing to help her change.

But when she turned around, she saw Consort Rong lying down again, "Mistress?!"

"Mistress, why are you lying down again?" Qinxin whispered, keeping her voice low so the people from Cining Palace waiting outside wouldn’t hear.

Getting ready would take time, and they were short on it. How could the mistress just lie down again?

Qinxin was truly anxious.

"No rush, we’ll go together when he gets here," Su Yi said, adjusting to a more comfortable lying position.

Qinxin didn’t react at first—waiting for whom?

Then it dawned on her—the mistress had sent someone to the Qianqing Palace to fetch the Emperor. Was she waiting for the Emperor to join them?!

But would the Emperor come?

If they took too long, the Grand Empress Dowager might get upset. Qinxin worriedly mentioned this and received a strange look from Consort Rong.

"Do you think the Grand Empress Dowager wouldn’t have anything to say if I went alone?"

It’s rare for someone from Cining Palace to come, claiming the Grand Empress Dowager wants a friendly chat. Not even a ghost would believe that.

Of course, she had to call that scoundrel to shield her.

"But what if the Emperor… doesn’t show up?" Qinxin was worried about this.

After all, the Grand Empress Dowager is the Emperor's grandmother. If the Grand Empress Dowager summons the mistress, the Emperor probably wouldn’t react much.

"Then we’ll wait. I’m not feeling well, so I want to take it easy—pick something light, not too elaborate."

When Su Yi said this, Qinxin carefully looked at her complexion.

Compared to when she woke up, her face was still rosy, as radiant as peach blossoms.

But now the rosiness had faded, and she looked pale, clearly unwell, just as the mistress had said.

Qinxin quickly retrieved the prepared pills. The mistress had been doing better recently, but now, at this crucial moment, she seemed unwell again. Qinxin was so anxious that beads of sweat formed on her forehead, "Mistress, would you like to take a pill?"

"Hmm." Su Yi didn’t refuse and took it, swallowing it directly without waiting for Qinxin to bring water.

Then she took the teacup Qinxin handed over and drank some water, saying to her, "After taking the medicine, I should feel better."

Qinxin then went to pick out the clothes the mistress would change into later.

Yun Hua hurriedly returned, indicating that she had already sent someone to the Qianqing Palace.

She then took over Qinxin’s duties, allowing Qinxin to handle the people from Cining Palace.

As time passed, the people outside grew increasingly impatient.

They began to murmur that Consort Rong was taking her time and reluctant to meet the Grand Empress Dowager, questioning whether she was disregarding the Grand Empress Dowager's summons and showing contempt for her.

This could lead to serious charges. The old matron was quite arrogant, and Qinxin, who had been handling her for some time, was nearly at her wit's end.

She was puzzled as to why the Emperor hadn't shown up yet.

He ought to have arrived by now.

If he still hadn't come, it seemed he really wasn't going to make it.

Qinxin was about to go into the inner chamber to inform the Consort of the situation.

Just then, the Consort appeared, fully dressed and made up, with just a hint of rouge on her lips, giving them a rosy, healthy look against her pale face, creating a striking contrast.

She seemed in good spirits, having steadied after taking her medicine, and Qinxin quietly sighed in relief.

"I was held up for a bit. It's my first time meeting the Grand Empress Dowager, so naturally, I was a bit nervous and flustered, which took a little extra time," Su Yi said with a smile, then walked out without waiting for the old matron to respond.

Sigh, life is never calm.

It feels like I'm cursed with bad luck; I need to shake off this misfortune.

Why is she making such a scene at her age? Wouldn't it be better to just rest?

The old matron from Cining Palace had heard tales of Consort Rong's exceptional beauty.

Though frail, she was still a beauty, albeit a sickly one.

Even the radiant Yipin couldn't outshine Consort Rong's brilliance.

Seeing her today, it was clear that the rumors were true. The old matron was momentarily taken aback upon seeing her.

When she recovered, she saw Consort Rong walking ahead without so much as a greeting.

Already annoyed by Consort Rong's delay and her lack of haste in preparing and rushing over with due reverence to the Grand Empress Dowager's summons, the old matron couldn't help but say, "It wasn't just a little time that the Consort took. It wasn't us waiting for the Consort, but the Grand Empress Dowager waiting for the Consort. The Consort will have to explain this to the Grand Empress Dowager when she meets her."

"Thank you for the reminder, Matron," Su Yi replied softly, her expression calm and unhurried, completely unshaken by the old matron's words.

This left the old matron feeling like she had hit a wall of cotton, only fueling her irritation. She couldn't help but add, "I cannot accept the Consort's thanks. Just now, I happened to catch two sneaky eunuchs emerging from Yonghe Palace.

Perhaps these two eunuchs had messed up and were trying to sneak away to shirk their duties. They were caught and brought back to the Consort.

I didn't bring it up earlier because I figured even if I did, the Consort wouldn't have the time to handle them right now."

The old matron's words carried a hidden meaning.

Upon hearing this, Qinxin and Yun Hua's expressions changed slightly. Could it be...