Chapter 142

Chapter 142

"What's the situation?"

Liang Jiugong had just returned and was still gathering his thoughts when he heard the Emperor's question. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly relayed the information.

After hearing this, Kangxi was speechless....

Why do I feel this strange sense of loss?

"How did she suddenly get so close to the Consort?" Kangxi frowned slightly, unable to help but ask when he heard that Consort Rong and the Consort had left Cining Palace together and even walked part of the way together.

The change was just too sudden. It felt like they had transformed in just a short period of time.

"Perhaps it's because the Consort's... hands are pretty?" Liang Jiugong said uncertainly. He was just as confused when he first heard about it. Just because her hands are pretty??

You know the Consort and Consort Rong used to have a feud, right?!

And now, they're suddenly getting along.

Isn't that hard to believe?

He thought it was a prank at first.

Hearing this, Kangxi fell silent.

Even if it's true, with the Consort's temperament, could she really get along with Consort Rong?

As if reading Kangxi's mind, Liang Jiugong mentioned that Consort Tongjia and Consort Rong had been laughing together in Cining Palace.

And it wasn't the usual backhanded sarcasm that concubines often use, where they appear to be laughing and getting along harmoniously on the surface but are actually plotting to undermine each other behind the scenes.

But now, Consort Rong even shared several beauty secrets with Consort Tongjia, including two specifically for hand care.

The imperial physician had reviewed them and said they were indeed beneficial beauty secrets for women's appearance.

They weren't just fluff; they were actually useful.

It left everyone in shock. Hearing this, Consort Tongjia's attitude improved noticeably.

They even walked part of the way together after leaving Cining Palace before going their separate ways.

But judging by Consort Rong's attitude, she really wanted to walk Consort Tongjia back, hand in hand.

After hearing this, Kangxi's expression was hard to describe. He wondered if Consort Rong's obsession with looks had never faded, and now she's into beautiful hands too?

Was there any hint of this before?

Kangxi thought for a moment, his expression turning grim. It seemed that Consort Rong had already been eyeing the concubines in his harem before. He thought she was just toying with the idea, and later it seemed she had dropped it.

But was she still thinking about it?

Liang Jiugong, who usually found the Emperor's thoughts hard to read, now seemed to understand His Majesty's confusion, but he didn't dare say anything.

Had His Majesty forgotten that there was a time when Consort Rong was just as clingy, sweet-talking, and full of praise?

Especially the way she would hold hands and gaze affectionately at people—it was quite common back then. Since it was all directed at palace maids, and after a while, it stopped.

Her attitude had become much more normal, so it wasn't a big deal.

So, it turns out that she used to hold people's hands just to check if they were attractive, and her coldness was because their hands weren't pretty enough?!

She rarely complimented people on their hands, focusing more on their overall beauty.

Consort Tongjia's looks aren't the best in the harem; she's more of a middle-of-the-pack kind of beauty.

Consort Rong had previously clashed with Consort Tongjia, and even the maids visiting her palace didn't receive any kindness.

Now it seems the whole hand beauty thing is actually true?!

This is really something...

Liang Jiugong, a seasoned palace veteran, had seen it all—even eunuchs and maids secretly pairing up.

Concubines and maids also have intimate relationships, though they're kept under wraps.

While other concubines might not engage in such behavior, Consort Rong seems to be an exception.

She's usually indifferent to the Emperor, and that's putting it mildly.

Unlike the other concubines, who are flustered and honored by the Emperor's presence, Consort Rong remains unimpressed—the contrast is striking.

The Emperor never visited Consort Rong, and she never seemed to care, acting as if his visits were unimportant.

As long as she had good food and drink daily, Consort Rong was content; her bad moods stemmed from other issues.

Could it be that Consort Rong is really...

Kangxi's expression darkened, his sharp gaze causing Liang Jiugong to shiver and halt his thoughts immediately.

Consort Tongjia had the maids jot down the beauty secrets, had experienced matrons verify their safety, and then instructed the maids to test them.

She intended to have the maids use the secrets for a trial period to check for issues and assess their effectiveness before considering them herself.

After all, she doubted Consort Rong's generosity in sharing beauty secrets—most would keep them to themselves.

Especially since she'd previously targeted Consort Rong, who now seemed to be playing nice, even if only temporarily during the Grand Empress Dowager's illness.

Consort Tongjia remained hesitant to use them.

But she couldn't pass up the opportunity; in the harem, secrets don't stay hidden long, and the other women were likely already testing the secrets in private.

She couldn't afford to fall behind.

Maybe Consort Rong's stunning looks were thanks to her vast knowledge of beauty secrets.

The concubines, already keeping tabs on Cining Palace, had planned to criticize Consort Rong's efforts.

After a day of service, the Grand Empress Dowager's condition worsened, likely due to inattentiveness, and with Consort Tongjia present, Consort Rong wouldn't have an easy time.

But to everyone's surprise, the maids reported that Consort Tongjia and Consort Rong left Cining Palace arm in arm, walking together without a hint of animosity.

It was shocking, shattering the concubines' hopes of seeing Consort Rong in disarray on the first day.

They quickly inquired about the situation, wondering how Consort Tongjia could still be friendly with Consort Rong.

What had transpired that they were unaware of?

If Consort Tongjia were so easily pleased, those who flatter her wouldn't be secretly complaining about her temper.

Especially since it was Consort Rong, their feud was no small matter. Consort Tongjia had suffered setbacks from Consort Rong several times—how could she not hold a grudge against her?

The thought of Consort Tongjia and Consort Rong getting along peacefully was like a fairy tale—utterly impossible.

However, upon hearing that Consort Rong was discussing beauty secrets with Consort Tongjia in the Cining Palace, their focus quickly shifted to this topic.

They insisted on every detail, not missing a single word of the conversation.

They even got frustrated with the messengers for not remembering clearly, saying,

"How could you not remember?! Go back and find out more details, not a single word should be missed! Otherwise, you won’t get off easy."

While jealous of the beauty secrets Consort Rong shared, they couldn’t help but remark on how cunning Consort Rong was, using such methods to curry favor with Consort Tongjia!

No wonder Consort Tongjia would stoop to pretending to be friendly with Consort Rong; they, too, would put aside their grudges temporarily to get those beauty secrets.

They would deal with the rest later.

But Consort Rong didn’t seem to care about the setting, just blurting it out right there.

Many maids overheard, and with a little effort and the right incentives, the secrets would surely leak out word for word.

Once everyone knew the secrets, they’d no longer be secrets. Trying to win over Consort Tongjia would only benefit them.

This was a big deal, and the concubines’ attention was inevitably drawn, all eager to find out exactly what beauty secrets Consort Rong had mentioned in the Cining Palace.

They all believed that Consort Rong’s stunning beauty, even as a sickly person, must be thanks to some secret formulas.

Other sickly people usually looked ghastly, almost inhuman, and even the most beautiful would lose their looks after a long illness.

But Consort Rong, despite her long illness, still deserved the title of a sick beauty—there must be other methods.

Maybe it was the secrets she mentioned, which she’d been using all along to maintain her beauty.

They were healthier than Consort Rong and not lacking in looks; if the beauty secrets really worked, wouldn’t they become even more beautiful?

Just the thought of it made the concubines restless, all eager to find out more.

Now, they couldn’t be bothered to make a fuss about Consort Rong’s nursing duties; that could wait—nothing was more important than this.

Yonghe Palace

Su Yi noticed Qinxin hesitating the whole way and said, "If you have something to say, just say it." She rested her chin on her hand, looking at Qinxin in a good mood, ready to answer her questions.

"Your Highness, are those beauty secrets you mentioned really effective?" Qinxin was genuinely puzzled; if they were effective, why didn’t Her Highness use them herself?

"Of course they are." Su Yi thought it was something else—was she the type to make things up about this?

"But Your Highness, why don’t you use them yourself? You just told Imperial Noble Consort, if..." If Imperial Noble Consort used these secrets and became even more beautiful, it wouldn’t be favorable for Her Highness in the competition for favor.

Although Qinxin didn’t finish her sentence, Su Yi understood, sighing, always saying half and hiding the other half,

"It’s too troublesome, I’m too lazy to bother. It’s only suitable for those who aren’t afraid of trouble and can persist. Those who invest time and effort will be pleasantly surprised."

She only needed to nourish herself with spiritual energy once a day, which surpassed any beauty secret. Naturally, she didn’t need to spend energy on these things—with a convenient and quick method, why bother with the troublesome ones?

As for those youth-preserving elixirs, the required celestial herbs, alchemy furnaces, and furnace fires—none of these were available here. Even if mentioned, they couldn’t be made. And those were just the most common methods—as long as one was willing to invest effort and persist daily, naturally there would be beauty effects.

If it could bring a smile to the beauties, it was useful.

It’s good to shift focus for a while.

Su Yi said with a gentle expression, "I always give special treatment to beauties here."

But special treatment doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate everything.

Qinxin, hearing this, thought it sounded casual, but it seemed the lady truly treated pretty maids differently in the palace. Was it really like this?

As Kangxi walked in with his hands behind his back, he overheard this, and his slightly better mood instantly soured.

He even felt a pang of jealousy!

Liang Jiugong, nervously following behind, also felt his heart sink. Consort Rong, how could you say such a thing?!

You really need to tone it down!

If the servants had warned Consort Rong of His Majesty’s arrival, this wouldn’t have happened.

Kangxi, normally composed, stomped heavily, as if trying to break the floor.

The loud stomping drew the attention of those who hadn’t noticed his arrival.

"Your Majesty, we greet you." The servants, startled and delighted by the Emperor’s arrival, quickly bowed. His unexpected visit filled the servants with surprise and joy.

"Your Majesty, please take a seat. Someone, bring tea!"

Su Yi rose with a radiant smile, her eyes shining like stars, as she took Kangxi’s hand and guided him to his seat, instructing the servants to prepare tea.

She truly resembled a concubine who’d missed the Emperor dearly.

'He arrived without warning, walking so silently—who’s he trying to frighten?'

'His face is dark as coal—did I upset him? Is he here to take it out on me?'

Su Yi gently guided Kangxi to sit and began fussing over him, "Your Majesty, it’s been so long. You’ve lost weight—you must eat more later."

'A smile can’t be met with anger, right?'

'Just right!'

Su Yi was sharp; he seemed in a foul mood, ready to lash out.

Kangxi sat there with an expressionless face and said, "It’s surprising you noticed I’ve lost weight. I thought you were too content to care how I’ve been."

Su Yi: "..."

What’s his problem? Is he here to start trouble?

Su Yi, pretending not to catch Kangxi’s sarcasm, lowered her head and giggled softly, cooing, "Your Majesty." She lightly patted him, "What are you talking about? Have you been overworked and not sleeping enough?"

'He’s rambling now.'

'If the Emperor’s struggling, the rest of us are doomed.'

'Why’s he even here?'

The tea was ready and brought over. Su Yi quickly took it and handed it over, smiling gently, "Your Majesty, you must be thirsty after your journey. Please, have some tea."

Kangxi eyed her charming yet insincere smile and ignored the tea.

Su Yi's smiling expression didn’t change, "Alright, it seems Your Majesty isn’t thirsty. We’ll have it later then."

Under Kangxi’s icy stare, she set the tea down, sitting gracefully with a serene smile, radiating calmness like a gentle companion.

'Tsk!'