Chapter 148

Chapter 148

Suma Lagu didn’t waste any time when she saw the situation. It seemed that these sturdy maids were already incapacitated, but she hadn’t expected them to be beaten so badly.

Suma Lagu thought it was because of the Emperor’s anger and didn’t connect it to Consort Rong at all.

After all, without witnessing it firsthand, one couldn’t imagine that it was Consort Rong who had beaten these stout and sturdy maids into such a pitiful state.

Suma Lagu now just wanted to rush over to smooth things out, to prevent the situation from further spiraling out of control, not knowing what Consort Rong might take the chance to complain to the Emperor about.

But Suma Lagu never expected that when she arrived, instead of seeing Consort Rong by the Emperor’s side, crying and complaining about her grievances, she saw the Emperor holding a very familiar bowl, drinking from it.

Her face immediately changed, and she cried out in dismay, "Your Majesty—!" "Don’t drink that!" She rushed over, wanting to smash the bowl on the ground and stop the Emperor from drinking.

But it was too late. Kangxi had already taken the bowl and finished it. She rushed over and knocked the empty bowl to the ground. Seeing this, Suma Lagu’s expression changed dramatically.

Su Yi, seeing this, the anger and malice in her eyes disappeared, and her cold face once again broke into a smile, looking normal again, returning to her usual gentle and non-aggressive demeanor.

She stepped forward, took the handkerchief Qinxin had just handed her, and wiped the corner of his mouth, looking extremely considerate, with no sign of guilt or panic in her actions.

"Since you’re willing to coax me, I’m no longer angry," she said in a gentle and indulgent tone, her eyes once again warm, looking like a little princess who had been soothed after throwing a tantrum, instantly comforted after being pampered.

Her emotions came quickly and went just as fast.

"Consort Rong, do you know what you’re doing!? How dare you let the Emperor..." Suma Lagu had already rushed up, angrily scolding Consort Rong, but was directly interrupted by Kangxi, who said coldly, "Enough! Suma Lagu."

His tone was heavy, his eyes dark and no longer the usual affectionate way he addressed her.

Suma Lagu froze, her expression extremely ugly. She wanted to say that the contents of the bowl were problematic, prepared for Consort Rong, and how could the Emperor drink it? What if something happened to the Emperor’s health!

But with so many people around, if she revealed what the Grand Empress Dowager had done, wouldn’t it become known to everyone!

Moreover, the Emperor’s anger made Suma Lagu realize that things were not so simple. With so many people present, it was not the right occasion to discuss matters, so she decided to wait for a more appropriate time to speak.

But what about the imperial physician? Why didn’t he stop the Emperor from drinking the contents of the bowl? Didn’t the imperial physician know? Or didn’t he find anything wrong?!

To let the Emperor drink that! Suma Lagu felt that the imperial physician should have stopped him, realizing there was a problem, and should have strongly advised the Emperor not to risk his health!

The imperial physician, receiving Suma Lagu’s glare, felt as if needles were pricking his back, almost understanding what Suma Lagu meant.

He really wanted to shout that it wasn’t his place to stop it!

The Emperor, Consort Rong were all speaking in riddles, and Consort Tongjia also seemed to know something, but usually the most difficult to deal with, Consort Tongjia, was now as silent as a mute, not saying anything crucial.

He thought, wasn’t it all the Grand Empress Dowager’s doing!

That’s why today’s events happened!

Consort Tongjia, seeing Suma Lagu being obviously vented upon, opened her mouth and then closed it again.

Actually, what Suma Lagu had just said was what she wanted to say, but she hadn’t had the chance yet!

"Cough, this concubine is feeling unwell and will return to rest. I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend to the Emperor’s health anymore, cough," she really didn’t want to get up early in the morning, it was too exhausting.

Su Yi, having achieved her goal, no longer wanted to stay. She wiped the blood that had overflowed and was eager to return to lie down.

"Alright, I’ll have the carriage take you back, and have the imperial physician check on you on the way," Kangxi said with a calm expression, looking at the imperial physician, signaling him to follow Consort Rong.

Although the imperial physician was also quite worried about whatever His Majesty had just drunk, seeing the Emperor's calm and composed demeanor as if nothing had happened made him think that perhaps everything was under the Emperor's control.

With Liang Jiugong by his side, there must be other plans in motion.

The imperial physician bowed and quickly followed Consort Rong.

As he followed Consort Rong, the imperial physician began to realize that leaving the Cining Palace with her was the right move.

The Emperor remained there, clearly having matters to discuss with the Grand Empress Dowager. It was inappropriate for him to stay, as he might overhear things he shouldn't. Curiosity aside, it was important to maintain proper boundaries.

Consort Tongjia watched Consort Rong leave in shock: "What?! She’s just leaving?!"

Moreover, from Consort Rong's tone, it seemed she not only didn’t want to attend to the Emperor today but also had no intention of coming tomorrow or the day after.

What stunned her even more was the Emperor's attitude.

She had imagined many scenarios of how the Emperor and Consort Rong would interact, but she never expected it to be like this. Consort Rong's boldness, even audacity, towards the Emperor was unimaginable.

Furthermore, Consort Rong had made a scene in the Cining Palace. Although the Grand Empress Dowager was at fault, Consort Rong should still show respect regardless.

Even if Consort Rong was the one wronged, her actions in the Cining Palace seemed to Consort Tongjia as reckless and willful. Consort Rong had caused such a commotion, but had she thought about the consequences?

Consort Tongjia had initially planned to fake fainting to distance herself from the chaos and avoid being implicated with Consort Rong, preventing the Emperor from holding her accountable as well.

She even thought faking fainting was a good move, as long as she didn’t admit to it. Even if Consort Rong accused her of faking, what could she do?

She had calculated everything.

But she hadn’t anticipated that the Emperor, upon arriving, not only didn’t reprimand Consort Rong but even arranged for a carriage to take her back?!

Consort Tongjia was filled with resentment and wanted to voice her dissatisfaction. How could the Emperor be so lenient with Consort Rong? After making such a scene, Consort Rong was able to leave the Cining Palace unscathed.

Moreover, the Emperor hadn’t even glanced at her the entire time, as if his eyes were only on Consort Rong. Didn’t the Emperor care that she had suffered from heatstroke earlier?

He hadn’t even inquired.

It was as if he had completely ignored her.

Thinking of this disparity, Consort Tongjia felt increasingly unbalanced.

She wanted to say something, but upon seeing the Emperor’s dark expression after Consort Rong left, his eyes cold and stern, she hesitated.

"Escort the Imperial Noble Consort back. I do not wish for any unnecessary rumors to spread about today’s events in the Cining Palace," the Emperor said.

This was directed at Consort Tongjia as well as everyone present.

If word of today’s events in the Cining Palace got out, the Emperor’s unspoken implications were clear.

Collective punishment was unavoidable. If they didn’t want to lose their heads later, they had to keep their mouths shut.

Everyone felt a chill and instinctively tightened their lips.

Although nothing had been explicitly stated, and some still didn’t know what had happened, if the details were leaked, it would inevitably lead to widespread speculation, causing further trouble.

"Imperial Noble Consort, please," Liang Jiugong stepped forward, blocking Consort Tongjia’s view of the Emperor. The Emperor had no patience for her now, and it was best for her to return quickly.

He would stay behind to clean up later. What’s going on here? Things have been anything but calm lately.

Consort Tongjia was irritated just by the sight of Liang Jiugong's aged face, but she didn’t dare cause a scene right now. She wanted to, but she was afraid the Emperor wouldn’t indulge her as he did with Consort Rong. She was afraid of being humiliated in front of the Emperor.

She had once been daring, but after that incident, Consort Tongjia always felt guilty and noticed the Emperor’s attitude toward her wasn’t as warm as it used to be. So, she didn’t dare throw a tantrum in front of the Emperor.

She turned to leave, though reluctantly, letting out a cold snort to express her dissatisfaction.

Liang Jiugong, pretending not to hear, bowed and respectfully escorted her out.

Once Consort Tongjia was gone, Liang Jiugong started clearing the area and directing the cleanup.

Kangxi turned and headed for the main hall, Suma Lagu trailing nervously behind.

Noticing the imperial physician had left with Consort Rong, leaving the Emperor without one, Suma Lagu couldn’t help but say, "Your Majesty, maybe you should call for the imperial physician. It’s not safe for you to be without one, and there’s still a physician in the Cining Palace."

Noticing the Emperor still hadn’t let the physician take his pulse, as if unaware of the seriousness of the situation, Suma Lagu couldn’t afford to be careless about the Emperor’s health.

Who knew if the medicine would affect a man the same way? If it harmed the Emperor’s health, Consort Rong’s life wouldn’t be enough to compensate.

Consort Rong, aware of the issue, had the nerve to watch the Emperor drink it. She was nothing but a vile woman!

If she hadn’t known about the issue, Consort Rong would’ve refused to drink it, dragging it out until the Emperor arrived.

Even with all the precautions, someone had still tipped off the Emperor.

Unnoticed, Kangxi’s expression turned colder as he walked on.

"I’m fine. Why call for the imperial physician?" His tone was unreadable, his emotions well-contained.

"Your Majesty, you just drank that bowl of Summer Cooler Soup. How could you take such a risk? Why didn’t the physician check it first?"

Suma Lagu thought of the physician who was by the Emperor’s side and dared to let him drink that. The physician was downright negligent! He didn’t take the Emperor’s health seriously!

"Suma, why are you so convinced the Summer Cooler Soup was tainted?" Kangxi stopped in his tracks.

Realizing she’d overreacted, unlike her usual calm self, Suma Lagu quickly composed herself and said with forced composure,

"Your Majesty, this humble servant is merely worried about your health. We must be on guard against anyone using the Cining Palace’s name to hurt you. Naturally, everything should be checked. Isn’t that the rule?"

Suma Lagu quickly thought of how to explain without revealing too much, even hinting that if the Summer Cooler Soup from the Cining Palace was problematic, it was because someone had used the palace’s name to act.

It wasn’t the Cining Palace’s fault, and certainly not the Grand Empress Dowager’s intention. After all, the Grand Empress Dowager was suffering from a headache and needed rest, unable to oversee everything. It was possible that someone with ulterior motives had infiltrated the Cining Palace.

"Is that so?" Kangxi chuckled lightly, but the coldness in his eyes remained. It seemed his earlier words hadn’t gotten through to Suma Lagu.

Continuing to argue would only lead to more excuses.

He walked on and asked, "How has the Grand Empress Dowager’s health been recently?"

Suma Lagu had intended to continue persuading the Emperor to summon the physician, but upon hearing him ask about the Grand Empress Dowager’s health, she couldn’t help but say,

"The Grand Empress Dowager’s headache has worsened these past two days. Perhaps it’s due to the stress. She can’t even sleep at night. This old servant is truly worried. If possible, I would gladly take her place to relieve her suffering."

This was no lie. Suma Lagu watched as the once spirited Grand Empress Dowager suffered daily from her headache, growing older and weaker. She was anxious.

She wished she could take her place. Even at this time, the Grand Empress Dowager was still planning for the Emperor’s future.

Suma Lagu hoped the Emperor would understand the Grand Empress Dowager’s deep care. She was his grandmother; how could she harm him? Everything she did was for his sake.

Seeing that the plan had failed yet again, it was uncertain how much longer the Grand Empress Dowager's health could last. If the Grand Empress Dowager continued to be troubled by this matter, it would only be more detrimental to her health.

Now that the Emperor was heading over, Suma Lagu feared that he might clash with the Grand Empress Dowager, so she could only try to smooth things over by speaking well first.

"Your Majesty, everything the Grand Empress Dowager has done is solely for Your Majesty's sake. Please do not be misled by the slander of others and misunderstand the Grand Empress Dowager, breaking her old heart."

The "others" Suma Lagu referred to were none other than Consort Rong.

She was convinced that Consort Rong was an ill-omened person. Ever since the Grand Empress Dowager met Consort Rong, her health had declined, and she developed headaches. At first, they thought the Grand Empress Dowager had been poisoned, but no matter how thoroughly they investigated, they found no issues. Suma Lagu even personally sampled the food, eating the same dishes as the Grand Empress Dowager, and found nothing amiss.

It had to be that Consort Rong was ill-omened and clashed with the Grand Empress Dowager, but the Emperor refused to believe it.

She was truly afraid that before she could intervene, Consort Rong might have already said something to the Emperor.

And that the Emperor might believe Consort Rong's words.

Now, heading to the main hall might not be to visit the Grand Empress Dowager, but rather to confront her.

She couldn't help but resent the many servants who had failed to restrain Consort Rong. They couldn't even administer the medicine properly, dragging their feet—what a useless lot!

Not only that, they failed to complete the task, and they didn't even destroy the bowl in time!

It was likely that the Emperor had caught them red-handed.

When the servants were forcing Consort Rong to take the medicine, the Emperor arrived just in time to stop them. Who on earth was leaking information to Consort Rong!

Clearly, all of Consort Rong's servants had been kept outside the Cining Palace and couldn't have known what was happening inside.

To avoid arousing Consort Rong's suspicions, even Consort Tongjia received the same treatment.

On the first day Consort Rong was summoned to attend to the Grand Empress Dowager, she was only permitted to bring her personal maid, and no other servants were allowed into the Cining Palace. The reason given was to avoid disturbing the Grand Empress Dowager with too many people.

On the first day of attending to the Grand Empress Dowager, there were no signs of any action. At most, they made Consort Rong take care of the Grand Empress Dowager to cover their true intentions. The purpose of summoning her was not merely to torment her but to make her believe that was the intent from the beginning.

They let Consort Rong come and go without incident, except for some exhaustion, precisely to lower her guard and catch her off guard today. But in the end!

It still didn't work!

Somehow, the bowl prepared for Consort Rong ended up being drunk by the Emperor after Consort Rong said something!

How could such a turn of events not make Suma Lagu lose her composure on the spot!

Suma Lagu wanted to return first to inform the Grand Empress Dowager or send someone back to report the current situation to avoid being caught off guard, but she was powerless.

Suma Lagu was completely unaware that her thoughts had been clearly heard by Kangxi.

Truly a long-time servant by the Grand Empress Dowager's side, devoted to her with no ulterior motives, Kangxi mused with a hint of admiration.

Meanwhile, Su Yi was on her way back in the sedan chair. She leaned weakly against the spacious seat, one hand resting casually on the armrest, a small pillow under her wrist.

A handkerchief was draped over her wrist, and the imperial physician's hand was on her wrist, taking her pulse.

The physician's initially serious expression grew even more grave. Qinxin, standing by, grew increasingly anxious as she watched the physician's expression, her heart in her throat.

Qinxin's heart had been on edge all day, never settling down, constantly tense. The day's events had been truly perilous!

Su Yi, sitting comfortably in the sedan chair, even had the leisure to reflect that the Emperor's sedan chair was indeed different—spacious and comfortable, with no sense of bumpiness on the road. The Emperor's treatment was indeed in a league of its own.

She noticed the physician's grave expression but remained composed, as if the waves of backlash her body was experiencing didn't cause her much suffering.

Even if the imperial physician’s pulse reading shows a critical condition, this body won’t actually die.

After all, it was made just for her.

The heavens here pulled out all the stops to bring her from the cultivation world, likely because they need her for something. Until she gets it done, they wouldn’t let this body die.

This body is the perfect container to keep her in check.

So even if her pulse seems weak now, once this backlash fades, it’ll go back to normal.

It’s ridiculous—they still won’t admit she’s part of this world, thinking this backlash can punish her.

Su Yi’s half-closed eyes hid everything she was feeling.

If Kangxi hadn’t drunk that bowl, tonight Cining Palace would’ve announced the Grand Empress Dowager’s death.

After all, crossing her always means someone has to face her anger.

Even if it ends in mutual destruction, so be it.

Kangxi drank that bowl, and her anger would indeed dissipate.

Don’t get it wrong—this outcome just works better for her.