Chapter 150

Chapter 150

"Had I known it would come to this, why did Grandmother repeatedly intervene? I did not bring it up earlier out of consideration for Grandmother's health, yet Grandmother continued to act. Was it truly for my benefit, or was it because you don't trust me?"

With these words, he directly pointed out the underlying thoughts of the Grand Empress Dowager.

It was nothing more than a lack of trust in him.

"If the Emperor truly wants to reassure me, he should share his favor equally! Then such things wouldn't happen!" The Grand Empress Dowager said, her voice filled with anger. If that weren't the case, why would she interfere in the harem's affairs again? The Emperor gave her no reason to feel reassured.

Her words had a commanding tone, telling Kangxi how he should act correctly, making Kangxi pause as he twisted the jade ring on his finger.

"I remember discussing this with Grandmother before."

That's why the Fourth Prince was taken from Consort Tongjia and brought to the Empress Dowager's palace. Grandmother and grandson had both made concessions, resolving a matter that concerned the Grand Empress Dowager. He had granted her wish once, so why couldn't she compromise?

Why does she have to push so hard?

This pressure inevitably reminded Kangxi of his early reign when every matter had to be approved by the Grand Empress Dowager. Whenever he wanted to follow his own will, if the Grand Empress Dowager didn't allow it, he couldn't get his way. Even arguments were brushed off as youthful impulsiveness.

After he removed Ao Bai, there were disputes over reducing feudal powers. But those disputes showed he no longer had to be easily influenced by the Grand Empress Dowager like he was in his youth.

Now, the Grand Empress Dowager's actions against Consort Rong were essentially forcing him to make decisions she approved of.

The Grand Empress Dowager's eyes flickered briefly before she quickly said,

"But I haven't made things hard for Consort Rong, have I? Besides, stopping her from having children is actually for her own good. How can her weak body give the Emperor healthy children? Instead of Consort Rong wearing herself out to have children, wouldn't it be better for her to stay healthy and be with the Emperor longer?"

The Grand Empress Dowager spoke thus, but whether it was truly for Consort Rong's benefit, she knew best. For concubines, the inability to bear children was no less than the collapse of the heavens, especially when they could not bear children themselves but had to watch others give birth one after another. The torment was unbearable. She had said she would not harm Consort Rong's life.

But using soft methods to gradually wear down Consort Rong was a way to kill without bloodshed. In the end, it would only be blamed on her poor fate and short life. The Emperor would only think that Consort Rong's health had gradually failed, given that she was already in poor health.

Of course, the deeper meaning could not be revealed to the Emperor. Moreover, the Emperor had always been diligent in state affairs, so how could he understand the sorrows and pains among the concubines?

The Grand Empress Dowager spoke thus only because men did not understand these intricacies, allowing her to say such things.

"If Grandmother truly thinks so, then a contraceptive decoction would suffice. Why administer such a potent medicine?"

It completely disregarded the excessive potency of the medicine.

Even ordinary women could not withstand it, let alone someone with a weak constitution.

Kangxi looked at his grandmother sitting on the bed and said word by word, "You are not unaware, yet Grandmother remains certain that even though you have done these things, no matter how displeased I am in my heart, it is of no use. I will not do anything to Grandmother, which is why you are so fearless."

The Grand Empress Dowager did not expect the Emperor to lay everything bare at this moment. Normally, she would have been furious and rebuked the Emperor for daring to speculate about his own grandmother in such a way.

Now that the Emperor had made it clear, the Grand Empress Dowager simply said,

"Even if I had such intentions, it was all for the sake of the Emperor. The dangers of a concubine monopolizing favor are not unknown to you.

I only acted to prevent greater chaos in the future, taking precautions in advance. If she wishes to have favor, she must be willing to make sacrifices, understanding that one cannot have both fish and bear's paw. I merely made her realize that once she entered the harem, not everything could be as she wished, to act as she pleased."

After a pause, she added, "I had planned that after this matter was settled, I would no longer target her and could even treat her more kindly. It was just a matter of making some sacrifices, which would bring joy to all. What is wrong with that?" But Consort Rong was utterly ungrateful!

As she spoke, the Grand Empress Dowager's murderous intent towards Consort Rong reached its peak. She thought that Consort Rong could no longer be allowed to remain in the harem, for who knew what problems might arise in the future.

Hearing this, Kangxi chuckled softly, "If Grandmother thinks it is just a small sacrifice, why get angry when it falls on me?"

"My anger is all for you. You are the Emperor, and your health is of utmost importance. How can others compare to you? If your dragon body is harmed, it would sever the bloodline foundation of the Qing dynasty. Even if Consort Rong were to die in atonement, it would not be enough to repay!"

Why can’t you see the Grand Empress Dowager’s heartfelt concern? Now your heart is completely turned toward Consort Rong. I underestimated how ruthless that woman could be. What if it were poison? She might have even watched you drink it! Suma, why are you still waiting? Go and fetch the imperial physician at once!"

The Grand Empress Dowager angrily pounded her hand on the bed, her tone growing sharper, as if she would get up and go herself if Suma didn’t act.

Seeing this, Suma Lagu realized the Grand Empress Dowager was truly desperate and ready to act herself. Knowing she couldn’t delay, she steeled herself and went to summon the imperial physician.

Kangxi, however, halted Suma Lagu, saying, "No need. I’ve already taken care of it. The Summer Cooler Soup is exactly what it seems—nothing extra was added."

"Truly?" The Grand Empress Dowager exhaled deeply in relief. She had trusted the emperor not to be so careless. So, he had prepared in advance.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Were you trying to frighten your grandmother? It’s a relief nothing happened, truly a relief." The Grand Empress Dowager seized Kangxi’s arms, scrutinizing him closely. Seeing he looked fine and unharmed, she finally eased up.

Then it dawned on her that if the emperor had prepared ahead and swapped the medicine she’d had added, then he must have known everything from the beginning and was already on guard against her, his own grandmother.

Even if she’d managed to make Consort Rong drink the 'Summer Cooler Soup' with the maids’ help, it would have had no effect on Consort Rong’s health.

Yet, she would have believed the plan worked, letting her guard down around Consort Rong, and might even have treated her better because of it. The emperor had indeed been thinking this way. Had it not been for Consort Rong’s actions, the emperor might never have revealed the truth, keeping her in the dark.

Wait! The Grand Empress Dowager sensed something still wasn’t right.

"If you’d already prepared, why did you come here? Had you not come to Cining Palace, I’d have remained unaware." Once she was sure the emperor was unharmed, the Grand Empress Dowager pointed out this oddity.

If the emperor hadn’t come to Cining Palace, everything would have proceeded as he had planned, and she wouldn’t have known that the 'Summer Cooler Soup' Consort Rong drank was harmless. But the emperor had come, which seemed to disrupt the entire plan.

Isn’t that contradictory?

"Because I reconsidered and still found it improper," Kangxi replied simply, his words seeming to avoid further detail.

Such a brief explanation let the Grand Empress Dowager make sense of the inconsistencies on her own.

Elaborating would only reveal the gaps in his story. Seeming to speak without elaborating, the implied meaning would be left for her to interpret, which would be better than him trying to explain away all the inconsistencies now.

Just looking at the Grand Empress Dowager, she indeed began to interpret the emperor’s words in another direction she had thought of.

That is, the emperor was still worried that Consort Rong, because he hadn’t come, would only receive other compensations afterward and would harbor resentment, directly blaming the emperor. But if the emperor had come, it would mean he appeared when Consort Rong needed him most, and after properly comforting her, the matter could be put to rest.

But the emperor came too quickly, before Consort Rong had time to drink the so-called Summer Cooler Soup, leading to the current situation!

Or perhaps the emperor was worried about Consort Rong, fearing some unexpected mishap, and thus made the trip.

The Grand Empress Dowager quickly understood, through the emperor’s simple explanation.

It must be said, Kangxi also understood his grandmother well.

Even if he later found out that Consort Rong had dealt with all the maids, he would only think, no wonder Consort Rong could delay for so long. It wasn’t that he came too quickly, but he hadn’t expected that a dozen maids couldn’t handle Consort Rong.

If he hadn’t come, Consort Rong might have nearly torn down Cining Palace.

Kangxi’s eyelid twitched fiercely at that moment. Learning that Consort Rong had started a fight in Cining Palace, the situation completely out of control, Kangxi didn’t dare delay and hurried over to Cining Palace.

Any later, and the situation would have been beyond containment.

He hadn’t expected that a dozen maids wouldn’t be enough for Consort Rong to handle.

Luckily, the emperor had been prepared, and it turned out to be nothing.

However, the Grand Empress Dowager’s grudge against Consort Rong deepened.

The Emperor had made such plans for Consort Rong, yet Consort Rong remained unaware of his intentions, even if she didn’t know the Emperor's plans.

Although she did not know the Emperor's plans, it only highlighted the ruthlessness of this woman. She likely did not have the Emperor's well-being in mind at all, allowing him to take such risks. Clearly aware of the potential danger, she still let the Emperor act as the test subject for the medicine!

Her intentions are truly malicious!

It even seemed as if she intended to wound the Grand Empress Dowager's heart, hurting the Emperor physically while causing her pain emotionally!

She wanted the Grand Empress Dowager to make a mistake, feel deep regret, and suffer from heartbreak, causing her pain emotionally!

Consort Rong must be dealt with soon.

However, the Grand Empress Dowager knew it wasn’t the right time to speak up. Speaking up would only drive a wedge between her and the Emperor, and in the end, it would only play into Consort Rong's hands, drawing the Emperor's heart even closer to her.

But in her earlier agitation, she had already spoken too many words filled with hostility toward Consort Rong. If she were to change her tone now, the Emperor would not only distrust her but also become even more cautious.

"Since you have everything under control, let this matter be dropped. It was my momentary lapse of judgment, and I did not consider things thoroughly. Tomorrow, there is no need for Consort Rong to come and attend to me. I do not wish to see her anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. There is also no need for other concubines to come and attend to me. I just want to rest peacefully in the Cining Palace."

The Grand Empress Dowager knew that she could not continue to dwell on this matter. She needed to find a way to back down gracefully. Rather than persisting in a standoff with the Emperor, it was better to ease the tension for now and make plans later.

She would take a break and stay out of harem affairs. She would bide her time for the right moment to act. She could not act hastily, or the Emperor would immediately suspect her, the Grand Empress Dowager.

Moreover, even if she did not act, the concubines in the harem were not idle. Many would want to bring down Consort Rong. When the time came, she could subtly assist from behind the scenes, and it would not appear as if she had taken direct action.

Emperor Kangxi knew that this was merely a temporary strategy of his grandmother to ease the situation.

"Today, I suddenly remembered that Suma Lagu has been serving by your side for so many years, and she is getting older," he shifted the topic to Suma Lagu.

His tone was somewhat sentimental, "Suma is also getting older. At her age, in ordinary households, it would be time for her to enjoy a peaceful retirement."

If the Grand Empress Dowager had not initially understood why the Emperor brought up Suma Lagu, she certainly did by the end of his words.

The Emperor wanted to remove Suma from her side!

How could this happen? The Grand Empress Dowager was used to Suma's service. Suma had been by her side for most of her life. Why would the Emperor bring this up now? Was he trying to avenge Consort Rong?

Yes! Otherwise, why would he bring it up at this moment!

Suma had been by her side for most of her life. Suma had chosen to stay by her side and serve, unwilling to leave the palace, which was why she had remained by her side even at this age.

The Emperor knew this well. Why bring it up now, of all times!

Just as the Grand Empress Dowager was about to speak, Suma Lagu quickly knelt down. Her knees hit the ground with a loud thud, but Suma Lagu ignored the pain. She realized the Emperor planned to remove her from the Grand Empress Dowager's side. She tried to remain calm, but her voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty, I have served the Grand Empress Dowager most of my life. Being able to serve by her side has been my greatest honor and the pursuit of my entire life. I have no children, and compared to enjoying a peaceful retirement, I would rather continue to serve by the Grand Empress Dowager's side!"

"Emperor, what are you doing? Out of nowhere, you want to remove Suma from my side? Suma even took care of you when you were a child. How can you disregard such a bond?!" The Grand Empress Dowager's earlier intention to let the matter rest was now filled with anger.

"Precisely because of this, I thought it would be best for Suma to retire from the palace and enjoy her later years. Suma has served you diligently for most of her life. In the days to come, you should also consider her well-being. I will make all the necessary arrangements. This decision is final. I will also assign new attendants to serve by your side, ensuring that you are not left without assistance."

Emperor Kangxi did not even glance at Suma Lagu kneeling on the ground. After speaking, he stood up and prepared to leave.

As he turned, Emperor Kangxi glanced sideways, "Grandmother, rest well. I will visit you again another day."

He walked past Suma Lagu, who was still kneeling, and left without a second thought.

The Grand Empress Dowager watched the Emperor leave in disbelief. Suma had spent most of her life by her side. The Emperor could not possibly be unaware of Suma's importance to her. Yet, for the sake of today's events, he had the heart to remove Suma from her side!

Suma Lagu stood up, wanting to chase after him and plead again, hoping to change the Emperor's mind and let her keep serving the Grand Empress Dowager.

"Suma, it’s no use," the Grand Empress Dowager spoke coldly from behind. Even if Suma ran after him to beg for mercy, the Emperor would not change his decision.

He no longer listens to his grandmother, so why would he listen to Suma’s plea?

Her grandson is truly cruel to her.

"Grand Empress Dowager, I don’t want to leave you. Even if life outside is comfortable, I don’t want to leave your side," Suma Lagu crawled on her knees to the Grand Empress Dowager’s side, clutching her sleeve, tears already streaming down her face.

The Grand Empress Dowager looked at Suma, her heart pierced with pain. The Emperor is taking Suma away from her and sending someone new to replace her, but no one could match Suma’s loyalty, no one could understand her as well as Suma.

The new person might not be as dedicated as Suma, and she feared the new servant might report everything to the Emperor. She would naturally be wary, not trusting the new servant as she trusted Suma to handle matters!

The Emperor is severing her right hand.

Likely because she had Suma handle certain tasks, the Emperor cannot do anything to his grandmother, but that doesn’t mean he won’t take it out on Suma.

This time, taking Suma away is also a warning to her, the Grand Empress Dowager, to 'stay put' and rest in the Cining Palace!

Well, isn’t he just the perfect grandson. The Grand Empress Dowager’s fingers clawed into the bed.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Liang Jiugong was already waiting outside. Seeing the Emperor come out, he skillfully followed behind, saying that everything had been taken care of.

Kangxi immediately ordered arrangements for Suma Lagu to retire from the palace.

This caught Liang Jiugong slightly off guard, but his response was swift, and he immediately complied.

Suma Lagu was an old servant by the Grand Empress Dowager’s side, a trusted servant. If she really retires, the Grand Empress Dowager would surely be reluctant.

But considering what happened in the Cining Palace today, Liang Jiugong carefully glanced at the Emperor’s back walking ahead. Even if the Grand Empress Dowager is reluctant, she has to let go.

"Return to the Qianqing Palace," Kangxi quickened his pace. His hands, usually slightly clenched behind his back, were now tightly gripped, the veins on the back of his hands clearly visible.

"Yes," Liang Jiugong had just finished speaking when he noticed the Emperor had already walked a distance. He wondered why the Emperor’s steps were so hurried today, but since the Emperor had also walked quickly when he came to the Cining Palace, Liang Jiugong didn’t think much of it and quickly ran to catch up.

As for why the Emperor did not go to the Yonghe Palace but returned to the Qianqing Palace, it must be because the Emperor still had government affairs to handle and would visit Consort Rong after finishing.

However, upon reaching the Qianqing Palace and returning to the sleeping quarters, the Emperor nearly tripped over the threshold, startling Liang Jiugong, who rushed over to steady the staggering Emperor. Only when he got closer did he notice something was wrong. The Emperor was clearly ill but had been hiding it.

It wasn’t until he returned to the Qianqing Palace that he could no longer hold on, which is why he almost tripped over the threshold.

Liang Jiugong was horrified, "Your Imperial Majesty!"