Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Liang Jiugong caught a glimpse of a young eunuch peeking out with an anxious expression. He approached almost silently, his face stern, ready to scold the eunuch for choosing such an inappropriate time to bring up matters. Couldn't he see what's going on?

The young eunuch, seeing Liang Jiugong, seemed to find a savior and whispered urgently, "Liang Jiugong, Consort Rong has arrived." And it didn't seem like a coincidence that she arrived just now.

Liang Jiugong's stern expression faltered, and he quickly asked, "Where is she now?" Could she already be here?

The young eunuch did not disappoint, "She's already heading this way. I rushed ahead to let you know."

The eunuch had run all the way here, his breathing uneven, and was now drenched in sweat from the urgency.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Liang Jiugong was frustrated that they only informed him when she was almost here, really putting him in a difficult position.

The young eunuch lowered his head, not daring to speak.

They couldn't possibly stop her. Many had tried to follow and stop her before, but none succeeded.

This time, Consort Rong didn't barge in directly, but with a soft, almost pleading tone, she said,

"I'm a bit impatient and might not have the patience to wait slowly outside. So, will you take me in now, or shall I go in by myself?"

There was really no other option.

So, the fastest runner among them was sent ahead to inform, while the others slowed down to buy some time.

"That's enough!" Liang Jiugong waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to leave quickly. He quickly turned and hurried back to the Emperor's side, whispering, "Your Majesty," he whispered.

Kangxi slightly turned his head, his expression subtly displeased, but Liang Jiugong was not one to bother him with trivial matters at such a time.

Liang Jiugong stepped forward and whispered into Kangxi's ear, "Your Majesty, Consort Rong has arrived and is on her way to the Qianqing Palace." After speaking, he quickly stepped back.

Liang Jiugong could swear on his life that the Emperor was slightly panicked just now.

Yes, it was indeed terrifying that Consort Rong arrived at this moment.

It must be because she heard about the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince being punished, otherwise why would she come at this time?

She definitely wasn't here just to see the Emperor.

Normally, the Emperor would be unable to hide his joy upon hearing of Consort Rong's arrival.

But now, oh my God, Liang Jiugong dared not imagine the scene.

Perhaps Consort Rong was here to ease the tension?

Kangxi felt his throat go dry and wanted to take a sip of tea from the cup beside him, only to find it empty. He then remembered that he had thrown the cup earlier, and no maid had brought a new one yet.

Seeing this, Liang Jiugong thought, 'This is bad.' No new tea had been served, and he was about to speak when a familiar female voice rang out,

"Why is it so quiet here? I expected it to be quite lively at this time."

As soon as the words fell, the person appeared at the door—who else could it be but Su Yi.

Consort Hui, who had been secretly pleased, felt a sense of foreboding when she saw the newcomer. Why had Consort Rong come?

Thinking of the close bond between Consort Rong and the Crown Prince, it seemed her suspicions were indeed confirmed.

But with Consort Rong's arrival, she worried there might be complications.

Su Yi walked in with a smile, holding Qinxin's hand, her gaze naturally sweeping across the room to take in the scene.

Her eyes paused momentarily when she saw the little milk dragon, who had turned around with red-rimmed eyes, resembling a wronged pup, before she walked over.

"Consort Rong, what brings you here?!"

Consort Hui was indeed surprised by Consort Rong's unannounced appearance, as there had been no prior notice.

No, Liang Jiugong had only just informed the Emperor of Consort Rong's arrival when she appeared shortly after.

Consort Hui quickly composed herself, putting on a show of concern.

"Sister, your arrival is rather abrupt. But coming at this time is hardly appropriate. Perhaps we should discuss matters another day."

She made a point of mentioning to the Emperor that Consort Rong had arrived unannounced, especially at such a time.

She couldn't wrap her head around what Consort Rong was thinking. Even if she was worried about the Crown Prince's predicament, coming directly at this time—under what standing?

As the mother of the Eldest Prince, it was reasonable for her to come and plead on her son's behalf.

But what standing did Consort Rong have to come here? It was improper and overstepping, almost as if she were coveting the Empress's position.

The Emperor valued rules above all, and Consort Rong's bold move made Consort Hui keen to witness the Emperor's reaction.

Su Yi had already reached the little milk dragon's side, gently ruffling his hair. The little milk dragon clutched the hem of Su Yi's qipao dress, his nose stinging with emotion.

Su Yi shot a glance at Consort Hui and asked, feigning concern,

"She's here, so what's the big deal? You're acting like a country bumpkin."

She glanced at Consort Hui's posture and softly added, "Oh, Consort Hui, did you rush here so quickly that you took a spill?"

She acted as if she didn't recall any recent unpleasantness with Consort Hui.

Consort Hui opened her mouth to explain, but Su Yi had already turned to Kangxi. She had merely asked casually; Consort Hui shouldn't take it seriously, as she couldn't care less about the answer.

Su Yi looked at Kangxi with an increasingly radiant smile, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons, her tone gentle yet slightly coquettish,

"Your Majesty, you truly have no sense of chivalry. Consort Hui's foot is injured, yet you haven't even offered her a seat."

Consort Hui had initially intended to respond to Consort Rong, but then Consort Rong brushed her off and spoke directly to the Emperor. Hearing the content, Consort Hui didn't believe Consort Rong was sincerely advocating for her.

Liang Jiugong, hearing Consort Rong's biting sarcasm, silently shrunk back.

He couldn't help but think, it had been a while since he last heard Consort Rong's biting sarcasm. It felt somewhat nostalgic, and he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

Kangxi, hearing Consort Rong's tone, couldn't help but feel uneasy. When Consort Rong was being sarcastic, it was harder to deal with than when she was direct.

He felt a bit restless and stood up, preparing to approach.

Indeed!

"That's right, Your Majesty can be so harsh on your sons, making them kneel until now without worrying about the consequences. Why would you care about Consort Hui's minor foot injury? After all, it's just a small injury; she's not crippled."

Consort Hui, hearing this, was shocked that Consort Rong dared to speak so boldly to the Emperor, even accusing him of being harsh on the princes. Wasn't this directly criticizing the Emperor?!

Consort Rong must be losing her composure, speaking without thinking. She didn't need to add fuel to the fire; Consort Rong was digging her own grave.

Fortunately, Consort Hui had just been nervous about Consort Rong's arrival, but before her schadenfreude could rise, she heard Consort Rong's subsequent words.

Isn't this a curse against her?!

Consort Hui's eyes widened, "Consort Rong, how dare you!" with an expression of disbelief and hurt, looking towards the Emperor as if seeking his judgment.

How dare you curse her in front of the Emperor!

Su Yi, with an even more exaggerated expression than Consort Hui's, covered her slightly open mouth in surprise, apologetically saying,

"Ah, I may have been a bit blunt just now, but it was for your own good, worried that you might push yourself despite your injury, and what if you ended up permanently injured?"

Consort Hui was angered by Consort Rong's words, thinking, "What's wrong with Consort Rong, coming straight at her!"

Consort Hui really wanted to say, "Don't pretend to be kind," but in front of the Emperor, Consort Rong could speak without restraint, while Consort Hui had to appear gracious and composed, knowing when to step back.

Is Consort Rong deliberately trying to provoke her?

Hmph, Consort Rong is still too naive, Consort Hui thought to herself, quickly showing indifference and even a bit of gratitude, "Thank you for your kind intentions! But your words are truly quite hurtful."

Su Yi put down her hand, smiling brightly, using the gentlest tone to say the most infuriating words, "Consort Hui, no need to take it seriously."

The implied meaning was: I'm not really concerned about you, just saying it, so don't take it to heart.

Kangxi thought: Yes, after all, you're just indirectly scolding me.

Consort Hui was genuinely angered by Consort Rong's repeated remarks.

As the Emperor stood up and walked over, Consort Hui couldn't help but take a small step forward, "Your Majesty."

Before she could finish, she gasped as her calf suddenly gave way, and she stumbled, almost falling to the side.

"Be careful!" Su Yi, seeing Consort Hui about to fall, called out with a look of concern and worry, but her hands were occupied picking up the little milk dragon who was kneeling and clutching her hem, moving him aside to avoid the fall.

"Consort Rong!" The eldest prince, who had been kneeling, saw Consort Hui about to fall and tried to stand up to help her, but couldn't rise in time.

"Liang Jiugong!" Kangxi, with a tense face, also called out to Liang Jiugong, stepping back.

Liang Jiugong, having served as the personal eunuch for many years, was quite skilled, sometimes his reflexes were top-notch!

In that split second, Liang Jiugong heard and quickly understood Kangxi's intention, immediately rushing forward to support Consort Hui, "Consort Hui, are you alright?"

Then, seeing Consort Hui's maid react and step forward to assist, Liang Jiugong released her and stepped back to Kangxi's side, standing quietly, his actions unnoticed.

Without sharp observation and quick reflexes, one truly couldn't serve in this role, Liang Jiugong silently praised himself in his heart.

Consort Hui's face was a bit pale, but she still managed to say, "I'm fine, thank you, Liang Jiugong. If it weren't for you, I would have fallen."

The Emperor was just a few steps away, yet he had Liang Jiugong support her. Consort Hui felt very uncomfortable, did the Emperor think her earlier stumble was fake?

But she really wasn't faking it earlier, if she were, she wouldn't have chosen that moment.

The timing and occasion were both wrong, even if she had stumbled accidentally, it would have seemed deliberate, and the Emperor might think she was doing it on purpose. Consort Hui felt she couldn't explain herself.

But earlier, she had only taken a small step, and her leg suddenly gave way, as if she really had an injury.

Yet, it was Liang Jiugong who ended up supporting her. Consort Hui couldn't help but feel a bit disdainful, yet she had to thank him in front of the Emperor.

"Consort Hui, you flatter me. This is what a servant should do."

Liang Jiugong dared not accept Consort Hui's thanks. Besides, he wasn't foolish; having just helped Consort Hui, he suspected she might be displeased, feeling that he had obstructed the Emperor.

Consort Hui had wanted the Emperor to help her, but he had intervened.

Ah, what a tough situation.

Su Yi, holding the little milk dragon who was looking utterly miserable, stood aside, looking relieved as she said to the little milk dragon, "Fortunately, we dodged quickly, or we could have been hurt."

The little milk dragon nodded, nuzzling into Su Yi's shoulder, calling out "Consort Rong" in a muffled voice, his tone tinged with sobs, his eyes red, truly aggrieved.

Su Yi held him with one hand, gently touching his knee with the other, asking, "Does it hurt?"

Good grief, he had been made to kneel for over two hours, and his knees were swollen. That jerk really lived up to his name!

The little milk dragon pouted, trying to put on a brave face and say it didn't hurt, but meeting Su Yi's concerned gaze, he silently nodded. It really hurt a lot, and his imperial father had scolded him!

That bad woman Consort Hui had deliberately put on a show in front of the Emperor, it was really too hateful.

Consort Hui, filled with anger, saw that Consort Rong had on her own picked up the kneeling Crown Prince. Recalling Consort Rong's earlier alarmist words, her anger flared up, and she seized the opportunity to criticize,

"Sister, what are you doing? The Emperor hasn't allowed the Crown Prince to rise yet. I know you care for the Crown Prince, but sister, you shouldn't act on your own."

Consort Hui's words were quite malicious.

She hinted that Consort Rong was overly concerned with the Crown Prince, perhaps coveting the position of Empress, trying to win over the young Crown Prince, having ulterior motives.

She also pointed out that Consort Rong had let the Crown Prince rise without the Emperor's permission.

Seeing this bad woman trying to stir the pot again, the little milk dragon wanted to say something, but Su Yi gently patted him, quickly winking at him, signaling for him to leave it to her.

The little milk dragon obediently rested his head back on Su Yi's shoulder.

"You’ve got it all wrong, Baocheng is so small, and I am very delicate. Just now, fearing you might fall, we couldn't just stand there like idiots without dodging, could we? It wouldn't be good if we got hurt."

Su Yi spoke confidently, without a hint of guilt, her brows slightly furrowed, looking very worried and fragile, exuding a sense of vulnerability.

"Who knows if you might come barreling into us and knock us down."

Su Yi played up her fragility, and the little milk dragon was just a small child, so it was normal to be concerned.

Her gaze lingered on Consort Hui, saying everything without uttering a word.

This was downright maddening.

Although she didn't like to resort to such tricks to attack others, Consort Hui was really quite annoying.

Su Yi noticed that Consort Hui was also very concerned about such matters but put on an air of indifference, striving to appear dignified, virtuous, and elegant.

It was all an act.

Consort Hui was truly angered. Consort Rong's words made it seem like she was some kind of heavyweight, and that delicate act didn't mention how arrogant and domineering she was. Just as she was about to say something, Kangxi, who had been silently observing, finally broke his silence.

"Since Consort Hui is having trouble standing, Liang Jiugong." Kangxi looked at the still kneeling Crown Prince, "Rise."

Liang Jiugong quickly had a seat prepared, and the servants were quick on their feet, soon everything was in order.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's consideration," Consort Hui's words awkwardly turned into a gesture of gratitude.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's consideration, I am deeply moved as well," Su Yi, standing beside, also spoke to Kangxi, feigning to hold the little milk dragon and bowing slightly.

Holding someone like this indeed looked a bit risky. Seeing this, Kangxi reached out to support her, "Alright, you must be tired from the journey. Put Baocheng down to walk by himself."

Looking at his son with red eyes and a pouting mouth, Kangxi thought, *How old is he, still crying like a baby?*

Earlier, he was stubborn and refused to admit his mistake, but now he's crying. Although Kangxi said so, his heart softened.

He patted his son's rear, "Hurry up and get down."

The little milk dragon snorted in dissatisfaction. He wasn't afraid of his father; he just felt sorry for Consort Rong carrying him and getting tired, so he obediently said to Su Yi, "Consort Rong, Baocheng can do it."

Su Yi gently touched his little head and put him down. When the little milk dragon stood steady, his knees still hurt, and he took a small breath. But with Su Yi holding his hand, he wasn't afraid of stumbling.

The little milk dragon tightly held Su Yi's hand, his heart no longer as upset and uneasy as before. He sat down next to Consort Rong, closely leaning against her. Kangxi, as usual, sat down in a nearby position.

The eldest prince and Consort Hui sat opposite, creating a tense atmosphere, which made Consort Hui feel uneasy.

It seemed as if the Emperor, Consort Rong, and the Crown Prince were aligned.

Consort Hui was dissatisfied with the servants who arranged the seating, questioning their arrangement.

Su Yi was curiously asking how the fight started.

"The servants began, '...'"

"I wasn't asking you, Your Majesty. You're not one of the fighters," Su Yi teased with a smile.

Without even asking why the fight started, what were they doing just now, as if they were mute??

Directly punishing them by kneeling—why not ask the reason for the fight first?

Kangxi coughed dryly, to break the tension, and touched his nose.

Seeing this situation, Consort Hui was taken aback by how the Emperor and Consort Rong interacted.

Consort Rong spoke quite disrespectfully to the Emperor. Yet, the Emperor showed no sign of displeasure or anger. He wore a somewhat helpless expression, as if he had a headache, but his attitude remained indulgent.

From the moment Consort Rong appeared, despite her disrespectful tone and inappropriate actions...

It surprised her that the Emperor did not reprimand Consort Rong for her tone or attitude.

"Sister, how can you speak to the Emperor like this? He was about to explain, yet you acted this way. The servants have already reported the matter clearly. You shouldn't make a scene in front of the Emperor."

Consort Hui spoke to Consort Rong, expressing disapproval of her previous behavior.

Liang Jiugong, hearing Consort Hui's words, wasn't sure what the Emperor thought. However, he felt Consort Hui was overreacting—this level of behavior was nothing serious.

Su Yi gently touched the little milk dragon's bruised forehead and said, "Oh," in a tone that could easily provoke.

Consort Hui's breathing became heavy with anger. Consort Rong really knew how to provoke.

Kangxi glanced at Consort Rong and added, "What Consort Rong said is not unreasonable. It's not good to listen only to the servants' side of the story," as if to make up for Consort Rong.

Tell Consort Hui to stop harping on this issue. The current problem is,

"What exactly happened? How did you end up fighting in public?"

Fighting in public is truly disgraceful. Kneeling as punishment is already light.

The eldest prince had been holding back for a while.

If it weren't for his mother telling him not to speak too much while kneeling in punishment, to let her handle it, to avoid saying too much and making errors, which would only make the emperor angrier and result in all the blame being placed on him, he would have been unable to hold back from speaking recklessly.

Now that the emperor has asked, after holding back for so long, and with his mother having been slighted by Consort Rong, he spoke with a somewhat sharp tone,

"Father, it was my second brother who suddenly came over and punched me, and that's why I fought back." It was truly baffling.

Especially since the people around who tried to break up the fight were hesitant to intervene, out of concern for the second brother.

And now I'm being punished by the emperor to kneel! My knees are sore from kneeling.

"You deserved it, who told you to speak recklessly?" little milk dragon immediately retorted, his expression fierce.

"What did I say? I was just standing there, and you came over and hit me, and now you're playing the victim and blaming me, everyone saw it!" The eldest prince was not to be outdone.

Little milk dragon was both angry and flustered, instinctively looking at Consort Rong, looking conflicted and unsure, as if he had been caught off guard by the eldest prince's words and didn't know how to respond.

The eldest prince, feeling justified, spoke assertively, "What, did I hit the mark? Are you at a loss for words?" Consort Hui tugged at the eldest prince's sleeve to remind him to calm down, but it was no use.

Kangxi's eyes grew cold.

"Did you say something negative about me this afternoon?" Su Yi suddenly asked the eldest prince.

The eldest prince was momentarily stunned by Consort Rong's abrupt question.

Looking at Consort Rong's gaze, the eldest prince seemed to hesitate, his confidence punctured, feeling somewhat deflated.

The eldest prince found it difficult to defend himself, having spoken ill of someone behind their back, and whether Consort Rong had guessed correctly or was just making a wild accusation, he felt too guilty to refute.

Seeing the eldest prince's reaction, Consort Hui thought to herself that this was bad, and with a smile, she said to Consort Rong,

"Sister, what are you saying? I know you're worried about the crown prince, and it's easy to misspeak in the heat of the moment, but please be careful with your words. The eldest prince and the crown prince are just children playing around, sister, let's not complicate things."

As she spoke, she didn't forget to glance at the emperor's expression, hoping he would say something. Consort Rong was trying to complicate matters, when it would be best to attribute it to children's play, which would also save face.

Earlier, Consort Hui had appeared to concede, but in reality, she was pressing forward step by step.

Although she wanted to quickly end this farce, she also wanted the eldest prince to appear wronged but to be the first to concede, thereby leaving an impression on the emperor of being tolerant and caring towards his younger brother.

At the same time, she wanted to leave the impression on the emperor that the crown prince was arrogant and immature, disrespectful to his elder brother, and harsh towards his stepmother.

However, the desire to quickly end this farce changed after Consort Rong appeared.

Consort Hui was worried that if Consort Rong got involved, the advantage she had just gained would be lost, and the situation might even change.

Consort Hui looked at the emperor, hoping he would intervene to stop Consort Rong. After all, Consort Rong was not the crown prince's mother and shouldn't even be here.

But unfortunately, Consort Hui couldn't see any indication that the emperor wanted to stop Consort Rong.

Not only that, but she noticed that the emperor had been almost constantly watching Consort Rong, his gaze calm but rarely shifting away, even when she had been defending herself against Consort Rong's words, the emperor hadn't paid much attention to her.

This made Consort Hui increasingly uneasy, her earlier confidence gone, secretly anxious, but still maintaining a smile on her face, hiding her panic at the sudden turn of events.

Su Yi ignored Consort Hui's remarks and looked at the Crown Prince, saying softly, "There is animosity in your gaze when you look at me."

When she entered, Su Yi had rarely seen the Crown Prince before, except for some formal banquets, and had almost no opportunity to meet him.

Previously, they had seldom met, and even when they did, it was from a distance, never having any direct confrontations, but more distant and unfamiliar than anything else.

Yet, as soon as she entered, the animosity in the Crown Prince's gaze was impossible to ignore.

Although he knelt there without speaking afterwards, it seemed that his emotions were more volatile only when she spoke with Consort Hui, though he managed to suppress them.

Su Yi continued, "Is it because of the unpleasantness between me and Consort Hui today that you are dissatisfied with me?"

She spoke casually, with a smile on her face, appearing gentle, but the words she spoke caused both the Crown Prince and Consort Hui to change their expressions.

Consort Hui's face only slightly changed, but the Crown Prince, being young, couldn't mask his feelings as adeptly as Consort Hui.

Moreover, the Crown Prince was not the type to be cunning; he was a bit brash and quick to act on impulse.

At this point, he could not yet be considered scheming and could not keep up with his mother's pace, often dragging her down.

"Is that so?" Kangxi asked the Crown Prince in a calm tone.