Chapter 184

Chapter 184

This is quite ironic. The Imperial Noble Consort and the Rong Noble Consort seemed to have a good relationship, often favoring the Rong Noble Consort at banquets, as if they were aligned.

But now, it seems the Emperor and the Rong Noble Consort have had a disagreement, and they’ve been at an impasse for days. Yet, the Emperor has gone to the Jingren Palace. The current situation is quite fascinating.

I wonder if the Imperial Noble Consort and the Rong Noble Consort can still maintain their harmony after this.

Yonghe Palace

"Is it true?" Su Yi asked, her face clouded with worry, as she nervously twisted her prayer beads, suddenly alert at the news.

"Yes, Your Highness, the Emperor has gone to the Jingren Palace," Qinxin replied, unable to hide her frustration, feeling resentful on her mistress’s behalf. These past few days, Her Highness has been deeply distressed over this matter. How could the Emperor go to the Imperial Noble Consort's place?

Even if Her Highness was the one who initially distanced herself from the Emperor, wasn't it because of the Emperor?!

"When did he go?" Su Yi asked gravely, her concern evident.

Qinxin told her the time and waited for Her Highness’s instructions.

"We must go now, or it’ll be too late," Su Yi said, rising from the recliner and signaling Qinxin to follow quickly.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Qinxin thought Her Highness had finally grasped the urgency and was ready to act. She hurried after her, directing the servants to prepare for Her Highness’s departure.

After Su Yi stepped into the shoulder sedan, Qinxin immediately directed the bearers toward the Jingren Palace. "Wait, not to the Jingren Palace. Did I say we were going there?"

Qinxin was confused. "If not to the Jingren Palace, where are we going, Your Highness?" Isn’t it to meet the Emperor?

"No, we’re heading to the Qianqing Palace," Su Yi replied with a smile.

"But the Emperor isn't... not at the Qianqing Palace now, is he?" Perhaps Her Highness chose not to go to the Jingren Palace to avoid a confrontation with the Imperial Noble Consort, so she selected the Qianqing Palace instead. Once the Emperor heard that Her Highness had gone to the Qianqing Palace, he might hurry back to meet her.

Qinxin felt she understood. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Take the shortest route," Su Yi added. Talking with Qinxin was always straightforward.

"Yes!" Qinxin nodded. If Her Highness wanted to go quickly, it had to be done.

The Noble Consort’s departure was quite a spectacle, and many were keeping a close eye on the movements of the Yonghe Palace.

The moment she left, word of her departure spread.

It seemed that since the Emperor had gone to the Jingren Palace, the lady of the Yonghe Palace could no longer sit still. This move was likely an effort to intercept the Emperor at the Jingren Palace.

Jingren Palace

The Imperial Noble Consort observed Kangxi, who had been here for a while, barely sipping his tea. She was at a loss for words but couldn’t simply sit in silence, so she started making conversation.

Yet, Kangxi appeared distracted, much to the Imperial Noble Consort’s irritation.

Was he deliberately making her uncomfortable?

Perhaps sensing the Imperial Noble Consort’s frustration, Kangxi finally spoke up.

"I heard that you are on good terms with the Noble Consort," he said casually, as if just making small talk.

The Imperial Noble Consort realized this might have been the Emperor’s true purpose all along. If he had brought it up earlier, she wouldn’t have had to struggle to keep the conversation going to avoid awkwardness.

"Stop." Before they reached the Qianqing Palace, Su Yi called for a halt.

They were not far from the Qianqing Palace now.

"My Lady?" Qinxin was puzzled; they hadn't arrived yet.

"Here, this is enough," Su Yi said.

This distance was just right.

Su Yi held a leaf in her hand, its structure symmetrical, both sides smooth and flat, flexible yet neither too tender nor too old. It was a leaf she had Qinxin pick along the way.

During the journey, Su Yi had carefully wiped it clean with a handkerchief.

Is this spot enough?

Qinxin was still confused. Was My Lady planning to wait here for the Emperor's return?

Indeed, going directly to the Qianqing Palace might not be appropriate. Waiting outside would prevent gossip among the other concubines.

Then she saw My Lady take the leaf she had been playing with and place it against her lips, blowing a melody.

The sound was melodious, unique yet vaguely familiar, though Qinxin couldn't quite place it.

Qinxin was surprised that My Lady could produce such a beautiful melody with just a simple leaf.

Unseen, the melody Su Yi played seemed to ripple out in invisible waves.

The melody itself wasn't the main point.

At the Qianqing Palace,

The cat, enjoying dried fish and being groomed by the maids, suddenly perked up its ears.

Its large eyes focused, tilting its head as if trying to figure something out. The action of eating the dried fish had ceased.

Then, in a flash, it dashed out.

It moved with incredible speed and agility, leaving the maids no time to react before it was far away.

"Quick! The cat's run off, someone help!" The maids were alarmed and began shouting as they ran after it.

They couldn't lose this cat; the Emperor had specifically ordered them to take good care of it.

Lately, the cat had been causing trouble everywhere, yet it remained unscathed, even growing fatter and glossier than when it first arrived!

Its paws had dug through mud and even stepped on the Emperor's clothes, leaving muddy marks. Though the Emperor had scolded the cat, it was only a verbal reprimand, and in the end, they were still tasked with cleaning the cat thoroughly, with no real consequences.

At night, it would sleep on the Emperor's bed. Though the Emperor complained about the shedding, the cat was never actually thrown out; at most, the bedding was changed more often.

When it first arrived, it was already quite plump, and after all the recent antics, it hadn't lost any weight; in fact, it had gotten even fatter.

It was living a life of luxury.

The maids were extremely attentive, fearing it might lose weight under their care.

Now that the cat had run off and they couldn't catch up, they were naturally panicked.

Even within the Qianqing Palace, finding it would be a challenge; it could be hiding anywhere. If it didn't make a sound, finding it would take considerable effort.

Not to mention if it ran out of the Qianqing Palace, that would be even more of a hassle.

So when they heard someone shout, "The cat! Catch the cat!" The servants immediately acted as if they had been through this before, instinctively scanning the area for the cat.

"Over there!" A servant pointed at a white blur and dashed towards it.

"Where?" another servant asked anxiously, looking around but seeing nothing.

"It went that way!" The servant was so frantic they were about to leap—it had just slipped by, and no one saw it!

"What?!" another servant exclaimed, looking around in confusion. "Where exactly is it?"

The cat, with its black patch on top and white fur everywhere else, should be easy to spot.

The servants who spotted it rushed over, while those who only heard the commotion looked around in confusion, reacting too late, just moving on instinct.

In short, no one stayed put, and chaos broke out.

"Bang!" "Ah!" "Ouch!" The sounds of three servants colliding echoed, and the cat slipped through the gap in a flash.

As it ran, the once plump and chubby-looking cat now seemed full of power, its muscles rippling.

It dodged people with incredible agility, slipping past them effortlessly, and didn't even slow down at the corner, crouching low as if skimming the ground before vanishing.

The cat managed to break through the servants' blockade, leaving them all in the dust.

The servants who had caught it just days ago were stunned—now they couldn't even get close. Before, the cat hadn't been this tricky to catch.

Compared to today, it seemed like the cat had just been toying with them the past few days, not taking it seriously, and didn't put up a fight when caught.

Today, it was like it had been juiced up on adrenaline, darting away in a flash, not as easy to nab as before—like it had been playing with them all along, never serious.

Now that it was serious, they could barely catch a glimpse of its tail.

(The cat: Just messing around~)

Go, happy cat, go!!!

After finishing a tune, Su Yi stopped and tossed the leaf aside, clearly done playing.

Qinxin felt a pang of regret and dissatisfaction—it ended so abruptly. Why did the Noble Consort only play a short bit and then stop?

"The leaf is too delicate; if I play any longer, it'll go out of tune." Noticing the regret and confusion in Qinxin's eyes, Su Yi turned to her and explained gently with a smile.

"Oh, that's why. I should've picked more leaves earlier," Qinxin realized.

Su Yi smiled without a word—a short segment was enough.

As if sensing something, Su Yi looked over and locked eyes with the Eldest Prince, who seemed to be passing by and would cross paths with her if he kept going.

But because of what had happened before, he wanted to change course and avoid running into Su Yi while she wasn't paying attention.

However, he paused to listen to the short melody because it sounded so lovely, and then Su Yi glanced his way.

The Eldest Prince froze. According to protocol, Rong Noble Consort was also his Honored Mother Consort, and he had to pay his respects when meeting her.

But... the Eldest Prince gritted his teeth, thinking he should go forward to pay his respects and then leave, to avoid gossip.

Then they saw Rong Noble Consort give a slight hum and turn her head away, pretending not to notice.

This simple hum and head turn made it clear she wasn’t interested in greeting anyone.

The eldest prince was stunned. "How could Rong Noble Consort be so rude?!"

As he was about to leave with a flick of his sleeve, the eldest prince, now resembling a young man, heard a commotion and glared in annoyance toward the source of the noise.

Noise is strictly forbidden in the palace, especially near the Emperor’s Qianqing Palace.

Su Yi still held a grudge; the brat had been insufferable when he pointed at her and scolded her last time.

"Meow!" A single, joyful meow.

Hearing the familiar meow, Su Yi smiled softly and turned toward the sound.

A white cat with black bangs darted toward her like a little leopard, with several servants chasing and calling after it.

As the saying goes, the more you call, the faster it runs. Once it’s ahead, you’re just chasing it in vain.

Su Yi crouched and reached out. The cat charged like a firecracker but was caught and lifted effortlessly by Su Yi.

"Meow~ Meow~" The plump cat nestled into her arms, meowing insistently for attention.

The cat: "Why did you take so long, meow! I’ve been waiting forever, meow~"

It couldn’t bear another day with that stinky human; it was awful!

Su Yi, holding the noticeably heavier cat, stayed silent, taking in its complaints.

Qinxin was startled by the cat’s sudden appearance and remarked, "Isn’t this the cat? Your Highness, it looks even fatter."

She’d worried the cat might not adjust to the Qianqing Palace, perhaps not eating enough and losing weight.

But now, it looked even plumper and healthier.

The cat, now sensitive to the word 'fat,' immediately meowed angrily at Qinxin.

The cat: "Who are you calling fat, you two-legged creature?!"

The Qianqing Palace servants chasing the cat were stunned to see Rong Noble Consort holding it, unable to process why she was there.

Still catching their breath, they hastily bowed. "You may rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness." The servants, now standing, glanced at Rong Noble Consort holding the cat, unsure what to do.

The cat originally belonged to Rong Noble Consort, but after a conflict with the Emperor, it was temporarily moved to the Qianqing Palace.

Now that the cat had run out and bumped into Rong Noble Consort, what were they supposed to do?

Su Yi, holding the cat, smiled. "What a coincidence! I just happened to come by and found it. Thanks for taking such good care of it these past few days."

It hadn’t lost weight; in fact, it had gained quite a bit.

The servants quickly insisted it was their duty and no trouble at all.

"Please inform the Emperor I’ve taken the cat back. No need to worry." With a smile, Su Yi turned, boarded the shoulder sedan, and left.

Her retreat seemed hurried, as if she was in a rush. "This… what should we do? The cat has been taken away by the Noble Consort," the servant said dumbfounded, still not fully reacting.

"But the cat originally belonged to the Imperial Noble Consort," one of the maids said. It seemed quite normal for the Imperial Noble Consort to take it away, and they couldn't stop her anyway.

But...

"But what about the Emperor..." the maid hesitated, wondering how to tell the Emperor that the Imperial Noble Consort had come specifically to fetch the cat while he was away, and coincidentally, the cat had indeed run out and met her!!!

The Emperor had kept the cat to force the Imperial Noble Consort to come and fetch it herself. Now, she had indeed come, but the Emperor wasn't here, and she hadn't even made it to the gate of the Qianqing Palace!

The cat bolted out, and despite chasing it, they couldn't catch up. It ran straight to the Imperial Noble Consort, who promptly took the cat and left.

There wasn't even time to report back!

On the way back, Qinxin, watching the Imperial Noble Consort happily cuddling the cat, finally realized why her mistress had come to the Qianqing Palace.

The Imperial Noble Consort had come specifically to take the cat while the Emperor was at the Jingren Palace, not to wait for him. She was even worried the Emperor might return and catch her, so she took the shortest route.

And how did the cat manage to escape at just the right moment?

"I knew you had the sharpest ears. You didn't let me waste my trip."

Su Yi gently scratched the cat's chin, and it purred, rubbing its head against her as if in response.

Was it the melody!?

The cat heard it and bolted?!

Qinxin finally understood why the Imperial Noble Consort had suddenly played the leaf whistle—it was to lure the cat out while the Emperor was away and take it!

But how did the cat recognize the Imperial Noble Consort?

"Fighting is one thing, but keeping the cat—hmph—I still seized the chance," Su Yi said proudly, pinching the cat's chubby cheeks.

For days, the Imperial Noble Consort had been monitoring the Emperor's movements. Qinxin had thought she was finally showing concern, but it turned out she was waiting for the Emperor to leave the Qianqing Palace so she could take the cat, catching him off guard?!

It was... brilliant!

Qinxin felt she had figured it out.

Meanwhile, at the Jingren Palace.

Liang Jiugong was diligently standing guard, watching everything, when he saw a young eunuch rushing over. After whispering something, Liang Jiugong looked disappointed, and the eunuch lowered his head, looking bitter.

Who could have seen this coming?

"...it's more like seeing someone else's shadow through me," the Imperial Noble Consort said, amused by the illusion. "I misspoke."

To others, it seemed the Rong Noble Consort had a great relationship with her, though the reason would sound unbelievable.

Because of her beautiful hands.

At first, the Imperial Noble Consort dismissed it as a trick by the Rong Noble Consort.

But as they spent more time together, she realized the seemingly unreliable reason might be true. It was something that no one would believe if told.

It seemed as if they had reached some kind of understanding.

In reality, the Rong Noble Consort and she had been sworn enemies at first, especially when the Rong Noble Consort was not in good health. She had even tried to drag the Rong Noble Consort down by making the Fourth Prince fall ill.

If it were her, with such a past, she would never have been willing to show the Rong Noble Consort any kindness, and would have fought to the death instead.

At first, it was indeed so. Rong Noble Consort was visibly displeased with her, and her ability to provoke was quite remarkable.

The breakthrough was so unexpected that even Imperial Noble Consort was astonished.

Kangxi's eyes narrowed slightly; it wasn’t just his imagination. Thinking of this, his thoughts grew heavier.

Could it be that it was just a woman? The thought made him involuntarily take a sharp breath.

Kangxi had never thought in his life that one day he would have to guard against these young and beautiful women.

Thinking of this, Kangxi couldn't help but exude a cold aura.

At this moment, Liang Jiugong came in, seemingly having something to report. He glanced at the Imperial Noble Consort and, seeing that His Majesty appeared indifferent, said, "Your Majesty, the cat named Guogaitou..."

Hearing the name Guogaitou, Kangxi felt like burying his head in his hands.

These days, Guogaitou had been causing quite a stir in the Qianqing Palace. It was fine that it could eat; Kangxi wasn’t about to starve a fat cat. Whatever it wanted to eat, he would feed it.

But it kept digging holes, playing in the mud, rolling around, and then dared to come over with its dirty body and step on his clothes. He had never seen a cat so mischievous.

How come he didn't know that when it was in the Yonghe Palace, the fat cat was also so troublesome?

Its paws were also quite mischievous. The neatly stacked documents were toppled by its paws, and after knocking them over, it would sit there with its head tilted, looking innocent as if it had done nothing.

Oblivious to its own bulk, it loved to squeeze into tight spaces, getting stuck and unable to get out, and only then would it start howling.

When people heard its cries and came to rescue it, it acted as if it had done something impressive, causing chaos in the Qianqing Palace.

They had to tear down part of the wall to free it.

Thanks to it, the overlooked cracks in the Qianqing Palace were all patched up. Since half of it had been dismantled, it was only appropriate to fix it.

At night, it had a cat bed but insisted on not using it. Kangxi had more than once felt something pressing on his chest while sleeping, making it hard to breathe.

He really wasn’t sure who was more inconvenienced by bringing this fat cat back.

Now, hearing Liang Jiugong bring it up, it sounded like the cat had been up to no good again, and Kangxi was already starting to have a headache.

"I have pressing matters to attend to, so I must take my leave." What he wanted to ask had already been asked.

Kangxi got up to leave, obviously not intending to let Imperial Noble Consort know at this time how troublesome the fat cat was, lest it become a joke.

The Imperial Noble Consort, with a serene expression, spoke a few words to convey her understanding and also got up to see him off. When she glanced up, Kangxi had already disappeared.

His Majesty’s visit was nothing more than a quick stop.

It was rather amusing; he had actually come to inquire about her usual dealings with Rong Noble Consort. Earlier, he appeared preoccupied.

Later, he seemed a bit put off by Rong Noble Consort’s friendly demeanor toward her.

She knew about Guogaitou—it was Rong Noble Consort’s cat.

After a disagreement with Rong Noble Consort, the cat was brought to the Qianqing Palace.

The Qianqing Palace had never housed any pets before. His Majesty had always disliked such things. After the spat, he actually took Rong Noble Consort’s cat to the Qianqing Palace.

The concubines saw it as a prime opportunity to exploit the situation. The Imperial Noble Consort, now with a clearer perspective, believed that maintaining power was paramount. Now, she saw them as foolish.

Didn’t they see that Consort Yi and Consort Hui were still sitting very steadily?

The high-ranking concubines have basically remained quiet.

It’s just to see what these lower-ranking concubines can get up to.

There’s been no activity from Yonghe Palace either.

Those who are favored can get away with throwing tantrums.

Otherwise, it only adds to the annoyance.

After Kangxi came out, he asked, "What mischief has been caused this time?"

Kangxi’s reaction was rather indifferent, a result of the recent events. Ordinary mischief no longer elicits a strong reaction from him.

"Your Majesty, the troublemaker has been calmer today and hasn’t caused any trouble, but..." Liang Jiugong nervously swallowed, knowing that the Emperor dislikes hesitation.

"Consort Rong happened to pass by Qianqing Palace, and the troublemaker coincidentally ran out and encountered Consort Rong, who then took them along."

Liang Jiugong delivered these words in one breath, barely pausing.

Hearing this, Kangxi halted, turned to Liang Jiugong, and with a tight smile, said, "Happened? Coincidentally? Took them along?"