Chapter 201

Chapter 201

As soon as the Grand Empress Dowager left, the atmosphere clearly began to feel off.

The Imperial Noble Consort, who had hesitated too long to speak up and now found it awkward to leave: If only I had taken the chance to escort the Grand Empress Dowager earlier, I wouldn't be in this mess now!

Su Yi, known for always having ideas: "..." Is this some kind of joke?

Does being cuckolded really cause such a stir?

"Imperial Noble Consort, why aren't you speaking? Haven't you thought of anything yet?" Kangxi's tone, though gentle, carried an unmistakable sense of pressing urgency.

The Emperor's unpredictable moods were something Kangxi had truly mastered.

It was unclear what had triggered it, or perhaps the Emperor had restrained himself earlier to avoid worrying the Grand Empress Dowager. But now that she was gone, the Emperor immediately let loose without holding back.

After all, any man would be furious about such a matter, let alone the Emperor.

But why was he asking the Rong Noble Consort?

The three, held down and unable to move except for their eyes, seemed to realize that the Rong Noble Consort now held their fate in her hands. Their eyes all turned toward her.

If they hadn't been gagged, they would surely have begged for mercy.

Maybe they could appeal to the Rong Noble Consort's mercy?

Su Yi, who had been quietly observing, now found herself the center of attention, though not in a grand way, as there weren't many people present. But it seemed she could no longer stay silent.

The atmosphere had reached this point, and staying quiet would be rude.

"I have some thoughts," Su Yi replied softly, not revealing what she had in mind. She then instructed the palace servants, "Bring me a dagger."

The dagger was a sharp weapon, but seeing that the Emperor didn't object, the servants quickly brought one.

The Imperial Noble Consort's heart skipped a beat when she heard the Rong Noble Consort's words. What was she just thinking?

She thought the Rong Noble Consort was behaving and not causing trouble, but now this!

It seems it was inevitable!

Su Yi removed the nail guards from her hands and handed them to Qinxin to put away.

These guards were meant to protect long nails, but Su Yi didn't keep her nails long and rarely used them. Even when she did, it was mostly for show when going out.

Now, seeing her remove the guards, clearly finding them too cumbersome for what she was about to do, it was clear she was up to something.

The Imperial Noble Consort appeared dignified, calm, and composed, smiling gracefully, but upon closer look, there was a hint of stiffness. Was she standing too close to the Rong Noble Consort?

The Imperial Noble Consort's wild and tangled thoughts had somehow eerily guessed part of the reason behind the current situation.

"Since the atmosphere has reached this point, let's play a game," Su Yi said, picking up the dagger and smiling at the three.

The dagger that was brought over even had jade embedded in its handle, and the scabbard was adorned with intricate carvings, making it look like a work of art. But as the silver blade flashed, it was clear this was no mere ornament.

Su Yi tossed the scabbard aside and walked over to the three being held down, stopping between the Junior Concubine and the guard.

"What game does the Noble Consort wish to play?" Kangxi asked with apparent curiosity, though his true emotions were well hidden, making it impossible to discern his real thoughts.

"Choose one of two," Su Yi replied gently, using the dagger to point back and forth between the Junior Concubine and the guard, finally landing on the Junior Concubine.

The Junior Concubine, who was already terrified, grew even paler. When the dagger was pointed at her, her pupils constricted sharply, and her body trembled uncontrollably. Her eyes brimmed with sorrow, tears streaming down her face, evoking pity in anyone who saw her.

Though Su Yi's gaze appeared gentle, the fakeness of her gentleness showed through right then, as it remained unchanged and unmoved.

It couldn't help but send a chill through the hearts of those watching. This seemingly gentle Rong Noble Consort, who could still smile as usual during such a critical moment, was clearly no ordinary figure.

She even spoke casually about playing a game of "choose one out of two," as casually as if she were remarking on the pleasant weather.

Su Yi looked at her and spoke again, her tone tinged with regret, "Your taste isn't very good. There are guards in the palace who are more handsome than him. Why didn't you choose a better-looking one?"

She was criticizing her poor taste, implying she should have chosen a more attractive guard.

Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that this guard was actually somewhat attractive.

But wasn't it because he had been tortured—not just beaten in the face, but left bruised and swollen all over? And wasn't it because he had been imprisoned, his disheveled appearance making him look even worse?

When the people present heard what the Rong Noble Consort had said, they couldn't help but collectively gasp in shock, wishing they could unhear it.

The Rong Noble Consort's words suggested she believed the Junior Concubine had poor taste, and that the guard wasn't handsome enough?!

If not for the rules preventing them from looking directly at the Emperor, they would have eagerly glanced at his expression, wondering about his head, his head...

They didn't dare think more—it was just too shocking!

The Imperial Noble Consort was so shocked she couldn't help but sneak a glance at the Emperor, eager to see his reaction.

Kangxi let out a soft chuckle, as though amused by the Rong Noble Consort's words.

But could that really be the case?!

If emotions could be displayed, although Kangxi chuckled softly at this moment, there should be thick clouds of dark energy emanating from behind him.

"The Imperial Noble Consort has quite the sense of humor," Kangxi said in an extremely light tone, but it sounded somewhat chilling.

"After all, I have always been full of ideas," Su Yi replied gently, taking a moment to reply.

As if she completely missed the underlying tension in Kangxi's words.

Kangxi, who had just mentioned that the Imperial Noble Consort always had ideas, now had a slightly darkened expression: "..." This little rascal is truly bold!

Using his own words to provoke him again!

The trusted aides present, who were deliberately arranged, were always tight-lipped and would not spread any rumors, which is why they could still be here at such a critical moment; otherwise, they wouldn't be fit for this job.

But now they were unsure if their heads could remain intact, feeling a chill down their spines, cold to the core, not even daring to breathe loudly.

It was clear to everyone that the Emperor and the Rong Noble Consort were at odds.

Making everyone present tense with nervousness.

At this moment, Liang Jiugong remained expressionless, appearing as steady as a rock, daring to look directly at the Emperor, but at least they could look at Liang Jiugong.

Upon seeing, Liang Jiugong, as the most capable chief steward by the Emperor's side, was indeed much steadier than them, not even a flicker of emotion, showing his capability.

But Liang Jiugong, who appeared as steady as a rock, was truly suffering. The conflict between His Majesty and the Imperial Noble Consort had erupted so suddenly.

Every time at such moments, the most tormented were not His Majesty and the Imperial Noble Consort, but us servants!

Heart-pounding and nerve-wracking would be an understatement!

Previously, during the worst times, he was the only one fighting alone. Now, it's not just Liang Jiugong anymore. In the midst of his familiar pain, Liang Jiugong felt a strange, almost perverse sense of relief, glad that he was no longer the only one struggling to hold on.

The Junior Consort wanted to say something, but her mouth was gagged with a cloth strip, only able to emit muffled whimpers. Su Yi looked at the person holding her and signaled to remove the cloth strip from her mouth.

The person holding the Junior Consort complied immediately, not daring to slack off.

After Rong Noble Consort had spoken those words, she remained standing there unharmed, and no one dared to hesitate in their actions.

"Cough! Cough!" The Junior Consort couldn't help but cough laboriously a few times, then said mournfully, "What Your Highness said... cough... You and I..." As she spoke, she seemed to find it somewhat laughable and laughed out loud, appearing as if she had lost her mind.

The person restraining the Junior Consort, seeing her not speaking properly to Rong Noble Consort and behaving so inappropriately, was about to scold her.

But then they saw Rong Noble Consort squat down to meet her gaze, her expression inexplicably gentle, as if it had softened slightly. She reached out to tidy the Junior Consort's disheveled bangs, "Am I different from you?" She voiced the words the Junior Consort had left unspoken.