Chapter 204

Chapter 204

Although the matter was temporarily settled, the Imperial Noble Consort did not stay any longer.

She had to hurry back to calm herself. So much had happened today. If it weren’t for the Emperor’s foresight, a major incident would have almost occurred during the investiture ceremony.

It must be connected to the Crown Prince's situation.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many plots during Rong Noble Consort's investiture ceremony.

After all, these incidents not only targeted Rong Noble Consort but also carried deeper implications. Even if Rong Noble Consort had taken precautions and avoided harm, there were still backup plans waiting, and those backup plans were truly ruthless.

If both schemes had succeeded, the investiture ceremony would have been completely ruined, not only achieving the goal but also tarnishing the ceremony's reputation in the future, which would have been a severe blow.

Fortunately, despite all the incidents today, everything went relatively smoothly.

Earlier, when the Grand Empress Dowager was present, although the atmosphere was tense, it was still somewhat normal in the Imperial Noble Consort's view. Given the scandal, the heavy atmosphere was expected.

However, as soon as the Grand Empress Dowager left, things became even stranger. It seemed like there was something off between the Emperor and Rong Noble Consort.

But she couldn’t quite figure it out.

Initially, Rong Noble Consort was just observing from the side, showing no sign of getting involved. At first, the Imperial Noble Consort thought the Emperor had kept Rong Noble Consort there to let her hear the details.

Who could have anticipated the sudden turn of events later?

The Imperial Noble Consort could still smell the blood in the air. Although few in the palace had truly clean hands, most of the dirty work was done by others. It was rare to witness such scenes directly, and it was still quite bloody.

Moreover, she wondered if the Emperor would dwell on it.

After all, the palace had always maintained a facade of harmony in front of the Emperor, presenting an image of gentleness, grace, and poise. No one wanted to be linked with cruelty or ruthlessness in the Emperor's presence.

But Rong Noble Consort was an exception. When something happened, she dared to take direct action.

While others might at most talk about it, she took direct action.

Watching from the sidelines, the Imperial Noble Consort was terrified!

When the Junior Concubine died, her eyes remained open, as if she died with unfulfilled grievances.

Though she deserved it—the Junior Concubine was doomed from the beginning. As a concubine, she had an affair with a guard, which was a capital offense! It would even bring trouble to her family. She was completely foolish.

However, it was somewhat tragic that the Junior Concubine died by her lover's hand.

To think she would abandon her position as a concubine for such a man, engage in an affair with a guard, and even become pregnant.

In the end, even at the brink of death, she still hoped her lover would survive.

It would have been better to use the dagger to end her own life rather than be killed by her lover.

She didn't realize that even if she sacrificed her life to save his, what kind of future would he have?

The guard celebrated too early. While he might escape death, he wouldn't escape punishment!

How could he think that Rong Noble Consort would be lenient and let him off the hook?

"Living is worse than death" is not a comforting phrase.

Perhaps it would have been better to just die outright!

With this thought, the Imperial Noble Consort was about to mock their naivety when something suddenly flashed through her mind. Wait...

To be precise, despite the tragic death of that low-ranking concubine,

she wasn't overly troublesome.

The guard was ruthless, striking directly at vital points; though she suffered, it didn't last long before she breathed her last.

Before dying, she managed to see the guard's true face clearly, thus dying with some clarity.

Moreover, in the imperial household, the final dignity granted to concubines is the choice between a dagger, a length of white silk, or poison.

At least they could leave behind an intact body, not dying too gruesomely.

It was far better than enduring endless torture in prison before dying.

But the low-ranking concubine had violated palace rules, nearly disgracing the royal family. Even if she were secretly executed to prevent the matter from escalating, she would still meet a bad end.

She wouldn't have been allowed to choose those relatively dignified methods of death. Suicide by dagger was one way, but being dismembered alive was another.

An experienced executioner could ensure the victim only expired with the final cut, making the suffering unbearable and indescribable.

As she had just thought, if she had ended her life with the dagger then, it would have been a clean break.

Or, as Noble Consort Rong suggested, using the dagger to kill her lover might not have spared her the death penalty, but it could have led to a somewhat better outcome, considering her final moments of clarity and remorse.

But the low-ranking concubine did not do so.

Though she ultimately died at her lover's hands, she didn't suffer for long before passing away.

And Consort Rong almost openly displayed her disdain for the guard.

Was this choice between two options merely a spur-of-the-moment whim, or a roundabout way of giving that low-ranking concubine a glimmer of hope?

If she could capture him, it would be a path to life; if not, even death would mean an end without too much suffering.

Compared to the guard's fate, it would certainly be a better outcome.

After all, there were torture methods that could cause extreme pain while still keeping one alive.

At the time, I was only shocked by Consort Rong's unconventional actions, thinking that this woman remained as ruthless as ever, with a quick change of heart.

While smiling and speaking gently, she didn't hesitate to stab others in the back, making people involuntarily draw a cold breath.

The Imperial Consort hadn't thought about this layer at the time, but now, after calming down, she realized that the other party had perhaps staged this scene of betrayal for show.

Although Consort Rong wasn't a truly kind person, it had to be admitted that as long as one didn't provoke her, she was quite easy to get along with.

Even towards palace maids who were beautiful and posed a potential threat, she was rather nice.

The Imperial Consort, having visited Yonghe Palace, naturally noticed that the maids and eunuchs there were all exceptionally good-looking, with none being unattractive.

It was quite difficult to find someone with an average appearance.

Not to mention other palaces, even in her own, those with outstanding looks wouldn't be placed close by unless they had been thoroughly vetted, and everyone knew what this prevention was for.

The Imperial Consort had mentioned this to Consort Rong before, but the latter hadn't taken it seriously, showing little interest in taking any action.

Now, encountering a maid who betrayed her master for love was indeed unfortunate.

According to her, it was because of the usual lax discipline that the servants and maids became loose and dared to have disloyal thoughts.

This time, a maid who turned against her mistress appeared, which should serve as a lesson!

Su Yi, having witnessed the drama of the Junior Concubine and her lover turning against each other, was also in a foul mood.

She claimed exhaustion and followed the Imperial Noble Consort back, leaving Kangxi to handle the aftermath. Whatever the decision, Su Yi was indifferent to further involvement.

Tonight's events brought back memories of the past, leaving Su Yi unwilling to engage with Kangxi, so she departed without a word.

Kangxi was left alone, his expression changing repeatedly, clearly displeased.

The Rong Noble Consort left directly, but left behind a volatile emperor, making Liang Jiugong feel extremely weary, feeling more and more aged.

Kangxi let out a heavy snort, his expression icy.

Liang Jiugong couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. What should he say?

His mouth went dry, and he stammered, "Your Majesty, perhaps the Imperial Noble Consort was fatigued and unwell, prompting her early departure." Definitely not showing you disrespect.

Yet, Kangxi's expression remained unchanged.

With a dark expression, he muttered, "Is she truly upset with me over someone else?"

For that lowly Junior Concubine?!

As Kangxi spoke, his expression darkened, culminating in a heavy sigh.

This left Liang Jiugong utterly bewildered, not knowing how to respond.

His thoughts raced, struggling to keep pace with the emperor's. What was happening?

The Imperial Noble Consort had indeed left in a foul mood, departing before the emperor, but Liang Jiugong couldn't fathom the reason for her anger.

At this point, Liang Jiugong could only muster a response: "Your Majesty, perhaps there's been a misunderstanding."

Kangxi gave him a cold glance without speaking, leaving Liang Jiugong at a loss for words, a heavy burden in his chest.

Fearful of misspeaking, Liang Jiugong remained silent.

Kangxi waited for a while but heard nothing more from Liang Jiugong. This incompetent servant clearly lacked tact.

"What misunderstanding could there be?" Kangxi finally spoke coldly.

Liang Jiugong should understand now. Liang Jiugong, who didn't even have a companion: Yes, he also wanted to say what misunderstanding could there be? It would be better to discuss any misunderstandings with the Imperial Noble Consort. Why was the emperor always making things difficult for him!