Chapter 205

Chapter 205

But can I really say this?!

As the saying goes, a woman's heart is as deep as the ocean, but Liang Jiugong felt that His Majesty's heart was just as unpredictable and utterly unfathomable.

For example, now, Liang Jiugong was caught between agreeing and making amends, truly testing his already fragile little heart under His Majesty's extremely oppressive gaze.

This felt like a high-stakes quiz, with his life hanging in the balance.

Finally, at the critical point, Liang Jiugong managed to come up with a response,

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This lowly servant dares not speculate on Her Highness's thoughts, fearing to misinterpret. If there's any misunderstanding, it's best to clear it up with Her Highness right away, to avoid further misunderstandings, which would not be good."

How could he ever hope to understand Her Highness's thoughts? His Majesty might as well ask directly.

After all, Her Highness would speak her mind.

His Majesty himself had said that Her Highness speaks very straightforwardly, without any roundabout ways, just a bit too blunt, not very tactful, and a tad infuriating, that's all.

Liang Jiugong dared not guess anymore, lest he give bad advice and His Majesty think of something else, and then it would still be his fault.

"What a pain," Kangxi slapped the armrest beside him impatiently, his expression still sour.

Liang Jiugong's legs shook, nearly buckling under him, and he almost prepared to kneel down, but then he saw His Majesty stand up and walk away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Liang Jiugong: ???

Now that his knees were spared for the moment, Liang Jiugong dared not ask where His Majesty was going and quickly followed behind.

Kangxi strolled with his hands clasped behind his back, appearing unhurried, but in reality, his pace was not slow at all, much faster than usual, as Liang Jiugong, following behind, could deeply feel.

Usually, following behind His Majesty required small steps, keeping a certain distance, and it was a leisurely stroll.

But now, he had to quicken his pace, almost breaking into a jog, which was quite strenuous for Liang Jiugong.

Just now, His Majesty had called it a hassle, and then he seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere, as if there was some connection between the two.

After Kangxi boarded the imperial palanquin, Liang Jiugong was on the verge of asking if they were heading back to the Qianqing Palace when he received a slightly disdainful look from Kangxi.

"Didn't you, this lowly servant, suggest that any misunderstandings be cleared up immediately?" Kangxi said coldly.

Liang Jiugong: "..." Understood.

Liang Jiugong gave an awkward smile and tapped his forehead, "Yes, yes, my memory fails me. We must hurry to catch up with Her Highness's entourage."

If he had known it was like this, he would have understood earlier!

A chance!

Her Highness had left in such a hurry that His Majesty hadn't even had a chance to make amends.

Indeed, it was said that His Majesty had only just reconciled with Her Highness during the investiture ceremony, and missing this chance would be a shame, so they really had to catch up.

This is truly a case of practice making perfect; setting up these steps more often will make it easier next time. As His Majesty's chief eunuch, it's his duty to share the Emperor's burdens!

He can't always leave it to His Majesty to make the first move, otherwise, what use is he as a servant? No wonder His Majesty looked at him with dissatisfaction earlier.

Liang Jiugong finally understood what to do next time, though, honestly, it'd be best if there wasn't a next time.

He didn’t react quickly enough today.

Even though they sped up the imperial sedan to catch up, it was still odd.

The Imperial Noble Consort’s entourage, which had left earlier, was caught up with shortly after and had come to a halt.

It wasn’t clear if something had gone wrong.

Liang Jiugong, feeling the weight of his duty, said, "Your Majesty, this servant will go ahead and check."

He needed to go ahead, assess the situation, and smooth things over for His Majesty to save face. It was a servant’s duty to ease His Majesty’s concerns.

Truthfully, he hadn’t done well earlier and was eager to redeem himself.

Liang Jiugong approached and saw the Imperial Noble Consort sitting calmly, showing no signs of trouble.

"Imperial Noble Consort, has your entourage encountered any issues?" Liang Jiugong asked cautiously as he approached.

"No," Su Yi replied, glancing at the sedan behind him. The open one was quite different from the covered one.

Her blunt reply caught him off guard, but he kept his composure—it was just a minor situation.

Noting her expression, he smiled and asked, "Why has Your Highness stopped here?"

"The night is chilly, and the wind is picking up. It’s not wise to linger here."

Liang Jiugong, talking about the cool night breeze despite the mild wind, was quite persuasive.

It was late summer, and the breeze was pleasantly cool—neither too hot nor too cold.

But Liang Jiugong had no choice—he had to press on, feeling His Majesty’s sharp gaze on his back.

Liang Jiugong was ready to argue his case, but the Imperial Noble Consort simply said, "Alright."

With that, she took Qinxin’s hand, stood up, and walked toward the sedan.

Her straightforwardness caught Liang Jiugong off guard—he’d expected a longer conversation.

After all, even His Majesty struggled when the Imperial Noble Consort was in a foul mood.

Just moments ago, she’d left in a bad mood. What had happened in that short time to lift her spirits?

He wondered, but Liang Jiugong didn’t dare say more. If she overheard something and changed her mind, he’d be the one to blame.

Kangxi, pretending not to watch but keeping an eye on things, saw the little rascal approach after a brief exchange with Liang Jiugong. He quickly straightened up, assuming a dignified posture.

Kangxi wondered, "Coming over so quickly—could this be some ploy?"

He’d seen Liang Jiugong say just a few words—how had the little rascal been convinced so easily?

Kangxi had planned to monitor the situation. If Liang Jiugong failed, he’d have to intervene.

At this stage, there was no need to back down.

Kangxi narrowed his eyes. "..." Even this lowly servant Liang Jiugong had more influence than him?!

This little rascal's temper was not usually this good!

Liang Jiugong, feeling quite proud of himself for successfully setting the stage, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

As a result, Kangxi, who should have relaxed his expression, was instead holding his breath, his mood stubbornly refusing to improve.

He sat there with a stony expression, not saying a word.

Su Yi wondered if she was imagining it; the closer she got, the more his expression darkened.

With her keen eyesight, Su Yi could clearly see Kangxi's expression even from a distance.

Just moments ago, he was angry, like a dog caught sneaking glances, but now, as she approached, why did he seem even more upset?

If he didn't want to see her, he wouldn't have approached her.

"Give me a hand?" Su Yi tentatively extended her hand before stepping up, gauging the extent of Kangxi's irritation.

Kangxi, sitting there with a cold face, averted his gaze, exuding an air of aloofness and unapproachability.

A clear sign of his coldness, difficulty, and unapproachable demeanor.

Su Yi thought, 'Alright then.'

As long as she wasn't embarrassed, the embarrassment would fall on someone else.

Just as Su Yi was about to withdraw her hand, a large hand took hold of hers, gently pulling her to sit beside Kangxi, then releasing her hand.

The gesture seemed almost casual, his gaze still averted, maintaining an air of noble pride.

Kangxi waited for this mischievous one to speak first.

Why had she stopped on the road for no apparent reason? Yet her entourage followed closely, indicating no issue with her procession.

Su Yi gently tugged at his sleeve with her delicate hand, knowing to say something nice to ease the atmosphere, speaking in a soft and gentle tone,

"I was in a hurry earlier, and halfway through, I remembered there was something I hadn't said to Your Majesty. I was thinking whether to turn back, and unexpectedly, I ran into Your Majesty. It seems there's some connection between us."

Her tone was gentle, her eyes sparkling, making her appear soft, beautiful, radiant, and utterly charming.

Kangxi felt something was off; if he hadn't caught up, then there would be no connection?

What kind of logic is that?

If he had known that the Consort was planning to turn back, he would have waited longer. Now, having lost his composure, he found himself at a disadvantage.

Kangxi felt a pang of regret for missing the Consort's chance to turn back, but how could he show it?

"Is that so?" Kangxi's tone was light, though the coldness around him had softened.

He resolved to keep his composure next time.

"Yes, it is," she replied softly.

Halfway through, she remembered something she had overlooked. The death of the Junior Concubine brought back old troubles, leaving Su Yi in a somber mood, wanting to retreat and be alone.

But halfway through, she remembered she had forgotten to comfort someone!

Su Yi ordered to stop first, hesitating between turning back or leaving it for another day.

Thinking that since she had already left, it would be better to discuss it another day. Going back would mean having to make the trip again, which was troublesome.

As it turned out, Kangxi caught up.

Just as well, no need to hesitate anymore. It wasn't just talk earlier; there really was some unspoken agreement between them.

Su Yi's smile became more genuine as she thought this, her eyes filled with affection, looking very much in agreement.

Kangxi, who had overheard the thoughts of his dear concubine: "..." Forget it, better not hold back too much.

Otherwise, this little rascal would just say there was no unspoken agreement at all.

Kangxi's expression was stern, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes dark and heavy. It was indeed because of that Junior Concubine!

He had intended to use the incident of concubines having illicit affairs with guards to make the concubine understand that those so-called guards were unreliable.

Whether it was palace maids, eunuchs, or guards, when the scandal broke, they would all meet a bad end, with no good outcome. He wanted this little rascal to see clearly and not follow those foolish notions, but to stay peacefully in the palace.

The storybook approach didn't work, and just as this incident occurred, Kangxi, in his fury, immediately thought of utilizing the situation to the fullest.

Asking the concubine how to handle it was just to see her stance.

Unexpectedly, this little rascal directly presented a binary choice, and only targeted the guard with a wandering eye!

Kangxi had been watching silently, and when he understood the concubine's intention, he appeared calm and composed, but in reality, a storm was brewing in his eyes.

"The concubine's good intentions have come to naught, her mood is foul, where would she still care about me." Her heart has wandered who knows where.

Kangxi's mood dipped again, his brows furrowed with restrained displeasure, his lips pressed into a thin line after speaking, yet revealing a hint of grievance.

In contrast, his action was to wrap the small hand tugging at his sleeve in his own.

Kangxi also remembered that this rascal had said there was something to discuss later, but as soon as that Junior Concubine breathed her last, this little rascal's mood soured, and she turned and left, completely forgetting that she had just said she would talk to him.

Only halfway did she remember him.

It was better not to bring it up, as mentioning it only fueled Kangxi's anger, along with an unstoppable bitterness.

That Junior Concubine sought her own death, daring to assassinate the concubine, even if she had survived by chance, Kangxi would not have spared her.

An ungrateful wretch.

Kangxi, who had intended to use the situation as a scapegoat, not only failed to achieve the desired effect but instead provoked his own anger.

"What good intentions have come to naught?" Su Yi was stunned upon hearing this, not reacting immediately.

Were they talking about the same thing?

Seeing that Su Yi hadn't reacted, Kangxi thought since he had already spoken, he didn't want to let the matter pass. It was like a bone stuck in his throat, and he pretended to casually say,

"Didn't the concubine feel pity for that Junior Concubine, wanting to spare her life, and now that she's gone, the concubine's good intentions have been betrayed, isn't the concubine upset about it?"

There was a lingering resentment in his tone.

Su Yi couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this. So that's why he suddenly brought up the Junior Concubine.

Thinking that Kangxi wasn't the type to keep the Junior Concubine in his heart, although she had given him a green hat, as the Emperor, he had a strong heart. There was no sadness, just a sense of damaging the royal dignity, and after dealing with it, he could probably put it behind him.

Strictly speaking, that guard had half given him a green hat, but Kangxi didn't seem to dwell on it.

Now it became clear, and Su Yi couldn't help laughing. She tilted her head to look at Kangxi, her smile bright and showing no fear of his cold expression—she looked rather adorable.

Being looked at this way, Kangxi felt a bit embarrassed, heat rushing to his face, which he tried hard to suppress as he maintained a stern expression and said seriously, "Consort Su, when I speak to you, do not be so casual."

Su Yi also realized she had gone too far and stopped laughing, responding politely without arguing, "Alright."

Though Su Yi obediently stopped laughing, Kangxi still felt uneasy.

"It's not her that's making me upset," Su Yi explained.

Kangxi wasn't fully convinced.

"What gave you the illusion that I would feel pity just because someone is pitiful?" Su Yi said with a hint of sarcasm. Was she really such a kind-hearted person?

Was it too much to think highly of her benevolent qualities?

Or was it that she got too deep into the act tonight, with the Grand Empress Dowager and Kangxi singing praises in unison, continuously complimenting her as a truly kind-hearted person, and started to believe it herself?

Kangxi fell into deep thought: "..." That was true.

He hadn't seen this little troublemaker pay much attention to the disloyal maid either.

Kangxi seemed to be picking at words, his tone firm, "Then why wasn't it a choice of three?" Consort Su had directly excluded that maid.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Su Yi's face disappeared, replaced by a look of shock and disbelief, "You actually wanted them to come and stab me together?"

Was he worried one wouldn't be enough to stab her, so he added another just in case?!