Chapter 254

Chapter 254

Consort Ping really felt like spitting blood. If it hadn’t been for the earlier example of making an example of someone, who knew how many would still be acting up in front of her.

Dealing with each one individually would be beneath her station—completely unfitting of her status.

And then there were the daily obligatory obeisances. Consort Ping was truly exasperated by this ridiculous rule. At least she was among those who could sit inside instead of standing outside under the sun.

But the Grand Empress Dowager, being older, didn’t rise as early. While she could afford to sleep in, the concubines couldn’t be late—they even had to arrive extra early.

When they arrived and the Grand Empress Dowager was still delayed, they’d all have to wait. Repeating this every day, coupled with the backhanded remarks exchanged among them, was utterly exhausting—no bloodshed, but the smiles hid daggers.

If Rong Noble Consort were to show up, she’d probably become the lightning rod for everyone’s resentment. Consort Ping could at least chime in a few words, but she had never once seen Rong Noble Consort present during these times.

She was never there when you needed her.

It was almost as if it had become an accepted norm that Rong Noble Consort’s absence was perfectly normal.

Consort Ping had even inquired about it. Apparently, Rong Noble Consort rarely attended the greetings. It was said that due to her frail health, she usually rose late. If she came early in the morning, she’d fall ill afterward. The Grand Empress Dowager, out of consideration for Rong Noble Consort’s poor health, had exempted her from the greetings.

At first, the concubines hadn’t held back in making snide remarks about Rong Noble Consort for actually skipping the greetings just because of this. After all, even if the Grand Empress Dowager offered an indulgence, how could Rong Noble Consort take such liberties?

Before this, even when Consort Xian and others were exempted due to mobility issues, they still insisted on coming to pay their respects.

Yet Rong Noble Consort boldly skipped without hesitation.

Consort Ping was genuinely surprised by this. In these times, filial piety was sacrosanct, especially since the Grand Empress Dowager was none other than Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang—a force to be reckoned with. When the matriarch extended an indulgence, how could one not reciprocate?

Even Kangxi himself made it a point to visit and pay his respects daily.

Logically, such behavior should have been seen as disrespectful toward the Grand Empress Dowager. Yet neither she nor Kangxi seemed to react at all?!

This was the power of carefully managed narratives. After all, every time Su Yi came, either she’d fall ill afterward, or the Grand Empress Dowager would feel unwell.

It was as if she carried a jinxed presence wherever she went. If she wasn’t feeling well, she wouldn’t let others feel at ease either.

If anyone tried to provoke her, even dozens of sturdy maidservants couldn’t pin her down—she nearly caused an uproar, and in the end, it wasn’t Su Yi who suffered.

She also knew exactly where to hit where it hurts. When the Grand Empress Dowager tested her limits, Su Yi quickly realized that retaliating directly against her wasn’t effective, so she switched targets.

With all this, how could anyone still expect a reaction when Su Yi was exempted from greetings?

It was better to just let her skip them—at least that way, things remained peaceful. Officially, it was passed off as kindness.

At first, the concubines would deliberately bring up Rong Noble Consort’s absence, hoping to gauge the Grand Empress Dowager’s reaction or to insinuate that Rong Noble Consort lacked filial piety and respect.

Some even boasted that even if they were ill, as long as they could get out of bed, they’d hobble over to pay respects—implying that a little discomfort was no excuse.

But they were quickly shut down: coming while sick would only pass on the malaise, and that wouldn’t be good for the Grand Empress Dowager.

Over time, they stopped pressing the issue—it was no use.

But Consort Ping still couldn’t fathom it. Everyone else had to come—why was Rong Noble Consort the only one allowed to be special?

Today, Consort Ping planned to use her homemade milk tea to ingratiate herself with the Grand Empress Dowager. First, the latter was accustomed to drinking milk tea. Second, since she had already mentioned it to Kangxi, she had to follow through—otherwise, it’d just be hollow promises.

Consort Ping still wanted to add another roundabout way to curry favor with the Grand Empress Dowager. Pleasing the Grand Empress Dowager was never a bad idea—it could earn her filial brownie points. Since she had to pay respects anyway, she might as well put in more effort.

So she did it herself. If she was going to do it, she would do it properly.

But before Consort Ping could smoothly transition and have her maid present the offering to the Grand Empress Dowager, someone brazenly swooped in.

It was Xi Noble Consort, also of the Hesheli clan, though not from Consort Ping’s branch—Xi Noble Consort was the daughter of Lai Shan.

The ambush was impeccably timed, executed right in front of Consort Ping.

Xi Noble Consort beat her to the punch, presenting her own offering first, claiming she had a novelty for the Grand Empress Dowager to try—something evocative of Her Majesty’s homeland.

Everyone knew the Grand Empress Dowager’s homeland was in Khorchin. Anything related to her origins naturally catered to her preferences.

Sure enough, upon hearing Xi Noble Consort’s words, the Grand Empress Dowager perked up.

Xi Noble Consort expressed her devotion while making a show of revealing a small patch of reddened skin on her hand, as if she had suffered greatly for this.

Those present could all see through Xi Noble Consort’s theatrics—they were all veteran foxes here. Who did she think she was fooling?

Still, some who understood the situation were curious to see how Consort Ping would react.

Xi Noble Consort had hijacked Consort Ping’s moment, stealing her chance to impress the Grand Empress Dowager.

Though Xi Noble Consort later mentioned that it was Consort Ping who had originally come up with the idea, and that the imperial kitchen had also learned it, she claimed she found it delightful and thus made it herself to offer the Grand Empress Dowager a taste.

This dismissively brushed over Consort Ping’s role in the matter.

Though Xi Noble Consort acknowledged that Consort Ping had thought of it first, the originator hadn’t immediately presented it to the Grand Empress Dowager.

Instead, Xi Noble Consort had seized the opportunity, realizing the Grand Empress Dowager might enjoy it and sending it over—unlike Consort Ping, who hadn’t thought of the Grand Empress Dowager right away, highlighting her oversight.

In contrast, Xi Noble Consort’s mention of Consort Ping only made the latter look worse!

Consort Ping bit back her fury. The more furious she was, the more she had to remain composed. Playing innocent, she said, "What a coincidence, Sister Xi Noble Consort! It seems we had the same thought today."

After drawing some attention, she had her maid bring out the milk tea she had personally prepared.

Turning to the Grand Empress Dowager with a smile, she continued, "In truth, I had intended to present this to Your Majesty yesterday, but as it was my first time making it myself, I lacked experience.

Moreover, I worried about personal tastes, so when I visited His Majesty yesterday, I brought it along. After tasting it, His Majesty said it was quite good and mentioned Your Majesty. Knowing that His Majesty understands Your Majesty’s preferences best, I felt confident bringing it today. Who would have thought Sister Xi Noble Consort and I would have the same idea?"

Consort Ping’s words implied that she had only perfected the recipe yesterday. The reason she hadn’t presented it immediately was not because she hadn’t thought of the Grand Empress Dowager, but because she feared it might not suit Her Majesty’s taste—otherwise, it would have been unnecessary rather than thoughtful.

She also invoked Kangxi’s endorsement, tweaking it slightly but not exaggerating. If the Emperor had praised it, it must align with the Grand Empress Dowager’s preferences—hence why she brought it now.

This was not something Xi Noble Consort could compare to, having merely mindlessly copied without forethought.

With this explanation, Xi Noble Consort’s attempt to show devotion fell flat.

Moreover, everyone could see Xi Noble Consort had rushed to upstage Consort Ping.

But though Xi Noble Consort had made the first move, she didn’t gain the upper hand.

Both Consort Ping and Xi Noble Consort’s offerings were screened for poison by palace attendants, then sampled by the Grand Empress Dowager’s maids before being presented to Her Majesty.

Yet in the end, the Grand Empress Dowager’s maid chose only Consort Ping’s portion to serve, snubbing Xi Noble Consort’s.

Witnessing this, Xi Noble Consort seethed. Why had the maid only selected Consort Ping’s offering?

It was clearly made by the chefs from the imperial kitchen. Though hastily prepared, the master chefs' skills were excellent—far better than Consort Ping’s own attempts.

The Grand Empress Dowager took a small sip and after a while remarked slowly, "Indeed, it has a unique flavor." Her expression carried a hint of nostalgia, likely because it somewhat resembled the taste of her homeland, reminding her of her roots.

However, after just a couple of sips, her attendant spoke up to remind her, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician advised that for your health, you must not consume overly sweet things."

She could only take a few small sips—any more would be harmful to her well-being.

At this moment, Consort Ping chimed in, "This concubine also considered that Your Majesty should not consume overly sweet things. The milk tea presented to you has a milder sweetness compared to the one offered to His Majesty for tasting."

After all, the elderly should not indulge in overly sweet foods, as it could harm their health. Consort Ping had no intention of making it too sweet, lest it be outright rejected due to dietary restrictions—a wasted effort.

With these words, everyone present understood why the matron had not presented Xi Noble Consort's offering to the Grand Empress Dowager.

It must have been because Xi Noble Consort's version was too sweet.

Consort Ping, however, had taken this into consideration, allowing her to counter Xi Noble Consort’s earlier sneak attack with a clever countermove.

Xi Noble Consort had sought to prove herself more thoughtful than Consort Ping, yet she hadn't even considered the Grand Empress Dowager's dietary restrictions.

The difference between them was clear at once.

"I've barely had a taste, and you're already reminding me of this," the Grand Empress Dowager said with a playful pout, handing her small bowl to the matron to be taken away.

"Consort Ping and Xi Noble Consort, your thoughtfulness warms my heart," the Grand Empress Dowager remarked, pretending not to notice the rivalry between the two.

This was only natural—after all, the Grand Empress Dowager no longer concerned herself with the infighting among the concubines. As long as things didn’t escalate into outright ugliness, she turned a blind eye.

The concubines could compete as they pleased—they had to rely on their own wits.

Later, both Consort Ping and Xi Noble Consort were rewarded as a gesture of appreciation. On the surface, the rewards seemed equal, but in truth, Consort Ping's was much better than Xi Noble Consort’s.

Xi Noble Consort was livid when she found out. She had hoped to gain favor with the Grand Empress Dowager by acting first, yet she still lost to Consort Ping.

Consort Ping's maid mentioned how Xi Noble Consort's reward paled in comparison to their mistress's, then flattered, "It’s all because Your Highness thought ahead. Otherwise, that Xi Noble Consort might have succeeded. The fact that she received any reward at all was only because of Your Highness's influence."

Consort Ping found the maid's flattery quite soothing—wasn't it the truth?

Had she not been more meticulous, Xi Noble Consort would have used her as a stepping stone. The very thing she had only just concocted yesterday, and Xi Noble Consort had caught wind of it and swooped in to steal the credit. Not even a hound could sniff it out that fast—how disgraceful!

But it was precisely because of Xi Noble Consort that the contrast became so stark. Consort Ping was quite satisfied with the outcome and saw the Grand Empress Dowager as a possible path to greater favor. During subsequent visits, she made every effort to charm the Grand Empress Dowager.

She alternated between telling jokes and stories, using humor and engaging narratives to earn favor. If the Grand Empress Dowager was in good spirits, she listened with keen interest, much like an ordinary elderly woman.

Though it was exhausting—her cheeks hurt from all the smiling by the time she returned—the results seemed well worth the effort.

——

Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for the Mulan hunting expedition. Among the accompanying concubines, all four imperial consorts attended, except for Consort De, who was the Fourth Prince's birth mother.

Though Consort De had given birth to the Fourth Prince, he was raised under the Empress Dowager’s care and rarely saw his birth mother.

Consort De kept such a low profile that she was practically invisible. Whether she accompanied the expedition or not, the Fourth Prince would be well taken care of—his birth mother wasn’t needed.

Noble Lady Qing was also among the attendees. To avoid drawing too much attention to her, a few lower-ranking concubines were included in the roster, ensuring she wasn’t the only newcomer.

Though Consort Ping was also among the accompanying concubines, she didn’t get carried away, thinking that currying Kangxi’s favor outside the palace would be any easier than within.

The Mulan hunting expedition was no casual affair—it was a solemn, large-scale military inspection and drill.

Moreover, after the hunting expedition, Emperor Kangxi would receive the Mongol princes and nobles, hosting banquets and bestowing rewards to strengthen the Manchu-Mongol relations.

Emperor Kangxi would be extremely busy then, and the chances of seeing him might not even be more frequent than in the palace.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Especially with so many rivals—Consort Hui and Consort Xian were relatively unbothered, acting as if having sons was all they needed.

Their focus had largely shifted to the performance of the eldest and third princes during the hunting expedition, as it was a crucial moment to assess the princes' archery and horsemanship. Naturally, Consort Hui and Consort Xian cared more about this aspect.

But Consort Yi was different. She constantly sought to compete with her, as if it gave her some twisted satisfaction.

Claiming to be straightforward and blunt, she was just like modern-day keyboard warriors—her words were unpleasant and grating, yet she’d follow up with, "I just say what I think—surely you won’t take offense, sister?"

She couldn’t be put in her place like lower-ranked concubines, and she always found ways to provoke.

This made it difficult for Consort Ping to focus solely on dealing with Rong Noble Consort, as Consort Yi kept nipping at her heels, making Consort Ping wish she could find a way to shut her down.

Consort Yi, the so-called head of the Four Imperial Consorts? What a joke!

Why couldn’t Consort Yi get her priorities straight? Shouldn’t they join forces to bring down Rong Noble Consort first?

Being constantly undermined, Consort Ping was utterly exasperated.

Just as she was pondering a solution, her usually dormant system suddenly chimed in.

It allowed her to check Consort Yi’s current status, giving her ammo to stop her from fixating on her.

Had she not seen how cunning Rong Noble Consort could be? Even the Imperial Noble Consort, who outranked her, had been roped into her schemes. As long as they played nice, they could suppress concubines beneath them, including the Four Imperial Consorts.

Consort Ping knew that her leapfrogging into their ranks had left them seething. While Consort Hui and Consort Xian didn’t openly target her, Consort Yi made their feud everyone’s business.

As for Noble Lady Qing—if Rong Noble Consort weren’t the most troublesome opponent, Consort Ping might have paid more attention to her. But now, Noble Lady Qing wasn’t even on her radar.

It was said that having an elder sister of high status to look after her ensured she lived like royalty compared to the rest.

But what kind of sisterhood was left? Once inside the palace, what sisterly bonds remained? With such a high-ranking sister breathing down her neck, Noble Lady Qing’s comfort depended entirely on her sister’s whims.

As long as the Imperial Noble Consort lived, Noble Lady Qing would forever remain in her shadow.

Even if this trip was said to be the Imperial Noble Consort’s careful arrangement for Noble Lady Qing—without her sister’s status, how could Noble Lady Qing have secured such a fiercely contested spot?

Besides, having the qualification to accompany the emperor wasn’t worth bragging about.

So Consort Ping couldn’t be bothered with Noble Lady Qing.

Meanwhile, Noble Lady Qing, whom Consort Ping disregarded, was green from carriage sickness due to the bumpy ride, leaving her exhausted.

She wasn’t alone—another junior concubine accompanied her, who seemed to fare better. Noticing Noble Lady Qing’s discomfort, she threw her a few sympathetic words.

But Noble Lady Qing still struggled to adjust. Her maid, however, was a nervous wreck. During a rest stop, she whispered anxiously to Noble Lady Qing,

"My lady, perhaps this servant should go ask Noble Consort if she has anything to ease motion sickness. How will you hold up?"

When Noble Lady Qing first showed signs of discomfort, the maid had immediately searched their prepared supplies but found nothing useful, leaving her to tough it out.

With still a long way to go before reaching the hunting grounds, the maid was beside herself with worry about how her mistress would manage.

Recalling that before the journey, the Imperial Noble Consort had taken her mistress to visit the Rong Noble Consort to make an introduction, the maid wondered if she should go to the Rong Noble Consort's place to ask, since they might have remedies for motion sickness.

Noble Lady Qing responded slowly, shaking her head slightly with a pale complexion, speaking weakly, "We shouldn’t trouble the Noble Consort with such a small matter." She did not seem to approve.

Then she leaned back in the carriage, closing her eyes to rest. Seeing this, the maid dared not disturb her further, afraid of making her feel worse.

But after some thought, glancing at her mistress, the maid steeled herself and slipped out quietly.

She then went to the Rong Noble Consort's quarters, intent on getting help for her mistress.

As she approached, she was naturally stopped. Nervous and fearful as she was, her voice shook while explaining.

Qinxin, upon hearing this, informed her mistress. They did have motion sickness remedies on hand, but they were unsure whether Noble Lady Qing was genuinely suffering from the journey's discomfort or if she had other intentions.

However, given that the Imperial Noble Consort had previously brought Noble Lady Qing to visit, her message was clear. It would be inappropriate to ignore the request now.

Su Yi, who had been absentmindedly rolling her prayer beads, said offhandedly upon hearing about Noble Lady Qing's motion sickness, "If we have some, send it to her."

Qinxin wasn’t surprised her mistress agreed. As she was about to leave, Su Yi suddenly added, "Wait."

Setting down her beads, Su Yi spoke gently, "If she’s still unwell, invite Noble Lady Qing to come sit with me."

Qinxin was surprised but dutifully replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

The maid was surprised it went so smoothly. Hearing that the Noble Consort even offered for her mistress to join her, she looked grateful.

The Noble Consort's carriage was much steadier. If her mistress could ride with the Noble Consort, the ride would be much smoother!

She rushed back to deliver the news.

But Noble Lady Qing did not share her maid's visible joy.

First, she gently reprimanded the maid for disobeying her and going to the Rong Noble Consort without permission. Though her words were mild, she seemed displeased with the maid's initiative. The maid quickly apologized.

After the maid's apology, Noble Lady Qing quickly comforted her, saying, "It's just some discomfort. We shouldn’t impose on the Noble Consort again. Your going there was already a disturbance. We must not do so again."

Noble Lady Qing showed no intention of accepting the Rong Noble Consort's invitation, even though her maid had brought back the offer.

Though this was a perfect opportunity to get closer to the Rong Noble Consort, Noble Lady Qing chose not to seize it.

Getting the remedy was enough—anything more would be pushing her luck.

Noble Lady Qing soon felt much better. Her maid happily remarked, "Mistress, you look much better! The remedy from the Noble Consort works wonderfully. At least the rest of the trip won’t be as rough."

Clearly relieved, the maid added, "I won’t let this happen again. I should be punished."

Had she not been careless and missed checking the items, her mistress wouldn’t have suffered so long without relief.

Yet her mistress did not blame her.

"Don’t say such things. I’m already feeling better," Noble Lady Qing said gently to the maid.

The maid was deeply touched by her kindness and felt honored to serve such a gracious mistress.

In these simple exchanges, they seemed to grow closer.

Or rather, the maid's loyalty to Noble Lady Qing deepened further.

Though Noble Lady Qing's actions were subtle, word soon got back.

Luckily, they obtained what they needed without much delay and returned swiftly.

It was clear Noble Lady Qing was already cozying up to Rong Noble Consort.

After all, they were both palace consorts. While discomfort during travel was common, none suffered as severely as Noble Lady Qing, who seemed particularly high-maintenance.

Su Yi had thought that if Noble Lady Qing joined her, the journey might be less tedious. However, the latter clearly understood propriety and did not take advantage of her maid's request to visit and share the carriage.

What a pain.

After a while, Qinxin lifted the carriage curtain again, this time with noticeably more warmth in her tone compared to her earlier businesslike manner. "Your Highness, Liang Jiugong has come to request your presence."

Su Yi did not respond immediately but pondered for a moment before nodding.

Liang Jiugong waited outside, careful not to hurry her.

Seeing that Imperial Noble Consort stepped down and moved swiftly, he even thought to himself how smoothly things had gone—no waiting around, she came right away.

Liang Jiugong’s face lit up with relief, like someone who’d braced for disaster but got lucky instead.

When Kangxi saw her, he had a similar thought—Imperial Noble Consort had arrived quite quickly.

Then, with Qinxin’s support, Su Yi stepped onto the small ladder and climbed in.

Kangxi could clearly hear her silent complaints—of course his space was way roomier than hers!

There was enough room to stand and walk upright—no crouching needed—and even a small resting cot where you could lie flat.

There was even enough space to place a long table with seating bolted down tight, unaffected by the movement of the carriage during travel.

At the moment, Kangxi was seated there, with a pile of stacked documents placed on the long table.

Su Yi glanced around after boarding and thought, "Hmph, even the setup here is better than mine. Not mooching off this would be a total waste!"

Kangxi: "..."

So, this was the reason the Noble Consort didn't refuse to move out of laziness but came over so quickly?

Just to enjoy the nicer carriage setup here.

The only thing that could motivate a couch potato to budge was an even more comfortable environment.

"Your Majesty," Su Yi cooed at him.

Then, quite naturally, she walked over to the small bed that allowed one to lie flat and sat down.

If Kangxi wasn't going to use it, then she wasn't about to pass up the chance.

Su Yi then took off her shoes, ready to lie down and relax like a lazy bum. She had been half-reclining all this time—finally, she could stretch out flat.

Ouch.

As she lay down, Su Yi got a painful jab from her fancy hairpiece pressing against the back of her skull.

Oh, and her neck too.

Though this hairpiece wasn't as tall as those giant Manchu headdresses—meaning she didn’t have to duck through doorways—all that height had gone straight to the back!

Su Yi bumped her head, and her neck was killing her as if she had been sleeping on an enormous porcelain pillow!

Her neck was practically hanging!

Even worse, Kangxi openly laughed from the side.

Unbelievable - the audacity of this man! Su Yi shot him a furious glare—how dare he just stand there laughing!

With one hand supporting her neck, she tried to push herself up, her legs kicking involuntarily.

Given her current predicament, she resembled a turtle stuck on its back, struggling to flip itself over.

Kangxi, that complete jerk, laughed even louder.

He wasn't even trying to hide it!

Imperial Consort Su: !!

Just as Imperial Consort Su was about to explode with rage, that bastard Kangxi stepped in before she could fully bristle, helping her sit up.

Finally, his heartless laughter stopped. "I wasn’t going to fight you for the spot. You just collapsed the second you arrived—really..."

Though he didn’t finish the sentence, Su Yi understood perfectly: *You totally deserved that.*

Imperial Consort Su: Okay, seriously - ENOUGH!

Kangxi wisely refrained from further pushing Su Yi's buttons and instead called someone to take down her elaborate hairstyle.

Once freed from the weight of the elaborate headdress, Su Yi felt her head finally liberated.

At last, she could rest the back of her head against the pillow, and her neck settled into a normal, comfortable position.

If not for Qinxin’s deft hands in removing the hairpins, Su Yi might have resorted to ripping them out with her bare hands.

As if *that* could stop her from sprawling out like a salted fish?

Of course not.

Then, as Su Yi comfortably stretched out and sighed in contentment—pure bliss—she prepared to take a nap. After all, getting servants to come was easy; getting them to leave was the hard part.

But just then, she felt Kangxi slip behind her, pushing her toward the other side of the bed.

Only a dead person wouldn’t notice.

And Su Yi was very much alive. Her eyes, which had just closed, flew open as she met his gaze directly.

No words were exchanged, but her confusion was obvious.

Imperial Consort Su: ???

What the hell are you doing?!

What the hell is wrong with you?!

Without a word, Kangxi answered her by doing exactly that.

Emperor Kangxi lay down too, using the space he'd just made by nudging Su Yi over, and plopped down.

Originally, the bed was quite spacious for Su Yi alone, even allowing her to stretch her limbs without any issue.

But once Emperor Kangxi squeezed in as well, the space became tight as a drum.

Tight! Seriously tight!

Su Yi felt like a squished chick pinned to the corner.

She wasn’t a lump—she was a human-shaped noodle.

Su Yi: "..."

In this situation, Su Yi cooed sweetly—though her clenched teeth hissed through every word, "Sire, don’t you think it’s a bit crowded?"

She emphasized the word "crowded" with extra weight.

She might as well have spelled it out in fireworks.

"It does seem a little," Emperor Kangxi admitted this time without blatantly lying. He genuinely seemed to feel the squeeze with two people.

"This is definitely not your imagination," Su Yi said, having never in her *eight hundred years* adopted such a 'restrained' sleeping posture.

"But there’s no helping it. This trip leaves us no other choice," Emperor Kangxi replied, playing dumb.

Su Yi: !

What kinda nonsense is that??

If two people are a bit cramped, then just have one!

Duh.

*

Of course, Su Yi was still restraining herself. So, in a tone suggesting she’d just thought of a stroke of genius, she said, "How about... you skip naptime and get back to work?"

Yes, process some petitions instead of sleeping.

As a workaholic Emperor, you should be grinding through paperwork even on the road, allergic to breaks!