Chapter 268

Chapter 268

Before Su Yi could celebrate dodging the stench of the medicinal paste for long, she found herself with a medicinal plaster stuck to her face, her face completely deadpan.

And it wasn’t just one plaster—every spot on her body that needed treatment had been covered.

Patched up like a rag doll, Su Yi had truly had it. She pressed her lips together in a tight-lipped smile.

But in meme terms, it would be a face smiling on the outside while cursing on the inside.

Damn that spot they missed earlier—now they're making up for it.

This feels like being a damn salted fish, huh?!

Not only was it loaded with gunk, but it was also wrapped up.

If she was miserable, did Kangxi, who was sitting so close, really fare any better?

Harming yourself just to spite someone else—what’s the point?

Is this guy for real?

The medicine stink was so strong that Su Yi’s eyes seemed to squint involuntarily, like that would make the stench any better.

It was like when she wasn’t wearing glasses—not only did her vision blur, but even her ears seemed to stop working properly, becoming just as ‘blurry’ as her eyes.

Then Kangxi actually had the gall to ask, “Is the Noble Consort feeling sleepy?”

Su Yi: ...

Sleepy?

I’m being gassed out here!

Are you seriously that clueless?

Su Yi’s eye twitched. This time, she couldn’t even muster a polite smile. Answering with dead silence, she turned her back to Kangxi and closed her eyes, preparing to sleep.

The damn plaster on her face dug in uncomfortably against the soft pillow.

Su Yi reached up to touch it, unable to stop herself from wondering—would this gunk start leaking everywhere under the pressure?

Seep out?

By the time she woke up, it would have dried stiff, looking like some zombie face mask.

Su Yi: !

The thought alone was nightmare fuel.

So, Su Yi chose to lie flat on her back instead.

The better option would have been to sleep on the other side, but that would mean facing Kangxi. Su Yi was seriously worried she'd snap and might do something she'd regret, so she sucked it up for now.

Given Su Yi’s usual speed in falling asleep, nothing usually beat her to sleep.

But this time, it was a strange coincidence—something actually beat her to it.

Liang Jiugong’s voice first sounded softly outside—obviously, drama was afoot.

Liang Jiugong typically stayed silent unless something required his attention.

Su Yi opened her eyes and turned to look at Kangxi.

It was that classic *‘No way—this is actually happening to me?!’* look.

Even reclining, Kangxi lacked the ease of a man at leisure. Instead, his blank expression lent him an air of cold detachment.

Liang Jiugong, after his initial utterance, lapsed back into silence, waiting for a response before continuing his report.

But before he could proceed, chaotic noises filtered in first.

"Your Majesty...! Consort Ping... is ill...!"

The shriek tore through the night’s calm like a knife.

Accompanying it were various short exclamations and scolding, hinting at the bedlam outside.

But soon, the voice that had first broken the silence was silenced mid-scream, as if forcibly interrupted.

The earlier commotion gradually quieted down.

Only disjointed phrases reached them, barely coherent—but for Su Yi, it was enough to hear clearly.

But she played dumb, feigning mild deafness.

Already knowing the answer in advance, Su Yi couldn’t be bothered to speak and just wanted to see what happened next.

She shot Kangxi a look and jerked her chin toward the door, signaling him to hurry up and ask what was going on.

She had already propped herself up, resting her chin on her hand, poised for the drama to unfold.

Kangxi stifled a smirk and said in a deep voice, "What’s the meaning of this disturbance?"

Over on Liang Jiugong’s side, it seemed like he had just finished handling the sudden commotion.

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Liang Jiugong replied, "it was a maid from Consort Ping’s side who rushed in frantically, claiming that Consort Ping is critically ill and begging Your Majesty to go see her."

*Frantic* didn’t begin to cover it.

Consort Ping’s maid hadn’t even waited for an announcement. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, she had tried to force her way in, barely dodging the guards’ grasp.

Not to mention, before anyone could even stop her, she had started carrying on like the palace was burning.

Qinxin’s temper flared. It wasn’t as if they weren’t going to relay the message.

When Consort Ping’s people arrived, out of courtesy, they’d granted her the basic courtesy of waiting—briefly. They hadn’t immediately turned her away but instead asked her to wait outside while they informed their mistress.

But before they could even finish relaying the message, Consort Ping’s maid had thrown a fit, as though they’d slapped her.

She howled about Consort Ping’s *imminent demise*, demanding the Emperor’s immediate presence. Before they could gag her, she even dragged *Her Highness* into the mud, accusing Noble Consort Rong of hoarding the Emperor’s attention while her mistress *suffered*.

It wasn’t until someone reacted and gagged her with a rag that she finally quieted down—but by then, the damage was done.

Consort Ping’s maid had been convinced Noble Consort Rong’s faction would *bury* the news. Some token ‘we’ll inform His Majesty’ brush-off? Unacceptable. So she forced a spectacle, guaranteeing the Emperor’s notice.

This way, not only would the Emperor hear the commotion, but even if she caused a scene, it could be attributed to her excessive worry over Consort Ping's condition, hence losing her composure.

Though this might offend Noble Consort Rong, there was no time to worry about that now.

Consort Ping was gravely ill, unconscious and unable to manage anything. They needed to get the Emperor to come see her.

With the Emperor present, the imperial physicians wouldn’t dare slack off in their duties.

Once the Consort recovered, she would surely reward her for bringing the Emperor over in this critical moment!

It would also demonstrate her loyalty to Consort Ping.

So even if she suffered some bruises at Noble Consort Rong’s place, it was worth it. Consort Ping's maid had her own calculations, her head lowered as cunning flashes occasionally lit up her eyes.

As soon as Liang Jiugong finished reporting what had happened—

"Oh my, they've come for the Emperor," Su Yi said softly and gently.

Su Yi instantly switched into character, already envisioning the impromptu persona she’d adopt—a consort who appeared delicate but was actually venomous, one who reveled in causing trouble, adding to others’ distress, and piling on when they were down.

Earlier in the day, Noble Lady Qing had come bearing gifts and spent the afternoon telling stories. Su Yi couldn't bring herself to do anything too harsh to her—after all, the story wasn’t even finished yet.

After speaking, Su Yi didn’t wait for Kangxi’s response. It wasn’t meant for him anyway; these were her lines.

While Kangxi remained lying down, looking utterly composed, Su Yi had already popped up, stood by the bed, swung a leg over and hopped down.

She even remembered to soften her landing with a few small steps to avoid a loud *thud!*

Kangxi, who'd nearly been stepped on: "..."

Su Yi’s face still wore a gentle smile, but she was already swiftly pulling on her clothes, cooing sweetly, "Your Majesty, this concubine will go ahead first. Please take your time."

In other words: She'd go first, he could come later—no need to hurry.

By the time she finished speaking, Su Yi had already dressed and was heading out.

When she opened the door, Liang Jiugong and Qinxin clearly startled. They had just heard Her Ladyship say, *"Oh my, they've come for the Emperor,"* which clearly suggested something was amiss.

Then there had been silence. They were still wondering about the situation inside when—

Su Yi opened the door and stepped out.

Kangxi was nowhere to be seen behind her.

Only Noble Consort Rong stood there. It didn’t seem like there had been any major commotion. The Emperor... he's... he's fine, right??

"Y-your Ladyship?"

Truth be told, Su Yi's sweet smile while facing Consort Ping's people at such a moment was downright terrifying.

She didn’t look like someone suppressing anger behind a polite smile.

But that made it even scarier.

"This humble servant wouldn’t dare, Your Ladyship jests," Liang Jiugong said with a chuckle, his eyes darting toward the room behind Su Yi.

Noticing this, Su Yi nodded understandingly and reassured him kindly, "Don’t worry, Eunuch Liang. His Majesty is perfectly fine."

Nothing at all happened, so stop looking like I knocked Kangxi out in there.

Liang Jiugong gave an awkward laugh: "..."

Somehow, those words only made him more worried?!