Chapter 272

Chapter 272

Su Yi lazily reclined against a cushion, settling into a cozier pose. Resting her cheek on her palm, she spoke softly, "I just feel a little dizzy."

Yet she didn’t so much as cradle her head.

Might as well say it’s a toothache.

But that didn’t matter. As soon as Su Yi said this, Qinxin seamlessly cut in,

"Your Majesty, earlier, the maid from Consort Ping’s side barged in making a racket. After the servants restrained her, Her Ladyship, out of kindness, initially wished to overlook it. Yet the other party doubled down, shouting loudly in Her Ladyship’s presence, causing such a disturbance that it triggered Her Ladyship’s headache."

She recounted the events, conveniently omitting how the maid ended up in her current state.

But wasn’t that only natural?

A narrative biased in their favor.

Kangxi put on a show of concern. "Call the royal doctor." He leaned slightly toward Su Yi, his tone laced with exasperation, "I *told* you to turn in early—but nooo. Now you’ve got a headache, haven’t you?"

Instantly, he played along with Su Yi’s act flawlessly.

Without looking at Su Yi, one might truly believe it.

Truth be told, in terms of immersion, Kangxi played his role far more convincingly than Su Yi.

His performance made Su Yi’s lazy performance seem even lazier.

Su Yi twitched her lips. She wasn’t oblivious—Kangxi was subtly mocking her for not resting earlier and instead getting up to cause drama—sorry, *assess the situation*. Or, to put it plainly, to catch the show.

Hell, even a *dog* upstairs would stick its head out to watch a quarrel below.

But she couldn’t be *too* lazy.

"I was only worried that Your Majesty had exhausted himself after a long day. The maid seemed genuinely distressed, so I thought to inquire on your behalf. But alas, my pathetic health betrayed me, causing Your Majesty undue concern."

Su Yi spoke softly, her voice tender as she snuggled into Kangxi’s embrace, putting on a frail, dizzy act.

Her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes hazy like morning fog—different from her usual bright, smiling gaze, now carrying a faint melancholy, as if veiled by a curtain of mist.

Nestled against Kangxi, she appeared even more delicate and petite, the poster child for a smitten noble consort beside the dashing young Emperor—a picture-perfect couple.

Su Yi inwardly: *Barf.*

It had been a while since she’d spoken like this. She didn’t have the stomach for this act anymore.

Kangxi: "…"

Never mind what Su Yi or Kangxi truly thought—to outsiders, they appeared harmonious.

One spun tales effortlessly, while the other seemed to believe every word.

But to the ears of Consort Ping’s head maid, it was nothing but bald-faced lies.

Even if she had kicked up a fuss to be heard, she had since restrained herself, replying with proper decorum. Yet here was Rong Noble Consort, her honeyed words masking a viper’s heart!

Now, perfectly fine, she claimed dizziness, while her head maid shamelessly twisted the facts, conveniently leaving out how Rong Noble Consort *yanked her jaw out of place*!

She wouldn’t back down!

Maybe it was a last-ditch act of defiance, but she violently shook her head, her face a picture of outrage, as if to remind everyone that the storyteller had skipped the important parts.

Though she was promptly restrained before she could lunge forward, her misery just made the whole thing creepier.

Su Yi’s eyes stayed fixed on her, as if she’d been quietly observing for a while.

But this wasn’t a direct confrontation—instead, her eyes swept over everything except the woman's face, sizing her up from top to bottom.

That quiet, creepy once-over gave everyone the chills. The thoughtful look on Su Yi’s face, paired with her faint smile, did nothing to ease the tension.

Consort Ping’s head maid caught on fastest. Her fighting spirit died on the spot, for just moments ago, Rong Noble Consort had been watching her with the same smiling expression before—before...!

At the time, she had thought Rong Noble Consort was merely "looking," but now it dawned on her—that smile had hidden plans to pop her jaw loose!

It wasn’t like there’d been no signs; it was just that no one had noticed them!

Now Rong Noble Consort was eyeing her squirming with the same calm stare, but this time, it was clear her eyes weren’t meeting hers—instead, they lingered on her hands and feet.

A terrible idea hit her all at once—was she about to get the same treatment for her arms and legs?!

But—not about to push her luck—she figured surely Rong Noble Consort wouldn’t dare… right?!

This time, the warning signals of danger finally registered in her mind. She immediately stiffened, ceasing all movement.

The maids holding her were shocked she’d given up so fast.

Su Yi chuckled softly, her tone as gentle as ever. "Looks like you caught on quicker this time." But if you listened close, you’d hear a tinge of regret.

As if she regretted something.

On the surface, it sounded random, but everyone there was quick enough to read between the lines.

Even those not directly involved got goosebumps, not daring to let their eyes wander.

Kangxi, hearing this, glanced down at the woman in his arms. "What did the Noble Consort just say?"

He looked clueless about what she meant—after all, he hadn’t been present earlier when she’d popped the maid’s jaw out like it was nothing and remarked, "I was quick. You shouldn’t have felt too much pain."

But now, connecting the dots, the meaning was obvious.

This time, the maid had snapped out of her stupor on her own and stopped making a scene, sparing herself from being "silenced" by force.

It was nothing short of a narrow escape.

Before any action could be taken, she had come to her senses and quieted down.

Her foolishness had drained away on its own—no "assistance" was needed.

Su Yi would’ve been happy to “assist,” so failing to do so left her somewhat disappointed.

Her Highness actually sounded a little bummed!

Now that the Emperor was asking, seemingly curious about her remark, the attendants couldn’t help but worry—how was Her Highness gonna talk her way out of this one?

It might wreck her rep with the Emperor, but this wasn’t the time for them to intervene.

Even Qinxin, after briefly summarizing the situation, fell silent and kept her eyes downcast, saying nothing more. Liang Jiugong remained as steady as a rock.

Su Yi straightened up from Kangxi's embrace and spoke naturally, her tone as casual as if she were asking, "Have you eaten?"—"I was showing my approval of her."

Su Yi leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the soft cushion, as if to draw closer to the other person. Her gaze at Consort Ping's palace maid softened, as if looking at a teachable child. "I'm genuinely relieved you've settled down."

Her tone carried a sense of relief, approval for doing the right thing—though the other party certainly didn’t want it.

Upon hearing this, Consort Ping's chief maid didn’t look any better; if anything, she turned even paler.

"I was just worrying about how to make you quiet down," Su Yi said, pausing meaningfully. It was clear there was more to come, and whatever followed likely wouldn’t be pleasant.

Consort Ping's maid couldn’t help but tremble, keeping her head bowed stubbornly, not daring to meet anyone's gaze. Her back was already drenched in cold sweat as she desperately tried to make herself invisible.

But Su Yi smiled, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction, as if she had finally resolved a troublesome issue. "Luckily, I don’t have to think about that anymore."

It was obvious—her earlier scrutiny and the ominous pause in her words had been downright menacing.

With Kangxi present, Su Yi held back—but only just.

Because she made no effort to conceal anything, nor did she trouble herself to explain the maid’s obviously abnormal behavior or the current situation. She didn’t even attempt to justify herself.

"That’s good," Kangxi said gently, picking up the conversation before patting her back lightly. "Sit properly."