Chapter 277

Chapter 277

The atmosphere now was even more terrifying than before.

Although the Rong Noble Consort often acted unpredictably, at least she gave people room to breathe.

When she was present, it was merely a bit of a headache—not exactly life-threatening!

But now, the Rong Noble Consort had simply flounced off in a huff.

She left behind the Emperor, who had just been publicly snubbed, for them to deal with.

This was truly a situation where no amount of crying would fix this—she had disappeared without another word, leaving no chance for further explanation!

Who would have thought that the deceptively fragile-looking Rong Noble Consort, once angered, could move so swiftly that even her maids had to scramble to catch up?

Now, they were left alone to face the Emperor!

No one dared to speak recklessly. The imperial physicians and court doctors, being wily old foxes, certainly wouldn’t step forward rashly.

As for the Rong Noble Consort’s attendants, even if they wished to speak up for their mistress, they feared making things worse. Qinxin had already gone after the Consort, leaving them in an even stickier situation...

As for Liang Jiugong, he would’ve given anything to trade places with Qinxin—he’d much rather chase after the Rong Noble Consort than stand here facing the Emperor’s fury, who had just been slighted by her.

The real trouble wasn’t that the Rong Noble Consort’s outburst had offended the Emperor—though that’s what most would think.

But not everyone was like Liang Jiugong, who knew from hard-earned experience that whenever the Emperor and the Rong Noble Consort clashed, someone else always paid the price first.

And yet, there were still those who, seeing the Rong Noble Consort’s obvious misstep, sought to pile on while she was vulnerable—or rather, seize the chance to retaliate.

Amid the crowd of lowered heads, one figure dared to edge forward.

It was none other than a maid from Consort Ping’s faction.

Excluding the Rong Noble Consort’s own people and the neutral imperial physicians, only someone from Consort Ping’s side would dare make a move now.

The maid edged forward slightly, making her move. Earlier, she had been pushed aside to remain inconspicuous, but now was her moment to act.

The attendants who had restrained her before could no longer stop her—she had already positioned herself before the Emperor!

After playing docile long enough, the maid had earned some freedom of movement, allowing her to seize this opportunity.

Now that she had made her move, she knew the Rong Noble Consort’s people wouldn’t dare drag her back—with their mistress gone, who’d dare shield them now?

Suppressing her smugness, she put on a well-practiced look of innocence and spoke:

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This servant must’ve misspoken earlier, which led the Noble Consort to misunderstand. She was not angry because my lady’s condition was not life-threatening—perhaps she mistakenly believed my lady was feigning illness."

Her words were a blatant attempt to spin the narrative in Consort Ping’s favor while the Rong Noble Consort was absent and no one else dared to speak up.

She insinuated that the Rong Noble Consort had been furious precisely because Consort Ping was not at death’s door—as if she had wished for Consort Ping to suffer.

And worse, she implied that the Rong Noble Consort had dared to take out her temper on the Emperor himself.

After all, the imperial physicians would never have reviewed Consort Ping’s medical records or prescriptions without the Emperor’s orders—something the Rong Noble Consort had figured out—hence the outburst.

The maid had thought she would have to choke down the disgrace inflicted by the Rong Noble Consort tonight, but who could have guessed the Consort would slip up so spectacularly now?

If we don't seize this opportunity to pin down Rong Noble Consort's earlier wrongdoing, who knows when another opportunity like this will arise.

Even though her jaw has been reset, allowing her to speak normally,

the dull ache in her jaw still reminds her of how helpless and desperate she had been before Rong Noble Consort—yet for the Noble Consort, it was just a flippant remark to brush it off!

If Rong Noble Consort hadn't ordered the imperial physicians to reset her jaw, she’d be left speechless—literally—but as it stands, she can!

So if she doesn’t take advantage of Rong Noble Consort’s foolishness now to say something that stokes the Emperor’s fury over her ‘disrespect,’ ideally leading to His Majesty’s disdain for her, it would be a wasted opportunity.

Kangxi gave a dry, humorless laugh. "You seem to understand the Noble Consort quite well."

His tone suggested the maid’s earlier insinuations... had landed.

After all, this was anything but praise.

Everyone believed Rong Noble Consort had acted improperly—or at least left behind a hidden trouble—and now Consort Ping’s maid was striking back. Had the Noble Consort still been present, the maid wouldn’t have dared to provoke, but Rong Noble Consort had flounced off in a huff.

Hearing this, Consort Ping’s maid couldn’t help but feel a thrill of satisfaction, recalling her original purpose in coming here!

"This servant wouldn’t dare to presume Noble Consort’s thoughts, but she should never have disrespected Your Majesty."

Consort Ping’s maid feigned innocence, making sure to emphasize once more that Rong Noble Consort’s actions were indeed disrespectful toward the Emperor.

The reactions among the others varied, their thoughts diverging. Rong Noble Consort’s attendants seethed with rage and panic at the maid’s blatant attempt to fan the flames.

As for the imperial physicians, they chose to keep their heads down, avoiding any unnecessary involvement. Their only concern was whether, if Consort Ping gained favor from Rong Noble Consort’s misstep, she might seek revenge later.

Liang Jiugong, however, read the situation differently. While others believed Consort Ping’s maid was taking advantage of the situation out of resentment, trying to make Rong Noble Consort suffer—

But now, Liang Jiugong saw her as someone who had no attachment to the world and was recklessly seeking death.

To be honest, it was rare for Liang Jiugong to encounter someone daring enough to stir up trouble at such a moment.

Kangxi's expression showed no obvious change, revealing neither clear joy nor anger, aside from a quiet laugh earlier.

Seeing that the Emperor remained silent, Consort Ping's maidservant felt it was time to seize the moment.

"This lowly servant ventures to say that although the imperial physicians and several court physicians have assured us that Consort Ping's condition is not life-threatening, Her Highness is still suffering greatly.

When this servant left, the medicine's side effects had set in, and Her Highness had already fainted, unconscious and extremely weak.

If Your Majesty does not believe it, you may visit Her Highness in person. Seeing Your Majesty would surely bring her joy, easing her suffering even in illness."

She began to play up Consort Ping's suffering. "This lowly servant is deeply concerned for Her Highness and speaks nothing but the truth, daring not to deceive Your Majesty."

Then she kowtowed with her forehead hitting the floor, tears welling in her eyes, presenting herself as utterly loyal and devoted to her mistress.

Now that her mouth was no longer twisted and unsightly, her plain but neat appearance combined with tears were enough to move others, without seeming theatrical. For those in the palace, timing their performances perfectly often led to extraordinary results.

She grew increasingly aware that if she could persuade the Emperor to visit Consort Ping, all her previous mistakes would be forgiven, and she might even earn rewards and favor from Her Highness!

It had to be said, Consort Ping's maidservant was adept at seizing opportunities, daring to take such a risky chance.

Just then, after listening to her words, Kangxi remarked coolly, "No wonder the Noble Consort finds you irritating." His tone was completely impassive.

The words left everyone momentarily stunned—what did the Emperor mean by that?

Consort Ping's maidservant was also bewildered. She hadn’t expected the Emperor to respond like this.

If the first sentence left her confused and uncertain, the next one truly chilled her to the bone.

Kangxi's voice turned icy. "Who gave you the audacity to speak out of turn about your mistress?"