Chapter 282

Chapter 282

Consort Ping was stunned for a moment, wondering if she'd gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. How could one of her maids just disappear after a single night when she hadn’t even had the chance to oversee things?

And it was Xiu Jin, of all people. The reason Consort Ping had felt safe fainting was precisely because she trusted that her attendants, no matter what, would have someone temporarily in charge. Xiu Jin had been personally promoted by Consort Ping to serve by her side—not for her plain looks but for her quick wit and ability to handle situations deftly. She wasn't tongue-tied.

Consort Ping's expression turned stormy as she ordered the palace maids to recount everything that had happened from last night until now.

She wanted to see exactly where things had gone wrong. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “Did His Majesty visit me last night?”

Though Kangxi was currently on a hunting excursion, what Consort Ping cared about was whether he had come to see her during her illness.

The maid questioned lowered her head and shook it, not daring to look at Consort Ping’s expression. And indeed, Consort Ping’s face was far from pleasant—having endured the night, she had only just begun to recover. She looked terrible, and rage choked her, making her feel as though her heart might stop.

But in front of the palace maids, Consort Ping couldn’t bring herself to lose composure before these servants. She ordered them to quickly explain what had happened after she fainted.

Upon hearing the unified account from the imperial physicians summoned last night—which practically accused her of exaggerating—she realized not only had her scheme failed to benefit her, but it had blown up in her face.

And then there was Xiu Jin, who had gone to Rong Noble Consort’s quarters to request the Emperor’s presence. Not only had she failed to bring him back, but she had also ended up dead in the process.

Though Consort Ping understood that Xiu Jin had gone to fetch the Emperor in hopes of stabilizing the chaotic situation—so the physicians wouldn’t dare treat her so dismissively—this incompetent fool had not only failed but had also dragged her into this mess.

It wasn’t uncommon for concubines to send someone to request the Emperor’s presence when they fell ill. Even if the messenger failed to bring him back, at worst it would be a minor embarrassment, but nothing too humiliating.

But Xiu Jin? She'd gotten herself killed instead.

And since Xiu Jin was her personal maid, others would assume Consort Ping had ordered it—no one would question whether Xiu Jin had acted on her own.

Sending someone to intercept the Emperor only for them to perish was uniquely disastrous. But this was not the kind of uniqueness Consort Ping had wanted.

If Rong Noble Consort had ordered Xiu Jin’s death, Consort Ping could have at least made a scene, accusing her of going too far. But instead—!

Xiu Jin was her chief maid. Killing her was no different from slapping Consort Ping across the face.

How could she protest now? Not only did she dare not, but she would also have to personally visit Rong Noble Consort to apologize!

She would have to explain that Xiu Jin’s offense had not been her intention—otherwise, it would imply that she had encouraged Xiu Jin’s insolence.

A maid's death meant nothing; Consort Ping didn’t care about the life of a servant. But getting her tangled in it? Unacceptable!

No matter what, this visit was unavoidable—and she couldn’t just send some gifts as compensation. The thought of having to lower her head before that woman left Consort Ping breathless. She almost wished she hadn’t recovered today!

What truly terrified her was that Kangxi’s favorability hadn’t increased, nor had it decreased. It remained completely unchanged—so steady it terrified her.

Her expression was now so grim she couldn’t even hide it. Glaring at the kneeling maids before her, her eyes burned with anger as she snapped,

“Xiu Jin dared to act on her own while I was gravely ill, running to His Majesty and the Noble Consort to spout lies! She took matters into her own hands—and none of you stopped her?!” Her anger flared so intensely that she coughed violently, as if she might collapse from anger.

The maids panicked. Their mistress didn’t understand how chaotic the situation had been—everyone had been at a loss, how could they have thought to stop her? When they found out what had happened, they had been terrified!

“Are you all using me as a pawn to stir conflict between me and the Noble Consort?! To make His Majesty misunderstand me?!” Consort Ping had no choice but to say this—she had to distance herself from the mess first.

As she spoke, she was also filled with bitter frustration. She had merely closed her eyes for one night, only to wake up to this disaster before she could even recover.

These maids were either weak and useless or, like that damned Xiu Jin, too smart for their own good—only to ruin everything for her.

At this moment, Consort Ping truly wished she could faint like she had last night. But no matter how furious she was, no matter how her head throbbed, she showed no signs of passing out.

Most importantly, she feared another overzealous servant might create another disaster for her.

"My Lady, please calm your anger. I wouldn't dare," came the terrified pleas as the palace maids knelt, not daring to rise.

After her outburst, Consort Ping had vented some of her frustration, though her face remained drawn and sullen, her eyes occasionally glinting with cold calculation, lost in thought.

She allowed only one maid to rise and attend to her grooming, while ordering the rest to kneel outside as punishment, forbidden to rise without her permission.

This was making an example of them—establishing discipline among her servants. Those well-informed would have already caught wind of the incident.

There'd been misconduct among her servants. Regardless of whether she had truly been unconscious and unable to give orders the previous night, the blame would inevitably fall on her. If she couldn’t even control a mere maid, allowing her to cause a scene before the Emperor, it reflected poorly on her authority.

If Consort Ping didn’t act now, those eager to exploit her vulnerability would surely seize the opportunity. The thought made her bite her lip until it hurt.

By protocol, she ought to visit Noble Consort Rong around the time Kangxi returned, coinciding with his return. Only then could she explain herself in his presence, fulfilling the purpose of her visit.

After all, if an apology wasn’t witnessed by the intended party, it would lose half its meaning.

Moreover, with Kangxi present, even if Noble Consort Rong wished to make things difficult, she wouldn’t dare act too blatantly. Even if she still harbored resentment, she would have to keep up appearances and let the matter pass.

But this approach would inevitably invite accusations from Noble Consort Rong—why had she waited until the Emperor was present to bring up the matter? It would make her seem insincere.

After weighing her options, Consort Ping decided it was best to go as soon as possible.

This way, others would see that despite her lingering illness, she had dragged her weakened body to apologize the moment she learned of her maid’s offense, proving her earnestness and begging Noble Consort Rong not to misunderstand her over a single unruly servant.

She had been completely unaware—the maid had acted on her own while she was too ill to notice. The fact that she rushed over immediately upon learning of it demonstrated her sincerity.

Even if Noble Consort Rong played the grand lady, Consort Ping only needed to endure it a little longer to turn the unfavorable situation around somewhat.

She deliberately avoided heavy makeup to conceal her sickly pallor, donning a plain Manchu gown and taking only light refreshments before setting off with prepared gifts of apology.

Along the way, she made a show of weakness, stopping often to catch her breath before continuing. She repeated this act several times.

Nothing escaped notice.

She had no choice but to do this.

Otherwise, how else could she demonstrate her forced submission?

A mere servant’s disrespect toward Noble Consort Rong couldn’t truly threaten Consort Ping’s status. She could easily plead ignorance, claiming she had been too ill to oversee matters, and a symbolic punishment would suffice to show proper deference to Noble Consort Rong.

But since Kangxi was involved, it couldn’t end there.

Punishing her head maid was unavoidable, and Consort Ping must appear perfectly compliant—lest it be interpreted as proving the maid acted with her consent.

With rumors and exaggerations, who knew how things would escalate? Those eager to undermine her position wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

For now, she had no choice but to yield to a rival.

Throughout the journey, Consort Ping repeatedly reassured herself—endure this humiliation, for there would be time for repayment later. Today's humiliation would be repaid doubly.

With this mindset, she continued at a measured pace, ensuring her act of ailing determination to apologize was widely noticed. She was certain word had already reached Noble Consort Rong’s ears.

No doubt palace servants had rushed back to report her approach.

This was also Consort Ping’s way of letting the message sink in, signaling Noble Consort Rong not to push too far and to know when to stop.

As for others, the spectacle was meant to spread quickly, preemptively silencing those who might exploit her misfortune.

It was a clear-headed strategy. From anger to calculated response, Consort Ping’s mind had been working furiously since she awoke. Given the poor hand she’d been dealt, this was the best response she could muster.

But then, the unexpected happened—something even Consort Ping couldn’t handle.

When Consort Ping arrived, she hadn’t even sent someone to announce her presence when she noticed that in Rong Noble Consort’s quarters, the palace servants were running around frantically. Though they didn’t appear panicked, their expressions were strained with focus, as if they were on edge.

The attendants behind Consort Ping felt an inexplicable sense of unease, finding the situation and the servants' demeanor unnervingly familiar.

However, Consort Ping and her entourage couldn’t be ignored for long. Soon, someone noticed them and hurried forward.

The newly promoted maid at Consort Ping’s side quickly stepped forward to inquire and state their purpose—such matters naturally didn’t require Consort Ping to stoop to explaining.

"Consort Ping, Rong Noble Consort is unwell and unable to receive you. Please return."

Upon learning that Rong Noble Consort was ill and still unconscious, Consort Ping almost dropped her frail act.

Her first reaction was disbelief—Rong Noble Consort was pulling the sick card now?!

It was no wonder Consort Ping thought so. The previous night, Rong Noble Consort had summoned the imperial physician under the pretense of illness, only to reveal she was perfectly fine. Then, under the guise of concern, she had called over the physician attending to Consort Ping.

With the physicians' testimony, Rong Noble Consort had outmaneuvered Consort Ping, leaving her fuming.

Consort Ping had deliberately dragged her feet on the way here, hoping Rong Noble Consort would get the message, back off, and let the matter drop once she arrived.

Yet now, Rong Noble Consort was claiming illness again—at this very moment. Consort Ping immediately suspected this was another act, another ploy to block her.

Having guessed her intentions, Rong Noble Consort was deliberately preventing her from completing this "apology." How shameless!

The more Consort Ping dwelled on it, the more convinced she became—she couldn’t back down now.

Otherwise, she’d be playing right into Rong Noble Consort’s hands!

"Is that so? This time, I’ve brought some prized ginseng, perfect for nourishing Rong Noble Consort’s health." Consort Ping smiled warmly, gesturing to the attendants behind her holding gift boxes.

One servant quickly stepped forward and opened a box, revealing a century-old ginseng with impressively abundant roots—clearly a top-grade specimen.

It pained her to part with such a rare, potent ginseng, the kind that could sustain life in critical moments when sliced thinly. Giving it to Rong Noble Consort felt like cutting herself—but the gift had to be substantial.

*So you’re ill? Then enjoy your ‘recovery’—see how well you digest it.*

"If Rong Noble Consort is unwell, it’s only right that I visit her. How could I possibly turn away knowing she’s ill? I couldn’t live with myself."

Consort Ping spoke with apparent concern, but her tone left no room for negotiation, her gaze carrying a steely edge.

"Last night, Rong Noble Consort showed such heartfelt concern for my health—I was deeply moved. Now that I feel well enough, I came to thank her in person. You’d dare stop me?"