Chapter 330

Chapter 330

Noble Lady Qing stood up slowly, but the strange unease in her chest did not ease in the slightest during that brief moment. The sudden sound of a teacup shattering startled her, making her heart skip a beat.

It turned out that the Emperor had suddenly begun to act strangely—his hand slipped, knocking over the teacup. His face turned red, his breathing grew labored, and his usually clear gaze now seemed dazed and unfocused. He looked seriously unwell.

This seemed to be going according to plan. Noble Lady Qing appeared to gather her courage before stepping forward.

Then—she threw herself to her knees!

The shattered fragments of the teacup were scattered everywhere. When Noble Lady Qing knelt abruptly, she only barely avoided the larger, visible shards. The tiny, barely noticeable slivers, however, were impossible to evade, inevitably piercing anyone who knelt down suddenly.

The stabbing pain in her knees made her clench her jaw, but she did not let a single frown show. "Your Majesty, please forgive this offense. Summon the imperial physician."

After speaking, Noble Lady Qing wasted no time in swiftly explaining the situation.

Summoning the imperial physician would take time, and while the Emperor still retained some clarity of mind, it was better to disclose everything now rather than attempt to justify things afterward—before it looked like she alone had planned this scheme, exactly what her so-called 'dear sister' wanted!

Noble Lady Qing quickly relayed the circumstances while subtly emphasizing that she had been coerced, powerless to resist her sister's orders. She let out a small sigh of relief after speaking, hoping the Emperor would at least retain this impression.

But then she noticed something was wrong. The time she had been given to explain seemed... excessively generous.

It was enough for her to clarify the situation and also justify her reluctant compliance with Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's demands.

When Noble Lady Qing grasped this, she felt a cold sweat drenching her back without her even noticing.

And the Emperor's breathing had returned to normal—no longer erratic as before. Noble Lady Qing cautiously lifted her gaze to look at him.

When she met his piercing gaze, laden with unspoken meaning, her mind reeled with sudden understanding, leaving her momentarily blank.

How could this be?!

Kangxi's lips curled slightly, yet it brought Noble Lady Qing no warmth. His voice sounded almost thoughtful. "You are smarter than your sister."

Though the words sounded like praise, Noble Lady Qing couldn't even fake a smile.

The Emperor knew everything!

Had she foolishly followed Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's scheme and "seized the opportunity," she would've been thrown away like a used pawn before anything could even come to fruition. No matter how potent the secret medicines were, confirming a pregnancy would take time.

But if the Emperor had no intention of granting her that time—if he had instead chosen to eliminate one of the Tongjia sisters—

After all, there was more than one Tongjia in the harem.

The fate of a discarded pawn—

Was death.

Sweat dripped down Noble Lady Qing's face, her color draining in an instant. She looked like a drowning victim pulled from the water, her body stiff with terror, not daring to move.

Anyone who realized they had nearly stepped off a cliff and narrowly escaped death would feel this cold fear.

Kangxi spoke again, his voice flat, as if stating an inevitable outcome. "The Imperial Noble Consort has fallen ill. At first, it was only a minor ailment, but for some reason, her condition took a sudden turn for the worse. She is now bedridden and needs complete bed rest to recover. As her sister, you'll personally take care of her."

Liang Jiugong, who'd been dismissed earlier, returned silently at this moment. The news he brought was that the remaining unchecked servants in Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's quarters had already been removed. However, since the Imperial Noble Consort could not be left unattended, new servants had been promptly assigned to her.

As Liang Jiugong delivered his report in a low voice, he ignored Noble Lady Qing's obvious distress—as if nothing were amiss, even with blood soaking through her skirt at the knees.

Noble Lady Qing listened and almost felt like laughing—what a coincidence! The exact number of servants who were screened out and taken away today was immediately replaced with new ones. On the surface, it seemed highly efficient, but in reality, many of those taken away were likely trusted confidants and capable servants. As for the newly assigned palace maids, not only might they be unfamiliar to use, but some were probably even placed there by the Emperor’s order—irreplaceable.

Moreover, the replacements from the *Lower Five Banners* were all eager to prove their loyalty to the Emperor by opposing the *Upper Three Banners*, dealing a heavy blow to the consorts who had long operated in the inner palace, especially those with many hidden agents. With their most trusted senior maids dismissed, they were left in an awkward position of having no capable personnel to rely on.

Not to mention, at this moment, they and their affiliated bondservant families dared not act rashly.

The Imperial Noble Consort, while overseeing this matter, had worked tirelessly to cut off these trusted aides and informants, seizing the opportunity to severely weaken the influence of the consorts from bondservant families.

Yet the Imperial Noble Consort never imagined that what she thought was solely targeting consorts from bondservant families would also affect those of Manchu noble birth.

The irony was, had the Imperial Noble Consort not orchestrated today’s move, the Emperor might have chosen another day to act, avoiding humiliating her while she was still unwell.

But in the end, the Imperial Noble Consort had failed to preserve her own dignity.

The scorn in Noble Lady Qing’s gaze grew increasingly evident. Were the Emperor not present, she might have laughed heartily—thinking she was clever, only to realize she had given them the perfect weapon.

Every move was under the Emperor’s control.

Had she made the wrong move earlier, merely kneeling here would have been impossible—she would have been discarded outright.

But since she was still kneeling here, and the Emperor had just instructed her to dutifully attend to her sister who would "be bedridden," it meant she was not the one to be discarded. That role would fall to someone else.

When the Emperor said she was smarter than her sister, it was less about intelligence and more about recognizing the situation.

Unlike the Imperial Noble Consort, who, despite being elevated to such a high position, had grown delusional. Given that her family was the mother’s family, a daughter of the Tong family entering the palace would naturally hold a high rank. Had she simply remained a proper Imperial Noble Consort, avoiding foolish actions, she could have maintained her dominance in the inner court.

Yet with such a strong hand, the Imperial Noble Consort had fumbled it, forcing the Tong family to send another woman into the palace to "assist."

Again and again, she had exhausted the Emperor’s patience. This time, the Tong family’s influence would no longer shield her.

"This consort will devote herself to attending to my sister’s illness, ensuring no one disturbs her peaceful recovery," Noble Lady Qing declared solemnly, kowtowing to affirm her resolve. She would make the Emperor’s words come true.

This was her chance. Even if the Imperial Noble Consort’s illness was minor, it must take a sudden turn for the worse, confining her to bed.

With the Imperial Noble Consort gravely ill, Noble Lady Qing, as her sister, would personally tend to her, barring all "well-wishers," including those from the Tong family.

This strike, too, would come from her—a tacit permission and a test. Success would also mean holding leverage.

When the Imperial Noble Consort changed into new night garments, she was stunned by the news delivered from outside.

The cries of the palace maids shredded her composure, her head throbbing. Hastily dressed, her hair barely secured with a hairpin, she leaned on her maid’s arm and stepped out.

The routine she knew too well nearly suffocated her with fury—taking people away, filling vacancies—wasn’t this what they did to minor consorts?

Now they dared to act this way even against her, the Imperial Noble Consort!

Just as she was about to erupt in anger, she suddenly remembered—the Emperor was still here!

—So

If not for the Emperor’s tacit permission, this would never have happened!

The Imperial Noble Consort turned to seek the Emperor, her face twisted in panicked disbelief, only to be urgently restrained by her senior maid, who whispered, "Your Highness, you must not—not now."

The more she had to restrain herself, the more critical the moment became.

The Imperial Noble Consort froze, her expression torn, her feet refusing to take another step.

Clearly, she too believed that at this juncture, the only way to secure her position was to produce an heir. Missing this chance might mean never having another.

Clenching her jaw, she was about to order more guards to stand watch when her head maid couldn’t stay a moment longer and was taken away along with other maids over twenty years of age—most of whom were trusted senior maids serving the imperial consorts.

One moment, she was still advising her mistress.

The next, taken away—every last one!

Not even the Imperial Noble Consort’s influence could protect them.

The Imperial Noble Consort’s expression turned livid as she angrily rebuked them for their insolence.

But they dared not defy the Emperor’s decree and had to refuse her.

They had no choice—they would have liked to spare the Imperial Noble Consort’s dignity to avoid offending her, but damn it, the Emperor was *right there*! They couldn’t afford to play their usual scheming tricks.

If they dragged their feet, the Emperor would see how sluggishly they handled even such a simple task, forcing His Majesty to intervene before they acted efficiently.

No joke, being a servant these days was no easy task. The executioner’s blade had been chipped from overuse, heads rolling—no one went alone, always in a neat little pile.

Saving face only mattered if they *had* a future. If they lost their lives, what future was there? Were they supposed to die for someone’s pride?

Besides, if the Emperor hadn’t given the nod, they wouldn’t have dared to act. The replacements were all carefully selected!

And after this, a few more would have to be sent for "questioning"—to extract confessions, which would take considerable effort. Seriously, they were on a tight schedule.

Didn’t they see? Liang Jiugong was watching!

That only made them work faster, not daring to delay—like lightning, they took people away, left replacements, bowed hastily, and retreated, petrified of making Liang Jiugong wait too long, lest he report back to the Emperor late!

The Imperial Noble Consort watched helplessly as her trusted maids—especially the one who had just carried out confidential tasks for her—were taken away without even letting her delay long enough to see the Emperor first. She stepped forward to scold them, but it was useless. Instead, these damned servants feigned deference with polite excuses, yet every sentence emphasized that they were merely following orders, pleading with the Imperial Noble Consort not to put them in a tough spot. Oh sure, *now* they remembered the Emperor’s orders.

The already guilty and uneasy Imperial Noble Consort flew into a rage, her anger erupting uncontrollably. Upon catching sight of Liang Jiugong's figure, that same uncontrollable panic surged through her—just like the terror she had felt when her schemes were exposed before. She could no longer care about anything else; her steps faltered, but she rushed desperately to keep up with Liang Jiugong's departing figure.

Her body was weak, and her emotions were in turmoil, leaving her dizzy and unsteady. Though she walked quickly, she stumbled and eventually fell. The newly assigned palace servants, as well as those colleagues who had just been taken away but hadn’t yet realized they could directly fill the vacancies, failed to react in time.

When they finally did, realizing they had let the Imperial Noble Consort fall, they crowded around her, pretending to panic and fret, though inwardly seething. Those taken away were being dismissed from the palace, but they weren’t—they weren’t the ones she was used to either. And where would the Imperial Noble Consort, thoroughly humiliated, vent her anger?

—Who else but them would bear the brunt?

With new replacements, even if the Imperial Noble Consort was displeased, she would have to restrain herself somewhat. So, weren’t they the poor sods?

"Get away, useless fools! Good-for-nothing curs!" The Imperial Noble Consort was livid, slapping the nearest servant and shoving them aside forcefully. The servants’ noise grated on her nerves even more. "I must see His Majesty!" she repeated incessantly.

She could no longer spare a thought for the servants who had been taken away. She urgently needed to confirm—had this plan succeeded or not?

The slapped servant’s face burned with pain, their cheek marked by the sharp edges of her nail guards. They lowered their heads and retreated silently, concealing their resentment and fury.

Seeing the Imperial Noble Consort’s increasingly deranged state, the remaining servants felt their scalps prickle with dread but had no choice but to brace themselves and follow.

However, she didn’t have to endure the torment of uncertainty for long. Halfway there, her face went ashen with dread, she came face-to-face with Kangxi, whose expression was icy and whose steps were heavier than usual. His gaze was dark as stagnant water, sweeping over her with the indifference one might show to a lifeless object by the roadside.

The Imperial Noble Consort’s face went ashen. She knew then—not only had the plan failed, but something had gone terribly wrong. How had it failed?!

Now was not the time to panic. She couldn’t let her composure slip. Forcing herself to maintain a facade of ignorance, she stepped forward to bow, forcing a casual tone as she said, "Your Majesty, why is Ru Ying not with you? Did that foolish girl say something improper to offend you?"

Her eyes darted swiftly behind the Emperor, but she saw no sign of Noble Lady Qing. Her mind raced, plotting how to shift all blame onto the other woman.

But Kangxi strode past without acknowledgment, ignoring her outright. He had already wasted enough time here today and had no patience left for the Imperial Noble Consort’s silver-tongued lies.

Liang Jiugong also hurriedly bowed before following. Though the Emperor could openly slight the Imperial Noble Consort—and though it was clear her days were numbered—as long as she remained the Imperial Noble Consort, he, as a servant, had to maintain proper decorum. As for the rest, it was not his place to interfere.

Seeing the Emperor walk away without the slightest hesitation or pause, not even sparing an extra glance, the Imperial Noble Consort's façade of composure crumbled. Yet she lacked the courage to cause a scene by chasing after him.

Her eyes turned chillingly cold, her thoughts unreadable. The delicately groomed nails, once nurtured like fresh scallions, split from excessive force, and the maid whose skin she pierced with those nails dared not show any sign of pain.

As if suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly rushed toward the side chamber.

The Imperial Noble Consort burned with fury at Noble Lady Qing, who had ruined everything. Had she said something improper in front of the Emperor, making him humiliate her so blatantly?

Upon entering the side chamber, she saw Noble Lady Qing collapsed on the floor amidst shattered porcelain, blood seeping from several wounds. A gash marred her face, her eyes tightly shut as if she had already lost consciousness.

She appeared to have fallen onto the broken shards, with several injuries bleeding where her body had pressed against the porcelain. One shard lay dangerously close to her temple, slicing a thin line that oozed a trickle of blood.

The wretched and pitiful sight drew sharp gasps from the Imperial Noble Consort and her maids.