Chapter 331

Chapter 331

Even with many of its personnel now removed, the commotion in Jingren Palace was impossible to miss. It instantly lifted the spirits of the concubines who had been wallowing in misery, as if they'd tasted gall.

This mistress had taken full advantage of the recent turmoil to eliminate rivals and install her own people, acting brazenly. The sudden upheaval had already been a shock to those demoted back to newcomer status, but to make matters worse, their clans were dragged down too. The Imperial Noble Consort had seized the opportunity to suppress them ruthlessly, acting as though the harem were already under her sole authority.

And she wasn’t even the Empress—just an Imperial Noble Consort!

Now, the people of Jingren Palace hadn’t escaped either, with the Imperial Noble Consort receiving the same *"equal treatment,"* which eased some of the lingering resentment.

Especially for Noble Lady Hui, who had been humiliated after being moved from the main hall of Yanxi Palace to a side chamber and shutting herself away from everyone, her expression as lifeless as if she were dead. Even she now showed a glimmer of life—a remarkable morale boost.

Better than any bitter tonic.

After all, misery loves company. When you’re the only one suffering, it’s unbearable. But when everyone is in the same boat, and you realize there are those even worse off than you, suddenly, everything feels a little lighter.

Because the Imperial Noble Consort’s dignity was far above theirs, wasn’t it?

---

In Yonghe Palace,

Su Yi watched as palace servants bustled in and out, carrying blocks of ice, while others swarmed around Kangxi as if they were right at home. Her face was a mix of emotions.

Well, this suddenly made her feel like an unwelcome third wheel.

This whole situation felt like fooling someone twice. Su Yi pondered the likelihood of someone—especially someone like Kangxi, with a mind like a chessboard—actually stumbling into the same pitfall again.

No context whatsoever? So she turned to Liang Jiugong, her eyes questioning.

Liang Jiugong sighed at her. His Majesty had clearly entered in an unusual state, yet this one remained cool as a cucumber.

She appeared concerned, directing people to hurry about their tasks, but it felt like everyone else was scrambling while she remained completely detached. She even had the servants support His Majesty while she herself cradled a plump white cat in her arms, patting it as if it were a child.

His Majesty leaned against the soft couch, massaging his temples, but when his gaze swept over Liang Jiugong, the eunuch truly felt pins and needles down his spine.

Playing interpreter, Liang Jiugong quickly and tactfully recounted the events at Jingren Palace, emphasizing that the scheme had failed.

It was also a subtle way to convey His Majesty’s devotion—his heart belongs only to you, my lady!

As he spoke, Liang Jiugong nearly teared up. If this had been a case of going along with the plot and letting things unfold naturally, it might have been acceptable. But His Majesty, fearing Rong Noble Consort’s misunderstanding, had been utterly vigilant, his heart set solely on Her Ladyship!

Feeling the pressure ease off, Liang Jiugong knew he’d made the right choice in explaining things to the Noble Consort.

Having received the backstory, Su Yi drawled, "Why are you still standing there? Haven't you sent for the imperial physician yet? Are they on their way?"

Having the physician arrive quickly was key to setting the stage. Without summoning one promptly, how could they emphasize the severity of the situation and lay the groundwork for what was to come?

This was called justification.

Liang Jiugong: "..."

Kangxi: "..."

While summoning the imperial physician was indeed the correct move—after all, it was the proper way to show concern for the Emperor’s health—

…you really didn’t consider the usual 'herbal remedy' ploy, did you?

To this, Su Yi naturally had her own reasoning: "At times like these, it’s even more important not to avoid medical treatment. When it comes to ingesting questionable brews, the first thing to do is call a professional."

Calling it ‘taking shortcuts’ is just bullshit.

After all, even potent and harmful medicines depend on who uses them. They just want to climb the social ladder, not to test how deep their nine-family ties really go.

Normally, the slightest ailment would warrant endless fussing, with a wellness check every three days and downing health tonics even when they’re fine. But when something actually happens, suddenly no one calls for a physician? How does that make sense?

Getting poisoned might be embarrassing, but refusing to summon a physician over it? That’s some dime-novel logic right there.

Su Yi wore an anxious expression, chattering about not concealing illnesses for fear of treatment, but her inner monologue was anything but sparse.

Her logic was so airtight it was downright annoying.

Kangxi’s lips twitched uncontrollably, and he couldn’t help but glare at her. This from the woman who gobbles up trashy novels like candy, yet she had the nerve to accuse others of being brainwashed by them.

That’s what you’re focusing on?!

Under his glare, Su Yi suddenly remembered her persona. She put down the round-faced cat, giving it a casual pat to let it amuse itself, then hurried to Kangxi’s side. Resting a hand on his shoulder, leaning in with practiced concern, her voice soft and tender, "Your Majesty, how are you feeling now? Just hold on a little longer—the imperial physician will be here soon."

Her soft voice and doe eyes, filled with Kangxi’s reflection, were so beautiful it was hard not to drown in them.

Even knowing it was an act, he couldn’t let go.

Kangxi pulled her in roughly, his arm tightening around her, pressing her flush against him.

At their master’s slightest motion, the servants, under Liang Jiugong’s watchful eye, slipped away.

They got it—the physician would come, but first, if the Emperor wanted some... alone time with Rong Noble Consort, a servant’s job was to vanish.

The physician could wait. Liang Jiugong, privy to the inside story, wasn’t overly anxious. Honestly, that reckless potion Imperial Noble Consort got from outside—what was the Tong family smoking? And Imperial Noble Consort—wasn’t her title enough for her?

The man’s breath was hot against her neck, scorching to the touch, clinging like a big dog that, even if it couldn’t gulp its treat down, still had to lick it.

Their thin summer robes did little to block the heat radiating off him, a relentless furnace.

Men ran hot by nature, and after restraining himself for days due to her delicate health, even a little teasing just made it worse. The cold medicine he’d taken had him burning up like an oven.

Su Yi couldn’t help but tilt her head slightly, trying to evade, but the man only pursued her relentlessly, refusing to let her escape. Any attempt to pull away only made him more insistent.

His lips skimmed her petal-soft cheeks, nuzzling her face, scattering wet kisses across her skin. His arms, muscles taut under his robes, locked around her waist, while his large, calloused hand cupped the back of her neck, rough fingers tracing delicate skin, sending shivers down her spine.

He buried his face in the faint fragrance unique to her, inhaling deeply like an affectionate pup demanding closeness. His deep, slightly hoarse voice murmured complaints of discomfort by her ear, clearly demanding comfort—otherwise, he wouldn’t settle down.

The pretense of restraint he’d barely maintained earlier was now completely abandoned.

A man who hadn’t seen his wife in days, nor received any soups or care from her, had decided: if the mountain wouldn’t come to him, he’d go to the mountain.

To hell with the imperial physician—he didn’t need one. He just wanted to take a little... shortcut.

But thoughts were just thoughts.

The limited cuddle time soon ended.

Su Yi, feeling overheated, pressed a half-dried, ice-cooled cloth to his face. His robes remained mostly neat, though his chest rose and fell as he struggled to suppress his restlessness. The fabric below his waist wasn’t quite as composed, but he managed to maintain a veneer of dignified composure.

Her face was pink, her cheeks glowing, her big eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her lips, full and red, looked temptingly ripe as she stood before the ice basin, letting the cold air wash over her in an attempt to cool down quickly. After all, she wasn’t offering any aftercare.

Her clothes were mostly intact, though the dragon-patterned scarf was missing, her collar slightly loose, revealing a slender neck and delicate collarbones dotted with faint red marks.

Like red on snow, ink on blank parchment.

Before she could fully savor the cool breeze from her primitive AC substitute—the ice pile—she was pulled away by the man. "Don’t overdo the chill," he warned, adjusting her undone collar and fastening her buttons with precision.

Normally, Su Yi faced no restrictions on her ice usage—not only did she receive her share as an Imperial Noble Consort, but she also drew from Kangxi’s allotment, ensuring an ample supply. Yet placing it too close was strictly forbidden.

This sudden demand for extra ice was merely for show; getting too near was out of the question. With twice the usual amount of ice, Kangxi feared undoing her hard-won recovery. He even considered having an extra layer of clothing added to prevent her catching a chill, which would inevitably lead to another ten days to a fortnight of discomfort—and who would bear the brunt of it? None other than himself.

Before she could properly cool off, her collar was tightly fastened, as if he might as well have dressed her in winter robes. Su Yi decisively refused and retreated into the inner chamber to loosen her garments. As if he didn’t already know how stifling the heat was!

The heartless woman abandoned him and headed inside, tossing back a parting remark: “Aye aye, father dearest.”

Hearing this clearly, Kangxi stiffened, glaring at her retreating figure as if he wanted to drag the impudent minx back for her audacious words.

When the imperial physician finally arrived, he endured the emperor’s piercing “You’d better hurry up” gaze, reminding himself of his physician’s solemn duty.

Taking medicine for a cold when there was nothing wrong—wasn’t that self-inflicted misery?

Going through the motions of taking her pulse was necessary, and the physician, aware of his own intrusion, was eager to finish and leave.

But was the emperor uncommonly restless? Shouldn’t he be more composed? The thought had barely formed when Kangxi’s piercing look froze his thoughts midair. Best not to speculate.

Feigning ignorance proved difficult—traditional Chinese medicine revealed much through pulse readings. As the physician delivered his rehearsed assessment, Kangxi’s expression darkened, and he ordered Liang Jiugong to investigate.

As for this “investigation,” evidence was hardly the point. What mattered was that Kangxi had never meant to take this bait in the first place. Yet the audacity to repeatedly scheme against him was infuriating. Those who owed their status to his favor had grown bold beyond their station.

The emperor, ever the grudge-holder, had never truly let the matter rest. Allowing the Tong family to send another Tongjia into the palace was no kindness, but calculation.

The forthcoming Mulan autumn hunt had always been intended as a purge. Kangxi’s iron grip extended beyond court affairs—his control over the harem was just as firm. An Imperial Noble Consort who forgot her place was simply unfit for the role.

The Tong family’s sole advantage in the harem had been squandered by her own hand.

In the palace, even the stones had ears. When the emperor, originally visiting the ailing Imperial Noble Consort, left in a black mood and headed straight to Yonghe Palace, summoned physicians, and ordered a large delivery of ice—the commotion was impossible to conceal.

To make matters worse, Noble Lady Qing, who had been attending the Imperial Noble Consort, also called for a physician after “accidentally” falling onto shattered porcelain, sustaining a no trifling injury to her face!

Rumors spread that the Imperial Noble Consort’s condition had suddenly worsened. Though the details remained unclear, the sequence of events pointed unmistakably to some blunder on her part that had provoked the emperor’s wrath.

Those quick to connect the dots couldn’t help but sneer at Jingren Palace’s recent arrogance. Overconfident, they must have overplayed their hand.

Perhaps they thought they no longer needed Rong Noble Consort as an ally against the Four Imperial Consorts, viewing her—second only to the Imperial Noble Consort in favor, if not surpassing her—as an inconvenience.

If their scheme had succeeded, things might have been different. But it hadn’t.

True to expectations, the next day, the Imperial Noble Consort was stripped of her authority over the palace under the pretext of recuperation—a thinly veiled demotion. Though not formally confined, she was barred from receiving visitors, effectively cutting off Jingren Palace’s communications.

Palace authority was directly transferred to Rong Noble Consort.

From the Grand Empress Dowager in Cining Palace, there was no reaction to this sudden shift of power from the Imperial Noble Consort to Rong Noble Consort.

Well, not entirely—Cining Palace did send a matron to Jingren Palace. Though no specifics leaked, no one took this as a good sign.

The Imperial Noble Consort, originally merely fatigued rather than truly ill, suffered successive blows over the past two days, draining her spirit. Now, she was genuinely bedridden.

She could scarce muster the concern for Noble Lady Qing, whose injuries from the porcelain shards were severe. Worthless creature—not only failing to detain the emperor but proving her undoing as well.

At the moment, the Emperor is in a rage, and the Imperial Noble Consort is genuinely ill this time—not something that can be recovered from with just a few days of rest. She plans to wait until she feels better and the Emperor’s temper has cooled before seeking an audience with him.

However, what was unexpected was that not only was the Imperial Noble Consort stripped of her authority over the palace, but after a purge of certain individuals, Kangxi’s control over the harem intensified. Information could no longer get through easily, let alone the previous intricate network of connections among the palace ladies, which had been built through relationships with the bondservant clans. Now, everyone was too busy keeping their heads down, afraid of drawing attention.

As a result, the Tong family was caught completely unprepared during court. Kangxi lashed out, and even the faces of the two uncles, Tong Guowei and Tong Guogang, were of no use. A number of Tong family members were humiliated, suffering an unusually heavy blow.

Even the later "Tong Half-Court" relied entirely on the Emperor’s favor and tacit approval. But before they could reach that height of glory, the Tong family was jolted back to reality by a heavy blow. It was clear the Emperor was displeased with them. This time, he didn’t even grant Tong Guowei and the others the chance to enter the palace to seek an audience, investigate the situation, or promptly plead for forgiveness.

The fact that the Imperial Noble Consort was unable to manage palace affairs due to illness was another bad sign. It wasn’t hard to guess what had provoked the Emperor’s wrath.

Even when Tong Guogang and Tong Guowei hurriedly sought an audience with the Emperor, they dared not invoke their status as uncles as they had last time. Yet when the Emperor received them, he made no mention of the Tong family members punished in court or the Imperial Noble Consort in the harem. The real reason could never be openly discussed—the consequences would be even more severe.

The Emperor’s silence meant the matter was not settled. If it wasn’t resolved, it could resurface in his mind at any time, fueling his growing dissatisfaction with the Tong family. Bit by bit, this resentment would accumulate—what future could the Tong family possibly have then? Let alone sustaining their glory for generations.

The Tong family’s current status was entirely due to the Emperor’s favor, granted out of respect for Empress Xiaokangzhang. Without even the shadow of a prince, they had already earned the Emperor’s displeasure. How could they still dream of producing another empress? The Tong family’s overconfidence was finally snapped out of it.

Even Suo'etu had returned. His time in forced retirement had lasted not just two or three months—had it not been for the bondservant incident, who knew how much longer he would have remained in obscurity? Could the Tong family afford such a cold shoulder?

But awareness alone wasn’t enough. Even the wives of the Tong family were denied entry when they tried to visit the ailing Imperial Noble Consort. Messages couldn’t get through, and for now, there was nothing they could do for the Imperial Noble Consort. They could only wait for her to recover—whether she was really sick or just lying low, it had to be treated as the former now.

The reclaimed palace authority was also reorganized. On the surface, Rong Noble Consort took charge, but as the saying goes—

Kangxi wouldn’t dare to simply dump his problems on the Noble Consort without oversight. Anyone could imagine how she would react.

He couldn’t burden her with trouble, but if he handled the aftermath himself, she wouldn’t care—she’d just lash out and slack off.

To maintain control and intensify his grip, Kangxi had to make adjustments.

Previously, with the reins of palace authority firmly in her grasp, the Imperial Noble Consort had wielded considerable power. This was precisely why she had been so meticulous in managing it.

Now, even if the palace authority were to be handed back to her, it would no longer be the same as before. Her authority has been stripped—she may go through the motions, but true control is impossible. The Emperor’s decree does not permit it.

Not to mention, the Imperial Noble Consort no longer has any chance of regaining her former authority.

Inside Jingren Palace,

the atmosphere was unbearably tense.

Already unsettled by the Emperor’s wrath, the palace staff was on edge. With Her Highness, ill and brooding, irritable, the servants suffered greatly.

The Imperial Noble Consort’s scalded skin, initially just reddened and expected to heal within a couple of days with ointment, had stubbornly refused to fade.

Even after the imperial physician examined it and prescribed a new ointment, there was little improvement. Fortunately, it was merely redness without further complications, and in her illness, the Imperial Noble Consort had little patience to dwell on such a trivial matter.

Her entire mind was consumed by worry over the loss of authority and the Emperor’s displeasure. Overwhelmed by anxiety, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep well. After several days, she looked gaunt and worn.

Noble Lady Qing, barely recovered from her injuries and not yet fully healed, insisted on coming to attend to the Imperial Noble Consort’s illness. Though the Imperial Noble Consort was in no mood for Noble Lady Qing’s hovering at such a time, the latter was ruthless enough.

First, she expressed shame for her own uselessness in failing to assist her elder sister, the Imperial Noble Consort, and for failing her family’s hopes. Now, she only wished to serve Her Highness in her illness, praying for her swift recovery so that she might rise again.

Her impassioned speech about not betraying familial expectations resonated deeply. Moreover, Noble Lady Qing had suffered greatly in this incident—even the unhealed gash on her forehead was a testament to her plight. The Emperor’s anger had been provoked by the scheme, and she had borne the brunt of his displeasure. It was unlikely Noble Lady Qing had betrayed the Imperial Noble Consort, given how severely she had been injured. If her face or body were to scar, the consequences would be dire.

Thus, even if the Imperial Noble Consort disliked Noble Lady Qing, she could not afford to alienate her now. Instead, the sisters had to stand together in solidarity.

She needed to recover quickly. Moreover, though the Emperor had ordered her to "rest" and barred others from disturbing her, he had not forbidden Noble Lady Qing from attending to her. Noble Lady Qing could still move about outside—total isolation was impossible. They couldn’t afford to be completely clueless about the shifting tides of the harem!

With all these considerations, Noble Lady Qing naturally succeeded in staying to "attend" to the Imperial Noble Consort’s illness.

After all, if she hadn’t gone to such extremes—deliberately throwing herself onto shattered porcelain and injuring herself—she wouldn’t have been able to dispel the Imperial Noble Consort’s suspicion that she had spoken ill of her before the Emperor.

If she hadn’t made herself appear "pitiable," how could the Imperial Noble Consort’s heart have been soothed? How could she have let the Emperor’s wrath fall on her alone while the supposed instigator—herself—emerged unscathed?

Noble Lady Qing was determined to "serve" her elder sister, the Imperial Noble Consort, well indeed.