Chapter 23 Warning

When an emperor is enraged, millions will die.

"The weather is lovely today, no snow, no wind. Before His Majesty went out, he said he would wait for you to wake up and go for a walk." Runxi dressed her in brand new clothes, bright red, with a fox fur collar around her cheeks, which made her look even more gentle and beautiful.

"Then let's go for a walk in a bit."

After a good breakfast, Chen Guanxue felt warm all over and was in a great mood.

As she left, Granny Cha Na supported her arm, Runxi followed beside her, and Chen Guanxue also supported her waist with her hand. When she looked down, she saw the gold thread embroidery on the red dress. She could imagine how eye-catching the dress was without even looking in a mirror.

Being eye-catching is a good thing; she likes to be high-profile.

Miss Chen from the Qianqing Palace has gone to the Imperial Garden!

Chen Guanxue's presence could not be concealed when she returned to the palace yesterday, but because of the long journey, she rested as soon as she arrived at the palace and no one saw her.

She voluntarily left the Qianqing Palace, and the news spread to all the palaces faster than a bird could fly.

Among them, Consort Tong was the least in a hurry. Emperor Kangxi had told her long ago that Chen Guanxue's temperament was neither particularly good nor bad. As long as one did not go against her, she was an exceptionally good person.

Consort Tong had some doubts about the veracity of these words, but she was willing to believe them to some extent.

Others, however, couldn't resist the urge and went to the Imperial Garden in twos and threes to "admire the flowers."

Chen Guanxue is now six months pregnant. Her body is heavy, and she is lazy and doesn't like to move around. It's winter and the snow has made the blue bricks very slippery. Without her having to ask, a warm sedan chair is waiting for her as soon as she steps out the door.

Runxi kept talking the whole way, afraid that she would be bored. He started by talking about which area of ​​the Imperial Garden had the most plum blossoms, and later, when they passed the inner palace, he started talking about which palace it was and how many concubines lived there.

Chen Guanxue listened with great interest, feeling that Runxi truly had a talent for storytelling. Even though she knew the personalities of these people more than twenty years later, her understanding of them was refreshed at this moment.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Garden, Runxi showed no intention of telling the eunuchs carrying her sedan chair to stop.

She said that the roads in the Imperial Garden were slippery, and with the artificial hills and trees blocking the way, someone might accidentally bump into them. It would be better to sit in the sedan chair, which was warm and comfortable.

"Stop here."

Upon reaching the attic, Chen Guanxue told them to stop, and Granny Chana carefully helped her across the slippery surface.

Chana was sent to take care of her when she first entered the palace. She was quite old and very strong. She didn't go with her when she went to Dzungar Khanate because of the long journey. Now that she has returned to the palace, Chana has come in handy.

The attic had two floors, but Chen Guanxue didn't go up. It was cold today, and a little wind up there would sting her face.

The soft chair was covered with fox fur, and the small table beside her was laden with hot tea, snacks, and candied fruits—all her favorite foods.

Slumped lazily in the chair, gazing at the red plum blossoms and white snow outside, she exuded a certain elegance.

Before she transmigrated, she disliked the red plum blossoms in winter, feeling that adding color to the bleak white world only made it more desolate. It was only after Emperor Kangxi forcibly confined her to the attic that she learned to appreciate these aloof flowers.

Not to mention, if Emperor Kangxi were standing beside her now, he would be incredibly surprised to hear her praising these plum blossoms.

Chen Guanxue's smiling face was also seen by several concubines who followed closely behind.

Even in winter, the concubines still wore flowerpot shoes, which made a constant clattering sound as they walked, and because their steps were light and rhythmic, they sounded like a beautiful melody.

Chen Guanxue turned her head to look. She recognized the people walking in front as Consort Yi. The people walking alongside her were all dressed in fine materials and were not young. She also recognized them as Consort De, Consort Hui, and Consort Rong.

There's no need to keep the large group of people behind them in mind; few of them will rise to the top, and even if there are still decades to come, they probably won't have anything to say about it.

"Greetings, Your Highnesses." Granny Chana and Runxi and the others curtsied. Chen Guanxue remained seated. When the kind-hearted Consort De told them to stand up, she even took a sip of tea in a good mood.

Consort Yi knew that this person would not bow to them, so she did not show any unpleasant expression. The others, however, were more or less frowning and pursing their lips.

Having lived in the palace for so many years, they knew Kangxi's temperament well. If they were to offend him, they and their families might suffer. So they didn't say anything, but instead sat down and took the opportunity to observe him closely while drinking tea.

The news of her pregnancy had already spread throughout the palace, and today, looking at her belly, it was clear that she was quite far along and the pregnancy was already stable.

Chen Guanxue's clothes were made by the Imperial Household Department, and the fabric was also a tribute. The embroidery on them was incredibly intricate and exquisite.

That would have been fine, but the particular color was eye-catching red. In previous years, some of them would have worn this color, but this year, she had all the colors in her hands, so it was inevitable that someone would lose their temper and speak out.

"Miss Chen must have had a long and arduous journey accompanying His Majesty to Jungar." This was Consort Wang, who had several children and was a favorite of Chen Guanxue before she appeared.

"It wasn't too hard, just tiring." Chen Guanxue wanted to talk to them a bit more, since their roundabout way of speaking was quite interesting. However, Emperor Kangxi was about to finish court, and given his personality, if he saw this scene, he would really think they were bullying her. "Do any of you ladies have something to discuss with me?"

She smiled kindly, but that smile made them all instinctively wary.

"There are countless women in this harem, coming and going in waves. Some leave nothing behind, while others rise to high positions." She didn't want them to suffer, as it would only give Kangxi a headache. "I am a person without a maternal clan, so I don't think I have anything to do with the empresses. You all know that some hardships cannot be endured by oneself, right?"

As she said this, she glanced at Consort Yi and Consort Hui, seemingly unintentionally. Whether they were truly docile or just pretending, they had at least concealed their hostility.

Some of them wanted to speak, but upon hearing the sound of the whip, they obediently stood up.

Emperor Kangxi emerged from the plum grove with a smile on his face. He was still wearing his court robes, and Consort Tong followed behind him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The room was filled with the soft, sweet voices of women, which made Chen Guanxue feel weak all over. However, Kangxi remained unmoved. After observing her relaxed demeanor, he told everyone to stand up.

"What a coincidence that you've all come here to admire the plum blossoms." Kangxi sat down next to Chen Guanxue, took her hand in his palm, and said casually.

Everyone hesitated, none daring to tell a lie, nor daring to tell the truth.

Consort Tong sighed inwardly, finally taking the lead. "We had never seen Miss Chen before she entered the palace. Today the weather is nice, so we thought Miss Chen would come out for a walk, so we came to try our luck."

“Then you’re lucky. She’s never liked going out.” Kangxi knew their temperament. Chen Guanxue was also credited for preventing them from causing a scene and getting caught red-handed. “She brought back some jewelry from the Dzungar Khanate. It’s almost the New Year, so it’s not too late to have the Imperial Household Department make you a new batch of jewelry.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

They all benefited, even if it was just jewelry, it was enough to put their minds at ease.

With Kangxi and Chen Guanxue gone, it was hard for them to sit there alone.

"His Majesty is clearly going to protect her. Don't even think about causing any trouble. Just live your life the way it was before, and live it the way it was in the future." Consort Tong had no choice but to appease them.

Today she is on equal footing with the four concubines, and in a couple of days she will be a Noble Consort. Judging from Kangxi's appearance, she hasn't even gotten her hands on that piece of meat yet. Who knows when she will be able to enter the harem? That's when the real headache will begin.

"Sister Tong is quite open-minded."

Regardless of who said it, Consort Tong did warn, "The Emperor's heart is unpredictable; don't provoke his wrath."

When an emperor is enraged, millions will die...

[Author's Note]

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