Seeing that she couldn't stop her, Consort Yi simply stopped talking, lest she arouse Consort De's suspicion by saying too much.

Hui Rong, supporting Consort De's hand, led her to Liang Jiugong's room. The eunuchs on duty at the Qianqing Palace lived in the side rooms behind the palace. The palace maids lived on the other side, separate from the eunuchs.

In the dead of night, when Liang Jiugong fell, none of the other eunuchs dared not get up to serve him. He was the top eunuch here, and naturally, many people fawned over him.

When Consort De and her maid arrived, there were four or five eunuchs waiting at the door, all standing in the darkness with their sleeves tucked in.

"This servant greets Her Highness Consort De!" After recognizing the person who had arrived, the young eunuchs hurriedly rushed to bow and pay their respects, their hearts filled with even greater awe for this nearly sixty-year-old eunuch.

"How is Eunuch Liang? Has the imperial physician been summoned to examine him?" Consort De asked sternly.

"Your Majesty, the master refuses to call the imperial physician, but this servant thinks he'll be bedridden for a while; he's broken his bone," one of the more astute eunuchs quickly replied.

"Go to the Imperial Physician's Office and immediately summon an imperial physician!" Consort De said.

"Yes, sir!" The little eunuch immediately scurried off into the darkness, inwardly admiring Liang Jiugong to the core. To be able to get Consort De to come and even summon the imperial physician for him.

Consort De entered the room and saw Liang Jiugong lying on his bed, with a young eunuch pouring water for him beside the bed.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant is but a lowly being, how could I trouble Your Majesty!" As soon as Liang Jiugong saw that Consort De had indeed walked to the bedside, he immediately struggled to get up and pay his respects.

"Lie down quickly. You're injured like this, why haven't you gone to call the imperial physician to examine you?" Consort De immediately gestured for Liang Jiugong not to move. A quick-thinking eunuch brought Consort De a round stool. Consort De sat down at the head of Liang Jiugong's bed and inquired about his condition.

"Eunuch Liang, how did you fall?" Consort De asked, frowning. With Emperor Kangxi in such a state, Liang Jiugong was his most trusted and capable eunuch. Now that he had broken his leg, what could be done? If Emperor Kangxi woke up and tried to find him, he might not be able to, and would have to ask another eunuch to take his place. But who could replace Liang Jiugong?

“Alas, there’s a flight of stairs on the path I usually take, and I always use that route. But today, when I was walking down it, the bottom step was missing. I wasn’t expecting it, and I fell down,” Liang Jiugong said.

"Was that stone there during the day today?" Consort De pondered.

“Yes, this old servant lives with the Emperor every day and runs around here several times, so I didn’t bring a lantern at night, but I didn’t expect…” Liang Jiugong sighed.

"But it was taken away?" Consort De found it strange. The stepping stones that were there during the day had disappeared at night.

"Does Your Highness suspect that someone did it on purpose?" Liang Jiugong's expression also changed. He had only thought that some careless eunuch had moved the stone, but he had never considered that someone had done it on purpose.

"I only suspect that someone might suddenly move a stone, and you just happened to fall," Consort De said warily. Recalling the strange behavior of Consort Yi and her maid near the Emperor's throne, she continued, "Your Excellency, I just went to see the Emperor and saw Consort Yi and her maid standing by the Emperor's desk, with a round stool placed on the throne. They said they were catching rats!"

Liang Jiugong was startled, a few surprised glances flashing in his eyes. There were some things he couldn't say casually, but now that the lady was acting so strangely, could it be...?

Seeing that Liang Jiugong seemed hesitant to speak, Consort De asked, "What do you think, Eunuch?"

"Perhaps it really is about catching rats." Liang Jiugong dared not reveal the matter that Kangxi had instructed him to do, because that matter concerned the future of the nation, and besides, Consort Yi probably didn't know, so he absolutely could not say it first.

"Then we should thoroughly investigate the matter of the eunuch's fall." Seeing his words, Consort De no longer suspected anything.

“It was pitch black, and this old servant couldn’t see anything. I’m afraid it’s difficult to find out anything. Your Majesty, this old servant is fine. It’s just that I can’t serve the Emperor for a while. Please bear with me,” Liang Jiugong said.

"You don't need to worry about that. I go back to check on him every day. The Emperor might wake up soon," said Consort De.

Meanwhile, Consort Yi and her servants dared not peek under the plaque of "Upright and Bright," for the sky was already beginning to lighten, and the servants of the Qianqing Palace had already begun to rise.

Consort Yi was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open; she had no mind to do anything so dangerous. She dozed off in the chair by Kangxi's bedside.

The imperial physician arrived and examined Liang Jiugong's injuries. Fortunately, it was just a minor fracture. He was put on a splint and would only need to stay in bed for ten to fifteen days.

Consort De was relieved and went back, but she still asked the eunuchs around Liang Jiugong to take good care of the old eunuch.

After Consort De left, Liang Jiugong began to wonder what Consort Yi was doing in front of the Emperor's desk. If she knew and really wanted to see the imperial edict, that would be absolutely unacceptable.

“Little **!” Liang Jiugong called out.

"Yes, disciple is here. Master, why aren't you asleep yet?" A little eunuch nimbly ran in from the doorway and said. It was indeed the same little eunuch who had answered Consort De's question at the door.

"Today, go wait at the Hall of Preserving Harmony. When you see Prince Yong, tell him that you must come over. Tell him I have something to say to him." Liang Jiugong didn't care about anything else. He was thinking that someone was starting to covet that imperial edict. What he couldn't tell Consort De earlier was that he was considering the matter between the Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince.

"Yes. Your disciple will definitely invite Prince Yong to come for you. You should lie down quickly, your disciple will bring you breakfast in a little while." Xiao Runzi said attentively as he tucked the blanket around Liang Jiugong.

"Yes. Little Runzi, do a good job, and I will mentor you," Liang Jiugong said. He himself was indeed getting old and couldn't do as much as he used to, and this Little Runzi was one of his more capable subordinates.

"Thank you, Master. I have been working hard, and I would be content if I could be even one ten-thousandth as good as you." Xiao Runzi's words were so sweet they were like honey, but they were still pleasant to hear.

As the first rays of dawn shone upon the magnificent palace, the eunuchs responsible for sweeping and watering began their work.

Liang Jiugong closed his eyes heavily; he was too tired and needed to rest for a while.

Kangxi opened his eyes in the morning light and turned his head to see Consort Yi sleeping on the edge of his bed.

"emperor!"

Ruixin mustered her strength and saw that Kangxi had opened his eyes, and exclaimed in surprise.

Kangxi gave a slightly tired smile, as if celebrating his survival.