Liang Jiugong's words had two meanings. First, he could arrange for someone to go to Yongshou Palace to get the food whenever Kangxi wanted it. Second, he was telling Kangxi that he could just give the word whenever he wanted to eat it, and they would go to Yongshou Palace to get it, since it was nearby.

"Well then, let's see what snacks are prepared. Bring some over. Call her in too, to have dinner with me." Kangxi continued reading his book without looking up.

"Yes, this servant will go and invite Consort Suo Zhuolun over immediately."

Liang Jiugong withdrew and breathed a sigh of relief; he had passed this hurdle.

On the other side, Wanyi was idly brewing tea, with several palace maids and the head maid watching her. Wei Zhu was also waiting. Wanyi would secretly add a drop of spiritual spring water to her tea, so they could never learn it. The tea she was brewing now contained a loyalty pill hidden in her sleeve.

"Eunuch Wei and Granny Lan, please have a taste." Wanyi poured two cups of tea, Lu'an Melon Seed tea, and gestured for them to come and drink.

"My lady, this is unacceptable!"

Granny Qiulan seemed terrified; she dared not! She was afraid that Wanyi would find an excuse to punish her. As servants of the Yangxin Hall, they were naturally very vigilant.

"Don't worry! I was just bored, so I gave it to you two to warm yourselves up." Wanyi could see Lan Mama's concerns.

"Thank you, Consort Xie."

Seeing Wan Yi's determination, Wei Zhu knew there was no way to escape. They had already secretly invited Consort Suo Zhuolun, so what was there to fear about such a small crime? So she happily accepted the tea and took small sips, wanting to see what the tea praised by His Majesty tasted like. If she was lucky enough to taste it, she would die for it.

When Granny Lan saw Wei Zhu pick up the cup to drink, she had no choice but to follow suit. The tea was fragrant and delicious, and she wanted another cup after finishing one. This was the best Lu'an Melon Seed tea she had ever tasted. No wonder Liang Jiugong was willing to risk his life to invite this young lady Suo Zhuolun to brew tea for her. It was so delicious. Granny Lan, who had been expressionless, now looked at Wanyi with burning eyes.

"Want more? Here, fill your cups up. You won't get any next time you want some." Wanyi proudly filled Wei Zhu's and Lan Mama's cups.

"This is the best tea I've ever tasted. All the tea brewed by the palace maids in the entire tea room is not even a tenth as good as yours!"

Granny Lan praised her sincerely. She was a tea lover, and if Wanyi weren't an imperial concubine, she might have gone to great lengths to bring her to the tea room. She was practically the perfect successor! It's a pity she's the Emperor's woman.

"This servant greets Consort Suo Zhuolun!"

At this moment, Liang Jiugong walked in and knelt before Wanyi. Normally, Liang Jiugong would bow to concubines, but he would only kneel before the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Grand Empress Dowager. He would always perform the "Qianqiu" salute to concubines.

"Eunuch Liang, there's no need for such a grand ceremony. May I return now?"

Wanyi was a little excited. She wanted to go back and eat some delicious snacks, and then wait for dinner.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed me to send someone to Yongshou Palace to fetch some pastries. I wonder if Your Highness has any fresh pastries prepared?"

Liang Jiugong asked Wanyi somewhat nervously, afraid that she would say she didn't have any prepared, and that she would have to make it on the spot, which would take half an hour!

"Yes, you and Hongxiu, who is by my side, can go and get it!" Wanyi was startled when she saw Liang Jiugong bowing deeply. She thought it was something serious.

"Consort Xie, Wei Zhu, please go and fetch some snacks with Miss Hongxiu. Be quick." Liang Jiugong hurriedly instructed Wei Zhu to go.

"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant takes his leave!" Wei Zhu acknowledged Liang Jiugong's words, and did not forget to bow to Wanyi.

"Consort, His Majesty requests your presence here for dinner," Liang Jiugong said to Wanyi as Wei Zhu left.

"Please lead the way, Eunuch Liang." Wanyi resignedly followed Liang Jiugong into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"This concubine Ulanara is also stupid. How long do you think she can stay in the favor? She dares to compare herself with me."

When Consort Tong heard after lunch that Emperor Kangxi had summoned Consort Ulanara to accompany him again, she was furious. Now, seeing her confined to her quarters, she was very gloating.

"Your Highness is a concubine, while Ulanara is just a minor concubine. What makes her compare to Your Highness? In this harem, no one can compare to Your Highness." Ningdong looked at the happy Consort Tong and showered her with compliments as if they were free, making Consort Tong feel quite flattered.

"My greatest enemy now is Niohuru. As long as I bring her down, the position of Empress will surely be mine."

Consort Tong imagined herself in her phoenix robe, with a crowd kneeling before her, chanting "Long live the Empress!" A smug smile appeared on her face.

"Your Majesty, you are the Emperor's cousin. What is Consort Zhao compared to her? She has a stain on her reputation; she is the daughter of the traitor Ao Bai. Although it's acknowledged, it's still true!" Ning Dong praised Consort Tong while putting down Consort Tong.

"You have such a sweet tongue. Once I become Empress, you will be the head maid of Kunning Palace." Consort Tong was pleased to hear this and readily made the promise, thinking it would be convenient to use Ning Dong.

"Thank you for your promotion, Your Highness." Ning Dong was overjoyed and gave Consort Tong a deep curtsy.

"Little Bamboo, how was it? Who did the Emperor summon to his bedchamber tonight?" Consort Tong asked anxiously as Little Bamboo returned from gathering information.

"Your Majesty, half an hour ago, Eunuch Wei went to the East Annex of Yongshou Palace to fetch Consort Suo Zhuolun to the Yangxin Hall. The Emperor has not yet chosen a consort, so it seems that Consort Suo Zhuolun will be serving him tonight."

As Xiao Zhu spoke, she kept an eye on Tong Fei's expression. The more she looked, the more her heart pounded. She carefully finished delivering the message, trying her best to minimize her presence, wishing she could disappear immediately.

"Suo Zhuolun! I haven't even settled accounts with her yet, and she's already showing up to provoke me. Is she afraid I'll forget about her?"

Consort Tong was referring to the hairpins. She had begged her cousin for a long time but hadn't received them. Yet, that vixen had managed to get them from her cousin with just a few words. If it weren't for dealing with the Wuya clan, she would have already gone to teach Consort Suo Zhuolun a lesson.

“Your Highness, there’s no rush. Consort Suo Zhuolun is in the inner palace; she can’t escape. We’ve been making too many moves lately, and we’re afraid we might be discovered. We can punish her properly when the time is right.” At this moment, Granny Tong stepped forward to advise Consort Tong.

"Can I just stand by and watch that vile woman gloat?" She couldn't swallow this insult.

"Your Majesty! Think of the Empress's position!" Granny Tong immediately pulled out her trump card.

"I know, I'm hungry, hurry up and serve the meal!" Consort Tong kicked the little bamboo in frustration.

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

Meanwhile, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Consort Wan quietly accompanied Emperor Kangxi for dinner. Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi did not call her to serve the dishes, otherwise she would have been drooling with envy. The emperor's food was indeed different; it was not only beautiful but also incredibly delicious.