"Jiaojiao!"

After Kangxi released Harigana and tidied her hair, he produced a handkerchief from somewhere, inside which was a white jade hairpin.

"Jiaojiao, this is my New Year's gift for you!"

Harigana took it; the workmanship was very simple, and he couldn't see anything special about it!

Kangxi smiled; he knew she would have that expression.

"Jiaojiao, I made this myself. I ruined several of them before finally getting this finished product. I originally wanted to make a phoenix, but I'm too clumsy to do it."

After speaking, he looked at Harigana somewhat nervously, wondering if she would like it, since apart from the fact that the jade was of good quality, there was really nothing special about it!

Harigana said that Kangxi had been so busy lately, returning home much later than usual, and had small cuts on his hands. So that's what he was doing!

She looked at him with red eyes, pouted, and wanted to throw herself into his arms, but then she thought about how big her belly was and gave up the idea.

"Xuan Ye, hug me!"

He raised the hand holding the hairpin, watching her finish her tearful, aggrieved speech, and waited for him to come and hug her.

Kangxi immediately pulled her into his arms, rested his chin on the top of her head, and gently patted her back.

"Xuan Ye, I love it! I've never received such a thoughtful gift before! But please don't make them again. Your hands are covered in wounds. What would I do if something went wrong?"

Harigana was quite moved. For an emperor of a great nation to create something like this, he truly put his heart into it!

But we shouldn't give her that kind of emotional response in the future. If something really goes wrong someday, she'll be the one to blame.

Ancient times are not like modern times; if she caught tetanus, she would probably be buried with it.

"Okay! I'll listen to Jiaojiao!"

When the two went to sleep, midnight had already passed. Harigana was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open, and Kangxi had to carry him back to the inner palace.

Looking at the woman clutching the jade hairpin tightly in her hand, he felt that all his efforts over the past long period of time had been worthwhile.

"Jiaojiao! May you live a peaceful life and grow old with me." After saying this, Kangxi gently kissed the corner of her lips, took off the hairpin and put it away before holding her to rest.

The next day, when Harigana woke up, Kangxi was still asleep. He had been under immense stress lately. Now that he could finally rest, and with Harigana by his side, he completely relaxed!

Looking at the man sleeping unsuspectingly beside her, Harigana sat up, reached out and touched the tip of his nose without waking him.

Being the ruler of a country is really not easy, and Harigana doesn't know why so many people want to be emperor.

But if you think about it the other way around, once you have power, whether it's money or beautiful women, you can have them or take them whenever you want.

To say that Harigana had no affection for Emperor Kangxi at all would be a complete lie.

If you've known each other for half a year and you don't have any feelings for her at all, then she's not heartless, she's heartless.

But she also knew that even if she liked someone, she couldn't really get too deeply involved, because the person she loved most was herself. Only by loving herself, and loving herself even more, could she avoid utter defeat in the future.

Harigana lay back down on the bed, gently placing her hand on his waist, and murmured softly, "May everything go smoothly in the future!"

As she lay there, she drifted off to sleep again.

What Harigana didn't know was that Kangxi had already woken up when she sat up. He wanted to open his eyes, but when he sensed her movement, he didn't. Unexpectedly, he heard her soft murmur.

Once he was sure she was asleep, Kangxi didn't get up. He simply turned to his side, held her, and fell asleep with her.

However, before falling asleep, Kangxi was still thinking about when Harigana would give birth to the child in her belly. It wasn't for any other reason than that when he held her, it was too uncomfortable to be pressed against by her belly!

"I'll only have this one child, and I won't have any more!"

Kangxi's murmurs were known only to himself; no one else heard them.

Cining Palace.

"Your Majesty, please rest for a while. Although it is the first day of the month, it is only three-quarters past dawn. Even Your Majesty the Empress Dowager would not disturb you so early!"

Su Ma La Gu helped the Empress Dowager sit up. Looking at the still dark sky outside, she wanted to offer some advice.

"It's alright! I'm getting old, and I can't sleep! It just so happens to be the first day of the month. I'll go to the small Buddhist hall first, and you can call me when they arrive!"

The Empress Dowager, dressed in her finest attire, went to the small Buddhist hall without having eaten. Su Ma La Gu was worried, but there was nothing she could do.

It seems the Empress Dowager misses the late Emperor. How could she forget her child on such a special day?

So Sumalagu didn't try to persuade her anymore, but just looked at her with some concern.

In the past, the Empress Dowager would occasionally go to the small Buddhist hall to kneel and worship, but this was truly the first time she had entered the small Buddhist hall on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

When the Empress Dowager arrived with a group of concubines, the Grand Empress Dowager had just stood up. She had been kneeling for a while, so she staggered.

"Empress Dowager!"

Su Ma La Gu stepped forward to support her, her face full of worry. Normally, she would have directly summoned the imperial physician, but today was the first day of the month, and if she summoned the imperial physician, she didn't know what kind of rumors would circulate.

"It's nothing!"

After resting for a while until she regained some strength in her legs, Bumbutai returned to the front hall with the help of Sumalagu.

Looking at the room full of concubines, but not at the woman from the Borchijin tribe, he was still a little angry, even though he had been prepared.

"Rise, all of you! From today onwards, you are all a year older, so you must serve the Emperor well," Bumbutai wanted to say, urging him not to be jealous or quarrelsome. These were words she often uttered in the past few years, but today she couldn't say them!

"You must strictly abide by the palace rules, understand?"

Bumbutai felt that this New Year was the most difficult one she had ever experienced in her life, because of that Harigana, she couldn't even utter a word of admonition!

"Yes! Your Majesty, I obey!"

They had just stood up when they heard: "The Emperor has arrived! The Imperial Concubine has arrived!"

The curtain was lifted, and the first to enter was actually Harigana. Moreover, after the two of them came in, it was the Emperor who helped the Imperial Concubine take off her outer cloak!

Everyone looked at the Imperial Concubine again, only to find her completely composed. Clearly, this kind of thing must have happened many times before, behind their backs!

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, and Your Highness the Imperial Concubine!"

Kangxi led Harigana inside, not looking at the people kneeling on the ground. Only when he stood in front of the Empress Dowager did he say his first words: "Grandson greets His Majesty!"

Harigana never expected to cause trouble for this old woman on the first day of the Lunar New Year, so he quickly followed Kangxi and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager!"

The Empress Dowager nearly choked on her breath, gritted her teeth, and waved her hand, telling them to stand up.