Madam Tong's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to retort, but the butler's voice came from the doorway, and she immediately turned off the fire.

But Tong Guowei's words, "outsider," broke her heart.

Who has she been working for all these years?

In the end, she was relegated to the status of an outsider. If it weren't for her position as a Fujin (a high-ranking official's wife), Tong Guowei might have sent her directly back to her maternal clan.

I felt resentful, but I was powerless to do anything about it.

"Bring them in!"

Tong Guowei had already guessed what was going on, but he hadn't acted because he was wondering if the Emperor would give the Tong family a last bit of face.

Whether the former "cautious" character can be removed, and whether the Tongjia clan can rise again, depends on this.

"This servant greets Lord Tong!"

Li Dequan bowed slightly. He was the Emperor's man, while Tong Guowei was now a commoner and no longer had the authority to make him kneel.

"Eunuch Li, what did the Emperor say?"

Tong Guowei didn't care about Li Dequan's changes; the Tong family mansion of today was no longer the same as before.

This is such a small matter that he doesn't even need to worry about it.

"Lord Tong, His Majesty has decreed that Consort Tong be buried with the honors befitting an Imperial Noble Consort. The Imperial Household Department should prepare the necessary items, and the grand burial will take place in three days."

Tong Guowei breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the Imperial Noble Consort was not posthumously honored as Empress like the previous one, her rank was still the highest possible.

"What? Three days? Does the Imperial Household Department really need to prepare for that long?"

Three days, which means her daughter will be staying at the Tong residence for three days.

Madam Tong's face was very unpleasant, and her tone revealed a great deal of dissatisfaction.

Li Dequan frowned but did not speak, nor did he even glance at Madam Tong.

Tong Guowei's face immediately turned ugly. He suppressed the urge to curse and forced himself to say, "Eunuch Li, my wife is so heartbroken that she has become somewhat dazed. Please do not let her mad words offend His Majesty's ears."

Madam Tong regretted her words immediately after speaking; she had simply been too hasty.

Looking at Tong Guowei with trepidation, she immediately regretted her impulsive actions, remembering what she had said earlier.

Seeing that Li Dequan wanted to explain, but before he could speak, he heard, "This servant will return to the palace to serve His Majesty first. This servant will not say anything more about the matters of the mansion."

Li Dequan said this, and after the court session, he recounted everything that had happened at the Tong residence in detail.

He's the Emperor's man, and the Tong family's secret guards haven't been withdrawn. If the Emperor finds out he's two-faced, he'll surely be executed by slow slicing.

Besides, that Madam Tong just needs to be taught a lesson.

Longkodo developed his arrogant personality because of her pampering, and it's unexpected that he still hasn't repented.

Anyone with a modicum of sense would understand the Emperor's meaning, but she acted like a fool.

I really don't know why Tong Guowei chose such a wife. She was not only stupid but also couldn't control her mouth.

"Oh!"

After hearing Li Dequan's report, Kangxi chuckled lightly, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

After bathing and offering incense, and changing into new court robes, Kangxi went to Qingxi Palace.

"Jiaojiao, are you ready?"

As Kangxi entered, he saw a woman sitting in front of her dressing table, dressed in a bright yellow court robe, with a smile on her face.

"Okay! Alright, shall we set off?"

He stood up unsteadily, and it took him a while to get used to it before he could walk steadily.

"The time has come; now is the perfect time to go."

In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, it was still Emperor Kangxi who helped Harigana slowly ascend to the high position.

Among the courtiers below were some veteran officials, some newcomers, and finally, family members and envoys, such as Seingiya, who were specially permitted to enter the palace.

Li Dequan read out the imperial edict, and all the officials paid homage. The cries of "Long live the Empress!" echoed throughout the entire palace.

Consort Hui and Consort Rong stood together, along with Consort Yi, who had been released earlier.

The two people at the head of the table had different thoughts.

Consort Hui no longer wanted to struggle; her greatest wish was for her son to have a good future.

Consort Yi's eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment. Although it was only for a moment, it was still seen by a eunuch not far away.

Remembering Li Dequan's instructions, he quickly lowered his eyes and pretended not to have seen anything.

Consort Rong remained calm and composed as she knelt and bowed to the two people above her, her demeanor respectful and without any sign of impropriety.

After the ceremony, Harigana went directly to the Qianqing Palace and, just like last time, changed into a bright red phoenix robe in Kangxi's bedroom.

"Your Majesty, what do you think?"

Dulan had been carrying a small cloth bag mysteriously since early morning, holding it tightly wherever she went.

Harigana thought they were some food, but she never expected them to be her sunflowers.

"Princess, let me put this on for you!"

The bright red sunflower was the one she said she would never have the chance to wear when she stood on the hill.

Now, only a year has passed, and she has become the Empress, able to stand openly beside Emperor Kangxi and wear the red robes that only the Empress's wife could wear.

"Okay! Thank you, my little Dulan!"

When Kangxi came in after changing his clothes in the side hall, he saw Dulan putting a sunflower on her, the same one he had worn when he first saw Harigana.

"Jiaojiao, you look beautiful."

Standing beside her, seeing that things were almost done, he waved for everyone to leave.

"What's wrong?"

Harigana turned around, and Kangxi squatted down at her feet, helping her straighten her clothes: "Tongjia Clan, go!"

"What?"

She was somewhat bewildered after hearing Kangxi's words.

Although the imperial physician had previously said it would shorten lifespan, he hadn't predicted it would happen so quickly.

"When did this happen? Why are you only telling me now?"

“Jiaojiao, the guards said that she caught a cold and secretly poured out the medicine that the physician had prescribed for her. She did it on her own.”

Harigana calmed down after a while; she was just a little dazed when she suddenly heard the news.

In her past life, when she was hospitalized, she saw people from two or three years old to those who passed away in their eighties or nineties.

There are people in the hospital almost every day. At first, she felt uncomfortable, but later, she became numb.

There will still be sadness, but what will outweigh the sadness is the regret.

Although she had recovered, she still looked conflicted.

"Xuan Ye, then, how about this for today, I—"

She wouldn't say those few words, "Wouldn't that be bad?"

What's wrong with that? It's not like she was the one who made Tongjia die.

People who bring disaster upon themselves have nothing to pity.

She said this simply to show Emperor Kangxi how magnanimous she was.

As for the rest, she had no thoughts.

"Jiaojiao, today is your big day. I've already had someone take care of it."

Don't overthink it, it's none of your business.

I'm telling you this so you're aware of the situation. Although it's been dealt with, I'm worried you might not be able to handle it if word gets out.

Kangxi didn't intend to tell her now, thinking he would tell her after the banquet ceremony that evening.

However, there are many people and many eyes at the palace banquet, and if someone mentions Tongjia's affairs, she might not be able to sort things out.