Kangxi felt relieved when the little girl in his arms quieted down. He turned to look at Lady Tongjia, who was half-kneeling on the ground and bowing, and said, "Get up! What brings you to me?"

Before Harigana could come up with a solution, Kangxi started speaking, leaving her no choice but to give up the opportunity and let him hold her. Since she couldn't test Kangxi anyway, at least she hadn't wasted her time by annoying Tongjia.

At this moment, Lady Tongjia's heart was bleeding. She wished that she was the one who was injured in place of the Emperor, so that she would be the one who was favored!

No matter how she thought about it, the deed was done. And now she couldn't afford to lose her composure, lest she not only become a laughingstock to outsiders, but also to that wretched woman from the Borchijin tribe.

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Tongjia's legs were wobbling. Although it was afternoon, the sun was still scorching, and they hadn't eaten yet. For a moment, she almost lost her balance.

Fortunately, Min'er was perceptive and, seeing Consort Tong's condition, quickly went to support her to prevent her from making a fool of herself.

"Cousin, I'm fine! I was just about to return to my tent when I happened to see His Majesty and Consort Chen, so I came over to pay my respects to His Majesty!"

Tongjia stood up straight, her hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves, but her face remained calm and composed.

Harigana froze upon hearing the word "cousin," and felt a wave of nausea wash over her! Cousin, two people related by blood, were able to get married, and it seemed they later had a child, who unfortunately died young!

"Consort Tong, I have already issued an imperial decree that Consort Chen has rendered meritorious service in saving my life and is hereby promoted to Consort Chen! Do not make any mistakes in the future! Consort Chen and I still have matters to discuss, you may now leave!"

Although Emperor Kangxi was sometimes not very rational in matters concerning Harigana, he was, after all, an emperor, and his mind and brain were sufficient!

Just now, he clearly felt the stiffness in the person in Harigana's arms and the slight movement of wanting to retreat when Tongjia called him cousin.

This reaction gave him a feeling that the goodwill he had painstakingly built up a few days ago had all been in vain because of the current situation, and the girl's heart might have been fortified again!

Therefore, even though he knew it was bad to embarrass Tongjia, and that Tong Guowei would definitely take advantage of his age when he returned, he might even try to cause him trouble.

It was one thing if he didn't have anyone he liked before, but now he has Harigana, and they'll have children together in the future. Is he really going to let Harigana suffer just to live a peaceful life?

He is the emperor! He can use women to maintain order in the court and the harem! But he is also Harigana's husband, and he must ensure his woman's happiness!

Since it was his selfishness that led Harigana into this mess, he has an obligation to protect Harigana's safety.

Most importantly, if he were to compromise because of a member of the Tongjia clan, then he would be an utterly incompetent emperor!

Did the mighty Qing Dynasty truly lack loyal and patriotic talents? If the Manchus weren't enough, then the Mongols would be; and if the Mongols weren't enough, then the Han Chinese would be!

In short, as long as the world belongs to the Aisin Gioro clan, it doesn't matter who their officials are, as long as they can win people over!

Tongjia never expected that Kangxi would call her Consort Tong. Even though she had sent that vile Consort De to the emperor's bed, the emperor had only shown a dark face from beginning to end, and in the end, he still placed the fourth child in her care.

"cousin!"

Tongjia couldn't hold back her tears as she looked at Kangxi, her voice soft but loud enough for everyone present to hear.

Harigana wanted to see how Tongjia looked, since her voice was trembling, and she must be in tears!

But Kangxi had no idea that Harigana was gloating. He felt the movement of the person in his arms and assumed that Harigana hated those two words. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Harigana, and then said in a clear, cold voice, "Consort Tong! I have other matters to attend to! You may leave now!"

Harigana was overjoyed. Kangxi was quite shrewd after all! However, she would likely face many troubles in the future. Not to mention the people in the palace, she would have to be wary of this Tongjia woman as well.

The thought that she could be drugged on the vast grasslands, on her own turf, made her wonder if she would have to be extra careful when she slept in the palace.

Thinking about it this way, Harigana finally understood what Surina had said, and her mood instantly soured! Fortunately, she realized it wasn't too late, and it's not too late for anything.

Harigana was lost in her own thoughts, so she did not hear Kangxi calling her name when Tongjia retreated.

"Jiaojiao! Don't be angry!"

Kangxi whispered an apology in her ear, after all, there were still servants around, and he still had to save face!

Harigana felt an itch in her ear and wanted to touch it, but then she heard Kangxi say, "Jiaojiao, I was wrong, don't be angry!"

"Um!"

Emperor Kangxi thought the young girl would be very angry, but he didn't expect her to forgive him so easily. However, his happiness was only momentary, and he soon realized that Harigana only disliked his concubines, not that she was jealous.

But this dislike was a deep-seated dislike, because in Harigana's heart, he didn't hold a significant place, so even with this kind of thing, she could easily forgive him.

Thinking of this, Kangxi felt he should treat Harigana even better, making sure she only had eyes for him. The young girl was so wonderful; if she truly loved him wholeheartedly, it would be the most beautiful thing in the world!

If Harigana knew what Kangxi would think, he would definitely roll his eyes. And he would absolutely say: "Truly worthy of being descendants of the Aisin Gioro clan, each generation is better than the last!"

Nurhaci's Abahai, Huang Taiji's Hailanzhu, and Shunzhi's Dong'e clan—it's just unknown whether she could become Kangxi's Borchijin clan!

Let's go back!

Harigana's voice was low and somber because he was lost in thought, which made Kangxi feel a little better. He thought that at least Harigana wasn't indifferent; his low voice meant he must be somewhat sad.

"good!"

After hearing that Emperor Kangxi had humiliated Consort Tongjia, Bumbutai became even more worried. Recalling the conversation between the grandmother and granddaughter that day, she realized that Emperor Kangxi had never uttered a single word about Consort Tongjia being named an Imperial Noble Consort.

"Su Ma! I really can't see through Xuan Ye! What exactly is he trying to do?"

Throughout her life, Bumbutai never received any favor from men, so starting with Hesheli, she did everything in her power to prevent Kangxi from becoming deeply involved in romantic relationships.

But to everyone's surprise, after defending against the Hesheli clan and the Tongjia clan, it seems that they have no way to deal with this girl from the Borchijin tribe!