Chapter 113 Sony's Death

Jiang Nan leaned forward slightly, her eyes softened, and she gave a reproachful look that was almost both playful and coquettish.

"Oh dear, dear sister, look at me."

She patted her bulging belly, her brows furrowed, looking pitiful.

"I'm carrying your godson. If you send the Empress away now, won't the palace immediately hold a grand funeral? According to the rules, I, a pregnant concubine, will have to kneel and wail every day, wearing mourning clothes, all while carrying my big belly. It will take several days. Wouldn't that just add to my troubles and make my child suffer?"

She looked at Niohuru, a meaningful smile returning to her face, her voice carrying an undeniable seriousness.

"Sister, please be patient. Once I have safely given birth and completed my postpartum confinement, whatever you wish to do, I will not only not stop you, but I will also lend you a hand. Wouldn't that make things much easier?"

Niohuru was unwilling to accept this. She had planned to start tonight to make Hesheli, who was under house arrest, die without her even realizing it.

But Jiang Nan's words would force her to postpone her planned revenge for half a year, or even longer.

She weighed the options in her mind and knew that refusing now would definitely displease Jiang Nan, which would not only offend him but also cause him trouble.

Jiang Nan may also prevent Jiang Nan from retaliating against Hesheli.

Ultimately, she suppressed her urge to seek immediate revenge, forced a smile, and nodded in response.

“Sister, your consideration is indeed thorough. I was too hasty and lost my composure. In that case, I will wait patiently for a while longer.”

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Jiang Nan dined alone in the Yongshou Palace dining hall.

Emperor Kangxi said he would come yesterday, so I waited for him.

Sure enough, not long after, Liang Jiugong's clear voice could be heard from outside the hall.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

Emperor Kangxi walked in with steady steps and couldn't help but smile when he saw Jiang Nan eating with great relish.

His tone carried a hint of helplessness and indulgence.

"Such a huge turmoil happened in the harem yesterday, only you, Nannan, are so carefree and can eat so heartily."

Jiang Nan raised her head, rolled her eyes without any politeness, and mumbled something while still chewing.

"The Emperor has arrived? Since he's here, sit down and eat. 'One should not speak while eating or sleeping,' don't you understand the rules of our ancestors?"

Emperor Kangxi was momentarily speechless, but he wasn't angry. He simply sat down opposite her.

Liang Jiugong quickly signaled the palace servants to add bowls and chopsticks.

Kangxi picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and couldn't help but bring up the old topic again, his tone slightly inquisitive.

"Nannan, why did you strike the Empress yesterday? I remember you promised me that you would act with discretion. Slapping the Empress is a grave disrespect to the Empress's position."

Jiang Nan swallowed the food in her mouth and waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The Empress wouldn't dare to make a big deal out of being beaten, much less cause a scene at the Hesheli family."

"oh?"

Emperor Kangxi raised an eyebrow.

Are you so sure?

"I'm not stupid, why would I invite trouble upon myself?"

Jiang Nan proudly raised her chin, like a kitten that had stolen a fish.

"I have something on her. I already talked to her before you came to Kunning Palace yesterday. When you arrived, she didn't mention the beating at all, did she?"

Kangxi thought back and realized that the Empress had indeed insisted that Niohuru was the murderer.

He never mentioned being slapped.

He couldn't help but be curious.

"What exactly did you say to her? What made the Empress suffer such a humiliating disgrace and remain silent?"

Jiang Nan couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled yesterday's events, a hint of smugness in her voice.

"It's nothing much. I just acted as a robber, spouted some nonsense, and got her hooked. Anyway, Your Majesty, rest assured, she will never dare to make a fuss, so let's just call it a day."

She clearly didn't intend to go into detail about that robber-like sophistry.

When Kangxi saw that she was unwilling to elaborate, he knew that she had her own methods.

He nodded in relief, stopped asking questions, and quietly began to eat.

For a moment, only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks could be heard inside the hall.

After a moment of silence, Kangxi seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke in a calm tone, delivering a message.

"Nannan, Sony... has passed away."

Jiang Nan paused slightly as she picked up some food, then looked up at Kangxi.

"When did this happen? How come the palace hasn't heard anything about it? Doesn't the Empress know?"

She immediately realized that the news had been suppressed by Kangxi, probably to protect the Empress during childbirth.

"Just a few days before the Empress gave birth."

Kangxi confirmed her guess, his tone somewhat complicated.

Jiang Nan nodded knowingly, her tone relaxed and even somewhat indifferent.

"So what if he's dead? How old was he? It's a happy occasion."

Upon hearing this, Kangxi gave her a helpless glare, but there was little blame in his eyes.

He put down his chopsticks, his tone tinged with a touch of emotion.

"Sony... is ultimately a veteran minister who has served the country well. If it weren't for his support for my personal rule in my early years and his secret checks and balances when I was fighting with Ao Bai, my life would have been much more difficult."

His feelings toward Sony were indeed complex, including both fear and apprehension towards Sony's powerful connections.

There is also a strong reliance on and a touch of gratitude for their support at crucial moments.

"I have already issued the decree."

Kangxi continued, restoring the emperor's composure.

He was posthumously awarded the title of First-Class Duke, the posthumous name of Wenzhong, and was buried according to the prescribed rites.

Jiang Nan could see the complex emotions in Kangxi's heart. Sony was Sony, and the Empress was the Empress; they were not the same.

She dropped her joking expression, nodded, and spoke more seriously.

"Your Majesty understands. He died peacefully, and you have already done more than enough to give him a grand funeral and posthumous honors. You have given him everything he could."

This statement is both a statement of fact and carries a hint of comfort.

Kangxi hummed in agreement, picked up his chopsticks again, but his gaze was somewhat distant.

Clearly, his thoughts drifted back to the early years of his personal rule.

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At this moment, the main hall of the Hesheli residence was filled with solemnity.

The white banners had not yet been removed, and the air was still filled with the chill and oppression that followed the funeral.

The head of the household, Gabula, dressed in plain clothes, sat in the main seat with a livid face.

Sitting below him was his younger brother, Songgotu, who was also dressed in mourning clothes, and Lady Hesheli, who was fidgeting and frequently wiping away tears.

The three had just finished dealing with Sony's funeral and hadn't yet recovered from their grief.

Gabula slammed his hand on the tea table, making the teacups rattle. He glared at his wife, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.

“Fujin, how exactly did you raise your daughter? Today, the Emperor summoned me to the palace and gave me a severe scolding, questioning how I had raised my daughter, causing me to lose face before the Emperor. Now that Father has just passed away, so many eyes are watching the Hesheli family, waiting to find fault with us. But what about her? How exactly is she acting as Empress? What were your instructions to her before you left the palace? Why is she so restless?”

Mrs. Hesheri trembled at her husband's furious outburst and said aggrievedly.

"My lord, before I left the palace, I repeatedly told her to be patient and behave herself, and to wait until she gave birth to the little prince again. But I never expected that in just a few days... My lord, what foolish thing did she do this time that caused you to be reprimanded by the Emperor?"

Gabula sighed heavily, a mixture of exhaustion and anger.

"What did she do? She actually dared to use those despicable methods in Kunning Palace to frame Consort Niohuru by using the death of Granny Jing. And what was the result? She was exposed on the spot, and was humiliated. Now she has been confined to Kunning Palace by imperial decree, and is practically a deposed empress. Father's life's achievements, which finally earned this position of empress for the family, have been so easily squandered by her."

He became increasingly angry as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.

Seeing this, Suo'etu, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but speak up to defend his niece.

“Brother, this matter… this matter is not entirely my niece’s fault. I received information that my niece had already made a complete plan and was about to put the Niohuru clan to death. It’s just that… it was just that the arrogant Guarjia clan interfered and forcibly broke the plan, which caused her to fail at the last moment. If anyone is to blame, it’s that Guarjia clan is too cunning.”

"fart!"

Gabula suddenly turned to Soetu, his anger intensifying.

“Song’etu, and you too, you are a high-ranking official of the court, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Instead of thinking about how to share the Emperor’s burdens and bring glory to your family, you follow the Empress and make a fool of yourself. Look at what you have become! Since your defeat in the battle against the Guarjia clan, do you still have a place in the court? How long has it been since you spoke freely in front of the Emperor? How much say do you still have in the Ministry of Personnel? Even your elder brother, me, is now being secretly pointed at and talked about by my colleagues and subordinates in the yamen, and I can’t hold my head up.”

Soetu's face turned red and white as his brother scolded him, and he lowered his head in shame.

"Big brother... I know I was wrong."

Gabula Secret Passage Soetu still lacks experience.

If he hadn't had to be on duty on New Year's Eve and couldn't attend the New Year's banquet, he would have definitely stopped his younger brother from causing trouble.

He gave a cold snort, his tone softening and full of instruction.

“Song’etu, times have changed. The days of the four regents are over. Now the Emperor is in charge. Although he is young, he already has the bearing of a wise ruler and holds the reins of power. If the Hesheli family wants to maintain its glory, it must follow the Emperor closely, serve him wholeheartedly, and share his burdens. Those schemes and plots, even if they succeed temporarily, are ultimately not respectable. Even if you help that incompetent Consort Jin to bring her down, what good will it do? Will it earn the Emperor’s trust? Will it make the Hesheli family’s foundation more solid?”

He looked around at the two of them and said decisively.

"Now that Father is gone, we must be even more discreet and cautious in our words and deeds. For the future of our family, we will only do two things. In the court, we must do our job diligently and follow the Emperor. In the harem, we must ensure that a prince with the blood of the Hesheli family is born. Only in this way can our family endure and stand strong."

Upon hearing this, Suo'etu looked worried and said in a low voice.

“Brother, that makes sense, but the imperial physicians say that the prince Chenghu that my niece gave birth to will not survive. My niece has also been disliked by the emperor and is confined to the inner palace. We don’t know if she will have the chance to give birth to another prince in the future.”

Gabula frowned, this was his deepest worry, and he sighed deeply.

"Alas... How could I not know? But what can I do now? The Empress is incompetent. Your daughter, Zhong Shengbao, is not even a year old; she's too young to be of any use. As for the princes in the harem, we can only hope that your niece will be more capable, or perhaps..."

He paused, his tone heavy.

"Or, we can only wait until Zhong Shengbao turns ten years old and try to send her into the palace, or wait until I can have another legitimate daughter in the future, then we will have a chance."

He turned to Mrs. Hershey, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Fujin, you must immediately find a way to send a message to your good daughter and tell her that if she still cares about the rise and fall of the family, she should behave herself and stay in Kunning Palace to reflect on her mistakes. She should not cause any more trouble. It would be good if she could give birth to another prince. If not, she should try to delay the process, keep her position as empress, and buy time for the family. Tell her that this is the order of the Hesheli family."

Mrs. Hershey quickly agreed.

"Yes, sir, I understand."

Silence fell over the hall once again, with only heavy breathing remaining.

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The extra words are a perk. Let me explain why the Empress's father, Gabula, didn't attend the New Year's banquet. He was a first-rank Imperial Guard Minister, and he was required to guard the order and security of the entire palace at all times.

Working year-round, top-notch service.

It starts with a side story, a normal palace intrigue, which I, with my wicked sense of humor, named "Story of Yanxi Palace".