Chapter 168 Jiang Nan: My Cousin is Definitely Going to Die Suddenly

Jiang Nan leaned back, slumped back in her chair, and spoke in a lazy tone.

"I didn't think that much about it. I just thought it would be interesting if a palace maid climbed into the emperor's bed in Chengqian Palace. Who in the harem is worth my time to deal with? It's just to add some fun to the mundane days. In the end, it's easy to deal with the Tongjia clan, but I still have to consider the emperor's face. Some things can't be done too far."

This is also why, when she was unconscious, she used words to prevent Tongjia from complaining to her family.

Zhao thought to himself with smug satisfaction.

The Empress is just looking for some excitement again.

However, with Li Guiping secretly looking after her, that Uya clan member might actually have a chance to meet the emperor.

The only concern is that the Emperor might look down on this lowly maid, who is actually his cousin's maid. It all depends on the maid's own fate.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. I will go and deliver the message immediately."

Just as they retreated to the doorway, Liang Jiugong's clear and resonant voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

Jiang Nan waved his hand, signaling Zhao Deyi to go and take care of his business first.

Zhao Deyi understood immediately and quickly left the dining hall.

Almost at the same time, Kangxi lifted the curtain and entered, his face bearing a perfectly gentle smile.

He was completely different from his usual dignified self.

"Nannan, I knew you would be in the dining hall at this hour. I had just finished my official duties and thought I would come over to keep you company while you wait for Erhe to have dinner."

Jiang Nan thought to herself.

With acting skills like this, it would be a waste if she didn't go on stage to perform.

However, he stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Kangxi offered her a helping hand and then casually gave instructions to the palace servants beside him.

"Go and tell the kitchen to add a few of my favorite dishes."

After saying that, he sat down in the main seat next to Jiang Nan.

Jiang Nan didn't intend to speak first. She knew that Kangxi was looking for her because of his dazed state today. As for what he would say, she would just wait and see.

A subtle silence fell over the hall.

Kangxi coughed lightly, trying to maintain a gentle expression, and looked at Jiang Nan.

"Nannan, are you... a little unaccustomed to me treating you so kindly today?"

Jiang Nan picked up the teacup, gently blew away the foam, and didn't even lift her eyelids.

"Your Majesty has been so kind to me today, I am truly flattered. If you have anything to advise me, please speak frankly, there is no need to beat around the bush."

When his thoughts were exposed on the spot, Kangxi's cheeks flushed slightly, and his deliberate gentleness almost crumbled.

"I know about what happened in Kunning Palace today. Nannan, Tongjia is still my cousin. You humiliated her like that in front of all the concubines. If this gets back to the court, the officials will only laugh at me. I know she said the wrong thing first and upset you. You've vented your anger today, so from now on... for my sake, let her go and don't deliberately cause her any more trouble, okay?"

Seeing that Jiang Nan was just slowly drinking her tea and not responding, he continued gently.

“My feelings for you are far greater than those for my cousin. I never really cared about her. But this matter is too much, and I really can’t explain it to Tong Guowei. He is a high-ranking official, and I can’t let him think that I don’t even have any protection or care for my own cousin in the palace. I, as the emperor, also have my pride.”

Jiang Nan thought to herself, "This flattery is quite satisfying."

Finally, he looked up at Kangxi, a half-smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I understand. She is your cousin, and naturally she is also my cousin. As long as she behaves herself, doesn't provoke me, and doesn't try to scheme against me, I won't bother with her."

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Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi finally breathed a sigh of relief and attempted to defend Lady Tongjia.

"She's only fourteen years old, innocent and naive. How could she possibly have plotted against you? She's just new to the palace and doesn't quite understand the rules yet; it was an unintentional mistake..."

"emperor!"

Jiang Nan chuckled and interrupted him.

"You cannot assume she is innocent just because she is young. Your cousin is not simple at all. She appears innocent and naive on the surface, but she is actually calculating. I do not have any concrete evidence at the moment, so I will not argue with Your Majesty. However, it is too far-fetched to describe her as simple."

She put down her teacup and looked at Kangxi with clear eyes.

"Your Majesty, I just received news that your naive cousin is currently in her Chengqian Palace, severely whipping her personal maid. Tell me, is this also the work of a naive woman?"

Upon hearing this, Kangxi froze, and he hesitated before speaking.

"Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"Whether there is a misunderstanding or not, His Majesty can send someone to Chengqian Palace to investigate and we will know."

Jiang Nan's tone was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

“You should find a palace maid named Wuya and take a look at the wounds on her back. The truth will come out. I reckon she’s been beaten so badly that she can’t even get out of bed right now.”

Kangxi's brows furrowed instantly.

Look at Jiang Nan's confident demeanor.

He knew in his heart that this was most likely true, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

Just moments ago, I was trying to prove my cousin was innocent, but in the blink of an eye, the facts have slapped me in the face.

Such acts of whipping palace maids can hardly be described as innocent.

He tried to continue speaking, albeit reluctantly.

"Perhaps... that palace maid committed some grave error?"

Jiang Nan chuckled lightly, her laughter full of sarcasm.

"Your Majesty, I have only known your cousin for a day, but I have seen her clearly. She is somewhat clever, but she is also arrogant and conceited because of her status. She has no respect for palace rules or others, and her audacity is boundless."

She paused, then added a meaningful warning to her words.

"Such a person is most likely to die quietly in the harem. But Your Majesty, I'm making this clear beforehand—if she were to die unexpectedly one day, please don't suspect me first. If I really wanted to deal with her, I would never use such sneaky methods."

Kangxi frowned even more, his tone full of confusion.

"Nannan, why are you so sure?"

Jiang Nan looked up at him, knowing what he was asking, and slowly replied with a hint of seriousness.

"Your Majesty, you've simply not grasped the concept yet. Why don't you think carefully about Zhang Fei from the Three Kingdoms period? Or the old stories from the Jiajing Palace in the Ming Dynasty?"

Emperor Kangxi was incredibly intelligent; as soon as Jiang Nan finished speaking, he suddenly understood.

Why did Zhang Fei die a violent death?

Wasn't it because he was drunk and whipped his soldiers that he was eventually beheaded by his subordinates in the middle of the night, who could no longer tolerate him?

The palace coup of the Jiajing Emperor was also caused by the emperor's cruelty and the deep-seated resentment that led to a collective rebellion by the palace maids around him, who wanted to strangle him while he was asleep.

The way Lady Tongjia whipped the palace maids today is so similar to how Zhang Fei whipped the soldiers.

If she were to encounter a ruthless and vicious bodyguard who would take her life while she was asleep, it would be virtually impossible to guard against.

As a person in a superior position, even when disciplining subordinates, one should act with discretion and follow the rules. How can one act recklessly based on personal grudges?

This is clearly sowing the seeds of future trouble for oneself.

Thinking of this, Kangxi broke out in a cold sweat, and his gaze toward Jiang Nan was complicated and difficult to decipher.

Jiang Nan cursed Kangxi in her heart.

What kind of weird look is that?

Suspecting her mother is plotting against him? Is Jiang Nan tired of living and looking to die? Does this Emperor Kangxi have any brains at all?

Or... that gaze wasn't directed at her, but at that Uya clan?

Could it be that Emperor Kangxi was planning to help his cousin kill someone to silence witnesses and eliminate any threats around her?

No! If Kangxi really wants to silence them...

How can Uya climb into bed then?

Where will she find amusement in the palace from now on?

Jiang Nan looked directly into Kangxi's eyes, her gaze full of suspicion.

“Your Majesty, the palace maid who was beaten, Uya, is a bondservant of the Plain Yellow Banner and a registered woman of the Eight Banners! You can’t possibly think of secretly disposing of Uya to protect Tongjia and silence your cousin, thus eliminating any potential threat, can you?”

"Nannan, how could you presume to know me like that?"

Kangxi hurriedly interrupted, his tone filled with helplessness and solemnity.

“Am I such a person who cannot distinguish right from wrong? The women of the Eight Banners are all of respectable birth. Even if they have made a mistake, they should be tried and convicted according to palace rules and punished according to the law. Even I, without a legitimate reason, cannot arbitrarily disregard a life.”

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With the help of everyone in the book review section, let's try to push the score up. It's been stuck at 8.2 for days now, like a turtle that hasn't moved an inch.