Chapter 199 Jiang Nan: Those who like it can move it.

The next day, the morning light was just beginning to break in the Kunning Palace.

After having breakfast, Jiang Nan, supported by Chunlan, slowly walked towards the bedroom.

They planned to rest for a while before dealing with palace affairs.

Zhao Deyi approached silently, bowed, and whispered.

"Your Majesty, Li Guiping has sent a message from Chengqian Palace."

Jiang Nan didn't stop walking, and just asked casually.

"Oh? What did he say?"

A strange smile crept across Zhao Deyi's face as he replied.

"Your Majesty, Li Guiping said... last night, Princess Tongjia privately spoke with him, implying that she wanted to convey a message to Your Majesty through him, saying... that she wanted to surrender."

He paused, his tone slightly teasing.

"I reckon she's scared and wants to beg Your Majesty to show mercy and let her go?"

Jiang Nan paused, turned her head, and showed a genuine look of surprise on her face.

"What? Let her go?"

She chuckled as if she had heard a joke.

"When have I ever made things difficult for her? And how could I possibly let her go?"

She continued walking forward, her tone carrying a condescending mockery.

"She is young and doesn't know any better. As the Empress, it is my duty to teach her some manners and how to behave in the harem. How come she makes it sound like I am deliberately making things difficult for her?"

Zhao Deyi quickly echoed.

"Yes, Your Majesty's intentions are profound, which Princess Tongjia failed to appreciate before."

He then added.

"Li Guiping also reported that the Tongjia princess seemed to be implying that Li Guiping should take action against Consort Wuya and Consort Qijia of Yonghe Palace."

"oh?"

Jiang Nan actually became quite interested this time.

"I understand dealing with the Wuya clan, after all, old grudges haven't been settled. But what is the Qijia clan up to now?"

She frowned slightly, then understood.

"Could it be related to the money I made her pay yesterday?"

Zhao nodded with admiration on his face.

"Your Majesty is wise. This servant suspects that Qi Jia was desperate and went to find Princess Tong Jia. Princess Tong Jia was probably caught red-handed by her for some reason and had no choice but to pay this sum of money for her. How could Princess Tong Jia swallow this insult?"

Jiang Nan quickly connected the dots in her mind, and a playful look immediately appeared on her face.

"So that's how it is. It turns out that Qi Jia had been currying favor with Tong Jia all along. Yesterday's accident probably had Tong Jia's tacit approval or even instigation. Now that I've asked Qi Jia to pay compensation, she can't afford it, so naturally she's going to her mistress to beg for money. Tsk tsk, this is interesting... being bitten by the dog she raised, and having a big chunk of her flesh bitten off, no wonder our proud and arrogant Princess Tong Jia couldn't sit still and even said things like 'surrender'."

Zhao bowed and said.

"Your Majesty is right, that must be it."

Jiang Nan waved her hand dismissively, her tone relaxed.

"I understand. Tell Li Guiping that as long as the concubines' squabbles don't reach my eyes, I don't have time to deal with them. Let him decide for himself. If he feels that the benefits offered by the Tongjia clan are substantial enough, he can lend a hand if he feels he can. He doesn't need to ask for permission for everything."

She paused, then added.

"Of course, the premise is that you don't get yourself into trouble, and you don't leave any loose ends that anyone can find fault with you."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

Zhao Deyi understood immediately.

The Empress clearly didn't take Princess Tongjia's surrender seriously at all.

They didn't care whether Li Guiping helped Tongjia.

Indeed, what kind of person is the Empress?

That's how I climbed to my current position, stepping over corpses along the way.

Those who opposed the Empress have graves overgrown with weeds.

In the eyes of the Empress, Tongjia's little squabbles were probably no different from children playing house.

Now that she's wise enough to back down, she's quite clever.

Whether she was truly convinced or not, who cared? In the harem, sometimes mere outward obedience was enough.

Jiang Nan said no more, and, holding Chunlan's hand, leisurely walked into the bedroom.

————————

Jiang Nan had just sat down on the soft couch in the bedroom and picked up the hot tea that Chunlan had offered, but had not yet drunk it.

He would quietly enter the hall and bow to report.

"Your Majesty, Consort Qi Jia is requesting an audience outside the palace."

Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow slightly, a pleasant smile playing on her lips, and casually waved her hand.

"They've come to deliver money to me. Go, bring them in. Be polite, after all, they've come to deliver money."

"Yes, sir." Chang Shun responded and withdrew.

Before long, Lady Qijia was led into the bedroom.

She lowered her head and walked unsteadily. As soon as she entered the hall, she knelt down and performed the grand salute.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and be blessed with peace."

"Get up."

Jiang Nan had a rare gentleness about her.

"By coming at this time, have you already raised enough money?"

Her gaze fell on the stack of silver notes that Qi Jia was clutching tightly in her hand.

Qi Jia quickly raised the silver notes above her head with both hands, her voice filled with suppressed bitterness.

"Your Majesty, here are the silver notes, totaling 23,750 taels. Please take a look."

Chunlan stepped forward and took the thick stack of silver notes from Qi Jia's hand.

After carefully counting and checking, he nodded slightly to Jiang Nan to indicate that the number was correct.

Jiang Nan took the silver note from Chunlan, weighed it in her hand, and a satisfied look appeared on her face.

His tone was deliberately mocking.

"Look at you, yesterday you were complaining to me about being poor, saying that your family was strapped for cash and couldn't afford so much silver. But look, you've sent it all over in less than three days. It's clear that your Qi Jia family is quite well-off."

Upon hearing this, Qi Jia's lips curled into a smile that was more like a grimace.

He cursed Jiang Nan a thousand times in his heart, but dared not show it on his face.

She could only remain silent with a bitter expression, truly unsure how to respond to these hurtful words.

Jiang Nan didn't mind her silence, and instead looked around her lavishly furnished bedroom with great interest.

He spoke in a generous and magnanimous tone.

"Since you're so trustworthy, I can't let you leave empty-handed. Take a good look around my Kunning Palace. Is there anything that catches your eye? Whether it's the jade pieces on this display shelf or the treasures in the multi-treasure cabinet, as long as you like them and can offer a reasonable price, I'm willing to part with them. Would you like to choose a few to take back?"

Her words made it sound as if she were genuinely doing business with her.

Qi Jia felt a chill run down her spine. She was being asked to spend money to buy things from Kunning Palace? How could she dare!

Besides, she doesn't have the money to buy the Empress's things; without even asking, she knows they must be ridiculously expensive.

She hurriedly lowered her head, her voice hoarse.

"Your Majesty is too kind. The items in Kunning Palace are all extraordinary, and I would not dare to covet them. If...if Your Majesty has no further instructions, then I will take my leave now."

She didn't want to stay in this suffocating place for even a second longer.

Seeing that Qi Jia seemed to really have no money, Jiang Nan lost interest and casually waved his hand.

"Go ahead."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I shall take my leave."

Qi Jia felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly bowed and fled the bedchamber as if she were running away.

After she left, Jiang Nan looked at the stack of brand-new banknotes in her hand, and her smile widened.

He gave instructions to Zhao Deyi, who was standing to the side.

"Zhao Deyi, go to the Imperial Household Department and summon Su Jing to me. The original value of the damaged items should still be paid to him. It's not right to let the head of the Imperial Household Department pay out of his own pocket to settle my account."

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will go immediately."

Zhao Deyi bowed and left the bedroom.