Chapter 44 I am a spectator and referee

Jiang Nan was sipping her soup casually.

Kangxi seemed somewhat absent-minded. He stirred the contents of his bowl with his chopsticks a few times and then suddenly spoke.

“Nan Nan…”

"Um?"

Jiang Nan looked up and saw that he looked somewhat serious, so she put down her spoon.

"What is it, Your Majesty?"

Kangxi pondered for a moment, his tone tinged with annoyance.

"At the previous court session today, Songgotu submitted another memorial to me."

Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow, waiting for what would happen next.

"His words were sincere, and every sentence was for the sake of the country!"

A mocking smile appeared on Kangxi's lips.

"He said that the first imperial selection after my ascension to the throne is a grand event for the country, concerning the continuation of the imperial line and the stability of the empire. The Empress is the mother of the nation and should preside over the selection with me to show harmony between the emperor and empress and win the hearts of the people. He earnestly requested that I lift the empress's confinement."

Jiang Nan immediately rolled her eyes inwardly.

Ha! The Heseri family really went to great lengths to get their precious queen out of trouble.

They even slapped on the grand accusations that the country was stable and the people were loyal to it.

She remained expressionless, slowly picking up a piece of food with her chopsticks, her tone flat and indifferent.

"Oh? What do you think, Your Majesty? You can decide for yourself. I have no interest in palace power. Whether the Empress is here or not, I don't care."

Kangxi looked at her, who seemed completely unconcerned.

He couldn't help but chuckle and gently pinched her cheek.

"Of course I know you don't crave power. If you did, would you have exempted me from your daily morning greetings? Would you just stay in the palace all day eating, drinking, and seeking peace and quiet? If the Empress were half as lazy as you, I would have a lot less to worry about."

The smile on his face gradually faded, a soft sigh settled, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

"I feel that the harem has become more orderly and peaceful after your management, with less of the turmoil. I can finally relax after court. But if the Empress is released, given her temperament, the harem will likely return to its former state of turmoil. It will be much harder to find fault with her and confine her in the future."

Jiang Nan swallowed the food in her mouth, took a silk handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of her lips. When she looked up, her eyes were clear and bright.

"Your Majesty, you are mistaken."

"Oh? What's wrong with it?"

Kangxi's tone carried a hint of doubt, but he was already used to her equal dialogue that transcended the distinction between ruler and subject.

"As long as the women in the harem are preoccupied with vying for favor, power, and offspring, this conflict will never end."

Jiang Nan spoke calmly, but every word hit the nail on the head.

"Even without the Empress, others will stir up trouble. With the imperial concubine selection imminent, a new batch of young women will soon enter the palace. They are young, beautiful, and from distinguished families. Who wouldn't want a bright future? When the new and old are mixed together, there will only be more disputes and grudges. Where will true harmony come from?"

She paused briefly, her words carrying a deeper meaning.

"With the Empress present, perhaps she can still exert some control and maintain a superficial balance by virtue of her position as Empress. But if she is kept confined indefinitely, the inner palace will be without a legitimate person in charge, and the power struggles behind the scenes will only become more chaotic and disorderly, which will still cause Your Majesty worry."

After hearing this, Kangxi unconsciously tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and fell silent.

He understood Jiang Nan's words perfectly well.

The imperial harem has never been a truly peaceful place.

“I am naturally aware of these things, which is why I am even more troubled.”

——————

His voice sounded tired.

"Nannan, as you've probably noticed, I rarely formally bestow titles upon my concubines; the harem is mostly filled with concubines without official status. Do you know why?"

Jiang Nan muttered to herself.

I figured it out a long time ago, isn't he just stingy?

They fear that if they are given a formal title, they will have to receive corresponding benefits.

A flash of disdain crossed her eyes, but she shook her head in agreement.

"I do not know."

"What kind of look is that? You must be thinking I'm stingy!"

Emperor Kangxi was amused by her little scheme and laughed and scolded her.

"I don't have any."

Jiang Nan immediately protested her innocence.

Kangxi snorted lightly, not bothering to argue with her, and his expression returned to seriousness.

"It's not that I'm stingy with titles. I'm just worried that once I grant them official ranks, the families behind the concubines will seize the opportunity to infiltrate the harem, deepening the entanglement between the court and the harem, making the situation even more difficult to control. Besides..."

His voice became more serious.

"Now that the Qing Dynasty has just been established, the Three Feudatories have not been pacified and Taiwan has not been recovered, and the Dzungar Khanate in the northwest is eyeing us covetously. My energy should be focused on the front lines. I really do not want any more trouble in the inner palace to distract me."

He looked at Jiang Nan, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions.

"I originally thought that it would be enough for the Empress to manage the harem. She comes from a prominent family, her position is secure and unshakeable, and I can focus on handling state affairs. But I never expected that the power and trust I gave her would become a tool for her to wantonly harm the imperial heirs."

By the end, his tone was filled with barely suppressed heartache and anger.

Jiang Nan listened quietly, and a sense of agreement arose in her heart.

From this perspective, it seems that Kangxi was not simply stingy, but rather that she had been thinking too narrowly.

This emperor's considerations were indeed thorough.

She nodded and asked, "Your Majesty's thoughts and concerns are indeed reasonable. So what is your final decision? Should you release the Empress?"

Kangxi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"put."

He looked at Jiang Nan, his tone resolute.

“What Songgotu said is not entirely without merit. Harmony between the Emperor and Empress is beneficial to stabilizing the court and appeasing the people. This selection of consorts also needs her, as Empress, to maintain appearances. But—”

He abruptly changed the subject, looking intently at Jiang Nan with eyes full of trust and entrustment.

"I will not return all the power of the palace to her, nor will I take back your power to assist in managing the six palaces. Nan Nan, I regard you as someone who can protect the peace of the harem with me. After the Empress comes out, you must keep a close eye on her for me. I believe you have the ability and means to stop her from doing evil again and to maintain the peace I desire in this harem."

The emperor's tone revealed a rare hint of frankness and reliance.

"Nan Nan, can you help me?"

Hearing these words, which sounded like a heavy responsibility being entrusted to him, Jiang Nan couldn't help but chuckle.

She took a silk handkerchief and covered the corner of her mouth, her eyes sparkling with smugness.

It must be said that Kangxi's flattery was spot on.

"Oh, Your Majesty, you flatter me too much. I am not a deity in a temple, I can neither predict the future nor subdue demons."

She put down the silk handkerchief, counted on her fingers, and deliberately made a show of being unable to do it.

"The Empress's Hesheli family is incredibly wealthy. They have money and manpower. Kunning Palace has been managed for so many years, and they have a whole bunch of trusted eunuchs and maids. Not to mention, she occupies the central position in the palace, and the legitimacy and authority are all on her side. How dare I, a mere concubine, point fingers at her? I'm afraid I'd be taught a lesson by her maids according to the rules before I even get close."

Emperor Kangxi was both amused and exasperated by her exaggerated remarks, and was about to retort.

How many times have you been pointing fingers and giving orders?

But then Jiang Nan changed the subject.

Her clear eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of cunning flashing across them.

His tone became languid, yet carried a hint of sharpness.

However…

His drawn-out tone concealed calculation.

"If I were to discover that our virtuous Empress is itching to do something—especially something targeting the Emperor's offspring..."

She looked up at Kangxi, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Then I'll help you scold her more. Scold her in front of everyone, in all sorts of ways, until she doubts her existence, until she can't hold her head up in the harem. Anyway, Your Majesty knows my mouth, it can drive people crazy. Even if I can't do anything to her, at least I can make her so disgusted that she can't eat or sleep, and give you some satisfaction."

——————

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