Chapter 56 My feelings for you are those of a brother.

Jiang Nan looked at Dai Jiashi, who had a worried expression.

"Sister Daijia, you should rest well in Yongshou Palace and not go anywhere. I will take care of everything."

Dai Jiashi quickly got up.

"This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your protection."

Jiang Nan nodded, and then gave instructions to Fang Ruo and Zhao Deyi.

"Fang Ruo, Zhao Deyi, you two will come with me to the Qianqing Palace."

If you're going to pimp, then so be it.

She decided in her heart that she should first settle the status of her own best friend.

Then, we need to give the big boss a heads-up so that Kangxi can be mentally prepared.

I hope she doesn't go too far and upset Empress Hesheli so much that she miscarries, causing trouble and making Emperor Kangxi retaliate.

"I need to speak with His Majesty on some important business."

Jiang Nan's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"By the way... let's see what our Emperor thinks of the Empress's brilliant move."

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Jiang Nan, along with Fang Ruo and Zhao Deyi, arrived at the outside of Qianqing Palace without any obstacles.

From afar, Liang Jiugong, the chief eunuch of the imperial court, greeted them with a beaming smile, bowing respectfully and showing the utmost courtesy.

"Oh dear, Consort Jin, it's been quite a while since you last visited the Qianqing Palace. The Emperor was just mentioning you."

Jiang Nan was already used to his enthusiasm, so she nodded casually and asked.

"Chief Steward Liang, is His Majesty free right now? I have something to discuss with him."

Liang Jiugong quickly bowed and smiled.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. His Majesty is always available. He has specifically instructed that when Consort Jin comes to Qianqing Palace, there is no need to announce your arrival. Please come in quickly."

Yes, that's a good deal; it's worth the investment.

Jiang Nan felt a little smug inside, but only smiled faintly on the surface.

He then walked straight into the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

Inside the warm pavilion, Emperor Kangxi was bent over behind a large imperial desk, reviewing a mountain of memorials.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was focused.

Hearing footsteps, he didn't even look up, but simply asked a question.

"You've arrived? Find yourself a seat. Do you have business with me?"

He knew Jiang Nan well; this girl wouldn't go to the Qianqing Palace on her own initiative unless she had something important to discuss.

Or... he came to have some fun.

Jiang Nan saw that he was so busy that he didn't even look up, but she didn't care.

He skillfully moved an embroidered stool and placed it directly in front of the emperor's desk.

He plopped down in a seat very close to Emperor Kangxi and poured himself a cup of warm tea.

Holding her teacup, she gazed at Kangxi's brushstrokes and couldn't help but marvel.

"Your Majesty, you are truly diligent. Every day, I see you spending almost all your time, except for a short nap in the inner palace, buried in piles of memorials. It's endless, yet you seem to enjoy it. I truly admire you."

This emperor's job is even more ruthless than the 996 work schedule; he's a complete workaholic.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi finally looked up from the memorial.

He glared at her irritably, put down the vermilion brush, and rubbed his slightly swollen temples.

"Stop flattering me, get to the point. You've come all this way, you didn't just come here to praise my diligence, did you?"

Jiang Nan chuckled, put down his teacup, leaned forward, and said.

"Your Majesty is wise. I have come to see you because I have something to discuss. The first thing is that I see you have worked hard and must not have had a proper meal, so I have come to invite Your Majesty to have dinner at Yongshou Palace."

Kangxi raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

As expected, Jiang Nan continued.

"The second thing is... I took in a young lady named Daijia today. I think she's a good person, well-behaved and sensible, and quite pretty. I've already arranged for her to stay in the east side hall of Yongshou Palace. I was thinking, Your Majesty, tonight... issue a decree to let Daijia serve you in bed? It would be better to establish her status as soon as possible, so that she doesn't live in Yongshou Palace without proper status."

After hearing this, Emperor Kangxi was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

His smile held a hint of amusement.

"Nannan, which of my concubines doesn't secretly wish I would only have eyes for them? They're all trying to monopolize my favor. But you, on the contrary, are actively helping me to put people into Yonghou Palace? What, do you... dislike me? Or do you find my visits to Yongshou Palace too frequent and bothersome?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan immediately rolled her eyes at him, her tone both disdainful and self-righteous.

"Your Majesty, what are you thinking? I'm doing this for your own good. You see my face every day, and even if it's beautiful, you must be tired of it by now, right? Finding you a fresh and pretty young lady will give you a change of pace when you come to Yongshou Palace, and you'll be in a better mood. My vision and magnanimity are beyond what ordinary concubines can compare to."

She paused, a look of deep affection on her face, and added.

"Of course, in my heart I naturally hope that Your Majesty will come to see me every day. However, my feelings for Your Majesty are different from those little women who only know how to fight for your favor."

She straightened her back and said in a serious tone.

"My feelings for you are those of a brother... a partner, a confidant. I am your wise and capable wife, and I am here to help you manage the harem so that you can focus on the affairs of state. My role is far more ambitious than that."

Emperor Kangxi was amused by her absurd and fallacious arguments and laughed heartily, pointing at her and shaking his head.

"You, you really are... a partner, a confidant, a virtuous wife? You really know how to flatter yourself."

"That's how it is."

Jiang Nan raised her chin, her face showing an expression of absolute certainty.

——————

Kangxi laughed for a while before composed himself and looked at her, asking a question.

"Besides this matter concerning Lady Daijia, is there anything else? Is such a trivial matter really worth my confidant making a personal trip for?"

When Jiang Nan saw that he had asked the question, she took the opportunity to press the issue, and a serious expression appeared on her face.

"Your Majesty is wise. Indeed, there is another matter concerning... Her Majesty the Empress."

Upon hearing the word "Empress," Kangxi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his tone softened.

"The Empress? What happened to her this time? I, Liang Jiugong, said that you handled the matter of the two young ladies falling into the water in the Imperial Garden today quite well, didn't you? You even made the Empress cry?"

His tone carried a hint of helplessness and a subtle, almost imperceptible indulgence.

"You should at least give the Empress some face. She is, after all, the Empress. It's unacceptable for you to do this to her in public... Hmm, if the Hesheli family finds out, they'll probably send me another memorial to bother me."

Jiang Nan immediately protested her innocence, raising her voice eight octaves.

"Your Majesty, you are wronging me. It was the Empress who mishandled the case. She had no evidence and just wanted to pick someone to take the blame. How can you judge a case like that? Even if Lord Suo'etu knew about this, he probably wouldn't have the face to bring it up with you. After all, the Empress is in the wrong."

Emperor Kangxi was both amused and exasperated by her rapid-fire rebuttals and waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright, alright, you're right. I can't argue with your words. Keep talking, what about the Empress?"

Jiang Nan then got to the point, leaning forward slightly, as if testing him.

"Your Majesty, I have received news that Her Majesty the Empress... sent people to the Censorate to arrest that wicked young lady, Wanyan, whom I caught red-handed, and took her back to Kunning Palace. What do you think Her Majesty the Empress is trying to do?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi paused, a knowing glint in his eyes.

He spoke almost without thinking, his tone carrying the insight of an emperor and a hint of indifference.

"What's so hard to guess? There are only two points. First, this is an opportunity to strike at you and tell the harem that the Empress can protect the person you want to get rid of. Second, Wanyan must hate you to the bone, and the Empress taking her in is tantamount to getting a knife specifically designed to deal with you. Supporting your opponent is the most common way to maintain balance."

After listening, Jiang Nan clapped her hands and chuckled, her face showing an expression of admiration.

"Your Majesty is indeed wise; you saw through the Empress's thoughts at a glance."

Looking at her sparkling expression, Kangxi knew that Jiang Nan was doing it on purpose, but he was still in a great mood.

"What? You're scared over such a small matter? Do you need me to step in and deal with this trouble for you?"

His tone was slightly teasing.

"Afraid? Would I be afraid of her?"

Jiang Nan chuckled and raised her chin even higher.

"I've come today mainly to inform you that Her Majesty the Empress is currently pregnant with the Emperor's child, and is of utmost importance. I might not be very polite to Her Majesty, and in case I upset her and harm the pregnancy..."

She drew out her words, blinked, and looked at Kangxi.

"Your Majesty, you must be prepared. You can't blame me alone when the time comes. I've already informed you in advance."