Chapter 72 Consort Jin: From Now On, You Will Be the Chief Steward

After Steward Feng was taken away, the bedchamber fell into an eerie silence.

One of the more astute eunuchs, as if grasping at a last straw, suddenly raised his hand.

"Smack!"

He slapped himself hard across the face and cried out.

"This servant knows his mistake and deserves to die. I beg Your Majesty for mercy."

This sound was like a wake-up call.

The other managers also realized what was happening and followed suit.

For a moment, cracking sounds filled the hall, mixed with terrified pleas for mercy.

Jiang Nan watched coldly as this group of people contradicted themselves, her brows furrowing slightly. After a while, she spoke with some impatience.

"Alright, enough of this noise. What kind of behavior is this? It's driving me crazy."

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and immediately stopped what they were doing.

He lay prone on the ground, too afraid to move, not even daring to breathe.

Jiang Nan's gaze fell on the eunuch who was the first to slap himself in the face, his tone calm and indifferent.

"What's your name? What's your current position?"

The eunuch suddenly looked up, his face still bearing the red handprint of a slap.

But a hopeful light shone in his eyes, and he quickly kowtowed in response.

"Your Majesty, this servant Su Jing greets Your Majesty. This servant...this servant currently holds the position of Deputy Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department."

"Su Jing...Deputy Chief Steward..."

Jiang Nan repeated the sentence softly and nodded.

"She does have a good eye."

She stopped looking at the others and announced directly.

"From today onwards, you, Su Jing, will temporarily assume the position of Director-General of the Imperial Household Department."

Su Jing could hardly believe his ears.

The immense surprise sent a shiver through him, followed by ecstasy and a deeper sense of awe.

He kowtowed heavily, his voice trembling with emotion.

"This servant...this servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace. This servant will certainly do my utmost to serve Your Majesty well."

Jiang Nan looked down at him, her tone carrying an undeniable warning.

"I have no other requests. During my tenure as head of the Imperial Household Department, you must manage the affairs of the department properly. The monthly allowances for all the palace mistresses, especially the concubines, must be distributed according to palace regulations. There must be no further deductions or shortages. If I hear of any complaints about allowances, or if a situation like today's near-fatal incident involving Concubine Ma Jia occurs..."

She paused, her gaze sharp as a knife.

"Su Jing, you should carefully consider whether Feng Yuheng's fate will serve as a warning to you."

Su Jing's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly made a promise.

"This servant understands. This servant will strictly discipline his subordinates and will never dare to betray Your Majesty's trust. If anything goes wrong, this servant will offer his head as a reward."

The other managers kneeling beside them were filled with regret and envy.

If I had known that being the first to slap myself would lead to a promotion, I would have slapped myself ten times louder.

But there's no going back in life, and they could only watch helplessly as Su Jing rose to prominence.

Jiang Nan was too lazy to pay attention to these people anymore and waved her hand.

"Alright, you may all disperse. Go back to the Imperial Household Department and do what you need to do. Su Jing, immediately take stock of the allowances for each palace. If there is a shortage, make up double the amount."

"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant obeys the decree."

Su Jing quickly agreed, his feelings a mixture of relief and high spirits.

He and the few disheveled managers left.

After dealing with this mess at the Imperial Household Department.

Jiang Nan then turned to Consort Niohuru and the other concubines who had been observing the situation quietly, her tone regaining its usual languidness.

"That's enough commotion for today. You should all go back to your palaces and get some rest."

Consort Niohuru was the first to rise and calmly took her leave.

"Your Majesty, I take my leave."

The concubines also bowed and left Zhongcui Palace with a mix of shock and a sense of satisfaction.

After everyone had left, Jiang Nan rubbed her temples and spoke to her friend Dai Jia.

“Sister Dai Jia, let’s go back to Yongshou Palace. Sister Wang is about to give birth, and someone needs to keep a close eye on her so that nothing goes wrong.”

With that, she took Fangruo's hand and calmly left Zhongcui Palace, which still smelled faintly of medicine.

Dai Jia hurriedly followed, having become immune to the Empress's domineering aura by now.

She even dares to insult the Emperor and Empress Dowager. The Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

————————

The dining hall of Yongshou Palace was brightly lit, and the warmth, along with the aroma of food, filled the air.

At this moment, Jiang Nan had lost the dignified and imposing demeanor she had during the day.

He was holding the bowl and enjoying his meal.

Four delicate side dishes were laid out in front of him, and a bowl of steaming chicken soup wontons was still emitting white steam.

She is now pregnant and has an even better appetite.

His eating manners also gained a touch of boldness, with his cheeks bulging out like a satisfied little squirrel.

When Kangxi quietly entered under the cover of dusk, this was exactly the scene he encountered.

After reviewing memorials all day, Kangxi was a little tired. He watched her eating with complete absorption, not even noticing the oil on the corners of her mouth.

That feeling of fatigue miraculously disappeared.

Having already eaten dinner, he felt a void in his stomach; he was truly hungry.

"cough."

He coughed lightly, interrupting Jiang Nan's chewing.

Jiang Nan looked up at the sound, her eyes still slightly dazed from the satisfaction of the food. When she saw it was him, she did not get up to greet him.

He simply pointed at the empty seat opposite him with his chopsticks and mumbled something.

"Why has Your Majesty come? Please sit down. Are you standing like a pillar? Or are you getting hungry watching me eat? There are still some wontons warming up in the kitchen. Shall I serve you a bowl?"

Emperor Kangxi was both amused and exasperated by her unruly behavior, and helplessly shook his head and sat down.

Liang Jiugong reacted quickly, immediately signaling a palace servant to serve a bowl of steaming wontons to Emperor Kangxi.

Emperor Kangxi stirred the wontons in the bowl with a silver spoon, not in a hurry to eat them.

His gaze fell on Jiang Nan's face, his tone tinged with a hint of affection and teasing.

"Just now Liang Jiugong told me about the Zhongcui Palace incident. My beloved concubine is becoming more and more capable. She took down the head of the Imperial Household Department without hesitation, leaving me, the emperor, to be the last to know the news."

Jiang Nan swallowed the wonton in her mouth and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth.

She raised an eyebrow at him, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate provocation.

"What? Is Your Majesty feeling sorry for Feng Yuheng? Or do you think I overstepped my authority? If you feel sorry for him, it's not too late to go to the Censorate to bring him in. He was just sent there not long ago, and he's still warm."

"You!"

Emperor Kangxi glared at her, annoyed, and said irritably.

"Why should I feel sorry for a eunuch? A servant who embezzles the concubines' allowances deserves to die. I am worried about you. The position of the head of the Imperial Household Department is crucial, involving the interests of many people in the previous dynasty. Your swift and decisive handling of the matter will inevitably lead some people to use it as an excuse to attack you for being arrogant because of the emperor's favor."

Jiang Nan waved her hand dismissively and then picked up another wonton and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Let them talk. Spit won't kill anyone, nor will it take any flesh from them."

Emperor Kangxi was both angry and helpless looking at her stubborn attitude.

His tone softened, revealing a more genuine concern.

“I know you are seeking justice for those wronged concubines, and you are sensible in handling matters. But you could have simply informed me, and I would have dealt with it. Your flamboyant manner is too easy to make enemies—cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents; how could they let it go? Besides, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. You don't even know who you've offended. If they catch you red-handed, even if I want to protect you, I can't silence the gossip.”

Jiang Nan knew he was doing it for her own good, but what she despised most was swallowing her anger.

In her view, living in this deep palace, every extra day is a bonus, so why should she suffer?

She even secretly thought about it.

If she were the emperor, anyone who dared to utter a sound would be dragged out and beheaded. Let's see who dares to talk nonsense then.

These words, of course, could not be spoken aloud.