Chapter 91 Kangxi: I am so helpless

Consort Niohuru was speechless for a moment. How could she answer? Her cheeks flushed slightly at Jiang Nan's question.

The other concubines were terrified, hanging their heads even lower, afraid of being called out by Consort Jin.

Such a question could probably only be asked so openly by Consort Jin.

Jiang Nan saw that everyone looked speechless and embarrassed.

He couldn't help but chuckle and waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, look how scared you are. I was just teasing you."

She suppressed her smile, but her tone still carried a hint of disdain and arrogance.

"The position of empress, to put it bluntly, is nothing special. If a person is stupid, even if they wear a phoenix robe and sit on a phoenix throne, they are still stupid at heart. It's just a different skin."

She glanced meaningfully toward the inner hall and continued.

"I'm not as stupid as some people. Even if I'm just a concubine, I'll still be the one who calls the shots in this harem. Empress? Ha, it's nothing special."

These words struck like a thunderbolt, resounding in everyone's hearts.

This was a blatant declaration of her actual control over the harem, completely stripping the empress's dignity to the ground.

Jiang Nan looked at the horrified expressions on everyone's faces.

Suddenly I felt it was all meaningless; apart from Niohuru, the rest were all concubines.

She doesn't even need to establish her authority; when she speaks, who dares to say no?

He waved his hand dismissively, his tone completely indifferent.

"Alright, after spending several months in Yongshou Palace in a state of deep meditation, you should all know my temperament. I don't have many complicated rules; to put it bluntly, I just want to have a good time."

She stretched and let out a satisfied sigh.

"The anger that Suo'etu inflicted on me yesterday has mostly dissipated after all this morning. Today I had quite a good time."

She finally said the words that everyone had been waiting for.

"You may all leave now."

Consort Niohuru felt as if she had been granted a pardon and was the first to rise.

He bowed, turned around, and left Kunning Palace in one fluid motion, almost running away.

She could finally leave; she had to hurry back to Yikun Palace and close the palace gates tightly.

Now that Consort Jin's anger towards the Empress has subsided, she certainly doesn't want this ancestor to set her sights on her again.

The other concubines also curtsied and bowed, each one walking faster than the last.

Like escaping from a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, they left completely in an instant.

The vast main hall was instantly emptied of Jiang Nan, Lady Wang, Lady Daijia, and the palace servants of Yongshou Palace.

Jiang Nan then slowly stood up from the phoenix throne and patted the hem of her clothes, which were completely free of dust.

He smiled at Wang and Daijia.

"Alright, let's go back too."

She led the two of them out of Kunning Palace, surrounded by a group of eunuchs and palace maids.

The sunlight shone on her, as if coating her with a dazzling halo.

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Back in her bedroom at Yongshou Palace, Jiang Nan was in high spirits and felt completely refreshed.

She yawned and gave instructions to Chunlan.

"I'm tired and need to take a nap. Don't wake me up, even if the sky falls, until lunchtime."

She slept exceptionally soundly that night.

She didn't know how long she had slept, but in her hazy state, she felt someone gently nudging her.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, wake up... The Emperor is here and is waiting outside."

It was Chunlan's urgent voice.

Jiang Nan was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She turned over and mumbled something.

"Hmm? The Emperor? What's he doing here... Instead of going to see his little princess, he's disturbing my peaceful sleep..."

Chunlan became even more anxious.

"Oh, Your Majesty, please get up quickly. The Emperor has been waiting for a while. If you don't get up, he will really blame you."

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After Jiang Nan finished washing and dressing, she arrived at the dining hall of Yongshou Palace, where Emperor Kangxi was already sitting in the main seat.

The table was laden with delicacies, emitting an enticing aroma, but the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

"What brings Your Majesty here to dine with me?"

Jiang Nan seemed oblivious to the oppressive atmosphere, and sat down beside him without a second thought, picking up her chopsticks.

"Has the little princess seen it? Chunlan said the little one was full of energy when she was awake this morning."

Kangxi did not touch his chopsticks, his eyes fixed on her with a complex expression.

He came today indeed for matters concerning Kunning Palace.

Jiang Nan's decision to expand the guards on his own initiative can be understood as a desire to protect himself.

But he openly seized the throne and humiliated the Empress.

This has crossed his bottom line as emperor in maintaining court order and the dignity of the royal family.

He didn't care about Empress Hesheri, but the authority represented by the position of Empress could not be trampled on like this.

He remained silent, his face grim.

He was waiting, waiting for Jiang Nan to take the initiative to explain, even if it was just a sophistry.

Seeing that he remained silent, Jiang Nan didn't bother to coax him.

She simply picked up a piece of her favorite chicken slices and ate it with relish.

Looking at her nonchalant demeanor, Kangxi felt a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.

Dealing with this girl is really... exhausting.

He sighed and finally broke the silence by speaking.

"Nannan, don't you have anything to say to me?"

Jiang Nan, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, replied vaguely upon hearing this.

"Has His Majesty come to seek justice for the Empress?"

Kangxi nodded, trying to make his tone sound calm.

"Nannan, I won't say much about your unauthorized addition of personnel to Yongshou Palace; it's a minor matter..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Nan immediately put the chicken leg on the plate, her eyebrows furrowed, and retorted directly.

"A trivial matter? My life and death are trivial matters? If you think it's trivial, why did you bring it up with me? Your Majesty, if you have any objections, just say so. I'm afraid of dying, so what's wrong with arranging a few more eunuchs to protect me? If you're unhappy and think I've overstepped my bounds, fine! I'll immediately send them back to the Imperial Household Department. Then I'll move to the Qianqing Palace with my unborn child, and you can personally protect my safety and that of my child. Is that alright?"

This barrage of counterattacks left Kangxi speechless.

Looking at her self-righteous and shameless demeanor, he was both annoyed and amused, and quickly waved his hand.

"I said I wouldn't mention it anymore, so I won't. Speak properly, and I haven't said anything, have I?"

He quickly steered the conversation back on track, emphasizing his tone.

"What about this morning's audience? The Empress did not provoke you, so why did you embarrass her in public? You even forced her to abdicate so you could sit on the throne yourself? Nan Nan, you... went a bit too far."

Jiang Nan picked up a handkerchief, wiped her mouth, and rolled her eyes.

"How did I go too far? I didn't hit or scold her, I was just trying to annoy her. It's just a chair, I really don't care to sit on it."

Kangxi shook his head, trying to reason with her.

"I'm not blaming you for angering the Empress. I understand you were angry because Songgotu attacked you, and you took it out on the Hesheli family. But..."

His tone became serious.

"You have publicly disregarded the Empress's position and shown no regard for the dignity of the Empress. If this were to reach the court, it would surely cause a great uproar. It would make both the court and the harem look down on this position and lose their sense of awe. Even I, the Emperor, would suffer damage to my dignity. Nan Nan, tell me, did you do this... because you wanted to become the Empress?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan paused slightly in her chopsticks.

She thought about it carefully and realized that Kangxi's words did make sense.

The egalitarian concepts of later generations made her lack a natural sense of awe for the feudal symbol of the empress.

Their actions are often based on momentary likes and dislikes, as well as weighing the pros and cons.

This action, while upholding its own authority,

Indeed, it overlooked its potential impact on the entire court order and the emperor's authority.

She put down her chopsticks, her expression becoming more serious, and began to speak.

"Your Majesty, you are right. This time, I was indeed short-sighted, only thinking of momentary pleasure without considering the long-term implications. I will be more careful in the future."

Seeing that she was finally willing to reason and admit her mistakes, Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief.

He nodded, his tone softening.

"I'm glad you understand."

His inner thoughts were actually quite complex; Nan Nan was capable, decisive, and intelligent.

They helped him a lot in many ways.

He even admired her wisdom and decisiveness from the bottom of his heart.

However, this admiration was firmly suppressed by his imperial pride.

Nan Nan is pregnant with his child…

But unfortunately, she's also incredibly mischievous and has an audacity that knows no bounds; she's willing to do anything.

Sometimes he really felt like he couldn't control her.

But Kangxi's most pressing question remained unanswered, and he kept his eyes fixed on Jiang Nan, pressing her for an answer.

"Nan Nan, you haven't answered me yet. Do you... want to be the Empress?"

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Emperor Kangxi was helpless, and so was I. The data kept dropping, and my mood plummeted.

There was no feedback or encouragement, and no book reviews either.

That's all for today. A day of just lazing around isn't so bad.