Splash—
It was the sound of an object falling to the ground, not very obvious, but Li Dequan, with his sharp ears, could hear it.
He raised his head, his gaze turning helplessly to the ornate tent behind him.
The master stayed for almost a day, without ordering anyone to serve him or asking anyone questions.
If it weren't for the recent favorable situation on the front lines for the Qing Dynasty, and the fact that the news coming in on weekdays was mostly good, Li Dequan would have thought that the Dzungars had already invaded the capital.
Oh dear, what's wrong with the Emperor?
I couldn't figure it out in my mind, but my hands were busy too.
Li Dequan carefully beckoned to his servant and told him to quickly go to the small kitchen and bring over some food.
The master hadn't touched any of the previous meals, but this couldn't go on. The master's health was a matter of national importance, so he had to eat something.
Li Dequan was also afraid that his unauthorized actions would anger his master, but as a close servant, he had no choice but to risk his life. If his master got into trouble or later regretted it, he would not be able to serve in the imperial court for long.
Having finally taken over such a powerful position from Liang Jiugong, Li Dequan had worked his way up and was unwilling to give it up easily.
"Your Excellency, the Emperor is currently angry. If we go there now, we'll only be asking for trouble."
The eunuch who spoke had a good relationship with Li Dequan, so even though he was cowering in fear, he still dared to speak up for himself.
Li Dequan's eyes were sharp; he was no longer the kind-hearted man he used to be.
He waved his hand, his expression serious, "Just go when our family tells you to. Why all the fuss?"
Furthermore, the Emperor's health is of utmost importance; you mustn't spread rumors and mislead the public, putting the cart before the horse.
If you're afraid of death and dare not step forward, then what kind of job are you doing in front of the emperor?
Pack your bags as soon as possible and go back to the Imperial Household Department for a redistribution.
Li Dequan snorted angrily, flicked his whisk, and turned to leave.
Seeing this, the eunuch dared not contradict Li Dequan anymore. Perhaps his previous words had emboldened him, and now he acted entirely under Li Dequan's orders.
Soon, the little eunuch brought over the piping hot soup that had been simmering in the small kitchen.
Li Dequan reached out and took it, then instructed the young eunuch to wait aside. He took a deep breath and carefully entered the tent.
Inside the tent, the floor was a mess.
Kangxi sat on the chair that had been set up, his gaze dark as he looked toward the door.
As soon as Li Dequan entered, he met Kangxi's terrifying eyes, which startled him so much that his heart skipped a beat and then started pounding wildly.
"emperor"
Li Dequan bowed, holding the tray above his head with both hands, and slowly moved towards Kangxi's location with small steps, avoiding various obstacles on the ground.
Li Dequan held the tray steadily in his hands, placed it smoothly on the table, and took a few steps back. "This servant has taken the liberty of fetching some soup and porridge for Your Majesty. I urge Your Majesty to take care of your health for the sake of the Qing Dynasty."
After saying that, Li Dequan quickly knelt on the ground, pressing his forehead against the blanket laid out on the ground, not daring to breathe out loudly at all.
Kangxi remained silent; the room was quiet, the tranquil atmosphere almost suffocating.
Kangxi tapped the table, his expression softening. "You've shown your thoughtfulness. Get up."
Regardless, Li Dequan did a good job as a lackey.
Upon receiving Kangxi's order, Li Dequan felt a sense of relief and quickly got up from the ground.
Since he wasn't told to leave, Li Dequan didn't dare to offend Kangxi, so he stood obediently in place, waiting for Kangxi's instructions.
Kangxi took a sip of the soup and porridge that had been served, then beckoned to the emperor, "Has the Crown Prince sent a message?"
Upon hearing Kangxi mention the Crown Prince, Li Dequan's heart tightened instantly.
Tsk, this is not a good sign. Could it be that the Crown Prince has committed a crime in the capital, which has displeased the Emperor?
While making wild guesses in his mind, Li Dequan carefully weighed the situation and said in a low voice, "It hasn't arrived yet, but according to the previous schedule, it should arrive in about two days."
The Crown Prince and Emperor Kangxi corresponded, even more frequently than the average person.
This was because the Crown Prince was overseeing the country, and he needed to send certain memorials to Emperor Kangxi in a timely manner.
However, only two days had passed since the Crown Prince last sent a letter, and now the Emperor was asking again. Li Dequan suddenly remembered the many letters that had come from the inner palace this morning, and wondered if something had happened in the inner palace and that it was related to the Crown Prince, which was why Kangxi was asking about it.
Hmm, that's very likely.
After sorting out the cause and effect, some of the confusion in Li Dequan's mind dissipated.
Well, as long as it's not closely related to them, that's fine. Li Dequan is a "better you than me" kind of guy, who cares how others live?
"Yes, send someone to keep an eye on it. If there's any news, report it to me immediately."
Kangxi did not press further, and after finishing his sentence, he waved for Li Dequan to leave.
Li Dequan obediently agreed and immediately turned to leave.
It was as if he was being chased. Kangxi glanced at it and then looked away, letting out a snort of laughter. He was quite perceptive.
Looking down, the letters he had placed on the table were now scattered in disarray.
Kangxi didn't take it seriously, and simply picked out a few letters to compare them one by one.
Unsurprisingly, the letter contained almost entirely a description of the Crown Prince's search of the palace.
Compared to Xiuning, who speaks her mind without adding personal emotions to her content, the others each have their own unique characteristics.
Consort Hui's entire letter was a blatant complaint, while Tong Jia Rongyue chose to subtly sow discord. Consort Yi was tactful and didn't offend anyone, so she didn't mention the matter at all. As for Consort Jia, Kangxi simply picked her out, crumpled her up, and threw her aside, clearly not wanting to read her a second time.
If Xiuning were here, she would surely understand why Consort Jia died in the thirtieth year of Kangxi's reign. This was because she had thoroughly offended Kangxi, and those whom Kangxi disliked rarely lived long.
"Your Highness, what exactly is he planning to do?" Kangxi murmured.
Although he had left the palace, he still had trusted confidants there. Kangxi had already learned about the contents of these letters through special channels.
That's why Kangxi was even more confused. Was it worth it?
Crown Prince, was it a mistake for him to appoint Yinreng as Crown Prince in order to consolidate his throne? This child doesn't seem to have the appearance of a wise ruler. After his death, was it really the right thing to hand over the Qing Dynasty to him?
Kangxi was unaware of this, but a voice deep within him was reminding him that this would not do.
The Qing dynasty cannot be handed over to Yinreng; he is not yet capable of managing it.
The hand was clenched and made a series of sounds. Kangxi looked calmly at the letters in front of him, and finally waved his hand to destroy them all.
Let's pretend we don't know anything about this and see how the Crown Prince explains it. If the Crown Prince is truly concerned for the public good, then it's not unacceptable.
After all, the fate of the nation was more important than personal feelings; Kangxi's heart, though beating, was cold and ruthless.
However, even so, once a rift has formed, it is difficult to eliminate.
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