The meal took quite a while, mainly because Kangxi accidentally made Yin Yi cry halfway through, and they spent most of the time comforting the child.
Yin Yi was also spoiled growing up. Whether it was Xiu Ning who took care of him daily, or Kangxi and Ning Chuge who occasionally came to accompany him, they basically did whatever they wanted to him. This also fostered Yin Yi's bad temper, making him too willful.
Of course, Yin Yi is still young, and some of his temperaments won't be criticized much, but if he doesn't change these temperaments, he will suffer later.
Xiuning shook her head inwardly, while simultaneously devising a plan for the wet nurse to continue strictly controlling Yinyi, so that certain bad habits of Yinyi could be corrected before she went to the prince's residence.
"Oh dear, this child, he's gotten even more temperamental in just a few days."
Kangxi took a sip of soup, turned his head and complained to Xiuning, while sitting on the chair next to Kangxi was Yinyi, who was eating with tears in his eyes.
Xiu Ning smiled as she served Kangxi food and rice. "He is the youngest in the entire Qixiang Palace. Ning Chuge always dotes on him when he comes back. Look, he's been spoiled so much that he likes to give me attitude. Now Your Majesty can finally understand my bitterness and grievances."
I used to complain that she wasn't good to her son, but heaven knows what kind of person Yin Yi is. Even if she were to treat him well, Yin Yi might just go crazy.
Kangxi rubbed his nose awkwardly after Xiuning gave him a reproachful look. "Ahem, I wasn't blaming you at the time. Besides, Yinyi may be mischievous, but he's usually very well-behaved. He's just a child. With some patient guidance, he'll be fine."
Xiuning: ...
What could Xiuning say? Her own father had already made his stance clear; if she continued to hold onto it, she would seem like a stepmother.
Ha, just wait until Yin Yi has to put Kangxi through his wringer a few more times, and Kangxi will know how formidable Yin Yi is. Let's see if he still dares to say such things then.
Xiuning stopped talking and just bowed her head to serve the father and son their meal.
After dinner, Kangxi carried Yinyi to the bedchamber, and Xiuning beckoned Chunyu, "Pack up, and then have the wet nurse take the little prince back to sleep at a later time."
Also, take the prepared herbal medicine to the bathhouse so we can use it while bathing and changing.
Xiu Ning's purpose in inviting Emperor Kangxi over this time was not just to have him stay for one night; she also wanted to raise her own status before the grand investiture next year.
In the imperial harem, the way to elevate one's status was either through having offspring or through family connections.
According to the family, the Hitara clan, after so much planning and arrangement, is of medium size, not the best but not the worst, and has now reached its limit.
Therefore, Xiuning plans to rely on having offspring to further strengthen her position.
The herbal soup that Xiu Ning just instructed Chunyu to take was a tonic that Xiu Ning bought from the system with points to regulate her body. Not only does it have few side effects, but it can also help keep the body in a good state for conception. Compared to some pills that are used up quickly, it is more cost-effective.
Points will eventually run out, and Xiuning hasn't earned any money yet (completed the task), and she doesn't know when she'll need to use points again, so naturally she should save as much as she can.
Chunyu nodded slightly, "This servant understands."
"Okay, go and make the arrangements," Xiu Ning nodded, then turned to look at the tatami room behind her.
Emperor Kangxi held Yin Yi in his arms, the father and son sitting opposite each other, their not-so-similar appearances adding to the comical scene.
It's fortunate that Yin Yi looks like her, otherwise, Xiu Ning's aesthetic sense would not have been able to accept this hairstyle from the Qing Dynasty alone, and she would have been full of complaints.
With Xiu Ning's prior instructions, Yin Yi returned to the side hall earlier than usual.
Seeing this, Xiu Ning simply took the opportunity to tell Kangxi that she was going to wash up first.
He nodded. "Go ahead, I'll rest for a bit first."
Emperor Kangxi hadn't rested since finishing his meal. Yin Yi's little mouth kept chattering, and Kangxi drank three cups of tea just to deal with his son.
In just two sentences, Xiuning could sense the weariness in Kangxi's voice.
I couldn't help but gloat inwardly. It's time for men to experience the pain of raising children, otherwise they always think that such fair-skinned babies can be raised casually.
After speaking a few words to Kangxi in a gentle and soft tone, Xiuning turned and went to the bathhouse.
First, she drank the herbal medicine that Chunyu had brought in advance, then took off her clothes and took a hot bath. Xiuning changed into the nightgown she had specially prepared, and then wrapped herself in a winter coat before quietly returning to her room.
The room was brightly lit by candlelight. Emperor Kangxi, dressed in casual clothes, leaned against a couch with a beautifully illustrated storybook lying beside him.
Xiuning walked over and sat down next to Kangxi, placing her beautiful hand on the back of his hand.
Kangxi suddenly stopped flipping through the storybook, looked up and smiled, "Why don't you dry your hair?"
Because of the bath, and the bathroom was very humid, Xiu Ning inevitably got her hair wet. Although it felt smooth to the touch, it still wasn't quite the same.
"Your Majesty, please help your concubine?" Xiu Ning's voice was sweet, like a pair of clips.
"Bring me the handkerchief," Kangxi said, closing the storybook in his hand and straightening up to pull Xiuning closer to him.
Xiuning did not resist, but the clothes she was wearing were a bit loose, and when Kangxi pulled and tugged, the gap at the neckline was widened infinitely.
Her fair, jade-like skin was exposed before Kangxi's eyes, causing him to feel an overwhelming surge of excitement.
Xiu Ning pretended not to know, and only slightly turned her head, which not only made the skin under her clothes more exposed, but also allowed Kangxi to smell the faint fragrance on her body.
Having made so many preparations, Xiuning naturally wanted to achieve her goal as soon as possible. It would be a loss for her if she couldn't take the opportunity to attract Kangxi to Qixiang Palace more often.
Kangxi's eyes darkened, and the hand on Xiuning's shoulder unconsciously tightened its grip.
Stung by the pain, Xiu Ning frowned, then looked up with eyes brimming with tears.
"It's getting late, it's time to rest."
The sound traveled through the air to Xiuning's ears and simultaneously struck her heart.
Xiu Ning grunted in response, but as soon as she landed, Kangxi lifted her up.
As the perspective shifted, Xiu Ning's hands were tightly draped over Kangxi's shoulders, and her winter coat fell to the ground.
The specially made nightgown was completely exposed to Kangxi. The thin gauze material and the style of concealing but not revealing successfully made Xiuning feel Kangxi's excitement.
As if it had X-ray vision, it stared intently at her body, and Xiu Ning felt her skin getting hot, and her previously steady heartbeat accelerated again.
"emperor"
Kangxi did not answer, but demonstrated his satisfaction with his actions.
The flickering candlelight in the room, combined with the shadows cast on the windows, greatly enhanced the stimulating atmosphere within the bed curtains.
Uncontrollable groans rose from the room and reached the ears of Liang Jiugong, who was on night watch at the door.
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