"Your Majesty, I greet you. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Consort Rong was slightly excited as she slowly curtsied.
Emperor Kangxi hadn't seen Consort Rong for a long time. Seeing his eldest daughter return naturally brought back memories of the early years he spent with her. Back then, Consort Rong, of the Ma Jia clan, was a beautiful and youthful woman of sixteen. In those early years, he had doted on her greatly; otherwise, how could they have borne each other six children? Later, with the birth of Consort De and Consort Yi, his favor towards her gradually waned.
"Where is Wenyi?" Kangxi couldn't help but think of their past relationship. He walked to Consort Rong's side, grabbed her arm, and helped her up.
Consort Rong was somewhat dazed. How long had it been since she had touched the Emperor's body? Ever since the death of the Eleventh Prince, she had gradually grown cold-hearted, and Kangxi had gradually stopped coming to her palace.
"Wenyi must be tired from her journey, so I've sent her to rest in the side hall. I'll go and wake her up." Consort Rong was about to call a palace maid, but Emperor Kangxi stopped her.
"Let her rest. Are both children growing up well?" Kangxi recalled Wenyi's childhood appearance, how she and the Third Princess used to dote on him, and his eyes welled up with tears.
“The boy resembles Wen Yi, but the girl doesn’t quite. Perhaps she resembles her husband. Your Majesty, please sit down,” Consort Rong said hastily, forgetting that the Emperor was still standing.
Her unfamiliarity caused Kangxi a series of pangs of pain. Once upon a time, this woman would be as radiant as spring flowers when she saw him, and she would eagerly anticipate his favor. Now, when she saw him again, she was like a long-lost relative, both familiar and strange. He wanted to be close to her, but he also felt distant.
“Xiuru, there’s no need for this. I haven’t seen you in a long time either. When I came, I saw that the railings in the courtyard were mottled and the flowers and trees were withered. Why didn’t you call the Imperial Household Department to repair them? How dare the people in the flower room neglect them?” Kangxi walked to the main couch, sat down, and asked sternly.
Consort Rong remained humble and sat down opposite Emperor Kangxi.
"Your Majesty, Her Highness is used to being frugal. To welcome the princess back, Her Highness specially requested some flowers," said Qin, the nanny serving Consort Rong, bowing her head hastily. The flowers she was referring to were the row of chrysanthemums displayed under the eaves of the main hall.
"Princess Wenyi is my eldest daughter, and she has been married off to the Dzungar Khanate for fifteen years. How come the Imperial Household Department hasn't even sent anyone to renovate it? Liang Jiugong, give the head of the Imperial Household Department ten strokes of the cane, and all the others get double that. Tell them to send people to renovate immediately. I want this place to be completely brand new. Consort Rong loves daisies, so have them bring some of all the varieties of daisies from the study." Kangxi said displeased.
"Yes, sir!" Liang Jiugong bowed and responded, then took a few steps back before turning and leaving.
“Your Majesty, I’m used to living here. Why make such a fuss? Besides, Wenyi just arrived. If we send people to repair it again, I’m afraid…” Consort Rong said cautiously. She knew that Kangxi was acting this way because of Wenyi. Now that Wenyi was here, what would happen if Wenyi left? Would she once again fall into a state of being ignored?
Kangxi was slightly embarrassed, but still said gently, "This is their lack of diligence. Issue my decree that Consort De and Consort Yi each reflect on their actions for three days and be fined three months' salary."
Consort Rong felt a slight flutter in her heart. She looked up at Emperor Kangxi and saw that the man for whom she had once given her all her heart had also grown old.
"His Majesty's lips are slightly upturned, which should be due to excessive internal heat and insufficient water intake. Lian'er, go and fetch His Majesty a bowl of papaya and white fungus soup, which is warming, nourishing, and invigorating," Consort Rong instructed the maid beside her.
Granny Qin hurriedly instructed the palace maids to go. Seeing that the atmosphere between Consort Rong and Emperor Kangxi seemed to have eased a little, she said, "Your Highness, haven't you been saying that you haven't played chess with the Emperor in a long time? Now, Princess Wenyi is still asleep, so why don't I bring you your chessboard?"
Emperor Kangxi smiled gently and said, "Granny Qin has reminded me. Even I dared not underestimate Xiuru's chess skills in the past. It has been a long time since I played chess with Xiuru. Let's set up the chessboard."
Consort Rong smiled slightly. Although the beauty of her youth had faded, the passage of time, combined with her natural beauty, gave her a mature charm and tranquility. Kangxi gazed at Consort Rong, making her feel somewhat embarrassed.
"Your Majesty, please have some first." Consort Rong personally took the bowl of soup from Lian'er and placed it on the small couch in front of Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi happily drank the wine. After Qin Mama brought out the chessboard and chess pieces that Consort Rong always used and placed them on the small couch between the emperor and the consort, he ordered the palace maids to arrange the chess pieces for them one by one.
After the palace maid took the bowl from Kangxi's hands, Granny Qin sent all the servants to wait outside the hall. Playing chess requires absolute silence, and the main hall of Yanxi Palace instantly became eerily quiet, save for the soft sound of chess pieces being placed.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Household Department was filled with groans of despair. Even the head of the department, Eunuch Shou, who was quite old, was forced to sit on a long bench and be beaten with ten strokes of the cane. The others were beaten with twenty or thirty strokes each.
With Liang Jiugong personally overseeing the execution, the executioners naturally dared not be careless; otherwise, the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department was an important person whom no one wanted to offend.
"Father-in-law, please give this servant some pointers. This servant is getting on in years, and I should understand what I'm being taught." Manager Shou also had a full head of white hair. In fact, he had been in the palace longer than Liang Jiugong. He had served Emperor Shunzhi and was an old man who had lived through two reigns.
“Very well, you are a senior in this field. When Princess Wenyi returns to the capital, she will naturally go to her mother, Consort Rong’s, palace. You have served her for decades, how come you haven’t checked on the things in Consort Rong’s palace? How long has it been since they were repaired? Aren’t you making the Emperor look bad? You should know how much Princess Wenyi was favored back then,” Liang Jiugong said.
"Alas, I deserve these ten lashes today. I have completely forgotten the princess's place in the Emperor's heart. I deserve to be beaten." Chief Steward Shou closed his eyes and said no more.
"Take it easy, Manager Shou is over sixty years old, he can't take a beating," Liang Jiugong instructed.
"Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Liang. I will repay you in the future," said Manager Shou.
Others weren't so lucky. Suddenly, the Imperial Household Department, which hadn't been punished for years, was penalized for failing to properly repair Consort Rong's palace. The news spread quickly throughout the palace, and even the eunuchs delivering the imperial edicts to Consort De and Consort Yi had their messages relayed to them.
Therefore, the entire harem became curious about this princess who hadn't returned to the capital for over a decade. Upon her return, the emperor punished Consort De and Consort Yi, reprimanded everyone in the Imperial Household Department, and immediately ordered repairs. The harem's favored concubines were extremely perceptive, so much so that everyone began to think about how to win the princess's favor.
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