Chapter 170 A Complete Breakdown
"Your Majesty!" the Empress snapped, "Does Your Majesty intend to replace me now that my son is crippled?"
I knew he couldn't keep up the act for long. I didn't expect that before the army that had quelled the Three Feudatories returned, he would start to restrict her power.
Haha, well done.
Indeed, the victory in the Revolt of the Three Feudatories had already established his reputation as a wise ruler, and he held absolute power in the court. How could he possibly care about the mere harem?
Weakening her power in the palace is probably the first step. Ah, indeed, the imperial family is the most ruthless.
She wanted to see who was more ruthless, her or him.
"Empress!" Kangxi hadn't expected the Empress to so openly confront him. "Look at yourself now! Can't you see how chaotic the harem is?"
"Since you have no interest in the affairs of the harem, you might as well hand over the reins of the palace, so that the harem matters won't trouble me. What I want is peace in the harem."
Fanghua found his unreasonable words laughable.
When a person loses their usefulness, everything they did before was a mistake.
“Peace, Your Majesty, when has the harem ever been peaceful?” Fanghua said with a mocking expression. She met the emperor’s eyes without backing down. “Since I took charge of the harem, I have never made a single mistake. If Your Majesty wants power, just say so. Why pin a crime on me?”
After saying that, Fanghua sent someone to retrieve the Phoenix Seal. This thing had already been refined by Xiaofeng, so giving it away wouldn't affect her use of it.
However, it also depends on whether he dares to accept the offer.
Soon, Qiaoyun brought over the Phoenix Seal, held it high with both hands, and stood respectfully in front of her mistress. "Your Majesty, the Phoenix Seal has been brought."
Fanghua opened the wooden box containing the phoenix seal, took the seal in her hand and played with it, a smile on her face but not in her eyes. "Your Majesty, to whom do you intend to give this seal? Consort Tong?"
Seeing her like this, Kangxi took a deep breath and it took him a while to suppress his anger.
He didn't really intend to take away the Empress's Phoenix Seal. After all, as she said, the Empress was innocent, and taking away the Phoenix Seal would be a slap in the face to the Empress.
But the recent turmoil in the harem has been bothering him. He came here today to give the Empress a warning, but he didn't expect her to be so irritable.
Thinking of Chenghu in the inner palace, Kangxi softened his tone, "Empress, I never intended to take away your Phoenix Seal. I just wanted you to spare some attention to the affairs of the inner palace."
He took the phoenix seal back from her hand, then put it back into the wooden box, glaring at Qiaoyun angrily, "You clueless thing, hurry up and put it away."
Qiaoyun glanced at her mistress, but the mistress did not respond. She could only obey the emperor's orders and return the phoenix seal.
"Empress, I know you can't bear the thought of Chenghu, but you can't stay stuck in grief forever."
Kangxi's words only fueled Fanghua's anger. "Your Majesty is inferior to me. After all, Chenghu only has me as his mother, while Your Majesty has more than one son, Chenghu."
As she spoke, Fanghua couldn't help but feel aggrieved. In her previous life, her Yinreng was the same. He only had one father, the Emperor, but his father had countless princes and brothers.
"Your Majesty can easily control your grief, but I cannot. Your Majesty, I cannot do it."
Hearing her screams of pain, the emperor might have felt sorry for her in the past, but now, he could only run away.
"Waaah, my Chenghu shouldn't have been born into an imperial family. If he hadn't been in this cannibalistic imperial family, he wouldn't have become a cripple."
Fanghua couldn't help but shout in fury.
She felt wronged for Chenghu, for herself, and for her Chengreng.
All the grievances of the mother and her two children stemmed from the person before them. If she could, she would rather never see him again for all eternity.
"Empress." Kangxi was also angered by the Empress's words, his fists clenched tightly. If the person in front of him was not the Empress, he would have beaten them to death.
But she was the Empress, his first wife.
"I have made a decision regarding the affairs of the harem. Consort Tong and the Imperial Concubine will jointly manage them with you. This way, we won't have to worry about the Empress forgetting about the harem when she gets busy."
After saying this, Kangxi turned and strode away.
Once she could no longer see anyone, Fanghua concealed the pain on her face and a cryptic smile appeared on her lips: "Hmph, I thought she was really annoyed by the scheming of the harem, but I didn't expect she was trying to raise her status. I just wonder if she can handle it."
"Your Majesty," Qiaoyun said with some concern, stepping forward to help the Empress sit down. "Why go against the Emperor? It won't do us any good." She didn't understand.
She knew the Empress had been faking it when she asked her to take the Phoenix Seal.
But she didn't understand why the Empress would openly quarrel with the Emperor.
"No benefits? That's good." She never wanted the emperor's benefits; she wanted benefits to come to her on their own.
"Since His Majesty wishes to elevate Consort Tong, I cannot grant him that wish. Qiaoyun, draft an imperial edict for me, granting Consort De the power to manage the inner palace."
How can it be fun if the harem isn't in chaos?
What's this talk of sharing her burdens? How can Consort Tong, who's heavily pregnant, possibly share her burdens? Isn't she just using this opportunity to pave the way for her beloved cousin? Well, she'll have to see if Consort Tong, as his wife, agrees.
Favoring a concubine over one's wife? Ha! Don't be afraid of ruining your reputation, bring it on!
"Your Majesty."
Not only was Qiaoyun puzzled, but Zhang Mama, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but exclaim, "No! Consort De is not someone who can be easily fooled. If she gains power in the palace, she can forget about having a peaceful life from now on."
The Empress has suppressed Consort De for many years, so why is she letting go now? Zhang Mama couldn't understand it at all.
"Peaceful life? Do I have a peaceful life now?" If you don't want her to have a good life, then no one should have a good life.
So what if she's pregnant? She doesn't mind having a little blood on her hands.
"Where is Qiaoling?" Fanghua closed her eyes and then asked Qiaoyun.
"Your Majesty, Qiaoyun is in the kitchen preparing meals. Since Prince Chenghu fell ill, Qiaoling has been personally preparing all the meals."
Fanghua was surprised to hear this answer, but she understood Qiaoling's thoughts.
They were afraid someone would harm Chenghu.
"Hmm, she's thoughtful, but it's alright. Kunning Palace hasn't produced anyone who betrayed the master yet. Have her come back; I have something to instruct her to do."
In the imperial harem, even the smallest stone seems to have ears; sure enough, the quarrel between the emperor and empress quickly spread to all the palaces.
Some were happy, some were worried, and some even celebrated on the spot.
Among them was Consort Tong.
Ever since she was reprimanded by the Empress in front of everyone in the harem, she has hated the Empress.
She never expected that the Empress would show her no respect whatsoever.
Even if you don't care about the monk, you should at least care about the Buddha. After all, she is carrying the imperial heir. How dare the Empress disrespect herself like this?
"Has Your Majesty truly secured power for me in the palace?"
Upon hearing the report from below, Tong Fei was extremely excited, knowing that her cousin liked her the most.
Palace power—which concubine in the harem doesn't covet palace power? With palace power comes a voice, and everyone has to give you face.
Not to mention, she was her cousin's favorite person.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A cunning maidservant flattered her with an ingratiating smile, "Not only that, this servant also heard that His Majesty asked the Empress to hand over the Phoenix Seal. It seems that His Majesty intends to give it to Your Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Consort Tong was practically strutting around with pride.
"Really?" Her eyes shone like stars. "You're not just trying to make me happy, are you?" Her cousin loved her so much?
Do they all think they can take control of the Phoenix Seal?
Shouldn't she also consider the position of her cousin's wife?
After all, she made this her goal after learning about it.
I thought it was just her wishful thinking, but now it seems that her cousin also has the same idea.
The Empress should not be an obstacle in her path.
What should be removed, what should be crushed.
"How dare this servant deceive Your Highness? This news came from the Qianqing Palace. If Your Highness doesn't believe me, you can let me investigate. If this servant tells even half a lie, may I die a horrible death."
This servant is quite the smooth talker.
"Haha, good, you're a good one. Guards, reward him handsomely, very handsomely."
Consort Tong was delighted by these words and immediately rewarded the servant.
"Go down and collect your reward."
After dismissing the man, Consort Tong summoned her trusted confidante, "Huabi, I have something for you to do. This matter must be done discreetly."
Her cousin had already started making plans for her, and she couldn't let him down, so she decided to take action.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?" Hua Bi stood respectfully before her mistress, awaiting her instructions.
Consort Tong glanced at the servants in the room, waved her hand to dismiss them, and then whispered in Hua Bi's ear.
It took her a while to finish speaking.
Huabi looked shocked, which showed how surprised she was.
"Your Majesty, I've heard that Kunning Palace is completely sealed off. I'm afraid I might ruin Your Majesty's plans." Huabi was very worried. She was willing to go through fire and water for Her Majesty, but she was afraid of ruining Her Majesty's plans.
Consort Tong had heard about it, but she didn't believe that such a large palace could be completely without any leaks. "How will we know if we don't try? Hua Bi, I believe in your abilities. Father trusted you when he asked you to come to the palace with me. We're not in a hurry to make a move; let's maintain a good relationship first."
She wouldn't rush things; after all, if the Empress were so easy to deal with, she wouldn't have been punished.
"Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will certainly not disappoint you," Hua Bi replied respectfully.
"That's excellent. Once you succeed, I will certainly not treat you unfairly. I know that you and Li Zhu in the manor have a deep affection for each other. Once you have made many contributions, I will ask for your favor and let you get married in style."
The people accompanying Consort Tong were all born into the household; their parents, brothers, and sisters were all under the control of Consort Tong.
She wasn't afraid of them betraying her.
Such important matters naturally had to be entrusted to them.
Not to mention that her family had long ago handed over power in the palace to her, and she knew very well whether they were loyal or not.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Hua Bi's face flushed with shyness, clearly showing that she was moved.
"This matter must not be known to the nanny. You may leave now. I await your good news."
It's understandable that Consort Tong wanted to kill the Empress; after all, a woman in the harem who didn't want to be Empress wasn't a good woman.
It was perfectly reasonable for her to want to murder the Empress.
Leaving aside the actions of Chengqian Palace, Fanghua already knew that the Emperor had issued an edict, and he truly couldn't wait even a moment longer.
Therefore, she cannot fall behind.
She immediately sent Qiaoyun to deliver her imperial decree to Consort De.
Regardless of who won or lost this power struggle within the palace, the Empress's face was certainly slapped in the face by the Emperor.
Fanghua didn't come forward to explain. She stayed by Chenghu's side every day, constantly telling him about the precautions to take when leaving the palace.
The tender bond between mother and child was ultimately disturbed by someone who had no sense of propriety.
"Your Majesty, someone has started bribing the maids below."
It was Qiaoling who came. Apart from Zhang Mama, she was in charge of all the affairs of Kunning Palace.
If anyone notices something is wrong, they should immediately report it to her.
She didn't dare delay and immediately reported back to the Empress.
"Do you know whose people they are?"
Fanghua smiled. She hadn't seen such a bold person in a long time, and wondered who was looking for fun.
Who doesn't know that Kunning is protected by heaven, so that even in the sweltering summer it is as refreshing as spring, and in the snowy winter it can make peonies compete for beauty?
Is such a magical place open to anyone to explore?
They're really risking their lives.
Qiaoling shook her head. "The people below haven't found anything, but since we've got a lead, I think we'll be able to catch the rat next time," Qiaoling said confidently.
She certainly has the ability; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so highly regarded by the Empress.
"I trust you. In that case, keep an eye on things. I'm also very curious to know who's up to this."
She's pushing hard towards Kunning Palace; it seems she's set her sights on the Empress's position.
That's interesting, so very interesting.
With such a major upheaval in the imperial harem, many people naturally had designs on it.
Previously, the Empress held absolute power. Later, although the Consort was favored by the Emperor and shared some of the Empress's power, she only managed the superficial aspects of the palace.
But things are different now. With Consort Tong and Consort De joining the harem, the Empress can't just give them the bare minimum.
Putting aside Consort De, if that were really the case, Consort Tong would probably be the first to object.
With the Emperor's endorsement, it's likely that Consort Tong won't gain the ultimate power in the palace, but she will still hold some important departments in her hands.
The Empress is in danger.
When the Emperor promoted Consort Tong, the Empress promoted Consort De. Although they were both consorts, it was clear to everyone who was more important to them.
Those who are favored by the emperor are naturally even more precious.
Even the Imperial Concubine Gui is no match for Consort Tong. After all, although the Imperial Concubine Gui is favored, she has lost the right to be a mother. Consort Tong is different; she is carrying the imperial heir. If she gives birth to a prince, she will likely be the Imperial Concubine Gui.
The protagonists are unaware of the various speculations surrounding the harem, and even if they did, they wouldn't care.
After all, their sarcastic remarks were nothing more than words of jealousy.
They are just people who have the will but not the power.
The Empress was quick to act as well.
After gaining control of the palace, Consort Tong became incredibly arrogant, and now her retribution has come.
Yes, Consort Tong started bleeding.
I heard that he tripped and fell when he went out, and that someone spilled oil on the ground.
Fanghua smiled when she found out, and sent Zhang Mama as her representative to deliver some gifts within the proper bounds of custom, and then paid no further attention to it.
After all, everyone knows that the Empress is completely focused on the injured eldest prince, and even neglects the Crown Prince.
Consort Tong is no match for Prince Chenghu.
Upon receiving the news, Emperor Kangxi immediately rushed to Chengqian Palace. Fortunately, the imperial physicians were highly skilled, and Consort Tong's pregnancy was saved, but she needed to rest in bed.
The Emperor's previous efforts to secure palace power for Consort Tong have become a joke.
After all, it's obvious who would choose between power and the child.
The power held by Consort Tong eventually fell into the hands of the Imperial Consort.
The Imperial Concubine truly sat in the palace, while gold fell from the sky.
I'm very happy.
After gaining more power in the palace, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to helping the second princess become familiar with these mundane affairs.
When Fanghua learned of this, she was very generous and gave the Consort more tasks, since she was taking the opportunity to teach the Princess how to manage household affairs.
The second princess will be staying in the capital to get married in the future, so she naturally needs to learn these things well.
The current chaos within the imperial harem presents an excellent opportunity for learning.
As the Empress Dowager, she used this opportunity to fulfill her mother-daughter bond.
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