With the bright moon hanging in the sky, Xu Lejin stood by the window, looking up at the clear moonlight.
With her lips slightly parted, Xu Lejin spoke softly, "Ruhua, is everything arranged?"
"Your Majesty, everything is in order. I have already sent word to the Empress. Now we are just waiting for a grand show to unfold in Chengqian Palace."
Ru Hua lowered her eyes and brows.
Xu Lejin nodded, murmuring softly, "If you don't court death, you won't die. Consort Gong is the Emperor's own cousin. If nothing unexpected happened, she would have become a Noble Consort, then an Imperial Noble Consort. But now..."
"Consort Gong should never have harmed my bodyguard."
Ru Hua glanced quickly at Xu Lejin and said carefully, “Your Majesty is right. It was Consort Gong who was blinded by greed and confused the royal bloodline for her own selfish desires. Your Majesty is just correcting the situation and stopping Consort Gong’s absurd actions in time.”
"Um."
Xu Lejin responded, her face serious as she looked at Ruhua and said sternly, "Ruhua, what happened tonight is between you and me, and we must not let a third person know about it."
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."
Chuxiu Palace
In the Empress's bedchamber, the Empress spoke slowly, "The Emperor went to Consort Gong's palace again tonight. As Empress, I have never had the investiture ceremony, nor have I moved into Kunning Palace. My title is not legitimate."
"On the first and fifteenth of the month, His Majesty stays in this palace and never mentions moving the palace."
Caiyue lowered her head, thought quickly for a moment, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. Your Majesty is the Empress appointed by the Emperor. Sooner or later, you will be formally conferred the title and move into Kunning Palace."
"Now, it's just because of what Young Master A-Ling did back then that he angered the Emperor. Once the Emperor's anger subsides, it will be Your Majesty's investiture ceremony and the auspicious day of Your Majesty moving into Kunning Palace."
The Empress frowned and nodded.
“Ah Ling’a? Ha, just like his mother, she’s detestable. Bayara, relying on being Father’s third wife and having given birth to a son and a daughter for Father, she controls and restrains her mother and brother in every way.”
"A few days ago, Mother sent a letter to the palace, mentioning that Lady Bayara was urging my brother to send our third sister to the palace."
Her expression faltered, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes, and she said coldly, "Isn't the Niohuru family enough with me, the Empress?"
"Just because I have been in the palace for many years and have not yet given birth, I am thinking of sending another girl into the palace."
“Bayala and Alinga, this mother and son are utterly detestable.”
Caiyue smiled gently and offered soft words of comfort.
"Your Majesty, Lord Faka is now in charge of the household. As long as Lord Faka doesn't give his approval, the Third Miss's entry into the palace will not happen. Your Majesty's most urgent task is to seize the opportunity and conceive the Emperor's child as soon as possible."
The Empress nodded, pondering carefully.
After a short while, the Empress looked at Caiyue with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice, "Caiyue, give the order to make the palace servants in Chuxiu Palace more vigilant."
"I've been feeling uneasy all day, as if something is about to happen."
Caiyue respectfully replied, "Yes."
Inside Chengqian Palace, Consort Gong helped Emperor Kangxi walk step by step towards his sleeping quarters.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
A palace maid, her face filled with terror, ran up to Emperor Kangxi and Consort Gong and knelt down with a thud.
With a deathly pale face, large beads of sweat dripped continuously from the forehead of the palace maid in the chilly spring night.
Consort Gong's expression tightened, and her support for Emperor Kangxi froze.
Kangxi opened his dazed eyes and immediately sobered up considerably, calling out in a loud voice, "Liang Jiugong?"
"Your servant is here."
Liang Jiugong jogged up to Kangxi and bowed.
Emperor Kangxi glanced at Consort Gong, then at the terrified palace maid, and ordered in a deep voice, "Go and see what's going on. Also, have someone prepare a hangover soup."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Liang Jiugong glanced apologetically at Consort Gong and quickly retreated.
On a spring night, a cool breeze blew, and Kangxi sobered up considerably.
Emperor Kangxi stared intently at Consort Gong, whose back was covered in a thin layer of sweat as she prayed that nothing bad would happen.
Uya, it's alright if you don't succeed in serving me to bed today, just make sure nothing else happens.
After a short while, Liang Jiugong returned, gave Consort Gong a meaningful look, and then said to Emperor Kangxi with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, it is late at night and the dew is heavy. This servant will help you back to the Qianqing Palace to rest!"
"..."
Kangxi stared sharply at Liang Jiugong, remaining silent for a long time.
Liang Jiugong knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing as he spoke, "Your Majesty, this servant... this servant was afraid that what was inside would offend Your Majesty's eyes. Your Majesty..."
At this moment, Liang Jiugong was filled with regret!
If he had known things would turn out this way, he shouldn't have accepted Consort Gong's money and done her a favor.
I initially thought it was just Consort Gong recommending a young and beautiful palace maid to serve the Emperor, but unexpectedly...
The scene inside Consort Gong's bedchamber was too unbearable to look at.
Kangxi's drunkenness had completely vanished. He stared sharply at Liang Jiugong and said in a deep voice, "Help me go and see what has caused you such fear."
"emperor,"
Liang Jiugong was unwilling a thousand times over.
In the end, he could only glance helplessly at Consort Gong. Liang Jiugong bowed and helped Kangxi step by step toward Consort Gong's bedchamber. Consort Gong's beautiful face was completely drained of color.
Especially when she heard the roars of a man and the moans of a woman coming from her own bedchamber, Consort Gong turned pale and fainted.
With a gloomy face, Kangxi stood outside Consort Gong's bedroom, listening to the sounds of lovemaking inside. His fists clenched involuntarily, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
"Liang Jiugong, send someone to invite the Empress."
Liang Jiugong respectfully agreed and whispered a few instructions to the eunuch following behind him. The eunuch hurriedly left Chengqian Palace and jogged towards the Western Six Palaces.
Half an hour later
The Empress hurried to Chengqian Palace.
"Your Majesty, I wish you a long and peaceful life."
The Empress glanced quickly at Kangxi, then lowered her head and spoke softly, "I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me to Consort Gong's palace at this hour?"
Kangxi snapped out of his daze and glanced at Consort Gong, who looked utterly dejected.
"Since the Empress has arrived, please have a seat."
"Liang Jiugong, in Consort Gong's bedchamber, are the adulterous couple still not done with their debauchery, still not awake?"
Liang Jiugong replied tremblingly, "Your Majesty, this servant has already ordered men to tie them up."
"Um."
Kangxi responded.
"Bring him in, let me see who he is."
Liang Jiugong glanced quickly at Consort Gong, then respectfully replied, "Yes."
The Empress glanced at Kangxi and Consort Gong out of the corner of her eye, but did not ask any questions. Instead, she suppressed her doubts and quietly waited for the show to begin.
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