Upon entering the room, Kangxi surveyed its furnishings. He had an excellent memory and remembered what Yuanjianzhai had looked like before.
"You've rearranged the room, and it looks much more elegant to me now."
“Yuanjianzhai was built in the style of a garden in Jiangnan. The layout inside is almost the same as that in the palace. I felt that it didn’t match the house or the scenery of Changchun Garden, so I made some changes and it looks much more refreshing.”
Emperor Kangxi had excellent taste. He decorated his own Qingxi Study, which, while not entirely in the Jiangnan style, still contained many Jiangnan elements.
In fact, Emperor Kangxi was a person who liked the Jiangnan region.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made so many trips to the south of the Yangtze River. Politics is one aspect, but if it were solely for political reasons, he wouldn't have made so many trips.
Looking at the changes made to Yuanjianzhai by Anning, Kangxi felt that Anning not only won his heart, but also shared his aesthetic taste.
Emperor Kangxi was pleasantly surprised by this.
"My beloved concubine has made some good changes. I will have Liang Jiugong send you some tribute items from Jiangnan for you to play with."
"That would be wonderful. Your Majesty, I thank you in advance."
An Ning smiled like a kitten that had just stolen some cream, which softened Kangxi's heart.
Anning then took Kangxi to her newly decorated study, where the two began to read, each reading their own book. The study was quiet and peaceful.
Kangxi's restless heart found temporary relief in Anning.
Recently, the struggle between the Crown Prince and the First Prince has moved from the shadows to the open, and even his father, the Emperor, is no longer concerned. Kangxi is extremely displeased with this, yet he himself has brought about this situation.
I'm in an extremely bad mood.
In the past, Emperor Kangxi liked to visit Consort De, who was a kind and understanding person who knew best how to comfort him. However, as the Fourth Prince Yinzhen and the Fourteenth Prince grew older, Consort De also developed her own stance.
In addition, the incident of Consort Anning falling into the water during the imperial concubine selection involved the grudges between Consort De and Empress Xiaoyi, which also left a mark on Kangxi's mind, so Kangxi visited Consort De less and less.
It is under these circumstances that peace and tranquility emerge.
Because of their complicated and ambiguous relationship, Anning was a special person in Kangxi's heart from the very beginning.
In just one year, Anning transformed this unusual situation into something truly special.
In addition, An Ning came from a prominent family, and her maternal clan were staunch royalists. She had no children, and even if she had, there was no possibility of her vying for the throne. Kangxi doted on her with great peace of mind.
Anning became a "spiritual haven" for Kangxi. Whenever he was in a bad mood, he would come here. He would not lose his temper. Just talking and reading together was enough to calm him down.
After reading for a while, Anning took the book and came to Kangxi, looking at him expectantly, which softened Kangxi's heart.
"What's wrong?"
"I have heard that Your Majesty is very good at mathematics. I would like to ask Your Majesty for guidance."
Anning was certainly good at mathematics, but he still had to satisfy Kangxi's love of teaching.
"Mathematics? When did my beloved concubine develop a liking for mathematics?"
"It has been a while. I studied on my own for several months, but now there are some things I don't understand, so I would like to ask Your Majesty for clarification."
Emperor Kangxi enjoyed exploring various disciplines, and upon hearing this, he took the book from her hand.
"What don't you understand?"
Anning told Kangxi what she didn't understand, and Kangxi answered her questions and repeatedly confirmed that she had indeed understood before stopping.
He was surprised by An Ning's talent.
"If my beloved concubine were a man, she would surely be my trusted and loyal minister."
Emperor Kangxi was not exaggerating. Mathematics is easy to learn but difficult to master. It's alright at the beginning, but it gets harder and harder as you learn. It's not something that can be done just by hard work; you really need talent. If you're going to be an official, you can't be bad at mathematics.
With An Ning's talent, if she were a man, she would have been given a starting position as a junior official by Emperor Kangxi as soon as she entered the Ministry of Revenue.
An Ning lowered her head shyly, disagreeing with Kangxi's words. What did he mean by "if I were a man"? She never felt that being a woman was shameful.
"Your Majesty, I am not as good as you say. Please don't flatter me. The more I understand Your Majesty after entering the palace, the more I admire you and follow in your footsteps."
As she spoke, An Ning's tone became low and somber: "Lately, I've been thinking that if I could have been born a few years earlier, I would have been able to meet Your Majesty sooner. I've heard many stories about Your Majesty from the palace servants, but I always feel regretful that I didn't get to see what Your Majesty looked like when you were young!"
An Ning dared to bring up her age with Kangxi because she knew that Kangxi's current health condition had benefited from her; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought up the topic.
When Kangxi heard this, he felt that Anning was very affectionate. In particular, no one in the harem dared to be so direct, so he didn't think much of it.
Because Kangxi was completely unaware of the fatigue that comes with age, he never even considered that he was actually quite old.
"I understand my beloved consort's feelings for me, and I will never betray her deep affection and loyalty."
Upon hearing this, An Ning looked at the emperor with deep affection in her eyes.
Unable to contain himself, Kangxi pulled her into his arms. Anning "accidentally" fell into Kangxi's lap, whispering in surprise, "Your Majesty!"
"My beloved concubine, don't be afraid, I won't let you fall."
Anning made a move to get up, but Kangxi stopped her. Anning couldn't help but say angrily, "Your Majesty, it's still daytime. Please let me get up quickly. If the palace servants see me, how can I face anyone?"
Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "My dear consort, rest assured, Liang Jiugong is guarding outside, he knows what he's doing."
As he spoke, Kangxi's hands began to wander, and a faint fragrance emanated from Anning, fresh and captivating.
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