Granny Tong thought more deeply than Consort Tongjia, and naturally speculated about all possible scenarios from various angles.
"That's also possible. Let's send spies to investigate the Kunning Palace and see what the Empress's intentions are."
If the Empress truly intended for her sister to enter the palace, and she went to help her, she would surely be beaten to death.
Meanwhile, Consort Rong was discussing something with her confidante.
"Your Highness, you acted impulsively today. Although the Consort's favor has waned, she is still the Consort. We are not afraid of her underhanded tactics, but we are afraid of her doing things openly. After all, she is still the Emperor's cousin!"
Even if Consort Tongjia was wicked and did the most outrageous things, the Emperor would still be lenient with her out of consideration for Empress Xiaokangzhang.
"How could I not know? But this is utterly disrespectful to me. Even if it's not for myself, I have to think about Yinzhi. If this happens once, it will happen again. If I take a hard line, others will have to think twice before they try to harm Yinzhi. I am not someone to be trifled with."
She used to be extremely humble and respectful in front of the late Empress, but what did she get in return? One of her children died while another was born. This hatred will not disappear just because Hesheli is gone. Isn't there still her son, the current Crown Prince? It is only natural for the son to pay for the mother's sins.
"Then should we... remain low-key and tolerant?" Huan Die thought for a moment and asked.
"Keep a low profile. If anyone dares to bully our Zhongcui Palace, then retaliate. I won't tolerate it." From this day forward, she would no longer tolerate it. She was who she was, Ma Jiaronghuan.
The next day, Wanyi sent Granny Kong to Kunning Palace to express her willingness to form an alliance with Empress Niohuru.
"Your Highness, the Empress has adopted your method. The Empress is already collecting information on the sons of various ministers and the eligible young talents of the Eight Banners. It shouldn't be long before the Noble Consort receives the news."
After returning from her trip to Kunning Palace in the morning, Granny Kong kept a close eye on news from the palace and immediately informed Wanyi as soon as she received any updates.
"That's good. Now we just need to see how the Imperial Concubine plans. We'll cooperate with her this time and let her win against the Empress. She won't lose out!" Wanyi smiled slyly, finding it funnier and funnier. She laughed so hard that her stomach cramped up. The baby in her belly was jolted awake and kicked Wanyi's belly twice in a fit of pique.
“Baby, you kick your mother because you think what your mother said is right?” Wanyi said shamelessly, taking advantage of the fact that the child couldn’t understand or speak.
Granny Kong, who was standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she quietly retreated and planned to go to the small kitchen to bring Wanyi some nourishing soup.
"Cousin, it's been so long since you last came. Have you forgotten about Yuzhu?"
Consort Tongjia sent many gifts to the Hall of Mental Cultivation over the past two days, but failed to summon Emperor Kangxi to the Chengqian Palace. So she came to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in person, hoping to have dinner with Emperor Kangxi.
"I have been busy with state affairs lately, and there have indeed been some matters that have caused me some delay. I hope Yuzhu will not blame me!"
Kangxi spoke nonsense with a straight face. He was clearly dissatisfied with Consort Tongjia's behavior and had been avoiding her.
"How could that be? This food was personally prepared by the kitchen. Your Majesty must eat with me as compensation!" Consort Tongjia said coquettishly as she stepped forward.
"Alright, I was just hungry." He thought to himself that he had ignored her for so long and she must have realized her mistake. Now that there was another way out, he took it.
"Your Majesty, please try this. This is a duck soup that I personally stewed. I got up early this morning to make it perfect."
Consort Tongjia even personally served the soup to Emperor Kangxi. The soup had not been tasted by the eunuch who was testing it for poison first. It is unclear whether Consort Tongjia overlooked it or Wei Zhu forgot, but Emperor Kangxi did not notice.
"Then I'll be in for a treat today!" Kangxi didn't believe Consort Tongjia when she said she made the soup herself. He could only say that the servants had prepared it and she had given some instructions. He added that all the concubines were the same, just putting on an act, and the soup tasted exactly the same.
"If my cousin likes it, then I'll make it for you whenever you want to drink it." This way, she could find an excuse to invite her cousin to Chengqian Palace.
"With the Imperial Kitchen here, why bother my cousin? The kitchen is messy and filthy; it's better not to get my cousin's clothes dirty."
Kangxi thought to himself that whatever he wanted to eat, the imperial kitchen would rack its brains to make it for him, so why should he condescend to eat the food from the small kitchen in Chengqian Palace?
"It's no trouble at all, as long as my cousin likes it." Consort Tongjia felt sweet and happy to hear that Emperor Kangxi cared about her so much, and said with a shy smile.
"No need for such arrangements, let the servants handle it! You should sit down and join us for the meal!" Kangxi said, looking at Consort Tongjia who was enthusiastically preparing for him, as her behavior was affecting his appetite.
"Yes." Was her cousin feeling sorry for her? Probably!
"Alas!" Suddenly, a servant who was serving soup to Consort Tongjia spilled some of it, which landed on the cheongsam that Consort Tongjia had carefully chosen.
"Please spare my life, Your Highness! This servant deserves to die!" Xiao Linzi quickly knelt down and begged for mercy.
"He deserves to die. He's so clumsy and incompetent. How can such a servant serve the Emperor well? Liang Jiugong, how did you choose your servants?"
Consort Tongjia was prone to losing her temper. In a moment of rage, she directly lashed out at Emperor Kangxi, criticizing the servants around him.
"This servant looks unfamiliar?" Kangxi said with some displeasure, wondering if he had been too fond of the Consort in the past, to the point that she dared to reprimand his servant.
“Your Majesty, this Xiao Linzi is a newly assigned servant from the Imperial Household Department. He is the nephew of Eunuch Liu, who served the late Emperor. Since he was the only one left in his family, the Imperial Household Department felt sorry for him. Since Xiao Muzi had just retired, they arranged for him to enter the Hall of Mental Cultivation.” Liang Jiugong said a few more words for Xiao Linzi.
"Is that so? Then let him relearn the manners before serving again! Don't let him offend his uncle."
Kangxi meant that Xiao Linzi should learn the rules again and then continue to serve him, not to be sent back to the Imperial Household Department. This was clearly an act of protection.
"Cousin, Your Majesty..." Consort Tongjia had already realized what she had just done. After Kangxi "punished" Xiao Linzi, she looked at Kangxi with some trepidation.
"Your clothes are dirty. I see it's getting late. Go back and change. I'll come see you later."
Although Emperor Kangxi was displeased with Consort Tongjia's behavior, he still gave her face and planned to spend the night at Chengqian Palace.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave!" Upon hearing this, Consort Tongjia's unease vanished instantly, and she happily withdrew.
“Xiao Linzi isn’t suited for this job. Pick an easier one for him.”
After the Consorts left, Emperor Kangxi said to Liang Jiugong, "Eunuch Liu helped him when he was young. Since Xiao Linzi is his last remaining relative, I will help him out a bit!"
"Yes, sir!" Liang Jiugong's original intention was to let Xiao Linzi gradually replace Wei Zhu's position, after all, he found that Wei Zhu seemed to be getting closer to the concubines recently, but the promising talent he had just identified had been ruined.
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