Dulan stood up and gently patted Harigana's back, her eyes filled with anxiety.
When Kangxi walked in, he saw her pale face. He didn't even glance at the Empress Dowager. All the concubines immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to move.
"Jiaojiao! How are you?"
He squatted down in front of her, grabbed her hand, and said urgently, "Li Dequan, call the imperial physician over."
Harigana was startled, shook his head, and calmed down after a while.
"Xuan Ye, no need, you know I'm fine."
The voice was very soft, but Kangxi was still worried; his face was too pale.
He frightened her yesterday, and today he was frightened again by Guo Luoluo. I wonder if her old illness will flare up again.
"No, I'd rather have the imperial physician examine me; that would put my mind at ease."
Everyone present heard what the two said clearly, especially the word "Xuan Ye," which made everyone's heart tremble.
So this is how the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort interact in private?
Consort Yi's expression was also unpleasant. She hadn't expected that the vile woman to react this way, and it didn't seem like she was faking it.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened further. Such a thing had happened on the very first day, and it had nothing to do with her.
But she knew Kangxi well. Regardless of whether this matter was related to her or not, he would pin the blame on her, and might even think that she had instigated it.
"emperor,"
The Empress Dowager had only spoken halfway when Li Dequan announced at the door that the imperial physician had arrived.
This was the first time Bumbutai had ever felt such disgust for the proximity of Cining Palace and the Imperial Hospital. She hadn't even finished speaking before it would be too much to open her mouth any further.
Seeing Consort Yi kneeling on the ground, he was so angry that he wanted to tear her apart.
"Come in quickly!"
Zhao Rongxi was secretly delighted. The empress had gotten revenge for the humiliation he had suffered at Cining Palace some time ago.
"This humble servant pays his respects."
"Come over here quickly and take my pulse!"
Emperor Kangxi interrupted Zhao Rongxi's greeting.
Zhao Rongxi was used to being yelled at by the emperor, so he immediately stepped forward and began to take the pulse.
She frowned for a while, then changed positions, and finally ended the consultation after half a cup of tea.
If Harigana hadn't known she was really alright, judging from his expression, she would have thought she was going to die.
However, Zhao Rongxi and she had never had any private communication, but every time he did, he would surprise her.
Dulan took a chair from somewhere and placed it on Harigana's left side while Zhao Rongxi took his pulse.
Kangxi sat directly on it, holding her hand, his face full of worry.
"How about it!"
As soon as Zhao Rongxi withdrew his hand, he immediately pressed for answers.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is in poor health and has not yet recovered from childbirth. She must have been frightened, and her old ailment seems to be showing signs of returning."
Kangxi's face turned ashen, and he glanced at Consort Yi with an unfriendly look, but he did not say anything.
Do you need some herbal medicine?
Harigana was inwardly distressed. She wondered if Zhao Rongxi would give her some random medicinal herbs again; she couldn't handle it!
She vividly remembered the nosebleed she experienced last summer, and she was genuinely afraid that Zhao Rongxi would give her something nourishing.
"Your Majesty, the Empress's current diet has a conditioning effect, and she no longer needs to take separate herbal medicine."
"You'll need to rest and recuperate for a while, but you absolutely must avoid being frightened."
Harigana breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Zhao Rongxi furtively, genuinely curious.
If it weren't for the certainty that he had always been in the capital, one would have suspected that he was a spy secretly planted in the palace by Baoli Ri and his group.
Are you sure you don't need it?
Kangxi was still very worried, because her face had just turned frighteningly pale.
"Your Majesty, I'm alright!"
Harigana quietly squeezed Kangxi's hand, then shook his head.
"Your Majesty, all medicines have some toxicity. The Empress does not need to take medicine for the time being."
Bumbutai's face turned ugly upon hearing this. She had been drinking bitter medicine for so long without anyone saying that medicine is three parts poison, but now they were saying that drinking too much medicine was poisonous. Did they not respect her at all?
In just a moment, her expression changed back to one of deep concern.
Others may not have seen it, but the Empress Dowager and Dulan saw it clearly.
"Alright! You may leave now!"
Zhao Rongxi acknowledged and took his leave. Li Dequan saw him off, slipped him some silver, nodded, and did not exchange any words.
Back in the inner palace, he saw Dulan looking worried, but the little girl didn't even look at him. He could only explain to her later.
The room was quiet; everyone was waiting for Kangxi's decision.
Harigana pondered for a moment and decided that today's farce had been enough and could not continue.
The Empress Dowager's goal was not achieved today, and it also made Kangxi more disgusted with Cining Palace, and two concubines were successfully added to his blacklist.
Things should be done step by step, not too aggressively, otherwise, given his suspicious nature, he will eventually realize what's going on.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, it is because of my poor health that everyone has been worried."
The voice was very soft, and you could tell that the person was very guilty.
Kangxi's heart ached. Even though she was in great pain herself, she still didn't want him to be in pain.
He tightened his grip on her hand, his face filled with heartache and self-reproach.
"Imperial Noble Consort, it's good that you're alright, there's no need to blame yourself."
The Empress Dowager quickly expressed her magnanimity, but the Empress Dowager herself did not speak, though her eyes were full of worry.
Emperor Kangxi was somewhat surprised, not expecting the Empress Dowager to say such a thing.
Thinking back to when she overheard Consort Yi speaking such unrestrained and ambiguous words at the door earlier, she didn't say anything to stop her. Even when Harigana was feeling unwell, she sat upright in her seat without moving and looked indifferent. She knew there must be something going on.
However, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, especially one's own grandmother.
"Your Majesty is so magnanimous, I am truly humbled."
Harigana saw that Kangxi was deep in thought, withdrew his hand, stood up, and knelt on the ground, looking pitiful.
The Empress Dowager was pleased with her tact and wanted to say that it was alright, but before she could speak, the person kneeling on the ground was picked up.
"Grandmother, the Imperial Noble Consort is not feeling well. I will take her back to rest first, and we will come to see you again when we have time."
Bumbutai suppressed her anger, her fingertips gripping the jade ruyi turning white, her whole body stiff as she stared at the two people standing below.
"Alright! Go quickly! Leave things here to me."
He managed to say those words with difficulty, then looked at Consort Yi with a fierce gaze.
Perhaps only those involved know that the Empress Dowager's gaze was not only for Harigana, but also an attempt to conceal the grief and indignation in her heart.
“Xuan Ye, I can walk by myself.”
Harigana hugged Kangxi's neck, stretched out two fingers, and gently tugged at his court beads.
"Listen to me, don't move."
"oh!"
She leaned against him, swung her legs, and looked quite relaxed.
Kangxi was so angry at her carefree attitude that he wanted to yell at her, but he held back his anger when he thought of her health.
While the two were being affectionate, Li Dequan leaned over to Du Lan and said a few words, and the latter's eyes immediately lit up.
"Eunuch Li, is it true?"
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