Sure enough, upon hearing Dulan's words, not only did Lady Tongjia's expression change drastically, but even the Empress Dowager's face darkened.
Dulan was pleased; her master was truly noble. If Kangxi weren't the emperor and didn't hold the power of life and death, she wouldn't allow anyone to bully her princess!
"Go and have Li Dequan bring me clean clothes!"
Kangxi glanced at the filth on his clothes, which was covered in Harigana's blood. He frowned; he really should change, lest Harigana worry if he saw it.
"Yes! This servant obeys!"
Although Dulan said those words on purpose, she did not miss a single detail of the proper etiquette. When she passed by Tongjia and the Empress Dowager, she even bowed properly, leaving no room for criticism.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine's medicine is ready!"
Physician Zhao personally carried the soup bowl into the imperial tent, fearing that someone might tamper with it on the way, which would endanger the entire family of all the physicians.
Hai Ri took it and prepared to feed it to Harigana, but she was lying down and couldn't be fed at all.
Before Harigana could say anything, Kangxi pulled him into his arms, carefully avoiding the wound on his shoulder.
Be careful!
Emperor Kangxi instructed Hairi to be careful when feeding the medicine so as not to harm Harigana. This cautious demeanor stirred something within the minds of Empress Tongjia and the Empress Dowager, who were watching from a distance.
Fortunately, Harigana didn't bite her lip as tightly as last time, so it went smoothly when Hai Ri fed her the medicine. By the time Kangxi put Harigana down, Li Dequan had already brought over clean clothes.
"Grandmother, I will come to your tent later! You should go back and rest first!"
Kangxi knew what the Empress Dowager wanted to say, but given the current state of Harigana, he absolutely could not leave!
Bumbutai nodded. Although she looked down on Harigana, she was, after all, suffering for Kangxi, so she nodded and left with Sumalagu.
"Xuan Ye, you must take care of yourself! Have the imperial physician check your pulse later, so I can feel more at ease."
Reaching the entrance to the imperial tent, and seeing Kangxi's solemn face, she still uttered these words. Regardless, Bumbutai was Kangxi's maternal grandmother!
"Yes! Grandmother, rest assured, I know what I'm doing!" After saying this, Kangxi glanced at Tongjia Shi, who was still standing there, and said, "Tongjia Shi, you may leave too!"
Emperor Kangxi did not give Lady Tongjia any kind look. Although he admitted that he was suspected of taking his anger out on her, if Lady Tongjia had not caused trouble that day, he would not have neglected Harigana or thought of taking her out to relax.
That way, what happened today wouldn't have happened. He admitted his mistake, and that he had clearly fallen for Harigana from the first moment he saw her, but had been running away from her.
Fortunately, he realized his mistake not too late. As long as Harigana can get through this ordeal safely, he doesn't ask for anything else but that the two of them can live out the rest of their lives in peace.
"emperor!"
Lady Tongjia wanted to offer to stay and help take care of her younger sister, but she swallowed the words back. After all, she was currently only a Consort Tongjia, while Harigana was a Consort with a title.
It is obvious who is more distinguished.
"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"
Tong Jia's palms were already bleeding, but the anger and resentment in her heart made her feel no pain.
After everyone in the imperial tent had left, Kangxi had Li Dequan bring in a basin of clean water. He simply wiped himself down and changed into new clothes!
"This garment doesn't need washing; just keep it like this and absolutely do not throw it away!"
Looking at the bloodstains on the garment, Kangxi wanted to use it as a reminder to himself that he must treat Harigana well in the future, otherwise he would be letting her down.
"Yes! Your servant obeys!"
Li Dequan had become accustomed to Kangxi's recent unusual behavior. He wouldn't be surprised if Kangxi wanted to keep the bloodstained garment now, or even keep Harigana's garment as a collectible.
Kangxi sat by the bed, looking at Harigana who was still unconscious, and gently held her hand, not wanting to let go.
During this time, Li Dequan still had Kangxi take his pulse. Although there were no external injuries, it was still better to be cautious.
"I'm going to see the Empress Dowager. You stay here and don't let anyone near me except me."
Emperor Kangxi instructed Dulan that although he usually looked down on her, she was the one he trusted most in times like these.
Dulan immediately knelt on the ground: "This servant will definitely protect Your Highness well, please rest assured, Your Majesty!"
Before leaving, Emperor Kangxi left Li Dequan behind, but took Xiao Lizi with him as a precaution!
"Royal Grandmother!"
The Empress Dowager had been waiting for Kangxi, wanting to see how important she was to her grandson. But she waited until now, and it was already dark, before Kangxi finally hurried over to her.
It's impossible for her not to feel a pang of sadness, especially because of a woman from the Borchijin tribe; she was even more heartbroken!
"Xuan Ye! How are you? Are you awake?"
Kangxi was somewhat surprised. He knew how much the Empress Dowager disliked Harigana before, so he was a little unaccustomed to her sudden concern.
Although her mind was racing, she showed no sign of it on her face and replied with a worried expression, "Thank you for your concern, Grandmother. Harigana has not yet woken up, but she is a blessed person and will surely be safe and sound!"
Bumbutai nodded: "I just heard Consort Chen's maid call her Imperial Concubine, what's going on?"
On his way here, Kangxi had thought that the Empress Dowager might ask about this, but he didn't have time to wait and asked her now.
"Grandmother, Harigana was so badly injured while saving me, so I will promote her to the rank of Imperial Concubine as a way to bring her good fortune!"
If it were any other reason, Bumbutai could have directly refuted it, but this excuse, even after experiencing three dynasties, she couldn't say no.
On the surface, it was indeed Harigana who helped Kangxi avoid disaster. If she were to refute this matter because of a rank, it would definitely be difficult for the people of Khorchin to be promoted in the future.
"But isn't the rank of Imperial Concubine a bit too high? Has Emperor Xuan Ye forgotten that she also has a title? How is Consort Tongjia supposed to conduct herself in this situation?"
Bumbutai wouldn't explicitly disagree, but it's always good to raise reasonable questions. Moreover, the Tongjia woman was previously favored by Emperor Kangxi; now, the most important thing is what choice he will make between the two women, and that's what Bumbutai most wants to know!
“Grandmother, let’s discuss this matter when we return to the palace. Right now, we should prioritize Harigana’s health.”
Kangxi had his own plans, but some things had not been completely resolved, so he could not reveal everything even to the Empress Dowager.
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