After Harigana finished speaking, the hall fell silent, and no one spoke again.
The Empress Dowager's secret was exposed, and her face turned bruised and purple; she didn't know how to face the situation.
The Empress Dowager admired her courage, saying things she herself dared not utter.
Only Kangxi was deeply moved. Although he knew that Harigana believed in him, he never imagined that Harigana would understand him and support him so much.
He gripped Harigana's hand tightly, turning to look at the woman who only reached his shoulder, his heart filled with bittersweet emotions.
"Xuan Ye, you all go first! I'll stay here with my mother."
The Empress Dowager stood up; at this point, only she could handle these matters.
There was no intention to watch the play; I just didn't want the situation to remain awkward.
"Empress, I'm sorry to trouble you. Your Majesty and I will wait outside."
"Let the imperial physician take the Empress Dowager's pulse; I have overstepped my bounds just now."
Harigana wanted to let go of Kangxi's hand to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager, but his hand was clenched tightly. He could only awkwardly perform a bow before being led away by his hand.
As the Empress Dowager watched the two people walk away hand in hand, she thought of Huang Taiji and Hailanzhu, and even more of Fulin and Dong Eshi, who had tormented themselves to death for the sake of a woman.
He couldn't catch his breath and almost fainted on the ground.
Fortunately, the Empress Dowager reacted quickly, not only supporting her but also pinching her philtrum, causing the person who was about to faint to open her eyes in pain.
"Royal Grandmother!"
Hearing the commotion behind him, Kangxi turned around and saw Bumbutai's condition. He immediately went to her side and asked, "Grandmother, how are you?"
Harigana had already turned around and gone out to call the imperial physician, but she did not follow him inside. Instead, she sat on a stool outside and waited for Kangxi to come out.
Li Dequan was completely bewildered. When she said she had summoned all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital, he thought something had happened. But when the physicians arrived, the person who had summoned them was sitting there calmly.
"Li Dequan, go and see what's going on, quietly."
There was no sound coming from inside, which made Harigana a little curious.
As for worrying, that's impossible. That old hag has a long lifespan. If you were really angered to death by her, then she would be truly capable.
Li Dequan was already somewhat curious, and upon hearing the living ancestor's instructions, he immediately responded and turned to go to the inner hall.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Dulan whispered in Harigana's ear, her voice filled with worry.
I don't know what's wrong with her princess, why there are always people who can't stand her.
All of this was caused by that lousy emperor. Those people didn't dare to cause trouble for the emperor, so they kept making things difficult for his princess.
It's only because her princess has a good temper; if it were anyone else, they would have whispered in the emperor's ear and killed them.
"It's alright, don't worry!"
Harigana isn't stupid; if she were angry about something like this, she would have died of anger long ago.
She had already vented all her anger from several lifetimes while she was in the hospital.
These days, there are very few things that can truly anger her; it seems that apart from her children, she really doesn't get angry.
The imperial physicians came out quickly, but Li Dequan was the first to emerge.
He walked up to Harigana and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is just a little upset, but she is fine."
The imperial physician has already prescribed the medicine, and it's ready to be brewed. Just drink it later.
Harigana nodded, saying that the old hag had a long life ahead of her.
A moment later, Sumalagu entered the inner hall carrying a bowl of medicine. Seeing her sitting outside, she tried to bow, saying, "This servant..."
"Aunt Su Ma, please go inside quickly. The Empress Dowager's health is of utmost importance; I am fine here."
Sumalagu sighed inwardly, wondering when the Empress Dowager would finally understand and live peacefully with such a gentle person.
"Yes! This servant thanks Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort!"
Li Dequan and Du Lan stood to the side, whispering to each other. Judging from their expressions, they didn't seem to be talking about what was going on inside, but rather they were bickering about something.
This was the first time that Harigana had properly seen the main hall of the Cining Palace.
He had come a few times before, and he either kept his head down like a quail or picked her up at the door to go to the palace banquet together.
Looking at the ornately decorated palace, she wondered if she would live here in the future.
If that day really comes, she might leave the palace and find a quiet town to live a secluded life; she doesn't want to live her whole life inside these square palace walls.
"Jiaojiao!"
Harigana was deep in thought when he felt a warmth on his shoulder. He looked up and saw it was Emperor Kangxi.
"Xuan Ye, how is the Empress Dowager?"
She stood up and looked at him nervously.
Kangxi sighed. He had just seen her lost in thought, and he figured she must have been quite frightened.
He was only so bold in front of the Empress Dowager for a short while because she was injured and she stood up for him.
"Grandmother is alright, let's go! The Empress Dowager is here, nothing will happen."
Emperor Kangxi led her out of Cining Palace by the hand. Instead of getting into a sedan chair, they slowly walked back.
Harigana lowered her head, wondering if it was just her imagination, but why Kangxi had looked at her with such tenderness just now.
Did he imagine some kind of scenario and then move himself to tears?
"Jiaojiao, were you scared just now?"
Kangxi stopped, turned around and looked at Harigana, who had her head down, reached out and touched her head, his voice very gentle.
"I wasn't afraid at first, but I got scared when I called the imperial physician."
Harigana looked at him somewhat nervously, opened his mouth, and finally said, "Xuan Ye, have I caused trouble?"
Kangxi chuckled as he looked at the woman with a conflicted and worried expression, pulled her into his arms, and rested his chin on her head: "Jiaojiao, why did you suddenly say those things just now?"
He always felt that Harigana wasn't an impulsive person, and that everything she had just said was in defense of her.
Although a small part of it was genuinely her way of deliberately provoking the Empress Dowager, she still knew to call the imperial physician before doing so. This side of Jiaojiao was something he had never known before.
Looking back, I was really scared at that time.
“I…” Harigana paused, then hugged his waist. Although her voice was very soft, every word she said struck Kangxi’s heart, making him feel as if he were soaking in a honey pot.
The sadness and heartbreak of those years have completely vanished from his heart.
“Xuan Ye, I just feel that you are my husband, and in this world, no one else can bully you except me.”
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