Chapter 12 Your Majesty, let's kill Ao Bai!
Kangxi was both annoyed and amused by her seemingly well-intentioned manner.
Finally, he shook his head helplessly, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his temples.
"Jiang Nan, Jiang Nan, your audacity... is truly greater than I imagined. The Empress is the mother of the nation; how dare you insult her to her face? Even if she intends to make things difficult for you, she hasn't actually done anything to you. You should endure this moment of anger; I will deal with it in the future. But by acting so recklessly, do you realize the enormity of your actions? Even if I wanted to protect her, Sony's side... I might not be able to control it."
His tone carried a subtle hint of weariness and the weight of reality.
Jiang Nan pouted, looking stubborn.
"Your Majesty, I cannot bear this injustice. You are the Son of Heaven. Even if Sony is powerful, he is still just a subject. What can he do to you? Does he dare to force you to abdicate?"
Looking at her naive and impulsive appearance, Kangxi sighed, his tone even more helpless.
"If things were as simple as you think, that would be great. The forces of the previous dynasty are deeply entrenched, and moving one thing can have far-reaching consequences. Many times, I have had to weigh the pros and cons and temporarily endure and compromise. Besides, this time, you have committed a grave crime of disrespect, and you are in the wrong no matter where you look at it."
Jiang Nan's eyes darted around, and she suddenly moved a nearby embroidered stool over and sat down next to Kangxi's desk.
Once seated, he lowered his voice, his tone becoming mysterious and serious.
"Your Majesty, I must speak the most disrespectful truth... Do you know why there are so few heirs in your harem? So many imperial children have died young over the years. Are you truly unaware, or... are you feigning ignorance?"
Upon hearing this, Kangxi was startled, and the helplessness and exhaustion on his face were instantly replaced by seriousness and solemnity.
He stared intently at Jiang Nan for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and waved to Liang Jiugong, who was standing beside him.
Liang Jiugong immediately understood and bowed silently.
He quietly withdrew with all the eunuchs and maids who were standing by, and gently closed the door of the warm pavilion.
Only the two of them remained inside the hall.
Kangxi leaned forward, his voice low and carrying an unquestionable air of authority.
"What...do you know? Could it be that the deaths of those children...were really all..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes said it all.
Jiang Nan met his gaze and slowly shook her head.
"I have no conclusive evidence."
Emperor Kangxi immediately frowned.
But Jiang Nan immediately followed up with something.
"But Your Majesty, think about it. Do the imperial physicians always report that the concubines are too young and their bodies are not yet fully developed, thus the fetus is weak? Yes, there are risks in childbirth at a young age, but in the common people, there are many women who give birth at the age of fourteen, and it is not necessarily true that all of them cannot keep their children, nor is it necessarily true that all of their children are weak and sickly and die one after another. If you say there is no mystery involved, do you believe it?"
She paused, looked directly at Kangxi, and posed an even more pointed question.
"Most importantly, is your only son, Chengrui, born to Lady Majia, always in poor health? To put it bluntly, do you think he can be raised safely given his current condition?"
Kangxi's face darkened completely, and his thin lips pressed tightly together.
Jiang Nan continued to raise the stakes: "If Cheng Rui also... and the concubines in the harem continue to be so unlucky, and you have no son for a long time, how will the people of the world view you? They will say that the emperor's virtue is lacking, so Heaven has sent down punishment to prevent the imperial line from continuing. This will seriously damage your holy reputation and may even shake the foundation of the country, making people doubt the stability of the Qing Dynasty."
These words struck Kangxi's heart like a heavy hammer, each word hitting him hard.
He had never been so bluntly analyzed before. He might have vaguely sensed it, but he was unwilling to think about it deeply, or rather, it was a hidden pain that he was powerless to change.
His expression turned extremely serious, and his fingers unconsciously tightened.
After a long silence, Kangxi finally spoke, his voice carrying a deep sense of powerlessness.
"I... am not completely unaware, but even if, as you say, it was all the Empress's doing, what can I do now? Can I immediately depose her?"
He didn't say anything more, but the restraint and struggle between his brows were clearly visible.
Looking at him like this, Jiang Nan understood. Yes, it was the seventh year of Kangxi's reign, and he was still lying low, still enduring.
Ao Bai has not yet been eliminated, and although Sony, as the regent, cannot defeat Ao Bai.
However, their power was considerable, and Kangxi was indeed unable to touch Hesheli.
She sensed the helplessness and a barely perceptible murderous intent hidden beneath Kangxi's calm surface.
He probably harbored deep resentment towards Hesheli for a long time.
It seems the lawsuit came at just the right time.
At least let him know that I wasn't being unreasonable, but rather that I was exposing a bloody reality he had been unwilling to face.
Jiang Nan felt a little more at ease.
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When Kangxi didn't hear a response from Jiang Nan for a long time, he assumed she didn't understand, so he simply spoke directly with a hint of weariness and helplessness.
"I... understand what you mean, but resolving the issues behind the Empress will be no easy task. The root of the problem lies in the previous dynasty, in those three regents. They always use my young age as an excuse to control the government and hinder me at every turn..."
Jiang Nan immediately responded, her tone decisive.
"Your Majesty, I understand. Therefore, to break this deadlock, we must first dismantle the power structure of the regents. You must seize the most arrogant and unpopular one, who is also the most intimidating to the other three, and decisively eliminate him to make an example of him, so that the rest will understand who the true master of the Forbidden City is, and will have no choice but to submit to you."
Kangxi suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring intently at Jiang Nan with shock and scrutiny.
"Jiang Nan! You...you are just a lowly palace maid from the Imperial Household Department. How could you possibly know about the complex and intricate situation of the previous dynasty?"
Jiang Nan looked completely unconcerned, even giving a perfunctory response with a simple expression.
"Your Majesty, that's not important. Being in the palace, as long as you pay attention, listen carefully, and think deeply, these things are not difficult to find out. What's important is, Your Majesty, have you decided who you want to deal with first?"
She skillfully changed the subject and posed a more crucial question.
Kangxi's eyes flickered, and he did not answer immediately, clearly still weighing his options.
Jiang Nan, without further hesitation, directly gave her answer in a resolute tone.
"I do have a candidate—Ao Bai!"
She looked at Kangxi's suddenly contracting pupils and continued.
"Although I also share the surname Guarjia, I am absolutely not of the same ilk as Aobai, nor am I related to him in the slightest. Your Majesty can rest assured. It is common knowledge that this scoundrel Aobai is arrogant and domineering, and has no respect for the emperor. He relies on his superior martial arts skills and numerous followers. Now he has risen to the position of Grand Tutor, which is second only to the emperor, and his power has reached its zenith!"
Her voice was low, carrying a seductive sense of urgency.
"Your Majesty, you can't wait any longer. Can you guarantee that Ao Bai, whose power is growing ever stronger, will never harbor murderous intentions towards you? He may still think you are too young to be a threat now, but you are already fifteen years old. You will grow up and become more independent, which will be the biggest threat to Ao Bai. In order to eliminate any future troubles, he will not give you a real chance to grow up!"
"Therefore, Your Majesty!"
Jiang Nan stared intently at Kangxi.
"You must strike first and kill him! You have nominally ruled for three years, but in reality, you are constantly hampered by Ao Bai. You can't do this or that. You are just a puppet emperor. Only by killing Ao Bai can you truly reclaim power. Once Ao Bai is gone, Sony will be old and frail, and Ebilun will be a fence-sitter. Only then will you be the true emperor, able to make decisions independently, govern this vast country, and clean up this filthy harem."
These words struck Emperor Kangxi like a thunderclap.
It also completely ignited the long-suppressed anger and ambition deep within him.
His breathing became slightly rapid, and his body leaned forward slightly due to excitement.
Jiang Nan's words resonated deeply with him.
“Nan Nan…”
Kangxi's voice was a little hoarse, filled with excitement and exhilaration at having his thoughts revealed.
“You’re right, I do wish for that too. But… as you said, Ao Bai now wields immense power, his cronies are everywhere in the court, and he himself is extremely skilled in martial arts, making him difficult to approach. On the surface, I… I can’t find a suitable reason or charge to punish him.”
This is what troubles him the most.
Eliminating powerful ministers also requires a pretext that can convince the public.
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