Chapter 124 Kangxi Arrives, Kangxi Runs Away
The entire front courtyard of Yongshou Palace was completely silent, and the people of Yanxi Palace kneeling on the ground even held their breath.
The air was thick with a suffocating sense of oppression.
Dai Jia sat behind Jiang Nan, even her breathing became soft.
She glanced at Jiang Nan several times, only to find him calm and composed.
She finally couldn't hold back any longer, leaned forward slightly, and asked timidly in a whisper that could be heard by only the two of them.
"Your Majesty...are we just going to wait like this? Aren't we going to ask anything first?"
Jiang Nan didn't even lift her eyelids, only replying lazily.
"What's the rush? His Majesty should be arriving by now."
"Is the Emperor coming?"
Dai Jia was so startled that she almost jumped off the embroidered stool.
Her face instantly turned panicked, and she hurriedly got up, awkwardly fiddling with her somewhat disheveled palace dress.
"Your Majesty... I fear my presence here would be inconvenient, so I shall take my leave now..."
She had always been afraid of Emperor Kangxi; his imperial majesty made her dare not even breathe loudly.
Jiang Nan turned her head slightly, a playful smile on her face.
"Look at your cowardice! Shouldn't the Emperor be here? Go back. This filth shouldn't be an eyesore for you."
Her tone was light and airy, but her gaze seemed to sweep over the kneeling crowd below.
"If we have to deal with that blind servant later, and blood is drawn, you're probably not going to sleep well tonight."
Her words, spoken casually, sent shivers down the spines of the kneeling palace servants, who lowered their heads even further.
Upon hearing this, Lady Daijia felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She disregarded her decorum and hastily curtsied.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. This humble servant...this humble servant takes her leave."
She practically ran away from this place of trouble.
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Before long, Liang Jiugong's voice could be heard outside the palace gates.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Nan's face as she looked toward the palace gate.
Emperor Kangxi was dressed in casual clothes, his face was solemn, and he exuded a low-pressure atmosphere.
As I stepped through the palace gate, my gaze first swept over the people kneeling in the courtyard of Yanxi Palace.
Finally, he landed on Jiang Nan, and without stopping, walked straight toward her.
The people in the palace hurriedly kowtowed and shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor!"
Jiang Nan also slowly got up, gave a casual curtsy, and spoke with a relaxed tone.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Kangxi stopped in front of her, his brows furrowed, his fingers stroking the jade pendant at his waist, and asked a question.
"Nannan, what's going on? I just finished reviewing memorials in the Qianqing Palace when I heard from your palace eunuchs that something went wrong with Nara's pregnancy, and it's even caused trouble in your Yongshou Palace?"
As he spoke, his gaze turned to Nara, whose palace attire was stained with blood and whose face was deathly pale.
His brows furrowed deeper, and his tone became colder.
"To dare to plot against the imperial heir in broad daylight, and to do so so openly, is truly lawless and unscrupulous!"
When Empress Nara saw Emperor Kangxi looking at her, she struggled to get up and bow, but Emperor Kangxi raised his hand to stop her.
"Nara, you are unwell and have suffered some inconvenience. There is no need for formalities. Please sit down properly."
His tone was slightly softer than before.
With the help of palace maids, Empress Nara sat down again, her voice trembling weakly.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."
Jiang Nan then spoke, her tone calm, as if she were stating something ordinary.
"Your Majesty, you see for yourself. Everyone in Yanxi Palace, from masters to servants, is kneeling here. In my opinion, the person who harmed Empress Nara is most likely among them. Will you question them personally now, or..."
She paused slightly, looked up at Kangxi, and left him room to make a decision.
Kangxi's gaze swept heavily over the kneeling servants who dared not raise their heads, as if he were looking at a group of ants.
He then turned back and looked intently at Jiang Nan before speaking.
"The affairs of the inner palace are inherently complicated. If I were to question them here, these people would probably only dare to say what sounds good, and wouldn't dare to utter a single word of the truth. In your opinion, Nan Nan, how should we investigate?"
The main problem was that the incident happened so suddenly that he didn't understand the cause and effect, and for a moment, he had no other option but to use violence.
Jiang Nan lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, her tone languid.
"Your Majesty, I dare not make decisions for you. However, I must add that the secrets of the inner palace are always well hidden. If we investigate according to the usual methods, we may only be able to catch a scapegoat eunuch or palace maid, while the real culprit will be watching you make a fool of yourself in the shadows."
Upon hearing this, a hint of agreement flashed in Kangxi's eyes.
He was well aware of the dirty tricks and intrigues within the harem, and now that Jiang Nan had exposed him, he didn't try to hide anything and spoke directly.
“Nan Nan, you are absolutely right. I am the emperor, and I must act based on evidence and punish according to the law. If I cannot produce irrefutable evidence, even if I am perfectly clear in my mind, it will be difficult to severely punish the real culprit. In the end, at most, I will have a few scapegoats beaten to death to vent my anger. Such a crude approach will only make me more frustrated.”
He paused, his gaze falling on Jiang Nan's bright and flamboyant face, his tone filled with obvious trust and entrustment.
“Since the Empress has been confined to her quarters, Nan Nan, you have assisted in managing the six palaces and handled everything in an orderly manner. Your actions may seem unconventional, but they often hit the nail on the head. You have your own sense of justice. These matters of the harem should be handled by you.”
Kangxi had one more thought he didn't voice: Nan Nan's actions were indeed somewhat ruthless and domineering.
Letting her handle it would also allow Nan Nan to deter these evil spirits in the harem.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a little smug about Kangxi's flattery.
However, a perfectly timed look of surprise and embarrassment appeared on his face.
"Your Majesty, are you... going to dump this hot potato entirely on me?"
"What, you don't want to?"
Kangxi countered with a question tinged with a hint of provocation.
"Or are you afraid that if you handle this improperly, I will blame you later?"
Jiang Nan straightened up, her tone straightforward yet measured.
"Since Your Majesty trusts me, I will naturally obey your orders. However, I must make this clear first: when I judge cases, I don't insist on solid evidence. I am a woman, and sometimes... I am unreasonable. If the punishment is too severe, or if some people feel it is unfair, Your Majesty cannot blame me."
Faced with Jiang Nan's unreasonable yet confident attitude.
A hint of a smile crept into Kangxi's eyes, almost causing him to lose his composure.
He quickly straightened his face and deliberately adopted a stern tone.
"Since I have entrusted you with full authority, it means I trust you, but..."
He abruptly changed the subject, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone in the courtyard, his tone becoming more serious.
"The child in Nara's womb is, after all, my flesh and blood. You must take this matter to heart. No matter who is found out, they must give an explanation to the unborn imperial heir and Nara."
———————
"I'm being ordered to cause trouble," Jiang Nan thought to himself, "This is going to be fun."
She appeared serious and solemn, and agreed earnestly.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I... know what I'm doing."
Kangxi heard her say the words "have a sense of propriety" in a very serious tone.
The muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly; he was truly on the verge of losing control.
He was afraid that he would burst out laughing at Jiang Nan's cheeky remarks at any moment.
That would truly damage his dignity as an emperor.
After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Kangxi felt that this place was not a good place to stay.
He wasn't afraid that he would lose his composure if he couldn't help but laugh.
Instead, he worried that his presence would make Nan Nan feel restrained and unable to fully express herself.
However, before leaving, this formality must be maintained to avoid giving others grounds for criticism.
He cleared his throat, pretending to remember something, his tone carrying just the right amount of urgency.
"I just remembered that I still have some memorials to review in the study, so I can't stay any longer and will return to the Qianqing Palace first."
Having said that, he walked toward the palace gate.
Yet, he didn't forget to turn back and give a seemingly stern word of advice.
"Nannan, you handle this matter. In short, since I have entrusted you with all the affairs of the inner palace, it means I trust you. If a major blunder occurs, I will hold you responsible!"
These words sound like an accusation, but in reality, every word gave her the confidence to take charge.
Looking at Kangxi's series of flowing instructions and his subsequent escape.
Jiang Nan silently rolled her eyes in her heart.
This young emperor is truly shrewd in his calculations.
This trip was just a formality.
He made an appearance, and the only real thing he did was to appease Nala.
It is said that emperors are ruthless and their favors and wraths are unpredictable, and this is absolutely true.
Jiang Nan composed herself and suppressed her inner grumbling. However, it was good that the boss was gone, as she could have more fun now.
A hint of excitement flashed in his eyes as he spoke casually to Kangxi, who was about to leave.
"Go and review your memorials; I will certainly not fail you."
Kangxi did not stop walking. He simply waved his hand with his back turned and led Liang Jiugong away, quickly disappearing at the palace gate.
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Emperor Kangxi: I really can't stand Nannan's serious nonsense.
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