Chapter 190 Kangxi: How dare you!
Uya stood by with her hands hanging down, seemingly unremarkable.
At this moment, I was completely dumbfounded, and my worldview was being challenged like never before.
Although she kept her head down, she overheard the unrestrained conversation between the emperor and empress out of the corner of her eye.
Why does the Emperor's seemingly authoritative question sound a little lacking in confidence?
The Empress's words... were clearly sophistry and unreasonable arguments.
But why... why did the Emperor compromise?
The last sentence, "I'm not going to say anything more," sounded like a sense of grievance and helplessness.
And the Emperor's expression clearly showed that he was sulking but helpless against the Empress.
Is this...is this really an emperor who makes absolute decisions?
Is this really the Empress, the mother of the nation?
Uya felt a moment of disorientation, as if she were in a bizarre dream.
Everything before my eyes seemed so unreal.
In contrast, Niohuru remained calm.
Looking down at one's nose, and then looking at one's heart, seems to have become commonplace.
The Empress was not at all surprised by the scene of the Emperor and Empress bickering, in which the Empress emerged victorious.
Kangxi sulked for a while, then turned his gaze away.
Only then did he seem to notice Wuya's presence, clearing his throat and restoring the emperor's majesty.
"Wuya, what are you doing here?"
Uya was startled by being suddenly called out by name and quickly replied respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress."
"Yes, that's thoughtful of you."
Kangxi nodded, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Jiang Nan with a look of inquiry and curiosity in his eyes.
"By the way, Nan Nan, you told me before that your next child-bearing partner wouldn't be among the current concubines. Could you be referring to her?"
He pointed at Uya.
Jiang Nan smiled mysteriously and nodded.
"Your Majesty is wise; you guessed it right away, and the opportunity to have an heir will be next year!"
Upon hearing this, Uya was even more bewildered!
What about the affinity for offspring?
She hasn't even been a concubine yet!
How did this get into the topic of offspring? What does this have to do with anything?
Upon receiving confirmation, Kangxi became even more interested and pressed for further details.
"Oh? Then why is this 'fate' you're talking about next year? Can't it be this year?"
He seemed completely absorbed in this fortune-telling game.
Jiang Nan shook his head inscrutably.
"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. The time has not yet come, and we cannot force it. It will probably be next year. As for this year, the opportunity is not right."
Kangxi, like a curious child, continued to press for answers.
"I don't believe it. If I seek her out a few more times, like Lady Ma Jia, will I not be able to have one this year?"
Jiang Nan blinked, moved closer to him, lowered her voice, and spoke with a hint of teasing.
"How about... I go take a nap now and ask the King of Hell in my dreams for Your Majesty? Let's see if he'll give us a definite answer?"
Emperor Kangxi was both amused and exasperated by her nonsensical talk.
"Alright, then I'll await your news of returning to the underworld in your dreams."
His gaze shifted to the sachet that Jiang Nan had casually placed beside the couch, and he asked casually.
"This sachet... it looks quite unique. Did you make it for me, Nan Nan?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Jiang Nan's face, and she immediately denied it, her tone even carrying a hint of disdain.
"Your Majesty, please don't flatter me. When have you ever seen me touch a needle and thread? Instead of me holding a needle, you might as well let me wield a broadsword. This was just a gift from Lady Wuya, and I accepted it because I thought it was alright. If you like it, just have Lady Wuya embroider ten or eight for you. She's very skilled."
Kangxi: "..."
He felt like he had choked again.
He asked casually, but Jiang Nan gave him a firm but firm rebuttal.
How could the emperor, a dignified man, possibly ask a newly promoted concubine for a sachet?
Where do we put our pride?
Kangxi suddenly felt that he had made a fool of himself.
He stood up dejectedly and flicked his sleeves.
"Alright, I have state affairs to attend to in the previous dynasty, so I won't listen to your nonsense here."
Jiang Nan immediately stood up, all smiles.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will try my best to fall asleep and dream of the King of Hell so that I can ascertain the truth about the offspring. Please come again at dinner, and I will report back to you then!"
Kangxi glared at her irritably, then turned and quickly left the bedchamber with Liang Jiugong and the others.
Stepping out of the palace gate, I was greeted by a spring breeze.
Kangxi suddenly felt an extremely strange sensation.
What he thinks...
Just now, I didn't seem like an emperor inspecting the harem; I seemed more like…
It's like he made a special trip to Kunning Palace to have his fortune told by the new concubines Nannan had taken in?
This newly acquired Uya clanswoman cared more for Nan Nan than for him, the emperor.
This feeling is truly... outrageous!
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The following evening, candles were lit early in the Qianqing Palace.
It reflected the mountain of memorials piled up on the emperor's desk.
Emperor Kangxi put down his vermilion brush, rubbed his slightly swollen temples, and the day's tedious official business finally came to an end.
The hall was completely silent, save for the ticking of the water clock.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered Jiang Nan's somewhat playful yet certain prophecy made yesterday in Kunning Palace.
"The next child is indeed destined to be born to the Uya clan, but we will have to wait until next year."
He has never believed in such supernatural phenomena.
However, some of Nan Nan's predictions came true repeatedly, so he couldn't help but take them to heart.
A feeling that was hard to define—whether it was curiosity or competitiveness—quietly arose.
He insisted on trying it!
If he can get Uya pregnant with the dragon's offspring this year.
Let's see how Nan Nan will continue to use the words of the King of Hell to fob him off in the future.
I imagined the surprised expression Nan Nan might have when her prediction failed.
A mischievous smile involuntarily crept onto Kangxi's lips.
"Liang Jiugong".
He suddenly spoke, his voice clearly heard in the hall.
"Your servant is here."
Liang Jiugong immediately bowed and stepped forward.
"Send someone to Yonghe Palace to deliver the imperial edict."
Kangxi spoke calmly, with an air of unquestionable authority.
"Tell Lady Uya to prepare herself, for tonight... I will summon her to my bedchamber."
"Yes, sir!"
Liang Jiugong was slightly surprised. The Emperor had not chosen a concubine today, but instead directly named Concubine Wuya.
He dared not delay, and after responding, he quickly left the hall.
He immediately summoned Wu Liangfu, the head eunuch of the Imperial Household Department.
He whispered a few instructions.
Upon hearing this, Wu Liangfu put on a professional smile and nodded repeatedly.
"Don't worry, Steward Liang, I understand. I'll go to Yonghe Palace to deliver the good news right away!"
Having said that, he led two young eunuchs and walked briskly toward Yonghe Palace.
The west wing of Yonghe Palace presents a completely different scene.
As dusk settled outside the window, lamps were lit inside the hall.
Uya was sitting in front of the embroidery frame under the window, her fingertips twirling gold threads as fine as hair.
She was completely absorbed in embroidering the last dragon scale on the sachet.
Although the Emperor did not explicitly ask her to present the sachet yesterday, she was thoughtful and felt that she must not neglect the proper etiquette towards the Emperor.
This dragon-patterned sachet is intricately embroidered, requiring a great deal of eye and mental effort.
But she embroidered with meticulous care, as if she wanted to weave all her expectations and caution into this small space.
Qi Jia came to visit again in the afternoon, and her conversation became even more intimate.
The words were clearly an invitation.
Uya became even more wary, and used the excuse of needing to rush to make the Empress's sachets.
Only then could they send this overly enthusiastic neighbor away.
She had just seen the troublesome Qi Jia off and was about to rest for a while.
Zhu Xi then stepped in quietly, a hint of joy on her face, and whispered.
"Your Majesty, Chief Steward Wu from the Imperial Household Department has arrived and is waiting outside the hall."
Upon hearing this, Wuya's hand trembled slightly, and her heart skipped a beat.
The head steward of the Imperial Household Department came in person…
She instantly understood what this meant!
Two blushes involuntarily rose to her cheeks. She forced herself to calm down, straightened her clothes, and said to Zhu Xi.
"Quickly, come with me and invite Eunuch Wu in."
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