Chapter 215 Kangxi: I am an old man
The entire hall was silent, save for Hesheli's desperate sobs and coughs.
All the concubines turned pale, unable to bear looking at this cruel scene.
His awe and fear of the Empress reached an unprecedented peak.
After finishing the bowl of medicine, Consort Niohuru released her grip and threw the empty bowl to the ground, where it shattered with a crisp sound.
Hesheli collapsed to the ground as if her bones had been removed.
She clutched her abdomen with both hands, her face turning deathly pale instantly.
His body began to convulse violently, and painful groans came intermittently.
Jiang Nan looked on expressionlessly and spoke calmly.
"Drag her away and send her back to Changchun Palace... No, send her to the Imperial Hospital first and find a physician to keep a close eye on her, lest she die by accident."
"Yes, sir!"
The eunuchs obeyed the order and dragged Hesheli, who looked like a rag doll, out of the main hall.
Only medicine stains and drag marks remained on the ground.
Jiang Nan's gaze swept over the silent concubines below again, her voice regaining its calmness, carrying an undeniable authority.
"You must all remember what happened today. Only by remaining law-abiding can you survive in the long run. If anyone dares to lay a hand on the imperial heirs and cross my bottom line again—Heseri's fate today will serve as a warning!"
"Your Majesty's teachings will be obeyed!"
The concubines hurriedly rose and responded in unison, their voices filled with fear and obedience.
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The following afternoon, the courtyard of Kunning Palace was bathed in the bright sunshine of spring.
Jiang Nan sprawled unceremoniously in the large recliner, too lazy to even move a finger.
Consort Niohuru sat on a small stool to the side, carefully peeling grapes.
The atmosphere seemed relaxed, yet there was a subtle sense of gloom.
“Sister, you don’t need to stay here with me all the time. Now that the Third Prince has been born, according to the rules, he should be raised by your side. Although the little guy suffered a bit the other day, didn’t the imperial physician say that he has a good constitution and will be fine if he is carefully cared for? You should start preparing to bring the child back.”
Jiang Nan's lazy voice rang out, her eyes still squinting.
Upon hearing this, Niohuru's face showed a hint of bitterness and hesitation, and she said in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, I...I am not in a hurry. That day, His Majesty clearly suspected me, and I was truly heartbroken. As for the child...whoever His Majesty wishes to raise, then let them raise it. Now, I only feel that being able to live peacefully and often talk with Your Majesty is a blessing."
Jiang Nan raised her eyes and glanced at her indifferently, her tone carrying a hint of disdain.
"You think too much. Living in this deep palace, your body is already restricted enough. Why do you have to imprison your mind as well? You're always wallowing in self-pity, ruining my mood for sunbathing."
She naturally understood Niohuru's concerns.
Emperor Kangxi's paranoia was growing, especially towards concubines from prominent families like Niohuru.
They needed to utilize the family's resources, but they also feared that the maternal relatives would become too powerful, so naturally they wouldn't want to raise their third son under the care of the Niohuru clan.
Niohuru sighed and said.
"Your Majesty, I know I shouldn't have done this, but when I think of the way His Majesty looked at me that day... my heart aches. His Majesty... he still doesn't trust me."
Jiang Nan casually waved her hand to interrupt her, her tone gentle and comforting.
"Whether he believes it or not, what does it matter? If you really feel upset, then don't raise the child if you don't want to. Erhe will take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die. As for the Emperor, he is the Son of Heaven, a lonely ruler. Don't you know your family's situation? His wariness is just the nature of an emperor. This kind of suspicion will only get worse in the future. As long as he doesn't cause any trouble, let him be suspicious. Why bother with it?"
Niohuru looked at Jiang Nan's nonchalant attitude and her face showed a complex mix of admiration and respect.
He couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"Your Majesty... how can you live with such clarity? Don't you... love the Emperor?"
Jiang Nan was amused by her question and laughed out loud. Her smile was radiant in the sunlight.
"Love? Of course I love you, but not the kind of girlish love you're thinking of. It's the kind of love that comes from a confidant, from family, from a partner who walks alongside you. If I were to spend all my time worrying about the gains and losses of romantic love, and live such a tiring life like you are now, I would have turned gray long ago."
She paused, then her tone suddenly became mischievous, with a hint of disrespectful teasing.
"Besides, think about it. When the emperor is in his forties or fifties, and becomes a grumpy, stubborn, and possibly bald old man, will you still be able to love him as much as you do now? Will you still be able to bring yourself to kiss him?"
Niohuru was taken aback at first, but then she imagined the scene and couldn't help but burst out laughing, her earlier gloom dissipating.
She thought to herself, "If that really happens, I'm afraid it won't just be them who won't be able to bring themselves to eat it."
As they aged and lost their beauty, it's likely that even Emperor Kangxi wouldn't be able to get close to them.
At that moment, Emperor Kangxi happened to walk by outside the moon gate in the courtyard.
He had intended to discuss something with Nan Nan, but as soon as he got close, he heard these outrageous remarks coming from the courtyard.
Emperor Kangxi felt as if the sky had fallen.
The emperor? A decrepit old man?
Bald? Can't bring myself to kiss him?
Nan Nan, are you being polite?!
Liang Jiugong followed behind, his scalp tingling, frantically signaling to the eunuch at the door to go and report.
The little eunuch was so frightened that he kept his head down and couldn't see anything.
Kangxi's expression shifted rapidly, from shock to speechlessness to a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and coughed twice forcefully.
"Cough! Hmm!"
The laughter abruptly stopped in the courtyard.
When Niohuru turned around, she was terrified and instinctively stood up.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you good health!"
Where was Jiang Nan? She merely glanced lazily at Kangxi before shifting slightly on the recliner.
This can be considered a greeting, he said lazily.
"The Emperor is here, Liang Jiugong, how can you be so oblivious? Quickly go and bring the Emperor a chair."
Kangxi: "..."
He gritted his teeth, walked to the chair brought by the eunuch, sat down, and squeezed out a sentence through his teeth.
"The Empress is so...leisurely."
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Let's raise 500,000 and see if I get any special treatment?
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