Chapter 92 Kangxi: The Empress Has It Hard Too
Jiang Nan raised her eyes, looking at him with a half-smile, her tone teasing.
"Your Majesty, are you testing me? Tsk tsk tsk, how old are you? Why are you acting like an old man? You're so suspicious."
Kangxi was so choked by her words that he almost couldn't catch his breath, and felt a vein throbbing in his temple.
Am I testing you? If I suspected you, would I allow you to be so presumptuous in front of me?
He finally understood the Empress's pain.
This girl's firepower always gave him a headache.
One can only imagine what kind of life Hesheli lived on a daily basis.
He suddenly felt a subtle sympathy for the Empress.
He rubbed his temples and said helplessly.
"Nannan, what are you thinking now? What do I suspect about you? If I were to suspect you, it would be when I'm old, when my children are all grown up, and when they're fighting to the death for the throne, like Emperor Wu of Han in his later years. How old am I now? I have no reason to suspect you."
"Pfft—hahahaha."
Jiang Nan couldn't help but burst out laughing, pointing at Kangxi with her eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Your Majesty, you...you actually swore? Hahaha...Liang Jiugong, did you hear that? What nonsense is our wise and mighty Emperor spouting, hahaha..."
Liang Jiugong, standing behind Kangxi, kept his eyes down, pretending not to hear.
That posture didn't seem like he was accompanying the driver; rather, it looked like he was staring at the ground, carefully studying some secret.
Kangxi then realized what he had said in his haste.
Her face flushed red and then turned pale.
Looking at Jiang Nan, who was laughing so hard she was doubled over, she didn't know whether to hit her or scold her.
In the end, all I could do was glare at her in annoyance.
But I couldn't help but smile slightly because of her unrestrained laughter.
Jiang Nan finished laughing and picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the tears that had come out of her eyes.
Jiang Nan's laughter gradually subsided. She picked up a handkerchief and wiped away the tears that had come out of her laughter, her tone becoming casual yet earnest.
"Your Majesty, to be frank, I really don't think much of the Empress's position."
She picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables with her chopsticks and talked as she ate.
"However, if Your Majesty feels that you need a capable person to help you manage this small part of the harem and prevent any more trouble, then I do have that ability."
She then shifted her tone, offering a more realistic analysis.
"But deposing the empress is no small matter. Even though the Hesheli family is not as powerful as before, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Without a major mistake that can silence the civil and military officials of the previous dynasty, you will face considerable resistance if you want to move against her."
She put down her chopsticks, looked at Kangxi, and her eyes were clear and bright.
"So, this is enough for now. I assist in managing the six palaces, managing what needs to be managed and suppressing what needs to be suppressed, all in a legitimate and proper manner. If I were to truly sit in that position..."
She waved her hands repeatedly, then suddenly smiled slyly, with a hint of self-mockery.
"That won't do, it's too tiring. Don't you know my personality? To have me constantly and properly manage this huge mess, while also maintaining the dignity of an empress at all times, not laughing too loudly, not scolding too freely, how exhausting would that be? I can't sit still. If I really became empress, I'm afraid that in just a few days, I would have turned all your delicate concubines in the harem into someone as unruly as me, and then you would have even more of a headache."
Kangxi listened to her unpretentious, even somewhat rebellious, honest words and looked into her bright eyes.
The displeasure he felt over the disgrace caused by the trampling of the Empress's position also dissipated.
He couldn't help but laugh, nodding with a tone of relief and a hint of doting.
"What you say makes sense; I misunderstood. Your free-spirited and unrestrained nature is indeed not suitable for being confined within the framework of an empress."
He genuinely believed that it was better to make Jiang Nan the empress, who was constantly constrained and needed to be the mother of the nation.
Instead, it stifled her most attractive qualities: vibrancy and authenticity.
Even an emperor can feel lonely, and he enjoys the ease and comfort of being with Nan Nan.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I'm hungry, let's have a meal first."
Kangxi picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of Jiang Nan's favorite pastry on her plate.
His tone softened, carrying a final hint of warning.
"But Nan Nan, in the future, you should be more careful with your temper. If the Empress doesn't provoke you, you don't need to deliberately find fault with her. She's pregnant now, and it's not easy for her either."
Jiang Nan blinked, deliberately drawing out her words and misinterpreting his meaning, and said sarcastically.
"Oh—I understand. Is Your Majesty feeling sorry for an old flame? Don't worry, I'll be more careful in the future. As long as she doesn't provoke me, I won't bother with her anymore. Is that alright?"
She readily agreed; how to strike the right balance was her own business.
Kangxi looked at her with an expression that said, "I understand, I understand."
Knowing she was deliberately misinterpreting the situation, I didn't bother to explain.
He felt more heartache for the child that belonged to him in the Empress's womb.
In his heart, all he wanted was for the child to be born safely.
He didn't really care whether Hesheli lived or died, or whether she suffered mistreatment.
With Jiang Nan's promise, at least the Empress's pregnancy would not be subjected to major shocks, and his goal would be achieved.
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A few days later, late at night.
In a secluded side room of Yikun Palace, only a dim oil lamp was lit, its light flickering.
A thin palace maid dressed in the low-ranking clothes of a laundry maid.
He was kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear.
She was secretly brought here by the old nanny's confidante, and at this moment her heart was filled with unknown fear.
The old woman, with drooping eyelids, spoke in a slow, authoritative voice.
"Do you know why I've come to see you so late?"
The palace maid lowered her head even further, her voice trembling.
"This servant...this servant does not know, please enlighten me, Granny."
The old nanny raised her eyelids, her cloudy yet sharp gaze sweeping over the palace maid.
"Your name is Xiaolian, right? Outside the palace... do you have a younger brother?"
The palace maid Xiaolian trembled violently, as if her most fatal weakness had been struck, and her face turned deathly pale.
She has a younger brother, who is her only living relative.
After her parents died at a young age, her younger brother was adopted by a distant relative. This was the deepest secret and concern she kept in her heart.
She would occasionally secretly save her meager monthly allowance and ask a trusted guard to deliver it to her younger brother.
Unexpectedly, this secret matter was thoroughly investigated by this old palace maid.
She dared not deny it, and could only kowtow, her voice trembling with tears.
"What does Granny need me to do? I... I will do my best!"
Seeing her reaction, the old nanny nodded in satisfaction, her tone softening slightly, but with a deeper calculation in her voice.
"You're quite sensible. Don't worry, as long as you obediently do one thing for me, I will not only treat you well, but the Niohuru family will also secretly support your younger brother, sending him to school so he can learn to read and write, and in the future, pass the imperial examination, become a high-ranking official. Every time you painstakingly carry that little bit of money, isn't it because you hope he will have a bright future? I can see that you love this younger brother very much."
Xiaolian listened to this seemingly beautiful but ultimately unrealistic promise.
There was no joy in my heart, only immense fear.
Something that requires such a heinous reward must be a monstrous crime.
"Granny...what...what do you need me to do?"
Her voice trembled, as if she had a premonition of impending doom.
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Everyone says this book is mindless and enjoyable, but I haven't seen anyone complain about where it's mindless. If you think it's mindless, please point it out in the text, and I'll have a debate with you.
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