Chapter 4 Your Majesty, please grant me a concubine's rank.
Jiang Nan looked up and glanced at the bottle of arsenic, known as the king of ancient poisons, her heart pounding wildly.
But his face showed an almost tragic, desperate expression, and his voice was unusually calm.
“Every word I have said is true. If Your Majesty does not believe me, I am willing to use this to prove my innocence.”
After saying that, she actually got up, walked forward, picked up the white jade bottle without hesitation, and uncorked it.
A faint, peculiar almond scent wafted out.
Liang Jiugong subconsciously held his breath.
Kangxi's gaze was fixed on her.
Jiang Nan gritted her teeth, then downed the liquor in one gulp, as if drinking strong liquor!
The movements are crisp and clean, the main theme is boldness, and the first thing to do is to drink!
After finishing her drink, she showed the bottom of the cup to Emperor Kangxi, indicating that not a drop was left.
The hall was deathly silent.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Jiang Nan stood there, even unconsciously smacking her lips, though they tasted a little bitter.
It seems like... I don't feel anything? My stomach feels warm, almost like I've drunk some nourishing medicinal wine?
She secretly glanced at Kangxi.
The young emperor's composure and scrutiny were finally replaced by shock and disbelief.
He watched as she drank a deadly poison that could kill ten cows instantly.
Then, as if after drinking a cup of tea, her complexion became rosy and her eyes became clear.
She even looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression.
This is something no ordinary person could do.
At this moment, Kangxi had no choice but to believe it.
Those absurd notions of the underworld, Yama, and destiny are accompanied by this unbelievable immunity to all poisons.
With an overwhelming force, it shattered all his doubts.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart, waved his hand, and his voice was a little dry.
"Everyone out. Liang Jiugong, stand guard outside the hall. No one is allowed to approach."
"Yes, sir!"
Liang Jiugong felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly led the two eunuchs out with bows, gently closing the palace door behind them.
He stood outside the door, looking at the tightly closed palace gate.
He was filled with admiration for this palace maid named Jiang Nan—she was practically a living ancestor!
Only Emperor Kangxi and Jiang Nan remained in the hall.
The young emperor could no longer maintain his mature demeanor and leaned forward slightly.
His eyes sparkled with intense curiosity, like a child who had finally encountered a rare toy.
"Are you really alright now? You don't feel anything at all?"
Jiang Nan answered honestly.
"Your Majesty, apart from the slight bitterness, my stomach feels warm and quite comfortable."
Emperor Kangxi marveled at her, looking her up and down as if she were some rare treasure.
He paused for a moment, and finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
"You...you tell me in detail again, what exactly is the underworld like? King Yama...do you really say that I am the chosen one?"
Looking at the boy in front of me, who was clearly incredibly curious but was trying his best to maintain the airs of an emperor.
Jiang Nan's nervousness completely vanished.
At this time, Kangxi was only 14 years old, and he would not truly take power until the following year when he confronted Oboi.
At that time, he was just like any other sixth-grade boy in later generations.
Even if someone is precocious, how can they resist topics like the supernatural and the divinely ordained?
She suddenly became very bold.
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"emperor!"
Jiang Nan suddenly spoke, her voice no longer so respectful, but rather carrying a hint of casualness.
"After talking for so long, my legs are numb from kneeling. Could you... give me a seat?"
Emperor Kangxi was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to make such a request.
This palace maid... she really doesn't know any manners. He frowned slightly.
Jiang Nan, however, had already stood up on her own and looked around.
He actually moved an embroidered stool from the wall and placed it next to Kangxi's desk, then plopped down on it.
He even rubbed his knees as if he were doing something else.
Kangxi: "!!!"
In all his life, apart from the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, no one had ever dared to be so... presumptuous in front of him!
Was this really a palace maid rigorously selected by the Eight Banners? He began to question the meaning of life.
Jiang Nan didn't care about his changing expressions.
If you're going to create a persona, then create one that's unique.
She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously.
"Your Majesty, please don't blame me for being impolite, but the things about the underworld are just too terrifying. I have to lean closer and whisper so that no passing ghosts might overhear..."
Kangxi's thoughts were diverted by her rambling and unpredictable manner.
His slight displeasure was instantly overshadowed by curiosity, and he subconsciously leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me quickly!"
Jiang Nan suppressed a laugh, cleared her throat, and began to vividly weave a story.
"In the underworld, the sky is gloomy, with no sun, moon, or stars in sight, only the green will-o'-the-wisps illuminating the way... The first thing you see is the Gate of Hell, tall and majestic, covered with hideous ghost heads carved into it... Beyond the gate lies the Road to the Underworld, filled with dazed and confused souls... Along the roadside bloom vast fields of spider lilies, as red as blood..."
She combined the stories she had read, such as "Journey to the West," "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," and various myths and legends.
Rich in detail and vividly described.
"Then there's the Terrace of Longing for Home, where many new ghosts are crying, able to see their families in the mortal world... and the Ridge of Evil Dogs, the Golden Rooster Mountain... those vicious dogs, their eyes glowing red, specifically bite the souls of wicked people..."
Kangxi listened intently, completely captivated by the bizarre and fantastical scenes of the underworld.
"Finally, we arrived at the Hall of Yama, which was quite grand. King Yama sat on top, his face dark and imposing... Beside him stood the judges, holding the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen... Also present were the Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, each with a blue face and fangs..."
When she got to the crucial points, she even used gestures and expressions, leaving the young Emperor Kangxi completely bewildered.
My attention was completely drawn to her story, and I even forgot to ask about the specific details of fate, but I couldn't help asking.
"What does Yama, the King of Hell, look like? How do the judges adjudicate cases?"
Seeing his reaction, Jiang Nan felt even more confident and spoke with even more enthusiasm.
Outside the Qianqing Palace, Liang Jiugong was listening intently.
But all that could be heard from inside the hall was a woman's low voice, sometimes hurried and sometimes slow, as she spoke.
And the young emperor's occasional suppressed, low-pitched questions of surprise.
Sunlight streamed through the paper windows, illuminating the interior of the hall.
A palace maid who should have been secretly executed for climbing into the emperor's bedchamber was sitting at the emperor's desk, telling the supreme ruler ghost stories from the underworld.
This scene is utterly absurd.
Liang Jiugong wiped the sweat from his forehead, with only one thought in his mind.
It seems things are about to change in this palace.
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Jiang Nan's throat was dry from telling stories. This was something no human could do; she had never worked this hard, not even when delivering food.
She stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to put on an expression that was both innocent and a little aggrieved.
"Your Majesty, you see, the King of Hell sent me back with a mission. He said I must give birth to a child destined for the true dragon emperor of our Great Qing... that is, you!"
She reiterated that crucial destiny.
She paused, carefully observing Kangxi's expression.
Although his expression was calm, the curiosity and inquiry that shone in his young eyes had not diminished, but rather intensified.
She grew bolder and continued speaking, her tone even carrying a hint of coquettish complaint.
"This... there has to be some kind of official status for having a child, right? I'm just a lowly palace maid right now, this is outrageous! If the King of Hell knew that I didn't even have a proper status in the mortal world, he might think we don't respect destiny. What if he gets upset and takes back the decree?"
She never forgets to mention the King of Hell and destiny, using them as her greatest talisman and bargaining chip.
Emperor Kangxi was amused by her blunt and almost shameless request for a reward.
This girl is incredibly audacious.
Having just escaped death from the poison he personally tested, he dared to bargain with the emperor.
They're even waving the banner of the King of Hell.
"oh?"
He raised an eyebrow, deliberately putting on a stern face, but his voice betrayed little anger.
"So what kind of title do you want? Don't forget, you're just a palace maid. By the way, what's your name?"
He seemed to have just remembered that he didn't even know her name.
Jiang Nan replied immediately, her tone somewhat familiar.
“Your Majesty, my surname is Guarjia, and I am from a collateral branch of the family. After entering the palace, I gave myself the name Jiang Nan, Jiang as in ginger and Nan as in camphor tree. Your Majesty, you can just call me Jiang Nan, or if you feel more comfortable calling me Nan Nan, that's fine too.”
She tried to make her tone sound natural with a subtle hint of ingratiation, attempting to bridge the gap between them.
As Kangxi listened to her confident self-introduction, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile again.
Nan Nan? Is this a name she can use on her own? She's even started referring to herself as "I".
That's really... a refreshingly unrestrained attitude.
"You certainly know how to take advantage of a situation."
Kangxi snorted and returned to the main topic.
"Then what title do you think I should give you?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan's eyes lit up, and she immediately seized the opportunity.
"Your Majesty, I think... the rank of Consort is quite suitable!"
She remembered that Emperor Kangxi was quite stingy when it came to bestowing titles.
She didn't want to wait for seniority; she wanted to see if she could get the job right away and avoid countless troubles.
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