Chapter 77 Kangxi: Give Me Some Face
That voice was all too familiar; it was none other than Emperor Kangxi!
Jiang Nan was fine; she was already used to Kangxi's unpredictable appearances and disappearances.
But Consort Niohuru, who sat opposite her, was completely different.
Just as she was being lifted into the air by Jiang Nan and was relaxing, she suddenly heard the emperor's voice.
Especially the sarcastic remark, "Am I not human?", startled her so much that she froze.
With a gasp, she instantly lost her balance and tumbled off the high end of the seesaw.
"careful!"
Emperor Kangxi never expected that his words would have such consequences.
His expression changed, and he subconsciously stepped forward to catch it.
"Hey, why are you being so careful?"
Jiang Nan, however, was not in a hurry at all, and instead complained about Kangxi.
"If Your Majesty hadn't walked so silently like a cat and suddenly spoken so frighteningly, would Sister Niohuru have been so scared that she fell down?"
Consort Niohuru did not fall heavily to the ground, but landed on the air cushion that Jiang Nan had already arranged around the amusement park ride.
The posture was rather unsightly, and he looked rather embarrassed, lying on his back.
Jiang Nan then slowly stepped off the seesaw and reached out to pull Niohuru Consort, whose cheeks were flushed red.
He didn't forget to shift the blame.
"Sister, are you alright? Did you fall? It's all the Emperor's fault. He didn't even announce his arrival. Look how scared you were."
Consort Niohuru was so ashamed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.
She actually fell off her plaything in front of the Emperor, a truly disgraceful act.
She frantically tried to climb off the soft air cushion, but the more she tried, the more confused she became.
Emperor Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that everyone was alright.
He glanced helplessly at Jiang Nan, then spoke gently to Consort Niohuru, who was struggling to get up and bow.
"It's good that you didn't fall."
His tone carried a hint of apology.
After finally regaining her footing, Consort Niohuru respectfully gave a curtsy.
Her voice was barely audible, and her head was bowed low.
"Your Majesty, I have been disrespectful and disturbed Your Majesty's presence. Please forgive me."
She felt her face burning; she had never been so embarrassed in her life.
"Alright, alright, get up."
Kangxi waved his hand, then looked at Jiang Nan with a mixture of flattery and helplessness.
"Nannan, can you give me some face? I just came over out of curiosity after hearing your laughter. I didn't expect anything to go wrong."
Jiang Nan rolled her eyes without any politeness.
"Respect is something you earn yourself. Look at you, you've ruined the atmosphere as soon as you arrived. Luckily, I have an air cushion here, otherwise, what would have happened if Sister Niohuru had fallen and broken something?"
As she spoke, she naturally took Niohuru Consort's arm, feeling that she was still trembling slightly.
Consort Niohuru stood aside, completely bewildered by the unrestrained interaction between Jiang Nan and Emperor Kangxi.
Consort Jin… from the moment the Emperor appeared until now, she hasn’t even performed a single formal bow?
How dare they criticize the Emperor so directly?
Instead of being angry, the emperor's tone was indulgent and... ingratiating?
Is this really the way of the emperor, his subjects, his concubines, and his wives as she understood it? She felt like she had been knocked senseless.
Emperor Kangxi was so annoyed by Jiang Nan's scolding that he had no choice but to change the subject.
His gaze shifted to the still embarrassed Consort Niohuru, and his tone became gentle and earnest.
"My beloved consort, I think you looked very good just now. You seemed more lively than usual, and it pleased me to see that."
After saying that, he seemed embarrassed to stay any longer and said to Jiang Nan.
"You all continue playing, I'm going back to the Qianqing Palace first."
He then turned and left with Liang Jiugong.
Consort Niohuru was still immersed in the Emperor's words: "I am delighted to see this."
It wasn't until Kangxi had walked far away that she realized what was happening and hurriedly bowed to his departing figure.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
Jiang Nan pulled her up and said with a grin.
"Oh dear, they've all gone far away, why bother seeing them off? Sister, don't be so reserved. Did you hear that just now? The Emperor praised you, saying you're so lively and he likes it."
Consort Niohuru blushed even more, her heart pounded, and she instinctively retorted.
"Sister, please don't talk nonsense. His Majesty... His Majesty was merely comforting me..."
"How can you call that comforting? You're such a blockhead."
Jiang Nan stood with her hands on her hips, looking every bit the self-righteous palace lady.
"I said the Emperor likes you, and that's it. The way he looked at you just now was so tender it was almost dripping with affection. Men really do like lively and interesting people. Who wants to be with a wooden beauty all day? Sister, you should be more lively. Why are you always so lifeless and trying to act like the Empress? It's tiring and not pleasing at all."
"This...this is against the rules..."
Consort Niohuru was torn between two conflicting thoughts. On one hand, she felt that what Jiang Nan said seemed to make sense.
On the other hand, deeply ingrained upbringing is desperately trying to stop it.
"rule?"
Jiang Nan scoffed.
"Will following the rules make the Emperor look at you more? Will following the rules make you happy? Alright, alright, I won't force you anymore. This can't be rushed. I'll teach you slowly."
She then took her hand again and asked in a lighthearted tone.
"How about it, sister? Shall we play on the seesaw a little longer? Or go swing on the swings?"
Consort Niohuru's mind was filled with Kangxi's words, "I am also pleased," and she looked at Jiang Nan's alluring smile.
As if possessed, he nodded slightly.
"Let's use a seesaw..."
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As evening fell, the dining hall of Yongshou Palace was brightly lit.
Jiang Nan insisted on having dinner with Consort Niohuru.
Consort Niohuru could not refuse, so she sat awkwardly to the side with only a few light dishes placed in front of her.
Jiang Nan didn't care about any of that; she was starving.
She picked up her chopsticks and devoured the food with gusto, her eating manners unrestrained and without any regard for her image.
Occasionally, they would even comment on which dish suited their taste.
Consort Niohuru watched in a daze.
She received the strictest education for young ladies from a young age, and every move she made was governed by rules.
When have I ever seen imperial concubines dining in such an unrefined manner?
But on second thought, this seems to perfectly match Consort Jin's unconventional and free-spirited nature.
I felt somewhat relieved, but I still didn't have much of an appetite, only sipping the soup in small amounts.
Jiang Nan had almost finished eating when she looked up and saw Consort Niohuru staring at her blankly. She raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Sister, why are you staring at me? Could it be... that you're shy about eating? Or are you feeling comfortable eating at Yikun Palace, but suddenly becoming reserved here?"
Consort Niohuru quickly shook her head and responded softly.
"Your Majesty, I dare not. It's just that I'm truly not hungry."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan deliberately rolled her eyes and tapped the rim of her bowl with her chopsticks, making a crisp sound.
"Oh—not hungry? So you mean you've gotten full just watching me eat? Is my eating style that disgusting to you?"
"That is absolutely not what I meant."
Consort Niohuru was startled and quickly explained.
"Sister, you misunderstand. I just think that you eat very well."
She carefully chose her words, trying not to sound impolite.
Jiang Nan laughed heartily, put down her chopsticks, and elegantly wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief.
She instantly switched from being a lazy, hardworking person back to the mode of a languid imperial concubine.
"Hey, when it comes to eating, why bother with all that formality? The most important thing is to enjoy your meal and eat to your heart's content. All those rules about eating slowly and deliberately are just too tiring."
She rubbed her slightly full stomach and leaned back comfortably in her chair.
It's time to get down to business; it's time to put our established friendships to good use.
She hadn't forgotten about disciplining Niohuru, and a wicked smile involuntarily crept onto her face as she thought of it.
Looking at Consort Niohuru, who was still sitting upright, his expression became serious and solemn again, and he changed the subject.
"Alright, let's not talk about food. Sister, I'm asking you, did you have fun this afternoon?"
Consort Niohuru immediately recalled the events of the afternoon at the amusement park.
Especially the chaotic and heart-pounding scene after the emperor appeared.
And the Emperor's words, "I am also pleased."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, she lowered her eyelashes, nodded gently, and spoke in a voice barely audible.
"happy."
Jiang Nan nodded in satisfaction, her tone carrying a rare seriousness.
"As long as you're happy. Sister, women like us, once we enter this deep palace, are practically confined here for life; freedom is a luxury. Since it's already so difficult, why not try to make ourselves happier?"
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I feel this book is lifeless. If it weren't for Baozi urging me to update, I thought no one would read it.
Traffic recommendations have dropped again. I feel like I'm doomed again. No comments, no activity.
The number of recommendations is getting smaller and smaller, I'm going to have to eat dirt. Come on, everyone, leave your comments here and pile me up!
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