Chapter 20: Is this all the sulfuric acid you have? Give me a basin.
When Kangxi recalled her strange constitution—that she remained unharmed even after drinking arsenic—and her insidious yet highly effective ideas, his initial opposition inexplicably wavered.
He pondered for a moment, then finally sighed, with a hint of helplessness and resignation in his voice.
"Fine, fine, I really can't do anything with you. Granted! But you must promise me that you will never act on your own and must obey the instructions of the person in charge on site. If there is any danger, get away immediately."
"As you command, Your Majesty, long live the Emperor."
Jiang Nan immediately beamed and readily agreed, already looking forward to tomorrow's big show.
With the important matters settled, the heavy pressure on Kangxi's heart seemed to ease slightly.
But the excitement and tension of the impending battle were even more intense.
He stood up: "The matter has been settled. I will go see Lady Wang and then return to the Qianqing Palace. Tonight... there are still many details that need to be finalized."
Jiang Nan also stopped smiling and said seriously.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
She could sense the boiling murderous intent and taut nerves beneath Kangxi's calm surface.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night for this young emperor.
Kangxi gave her a deep look, his gaze complex, which ultimately culminated in a brief instruction.
"You will be in the main hall tomorrow... Be careful in everything you do."
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The next day, before dawn, Jiang Nan was gently awakened by Fang Ruo.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's time to get up."
Fangruo's voice carried a hint of caution.
Jiang Nan opened her eyes groggily, feeling as if her eyelids were filled with lead.
She let out a silent wail and struggled to sit up from her warm bed.
Last night before going to bed, she specifically instructed Fangruo to wake her up before the morning court session ended.
She knew that the Qing Dynasty's morning court sessions usually started at five in the morning and would end around seven in the morning.
She had to sneak into the Wuying Hall and lie in ambush before Kangxi and Aobai arrived.
"Serve me as I do my makeup."
She yawned and gave the order in a muffled voice.
Once is enough for something like getting up early.
This is absolutely inhuman. Even if I were a top-notch food delivery driver in my past life, I've never tortured myself like this.
She went to great lengths to be there in person and witness Ao Bai's downfall.
However, the thought that he might soon witness the powerful and influential Ao Shaobao being smeared with sulfuric acid in the face was unbearable.
Her excitement and anticipation instantly overwhelmed her drowsiness, and she became fully alert.
She quickly washed up and changed into a light blue casual outfit that was easy to move in and not too flashy.
Her hair was simply tied up and adorned with a jade hairpin, striving for a low-key look.
"Alright, none of you need to follow."
She gave instructions to Fang Ruo and the group of palace maids and eunuchs who were preparing to accompany her.
"I have to take care of something very important... I can't make it public, there are too many people watching."
Fangruo looked worried and quickly tried to dissuade her.
"Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable! If something were to happen to you while you are alone, we servants would be held responsible to the death. This is against the rules."
Jiang Nan waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry, I even scolded the Empress to her face, what else could happen? In this palace, no one who can hurt me has been born yet. You can all stay in the palace in peace and prepare lunch. I will come back to eat after I finish my business."
Her tone was relaxed, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
After saying that, she didn't wait for Fangruo to persuade her again and quickly walked out of Yongshou Palace by herself.
At this time, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the morning sun was just beginning to appear. The palace road was quiet and deserted, with only a few faint bird calls coming from afar.
Jiang Nan took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
Uh... where is the Wuying Hall again?
She was so excited that she forgot she was completely unfamiliar with the layout of the Forbidden City.
This is awkward.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to head towards the Qianqing Palace first, as she was quite familiar with that area.
As we approached the Qianqing Palace, we encountered a young eunuch sweeping the area.
Upon seeing her, the young eunuch immediately put down his broom and bowed.
"This servant greets Consort Jiang."
Jiang Nan's eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice.
"Get up. The Emperor is still holding the morning court session. I need to go to the Wuying Hall. Please lead the way to me quietly and don't make a sound."
The young eunuch paused for a moment, clearly surprised, but dared not ask any further questions and quickly responded.
"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant obeys."
The young eunuch led the way, with Jiang Nan following behind, and the two tried to avoid the palace paths where they might encounter people.
After many twists and turns, they arrived at a palace.
The palace doors were tightly closed, and the surroundings were quiet, but one could vaguely sense that someone was inside.
"Your Majesty, this is the Wuying Hall."
The young eunuch whispered.
Jiang Nan nodded, thought for a moment, and then said.
"Don't go back to your post yet, stay by my side."
The young eunuch immediately looked troubled.
"Your Majesty...this...this is against the rules, this servant still has duties to perform..."
Jiang Nan glanced at him, her tone somewhat domineering.
"I am the rule, don't worry. If Steward Liang or your superior asks, just say that I sent you to follow me, and they can come directly to me."
Seeing her resolute attitude, the young eunuch dared not argue further and could only reluctantly agree.
"Yes, sir..."
Jiang Nan then pushed open the palace door and led the little eunuch inside.
The light inside the hall was somewhat dim.
However, one could see that dozens of strong young men and guards had already been lying in ambush behind the palace pillars, beside the curtains, and even on the beams.
Everyone held their breath, the atmosphere was tense and solemn.
——————
The young leader of the Buku tribe didn't seem surprised to see her enter, clearly having received instructions from Emperor Kangxi the previous night.
He stepped forward quickly, gave a silent bow, and lowered his voice.
"Your Majesty, you have arrived. His Majesty has instructed that you take refuge in the warm pavilion behind the palace for the time being. No matter what happens, you must not make a sound or show yourself."
Jiang Nan nodded and lowered her voice as well.
"Relax, relax, I understand."
She pointed to the little eunuch behind her.
"This is the young eunuch who led the way. To avoid making a scene, let him stay in a corner of the hall for now, and we'll talk about it after this is all over."
The young leader glanced at the pale-faced eunuch and nodded knowingly.
He waved to one of his men and whispered a few instructions.
The subordinate then quietly led the young eunuch to a very secluded corner of the hall and hid there.
"Your Majesty, please come with me."
The young leader led Jiang Nan to the back of the palace.
Jiang Nan grabbed him, her eyes shining as she whispered a question.
"Hey, wait a minute, where's that... sulfuric acid I prepared? Take me to see it."
The young leader paused, a strange look on his face, but still led her to a side hall on one side of the main hall as instructed.
There were a few inconspicuous jars and pots there.
He pointed to one of the sealed small porcelain bottles and whispered.
"Your Majesty, this is the acid you found using the method you instructed. It is extremely toxic and will cause skin rot upon contact. I have already ordered it to be kept under strict guard."
Jiang Nan leaned closer to take a look at the small bottle, which was no bigger than a teacup, and immediately frowned.
He muttered under his breath, dissatisfied: "Is that all? Who needs it? Do you even have any stock left in your warehouse?"
The young leader was taken aback by her question.
"There are still a few bottles left in the storeroom..."
"Bring it all here, bring it all."
Jiang Nan immediately gave instructions, her tone filled with disdain.
"Use a basin, yes, go find a copper basin. What can this little bottle do? It won't even wet Ao Bai's beard. If you're going to splash, splash a big one and let him have a good time."
Upon hearing this, the young leader's lips twitched violently, and his gaze toward Jiang Nan was filled with astonishment and... a hint of awe?
This lady... her thinking is truly unique and ruthless.
A whole basin? If that were poured on top of everything, it might just melt Ao Bai in two!
He imagined the scene and couldn't help but shudder.
"This...Your Majesty, the quantity is too large, I'm afraid...I'm afraid it will harm others..."
He tried to dissuade him.
Jiang Nan glared at him.
"What are you afraid of? Just tell your people to stay away, right? Hurry up and stop dawdling. Can you take responsibility if you delay the Emperor's important business?"
The young leader was speechless and dared not say anything more, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and give orders to his men.
"Go! Bring all the acid from the warehouse, and find a sturdy copper basin."
Soon, several guards brought in several sealed jars and a rather large copper basin.
Jiang Nan personally directed the guards, who were wearing thick gloves, to carefully pour several jars of concentrated sulfuric acid into a copper basin.
Watching the transparent liquid in the basin, which was constantly emitting fine white smoke and a pungent odor, Jiang Nan rubbed her hands together excitedly.
Good heavens!
If this pot were poured on, even if Ao Bai were the number one warrior of Manchuria, or even if he had an indestructible body, he would still be melted down.
"Alright, alright!"
She nodded in satisfaction and gave instructions to the young leader.
"Take this precious pot to the entrance of the warm pavilion behind the palace and place it there. Cover it tightly so the smell doesn't waft out and scare the fish. Let's just wait patiently for the Emperor and our Junior Guardian Ao to arrive."
The young leader looked at the basin of liquid emitting terrifying smoke, swallowed hard, and responded with difficulty.
"Yes, Your Majesty... This servant obeys..."
He directed the guards to carefully carry the large weapon to the designated location and cover it with a thick tarpaulin.
Jiang Nan then followed the young leader with satisfaction and hid in a warm pavilion behind the main hall, which was covered by heavy curtains but through the gaps could be clearly seen from the front hall.
Ao Bai was the biggest conservative in the early Qing Dynasty.
His oppression and persecution of the Han people were the most cruel, which is why she was determined to deal with him severely.
This is to avenge our fellow Han Chinese compatriots.
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