Chapter 53 The Old Granny is Cunning
Dai Jia looked up, her eyes showing no hesitation or wavering, only sincerity and determination.
She even raised her right hand, trembling, as if making a vow.
His voice trembled with excitement, yet every word was resolute.
"Your Majesty, if this servant harbors even the slightest resentment or harbors even the slightest intention to harm Your Majesty, may this servant be struck by lightning and die a horrible death, and may the entire Daijia clan also meet a terrible end."
Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look both disheveled and sincere.
"Your Majesty pulled me back from the brink of death. If it weren't for Your Majesty, I would have been wrongfully sent to the Imperial Prison by the Empress, and my fate would be unknown. Your Majesty's kindness to me is like giving me a second life."
She kowtowed once more, her voice trembling with tears, yet growing ever more resolute.
"From now on, this servant will follow Your Majesty's lead. If Your Majesty tells this servant to go east, this servant will never go west. If Your Majesty tells this servant to do something, this servant will do it without hesitation. Even if... Your Majesty wants this servant's life one day, this servant will offer it up with his own hands without any complaints."
Jiang Nan looked into her honest eyes, regardless of how much of what she said was true or false.
That unwavering loyalty alone warmed my heart and made me even happier.
This young lady really suited her taste, and she was confident that even if Daijia did turn against her in the future.
With her methods and Kangxi's favoritism, she could easily manipulate him.
Jiang Nan reached out and, not just to offer a helping hand, actually grasped Dai Jia's arm.
With a little effort, he pulled her up.
His tone also became much more amiable, carrying a hint of familiarity.
"Alright, alright, get up quickly, the ground is cold. I believe you."
Daijia was flattered by this sudden closeness.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she almost cried again, choking back sobs as she called out.
"Your Majesty..."
"Since you want to follow me, then you don't need to go back to the crowded Xiu Nu Yuan."
Jiang Nan patted the back of her hand, her tone relaxed.
"Come back to Yongshou Palace with me now. It's a large place, and I'll arrange a comfortable place for you to stay."
Dai Jia was both surprised and delighted, but still had a slight concern, and whispered.
"But...what about the Emperor? I haven't even served him yet; such actions are against the rules..."
Jiang Nan waved her hand dismissively, her tone carrying an air of self-righteousness.
"Rules? In Yongshou Palace, what I say is the rule. As for the Emperor, I will speak to him myself. Don't worry, in Yongshou Palace, no one dares to contradict me. Even if the Emperor himself comes, he will have to follow my will. From now on, you are no longer a young lady waiting to be served by the Emperor. You are Consort Dai Jia, and from now on you should refer to yourself as 'this concubine.'"
That's incredibly arrogant.
Zhao Deyi, Fang Ruo, and the others standing nearby twitched at the corners of their mouths as they listened.
But one has to admit that the Empress was absolutely right.
But Daijia was completely won over by these bold words, and her eyes were filled with admiration.
Good heavens! Even the Emperor listens to the Empress!
Her last lingering concern vanished.
"Yes, Your Highness... I thank you for your grace."
Dai Jia's voice trembled with excitement.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Nan felt even more pleased and smug; her friend knew how to handle things.
"Don't thank me so much, let's go back quickly. You should also change into dry clothes so you don't catch a cold."
Jiang Nan turned to Fang Ruo and gave her instructions in a natural tone.
"Fangruo, arrange for two people to go to the Xiunu Courtyard to help Daijia pack her things and take them directly to the East Side Hall of Yongshou Palace."
"Yes, sir."
Fangruo quickly agreed and led two palace maids to Chuxiu Palace.
Jiang Nan, like a female hooligan, grabbed her friend and didn't care that her clothes were soaking wet.
Dai Jiashi, however, wore a bitter expression and passively accepted the situation.
Every now and then, Jiang Nan would pinch her cheeks.
The group then headed towards Yongshou Palace.
————————
In the rear hall of Kunning Palace, heavy curtains blocked out the light and sound from the outside.
Empress Hesheli returned to her territory.
The composure and dignity that had been maintained for so long crumbled instantly.
Like a wounded mother beast, she abruptly swept the teacups and fruit plates off the table.
The sound of porcelain shattering was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
"ah--"
She let out a scream that sounded like a sob, her hands gripping the brocade quilt on the bed tightly.
"Guarjia Jiangnan, you vile woman, you vile woman, why are you always haunting me? Why do you always oppose me? I am the Empress, the Empress of the Central Palace!"
She thought back to today in the Imperial Garden, in front of the imperial concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids.
He was subjected to Jiang Nan's constant taunts, mockery, and humiliation.
Finally, he was even driven to a public breakdown and tears, and fled in a sorry state...
That overwhelming sense of humiliation overwhelmed her once again.
“How dare she… She called me stupid in front of so many people. I’ve lost all face. I don’t know how those concubines will laugh at me behind my back.”
She lay on the pillow, her shoulders trembling violently.
Tears welled up uncontrollably, smearing her delicate makeup into a mess.
The old nanny knelt beside her with heartache, gently patting her back and whispering words of comfort.
"Your Majesty, my dear Your Majesty, please take good care of your health. You are pregnant now and cannot afford to be careless. What if you hurt the little prince in your belly?"
"Granny, I can't bear this injustice, I really can't take it anymore."
The empress raised her tear-streaked face.
Grabbing the old woman's hand was like grasping at the last straw.
“I asked my family to impeach her in court, but the Emperor is protecting her. I wanted to use the rules to suppress her, but she is more eloquent than I am. Now, when I see her, I feel a tightness in my chest and can’t breathe. What should I do?”
The old nanny looked at the Empress's fragile yet ferocious and hateful appearance.
A ruthless and calculating glint flashed in his cloudy old eyes.
She served the Hesheli family for decades, watched the Empress grow up, and felt heartbroken when she saw the Empress suffer great injustice.
She paused for a moment, lowered her voice, and spoke with a seasoned and composed tone.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. Crying and making a scene won’t solve anything; it will only give those petty people something to laugh at. Consort Jin may be sharp-tongued and cunning, but no matter how arrogant she is, she is still just a concubine. You are the Empress, and the right and the proper order are on your side.”
She paused, leaned closer, and lowered her voice.
"On the surface, it seems that the vile woman won today, causing Your Majesty to lose face. But... we might be able to turn this into an opportunity to retaliate against her."
Upon hearing this, the Empress's crying gradually subsided. She raised her swollen, red eyes and asked anxiously.
"Opportunity? What opportunity to retaliate? Tell me quickly, Granny."
A glint of light flashed in the old nanny's eyes as she slowly began to speak.
"Does Your Highness still remember Wanyan, the concubine who was captured by Consort Jin?"
The Empress paused for a moment, then frowned.
"Of course I remember. That vicious, wicked slut who pretended not to know how to swim and pushed people into the water—that bitch Jiang Nan should be dealt with by now, right?"
"deal with?"
The old nanny curled her lips into a cold smile.
"Your Majesty, Consort Jin just decided to handle it? What gives her the right? Although she has the power to assist, how can the final decision on the fate of the inner palace be made by her alone? In the end, doesn't it still require your approval, Empress, to be legitimate?"
The empress seemed to understand something, her eyes flickering.
"What the old woman means is..."
The old nanny lowered her voice and planned each word carefully.
"We should immediately send someone to the Censorate to bail out Wanyan. We should say that Your Majesty is discerning and finds there are still doubts in this case. Wanyan can swim, so it cannot be directly proven that she pushed the person. Perhaps it was some foolish palace maid or eunuch who pushed the person and has already disappeared without a trace?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
