Chapter 165 Kangxi: I've been reviewing memorials all along
In the shadows on one side outside the main hall of Kunning Palace.
Emperor Kangxi listened intently to the sounds inside the palace, not daring to breathe loudly or even blink.
He's exactly like a timid eavesdropper afraid of getting caught.
He had arrived precisely on time to oversee the situation, thinking that if Tong Jia was too nervous and said something wrong, it might upset Nan Nan.
Even the emperor should step in and smooth things over.
But before long, after eavesdropping on the commotion inside the hall, the sound of two sharp slaps came from within.
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Nan's twisted logic was bombarded into his ears like a machine gun.
"I didn't mean to, my hand slipped."
"I apologize to you, but you mustn't hold a grudge."
“Since you fell because you lost your footing, you can’t just make up stories about the central palace.”
In the end, they forced Tongjia to admit that she had fallen on her own.
The entire operation was executed flawlessly, leaving no time to catch one's breath.
Kangxi's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.
Even he couldn't stand Nan Nan's twisted logic.
He's caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, like someone being roasted on a fire, caught in the middle.
Go in? What can you do inside? Punish Nan Nan?
Just because of two inappropriate terms of address from her cousin, and Jiang Nan's obvious slip of the hand?
Liang Jiugong just slipped over to report, and he explained it clearly.
It was Lady Tongjia who broke the rules first. Nannan's methods were a bit ruthless, but she managed to make her twisted logic seem so real that none of the concubines in the harem could find fault with it.
Emperor Kangxi knew this in his heart.
Did he step in to speak up for his cousin?
With Nan Nan's personality, she could give him the cold shoulder on the spot, and then turn around and argue with him, arguing that rules are above personal feelings and the dignity of the Empress should not be violated. She might even ask him a question in return.
"Is His Majesty going to support those who break the rules? Or does he think that the rules of the six palaces don't count in front of the imperial relatives?"
Where will he put his imperial face then?
Not help? Watching my cousin get beaten until half her face was red, I could only accept my bad luck.
If his cousin complains to the family, won't Tong Guowei hold a grudge against him?
If rumors spread in the previous dynasty that he, the emperor, couldn't even protect his own cousin, how embarrassing would that be for him?
"Your Majesty... it seems the Empress has finished dealing with things inside. Do you think... we should go in now?"
Liang Jiugong hunched his neck, leaned close to Kangxi's ear, and whispered, afraid that the people inside would hear him.
Kangxi turned his head and glared at him, his eyes filled with annoyance at the fool, and scolded him in a low voice.
"Go in? What would I do inside? Tell me, what can I possibly do inside now?"
He became more and more anxious as he spoke, but fearing that his voice would be heard inside the hall, he could only suppress his frustration.
"You said it yourself, it was Princess Tongjia who broke the rules first. Nannan went too far. But if I went there, could I reprimand the Empress in public, or could I comfort my cousin? Reprimand the Empress? She could argue with me for three days and three nights, turning fallacies into logic. In the end, I would be seen as a foolish emperor who favors his relatives and disregards the rules?"
"You know Nan Nan's mouth. She's probably just waiting for me to come in so she can say something like, 'Your Majesty is feeling sorry for me?' Then why not abolish the rules for the Empress and make all the concubines call her 'sister-in-law'? Where would I put my face then?"
He paced around in frustration, feeling utterly overwhelmed.
"Besides, if I step in and speak up for her, Nan Nan will definitely not let me off the hook. I will never be able to step into the Kunning Palace again, and Erhe will also have to give me a hard time."
"If I go in and don't help Princess Tongjia, she'll go home crying and complaining that I, her cousin, am useless!"
Liang Jiugong quickly patted his cheek lightly and said repeatedly.
"Oh dear, it was my fault for being so talkative! I was wrong! Then...then you..."
"Shh-"
Kangxi raised his finger, signaling him to be quiet. He then listened to the room and, sure enough, there was no sound.
He made a snap decision and ran away, his voice barely audible.
"Pretend I was never here today. Give the order that I have been reviewing memorials in the Qianqing Palace all day and haven't even left the palace gates. Do you understand?"
Liang Jiugong was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was going on.
So the Emperor is pretending to know nothing!
He quickly bowed and replied in a whisper, not forgetting to add a reminder.
"Yes, Your Majesty! I understand, but... there's really no sound from inside right now."
"Then hurry! Before everyone leaves, I'd better slip back to the Qianqing Palace!"
Kangxi looked anxious and bent over.
"Don't let people come out and we bump into each other. That would be really embarrassing for me. If Nan Nan then spouts some fallacious arguments in front of everyone, I'll have nowhere to cry."
After saying that, he used the pillars as cover and tiptoed quickly out of Kunning Palace.
Liang Jiugong's eyes twitched as he watched, and he could only hurry to catch up.
She sighed inwardly: Only the Emperor could control the Empress, but the Emperor was also afraid of being humiliated by the Empress's fallacies.
These two, the emperor and empress, are truly extraordinary!
Until you exit the gate of Kunning Palace and step onto the palace road leading to Qianqing Palace.
Kangxi then felt more relaxed, straightened his back, and restored the majestic demeanor of an emperor.
However, a hint of lingering fear and helplessness remained on his face.
He shook his head and complained to Liang Jiugong, who was following closely beside him.
"Tell me about your mistress... After all these years, her temper and her sharp tongue haven't changed at all. I thought that after becoming empress, she would be more composed, but instead, she's even more swift in her actions and more adept at twisting logic than before. That's my own cousin, and she just hits her without hesitation, and then makes her admit defeat, not even giving me a shred of dignity."
Liang Jiugong carefully considered his words, trying not to belittle the Empress while also giving the Emperor a way out.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This servant dares to speak the truth, but today's events were indeed caused by Consort Tongjia's rudeness. In the main hall of Kunning Palace, in front of everyone, she addressed the Empress as her cousin-in-law, which is extremely disrespectful. If Your Majesty the Empress does not take this to heart, the people of the six palaces will inevitably look down on the Empress in the future..."
Kangxi snorted, his tone complex.
"How could I not know? That's the rule... but she beat my cousin like that, without even thinking of giving me any face."
He sighed and waved his hand, as if trying to untangle the mess that had been entangled by Jiang Nan's twisted logic.
"Alright, that's enough. I'm really annoyed. From now on, I'll leave all matters of the harem to the Empress. She's managed them quite well over the years."
He paused, his gaze drifting to the distant, layered palaces and soaring eaves, a hint of calculation in his eyes.
"Sister Tongjia is still too young and inexperienced. Let's wait a few years until she's more mature and see how she develops. At least then, she'll be less likely to be misled by your mistress's twisted logic."
Liang Jiugong's heart skipped a beat.
The Emperor's words sound like he completely trusts the Empress, but let's wait and see in a few years. Could it be that he has the intention of separating power and checking each other?
After all, the Empress even beat the Emperor's cousin without any scruples. Even if the Emperor himself had allowed her to do so, it would take time.
How could an emperor truly be without any reservations?
But in this harem, who can now rival the Empress?
Other concubines, let alone fighting against the Empress, probably couldn't even withstand a single fallacy from her.
The Emperor's intentions are unlikely to succeed.
Moreover, the Empress herself has mentioned that if the Emperor is pleased, the Empress position can be changed at any time.
The relationship between the emperor and empress was one of both fear and favor, respect and wariness—truly a complex and contradictory one.
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