Chapter 98 The Emperor is indeed wise and powerful
Inside the side hall, a card game was in full swing, with laughter and chatter filling the air.
Xiao Lian carried in a cup of freshly brewed hot tea, her head bowed and eyes lowered, her steps light and graceful.
She cautiously approached the card table, her gaze quickly sweeping over Jiang Nan, who was engrossed in the game and chatting amiably with Kangxi.
She quickly lowered her eyes again.
The opportunity was fleeting, and she had to seize it.
Just as she was about to place the teacup beside Kangxi, she seemed to trip over something.
He staggered, and the tea tray in his hand tilted.
With a crash, the teacup fell to the ground and shattered.
Warm tea splashed onto the hem of Kangxi's robe and boots.
"How dare you!"
Liang Jiugong's expression changed, and he immediately shouted in a shrill voice.
Xiao Lian seemed to be so frightened that she knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly.
His voice carried just the right amount of panic and trembling.
“This servant deserves to die. This servant was terrified when she first saw the Emperor’s face. Her hands and feet were out of her control. She has frightened His Majesty. I beg Your Majesty and Your Highness to forgive her.”
Kangxi frowned; the damp feeling at the hem of his robe displeased him.
Seeing that she was just an unfamiliar palace maid, he suppressed his anger, waved his hand, and said to Liang Jiugong.
"Enough, there's no need to make a fuss in Yongshou Palace."
He turned to Jiang Nan, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.
"Nannan, when did this clumsy maid come to your palace? Where is Chunlan?"
Jiang Nan was just touching the cards in her hand, thinking about how to play them, when the commotion interrupted her.
She put down the cards and calmly looked at Xiaolian, who was kneeling on the ground.
She replied in a flat tone.
"Oh, this one? She used to be in the laundry department, her name was Xiaolian. I saw that she was quite clever recently, so I kept her by my side to serve me. Perhaps it was her first time serving in front of the Emperor, and she was too nervous."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi nodded, but didn't pay much attention.
"Since it's your first time, mistakes are inevitable. Get up, and be more careful next time."
Xiao Lian was secretly delighted and quickly kowtowed in gratitude.
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty. You are truly wise, powerful, and magnanimous. This servant was indeed filled with awe upon first seeing Your Majesty's countenance, which is why I panicked..."
As she spoke, she slowly raised her head, deliberately making her face appear pitiful.
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Jiang Nan scoffed inwardly when he heard Xiao Lian's superfluous flattery.
This girl has really grown wings and is getting restless.
If it was just a slip of the tongue due to nervousness that caused the teacup to spill.
Jiang Nan at most thought she was impulsive, but then, after that apology...
They would then add, unnecessarily, a compliment praising the emperor's wisdom and might.
This deliberate and awkward flattery clearly showed an eagerness to make their presence felt in front of Emperor Kangxi.
He is indeed a smart person, but unfortunately, he didn't use his intelligence in the right way.
She understood that in this deep palace, the cleverest people were often the hardest to keep to themselves.
Give them a little sunshine, and they can't wait to shine, even fantasizing about replacing the sun.
She recalled what she had said when she first entered Yongshou Palace—that being able to climb into someone's bed was a skill.
This is true, and it carries a sense of detachment.
She was rationally aware that expecting an emperor like Kangxi to stay by her side was nothing short of a fantasy.
She even felt that if any palace maid managed to catch the eye of Emperor Kangxi through her own abilities, it was her good fortune.
But those words... were mostly said to show how magnanimous they were, or to convey a sense of superiority from someone who had transmigrated.
However, when this scene actually happened in front of me.
It happened in her Yongshou Palace, while she was chatting with Emperor Kangxi at the mahjong table.
An extremely unpleasant feeling rose from the bottom of my heart.
On my territory, using me as a stepping stone, and resorting to such underhanded means to seduce my man?
This feeling is one of anger at being offended and provoked.
It's like a wild bird suddenly barging into your carefully tended garden, trying to peck at the fruit that belongs to you.
This isn't about climbing into someone's bed; it's clearly slapping her, the mistress, in the face right in front of her.
Her magnanimity comes with a condition.
That means you must never challenge her authority or trample on her dignity under her very nose.
The goodwill that had arisen because of Xiaolian's intelligence had now vanished.
All that remained was the displeasure of being offended and the calculation of how to deal with this unruly servant.
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"Pfft—"
Jiang Nan suddenly laughed out loud, interrupting Xiao Lian.
She tilted her head, smiling as she looked at Kangxi, her eyes filled with mockery and merciless ridicule.
"Your Majesty, listen to this flattery! How eloquent it is! It's not that she's unsteady on her feet, it's that she's too clever for her own good. When she sees the Son of Heaven, she can't even walk straight, and she can't even speak properly. All she has left is a heart pounding with the desire to climb the social ladder. Don't you think so, Sister Niohuru?"
Niohuru understood immediately and replied casually, her tone carrying a hint of disdain.
“Consort Jin’s eyesight is always sharp, she can’t be wrong. Besides, in our palace, the trick of pretending to fall and break things to attract the Emperor’s attention is nothing new. But this girl is really bold, daring to do it in your palace, right under your nose.”
Emperor Kangxi was incredibly intelligent; at first, he was simply impatient with the interruption of his card game.
But Jiang Nan's pointed remark stung him like a needle.
He couldn't help but look at Xiaolian again, recalling the timid look in her eyes that seemed to carry a kind of unspoken admiration.
A feeling of being schemed against welled up inside me.
Especially in front of Nan Nan, this made him feel quite embarrassed.
Adding Niohuru's words was like two resounding slaps to his face, leaving it burning hot.
His face instantly turned ashen, and his chest heaved slightly.
He was so foolish as to believe her reasons, and his anger at being fooled could no longer be contained.
"What a show of reverence for the might of Heaven! What a show of disobeying one's own will!"
Kangxi's voice rose with shame and indignation, accompanied by thunderous rage.
"I had no idea that such a cunning and audacious servant was kept in Yongshou Palace, daring to use such despicable means in front of me and Consort Jin."
Xiao Lian was so frightened that she was trembling like a leaf and kept kowtowing.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I didn't mean it. I just didn't mean it..."
"No?"
A thought flashed through Kangxi's mind.
Not having her wouldn't do either; did she genuinely look down on him, the emperor? The shame and anger in his heart intensified.
"Liang Jiugong".
"Your servant is here!"
Liang Jiugong bowed deeply.
"Get rid of this damned thing."
Kangxi pointed at Xiaolian, his voice resolute.
"Drag him out immediately, give him thirty strokes of the cane, and after that, send him directly to the Imperial Laundry as a slave. He shall never be allowed to approach the Emperor again. I want to see who else dares to cause trouble in Yongshou Palace."
"Yes, sir."
Liang Jiugong dared not delay and immediately signaled the eunuch to step forward and handle the matter.
Xiaolian collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to even cry out, and was dragged away like a lump of mud.
Even after dealing with Xiaolian, Kangxi's anger had not subsided.
He turned to Jiang Nan, his face still showing a hint of embarrassment and anger.
"Nannan, you don't even manage the people in your palace properly, letting such trash serve you so closely."
Seeing that Kangxi was truly angry, Jiang Nan put away her playful smile.
She stood up, walked to Kangxi's side, and gently tugged at his sleeve.
Her tone softened, becoming slightly coquettish.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. It was my oversight that I failed to see that this person harbored malicious intentions. Rest assured, Yongshou Palace will be kept clean and tidy from now on, and such sordid matters will never disturb your peace. It's not worth getting sick over a servant who doesn't know the rules. Come, let's continue playing cards. I'm sure I can win this round to calm you down, okay?"
Kangxi watched her soften instantly and listened to her tender words.
The embarrassment and anger in his heart gradually subsided, but he still kept a straight face and snorted.
"You're so good with words. If I ever encounter something like this again, I'll punish you as well."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I will obey."
Jiang Nan smiled and agreed, then pulled him back down to sit.
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Does Xiao Lian have a child or not? She's doomed.
Yesterday's traffic showed a slight improvement, and I hoped to try again, but when I didn't mention it at the end, no one watched anymore. This fluctuating data is really killing me.
Returning to Chapter 1, shall we continue with the book review?
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