The Empress was both annoyed and amused.
She rolled her eyes at Qi Fei: "Now is the time to talk about serious matters."
Wan Anran sat up straight.
With a serious expression, she indicated that she was all ears: "Your Majesty, please speak."
Consort Yi also stopped laughing.
She asked with a face full of curiosity, "Do you already know the identity of the person behind this?"
The Empress's smile faded, and her expression darkened slightly.
A dark glint flashed in her eyes, and she nodded faintly. But before the Empress could speak, Wan Anran snorted, "Is there any need to say anything? I'm afraid it's either Old Madam Sun, or Cao Quan's wife, or both of them. Of course, I'm afraid in the end they will all blame that maid."
Consort Yi let out a soft "Eh."
Wan Anran explained to her, "When you weren't here before, both Old Madam Sun and Madam Cao Quan saw me. Apart from that, there were only the maids serving at the villa."
Consort Yi suddenly understood.
Consort Qi was so discreet that outsiders couldn't possibly see her. Only these two women could possibly be assigned maids to serve her. Of course, it's also possible the maids acted on their own initiative and simply didn't notice; that would be their fault.
Of course, the most likely explanation is that it was intentional!
Consort Yi's face was ashen, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes: "What a Cao family! They're so audacious that they even dare to scheme against the Emperor!"
Wan Anran's expression was complicated. She sighed softly, "Just a few days ago, she was holding Grandma Sun's hand and calling her her own grandma. But now this old lady in the family has turned around and helped her daughter-in-law take advantage of her. I'm afraid the emperor will be seriously hurt."
Just as Wan Anran said, Kangxi in the front yard was furious to the extreme. He stared at the three people on the ground with a sharp gaze, as sharp as swords, piercing them to the core.
Cao Xi's once straight back was now hunched over.
His temples were gray, making him look as if he had aged decades in an instant. Cao Yin, who was following behind him, stared straight at the ground, his dark eyes filled with anger, and his hands on the ground were clenched into fists, trembling slightly.
Cao Xi lay trembling on the ground.
He kowtowed heavily: "This servant is guilty. It is all because this servant failed to manage the household properly and educate the children well."
Cao Xi felt a bitter taste in his mouth and was filled with grief and indignation.
Foolish, foolish! Thinking of how he had previously asked his eldest son to be considerate of his wife and youngest son, a fire burned within him. Especially the Emperor's harsh rebukes, which felt like thunderbolts striking him. Forget about using the Emperor's stay at the Cao family's residence to expand his family's influence; Cao Xi was now worried about the disaster ensnaring his entire family.
After leaving the room, he looked ashen and swayed precariously.
Cao Quan tried to step forward to help him up, but his elderly father pushed him away and gestured for the silent Cao Yin to help him leave in a hurry.
Liang Jiugong took in the entire scene.
He turned around and reported everything to the Emperor. Kangxi pressed his temples and said, "Issue my decree: Cao Xi is unwell, and his eldest son Yin shall assist in the management of the Jiangning Textile Bureau starting today."
Liang Jiugong respectfully responded.
Before he could leave, Kangxi called Liang Jiugong back: "Go to the Empress and tell her to choose a daughter to marry Cao Yin."
Liang Jiugong let out a soft "Ah."
Cao Yin's legal wife, Lady Gu, died young, and Cao Yin had not yet arranged a new marriage while he was in the capital. When he arrived in Jiangning, Cao Xi mentioned that he wanted his eldest son to remarry, but Lady Sun had not been able to find a suitable wife despite her careful selection.
But asking the Empress to choose one person is different...
Liang Jiugong retreated while thinking. But just as he stepped out the door, the emperor called him back again.
Emperor Kangxi decided to go and talk to the Empress in person.
It just so happened that Consort Qi and Consort Yi were also there. When he saw Consort Qi, Kangxi was a little uncomfortable. He recalled that he had thought it was Consort Qi at the time, and thought to himself that it was rare for Consort Qi to be so enthusiastic... But when he woke up in the morning and saw the person next to him, he was so frightened that he almost fell off the bed!
Emperor Kangxi was once again enraged and his blood boiled.
Seeing the emperor's chilling aura, the empress felt a pang of worry. With a smile, she pulled the emperor to sit at the head of the table and offered him a bowl of cool tea: "What's on Your Majesty's mind?"
It's late November now, and even in Jiangnan, a cool breeze is blowing. After drinking this cup of cold tea, Kangxi couldn't help but shiver and instantly came to his senses.
Seeing Consort Qi's nervous appearance, Kangxi simply softened his expression: "I was just thinking about some things..."
His gaze fell on Consort Qi.
His gaze then fell on Zisu, the palace maid behind Consort Qi... Zisu was terrified by the Emperor's gaze, but she didn't understand what was going on.
The atmosphere inside grew increasingly stagnant.
Wan Anran looked bewildered when she heard Kangxi's voice in her ear. What Kangxi said was like a bomb, leaving her mind blank: "I think Zisu has a calm personality and is of suitable age. Marrying Cao Yin would be a good marriage."
Wan Anran: …………?
Who was she supposed to marry? Cao Yin? Her soul seemed to have run away from home, and she was completely stunned.
The Emperor's sudden suggestion caused an uproar in the room.
Cao Yin is now twenty-five years old. His wife died young without leaving any children. At this age, as a trusted minister of the emperor, and having no children of his own, he is indeed an excellent candidate, and for Zisu, who comes from an ordinary background, it is considered a marriage of convenience.
The Empress quickly understood Kangxi's plan.
The emperor was extremely dissatisfied with Old Madam Sun and Cao Quan's family. He had just praised them one moment and then punished them the next. Wasn't this a blatant slap in his own face? The emperor had no choice but to grit his teeth and deal with the matter.
But the emperor was unwilling to let the matter go easily.
The best solution would be to choose a good wife for Cao Yin, someone with a decent background. Besides, without the Emperor's protection, Cao Quan has no future and will have to work under his half-brother for the rest of his life. His future is predictably difficult.
And this can also be considered as Qi Fei venting her anger?
Moreover, it was indeed a very good marriage for Zisu. She had the advantage of being a former head maidservant of Consort Qi, and the advantage of being betrothed by the Emperor. Entering the Cao family meant becoming the mistress of the house...
After considering it this way, the Empress felt it was a brilliant move that killed multiple birds with one stone. The only problem lay with Consort Qi and Zisu. The Empress looked at the two women and saw that Wan Anran's brows were furrowed.
If Zisu marries Cao Yin, then...then...would Cao Xueqin still be able to be born? Regardless of this question, Wan Anran is still somewhat worried. After all, the Cao family has not had many descendants. Is there something wrong with Cao Yin?
You have to understand that in this day and age, it's always a woman's fault if she can't have children.
With Zisu's relatives and entourage in the capital, far away in Jiangning, could her life really be as perfect as she imagined?
Most importantly, the Cao family is embroiled in the power struggle among the nine princes!
Wan Anran's heart pounded just thinking about it, but the most important thing was what Zisu thought. Thinking of this, she subconsciously looked at Zisu and they made eye contact!
What was Zisu thinking?
The next second, Wan Anran knew the answer.
Zisu's knees touched the ground, and she kowtowed twice heavily: "I beg Your Majesty to rescind the decree. This servant has already made up her mind to become a nanny and serve my master for the rest of her life."
Wan Anran felt a mix of emotions.
When Zisu said this, she chimed in, "I am naturally happy that Your Majesty wishes to bestow a marriage upon Zisu, but Zisu is from the capital. If she stays in Jiangning, where she is unfamiliar with the place, she will be lonely... which makes me even more reluctant to part with her."
Wan Anran's eyes reddened slightly as she finished speaking.
The Empress's expression was complex, while Consort Yi, sitting below, stared wide-eyed in astonishment. Did Consort Qi know that this was a stroke of good fortune, a stroke of luck as if the Cao family had been thrust into her grasp?
If it were her, Consort Yi would never have been able to bear it.
Even more surprised was Kangxi, who regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Seeing that Consort Qi and the palace maid Zisu resolutely refused, Kangxi felt a little uneasy and nodded with a stern face: "I will think about it again."
Wan Anran dared not linger any longer.
Fearing that the emperor would take a liking to the peaches again, she hurriedly led her palace servants away.
Wan Anran was still somewhat uneasy throughout the journey.
She kept her worries to herself, while also comforting Zisu: "Don't worry, the Emperor has said he won't choose you."
Zisu quietly replied, "Yes."
Stepping out of the queue to refuse the Emperor's bestowed marriage had already exhausted all the courage Zisu had in her life. Honestly, looking back, Zisu was incredibly impressed with herself for her courage. How could she have had so much nerve?
The master and servant walked into the courtyard while talking.
As soon as Wan Anran stepped into the courtyard, she sensed that the atmosphere was a bit strange. Looking up, she saw that Yinzhen was sitting in the center with an imposing air, and the palace servants around him were trembling with fear and dared not breathe.
This was the first time Wan Anran had seen her son like this, and she was quite amazed: No wonder he would be known as a cold-faced prince in the future; just look at his demeanor since childhood, it's beyond the reach of ordinary people.
The palace servants feared Wan Anran, but Wan Anran did not.
She rushed forward, rubbing Yinzhen's cheeks with both hands: "Why is our little peach making such a face?"
A slight blush appeared on Yinzhen's usually cold and stern face.
Enraged, he cried out, "Mother! We agreed not to call you by that nickname!"
Why do you blush when I call you that?
Wan Anran blinked, then hugged and kissed Yinzhen, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, it's all because Mother has a bad memory. I just forgot by accident."
Yinzhen didn't believe it.
But if he continued, he would hear that childhood nickname again, the one he desperately wanted to erase from everyone's mind. He coughed, trying to change the subject: "Mother, what does Your Majesty want with you?"
When this was brought up, Wan Anran was stumped.
She tried to dismiss Yinzhen with adult reasons: "This is an adult matter, Yinzhen is still a child, don't meddle."
A vein bulged on Yinzhen's forehead.
With a dark expression, he said in a deep voice, "It's related to the maidservant that Khan beat to death yesterday, isn't it?"
Wan Anran: …………
She stared at Yinzhen for a moment, then flicked his forehead hard with her finger: "You little devil! This has nothing to do with you—or rather, why would a tiny kid like you be thinking about this?"
Yinzhen was so angry he jumped up and down.
Unfortunately, he was small and weak, and he couldn't even withstand Wan Anran's palm, causing his fair cheeks to turn red.
Seeing that Yinzhen still wanted to resist, Wan Anran's eyes rolled.
She simply picked up Yinzhen, held him in her arms, and carried him into the house without saying a word.
Yinzhen's body stiffened as he was forcibly buried in his chest.
He was both ashamed and angry, yet he was powerless to struggle. The more embarrassed Yinzhen was, the more excited Wan Anran became, until the coldness on Yinzhen's body could no longer exist, and his face turned red to the roots of his ears before she reluctantly stopped.
It's so cute to worry about your little baby!
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