Wan Anran's heart tightened.
She hadn't expected that her little scheme would be discovered by the Emperor so quickly. Wan Anran smiled awkwardly and could only order the palace maid beside her to change the wine, while Zhao Mama carried the peeking Yin Tao back to the back room.
Yin Tao was very curious about rice wine.
While his mother and father were talking, his little hand had already touched the cup. Unfortunately, just as he was about to get his hands on it, his quick-thinking mother caught him red-handed.
Wan Anran patted Yin Tao's chubby little hand: "No."
Yin Tao pouted, looking unhappy. He didn't want to go back to the back room to rest with Granny Zhao. At the same time, he rubbed the back of his hand, looking pitiful with a badly injured expression: "It hurts."
Wan Anran glanced at him, not falling for his tricks at all.
Feeling guilty, Yin Tao quickly switched to acting cute and shameless: "My hands hurt, and my tummy is hungry too~"
"I'll have Granny Zhao prepare some snacks for you later."
"Your subject wants to be with Mother and Father." Yin Tao was still unwilling to give up.
"Can you recite the poem you learned yesterday? Come and recite it for me." Wan Anran cruelly used her secret technique for children—performing a poem recitation demonstration.
"..." Yin Tao's cheeks puffed up in anger, and he covered his ears, trying to pretend he couldn't hear.
Solving a small problem is very simple.
Just when he was starting to feel a little scared and hesitant, all it took was a heavy blow. For example, Wan Anran said sternly, "If you keep making noise, you won't get any spicy snacks later."
Yin Tao immediately stood at attention.
He took his leave respectfully, not needing Aunt Hai's hand, and even walking ahead of her, skipping and hopping back: "Spicy Strips, don't forget me!"
Yes, yes, yes.
"Spicy strips, what are they?" Kangxi asked curiously.
"Hmm...it's quite troublesome to explain." Wan Anran frowned in distress. "Your Majesty, I will go and prepare it now. Please have Your Majesty try it later?"
"Never mind." But Kangxi waved his hand and ordered someone to bring the wine.
Today, he only wanted to have a good drink. Kangxi drank one cup after another, and in the blink of an eye, the whole jar of wine was empty.
Emperor Kangxi rarely drank so much, yet he was still not satisfied. As he picked up the second can, Wan Anran instinctively pressed down on the emperor's hand: "Your Majesty, excessive drinking is harmful to your health."
Emperor Kangxi grinned and said, "It's alright, I'm not drunk yet."
Wan Anran's face showed a hint of helplessness: Everyone understands. Usually, people who say they're not drunk are either already drunk or about to get drunk.
Sure enough, less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, the once energetic Kangxi collapsed onto the table. He could no longer maintain his smile, and a weariness he rarely showed appeared in his eyes: "What will the Imperial Noble Consort think?"
“…The Imperial Noble Consort?” Wan Anran was slightly taken aback.
"Imperial Noble Consort, Imperial Noble Consort, do you know what Consort Tong is thinking?" Kangxi didn't want Consort Qi's answer, he just murmured to himself.
Wan Anran gestured for the palace servants to leave.
Apart from Kangxi's incessant muttering, the only sound in the courtyard was the patter of rain. Wan Anran looked down at Kangxi, watching him cover his face, a tear welling up and sliding down his cheek.
"If I had known she would do this...would you still have allowed me to protect her?" Kangxi murmured.
Then he got angry again.
The muttering voice echoed in Wan Anran's ears. The half-drunk Kangxi poured out all his worries.
Why did Emperor Kangxi seek out Consort Tong?
The main topic is about the deceased Imperial Noble Consort Yihui, and then about the seventh prince she left behind, saying everything that Imperial Noble Consort Yihui couldn't say while she was alive.
Listening to Kangxi's rambling, Wan Anran finally understood Consort Tong's resentment. She and Imperial Noble Consort Yihui were sisters, and she was also the Emperor's cousin, yet because she was the elder sister of the Noble Consort, Consort Tong had always remained a Noble Lady. Even after her death, she had to listen to the Emperor's daily lamentations about his deceased sister.
Generally speaking, some people couldn't stand it, or they wanted to use it to climb the social ladder.
However, Consort Tong was too impatient. If she had waited another three to five years, until the Emperor's longing for Imperial Noble Consort Yihui faded, she might have been able to rise to power using this tactic.
But Imperial Noble Consort Yihui had only been dead for three or four months, and Consort Tong was already trying to emulate her, copying her makeup and mannerisms to climb the social ladder? Didn't anyone from the Tongjia clan stop her?
Wan Anran sighed and rubbed her forehead.
Putting everything else aside, doesn't Consort Tong understand the saying that the living are always inferior to the dead? Besides, that maid who dared to imitate her last time was beaten to death... Oh, Consort Tong wasn't there at the time.
In any case, Consort Tong simply didn't understand the Emperor at all.
As for the Imperial Noble Consort Yihui instructing the Emperor to take care of Consort Tong before her death? Hmm... Wan Anran thinks it was probably for the sake of the Seventh Prince, but she never expected Consort Tong to be so stupid as to make herself a concubine.
There is also Consort Zhangjia.
From the emperor's mutterings, one could tell that if Consort Tong was the principal offender, then Consort Zhangjia was the accomplice.
As for why...
Perhaps it was because of the Thirteenth Prince? After all, it would be better to let Consort Tong, whose personality was easier to control, rise to power than to raise her to the position of another concubine? Or were there other reasons involved? Wan Anran couldn't figure it out at all.
Emperor Kangxi kept rambling on and on.
Wan Anran was lost in thought, letting the words go in one ear and out the other. Only when she saw the emperor's voice growing softer did she refocus, fetch a horn comb, and let Kangxi rest his head on her lap, gently combing his hair.
The ox horn comb gently massaged Kangxi's scalp.
Kangxi let out a comfortable murmur, and his muttering gradually subsided.
Wan Anran, with her sharp eyes, quickly spotted a few strands of silver in Kangxi's hair. She lowered her eyes and silently continued combing, only stopping after Kangxi had fallen into a deep sleep.
After Liang Jiugong and the others helped the Emperor into his bedchamber, Wan Anran drank a couple more cups of wine alone. The thunderstorm subsided, and raindrops dripped from the leaves. Wan Anran was lost in thought.
Time flies...
She touched her cheek. She was twenty-eight now, in an era where people in their thirties could be grandmothers... Was she getting old? Bah! Her goal was to live healthily to a hundred!
Yin Tao, who had retreated to his room, slipped out again. Full of curiosity about the wine, he crept closer and attempted to steal it a second time.
"Yin Tao—"
"I'll try it."
"Where did this child come from to taste this?!"
"Your subject just wants to try it!" Yin Tao tried to coax her, but unfortunately, while Wan Anran might agree to other things, she would absolutely not agree to this. She coldly patted Yin Tao's forehead: "Wait another ten years!"
Emperor Kangxi had a rare good night's sleep.
His frustration and anger from the past few days gradually subsided, and he felt some guilt towards Consort Yihui. Especially after Consort Yihui's death, he couldn't help but extend his affection to Consort Tong and the Seventh Prince, treating them with more respect.
Consort Tong's affected manner struck a nerve with Emperor Kangxi.
He had been tossing and turning these past few days, but today he finally slept soundly for a long time without any dreams, until a spicy and fragrant aroma pulled him out of his sleep.
Kangxi sat up.
Beneath him was a soft mattress, and to his nose was a faint scent of mint. Without even looking at his surroundings, Kangxi knew that this was the sleeping quarters of the Chuxiu Palace. After all, only Consort Qi would have replaced the spices with mint so early on to guard against mosquito attacks.
What is that spicy and numbing flavor?
The aroma is extremely overpowering, spreading unrestrainedly throughout the room. The rich fragrance is like a little person dancing on the tip of your tongue, gradually arousing your appetite with its dance.
The palace servants stepped forward to attend to him.
Kangxi stood up refreshed and couldn't wait to follow the fragrance.
Wan Anran was sucking her fingers.
The freshly made chili oil was absolutely delicious! It was the kind of flavor that people would say you could eat even if you just mixed it with a slipper. The noodles were chewy and the bean curd was crispy. Don't ask where the bean curd came from; Wan Anran, who had just made a big mistake with the noodles, had it brought from the imperial kitchen.
Mix the two ingredients thoroughly with chili oil. The spicy and fragrant flavor made Wan Anran and Yin Tao's mouths water, and the surrounding palace servants also stared intently at them, so much so that no one noticed Kangxi walking in.
Emperor Kangxi twitched his nose.
The moment he stepped into the flower hall, he saw Wan Anran reach out and pinch a handful of food, then put it in her mouth.
Kangxi: …………
What about her image as a palace concubine? What about her image?!
Wan Anran squinted her eyes.
It's that familiar taste, the numbing and spicy flavor that hits you right in the heart, the chewy gluten and bean curd sticks, the taste is so irresistible.
Delicious, delicious, so delicious!
Wan Anran cupped her cheeks and made satisfied humming sounds.
Yin Tao's mouth watered as he looked at it.
He hopped around like a little rabbit, saying, "Mother, there's also mine, mine."
"It's so spicy, kids can't eat it."
"Hmm—" Yin Tao's cheeks puffed up instantly, and he grumbled indignantly, "But I helped out just now too!"
That's the truth.
Wan Anran hesitated for a moment, then chose the shortest piece and gave it to Yin Tao: "This piece is yours, no more."
"My mother is so stingy."
"...Then you won't let your mother eat it?"
"Your subject didn't say no!" Yin Tao eagerly popped the spicy snack into his mouth, but the next second he frowned and quickly stuck out his tongue, panting, "So spicy QAQ"
Wan Anran snorted: "Spicy is just right."
Zhao Mama glanced at her helplessly and quickly brought over some herbal tea. Just as she was about to offer the young master some water to soothe the spiciness, she looked up and saw the Emperor. Zhao Mama was so startled she almost dropped her jaw, and cried out, "Your Majesty—!"
"The Emperor is still asleep... Oh? The Emperor?" Wan Anran turned around, a look of joy appearing on her face.
Kangxi stepped forward.
He picked up a piece with the chopsticks next to him and put it in his mouth.
The spicy and stimulating taste made Kangxi stick out his tongue and glare at Consort Qi: "How can you give Yin Tao something so spicy?"
Wan Anran looked dejected.
She honestly admitted her mistake, and Kangxi nodded in satisfaction: "I'm not afraid of spicy food, so I can eat it."
Wan Anran: ...?
"I worked so hard to make this!" But just as she was about to object, seeing the Emperor's extremely serious face, Wan Anran reluctantly agreed.
After seeing the emperor off, Wan Anran couldn't help but secretly complain: "Aunt Hai, do you think the emperor has developed a problem where he feels uncomfortable if he doesn't take something every time he visits Chuxiu Palace?"
Why do I always have to bring something with me?
Aunt Hai hesitated, then stopped herself, and finally couldn't hold back for a long time: "Perhaps it's because you, Master, always forget the Emperor's place?"
Wan Anran felt guilty for a moment.
She then hummed in response, slightly raising her chin: "No way! Don't talk nonsense."
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