Even a little bit is fine.
Wan Anran's unfinished words touched Empress Niohuru. She gazed deeply at Consort Qi, confirming the determination in her eyes and the lack of hesitation in her. Finally, the Empress sighed, "Truly... I'm defeated by you."
"Your Majesty the Empress!?"
"I understand. Please invite His Majesty over," the Empress said in a deep voice.
The palace servants inside the hall could not hide their astonishment.
Granny Zhou stepped forward instinctively: "Your Highness, this matter, this matter..."
"I have made up my mind." The Empress waved her hand and instructed her attendants to go to the Qianqing Palace and invite the Emperor to the Kunning Palace for a detailed discussion.
Kangxi was still somewhat puzzled when he arrived.
When he entered and saw the solemn-faced Empress and... Consort Qi, he was even more astonished.
Emperor Kangxi frowned.
He strode into the hall and said in a deep voice, "Consort Qi, what good deed have you done?"
Wan Anran looked completely bewildered.
Her cheeks flushed, and she said angrily, holding back her anger, "Your Majesty, the Empress and I have important matters to discuss with you."
Kangxi's eyes were filled with obvious suspicion: "Is this serious business?"
Seeing that Consort Qi was about to explode, Empress Niohuru stepped forward, both amused and annoyed: "Your Majesty, Consort Qi and I really have something to say."
Upon hearing the Empress's words, Kangxi immediately lost his desire to tease Consort Qi. His smile vanished, and his face turned serious: "Tell me, what happened?"
My heart is beating very fast, very fast.
Wan Anran stood to one side, holding her breath and listening intently as the Empress revealed her guess, word by word.
She...didn't know how Kangxi would react.
Wan Anran felt a sudden pang of sadness, and she couldn't help but recall the earthquake she had witnessed in her past life. Friends who had escaped death would forever have a holiday imbued with another meaning… She stared blankly, then cautiously raised her eyes to look at Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi's brow was furrowed.
He instinctively wanted to reprimand the Empress and Consort Qi for their nonsense—this was not something to be said lightly. Even setting aside other issues, simply accusing the Empress and Consort Qi of interfering in politics within the harem would be unbearable for them.
If it were anyone else, Kangxi would have immediately flew into a rage. But it was the Empress and Consort Qi who were speaking, so he patiently resolved to make things clear. At that moment, Kangxi and Consort Qi locked eyes.
Consort Qi was incredibly audacious.
Just like last time when she caught him talking badly about her behind his back, Kangxi was already used to her innocent, romantic, sincere, and frank personality.
But now.
Her timid appearance was just like the first time I saw her... oh, no, it was when I saw Consort Qi after I fell ill, when she was just a Lady Wan. She was just like this now, like a frightened little rabbit, easily startled.
Kangxi stared at Consort Qi.
Beads of sweat appeared on Wan Anran's nose, but she suddenly realized that this was an opportunity. She did not back down or avoid it, but instead raised her eyes to meet the Emperor's gaze, revealing the flames flickering in her eyes to Kangxi.
...It's no longer the innocent little rabbit it used to be.
Emperor Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief, but was also taken aback by the flame in Consort Qi's eyes. The flame contained longing, hope, and pleading, without any guilt, fear, or ambition.
Reason told Kangxi he should reject the Empress and Consort Qi's ideas. But emotion slipped out, whispering in his ear: It's just preparation...
Emperor Kangxi relented.
With a stern face, he instructed the Empress and Consort Qi: "I will have people prepare for this... Neither of you is allowed to mention it in the inner palace, understand?"
Empress Niohuru had long since given up hope.
The unexpected turn of events left her stunned, but what brought the Empress back to her senses was Consort Qi's excited cheers.
Wan Anran's eyes sparkled.
The small, wavering flame instantly transformed into a raging inferno, and she rushed forward, trying to embrace Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi had made preparations long ago.
He reached out a hand to touch Consort Qi's cheek, pushing her away in disgust: "Go away, go away!"
This reaction is inexplicably heartbreaking.
Wan Anran pouted and circled around Kangxi.
Empress Niohuru stood there, stunned.
Looking at the Emperor's unconsciously upturned lips, a thought arose in her mind that she didn't want to dwell on. She gave Consort Qi a deep look, then smiled again and reached out to pull the mischievous Consort Qi back: "Alright, alright, stop fooling around!"
Wan Anran skipped and hopped back to the palace.
The Empress, however, looked worried: "Your Majesty, how do you intend to bring this up?"
How do we bring up the issue of stockpiling earthquake supplies?
Kangxi, however, was full of confidence and smiled without the slightest hesitation: "It's up to me."
Emperor Kangxi had long had this idea.
He then claimed that the navy was short of supplies and ordered Suo'etu to collect military supplies such as grain and herbs, which would be transported to various parts of Fujian by the end of autumn.
Although Songgotu and others had doubts, they did not pay much attention to them. During the standoff with Wu Sangui, the court's negotiations with Zheng Jing and others on Taiwan Island did not stop, but the two sides could not reach an agreement on terms, and Prince Kang Jieshu's memorial contained many complaints.
If the Revolt of the Three Feudatories were to end... hehe.
Soetu made every effort to prepare. After the grain and fodder stored in the capital were ready, he also made a special trip to Zhili and other places to investigate and check the amount of grain and fodder.
You won't believe it until you look it up, and what you find will shock you.
Soetu unexpectedly discovered a lot of insect pests, and many prefectures and counties were short of grain reserves, or had grain reserves but they were all old grains that were more than two years old.
According to imperial regulations, the grain in the granaries needed to be replaced and replenished every year, and old grain was usually sold to the people at a low price. However, the fact that the granaries contained old grain meant that new grain older than two years was being sold as old grain at a low price, resulting in a huge profit margin.
Not only was Songgotu caught off guard, but even Emperor Kangxi hadn't anticipated it. The front lines were at war, and yet the logistics were already in disarray? Enraged, he immediately thought about the potential disaster if a real catastrophe struck, leaving only stale grain or even a shortage of rice—what a catastrophic situation that would be!
While ordering Suo'etu to thoroughly investigate the matter, Emperor Kangxi also instructed the Ministry of Revenue to fill the grain shortage, keeping him extremely busy without a moment's rest.
The imperial court was busy, and the harem was quite busy too.
For example, Wuya agreed that she had been trying to please Consort Tong these past few days, and had barely managed to get permission to go out for a walk.
The problem is that going out for a walk doesn't really help.
Not to mention that she had Consort Tong's people watching her, even without her status as a mere concubine, she wouldn't have been able to get close to the Emperor.
July 28th, the 18th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
Uya couldn't remember the exact time, but her only plan was to try and meet the Emperor that day, to get close to him. If she couldn't wait for the Emperor, she could try to contact the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, or even the Crown Prince…
However, Uya agreed to face a major problem.
As a concubine, it was extremely difficult for her to even get in touch with these important figures. Concubine Wuya frowned, biting her fingertips as she racked her brains for a solution.
The summer sun was scorching, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.
Uya agreed to sit inside, her back soaked with sweat from the heat. She called out to Wang Qing to set out the ice basin, but Wang Qing cautiously replied, "My lady... we've already used up all our ice for today."
As a concubine, one should not use ice.
The ice was a special gift given to Wuya to please Consort Tong. Wuya bit her lip, the frustration and annoyance she had barely managed to suppress welling up again.
It's just because I'm a concubine...
Suddenly, Wuya's eyes lit up, and a hint of excitement flashed across her face.
This method will definitely work!
Uya agreed and kept busy, while Wan Anran spent the next few days in a state of nervous tension.
The strange occurrence in the palace only lasted for one day.
These past few days have been incredibly peaceful, the sky is an almost blinding blue, and the sounds of cicadas and frogs are incessant. Wan Anran has begun to wonder if she is being too paranoid.
Hai Tao and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
They were all relieved that the Emperor hadn't taken the matter to heart, otherwise their master would have been in deep trouble!
All of this stemmed from the emperor's trust in his master.
We must be more careful in the future to avoid causing any more trouble!
Granny Zhao sighed as she looked at the Eleventh Prince.
She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "My dear mistress, you almost caused her great suffering!"
Yinzhen kept a straight face.
Today is July 27th, and his heart is pounding like a drum. He can only hope that things will be better than in his previous life.
I think so, right?
On the second day, Yinzhen was unusually energetic, clamoring to stick close to his mother. His chubby little arms wrapped around Wan Anran's neck, and no matter how the palace servants tried to persuade and comfort him, they couldn't pull him off. His koala-like posture was both exasperating and hilarious.
In the end, even Yinzhen had a pout and tears in his eyes.
He looked like he was about to cry at any moment! Everyone, including Wan Anran, panicked. They knew that the Eleventh Prince was not one to cry easily, and they had never seen him so attached.
Wan Anran was also at a loss.
She had no choice but to promise, "Alright, alright, Mother will take you to Cining Palace, is that alright?"
Yinzhen immediately let go of her hand.
The tears that had been rolling in her eyes vanished instantly, and her round eyes stared at Wan Anran.
Wan Anran held him in her arms and led a group of palace servants towards Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were somewhat surprised, but they cheerfully waved for Consort Qi to bring the child over: "How strange, why did you bring Yinzhen here today?"
"Yinzhen is insisting on coming to see the two empress dowagers."
"All you do is talk nonsense." The Empress Dowager chuckled and picked up Yinzhen. The soft little bun had a sweet, milky scent, and he was incredibly cute in her arms.
Several concubines in the audience curled their lips in disapproval.
Why is the Eleventh Prince clamoring to visit the two Empress Dowagers? If they wanted to know, it must be Consort Qi using the Eleventh Prince to compete for favor.
Yinzhen was not afraid.
He was muttering something incomprehensible to everyone, which made people's eyebrows curve into a smile.
With the adorable little one to amuse her, the Empress Dowager no longer had her attention on the other concubines.
Yinzhen did his utmost to attract everyone's attention.
But at that moment, he felt a burning gaze fixed on him, and Yinzhen turned around in confusion.
The one staring intently at Yinzhen was Consort Wuya.
Uya gazed at the plump and healthy Eleventh Prince, her eyes almost reddening. Yinzhen! Yinzhen! This prince should rightfully be hers!
If I give birth to a healthy child...
Uya seemed to be able to imagine herself sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by envious glances from everyone. The anger, frustration, and resentment that had been suppressed these past few days surged again in her eyes, making Uya's expression unusually strange.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager noticed Wuya's unusual behavior and couldn't help but sigh. Perhaps she was thinking of the Twelfth Prince who died young, so they ultimately refrained from uttering any words of reprimand.
Consort Tong frowned.
She gave Wuya a cold look before pulling Wuya back to her senses.
Just then, a eunuch's announcement rang out from outside: "The Emperor has arrived!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
