Wan Anran's forehead veins throbbed.
"You can touch it, so why can't I?" Wan Anran, emboldened by her evil intentions, reached out and touched Kangxi's belly, deciding to make a mocking gesture.
But this touch...
Wan Anran's heart skipped a beat.
The former Emperor Kangxi: with eight-pack abs.
The current Emperor Kangxi: Four-pack abs.
At this rate, he might degenerate into just a single abs by next year! Wan Anran, who had originally only intended to mock him, instantly became alert and worried.
What is so commendable about the Emperor?
If Wan Anran were to say what she liked most about the Emperor, it would be his excellent physique. But now, was that very perk about to be gone? Wan Anran's expression was solemn as she stared intently at Kangxi: "Your Majesty."
"……Um?"
"Have you gained weight?" Wan Anran's voice was very serious as she poked Kangxi's slightly soft belly with her finger, sounding utterly distressed: "Where are your abs? They've all run away from home!"
Kangxi: …………
He complained unhappily, "I haven't even said you're fat yet, and you're already bringing it up..."
When Kangxi's hand touched his waist, his words abruptly stopped. His eyes widened, his pupils dilated, and he couldn't help but ask himself: What happened to your abs?!
"...Has Your Majesty been eating too much lately?"
"..." Kangxi remained silent, though a hint of guilt flickered in his eyes. Aside from the hunting competition on his way to the Western Garden, which provided him with some exercise, the rest of the time was incredibly comfortable.
Good food, good drink, and good manners.
Unbeknownst to them, the meat had also stuck to Kangxi's body.
Kangxi reached out and rubbed his belly.
He remained silent for a long time, then Kangxi reached out and pressed Consort Qi onto the bed, pulled up the quilt and closed his eyes: "It's time to sleep."
Wan Anran: ...
Escaping reality won't help!
The next day, Kangxi fled in disarray, startling Haitao, who was serving him. Upon entering and seeing her master's serious expression, Haitao was filled with worry: "Master, what's wrong?"
Wan Anran was sitting upright on the edge of the bed.
She was wearing only a bodice and underpants, with a thin gauze draped over her shoulders, her brows furrowed as she pondered.
Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat.
Wan Anran didn't answer Hai Tao's question, but instead looked down at her belly. Her little tummy was plump and round, and with Wan Anran's movements, the snow-white flesh jiggled. She reached out and pinched it; it felt smooth to the touch, but a little thick... cough cough.
Is this meat?
These are all achievements I've earned bit by bit through my own efforts!
Wan Anran snorted.
Even after comforting herself like that, she was still a little annoyed.
Yinzhen, who was carried into the room by the wet nurse, stared wide-eyed.
He stared incredulously at his mother, who was wearing only a bodice and underpants, looking at herself from left to right in front of the full-length mirror. His face was so red it looked like it was about to burst into flames.
This is outrageous! This is outrageous!?
Wan Anran was unaware of the fury raging in her son's heart; she was carefully examining herself in the mirror.
Compared to her slender figure when she first arrived, she is now much more voluptuous, and most importantly, all her curves are in the right places. Just look at that S-shaped figure—large breasts, a slim waist, and a pert bottom—she would be the envy of everyone in later generations!
Emperor Kangxi even mocked it.
Wan Anran gritted her teeth in hatred at the thought of what happened last night. Just then, she heard a shout behind her. Turning around, she saw Yinzhen peeking out with his little head, waving his tiny fist: "Your Majesty! Mother! Clothes!"
Wan Anran stepped forward.
She picked up Yinzhen and tucked him into her arms, kissing her little darling's face: "Our Maotao is so smart, he even knows to remind his mother to put on clothes, is he afraid his mother will get cold?"
Smooth skin clung tightly to me.
With a stern face, Yinzhen shouted, "Get dressed! That's bad, naughty!"
Zisu smiled and handed over the clothes.
She said respectfully, "Master, even the young master says you're being disobedient!"
Wan Anran stuck out her tongue.
She handed Yinzhen over to Granny Zhao and obediently began washing and changing. Wan Anran changed into a dark blue palace dress embroidered with bamboo patterns, and adorned her hair with a pearl and tourmaline hairpin. After a simple meal, she headed towards Kunning Palace.
While still halfway there, Wan Anran suddenly had a thought. She wondered how well the other concubines maintained their figures. She had left early and arrived early, so Wan Anran didn't sit down but instead eagerly awaited the arrival of the others.
She soon saw the first person.
Upon hearing that Consort Qi had arrived first, Consort An, who arrived later, wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks, but when she looked up, she met Consort Qi's burning gaze.
Consort An was startled, especially when she saw Consort Qi seemingly about to step forward. She twisted her foot and pulled Consort Jing, who followed her in, to exchange pleasantries: "Did you sleep well last night, sister?"
Consort Jing was startled.
When she looked up and saw Consort Qi, her heart skipped a beat.
Normally, Consort Qi would slack off whenever she could, always a step behind in everything. Why is she so diligent today? Could it be that Consort Qi has finally learned to be ambitious?
The salted fish Qi Pin in front of her is quite eye-catching.
Now, the sudden change of gender by Consort Qi is even more chilling, especially the way she stares intently at everyone with wide eyes, which is truly terrifying.
Consort Jing instantly understood Consort An's thoughts.
Without much hesitation, she took An Pin's arm in return: "Little sister slept well last night, how about you, elder sister?"
Consort Hui and the others who arrived later were also filled with surprise and doubt.
They entered the hall and immediately looked down at their clothes, fearing that there might be something they hadn't noticed.
Wan Anran was very disappointed.
The Qing Dynasty palace attire was comfortable to wear, but the problem was that it was almost like a straight tube, with little difference in size between the top and bottom. Plus, all the concubines had oval or heart-shaped faces, so aside from the fact that Consort Yi's broad-mindedness and Consort Hui's recent weight loss made the clothes seem a bit too loose, there wasn't much else to tell.
Finally, Consort Xuan arrived.
She was also startled by Consort Qi's sharp gaze. However, compared to the other concubines with whom she had a more distant relationship, Consort Xuan frowned and nudged Wan Anran with her elbow: "What's gotten into you?"
Consort An and the others also pricked up their ears.
Wan Anran sighed and whispered in Consort Xuan's ear, "The Emperor said I've gained weight!"
Consort Xuan fell into deep thought.
After a long while, she met Wan Anran's eyes and suddenly understood what Consort Qi meant. Consort Xuan pinched her waist hard: "So you're looking us up and down to check our figures?"
Wan Anran was in the wrong, yet he was still arrogant.
She nodded emphatically, even asking in confusion, "Otherwise what?"
Consort Xuan and the other imperial concubines: ...
Everyone fell silent. Consort An, who was the first to come to her senses, snorted coldly, feeling that she was a fool for suspecting Consort Qi of having some grand conspiracy.
That's it? That's it?
Seeing Consort Xuan turn and leave, Wan Anran called out with all her might, "Sister Xuan, I've come to Xianfu Palace to find you today."
"What do you want with me?"
"Let me see..." Before Wan Anran could speak, Consort Xuan pinched her cheek. Consort Xuan's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and she smiled insincerely: "You're not going to tell me... that you want to come back with me to see my figure, are you?"
Wan Anran really wanted to say yes.
Unfortunately, seeing the murderous intent on Consort Xuan's face, the words of certainty swirled on Wan Anran's tongue before she quickly swallowed them back down. She felt that if she spoke them aloud, she might get beaten up by Consort Xuan.
Unable to find any sisters to cuddle with, Wan Anran returned to Chuxiu Palace with a sense of regret. Looking at herself in the mirror, she decided to exercise and try to lose weight, at least to get rid of her belly fat.
Wan Anran pinched a piece of flesh and quickly made up her mind. After thinking for a moment, she first took off her hair bun and combed it into a long ponytail, then changed into a pair of comfortable cloth-soled shoes. After stretching her arms and relaxing her legs, Wan Anran did radio calisthenics in the yard.
One, two, three, four; two, two, three, four.
Wan Anran swung her arms and legs, putting in extra effort. It wasn't that she didn't want to do other sports, but apart from calisthenics, Wan Anran couldn't remember any others. Only calisthenics was still imprinted in her heart.
What are the people in Chuxiu Palace called?
They were used to it and went about their business calmly and indifferently. Even Yinzhen felt that his mother was honest and obedient... which was quite nice?
The summer sun is getting more and more intense.
After exercising for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wan Anran was sweating profusely and gulped down a large glass of water. But that wasn't all; she then went back indoors and sat on the floor to stretch her body.
When Kangxi came in from outside, he saw Wan Anran with her legs spread apart, her waist bent to the side, one hand touching her toes and the other hand pointing upwards, her whole body like a bow stretched to its limit.
"Consort Qi... what are you doing?"
"Your Majesty!?" Wan Anran was startled by the voice behind her. She swayed and fell to the ground with a thud, wincing in pain.
Emperor Kangxi had never seen such a miraculous scene.
He stepped forward, grabbed Consort Qi's arm, and pulled her up from the ground. Kangxi's lips curled up: "Tsk tsk, I was just saying it casually, but you took it to heart? That little bit of flesh feels quite nice."
What are you saying in broad daylight!
Wan Anran's lips twitched slightly, and she glanced meaningfully at Kangxi's belly: "This concubine has always been strict with herself."
Where are you looking?
Kangxi nervously sucked in his stomach, thinking he should go to the racecourse to train more later. He coughed and changed the subject: "I came to Chuxiu Palace to talk to you about something."
"Your Majesty, please speak." Wan Anran looked surprised.
"It's about potatoes," Kangxi said solemnly.
After eating potatoes yesterday, Emperor Kangxi turned around and asked someone to inquire about them. Potatoes, which are called "yangyudan" by the common people, are popular among the poor people in Qing China because they are high-yielding, easy to grow, and easy to store.
Unlike Consort Qi, who used it for cooking, the common people only used it as a substitute for rice, and it was rare to see it used in other ways.
Kangxi also had other plans in mind.
If potatoes could be promoted as a vegetable, wouldn't poor farmers who grow them also be able to sell them and earn extra income in addition to using them as food?
The quickest way to promote something is to bestow upon it the name of the royal family. Wan Anran smiled with delight upon hearing this. She invited the emperor to sit down and then turned around and busily prepared several dishes: stir-fried shredded potatoes, fried potato strips, stewed potatoes and green beans, homemade potato pancakes, and mashed potatoes with milk.
Apart from potatoes, these are the most common ingredients.
Kangxi subconsciously picked up his chopsticks, sat facing Consort Qi, and ate two large bowls of rice.
Finally, they all let out a satisfied burp.
Having eaten their fill, Kangxi and Wan Anran got up to take a stroll, but then fell into deep thought once again.
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