You're quite the clever little devil.
Emperor Kangxi was speechless. He had never seen such a shameless concubine. Besides, could this be praised? Not to mention that it was perfectly reasonable, just look at how smug you are. If you were to praise her, she would probably fly to the heavens.
Emperor Kangxi rubbed his forehead, not wanting to speak.
Liang Jiugong, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. The problem was that no matter how low Wan Changzai's rank was, he was still a master. Liang Jiugong quickly lowered his head to cover the smile on his lips, his body trembling as he tried to suppress it, and his stomach ached slightly.
Wan Anran was still smugly pleased with herself.
She walked from left to right, carefully introducing each of the imperial gifts: "These gifts from His Majesty are treasures to me. I wipe the peaches two or three times a day. Look! They are just as bright and clean as when they were first delivered."
Haitao should actually be praised for this.
She was overjoyed to learn that no one else (especially Xu Changzai) had these imperial gifts in their rooms. She became extremely enthusiastic about these flashy but impractical decorations, wiping them once in the morning, once during her lunch break, and once before going to bed.
Every item bestowed by the emperor was gleaming.
Kangxi glanced at it, feeling quite pleased with himself.
It may have been a bit foolish, but the intention was still there.
Of course, Kangxi, who intended to hold Wan Changzai accountable, would not show any other attitude until Wan Changzai discovered the source of his problem. He simply responded with a faint nod, his expression unchanged.
Wan Anran was puzzled by his indifferent and calm expression.
She wasn't stupid; she naturally realized that the Emperor hadn't come for something as trivial as inspecting the imperial gifts. Then what was it for? Surely he didn't feel particularly comfortable sitting there? That was impossible.
Wan Anran is very confident about this.
With my current lazy and unambitious attitude, Grandpa Kang's ambitious nature is completely different from mine!
Why is that?
Wan Anran put herself in the emperor's shoes and carefully considered his thoughts. Soon, she suddenly realized what was going on.
I see!
Wan Anran clenched her right fist and tapped it against her left palm: "Look at my memory!"
After she finished speaking, she turned and walked into the inner room.
Wan Changzai's actions startled everyone. Hai Tao and the other two were confused, while Liang Jiugong breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems Wan Changzai is quite perceptive.
I imagine they didn't just make shoe insoles, right? They'll probably also release a lucky bag/pouch, won't they?
Emperor Kangxi, however, had a completely different idea.
Watching the figure gradually disappear from his sight, he felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, even feeling that Wan Changzai might still come up with some strange ideas.
Emperor Kangxi fell into deep thought.
He wanted to see what kind of surprise Wan Changzai could give him next! Kangxi took a sip of his tea, his bright eyes fixed on the direction she had left.
This time, Wan Anran acted very quickly.
Before long, she came out carrying a stack of papers, and presented them to the emperor with her head held high and both hands: "Your Majesty, please take a look."
Kangxi's expression suddenly froze.
He glanced at Wan Changzai with a strange expression, but under her urging gaze, he still chose to take it.
Liang Jiugong's eyes widened, and he pinched his thigh hard with his fingers—No, please don't, absolutely don't laugh out loud in front of the Emperor!
Sea peach, perilla, and orange peel are completely hopeless.
Their faces flushed red, and as they bowed their heads, choking back tears, they tried to wink at their young master.
Then one by one, despair filled their eyes.
Look at the young master's expression, he's clearly still feeling proud!
Wan Anran was naturally very proud.
She secretly rejoiced that she hadn't slacked off during this time, diligently copying the books without any slackening. Otherwise, facing the teacher... no, Uncle Kang's spot check now, she'd probably be trembling with fear and panic, wouldn't she?
Kangxi let out a long breath.
As expected, Wan Changzai was different from the others. He took the scroll that Wan Changzai had copied and carefully examined it. It must be said that her handwriting had improved quite a bit. Although it was still a long way from being truly elegant and refined, it was still quite decent. From a beginner's perspective, to achieve such results in just over a month showed how hard she had worked.
That's certainly commendable.
But was Emperor Kangxi someone who praised others so easily? Moreover, he found fault with Consort Wan from both sides. Instead of praising her as Wan Anran had hoped, Kangxi used classical allusions to criticize Consort Wan for being overly arrogant and complacent, only finding satisfaction when he saw Consort Wan gradually wilting.
You have to give them a carrot after you give them a stick.
Kangxi changed the subject and rewarded Wan Changzai handsomely, urging her to keep up the good work: "Your calligraphy is only comparable to that of the Crown Prince at best. You must continue to practice diligently. Do you understand?"
Wan Anran looked dejected.
Kangxi nodded in satisfaction, but seeing Wan Changzai's pitiful appearance, he felt a little guilty. After thinking for a moment, he specifically instructed Liang Jiugong: "Bring that auspicious stone, the 'Moon Hanging in the Sky' inkstone."
The intention behind taking it was, of course, to reward Wan Changzai.
Liang Jiugong was both surprised and pleased. The Ruishi Hanging Moon Inkstone was the Emperor's favorite. He had mentioned it to Consort An before, saying that they should admire it together when he was in the Emperor's presence.
How come they turned around and sent Wan Chang here?
Liang Jiugong shook his head, secretly grumbling to himself—the Emperor was still planning to interrogate him, but now he's not only failed to get the goods but has also lost a lot of money… cough cough, a dragon's buttocks.
What's this called again?
Yes, yes! That's putting the cart before the horse!
Liang Jiugong was muttering to himself, but on the surface, he was ordering the little eunuch to hurry back to the storeroom of the Qianqing Palace to find something.
Wan Anran doesn't understand inkstones.
Just by looking at Eunuch Liang's strange expression, she knew it was a good thing. Wan Anran happily accepted the reward and also mentioned Wan Fu, saying that Wan Fu's calligraphy had also improved very quickly.
Mentioning Wan Fu reminded Kangxi of important matters.
His smile faded, and he took another sip of tea... When it was almost empty, Wan Anran quickly picked up the teapot and refilled it, and also instructed Haitao to bring another pot of water.
Kangxi: …………
His face darkened again. Wan Anran blinked and belatedly realized that it seemed... it wasn't checking homework after all?
So what exactly is the emperor here for?
Judging by the time, it doesn't seem like they're here for a meal. So what is it? Wan Anran looked at Kangxi with the curious eyes of a child.
Seeing the atmosphere in the room freeze again, Liang Jiugong had no choice but to speak up and remind her: "Young Master Wan, the New Year's gift—"
Wan Anran was slightly taken aback.
Didn't Consort Xu send insoles? The Emperor didn't seem very interested when His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned them, so why is he asking about them now? Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Wan Anran. Staring at the wool yarn scattered on the ground, she suddenly thought of a possibility.
Could it be because of the sheep slippers?
...Impossible, right? The Emperor is still arguing with a child? Wan Anran was filled with doubt, her face flushed and her head slightly lowered: "This concubine's skills are not good, and I made the wrong design. It is thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince's guidance that a major mistake was avoided. Today, I have to take it all down and redo it all."
Emperor Kangxi raised his eyebrows.
"Make it for me? I think you're planning to make it for the Crown Prince!" He picked up his teacup; the tea was slightly cool, just enough to calm his mind. After calming down a bit, Kangxi raised his eyes and glanced at Consort Wan: "What do you plan to make for me?"
Wan Anran was immediately dumbfounded.
People from all walks of life directly ask others what gifts they received… Fine, you're the emperor, you're Kangxi, you can ask whatever you want. But before Wan Anran could even answer, Kangxi asked with a half-smile: “Insoles?”
If she already knew from the Crown Prince that Kangxi was dissatisfied with the insoles, and still insisted on going for them, wouldn't she be considered stubborn? Of course, Wan Anran couldn't answer like that. The question was, what should she give him? Cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she stared blankly at the ground.
A pile of yarn balls fell into Wan Anran's eyes.
A sudden inspiration struck her, and she said confidently, "What I want to make are gloves."
Kangxi was taken aback by these words.
He looked up at Wan Anran, his eyes narrowing slightly: "I heard the Crown Prince clearly say that you are making insoles? And you even embroidered a pair of male mandarin ducks on them."
You stinking prince!
It must be that brat complaining over there!
Wan Anran felt both embarrassed and awkward.
If word got out that she had embroidered a pair of male mandarin ducks, wouldn't everyone in the palace laugh their heads off? Just thinking about that scene made her feel like she had lost her parents, and she felt terrible.
Emperor Kangxi raised his eyebrows.
His sharp gaze swept over Wan Anran from head to toe, and his voice deepened slightly: "What's going on here?"
Or are you trying to fool me?
Wan Anran's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm. A hint of surprise, confusion, and bewilderment flickered across her face: "How could I have made insoles?"
Then Wan Anran lowered her head slightly, twisting the handkerchief in her hands: "My needlework skills are so-so. If I were to make gloves right away, I'm afraid I would fail too easily. Therefore, I would like to start practicing something simpler..."
Wan Anran spoke softer and softer, perfectly portraying the character of someone who didn't do well academically but was hardworking and ambitious! As she spoke, she gave herself a thumbs up, thinking that if she had such acting skills in her previous life, she might have been able to apply to a film academy.
It actually sounds somewhat true.
Thinking that being able to embroider two male mandarin ducks certainly required more practice, Kangxi's belief shifted from three-tenths to seven-tenths. His doubts vanished, and he instantly became much more amiable, teasing Consort Wan with a smile: "Really? The gloves I saw last time were quite nice, weren't they?"
Gloves? Wan Anran's pupils dilated in shock.
Speaking of gloves, the only pair she had casually hung on the snowman was the one she had on hand. Luckily, Wan Anran kept her head down, feigning shyness; otherwise, Kangxi would surely have noticed her odd expression.
Wan Anran felt guilty for a moment.
She feigned composure, her cheeks slightly flushed: "The gloves on the snowman were just something I made for fun, how could I possibly send them to Your Majesty?"
Emperor Kangxi laughed heartily.
He gave Wan Anran a deep look: "Then I'll be waiting for your gloves."
Wan Anran smiled brightly on the outside, but inside she was panicking terribly. For some reason, she suddenly had a thought and grabbed Kangxi's dragon claw, comparing it to her own palm.
Kangxi's hands had distinct knuckles, and his slender fingers were much larger than Wan Anran's hands. When their hands were pressed together, one could feel the heat emanating from them.
Liang Jiugong's mouth gaped open, and his jaw nearly fell to the ground.
Emperor Kangxi was also startled by Wan Anran's actions; only this person dared to be so bold.
He lowered his head slightly.
Kangxi's gaze fell precisely on Wan Anran's long eyelashes, which trembled slightly, casting a small, dappled shadow beneath her eyelids. Besides this, he also noticed Wan Changzai's unadorned, fair, almost translucent skin, and her lips with their perfectly proportioned curves…
Kangxi's eyes gradually darkened.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice deepened slightly: "Wan...Changzai?"
The east wing was completely silent.
Liang Jiugong and the surrounding palace servants lowered their heads slightly, seemingly already able to imagine the scene to come, and even beginning to consider whether they should leave quickly.
Emperor Kangxi's deep voice was magnetic.
Wan Anran was suddenly jolted awake from her thoughts. Like a startled rabbit, she almost leaped into the air, letting go of Kangxi's hand and taking two steps back, only to step on a ball of yarn.
As soon as the ball of yarn moved, Wan Anran lunged forward.
The direction they were heading was exactly towards Kangxi—Liang Jiugong had to admit that Wan Changzai was quite capable!
Warm and fragrant jade, a beautiful woman in my arms.
Isn't this a wonderful thing? He lowered his head and made a gesture with his hand. The palace servants all held their breath and tiptoed out of the east wing.
At that moment, a loud bang rang in their ears.
This sound doesn't sound right.
Liang Jiugong, who was trying to slip away, looked up and saw that, and his expression froze instantly. The ambiguous and romantic thoughts that had flooded his mind shattered like porcelain falling to the ground.
Was your voice pleasant just now?
A pleasant sound is a good start :)
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