To avoid being invited to such boring banquets again, Youqing immediately found things to do after returning home and didn't ask about the talent show at all.
Youqing didn't ask any questions, and the other concubines stopped bothering her. They thought they could finally have some peace and quiet, but who knew that Kangxi would suddenly ask about it.
"What are your thoughts on this talent selection, my dear concubine?"
Youqing was stunned when she heard this. She was just a concubine, not his empress. What could she possibly think?
"What thoughts could I possibly have? If I had any, it would be to congratulate Your Majesty on the upcoming arrival of your beloved."
Youqing spoke without a trace of jealousy, which made Kangxi feel uneasy. His original intention was to ask a question, hear her say a few sarcastic remarks, and then he would take the opportunity to say that he would not keep her this time.
But Kangxi couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with that tone.
Then Kangxi's tone changed: "My beloved concubine is so willing to part with me?"
There wasn't the slightest bit of reluctance.
Youqing was startled and suddenly remembered what she had just said. Men all hope that their women will love them, be virtuous and generous, and not be too jealous. But she seemed to have acted too indifferently just now.
The correct approach would be to say something magnanimous, albeit somewhat awkward, in a slightly jealous tone; that would be more appropriate.
I was careless!!
Youqing quickly added, "Of course I'm reluctant to part with Your Majesty, but I know that Your Majesty can't belong to me alone. A few days ago, the Imperial Noble Consort summoned the young ladies to Jingren Palace. I was there that day, and seeing those beautiful young women, my heart ached!"
The content and tone of his words met the required standard, and Kangxi then said, "My beloved consort, rest assured, my favorite person is you, there will be no one else."
To You Qing, this was utter nonsense. If there were no other people, who would be the next math legion to be born?
Youqing smiled: "If Your Majesty has even a little bit of me in your heart, I am already extremely content. I dare not ask for anything more."
She had been in the palace for two years. The imperial harem was the best place to hone one's acting skills. After doing a lot of foreplay with Kangxi, her acting skills improved. She felt that her singing, recitation, acting and fighting were no problem. However, what she didn't know was that Kangxi could actually guess a thing or two about her performance.
When it comes to acting in front of an emperor, Kangxi was actually the best actor. He ascended the throne at a young age, was able to rule in his own right, and was able to eliminate Oboi. Even when he was young, he had to act in front of the four regents. Even when he was younger, he had to act in front of the Empress Dowager in order to survive. Even now, he still has to act in front of his court officials.
Although Youqing's acting was an improvement over her own, it was still not good enough in front of Kangxi.
He always knew she didn't have feelings for him. At first, Kangxi didn't care, but it's been two years. He's spoiled her for two years, but she still doesn't have feelings for him.
This gave Emperor Kangxi a sense of frustration.
Because he was feeling unwell, Emperor Kangxi did not visit Yongshou Palace for several days in a row. Youqing noticed something was wrong, but did not pay attention to it.
Five days passed, and even Cheng Ying couldn't help but say, "Master, should I instruct the kitchen to cook some soup and send it to His Majesty?"
Kangxi hadn't come for five days, and she was starting to feel uneasy. He had come last time without any problems, so she figured there shouldn't be anything serious. She wondered what was going on.
Youqing shook her head: "No need."
She never sent soup to the Qianqing Palace before, and she doesn't plan to now. As for the future, she probably won't send it anymore.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying decided it was best not to try to persuade him further and had no choice but to give up.
At first, Kangxi was just angry, but he had been angry with himself for several days and was in a depressed mood. Youqing didn't even have the slightest thought of coaxing him, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.
Two more days passed, and the talent show was about to end, but Youqing still hadn't made a move. In the end, Kangxi couldn't hold back any longer. After all, it was a matter of supply and demand; Kangxi was essentially the one in need, so he was the one who lowered his head first.
"I have been busy with state affairs these past few days and have not been able to visit my beloved consort. This is my oversight."
Youqing smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. The affairs of the court are the real business. Your Majesty has worked hard for the people of the world, and I can understand that."
Youqing could say these words so easily now, and Kangxi sighed inwardly but smiled and changed the subject.
The two reconciled tacitly, neither of them saying a word, as if the coldness of those past few days had never happened.
A few days later, the final selection of this year's candidates was about to take place.
Kangxi's original intention was naturally not to keep anyone. Some of the older nannies in the palace had sharp eyes and could tell at a glance whether a woman was still chaste.
If he keeps someone in the palace, it seems unreasonable not to favor them. If he does favor them, it might look good on the surface, but if others notice something amiss, things could get complicated.
Sigh! What a worry!
The young ladies walked in row by row. Emperor Kangxi kept the nameplates of those from good families, but he didn't keep any for himself. The imperial family members were still waiting for the imperial decree to grant them marriages!
Some of them had nice colors and good rules. Emperor Kangxi also left them his nameplates. The imperial family not only needed the primary consort, but also secondary consorts and concubines.
I watched half of it, and Kangxi only kept about twenty of them, which is really not many.
At this moment, another row of young ladies entered, and Lin Miaoting was among them. Although she could only wear the prescribed attire, she couldn't resist making her face look like Youqing!
When the makeup was done, Kangxi actually saw it. The resemblance was eight parts, which made him think he was seeing things for a moment. However, upon closer inspection, he could see many clues. Kangxi knew Youqing very well, so he could see that the two were actually quite different.
He suddenly frowned and said to Liang Jiugong, "I remember that the ladies-in-waiting are not allowed to wear makeup."
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