Chapter 65: Her waist!! (2/2)
Especially when they caught Kangxi’s low, coaxing voice-like a wolf luring its prey—urging her to lean over the tub’s edge.
Liang Jiugong clicked his tongue inwardly.
These two masters… were truly too reckless.
The eunuchs cleaning up later would know exactly what had happened.
Yet another task for him.
Why couldn’t these two just stick to the bed?
Fang He wondered the same.
The tub’s edge chafed her skin, and she squirmed impatiently, ready to bite Kangxi’s restraining hand.
“Ah-” She missed his hand but was suddenly lifted into the air, clad in the emperor’s hypothetical new attire, as he carried her around the screen.
Fang He: !!!
Was lying down or sitting not enough for him?!
And were the doors closed?!
But she had no strength left to ask.
Her damp body slipped against him, making it impossible to hold on.
Her only support was him yet instead of using his hands, he chose another method to steady her.
“Wuwu… Your Majesty, can we hurry?”
She jolted uncontrollably, her voice trembling with fear.
What if she fell?
What if someone saw them?!
She might not have much shame, but she couldn’t afford this humiliation!!!
Kangxi’s breathless voice was low and amused.
“Is Zhao… begging me?”
Fang He: “……”
Damn it!
Did you hear that?
Screw you!!
With a voice soft as silk but the force of someone wanting to bite, she planted a kiss on his face, unable to suppress the tremble in her voice despite her efforts.
“Good brother, I have no strength left… Wuwu, I feel awful, I… mmm… need to lie down. You promised to be gentle with me~”
Finally collapsing onto the bedding, the canopy was casually knocked aside by Kangxi, yet the muffled sobs within still wouldn’t cease.
Even in bed, she was forced to face the footboard just like in the bathtub, unable to turn and bite no matter how much she wanted to, leaving her no choice but to submit completely.
She wanted to throw a tantrum, but her body had other ideas.
Any curses she thought of were stifled by the fear of being proven wrong by this man’s actions.
Neither had bothered to clean up, and soon the bed was a disgraceful mess, its contents as unmentionable as the copper basin in the privy.
Burying her face in the pillow, she wished she could suffocate herself then and there.
By the time she was back in the bathtub, only her fingers and eyeballs could still move.
Noticing the floor had been cleaned, Fang He suppressed her anger repeatedly.
But when he pulled her close again, malice surged within her, and she sank her teeth down.
“Ouch…” Kangxi hissed, “Don’t bite…”
Fang He was nearly crying with frustration.
“When I told you to stop, did you listen?”
“If I hadn’t listened, would you still be sitting here unharmed now?” Kangxi looked down at the bite mark, both amused and exasperated, realizing he’d pushed her too far and bruised her pride.
He softened his voice to coax her.
“From now on, I’ll listen to Zhao. You say faster, we’ll go faster. You say—… mmm!”
Fang He punched him in the mouth.
Die, you shameless rogue!
Fortunately, Kangxi had already figured out Fang He’s temperament.
Knowing he’d been too rough their first night, today was merely intense without going further.
By the time they finished washing and lay down, Fang He had mostly regained her strength.
Fuming, she scooted to the innermost side, wrapped herself in a separate quilt, and turned her back to Kangxi.
Seeing her cocooned like a silkworm, Kangxi’s eyes sparkled with even greater amusement.
A well-satisfied man is always more accommodating.
He didn’t remind Fang He of the rule that concubines shouldn’t sleep on the inner side.
If they really followed protocol, concubines weren’t even allowed to stay overnight after serving.
Palace rules were meant to constrain others, not the emperor.
Smiling, he lay facing Fang He, arm pillowed beneath his head, waiting patiently.
Only when Fang He’s breathing steadied into little snores, her limbs beginning to twitch restlessly yet trapped by her self-made quilt cocoon, did he mercifully unravel her bindings.
Then came the inevitable-her freed limbs sprawling over him.
Kangxi slipped an arm beneath her neck, taming her sprawl, and effortlessly pulled her into his embrace, releasing a contented sigh.
He felt as if some missing piece in his heart had been filled.
This night was like a beautiful dream he never wanted to wake from, and he unconsciously drifted into sleep.
The next morning, Emperor Kangxi woke in high spirits and instructed Li Dequan not to disturb Fang He, preparing to attend court.
Liang Jiugong whispered from the side, “And when the concubine awakes…”
“If I haven’t returned by then, have her dine first. Tell the imperial kitchen to serve her well,” Kangxi replied without hesitation.
Liang Jiugong understood—this meant he had no intention of letting Consort Zha return today and planned to continue indulging her.
He just wondered how long the other consorts could hold their tongues.
The Empress Dowager would surely have another headache over this.
But to Liang Jiugong’s surprise, by the time he escorted Kangxi back from court, Fang He was already gone.
“Where is she? How did you serve her?” Kangxi raised a brow, faint displeasure in his voice.
Looking back, he truly disliked people slipping away from him repeatedly.
Li Dequan, trembling, replied softly, “Your Majesty, Consort Zha said the three days had passed, and it was improper for her to remain in the imperial presence. She returned to the First Palace. This servant truly couldn’t stop her…”
As soon as Kangxi left, Fang He had woken.
Hearing the commotion, she forced herself to stay alert.
Once Kangxi entered the main hall, she swiftly summoned Cui Wei to help her freshen up.
Moving as if chased by dogs, she slipped through the Rijing Gate, taking a roundabout path to avoid detection, and fled back to the First Palace.
Kangxi pinched the bridge of his nose, suppressing his irritation.
“Liang Jiugong, go deliver rewards.”
He couldn’t fathom what was going through Fang He’s mind.
Behind the bed curtains with her, he had experienced an intensity like never before, which was why he had indulged more than usual.
Yet he had always been careful with his strength, and what moved him most was how, whether in comfort or discomfort, Fang He never hesitated to express exactly what she wanted her soft murmurs guiding him effortlessly.
She clearly enjoyed it too, so why run?
Annoying.
Cui Wei was also curious.
When Fang He woke mid-morning after returning to the First Palace, she probed subtly and not-so-subtly.
“Did His Majesty… make you uncomfortable?” Cui Wei blushed-she truly knew little of such matters and was a bit worried for Fang He.
“But for the sake of an heir, perhaps you should endure…”
Fang He rolled her eyes into her pillow.
“It was too comfortable—that’s why I had to run. This isn’t the time for pregnancy anyway.”
Though comparisons were unfair, Kangxi’s ability to improve was undeniable.
In two lifetimes, she had never experienced such overwhelming pleasure.
She didn’t dislike it—in fact, she rather enjoyed this… exchange.
But in those moments of sheer ecstasy, her mind went blank.
The fluid grace of the man above her, the intoxicating scent of ambergris, his warm embrace, and his nearly drowning voice-all of it was dangerously addictive.
There was a reason people said familiarity bred affection.
She was wary of anything that could make her lose herself, because obsession led to foolish mistakes.
She could work for a lifetime, but falling for the boss?
Not a chance-not even a crack in the window.
She didn’t want to see Kangxi’s heart, nor let anyone see hers.
Occasional service was fine; the rest of the time, she’d just slack off.
Moreover, her period was due in a few days, and she had a naturally low fertility constitution.
No amount of physical exertion would make a difference, alright?
Before Cui Wei could ask further, Liang Jiugong’s voice came from outside.
“Is the concubine awake yet?”
Fang He gasped sharply, abruptly lifting her upper body only to cry out “Aiyo!” and collapse back down.
Her poor kidneys!!
“He’s coming after me?!”
Fang He clutched her waist urgently, “Quick, quick! Say I’m injured, take down my green plaque—I’m not serving anymore!”
Cui Wei: “……”
And she still claims it was comfortable?
If it was comfortable, why would she be this terrified?
Thank goodness she never planned to marry, much less serve the Emperor.
Unconsciously, Aunt Cui’s romantic notions about what happened behind bed curtains had completely vanished.
She went out to investigate.
Had the Emperor come, Wei Zhu would’ve announced it loudly.
Since there was no commotion, it probably wasn’t him.
Sure enough, Cui Wei soon returned beaming.
“His Majesty sent Eunuch Liang with rewards for you. When nothing came after your first night at Qianqing Palace, I thought there might be none.”
By custom, concubines received gifts after their first night if they pleased the Emperor, as proof of favor.
The lavishness of these gifts so extravagant Cui Wei feared they might provoke envy-made their initial absence seem normal.
But earlier, Kangxi had already sent over a ‘dowry.’
Apparently, the Emperor was even more satisfied with her mistress than she’d imagined.
Smiling, she handed the list to Fang He, “Look, mistress! His Majesty specially sent things you like three complete sets of gold-inlaid jade hair ornaments, one of which belonged to Empress Xiaokang herself.”
“There’s also ginseng, deer antler, cordyceps… Mistress? What’s wrong?”
Fang He wasn’t surprised by these hard-earned bonuses but groaned pitifully.
“I threw out my back-quick, call Fule… Oww it hurts!”
Only then did Cui Wei realize her mistress wasn’t faking earlier.
Torn between laughter and concern, she hurried out, using spilled water as an excuse to summon Fule for cleaning.
Fule entered with proper etiquette but, seeing Fang He’s pained expression, immediately knelt by the bed to gently press the sore spot.
As Fang He whimpered, Fule frowned while taking her pulse, her expression darkening by the second.
Fule was blunt by nature-a trait that had gotten her into trouble early in the palace, leading to hard labor and bullying that left her scarred from a stone-induced fall.
Though she’d tried reforming, her attempts only provoked more beatings until she was relegated to menial tasks, deemed too tactless for royal service.
Yet she couldn’t comprehend why others failed to grasp simple truths.
Like now: despite restraint, her urgency leaked through as she muttered like a mosquito,
“Your body, barely recovered, won’t bear princes for years if you keep this up. Spare the poor boys from motherless fates.”
“Your dual deficiency of qi and blood contraindicates yin essence depletion. Even routine coupling should avoid excess vigor, let alone recent… frequent expenditures—”
Fang He’s face twisted as she clapped a hand over Fule’s mouth, flushing crimson under Cui Wei’s embarrassed gaze.
What nonsense about being too yin…
That wasn’t something she could control anyway!
But
The letter Lady Liang had sent through the Imperial Hospital had already given her a heads-up, telling her about Fule’s temperament.
She could tell that Fule was only speaking bluntly out of excessive worry, without any misunderstanding at all.
If not for concern about her, Fule could have just stayed silent every day like she did in the Imperial Household Department-why bother saying such unpleasant things otherwise?
She only pleaded softly, “Well, you can tell Cui Wei about my condition. When the imperial physician arrives, have Cui Wei explain it to him. Then this won’t happen again.”
When Fule could speak again, she at least remembered that this was her mistress, not some little palace maid secretly coming to her for acupuncture.
She sighed and carefully took out her silver needles from her pouch.
“Then please have Aunt Cui prepare a candle stand so I can warm the needles. I’ll ease the pain in your waist first.”
Once Fule was less agitated, she realized that when the Emperor summoned someone to serve him, no concubine had the right to refuse.
She shouldn’t have spoken to her mistress like that.
Frantically, she searched her mind for the best health-preserving prescriptions.
Her mistress needed to start taking nourishing medicine as soon as possible, and it had to include ingredients that strengthened the foundation and replenished vitality…
Upon hearing that Fang He had summoned the imperial physician, Kangxi visited her quarters again after dinner.
As soon as he entered, he strode forward, stopping Fang He from bowing, and carefully guided her to sit on the daybed, dismissing everyone else.
Once they were alone, Kangxi studied Fang He’s expression closely.
“Did I hurt you?”
Fang He said gloomily, “You scared me! I ran too fast and twisted my waist!”
Kangxi: “…”
Such nerve!
He subtly relaxed and gently rubbed her waist.
“Feeling better now? I’ll have Lu Wuning arrange for a masseuse from the medical staff to come to your palace these next few days to treat you.”
Remembering Fule’s words, Fang He pushed him away and sat aside, pouting.
“My waist feels better, but my face is ruined!”
“You have no idea how embarrassed I was when the physician came.”
“You know how weak my constitution is. Anyway, I won’t be serving until I’ve recovered properly. I still want to regain my health and bear a little prince.”
Kangxi instinctively glanced at her abdomen, an involuntary smile appearing on his face as he coaxed her, squeezing her soft hand gently.
“My fault. I’ll restrain myself in the future…” He leaned close to her ear.
“Our Zhao’s face is still as lovely as ever, and the rest of her is even lovelier. That’s why I couldn’t help myself.”
Fang He: “…”
You really have a way with cheesy lines.
She shot him a sidelong glance and said slowly, “Then maybe I should go stay at Cining Palace for a while? That way, you won’t see me.”
Those who knew would say this scoundrel was being unreasonable, while those who didn’t would think she’d turned into some seductive spirit, luring Kangxi into reckless behavior.
If nothing unexpected happened, the concubines would probably soon be unable to hold back and ask the Grand Empress Dowager to exorcise her.
She wouldn’t mind eating vegetarian for a while.
Indeed, the next morning during the greetings, the concubines didn’t hesitate to bring up Fang He’s “improper” behavior.
But Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang feigned a headache and didn’t listen further.
By early November, Kangxi had visited Fang He’s quarters for over twenty days in a row.
The concubines could no longer sit still and gathered in full force at Cining Palace-even Lady Tongjia showed up.
Fang He had taken advantage of her backache to slack off-mainly because she couldn’t get up and Kangxi had already requested leave on her behalf.
“Old Ancestor, even by the rules, the Emperor should favor Consort Zha for three days, but there’s no rule stating a consort must remain in the Qianqing Palace for all three days,” Lady Tongjia said in a hushed, cautious tone.
“Not to mention, lately, none of the sisters have caught even a glimpse of His Majesty. If everyone follows Consort Zha’s example, I truly won’t be able to manage the harem anymore.”
Noble Consort Hui glanced at Consort Xuan and sighed as well.
“I’ve heard that she doesn’t even allow attendants during her nights with His Majesty. Who knows what she’s coaxing the Emperor into doing?”
“Putting everything else aside, Old Ancestor, you must at least advise Consort Zha His Majesty’s health is of utmost importance.”
Consort Xuan then spoke up sharply, “If this were Mongolia, such a seductress would’ve been whipped to death long ago. In the past, Old Ancestor always urged me to follow the rules, but at least I—”
“-never harmed the Emperor’s well-being.”
“I don’t seek favor, but I must speak fairly for Northern Mongolia. The region is unstable now. If His Majesty’s health falters, Northern Mongolia will be left isolated, and that would harm the empire itself!”
“I beg Old Ancestor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager to be just. At the very least, make Consort Zha understand propriety and restraint she must stop these disgraceful antics!”
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang listened calmly as the consorts vented their jealousy, her expression utterly unreadable.
She didn’t need to guess how much of Consort Xuan’s righteous speech was genuine.
If she truly cared about Northern Mongolia and revered the Emperor as the Heavenly Khan, she wouldn’t have acted so recklessly in the past.
As for whether Fang He had served the Emperor properly-she knew the truth.
The rest?
Hmph.
They were treating her like a clay idol in a temple.
They only came to worship when they needed something, practically demanding she hand power and favor right to their feet.
Who was the ancestor here-her, or them?
She’d given them far too much face!