Chapter 74: This favorite concubine finally fell out of favor!! (2/3)
She stood up abruptly, her eyes reddening with hurt, her pearly teeth sinking into her cherry lips until marks appeared.
“I thought all this time you allowed it because you cherished me. But now you tell me you merely tolerated my vulgarity—that it even gave you headaches?”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your favor to act recklessly. From now on, I’ll never Mmph!”
Kangxi expertly covered her mouth and pulled her back to his side without expression.
Without needing orders, Liang Jiugong stifled a laugh and swiftly closed the palace doors.
Serves His Majesty right for rushing over in such haste he rode in a palanquin, while the rest of them were left sweating under the sun.
Did this troublemaker ever give the imperial court a moment’s peace?
Good!
Once they were alone, Kangxi silenced her restless lips with his own.
“What do you want this time? Spit it out, or I’ll have you punished with a spanking.”
“If those words of yours were overheard and reached the Empress Dowager’s ears, that punishment would be unavoidable.”
Fang He sensed she had pushed far enough-constantly testing his patience would only breed weariness.
With no outsiders present, she shed her earlier defiant act and nestled against him pitifully, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Her voice carried unmistakable melancholy when she spoke again.
“Your Majesty, I want nothing. It’s just… I know I’ve behaved poorly. But you’ve treated me so well that I can’t help wanting to provoke you.”
A flicker of amusement passed through Kangxi’s eyes.
He understood Fang He’s meaning well enough.
Before the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and even other concubines, this little troublemaker was usually well-behaved.
Only in front of him, at the slightest stir, she would bare her claws like a startled fox-so distrustful of others, always guarding against being hurt.
He wasn’t a man easily swayed by softness, yet the more he understood her nature, the harder it became to resist indulging her.
What could he do?
He was nine years her senior, and he couldn’t bring himself to let go.
With a sigh, he pinched the nape of her neck lightly.
“You-only dare to act up with me!”
Fang He winced at the pinch, letting out a soft whimper.
Knowing the stage was set, she took a deep breath before asking the most crucial question.
“Your Majesty… if it was Consort De who humiliated me in the Qianqing Palace that day, who caused my chill at Yunya Pavilion and made it difficult for me to conceive… what would you do?”
Kangxi paused, frowning slightly.
“Do not make baseless accusations. Are you truly unafraid of being overheard?”
He disliked women’s petty jealousies-especially when they spun unfounded tales that stirred up trouble in the harem, sometimes even unsettling the imperial court.
Fang He had never been this reckless before.
A trace of doubt crossed his mind.
After a moment’s thought, he patiently explained.
“I am not an emperor who cannot distinguish right from wrong. Whoever makes a mistake, as long as there is solid evidence, I will not let it go lightly. Otherwise, the Forbidden City would fall into chaos.”
“But I also dislike listening to baseless speculation. After what happened at the Qinqiang Palace , you should understand that even the slightest disturbance in the palace can sometimes lead to deadly consequences.”
Fang He remained silent in response to his half-warning explanation, only lowering her head further, her voice growing even softer.
“What if I have evidence? Don’t ask what it is yet—just tell me, how would Your Majesty deal with Consort De?”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Kangxi frowned deeply, staring fixedly at Fang He’s downcast head, unsure whether she was acting out of jealousy or genuinely believed Consort De was behind these incidents.
In truth, Kangxi was not so naive.
He knew Fang He was no fool-she had her own methods.
Consort De had always been gentle and kind, more attuned to the emperor’s will than others, and Kangxi had once favored her presence.
But because of Yinzhen, she had long been at odds with the Tongjia clan.
Years ago, when his cousin became pregnant and neglected Yinzhen, Consort De, in her desperation, had meddled during the childbirth.
When the Empress Dowager found out, she was confined for six months to reflect on her actions.
Kangxi’s affection for her had cooled, and for a year, he rarely visited Yonghe Palace.
Later, when the sixth prince died young, seeing Consort De weep as if her heart would break-wishing she could have died in Yinzhen’s place- Kangxi recognized her maternal devotion and restored her dignity.
But Fang He had little contact with Yinzhen, no connection to the sixth prince’s death, and no prior dealings with the fifth or seventh princesses.
For Consort De to target her would be madness.
In the brief silence, countless thoughts raced through Kangxi’s mind, making the quiet in the hall grow tense.
Noticing Fang He’s body gradually stiffening, Kangxi finally spoke on instinct.
“I will have it investigated. If these incidents were truly her doing… I will alter the jade records of Garudai and Uxiha, sending her to accompany Consort Xuan in praying for the royal family.”
Fang He raised her head earnestly, carefully studying Kangxi’s expression.
Only when she saw he was not merely placating her did she relax slightly.
Good, good.
She hadn’t fully believed Kangxi would go as far as she hoped for her sake, but she trusted that for his own reasons, he would do even more.
Noticing Fang He’s “surreptitious” glance and the way her body softened, Kangxi felt both amused and exasperated.
It seemed this little troublemaker still didn’t believe his favor for her surpassed others.
But he was confident that once he fulfilled his promise, this prickly hedgehog would eventually become a tame house cat.
Smiling faintly, each lost in their own thoughts, the atmosphere shifted from tension to something lighter.
Then, Fang He rose gracefully and, under Kangxi’s surprised gaze, stepped back and knelt decisively.
“I trust in Your Majesty’s word and know you were not jesting earlier.”
She met his eyes openly.
“Today, I went before the emperor because I obtained evidence that Consort De twice used others to harm me and later silenced them. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for me.”
As she spoke, a peculiar mix of emotions stirred in Kangxi’s heart-not entirely unexpected, yet tinged with irritation, helplessness, and curiosity.
All these feelings tangled together, hidden deep in his eyes.
His expression turned blank as he said coolly, “So you’ve indeed been keeping secrets from me. How audacious of you!”
Fang He casually dropped a bombshell while trying to justify herself.
“This concubine wasn’t certain before. Moreover, I discovered… traces suggesting Noble Consort De had planted spies before Your Majesty. I dared not speak recklessly.”
Kangxi’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Spies in the imperial presence…
His political acumen far surpassed Fang He’s, immediately grasping the crucial implication.
“Are you referring to Qin Xinrong?”
Fang He nodded slightly.
“Before this concubine returned to the palace in the twenty-sixth year, Noble Consort De already knew about my frail health. I heard it personally from Chunlai.”
“But only you, Liang Jiugong, and Chunlai knew about this. Even Cui Wei and Wei Zhu were unaware. At the time, I felt something was amiss but didn’t dare speak up based on mere suspicion.”
“Later at the Qianqing Palace incident, neither Consort Hui nor Consort Rong knew about my drinking capacity. Only those who accompanied Your Majesty to Jiangnan would know.”
“After much deliberation, I couldn’t swallow this injustice. On impulse, I asked Vice Commander Qiao to investigate the records from the Office of Palace Affairs, comparing the Jiangnan entourage with palace staff who had contact with Qin Xinrong…”
She produced a partially completed cross-reference chart from her sleeve, presenting it respectfully to Kangxi.
Kangxi glanced at it and saw that each page contained two columns of names.
From those he recognized, the left column listed imperial attendants while the right presumably showed those connected to Qin Xinrong.
Circled names in both columns indicated Jiangnan attendants, with numerous connecting lines.
Some names had one star, marking those who could contact Qin Xinrong either in Jiangnan or before the emperor.
Others had two stars, indicating contact in both contexts.
Three from the imperial kitchens, two from laundry, three cleaners… Kangxi’s expression darkened as he read.
If these were truly Noble Consort De’s plants, then the Uya clan certainly valued their emperor highly!
Yet he was also startled by Fang He’s somewhat peculiar investigative skills and sharp intuition.
He asked gravely, “Even if you can prove these people colluded with Qin Xinrong, what evidence connects this to Uya?”
Fang He thought to herself: ‘If I proved everything, what would I need you for?’
She feigned hesitation before reluctantly producing part of Qiao Cheng’s evidence.
“Previously I lacked proof, which is why I begged Your Majesty to spare the Noble Consort. I feared if she investigated vigorously and it was Noble Consort De’s doing, she would silence witnesses. I just didn’t expect… didn’t expect…”
She trailed off as if afraid to continue, merely bowing her head and raising several documents overhead.
Kangxi clenched his thumb ring tightly before accepting them through gritted teeth.
After going over just a few lines, his breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Uya’s uncle had visited the Liu family (overseeing imperial workshops), the Majia family (handling external rituals), and a Uya branch (managing palace procurement) within days.
Subsequently, a steward from the Imperial Treasury who frequently interacted with apothecaries was found dead in Chief Administrator Liu Hongliang’s household.
The official Ma Jiataining from the Office of Rites, responsible for selecting eunuchs to enter the palace, was found dead at home.
Meanwhile, Wuya Laiqi from a branch of the Wuya clan, merely a minor clerk in the Construction Office, had nothing unusual happen in his household.
Yet, Laiqi’s steward hurried off to the countryside to visit a child in a peasant family.
The paper read: “Three hours after the steward left, the farmer’s wife passed away from illness. Upon exhuming the grave for identification, it was revealed to be the sixth daughter of the Laiqi family. She was supposed to have married a minor official from Zhili in her youth, but no one knows why she ended up in a farmer’s household.”
“Upon further interrogation of the farmer’s family, it was discovered that their son Tiezhu was not biologically theirs. He bears a striking resemblance to Qin Xinrong, about fifty percent. At seven years old, he still remembers his original name, Qin Zicheng, and claims his father was a Qin, and his mother was Wuyaliuniu.”
The more Kangxi read, the more alarmed he became.
His mind raced as he turned back to the lists of palace maids and eunuchs.
Unlike Fang He, who had to repeatedly consult Cui Wei and Wei Zhu to decipher the complex surnames and names-often getting headaches so severe she wished she could tear her own brain out-Kangxi prided himself on his grasp of intricate relationships.
With his controlling nature, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the intertwined connections among the Manchu and Han Eight Banners, especially the influential officials in court and the prominent servants in the Imperial Household Department.
While he couldn’t yet ascertain the eunuchs’ backgrounds, a careful examination of the palace maids revealed they were all connected to the Liujia, Majia, and Wuya clans.
Had the Cao family not been assigned to Jiangnan by his orders, they likely wouldn’t have escaped involvement either… Kangxi’s mind was in turmoil.
He had always taken pride in his control over the court and the palace.
Blessed with extraordinary energy and a talent for managing subordinates, he had been confident since the suppression of the Three Feudatories that he held all factions, both inside and outside the palace, firmly in his grasp.
After the Guo Xiu case, not even the court dared to provoke him lightly, further fueling his confidence.
It was only in the past two years that he had begun to feel the satisfaction of truly ruling the world.
Yet these few sheets of paper felt like a slap that sent him tumbling from the clouds to the ground.