With Kangxi having exposed her laziness, Yunxiu could only brazenly fabricate an excuse: "The small kitchen in my palace used to produce rather unremarkable dishes, unfit for presentation, so naturally I dared not serve them to Your Majesty. Now that I have a new chef with excellent skills, I felt it appropriate to offer this to Your Majesty."
Consort Hui was like a carefree recluse, uninterested in managing palace affairs or vying for favor. She often spent her time in Cining Palace chatting with the two elder matriarchs—a fact well known to all consorts in the palace, including Kangxi. His earlier remark had merely been teasing her. Whether her explanation was cobbled together or outright fabricated, Yunxiu had at least offered some justification, and Kangxi naturally had no intention of making things difficult for her.
Kangxi set down the book in his hand and straightened his posture. "Is that so? Then I shall indeed taste the skills of this chef you so carefully selected."
It was, of course, exceptionally good, Yunxiu thought to herself. On this point, she hadn't lied. This chef had been sought out after a long search, proficient in all eight major culinary traditions, with truly outstanding skills—though he had already been serving in Changchun Palace for over a year.
Kangxi picked up a porcelain-white jade spoon and took a sip, nodding slightly. "Indeed, it is excellent—sweet without being cloying, smooth and velvety."
After finishing half the bowl, Kangxi asked, "But such a dish is rather uncommon in the palace. Did your chef devise it?"
"This is also a form of medicinal cuisine," Yunxiu said with a smile. "I came across the recipe in an ancient text and wrote it down in my spare time. Osmanthus helps relieve coughs and phlegm, warms the lungs, and dispels cold, while honey alleviates fatigue and aids sleep. The Grand Empress Dowager often suffers from coughing and poor sleep during winter, and this has been somewhat helpful for her."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi nodded and said, "You are truly filial toward the Grand Empress Dowager."
Yunxiu smiled but did not respond.
After Kangxi finished the bowl of taro and osmanthus soup, Banxia brought a handkerchief to assist him in rinsing his mouth and cleaning his hands. Kangxi took the handkerchief, wiped his hands, casually tossed it onto the tray, and then waved to dismiss all the palace attendants from the hall.
He then turned to Yunxiu, a faint, ambiguous smile on his lips. "Come here."
Yunxiu’s eyelids twitched immediately, sensing something amiss, but she still took two steps forward.
Kangxi, displeased, emphasized his tone: "I told you to come closer." Do you think I will devour you?"
Hard to say.
Yunxiu was somewhat afraid of Kangxi, especially when he wore a stern, angry expression. Seeing this, she could only obediently take a few more steps forward, standing before him so close that the hem of her skirt brushed against his knees.
Was this close enough?
Kangxi’s impression of his Consort Hui had always been rather vague. She had entered the palace extremely early and, by all accounts, had known him for over a decade. However, ever since her arrival, she had resided in Cining Palace. Even after her formal investiture, she frequently retreated there, so Kangxi’s impression of her remained shallow.
He only remembered that she was a Mongol noblewoman from Khorchin, quite beautiful in appearance, but rather dull in personality—hardly daring to speak more than a few words in his presence. On the rare occasions when her name was drawn for his attention, she seemed as wooden and uninteresting as a block of wood.
Nevertheless, she was honest and never stirred up trouble. Later, when she bore a prince, Kangxi had no reason to deliberately make things difficult for her. He had originally thought it sufficient to let her live a life of luxury and honor in the palace, clothed in fine silks and fed with delicacies.
Today had already been the most Consort Hui had ever spoken to him, and he had discovered many new things about her.
Yunxiu actually had the mischievous thought of deliberately scaring him, and when facing him, she was both fearful and somewhat provocative. This made him find it rather interesting.
Kangxi pulled Yunxiu's arm and with a slight exertion, she tumbled into his embrace.
Yunxiu was startled, nearly letting out a scream. Fortunately, she reacted quickly, forcibly suppressing the instinctive urge to jump up and slap Kangxi.
Yunxiu inwardly complained about this practiced move—how many Consorts had he flirted with like this?
Kangxi had intentionally wanted to see Yunxiu's reaction, and he was successfully amused by her expression of suppressed anger.
It had been a long time since he had felt the pleasure of teasing an honest person.
Sitting on Kangxi's lap, Yunxiu felt utterly uncomfortable. She gently pushed against his chest and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is improper."
"What's improper?"
"…"
Yunxiu was left speechless. She had made it up on the spot—how would she know what rule she had broken?
Why was this man so serious!
Yunxiu inwardly cursed Kangxi, wondering if he had drunk too much and come to her to vent his drunkenness. Looking up, she noticed the slight frown between his brows and the faint redness in his eyes. She cautiously asked, "Has Your Majesty been experiencing headaches recently and having trouble sleeping at night?"
Kangxi had had enough fun teasing her and was about to let her go, but upon hearing Yunxiu's words, he lowered his head to look at her and said indifferently, "Spying on the Emperor's movements is indeed a capital offense."
Yunxiu: "…"
Ungrateful! When had she ever spied on his movements? It was written all over his face!
Swallowing her anger, Yunxiu said, "It is only because this humble Consort noticed Your Majesty's weary expression that I dared to ask."
Kangxi had indeed been experiencing occasional headaches lately and had trouble sleeping. He had already summoned the Imperial Physician for treatment and was currently taking medicine. The underlying reasons were clear to Kangxi himself. Last year, due to the Crown Prince's maternal uncle Songgotu forming factions, he had dismissed Songgotu from his post. Additionally, Tsarist Russia was eyeing the northeast with covetous intentions. Kangxi knew that a war was likely unavoidable. The combination of internal and external troubles had taken a toll on his health.
Recalling that Yunxiu was knowledgeable in medicine, Kangxi's suspicions faded somewhat. Meanwhile, Yunxiu was determined to please Kangxi. She immediately removed her nail guards, knelt behind him, and said softly, "This humble Consort knows some massage techniques that can help Your Majesty find some relief."
Kangxi nodded. It was rare for Yunxiu to be so gentle and attentive, so he naturally did not refuse.
As the acupoints on his neck and shoulders were pressed, Kangxi let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Yunxiu's technique was excellent—firm yet not uncomfortable. Moreover, the acupoints she targeted were highly effective. After a few rounds of pressing, his muscles relaxed, his bones felt invigorated, and his qi and blood flowed smoothly. Before long, Kangxi felt his mind clear considerably.
"You do have some skill with your hands. No wonder the Empress Dowager and Empress Mother dote on you so much," Kangxi said calmly with his eyes closed.
Yunxiu replied, "It is only because the two venerable ancestors do not disdain me. It is nothing remarkable."
Yunxiu had intended to offer a routine, perfunctory response, but Kangxi suddenly brought up Yinzhen.
"I heard you are going to Yonghe Palace tomorrow to visit Yinzhen?"
Yunxiu's massaging hands paused for a moment. She thought to herself that Kangxi's spies were truly everywhere in the palace—he knew everything.
Thus, she could only honestly repeat what she had said during the banquet: that Yinsi was concerned about his Fourth Brother and had begged her to take him for a visit.
Kangxi opened his eyes: "Hasn't Yinsi always been at odds with Yinzhen? What, is he now standing up for his Fourth Brother, thinking my handling of the matter was unfair?"
You already know perfectly well in your heart, yet you still ask.
Yunxiu inwardly grumbled but managed a faint smile on her face: "Yinsi has always held the Emperor in the highest esteem and would never think that way. It's just that Fourth Prince was injured, so Yinsi has been concerned about him."
Kangxi raised his hand and pressed Yunxiu's arm, motioning for her to sit beside him. Then he said casually, "Yinzhen has had a cold, rigid temperament since childhood, unpredictable in his moods. He needs to be properly tempered. Tomorrow, when you go to Yonghe Palace, deliver a message to Consort De for me: until the wound on Yinzhen's hand has healed, he need not attend the Imperial Study."
Yunxiu pursed her lips, unsure whether this was meant as punishment or as Kangxi's concern for Yinzhen. Unable to figure it out, she could only agree for now.
After that, Kangxi said nothing more to her, extinguished the lamp, and retired for the night.
And for the first time in over a decade, Yunxiu experienced Kangxi's cunning. After the lights were out, he suddenly brought up the ghost story from that storybook, eagerly discussing it with Yunxiu. Kangxi had an exceptionally good memory; after just one glance at the book, he could recount most of its contents. Listening to him, Yunxiu curled into a ball under the covers, and finally, frightened, she scrambled into his arms. Only then was Kangxi satisfied, after which he began to act beastly, getting handsy.
The next morning, when Yunxiu got up, she was still shaken. Not only was her body sore, but her spirit had also suffered great trauma. On top of that, she had to rise early to attend to Kangxi as he dressed. With a wooden expression, she fastened the jade pendant to Kangxi's waist, mentally chopping him into eight pieces.
Kangxi, however, was in a good mood. After leaving Changchun Palace, he even had Liang Jiugong send over quite a few things—truly an unprecedented occurrence.
As a result, when Yunxiu escorted Yinsi to the Imperial Study and then went to Cining Palace to pay her respects, even the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager teased her.
"How unusual. Has someone changed their nature or finally come to their senses, actually knowing how to please the Emperor now?"
The Grand Empress Dowager had just finished her breakfast and was drinking tea. Seeing Yunxiu enter, she smiled and teased her.
The Empress Dowager also smiled warmly: "Whatever it is, it's all good."
Although they could protect Yunxiu in the palace, they were growing older day by day and would inevitably pass on before her. A consort's hopes lay either in her children or in the Emperor. If Yunxiu could gain favor, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were naturally pleased.
Yunxiu, however, wore a pained expression. Sumalagu brought over an embroidered stool, smiling as she said, "The Grand Empress Dowager heard early this morning that the Emperor had sent many things to Changchun Palace and was so delighted she even had an extra bowl of polished rice porridge for breakfast."
"Your Majesty, please don't tease your servant," Yunxiu quickly replied. "It was just that last night, I saw the Emperor was tired, so I gave him a massage for a while. That's why he bestowed the rewards."
The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager exchanged a knowing glance and smiled: "Whatever it is, it's certainly not a bad thing."
Yunxiu then told the two elder ladies about the matter Kangxi had entrusted to her the previous night. She couldn't fathom Kangxi's intentions, but the Grand Empress Dowager surely understood. Sure enough, after hearing it, the Grand Empress Dowager paused briefly before saying, "Just do as the Emperor instructed. There's no need to overthink it."
Yunxiu nodded and said, "I already sent someone to Yonghe Palace early this morning to deliver the message."
Yinsi was scheduled to attend the Imperial Study at noon, so Yunxiu had planned to pick him up before lunch and then go together to Yonghe Palace to check on things.
The Empress Dowager, fingering her prayer beads, suddenly asked, "You seem particularly concerned about Yinzhen. Does this child catch your eye?"
Both elder ladies knew that Yunxiu had often advised Yinsi to get closer to Yinzhen. This time, when Yinzhen encountered trouble, Yunxiu—who usually avoided palace affairs—had shown rare concern.
Yunxiu gave an awkward laugh. She couldn’t very well say it was because she knew Yinzhen would become the next emperor.
So she vaguely replied that she felt Yinzhen was somewhat pitiable, which was why she paid him extra attention.
The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were aware of Yunxiu’s kind-hearted nature, so they didn’t suspect much. However, the Grand Empress Dowager still cautioned Yunxiu, saying that behind Yinzhen stood both Consort De and the Imperial Noble Consort, and the situation was murky—it would be best for her not to get too involved.
Little did she know that the Grand Empress Dowager’s words would prove prophetic. As lunchtime approached and Yunxiu was about to take her leave to fetch Yinsi from the Imperial Study, Sumalagu hurried in.
"Grand Empress Dowager, the Imperial Noble Consort is causing a scene at Yonghe Palace."
Yunxiu was instantly filled with confusion. Wasn’t the Imperial Noble Consort so ill she couldn’t even leave her bed? How could she be making a scene at Yonghe Palace?
The Grand Empress Dowager also frowned deeply and asked sternly, "What happened? Explain clearly."
Sumalagu replied, "The Imperial Noble Consort heard that the Fourth Prince was injured and, concerned in her illness, specially requested the Emperor to bring the Fourth Prince back to Chengqian Palace. The Emperor agreed."
"She then sent people to Yonghe Palace to fetch the Fourth Prince, but unexpectedly, they found the wounds on the Fourth Prince’s wrist had worsened significantly, as if they hadn’t been treated. In a fit of anger, the Imperial Noble Consort forced herself to go to Yonghe Palace to demand an explanation from Consort De."
"Now she’s causing a commotion there."
Author's Note:
None