Serving Cao Yue in washing and dressing with tireless care, Kangxi then placed her back on the bed, took over a bowl of bird’s nest congee sent over from the small kitchen, and personally fed Cao Yue until she had finished eating. After that, he himself hurriedly ate a couple of mouthfuls of breakfast, and then saw Liang Jiugong come in to report: “Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Feiyangu and Lord Cao, among others, are already waiting in the east courtyard study.”
Kangxi picked up a handkerchief and wiped the corner of his lips, then stood up and walked to Cao Yue’s side, thoughtfully pulling the little blanket on her body up a little higher: “I still have matters to attend to. You should rest well. Also, tell the servants in your courtyard to start packing the trunks. In two days, we will be leaving Jiangning.”
The heavy snow had stopped, and he should also continue with his original southern tour plan.
Cao Yue was not surprised at all, only letting a few traces of reluctance show appropriately on her rosy face: “This concubine knows.”
She was going to leave Jiangning, where she had lived for more than ten years, after all. She really was a bit reluctant.
Seeing this, Kangxi wanted to say something, but then saw Liang Jiugong looking anxious, so Kangxi could only swallow the words back and turn to leave.
As soon as the emperor left the Western Garden, the imperial guards stationed outside the Western Garden also left with him, and the Western Garden immediately emptied out.
The smile on Cao Yue’s face vanished at once. She quickly threw off the blanket and lay flat on the bed, calling out to An Ning: “Do it.”
An Ning pressed her lips into a pale line. Although she did not understand what exactly Cao Yue was thinking in her heart, she still asked no further questions, and used her hands to forcefully press down on several acupoints beneath Cao Yue’s abdomen.
Only when she felt a sticky wetness underneath her did Cao Yue, her face white, tell An Ning to stop.
Actually, the best time would have been after serving the emperor in bed. Only then would pressing the acupoints be more effective. Unfortunately, there had been no opportunity last night, so she could only make up for it now. She only hoped she would not conceive at this time.
An Ning looked on with a burst of heartache, holding a silk handkerchief and carefully wiping away the fine sweat by Cao Yue’s temples: “Miss absolutely does not have to suffer this hardship.”
Cao Yue looked at the plain bed curtains with only a few dark patterns and smiled: “These hardships, I must endure.”
She would not drink contraceptive soup, because no matter how mild the contraceptive soup was, after drinking it for a long time, it would damage the body. And right now, between her and the emperor, there was only a tiny bit of fresh interest, not any deeper feelings. It really was not a good time to become pregnant.
When she truly had a little place in his heart, she would let her child be born amid the parents’ expectations.
After resting for a while and cleaning herself up, Cao Yue伸手 called for An Ning to help her sit back up against the head of the bed: “Tell them to begin sorting the trunks. But before sorting them, go to the east courtyard and ask Liang Jiugong what items are taboo and cannot be brought into the palace, and how much I can bring.”
“Yes.”
Because she knew about the movements in the Western Garden, Old Madam Sun Shi did not come to the Western Garden first thing in the morning either, and instead came over more than an hour before evening meal.
Besides continuing to tell Cao Yue those palace backroom secrets, she also reminded Cao Yue to prepare a meeting gift for the most important person in the palace, the Grand Empress Dowager.
Sun Shi sat on the embroidered stool in front of Cao Yue’s bed, her expression serious as she instructed, “The Grand Empress Dowager is the emperor’s grandmother. Since childhood, she has had the grace of raising, teaching, and supporting him. The emperor especially respects the Grand Empress Dowager, and will not easily go against her wishes. So after you enter the palace, you must also try to please the Grand Empress Dowager. Even if you cannot make the Grand Empress Dowager like you, you also cannot let her dislike you. Otherwise, your days in the palace will become especially difficult.”
Cao Yue took it to heart and nodded solemnly: “Does Mother know more about the Grand Empress Dowager? Why not tell your daughter everything one by one as well, so that your daughter can avoid offending taboos in the future.”
Since she had long had the intention of entering the palace, she had understood the situation in the palace to some extent by now. It was just that what she knew were all things on the surface; the hidden matters were naturally not very clear.
As for this Grand Empress Dowager, when Cao Yue first learned of her, an inexplicable wave of disgust and dislike rose in her heart. It was for no other reason than that the Grand Empress Dowager’s life story was too similar to that of Empress Lü.
Both were unable to win their husband’s affection, forced to watch their husband favor other women, and both had sons ascend the throne, leaving themselves as the final winners.
Cao Yue lowered her eyes, focusing on two things at once, comparing their similarities in her mind while listening to Sun Shi speak about things she did not know.
“…In any case, the Grand Empress Dowager is a woman of great wisdom.”
When she said this, Sun Shi paused: “It’s just that when I was in the palace, I heard some rumors in private, though they were also matters without evidence.”
Cao Yue’s spirits lifted: “What?”
Thinking about it, Sun Shi leaned closer to Cao Yue and lowered her voice by Cao Yue’s ear: “Not long after the emperor ascended the throne, the emperor’s biological mother, the Holy Mother Empress Dowager, passed away. After that, there was a faint period of rumors in the palace, saying that the Holy Mother Empress Dowager was harmed by the Grand Empress Dowager, with the purpose of making the current Mother Empress Dowager the only Empress Dowager.”
“I also do not know whether the emperor is truly clear about this matter. I only know that not long after that, the emperor ordered Jingren Palace sealed off.”
Holding the hand warmer, Cao Yue shifted a little as her still sore body was not all that comfortable, her gaze dark and unreadable: “Some things may not necessarily have come out of nowhere, and the emperor may not necessarily not know. Perhaps it was just for everyone’s face, and so they covered it up.”
Sun Shi nodded: “Indeed. I remember the emperor gave Jingren Palace to you to live in. That is favor, but if you do not grasp it well, it becomes a knife that takes lives. You must be careful.”
The worry and exhaustion in Sun Shi’s eyes could not be hidden no matter what. Cao Yue curved her brows and eyes, resting her head against Sun Shi’s shoulder: “Mother, don’t worry. When your daughter becomes promising in the future, I will surely win you a first-rank title back.”
Though it was comforting words, Sun Shi still reddened her eyes: “My daughter is filial.”
After talking for a while about matters in the palace, Sun Shi then directed Cao Yue in preparing meeting gifts for the imperial consorts in the palace. In no time at all, the room was filled with Cao Yue’s treasured embroideries and famous paintings that she had collected in the storeroom over the years.
The little maids unfolded the paintings and embroideries so that Cao Yue and Sun Shi could choose better.
After looking at no fewer than several dozen items, Cao Yue finally selected two somewhat similar ones from among them: “How about these two?”
The little maids hurriedly set the two embroidery pieces Cao Yue pointed to aside separately.
Sun Shi took one look and saw that the two embroideries both depicted horses. The only difference was that one picture showed hunting on the grassland, while the other looked like it was depicting some kind of ceremony on the grassland.
Sun Shi did not have much learning, so naturally she did not know where these two paintings came from, and could only say, “These are so similar. Are they suitable to give to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager?”
After all, the Grand Empress Dowager had a higher status, so naturally the gift sent to her should be even more precious.
Cao Yue did not like the Grand Empress Dowager, whom she had never met, so naturally she would not put much heart into preparing gifts. It was enough that she would not make a mistake in the general impression, and that it would seem she had put thought into catering to their preferences.
So Cao Yue pretended not to understand Sun Shi’s words and said uneasily, “This daughter also heard that the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager came from the Khorchin grassland, so I prepared to find embroideries sewn years ago from the storeroom. They should be suitable, right? Does Mother think something is improper?”
“What is improper?”
Before Cao Yue finished speaking, Kangxi still did not have anyone announce him, and strode into the bedroom.
Everyone in the room was startled and hurriedly knelt to pay respects. Cao Yue also pretended to support herself up, slowly and deliberately wanting to get off the bed.
Kangxi took large strides to Sun Shi’s front and helped Sun Shi up, then stopped Cao Yue from getting up. He took the chance to sit on the edge of the bed and pull her into his arms: “Your body is unwell, so do not keep tossing yourself about.”
Cao Yue pressed her lips together and smiled sweetly: “Yes, this concubine thanks the emperor for his consideration.”
Seeing her appearance, Kangxi subconsciously lightly stroked his thumb ring, his mood very good: “What were you and Mama talking about just now? Why are there so many things laid out in the room? When I came in, I nearly had nowhere to put my feet.”
Seeing Kangxi’s attitude, Sun Shi felt a little more at ease. Standing to the side, she did not answer, only watching him and Cao Yue interact.
Cao Yue frowned and said with some conflict, “This concubine was choosing gifts for the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. After choosing for a long time, I only picked out two embroidery pieces, but Mother said the two embroidery pieces were too similar and somewhat inappropriate.”
While saying this, Cao Yue was inwardly letting out a hard sigh of relief. The emperor’s habit of not having people announce him and just coming in whenever and wherever he liked was truly terrifying. It seemed that from now on, even in private, she would have to pay attention to proper measure when speaking.
Kangxi followed Cao Yue’s words and turned to look at the embroideries fully spread out by the maids, and said in surprise, “You embroidered these?”
For two embroideries with such exquisite workmanship, the time spent on them must have been no short amount.
Cao Yue gave a soft hmm and explained, “This concubine embroidered them a few years ago. Back then, my body had finally been adjusted and improved quite a bit, but Mother still managed me strictly and would not let me touch horses, so I had no choice but to embroider horses to satisfy my craving of the eye.”
And these two pictures had also been copied bit by bit from famous paintings. Speaking of it, she had also put a lot of thought into them.
“So that’s how it is.” The trace of suspicion in Kangxi’s eyes faded away, and he praised with a smile, “Yue’er’s craftsmanship is so exquisite. When will you also embroider something for me?”
“Then the emperor should first give this concubine some suggestions. As repayment, this concubine will embroider you a sachet.”
Kangxi lowered his head and looked at the distant mountain-shaped brow he had personally drawn for her this morning, which was slightly raised, looking like a little appearance of having taken advantage. His eyes immediately held laughter: “Since Yue’er has said so, I shall naturally do as instructed.”
“In my opinion, both of these pictures were made with Yue’er’s heart. The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager will naturally like them.”
With Kangxi’s words, Cao Yue seemed to have received a stabilizing needle, and patted her own chest with her small hand, letting out a big sigh of relief: “Then this concubine is relieved.”
Not a single word of doubt, complete trust. It made Kangxi feel very pleased, and he lowered his head to rub the crown of Cao Yue’s hair: “Have you had your evening meal?”
Cao Yue shook her head, sweet words coming out without effort: “This concubine wanted to wait for you together, so…”
Kangxi was very pleased by Cao Yue’s clinginess, and immediately called out for Liang Jiugong outside to serve the meal, then looked at Sun Shi, whom the two of them had ignored: “Mama should also stay and eat with me and Yue’er.”
Sun Shi was very flattered, but after weighing things up, she still declined this favor: “Many thanks for the emperor’s kindness, but this old servant still has some trivial matters in the courtyard that have not been dealt with, so it is inconvenient to remain and disturb you. I ask the emperor to forgive me.”
Kangxi did not force it either. After all, he did not like having others by his side when interacting with Concubine Zhao, so when Sun Shi requested to take her leave, he readily agreed.
After Sun Shi left, Kangxi only then noticed that Cao Yue’s mood was very low: “Why are you unhappy?”
Cao Yue seemed to be trying her hardest to hold back her emotions, but the trembling in her voice still betrayed her: “Just thinking that in the future, once I follow you into the palace, I won’t know when I’ll be able to see Mother again, makes my heart feel terribly sad.”
Added together from both lifetimes, Sun Shi was the only person who had no mixed interests and who truly treated her well.
Kangxi could not bear to see people in his arms sad and tearful, so he quickly promised: “Yue’er, don’t be sad. When I have a southern tour again in a few years, I’ll bring you along too, all right?”
At this very moment, only these words could comfort Cao Yue.
Cao Yue made a very cooperative effort to squeeze out a smile, leaned a little into Kangxi’s arms, and said in a muffled voice, “Okay.”