Hearing this, the Ninth Prince’s flailing feet stilled.
Pairs of rabbit-like eyes lowered in unison—some counting floor tiles, others staring at cloth boots, and some even fidgeting with their fingers. Even the Fourth Prince, who had always been fond of Yintang, remained silent.
His ears reddened slightly.
Kangxi held the instigator who had encouraged his brothers to skip school, staring at him with an amused yet unreadable expression for a long while before finally taking mercy and setting him down.
The excitement, joy, and even the lingering fear and sorrow from not seeing their imperial father and mother for so long were instantly thrown into disarray. The thought of their tutors in the study hall immediately wilted the princes’ spirits.
The Grand Empress Dowager cleared her throat, and the Empress Dowager was about to speak when Kangxi raised a hand to stop her. He glanced at Yintang and said, "Today’s truancy is understandable, and I will not punish you for it. However, the Imperial Noble Consort is with child, yet you acted recklessly. For that, you shall be punished—a hundred pages of calligraphy, supervised by your Fourth Prince. No meals until it’s done. Understood?"
As he spoke, his peripheral vision caught sight of Yinzi, who was as white and round as a dumpling, blinking up at him with eyes like pools of water, silently pleading for leniency.
Yunxiu watched the lively scene with a soft smile, her heart melting.
"Does Little Eleventh wish to share half of his Ninth Prince’s punishment?" Kangxi beckoned Yinzi forward, rubbing his chubby cheeks with a doting gaze.
Yinzi’s eyes widened slightly before he quickly shook his head and whispered, "No. Ninth Prince was too reckless. He deserves the punishment."
The Tenth Prince nodded in agreement, leaving Yintang speechless.
Despite knowing the events of his past life—how Kangxi had survived malaria unscathed—he had still genuinely worried for half an incense stick’s worth of time.
To be reborn only to regress into childishness was one thing, but how had he ended up worse off than before?
When Xiaogouzi had excitedly announced the Emperor’s return to the palace, hadn’t the Fourth Prince, Tenth Prince, and Little Eleventh all thanked him for his timely news?
These brothers—always scheming against him. He had no real brothers.
None of them were reliable!
The journey from Rehe to the capital was long, and though the return trip wasn’t as rushed as the departure, sitting for so long was exhausting.
The princes had arrived in high spirits but now slunk back to the study hall. After exchanging a few words at Cining Palace, Yunxiu began to feel drowsy.
Kangxi glanced at her frequently and, noticing her fatigue, gently took her hand and murmured something to the Grand Empress Dowager. Realizing, the Grand Empress Dowager urged Yunxiu to return to Yikun Palace to rest. "Your health is paramount. I will excuse the others from paying respects. After a few days of rest, they may come together to greet the Imperial Noble Consort."
Yunxiu gratefully assented.
Before curtseying to take her leave, she seemed to remember something and smiled. "Regarding palace affairs, I lack the energy to oversee them in my condition. Noble Consort Wen is accustomed to such duties, and the Crown Princess is equally capable. May I entrust them with the task? What does Your Majesty think?"
The Grand Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, visibly pleased. "As you wish."
Kangxi smiled, his voice low and tender as he spoke to her without restraint. "I will visit you later."
The mountain of memorials in his study awaited, and he still needed to summon his ministers to address pressing matters. At the thought, the warmth in his eyes cooled instantly. It was time for a reckoning.
As the Imperial Noble Consort’s procession faded into the distance, a eunuch from Yuqing Palace rushed in, beaming with joy, and knelt with a loud kowtow. "Your Majesties! The Crown Princess—the Crown Princess is with child!"
The main hall of Yikun Palace had been refurbished according to the Imperial Noble Consort’s rank, its familiar elegance now even more resplendent.
"Welcome back, Imperial Noble Consort!" Zhang Youde and Nanny Dong knelt at the forefront, their eyes glistening with tears.
Ruizhu followed closely as Yunxiu stepped forward to help them up. "Rise quickly. You’ve suffered in my absence."
"This is our duty. How could we suffer?" Nanny Dong wiped her eyes and hurriedly said, "Your Highness must be exhausted from the journey. Hot water for your bath is ready. Please come this way."
Yunxiu nodded gently. "Very well."
Yanxi Palace.
"You saw with your own eyes that the Emperor is unharmed?" The question trembled slightly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The reply sent Concubine Hui into turmoil. An indescribable sense of absurdity washed over her as she stared at her fingers, wrapped in white cloth, the pain still lingering in her heart.
How could this happen so suddenly?
All her schemes, all her calculations—rendered worthless the moment Kangxi returned.
"Ying'er!" she called hoarsely. Before she could respond, Ying'er’s sharp voice rang out. "This servant greets the Chief Eunuch."
Concubine Hui’s breath hitched, a foreboding sense creeping over her.
Moments later, Liang Jiugong stood before her, bowing with an unreadable smile. "His Majesty summons you, Concubine Hui. Please come with me."
Qianqing Palace was rarely visited by imperial consorts—only the Imperial Noble Consort had ever accompanied the Emperor there. Yet Concubine Hui felt no joy at this "honor."
She saw the Emperor behind his desk, looking exactly as he had before his campaign, his expression inscrutable.
Concubine Hui’s breath faltered as she forced a gentle smile. "This concubine pays her respects—"
Before she could finish, Kangxi slowly pulled something from the memorials and tossed a bloodstained handkerchief at her feet.
Her voice died in her throat as she froze, her mind blank with terror. Her limbs turned to ice, her face deathly pale.
Kangxi set down the memorial and laughed coldly. "Truly, Concubine Hui, you are a master strategist—a Zhuge Liang among women."
This illness had exposed countless vipers, each more surprising than the last. So many had wished for his death—none more than Nala, who had even dared to covet the throne itself.
"You conspired with officials, eyed my empire, and plotted for the throne. Did you think you could act without consequence?" Kangxi didn’t bother with pretense, his eyes blazing with fury. "I waited especially for you."
By the end, his voice was glacial.
"Whether Yinti is fit to rule, I know best," he said. "He barely escaped the vortex of power, only for you to drag him back in. Nala, what a devoted mother you are."
The paperweight slammed to the ground with a deafening crash, shattering Concubine Hui’s last shred of hope. Her lips trembled as her legs gave way, collapsing to the floor. She understood now—she had walked right into the Emperor’s trap. Perhaps even the malaria had been a ruse.
Silence filled the study for a long time.
"Your Majesty, this concubine was momentarily blinded—led astray by greed!" Her teeth chattered as she dug her nails into her palms to stay conscious, kowtowing desperately. "But I never intended treason! Yinti knew nothing—I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"
The blood letter had been carefully worded, never explicitly mentioning rebellion—only hinting at supporting the Eldest Prince when the time came.
Kangxi knew exactly what scheme she was plotting, his mind as clear as a mirror. Hearing her words, he let out a deep chuckle. "Yinti has rendered great service, and the army will soon return victorious. I will not sentence his mother to death."
He continued, "Consort Rong has committed the grave crime of disrespect and has passed away at the retreat palace. I permit her to be buried with the rites befitting a concubine. The edict will be issued tomorrow. After you meet Yinti, would you prefer to join her in Rehe, or reside in Jingqi Pavilion with Noble Consort Wuya?"
At the mention of Consort Rong, Concubine Hui, whose body had been limp with despair, suddenly mustered a shred of strength. She jerked her head up, and though terror and hopelessness gripped her entire being, an untimely sense of clarity and vindictive satisfaction surged in her heart, dulling even her desire to plead her case.
How did it feel to be drugged?
That wretched woman had pretended virtue for so many years, yet she had finally met her retribution.
Only one of her sworn enemies remained—Mrs. Guoluoluo. Yet that woman had risen step by step, not only becoming a Noble Consort but even attaining the status of Imperial Noble Consort, equal to a deputy empress, thanks to her service during the emperor’s illness. How bitterly ironic.
And what of her?
How had she come to this?
If she had never harbored resentment, never clung to ambition—if Yinti had abandoned his struggle for the throne, and she had simply withdrawn—
"Your servant is grateful for Your Majesty’s mercy," Concubine Hui murmured, closing her eyes briefly before reopening them, her voice hoarse. "I choose Jingqi Pavilion."
Watching as Concubine Hui staggered away, her steps unsteady, Kangxi set down his brush and lowered his gaze to conceal the flicker of emotion within. After a long silence, he spoke calmly, "Summon Cao Yin to the palace."
"Yes. Summon Cao Yin, the Textile Commissioner of Jiangning, for an audience!"
The emperor’s safe return to the palace had everyone eagerly awaiting his next move, yet the first official he summoned was his childhood companion, Cao Yin, who was in the capital to report on his duties. The ministers waiting outside the palace watched with envy, while Cao Yin himself was both elated and apprehensive, his mind unsettled.
That His Majesty had recovered from malaria with divine medicine was something he had never anticipated.
Did this mean the Cao family’s secret preparations for retreat had now become a fatal misstep?
Lady Li was still at Yuqing Palace, speaking with the Crown Princess, and had yet to return. As his initial excitement faded, an inexplicable sense of foreboding took hold.
The conversation between sovereign and subject was not what the ministers had imagined.
"Two hundred thousand taels of silver," Kangxi said, his expression inscrutable as he studied Cao Yin. "You are truly generous, Cao Yin."
Kneeling before the throne, Cao Yin broke into a cold sweat, his throat clogged as if stuffed with cotton. For a long moment, he could not even utter the words "Your Majesty."
The emperor had always addressed him by his courtesy name—now, the direct use of his given name revealed a sliver of imperial wrath.
"Sending silver, sending beauties," the emperor sneered. "I am not yet dead—why the haste? You ordered Lady Li into the palace, disturbing the Crown Princess’s health and destabilizing her pregnancy. For this, you deserve ten thousand deaths."
Cao Yin shuddered violently, his head snapping up as he prepared to beg for mercy. But before he could speak, the emperor’s next words plunged him into an icy abyss.
"They say Cao Yin is a man of both letters and martial prowess, indifferent to feminine charms. Yet were you aware that your lowly concubine has been in secret communication with the Tiandihui?" Kangxi’s voice was slow, his gaze now devoid of warmth. "I stationed you in Jiangnan to serve as the court’s eyes—not to be manipulated like a fool, nor to rebel against me."
