Second Miss Tong was only fifteen years old, raised in the sheltered confines of her family's inner chambers since childhood. Her days were spent embroidering flowers and tending to plants, untouched by the harsh realities of the world. The servants who attended her dared not even raise their voices in her presence—how could she have ever experienced the cold press of a blade against her throat?
And yet, the one pointing the sword at her was none other than her long-admired cousin, the Emperor—the very sovereign her father had praised as a ruler of unparalleled wisdom and martial prowess, who commanded the realm with absolute authority.
The icy touch of steel carried the scent of death, as if it might slit her throat in the next instant, spilling blood without mercy. Trembling uncontrollably, a scream lodged in her throat, her vision blurred, and she teetered on the verge of collapse.
After the initial shock and fury subsided, Kangxi finally took a closer look at the girl who bore such a striking resemblance to Empress Xiaokangzhang.
Too young, too naive—her thoughts were transparent, devoid of the grace and depth that had defined his mother. Though their features were similar, he would never mistake one for the other.
Recalling the shy, amorous gaze she had cast upon him earlier, Kangxi tightened his grip on the hilt, veins bulging at his temples as he barked to his attendants, "Seize this spy at once! How dare she profane the memory of the Empress Dowager!"
After the incident with Consort Ping's brazen attempt to win his favor, Kangxi had developed a deep aversion to consorts who schemed to cross his path under false pretenses.
This girl had only stoked his rage further. Not only had she trespassed into the imperial gardens, but she had also dared to employ seduction as a ploy!
The more she resembled his mother, the greater the blasphemy.
Did she think she could exploit his grief and longing for Empress Xiaokangzhang to secure a place in the harem? Was this the work of Ming loyalists still scheming to overthrow the Qing? Or perhaps a vengeful plot by the Zheng family?
A flurry of conspiracies raced through the Emperor's mind. His narrowed phoenix eyes regarded Second Miss Tong with the indifference one might reserve for a corpse.
A spy? Seize her?
Ru Yue was so terrified that tears streamed down her face, her body shaking violently, words failing her. Only one thought consumed her: Escape... Father, save me! Mother, save me!
Yunxiu stood frozen for a long moment, struck by the sheer absurdity of the scene before her. She was at a loss for words.
Though Second Miss Tong had appeared abruptly, this reaction from the Emperor was entirely unexpected.
In her dreams, their first encounter had not been in the imperial gardens, nor at this time—it had been two years later, when Young Lady Tongjia entered the palace to attend the ailing Imperial Noble Consort.
After the Eighth Princess, born to the Imperial Noble Consort, passed away before her first birthday, the consort's health deteriorated rapidly. Medicine proved futile, and as she languished in bed, she beseeched the Emperor for permission to have her younger sister join her in the palace for companionship... It was under these circumstances that Young Lady Tongjia first met the Emperor.
She entered the palace as a low-ranking consort but was granted the privileges of a noble consort. Within a month, she was formally elevated to Consort Tong, though no grand ceremony was held. The Emperor himself declared that she stood equal to the four noble consorts—Hui, Yi, De, and Rong.
By the thirty-ninth year of Kangxi's reign, Young Lady Tongjia, then in her early thirties, was named Noble Consort of Chengqian Palace, overseeing the imperial harem. Though far younger than the four noble consorts, it was she who managed palace affairs, while the others merely assisted.
Barren of children though she was, Young Lady Tongjia lived a life of splendor, basking in fortune and prestige.
Though not particularly favored, her resemblance to Empress Xiaokangzhang earned her the Emperor's respect and unparalleled honor. Likewise, due to her ties to Empress Xiaoyi and Longkodo's influence, the Fourth Prince never failed to pay his respects at Chengqian Palace, treating her with genuine reverence.
Yunxiu remembered clearly how, after Young Lady Tongjia entered the palace, the Noble Consort once lamented to her: "No matter how fiercely the imperial consorts compete, they can never surpass the women of the Tong Family."
They need not lift a finger—high rank, lavish robes, and boundless prestige were theirs by birthright. The Niu Gulu, Guoluoluo, and even the Hesheli, the Crown Prince's maternal family, paled in comparison.
See how the Emperor posthumously honored her elder sister as Empress Xiaoyi, then enshrined the younger sister in luxury, permitting no one to slight her. Even the Empress Dowager, who disliked Young Lady Tongjia and was unsettled by her resemblance to the late Empress, could do nothing under the Emperor's protection.
Had the Empress Dowager not confided this to Yinqi, Yunxiu would have remained ignorant forever.
If even the Noble Consort harbored such sentiments, how could the dream version of Consort Yi not feel envy?
Long before the Imperial Noble Consort fell from grace, Yunxiu had anticipated Young Lady Tongjia's entry into the palace. Yet she never imagined encountering her in the imperial gardens today.
Her only thought—what a waste of effort. Her fingers ached from pressing too hard, and now her plans to stroll through the plum grove were ruined.
Before she could even lament this turn of events, Yunxiu watched the situation unfold with detached amusement—only for the Emperor to shatter all her expectations with his utterly irrational response.
Hearing Kangxi bellow "spy" in fury, Yunxiu was stunned.
How could this delicate, fragile girl possibly be a spy?
The imperial guards flanking the Emperor had never seen Young Lady Tongjia before, nor did they know she was His Majesty's own cousin. At his command, they drew their swords with solemn expressions, ready to swarm her.
For a moment, Yunxiu wavered between pity and laughter. Clearing her throat, she hastily intervened, "Your Majesty! Look closely—this girl is but fifteen or sixteen, and she entered the palace today... She seems familiar to me. If she is indeed Second Miss Tong, her age would match perfectly."
Kangxi, still seething, paused at Yunxiu's words, his expression stiffening.
Second Miss Tong?
His other cousin, whom he had never met?
His face rigid, he thought, Of course. If she was truly her niece, her resemblance to his mother... made sense.
But why had Tong Guowei concealed this from him?
And why had his younger cousin behaved so coyly, failing to identify herself while attempting to seduce him?!
In that single glance, Young Lady Tongjia's stance—eerily reminiscent of Consort Ping—and her bashful, lovestruck demeanor had instantly dredged up unpleasant memories, reigniting his disgust.
Such affectation... His mother would never have carried herself this way. If her spirit witnessed this...
No one could fathom the tempest raging in the Emperor's heart—the revulsion churning like bile, his face cycling between shades of green and white.
Seeing him frozen while Second Miss Tong trembled like a leaf, her face deathly pale as if on the brink of illness, Yunxiu rubbed her temples and sighed. "Your Majesty, was this truly necessary? Your sword is still at her throat."
Kangxi snapped back to reality, withdrawing his blade and clasping his hands behind his back. With a regal wave, he dismissed the guards. "Stand down."
As the guards retreated, the Emperor fell silent for a long moment before schooling his expression into neutrality. He cast a dispassionate glance at the girl crumpled on the ground. "Your surname is Tongjia?"
Ru Yue, still shaking, her face streaked with tears, could only nod mutely, her eyes brimming with bone-deep terror.
Seeing her like this, the Emperor noted that her resemblance to his mother in her youth was not so striking after all.
Ru Yue's pitiable state diluted some of Kangxi's discomfort, pulling him free from his grief-stricken reverie. The more he scrutinized her, the more he saw the differences—
He had been deluded earlier, projecting his memories onto the wrong person.
"...It was Our mistake to wrong you. Did you enter the palace with your aunt?" Kangxi sighed, pacing back and forth, his tone unreadable. "And how did you end up in the imperial garden? With no attendants following you, no wonder We mistook you for a spy."
Yunxiu: "..."
This lecturing tone was exactly like a stern older brother scolding his younger sister—she was truly at a loss for words.
Seeing Ru Yue trembling in fear, her appearance disheveled, her clothes and hair covered in dust, Yunxiu averted her gaze and softly addressed the Emperor: "It was an unfortunate misunderstanding that frightened Second Miss Tong. No one could have anticipated it. To ease her distress, Your Majesty should have someone attend to her, prepare a pot of calming tea, and offer some comfort..."
As for the matter of welcoming her into the harem, Yunxiu had a feeling that this time, the Tong Family's schemes would likely come to nothing.
Seizing the opportunity to step down gracefully, Kangxi hummed thoughtfully, his gaze softening as he looked at Yunxiu. "You speak wisely."
Recalling Ru Yue's shy glances, he couldn't help but associate her with Consort Ping, and he simply preferred not to see her at all.
What did they take him for? A lustful ruler who would take any cousin into his harem?!
But her appearance...
Kangxi stared at the silently weeping Second Miss Tong for a long moment, his expression growing increasingly somber.
Had it not been for this incident in the imperial garden, he would never have allowed a woman who resembled his late mother to marry someone else. The most likely outcome would have been taking her under his wing, protecting her, and perhaps even finding solace in her presence as a way to honor his mother's memory.
At this thought, his face darkened again, his expression turning stormy. Entering the plum garden, imitating Consort Ping—was this her sister's doing, or Tong Guowei's? Or was it the Tong Family's scheme all along?!
News that the Emperor had encountered Second Miss Tong in the imperial garden, where her dress had torn, leading Liang Jiugong to escort her to a side chamber in Qianqing Palace to change, spread like wildfire through the Forbidden City.
In an instant, the harem was in an uproar. No sooner had one Imperial Noble Consort fallen than another young Lady Tongjia appeared?
Since Yunxiu had been present and surely knew some details, half the palace kept their eyes on Yikun Palace, though none dared to approach her for confirmation. For the lower-ranking consorts, the memory of Consort Yi's domineering temperament was still fresh—they would sooner avoid her than invite trouble.
Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager soon learned of the incident.
The two dowagers bore no ill will toward the late Empress Xiaokangzhang, even feeling gratitude toward her for giving birth to the Emperor. But their attitude toward the Tong Family was entirely different.
Especially today—her elder sister had committed grave errors, and the Emperor had already shown mercy by allowing her younger sister to visit the palace. Yet she had appeared in the imperial garden—what ulterior motives could she possibly have? Who wouldn't see through such intentions?
Upon hearing that Kangxi had taken the girl to Qianqing Palace, the Empress Dowager grew uneasy. "What kind of celestial beauty is this young Lady Tongjia that even Consort Yi couldn't dissuade the Emperor while accompanying him? I hope His Majesty doesn’t make a foolish mistake!"
In her dreams, by the time Second Miss Tong entered the palace, the Grand Empress Dowager was no longer alive. But now, things were different. After receiving the news, the Grand Empress Dowager struck her cane against the floor with a loud thud. "...He has his own judgment. He won’t act foolishly."
Even so, she wasn’t entirely confident.
Back then, Consort De and Consort Liang had both risen to favor through their beauty. If this young Lady Tongjia was exceptionally lovely and shared a cousinly bond with the Emperor, who could say for certain?
Indeed, if even Consort Yi couldn’t stop it, could she truly be as stunning as an immortal?
"Su Ma, go to Qianqing Palace," the Grand Empress Dowager sighed. "Though I don’t know if my influence still holds any weight..."
Outside the palace, at Tong Mansion.
Meanwhile, Lady Tong had yet to leave the palace. Summoned by the Emperor, Tong Guowei hastily changed into court robes and rushed into Qianqing Palace.
Learning that his second daughter was resting in a side chamber, Tong Guowei felt a flicker of delight, though not without unease. Had the Emperor acted too quickly?
He had merely advised Ru Yue to stroll in the imperial garden when she had the chance—whether or not she encountered the Emperor, familiarizing herself with the surroundings would be beneficial.
Thinking of Ru Yue’s beauty, his heart steadied. If the Emperor happened to visit the garden on a whim... such a thing wasn’t impossible.
But just as he reached the Gate of Qianqing, he came face-to-face with the Crown Prince’s palanquin.
Tong Guowei paused, offering a faint smile as he prepared to bow. The Crown Prince, however, glared at him with a stern expression. "No need for formalities, Minister Tong. This Prince has urgent matters to discuss with the Emperor. Shall we proceed together?"
Tong Guowei hesitated, then quickly assented.
When the Crown Prince’s arrival was announced, Kangxi was momentarily surprised. Despite his dark mood, he managed a faint smile. "Let him in."
Moments later, as the Crown Prince entered the study, his eyes welled with tears. Choking back a sob, he said, "Imperial Father, have you forgotten Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother? How much suffering did they endure under Imperial Noble Consort—no, Consort Tong? This son begs you to reconsider!"
