mtl008 Chapter 247 Privately Advising Nanxi to Give Gifts
Chapter 247 Privately Advising Nanxi to Give Gifts
On the other side, Qianqing Palace.
After discussing state affairs, Kangxi asked his uncle Longkodo to stay for tea. The two chatted about family matters. Upon learning that his grandmother had caught a cold recently, Kangxi frowned, put down his teacup, and said with concern:
"Grandmother caught a cold? How come I didn't hear the news? The Imperial Hospital didn't report it to me. It's serious. Is she feeling better now?"
Longkodo was very pleased with his nephew's concern. It seemed that the emperor was still very close to Tong Jia. He bowed and replied:
"Mother just caught a cold and had a cough. The court doctor said it was not serious, so she didn't make a big fuss about it and went to the Imperial Hospital. She didn't tell you because she was afraid you would worry."
Kangxi disagreed when he heard this, but a warm current flowed through his heart, and his brows became softer.
"Grandmother is old and needs extra care. No problem can be neglected. If you have any problems in the future, please consult the imperial physician directly. Don't hide it from me, otherwise I will be even more worried after I know."
Hearing the emperor's words, the smile on Longkodo's face deepened, and a hint of complacency flashed in his eyes. As expected of the emperor who had half Tonggiya blood, he was close to Tonggiya. However, thinking that the emperor was already 38 years old this year, he frowned.
In ancient times, the average life expectancy was in the forties, so 38 years old was really not young. When the emperor dies, the next emperor will no longer have Tonggiya blood. Then the Tonggiya clan, who now relies on the emperor's maternal family, will no longer be able to enjoy the huge benefits of being a foreign relative.
Thinking of this, Longkodo picked up the teacup to hide the gleam in his eyes. No matter what, the emperor must have a concubine from the Tonggiya clan in the harem and give birth to a prince with Tonggiya blood. All the calculations in his mind were made in a flash.
Longkodo took a sip of tea, and after putting down the teacup, he acted like a dear uncle again, and said with a smile:
"With the emperor's words, I will go back and tell my mother. She loves you and will definitely not want you to worry more."
Kangxi smiled when he heard this, but the next moment he heard Longkodo casually say:
"Come to think of it, when I was paying my respects to my mother this morning, she mentioned Empress Xian and said she had never seen her before!"
Kangxi still had a smile on his face when he heard this, but there seemed to be something more on his face than before. He rubbed the jade ring slowly and said casually:
"Empress Xian entered the palace late, so Grandmother has never seen her. If you want to see her, you can wait until the palace banquet and then enter the palace to see her. But Empress Xian is shy, so Grandmother, please don't scare her."
Longkodo chewed over the emperor's words in his mind and came to the conclusion that the emperor really liked Concubine Xian. His heart suddenly sank.
The Guwalja clan, who were originally overtaken by the Tonggiya clan, have recently gained a lot of benefits by relying on the name of Empress Xian, and are gradually catching up.
This made the Tonggiya clan very unhappy. In addition, they wanted to send Tonggiya's daughter into the palace, but with the favored Concubine Xian in front of her, how could she be favored and have a child?
Fortunately, Si'er came up with a good idea. If Wanru could really climb into the emperor's bed, the harem would have Tong Jia's daughter again. As for the fact that Tong Jia and Wanru were other people's wives, it was a trivial matter. He could just find an excuse to deal with Jirgalang.
Kangxi had no idea what Longkodo was thinking, but he sensed something was amiss when Longkodo suddenly mentioned the little girl, and he rubbed the jade ring faster and faster.
Longkodo suppressed his thoughts and naturally took over the emperor's words:
"That's great. Next time there's a banquet in the palace, let me take a good look at Empress Xian."
He explained:
"In fact, she has heard a lot about your exclusive favor to Concubine Xian recently. She is a little curious about Concubine Xian and wonders what kind of girl the Emperor likes so much."
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere quieted down. Kangxi's expression remained unchanged, but his thin lips pursed up. He picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, then said calmly:
"What do you mean by exclusive favor? It's just rumors. The news in the palace is true and false. It's normal for people outside the palace not to know the truth. It's all my family affairs. Besides, Concubine Xian is gentle and sensible. Grandmother will definitely like her when she sees her."
The emperor is making his attitude clear by avoiding the main issue and making a big deal out of the matter of being the only favorite and then attributing it to family affairs.
Longkodo was a smart man, so he naturally understood what the emperor meant. However, he did not want Concubine Xian to continue to be favored by him, so he pretended not to understand the emperor's intention and continued:
"I see. That was my misunderstanding."
After saying this, he changed the subject:
"It's just that I have recently heard from the court that Empress Xian is the only one who favors the harem, and there seem to be some concerns from the royal family. To me, this is the emperor's family affair, and I can't make irresponsible comments. However, since it concerns the royal family, and you are responsible for the country, you can't deal with it lightly. You should just suppress the news for the sake of pretending."
After Longkodo finished speaking with great righteousness, he immediately stood up, lifted up his clothes with his big hands, and knelt down with a solemn expression.
"I hope Your Majesty will think deeply about this."
The atmosphere was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The palace maids wished their ears were tinnitus so they could not hear these fatal words.
After an unknown amount of time, Kangxi put down the teacup and placed the crisp porcelain on the table. Suddenly, a clicking sound was heard, which was particularly eye-catching in the quiet hall, and everyone's heart subconsciously trembled.
Kangxi looked at Longkodo with his deep phoenix eyes. Although his eyes were indifferent, Longkodo's heart tightened. It was not until his forehead was sweating and his back was soaked that he heard the emperor's calm voice:
"I understand, please leave."
What does it mean to know? Is it to deal with the rumors or to stop favoring Concubine Xian alone?
Longkodo could not guess the emperor's intentions, but he knew when to stop, so he conveyed the news that Concubine Xian's exclusive favor had caused instability in the court. The emperor was wise and brave, and was not trapped by the love affairs of his children. It was thought that he would soon restore the balance of power.
After Longkodo left, Liang Jiugong brought another cup of hot tea and gently placed it next to the emperor. Kangxi looked at it but had no intention of picking it up. Instead, he asked Liang Jiugong casually:
"Did you hear what Longkodo said just now? My exclusive favoritism towards Concubine Xian has caused instability in the court. Do you think I should adopt Longkodo's suggestion? Just pretend?"
Kangxi slightly emphasized the last four words, which sounded more profound.
Liang Jiugong dared not to discuss Empress Xian, so he bowed and said:
"Your Majesty's family affairs are decided by the Emperor. I am just a servant serving you, how dare I make the decision for you."
Kangxi laughed when he heard this, but there was no smile in his eyes.
"Listen, even you know that you dare not make decisions for me, but those servants are completely unaware and are pointing fingers at my family affairs."
Cold sweat dripped down Liang Jiugong's forehead and he didn't dare to respond. At this time, Xiao Fuzi came in from outside the door holding a tray.
"Your Majesty, Empress Xian sent someone to deliver a mink hat she made herself, saying that the weather is getting cold and it's for you to keep warm."
Kangxi looked at the hat on the tray and waved his hand. Xiao Fuzi immediately walked over carefully holding the tray.
Kangxi reached out and picked up the hat. The hat was made of mink fur, which was soft and warm. Looking closely, the stitches were not as fine as those of a professional embroiderer. Instead, they were a little uneven. However, Kangxi gently stroked the uneven stitches and smiled.
There is a sincere smile in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
"I already have such a hat, why do I need Concubine Xian to sew it myself? She is clumsy and the stitches are crude."
He said this, but the next moment he couldn't wait to put the hat on his head, then turned to ask Liang Jiugong and Xiao Fuzi.
"How is it?" Liang Jiugong and Xiao Fuzi looked at it and nodded repeatedly, praising it in various ways.
Kangxi was very happy to hear this. He adjusted his hat and turned to walk out the door.
"Go to Chuxiu Palace. I'm going to see if Concubine Xian's finger has been pricked."