"Ah Ning, why are you looking at like that?"
Noticing the slightly suspicious gaze from beside him, An Ning naturally withdrew her line of sight, ready lies flowing effortlessly from her lips:
"Nothing, I just feel Your Majesty has grown quite thin recently. Even when grieving, you should still take care of your health..."
Heaven have rcy, regardless of other tis, this ti her words contained so genuine sincerity.
However, hearing this, the emperor beside her snorted coldly, turned and glanced at her sideways, unclear whether he believed her or not, then lowered his head to sip his tea.
An Ning smoothly changed the subject:
"With Empress Xiaoyi's sudden passing, the Fourth Prince is still young after all, not yet married, so he'll need soone to look after him. What are Your Majesty's thoughts?"
After a mont of silence, the person opposite spoke in a deep voice:
"Entrust him to Consort De. She is his birth mother after all, so she should handle things more appropriately."
Not entirely unexpected.
As anticipated, An Ning nodded, continuing to nestle on the couch, pretending calm as she picked up a book to read.
But inwardly, she was still quietly wondering: Where did those princes and princesses in the middle go? Could she really have butterfly-effected them away?
Or had her dicine dosage last ti been subpar, actually harming soone?
Considering her technical issues, An Ning's expression couldn't help but grow more serious:
In any case, though she appeared like an ice-crystal beauty, her mind was currently filled with chaotic thoughts.
Unfortunately, this deanor was misunderstood by soone. After staring at her intently for a few monts and remaining silent briefly, the person beside her suddenly cleared his throat and spoke:
"Cousin accompanied for many years, sharing blood ties with . These years, she's been perpetually depressed over the princess matter... The empress position was her only wish before death..."
Tsk, truly a sentintal soul.
But why tell her this out of the blue?
As if sensing sothing, An Ning inwardly clicked her tongue, but didn't respond, continuing to lower her head and flip through the book in her hands.
The warm pavilion grew quite quiet for a mont, only the faint sound of paper rustling audible. After a while, the other party spoke in a deep voice:
"In a while, I'll issue an edict appointing you as Imperial Noble Consort."
Imperial Noble Consort? An Ning looked up from her book, her clear gaze fixed intently on the person before her.
Three parts affection, five parts warmth, mixed with two parts inexplicable complexity...
It seed sowhat sincere, but An Ning thought that while there might be so genuine feeling behind today's decision, more likely it involved other considerations!
If she wasn't mistaken, the Imperial Noble Consort position was probably going to fall to her anyway.
After all, regardless of private matters, on the surface, this person valued rules and reputation greatly.
Previously, the excuse for her managing palace affairs as a consort was that the Imperial Noble Consort was pregnant and had lost a daughter, plus she'd been physically weak these years. The other Imperial Noble Consort had young children and couldn't divide her attention.
But now the situation was completely different. With the empress deceased, the highest-ranked in the palace was undoubtedly Noble Consort Wen, who herself ca from the prominent Manchu clan Niohuru.
Even her Tenth Prince had moved to the Southern Three Compounds last year, so all the previous excuses no longer existed.
Thus, as the current highest-ranking consort, by reason and protocol, palace authority should naturally be handed over to her.
Whether to save face or to dilute the influence of the palace's only Imperial Noble Consort, promoting her was the most convenient solution. Even the excuse was ready-made - years of ritorious service managing palace affairs...
Besides... if she rembered correctly, recently, before the empress passed, didn't she have her younger sister visit?
Tongjiashi - just looking at this surna, entering the palace with consort rank was appropriate. This way, the originally full four consorts quota beca even fuller...
All these thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. When she looked up again, An Ning's face carried a three-part smile. Giving an almost imperceptible nod, the person on the couch spoke in a light, sowhat casual tone:
"Alright!"
No false refusal, no so-called fearful reverence, as if it were completely natural, An Ning directly agreed.
"Your decision, my lord!"
Who cared whether it was sincere or had other motives? A promotion and raise - take what's offered for free.
Anyway, she wasn't the one losing out.
Lightly picking up a freshly chilled lychee and placing it in her mouth, An Ning continued skillfully turning the page.
However, seeing her like this, the person opposite suddenly darkened his gaze.
Noon ti, when sunlight was strongest, brilliant sunshine spilled through the window, making the person before him appear even more radiant, her aura unlike that of the mortal world.
Clearly she was right before him...
Staring intently at the person before him, sothing seed to surge in Kangxi's eyes, but after the waves subsided, he only lightly sipped his cold tea and spoke as if casually:
"Hasn't Ah Ning always found the palace stuffy? After handling this matter, why don't we move to Changchun Garden?"
Unfortunately, before they could go to Changchun Garden, trouble first erupted in the palace.
When An Ning learned that the Fourth Prince had fainted from refusing to eat or drink while kneeling before the empress's spirit tablet despite palace servants' attempts to stop him, due to excessive grief, she was having breakfast in Qianqing Palace.
Hearing the palace servant's report, the wonton in her mouth nearly fell out:
"Cough cough, wait... what did you just say?"
The Fourth Prince, fainted, because of excessive grief for his adoptive mother? Perhaps because the information was too dense, An Ning was montarily stunned, then couldn't help looking at Kangxi beside her:
"Didn't Your Majesty say you issued the edict earlier?"
Since he was soon returning to his birth mother's side, even if the Fourth Prince was simple-minded or stubborn, he wouldn't go this far, right?
This was purely embarrassing his birth mother!
Hearing this, Kangxi also fell silent for a mont, his spoon making a crisp sound, before he finally spoke gravely:
"Cousin just passed away, and Yin Zhen was the only child who remained by her side these years, so I thought to wait a while longer..."
Finally, perhaps seeing the other person's utterly speechless expression, he couldn't help feeling sowhat annoyed:
"The Fourth Prince is no ignorant child, nearly marriageable age, yet his actions remain so..."
Ultimately mindful of the other's filial piety, this sharp-tongued old father didn't utter the word "reckless." Seeing this, the speechlessness in An Ning's eyes deepened.
One could only say the favoritism was truly remarkable.
If it were anyone else today - not to ntion the crown prince, even the Eldest Young Master - this person would only praise their admirable filial piety, rather than questioning how much sincerity a ten-sothing-year-old child had, or whether it was intentional...
But palace children were indeed not simple.
Couldn't be bothered to consider whether he was truly overco with grief, or bewildered by his adoptive mother's death and biological father's indifference, or sothing else...
After a mont of silence, An Ning finally set down her chopsticks and looked helplessly at this person:
"Then allow to ask one more thing - when does Your Majesty plan to issue the edict?"
The person opposite also silently sipped his tea:
"Just a quarter-hour ago, Liang Jiugong took people to Yongshou Palace..."
An Ning: "!!!"
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