mesbooks Chapter 157: Conspiracy Resurfaces Nanxi Confession (Revised)
Chapter 157: Conspiracy Resurfaces Nanxi Confession (Revised)
Yikun Palace.
Concubine Guo Luoluo was holding a pair of scissors, trimming the branches of a pot of peonies with a focused expression. At this time, Qiaohui hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in.
"Miss."
Without time to salute, she quickly stepped forward and whispered to her master for a moment. The next moment, with a click, Concubine Guo Luoluo accidentally cut off a peony bud. Looking at the bud that fell on the table, her expression was obscure.
After a while, he suddenly snorted, put down the scissors, moved to the table, and while washing his hands slowly, he sighed in an emotionless tone.
"What a pure and flawless, virtuous Empress Xian!"
There were only two confidants in the inner room, Nanny Wang and Qiaohui. Upon hearing her master's words, Nanny Wang frowned.
"My lady, has the plan failed?"
Concubine Guo Luoluo took the handkerchief from Qiaohui and wiped her hands without saying anything. Seeing this, Qiaohui pursed her lips and briefly recounted the matter of paying respects to the Yongshou Palace. Nanny Wang's face suddenly turned ugly and she couldn't help but say:
"Noble Concubine Niuhulu is really useless. Her Majesty has already revealed everything to her. She only needs to expose it properly at the scene of the imperial visit. She even messed up this and even caused the Emperor to issue an oral order to keep her mouth shut."
Speaking of this, his expression became even uglier.
"According to palace rules, anyone who violates the rules and discusses the throne will be killed. In this way, even if everyone knows that Concubine Xian seduced the emperor, no one will dare to discuss it. Our goal will be stillborn."
"He also solved the affair directly at the source and helped Empress Xian eliminate a major hidden danger!" Qiao Hui added expressionlessly.
There was silence in the room. Concubine Guo Luoluo threw the handkerchief into the brass basin, her pair of almond-shaped eyes clear and calm.
"This matter ends here. I overestimated the ability of Niuhulu and underestimated the emperor's feelings for Concubine Xian. But there are more people in the palace who have a grudge against Concubine Xian than just Niuhulu."
She paced towards the window frame and looked towards the West Six Palaces with a dark and deep look in her eyes.
Qiaohui followed the Empress's gaze and her heart moved.
"Your Highness, are you referring to Concubine Ping?"
Concubine Guo Luoluo turned her head.
"I heard that the imperial physician has asked Concubine Ping's young prince to prepare for his death. Concubine Ping has been cursing Concubine Xian in the Buddhist temple every day recently!"
"What does the queen mean?" Qiaohui's eyes flickered.
Concubine Guo Luoluo curled the corners of her mouth slightly, waved her hand, waited for Qiaohui to come up to her, and whispered to her for a moment. After listening, Qiaohui's eyes lit up and she immediately went down to make arrangements.
On the other side, Shi Nanxi silently followed Kangxi out of the hall, and suddenly felt her right hand being held.
"Your Majesty?" She looked up in surprise.
"Why are your hands so cold?"
Kangxi gently squeezed the soft hand in his hand, feeling the coolness, thinking that it was because he was frightened when paying his respects just now, so he wrapped his whole hand in his palm.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Shi Nanxi was so scared that she looked around. This was still the Yongshou Palace, filled with palace maids and eunuchs. Her face turned red, she pulled her hands away, and whispered:
"Your Majesty, please put it down. I am just born with a lower body temperature than ordinary people. I am fine."
Kangxi turned his head to watch the little girl's pale face gradually regain its color and his heavy emotions dissipated.
But he did not let go. Instead, he looked around, and the servants around him quickly lowered their heads even lower.
Then he pulled Shi Nanxi towards the dragon chariot as if no one was around.
"Your Majesty, this..."
Shi Nanxi bit her lip and looked at the dragon chariot in front of her. Apart from the emperor, only the queen was worthy of riding on the dragon chariot with the emperor. She looked a little hesitant.
Kangxi knew that the little girl was timid, so he raised their clasped hands and raised his eyebrows at Shi Nanxi.
"If you don't come up, we will stay here forever. I'm not in a hurry."
Shi Nanxi was startled when she heard this, and quickly looked at the palace maids and guards around her who were lowering their heads. When she saw that no one saw her, she seemed to be relieved. Finally, she stood there hesitating for a while, but still bit her lip and climbed onto the dragon chariot.
On the dragon chariot, Kangxi held Shi Nanxi's hand tightly and never let go. Shi Nanxi pulled back but didn't pull it back, so she let him hold it.
As if she was worried about something, she bit her lower lip lightly, and her frowned brows revealed a trace of worry and fear that she could not conceal, which made Kangxi feel distressed.
"I was late today and made you feel wronged."
As he spoke, he held Shi Nanxi's other hand, and the two of them faced each other, his voice soft.
"Don't be afraid. Even if someone gossips, it's because I seduced you and tempted you. I have other intentions..."
"Your Majesty, stop talking." Shi Nanxi pulled out her hand and quickly covered Kangxi's lips, biting her lip and looking up:
"I don't allow you to say that about me. I admire the emperor's heroic appearance and can't help but like him. Everything is my fault and has nothing to do with the emperor."
Kangxi covered his lips. Hearing the girl's eager confession, a smile appeared in his eyes. He kissed her palm and said in a deliberately low voice:
"So Nanxi likes me and admires my heroic demeanor?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Nanxi realized what she had just said and her expression froze. The next moment, she turned her head away as if she had been electrocuted and hurriedly denied it.
"The wind was strong just now, Your Majesty must have heard it wrong."
Seeing the little girl trying to cover her ears and steal the bell was so cute, Kangxi chuckled softly. The laughter made Shi Nanxi even more shy, and she could no longer hold back her anger at Kangxi.
"Your Majesty~"
"Okay, okay, the wind was strong just now and I heard it wrong." Kangxi followed the little girl's words, but the next moment he added:
"But there was no wind just now!"
As soon as these words came out, Shi Nanxi's body froze again. When she reacted, she pulled her hand hard. Seeing this, Kangxi didn't dare to tease her anymore. He increased the strength with one hand and turned Shi Nanxi's face with the other hand. He lowered his head and coaxed her:
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything more. I won't say anything more." After coaxing for a long time, Shi Nanxi stopped struggling and said in a nasal voice:
"The emperor said that you are not allowed to say it again."
Kangxi nodded in agreement. Looking at the lips that were swollen and red from being bitten by the little girl, he gently rubbed them with his thumb and whispered:
"Then Nanxi, stop biting your lips. They are swollen." Looking closer, there are still deep teeth marks on the lips that have not completely disappeared.
Kangxi knew that the little girl liked to bite her lips when she was nervous and scared. Therefore, it can be inferred that she had relied on the stinging sensation of biting her lips to barely remain calm in Yongshou Palace just now, which made him feel even more distressed and pity her.
"It's my fault. I should have skipped the greetings this morning." He felt a little regretful. At most he could just find an excuse.
Hearing this, Shi Nanxi subconsciously wanted to bite her lip again, but when she thought of what Kangxi had just said, she let it go and spoke hastily:
"It has nothing to do with the emperor. Paying respects is a rule. It is I who have implicated the emperor. I deserve to die. I should bear all the consequences. But I don't know how to protect the emperor's reputation from being implicated..."
Kangxi didn't expect the little girl to say that, and a trace of emotion appeared on his face.
Other concubines only cared about scheming against the girl, but forgot that love was a matter between two people. When they ruined the girl's reputation, they also ruined his reputation. But they didn't see it, or if they did, they only thought of catching the handle to suppress the concubines.
Only the little girl, only the little girl always thinks about him and cares about him.
How could he not like and favor a girl like this?
There are thousands of words in my heart, but they only become one sentence when they come out of my mouth:
"It's not a burden, it's what I long for."
Shi Nanxi's expression was stunned for a moment. Kangxi lowered his head and looked at Shi Nanxi. Seeing fatigue in her eyes and brows, he knew that she must be tired at this moment as it was her first time to be favored by the emperor yesterday. He squeezed her hand with heartache.
"Don't think about anything now, just close your eyes and rest for a while."
Shi Nanxi was indeed tired. After hearing Kangxi's words, her eyelashes trembled and she closed her eyes obediently.
Kangxi looked at this scene and made a gesture, asking the dragon chariot to slow down.
The dragon chariot immediately slowed down and moved slowly towards Chuxiu Palace.