Rong Fei is not honored

Imperial Physician Liu had mentioned to him that the Empress's illness had come on rapidly and was in some danger. He suggested that if Consort Rong could take over the Empress's three meals a day, it would greatly help the Empress's health.

But Emperor Kangxi refused.

As for the Kunning Palace, perhaps the Empress knew this matter was inappropriate, so she never mentioned it to him. Now that Ji Nai has brought it up himself, Kangxi naturally will not agree.

"Stop! Wu Sangui has already started his rebellion. Even if the Empress recovers now, it will be of no use."

"With His Majesty here, what is there to worry about with mere rebels? I just... It is a fact that Her Majesty was healthy before. If her illness does not improve, then by comparison, His Majesty's crime of harming his wife will be deeply ingrained in people's minds."

"So, you're doing this for me?"

"What else? I'm not stupid. Even if I can't bear to see Her Majesty the Empress suffer from illness, I won't put myself in danger for Chengrui and the others."

...I didn't mean to say that Kunning Palace is a den of dragons and tigers, it's just..."

Before Ji Nai could finish speaking, Kangxi pulled him into his arms.

She lay down on Kangxi's chest, feeling the beating of his heart, and broke the mood by saying, "Is Your Majesty very happy?"

"No," Kangxi denied decisively.

"Wu Sangui's ascension to the throne is like a slap in the face to me. Those old foxes of the previous dynasty seem loyal, but in reality they all have their own ulterior motives. How could I possibly be happy?"

"Actually, you don't need to explain so much."

"Shut up!"

"Oh."

Even without looking up, Ji Nai knew that Kangxi was furious and embarrassed, and even his voice revealed a strong sense of guilt.

She always knew that Kangxi resented her, resented that she had chosen to abandon him and the other children for Yinzhi. It was precisely because of this unresolved issue that Kangxi's attitude towards Yinzhi was so unpredictable.

This time, even though he knew it was not a good thing to be too involved with Kunning Palace, and even though he knew he shouldn't take risks for the sake of the children, Ji Nai still chose to wade into this mess.

What else could it be for?

Ji Nai stopped talking and lay quietly with Kangxi, enjoying the moment of happiness when they were alone.

"Amma!"

"Eniang!"

The howling of Saiyinchahun echoed outside the hall. Ji Nai stirred, but when he felt the arms holding him still tightening their grip, he pretended not to hear it.

"Stop shouting..."

"That won't do. What if Father and Mother start fighting?"

Cheng Rui hesitated and said, "It shouldn't be, right? There's no sound from inside."

"Could he have been knocked unconscious?"

"Then...who was knocked unconscious?"

This was a crucial question that determined whether or not they should open the temple doors.

If it were Mother who was knocked unconscious, they would naturally rush in to save the poor Mother. If it were Father who was knocked unconscious... it's not that they didn't care about Father, it's just that Father was the Emperor, and once people found out, Mother would be in danger.

"Have the servants step back, and we'll just barge in," Yinfu calmly suggested.

His words were unanimously agreed upon by his older brothers and sisters.

The servants are not allowed to get close. Whatever happens inside, only they will know, and how to resolve it afterwards is their family's business.

Nothing happened between the Emperor and Consort Rong; the problem only arose between their father and mother.

Ji Nai was so angry he almost laughed. Were these kids joking? Their voices could be clearly heard through the palace doors. They were plotting so loudly, did they really expect the servants outside not to hear them?

Ji Nai patted Kangxi, signaling him to let go of him.

Kangxi stroked Ji Nai's head with his chin and said lazily, "Don't worry about it."

"Your Majesty, please pay attention to them. Otherwise, if they continue to talk, the news that 'Consort Rong and her offspring plotted to murder the Emperor' will spread throughout the palace tomorrow."

After a moment of silence, Kangxi sighed deeply. Having too many children is not good either; they are all here to collect debts.

Kangxi released Ji Nai, sat up, and they helped each other tidy their clothes and hair.

The "conspiracy" outside had progressed to the point of figuring out how to sneak in Wu Taiyi, Zhong Cuigong's trusted physician, without anyone noticing, and also to have trusted servants surround Liang Jiugong and the servants he brought.

The veins on Kangxi's forehead throbbed as he interrupted the increasingly absurd remarks of the group, roaring, "Get inside here, all of you!"

The sounds outside abruptly ceased, but there was no further movement. After a long while, the palace door was opened a crack, and Saiyinchahun's head cautiously peeked in.

After meeting Kangxi's gaze, she quickly looked away as if startled.

"I'll count to three! One!"

Before the words were finished, the sound of clothes rustling came from outside the hall. Then the hall doors were seen wide open, and the servants outside kept their heads bowed as several children pushed and shoved their way in.

Cheng Rui was the tallest, and although somewhat thin, he was still considered the best person to shield his parents. He was pushed to the front with a wry smile, forcing a smile as he bowed to his father and mother.

Kangxi glared at Chengrui at the front and said irritably, "You're so old already, yet you're still causing trouble with your younger siblings!"

Cheng Rui blushed. He also felt it was inappropriate, but Saiyinchahun said that his father was in a bad mood. Perhaps if they argued, his father would vent his anger and feel less upset.

Chengrui thought his younger brother made a lot of sense, and his younger siblings all agreed. Then, in a moment of confusion, he agreed.

Ji Nai nudged Kangxi with dissatisfaction, then turned and asked, "Whose idea was this?"

Then, Sainchahun was pushed forward.

He staggered a few steps, and as soon as he regained his balance, he looked incredulously at his younger siblings who were hiding behind his eldest brother and had betrayed him without hesitation.

Ji Nai then asked, "Who started it?"

Cheng Rui readily admitted, "It was me."

He didn't see that three small hands were peeking out from behind him, all pointing at Saiyinchahun.

Ji Nai looked at Kangxi and complained, "It was Saiyinchahun who came up with the idea and took the lead. Cheng Rui, as the eldest brother, took the initiative to take responsibility, which is already very good."

Kangxi knew that Ji Nai was complaining that he had blamed Cheng Rui, so he explained, "He is the eldest brother. He didn't stop his younger siblings from making mistakes. Shouldn't he be reprimanded? Besides, I only said one sentence."

"Chengrui was born first, so he's destined to always be the eldest brother. The order of age can't be reversed. It's so unfair that if his younger siblings make mistakes, it's all his responsibility."

Although they are brothers, each of them is an independent individual. Whoever makes a mistake should be punished; how can you take your anger out on them?

"I understand what you're saying, but this time they made the same mistake together. Cheng Rui not only didn't stop them, but he also joined in their foolish behavior..."

"If Cheng Rui weren't the eldest brother, would you still criticize him?"