Rong Fei is not honored

Kangxi was deeply distressed, but he couldn't confide in Ji Nai. Why bring Ji Nai into his distress when he couldn't do it yet?

When Ji Nai heard Kangxi say that she didn't understand, she felt unhappy and wanted to push away Kangxi, who was leaning against her and humming, but she couldn't bear to.

Perhaps it was because she became a mother and her maternal love overflowed, or perhaps it was because her mental age was much older than Kangxi's, so she was more tolerant. In any case, Ji Nai, who was easily swayed by gentleness but not by force, really couldn't bring herself to be harsh with Kangxi when he showed weakness.

"If His Majesty doesn't say, I naturally wouldn't know."

"I originally intended to take this opportunity to elevate you to the rank of Imperial Concubine, but that's no longer possible."

Ji Nai was startled. "Why did Your Majesty suddenly have this idea?"

"Not suddenly."

“Consort Rong is already very good,” Ji Nai said sincerely.

In the palace today, apart from the Empress and the Imperial Concubine, she holds the highest rank. Even if someone catches up to her later, she will still be the most senior, and she may well be able to fulfill her past life's wish and become the head of the concubines.

Kangxi released Ji Nai, tapped her forehead, and said with exasperation, "You're hopeless."

Ji Nai retorted, "It's not that the Empress Dowager doesn't like me, how can it be that I'm useless?"

Kangxi turned and lay back on Ji Nai's lap, sighing, "This time, it really wasn't the Empress Dowager's fault." He told Ji Nai about the grand play he had watched in Chengqian Palace, and then explained, "I had someone investigate, and the Tongjia clan did not lie."

Worried that Ji Nai might not believe it, Kangxi emphasized, "I did not protect the Tongjia clan. Although it is hard to believe, it is the truth."

When he first saw the results, Emperor Kangxi was also shocked. Who would have thought that a mere bondservant family could use its network of connections to implicate most of the people in the palace?

It's not that those people were all subservient to the Uya family and betrayed their original masters; they didn't have that kind of power. But when it was within their capabilities, opening a back door or doing someone a favor was still something they could do.

Even if they have no connection with the Wuya family, how can a person live in this world without owing any favors?

Ji Nai didn't disbelieve it, because she herself came from a bondservant background, and with her experiences in her previous life, she naturally had enough understanding of this group.

"Your Majesty has forgotten that I am also a bondservant, so how could I not believe you?"

I remember my father telling me back home that some bondservant families lived no worse than those of officials. In fact, because of their low status, they could do shady things more easily and discreetly than those powerful families.

After all, who would have thought that a slave who could be crushed with a single kick would have such audacity? Naturally, they must have been acting on the orders of their masters.

Ji Nai said she had no burden at all. Before she entered the palace, the Ma Jia clan was not doing very well. Their power in the court was not as great as that of the Guo Luo Luo clan, and their management of the harem was not as good as that of the Wu Ya clan.

If Kangxi really wanted to do something, Lady Magiya would at most be implicated and suffer minor damage, but it wouldn't be enough to cause any serious harm.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll suspect you if you say that?"

Ji Nai said indifferently, "Your Majesty, please investigate. I know what my family is capable of. Putting aside everything else, I haven't received any news from my family while I've been in the palace all these years."

On the one hand, Lady Magiya really didn't have the ability to interfere in the palace; on the other hand, Ji Nai never made any effort in this regard.

His family couldn't offer much help, and he was just grateful if they didn't become a burden. In addition, Emperor Kangxi was wary of collusion between insiders and outsiders, so Ji Nai simply assumed that he didn't understand the hints his mother occasionally gave him when she went to the palace.

"really?"

"At first, I didn't have the ability, but later I learned that you wouldn't allow it, so naturally I didn't dare to go against the grain."

"So well-behaved?" Kangxi smiled and pinched Ji Nai's cheek, but the pinching soon changed its tone.

Ji Nai glared at him, rescuing her lips from his clutches. She pressed on, "You're going to attack the Bao Yi family?"

Why do I sense that you're so excited? Are you so at ease with your family?

"Not entirely. It's mainly because I wanted to vent my anger. His Majesty has no idea how wicked those people are. If it weren't for my grandmother noticing something was wrong back then, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Ji Nai recounted the instructor's tricks and sighed, "I don't know if they were casting a wide net and I just happened to be one of the unlucky ones, or if someone had a keen eye and noticed the threat."

"Anyone who isn't blind can recognize your face, right?"

Emperor Kangxi was puzzled when Ji Nai pinched him. He hadn't said anything bad; wasn't this a roundabout way of praising Ji Nai's beauty?

Ji Nai angrily accused, "I knew His Majesty only liked this face!"

Kangxi was innocent; he was not such a shallow person. He retorted, "How could that be? What I like is you as a person."

No matter how beautiful a woman is, if she only has a beautiful appearance, she is not very interesting. Just like Juechan, who had long been forgotten by him.

"How could Your Majesty forget that before I fully matured, I wasn't pretty at all? You even laughed at me for looking like a lump of dough," Ji Nai said through gritted teeth.

"Is that so?" Although he asked the question, Kangxi's imposing manner clearly weakened.

It seems that this is true. When the Empress Dowager was selecting people, she specifically chose Ji Nai because she looked auspicious.

I don’t know if there really is such a thing as dragon energy, but in just a few years, she raised a celestial being. I guess even the Empress Dowager regretted that she had such good judgment.

Kangxi got up to coax her, saying in a self-righteous but firm tone, "I fell in love with you before you even grew up, so it's not just your face that I like."

Ji Nai really couldn't say anything bad about the other party, because it was indeed the case. His struggles weakened, and Kangxi successfully pulled him into his arms.

"Tell me which families were involved back then, and I'll avenge you."

"Hmph." It sounded more like she was being coquettish than throwing a tantrum.

"But Ji Nai, do you really not want to be a concubine?"

Ji Nai sensed the doubt in Kangxi's tone and knew that this was not a test. He said, "It would be a lie to say that I don't want to, but there's no need to."

"Not necessary?" What kind of answer is that?

"Whether it's Consort Rong or Noble Consort Rong, there's not much difference, is there? But now that Noble Consort Tongjia has been demoted to Consort Tong, wouldn't it be asking for trouble if I went up now?"

I already had enough troubles. Noble Lady Nara saw me as Wanfu's last hope, several other concubines in the palace who were princesses seemed to have designs on me, your dear cousin was eyeing me covetously, and now there's another one, Uya.

Ji Nai whispered in Kangxi's ear, "It's not that I have a dark mind, I really think that Wuya is trying to extort me."

"How to say?"

"Think about it, if something really happens to Uya in front of me, no matter how it happened, how could I escape responsibility?"

As for Uya, she might not really intend to scheme against me, but if she stands up to prove my innocence when I'm being condemned by everyone, then I'll owe her a favor.