Rebirth Plan to Save Leader

Chapter 12

Earlier, Kangxi had not only taken note of the Empress’s expression, but every person present had fallen under his scrutiny.

Whether it was Zhao Jia’s lack of explanation, her inaction, and her willful behavior, or the calculated remarks made by Ma Jia and the younger Lady Guo Luo—and their subsequent pretense of innocence after witnessing the Empress being misunderstood—it all drastically altered his perception of the harem concubines.

Previously, he had assumed that although these concubines were of lower birth, they were at least obedient and free of guile. Now it seemed his harem was no cleaner than that of his late Imperial Father; they certainly didn’t lack for schemes.

Furthermore, Zhao Jia had repeatedly claimed that the servant sent by the Empress was “uncomfortable” to have around. Was it not because Zhao Jia’s own lack of trust in the Empress had led to the harm of his child?

Kangxi’s expression was icy. He watched as Zhao Jia slowly fell into a daze before bursting into a helpless, frantic sob on the bed. His eyes held nothing but disgust. Nearby, Ma Jia and the Guo Luo sisters sensed the shift in atmosphere and were about to step forward to explain themselves to the Emperor.

But the Emperor no longer had the patience for idle chatter. With a cold face, he swept his sleeves and departed. This was the first time he had been utterly disappointed in his concubines.

Behind him, Zhao Jia continued to wail on the bed. However, she hadn’t been crying for long before her body began to ache again due to her excessive emotional agitation. The imperial physician hurried back to examine her, and Ma Jia and the Guo Luo sisters were “escorted” out of the room.

At that moment, none of them cared about the physician’s diagnosis. They were all replaying the Emperor’s parting gaze—a look so terrifying they had never experienced it before.

Ma Jia bit her lower lip. It’s just a temporary displeasure, she told herself. With a constitution as fertile as hers, the Emperor would never truly ignore her. It was all the Empress’s fault. She had already offended the Empress, so she needed to focus on bearing another Prince as quickly as possible. A solid rank was the only thing that mattered; as for the offense, it was done.

The younger Lady Guo Luo, however, was truly panicking. Although Zhao Jia was the culprit who had framed the Empress, she still carried the Emperor’s offspring. With that “shield,” the Emperor would frequently visit her even if he disliked her. Ma Jia was the most fertile woman in the palace, almost always bearing sons; the Emperor, having few heirs, would inevitably return to her quarters.

That left only her. She relied entirely on the Emperor’s favor to stand in the palace. Once she fell out of favor, how could she survive?

At this moment, her previous resentment toward the Empress for monopolizing the Emperor vanished completely. Compared to the danger of losing her own favor, the Empress’s success was no longer the primary concern.

Ultimately, she had overestimated her place in the Emperor’s heart and thought she could play fast and loose.

---

Kunning Palace

“Your Majesty, the servant who harmed Mistress Zhao Jia was one of her own close attendants. Mistress Zhao Jia treated her poorly in the past, so the servant finally struck out,” Nanny Zhou reported truthfully.

“Is there anyone behind that servant?” Li Mu didn’t believe a mere servant would have the courage to harm an imperial heir.

Nanny Zhou shook her head. “Shortly after that servant entered the palace, her family disappeared. It is said they had some connection to the Tong Manor.”

“I see.” Li Mu could almost certainly conclude that the servant was just a scapegoat. The mastermind was likely that person—the Lady Tong who was about to enter the palace.

The original owner’s memories told her that this Lady Tong was no ordinary woman. Shortly after entering the palace, she would witness the death of the successor Empress Niuhuru. Although she wasn’t immediately named Empress due to her family’s background in the Han Bordered Yellow Banner, she would preside over the harem for over a decade as Imperial Noble Consort. While she struggled to bear children herself, the future Emperor would be her foster son, and she would finally be promoted to Empress on the last day of her life.

In the eyes of posterity, Lady Tong’s only regret was not living long enough to see her foster son become Emperor. Had she lived, her status as the Mother Empress Dowager would not have been inferior to the Emperor’s biological mother.

“Speaking of which, Lady Tong should be entering the palace soon.”

Trying to give me a warning? To dampen my prestige?

Li Mu didn’t care. Who would win or lose was still undecided.

She relaxed, quickly tossing the unpleasantness of Zhongcui Palace to the back of her mind. In her words, this was simply a victory of who had more patience.

“Bring Yinreng to me.” Li Mu’s eyes curved into crescents; she missed him.

“Very well.” Seeing the smile return to the Empress’s face, Nanny Zhou assumed her mistress had let go of her worries. Little did she know that Li Mu had never been worried in the first place—it had all been a performance for outsiders.

The fair and plump Yinreng was carried to the soft kang bed. Li Mu lowered her eyes, looking at the child with warmth. As she watched him begin to babble, she handed him a rattle-drum. She was unaware of how incredibly gentle her expression was at that moment.

Entering the room, Kangxi saw this scene and felt a stir in his heart. As usual, he signaled for the servants to remain silent. He watched as the Empress gently pulled Yinreng into her arms and lowered her head to look at him, as if Yinreng were her entire world.

For some reason, he felt a sudden twinge of jealousy toward the child in her arms. Clearly, before this, it was he who had been looked at with that tender, longing gaze, not a child who hadn’t even grown up yet.

“Empress,” Kangxi called out.

The Empress startled. She handed Yinreng back to the wet nurse, lowered her head to straighten her clothes, and stepped forward slowly. “I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live.”

This stiff, formal manner—so different from how she had been lately—made Kangxi feel an inexplicable surge of irritation. This was exactly how she had treated him at the very beginning, but now he was no longer satisfied with it. He wanted to see the version of her whose heart and eyes were full of him.

“Are you blaming me?” Blaming me for not speaking up for you?

Kangxi stared at her intently, as if trying to detect a single flaw in her expression.

Li Mu shook her head. “I do not blame Your Majesty. I am the Empress personally invested by Your Majesty; how could I take such a trivial matter to heart?” The truth was, she didn’t think the Emperor’s lack of support was a big deal. She had long prepared herself mentally; it was best if the Emperor cared for her, but if not, she still had her family, her heir, and her power to rely on.

The Emperor not speaking up for her was really no big deal.

Then why are you treating me with such coldness? Kangxi didn’t ask the question out loud, but he continued to stare at her, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart.

Li Mu lowered her head, acting a bit embarrassed. “I was only thinking that I was too impulsive in front of Your Majesty earlier. I am the Empress. As Empress, how could I act on personal feelings? I was only thinking of leaving a good impression on Your Majesty and failed to properly handle the mistake made by Mistress Zhao Jia’s servant. Your Majesty, I will not act this way again.”

She looked up at the Emperor, her eyes shimmering, but in Kangxi’s view, the warmth was not as it had been before.

Kangxi felt a shift in his emotions. “Empress, you don’t have to be like this.”

“Pardon?”

“I said you don’t have to be like this. I do not dislike your kindness toward me.”

As the words left his mouth, Kangxi saw a light gradually brighten in the Empress’s eyes. She seemed unable to believe him. “Your Majesty truly does not blame me?”

“It wasn’t your fault, why would I blame you?” Kangxi suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Forget it, he thought, I prefer the Empress this way. Being a bit more candid wasn’t a bad thing.

Li Mu took a few steps forward and suddenly hugged him tightly. “Your Majesty is so kind.”

Kangxi was happy to enjoy the beauty in his arms, but Yinreng—either noticing he was being ignored or simply missing his mother—puckered his mouth and began to wail. The couple could no longer focus on their intimacy. One scrambled to pick up Yinreng to soothe him, while the other shook the rattle-drum for the child.

…After a fair amount of tossing and turning, the child finally stopped crying. Li Mu didn’t have much energy left for romance. After bathing, the two lay down in bed.

The Emperor fell asleep easily, but Li Mu stared at the bed curtains for a long time, unable to sleep.

She turned her head and whispered, “Your Majesty, I only want you to trust me more. That would be so good.” If she achieved that, her mission would be easy; she could just convince the Emperor to abdicate and pass the throne to Yinreng once he grew up.

Unfortunately, such things could only be dreamed of.

Li Mu felt a pang of regret but closed her eyes obediently. She had to attend to the Emperor when he woke up tomorrow; she had to find a way to fall asleep even if she didn’t want to.

As the breathing of the person beside him grew light, Kangxi opened his eyes. The Empress’s sleeping face was as serene as ever. He watched her for a long time before whispering, “I know.”

---

The next day, a groggy Li Mu felt a slight movement beside her. Her eyes wouldn’t open, so she reached out her hand to feel around. After searching for a while, she didn’t find the Emperor, but she touched something wet and quite soft.

Something… wet?

Li Mu was startled awake, only to find Yinreng lying beside her. Seeing his mother awake, he grinned and laughed happily, drool streaming down. So, what she had touched just now was the baby’s mouth?!

Li Mu looked at her hand with hesitation and then, with a hint of “disgust,” wiped it on Yinreng’s clothes. “Yinreng is so naughty. Imperial Mother prefers a son who doesn’t drool.”

A low chuckle came from nearby. Li Mu looked up to see Kangxi laughing with an arched eyebrow. “Empress, if Yinreng knew his mother didn’t like him, how sad would he be?”

“Your Majesty, you’ve started teasing me too. You know that’s not what I meant.” Li Mu felt both annoyed and amused. “But Your Majesty, why didn’t you wake me when you got up? You have to attend court; it wouldn’t be good to be late.” Although she personally hated being woken up, those were the rules here.

Kangxi shook his head. “If you are tired, Empress, you should rest. I have servants to attend to my dressing.” Why would he specifically wake the Empress? Were the servants by his side there just to eat for free?

Besides, he had noticed how late the Empress had fallen asleep last night; it was better to let her sleep longer.

“Your Majesty is so kind.”

A sweet smile bloomed for Kangxi. He couldn’t help but pat her head. He was the only one who treated the Empress well—no, there was also Yinreng. Kangxi looked at his son still lying on the bed and smiled. When this child grew up, he could protect the Empress as well.

As for those concubines, Kangxi didn’t really want to go near them lately. If even his favored ones could show such a face in front of the Empress, what would they do when he wasn’t looking? Would the others be even more brazen? He suspected he wouldn’t want to enter the harem for a while.

Kangxi’s gaze sharpened, and his look toward the Empress became even more gentle. It was only here with her that he felt at ease.

However, things do not always go as planned. After morning court, before Kangxi could even begin handling government affairs, Tong Guowei came to see him. The reason given was that several of his younger cousins missed him.

His cousins missed him? Kangxi found it somewhat amusing. The meaning was likely the opposite; it was his female cousin who missed him.

However, his uncle was a man who cared for appearances and didn’t want to tarnish his daughter’s reputation, so he intentionally spoke in reverse.

Tong Guowei sighed and said, “Your Majesty, when will you…” He let the words trail off.

Kangxi understood his meaning. He was asking when he would welcome his cousin into the palace. In the past, Kangxi would have been happy to be closer to his mother’s clan, but after yesterday’s events, he couldn’t help but think of how much the Empress would suffer if he brought his cousin into the palace.

Thinking of his cousin becoming a concubine, Kangxi inevitably felt some reservations. He knew her temperament; she was a person who wouldn’t even step on a passing ant. How could she be insolent to the Empress?

Yet the behavior of Ma Jia and Zhao Jia yesterday still sowed seeds of doubt. What if? There were plenty of people who put on an act in front of him. His cousin would surely hold a high rank upon entry. There was already a high-ranking Niuhuru in the palace; he hadn’t shown her favor over the years, which had broken her spirit. But if his cousin entered as a member of his mother’s clan, he could never treat her coldly.

From his cousin, Kangxi’s thoughts drifted to the Empress, and then to the Crown Prince. He was very satisfied with the current state of the harem. Perhaps there was no need for a cousin to enter the palace; there were other ways to grant glory to the Tong family besides making her a consort.

He looked at Tong Guowei. “Uncle, I have thought it over. My cousin has grown to be quite graceful. Why not marry her to a member of the Imperial Clan as a Primary Consort? Or perhaps to my brother-in-law—the Empress’s biological younger brother. He is not yet married…”

With a mental boom, Tong Guowei was stunned. Why was the Emperor not playing according to the rules?