Chapter 13

Kang Yuyi’s mouth remained open for a long time, unable to utter a word. Her almond-shaped eyes, filled with tears, were wide open, and she struggled to regain her composure.

“What’s wrong?” The emperor frowned slightly, reaching out to pull her into his embrace, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Kang Yuyi buried her face in his arms, and the sense of grievance and discomfort surged like a wild tide within her.

She began to sob uncontrollably, her shoulders heaving as she soaked his silvery-white robe with her tears.

At the end of March in the thirty-first year of Yongfeng, spring was in full bloom.

In the East Courtyard where the Qínwáng shìzǐ resided, a tall maid peeked her head out from the North Corner Gate.

After a while, Kang Yuyi emerged from the side room and headed to the small kitchen to collect her meal.

Since she had not yet been formally adopted by the Qínwáng shìzǐ, no one was assigned to serve her, so she had to personally go to the small kitchen in the East Courtyard for her meals.

As she passed the North Corner Gate, she saw Jing Yi, with whom she had grown up, and approached her with joy.

Jing Yi’s surname was Liao, and her mother, like Kang Yuyi’s mother Zhou, was a maid who accompanied the Qínwángfēi.

The Qínwángfēi had given names to the children of the maids who had married into the royal household, and the girls’ names all ended with the character “Yi.”

In the East Courtyard, where rules were strict, Jing Yi dared not intrude and had waited until she saw Kang Yuyi to hurriedly pull her away.

“Yuyi! Hurry, come with me! Your mother says she needs to see you for something important!”

Jing Yi, being a few years older and much taller than Kang Yuyi, easily pulled her away from her daze.

As they ran, Kang Yuyi, still confused, asked, “Sister Jing Yi, what’s going on?”

Jing Yi did not answer but quickly led her toward the northwest corner of the Qínwáng shìzǐ’s residence, through some desolate paths.

Although Kang Yuyi was puzzled, she didn’t think much of it. Since Jing Yi and she had grown up together and were very close, she trusted her urgency.

They arrived at a small, deserted courtyard in the northwest corner of the royal residence, and Jing Yi pulled Kang Yuyi into one of the side rooms.

“Sister Jing Yi, why are we here? Didn’t my mother want to see me?” Kang Yuyi panted, her round breasts rising and falling with her breathing.

“Yuyi, let me explain, don’t rush.” Jing Yi, also slightly breathless, was clearly anxious.

“You know the Qínwángfēi went to the Clear Spring Temple to pray the other day, and your mother went with her. Since you often suffer from nightmares, your mother managed to get a Daoist priest to make a special pill for you.”

Jing Yi then took out a small, exquisitely crafted bottle from a hidden pocket in her collar and poured a pill into her hand.

Kang Yuyi looked at the black pill, the size of a red bean, with some hesitation and did not immediately take it.

She had experienced nightmares since childhood and had tried various charms and medicines with little effect, though the frequency had decreased as she grew older.

Seeing her hesitation, Jing Yi urged, “Hurry and take it! The Daoist priest said that if it’s left for too long, the medicine’s effectiveness will decrease!”

Kang Yuyi hesitated for a moment but then took the pill and put it in her mouth. Unlike the bitter pills she had taken before, this one was sweet and pleasant.

Seeing her finally swallow the pill, Jing Yi sighed with relief.

Then Jing Yi suddenly said, “Yuyi, did you know that the cousin of the Qínwáng shìzǐ proposed to your family yesterday?”

As soon as the pill was swallowed, Kang Yuyi felt her body heat up in a flash, and her whole face instantly turned red and dripping with blood.

Jing Yi added, “What you just consumed was a potent aphrodisiac. Since you refuse to serve Shizi, your mother thought it would be acceptable for you to become a concubine to Shizi’s cousin instead.”

“The cousin will be here soon, so be sure to behave yourself!” After saying that, Jing Yi didn’t dare to stay another moment. She quickly turned and left, locking the door of the room behind her.

Kang Yu Yi tried to grab Jing Yi, but the intense itching that spread over her body made her feel faint and disoriented. She collapsed to the ground.

Perhaps realizing that the drug’s effects would be too overwhelming for her to escape, she had not locked the window, only closed it tightly.

Kang Yu Yi gritted her teeth and endured the unbearable itching coursing through her entire body. She managed to crawl to the relatively low window sill and climbed out.

Outside, it was getting dark, and the remote courtyard was deserted. The cousin Jing Yi mentioned had not yet arrived.

The relentless heat and itching made each step a struggle. Summoning all her strength to bear the discomfort, she ran back to the East Courtyard where the Qin Shizi resided and burst into his bedchamber.

Because His Highness the Qin Shizi was inexperienced in intimate matters, he was very inept and ejaculated before he could fully penetrate.

Kang Yu Yi, overwhelmed by intense desire and unable to find relief, ended up riding the Qin Shizi’s face and achieved release in his mouth……

By the afternoon of the next day, Kang Yu Yi woke up, still feeling uncomfortable, and forced herself to get up to search for her mother, Mrs. Zhou.

Seeing that her mother did not appear unusual, Kang Yu Yi still clung to hope. “Mother, was it you who sent Jing Yi to find me yesterday?”

“Yes, it was me who sent her,” Zhou replied without hesitation.

“Then, was the matter with the Qin Shizi also arranged by you?” Kang Yu Yi asked, her hands clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

Zhou thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, the Qin Shizi is a good person and treats us subordinates very kindly.”

“Why do you look like this…?” Zhou looked her daughter up and down, then, as if recalling something, she asked with unexpected joy, “Did something happen yesterday?”

Kang Yu Yi’s heart felt like it had been plunged into ice water.

Remembering the torment she endured after being tricked into taking the pills yesterday, her heart surged with anger and grievance. She turned and ran away.

At the end of May in the fifth year of Yuan Xi, the Empress Dowager’s 60th birthday banquet was held.

That morning, the sky was clear and the sun was shining.

The civil and military officials and their families entered the Jinghe Hall, where the banquet was to be held, in an orderly manner before dawn.

It was not until close to the appointed hour that the Emperor arrived with the Consort. Once all the guests had arrived, the Empress Dowager made her entrance at the auspicious time determined by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Everyone stood to salute the Empress Dowager and loudly congratulated her on her 60th birthday.

As the guest of honor, the Empress Dowager sat at the main seat at the top, with the Emperor seated to the east of the main seat, and the Consort sitting at the lower end of the east side, beside the Emperor.

The position on the west side of the main seat, designated for the Empress Dowager, was left vacant.

Since the sudden death of the late Emperor, who was both her childhood friend and loving husband, the Empress Dowager Cui had devoted herself to Buddhism, practicing daily in the small Buddha Hall on the west side of the Renshou Palace.

Even for the Empress Dowager’s 60th birthday banquet, she claimed illness and did not attend, sending only a birthday gift.

As this had been her practice for many years, everyone was accustomed to it.

As for the eldest son, who is kept in the Renshou Palace and has not yet reached his first birthday, he was not brought to the banquet due to the large number of guests, to avoid startling him.

Although Kang Yu Yi was dressed in fine clothing, her face looked obviously haggard, with slightly dazed eyes and a trance-like expression.

Upon entering the banquet, she saw her parents seated at a table not too far from each other.

Kang’s father and Zhou, having not seen their daughter for many years, were very proud to see her now a noble consort, receiving ceremonial gifts from the civil and military officials along with His Majesty. Their joy was evident and could not be concealed.

The auspicious time arrived, and the Holy Birthday Feast officially began.

The Emperor’s gift was the first to be presented: a calligraphic painting of a hundred characters for longevity, each character in a different style, including regular script, clerical script, seal script, running script, and cursive script.

“The Emperor’s gift is thoughtful; I am very pleased with it,” the Empress Dowager said with a kind smile, signaling her attendants to accept the gift.

“I would like to ask the Emperor for another gift,” the Empress Dowager continued with a smile, “This year, I plan to organize a talent show to liven up the palace. What do you think?”

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