Rebirth: The Fourth Lady Wants to Lie Down

The glazed tiles of the Qianqing Palace sparkled with golden light under the setting sun. Rong Fei led her nanny through the palace corridor and walked hurriedly towards Kangxi. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her heart was full of worries.

Emperor Kangxi was in the imperial study room of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, holding a red brush in one hand and flipping through memorials with the other, his brows furrowed in concentration. Li Dequan stood by, looking out the door from time to time.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Rong requests an audience." Li Dequan reported softly.

Kangxi's hand paused, and the red pen hovered in the air. He raised his head, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Rong Fei? Why is she here?" Since the third prince got married, Rong Fei seldom set foot in the Qianqing Palace. Kangxi was a little surprised by the sudden visit of his favorite concubine of many years.

Li Dequan bowed and said, "I don't know either. Empress Rong only said that she had stewed some tonic food and brought it here to nourish the emperor."

Kangxi put down the memorial in his hand and said calmly: "In that case, please invite Rong Fei in."

Soon, Rong Fei, accompanied by her nanny, entered the Palace of Heavenly Purity. She walked lightly to Emperor Kangxi and saluted gracefully: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

Kangxi looked at Rong Fei and saw that she was dressed elegantly but looked a little solemn. He couldn't help but ask, "Rong Fei, how did you have time to come to the Qianqing Palace today? What supplements did you bring?"

Rong Fei raised her head and looked at Kangxi, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. But she quickly calmed down and said softly: "I have seen that the emperor is busy with government affairs recently. He has been reviewing memorials day and night. He must be exhausted. I specially stewed some tonic food, hoping to share some of the burden with the emperor."

Kangxi smiled after hearing this. He knew that Rong Fei had been with him for many years and had always been gentle and virtuous. She must have had other intentions for her actions today. However, he did not point it out, but just said gently: "Rong Fei has a good intention, and I would be disrespectful to refuse it."

He personally tasted the tonic sent by Rong Fei and praised it highly. After using it, he looked at Rong Fei and said gently: "Rong Fei, I really like the tonic you sent today. But I want to know more, do you have anything else to do on this trip?"

Rong Fei's heart tightened when she heard this. She knew that Kangxi was extremely smart and she would not be able to hide this trip from him. So, she took a deep breath and told Kangxi in a crying voice that the Third Prince was injured by Longkodo's horse.

After listening to Rong Fei's story, Kangxi frowned. He comforted Rong Fei for a few words, and then said solemnly: "Rong Fei, don't worry, I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If it is really Longkodo's doing, I will give justice to the third prince."

When Rong Fei heard Kangxi's words, she felt relieved. She knew that Kangxi was a wise ruler and would handle the matter fairly. So she respectfully said goodbye to Kangxi and left the Qianqing Palace with her nanny.

With the departure of Concubine Rong, the Qianqing Palace returned to peace again.

Emperor Kangxi sat on the throne with a frown on his face. His eyes seemed to penetrate the splendor of the palace and reach the unfathomable palace struggle. The injury of the Third Prince had always troubled him. He knew that this incident was not simple and there might be many complex forces hidden behind it.

"Li Dequan." Kangxi's voice broke the silence of the palace, and he called his personal eunuch.

Li Dequan immediately stepped forward and knelt respectfully: "I am your servant. May I ask what the emperor wants me to do?"

Kangxi said in a deep voice: "Go and investigate the matter of the Third Prince's injury. I want to know the truth."

Li Dequan knew Kangxi's character and the importance of this matter, so he immediately took the order and left. The people around Kangxi acted very quickly, and not long after, Li Dequan came back with a solemn look on his face.

"Your Majesty, I have already found out everything." There was a tremor in Li Dequan's voice, as if the truth behind it shocked him.

Kangxi raised his head, his eyes were sharp: "Speak."

Li Dequan took a deep breath and began to narrate: "That day, the Fourth Lady and the Fourteenth Prince had an argument on the street, and the Third Prince happened to pass by. He tried to mediate, but unexpectedly got dragged into the dispute. And all of this was related to a concubine named Li Si'er."

When Kangxi heard this, his brows furrowed even more tightly: "Li Si'er? Who is she?"

Li Dequan explained: "Li Si'er is the concubine of Lord Longkodo. She is arrogant and domineering and often stirs up trouble. This time she had an argument with the Fourth Lady over some trivial matters, which led to a bigger conflict."

After hearing this, Kangxi's eyes flashed with anger: "How dare a concubine be so arrogant and cause a dispute between my son and my ministers? This is something I cannot tolerate." He paused, and his voice became more firm, "Li Dequan, go to Jingzhao Yin and tell them to execute Li Si'er immediately."

Li Dequan knew that Kangxi's decision could not be changed, so he left. Kangxi continued to sit on the throne, pondering the changes in the court, determined to find out the truth and give the third prince a fair explanation.

In Longkodo's mansion far away from the imperial palace, a shocking news spread to every corner - Emperor Kangxi ordered the execution of his beloved Li Si'er.

When Longkodo heard the news, he was shocked. His face turned pale and his eyes were filled with disbelief. He could not imagine that Li Sier, whom he loved so much, would suffer such a fate. He stood up and desperately wanted to rush into the palace to ask Kangxi to withdraw his decision.

"Longkodo! Stop right there!" Tong Guowei's voice sounded behind him, with a bit of anxiety and worry. He saw his son losing his composure and knew that Longkodo had lost his mind.

But Longkodo seemed not to hear it, he broke free from the servants' obstruction and ran away. His heart was beating as fast as thunder, and there was only one thought in his mind - he wanted to save Li Si'er.

In the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Kangxi was sitting on the throne handling government affairs. Suddenly, a figure came into his sight - it was Longkodo, who looked anxious.

Longkodo knelt down in front of Kangxi, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, please take back your order! Li Si'er is innocent, she should not be punished like this!"

Kangxi looked at Longkodo in front of him with a frown. He did not expect that this usually calm minister would lose his composure for a concubine. He said coldly: "Longkodo, are you questioning my decision?"

Longkodo raised his head, his eyes full of pleading: "Your Majesty, I dare not question your decision. But Li Si'er is indeed innocent, and she should not be punished so severely for such a small matter. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and give her a chance to reform."

Kangxi looked at Longkodo and was a little shaken. But he quickly made up his mind: "Longkodo, you stand up. My decision will not change. You step down."

However, Longkodo did not stand up. He continued to kneel there and kept begging Kangxi. Kangxi looked at him, and his anger gradually rose. He ordered in a cold voice: "Come here, take Longkodo out!"

Several guards immediately stepped forward, helped Longkodo up and took him out of the Qianqing Palace. Kangxi took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He decided to teach Longkodo a lesson, so he ordered him to be removed from his position and told Tong Guowei that he didn't want to see Longkodo recently.