Chapter 29 – The Victor

What warm and fragrant jade beauty?
What ambiguous intimacy?

All of it vanished like smoke after that collision. Kangxi’s only impression of Second Class Attendant Wan was reduced to a single line: Her head… is really hard!

Liang Jiugong’s face turned pale in an instant.

Seeing the Emperor swaying from the impact and grimacing in pain, he quickly ordered the palace attendants to summon the imperial physician.

Just as the young eunuch ran to the door, he was stopped by Kangxi’s shout.

With a dark expression and sharp eyes sweeping toward Liang Jiugong, he said coldly, “Nonsense! What do you need the physician for? And what would you even say to him, hmm?”

Say that I knocked heads with Second Class Attendant Wan and fainted?

Wouldn’t that be a complete joke if word got out! Looking at Second Class Attendant Wan holding her forehead with tears in her eyes from the pain—alright, not tears, but rather grimacing in agony—Kangxi’s tender heart had long disappeared.

One could say that not blaming her was already giving her enough face. Kangxi calmly stood up, kindly instructed Second Class Attendant Wan to get some rest, and then quickly made his exit.

Wan Anran had never intended to keep Lord Kang around in the first place.

Not that she held a grudge, but every time Lord Kang came around, he picked faults endlessly. If he didn’t find three or four flaws in even a single egg, he wouldn’t be satisfied. With that attitude, how could Wan Anran possibly see him in a favorable light? Her face remained calm, but inwardly she was bursting with joy. She personally escorted the Emperor out.

Second Class Attendant Wan’s expression held an undefinable emotion—truthfully, it was glee. When Kangxi looked back, he started to wonder whether he had left too hastily. Was it too cold of him?

His steps faltered for a moment.

Wan Anran: …?

Your Majesty, please, just go!

Kangxi lowered his gaze and caught sight of the swelling on Second Class Attendant Wan’s forehead. Her skin was fair, and even without powder, there was no sign of pores. Now that pristine look was marred by a faint bluish swelling.

Wan Anran quickly covered her forehead.

Amused by her movement, Kangxi chuckled. He instructed Liang Jiugong to send over some healing salve later. Before Second Class Attendant Wan could kneel and thank him, Kangxi smiled and added, “And don’t forget about the gloves.”

The implication was clear.

Before making lambswool slippers for the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince, Second Class Attendant Wan must first finish the gloves.

Such a petty man!

But considering the reward being delivered personally, Wan Anran still responded swiftly and obediently. She earnestly promised to complete the task as quickly as possible and submit it to the Emperor soon.

Once Kangxi left, Wan Anran finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Rubbing her still-aching forehead, she returned to her room and had Haitao fetch some ointment.

Holding a bronze mirror, she examined herself from every angle.

The face in the mirror resembled her modern self by seventy to eighty percent. The only difference was that Second Class Attendant Wan’s features were more refined and better maintained—no fine lines, acne scars, or even the faintest hint of dark circles.

If she damaged it even slightly, Wan Anran would cry for sure!

Haitao gently dabbed the ointment onto the bump with a soft touch as she muttered, “My lady… who does this? Clearly, it was a perfect opportunity to make the Emperor stay, and it just slipped by…”

Wouldn’t throwing yourself into his arms have been ideal?

The atmosphere had been so right! The more Haitao thought about it, the more distressed she felt over her mistress’s missed chance—don’t think she hadn’t noticed, the direction her mistress launched toward had clearly been aimed at the Emperor!

Haitao pouted and raised her nose high.

Zisu, however, had a different opinion. She shook her head. “If you ask me, our lady did it just right.”

Haitao looked unconvinced. “…Eh?”

Zisu explained softly, “If our lady had thrown herself into his arms—whether it was intentional or not—the Emperor might assume she did it deliberately, and that could’ve harmed her image in his eyes.”

What kind of image? A hard-headed kid?

Wan Anran was thoroughly bewildered, her inner voice overflowing with sarcasm.

Haitao agreed. “Headbutting the Emperor like that—how could that possibly leave a good impression…”

A glint of amusement flickered in Zisu’s eyes.

Unhurriedly, she elaborated, “The Emperor likely came this time because of the lambswool slippers given to the Crown Prince.”

Everyone knew this.

Haitao and Jubaibai nodded in unison.

Zisu continued, “If our lady had used the opportunity to get close to the Emperor, he might have later suspected her of trying to climb the ranks by leveraging the Crown Prince.”

The Emperor valued the Crown Prince immensely.

Take Nanny Tu, for example. The Emperor hadn’t punished her directly, merely expelled her from the palace. What the Crown Prince didn’t know was that Nanny Tu’s husband had also been demoted—from a promising steward in the Imperial Household Department to a lowly estate manager in Shengjing. Would he ever return to the capital? Anyone could guess the answer: impossible!

Besides that, the Emperor had thoroughly purged the Crown Prince’s attendants. Regardless of their background, anyone caught being lazy, accepting bribes, or misbehaving was either beaten with twenty strokes or sent to manage far-flung imperial estates.

If our lady were suspected of using the Crown Prince to rise in rank, any favor she had would plummet to negative five hundred.

Zisu spoke with such gravity that Haitao and Jubaibai listened earnestly. Just imagining their mistress being cast aside sent cold sweat down their backs. The two looked up at their mistress, faces full of awe and admiration: “My lady’s foresight is beyond anything we could ever hope to match!”

Am I really that amazing?

Wan Anran grumbled internally but kept a calm expression, projecting complete control and confidence.

The three maids continued to shower her with praise.

The East Chamber gradually warmed up with cheerful chatter. After a while, someone brought up another matter.

The gloves.

Mistress and maids all stared at one another. Wan Anran finally laughed, “So the Emperor was talking about the gloves!? We were completely misled by Nanny Xia.”

Somewhere, Nanny Xia sneezed.

Look at that metaphorical black pot—it landed squarely on her head.

Haitao and the others couldn’t help themselves either.

Jubaibai laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Good thing you were a bit slow giving the gift—what a lucky break!”

Wasn’t that the truth?

If Xu Changzai hadn’t acted first, then even after all the trouble and effort, Wan Anran might not have even gotten a smile from the Emperor.

Speaking of poor Xu Changzai, all four shook their heads.

Why send something odd like shoe insoles instead of a proper gift? Now she had left a strange impression on the Emperor and even earned a scolding and punishment from Consort Xuan. Truly… unlucky beyond words.

Wan Anran shook her head.

She sighed, “In the end, Xu Changzai brought it on herself!”

If she hadn’t randomly treated Wan Anran as a rival and forced herself to jump ahead, she wouldn’t have ended up marked as a weirdo by the Emperor and punished by Consort Xuan.

Wan Anran concluded, “In everything, you should act from the heart. There’s no need to fight or scramble for what doesn’t belong to you.”

Once, Haitao might’ve disagreed, but now she saw her mistress’s point. Take today’s incident—one wrong move could’ve led to a completely different impression from the Emperor. And like Xu Changzai, if she hadn’t been blinded by the idea of gaining favor, would she have met this end?

Haitao, Zisu, and Jubaibai all nodded thoughtfully.

After finishing her reflections, Wan Anran returned her focus to the gloves. The New Year had passed, and there was no longer a need for thick, fluffy gloves for building snowmen. After some thought, Wan Anran decided to make leather gloves.

But unlike typical five-finger gloves—

To ensure comfort and breathability, she chose a fingerless design with a padded palm, making them very comfortable to grip with. The unique design left the palace maids blinking in surprise. Haitao couldn’t help but ask, “My lady, I’ve never seen gloves like this before?”

“It’s the end of winter and the start of spring,” Wan Anran replied. “How much longer can His Majesty even wear full gloves?” Seeing them all hesitate and shake their heads, she added while lowering her gaze to continue working, “But fingerless gloves can be used throughout spring and autumn.”

“And the padding in the middle?”

“The Emperor not only enjoys practicing riding and archery, he also has a deep fondness for all kinds of weapons,” Wan Anran explained. The gloves she made were similar to those used in later generations, often worn for exercise to improve grip, prevent slipping, and avoid skin abrasion—making them just perfect for the Emperor’s use now.

The three palace maids suddenly understood.

To Haitao and the others, who weren’t privy to the full story, it was clear their mistress held deep, silent feelings for the Emperor. Yet, due to her injury, she was unwilling to approach him. Though she spoke harshly, when it came to anything involving the Emperor, she would pour her heart into it.

Such a mistress…

The three girls, teary-eyed, clenched their fists with resolve—We must protect the best mistress in the whole wide world.

Wan Anran shot them a puzzled look.

She had a vague sense that something was off about the three of them. Shaking her head, she continued working with the leather in her hands.

Half-finger gloves didn’t take much material.

Looking at the leftover leather, Wan Anran casually cut out two smaller pieces and set them aside. “I’ll make a pair for the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince too.”

Haitao was stunned.

Zisu looked even more speechless and quickly stepped forward to dissuade her. “My lady, the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince are still quite young. They don’t need these yet. If His Majesty truly likes them, it won’t be too late to make some for the princes then—”

There was something else Zisu didn’t say aloud.

She knew her mistress didn’t want to show that she still had the Emperor on her mind, but this wasn’t the way to go about it! At the very least, one should leave the Emperor a bit of dignity.

All this ran through Zisu’s head.

Had Wan Anran heard it, she surely would’ve denied it three times over: I didn’t, I’m not, don’t talk nonsense!

Still, Zisu had a point.

Regretfully, Wan Anran set the extra material aside and decided to finish the gloves first and hand them in.

Fingerless gloves were simple to make.

She made seven or eight pairs, then selected the best-looking one and had Haitao personally deliver it to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The unique design truly caught Emperor Kangxi’s eye.

After using them during martial practice, he praised the clever design even more.

The result of that praise? Wan Anran ended up spending a few nights with Kangxi.

A broad and solid chest, eight glistening abdominal muscles, sweat sliding down his defined lines—when sampled occasionally, Wan Anran was more than happy to give a high rating. She sincerely hoped the Emperor would make good use of the gloves she made and achieve even greater “results.”

Wan Changzai’s sudden rise drew quite a bit of attention.

Among the palace servants of Xianfu Palace and beyond, it was widely said that Wan Changzai’s star was on the rise, and she looked every bit the part of a future favored consort.

This flattery from the servants only annoyed Wan Anran.

Fortunately, as a low-ranking Changzai, she didn’t have to interact with the other concubines and could remain cozily tucked away in her eastern chamber—eating well, making fuzzy slippers, and living in increasing leisure.

The only one suffering was Consort Xuan.

Luckily, that wave of gossip didn’t last long. The reason? Noble Consort Tong of Chengqian Palace fell ill once again.

Haitao remained very calm.

She murmured, “My lady, have you forgotten? Every spring and autumn, Noble Consort Tong always falls ill for a month or two. It’s nothing new.”

Wan Anran frowned slightly.

With such a weak constitution—on top of being closely related to Kangxi—it was no wonder that, in history, Noble Consort Tong’s only daughter died young, and her own life was short-lived.

What use was favor when one’s body was failing?

Thinking of Noble Consort Tong’s future, Wan Anran grew even more determined to take care of her health.

It was rather strange, actually. Ever since she regained consciousness, her body had improved by leaps and bounds. By the sixth day of the new year, she had stopped taking medicine altogether. Even the attending imperial physicians found it bizarre. Consort Xuan had even gone out of her way to bring in a few more doctors to double-check Wan Anran’s pulse.

That was just the beginning.

Now, to be blunt—Wan Anran felt her body was stronger than an ox. She even secretly tested it: one tug and the handle of a food box snapped right off. Haitao thought it was a defect and nearly filed a complaint with the Imperial Household Department.

Maybe good health was her golden finger?

Or a power left behind by her predecessor?

Wan Anran wasn’t sure. Still, hearing that Noble Consort Tong had to be on bed rest again, she felt a little lucky.

What could possibly compare to good health?

Only those who live to the end are the true winners!

The noisy days passed.

A peaceful life returned, and Wan Anran finally finished making a pile of fluffy slippers.

This time, she didn’t use just lambswool.

After learning that many in the palace disliked the scent of lambswool—and with the poor weather making deodorizing difficult—Wan Anran switched to rabbit fur.

Rabbit fur was plentiful and cheap; a few taels of silver could buy quite a bit, especially since Wan Anran wasn’t picky about perfection. After all, it would be cut and sewn anyway.

The slippers for the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince were made in a cute style. Those for the Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager were simple and elegant, embroidered by the skillful hands of Haitao and Zisu with refined longevity patterns. The ones for the Empress, Consort Xuan, and Noble Lady Nara, on the other hand, were much more playful and adorable.

After all, no matter how dignified, most of the consorts were still just in their teens or early twenties. With soft pastel stars, chubby little bears, upright cat ears, and long rabbit ears… the cute designs left Haitao and her companions starry-eyed and utterly enchanted—let alone the recipients in the other palaces.

The first to receive hers was, of course, Consort Xuan.

Though she followed Buddhist and Daoist teachings and sought inner peace, her eyes lit up at the sight of the soft, fluffy slippers.

As soon as Zisu withdrew, she eagerly tried them on.

The wooden soles were covered in thick rabbit fur, making it feel like walking on clouds. The adorable, exquisite look was irresistible. Even Nanny Xia beside her stared in fascination. “Mistress Wan certainly has a unique mind.”

Consort Xuan was in a good mood.

Looking at the fluffy slippers, she smiled softly. “At least Wan Changzai has a bit of conscience. It wasn’t in vain that I shielded her from all those daggers.”

Wan Changzai didn’t need to attend the daily greetings and could stay curled up in her own palace, but Consort Xuan couldn’t. These past days, she had endured countless sharp glares from other concubines—some even suspected that Wan Changzai never appeared because she was being controlled by Consort Xuan.

So this Consort Xuan is full of devious schemes!

Burdened by such a hefty false accusation, Consort Xuan had been quite depressed. Now, with a smile finally returning to her face, she waved a hand. “Send that basket of mulberries we just received to Wan Changzai. She’ll be happy.”

Noble Lady Nara, meanwhile, was surprised.

Aside from having once vented with Wan Changzai about Noble Lady Uya, her relationship with Wan Changzai was nothing out of the ordinary.

What’s more… Noble Lady Nara knew deep down that her help to Wan Changzai couldn’t compare to how much Wan Changzai had helped her son, Wan Fu. Without Wan Changzai, he wouldn’t have been taken in by the Crown Prince. And now she was even sending gifts… This act of reciprocal kindness left Noble Lady Nara feeling a bit ashamed.

Ju Bai stepped forward with a bow. “Please accept them, my lady! These are matching slippers made especially for you and the Ninth Prince!”

Noble Lady Nara was stunned. “…Matching?”

With a bright smile, Ju Bai presented a pair that was identical but smaller in size. Placed side by side—a big one and a small one—Noble Lady Nara’s mild interest turned into strong temptation. She could already picture herself and Wan Fu wearing them together.

It really was impossible to refuse.

After some thought, Noble Lady Nara accepted the gift. But as a Noble Lady, she had nothing appropriate to give in return. What now? As she racked her brain, she happened to see Wan Fu—

Aha!

Her eyes lit up.

She’d heard that the Emperor had recently grumbled about Wan Changzai’s handwriting. And since she herself didn’t have any particular strengths, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity? Noble Lady Nara made up her mind and walked straight into the east chamber, vowing that she would personally tutor Wan Changzai in her studies going forward, to help her improve and earn the Emperor’s praise!

Wan Anran’s face froze.

Her pupils trembled as she waved her hands in panic. “Nara-jiejie, there’s no need to be so formal between us!”

Noble Lady Nara tightly grasped Wan Anran’s hand.

With a solemn expression, she said with conviction, “It’s because I see you as a younger sister that I must do this!”

Wan Anran: …………

Maybe… we could talk this over again? Could I not be your little sister, please?