Comprehensive film and television: male god's favorite

Chapter 804: Startling Heart Mingyu 16

Kangxi's face darkened. He stared at Ruoxi and said word by word, "I remember that you didn't seem to bow to the imperial concubine."

Mingyu covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes flickering with pride. She knew that Kangxi would definitely stand up for her.

Ruoxi secretly thought that it was not good. She was so busy dealing with Kangxi that she forgot to pay respect to Mingyu. Now that Kangxi pointed it out in public, she felt her face burning and she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

She quickly knelt down, kowtowed to Mingyu, and said in a trembling voice: "I know I am wrong, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Mingyu glanced at Ruoxi, a hint of contempt in her eyes.

She deliberately raised her voice and said, "What happened to Princess Ruoxi? Are you too nervous in front of the Emperor and even forgot the rules?"

Mingyu's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. She wanted to embarrass Ruoxi and let her know who was the real master in the harem.

Ruoxi felt her face burning with shame. She took a deep breath, tried to control her emotions, and kowtowed again, saying, "I know I am wrong, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Stand up," Mingyu waved her hand in a pretentious manner, "I am not the kind of person who would quibble over trivial matters. It's just that Princess Ruoxi should learn the rules of this palace carefully."

"Thank you, Imperial Concubine." Ruoxi lowered her head and got up from the ground. Although she was angry, she could do nothing about it.

Kangxi looked at Ruoxi with a smile, his eyes were filled with a bit of amusement and imperial scrutiny.

"Get up. I see that Princess Ruoxi is getting pretty close to the princes. Do you have anyone you like?"

When these words came out, everyone at the table was stunned, and they all turned their eyes to Ruoxi. Mingyu smiled softly with her hands covering her lips, her eyes moving around, with a hint of watching a good show.

Ruoxi's heart skipped a beat. Kangxi's words were clearly a test for her. She did have some interactions with several princes, but that was all because she was maneuvering between them and trying to change their fate.

If I were to admit my affection for a certain prince in front of Kangxi today, it would probably cause unnecessary suspicion and trouble.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm, and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I dare not speak rashly of my feelings. I am of humble status and dare not have any other unreasonable thoughts."

"Oh? Is that so?" Kangxi raised his eyebrows, with a hint of doubt in his tone.

"I see that you are very close to the Eighth, Fourth, Tenth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Brothers. Could it be that you are hiding something from me that you shouldn't have done?"

Kangxi deliberately mentioned the sensitive names of "Eighth Prince", "Fourth Prince" and "Tenth Prince". He knew that these princes were all vying for the position of crown prince, and Ruoxi had contacts with all of them, so the relationship between them was worth pondering.

Beads of sweat oozed from Ruoxi's forehead. She knew that Kangxi was setting a trap for her, waiting for her to jump in. If she admitted her private relationship with the princes, it would inevitably arouse Kangxi's suspicion and even implicate the princes.

But if he denied it, it would seem too deliberate and would deepen Kangxi's suspicion.

Cold sweat trickled down Ruoxi's temples, soaking her collar. She felt her heartbeat like a drum, almost breaking her chest. Kangxi's eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to cut her open and see through her thoughts.

The hall was silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on her; some were curious, some were investigating, some were gloating, and also... Mingyu's gaze was filled with smugness and provocation.

Ruoxi felt like she was being roasted on a fire, caught in a dilemma.

Admit it? She did have close contacts with several princes, but most of them were to protect herself in the treacherous struggle for the throne, and to try to reverse the tragedy of history. If she admitted her "admiration", wouldn't it be giving others a handle and giving them something to talk about? Then, not only would she be in danger, but several princes would also be implicated.

Deny? Kangxi had just named the Eighth, Fourth, and Tenth Brothers, which was clearly a hidden meaning, implying that she was involved in the fight for the throne. If she denied it now, wouldn't it be an attempt to cover up the truth and deepen Kangxi's suspicion?

Just as Ruoxi was racking her brains to think of a solution, a crisp voice broke the silence in the hall.

"Your Majesty, you have wronged Princess Ruoxi."

Mingyu smiled softly, her eyes moving with all the charm: "Sister Ruoxi has just arrived in the capital, so she is very respectful to the brothers. She often asks for advice and learns from them. That's why she is so close to them."

Mingyu smiled sweetly and glanced at Ruoxi with a look of pride in her eyes, as if to say, "See, I am still better."

Ruoxi secretly complained in her heart. Mingyu's words seemed to help her out, but in fact they pushed her into a more dangerous situation. Her interactions with the princes were not simply "learning from them", but involved complex interests and emotional entanglements.

Now that Mingyu said this, it seemed as if she was deliberately getting close to the prince in an attempt to curry favor with the powerful.

The gentle voice of the Eighth Prince Yinsi sounded at the right time, breaking the stagnant atmosphere.

"Father, Ruoxi is not familiar with the rules and etiquette. Perhaps she said a few extra words when greeting her son and others, which caused Father to misunderstand."

He bowed slightly, his posture respectful: "Brothers like me should be friendly and respectful to each other, and take care of each other. Ruoxi is smart and often asks for advice from me. I am happy to answer her, and I have not done anything other than transgressing the rules."

Kangxi's gaze moved from Ruoxi to Yinsi's face with a bit of scrutiny.

"Old Eight, you are really good at protecting people." His tone was meaningful, making it difficult to figure out what he was thinking.

Yinsi's gentle voice was like a spring breeze, dissolving the tense atmosphere in the hall.

"Your Majesty, please understand. Ruoxi is Ruolan's sister. I have a lot of contact with her just to take care of Ruolan." He bowed slightly, his posture was respectful, yet neither humble nor arrogant.

Kangxi looked at Yinsi deeply, with an ambiguous look in his eyes. He naturally knew the relationship between Yinsi and Ruolan, and also knew that Ruoxi was Ruolan's sister, but Yinsi's initiative to mention this matter at this moment made him feel a little suspicious.

Kangxi's eyes were deep and unfathomable. After a long while, he slowly said, "Since that's the case, I won't pursue it any further. However, the palace has strict rules and regulations, and there are differences between men and women. You need to be more careful in the future."

Yinsi responded respectfully: "I will remember your father's teachings."

Ruoxi's heart finally settled down. She glanced at Mingyu secretly, only to see that he was giving her a meaningful smile.

This smile made Ruoxi feel a chill in her heart. She always felt that Mingyu seemed to have other intentions.