The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

The people of this world have truly been dumbed down.

Otherwise, how could Emperor Kang He’s clumsy performance possibly fool the entire harem?

Emperor Kang He married Gao Anning and treated her poorly thereafter, always seeming perfunctory when meeting her. If Gao Anning had any sense, how could she not notice?

Moreover, Emperor Kang He secretly visited Consort Rou; if any of the masters or servants inside the palace were even slightly clever, this matter couldn’t have been hidden.

After all, this palace is where even stones have eyes and ears.

Yet, Emperor Kang He managed to conceal it for several years without anyone catching on, doesn’t this suggest something?

Furthermore, all the concubines in the harem are fools, one after the other.

If an Emperor truly loved the Empress deeply, why would he bring so many women into the palace? Since he accepted so many concubines, why ignore them? This is quite contradictory.

Another point, Emperor Kang He hasn’t had any offspring, yet he isn’t worried at all and doesn’t visit other concubines’ chambers, which is very strange.

Despite all these oddities over the years, nobody inside the palace has suspected anything.

Anning could only say that the Dumbing Aura is indeed particularly effective.

Anning even thought about what to do if she encounters someone she dislikes in the future; perhaps she should send Consort Rou over to apply the Dumbing Aura to them.

Anning multitasked, weeping with the concubines while inwardly criticizing.

”Your Majesty, I must be blunt this time. For the sake of progeny, please favor our younger sisters more. If Your Majesty does not favor us, I’ll find someone else to bring into the palace, as long as she can give birth to a prince for Your Majesty, I don’t mind relinquishing my position as Empress.”

Anning knelt, crying as she said, ”If Your Majesty does not agree, I’ll request to be deposed.”

These words were severe.

Upon hearing Anning mention deposition, the concubines hurriedly knelt down and said, ”For the sake of offspring, Your Majesty, please hold a selection. If you find someone pleasing, we are willing to step aside.”

The voices were uniform and synchronized.

Even Consort Rou knelt down in request to avoid seeming special.

Emperor Kang He was in a dilemma.

He was genuinely in a predicament.

Previously, he had used Anning’s name as a shield to refuse the concubines’ favor-seeking, hoping to use Anning as a major decoy, yet who would have thought Anning would play such a card.

This was an attack on his forces.

Emperor Kang He was furious but had to endure.

He couldn’t possibly depose the Empress.

After all, there was still the Gao family, and moreover, with Anning’s act, the ministers at court would only praise her as virtuous, nobody would criticize her. Even if Emperor Kang He wanted to depose her, the ministers wouldn’t agree. After all, appointing and deposing an Empress is a significant affair, not just a personal matter but a state matter.

”Empress, rise first.”

Emperor Kang He bent down to assist Anning.

He feigned a look of difficulty and affection: ”I have wrongly accused the Empress; don’t cry anymore, my heart aches when you cry.”

Anning rose: ”Your Majesty, the sisters are still kneeling.”

Emperor Kang He, having no choice, helped the concubines up as well: ”Alright, I understand your loyalty; I...”

Anning chuckled lightly, ”Sisters, His Majesty has agreed with us. Henceforth, His Majesty will certainly share the rain and dew, and will also favor our sisters. For the sake of His Majesty’s progeny and the Dayong Dynasty’s legacy, tomorrow we should discuss how to arrange the favoring matters.”

Uh-oh.

Emperor Kang He wanted to curse.

But looking at the joyful faces of the concubines in the room, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

What could he curse? If he dared, Anning would probably lead the concubines back to kneel down and admonish him again.

”I’m a bit tired, I’ll rest first. Empress, you should sleep early too.”

Emperor Kang He turned and left.

Anning watched Emperor Kang He’s departing figure, her face revealing a complex expression with a touch of sadness and reluctance, but mostly determination, as if she had made up her mind about something. She turned to the concubines and said, ”Tomorrow, I’ll have the Imperial Physician examine the sisters to check on your health and ability to bear children, and then we’ll schedule accordingly.”

The concubines joyfully said, ”We’ll follow sister’s lead.”

Only then did Anning have the palace maids escort the concubines out.

When Consort Rou left, her face showed traces of anger.

Anning knew what she was upset about, probably thinking that Anning had made it difficult for Emperor Kang He to continue exclusively favoring her.

But that was exactly Anning’s intention.

Wasn’t Emperor Kang He preserving himself for Consort Rou? He even gave his legitimate wife to someone else for Consort Rou, so Anning made his efforts futile, making him lose both the lady and the troops.

When Emperor Kang He is forced to sleep with other concubines, who knows if he will regret using a stand-in to sleep with his legitimate wife.

Anning also wanted to see how far Emperor Kang He’s lack of boundaries could go.

If he could find a stand-in to sleep with one woman, could he find one for all the women inside the palace?

Furthermore, if it was just Anning, he could say the Empress couldn’t conceive, but with so many concubines unable to bear children, what would Emperor Kang He say?

If one woman can’t conceive, if two women can’t conceive, if dozens of women can’t conceive, who is really unable to conceive? The world is watching.

If Emperor Kang He could truly be ruthless to the end, if he dared to find stand-ins to sleep with all his women, then have those women give birth to children, raising someone else’s son as his own, Anning would truly be impressed.

If he achieves such a level, Anning would leave with Xiao Yuan, and no longer fight with him for the world.

But Anning doubted Emperor Kang He could do such a thing.

After all, he wasn’t the Ninja Turtle Emperor.

Speaking of Emperor Kang He, when he returned to Qianyuan Palace, he lay on his dragon bed and genuinely couldn’t sleep.

He was truly troubled.

Anning had presented him with a difficult problem, one he couldn’t solve.

But he was unwilling to sleep with the concubines.

Yet there was an incident that made Emperor Kang He want to spit blood.

The day after returning from court, there were Imperial Physicians waiting for him.

Emperor Kang He saw the physicians and was momentarily confused, ”I’m perfectly fine, who called for the Imperial Physicians?”

The physicians knelt: ”Your Majesty, the Empress called us here, requesting a thorough pulse examination.”

Uh?

Emperor Kang He was again momentarily confused.

After a while, he said, ”Go ahead with the examination.”

Then several physicians took turns checking his pulse, discussing for a while, and then prescribed medication.

”How is my health?”

Emperor Kang He asked.

The physicians replied, ”Your Majesty’s health is relatively Kangtai; however, there is a deficiency in kidney water, a remedy should suffice.”

Only then did Emperor Kang He relax a little.

But then, two days later, the Empress Dowager summoned him.

Emperor Kang He entered Deqing Palace to greet the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager’s face was filled with grief and faint anger.

”My child, you’ve hidden things from your mother.”

Emperor Kang He jumped in surprise, ”What does Mother mean by this? How has Your Majesty hidden anything from you?”

The Empress Dowager felt even more distressed, ”Even if you love men, for the sake of Dayong’s realm and our lives, young emperor, you must bear with it, perhaps indulge the harem for now. After having some princes, I won’t interfere anymore.”

Emperor Kang He was sipping water and nearly choked upon hearing this.

”Mother, why do you say I like men?”

The Empress Dowager forced a smile, ”At this point, why hide it from me? I’m your mother, and you don’t trust me?”

”Trust or not, I don’t like men, I...”

Emperor Kang He tried to explain, but the Empress Dowager wouldn’t listen: ”It’s undisguisable anymore, not only I, even the Empress knows. She told me that in recent years, you visited her ten times, nine of which you merely chatted under the covers and didn’t consummate as a couple. It’s been several years, and the occasions you consummated could be counted on one hand, and you haven’t shown favor to any other women in the palace. Young emperor, if you haven’t consummated as a couple, how are you deficient in kidney water? It only suggests you are secretly favoring someone else. Looking at you, you clearly have no interest in women, so it must be a beautiful man you’re favoring.”

The Empress Dowager, with both conjecture and analysis, laid everything out, leaving Emperor Kang He speechless.

Emperor Kang He was dumbstruck.

Could this really be interpreted this way? Isn’t this forcing him to favor the harem women despite being unfaithful to Consort Rou?

”I, I’m not, I have someone I like...”

Emperor Kang He tried to explain.

The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, ”Yes, Mother knows, you have someone you like; I don’t care if it’s a man or a woman, but we need some princes first, right?”