Including when Concubine Zhen fell into the water, the underwater plants at the bottom of the lake had been tied into knots by people sent by Consort De.
They had originally planned to encourage Consort Jin to invite Concubine Zhen to feed the koi by the lake, then push Concubine Zhen in and frame Consort Jin, killing two birds with one stone.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager's people acted prematurely, even unnecessarily having someone ambush underwater to drag Concubine Zhen down.
In the end, Concubine Zhen escaped, and the knotted underwater plants went to waste.
Because of this, Consort De more than once privately lamented the Empress Dowager and Consort Shu's incompetence and counterproductivity.
If they were going to make a move, they should have nipped it in the bud. How could they let her survive to complain to the Emperor?
It even ruined all of her plans.
Jiang Xinyue, peacefully nurturing her pregnancy in Hexi Palace, had no idea what the other women in the palace thought of her. Even if she knew, she wouldn't care.
It was nothing more than spreading rumors that she was a disastrous enchantress, in the league of Bao Si and Da Ji.
Sometimes she found it quite ridiculous.
Since ancient times, there has been a saying that beautiful women adorn prosperous times and take the blame in chaotic times.
Men were one thing - there were few good ones among them, and they were used to shirking responsibility when things went wrong.
But how could even the women in the palace attack their fellow concubines with such reasoning?
King You of Zhou lit the beacon towers to amuse Bao Si, but that was his own indulgence in her beauty. When did Bao Si ever ask him to light the beacon towers?
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang became infatuated with his own daughter-in-law and schemed to snatch her from his son Prince Shou. Was she willing in the beginning?
Why should Yang Guifei bear the infamy for thousands of years for the An Lushan Rebellion?
It wasn't her fault that she was beautiful. The blame lay with those wolves in sheep's clothing who used coveting her beauty as a pretext to start wars!
If she were truly an enchantress, she would have long since monopolized the favor of the Great Yan's imperial harem. Would there still be room for these others to run amok?
Although there was a great commotion outside, Hexi Palace remained as peaceful as ever.
The Xuanwu Emperor had strictly forbidden the palace maids in Hexi Palace from discussing outside rumors in front of Jiang Xinyue.
But even if he forbade it, it didn't mean others had no way of transmitting information inside.
Poisonous things harmful to the fetus and mother couldn't get in, but a few gossipy words from those with ulterior motives were unstoppable.
Night fell—
Jiang Xinyue, sleeping, was awakened by the voices of two people talking outside.
Their voices weren't loud, but as her pregnancy progressed, Jiang Xinyue's sleep became lighter, and the slightest noise could wake her.
"I heard it from a palace maid in Concubine Li's palace. Concubine Li cries all day long. I really can't understand. Concubine Li was the most favored in the harem for over ten years. How is it that Concubine Zhen has only been here for a year, and she's completely lost the Emperor's favor?"
"Ah! Concubine Zhen looks like a fairy from heaven. How can the Emperor not be enchanted by her? Look at Concubine Zhen's father. In just a short year, he's been promoted from a fifth-rank official to the Minister of Justice, a third-rank position. Can anyone else compare?"
"How many concubines has the Emperor dismissed for Concubine Zhen? At this rate, I'm afraid even the Empress will have to abdicate."
"Doesn't it all seem so strange? Could Concubine Zhen be a fox spirit in disguise?"
"Shh! Don't say anymore. The Emperor forbids letting Concubine Zhen know that everyone outside is cursing her as an enchantress who's bewitched the ruler!"
Just as Jiang Xinyue had written to her nominal father, the Song Family had deep roots, like a centipede that doesn't die even when cut in half.
Although the Jiang family had already tried to lower their profile, Concubine Li's hatred for Jiang Xinyue had reached a point where she no longer tried to hide it. Anyone with eyes could see it, and there was no escaping it.
So with a little maneuvering by the Song family, rumors spread throughout the palace and among the common people that Jiang Xinyue was an enchantress.
How else could they explain how in just one year, the Emperor had transferred his affections and even brought down the Song family for Concubine Zhen?
Only the ignorant believed that the Emperor had turned against the Song family because he was bewitched by Concubine Zhen. The clever ones all knew this wasn't the case at all.
The mastermind who wanted to crush the Song family and concentrate Prime Minister Song's power in his own hands had always been the Emperor himself.
Concubine Zhen and the Jiang family were taking the blame for the Emperor.
No!
It should be said that the Song family knew perfectly well what was going on, but they didn't dare express dissatisfaction with the Emperor. So they directed all their anger towards the Jiang family.
Who told them to be the Emperor's vanguard?
Jiang Xinyue coughed lightly a few times, indicating that she had heard and they needn't say more.
The people outside the window scattered like startled birds and beasts.
Xi Que draped a light robe over her shoulders and glared out the window at the empty air. "Why didn't Your Highness let this servant catch them and torture them to find out who sent them here to spread such nonsense?"
"Why bother?" Jiang Xinyue pulled the robe closer around her body, her jet-black hair particularly smooth in the moonlight. "If not the Empress's people, then Consort De's or Consort Liang's. It could also be Concubine Li, or even the Empress Dowager. I have the Emperor's favor, and there are many who can't sit still because of it. If we were to catch all the spies one by one, who knows if they wouldn't arrange new people to come in in the future."
She wanted them to think she hadn't discovered their spies, to let those little palace maids spread information about her condition.
After all, what others saw of her was only what she wanted them to see.
How she really was behind closed doors, only Xi Que and Shuang Jiang knew.
If they dared to place spies in her palace, she could make all those spies her own pawns.
She had always been the one moving the pieces. What was there to fear?
"Crash!"
In the Emperor's Chengqian Palace, another set of cups shattered.
The Xuanwu Emperor, furious, pointed at Concubine Li kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily. "Don't think I don't know. It's all your doing, instructing the Pei and Song families to spread rumors outside, slandering and defaming Concubine Zhen. Concubine Li, I haven't swept away the entire Song family. That's already showing extreme leniency. Do you want me to settle accounts with them one by one, to see which one of them has a completely clean record?"
If he were to investigate thoroughly, likely not a single member of the Song family would escape.
Concubine Li wanted to cry, but no tears would come. She looked up, gazing at the Emperor with despair. "My grandfather has already been executed. My father, overcome with fear, is bedridden and looks like he won't last much longer. My mother has already divorced my father and returned to the Pei family. Your Majesty, how have you shown me extreme leniency?"
Was it leniency to let her family be destroyed?
What did she care about the rest of the Song clan? Whether they lived or died was of no concern to her.
Those people were all ungrateful wretches.
"They brought it all upon themselves!"
The Emperor slammed his fist on the table with a thunderous bang, his fury erupting. "I am the Son of Heaven of Great Yan, the ruler of an entire nation. Yet Prime Minister Song, relying on his power and influence, dares to attempt to lord over me and dictate the affairs of state. He has forgotten that I could uproot the entire Wu family if I wished. What makes the Song Family think I would meekly play the role of a puppet emperor?"
At the heart of it all, it was a case of greed knowing no bounds, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
Concubine Li sat dejectedly on the ground, a pearly tear finally falling from the corner of her eye. "Then Your Majesty can consider this as my revenge against you! The one you cherish is suffering because of you. Now that you feel the pain, I can find some solace."
