“Consort Yu has made many mistakes in the past, but weren’t those actions all manipulated by you? She may be foolish, but you are truly malicious. So why can’t I be friends with her?”
The friend Jiang Xinyue considered in Consort Yu didn’t seem particularly pleased, though.
However, Consort De was even less happy.
Her grip on the dagger tightened, and blood began to seep from Consort Yu’s neck. Feeling the pain, Consort Yu’s face turned pale, and her eyes pleaded for help toward Jiang Xinyue.
“You have the Emperor’s favor and his protection. Naturally, you cannot understand the hardships I face.”
Somehow, Jiang Xinyue’s words struck a nerve with Consort De, who suddenly erupted in a furious shout: “You were born with love and care, but I was different. My mother died during childbirth, and my father… hah… he only cared about his wealth and power. A daughter without value was no better than a dog or pig to him! If I hadn’t entered the palace, he would have sold me for profit. I’d rather fight for the highest position in the palace!”
“If I don’t fight, if I don’t scheme, if I don’t harm others, do you think they would spare me? Everyone in this palace schemes. Has Jiang Xinyue never used any tactics?”
“What tactics have I used?” Jiang Xinyue smirked.
“Oh~ Well, I have used some. All my tactics have been directed toward the Emperor. I’ve done everything I can to make him like me.”
If putting all my effort into being good to the Emperor and considering his well-being counts as tactics…
I’ve never harmed or killed anyone without reason.
Consort De had no reply to this, as the Emperor was now completely devoted to Jiang Xinyue, deaf to any attempts to sow discord.
Consort Yu, feeling her life increasingly threatened, mustered her courage and pushed Consort De’s hand outward. Consort De reflexively tightened her grip, but Consort Yu managed to take a small step away.
“Thud!”
“Ugh…”
“Plop!”
The sound of the dagger piercing flesh was unmistakable. Consort Yu fell to the ground, sobbing: “I’m going to die, I’m going to die. This time it’s for real. Imperial Noble Consort, please remember my kindness and find a good match for my daughter, Princess Yu’er! I… I think one of your clan’s sons would be perfect. Please choose one for her, I… I’m off now.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Consort Wen pulled her up and pointed to her back.
“Thud! Thud! Thud!”
One stab after another, each hitting its mark.
Consort De was knocked to the ground by a disheveled madwoman, who straddled her back, her face twisted with ferocity, stabbing rapidly.
Consort De screamed in pain, turning to push the woman away, but her two brothers, already restrained by the Emperor’s guards, could do nothing to help.
“Ahhh…”
Consort De finally managed to roll over, grabbing the dagger, but the four or five stab wounds on her back had already caused significant blood loss, leaving her weak and powerless.
“Help… help me…”
She stretched her hand toward those around her, but neither the Emperor nor Jiang Xinyue, nor Consort Wen, Consort Yu, Noble Consort Ye, or the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs offered any assistance.
Instead, their faces showed cold indifference and hatred.
They all wanted… her dead.
Yes!
She had killed so many…
A sudden sharp pain in her chest. A silver dagger was plunged into her heart, and the madwoman on her revealed a disfigured face as she brushed back her hair.
Her eyes wide, she laughed maniacally: “Killed! Hahaha… finally killed you! Hahaha… bad woman! You deserved to die! Truly deserved to die! Wooo…”
She wiped the blood on her face, only to smear it all over: “Don’t kill me! Wooo… I was wrong, Imperial Noble Consort… I won’t dare again, don’t kill me… Wooo… I’ll be good, I’ll listen!”
Consort De's body twitched on the ground, unable to speak, her resentful eyes wide, fixed on the Xuanwu Emperor.
Wang Dequan stepped forward, checking Consort De’s breath. After a brief silence, he calmly reported: “Your Majesty, she’s no longer breathing.”
Fourteen stab wounds in total, each hitting a vital spot. This time, there was no doubt she was dead, with no chance of a fake death.
Consort Yu, touching her bleeding neck, dared not shout loudly, instead letting out a shrill, comical whisper: “Call the imperial physician, quickly! I don’t want to die.”
Consort Wen glanced at her neck, which had only a shallow scratch, teasing: “Didn’t you just ask Imperial Noble Consort to find a Jiang clan member as a groom for Princess Yu’er? Now that you’re not dying, she won’t do it for you.”
Consort Yu glared at her: “I now think Princess Yu’er doesn’t need to marry so soon. Another two years wouldn’t hurt.”
Princess Yu’er was only twelve. Earlier, she had thought she was about to die and wanted to secure a good match for her daughter, fearing that in two years, Jiang Xinyue might forget her “saving grace,” leaving her daughter without anyone to consider her future.
Now that she wasn’t dying, she didn’t want her daughter to marry so young, going to someone else’s home to be a daughter-in-law. Staying a few more years wouldn’t be bad.
While the Jiang clan’s sons were good, they weren’t as good as her daughter. She hadn’t even decided on a specific groom yet!
The Emperor waved his hand, and Wang Dequan and Tang Shiliang immediately arranged for Hexi Palace to be cleaned, ensuring no unpleasant odors or unwanted items remained.
Jiang Xinyue glanced at Xiao Ronghua, crouching in the corner: “Find her a place and arrange for someone to take good care of her.”
She had killed Consort De and indirectly saved Consort Yu, which was a good deed.
Whether she was truly mad or not, Jiang Xinyue was willing to show this bit of kindness.
Like Consort De, those who commit evil ultimately meet their end through their own misdeeds. Jiang Xinyue, balancing good and evil, received positive outcomes.
If she had acted like Consort De, Consort Yu, Consort Wen, Noble Consort Ye, Consort Zhuang, Tong Xiuyuan, and Shi Xiuyi would not have stood by her side. She would not have earned the support of so many.
Recall when she was first bestowed the title of Imperial Noble Consort; no concubine in the palace was willing to accept her.
Now, who doesn’t see Jiang Xinyue as the rightful successor to the Empress’s throne?
Consort De’s fake death and subsequent attempt to assassinate the Imperial Noble Consort had the Mansion of the Duke of Cheng implicated, as they were responsible for handling her “corpse” after the poisoned wine was administered.
Whether they actually dealt with it or not remains unclear, but Consort De’s treasonous words were made public, and she wasn’t actually killed by the poisoned wine. Instead, she died from over a dozen stab wounds inflicted by the mad Xiao Ronghua during her attempt to assassinate the Imperial Noble Consort.
The final stab pierced her heart, sealing her fate.
“This is what happens when one commits too many evils.”
At the New Year’s Banquet, people still whispered about Consort De’s death.
