Consort Rong's expression was weary as she yawned. "I'm truly exhausted. I'll have to take my leave. Sister Concubine Zhen, let's get together another day."
Jiang Xinyue pretended to look at the late-arriving Concubine Li, but from the corner of her eye, she was watching Consort Shu.
Seeing her feign drunkenness and quietly slip out for some air, Jiang Xinyue also frantically spilled a cup of wine on herself.
The Xuanwu Emperor saw her hurriedly stand up, patting the wine stains on her skirt, and telling Xique with a red face that she needed to go change her clothes.
He looked at his own hand intertwined with the Empress's, thinking to himself that Concubine Zhen's feelings for him seemed to be growing deeper.
Such a beauty-loving person, yet she would knock over her wine cup and soil her own clothes because he was holding hands with the Empress.
"Wang Dequan, Concubine Zhen is afraid of the dark. Take one of the new crystal lamps from the Internal Affairs Department to light her way back to Hexi Palace."
Wanting to comfort Concubine Zhen and let her know he was thinking of her, he used the gesture of sending a lamp as a subtle way to express this.
The new crystal lamps from the Internal Affairs Department were exquisite and luxurious. In the imperial harem, only the Empress's Yikun Palace had them; the other consorts and concubines did not.
Jiang Xinyue followed Consort Shu all the way to a palace corridor outside Baohe Hall. Wang Dequan pursued closely behind, but seeing Concubine Zhen acting suspiciously, he didn't make a sound. It wasn't until Jiang Xinyue noticed him and raised her index finger in a "shush" gesture that he lightened his footsteps as he approached.
The palace servants trained in Chengqian Palace had footsteps that were nearly silent. When he reached Jiang Xinyue, he didn't make even the slightest noise.
The dark palace corridor was illuminated by a few lanterns hanging from the eaves. There should have been nowhere to hide, but the corner of the corridor that Consort Shu had her back to happened to be an uninhabited palace. She pulled Wang Dequan to hide behind the door with her.
"Concubine Zhen, you..."
"Shh!"
Jiang Xinyue extinguished the crystal lamp and pointed in Consort Shu's direction.
Wang Dequan poked half his head out. In the dim lamplight, Consort Shu and Consort Rong stood facing each other, the atmosphere seeming tense and confrontational.
What was going on?
His eyes were full of confusion. Jiang Xinyue didn't speak, but raised her chin slightly, gesturing for him to listen.
Consort Shu had her back to them, so Wang Dequan couldn't see her expression, but her tone didn't sound like the usual aloof pride she displayed in front of the Emperor.
Instead...
It revealed an aggressive, oppressive aura.
Consort Rong's eyes glanced in Wang Dequan's direction, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "What's the matter? Is big sister afraid her image of being indifferent to fame and fortune, kind and pure, will crumble? Afraid I'll expose your true face?"
"Slap!"
A vicious blow landed on Consort Rong's face. Consort Shu's tone was seething with rage: "I've told you before, everything I've done is for the sake of our family, for mother and brother to return to the capital sooner. What's wrong with you making a small sacrifice? Must you resent me to this day?"
"Don't use such high-sounding excuses to fob me off."
Consort Rong shouted through her tears: "Is your child's life worth more than mine? You make it sound so simple. How about I kill your child now too? See if you'd hate me then?"
She wiped her tears furiously: "Don't think I don't know. It was you who secretly suggested to Concubine Li the idea of framing Concubine Zhen for a fall into the cold palace by having her hit her head and fall into the water. You also guided Concubine Su's hatred towards Concubine Zhen. You even designed the deadly tangle of weeds at the bottom of the lake where Concubine Zhen fell in. Don't say it's all for the family, for mother and brother. Everything you do is for yourself. You're ambitious, scheming for the position of Empress and the Emperor's heart. Do you really think you've covered all your tracks?"
She now knew that her child had been killed by her own sister and aunt.
"Slap!"
Another harsh slap landed on Consort Rong's face. Consort Shu grabbed her collar, pinning her against the palace wall, revealing an unprecedented, ruthless side: "I'm warning you, if you dare to say anything to Concubine Zhen or the Emperor, I won't hesitate to kill my own sister with my own hands. After all, I've already spilled plenty of blood on my path here. One more life or one less makes no difference to me."
Those bloodthirsty eyes were like those of a man-eating beast. Consort Rong trembled, lowering her gaze in fear: "But... but you killed my child... She never even had a chance to see this world, and you... you took away her life. Why... why use me and my child to pave your way? I..."
Her voice had clearly weakened. Consort Shu pushed her away forcefully, the cold smile on her lips looking particularly cruel and callous in the cool moonlight: "The Emperor won't care about the life or death of the child in your belly, but I'm different. I need to use this as an excuse to vie for favor. Even if the Emperor investigates in the future, I can say Concubine Zhen was the real culprit who killed your child, deserving death. I'll say I just couldn't bear to see my sister heartbroken and was only seeking revenge for you."
By then, even if the Emperor were to hate someone, it wouldn't be Consort Shu, but Consort Rong.
Consort Shu would just be a sister wanting to avenge her younger sister. The blame would fall on Consort Rong for always crying and complaining to her.
Consort Rong cried until her eyes were red. Consort Shu frowned: "Alright, wipe your tears clean for me. Don't let anyone see anything amiss. If you want children, once I've eliminated Concubine Zhen and Concubine Li, I'll naturally recommend you to the Emperor. The Emperor is in his prime; are you afraid you won't have children?"
The two sisters parted ways. After Consort Shu had gone far, Consort Rong's frightened gaze turned venomous.
The moment the child flowed out of her body, she had forgotten the meaning of fear. She was now just a walking corpse, only wanting revenge.
But this Concubine Zhen really could bring her surprises.
She had thought that after warning her tonight, it would take at least half a year for Concubine Zhen to bring down her sister. But less than half an hour after she finished speaking, she had brought Wang Dequan here.
The speed was so fast, she had barely had time to arrange the words she wanted to say.
Jiang Xinyue and Wang Dequan stood stupidly in the weed-overgrown palace, staring at each other, not knowing how to react.
If Jiang Xinyue knew of Consort Rong's admiration for her, she would certainly be embarrassed.
This was entirely Consort Shu's own misfortune, running into the Emperor sending Wang Dequan to deliver a palace lamp to her!
At most, she had merely extinguished the crystal lamp, allowing Wang Dequan to find an excuse to reveal tonight's secret to the Emperor upon his return.
"This... this..."
Wang Dequan's mouth gaped wide enough to fit an egg. He pointed at Consort Shu, then at Consort Rong, and finally looked at Jiang Xinyue with a panicked expression. "Concubine Zhen... what... what exactly is going on here?"
As the Emperor's personal chief eunuch, he was more aware than anyone of how much the Emperor favored Consort Shu.
Although Concubine Zhen had now entered the picture, Consort Shu...
After all, she was the Emperor's first love, and that affection was unique!
