The lady in pink was clad in exquisite attire, her makeup vibrant. Resting her hand on the arm of the palace maid beside her, she looked down with a sneer at the Little Eunuch kneeling on the ground.
Mingshu frowned and asked Yun Zhi, "Who is that Peacock?"
Yun Zhi glanced at the "Peacock" referred to by her master, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she said in a low voice, "That's Consort Shu, the Empress Dowager's niece and the Grand Secretary's daughter. It's said that even the Emperor has to show her respect because of the Empress Dowager's fondness of her!"
"Consort Shu?" Mingshu recalled this character, tallying up this fool's "deeds" in her mind, and a wave of anger surged through her. She hooked the corner of her lips with an enigmatic smile, "Sounds pretty badass, huh? Comparing her family to mine, who's more powerful?"
What is "badass"?
Yun Zhi blinked in bewilderment, wondering if her mistress had damaged her brain as well when she had collided with a pillar? She often uttered the strangest things...
Pressing down her doubts, Yun Zhi explained, "My lord is the Prince of Zhenbei, even the Grand Secretary has to give him proper greetings. Grand Master holds military power and is a veteran of three dynasties; even the Emperor must show him a measure of face."
Otherwise, her master wouldn't have been granted the title of Noble Consort upon entering the palace.
"However," Yun Zhi's brows furrowed, her tone shifting, "the current status of the Gu family in the court is rising like the sun, and with the Empress Dowager as their support, though we don't fear them, since you're new here, that Consort Shu—perhaps it's best not to..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she turned her head and caught sight of her master's furious departure. With a numb expression, Yun Zhi added, "...better not provoke."
Mingshu moved closer, taking a good look at Consort Shu. She was indeed beautiful, but she possessed the same haughtiness and arrogance as described in the book, detracting significantly from her beauty with her petulant eyes and brows.
Her gaze fell on the food box carried by the palace maid behind Consort Shu, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, a trace of coldness flitting through her depths.
She remembered Consort Shu saying, "The Empress Dowager ordered this palace to bring soup to the Emperor," and suddenly understood.
Si Chu's violent nature was not congenital but caused by drugs. Could the issue lie here?
With a swirl of her beautiful eyes, Mingshu's mouth slowly curved into a smile, and she spoke up with leisurely grace, "Oh, what a lively scene this is."
As she approached, Consort Shu had naturally noticed her. After a brief pause of surprise, Consort Shu sneered with full contempt and mockery, "Well, if it isn't our Noble Consort! What's this, not content in your Jingren Palace, you dare to come out and strut about?"
Everybody knew the foolish things Ji Mingshu had done before; by all accounts, given the Emperor's violent temper, she probably wouldn't even exist by now.
But, against all odds, not only did the Emperor not kill her, he even conferred upon her the higher title of Noble Consort!
Initially, Consort Shu was jealous, but then she thought to herself, what kind of person was the Emperor?
Having spared Ji Mingshu's life was merely to torment her slowly.
Since she was destined to die anyway, why bother caring at all?
With this thought, the look she gave Mingshu filled with condescending pity.
Mingshu met her gaze and, feigning sincerity, sighed, propping her chin with her hand, looking genuinely troubled.
Consort Shu reveled in delight, as the noble ladies of the Capital were divided into two camps, led by her and Mingshu. They had always been at odds with each other, and now seeing Mingshu in such a sorry state brought her immense pleasure!
Just as she was about to offer some insincere words of comfort, she heard that wretch lament casually,
"To think someone as plain as sister Consort Shu would dare to scare others, while I possess beauty that could shame the moon and put flowers to disgrace, why shouldn't I show myself to the world?"
Yun Zhi's mouth twitched, thinking her mistress was becoming more and more shameless.
Consort Shu initially stared in disbelief, then, as understanding dawned, she became enraged, her eyebrows shooting up: "Ji Mingshu! You—"
"Slap—"
The crisp sound of a slap stunned everyone present, including Consort Shu herself.
...