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"Noble Consort, does this mean we have escaped disaster?"
As Yun Zhi applied the fragrant cream to Mingshu's body, she let out a sigh, her face a picture of bewilderment.
She had never expected that the disaster which could have cost them their lives, had seemingly been avoided just like that?
Mingshu, submerged in her bath, eyes closed, lips curved up slightly at the question, answered languidly, "What are you thinking? We may have fooled the Emperor for now, but don't forget about the Empress Dowager."
Opening her eyes, her cheeks flushed from the steam, her gaze remained cold, "The Empress Dowager's own niece suffered and nearly lost her life; of course she will want to settle scores with the main culprit."
Yun Zhi's eyes widened in alarm, "Ah, what do we do then?"
"What do we do?" Mingshu yawned and covered her mouth with her hand, a hint of weariness in her eyes, "Meet force with force, and counter water with earth. Gather your spirits for me!"
Even if today's incident hadn't occurred, due to the child, it was destined that she and the old witch Empress Dowager could never coexist peacefully.
If that was the case, it was better to tear off all pretenses from the start!
Mingshu's lips curled into a slow smile; she was even looking forward to it.
*
Early the next morning, Mingshu was awakened from her sleep by Yun Zhi.
"Noble Consort, the ladies from each palace have come to pay their respects."
Grumpy from waking, Mingshu turned over, her voice muffled by the bedding, "Let them wait!"
A bunch of opportunists.
They had not come the past few days, yet now they were eagerly rushing over.
Did they think her place was a Charity Hall?
Since she had decided to take the path of being a favored consort, she had to make her arrogant and domineering persona a reality!
It was, after all, Consort Shu who had inspired this approach.
Walk the road laid by Consort Shu, leave Consort Shu with nowhere to go!
Mingshu snuggled into the soft bedding, thinking contentedly: Being a favored consort is truly wonderful!
Yun Zhi could only instruct someone to notify the visiting ladies to wait at the front hall.
*
Inside Jingren Palace's main hall.
A flock of court ladies who had been waiting for nearly half a Shichen grew restless and started exchanging glances, the discontent apparent in their eyes.
A woman in goose-yellow palace attire spoke sarcastically, "Acting so high and mighty with little authority! Really thinks she's a Noble Consort? We come with good intentions to give her face, but it seems she isn't willing to reciprocate!"
"Exactly, why should we wait for her?" someone chimed in.
"Noble Lady Wei, Noble Lady Liu, be mindful of your words," cautioned a lady dressed in blue, her beautiful features marked by a faint frown, as though she disapproved.
Noble Lady Wei rolled her eyes secretly but responded with a smile, "Consort Rong, I know you always get along well with others, but one must also be selective. She clearly doesn't regard us highly, and if we come running eagerly, isn't that like a warm face chasing a cold butt?"
Consort Rong was displeased internally.
This Noble Lady Wei, of low birth and a commoner's daughter, spoke coarsely and was truly irritating.
Well, if someone was hell-bent on courting death, why should she stop them?
"Eh, why haven't we seen Consort Shu today?" someone whispered from a corner.
At those words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly stagnated.
What place was this palace?
The death of a bird would spread throughout the entire harem in less than an hour.
Consort Shu's punishment at Qianqing Palace the previous day was common knowledge.
Realizing their slip, the speaker's face reddened, and they immediately fell silent.
However, Consort Rong looked thoughtfully in that direction, meeting a pair of timid eyes. She remembered the girl's last name, Zhong, and that she was often seen around.
As timid as a rabbit, yet seemingly full of ideas.
She withdrew her gaze, indifferent.
The next second, the soft, languid voice of the woman broke the silence.
"What a lively scene! Hearing these voices, one would know you're here to pay respects to me, but to the uninformed, it might seem like you're here to give me trouble."
"The Noble Consort has arrived—"
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