Chapter 103

"Silence!" Consort Tongjia's expression darkened as she hurled a cup towards Consort Liang.

Consort Liang dodged the cup in panic, but not too far, just enough to avoid the shards from scratching her face. Getting her clothes torn was a minor issue, but injuring her face would be disastrous.

She had to allow Consort Tongjia to vent her anger while safeguarding her own face.

"Your Highness, please forgive me," Consort Liang skillfully knelt and said.

Consort Tongjia prized her dignity and relished her dominant position. Only by humbling oneself could one earn her favor.

When Nanny Wang was present, Consort Tongjia might not have been swayed by Consort Liang's tactics, but with the old nanny gone, Consort Tongjia, without her guidance, was prone to making rash decisions.

For instance, now, using the issue of Lady Xian's new title, she reignited Consort Tongjia's animosity towards Consort Rong.

When Uya came to pay her respects to Consort Tongjia according to the rules, she happened to encounter Consort Tongjia in a fit of anger.

Seeing that Consort Liang had already arrived early, Uya felt a wave of disgust.

Consort Liang was always adept at seizing opportunities. In her previous life, she was exceptionally skilled at using her beauty to please the Emperor. It was only after she bore the Eighth Prince and grew overly ambitious that the Emperor distanced himself from her, forcing her to settle down.

As she aged, she encouraged the Eighth Prince to compete for the throne, aiming to gain influence through her son.

In this reincarnated life, some things had changed, but certain individuals remained unchanged.

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia had always harbored a dislike for her, and after Consort Liang arrived, she made every effort to curry favor with Consort Tongjia, even helping her find trouble when Consort Tongjia was in a bad mood, using her as a pawn to gain favor with Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia.

Like a gutter rat, timid yet capable of delivering a painful bite when least expected.

Uya despised such individuals, but currently, she had no means to confront Consort Liang.

Consort Liang must have made some provoking remarks to Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia, who was now angry. If she entered, she would likely become the target of Consort Tongjia's fury.

Uya turned to leave, hoping to escape unnoticed, but,

"Sister Uya, since you're here, why not pay your respects to Her Highness before you go? Or did you fail to notice Her Highness?" Consort Liang's slightly raised voice made sure Uya heard her.

She had timed it perfectly; Uya would arrive just as Consort Tongjia was angry, forcing her to endure Consort Tongjia's wrath.

At the sound of Consort Liang's voice, Uya's steps hesitated, and her half-turned body was forced to turn back.

Once again, she was being dragged into Consort Tongjia's outburst.

"Consort Uya, do you not wish to pay your respects to me?" Consort Tongjia's voice carried her usual arrogance.

"No, I merely feared disturbing Your Highness," Uya had no choice but to walk in, kneel, and bow her head to pay her respects to Consort Tongjia.

"Hmph, I thought you were fleeing at the sight of me, as if avoiding me. Have I treated you so severely that you are this fearful?" Consort Tongjia said with displeasure, deliberately not letting Uya rise, keeping her kneeling.

When Consort Tongjia was in a bad mood, she would often punish Uya by making her kneel.

"I dare not," Uya said with her head slightly lowered, hiding the resentment in her eyes. She had to endure; now she was only a Consort and could not confront Consort Tongjia.

Uya's submissive demeanor only made Consort Tongjia angrier. Who was she putting on this act for?!

Already in a bad mood, Consort Tongjia immediately directed her anger at Uya.

"Dare not? Is there anything Consort Uya dares not do? When you secretly vomited the medicine behind my back, how come you dared then?!"

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's anger grew as she spoke, "Now you kneel down reluctantly—what, do you feel wronged?"

Once just a lowly servant, now that you've become a noble, you think too highly of yourself. Kneeling down to pay respects feels like a hardship?!

And that look of endurance—are you planning to pay her back later?!

Consort Liang's earlier words had struck a nerve with Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia. Now that the Emperor doesn't visit her, she's desperate to conceive, but it's hopeless. Instead, Uya, a lowly maid, could give birth to a prince, which makes her even more furious now.

Uya was harshly scolded by Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia but couldn't retort; she could only endure it, her heart filled with deep malice towards Consort Liang, who was kneeling beside her.

This wretch is using her as a stepping stone, climbing over her every day, coming early to provoke Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's anger, then hiding aside, using her as a shield.

Finally, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia punished Uya by making her kneel outside for two hours before she could get up.

As Uya was leaving, Consort Liang said with a hypocritical expression, "Sister Uya, next time don't be so negligent. Imperial Noble Consort is naturally kind-hearted. You can't take advantage of her good nature by always being late for greetings. Her punishment today is for your benefit."

After hearing this, Uya wished she could tear Consort Liang apart. It's clearly Consort Liang who always arrives before her. If she arrives later than Consort Liang, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia always finds a reason to punish her. This wretch always watches when she leaves, always timing her arrival to be earlier.

Consort Liang has almost become a lapdog for Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia.

Seeing Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's anger subside, Consort Liang whispered something in her ear.

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia listened and immediately said, "No!" But her eyes showed hesitation.

Consort Liang noticed and thought there was a chance; she had planted a new idea in Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's mind.

"It was my fault for speaking out of turn; I shouldn't have mentioned it. I deserve to be punished." Consort Liang patted her own mouth, pretending to have said something wrong and deserved to be punished.

But this light patting was just for show; it had no real effect.

However, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's mind was no longer here, so she didn't pay attention to Consort Liang's meaningless gesture.

Then Consort Liang changed the topic, but Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia was clearly distracted, responding half-heartedly.

Consort Liang pretended not to notice Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's distraction and tactfully took her leave. Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia didn't keep her; she just waved her hand to let her go.

When Consort Liang left Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's place, she saw Uya kneeling under the sun and felt very pleased. She hypocritically showed concern for Uya, displaying sisterly affection, then left with her maid.

Uya knelt there, her face pale, feeling dizzy from the sun, her knees starting to ache from kneeling on the ground, and she would definitely have bruises when she returned.

All this was thanks to those two wretches.

But Consort Liang's reaction today was somewhat off.

What Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia was angry about before she arrived, it all had something to do with Consort Liang.

Uya barely managed to kneel for the required time, and when the maids helped her back, she didn't even have time to apply medicine to her knees, so she sent the maids to find out what Consort Liang had been saying to Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia when she arrived earlier.

Upon learning that Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia had a fit because Consort Liang mentioned Lady Xian's change of title, and in the process also brought up Consort Rong, which made Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia take her anger out on her, bringing up past issues again.

Uya carefully analyzed the events of the day.

Consort Liang was using Lady Xian's matter, ostensibly bringing up Consort Rong, stirring Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's jealousy towards Consort Rong, but actually using Consort Rong to hit Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's current biggest worry, the issue of heirs.

In her previous life, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia couldn't bear a son until her death, and after much struggle, she only gave birth to a princess, who died young.

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's only son was the son she bore.

Hmph, how pathetic!

That’s probably the only reason, so when Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia saw her earlier, she angrily brought up past events. The fact that Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia mentioned it means Consort Liang had hit her sore spot.

Consort Liang is likely trying to push Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia into a rash decision.

If one wants to guess whether Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia will do something foolish, just keep an eye on the main hall. Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's methods are still far from what they will be in the future.

Consort Liang is manipulating Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia, and Uya doesn’t mind and is even eager to stir the pot. However, Consort Liang is using her as a stepping stone, making her take the heat from Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia’s anger, which is something she can't tolerate.

After Consort Liang left, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia sat alone, lost in thought for a long time.

Consort Liang’s whispered words still echoed in her mind, and although she immediately said no, she couldn’t stop pondering the idea’s feasibility.

Consort Liang's words seemed to have stirred up a thought she dared not entertain, and once it came to mind, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

It felt like she was torn in two: one side saying it was absolutely impossible, how could she stoop to such low tactics; the other side saying, what if it worked? She wouldn’t know unless she tried. Her time was running out.

A few days later, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia finally called her mother to the palace for company.

After the mother and daughter exchanged pleasantries, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia sent the other servants away, leaving only her mother and herself.

Alone, the mother and daughter could finally talk about important matters.

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia then revealed the bold idea she’d been mulling over for days, startling Hesheli, who quickly glanced around to make sure all the servants were gone.

"Imperial Noble Consort, this... this is..."

"Mother, I'm just asking if there's a way. If the Fourth Prince were still being raised by me, I wouldn't be in such a hurry, but..." Tears welled up in Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's eyes as she spoke.

"Your daughter, though in a high position, has had no good news in all her years in the palace. Those beneath me must be laughing at me behind my back.

If I don’t act soon, I fear that when new ladies enter the palace and the Emperor promotes concubines with sons to consort, how will I keep those women in check?"

Now, Consort Hui and Lady Xian, though not favored, are likely to be promoted to consort in the future simply because they are the mothers of princes. And Consort Rong, at the very least, will also be promoted to consort.

The gap between Imperial Noble Consort and consort is just half a rank. Now, without consorts, she is the highest-ranking in the palace. But if those who are promoted to consort also have titles, their status will be almost on par with hers.

If she still doesn't have a child of her own by then, how will she be able to suppress these women!

Consort Liang has ill intentions.

But she has indeed hit upon the very things Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia is worried about.

Hesheli initially listened with sympathy, feeling her daughter's superficial glory in the palace was actually a life of hardship. But as she listened further, her expression also turned grave.

What Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia said is indeed a problem.

Now, the Tong family has no daughters of the right age, and Yue'er is still too young to participate in the selection, unable to enter the palace to support Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia.

Seeing that her mother was taking her words seriously, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia felt slightly reassured. "Your daughter is also considering the family. Now, with so few princes, the later a prince is born, the more he will lag behind the earlier ones."

The order of birth is extremely important. The current Eldest Prince was originally the fifth prince, but because the earlier princes died young, he became the Eldest Prince, taking the title of the eldest son, and even the Crown Prince has to call him elder brother.

The earlier a prince is born, the higher his rank and the greater his advantage.

Those born later will find their elder brothers already grown up, while they are still children. How can they compete with their elder brothers who have already matured? This is not favorable for the future of the Tong family.

When it comes to family matters, Hesheli has to be cautious, but she dares not agree easily.

"Mother, you can discuss this with Father after you return. If Father disagrees, just pretend your daughter never brought it up," said Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia.

All family matters are decided by Father. Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia summoned her mother to speak, hoping to convey her current situation in the palace to Father through her mother.

She believes that Father will not just stand by and let the Tong family miss the best opportunity.