Chapter 108

Chapter 108

"My Lady," Qinxin looked unsure of how to proceed, while Yun Hua, next to her, seemed calmer.

Su Yi was tending to the flowers, with a cat with a flat-top hairstyle circling around her feet, always seeking affection, eager to be picked up, but obediently not jumping up to Su Yi directly.

It meowed occasionally, trying to catch Su Yi's attention with its soft meows.

Noticing Su Yi's inattention, it reached out to the flowers with its claws, attempting some mischief, but also kept an eye on Su Yi's reaction from time to time, not daring to go too far.

Su Yi, bent over watering the flowers, looked particularly focused. After Qinxin called out, she didn't stop her actions, patiently waiting for Qinxin to speak, without pressing.

Noticing Qinxin's prolonged silence, Yun Hua spoke first, "My Lady, a messenger from Qianqing Palace arrived to inform that His Majesty will not be visiting today."

Qinxin shot Yun Hua a displeased look.

But Yun Hua remained unbothered, wasn't it going to be said sooner or later?

Moreover, Her Highness might not be fazed by this news, Qinxin was being too cautious.

Sure enough, Consort Rong simply acknowledged with a quiet hum, showing no reaction, carrying on as usual, unfazed.

Yun Hua gave Qinxin a look that said, 'Told you.'

This left Qinxin at a loss for words.

Should she still bring up that His Majesty had intended to visit Yonghe Palace but was diverted to Jingren Palace instead?

She had braced herself for Her Highness's inquiry about His Majesty's sudden change of plans.

But Her Highness didn't even inquire, rendering her earlier concerns unnecessary.

Glancing between Consort Rong and Yun Hua, she realized she was the most unsettled.

Word of Jingren Palace's successful interception of Yonghe Palace spread quickly, stirring excitement among the other palaces.

They were eager to find out what method Jingren Palace used to intercept, and what the reaction was from Yonghe Palace.

On one hand, they wanted to learn from Jingren Palace, thinking they might also succeed in intercepting.

On the other hand, they wanted to see Yonghe Palace's embarrassment, as Yonghe Palace had been enjoying exclusive favor for a while, and now this 'exclusive favor' was broken by Jingren Palace, everyone wanted to know Consort Rong's reaction.

The concubines were all complaining about not having enough manpower, the news wasn't coming fast enough, they couldn't know immediately, and had to wait for the servants to report back, making them very anxious.

Yipin even directly went to Yonghe Palace.

She had been taking tonics to recuperate, but it hadn't been effective, and she was furious at the person behind her current situation.

She had been secretly investigating, determined to find out who was behind it.

Previously, due to the long time and many traces being cleaned up, Yipin hadn't found any clues.

But since she entered the palace, the other party had already targeted her and laid out a plan, doing it so cleanly, which at that time, if one didn't have a high status or deep roots in the palace, it was impossible to do so.

Then, thanks to Yipin's persistence, she indeed found some clues, all pointing to Yikun Palace.

Thus, Yipin inevitably thought of the deposed consort Niohuru, who was in a high position at that time.

At that time, she was acting in charge of the palace affairs, appearing kind but with a malicious heart, it was highly likely that it was the deposed consort Niohuru who did it, but the deposed consort Niohuru is now gone.

If it was indeed the deposed consort Niohuru who had orchestrated the scheme, Yipin couldn’t even seek her out for retribution.

This left Yipin feeling deeply unsettled.

What’s worse than knowing your enemy, wanting revenge, but finding out they’re already dead, leaving you with no one to target?

Then Yipin shifted her focus. The deposed consort was dead, but Consort Rong was still there. Consort Rong was the sister of the deposed consort, also of the Niohuru clan. If the elder sister was gone, the younger sister would have to pay.

Previously, when she had clashed with Consort Rong, she had come out the loser.

Recently, the Emperor had been visiting Yonghe Palace, and Yipin wasn’t foolish enough to confront Consort Rong at such a time.

But now, with Yonghe Palace in the spotlight, Yipin sensed her chance had arrived.

If she didn’t take this opportunity to strike at Consort Rong now, she didn’t know when the next chance would come.

In the harem, it’s survival of the fittest. Show weakness, and those who once feared you will pounce.

So Yipin stormed over with determination.

She practically raced there at top speed.

While others lingered in their palaces for updates, Yipin had already made her move.

She barged into Yonghe Palace with an air of defiance, daring anyone to stop her. However, the people at Yonghe Palace didn’t really try to stop her, and Yipin thought to herself, "They know better."

Yipin had adorned herself in her finest attire for the occasion.

From afar, Yipin caught sight of Consort Rong.

Consort Rong tended a modest garden, smaller than the imperial one but brimming with diverse blooms.

Yipin spotted Consort Rong in the garden, tending to the flowers with a watering can. She was dressed plainly, her hair simply pinned up with a hairpin, clad in a soft green gown, exuding simplicity.

But even from afar, amidst the vibrant blooms, the flowers seemed to pale in comparison to her.

Though Yipin had seen Consort Rong before, each reunion left her momentarily spellbound.

Yipin’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of envy dancing in them.

The medicine she’d been taking had dulled her complexion, leaving her looking sallow. Once, she’d used makeup to accentuate her natural beauty.

Now, only layers of makeup could mask the pallor brought on by the medicine. Determined not to be outshone by Consort Rong, Yipin had adorned herself meticulously, ready to deliver a cutting remark. But now, she felt somewhat reluctant to approach.

Yipin’s expression darkened, but she strode forward, leaning on her maids for support.

Before she was within earshot, Yipin launched into her usual taunt,

"Oh, sister, why trouble yourself with watering the flowers? Isn’t that what the maids are for? Or are you in need of a distraction?"

Yipin let out a bold laugh, her striking makeup amplifying her commanding presence. Her bold makeup only heightened her striking beauty, as bold and captivating as a begonia.

Her tone and expression left no doubt she’d come to stir the pot.

Su Yi glanced up casually and replied, "Oh, it’s you."

Then she handed the watering tool to Qinxin.

She bent down to pick up the pot-bellied cat that had been sitting on the ground, looking up at her.

The kitten with the flat-top fur immediately meowed happily, squinting its eyes with a satisfied expression as it nestled on Su Yi's shoulder.

The human finally remembered it was there, ignoring those fragrant flowers.

Su Yi walked over with a gentle smile, and Yipin couldn't find any trace of the expression she had hoped to see.

Yipin instantly frowned and said, "Sister Consort Rong seems to be in such a good mood. You mean you still don’t know?"

She had already received the news; it was impossible that Consort Rong didn't know yet. What were the maids in Yonghe Palace up to? Why hadn't they informed Consort Rong immediately?

Su Yi looked confused, as if to say, 'What are you talking about?' which made Yipin somewhat uncertain. Did Consort Rong really not know?

Then Yipin eagerly explained to Consort Rong, saying,

"Sister, you still don't know? Today, His Majesty was planning to come to Yonghe Palace, but unexpectedly, just as he was about to arrive, he turned towards Jingren Palace instead.

Who knows what the Jingren Palace servants whispered, but His Majesty didn't even consider your feelings and followed them to Jingren Palace. Ah, sister, I really feel for you. That's why I came over to show my concern. If you’re upset, you can vent to me."

As Yipin recounted how His Majesty was diverted to Jingren Palace, she pretended to be concerned for Consort Rong.

In reality, she just wanted to take the opportunity to stab Consort Rong in the heart. She didn't believe that Consort Rong could hide her feelings so well without showing even a hint.

She wanted to see Consort Rong put on a brave front and pretend everything was fine in front of her. In short, if she wasn't feeling good, she didn't want to see Consort Rong too pleased either.

Though Qinxin and Yun Hua had long suspected Yipin’s ill intentions, they hadn't expected Yipin to be so brazen. His Majesty had merely not come this time, and Yipin was already here to mock their mistress. It was downright infuriating.

"Thanks for your concern. Don’t just stand there; come sit and have some tea."

Su Yi stroked the kitten, her expression remaining calm, as if she hadn’t caught the malice in Yipin’s tone. She calmly invited Yipin to sit and have tea while they chatted.

Then she walked to one side, "Come, over here."

She had plenty of time to chat with Yipin.

Yipin, who had hoped to see discomfort, pain, or jealousy from Consort Rong, was baffled.

Seeing that Consort Rong had already walked a distance and then stopped to look back at her, not saying anything, but her expression clearly said, 'Why are you still standing there? Aren't you coming?'

It felt like Yipin had hit a wall.

She had come to make Consort Rong uncomfortable, to twist the knife, but why was she the one feeling frustrated instead?!

Yipin refused to believe it, convinced that Consort Rong was just putting on a brave face. She couldn't be fooled; she had to expose Consort Rong. So she quickly followed.

Back at Jingren Palace.

When Consort Liang learned that Consort Tongjia had invited His Majesty over, she immediately began to prepare herself.

She even changed into a new outfit, a gift from Consort Tongjia, and wore new jewelry, including a hairpin that Consort Tongjia had given her.

The hairpin was intricately crafted, with jade so vividly carved that the flower buds seemed ready to bloom, and other colored jade stones as embellishments. Consort Liang had fallen in love with it at first sight and was now wearing it.

The outfit was also a gift from Consort Tongjia, a style and pattern that Consort Tongjia didn't fancy, so she had given it to Consort Liang, who was present at the time.

When Consort Liang received it, she carefully checked it for any issues, and after having the maids clean it, she felt confident wearing it.

The outfit was stunning, and since Consort Liang rarely wore such luxurious clothing, she adored it.

Given her rank, she had no such options; even the things Consort Tongjia disliked were beyond her current reach.

Additionally, the hairpin gifted by Consort Tongjia matched the dress perfectly. Aside from this hairpin, none of her other jewelry could complement the dress.

Thus, when Consort Liang wore this new dress, she naturally chose to wear the hairpin gifted by Consort Tongjia as well.

Though Consort Tongjia was known for her temper, the occasional items she let slip allowed Consort Liang to gain quite a few benefits.

Moreover, Consort Tongjia always had an air of condescension when bestowing gifts, making Consort Liang feel that by putting up with a bit, she could acquire these fine items. In the end, it was uncertain who the fool really was.

After meticulously preparing herself with a luxurious dress, exquisite makeup, and opulent jewelry, Consort Liang looked stunning, like a flower in full bloom, waiting to be picked.

"My lady, you look truly beautiful," a maid beside her promptly complimented, which made Consort Liang smile with satisfaction.

The maid was about to continue with more compliments, hoping to earn some reward from Consort Liang's joy, but before she could say more, Consort Liang quickly asked, "Between Consort Rong and me, who is more beautiful?"

The maid, who had been smiling ingratiatingly, hesitated for a moment before hastily replying, "Naturally, it is you, my lady." But inwardly, she began to feel uneasy.

Sure enough, Consort Liang's expression darkened immediately upon noticing the maid's brief pause. "Then, in what way am I more beautiful than Consort Rong?" she pressed.

If compared to others, the maid could have answered swiftly, but why insist on comparing her to Consort Rong? This was truly...

"Well, Consort Rong... she has an air of sickness, always appearing frail. My lady, you are in good health, and your beauty naturally outshines hers. She cannot compare to you."

Although the maid responded quickly, Consort Liang remained unsatisfied.

Seeing that Consort Liang's expression did not improve, the maid hurriedly knelt down, inwardly regretting that she had spoken at all.