Are there any other options?

Wan Ning read it aloud in a low voice, and her somewhat bewildered gaze once again became firm.

Yes, there will be other ways. If Consort Shu wants to succeed, she certainly can't rely on herself alone; she also needs to make use of the connections behind her.

Consort Shu came from the Niohuru clan, and her connections were all provided by the Niohuru clan. Would the Niohuru clan be willing to see Consort Shu act so recklessly and without regard for anything?

It should be noted that the Niohuru clan had already made their choice public, sending Consort Shu's younger sister, the Little Niohuru, to the palace to participate in the imperial concubine selection in February of this year.

Wan Ning was also blinded by her own involvement. Once she stepped out of this vicious cycle and understood the key points from an outsider's perspective, it was as if she had discovered the hidden standard answer. She knew what she had to do.

She got up and asked a maid to bring her a brush and ink. Wan Ning first walked around the room twice, then clenched her fists tightly, her expression serious.

"My lord, you..."

The maidservant looked at her mistress's expression and seemed somewhat at a loss.

Wan Ning waved her hand and sat down at the octagonal table. "Go to the door and keep an eye on things outside for me." They were still living in Yongshou Palace, and apart from the two of them, the Consort Shu's people were everywhere.

What Wan Ning is about to do is almost like betraying someone, so she is even more worried that her actions will be discovered by Consort Shu's people in advance.

Wanliuhashi's background couldn't compare to that of Niohurushi, and she herself was under someone else's roof and had no choice but to bow her head.

To avoid future problems, Wan Ning had no choice but to take precautions herself first.

The maid nodded in agreement, took small steps to the door, looked around, and then remained still.

Wan Ning lowered her head, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write earnestly.

Soon, a piece of paper with still-wet handwriting and the faint scent of ink appeared before her eyes.

Wan Ning gently blew on the letter, folded it neatly, put it in the envelope, and sealed it.

"Zijuan"

She called out towards the door and handed the letter to the other party, saying, "Find an opportunity to send it out in a little while, and remember to avoid the people from Yongshou Palace."

The contents of the letter were closely related to Consort Shu. If Consort Shu discovered this, Wan Ning could announce the complete end of her life in the harem ahead of time.

Zijuan tucked the letter into her sleeve. "Don't worry, my lady, I understand."

After a brief exchange between the mistress and servant, Wan Ning watched Zi Juan leave.

After her heart was lifted high, it was then put down again. Wan Ning only hoped that Zi Juan's trip would go smoothly. Compared to standing on the same side as Consort Shu and fighting for an advantage that might not benefit her, Wan Ning still felt that selling Consort Shu would be more profitable.

At this moment, Wan Ning also did not expect that no matter what, Consort Shu was a direct descendant of the Niohuru clan. Even if family members were angry, they would not really hold a grudge forever. But no matter how much help outsiders gave, it could not overcome the natural blood ties. Even if the Niohuru clan accepted the favor now, when the tide receded and emotions took hold in their hearts, would they still continue to hate Consort Shu? They would probably only be dissatisfied with the person who complained.

...

In late January of the sixteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, explosive news came from the Kunning Palace: Empress Hesheli's food had been poisoned, and she vomited blood and fainted on the spot.

Kunning Palace was thrown into chaos. Even Crown Prince Yinreng, who was at the dinner table, was so frightened that he convulsed, seemingly having an epileptic seizure.

That wasn't all. Soon after, Prince Yinti of Chuxiu Palace and Prince Yinyi of Qixiang Palace both developed large patches of red rashes, the cause of which could not be found.

Princess Chunxi, who was staying at the Princess Residence, accidentally fell and fractured her leg while going out. She could only stay in bed to recover. This frightened the Empress Dowager, who immediately suspended Ning Chuge's outdoor classes and kept her confined to the Shou Kang Palace.

Chaos broke out in the harem. First, several imperial heirs fell ill, followed by the concubines.

First, several concubines, such as Concubine Li, Concubine Wang Jia, and Concubine Nara, encountered problems one after another, either getting pregnant or injuring their bodies.

Furthermore, Consort Tong experienced persistent bleeding after her period, raising suspicions of a miscarriage.

Even Xiu Ning was completely baffled by the chaotic situation. In fact, if it weren't for the system providing constant reminders, she might have tripped and fallen, ruining her face.

Xiuning: ...

So what exactly is going on? It seems that Consort Shu still has the ability to cause trouble.

The system can find out everything, but it requires Xiu Ning to spend points and real money.

Considering that she was pregnant, Xiu Ning could only endure it for the time being and stayed obediently in Qixiang Palace with Yin Yi, not going anywhere.

Xiuning went into hiding, but the trouble never left her.

Despite Chunyu's best efforts to prevent it, she still couldn't stop Xiuning from being targeted regarding some aspects of her daily diet.

Looking at the inedible dishes again, Xiuning completely lost her appetite.

She waved her hand, then lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. "Quickly send someone to take it away."

Chunyu was taken aback upon hearing this, then said in a deep voice, "This servant has been extremely careful, even watching the servants in the imperial kitchen select the ingredients," but there was still a problem. I really don't know what to say.

Xiuning stood up, protecting her stomach with one hand, "Something must have gone wrong somewhere."

However, the fact that they managed to evade so many checks suggests that the person who did it was quite skilled.

Never mind, it's okay if something happens to me, the main thing is that things can't go wrong with Yinyi.

The imperial physician said he's been avoiding many things lately. Have someone check on him again later; things like the previous rash need to be avoided.

The rash wasn't something Xiu Ning had planned; she was prepared to go along with it, but it wasn't a rash at all. It was some other minor ailment that looked serious but actually didn't affect Yin Yi's health in any way.

However, the appearance of the rash caught Xiu Ning off guard. It was only because of the system and their timely discovery that Yin Yi was safe and sound and not affected much. Yin Ti, who was also unlucky, is still suffering from the rash and has not recovered. Consort Nara is extremely anxious and has also been implicated.

Upon hearing her mistress's instructions, Chunyu naturally nodded in agreement and patted her chest to assure her, "Don't worry, mistress, this servant will make the arrangements perfectly."

This time, she had people watching the whole process to see who would dare to trip up the young master.

Qixiang Palace has taken ample precautions to prevent a recurrence of the previous mishaps.

The other palaces gradually followed suit.

Everyone had their backers, and by taking turns playing one game at a time, they managed to stabilize the situation for the time being.

At this critical moment, Consort Shu, who had acted preemptively, died of illness in Yongshou Palace, leaving Emperor Kangxi, who was halfway through his investigation, in a stalemate, and the situation became deadlocked once again.