Chapter 97 That Face

When Lan Wu arrived at Jinghua Palace with her entourage, the sunset glow was just right. A ray of afterglow shone on Lan Wu, making her smoky-colored dress even more radiant. And look at the gold and gemstone hibiscus hairpin in her hair, with the tassels hanging gently at her temples, shimmering with dazzling brilliance in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Everyone says that Consort Zhen, who is currently favored in the harem, is beautiful, radiant, and charming. Now that I've seen her, I know that this is true. Only a beauty like her can win the Emperor's favor.

Lan Wu slowly walked into the palace gate, and thoughtfully looked around.

The Jinghua Palace remains the same, but upon closer inspection, subtle differences can be observed.

As soon as she entered the palace gate, she smelled the fragrance of osmanthus flowers, and naturally she saw the two huge osmanthus trees in the courtyard.

After a rain, the osmanthus trees in the palace all bloomed. There were no osmanthus trees in Jinghua Palace originally, but because of Consort Li's words, Lin Hengshu brought in two trees for her, and every year thereafter she could smell the fragrance of osmanthus in Jinghua Palace.

And these stone lanterns that go around the corridor—perhaps Consort Li had long since grown tired of the original sturdy stone pillars, because now the stone lanterns in her palace have been replaced.

The fact that Consort Li has gone to such lengths suggests that she has likely made considerable use of the "power" she currently wields.

But she and Consort Shu jointly manage the six palaces. With her acting so ostentatiously, how could Consort Shu not say anything?

Or was it done on purpose?

"This servant greets Your Highness, may Your Highness be blessed with long life and good health." A palace maid rushed over and hurriedly bowed to Lan Wu, whispering, "Your Highness, please enter the hall and wait a moment while I go and inform Your Highness."

Lan Wu wasn't in a hurry at all.

She figured it was almost time for Chu Mingheng to visit her palace. If he couldn't find her, he would definitely ask where she was. And when he found out she was with Consort Li, she wouldn't be the one to suffer.

Today she was determined to see what Consort Li was really up to, that she had to steal one of her garments.

Consort Li was waiting for Panxi's reply in the palace. In fact, there was no need for her to answer. Lanwu was enough to serve as a warning to her. Now, she naturally wanted to keep Panxi firmly in her grasp and not let her have any other thoughts.

Before Panxi could speak, a palace servant outside spoke first.

"What is it!" Consort Li said, sounding rather impatient.

The palace maid had no choice but to raise her voice slightly: "Your Majesty, Consort Zhen has arrived and says she wishes to see Your Majesty..."

Consort Li was taken aback, then realized what was happening.

"As expected, a lowly scoundrel is a lowly scoundrel. It's just a piece of clothing—" He must have never seen anything good before. It's just a piece of clothing, yet he's rushing over here like this.

Consort Li stood up, glanced at Panxi who was still kneeling on the ground, and told her to get up first.

"Alright, change out of these clothes first."

As for whether Lan Wu still wants clothes that others have worn, that's up to Lan Wu herself.

The Jinghua Hall was incense-filled, but the scent wasn't strong. However, Lan Wu couldn't help but wrinkle her nose as soon as she entered the hall.

She remembered that Chu Mingheng had said that the incense burner in the Zhaoyun Palace of the Zeng family was soaked in medicine. She figured that all the palaces were the same, except that the medicine only took effect over a long period of time, so it probably wouldn't have any effect on her.

She sat and waited for a while before she saw Consort Li walk out unhurriedly.

"Greetings to Consort Li." Lan Wu did not kneel, but stood up from her seat, glanced at Consort Li indifferently, and then said.

Since she was promoted to the rank of Zhaorong, the imperial edict that Chu Mingheng wrote for her allowed her to not kneel before the emperor.

Although she hadn't knelt before Chu Mingheng much before, after the imperial edict, once it was out in the open, she didn't even need to kneel before Chu Mingheng, let alone the other concubines.

Consort Li looked at the sky outside with a half-smile, seemingly unintentionally, and sat down in the main seat: "It's getting dark, what brings Consort Zhen here to me?"

She took other people's things and then remained calm and composed, utterly shameless.

Lan Wu didn't indulge her either.

"I had specifically asked the Imperial Wardrobe to keep a piece of peacock green Xiangyun yarn to make a dress. Today, the Imperial Wardrobe said that it was accidentally sent to Your Majesty's palace. I sent someone to retrieve it, but Your Majesty refused, so I had to come here myself."

Consort Li nodded and smiled, "So you came for that dress."

"I'm not trying to criticize you, but as a concubine, and His Majesty's favorite, a piece of fabric and a dress are nothing. You could have just had a palace servant say something. Instead, you came here yourself, which has damaged your dignity. It's one thing to lose face yourself, but if others find out, they might say that His Majesty's favorite concubine has such low standards."

Lan Wu looked at her, not angry at all, and said, "Yes, it's just a dress. I think Consort Li and I have different figures. If you like that dress, there should be some fabric left over after it's made. Why do you have to take mine? It's just making us a laughing stock."

"Consort Zhen!" Consort Li was the first to get angry, slamming her hand on the table and pointing her gaze directly at Lan Wu. "Watch your mouth when you speak to me!"

"Who exactly is unclean?" Lan Wu said coldly. "Consort Li, don't think I'm afraid of you. I just don't want to deal with you. If you want to cause trouble, don't blame me for being rude."

The surroundings became quiet.

Consort Li was furious and wanted to tear Lan Wu's face apart. She took a deep breath to suppress her anger and said, "You have committed insubordination. I can order someone to punish you according to palace rules."

"Oh, then you give it a try." Lan Wu said calmly.

“You are an orphan, a dancer by birth, and now you are just relying on—” Consort Li suddenly stopped talking.

Lan Wu curled her lips into a cold smile as she looked at her: "Relying on the Emperor's favor."

She finished saying what she hadn't said before.

Indeed, it is due to the emperor's favor.

But in this palace, His Majesty firmly controls the court and the harem, so family background isn't that important. On the contrary, the most important thing is His Majesty's favor.

So Consort Li only dared to talk the talk; she couldn't actually do anything to Lan Wu.

Consort Li was furious, so angry that the veins on her forehead bulged.

Lan Wu glanced at the sky outside the palace, somewhat impatiently: "Where are my clothes?"

Consort Li remained silent.

After waiting for a while, Lan Wu finally heard her speak.

"I've already worn that dress, what, you still want it?" Consort Li was determined to disgust Lan Wu.

Lan Wu smiled and said, "Why wouldn't I want it? Even though it's dirty, I can just take it back and burn it. It's mine, so I have to take it back."

Consort Li's forehead twitched, and she said, "My clothes don't fit, so I gave them to the palace maids."

A strange feeling flashed through Lan Wu's mind. She looked behind Consort Li and said lightly, "Then I should see even more carefully whether these are the clothes I want, so that there won't be any problems with wearing them."

It's just clothes, what could be wrong with that?

Consort Li ordered someone to bring Panxi over.

How I long for it!

Lan Wu frowned slightly—this name seemed somewhat familiar; where had she heard it before?

Soon, a palace maid with a similar figure to hers, but slightly thinner, slowly appeared before her.

Seeing that face, Lan Wu understood everything.