Chapter 9 This Empress Cannot Tolerate the Slightest Injustice

When Jiang Nan saw that Wang Shi's lips had turned pale with fright, she instinctively protected her stomach even more tightly.

She remembered that Hesheli seemed to have gotten pregnant this year? And would give birth to Chenghu next year.

That child was also frail and sickly, and died in the eleventh year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, though he survived for another three years...

I don't know if it was divine retribution, or retribution from the Niohuru clan or someone else.

Jiang Nan quickly reviewed the historical records in her mind; it was true that Consort Niohuru never conceived a child in her entire life.

It's estimated that Hesheli had already used methods to eliminate their ability to reproduce.

It's entirely possible that this is retaliation from the Niohuru clan. The women of the imperial harem, when they get ruthless...

She gathered her chaotic thoughts, looked at Wang Shi who was so frightened she could barely stand, and sighed.

"Anyway, sister, please be careful in everything you do. Let's go inside first."

Wang looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and apprehension, and whispered.

"Thank you... thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."

The voices that responded were trembling.

The two entered the courtyard of Kunning Palace one after the other.

A large number of people had already gathered inside the main hall, a scene of elegant women in flowing robes and fragrant hair.

But the atmosphere was not relaxed; instead, it was filled with an invisible sense of oppression.

The moment Jiang Nan appeared, the hushed conversation vanished instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to her.

Curiosity, inquiry, jealousy, awe... a complex mix of emotions intertwined in these gazes.

With a perfectly timed smile on her face, Jiang Nan calmly walked into the hall, meeting everyone's gaze.

First, he bowed to Empress Hesheli, who was seated on the central phoenix throne.

"Your humble servant, Guarjia Jiangnan, greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and be well."

Then he turned to the first seat on the lower left, where Consort Niohuru sat with a cold expression, and nodded slightly.

"May Lady Niohuru be well."

Finally, he smiled at the other concubines who were standing, as if to say hello.

He was courteous yet neither servile nor arrogant.

She glanced quickly at Empress Hesheri, who sat regally above.

Fifteen years old…

If you lived in a later era, you'd probably still be a middle school student.

He's already making ruthless decisions within the palace, and his hands are probably stained with countless lives.

She thought to herself, no matter how virtuous and gentle she pretends to be, the scheming and ruthlessness in her eyes are still undeniable.

She probably thought her family background was superior and that she was the empress.

They have no psychological burden and no sense of awe when they harm others.

Empress Hesheri looked at Jiang Nan bowing below, her face bearing the dignified smile befitting a queen mother, but her eyes held a chilling depth.

She carefully examined this new rival who had risen from obscurity overnight.

She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she couldn't compare to the radiant beauty of Lady Niohuru, nor could she match the charm of some of the concubines below her.

But those eyes... were too clear and open, even carrying a hint of scrutiny that made people uncomfortable.

She didn't seem like a newcomer who had just been favored and bestowed a title and should be trembling with fear.

She had already received a detailed report from her trusted nanny about the bizarre events that had occurred at the Qianqing Palace the previous day.

He survived being forced to drink poison twice, and even dared to spout nonsense about the King of Hell and the Chosen One in front of the Emperor…

It was poison personally arranged by the Emperor.

It was precisely because of this extremely strange and special nature that the Emperor actually made an exception and granted her the rank of Consort!

This person is very difficult to deal with.

It seems that conventional methods of poisoning are ineffective.

Hesheri thought coldly to himself, "Then I can only take it slow and find her faults."

We can use palace rules and etiquette to rightfully punish her.

———————

Jiang Nan saw a palace maid carrying a sandalwood tray approaching her side.

On top of it sits a porcelain cup, white as jade, with clear tea inside and steaming hot.

Knowing it was time to offer tea, she walked to a spot three steps in front of the phoenix throne, stopped as required by etiquette, and bowed deeply.

With both hands, he steadily lifted the warm teacup from the tray, his arms slightly bent, and respectfully raised the teacup above his eyebrows.

Presented forward.

The movements were fluid and precise.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully request that you have some tea."

Her voice was clear and steady, and could be heard clearly in the silent palace.

Every word was placed in the perfect position.

It shows respect, yet retains the composure befitting a newly promoted concubine.

However, Empress Hesheri, sitting upright on her phoenix throne, seemed not to see it and did not immediately reach out to take it.

She simply used her hands, adorned with delicate nail guards, to slowly and deliberately fiddle with the jade prayer beads on her other wrist.

His gaze calmly swept over the other concubines below, who were bowing their heads.

It was as if he was attentively listening to a trivial report from a nanny.

The air inside the hall seemed to freeze.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes focused, some openly, some secretly, on the cup of tea that was left to linger in mid-air.

And on the person serving the tea.

A few seconds felt like an eternity.

Jiang Nan understood. She cursed inwardly, "I knew it would be like this. Does it have any other tricks up its sleeve? This is so ridiculous!"

Is this a way of putting her in her place? Making an example of her?

Bah! I'm not some chicken that can be manipulated at will!

She had long anticipated that Hesheli wouldn't let her pass so easily, but she hadn't expected her methods to be so low-level.

They simply wanted her to keep kneeling like that until she became sensible and took the initiative to apologize.

Or they could kneel until they were too exhausted to move, seize upon her mistakes, and use this to dampen her spirits and establish the empress's authority.

If it were the original owner of this body, or any normal woman in the harem, she would probably be terrified out of her wits by now.

But who is Jiang Nan?

She was the kind of person who dared to take poison herself right after transmigrating and who dared to challenge the King of Hell.

If you're not even afraid of death, how could you possibly endure this kind of humiliation?

She had no intention of indulging this wicked and virtuous empress.

Since the Empress has no shame, then don't blame her for being disrespectful.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Jiang Nan actually straightened up on her own.

This action startled everyone in the hall, causing them to gasp in shock!

Even Hesheri, who was fiddling with her rosary beads, stopped in her tracks and looked at her in disbelief.

Jiang Nan, however, acted as if nothing had happened, calmly turned around, and raised her voice towards the palace maid she had brought.

"Fang Ruo."

Terrified by the eerie atmosphere, Fang Ruo heard her master's summons.

Almost forcing himself to be brave, he quickly ran to Jiang Nan's side under the watchful eyes of countless people, his voice trembling slightly.

"Mother...Your Majesty..."

Jiang Nan was testing Fang Ruo's courage and execution ability, and also trying to drag the people of Yongshou Palace into the mess and force them to choose sides.

She gave the order in a flat tone.

"Since Her Majesty the Empress is not thirsty and has no appetite for tea, let's take the tea away first, lest it get cold and lose its flavor."

"!!!"

The entire main hall of Kunning Palace was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned by Jiang Nan's audacious and almost insane actions.

How dare she... dare to so openly disrespect the Empress? This is simply courting death.

Fang Ruo's face turned deathly pale instantly, but she looked at Jiang Nan's calm yet unquestionable gaze.

She gritted her teeth and actually stepped forward, extending her slightly trembling hand to take the cup of tea.

"How dare you!!!"

A sharp rebuke suddenly came from the Phoenix Throne, filled with uncontrollable anger and shock.

Startled, Fangruo trembled, and the teacup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. She quickly knelt down, not daring to raise her head.

Empress Hesheri could no longer keep up the act. She slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair and abruptly stood up.

Pointing at Jiang Nan, he was so angry that he was trembling all over.

"Guarjia clan, you...you really are a bondservant by birth, vulgar and rude, utterly unfit for public service, how dare you be so insolent before me!"

Her chest heaved violently; she was clearly furious. She spoke in a sharp voice.

"Guards! Guarjia Jiangnan has shown no respect for Your Majesty and committed a grave offense of disrespect. Seize her and imprison her. I will report to the Emperor before determining her punishment."

Upon hearing the noise, the guards waiting outside the hall were about to come in.

At this moment, Concubine Wang, who was standing in the corner, mustered up her courage, knelt down with a thud, and pleaded for mercy in a trembling voice.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your Majesty, please forgive her. Consort Jiang... she is only newly appointed as a concubine and may not be very familiar with palace rules. She had no intention of offending Your Majesty's majesty. We beg Your Majesty's magnanimity..."

Jiang Nan glanced at Wang Shi with some surprise.

Hmm, this Wang woman does have some courage and loyalty.

But she doesn't need anyone to plead for her.