Now that Chu Jinjin has returned safely, who in the entire harem is the most anxious?
Of course, it's the Imperial Concubine.
For soldiers who fought bravely on the battlefield, the greatest achievement for women in the imperial harem was giving birth to an imperial heir.
If she still can't become empress now that she's had twins, then it means she basically has no chance.
Even more fatally, the emperor had fallen in love with someone.
Zhao Gonggong was at a loss and quickly bowed, "Your Majesty, what brings you here? The Emperor hasn't finished court yet."
He had to try his best to prevent the two of them from meeting alone.
Consort Wang Ruoxiang's expression was unreadable as she said calmly, "I heard that Miss Jinjin has returned. She traveled thousands of miles to the north to investigate the disaster for the country. I am temporarily in charge of the Phoenix Seal and have come to visit her on behalf of the Emperor."
They're all shrewd people.
Although Eunuch Zhao knew that speaking on behalf of the Emperor was pure nonsense, it was indeed true that there was no Empress in the harem now, and the Imperial Concubine was the most powerful. It was perfectly reasonable for her to come and visit. As a disabled man, he had no right to say anything.
Eunuch Zhao tried to argue further: "Miss Jinjin has been traveling extensively and hasn't had a meal yet. His Majesty said..."
Wang Ruoxiang's eyebrows shot up: "What? Does the Emperor say I can't see Miss Jinjin?"
Eunuch Zhao was startled: "No, His Majesty only said that Miss Jinjin should rest well."
There was no way to stop it anymore.
Then Eunuch Zhao realized that he had been too nervous. With Chu Jinjin's skills and personality, he wondered where anyone could possibly bully her.
He bowed and took his leave, then quietly looked back after walking a short distance. The Imperial Concubine seemed a little unusual today.
She was there that day and knew that the Emperor had fallen for her. Under such circumstances, why did she still go to see Chu Jinjin alone? Wasn't she afraid of angering the Emperor no matter what she did?
Wang Ruoxiang didn't care about anything else.
An urgent letter from Zheng Zhengfeng, the Northern Governor, arrived first. When she read the contents of the letter, she felt dizzy and as if the sky had fallen.
How could Chu Jinjin possibly be like that?
She read the letter countless times, examining each word one by one.
Chu Jinjin didn't die; she came back alive and even managed to extract the truth from him.
Zheng Zhengfeng is fine. The crimes he committed are enough to kill his whole family a hundred or a thousand times over, but the emperor will just pretend not to know. He will either not take action at all, or if he does, he will kill them with one blow, otherwise the world will be in chaos.
But she couldn't; her entire family was in the capital.
The mere fact that he had private contact with ministers outside the borders was enough to warrant the execution of his entire family, and it also indicated that he harbored treasonous intentions.
Wang Ruoxiang never imagined things would come to this.
Since things have come to this, the only thing to do is to inform the family to make preparations as soon as possible. There's no way to run away; too many people would make too much noise.
And the only one who can truly resolve this catastrophe of annihilation is her.
Wang Ruoxiang took a deep breath, instructed her personal maid to guard the entrance, and as if in a dream, gently stepped into the grand hall that held the favor she had received along the way.
Chu Jinjin initially mistook the footsteps for those of a palace maid, but upon looking up, she realized something was amiss.
Dressed like that, and coming to see her at that time, there could be no one else but Wang Ruoxiang.
If it were anyone else, Chu Jinjin would have slapped them long ago. If it weren't for Jie Du's arrival, Li Dahua's bravery, and various coincidences, she might not have made it back.
But she was the emperor's woman, his mistress.
Chu Jinjin stood up without making a sound, and was about to greet him when she saw the other party kneel down straight down.
Chu Jinjin: "Your Highness, what do you mean by this...?"
She certainly understood the reason, but she didn't expect Wang Ruoxiang to be so flexible and adaptable, and she was a little impressed.
Indeed, behind every successful person lies something that ordinary people do not possess.
If she could do it all over again, Wang Ruoxiang would definitely do everything in her power to wipe out the Chu family. Who would have thought that this lowly merchant's daughter could drive her to such a desperate situation step by step?
But now all she can do is beg like a dog.
Wang Ruoxiang was the eldest daughter of her family and entered the palace as a noblewoman. She had never been so humiliated. She lowered her head to the ground and said, "On behalf of the hundreds of members of the Wang family, Ruoxiang begs Miss Jinjin to show mercy. We will never forget your great kindness."
The information Chu Jinjin received made her dare not harbor any illusions.
From the day she received the letter, she sent people to keep an eye on the palace gates. Fortunately, she managed to see the person before the emperor.
Since the other party was being so direct, Chu Jinjin stopped hiding her intentions and said coldly, "Has Your Highness ever thought about how I survived when you repeatedly framed my Chu family?"
Wang Ruoxiang didn't say a word, and kept her head lowered even further.
What's the point of explaining? If it were me, I would never hesitate to kill my opponent if I had the chance.
Chu Jinjin was no saint either. She sized her up a few times and said, "Tell me, what are your plans?"
Given such a deep-seated hatred, since Wang Ruoxiang has come, she should naturally offer her explanation.
“Ruoxiang has no right to beg for forgiveness for the mistakes she made to Miss Jinjin, but even ants try to survive, and as a mother, Ruoxiang cannot bear to see her elderly mother implicated.” Wang Ruoxiang did not have much hope for this emotional appeal. After speaking, she raised her head and stared deeply at Chu Jinjin, “Even if the Emperor finds out, he will only banish Ruoxiang to the Cold Palace.”
Chu Jinjin smiled and said softly, "Because you are the mother of a prince and a princess?"
Chu Jinjin had analyzed this point on the way here.
From a human perspective, no matter what, she is still the child's biological mother, and the probability of her killing her is not high; this is something she cannot control.
“It’s not just because of that, but also because of the royal family’s reputation. Everyone in the world knows that although I am not yet the Empress, I have always been in charge of the harem.” Wang Ruoxiang slowly stood up and looked at Chu Jinjin. “If word gets out, the Emperor will be the one laughing more.”
Chu Jinjin shrugged: "Then why did you come to beg me?"
“If I am banished to the harem, my parents will suffer as well, and my two children will become someone else’s children. I would rather be dead.” Wang Ruoxiang clenched her fists and said, word by word, “It is better to have more friends than more enemies. Miss Jinjin, how about we make a deal? You can pretend that what you saw and heard in the North never happened. From now on, the Wang family will be at your disposal.”
This was her biggest bargaining chip when she discussed it with her family.
Given Chu Jinjin's status, no amount of money would be of any use, but she lacked a solid foundation.
Chu Jinjin's eyes darted around, her heart fluttering wildly.
The Wang family is one of the most prominent families in the capital, and they even have a concubine.
They all obeyed her orders.
Wang Ruoxiang understood the situation and pressed her advantage to prove her worth. She respectfully said, "Once you enter the palace, you will certainly not lack the emperor's favor. However, the harem is worse than hell, with all sorts of conspiracies and schemes that are hard to guard against. With Ruoxiang protecting you, you will be spared a lot of trouble."
Chu Jinjin suspected she was hallucinating from exhaustion and shook her head: "What?"
Entering the palace, will the emperor's favor come?
Wang Ruoxiang smiled confidently: "And then there's your background. Your position as empress is extraordinary. You are a role model for women all over the world. Although you and Xu Wenda have never consummated your marriage, you have indeed married. Those ministers will definitely use this to their advantage."
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