Chapter 78 Deliberate Provocation
Jiang Yingli had heard long ago that Xu Nianya had entered the palace.
She thought she would rush to Zhaohua Palace impatiently, but she didn't expect her to arrive until almost dusk.
When Xu Nian-ya first stepped into Zhaohua Palace, she was surprised by the spacious landscape inside the palace.
The small courtyard in front of the palace alone is as big as three of her Jinque Pavilions.
And living water.
Jealousy and injustice flashed in Xu Nianya's eyes.
Jiang Yingli is just lucky. She can also plant flowers. If it was her who went to Prince Su's Mansion to plant flowers, she would be the one living here now. It's not that Jiang Yingli is better than her.
The glittering golden plaque in Zhaohua Palace magnified Xu Nianya's jealousy and ambition infinitely.
She snorted and entered the hall.
Jiang Yingli sat in the main seat with a graceful posture, and her clothes and jewelry were very exquisite.
Xu Nianya couldn't stand it either.
Jiang Yingli used to be very thin and frail, wearing dull old clothes, and had no aesthetic appeal at all.
Nowadays, girls change a lot when they grow up, and clothes make the man.
However, if she wore those jewelry, she might not look worse than her.
After looking around, Xu Nianya perfunctorily bowed to Jiang Yingli.
Jiang Yingli sat in the main seat and said calmly, "Baolin, please take a seat."
Xu Nianya was unhappy when she heard this. "We are cousins after all. We haven't seen each other for many years. Don't you have any feelings for each other? Why are you so cold?"
Jiang Yingli was unmoved. "We haven't seen each other for many years. What kind of relationship do we have? If you consider me your cousin, you shouldn't beg your uncle to let you enter the palace."
Xu Nianya scoffed, "What do you mean by begging? Jiang Yingli, it seems you've been away from home for too long and don't understand the situation. It was my aunt and uncle who begged our family for help. Dad wanted to give my aunt and uncle a chance, so he asked you to help me enter the palace."
Jiang Yingli said coldly: "Since you know it's an exchange of interests, why are you talking to me about friendship?"
"How heartless, but that's exactly what I want." Xu Nianya smiled complacently, "In the future, we will each rely on our own abilities. Don't blame me for disregarding our sisterly love and stealing your favor."
Jiang Yingli raised her eyes, her gaze landing on Xu Nianya's face. "Are you still waiting for the future? I wonder how many years it will take you to reach my position and be on equal footing with me?"
Xu Nianya clenched her fists instantly, trying her best to suppress the humiliation and anger in her heart.
She didn't respond to Jiang Yingli's words, but stood up and walked up to Jiang Yingli.
"Cousin, after all these years, why are you still so dull? No wonder even my aunt prefers me."
These words pierced Jiang Yingli's heart like a knife, and her hands and feet turned cold instantly.
Sure enough, only the closest people know how to make someone suffer.
That winter, it was clearly Xu Nian Ya who pushed her into the water, but her mother ran over in a panic and pulled Xu Nian Ya away from the pool, blaming her for being so careless and saying that if Xu Nian Ya was dragged into the water by her, she should wait.
What was she waiting for? It was nothing more than kneeling down and getting spanked on the palms as punishment. She was already used to it.
But when she saw Xu Nian Ya hugging her mother and crying and deliberately provoking her, she felt like her heart was torn apart.
She used to think that her mother favored her younger brother because he would be the pillar of the family in the future, and there was a reason for this favoritism.
But without her brother, her mother no longer favored her.
She doesn't understand.
Seeing Jiang Yingli's face as pale as paper, Xu Nianya knew that she had achieved her goal.
Just like this, telling her over and over again that she can't do it, she is terrible, she will slowly become really bad.
This is the easiest way to bring someone down.
The water in the pond was very shallow that winter, only covering her calves, but Jiang Yingli felt like she was about to drown, and Xu Nianya's words became unclear.
"Jiang Yingli, I'll be your portrait from now on. Let me take your place. You're so dull, yet you're still favored. I'm more interesting than you, and I'll go further than you."
After saying this, Xu Nianya smiled and took her leave.
Jiang Yingli asked for leave from the morning meeting the next day.
Originally, everyone wanted to see the first pair of sisters in the palace, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yingli, who was very diligent every day, was absent.
Song Wanyan finally realized something was wrong. If the sisters had a good relationship, why would Jiang Yingli be so abnormal?
She sat in the main seat and looked at Xu Nianya, with a hint of vigilance in her eyes.
On Xu Nianya's first day at the morning meeting, she was able to look into the eyes and greet several concubines.
Not a peaceful person.
The concubines who accepted Xu Nian Ya's gifts yesterday were all a little uneasy at this moment.
I accepted it yesterday for the sake of Empress Chongyi, but Empress Chongyi didn’t come today. Could it be that there is some conflict between the sisters?
"Xu Baolin, since you have entered the palace, you must remember your duties as a concubine and behave yourself." Song Wanyan reminded.
Xu Nianya knew that Song Wanyan's status was out of reach, so she politely agreed.
"Yes, I will remember the teachings of Concubine Song."
Su Qingrong had been staring at Xu Nianya since she entered the door, and her hands involuntarily tightened on the armrest.
She already has enough to deal with with Jiang Yingli in this palace, how come there’s another Xu Nianya!
The key point is that Xu Nianya looks somewhat similar to Jiang Yingli.
Su Qingrong was deeply worried.
Men tend to get bored easily, but Jiang Yingli's beauty has won His Majesty's favor for many years. Now that a new person who looks like her has come, wouldn't it be easy for her to win His Majesty's favor?
**
Song Wanyan took Xu Nianya to meet the Queen Mother, and Xu Nianya had a reputation from then on.
No one expected that His Majesty would turn over Xu Nianya's card that night.
Xu Nianya was both surprised and proud.
When Xiao Chenglan entered Jinxiu Palace, he glanced at Jiangxuexuan, where the lights were still on.
It seems that the accounts he wants will be settled soon.
After a moment, Xiao Chenglan lowered his gaze and went to Jinque Pavilion with a sullen face.
It was Xu Nianya's first time serving the emperor in bed, and she took great pains to wear a nightgown that fit her body very well. She recalled the expressions that Jiang Yingli always liked to make and imitated them.
Hearing the footsteps, she bent down and knelt to greet them tenderly and gracefully. However, for a long time, she did not hear the emperor ask him to stand up.
Xiao Chenglan sat down in the hall before glancing at Xu Nianya.
They are somewhat similar, and when I deliberately imitate Jiang Yingli's expression, they look even more alike.
It's just so annoying.
If he hadn't been concerned about the fact that Jiang Yingli still had illusions about the Jiang family, he would have killed her here and there.
"Move a screen over here." Xiao Chenglan concealed the coldness in his eyes and gave the order lightly.
Fu Wanquan quickly asked someone to bring a screen and placed it between Xiao Chenglan and Xu Nianya.
Xu Nianya had been unable to get up for a long time and was already feeling uneasy. Now that a screen had inexplicably been placed between her and His Majesty, she became even more uneasy.
"I don't know what I did wrong just now that angered Your Majesty. Please give me some advice." Xu Nian Ya knocked her forehead to the ground and said these words tremblingly.
Xiao Chenglan looked at her through the screen; the figure blurred into a ball, looking even more like her.
"Where did you go wrong? Do you need me to explain? It seems you don't even know where you went wrong. Kneel down tonight and admit your mistakes. Reflect on it."
Xu Nianya's heart sank and cold sweat broke out on her forehead, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She knelt stiffly on the ground and repeated it over and over again.
"I know I was wrong."
"I know I was wrong."
“…”
Xu Nianya shouted until her throat was smoking, and Xiao Chenglan's painting had already taken shape.
On the far right side of the rice paper, there is the hem of a dragon robe, and beside it is kneeling a pitiful woman, holding the dragon robe and admitting her mistake.
There are a few lines of small words below -
"I know I was wrong, and I will never push your majesty onto anyone else again."
"I know I was wrong. I will never again listen to others and hide my true thoughts from Your Majesty."
"I know I was wrong. I will never say anything against my will to Your Majesty again."
"I know I was wrong. From now on, I will only rely on Your Majesty."
Xiao Chenglan put down his pen, looked up at the screen, picked up the painting on the table, looked at it for a while, and was very satisfied.
I really want her to kneel down and admit her mistake, but I can't bear to do that.
That's fine too.
Moreover, if she admitted her mistake, he would soften his heart again, and this time it would be the same.
How can I grow if every moment passes by in such a muddle?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
