Chapter 256 Let alone the Cold Palace, Narcissus would probably have a hard time surviving...
Emperor Zhaoheng stayed at Lihe Palace until late at night. Even though Shuixian didn't ask, he repeatedly assured her that he would send more people to protect her and the children and that he would find out the truth as quickly as possible.
Only then, filled with remorse, did he reluctantly leave.
The doors of the Lihe Palace slowly closed, isolating it from the outside world.
The emotion on Narcissus's face vanished instantly, replaced by a coldness and sharpness like a drawn sword.
Yi Xingyao would rather walk into a trap than die with her... She truly hadn't expected him to be so insane!
However, now is not the time to complain. What Narcissus needs most right now is to take action!
Narcissus, who was guarding outside, heard Lu call her in.
She first asked Tinglu to summon Pei Jichuan, who was on duty at the Imperial Hospital that day. Tinglu left upon receiving the order.
Only Shui Xian and Yin Zhu remained in the hall. Shui Xian then said to Yin Zhu:
"Yinzhu, go and do another thing yourself."
Narcissus's voice was deep, and her eyes were colder than the night outside the window.
"Find a way to let the Empress Dowager, who is far away in the imperial palace, know that... there are people in the court who are questioning the bloodline of her own grandsons, Qingyan and Qinghe."
Upon hearing the words "Empress Dowager," a hint of hesitation flashed across Yinzhu's face.
"Your Majesty, can the Empress Dowager really help us?"
The feud between the Empress Dowager and Shui Xian was not something that happened overnight. Even though their relationship eased somewhat later, Yin Zhu really doubted whether the Empress Dowager would actually help Shui Xian this time.
Narcissus nodded slowly, her voice very soft.
“Remember, just let her know that ‘someone is questioning the bloodline,’ without mentioning Yi Xingyao or going into the details of the slander.”
Narcissus's fingertips gently brushed across the folds of her skirt, her tone carrying a chilling insight into human nature.
"In this world, nothing is more resolute than a mother or a grandmother's determination to protect her child's bloodline..."
After becoming a mother, Narcissus finally understood what a child means to a mother.
Even though Emperor Zhaoheng and Empress Dowager had a long-standing strained relationship, their bond as mother and son was unbreakable.
Yinzhu understood perfectly and whispered, "This servant understands and will certainly handle it properly."
"Go."
Narcissus waved her hand, "Be quick and discreet... we don't have much time."
Not long after Yinzhu left to carry out her orders, Pei Jichuan arrived at Lihe Palace through a side gate.
"Your humble servant pays respects to the Imperial Noble Consort!"
Pei Jichuan bowed.
Narcissus, standing a distance away, gestured with her hand, indicating that he should not stand on ceremony.
"Get up."
She sat gracefully on the soft couch by the window, her dress and clothes exceptionally beautiful, which only accentuated the cold and sharp scheming in her eyes.
"Pei Jichuan, what I need you to investigate is a matter that could potentially involve royal secrets..."
Pei Jichuan suddenly looked up and saw her lips, which resembled daffodils and cherry blossoms, open and close. The guess she uttered made his pupils shrink sharply.
If this is true... then the entire capital city will be turned upside down!
"Your humble servant obeys!"
When Pei Jichuan left Lihe Palace, the sky in the distance was already bright.
A dark night was replaced by bright daylight, and a new day had begun.
Narcissus stood in front of the carved window, which she opened, feeling the cold wind rushing in and blowing her robes.
Yi Xingyao, Grand Tutor Liu... and even the Empress hidden behind the scenes...
Their scheme this time was indeed beyond her expectations.
Shui Xian's vague suspicions over the past few days, namely the matter she assigned to Pei Jichuan, were indeed without any evidence.
Emperor Zhaoheng's promise to protect her and her child may have been the truth.
However, Narcissus preferred to believe in herself.
Believe in your ability to turn things around in desperate situations, and believe in your resilience to not be defeated by anything!
She raised her head slightly, looking at the sky turning a pale white, her eyes, which had been open all night, were clearer than ever before.
The weather is about to change...
......
The following day, Emperor Zhaoheng's imperial edict spread rapidly throughout the court and the inner palace.
The imperial edict stated that due to the rumors and disturbances, in order to protect the reputation of the royal family, Imperial Noble Consort Shuixian needed to avoid suspicion and meditate quietly.
From this day forward, the Lihe Palace will be closed to visitors, and no one may enter or leave without an imperial edict.
Her authority to manage the six palaces was temporarily delegated to Consort De and Consort Wan.
To prevent the young princes from being disturbed by rumors, the twins Qingyan and Qinghe will be sent to the Qianqing Palace to be cared for by special personnel.
Although the wording of this imperial edict was not particularly harsh, the message it contained stirred up a storm in the hearts of countless people in the inner palace and the court.
He closed the door to visitors, temporarily relinquished palace power, and the prince was taken away from his birth mother...
All these signs indicate that the Imperial Noble Consort, who was enjoying the Emperor's favor and wielding immense power in the harem... has lost power!
The palace was quickly reinforced with additional guards. Although it was not explicitly stated that the person was under house arrest, the tense atmosphere spoke volumes.
The allowances for expenses within the palace were deliberately reduced almost immediately after the imperial edict was issued.
The once bustling Lihe Palace has become deserted, as desolate as a cold palace, exuding an atmosphere of bleakness.
Kunning Palace.
Although both were under house arrest, the Empress burst into laughter, almost without any regard for her image, upon learning the contents of the imperial edict.
"Hahahaha... Narcissus! You've finally met your match!"
After the Empress finished laughing, her gaze grew even colder, revealing undisguised schadenfreude.
"Keep your mind at home... I think you'll never have a chance to rise in the world!"
"That madman Yi Xingyao has done me a great favor! Once my father and the others add fuel to the fire in the court and solidify the crimes of those two bastards, let's see how arrogant you can be then!"
"This harem will ultimately belong to me!"
She could almost see Narcissus being deposed, even sentenced to death, and the twins being proven to be bastards, before she regained control of the Phoenix Seal and once again became the Empress.
Once Narcissus is eliminated, no one will be able to threaten her position as empress.
The Empress was in a good mood and even had her maids do her hair and makeup. In the empty Kunning Palace, she put on the Empress's dress from her wedding day and dreamed of regaining control of the harem.
The Empress was not only the only favored person in the harem.
Consort Wan was also very pleased with herself during this time. She finally obtained the power to assist in managing the six palaces that she had always dreamed of. Although it was a joint power with Consort De, it was a height that she had never reached before.
In her moment of triumph, the first thing Consort Wan did was to secretly instruct the Imperial Household Department to further reduce the already downgraded expenses for the Palace and its furnishings.
Upon hearing her subordinates' report, the Imperial Household Department followed her instructions and sent the defective items to the Lihe Palace, which pleased Consort Wan even more.
She reveled in the thrill of trampling her former superior rivals underfoot.
On this day, she dressed up meticulously, wearing a brand-new rose-red palace dress, making an unprecedentedly high-profile appearance.
Consort Wan, in a very flamboyant manner, led a large group of palace maids and eunuchs to the now deserted Lihe Palace.
The guards at the gate, seeing that it was her, did not dare to obstruct her too much. After announcing her arrival, Consort Wan walked in gracefully.
The once warm, fragrant, and exquisitely decorated main hall of the Lihe Palace now appears somewhat cold and desolate due to budget cuts and the underfloor heating not burning brightly.
Contrary to what outsiders might have imagined, Narcissus was not haggard or disheveled. She was simply dressed in a plain, moon-white dress, without any makeup, her dark hair casually tied up with a jade hairpin. She was sitting by the window, quietly flipping through an old book.
She was composed, as if all the storms and troubles of the outside world had nothing to do with her.
Looking at her calm and composed demeanor, Consort Wan felt a surge of anger rising within her for no apparent reason.
The narcissus she imagined should be panicked and even crying all day long!
Consort Wan gave a fake laugh, her voice filled with undisguised sarcasm: "Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort... now you truly live up to Your Highness's wishes. Lihe Palace is so peaceful now."
She glanced around the somewhat deserted hall, her tone becoming increasingly smug: "But this is for the best, lest those foul words about that traitor Yi Xingyao outside disturb my sister's quiet cultivation."
She deliberately brought up Yi Xingyao, her gaze fixed on Shui Xian, trying to find a trace of shame or embarrassment on her face.
Shui Xian slowly put down the book in her hand, raised her eyes to look at Consort Wan, her eyes clear and bright, like a mirror that seemed to reflect all the filth in Consort Wan's heart.
"Consort Wan is very kind... The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty. A little storm cannot disturb my peace of mind."
"As for Consort Wan, she is now acting as the head of the palace and has a great responsibility. She should focus more on important matters. If she delays the affairs of the six palaces because of some trivial matters, or causes gossip by cutting expenses, I'm afraid... it will be difficult to explain to the Emperor."
Her calm and composed demeanor was completely different from the reaction that Consort Wan had expected.
It even made Consort Wan feel as if her punch, which she had gathered all her strength, had landed hard on a piece of light cotton. Not only did it not hurt the other party in the slightest, it also made her feel suffocated and uncomfortable.
Wanfei's smile froze. She gritted her teeth, wanting to say something more sarcastic, but Shuixian's calm gaze made her uneasy, as if all her thoughts had been seen through.
She could only let out a cold snort and force herself to maintain appearances, saying, "Your Highness is quite open-minded! Then you can stay here and reflect quietly! I am busy with palace affairs and will not keep you company any longer!"
After saying this, he left Lihe Palace in a hurry, almost in a disheveled state.
Stepping out of the palace gates, she was startled by the cold wind outside and realized that her back was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
This lowly maid, Narcissus, somehow possessed an air and elegance that could suppress her!
fortunately......
Consort Wan recalled the scandalous rumors circulating about the Imperial Noble Consort, both in the imperial court and the harem, and even among the common people.
The thought that even Emperor Zhaoheng's only twin sons were being questioned by the world because of the "rumors" about Shuixian and Yi Xingyao made Consort Wan feel that Shuixian didn't have many days left to live.
We'll wait until the investigation is complete.
Even if Emperor Zhaoheng favors Shuixian, as long as there is no evidence to prove that Shuixian and Yi Xingyao were innocent before, Shuixian's fate will be extremely tragic!
Consort Wan snorted coldly and looked back at the Lihe Palace behind her.
At that point, let alone being confined to the cold palace, even Narcissus might not survive...
A sense of anticipation welled up in Consort Wan's heart. Images of cruel punishments flashed before her eyes, and a sinister smile slowly crept onto her lips.
I'm really looking forward to that day!
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