Chapter 104 If we're going to fight, let's fight to the bitter end.
Zhaoyang Palace.
Although she had been demoted to the rank of Consort Li, the main hall where Ruan Huan resided still exuded an air of luxury.
When Ruan Huan was still Consort Li, she had been in charge of the Imperial Household Department. In addition, the Ruan family had deep roots, so the servants in the Imperial Household Department did not dare to treat her too harshly.
On this day, as the first snow fell, Consort Yao, Yi Shuyao, dressed in a rabbit fur brocade shawl, came to pay her respects.
As soon as she entered, Yi Shuyao slowly curtsied to Consort Li, who was leaning against the chaise longue, and said:
"Greetings to Consort Li."
She looked at Consort Li, whose face was bright and cheerful. Ever since Narcissus was demoted to a commoner and banished to the Cold Palace, Consort Li's life had become visibly more comfortable.
Yi Shuyao sat down next to Consort Li and chuckled softly.
“Sister, you look better and better these days, which shows how much the Emperor favors you. I see that the Emperor has been visiting Zhaoyang Palace a lot lately. It’s only a matter of time before you regain your position as a Noble Consort.”
Consort Li, Ruan Huan, leaned lazily against the chaise longue, toying with an exquisite red gold peacock ornament inlaid with jewels in her hand, which Emperor Zhaoheng had recently bestowed upon her.
Upon hearing this, a smug smile appeared on her lips.
"His Majesty is simply sentimental."
"As for you, haven't you received the Emperor's entourage several times these past few days? The Emperor even praised your dancing skills and your cleverness."
Yi Shuyao quickly lowered her eyelashes; she dared not compete with the jealous Consort Li.
"Sister, you jest. My humble skills are but a firefly's glimmer; how could I possibly rival the brilliance of the moon?"
"When the Emperor talks to his younger sister, eight out of ten sentences he mentions his elder sister, saying that his elder sister is straightforward and honest, which is very rare."
Consort Li's face lit up with smugness again. She stroked the exquisite gemstones on the cold ornament, and the handsome face of Emperor Zhaoheng flashed through her mind.
These days, she seems to have returned to the time when she first entered the Prince's residence, when the Emperor was the most favored and often came to her room, a favor that could not be hidden no matter what.
That's how it should be.
It would be best if she were the only one favored by the Emperor.
As Consort Li examined the imperial gift in her hand, Yi Shuyao's tone seemed to inadvertently shift to the Cold Palace.
"Speaking of which... that person has now completely fallen."
When the name narcissus was mentioned, a cold glint flashed in Yi Shuyao's eyes.
"The Cold Palace, tsk tsk, I heard it's even colder than outside in winter, the food is worse than pig swill, and there are a bunch of crazy old women... It's terrifying to even think about."
The mere mention of narcissus instantly replaced the languid look on Consort Li's face with resentment. She snorted coldly, her hand gripping the gold ornament tightly.
"Terrible? That's where she belongs! I think she got off too easy! It would be much more satisfying to finish her off with one strike!"
A cruel glint flashed in her eyes. She lowered her voice, like a child unable to hide a piece of candy, and summoned Yi Shuyao to her side to boast:
"But don't worry, I've already arranged for people to handle things in the Cold Palace. Want to die a quick and painless death? Dream on!"
"I will make her suffer there, bit by bit! I will let her taste what it means to be utterly helpless and have no one to turn to!"
Consort Li gritted her teeth, her twisted words filled with hatred for Narcissus.
"Make her regret climbing into the Emperor's bed, regret giving birth to that bastard! Let her die in agony like a mangy dog! Only then can I somewhat quell the hatred in my heart!"
Her tone was extremely venomous, and even Yi Shuyao, who was also an ally, couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. But then, a twisted sense of pleasure also welled up in her heart.
Yi Shuyao quickly flattered, "Sister's methods are brilliant and the arrangements are perfect. Only in this way can she make amends for her many acts of disrespect towards you. It's truly gratifying!"
The two exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes filled with a shared, sinister malice.
——
In the cold palace.
It has been more than ten days since Narcissus was banished to the cold palace, and these days have certainly not been good.
On Bao Xiaohuai's side, after being intimidated by Xiao Lizi on the first day, although she dared not openly rob her, she resorted to all sorts of despicable means.
One day, Bao Xiaohuai caught a nest of squeaking mice from some corner and, when he saw Shuixian and Xiaolizi inside the hall, he suddenly threw them in through a crack in the window!
Several large, grayish rats suddenly landed on the ground, scurrying around in panic and making eerie rustling noises.
Bao Xiaohuai and her followers hid outside the window, waiting to hear terrified screams coming from inside.
However, the silence in the hall lasted only a moment.
Then came Narcissus's calm, unwavering voice: "Little Riko, clean it up."
"Yes." Xiao Lizi responded and moved with the speed of a ghost, her toes barely touching the ground, her movements precise.
In the blink of an eye, he either rolled up the rats that were scurrying around with rags or kicked them out of the window. His movements were clean and efficient, as if he had just brushed away a few specks of dust.
On the contrary, if Bao Xiaohuai and the others hadn't dodged in time, those big gray rats would have been thrown at them.
Bao Xiaohuai didn't hear the expected scream. Instead, he saw the rat being quickly eliminated, and felt embarrassed. He then laughed at the rat from outside.
"Look, the moment someone came in, this cold palace became even dirtier and smellier, even attracting rats. What bad luck!"
Inside, Xiaolizi's eyes turned cold as she looked at Shuixian. With just one glance from her, he could shut the person outside up immediately.
Narcissus simply shook her head slightly, unwilling to engage in a pointless verbal argument with Bao Xiaohuai.
She gestured to Riko to close the window tightly, blocking out the noise of foul language from outside.
Seeing that Shui Xian was so "swallowing her anger", Bao Xiaohuai assumed that she was afraid and became even more smug.
She stared at the tightly closed, broken door, a malicious glint in her eyes, and an even more sinister thought popped into her head.
Bao Xiaohuai leaned close to the ear of a tall palace maid beside him and whispered a few words. The maid grinned and nodded repeatedly.
That night, the cold wind howled.
Narcissus was trying to fall asleep wrapped in a thin blanket when she suddenly heard a very faint prying sound coming from the window.
She immediately opened her eyes alertly and saw that the already dilapidated window had been quietly pried open from the outside, creating an even larger crack.
The icy wind, like a knife, instantly blew in, causing the remaining warmth in the hall to dissipate in an instant.
It was late at night, and there were only a few candles and not enough charcoal, so it was certainly not a good time to repair the windows.
Narcissus could only barely survive the cold night by finding some rags and weeds in the palace to block the windows.
Then, she shared all the cotton-padded clothes and thick quilts she had brought into the cold palace with Xiao Lizi in the outer room.
She whispered to Riko, "Wear more clothes, don't get cold."
Xiao Lizi took her cotton coat and quilt, and responded in the darkness.
The next morning, before dawn, Riko got up to check the windows and found that the wooden joints of the windows had been completely destroyed.
It cannot be completely shut down; the right tools are needed to repair it.
Bao Xiaohuai and the others had gathered early on under the eaves not far away, cracking sunflower seeds they had somehow gotten their hands on while watching Xiao Lizi busy herself with glee, their voices not too loud, not too soft, mocking her:
"Tsk tsk tsk, some people just do too many bad things outside and get punished by heaven! How come she always runs into bad luck? Even the windows are against her!"
"Exactly, even God himself probably couldn't stand it anymore!"
When Narcissus came out of the house, the cold wind made her face turn pale. She just whispered to Xiao Lizi, "Just do your best to cultivate, there's no need to force it."
After saying that, he hurriedly retreated back into the house, seemingly unable to bear the disturbance and powerless to resist.
Her submissive attitude only fueled Bao Xiaohuai's arrogance.
As she cracked open sunflower seeds, she was already plotting even more outrageous schemes.
Therefore, Bao Xiaohuai set his sights on the daily diet of the narcissus.
Taking advantage of their familiarity with meal times and the guards' shift changes, Bao Xiaohuai and his gang always managed to snatch away the meager portion of food meant for Shuixian.
Narcissus did not react immediately; she simply observed calmly.
She discovered that Bao Xiaohuai was not just relying on brute force; she seemed to have bribed a guard responsible for watching over the area.
As a result, Bao Xiaohuai could always find out the exact time when meals were served in advance, and could even intercept and hide some of the better dishes beforehand.
When Narcissus went to collect it, naturally nothing was left.
Bao Xiaohuai would then secretly distribute the extra food to the other concubines and palace maids in the Cold Palace who were dependent on her, in order to consolidate her power.
Shui Xian also noticed that Bao Xiaohuai was not entirely unrestrained in this cold palace.
Bao Xiaohuai was much more reserved towards the people living in the wing opposite the narcissus.
It seemed that more than one person lived in those rooms. Shui Xian occasionally saw different figures coming and going. Most of them were taciturn and their behavior was completely different from Bao Xiaohuai's group.
Whenever they appeared, Bao Xiaohuai didn't dare to make a loud noise, and her posture would become more proper.
After observing for several days, Narcissus gradually formed a vague plan in her mind.
That day, taking advantage of the brief moment when Bao Xiaohuai and the others were away, Shui Xian called Xiao Lizi to her side, lowered her voice, and whispered a few instructions in his ear.
Xiao Lizi listened attentively, her delicate face remaining expressionless, though a quick glance of understanding flashed in her eyes before she nodded solemnly.
"Go ahead, but be careful not to let anyone notice."
Narcissus whispered her words of advice, her gaze calm and serene.
She has always disdained fighting over trivial matters; if she's going to fight, she'll fight to the bitter end!
As Shui Xian watched Xiao Lizi's light and quick figure disappear into the direction of Bao Xiaohuai's room, a chill flashed in her eyes...
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