"Your Majesty, I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. I could no longer bear it," Sang'er said, kowtowing as if she were a pitiful person.
His tearful face and hoarse, trembling voice evoked pity in those present.
But Hailanzhu remained unmoved and said calmly, "You may be pitiful, but I am innocent as well. Once your plan is completed, I will be the murderer of the prince. In that case, who can I complain to?"
Unexpectedly, the usually gentle Hailanzhu was so quick-witted. After a moment of contemplation, Sang'er said, "I am sorry for what happened, but I have other ideas. You are the most suitable candidate."
Hailanzhu's lips curled into a slight smile. "Are you trying to say that because I am favored by the Emperor, even if I make a big mistake, the Emperor will not punish me?"
Sang'er nodded in agreement.
"Heh..." Hailanzhu sneered, "The Emperor may be reluctant, but the Consort will definitely hate me to the core. This was not something I did in the first place, yet in the end, I am forced to bear this fabricated crime and be hated by others unjustly. Sang'er, can your conscience be at peace?"
“This…” Sang’er stammered, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
In order to ensure that Sang'er had no chance of recovery, Hailanzhu looked up at Huang Taiji and said pitifully, "Your Majesty, if I were framed and lost my child, what would you do?"
Although it was a hypothetical scenario, Huang Taiji felt as if he were being cut by a knife upon hearing it. His eyes turned cold as he said, "I will have her torn apart by five horses and exterminate her entire clan."
Hailanzhu was very satisfied with this answer. "Then what about the Imperial Concubine? If Sang'er had succeeded today, how could the Imperial Concubine have forgiven me? Perhaps..."
She deliberately left the conversation unfinished, because everyone present was shrewd enough to understand.
Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji's expression turned cold. He had originally thought that since no one had been harmed, sending Sang'er to the Shenxing Division would suffice, but after hearing Hailanzhu's words, he immediately changed his mind.
So he ordered, "Sang'er is wicked and dares to plot against my child. Guards, take her away and have her beaten to death!"
"Yes!" the guards replied, bowing with their hands clasped.
"No..." Sang'er cried out with all her might, but she was still mercilessly taken away by the guards.
Throughout the entire process, Yunxian, as the mastermind behind it all, remained silent and composed, as if it had nothing to do with her.
Hailanzhu glanced at Yunxian and sighed inwardly: Even if you were raising a dog, you would feel bad watching it being slaughtered, but she didn't even blink. She is truly a heartless person.
In fact, she had guessed that in order to protect the Ulanara clan, Sang'er would not betray Yunxian. Therefore, she had to plan carefully to deal with the treacherous Yunxian.
The birthday banquet ended with Sang'er's mournful cries, and everyone returned to their respective palaces without lingering any longer.
Although it was a very unpleasant argument, Hailanzhu could clearly see Zhe Zhe's delight.
As he was leaving, Huang Taiji suddenly called out to Hailanzhu, "Lan'er, the Empress and I still have something to discuss. We'll go to your palace later."
He had to report even the smallest things to Hailanzhu, for fear that she would overthink things.
She was eager to have less contact with Huang Taiji, so she readily agreed with a smile.
Seeing that Huang Taiji did not leave with Hailanzhu, Dayuer quickly followed.
Under the faint westward sunlight, the two walked towards Guanju Palace, chatting and laughing, with Qingluan and Su Mo'er following behind.
Upon entering the main hall, a chill swept over them; had Qingluan and Su Mo'er not stopped them, the two would have been pressed against the ice.
"It's so hot!" Da Yu'er said, wiping away her sweat.
Hailanzhu replied with a smile, "Even if it's hot, will it be as lively as Aunt's birthday banquet this time?"
"No, that's not true." Da Yu'er found a seat and sat down casually, showing no signs of the awkwardness she had shown before.
Hailanzhu didn't pretend to be high and mighty, but sat down next to Dayuer.
Seeing that her two masters had important matters to discuss, Su Mo'er quickly pulled Qingluan away.
Qingluan, that silly girl, couldn't understand at all. At first, she refused to leave no matter how much she was dragged along. Later, Su Mo'er whispered a few words in her ear, and she finally left with Su Mo'er with some doubt.
Hailanzhu scoffed at this, "Yu'er, look at this silly girl in my palace, she's not even as smart as Su Mo'er."
Da Yu'er was not complacent. "Being smart is good, but loyalty is more important. As long as Qingluan is a kind person, you will be safer, sister."
Hailanzhu nodded. "I understand."
"That's good." Da Yu'er said with relief, then asked, "Sister, how did you know that someone wanted to harm you today?"
Hailanzhu looked around and, seeing that there was indeed no one there, told him everything she had seen and heard.
She kept this a secret from the system, claiming that she couldn't sleep and overheard it unintentionally while taking a walk.
"Phew—" Da Yu'er breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, "I didn't expect this deposed concubine to be the most difficult to deal with. Luckily you discovered it in advance, otherwise..."
Hailanzhu countered, "Even if I hadn't noticed it beforehand, I wouldn't have been in any danger, since the poison is no longer in the flowerpot."
"Yes." Dayuer nodded. "I thought you would be much safer with the Emperor's favor, but I never imagined that the danger you are in is much more difficult than I thought."
Hailanzhu waved her hand and said, "Take it slow. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. As long as we stay united, everything can be resolved."
“Okay! We won’t fall apart,” Dayuer said firmly.
The two were having a pleasant conversation, but before long, the arrival of an uninvited guest caused their faces to fall instantly.
It turns out it was Yunxian.
"What I feared most has come to pass," Da Yu'er said frankly.
"What's there to be afraid of? We don't even know who will suffer the loss!" Hailanzhu said calmly.
She was never afraid of enemies in the open; what she feared were friends who stabbed her in the back.
Just as the two finished speaking, Yunxian strode in.
Perhaps in her mind, she still thought of herself as Huang Taiji's primary consort, so even when she saw Hailanzhu, she refused to bow.
Hailanzhu was not one to suffer a loss, so seeing that she had not performed the proper etiquette, she did not invite her to sit down.
Yunxian maintained a forced smile, saying, "After being confined in the Cold Palace for so many years, I've almost forgotten many of the proper etiquette. If there's anything I've overlooked, I hope my two younger sisters will remind me."
It was just a polite remark, but Hailanzhu insisted on taking it seriously. "That makes sense. How about I have Su Mo'er teach you?"
Before Yunxian could refuse, Hailanzhu called Su Mo'er up.
Su Mo'er understood and immediately taught Yunxian some etiquette for a deposed concubine.
For example, in front of the concubines, she could not refer to herself as "I" but had to address the deposed concubine, Ulanara.
For example, when bowing, one must squat deeply, and one should not raise one's head or look around before the formalities are completed.
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