The next day, Lanqin sat before the mirror, with palace maids still dressing and grooming her. Looking at her reflection as a middle-aged woman, Lanqin felt a slight pang of melancholy.
Time flies, and the "Lin Mengyao" who transmigrated from back then has now become a scheming woman in this deep palace.
"Cui Niang, have I changed?" Lanqin suddenly asked, while Cui Niang was selecting suitable jewelry for Lanqin from her jewelry box.
“Your Majesty, in my heart, you are the most compassionate. It’s not just pity for those below you, but genuine care for us. Look at Nianxue, Xicha, Sihua, and Yuxiao, they are all doing very well now, and they are all very grateful to Your Majesty. As for me, needless to say, if it weren’t for what Your Majesty did for me back then, I’m afraid I would have become a skeleton long ago,” said Cui Niang.
"Cui Niang, I hope that one day I won't need to do this anymore. The one in Jingren Palace, have someone tidy up. When you meet those people, make sure they don't notice anything amiss," Lanqin instructed.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I have already had everything arranged. Ulanara has also agreed and will not speak recklessly. In her current state, she is probably powerless to resist," said Cui Niang.
When the appointed time arrived, Lanqin, accompanied by the Imperial Concubine and her entourage, went to Jingren Palace.
The Thirteenth Prince, accompanied by two representatives, walked from the Hall of Mental Cultivation into the inner palace.
To avoid arousing their suspicion, Lanqin waited at the entrance of Jingren Palace.
As Thirteen led two old ministers toward Jingren Palace, they saw Lanqin standing there in a distant dress, dressed as a Noble Consort.
"Your Majesty, this humble subject pays his respects!" Thirteen hurriedly bowed, and the other two followed suit.
"Your Highness, please make no need for formalities. I have been waiting here for quite some time. Please follow me inside to pay your respects to Her Majesty the Empress," Lanqin said.
The two quickly stood up and looked at each other. Logically speaking, Consort Xi should be very reluctant to visit the Empress, but judging from the current situation, she doesn't seem to be uneasy or nervous at all.
The Thirteenth Prince was sweating bullets. If these two people went in and saw that the Empress was really acting strangely, it would definitely have a great impact on Consort Xi's reputation.
The Emperor is not here, yet these people dare to cause trouble; they clearly came prepared. Although I have united with a group of ministers who support Consort Xi and have confronted them, if they truly confirm the matter of imprisoning the Empress, it will likely be detrimental to both Consort Xi and Hongli.
With these concerns in mind, Thirteen followed Lanqin and the two ministers who supported the Empress into Jingren Palace.
After half a day of cleaning and rearranging, Jingren Palace was completely transformed, showing no trace of its previous dilapidation.
As the two ministers walked through Jingren Palace, they began to have doubts about what they saw. After all, questioning a concubine wasn't a pleasant thing to do. If the Emperor returned, who knew how he would handle things? Right now, they were only working together as a group; if they were asked to stand up individually and criticize Consort Xi, probably none of them would dare to do so.
"My lords, the Empress has not been in good health. When you see Her Majesty later, please do not let her overexert herself," Lanqin said to the two behind her as she walked.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, Your Highness. I have only come to pay my respects to the Empress. After visiting the Empress, we will return home," the two replied hastily.
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