Consort Hesheli was filled with fear and unease. Her face turned from white to green. Finally, she glanced at Xu Lejin with a fearful look in her eyes, stomped her foot in frustration, and left the embroidery room with her palace servants, her face full of resentment.
Freed from the constraints of the rough maids, Xu Chujin and Xu Fujin stood up with the help of Yingchun and Ruhua.
Xu Lejin glanced at the aunt in charge of the embroidery room, smiled slightly, and said, "Aunt Fangyue, my eldest sister, fifteenth sister, and I haven't had a chance to talk together for a long time. I wonder if Aunt Fangyue could allow my eldest sister and fifteenth sister to rest for half a day today? So that we sisters can have a private chat."
"You flatter me, Consort Xu. Chu Jin and Fu Jin are your sisters, Consort Xu. They can rest for two or three days, let alone half a day."
Aunt Fangyue spoke with a smile, her words full of flattery.
Xu Lejin smiled and nodded, then took her eldest sister Chu Jin and fifteenth sister Fu Jin and walked towards the pavilion not far away. Aunt Fangyue came to her senses and quickly dismissed the embroiderers and embroiderers around her, sending everyone back to their posts.
A quarter of an hour later, Aunt Fangyue personally carried a box of pastries and stepped forward with a smile. "Consort Xu, these are pastries that I specially had someone fetch from the Imperial Kitchen. They are not as good as what you usually eat, but they are just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't find them offensive."
Xu Lejin smiled and nodded, then winked at Zhishu beside her.
Zhi Shu understood immediately and pulled Aunt Fang Yue away a bit. Zhi Shu and Aunt Fang Yue chatted happily under a peach tree not far away.
Over here, Xu Lejin looked at her eldest sister Chu Jin and her fifteenth sister Fu Jin.
After a moment's consideration, Xu Lejin spoke softly, "I'm sorry to have troubled you two today. Although I have been made a concubine by the Emperor and am pregnant with his child, the child has not yet been born, and I do not know whether it will be a prince or a princess."
"Eldest sister, fifteenth sister, there will be many more incidents like this in the future. You must be careful and cautious, lest you give anyone a handle to use against you. Second sister, ninth sister, please convey this message to them. As for your half-sisters..."
Xu Lejin sneered, "My half-sisters have their uncle taking care of them in the palace. They are all very clever and have their own ways of making a living. There is no need to remind them."
Xu Chujin and Xu Fujin exchanged a glance and respectfully replied, "Yes."
Half an hour later, Xu Lejin reluctantly parted ways with the two and left the embroidery room.
Inside Kunning Palace.
Consort Hesheli stormed into Kunning Palace in a fit of rage and complained to the Empress. The more the Empress listened, the gloomier and uglier her face became, and she was even more disappointed in Consort Hesheli.
This fool, all beauty and no brains, plotted to slander Xu's sister who was on duty in the embroidery room, but ended up being caught red-handed by that vile Xu and intimidated.
Having served in her own Kunning Palace for many years, Xu must know at least one or two of the things she had done behind the scenes to consolidate her position as Empress.
Previously, he had repeatedly ordered people to attack Xu, but Xu was incredibly lucky; not only did she survive, but she also became pregnant with the emperor's child. Now...
Consort Hesheli's words just now made her realize that Madam Xu knew too many of her shameful things.
The Xu family cannot be allowed to remain in the family any longer!
Despite her inner turmoil, the Empress remained outwardly composed, maintaining her dignified and steady demeanor. She smiled and said to Consort Hesheli, "You should return to Changchun Palace first. I have my own plans regarding Xu Shi's matter, and I will absolutely not allow her to threaten us."
“Qianlan, you and I are both from the Hesheli clan. Although we belong to different banners, we share the same ancestor if we go back a few generations. You know the principle that we share the same fate, whether it is one of prosperity or one of loss.”
"Everything I've done over the years has been for the sake of the Hesheli family. I don't want you to act on your own initiative again and cause trouble for Madam Xu or any of the concubines in the harem."
Consort Hesheli's face paled, and she awkwardly agreed.
The Empress lowered her voice and said coldly, "Qianlan, you and I bear the expectations of the Hesheli family. The Hesheli family cannot lose. You must not reveal a single word of what we have done over the years, even if you die. Otherwise, what awaits us and the Hesheli family is utter destruction."
"Qianlan, do you understand?"
Consort Hesheli trembled, her lips quivering, her voice shaking. "Qianlan understands. Qianlan will obey Your Majesty's orders without question."
"Okay. Good to know."
The Empress smiled gently, looked at the palace maid beside Consort Hesheli, and said in a deep voice, "Cuilan, your mistress is not feeling well. Help her back to Changchun Palace so she can rest and recover."
Cuilan glanced timidly at Consort Hesheli and respectfully replied, "Yes."
Consort Hesheli walked towards the exit of Kunning Palace, turning back every few steps. The Empress, with a polite smile on her face, waved for Consort Hesheli to return to Changchun Palace.
After Consort Hesheli disappeared from sight, the Empress's face immediately darkened.
With a 'smash,' the Empress overturned the teacup on the table, her eyes filled with malice.
"You vile woman, that vile woman Xu! I shouldn't have promoted her to head maid in the first place, I shouldn't have sent her to the Qianqing Palace to deliver snacks to the Emperor. I should have had her killed before she was even made a concubine. Now…"
"You vile woman, relying on the dragon child in your womb, you are fearless."
The Empress was burning with anger and regretted her actions.
Yun Cui, Chu Qiao, and the others hung their heads, wishing they could disappear into a crack in the ground.
After a long while, the Empress said coldly, "Yuncui, let Xingxi come into the palace to clean up these broken pieces. You personally supervise her and make her pick them up by hand. Tell everyone that Xingxi was clumsy and broke these teacups."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yun Cui respectfully agreed and withdrew.
A moment later, Xu Xingxi lowered her eyes and followed Yun Cui into the hall. Looking at the porcelain shards scattered on the ground, Xu Xingxi felt like crying. Why was she so unlucky?
She thought that by gaining the Empress's favor and serving in the Empress's palace, she would have the same chance as Xu Lejin to climb into the Emperor's bed and become a concubine in the harem. Little did she know that the Empress kept her in Kunning Palace to humiliate her.
On the surface, she was a second-class palace maid, but in reality, she was even worse off than a lowly maid...
The porcelain in the Empress's palace today is all very valuable. If she 'accidentally' broke it, even if she were sold, her allowance wouldn't be enough to compensate for it!
Kneeling on the ground, Xu Xingxi's eyes darted around, and suddenly a brilliant idea flashed in her mind.
Slowly raising her head, Xu Xingxi glanced at the Empress out of the corner of her eye, and mustered her courage to say, "Your Majesty, when I was at home, I always had a bad relationship with Consort Xu. This servant—"
"Consort Xu was born to the principal wife, while my birth mother was a concubine."
The Empress glared at Xu Xingxi, her expression thoughtful.
Xu Xingxi lowered her head, waiting for the Empress's harsh reprimand for a long time. She mustered her courage and continued, "Your Majesty, this servant has a way to appease your anger..."
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