"Fine, I'll see what they're up to now. Granny, help me with my makeup."
"Let them in. They seem to be in a hurry; they might really have something to report."
The Empress rubbed her temples, and her usually tense nerves finally relaxed a lot.
She had just woken up, and her head still ached a bit. She didn't know when this headache would completely go away; she was really driven crazy by it.
What the Empress didn't know was that what she was about to hear would only give her an even bigger headache!
"Granny, did something important happen while I was asleep?"
The Empress sat before her dressing mirror, looking at her majestic reflection, which appeared to have aged ten years, a far cry from her former youth.
She gently touched her cheek with her fingers, and suddenly, as if remembering something, she asked a question.
Jiang, who was doing the Empress's makeup, paused, not daring to hide it.
"Your Majesty, a young eunuch did come to report at Shenshi (3-5 PM), but seeing that you were resting, I had him leave and wait for you to wake up before reporting back."
"Granny, why didn't you wake me up?"
The Empress paused, her hand on her face faltering, a sudden unease creeping over her.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. It was my own idea to let you rest a little longer, fearing that your health might not be able to take it. I was wrong."
Granny Jiang put down the jade comb in her hand and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
At this moment, she realized that her own presumptuous actions might have caused the Empress to miss an important piece of information!
"Your Highness, this servant will go and fetch that little eunuch right away."
"No need, Granny, please do my hair and makeup. The people outside will tell me; isn't that what they came for?"
The Empress could only barely suppress her unease and wait for Granny Jiang to do her hair and makeup.
Granny Jiang looked uneasy and almost dropped the comb, but thanks to her decades of experience, she didn't make any major mistakes.
After the palace maids helped the Empress put on her phoenix robe and apply heavy makeup—
The Empress finally made her appearance, arriving at a side hall of the Phoenix Palace, the place where she received the concubines.
...
Inside the side hall.
The usual tranquility was gone, replaced by the constant chatter of the concubines.
Whether they were on good terms or secretly competing with each other, the concubines were all discussing the same thing at this moment, working together with unusual unity.
The princess was thin and frail, looking like a willow swaying in the breeze. She was clutching her handkerchief tightly and said in a flustered manner.
"What should we do? The Emperor has always been wise, but he has acted in such a way this time. We sisters must try to dissuade him."
Consort Mi had a touch of heroism between her brows, but she also seemed a bit irritated, as if every strand of her hair was standing on end.
"Yes, but we sisters can't even see the Emperor, so we can only ask the Empress for an audience."
Consort Hui was always gentle and rarely showed any particular expression, but at this moment she seemed troubled.
"But the Emperor's mind is hard to change, how could you or I possibly persuade him?"
Consort Yu remained silent, her light blue palace dress making her appear even more serene, but the expression on her face was far from pleasant.
Besides her, there was another person present whose face was terribly gloomy, but who remained silent, like a venomous snake waiting for the best time to strike.
This person looked at everyone present with indiscriminate hostility.
That's right, this person is Consort Liang, who was deposed by the emperor before, and is now just an unknown Consort Liu.
Since being deposed, she has experienced the harsh realities of life. Because she displeased the Emperor and Empress, even the servants dared to mistreat her.
If you were to ask Liu Changzai who he hates the most now, it would undoubtedly be the Crown Princess, followed by the Empress.
As for the emperor who actually demoted her, she dared not complain or hate him.
Now that the Emperor has actually brought the Crown Princess into the Hall of Mental Cultivation to take care of her, besides feeling jealousy and resentment, she also felt a twisted sense of pleasure.
I really want to see the expression on the Empress's face; isn't it beautiful!
Just as Liu Changzai was engrossed in his hatred, Consort Xi, who had a big mouth, started babbling again.
It's so noisy.
A sinister glint flashed in Liu Changzai's eyes, but she only dared to think it to herself with her head down, not daring to show it.
Consort Xi is someone whose mouth moves faster than her brain; she's not one to keep a secret.
"If you ask me, His Majesty still dotes on the Crown Prince too much. He even extended that affection to the Crown Princess, moving her to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to be cared for as well. It's really..."
“Consort Xi, be careful with your words. Openly criticizing the Emperor is a serious crime.”
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
Along with the announcement, came the Empress's words, full of authority and tinged with a hint of warning.
She was dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe with a trailing tail, exuding an imposing aura. She strode quickly to the front of the concubines, having lost her usual composure.
"This humble concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress."
Everyone knelt down in perfect unison, their faces showing no disrespect whatsoever.
Of course, there was one exception: Liu Changzai, who was ranked last. She had a cold smile on her lips and a strange excitement in her eyes.
"No need for formalities, please take a seat."
The Empress did not see the expression on Liu Changzai's face, which was understandable, as he was ranked last and would not be noticed unless one was paying special attention.
Moreover, she was already angry because of what Consort Xi had said earlier, so she wouldn't care about a nobody.
After everyone was seated, she spoke first without waiting for anyone to speak, her words inevitably tinged with resentment.
"Today is not a day for paying respects, so why have all the sisters come to my Fengyi Palace? And Consort Xi's words are truly shocking."
Everyone understood what the Empress meant: they had disturbed them.
Consort Xi was unwilling to admit her guilt. Seeing the Empress's calm demeanor, she was also somewhat unsure of what to do.
Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress is unaware of this matter?
Or does the Empress know, but intend to do nothing?
That won't do. Consort Xi doesn't want the blame to fall on her in the end. What if she's demoted and incurs the displeasure of the Emperor and Empress...
Look at Liu Changzai's tragic end; she doesn't want to fall to that level.
Thinking this, Consort Xi began to defend herself.
It must be said that she is quite eloquent; in just four or five sentences, she clearly explained the ins and outs of the matter.
"Your Majesty, how dare I speak ill of His Majesty? Every word I have said is true."
The Emperor moved the Crown Prince's entire family to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for care. What an honor this was! The Crown Prince had never received such treatment before.
And then there's the Crown Princess, who supposedly had a miscarriage due to the palace relocation. The Emperor specially granted her permission to rest in the Yangxin Hall, exempting her from paying respects to anyone, not even the Empress…”
With a "boom," the Empress felt as if she had heard something terrible, and her mind went completely blank!
I feel dizzy and lightheaded, as if the world is spinning.
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