"The Cold Palace? You mean Consort Mei was actually banished to the Cold Palace?" Consort Zheng's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. She never imagined that Consort Mei, who was once so glamorous and favored, would end up like this.
Zheng Mama nodded and said in a low voice, "That's right! She can no longer be called Consort Mei. She has been demoted to a Noble Lady and has been banished to the Cold Palace."
Consort Zheng frowned and asked in confusion, "What exactly did she do during this time? How did this happen?"
Granny Zheng hurriedly replied, "I heard that Consort Mei was in charge of arranging accommodations for the women from Nanning. Your Highness, do you think she might have inadvertently offended the Emperor because of this task?"
Consort Zheng shook her head slightly, thoughtfully analyzing the situation: "I don't think so. Consort Mei placed those women in a relatively secluded corner of the palace. Logically speaking, the Emperor shouldn't have too many objections to this. Have you ever seen the Emperor go there?"
After thinking carefully, Zheng Mama replied, "Your Majesty, I have never seen the Emperor set foot there."
Consort Zheng continued, "The reason the Emperor brought all these women into the harem was because he was worried that they would spread rumors outside. Consort Mei's decision to put them together might just be what the Emperor wanted."
"If that's the case, then why did the Emperor banish Consort Mei to the Cold Palace?" Granny Zheng was still completely baffled.
Consort Zheng sighed and said helplessly, "Alas, I can't fathom His Majesty's thoughts either. These past few days, I've been on tenterhooks, thinking that His Majesty would come to settle scores with me. Who would have thought that His Majesty wouldn't even step into my palace once?"
Granny Zheng bowed slightly and said softly, "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, this matter may actually be a good thing."
However, Consort Zheng did not respond directly to Zheng Mama's words. She only frowned slightly, her eyes flickering, as if she had many doubts and worries in her heart.
Consort Zheng had always had a vague feeling that the Emperor seemed to have noticed what she had been doing.
Whenever she thought of this, her heart would involuntarily clench, as if she were about to fall into an abyss at any moment.
She lived in constant fear, always worried that the emperor would suddenly turn against her and plunge her into utter ruin.
However, to Consort Zheng's utter surprise, when the Emperor finally awoke from his coma, the first concubine to be punished was not her, but Consort Mei!
Upon hearing the news, Consort Zheng was first taken aback, and then an indescribable feeling of relief welled up in her heart.
It seems that the Emperor does not yet have conclusive evidence to convict her; otherwise, given his character, he would never have let her off so easily.
Just as Consort Zheng was secretly rejoicing that she had escaped a calamity, Emperor Rongsheng had already dealt with Consort Mei swiftly and decisively.
With Consort Mei's fall from power, the entire palace instantly descended into chaos, as it suddenly lost its leader.
Just as everyone was filled with fear and unease, the emperor made an unexpected decision—he handed over all the power to manage the six palaces to Consort Jing!
When Consort Jing received this imperial decree, she was utterly flattered.
She stared wide-eyed at the eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial decree, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
She simply couldn't understand what she had done to deserve such great favor from the Emperor, especially since he kept bestowing one good thing after another upon her.
At the same time, even Consort Zheng, who always held herself in high esteem, sensed that something was amiss.
She stared intently at Consort Jing, trying to find clues from her every move and word, to figure out what tricks Consort Jing had used behind the scenes to win the Emperor's favor.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard Consort Zheng racked her brains to guess and analyze, she was still unable to unravel the mystery.
However, at this moment, Consort Zheng was completely unaware of this.
It turns out that the reason why the Emperor treated Consort Jing with such special favor was due to a strange and profound dream.
In that illusory dream, Consort Jing cried her heart out upon learning that the Emperor had been poisoned.
At that time, everyone around him fled because they were afraid of Prince Jin, but Consort Jing stayed by the emperor's side and took good care of him.
Consort Jing was also executed for angering Prince Jin.
Although Consort Jing was unaware of the Emperor's poisoning, he firmly believed that if he were to encounter any misfortune in the future, Consort Jing would still unhesitatingly protect him and do everything in her power to take care of him.
Consort Jing was known both inside and outside the palace for her tranquil and unassuming nature.
She was like a solitary orchid blooming alone, not vying for beauty with other flowers, yet possessing a unique and elegant charm. Whether it was rare jewels or a noble status, she never had the slightest desire to actively compete for them, simply because she held deep respect and love for the emperor in her heart and did not want to cause him even the slightest trouble.
Consort Jing was well-versed in history books and classics from a young age, and she was well aware of the saying "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger."
The intricate and unpredictable power struggles within the palace are daunting to most, yet she remains calm and composed in the face of them.
However, the trials of time did not change her kind and pure heart. She was like a beacon, silently radiating warmth in the dark palace, consistently caring for and loving the emperor who was high above her.
How could Emperor Rongsheng not feel incredibly lucky to have such a gentle, considerate, understanding, and devoted woman to him?
In this treacherous and scheming world of the court, this sincere and pure emotion is as precious and rare as a priceless treasure.
It was like the warm sun in winter, piercing through layers of gloom and shining on Emperor Rongsheng's heart, which was already riddled with holes, bringing him a ray of warm and bright sunshine and soothing his weary soul.
Therefore, Emperor Rongsheng wanted to give her the best.
The starkly different circumstances of Consort Mei and Consort Jing left everyone puzzled.
But what happened next was even more unbelievable.
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