Yelü Hongji's gaze lingered on Consort Mu, his eyes gleaming with a dual desire for power and beauty. However, this did not escape the notice of his favored concubine. A flicker of jealousy and resentment crossed her eyes; she realized that Consort Mu's appearance might threaten her position in Yelü Hongji's heart.
"Your Majesty, this palace maid not only trespassed into the imperial bedchamber but also impersonated a queen from another country. Her behavior is truly outrageous." The favored concubine's voice suddenly turned sharp. She turned to Yelü Hongji with a fake smile on her face. "Why don't you let me deal with her? I will definitely give Your Majesty a satisfactory answer."
Yelü Hongji was slightly taken aback; he clearly hadn't expected his favorite concubine to suddenly make such a request. But the concubine's tone carried an unyielding firmness, and after a moment's hesitation, Yelü Hongji finally nodded.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you to handle. But remember, she is, after all, the Queen of Qi, so don’t go too far,” Yelü Hongji warned.
The favored concubine was secretly pleased with herself. She bowed and outwardly accepted Yelü Hongji's order with utmost respect, but inwardly she was already plotting how to use this opportunity to consolidate her position.
"Guards, take her away and 'take good care' of her." The favored concubine's tone was sinister as she waved for the maids and eunuchs beside her to come forward.
Consort Mu was surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, and she knew she was once again in danger. A hint of wariness flashed in her eyes, but she didn't panic excessively. She knew that remaining calm was her only way out in this situation.
The palace maids and eunuchs acted swiftly, removing Consort Mu from Yelü Hongji's sight. The favored concubine watched as Consort Mu was taken away, a smug smile playing on her lips. She had already begun plotting how to use Consort Mu to consolidate her own favor and power.
The palace maids and eunuchs led Consort Mu to a secluded room, their eyes filled with contempt and cruelty. At the behest of the favored concubine, they planned to teach this lady from Qi a lesson, to show her the rules of the Northern Frontier Palace.
"Do you still think you're a high and mighty empress?" a eunuch said sarcastically, waving his hand to signal the others to take action. "Here, you're nothing but our plaything."
The palace maids exchanged glances, then approached Consort Mu, holding rough hemp ropes and sharp needles. However, they failed to see the calm and determination in Consort Mu's eyes.
Just as they were about to make their move, Consort Mu moved. Her movements were swift and precise; years of life in the palace had taught her how to protect herself in dangerous situations. She first dodged a eunuch's grasp by sidestepping, then turned and struck him in the neck with a chop to the neck, causing the eunuch to immediately collapse to the ground.
The other palace maids and eunuchs were astonished; they hadn't expected the seemingly frail Consort Mu to possess such skill. But Consort Mu gave them no time to react. Utilizing the confined space, she swiftly subdued the remaining men one by one.
In a short while, the once arrogant palace maids and eunuchs were staggering and groaning in pain. Consort Mu stood among them, her clothes somewhat disheveled, but her posture remained upright, and her eyes gleamed with an indomitable light.
"Tell your favored concubine that I, Consort Mu, am not a lamb to be slaughtered." Consort Mu's voice was firm and powerful, and her aura completely overwhelmed everyone present. "If she wants to play, I'll play along to the end."
The palace maids and eunuchs exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected that Consort Mu, whom they had initially thought would be easy to deal with, would be so formidable. They dared not make any further moves and could only watch helplessly as Consort Mu straightened her clothes and calmly walked out of the room.
The palace maids, supporting each other, arrived at the favored concubine's bedchamber, their clothes disheveled and faces filled with terror. Clear finger marks and expressions of panic clung to their faces; they were clearly terrified by what had just transpired.
"Your Majesty, help! That Consort Mu... she's gone mad!" A palace maid sobbed uncontrollably, her voice trembling with despair.
The favored concubine, who had been reclining on the chaise longue, was startled by the maid's words. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by anger. She sat up straight, her gaze sharp as she swept over the maids before her.
"What did you say? That Consort Mu actually dared to hit you?" The favored concubine's voice was filled with disbelief, her fingers gripping the armrests of her chair tightly. "She has such audacity!"
The palace maids nodded in unison, eagerly describing what had just happened, trying to convey their grievances and fear to the favored concubine.
As the favored concubine listened to the palace maids' account, her expression grew increasingly grim. She hadn't expected that Consort Mu would not only remain unfazed but would also dare to retaliate. This was undoubtedly a blatant challenge to her authority.
"It seems we need to teach this Consort Mu a lesson," the favored concubine said with a sneer, her eyes flashing with malice. "I want her to know who is truly in charge in the Northern Frontier Palace."
Hearing the favored concubine's words, the palace maids felt somewhat relieved. They knew that the favored concubine was cunning, and Consort Mu was sure to suffer this time.
However, at that moment, a eunuch rushed in, his face showing a hint of panic: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! His Majesty Yelü Hongji has learned of this and is on his way here."
"What? Who told him?" the favored concubine asked in surprise. What kind of thing is this? Really.
"Your Majesty, it was Consort Mu. She's no ordinary person; she went straight to His Majesty's doorstep." The eunuch below recounted everything he had seen and heard.
His face was in great pain from the injury, and he was terrified at the mere mention of Consort Mu.
"Let me tell you, it's very easy for me to run away if I want to. Yelü Hongji, you'd better behave yourself, or I can't guarantee how long you can sit on this throne you seized!" Consort Mu grabbed Yelü Hongji, preparing to go to the favored concubine to demand an explanation.
Little did she know that Yelü Hongji had already arranged a large number of secret guards along the way, just waiting for her.
On the palace path, darts suddenly flew out. Consort Mu reacted swiftly, immediately using Yelü Hongji to block them. Although only slightly injured, she still roared at those she couldn't see, "Go ahead and throw your hidden weapons! I have plenty of ways to deal with them. Don't forget, your emperor is still in my hands..."
Before she could finish speaking, a large net descended from the sky, and a large number of guards suddenly emerged from the dark corner, determined to capture Ruan Yumu alive. Ruan Yumu used her sword to cut an opening and prepared to escape, but without Yelü Hongji as a shield, she was quickly outnumbered and captured.
"Don't kill them! Send them to the battlefield! They'll be very useful!" Seeing that the guards were about to kill them, Yelü Hongji immediately stopped them.
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