Concubine Zhuang was the eldest daughter of a fourth-rank official. She had a delicate appearance and a delicate figure, and the slightest redness in her eyes made her look like she had been severely bullied. However, Concubine Zhuang's appearance did not suit the emperor's taste, and she was selected to enter the palace under the name of her younger sister.
The emperor preferred women like Empress Jing'an, who were as regal and elegant as peonies. Concubine Zhuang had served him in bed once within a month of entering the palace. The second time she served him in bed was two years after she became close to Empress Jing'an.
When Concubine Zhuang first entered the palace, she was just a beauty. After entering the palace, she was not favored and was bullied several times. After that, she began to look for a backer. The other concubines bullied her, and she hated them so much that she set her sights on Empress Jing'an.
Empress Jing'an treated the concubines in the harem with great kindness, and her punishment was simply to make them copy scriptures. Concubine Zhuang spent half a month observing Empress Jing'an and found that she was very different from others.
Empress Jing'an never fought with the concubines. She was exceptionally intelligent and had shown remarkable talent since childhood. Moreover, after Concubine Zhuang entered the palace, Empress Jing'an never bullied her. Even when she was not favored, her share was always received and never deducted.
In the beginning, Concubine Zhuang was very grateful to Queen Jing'an, but when she saw how Queen Jing'an and the Emperor got along, it was something she had never imagined.
An emperor treated his queen like an ordinary husband. They got along so harmoniously that anyone who saw them could tell that they were a couple with a very good relationship.
Concubine Zhuang didn't know when she began to be jealous of and even hate Queen Jing'an. Maybe it was the first time she saw Queen Jing'an?
Concubine Zhuang returned to her own Feiyan Palace from Fengyang Palace. She sat alone in her room, gazing intently at the ornaments on the table, a gift from Empress Jing'an. She stared at them for a moment, then waved them to the ground. The crisp shattering sound prompted Miaochun to gently knock on the door and ask, "Your Majesty, would you like me to come in?"
Concubine Zhuang put away the cruel look in her eyes and replaced it with her usual smile: "Come in."
When Concubine Zhuang returned to her inner room, she suddenly remembered the first time she harmed Queen Jing'an. She placed the flying catkins in the second prince's bedroom as ordered by the Imperial Noble Concubine. In the middle of the night, the second prince died stiffly on the bed.
When Concubine Zhuang rushed over, she just happened to see the body of the second prince. He had his eyes wide open and his hands tightly grasping the bed curtains, with a ferocious look of struggle on his face.
Empress Jing'an half-covered the Second Prince's body, weeping heartbreakingly until she fainted. Concubine Zhuang's already guilty heart was even more uncomfortable, and she prepared to commit suicide to save the Second Prince's life.
However, the housekeeper arrived and picked up the unconscious Queen Jing'an, his eyes filled with worry. As if no one around him existed, he rushed to the side room with Queen Jing'an in his arms.
The guilt and sadness in Concubine Zhuang's heart were completely dispelled by the Emperor. She withdrew her gaze from the Emperor's back and turned to look at the Second Prince, and a feeling of relief suddenly burst out in her heart.
The first time she committed the crime, no clues pointed to her. She waited anxiously, but even when Queen Jing'an smiled again, no one came to track her down.
Next, when she encountered a concubine who framed Queen Jing'an, she took advantage of the situation. Later, when she saw the emperor punishing the concubine for Queen Jing'an, she began to harm Queen Jing'an's second son.
She took advantage of her friendship with Queen Jing'an to take the initiative and skillfully used various schemes to hurt Queen Jing'an. It seemed that as long as Queen Jing'an was unhappy, she would be extremely happy.
It was not until Empress Jing'an lost two sons in succession and her daughter was taken away by the Imperial Noble Consort that Concubine Zhuang stopped.
But, Your Majesty, why did you stand alone outside Fengyang Palace for an entire hour? Don't you know that the more you care about her and the more you love her, the more she will be shattered to pieces?
Concubine Zhuang had been sending slow-acting poison for years, and Empress Jing'an had never raised a suspicion. But today, today was different. She was sent back without even meeting Empress Jing'an. Could it be?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
