Chapter 68 Harem Storm
Zhang Fuan's eyes widened instantly, his breath catching in his throat! This...this Yun Shangshi was so bold! How dare he "seek favor" at this moment?!
However, the expected wrath of thunder did not come.
Xiao Jin just stared at her steadily. Deep in his crimson eyes, the surging violence seemed to slowly recede, replaced by a deep fatigue and a hint of... indescribable complexity.
The entire hall was filled with the sound of a pin drop, with only the suppressed breathing of the crowd.
Just when Zhang Fuan was about to suffocate, Xiao Jin's Adam's apple rolled, and he nodded very slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"Hu——!" Zhang Fuan finally let out a long, silent breath that was tense to the extreme, and the cold sweat on his back instantly turned cold.
Oh my goodness! This raging rage that threatened to burn everything down... was finally... temporarily suppressed... by the audacious yet cunning Yun Shangshi, using a cup of tea, a packet of medicine, and a plate of "Falling Jade" cake!
Xiao Jin was taken out by Yun Zhao.
Zhang Fuan directed the eunuchs to clean up the mess.
As if wiped by an invisible big hand, in just a cup of tea, the mess and blood left by the emperor's rage in Yanying Hall were cleaned up cleanly, without a speck of dust.
The imperial desk was tidy, the dragon throne was back in place, and the bloodstains on the Langya Pillar were carefully wiped away, leaving only a barely perceptible dark mark.
The air was filled with fresh incense, trying to cover up the thrilling moment just now, but it added a strange calmness that made it even more obvious.
…
At the same time, the Cining Palace, which symbolizes the supreme power of the harem, has completely become a cold prison.
The heavy palace gates were tightly closed, and the imperial guards, like iron statues, stood expressionlessly at every entrance and exit.
The palace maids who used to fly around like crazy have disappeared without a trace, even the birds seem to take a detour, the silence is so dead that it is suffocating.
Xiao Yao's eyes were red from crying, and she was ruthlessly "asked" to leave the Cining Palace.
She stood outside the palace wall in a daze, looking at the tightly closed vermilion lacquered door, as if she was watching the symbol of her noble status collapsing.
Great fear and helplessness gripped her, like a cold poisonous snake coiling around her heart.
She suddenly lifted up her skirt, as if grabbing the last straw, and stumbled towards Concubine Li - Li Yangzhi's palace.
Princess Li's father was the Minister of Personnel, a powerful figure who had a close personal relationship with Prime Minister Su, who was also extremely powerful.
And Su Yuan, as everyone knows, is the Queen Mother's most powerful arm in the court!
Now, it seems that the only thing that can save the empress dowager is this complicated chain of interests!
Li Yangzhi looked at Xiao Yao, who rushed in with messy makeup and tears in her eyes, and a trace of barely perceptible annoyance and vigilance flashed in his eyes.
She waved away all the palace servants who were standing by, and suddenly only the two of them were left in the hall, and the air was stagnant.
"Your Highness, the Eighth Princess," Li Yangzhi's voice was distantly polite, like a bucket of cold water poured down on her. "It is truly inappropriate for you to enter my palace in such a disrespectful manner. Your marriage is the sole decision of His Majesty. Coming to look for me? I'm afraid you've come to the wrong temple."
Ever since Concubine Zhang died suddenly and Su Mingli fell out of favor and was imprisoned, Xiao Jin treated the harem like a discarded shoe and never set foot inside again.
Li Yangzhi knew very well that getting involved with the Queen Mother at this moment would be like courting disaster.
"Princess Li! Empress Li!" Xiao Yao rushed forward, almost grabbing her sleeve, her voice filled with desperate tears, "Please! Your father is the Minister of Personnel! Send a message to him! Have him tell Prime Minister Su! Save the Empress Dowager! My brother... my brother is truly furious this time! I... I can't even get a note out of the palace!"
Li Yangzhi frowned slightly, and quietly moved aside to avoid Xiao Yao's touch. She walked to the window and cautiously scanned the empty courtyard. After confirming that there were no witnesses, she lowered her voice and gave a cold reminder:
"Your Highness, why on earth did you insist on provoking His Majesty?!" She stared into Xiao Yao's bloodshot eyes, each word piercing her heart. "The Yun family commands a large military force and is the barrier to His Majesty's northern border! Their marriage is His Majesty's bargaining chip to control the government and the people! Why did you and the Empress Dowager insist on going against such a tough opponent?!"
Xiao Yao was left speechless, only able to sob, "But...but what about the Queen Mother? She's already in poor health, and now the Cining Palace is like a death row, with only the imperial physician allowed in and out for a short while... Concubine Li, I beg you! Just one word! Just one word!"
Li Yangzhi looked at the spoiled and extremely stupid princess in front of him, with only sneer and contempt in his heart.
She took a deep breath, and her tone returned to its rigid calmness, with an unquestionable finality:
"Your Highness, such a shocking event has occurred in the harem. How could the nobles of the previous dynasty not know about it? It's just a matter of time."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice as sharp as a needle tempered by ice. "If you still want to live, marry a respectable man and live a stable life in the future... The most important thing to do now is to return to your palace, close the door, and wait quietly!"
"As for the Empress Dowager," she straightened up, her gaze fixed towards the Cining Palace, her expression cold and emotionless. "Your Majesty, out of kindness and filial piety, has only ordered her to rest. Temporary confinement will not harm her health. You are worrying too much."
This order to expel guests is chilling to the bone.
Xiao Yao's last hope was completely crushed. She was distraught, as if her spine had been torn away. She staggered as Concubine Li's servants "invited" her out. Her back, filled with panic and despair, disappeared at the end of the deep palace corridor.
The palace door closed behind Xiao Yao.
The calmness on Li Yangzhi's face faded away in an instant, replaced by a deep solemnity and calculation.
She sternly ordered the palace servants in the palace, her voice as cold as iron: "Listen up to me! From today on, if anyone dares to let the Eighth Princess set foot in my palace again—" Her cold eyes swept across every trembling face, "You, along with your families, will all go to the most miserable cold kiln in the Ye Ting and endure until you die!"
"Yes, Your Majesty! We obey your command!" The palace maids fell to their knees, their voices filled with tears, and fear penetrated into their bones.
Now in the harem, the one with the highest rank is Concubine Li.
The other dozen or so concubines, after experiencing the successive downfalls of Concubine Zhang and Concubine Su, and the sudden "illness" of the Empress Dowager, had already become like frightened birds, huddling in their own palaces in fear, not even daring to breathe loudly.
The world in the harem has completely changed!
The Queen Mother was imprisoned, and the power in the harem was suddenly lost.
Nominally, it fell into the hands of Shang Gong Bureau's head, Shang Gong Wu Lingyi. This Shang Gong Wu, nearly forty years old, with a stern face and eagle-like eyes, was an old man in the palace, always acting in a strict and unyielding manner.
However, another name quietly surfaced—Jiang Qingying, a fifth-rank Shangyi. Though young, she was renowned for her decisiveness and meticulousness. Even more remarkable, having previously served the emperor, she possessed a deep understanding of the emperor's thoughts, a rare distinction unmatched by ordinary court ladies. During the reigns of Consorts Zhang and Su, she had been repressed for her refusal to go along with the corrupt practices of the court. Now, this dormant tiger seemed to sense an opportunity!
The first collision of power transition came swiftly and violently.
That afternoon, all the high-ranking ladies-in-waiting from the six palaces, including the Shang Gong and Shang Yi, gathered in the main hall of the Shang Gong Bureau to discuss matters. The air was heavy, as if a rainstorm was approaching.
Wu Lingyi sat in the main seat with a dignified attitude, and was about to give instructions and arrange new rules.
Jiang Qingying, who was sitting at the bottom, suddenly raised her eyes. Her calm eyes stared directly at Wu Lingyi, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of her lips. Her voice was not loud, but it was as clear as the sound of a jade chime, instantly breaking the hypocritical calm in the hall:
"Concubine Wu," she said, her voice slow and steady, each word sharp. "Now that Cining Palace has been 'rested,' shouldn't the six palaces also...make some changes to their rules? After all, the rules set by the old master may not necessarily suit the new master's wishes. Isn't that right?"
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