Shen Meizhuang kept telling herself not to get angry. It was just verbal mockery; if she couldn't even handle something like this, she wouldn't be able to live a normal life in the future.
They could be enemies, but they absolutely could not become mortal enemies. She might be able to restrain herself, but Consort Hua might not.
Shen Meizhuang said meaningfully, "Your Majesty is right, and I can certainly understand your difficulties."
"But the Emperor has many concubines. Why doesn't he let Consort Cheng learn these things from you? To be honest, Consort Cheng is favored, has a high rank, raised the Fifth Prince, and has always been on good terms with you."
"By any measure, she should be the best choice, shouldn't she? Why did Your Majesty choose me?"
Consort Hua looked puzzled; she hadn't thought about it carefully before. She had only assumed that Sun Miaoqing was impulsive and lively, unlike Shen Meizhuang, who seemed composed, and with whom she had a good relationship.
The emperor may have been worried that the two of them would join forces to control the harem, so he brought up Shen Meizhuang and Consort Jing to keep them in check.
Judging from what Shen Meizhuang is saying now, it seems that besides the Emperor's usual methods of maintaining balance in the harem, there's something else going on...
Consort Hua's curiosity was piqued, and she asked, "Why?"
Shen Meizhuang said, "I have pondered this for a long time, but I still cannot know the answer. How could I possibly fathom His Majesty's mind?"
"To be honest, Your Majesty, I am quite apprehensive about receiving such an honor so suddenly. The imperial court and the harem are one entity. We women always have to consider things more than ordinary women."
"Although I cannot understand it, Your Majesty is exceptionally intelligent and knows the Emperor's temperament well. I am sure you will understand the reason after a little thought."
Consort Hua's eyes revealed a hint of impatience. She disliked the daughters of civil officials the most, as they always spoke in circles.
Shen Meizhuang also came from a military family, and like Zhen Huan and others, she never spoke human language.
Would it kill them to speak their minds directly? Why do they have to keep making people guess?
Even if she lost, she couldn't admit defeat. Shen Meizhuang had flattered her, and she was too embarrassed to say she didn't understand.
Consort Hua gritted her teeth and said, "Of course, no one in the palace understands His Majesty's intentions better than me."
Shen Meizhuang smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. It will be time for dinner soon. I will take my leave now."
Consort Hua said, "Go, I'm tired too."
After leaving the Qingliang Palace, Shen Meizhuang looked back before walking towards Xianyue Pavilion with Caiyue and Caixing.
While Shen Meizhuang was copying the account books in the palace, Caiyue and Caixing could only wait outside.
In their eyes, Consort Hua's frequent requests for Shen Meizhuang to do these things were truly outrageous.
Caiyue said, "Your Highness, Consort Hua has gone too far. It was His Majesty's order to have you assist in managing the household. If she is unhappy, she can take it out on His Majesty."
"She doesn't dare to openly contradict the Emperor, so she causes trouble behind his back. I think she's just old and can't stand that you're younger than her."
Shen Meizhuang said, "We're still outside, so keep your voices down."
"She is, after all, a concubine, and I am already far below her. But these days, I've noticed that Consort Hua doesn't seem to care about the Emperor as much as the rumors say, nor is she as ruthless as before."
"Lingrong is right, she really has become much more restrained around us."
Although she only managed the Imperial Garden and worked with Consort Jing, she was still very perceptive and held considerable power in the palace, making it incredibly easy for her to do whatever she wanted.
Caiyue muttered, "If this is already a lot of restraint, what are they like when they don't restrain themselves at all!"
Shen Meizhuang said, "What do you mean? Like Fuzi in the well in the Imperial Garden!"
The group returned to Xianyue Pavilion. Consort Hua was still thinking about what Shen Meizhuang had just said and said unhappily.
"She keeps saying she can't fathom His Majesty's intentions, and then she says she doesn't understand. But judging from her expression, she clearly understands perfectly well!"
"Why did she suddenly tell me all this in such a confusing way? Is it so that I won't make things difficult for her in the future?"
Songzhi said, "I think so. The concubines selected through the imperial examination should not have suffered any grievances at home."
"So when the Empress was even slightly strict with her, Consort Shen felt she couldn't take it."
Consort Hua pouted and said irritably, "Am I not lenient enough? Apart from occasionally saying a few words to her and making her copy the account books, I haven't hit her or drugged her."
"It's not that I want to make things difficult for them, but if we really coexist peacefully, His Majesty will definitely become suspicious."
Zhou Ninghai said, "Consort Shen just mentioned that the imperial court and the harem are one. In addition, since the Emperor asked her to assist the Empress, does she also understand the Emperor's meaning?"
"I dare not disobey the Emperor's wishes, nor do I wish to completely antagonize the Empress. Our two families are locked in a life-or-death struggle, so I am here to show weakness to the Empress."
"Although Shen Zishan's official position is quite high, it is still far inferior to that of the Grand General."
"If the Empress and she were to have a falling out in the inner palace, would the Grand General in the outer court let the Shen family off the hook?"
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The Shen family won't just stand there and wait to die. Perhaps this is exactly what the Emperor hopes to see."
"Consort Shen is a smart woman. She saw this clearly, which is why she spoke with the Empress. She thought that in the future, she could just put on an act for the Emperor and not take it so seriously."
After hearing Zhou Ninghai's explanation, Consort Hua suddenly realized, "That's right, she knew how powerful I was when she first entered the palace. That's why she was worried that I would deal with her the way I dealt with the Empress and Xia Dongchun!"
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