Chapter 183 Jiang Nan: You need to get moving.
Niohuru heard the Empress interrogating Tongjia.
Especially the Empress's last sentence.
They're all red with anger... festive... I'd say you're happy, at least.
She couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and finally broke into a chuckle.
Uya was someone who received the Emperor's favor in Chengqian Palace, yet the Empress Dowager actually interrogated her former mistress, Tongjia.
Was she happy or resentful at that moment?
Only Your Majesty could do such a despicable thing.
In a daze, she felt as if she had returned to the past and saw the way the Empress had made things difficult for Hesheli back then.
Being targeted by the Empress like this, Lady Tongjia must be so frustrated she'd want to die!
Jiang Nan's sudden laugh reached his ears.
He immediately glared at Niu Kulu.
That stern look clearly spoke volumes.
If you dare to spoil my fun, you'll pay for it yourself.
Niohuru understood immediately, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly suppressed her smile, obediently lowering her head.
As Tongjia listened to Niu Kulu's mockery, she felt the sarcastic gazes, both overt and covert, all around her.
I wish I could disappear into a crack in the ground.
She kept her head down, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is not unhappy. It is her good fortune to promote her. It has nothing to do with me."
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Jiang Nan made a few cryptic clicks of her tongue.
He shook his head, as if he was very disappointed by her insincerity.
She ignored Tongjia for the moment and turned to Wuya, asking a more direct and even tricky question.
“Uya, when Princess Tongjia punished you in the past, do you hate her? Do you ever think about taking revenge on her?”
These words shocked the entire hall!
All the concubines gasped and looked at the Empress in disbelief.
How could such a thought-provoking question be asked in public?
Isn't this blatantly inciting the concubines to fight each other?
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Uya was also greatly shocked, completely unable to fathom the Empress's intentions.
But she remembered Li Guiping's repeated instructions that the Empress loved watching a good show, so she gritted her teeth and decided to take the gamble!
She raised her head, her gaze meeting Jiang Nan's with composure, her voice clear, carrying suppressed grievances and determination.
"Your Majesty, the humiliation of being beaten in the past is etched in my memory, and naturally I harbor resentment. As for revenge..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the stiff-faced Tongjia woman, and said, word by word.
"If I ever have the ability in the future, I will repay the humiliation I suffered in the past to Princess Tongjia!"
"Whoosh—"
A suppressed gasp of surprise filled the hall.
The concubines looked at each other, their gazes filled with shock and disbelief as they looked at Uya.
How dare she?
She, a concubine with no power or influence, dared to openly express her resentment towards high-ranking concubines and even threaten revenge.
Is she crazy?
Tongjia was so angry at this blunt declaration that she trembled all over, and all her pretense and forbearance collapsed instantly.
She turned around abruptly, pointed at Wuya, and shrieked.
"Uya! How dare you! You lowly servant, how dare you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Nan's sharp rebuke instantly interrupted Tong Jia's loss of composure.
"Tongjia clan! You're the one who dares to do that!"
"How dare you shout and act so disrespectfully in the main hall of Kunning Palace! Do you even have any respect for me as Empress?!"
Tongjia was swept by Jiang Nan's icy gaze.
He instantly snapped back to reality, trembling with fear, and hurriedly knelt down on the ground.
"Your Majesty, I have been disrespectful! I dare not have done so! Please forgive me!"
Jiang Nan was secretly overjoyed to see Tong Jia's shocked, angry, and frightened expression.
This drama is far more exciting than any storybook.
Her face remained icy as she questioned him.
"You just said you didn't hate her and were even happy for her, so why are you so out of control and scolding her now that you've heard her say the truth? Could it be that what you said before was really a lie to deceive me?"
Tongjia knelt on the ground, her feelings of grievance, anger, and fear intertwined.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I dared not let them fall, my heart filled with grief and indignation.
How could the empress be so unreasonable?
Who interrogates like this? Being publicly humiliated by a concubine, and she, as the mistress, can't even speak up?
Jiang Nan stopped looking at her and instead glanced at the concubines who were stunned into silence by this reversal.
His tone returned to calm, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"I have said before that in this harem, there are many women, and there are many disputes. It is inevitable that you will compete for favor and beauty. I do not care how you use your own methods in private. As long as you do not cross the bottom line I have set, do not harm the imperial heirs, and do not disturb the peace of the court, even if one or two of you die, I will not bother to care. I can even turn a blind eye."
Her gaze finally settled on Uya, with a hint of obvious admiration in it.
“Uya, you are very good. It is only natural to feel resentment and want revenge after being humiliated. Your frankness in front of me is better than those hypocrites who say one thing to my face and another behind my back. I appreciate your honesty.”
Uya felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders, knowing that her performance had satisfied the Empress, and quickly bowed.
"I would rather die than deceive Your Majesty. Your Majesty is the mistress of the harem, and I will obey whatever Your Majesty says without any disloyalty!"
Jiang Nan nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the concubines again and said earnestly.
"Listen up, all of you! Today's incident with Sister Tongjia serves as a warning. From now on, when you restrain your palace servants, you must reason with them and treat them with virtue. Never resort to beatings, scoldings, or wanton abuse! Otherwise, it's a small matter if you ruin your reputation for virtue. If you're not careful, you might end up creating an enemy that the Emperor will favor. That would be a complete loss, and you'd regret it too late! Do you all understand?"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stood up and responded in unison.
"Your Majesty's teachings will be obeyed!"
"Yes, please sit down. Tong Jia, you sit down too."
Jiang Nan waved her hand, and everyone sat down again.
She seemed to suddenly remember something and slowly began to speak.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing..."
When Tongjia heard Jiang Nan say, "That's right, there's one more thing..."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively shuddered.
She was now genuinely afraid of her cousin-in-law, the Empress, who was completely unpredictable.
Every word is like a knife, stabbing at the most painful spot.
Jiang Nan, with her sharp eyes, noticed her frightened appearance and couldn't help but think that she might have gone a bit too far.
It's only been two months, how far has it been? She's already scared? Will she even have anything to do in the future?
Thinking of this, her tone softened and became somewhat reassuring.
"Don't worry, cousin Tong Jia, what I'm about to say is not your business, so you can relax."
These words only made Tongjia feel more ashamed and indignant, her face turning red and white in turns.
She could only keep her head down, bite her lip, and pretend she didn't exist.
Jiang Nan ignored her, cleared her throat, and turned her gaze to Ma Jia, whose face was both happy and somewhat reserved.
Her voice restored the dignity befitting an empress, clearly resounding throughout the entire hall.
"I'm sure all of you sisters have heard that Lady Ma Jia of Yikun Palace is now pregnant. This is a great joy for our harem."
She paused, her gaze slowly sweeping over the faces of the concubines below.
He took in their expressions, whether they were envious, jealous, calm, or thoughtful.
His tone was relaxed and casual, and he was kind and approachable.
"I know that some people may feel unbalanced, and may even... be starting to stir up trouble, thinking about things they shouldn't be thinking about?"
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze!
The concubines were terrified and cried out in their hearts that they were innocent.
Your Majesty! What makes you say that? We wouldn't dare even if we had ten lives!
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