Chapter 14
The gate was flung open with a loud bang, and three or five black-armored guards stood at the entrance, holding their gleaming swords and guarding the door tightly.
"What are you trying to do?"
Qi Nian'an coldly stared at the crowd that had gathered around her.
How could Consort Yi have the ability to summon the Black Armor Guards?
Qi Nian'an looked at her ambiguous smile and became even more puzzled. She coldly stared at the gloating faces of the crowd, some secretly pleased, some sighing.
Behind her, Nan Zhi sighed silently. Her hands, which were gripping Qi Nian'an tightly, were icy cold. Her breathing grew heavy, and she sobbed but dared not let out a sound. She felt that all of this was utterly absurd.
They were spies to begin with, and if they were to be framed like this, and something else were to be implicated... she didn't even dare to think about the consequences.
Qi Nian'an sneered. She stood still, her bright, star-like eyes gradually brightening, and she let out a muffled laugh.
She said, "Even the most foolish person can't make the same mistake twice, Consort Yi?"
"Look at you, you guessed that Consort Yi's knife would fall on my head sooner or later, and you're in such a hurry to be the first to stick your neck out. Don't you understand who really calls the shots in this harem?"
Consort Yi seemed to have heard a funny joke, covering her face with her hand and furrowing her delicately drawn eyebrows.
"Rumors of a seductive concubine outside the palace are rampant, and Young Master Li has just displeased the Emperor. Do you really think Consort Ling will protect you? Don't be foolish."
"It seems you've completely forgotten how you knelt in the main hall that day, weeping and pleading about your hardships. Yes, your clan has gained the Emperor's favor, but how long can you squander this favor?"
Qi Nian'an grasped Nan Zhi's trembling hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
She stepped forward and looked directly into Consort Yi's eyes. The woman before her was deathly pale, her lips trembling slightly, and she was looking at her with hatred.
"But I have the confidence to back it up."
A stern rebuke came from outside the door—
"presumptuous!"
Consort Ling, wearing a gold-threaded headdress, still maintained her usual stoic smile in public. Without a smile, she raised her hand to stop Consort Yi and the others outside the door.
She chuckled softly, "It's quite lively here."
In less than a moment, the black-armored guards were completely withdrawn. Before Consort Yi could even enter the room, she was dismissed by Consort Ling's attendants, without even having a chance to say a word.
The palace servants had already moved a clean chair into the room. Consort Yi's face turned pale, and her legs went weak, causing her to kneel down on the ground.
Qi Nian'an's chest heaved with anger, but she managed to calm herself down.
Consort Yi wanted to use Consort Qi's death to make a big fuss and get rid of her completely, but she had clearly spoken up for her before. If Shao Sizhi hadn't listened to her and restrained his murderous intent for the sake of Consort Ling, how could she be standing here unharmed!
How could you possibly kill Consort Qi!
Even torture and murder!
This was truly despicable. She couldn't protect the innocent people who were hastily carried out of the palace gates like a flowing river, and could only watch helplessly as a living person was destined to die no matter how they tried to walk. A bunch of madmen driven by profit and power.
There was also a vicious dog that was like a heartless ingrate.
"Nian'an, what do you want to do?"
Li Xiaoran leaned back in her chair, tilting her head back and gently stroking the gold and jade fan in her hand.
Qi Nian'an stood there, feeling as if a huge boulder had pressed down on her heart, making it incredibly heavy, suffocating, and unfathomable.
"I have no right to punish you, Consort Yi, nor do I want to ask you why."
The next second—
She ripped down the nearly hanging white bed curtains, which still bore traces of Consort Qi's blood.
The white cloth slowly fell on Consort Yi's head. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she stared at Qi Nian'an in disbelief, her thin lips red and still trembling uncontrollably.
"You can't kill me, you can't..."
Nan Zhi tugged at Qi Nian'an with considerable worry, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
"I won't kill you; I'll give you a choice."
Qi Nian'an's voice gradually lost its emotion. She turned to look at the empty depression on the bed. Consort Qi had already been taken away for burial. She had only a casual acquaintance with her, and even had a somewhat sordid relationship with her. She was still immersed in the shock of seeing so many corpses today, but now that she had calmed down, she had some different feelings in her mind.
"I will help you settle down in the palace. As long as you repay me honestly, you will not end up like a concubine."
If you disagree—
Li Xiaoran's mouth was slightly open, and her eyes showed a hint of surprise. She stood up abruptly, opened her mouth as if to say something, but finally slowly sat back down and calmly watched everything.
The room was silent except for the crisp sound of snow melting into water droplets hitting the eaves, which seemed to urge the person on the ground to look up, grit their teeth and beg, before falling silent again.
Outside, the paper-cut shadows on the window stand silently outside the door, gazing at the scene.
"Nian'an, don't be afraid."
Li Xiaoran couldn't help but stand up again and slowly placed her hand on her shoulder, and sure enough, she felt a tremor.
They really can't go back.
"Answer me."
Qi Nian'an's voice was as cold as ice. She pressed forward step by step, grabbed the chin of the person on the ground, and stared at her with an unyielding gaze.
He even had a voice in his mind telling her that if she didn't agree, he would kill her.
She smiled bitterly, looking at the person who remained silent for a long time.
Qi Nian'an reached out and gently lifted the white silk hanging on the ground, her movements incredibly tender. As she tightened her grip, she was startled to hear the panting and groans beneath her hands.
"Qi Nian'an, are you crazy!"
Li Xiaoran yanked her arm away and looked at her with extreme surprise.
"You son of a bitch, you received nine years of compulsory education, you know that murder is punishable by death. This world can't possibly take your life, so how could you... kill someone out of a moment of anger? What if you commit another crime in a fit of passion when we get back? You'll gradually get used to it!"
Qi Nian'an silently shed tears. She let go of her strength in her hands, rested her head on Li Xiaoran's chest, and sobbed incessantly.
"There's no going back. I only have one last chance to reload. Xiaoxiao, we really can't go back."
She simply held Li Xiaoran, who was crying uncontrollably.
Upon hearing the news, Consort Ling suddenly lost her strength and stared in disbelief at her dear friend lying on the ground in despair.
How could this be?!
Qi Nian'an finished crying and saw that the figure outside the window was still there.
She took a soft step and raised the white silk ribbon in front of Consort Yi again: "I want to be loyal to the Emperor and do as he says to be worthy of the top of the world. Even if he deceives me, I am still a weapon to be used."
“Since His Majesty does not want to keep any disloyal people around, why don’t I follow his wishes, become this offending knife, and kill you?”
Outside, the dark figure suddenly chuckled softly.
Liu Neng followed behind Shao Sizhi, his eyes gleaming as his gaze wandered over the blood-stained window curtains on the ground and the kneeling Consort Yi who dared not raise her head. A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face.
He looked at Qi Nian'an's slightly disheveled hair, let out a muffled laugh, and reached out to take her arm.
Qi Nian'an's wrist turned white from being gripped so tightly. She struggled to break free from Shao Sizhi's grasp and nearly bumped her head on Liu Neng.
"Just now you were so adamant about being my sharpest blade, how come you've turned your back on me so ruthlessly? Do you really think I'm so magnanimous?"
His jade thumb ring followed her movements, groping along Qi Nian'an's face. His gaze traveled along her flushed cheeks, then down to the bloodstains on her collar.
Qi Nian'an felt a wave of nausea. Only now did she realize how incomprehensible her previous infatuation had been.
Shao Sizhi's face suddenly froze on the spot, his breathing became somewhat rapid, and he stared gloomily at the back of the person walking towards Consort Ling.
He glanced casually at Consort Yi, who was sitting slumped on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Get up."
A hint of surprise flashed in Consort Yi's eyes. She looked in the direction Shao Sizhi was looking and slowly turned her gaze.
"Your Majesty..."
"The imperial mausoleum in Kyoto is short of a caretaker. You shall receive the imperial decree and go to worship Buddha in peace."
A hint of impatience flashed in Shao Sizhi's eyes as he waved his hand.
In an instant, Consort Yi's face turned deathly pale. She looked sadly at those merciless eyes, and a growing ashen complexion crept into her heart.
"yes."
She kowtowed again, but this time she didn't say a word for herself.
Li Xiaoran stood there stunned, then rubbed her temples and let out a long sigh.
Winter went and spring came again. The chill of spring gradually faded and the warmth subsided, and the bloodlust in the palace gradually dissipated.
With the general election approaching, carriages from various provinces arrived in droves along the roads, and people came in an endless stream. Naturally, many people came to pay their respects at the Dowager Queen's palace.
With the Empress's position vacant, various powerful and entrenched factions vied for power and engaged in fierce competition. Even Qi Nian'an received a secret letter urging her to vie for the Empress's throne.
It's hilarious! The three ministries and six departments are scrambling to send their beautiful concubines into the palace as soon as the new emperor has established himself. The level of competition is no different from the fierce competition for civil service positions!
She stood at the palace gate, watching the newlyweds vie for attention, and the noble ladies and beauties who moved into the palace each displaying their ambitions.
Each of them was accompanied by palace maids, and there were quite a few new faces among them.
"I heard that the daughter of the Grand Secretary went to pay her respects to the Noble Consort Yi as soon as she entered the palace, which greatly impressed Shao Sizhi."
Qi Nian'an plopped down on Li Xiaoran's stool and started cracking sunflower seeds on the table.
Li Xiaoran, with dark circles under her eyes wider than the Pacific Ocean, shoved Qi Nian'an away in annoyance.
"Get out of the way, you're taking up my land."
Consort Yi is already an almost openly cunning and ruthless individual, but her family is powerful and has entanglements with the Yunyang area. The fact that Prince Yun holds military power and is self-reliant is a well-known fact in the court and among the people.
The inner palace was a major area of factionalism. The previous battle at Bianling had resulted in the loss of most of the imperial army. While the court appeared calm on the surface, there were murmurs in the palace, vaguely talking about Shao Sizhi's incompetence and folly. Some were surprised that anyone dared to spread such rumors under Shao Sizhi's nose, while others simply stood by and watched the drama unfold.
Take Qi Nian'an, for example.
Consort Qi went mad and was soon given death. Consort Ling was buried without a nameplate or fear. Consort Yi guarded the imperial mausoleum for a short time before dying of illness. Consort Yi's power grew more and more extensive. Her golden finger was almost useless, but at least she had a powerful best friend to support her.
Shao Sizhi is quite generous with gold and silver jewelry; with power and fame, even if the sky were to fall, she wouldn't be afraid.
Nan Zhi sighed and stepped forward to place the iced cheese in front of the two of them, scolding them playfully, "Your Highness, look at you. It's not even summer yet, why are you so greedy for coolness? You'll get a stomachache at night!"
Qi Nian'an held her face in her hands as she watched Consort Ling deal with the invitations and gift lists, then turned around and cheerfully picked up a dessert.
"This is the last bowl, Xiaoran, take a break."
Consort Ling rubbed her wrist.
"Could you deliver something to Xiao Quanzi who's waiting in the Imperial Garden? Tell him to remember not to make a fuss."
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