The unpleasant "talent show" incident in the Imperial Garden was like a boulder thrown into the deep waters of the inner palace, stirring up ripples that would never cease.
The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the palace in less than half a day.
Various versions of rumors circulated among the palace servants. Some said that Consort Xian was exceptionally talented, yet she couldn't match the Empress's charm with a single dessert, a truly wasteful display of talent. Others said that the Empress was skilled at managing her husband, seemingly unassuming yet actually shrewd, defusing a crisis of favor with a few deft strokes.
But regardless of the version, they all point to one undeniable fact—the Empress in Kunning Palace has become increasingly secure in her position, enjoying the Emperor's exclusive favor, unmatched by anyone else.
Meanwhile, Consort Xian of Changchun Palace fell into complete silence. She claimed to be ill for several days and did not leave her residence, even waiving her daily greetings to Kunning Palace, as if she had been utterly devastated by that day's crushing defeat.
Ruolan was very pleased with this and said to Lin Wanwan in private, "Your Highness, you should let her know who is the real master in this palace! Let's see if she dares to use those seductive tricks in front of you again!"
Lin Wanwan just smiled faintly, unlike Ruolan who was optimistic.
She sat by the window, toying with a white jade chess piece in her hand, her eyes fixed on the falling autumn leaves outside.
"Ruolan, do you think she's really devastated?"
Ruolan was taken aback: "Isn't that so? I heard that the atmosphere in Changchun Palace has been very oppressive these past few days. Even when the Empress Dowager sent people to deliver the rewards, Consort Xian only gave a faint thank you. It's clear that she is heartbroken."
"Heartbroken?" Lin Wanwan's lips curled into a cold smile. "A venomous snake, after failing to hunt once, will only retreat into its burrow, sharpen its fangs, and wait for the next opportunity to strike. It will never give up hunting because of one failure."
After the incident in the Imperial Garden, Lin Wanwan finally understood. Passive defense was the most foolish strategy against an opponent as skilled and cunning as Su Jinxiu.
Because you never know from which corner or what tricky angle she'll attack you next. Passive defense will only give her more opportunities to perform and put you in danger.
The back-and-forth probing has ended.
Now that Su Jinxiu has torn off her gentle mask and revealed her fighting fangs, it's time for her to take the initiative.
She was going to set a trap for this beautiful venomous snake that it couldn't refuse, forcing it to reveal its true colors!
"Ruolan." Lin Wanwan put down the chess piece in her hand, her eyes becoming sharp. "Go to the storeroom and fetch the 'Golden Seven-Treasure Phoenix Hairpin' that the Empress Dowager bestowed upon me on my wedding day."
Although Ruolan was puzzled, she still respectfully agreed and went to do so.
Before long, a heavy sandalwood box was respectfully presented to Lin Wanwan.
Ruolan carefully opened the box, and a dazzling light instantly illuminated the entire room.
On the crimson brocade lay a lavishly luxurious phoenix hairpin. Crafted entirely of pure gold, the hairpin was adorned with gold thread forming the magnificent shape of a phoenix spreading its wings. The phoenix's tail feathers were inlaid with seven-colored gemstones—red, blue, green, and purple—each shimmering and priceless. Most exquisitely, however, were the phoenix's eyes, embellished with two extremely rare black pearls, lifelike and radiant, as if ready to take flight at any moment.
This item, named "Golden Silk Seven-Treasure Phoenix Hairpin," was a tribute from the previous dynasty and is unique in the world. The fact that the Empress Dowager bestowed this item upon her during her wedding demonstrates its preciousness and symbolizes a supreme status and honor.
It can be said that the value of this phoenix hairpin lies not only in its gold and jade itself, but also in the meaning it represents.
Throughout the entire palace, everyone knew that this item was a sign of the Empress Dowager's high regard for the Empress and a symbol of the dignity of the Kunning Palace.
Lin Wanwan looked at the phoenix hairpin, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.
This is it.
She slowly closed the box, looked at Ruolan with a serious expression, and said, word by word, "Ruolan, from now on, you must remember that this phoenix hairpin is lost."
"What?!" Ruolan was shocked and almost dropped the box in her hand. "Your Highness, this...this is absolutely unacceptable! This phoenix hairpin is so precious, and it was a gift from the Empress Dowager. If it is lost, it will be a serious crime!"
“I know.” Lin Wanwan’s eyes were calm and composed, with a calmness that conveyed a sense of control over everything. “I’m going to let it ‘disappear’.”
She leaned close to Ruolan's ear and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, revealed her entire plan.
Ruolan was terrified, her pretty face gradually turning pale. Looking into her mistress's calm and serene eyes, she finally understood her intention.
The Empress is... setting a trap to lure the snake out of its hole!
This plan is too audacious and too dangerous!
"Your Majesty, this... what if..." Ruolan still hesitated.
“There’s no ‘what if’,” Lin Wanwan interrupted her, her tone firm and unwavering. “When dealing with a venomous snake, you can’t be afraid of getting bitten. Ruolan, you’re the person I trust most. This matter can only be handled by you. Remember, the act must be convincing, more real than real gold!”
Seeing the unwavering trust in the Empress's eyes, Ruolan took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "This servant obeys! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"
A meticulously planned grand spectacle has begun.
The next morning, a piercing scream shattered the tranquility of Kunning Palace.
Chun Tao, a young palace maid in charge of managing the storeroom, suddenly rushed out with a deathly pale face after a routine clothing sorting session. She scrambled to her knees at the entrance of the main hall, crying out, "Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened, Your Majesty!"
Soon, the entire Kunning Palace knew about this "huge event"—the Empress's "Golden Seven-Treasure Phoenix Hairpin," a symbol of her status and glory, had vanished from the storeroom!
As soon as the news broke, everyone in Kunning Palace felt threatened.
Lin Wanwan flew into a rage and smashed her most beloved tea set on the spot. She ordered the entire Kunning Palace to be sealed off, with no one allowed to enter or leave at will. Ruolan personally led a team to conduct a rigorous search and interrogation of all palace staff.
However, after a whole day of searching, they couldn't even find a trace of the phoenix hairpin.
The entire Kunning Palace was gripped by a tense atmosphere of impending doom.
The air was thick with oppression and fear. The palace servants walked with their heads down, not daring to breathe, for fear that they would be the next suspects.
To make the scene more realistic, Lin Wanwan even personally ordered that the palace maids responsible for guarding the storeroom, including Chun Tao who was the first to discover the missing phoenix hairpin, be dragged away, given twenty heavy lashes, and then locked in the woodshed to await further punishment.
In an instant, cries of weeping filled the Kunning Palace, and the air was thick with the unease of the wind.
Lin Wanwan locked herself in her bedchamber, refusing to eat or drink, and spending her days in tears, displaying extreme panic and fear. Her completely lost and bewildered demeanor, as if the sky were about to collapse, made it impossible for anyone to doubt that she was acting.
She knew that Su Jinxiu's spies in Kunning Palace would relay everything that happened here to Changchun Palace as quickly as possible, word for word.
She orchestrated this "accident" that was so convincingly realistic.
Now, the bait of the message has been accurately cast.
Next, she had to ensure that the message reached the ears of the "interested person" she wanted to hear it, and that she herself would "inform" him.
As dusk fell, Lin Wanwan looked at the anxious expressions on the faces of the palace servants in the bedchamber and knew that the play was almost over.
The drums have sounded, the stage has been set up, and all the preparations have been completed.
It's time to introduce the other "leading lady" of this grand drama.
She turned to Ruolan beside her, who also looked "anxious," and in a weak, tearful voice, gave the order:
"Go...go and 'invite' Consort Xian here."
She paused, then wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, her voice filled with helplessness and dependence:
"Just say... just say that something terrible has happened to me, and I'm completely at a loss. I want to ask my dearest sister for help to come and discuss a solution."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com