"Consort Shu should learn more from the Empress."
Xiao Che's seemingly casual words were like an invisible imperial edict, carrying unquestionable authority, and struck the hearts of everyone in the Imperial Garden with great force.
He brought this farce to a decisive, biased, and unexpected close.
As that bright yellow figure gracefully departed, the taut string in the Imperial Garden finally snapped completely.
Consort Shu, kneeling on the ground, had lost all color in her once beautiful face, turning as pale as paper.
She stared in disbelief in the direction the emperor had left, her eyes filled with humiliation, anger, and... deep fear.
She didn't understand.
She didn't understand why this was happening.
Why would Your Majesty side with that woman?
He not only ignored her cries, but also... he even told her to learn from that bitch?
This was more humiliating for her than directly reprimanding or punishing her!
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, please get up, the ground is cold." Her trusted maidservant hurriedly stepped forward, trying to help her up.
However, Consort Shu seemed to have lost all her strength, her whole body limp.
The gazes of the palace servants around her were like sharp thorns, piercing her. Gone were the previous envy and awe; replaced by a complex emotion, indescribable, tinged with pity and mockery.
"Wow--!"
Finally, Consort Shu could no longer bear the enormous blow and humiliation. She suddenly pushed away the palace maid beside her and let out a shrill cry.
She leaped to her feet, lifted her skirt, covered her face, and like a stray dog, cried, disheveled, and ran back to her Chengqian Palace without looking back.
A "chance encounter" that she initiated with the intention of humiliating the Empress ultimately ended in her own humiliation and defeat, a pathetic retreat.
With Consort Shu's departure, the stagnant air in the Imperial Garden finally began to slowly move.
All eyes, subconsciously and unanimously, focused on the woman who had stood still the whole time, her expression calm.
—Empress, Lin Wanwan.
If they had previously viewed her as a "pretty face queen" with an unstable foundation and no real power, then...
Now, their eyes only convey one emotion.
That was utter, heartfelt...reverence.
That's amazing.
This Empress is truly amazing!
Faced with Consort Shu's aggressive provocation, she not only remained calm but also used classical allusions and sharp words to refute the other party until she was speechless.
What's most terrifying is that she not only won the verbal battle, but also won His Majesty's heart in the end.
No, it's not the heart.
It was because they won His Majesty's "reason".
His Majesty's statement that "the Empress is knowledgeable and reasonable" is tantamount to using his supreme imperial power to give the most authoritative endorsement to all of the Empress's "outrageous" words and deeds today.
From now on, who would dare to say that the Empress is "jealous" or "disrespectful to the concubines"?
That wasn't arguing back, that was... "discussing knowledge".
Who would dare say that the Empress has "sharp words"?
That's not being sharp-tongued, that's... "being knowledgeable and reasonable, and speaking appropriately."
After this battle, everyone understood.
This seemingly weak and low-born empress, who was brought in to bring good fortune, was not only a formidable figure, but also had an unshakeable and powerful backer standing behind her—His Majesty the Emperor.
Lin Wanwan took in everyone's expressions.
She didn't leave immediately, nor did she show any smugness.
She simply stood there quietly, straightening her sleeves, which were slightly disheveled from the argument earlier.
Then, she turned her indifferent gaze to Chun Tao, the head maid behind her.
"Let's go back to the palace."
Her voice remained calm, revealing no emotion.
But these three simple words carry an unprecedented and convincing authority.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Chun Tao quickly responded, her voice trembling with excitement. She and the other palace maids from Kunning Palace stepped forward to surround Lin Wanwan, assuming the ceremonial bearing befitting an empress.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Wanwan gracefully turned around and embarked on the path back to Kunning Palace.
She walked slowly, her back ramrod straight, each step deliberate and firm.
The journey was completely silent.
All the palace servants they encountered, whether they were sweeping or patrolling, stopped at a distance, bowed deeply by the roadside, and dared not utter a sound.
It was a heartfelt respect and fear of those in power.
Lin Wanwan knew that from this day forward, no one would dare to underestimate her as the mistress of Kunning Palace.
This is exactly the effect she wanted.
Back at Kunning Palace, the palace doors were closed, cutting off all outside sight.
Chun Tao, who had been trying so hard to suppress her excitement, finally couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Your Majesty!" Her eyes were red, her voice trembling with tears, yet filled with boundless excitement and admiration, "You...you are truly amazing!"
The other palace servants also looked at Lin Wanwan with excitement, as if they were looking at a female general who had just returned from a victorious battle.
"Your Majesty, you didn't see it! When Consort Shu ran away just now, her face turned green!"
"And those onlookers, their jaws practically dropped! Watching them, I felt so relieved!"
Chun Tao excitedly stepped forward, lowered her voice, and excitedly reported: "Your Majesty, you don't know yet, do you? In the short time since we returned, the news of your 'debate with Consort Shu and your great victory' has spread throughout the entire palace like wildfire!"
"Now, everyone in the palace is talking about you... saying that you are 'elegant in stillness and thunderous in action,' and have the demeanor of a great general!"
Lin Wanwan listened to their cacophony of reports and simply smiled faintly.
She walked to the soft couch by the window and sat down, where a palace maid served her freshly brewed hot tea.
She picked up the celadon teacup and gently skimmed off the foam with the lid. The rising steam blurred her features and concealed all the emotions in her eyes.
Prestige is not bestowed by others, but earned through one's own victories, one after another.
She knew that today's victory, though seemingly beautiful, was actually extremely dangerous. If it weren't for Xiao Che, that "funny guy," backing her up, the outcome would have been uncertain.
But in any case, she won.
They won dignity, gained prestige, and secured the first cornerstone for their survival in the deep palace.
She brought the teacup to her lips and gently blew on the scalding hot tea.
Her calm yet youthful face was reflected in the tea.
His face still bore the pallor of illness, but his eyes were brighter and more determined than ever before.
Looking at her reflection in the water, Lin Wanwan slowly curved her lips into a meaningful smile.
Consort Shu was just the beginning.
This is only the first step.
In this perilous, cannibalistic palace, to survive and thrive, one must stand high enough.
So high that... no one dared to provoke them easily anymore.
So high that one can firmly grasp all of one's destiny in one's own hands.
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