The birthday banquet incident was like a violent earthquake, completely shaking the power structure of the entire harem.
Aftershocks are still ongoing.
The Empress Dowager, once the absolute ruler of the harem, fell into complete silence after the tragic "execution of Ma Su with tears in her eyes." She publicly declared that she was "unwell," secluded herself at home, and declined all greetings.
The entire Cixi Palace was shrouded in an unprecedentedly low atmosphere.
Lin Wanwan knew that this did not mean the Empress Dowager had given up.
On the contrary, this is a more sophisticated strategy. A wounded and enraged tiger chooses to retreat to its den temporarily, not to wait for death, but to lick its wounds, gather strength, and await the next, more deadly attack.
Ruolan relayed a message through her spies in Cixi Palace, saying that although the Empress Dowager was staying indoors, her contact with the mysterious "Regent" was more frequent than ever before.
This left Lin Wanwan with a heavy weight on her mind.
She won a battle, but she was far from winning the war.
With the enemy retreating into the shadows, she found it difficult to find any new leverage against them. The situation seemed to have fallen into an eerie calm before the storm.
Just as Lin Wanwan was pondering a solution to this temporary stalemate, an unexpected visitor arrived at Kunning Palace.
"Your Majesty, Consort Hui of Jingyang Palace has come to pay her respects."
"Consort Hui?"
Lin Wanwan searched her mind for the name with great effort.
Her impressions of the concubines in the harem were mostly vague faces from the birthday banquet. She had absolutely no recollection of this "Consort Hui".
She glanced at Ruolan beside her, who immediately understood and stepped forward to whisper in her ear, “Your Majesty, Consort Hui’s surname is Chen. She entered the palace two years ago. Her rank is not high, and she only has one daughter. She… she has always been timid and quiet, and she has always been cautious in the palace, so she has little presence.”
Ruolan paused, then added a crucial piece of information: "Your Majesty may not remember, but last summer, this Consort Hui accidentally bumped into Consort Shu's entourage in the Imperial Garden. As a result, Consort Shu publicly punished her, making her kneel under the scorching sun for a full hour and nearly suffer from heatstroke."
So it turns out he was... a defeated opponent of Consort Shu.
Lin Wanwan instantly understood.
"Let her in."
Soon, a young woman dressed in a simple light blue palace dress walked in cautiously with her head down and small, delicate steps.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, with delicate features, yet carrying a hint of timidity. Her eyes, like those of a frightened fawn, dared not meet anyone's gaze. Her entire being exuded an aura of humility and caution, utterly incongruous with the opulent palace.
"Your Majesty, I, Chen, pay my respects to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Consort Hui's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, with a barely perceptible tremor.
"Rise, please take a seat." Lin Wanwan's voice was gentle, with a faint smile on her face.
"Thank you... thank you, Your Majesty."
Consort Hui sat down cautiously on the embroidered stool furthest from Lin Wanwan, only sitting on half of her buttocks. Her back was ramrod straight, and she nervously twisted the handkerchief in her hands, looking extremely uneasy.
Lin Wanwan didn't speak, but just quietly observed her.
She didn't believe that there would be any unprovoked gestures of goodwill in the deep palace.
Especially at this sensitive time, when he had just won a great victory in a head-on confrontation with the Empress Dowager's faction.
What is the purpose of Consort Hui's visit at this time, given that she is usually so unremarkable?
Is it a genuine surrender? Or... another pawn sent by the Empress Dowager to test the waters?
Seemingly sensing Lin Wanwan's scrutinizing gaze, Consort Hui lowered her head even further.
She remained silent for a long time before, as if she had finally mustered all her courage, she slid off the embroidered stool and knelt heavily on the ground!
"Your Majesty the Empress!" Her voice rose slightly with excitement, filled with deep, heartfelt respect and gratitude. "I have come today... I have come specifically to thank Your Majesty!"
"Thank me?" Lin Wanwan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes!" Consort Hui nodded heavily, her eyes shining with an almost worshipful light. "Your Majesty, I must thank you for punishing that wicked Consort Shu!"
"Since she entered the palace, relying on the Empress Dowager's favor, she has been arrogant and domineering, bullying us sisters of low rank. She has long been the object of everyone's wrath! But we... we are of low status and have no voice. We can only dare to be angry but not speak out, and swallow our anger every day."
Tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes.
"If it weren't for Your Majesty's fearlessness in the face of power and your unparalleled wisdom, who defeated those villains so decisively at the birthday banquet and rid our harem of this great scourge... I truly don't know when these dark and hopeless days would end!"
Her words were sincere and heartfelt; her gratitude seemed genuine.
Lin Wanwan looked at her, and her vigilance relaxed slightly.
She helped Consort Hui up and said gently, "Please rise, sister. What I did was not directed at anyone in particular, but merely to uphold palace discipline and set things right. There is no need for such a grand gesture, sister."
After being helped up, Consort Hui seemed to have calmed down considerably.
The two chatted for a few more minutes about everyday things.
During the conversation, Consort Hui seemed to suddenly remember something. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes, and whispered:
"Speaking of which, Your Majesty, you probably don't know, do you? Consort Shu is currently under house arrest by the Empress Dowager and is throwing tantrums in Chengqian Palace every day. The other day, she complained that the tea was too hot and smashed a whole set of official kiln tea utensils from the previous dynasty. When the Empress Dowager found out, she was furious and punished her by deducting a month's allowance and making her copy the 'Rules for Women' fifty times."
After she finished speaking, she seemed to realize that she had spoken out of turn, and quickly covered her mouth, saying timidly, "Look at my mouth, I've been talking about Your Majesty behind your back. I hope that Your Majesty will not blame me."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wan-wan simply smiled faintly: "It's alright. What's wrong with us sisters having a private chat?"
But she silently kept this news in her heart.
This intelligence, though seemingly insignificant, serves as an excellent "litmus test."
Whether it's true or false, she only needs to send Ruolan to investigate briefly to find out.
If it's true, then it means that this Consort Hui might... actually have some sincerity.
The two chatted for another half an hour before Consort Hui tactfully got up to take her leave.
From beginning to end, she made no requests or asked for anything in return, as if she were simply there to express her "admiration" and "gratitude".
She left as cautiously, humbly, and timidly as she had come.
Watching her slightly frail figure disappear through the doorway, a thoughtful look flashed in Lin Wanwan's eyes.
"Your Majesty."
Ruolan, who had been standing by, stepped forward and whispered a reminder.
"This Consort Hui's sudden visit to curry favor is too opportune. You... should be careful."
As a former "spy," Ruolan has an almost instinctive wariness of "colleagues" who take the initiative to surrender.
Lin Wanwan nodded, a look of approval on her face: "You've become more and more cautious these days."
She picked up the slightly cooled tea on the table, took a small sip, and her gaze became somewhat distant.
“Of course I know that in this palace, there is no hatred without a cause, and even less so... love without a cause.”
Whether her visit today was sincere or feigned, whether it was a timely act of kindness or... a case of a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, let's just wait and see.
She put down her teacup, looked at the azure sky outside the window, and a meaningful smile slowly curved her lips.
She understood this in her heart.
In this perilous palace, relying solely on her and Xiao Che is far from enough.
Going it alone is not a long-term solution.
She needs allies, she needs eyes, she needs... pawns she can use.
Perhaps, this seemingly harmless, even somewhat pitiful, Consort Hui...
Yes, it really can be a good piece.
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