After seeing off the satisfied and self-satisfied Su Jinxiu, Lin Wanwan's "emotion" and "panic" vanished instantly, replaced by a cold calm.
Ruolan brought in tea and snacks and saw her sitting alone by the window, looking thoughtful. She couldn't help but ask with concern, "Your Highness, what did you and Consort Xian talk about? You don't look well."
Lin Wanwan shook her head and did not answer.
There are some things that are not yet time to be said.
Su Jinxiu thought she had given Lin Wanwan a poison and wanted the Empress to personally feed it to Xiao Che in order to sow discord between them.
Little did she know that this poison, in Lin Wanwan's hands, would only become a powerful remedy to turn the tables on her.
However, this play needs one most important audience member—Xiao Che.
Lin Wanwan needed him to see Su Jinxiu's "good intentions" with his own eyes and hear her "virtuousness" with his own ears.
That evening, Xiao Che arrived at Kunning Palace as usual.
He seemed to be in a good mood, and the fatigue between his brows had dissipated considerably, indicating that he had handled his official duties quite smoothly during the day.
As usual, Lin Wanwan served him his meal and played chess with him. On the chessboard, the two played back and forth, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere.
As night deepened, Lin Wanwan finally felt that the time had come.
She did not, as Su Jinxiu had expected, subtly "advise" him about matters of the court.
Instead, she had Ruolan fetch a register of all the concubines in the harem.
The register was exquisitely made, and it recorded information such as the family background, title, and birth date of each concubine.
When Xiao Che saw her take out this book, he raised an eyebrow in surprise: "What is the Empress doing?"
Lin Wanwan slowly unfolded the roster on the table. In the candlelight, she raised her eyes and looked at him with an unprecedentedly "virtuous and generous" gaze.
“Your Majesty,” she said softly, her tone filled with the sense of responsibility and duty of the Empress, “After much deliberation, I feel there is something I must tell Your Majesty.”
"Oh?" Xiao Che became interested. He put down the chess piece in his hand and looked at her leisurely, waiting for her to continue.
Above his head, a pixelated figure curiously peeked out, with the words "[What new tricks will my wife pull this time? .jpg]" floating beside it.
Lin Wanwan took a deep breath and said in an extremely solemn tone, "Your Majesty, as the Empress, I should prioritize the affairs of the state and share Your Majesty's burdens."
"Your Majesty knows that you favor me alone because you value me. But Your Majesty is also the ruler of a country, and your harem affects the hearts of countless officials in the court. Only by distributing your favor evenly among the harem can you appease the people and stabilize the court."
After she finished speaking these high-sounding words, Xiao Che's brows furrowed imperceptibly. The little figure above his head also turned from curiosity to confusion.
Lin Wanwan didn't pause. Instead, she stretched out her slender finger and gently traced it across the roster, finally stopping at a name.
"Su Jinxiu".
She raised her head, a gentle and virtuous smile on her face, and continued, "In my opinion, Consort Xian is very good."
"She comes from a noble family, being the Empress Dowager's niece and representing the Su family's reputation; she herself is well-educated, virtuous, and talented. Your Majesty should visit her more often these days. This will not only appease the Empress Dowager but also allow the powerful ministers in the court to see Your Majesty's magnanimity and fairness."
"This is a great thing that benefits the country, the family, the court and the palace in every way."
She finally finished speaking.
She perfectly portrayed a "perfect queen" who prioritized the overall situation and was so virtuous that she even took the initiative to recommend other women to her husband.
The entire side hall fell into a deathly silence.
Xiao Che was completely stunned.
He sat there, motionless, his deep, ocean-like eyes fixed on her, as if trying to see through her very soul.
He wanted to discern even the slightest hint of her true emotion from her face. Was it jealousy? Resentment? A test? Or... genuine feeling?
However, there was nothing there.
Her face displayed only the most perfect and flawless dignity and smile befitting the Empress.
He couldn't see through her. This was the first time he had been completely unable to understand the logic behind her actions.
Based on his understanding of her, after experiencing Su Jinxiu's overt and covert provocations, even if she didn't make a big fuss, she would never do something as foolish as "inviting a wolf into the house."
But that's exactly what she did.
He had no idea what she was up to. All his plans and predictions were rendered useless by her "divine intervention."
As a result, the "bullet screen area" above his head also fell into an unprecedented "downtime" state.
The usually lively pixelated character was now stunned. It stood frozen in place, and slowly, a gigantic, red-glowing image appeared above its head—[? .jpg].
A huge question mark occupied all his inner thoughts.
[What is she trying to do? .jpg]
[Is she crazy? .jpg]
[What kind of new tactic is this? .jpg]
A series of question marks and speculations flooded the screen above his head, revealing his shock and confusion at that moment.
Lin Wanwan looked at the chaotic "brainstorm" above his head and chuckled inwardly.
This is exactly the effect I wanted.
What we want is to disrupt his plans, and all the plans of the "enemy" behind him.
The goal is to turn Su Jinxiu's self-righteous "divide and conquer" scheme into a real-life, absurd black comedy.
You wanted me to advise the emperor, didn't you? Not only did I not advise him, I actually advised him to favor you. How about that? Surprised? Unexpected?
After a long stalemate, Xiao Che finally made a move.
He looked at her deeply, with an extremely complex expression, a mixture of inquiry, confusion, and a hint of something else... something he himself didn't realize: a strong interest aroused by her unconventional behavior.
In the end, he said nothing.
He slowly stood up, straightened his robes, and said to her, and to himself, "It's late, I should go back."
After saying that, he turned around and left Kunning Palace without looking back.
This was the first time in nearly a month that he had not stayed overnight at Kunning Palace.
When Ruolan walked in, she saw Xiao Che's departing figure and Lin Wanwan's unfathomable smile.
“Your Majesty…” she looked at her with some concern, “His Majesty…”
"It's alright." Lin Wanwan waved her hand, in an extremely good mood. "Go tell the small kitchen to prepare a serving of His Majesty's favorite crab roe soup dumplings for tomorrow morning."
She knew that her actions tonight would keep Xiao Che tossing and turning, unable to sleep all night.
She knew even better that this news would reach the ears of that self-righteous Consort Xian in Changchun Palace within half an hour through certain channels, word for word.
...
Changchun Palace.
After hearing the report from her trusted palace maid, Su Jinxiu was completely stunned.
Her hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air, and for the first time, cracks appeared on her face, which always wore a perfect smile.
What?
Instead of offering advice to the emperor on matters of state, the empress... instead produced a roster and urged the emperor to bestow his favors equally, recommending herself first?!
What... what is going on here?
She had considered countless possibilities.
Lin Wanwan might make a huge scene, she might secretly hold a grudge, or she might pretend to obey and then complain to the emperor...
But she never expected that Lin Wanwan would respond to her "divide and conquer" scheme in such an unbelievable way.
Not only did she not fall into the trap, but she also turned the tables and personally put herself in front of the emperor.
Now, it was she who was put on the hot seat.
Su Jinxiu's mind was completely in chaos.
Lin Wanwan... what exactly is she trying to do?
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