Chapter 22: She Is Frighteningly Powerful

Who else could it be?

Sun Miaoqing, of course.

Letting Consort Hua take action was fine; after all, she had always been that kind of person. With the Nian family currently powerful and herself favored, punishing one or two ignorant individuals was of little consequence.

If the Emperor remained unaware afterward, so be it. If he did find out, she could simply add a few words in support from behind the scenes. No matter how influential the Sun family might be, they still couldn’t compare to the Nian family.

Based on past experience and the Emperor’s temperament, at most, he would only chide her for being willful.

As for human life—someone who didn’t even care about his own son, how could he care about a woman who had just entered the palace?

The Empress felt everything was under control.

There was nothing to worry about.

Jian Qiu added, “Your Majesty, the courtyard just reported that Sun Miaoqing’s maid exchanged a few extra words with Fuzi.”

Fuzi?

It seemed Sun Miaoqing had spent considerable effort in her previous life investigating matters within the palace.

If she could take notice of Fuzi, she likely also knew about Cui Jinxi and Xiao Yunzi.

These two were so important that, given Sun Miaoqing’s intelligence, she would surely find a way to transfer them to her side. Cui Jinxi was already beyond her reach, and Xiao Yunzi had been sent to Si Zhi Ku.

The Empress’s hand, holding the book, paused as her mind raced. The Suzhou Textile Commissioner’s tribute fabrics and the Imperial Household Department’s management of brocades—there might very well be people from the Sun family involved.

Whether there were or not, it was always wise to take precautions.

“Have Deputy Chief Jiang Zhongmin keep a close eye on the people in the Imperial Household Department, especially those in the Guangchu Department,” the Empress instructed.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jian Qiu immediately sent someone to carry out the order.

When Nian Shilan left Jingren Palace, the long street was already empty.

“Running so fast—are they all rabbits?”

She decided to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden instead.

“Your Majesty, why did the Empress suddenly make Crab Roe Pastry for you and gift you incense?” Songzhi couldn’t understand. “Hasn’t she always been frugal? How could she give you things she herself is reluctant to eat or use?”

Both Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai suspected there might be a trick.

“Most likely, it’s because on the day the new consorts entered the palace, I didn’t send gifts to the various palaces, which preserved her dignity as Empress. She’s probably so grateful to me that she wants to mend relations and curry favor.”

Nian Shilan was a confident person.

She clearly remembered that the Empress couldn’t do anything to her—all the setbacks she had suffered came from that wretch Zhen Huan.

So the Empress was nothing to fear.

“Could she have poisoned the Crab Roe Pastry?” Songzhi was suspicious.

“Her?” Nian Shilan sneered, her shoulders trembling slightly. “Would she dare?”

At this moment, with her brother fighting on the front lines and herself having committed no wrongdoing, even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager wouldn’t dare touch her—let alone the Empress?

Besides, none of the food in the palace could compare to what was served in her own quarters. She had no interest in eating anything the Empress sent.

“Take it back for Xiao Dezi and the others to eat.” No, Nian Shilan changed her mind. “Send it to Suiyu Pavilion and say it’s a reward from me.”

Using someone else’s gift to win favor—truly worthy of me.

Zhou Ninghai worried that his mistress might be implicated. “If it’s poisoned, wouldn’t you be blamed?”

“If it’s poisoned, even better.”

The Imperial Kitchen kept records of what each palace prepared. If the Emperor’s beloved little Chunyuan were poisoned to death, the Empress wouldn’t be able to escape blame.

Using another’s hand to kill—even more brilliant.

A scornful smile hung at the corner of Nian Shilan’s lips. She felt she was frighteningly powerful now!

“What about the incense?”

Songzhi worried, “The Empress may not dare to use lethal poison against you, but she might mix in something harmful to the body—like She Xiang, for instance.”

“Hmph, She Xiang?”

What musk could compare to the Huanyi Incense personally blended by the Emperor?

Not content with drugging her to cause a miscarriage, he even bestowed upon her the child-destroying Huanyi Incense—what immense favor indeed.

The entire palace was filled with the Emperor’s spies. She dared not even let a physician examine the Huanyi Incense, fearing that if the Emperor found out and grew suspicious, he would take action against her brother.

After all, the battlefield was perilous, and any incident could be blamed on an accident.

Of course, she was not fixated on seeking proof either.

Noble Lady Xin had only received the Emperor’s favor a few times before conceiving, while she herself had consumed so many tonics and received the Emperor’s favor so frequently, yet showed no signs of pregnancy. That alone was enough to explain everything.

Nian Shilan said indifferently, “Light it. Light it together with the Huanyi Incense.”

Let’s see which is more potent—the Emperor’s incense or the Empress’s.

Yanxi Palace.

“It’s Fuzi,” Lvzhu reported upon returning.

“She didn’t go to Yikun Palace?”

Logically, her own entry into the palace shouldn’t have affected Fuzi. Sun Miaoqing frowned slightly. “Did Consort Hua bestow Zhang Hong today?”

Lvzhu asked in confusion, “This servant is ignorant. What is Zhang Hong?”

Sun Miaoqing shook her head. With Xia Dongchun absent and herself having fled, how could Consort Hua bestow Zhang Hong?

No “Soaked Blessing,” no Zhang Hong—could it be that Consort Hua was also… reborn?

“This servant inquired and heard that the Empress originally intended to send her to Yikun Palace for training but later kept her at Jingren Palace.”

Not Consort Hua, but the Empress?

“Do you know why she was kept?” Sun Miaoqing asked.

“They said it was because the newly selected ladies this time are of noble status, and there was much to attend to at Jingren Palace, so she was kept there temporarily. Later, she was simply forgotten.”

If it was due to the arrival of new ladies entering the palace, then it must be because of her.

Indeed, a butterfly flapping its wings in the rainforest could cause a hurricane thousands of miles away.

“Never mind. From these gifts, pick out some decent ones and send them to the sisters in the other palaces.”

Lvzhu asked, “Should we also send some to Attendant An next door? She isn’t particularly beautiful, and her family background isn’t high. She doesn’t seem like someone who will gain favor in the future. Even Noble Lady Fucha usually doesn’t think much of her. We…”

Who would gain favor in the future—others might not know, but she certainly did.

Sun Miaoqing placed her hand on the brocade.

Although An Lingrong wasn’t outstanding in appearance and her family background was inferior, she was ambitious.

In the later stages, she was practically a master of all trades. If not for her sensitivity and inferiority complex, she wouldn’t have taken such a desperate path.

Among the three main characters, Zhen Huan was “whoever harms her, she harms them,” and Shen Meizhuang was “whoever harms Zhen Huan, she harms them.”

An Lingrong was different. Her quality was rare and precious: “whoever harms her, she harms Zhen Huan.”

Since Sun Miaoqing aimed to compete for the position of Empress Dowager, she was destined to be an enemy of Zhen Huan. Given the settings of these three characters, An Lingrong was the best ally.

Moreover, her background ensured she would be the easiest to win over in the early stages.

“Send them! My Sun family isn’t lacking in such things,” Sun Miaoqing said.

As for Shen Meizhuang, she was nothing but a tool for the protagonist.

In the early stages, she was straightforward and prone to making mistakes. If there was an opportunity to eliminate her early on, there was no need to keep her until later, lest she repeatedly help Zhen Huan escape danger.

In the story, Shen Meizhuang’s death would trigger Zhen Huan’s complete descent into darkness.

Thus, she needed to eliminate Shen Meizhuang while Zhen Huan was still not a threat.

This way, she wouldn’t have to fear Zhen Huan turning dark and could also cut off one of Zhen Huan’s wings in advance.

Sun Miaoqing felt somewhat elated: the feeling of holding the script was truly marvelous~

Han Ying, the maid assigned by the palace, came in to report, “Miss, Liang Duorui, the steward of the Imperial Household Department, requests an audience.”