Chapter 8: I Said, Everyone Rise

Lan Wu warily surveyed her surroundings. There were not only imperial concubines, palace maids, and eunuchs present, but imperial guards also stood on the periphery. If they truly stripped her of her clothing, she might as well be dead.

Consort Shu looked at her with contempt, her lips parting slightly. “Someone—”

Before she could finish her words, the announcement of a eunuch sounded from behind: “Lady Lifei has arrived—”

Everyone in the pavilion exchanged glances, their expressions shifting in unison.

Consort Li’s arrival was timely. She descended from her procession, seemingly ignoring Lan Wu standing at the foot of the steps, and gracefully walked into the pavilion to pay her respects to Consort Shu. Currently, only Consort Shu and Consort Rou held the authority to assist in managing the six palaces, making their status naturally higher than others.

However, Consort Li herself was no less distinguished.

After offering her greeting, she said softly, “I heard the commotion from afar and wondered why so many sisters had gathered here today. So it turns out you’ve summoned Lan Wu.”

Consort Shu’s smile remained unchanged as she ordered a seat to be prepared for Consort Li.

“Consort Li’s ears are truly sharp,” she remarked, her eyes narrowing slightly with undisguised disdain. “Since this is an acquaintance of Consort Li’s, we’ll forgo stripping her clothes. Let her remove her shoes and dance barefoot. I must at least give Consort Li some face.”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone stepped forward to remove Lan Wu’s shoes. Lan Wu retreated a step and bent down to remove them herself.

Consort Li’s expression turned slightly uneasy. She glanced at Lan Wu and replied to Consort Shu, “What are you saying, Lady Shufei? I merely met this girl once—how could we be considered acquainted? If you wish to see her dance, I’ll simply watch along.”

Where there is dance, there must be music.

As Lan Wu stepped onto the sparse grass mixed with sharp gravel, she thought to herself, Just as I expected. I guessed right.

The other imperial concubines were no longer focused on watching Lan Wu dance, their curiosity piqued by the exchange between Consort Shu and Consort Li.

No wonder Lady Shufei had summoned Lan Wu to teach her a lesson. Initially, they thought it was merely because Lan Wu had drawn too much attention during the Longevity Festival, arousing jealousy and fear that she might try to seduce His Majesty. Little did they know Consort Li was also involved.

Was Consort Li trying to present a beauty to His Majesty to share his favor?

The gravel hidden in the sparse grass was plentiful and sharp, and before long, it had pierced Lan Wu’s feet, drawing blood.

Consort Li grew anxious. She still had use for Lan Wu. If Lan Wu injured her feet, it would take who knows how long for her to recover.

“Lady Shufei, look—her feet are already bleeding. Why not end it here? Blood will only dirty the garden, and there’s nothing appealing about that.”

But Consort Shu was unwilling to let her go. She frowned slightly, displeased as she looked at Consort Li. “This girl is from the Music Bureau, and I summoned her to dance. She has trained in dance for years—how could she be so delicate as to injure herself after dancing in the garden for just a short while?”

Consort Li could see that Consort Shu was determined to make Lan Wu dance until her feet were ruined. Her expression darkened, and she was about to say more when Lan Wu stepped on a sharp piece of gravel, twisting her ankle and collapsing to the ground.

The music continued. Lan Wu stared at her foot. The pain was secondary; the key was a matter of degree. If she wanted a permanent solution, she would have to cripple this foot. But should she really go that far?

Lan Wu raised her head to look at the crowd of imperial concubines before her. Among them might be the one who had killed her in her previous life—though to this day, she still did not know which one it was. She knew she was not clever, and her miserable death had left her timid. So, given a second chance, even if it meant crippling her legs, she would stay far away from these people and these affairs.

But now she was uncertain.

Would she truly be spared?

Consort Li might no longer harbor thoughts of offering her up, seeing her as useless, but Consort Shu… In Consort Shu’s eyes, only the dead posed the lowest threat.

Such a simple truth—it was only after meeting Consort Shu and experiencing this incident that she finally understood.

“Why have you stopped?” Lady Liu swept an unhappy glance over her. “The two consorts are still here. No one gave you permission to stop, yet you dare to halt?”

As she spoke, Lady Liu turned to Consort Shu. “Your Highness, this dancer has shown you disrespect. You really ought to punish her properly. Look how ill-mannered she is—without any order, she dares to gaze directly at the respected position.”

Gaze directly at the respected position?

In her previous life, when she was favored, she had even dared to glare at this hypocritical, venomous woman. She had glared, and Chu Mingheng would only ask if her eyes were comfortable, silencing anyone who dared utter a word.

But she also knew that this was not her previous life. Her life now was more fragile than an ant’s.

So she feigned timidity and was about to lower her head to beg for mercy when another announcement came from behind.

“His Majesty has arrived—”

This announcement was enough to jolt everyone awake. Even Consort Li rose from her seat. The imperial concubines grew tense, their eyes turning toward the emperor, who was slowly approaching from another path in the distance.

Chu Mingheng had not come alone. By his side was the newly entered palace Beauty Rong.

It had only been three months since the imperial selection ended, and Beauty Rong could still be considered favored, having been granted the initial rank of Beauty. She had not aligned herself with any faction, making her a peculiar figure in the palace. She seemed uninterested in the harem’s struggles, focusing all her attention on His Majesty.

Chu Mingheng wore a black dragon robe, his tall and imposing figure exuding intimidation and pressure. His steps were slightly heavy as he approached, and he frowned lightly at the flock of chattering women in the pavilion. He took his seat in the main position and ordered the chessboard before him to be cleared away.

Beauty Rong stood to the side, her gaze subtly examining the frail, insignificant figure in the garden.

“All rise,” Chu Mingheng said calmly.

He was a young emperor, having ascended the throne only five years ago. He had no empress, no heirs, yet he firmly controlled both the court and the harem in his hands. Likewise, he was a cold-hearted and indifferent emperor—a fact Lan Wu knew all too well.

Lan Wu lowered her head, her ears keenly listening to the movements above.

As the imperial concubines rose, they fidgeted incessantly—adjusting their handkerchiefs, smoothing their hair. Among them were many who had only seen the emperor a handful of times, some even unknown to him by name.

Consort Shu wore a smile on her face. As the highest-ranking among the imperial concubines and the one who had seen the emperor the most, she naturally felt confident enough to vie for favor openly.

But before she could utter a word, Chu Mingheng had already fixed his gaze on Lan Wu in the garden.

“I said, all rise,” he repeated, his tone devoid of displeasure, yet his expression remained cold. His tall frame reclined slightly in the sandalwood chair of the main seat, his chin lifted, his deep eyes lowered as if pinned on Lan Wu. His gaze was sharp, carrying an air of laziness and detachment.

Anyone could tell that now was the time to keep quiet.

Everyone turned their heads in unison toward the ground below, watching Lan Wu, trembling from pain, struggle to her feet and stagger forward.