Chapter 397

Chapter 397 Consort Jingshu stared at the window across from her for a moment, then curled her lips into a mocking smile. "A bunch of delusional fools!" They actually thought Xie Run was someone without schemes, and wanted to compete with her? From the prince's mansion to the imperial harem, how many people had died? Those who truly lacked schemes—their bones had long since gone cold. Moreover, what kind of man was the Emperor? He was one who would rather go without than settle for less. Even if the empress's seat sat vacant, if he didn't want to elevate a woman from the harem to that position, then he would never spare it a single thought. Neither Tao Yao nor Mama Du knew why their mistress had suddenly started cursing at people. The two exchanged glances, both utterly bewildered. But Consort Jingshu said, "Call that fool kneeling outside in here!" A moment later, only Consort Jingshu, Mama Du, and Talented Lady Sun remained in the main hall of Yongning Palace; all the attendants had been sent away. Consort Jingshu asked without the slightest pretense, "The Empress doesn't have much time left. Are you happy to hear that news?" Talented Lady Sun seemed startled, her body shrinking back slightly. "Your Grace, spare me—how could I ever harbor such a treasonous thought?!" Consort Jingshu let out a cold laugh. "Stop playing innocent. Everyone knows exactly what you came into the palace for!" "That old thing somehow got word that the Empress doesn't have much time left, and threw away all dignity to send you into the palace—wasn't it so you could climb the ranks step by step and bear an imperial prince?" "Don't you dare tell me you have no designs on that position?!" Consort Jingshu rose, her slender fingers gripping Talented Lady Sun's chin, forcing her to look up and meet her eyes. "Don't play the innocent with me. You think I don't know your little tricks?" "The one who should have entered the palace was Wenxuan, but she suddenly came down with a facial affliction on the day of the selection, so you were sent in her place." "Gazing at the splendor and wealth of the palace, I imagine you've been lying awake at night with envy, haven't you?" Talented Lady Sun's originally innocent, delicate expression suddenly gained a hint of coldness. "Since I've entered the palace and become the Emperor's woman, then everyone has that chance!" "What's wrong with this sister wanting to climb higher for the sake of the family?!" "Since you already know the family's plans, why make things difficult for me?" "Wouldn't it be better for us sisters to join forces, rather than watch others reap the benefits?!" Talented Lady Sun wore a look of earnest persuasion, as if trying to convince Consort Jingshu. "The family lacks male heirs—only the Duke is barely holding things together, fighting on the battlefield at his age, all to secure a future for the Duke's mansion." "You were raised on the family's support, and it's only because of the Duke's mansion that you hold your high position. If you won't repay that kindness, fine—but now you'd even block the Duke's mansion's prospects?!" "Is my sister truly willing to be an ungrateful ingrate?" Consort Jingshu mocked without the slightest concealment: "You people really have no idea what's what!" "Whatever face the Duke's mansion had was spent entirely on sending you into the palace." "Guess why the Emperor hasn't summoned you to his bed even once since you entered?" Talented Lady Sun tried to speak, but Consort Jingshu cut her off. "You actually believe the Emperor is abstaining from the harem because of the Empress's illness?!" Consort Jingshu sneered. "The Empress didn't just fall ill now—she's been bedridden for over half a year, and it hasn't slowed the Emperor's pursuit of new favorites one bit." Talented Lady Sun's breathing suddenly grew rapid. She was afraid—afraid that Consort Jingshu had hit the mark. If so, wouldn't all her painstaking efforts to enter the palace have been for nothing? Consort Jingshu said, "Today I'll make it perfectly clear to you: the harem has room for only one woman of the Sun family." "That woman cannot be you. It can only be me." "I am the one upholding the Duke's mansion's prestige. If you try to climb over my head, you'd best check whether your lives are hard enough to survive it!" With that, Consort Jingshu picked up the teacup on the table and hurled it at Talented Lady Sun. Talented Lady Sun couldn't dodge in time—the cup struck her directly on the forehead. The crash startled those waiting outside the door. Shards of porcelain scattered across the floor amid flowing blood. Talented Lady Sun covered her face with her hands, letting out an involuntary shriek of pain. Mama Du said unhurriedly, "Talented Lady Sun accidentally bumped into the tea table. Someone, come help her away." After Talented Lady Sun was dragged out, Mama Du deliberated for a moment before speaking: "Since you've already burned that bridge with her, Your Grace, you might as well be crueler and settle this problem once and for all." Consort Jingshu's gaze faltered slightly as she looked at Mama Du. The older woman's aged face carried a cold, ruthless edge. "Now that everyone in the palace knows you don't care for her, Your Grace could simply send word to the Imperial Medical Bureau, forbidding the imperial physicians from treating her." "With the Emperor and Empress both too preoccupied to mind the harem, no one can call you to account." "After seven or eight days, once her wound scars and her face is marred, she'll have no choice but to give up!" Seeing Consort Jingshu hesitate, Mama Du stepped forward and took her hand. "Your Grace, don't blame this servant for being ruthless." "If you don't cripple her now and crush her ambitions, by the time she commits some grave offense, it'll be too late for regrets." "Right now it's only a ruined face—later it could cost her life entirely." "She's no threat at the moment, but give her any chance, and she'll strike at you even more viciously." "Even ants can topple a great tree. Your Highness must not only ruin her face but also have people watching her every move, suppressing her until she gives up completely!" Consort Jingshu slowly closed her eyes. "Mother, you are right." "If I do not suppress her and her ambitions, what she seeks in the future might be my very life." "This matter..." Mama Du immediately said, "This servant will personally make the arrangements!" Consort Jingshu slowly let out a breath. "No need to be too harsh. I do not want her life, only her compliance." Mama Du: "This servant knows her limits!" The Emperor did not wish to see the harem scheming against one another, but he would likely be quite pleased to see the sisters clash. Consort Jingshu smiled bitterly in her heart. Everyone wanted a better life for themselves. She could not betray herself, so she could only betray Talented Lady Sun. The harem was in turmoil, yet Xie Run's Zhaohua Palace was anything but peaceful either. "I thought all the restless ones in the harem had been dealt with, and with the Empress's health so poor, everyone should be keeping their heads down." "Who would have thought—I was still too naive." "These people truly cannot wait!" As Xie Run spoke, she laughed in spite of herself. In her hand, she held a palm-sized triangular talisman paper, scrawled with ghostly characters in cinnabar, wrapped around with a red thread. The item had already been examined by Zihu and Dantao and the others—it was a talisman paper bearing her birth date and time. They said doing this was a curse to bring misfortune and shorten one's life. Nanny Xu was also furious. "Who knows which black-hearted wretch buried this near our Zhaohua Palace!" "Today, the Fifth Prince ran off to play in the bamboo grove at the southeast corner. This servant was not paying attention for a moment, and the Fifth Prince dug this thing out from who knows where." "The Fifth Prince did not understand what it was and even asked this servant what it was while holding this filthy thing—it frightened this servant half to death."