Chapter 429

Chapter 429 When she learned that Xie Jing had been transferred to the Ministry of Rites, Consort Jingshu immediately realized that the Emperor intended to elevate Noble Consort Zhao. This was already different in significance from when Xie Run had given birth to the Tenth Prince and brought honor to his parents. Consort Jingshu had her own calculations, which was why she had come today to extend a gesture of goodwill toward Xie Run. Tao Yao, having heard her mistress's words, naturally dared not ask further. She simply kept the matter in her heart, and from then on, whenever she encountered people from Zhaohua Palace, she treated them with three parts more kindness. Consort Jingshu returned to Yongning Palace and mulled things over for an entire night. The next day, she summoned Noble Lady Bai to her side and had her assist with managing some palace affairs. Colloquially speaking—helping with the odd jobs. Noble Lady Bai was initially somewhat pleasantly surprised, wondering how she had caught Consort Jingshu's discerning eye. She was also the daughter of a wealthy family, so she naturally knew that managing palace affairs involved great learning. If she could seize this opportunity, perhaps she could cultivate many connections within the palace. Could it be that Consort Jingshu giving her this chance meant she intended to elevate her? But before Bai Fu could rejoice for long, she perceived Consort Jingshu's true purpose. Bai Fu had just supervised the eunuchs of the Imperial Garden in repairing the pathways, then had to hurry back to the palace for a quick lunch. Afterwards, she still had to go keep vigil before the Retired Emperor's spirit tablet. On the way back, Caiyue took the opportunity to fetch a basin of water to soak Bai Fu's feet, hoping to help her relax. Seeing that blisters had formed on Bai Fu's feet, she was immediately filled with heartache. "Mistress, is Consort Jingshu deliberately making things difficult for you?" "Didn't you say she wanted to elevate you by having you help manage palace affairs?" "But this servant thinks..." Caiyue dared not say that Consort Jingshu was using Bai Fu as a mere errand girl, that the tasks she was now handling were no different from those of the head eunuchs in the palace. How could she cultivate connections like this? Bai Fu closed her eyes and said slowly, "I was too foolish. I misread Consort Jingshu's intentions." "What?" Caiyue looked up at her mistress in confusion. Bai Fu's porcelain-white skin carried a faint coldness—too calm, yet devoid of vitality. Not a trace of the lively charm befitting her age. Bai Fu said, "I'm afraid Consort Jingshu has long since joined hands with Noble Consort Zhao. Acting on Noble Consort Zhao's orders, she is deliberately targeting me." Caiyue looked utterly bewildered. "This... what does this have to do with Noble Consort Zhao? Noble Consort Zhao just gave birth to the Tenth Prince and is currently confined in Zhaohua Palace for her confinement period. There hasn't been a word from her at all." Bai Fu ignored Caiyue and continued on her own, "Back when Lady of Beauty Kong was first found to be pregnant, Consort Jingshu arranged for her to move out of Fanghua Palace. At the time, I already harbored suspicions." "But since Consort Jingshu and Noble Consort Zhao had never had much interaction, and had even once had grievances between them, I didn't think much of it. I simply assumed Consort Jingshu wanted to avoid trouble and had specially arranged it." "But now, I've only gone to visit Lady of Beauty Kong a few times, and Consort Jingshu has already assigned me menial tasks, scattering my energy and leaving me no time to go to Lady of Beauty Kong's place. This is clearly targeting me." "I have no grudge against Consort Jingshu, and she has no reason to target me." Caiyue said in a low voice, "But mistress, Noble Consort Zhao has never associated with the concubines of the Six Palaces, and she has no grudge against you either. Why would she target you?" Naturally, because Noble Consort Zhao might also have lived a second life! Relying on the advantage of having lived before, she had seized another's favor and glory, and naturally could not tolerate anyone who posed a threat. "Noble Consort Zhao probably wishes nothing more than to be rid of me right now!" Bai Fu was now certain that Noble Consort Zhao, like herself, was someone who had lived a second life—seizing the advantage of her past life to take the favor that should have belonged to her. Now that she saw Bai Fu entering the palace and beginning to panic, she had deliberately joined forces with Consort Jingshu to deal with her. Caiyue's heart fluttered with fear. "Mistress, if Noble Consort Zhao wants to deal with you, wouldn't we be in great danger?!" "That's Noble Consort Zhao, after all!" The most honored and most favored woman in the harem. In Caiyue's view, for Noble Consort Zhao to deal with her mistress would be as simple as crushing an ant, wouldn't it? Bai Fu suddenly opened her eyes and smiled. "It's good that she's making a move!" "I've been waiting for a long time, waiting for her to lose her composure and come to harm me!" Bai Fu had already come to know the cause of her death in her previous life. Even if she tried to deceive herself, she now realized that in her past life, the Emperor had known that she had deliberately miscarried and framed Fang Yuan'er. That was why he could not tolerate her and had taken her life. After the shock and terror passed, Bai Fu had only one thought. She must never again harm others! But if she truly did nothing, Bai Fu also knew that her days could be seen through at a glance. Yet now she realized that while she could not harm others, if others came to harm her, then counterattacking would not be wrong. To be sure, Noble Consort Zhao held a high position and could easily take her life. But she was not afraid. Danger and opportunity always went hand in hand. Only with danger could she find opportunity, could she climb upward, could she live a good life. If she had nothing at all, she would never have good days in this deep palace. The moment Bai Fu thought of Noble Consort Zhao using such lowly means against her, she suddenly gained a bit more confidence. "I thought she had great depth of cunning. Now it seems she merely seized the advantage of foresight and is good at putting on airs." "Judging by such crude methods, it's only a matter of time before she weaves her own cocoon and traps herself." Bai Fu had not come from the fiery depths of the Prince's mansion, so naturally she was unaware of Xie Run's temperament and methods. Seeing only that Xie Run was using Consort Jingshu's hand to make things difficult for her, she assumed Xie Run was short-sighted and not skilled at dealing with people. This was, in a sense, a beautiful misunderstanding. Caiyue saw her mistress muttering to herself like one possessed, and dared not speak further. She only thought of going to request a talisman one day, to suppress the evil aura in the harem. Her mistress had been a perfectly sound person, but after entering the palace, her temperament had grown increasingly strange. After Xie Run finished her month of confinement, the first thing she did was change into mourning clothes and go to the late Emperor's spirit hall to weep in filial piety. The late Emperor was the Emperor's own father, and the funeral rites were strictly observed, so Xie Run could not afford to be lazy. She wept continuously for over ten days, and all the flesh she had gained during her confinement melted away. That was one less worry, at least. In truth, Xie Run had it relatively easy. The others in the palace had knelt through two full funeral ceremonies and had all grown noticeably thinner. Those of weaker constitution, such as Consort Wen and Beauty Wu, had taken straight to their beds in illness. Beauty Duan had only appeared two or three times. It was said that each time she came out, her illness grew worse. Xie Run and Consort Jingshu feared that if these two funeral ceremonies continued, they would kneel the few remaining imperial concubines in the harem into the ground, so they quickly interceded with the Emperor. The Emperor was actually even more troubled. "The late Emperor's funeral rites have barely concluded, and those old relics are already pressing me to establish an Empress. Am I not a most unfilial creature?!" "Some people don't devote their efforts to serving the court, but instead fix their eyes on my harem all day, urging me to take consorts and marry an Empress. I think I've simply been too good-tempered these days!" The moment the Emperor arrived at Zhaohua Palace, he launched into a tirade of his own. Never mind the Emperor's anger—Xie Run was furious just listening. She ladled him a bowl of soup and said in a gentle voice, "These venerable elders have been through much themselves. How could they urge Your Majesty to do things that go against propriety?" "In the past, were these not the very people who valued rules above all else?" The Emperor let out a cold laugh. "Value rules?"