【Yixiu was driven mad by the Emperor too. Why not blame him?】
【So what? Does that mean it was right for her to leave the Emperor alone and target the innocent imperial consorts instead? She lost her child, and the Emperor was the one who ignored her. He was also the one who got her sister pregnant, then made her congratulate and care for her sister. The Emperor was the root of all this. He was the one she should have taken revenge on, not those innocent women who suffered because of her.】
【In that era, as a woman dependent on the Emperor, nearly ending his family line was already the most powerful revenge she could take.】
【What revenge did she actually take? Every time she caused a miscarriage, it was the women who suffered. The Old Emperor was sad for two seconds, then turned around and favored another woman. Have you forgotten the part where Huanhuan was beaten on Long Street? As I recall, the Old Emperor was happily embracing his new favorite at the time. If you insist on calling that revenge, then I have nothing to say.】
【No, this is a harem intrigue drama. Yixiu is the Empress, and an Empress without children at that. It’s perfectly normal that she wouldn’t want to see the other imperial consorts have children!】
【Finally, someone with common sense. As Empress of the Central Palace, Yixiu is neither favored nor has any children. If she doesn’t act now, is she supposed to just wait for someone else to take her place as Empress?】
【The Empress and the other consorts have conflicting interests. They can’t possibly get along peacefully. You’re the ones who are crazy for insisting she should be a good person.】
【I don’t know what everyone’s been arguing about all day. The drama aired more than ten years ago. Don’t you get tired of this? I’m tired just watching.】
【Can’t you just watch the drama in peace? What’s there to argue about? It won’t change the ending. No matter how fiercely you argue, Yixiu will still make her move, and the Emperor will gradually see through her. In the end, it’ll still come to her being deposed, and the two of them never meeting again in life or death.】
Yixiu listened to the comments about herself, nearly snapping her nail guard in two.
A sharp pain shot through her hand. She glanced at her little finger, her gaze dark and unreadable.
Deposed? Never to meet again in life or death? Was that to be her fate? Impossible!
But what was this monster?
Some little trick by the women in the palace?
No. Impossible.
It knew not only that she had killed her elder sister, but many of her secrets as well. Anyone in the palace who knew all this would drag her down from the Empress’s throne, not merely try to frighten her.
So, what was this monster after?
Yixiu raised her eyes and looked around, hoping to find some flaw. But the room was still the same, and nothing in its furnishings had changed.
Jianqiu entered with a tray of tea. “What are you looking at, Your Highness?”
“Jianqiu, doesn’t this room seem a little dirty?”
Jianqiu immediately thought of Consort Hua’s earlier mockery and replied disdainfully, “Your Highness, Consort Hua said that on purpose. Please don’t take it to heart. Jingren Palace was personally bestowed upon you by the Emperor. It may not be magnificent, but it is a blessed place, rich in spiritual beauty, and far more distinguished than Yikun Palace, which is merely splendid on the surface.”
Yixiu gave a soft laugh. She knew Jianqiu had misunderstood what she meant, but she was pleased by what she heard.
Still, she hadn’t forgotten her purpose and continued giving Jianqiu instructions.
“Consort Hua’s perfume is far too strong. It gives this palace a headache. Find someone to clean the room thoroughly and air out the smell.”
Consort Hua was young and loved dressing up. She always wore a heavy layer of powder on her face, and her fragrance wafted over from far away. She had also lingered in the hall for quite some time, leaving the entire room reeking of perfume.
Jianqiu took a sniff. The scent was indeed rather strong. Remembering that Her Highness usually disliked perfume, she didn’t dare delay and hurried off to find someone.
After Jianqiu left, Yixiu looked around the room.
She searched every corner but found nothing unusual. Meanwhile, that strange voice kept circling in her ears, completely unafraid of being found.
Yixiu sighed softly. Knowing that searching any longer would get her nowhere, she went to the side hall before the servants arrived.
Even after she changed locations, the monster’s voice followed her as if nothing could impede it. It didn’t grow even a little quieter.
Yixiu lowered her eyes. For now, she gave up trying to figure out what the monster was and discreetly listened.
Whatever this thing wanted, she could use it to hear what she wanted to hear. That was rather nice.
Just then, a list of the new Mistresses entering the palace and a list of available palace grounds lay on the table.
Yixiu divided her attention between listening to the bullet comments and deciding which palace grounds the new Mistresses would live in.
As it happened, the bullet comments began discussing the palace grounds too.
【The other people’s residences weren’t much of an issue, but Huanhuan’s was a whole saga. The Empress deliberately promoted her and sent her to Chengqian Palace. Consort Hua, in a fit of anger, had her moved to Broken Jade Pavilion, which was remote and out of the way.】
Yixiu looked down at the words she had just written—Chengqian Palace, the ink still wet—and her gaze turned distant. Suddenly, she smiled.