Yonghe Palace.
By the time Xue Youli arrived, quite a few consorts had already gathered in the main hall.
She walked in quietly and was about to take a seat when someone called out to her, “Sister Xue, I didn’t expect we’d meet again here in the palace.”
Xue Youli turned around to see that the person greeting her was Song Jingsi.
That scumbag Meng Xingzhi had previously dumped the original owner precisely because he wanted to use Song Jingsi to climb up the Song family tree.
After all, the palace examination was imminent, and Song Jingsi’s grandfather was the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty. If he could gain even a hint of guidance from him, success would surely come twice as easily.
Unfortunately for him, Song Jingsi wasn’t as foolish as the original owner. She kept Meng Xingzhi dangling on a string while secretly submitting her name to the palace. Once she learned she had been selected, she kicked Meng Xingzhi—that gold-digging phoenix man—to the curb without a moment’s hesitation.
As for Meng Yishu, having suffered a great loss at Shen Ruolan’s hands, she had immediately latched onto Song Jingsi’s coattails upon arriving at Yonghe Palace.
At this moment, Meng Yishu stood beside Song Jingsi like a little sidekick. When her gaze met Xue Youli’s, she shot her a vicious glare.
Xue Youli ignored her and politely greeted Song Jingsi with a bow. “Greetings, Sister Song. It’s been many days since we last met—you look even more radiant than before.”
With that, she also lavished praise on Song Jingsi’s outfit for the day.
Once you entered the palace, you had to learn to read the room. Song Jingsi held a higher rank than her, and the two had never had any real conflict before entering the palace. At a time like this, a bit of appropriate flattery would ensure Song Jingsi wouldn’t go out of her way to make things difficult.
Sure enough, Song Jingsi was pleased by her compliments and actually forgot to pick a fight with her. Suppressing the corners of her mouth, she gave a light hum. “Seems you have some taste after all.”
Xue Youli smiled. “It’s mainly because Sister has good taste.” Flattery never fails, no matter what.
Xue Qingyao, sitting across from them, watched the two chatting so amiably and her gaze darkened.
On the way to pay respects, she had timed things perfectly, deliberately provoking Shen Ruolan to attack Meng Yishu, all to stir up a wave of hatred against Xue Youli.
She had thought that with Meng Yishu as a troublemaking stick in the mud, Song Jingsi and Xue Youli—rivals in love meeting face to face—would surely be at each other’s throats.
Who could have imagined they’d actually hit it off so well?
Does that even make sense?
Just then, with a patter of delicate footsteps, Rong Qingyue took her seat at the head of the hall, surrounded by her attendants.
Everyone quickly rose to pay their respects, saying in unison, “Greetings to Consort Rong. May you be blessed with good fortune.”
Rong Qingyue’s gaze swept across the assembled consorts, her smile warm and kind. “All of you, please rise.”
Xue Youli’s rank was neither high nor low, placing her in the middle of the gathered consorts. She lifted her eyes toward the head seat.
[Name: Rong Qingyue, 22 years old. After Murong Che ascended the throne, she was conferred the title of Consort Rong. She is currently the highest-ranking woman in the harem and the mother of the Little Princess Changle.]
Rong Qingyue’s features were gentle and dignified. She wore a magnificent sapphire-blue Shu brocade palace gown embroidered with large auspicious clouds—opulent yet elegant, highlighting her noble status and commanding presence.
She was a year older than the emperor. The two had known each other since childhood and shared a deep bond. She was the first consort the emperor had married and the only one in the harem to bear him a child.
“The new sisters entering the palace this time are each more lovely than the last—every one of them a top-tier beauty. How utterly endearing.” Consort Ning remarked as she observed these young, beautiful faces, then tilted her head and cast a sidelong glance at Consort Li, who was wearing an extravagant gown embroidered with white-gold thread.
Consort Li lazily lifted her eyelids, sweeping her gaze across the faces of the newcomers. “Their looks are merely passable at best—only two or three are even halfway decent.”
Consort Ning smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Sister has always been stunningly beautiful, so naturally your standards are higher than ours. I wonder which ones have caught your eye?”
Consort Li raised a hand adorned with crimson nail polish and pointed at Xue Youli and Xue Qingyao. “Those two sisters over there are quite pretty.”
Consort Chun suffered from a heart condition and was frail of constitution, rarely leaving her chambers. But today, given the occasion, she had come as well.
Listening to the exchange between the two, she smiled and nodded. “Those two young sisters are already such beauties at their age. Never mind His Majesty—even I find them utterly delightful.”
Consort Rong, seated in the place of honor, beckoned to Xue Youli and Xue Qingyao with a smile. “What are your names? Come forward and let me have a look.”
Xue Youli and Xue Qingyao immediately stepped forward and paid their respects.
The two wore palace gowns of the same pale green hue—one exquisitely alluring, the other radiantly charming. Standing together, they seemed to brighten the entire hall.
“Your subject, Noble Lady Xue Qingyao—”
“Your subject, Beauty Xue Youli—paying respects to Consort Rong!”
Among the newly entered concubines, some who fancied themselves beautiful turned their heads upon hearing the praise lavished on Xue Youli and Xue Qingyao.
Dozens of appraising gazes fell upon the two of them in unison, then quietly lowered back down.
Indeed, they were beautiful—one with a bewitching, seductive charm, the other with a pure, spirited grace. No comparison, no comparison.
Consort Rong asked curiously, “You both share the surname Xue—could you be sisters?”
Xue Qingyao: “No.”
Xue Youli: “Yes.”
Hearing their diametrically opposed answers, Consort Rong raised a slender brow. “How is it that your answers differ? Surely you don’t have some secret between you that you cannot share with us?”
At these words, the atmosphere in the hall inexplicably grew tense.
The other concubines sensed something unusual in the two answers, craning their necks to stare at them, their gossip-loving hearts stirring with curiosity.
Xue Qingyao had assumed Xue Youli would, like herself, unhesitatingly deny any connection between them.
When she saw Xue Youli nod, Xue Qingyao’s heart leapt into her throat.
Though her identity as the daughter of the Lingzhou Prefect had been flawlessly concealed by that person, how could she forget that Xue Youli knew every sordid detail of her filthy past?
If her false identity were ever exposed, it would be a capital crime of deceiving the emperor!
Xue Youli stood very close to Xue Qingyao and keenly caught the flicker of panic in her eyes.
Ha!
So she did know how to be afraid.
Consort Li, never one to shy from stirring the pot, curled her red lips and looked at Xue Qingyao with a smile. “Noble Lady Xue, do the two of you know each other or not?”
Though Xue Qingyao had been reborn, Xue Youli was the greatest variable in her new life.
This woman was contradicting her, clearly trying to send her to her death.
She had only just entered the palace, with no foundation and no backing—she couldn’t afford to offend anyone for now.
Weighing her options, she resolved to deny everything to the death.
If Xue Youli dared to expose her secrets, she would drag her down with her even if it meant mutual destruction!
With that resolve to burn all bridges, Xue Qingyao calmed considerably.
She inclined her body toward the four consorts and spoke in a soft, gentle voice. “Before entering the palace, this concubine had never once laid eyes on Beauty Xue!”
“But Consort Xue claims that you two are sisters—what exactly is going on here?” The one asking was Consort Ning, and her gaze at Xue Youli was tinged with bewilderment.
Xue Youli replied without the slightest hurry, “Sister Xue is right. Before entering the palace, I truly did not know the number one talented woman of Lingzhou. But after entering the palace, we are both women serving His Majesty—does that not make us sisters?”
Consort Li was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Consort Xue is quite the clever one, isn’t she!”
Seeing how Xue Youli had won Consort Li’s favor with just a few words, Xue Qingyao sneered inwardly.
She had originally thought Xue Youli would be difficult to deal with, but who would have guessed that this fool would catch the eye of Consort Li—the most domineering and overbearing of the four consorts? There would be plenty of suffering in store for her!
Having lived a second life, she would no longer be trapped by love and romance. She had entered the palace with that person’s backing, and her goal was the position of Empress.
She would seize the initiative, firmly grasp the Emperor’s heart, and become the most honored woman in all of Jiuzhou!