People are always sensitive to hostile gazes. Wuyunzhu looked toward the direction of the hostility and immediately locked eyes with Primary Consort Eighth, in whose gaze undisguised disgust and anger burned.
Wuyunzhu found this rather inexplicable. Today was only her second day in the palace, and she hadn’t even had time to offend Primary Consort Eighth, had she?
Yet, this worked out quite well. Yingtang already held grievances against Primary Consort Eighth, and if she and Primary Consort Eighth were to harbor further resentment, the rift between the Eighth and Ninth households would gain yet another layer.
With so many rifts, wouldn’t the relationship between the Eighth and Ninth Princes be affected? Would Yingtang still blindly support the Eighth Prince in his bid for the throne?
Not necessarily.
That being the case, Wuyunzhu decided she would no longer hold back and resolved to blow this matter wide open, bringing it out into the bright light of day.
With that, she put on an expression of shock and fear, lowering her eyelids slightly as moisture welled up in her eyes, and lightly shook her head.
Third Consort sat right beside her and, upon seeing her cousin’s expression, assumed that what Primary Consort Eighth said was true—that she had indeed received a reprimand from the Empress Dowager that morning.
For a moment, a wave of pity arose in her heart for her cousin. While grievances dealt by elders had to be endured, what right did Primary Consort Eighth have to publicly tear off a scab and humiliate her cousin?
She said coldly, “The Empress Dowager has always been benevolent and deeply affectionate toward the younger generation. Eighth Sister-in-law must have heard incorrectly.”
The Crown Princess disliked Primary Consort Eighth for picking fights and stirring up trouble. Furthermore, her sister’s daughter was Wuyunzhu’s eldest sister-in-law, so she felt a natural closeness to Wuyunzhu and stepped in to help.
“Ninth Sister-in-law is gentle, modest, and so exceptionally beautiful that she is truly lovely. If my Third Gege grows up to look even a bit like her Ninth Aunt, how wonderful that would be.”
Fifth Consort was a direct sister-in-law and naturally inclined to protect Wuyunzhu. She chimed in right after the Crown Princess: “You don’t need to worry about that. Third Gege’s eyebrows and eyes are already handsome, just like a little fairy sitting under a Buddha’s throne.”
Primary Consort Eighth had no intention of letting them change the subject and raised her voice. “I didn’t hear incorrectly. The Empress Dowager herself said it: she told Ninth Sister-in-law to behave herself in the future, to stop stirring up storms in the inner courtyard, and to refrain from flirting around—”
“Bang!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Yingtang slammed his hand on the table and stood up, shouting, “Eighth Sister-in-law, hold your tongue!”
“Out of respect for Eighth Brother, as long as Eighth Sister-in-law apologizes to my primary consort today, I will pretend I never heard any of these words.”
Instead of being intimidated, Primary Consort Eighth laughed derisively. “Why must Ninth Brother fly into a rage out of humiliation? Everything I said is the truth. Besides, the Empress Dowager did this for your own good; women of the Donggo clan have never been proper or upright. If she isn’t strictly disciplined, who knows how she will wrong you in the future?”
Wuyunzhu was genuinely angry now. What did she mean by saying women of the Donggo clan weren’t upright? What did she mean by wronging the Ninth Prince?
Primary Consort Eighth was speaking in dark, insinuating innuendos—was she trying to stir up discord or splashing dirty water on her?
Wuyunzhu stood up, her expression stern. “What exactly is Eighth Sister-in-law trying to imply?”
Hearing this, Third Consort quickly stood up to support her as well. This concerned the reputation of all the women of the Donggo clan.
“I must ask Eighth Sister-in-law to make her words clear. The daughters of my Donggo clan are innocent and upright maidens; we will not stand for such slander.”
Primary Consort Eighth snorted and sneered, “Innocent and upright? Whose clan’s daughter was so greedy for wealth and status that she seduced her husband’s older brother? I refuse to believe none of you know about this!”
Seduced her husband’s older brother… This pointed so directly that everyone instantly thought of the late Emperor’s Imperial Noble Consort Donggo.
Involving elders made it difficult for anyone to speak out. Yet, everyone present was burning with curiosity—for Primary Consort Eighth to be this agitated, had she discovered something?
People’s gazes shifted back and forth between Wuyunzhu and the Eighth Prince.
Wuyunzhu trembled with anger. Primary Consort Eighth had simply lost her mind!
Yingtang was so enraged he wanted nothing more than to kick Primary Consort Eighth flying across the room, but the Fifth Prince held him back in a death grip. “Ninth Brother, don’t act rashly!”
The Crown Prince glared at the Eighth Prince and said with displeasure, “Old Eight! Hurry up and take your primary consort back.”
The Eighth Prince seemed to snap back to his senses, cupping his hands to apologize to everyone.
“My primary consort drank too much wine today and her mind is somewhat muddled, leading her to speak foolishly. I must ask Ninth Brother and Ninth Sister-in-law not to take it to heart.”
With that, he made to pull Primary Consort Eighth away.
In Primary Consort Eighth’s eyes, this action was proof that he was shielding Wuyunzhu!
She had been squeezed out by her sisters-in-law earlier and scolded by the Ninth Prince, yet he hadn’t stepped forward to defend her once; but now, he was rushing to defend the Donggo woman instead!
He really did have a secret affair with the Donggo woman!
The rage in Primary Consort Eighth’s heart flared even higher, scorching away the last shreds of her reason. She violently jerked her hand out of the Eighth Prince’s grip.
“Why should I apologize? I didn’t say anything wrong! The women of the Donggo clan are inherently—”
“Slap!”
No one had expected that the one who struck the blow would actually be Third Consort!
Primary Consort Eighth was both shocked and furious. “How dare you hit me?!”
Third Consort didn’t flinch in the slightest. “Guwalgiya, you deserved that slap!”
Her father was a first-class duke with towering military achievements, and her husband was a newly ennobled Prince of the Second Rank; she had every right and backing to strike.
What Primary Consort Eighth took the most pride in was her identity as the maternal granddaughter of Prince An, while what she detested most was her own surname, believing that whenever others called her Guwalgiya, it was a deliberate reminder that she was the daughter of a criminal.
Blinded by blinding rage, Primary Consort Eighth lost all filter over her words.
“And you—what makes you think you’re any better? Who knows how many children in Third Brother’s inner courtyard were murdered by your hands?!”
Third Consort’s face turned ghastly pale. “Guwalgiya, have you lost your mind? Spouting nonsense and biting people at random!”
Primary Consort Eighth had been married for over half a year without ever conceiving a pregnancy, so naturally, she could not stand Third Consort, who was blessed with both sons and daughters.
“If you didn’t meddle behind the scenes, then why is it that only your children were born safely, while the concubines’ and geges‘ either miscarried or died?”
Harming imperial offspring was a charge far too heavy for Third Consort to bear.
“I never harmed them!”
Although she disliked the concubines and illegitimate children, she truly had never resorted to underhanded measures. Yet things had happened to fall out so coincidentally that only her children remained safe and sound in the Third Prince’s inner courtyard.
“Their luck was bad, what does that have to do with me?!”
Primary Consort Eighth turned her gaze toward the Third Prince, Yinzhi, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Third Brother, do you believe her?”
Third Consort followed her gaze over. To her horror, the Third Prince’s eyes were filled with deep suspicion and probing doubt.
Third Consort knew at once that he had taken Primary Consort Eighth’s words to heart. This monstrous pot of black ink was going to be firmly buckled onto her back—and right in front of so many people, too.
Her reputation would be ruined, she would be loathsome in her husband’s eyes, and she would even drag down her children and the sisters of her maternal family…
Guwalgiya, what a vicious and venomous heart you have.
Suddenly, a sharp wave of pain shot through her lower abdomen. “It hurts…”
Her vision darkened, and she collapsed unconscious.
“Third Sister-in-law! Third Sister-in-law, are you alright?!”
“Third Sister-in-law is bleeding!”
“Summon the imperial physicians!”
…
The Yuqing Palace plunged into utter chaos.