Faced with Consort Rong's provocation, Yun Wu could only lower her head at this moment.
Lu Yao took in the entire scene, an irrepressible restlessness stirring within him.
He halted his steps, then turned to look at Consort Rong, who was dressed in gaudy finery with elaborate makeup. His handsome face turned cold as he withdrew his arm.
"What is the meaning of this? You still think to compete for favor here? Consort Rong, have you lost your mind, or do you simply have no heart?"
"Your Majesty…"
Consort Rong, caught completely off guard by the reprimand, had her delicate, beautiful face turn pale in an instant.
Her eyes held a look of disbelief.
No matter how she tried to understand it, she could not fathom why Lu Yao would rebuke her so openly before the entire harem, showing no regard for her dignity whatsoever.
Tears instantly welled up and rolled from her eyes.
In the past, if she shed a few tears like this, Lu Yao would immediately soften with pity and take the initiative to appease her, coaxing her with gentle words.
But this time, seeing her cry, his peach-blossom eyes held only a layer of cold indifference.
"Ha."
He let out a cold, impatient scoff.
Then, he directly issued the order, "Convey my decree — Consort Rong is confined to her quarters for one month!"
"Your Majesty!"
Consort Rong stared at him in utter disbelief.
However, Lu Yao was already too weary to say another word to her. He simply left her behind and walked away.
Consort Rong watched his retreating figure, standing there with a look of utter desolation.
This was the first time he had punished her…
"She finally got what she deserved."
Nearby, a consort couldn't help but whisper about Consort Rong, "I've long been unable to stand her arrogant attitude, always relying on the emperor's favor! Isn't she always snatching away his attention? Today she finally got her comeuppance!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't let her hear you!"
Almost the moment those words fell, Consort Rong's gaze swept toward the two women.
The moment she moved.
The two quickly lowered their heads in fear, terrified of being discovered.
Consort Rong's gaze flickered, her blade-like eyes slicing across the two of them, before landing precisely on Yun Wu.
Yun Wu met her gaze without flinching or avoiding, neither humble nor overbearing, allowing herself to be scrutinized.
"Ha."
Consort Rong let out a cold laugh.
She strode toward Yun Wu with an aggressive air.
Seeing this, Concubine Guan and Beauty Jiang, who had been standing close to Yun Wu, immediately and discreetly distanced themselves from her.
Yun Wu, however, remained calm and composed, standing rooted in place like an immovable mountain.
Consort Rong drew near, carefully examining Yun Wu's delicate face, so tender it seemed it could be squeezed for juice.
After a long moment, she suddenly grabbed Yun Wu's chin and threatened in a vicious tone:
"—Just you wait!"
With that, she roughly shoved Yun Wu's face away, then swept off with an air of overbearing arrogance.
The crowd looked at Yun Wu, their expressions suggesting they all saw her as a doomed pawn.
Consort Rong had made it clear to the entire harem that from now on, Yun Wu was her enemy…
Anyone who didn't want to offend Consort Rong would have to steer clear of Yun Wu from now on.
"Sister Yun, I… I should be going…"
Beauty Jiang hesitated for a moment before still offering her a farewell.
Concubine Guan glanced at her, said nothing, and pulled Beauty Jiang away.
Noble Lady Cui deliberately let out a cold snort in front of her, then with her head held high, returned to her own Yanxi Gong.
"Cairen…"
Seeing this, Tuan Jiao and Yuan Rong couldn't help but feel worried.
Yun Wu took a deep breath, shook her head at the two maidservants, and then also turned to leave.
Liu Meiren's body had already been dragged away and disposed of.
Yet in the courtyard, a pool of bloodstains could still be seen.
"It seems that in this harem, if one is foolish, the only outcome is death."
Seeing this, Tuan Jiao couldn't help but sigh.
Yun Wu neither confirmed nor denied it.
For consorts, whether one's mind was sharp enough was never the most important thing.
The emperor's favor and one's power and position — those were their best nourishment.
Liu Meiren had neither of those two things, yet dared to stick her head out and take action. If she didn't die, who would?
"Cairen, do you think His Majesty will come to Zhaochundian tonight? He had already chosen you for the night, and Consort Rong failed to snatch him away just now…"
At this moment, Tuan Jiao suddenly spoke with a hint of anticipation.
Yun Wu immediately shook her head.
Lu Yao was an emperor, not a foolish ruler.
Moreover, after everything that had happened tonight, if he still came to favor her…
Then Consort Rong would truly hate her to death.
It wasn't until she returned to Zhaochundian that Yun Wu finally unclenched her palm, which she had been gripping the entire way.
"This is? Fragments of the Xueyu Zhuozi? How does Cairen have this?"
Tuan Jiao spotted it at a glance and was immediately shocked.
Yun Wu brought the fragments to her nose and carefully sniffed them.
After a thorough examination, what surprised her was that this item had not been soaked in safflower!
Could it be that this was actually the bracelet Consort Chen had worn?
She stared at the fragments in her hand, momentarily lost in thought.
In her previous life, because Yun Liao had invited favor without regard for the occasion, she had angered the emperor.
As a result, all the emperor's fury was vented onto her, which meant that Mingguang Dian had not erupted into tonight's kind of conflict. Liu Meiren had not been executed either — she had merely been demoted to Cainü and thrown into the Lenggong, at least managing to keep her life.
But in this life, it was Yun Wu who had entered the palace.
She naturally wouldn't do the kind of foolish things Yun Liao had done, so everything that should have happened, happened.
Liu Meiren was dead.
Was it because her rebirth had changed Liu Meiren's fate, and so Heaven, in its inscrutable way, had caused Liu Meiren to entrust this fragment to her before dying?
The fragment had not been soaked in the red flower, which meant that the tragic death of Concubine Chen and her unborn child all those years ago was not as simple as it had appeared on the surface.
Even Liu Meiren's attempt to cause Ning Changzai's miscarriage last night must have had hidden motives behind it.
Moreover, both incidents were aimed at preventing the Emperor from ever having another heir. The mastermind behind them must be the same person.
Who could it be?
Yun Wu rapidly ran through all the consorts and concubines in the harem in her mind.
However, even if she knew something, she would never act rashly without absolute certainty.
Otherwise, her fate would be the same as Liu Meiren's.
With this thought, Yun Wu decisively tucked the fragment away.
The night fell into complete stillness.
When the hour of Zi was half past and there was still no movement outside, Tuan Jiao finally gave up hope.
"His Majesty truly isn't coming…"
Her expectations had been dashed, and her tone could not hide her disappointment.
Tonight was supposed to be her mistress's auspicious night… why did so many complications have to arise?
Could it be that the master and madam had secretly prayed to the gods, cursing the Cairen to suffer endless misfortune after entering the palace?
Tuan Jiao was too upset to sleep.
She simply counted off all eighteen generations of the master's family, cursing them one by one, and only then felt some relief.
Yun Wu, however, remained unbothered. She lay down and fell peacefully asleep before long.
A dreamless night.
The next morning.
Tuan Jiao returned from the imperial kitchen, fuming with anger.
"Cairen, this servant couldn't get the morning meal."
She hung her head, her face full of chagrin.
Seeing Yun Wu look at her, she forced herself to perk up and explain, "When this servant arrived, the steward at the imperial kitchen said all the morning meals were gone…"
Hearing this, Yun Wu smiled at her to soothe her emotions.
A moment later, Yuan Rong finished styling her hair.
Yun Wu changed into an apricot-colored waist-high ru skirt, draped a matching wide-sleeved robe over her shoulders, and paired it with a tender green pibo sash. She looked gentle and soft, with a touch of fresh, pleasing charm.
She sat there unhurriedly, reading for a while and sipping a cup of hot tea.
Only when half of the Chen hour had passed did Yun Wu rise and go outside Hanyuandian to wait for Jieyu Yang to go to Yongshougong together.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Suddenly, a flurry of chaotic commotion erupted from within Hanyuandian.
"Disaster, disaster! We're late, we're late! The Empress will scold me again!
"Yuhuan! Hurry and bring the Buddhist scriptures the Empress punished me to copy! She's definitely going to check them today!"
Hearing that name, Yun Wu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Yuhuan?
Then she heard Jieyu Yang shout again: "Diao Chan! Remember to bake the shrimp cakes for me! I want to eat them when I get back!"
Even though Yun Wu was usually skilled at concealing her emotions, upon hearing the name "Diao Chan," her expression nearly cracked.
"Zhaojun! You're in charge of flipping my storybook to the page I was reading last night!
"Xishi, prepare some plum drink for me! I'll be drinking it with the baked shrimp cakes in a bit!"
Well, then.
All Four Great Beauties were assembled.
Yun Wu couldn't help but curl her lips slightly.
She had truly lived for far too long.
Many times, she almost forgot that she was a lonely soul from the modern world, from long, long ago…
At this moment, with a calm gaze, she quietly watched Jieyu Yang appear before her.
The woman had one hand bracing the doorframe, and the other still in the middle of putting on her shoe…
But when she looked up and saw that Yun Wu had witnessed her disheveled state, a hint of embarrassment immediately spread across her lotus-like face.
But quickly, she straightened herself up, assuming the dignified bearing befitting a high-ranking consort.
Jieyu Yang nodded at Yun Wu with an air of reserved composure, as if nothing had happened: "You're quite early. Let's go."
"Yes."
Yun Wu smiled slightly and responded obediently.
Her gaze, however, glanced at the palace maid beside Jieyu Yang—the one called "Yuhuan"—who was carrying two scrolls of Buddhist scriptures.
Indeed, she was round and plump.
As they passed by Cuiwei Dian, the maid muttered quietly: "That Daying Zhao is nowhere to be seen again today. She must be off currying favor with Consort Xian! Clearly, Jieyu is her direct superior!"
"Cough!"
Jieyu Yang let out a sharp cough, warning her not to speak out of turn.
Yuhuan glanced at Yun Wu and quickly fell silent.
Yun Wu pretended not to hear anything.
Before long, they arrived at Yongshougong.
All the consorts had already gathered and were sitting around chatting.
The moment they caught sight of Yun Wu, it was as if their throats had been suddenly seized. They fell silent in unison, their eyes fixed intently on her.
Such a spectacle…
Standing beside Yun Wu, Jieyu Yang couldn't help but awkwardly recall the question she had asked Yun Wu yesterday—whether her birth mother had truly caused the death of Empress Xue's mother.
She wondered if Empress Xue would take revenge on Yun Wu because of this.
"Hurry and sit down. Don't let the Empress notice you!"
With this thought, she quickly whispered a reminder to Yun Wu, then scurried to her own seat.
According to Yun Wu's rank, she was to sit below Beauty Jiang.
However, before she could make her way over, Empress Xue suddenly emerged from the inner hall.
The two stood facing each other, their gazes locking instantly.
The hall fell even more silent.