==Chapter Nine==
Shen Shiyuan looked up at the sound and saw a delicate, beautiful woman walking in. Her figure was as slender as a willow swaying in the wind, her brows and eyes tinged with sorrow and tenderness, her skin fairer than snow—so fragile it seemed a breeze could topple her. Yet, standing there quietly, she naturally exuded an air of pitiable charm.
She resembled the women Shen Shiyuan had seen in Wuzhou, but there was more to her. The woman was followed by several palace attendants, dressed in luxurious robes and adorned with dazzling jewelry. With just a gentle lift of her gaze, she revealed a hint of barely perceptible pride.
Yet few could fault her for her pride. Her family background and her current status were more than enough to justify it.
Yang Zhaoyi seemed to sense her gaze and turned to look at her, appearing somewhat surprised. She said softly:
“Shen Meiren has arrived so early. It seems I am still late.”
Shen Shiyuan pursed her lips lightly. She didn’t fully grasp the deeper meaning behind the words, but something about them felt grating. What did it mean that arriving after her was considered late?
She grew increasingly sullen.
Unable to hide her thoughts, she spoke her mind:
“Your Highness has come to pay respects to The Empress. Since The Empress has not yet emerged, it cannot be considered late.”
The implication was clear: You are here to greet The Empress, not me. Yet the remark about arriving after her being “late” made it seem as though she were the main figure.
Virtuous Consort raised a hand to cover her lips, preventing herself from laughing outright, but her amusement was impossible to conceal.
Yang Zhaoyi’s smile stiffened at the corners of her mouth. She gave Shen Shiyuan a deep look, never expecting Shen Shiyuan to dare retort like this. Virtuous Consort’s mockery only deepened the chill in her eyes, yet Shen Shiyuan wore an earnest expression, as if sincerely stating that she hadn’t been late.
If she were to take offense, it would only make her appear petty.
After a moment, Yang Zhaoyi finally said:
“Shen Meiren truly has a sharp tongue.”
With that, she no longer looked at Shen Shiyuan and walked directly to her seat to sit down.
Shen Shiyuan frowned. Yang Zhaoyi had criticized her, and she had merely responded in kind. How did that make her sharp-tongued? How unreasonable!
She felt a simmering resentment toward Yang Zhaoyi, but with her low rank and little influence, she had no choice but to swallow her displeasure for now.
Not long after, Tong Guifei arrived, and The Empress emerged from the inner hall. The morning greetings finally began in earnest.
The Empress was well aware of everything happening inside and outside Kunning Palace, including the earlier exchange. However, she made no mention of it. Instead, she smiled gently at Shen Shiyuan and said warmly:
“You have just arrived in the palace. If there is anything you find difficult to adjust to, remember to tell me. Do not suffer in silence.”
The Empress’s attitude reminded Shen Shiyuan of her mistress. She was someone who knew how to repay kindness, and at the very least, The Empress’s words sounded like genuine concern. Softening her tone, she replied:
“This concubine will heed Your Highness’s words.”
As soon as she spoke, many of the women present looked at her with changed expressions.
Shen Shiyuan felt utterly bewildered.
The Empress was also somewhat surprised. Her gaze toward Shen Shiyuan softened slightly, though her overall demeanor remained unchanged.
Yang Zhaoyi lowered her eyes and sneered inwardly. What a fool. Having entered the palace only a day ago, was she already so eager to pick a side?
Shen Shiyuan had no idea her words had been misinterpreted as a pledge of allegiance. Even if she had known, she wouldn’t have cared. In her eyes, The Empress was equivalent to the mistress of the household. As a concubine, as long as The Empress did not harm her, it was only natural to show her respect.
Would the other imperial concubines dare disobey if The Empress had any orders?
The morning greetings concluded without incident, dispersing in less than half an hour. When they left Kunning Palace, Qin Baolin did not stay close to Shen Shiyuan.
Qin Baolin’s reasoning was simple: earlier in Kunning Palace, Shen Meiren had clearly offended Yang Zhaoyi, so she naturally dared not remain too close to Shen Meiren. Though Shen Meiren was currently favored and Yang Zhaoyi might not do anything to her, Qin Baolin, as a minor figure, could not afford to offend a principal position consort.
Shen Shiyuan did not notice this. Newly arrived, she was still curious about the imperial palace and had no intention of returning to her quarters. Leading Qingzhi, she decided to explore the Imperial Garden thoroughly.
The Imperial Garden was in full bloom, and she was not the only one lingering outside. From a distance, she spotted several imperial concubines who had not gone far, chatting together in a pavilion within the garden.
Without hesitation, Shen Shiyuan also chose to approach the pavilion. As she drew closer, she faintly heard something like the word "foolish," though she could not make it out clearly. Moreover, as soon as she stepped onto the stairs, the group abruptly fell silent.
Their demeanor aroused Shen Shiyuan’s suspicion. Could they be speaking ill of her?
Her rank was among the highest present. Except for one person, the rest rose to pay their respects, though their movements were somewhat sluggish, adding a touch of reluctance to the gesture.
Shen Shiyuan tilted her head and looked directly at the one who had been laughing the most heartily earlier. She asked bluntly:
"Who are you?"
The woman was startled, not expecting Shen Shiyuan to address her alone. After a pause, she replied, "This concubine is Lu Cairen of Yunying Hall."
Shen Shiyuan smiled. "So it’s Lu Cairen."
She did not bid her to rise, leaving Lu Cairen and the others in their bowed positions, and inquired:
"What were you all discussing earlier? I thought I heard my name mentioned."
Lu Cairen was taken aback, her expression stiffening. She never imagined that the words they had spoken behind someone’s back would be overheard by the person in question. Unable to meet Shen Meiren’s eyes, she flusteredly explained:
"Shen Meiren must have misheard. How could we concubines dare to gossip about Shen Meiren?"
Shen Shiyuan had not heard clearly, but that did not stop her from testing them. Lu Cairen’s reaction clearly indicated they had indeed been discussing her.
Recalling the fragments she had overheard, Shen Shiyuan was nearly furious.
Since entering the palace, she had not encountered a single likable person.
Now, it was even worse—a group of people were gossiping behind her back, calling her foolish!
Shen Shiyuan clenched her handkerchief, feeling utterly aggrieved. She wanted to teach these people a lesson but could not think of a good way to do so immediately. Moreover, if she complained to The Empress, she had no evidence.
Besides, they were a group and would surely cover for one another!
What if they turned the tables and accused her of falsely accusing them?
Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught sight of something, and her eyes lit up. She said abruptly:
"I see. It seems I misheard."
Hearing this, Lu Cairen and the others breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly scoffing at Shen Meiren’s foolishness for being so easily fooled.
But their relief was premature. Without pausing, Shen Shiyuan pointed to a cluster of red flowers in the bushes and said with a smile:
"I see those roses are growing beautifully. Could Lu Cairen pick one for me?"
Rose stems are thorny. By specifically pointing out the roses, Shen Shiyuan was clearly deliberately making things difficult for Lu Cairen.
Lu Cairen stiffened, instantly realizing that Shen Meiren had not been fooled at all earlier and was now deliberately causing trouble for her. She couldn't help but cast a pleading glance toward Zhang Meiren.
Among those present, only Zhang Meiren held the same rank as Shen Shiyuan. If anyone could help her, it would have to be Zhang Meiren.
Moreover, she had only spoken ill of Shen Meiren earlier because she was following Zhang Meiren's lead. How could she be the only one to suffer?
Zhang Meiren, who had been sitting in the center, frowned, thinking this Shen Meiren was utterly presumptuous. Though they held the same rank, Shen Meiren had not even glanced at her since arriving at the pavilion. Furthermore, Lu Cairen shared the same palace residence with her, and Shen Meiren's humiliation of Lu Cairen was clearly a sign of disrespect toward her.
"Is Shen Meiren going a bit too far? Lu Cairen is an imperial concubine just like you, and you are not the principal position in her palace. How can you order her around?"
Her words all but explicitly accused Shen Shiyuan of overstepping her authority.
Only then did Shen Shiyuan turn to look at Zhang Meiren. Qingzhi quietly reminded her of Zhang Meiren's identity. After hearing this, Shen Shiyuan grew even angrier. With so many people gathered here, and Zhang Meiren being the highest-ranking among them, how could they dare speak ill of her unless Zhang Meiren had expressed her own opinions?
Shen Shiyuan had always been one to flaunt favor and act arrogantly. Before entering the palace, her mother had informed her of the palace's dynamics. Yesterday, she had also asked Qingzhi about which imperial concubines were currently favored. Running through the list in her mind, she confirmed that Zhang Meiren was not among the favored concubines, and Zhang Meiren's rank was no higher than hers.
Thus, she asked with an air of haughtiness:
"So it's Zhang Meiren. Is Zhang Meiren planning to stand up for Lu Cairen?"
In Shen Shiyuan's eyes, given Qi Chuyan's feelings for her, she was a genuine favored consort. As a favored consort, how could she tolerate being wronged?
Zhang Meiren widened her eyes, completely unprepared for Shen Meiren's audacity to reach new heights. She flushed with anger, but when she met Shen Meiren's gaze, she dared not confront her forcefully.
Shen Meiren had been personally brought into the palace by His Majesty and possessed such striking beauty—clearly, she was destined to enjoy favor for some time.
With her own favor being mediocre and Shen Meiren already matching her rank upon entering the palace, Zhang Meiren had little confidence to make an enemy of her.
Seeing that the other remained silent, Shen Shiyuan rolled her eyes. Her eyes were large and dark, making even this gesture appear exceptionally lively. She sneered:
"If you don't dare to stand up for her, then don't meddle in others' affairs!"
Being publicly humiliated like this, Zhang Meiren was so furious her chest heaved. Lu Cairen was still looking at her, and Shen Meiren was pressing aggressively. She found herself caught between a rock and a hard place.
The atmosphere in the pavilion instantly grew tense.
Ignoring Zhang Meiren, Shen Shiyuan turned her attention back to Lu Cairen: "Does Lu Cairen refuse to pick this flower for me?"
Lu Cairen's face flushed and paled repeatedly under the pressure. After waiting for a long time without hearing a word from Zhang Meiren, her heart sank. Realizing she could no longer rely on Zhang Meiren, she instantly harbored resentment toward both Shen Meiren and Zhang Meiren—hating Shen Meiren for bullying others with her influence and Zhang Meiren for her inaction!
In the end, Lu Cairen turned and entered the flower bed, plucking a rose. The stem was covered in thorns, and despite her caution, she was pricked once. Though the pain was bearable, her eyes still reddened. As a fellow palace consort, being humiliated so publicly before everyone, how could she pretend nothing had happened?
After finally delivering the flowers to Shen Meiren, she could no longer hold back, her eyes reddening as she said:
"This concubine still has matters to attend to in her palace and must take her leave."
Shen Shiyuan did not press her to stay further. Instead, she swept her gaze over the imperial concubines gathered in the pavilion. None had expected her to be so unyielding, and those who met her eyes hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.
Shen Shiyuan snorted coldly, glanced at the rose, and tossed out a remark: "Nothing special."
Without the slightest attempt to conceal her disdain, she threw the rose to the ground and turned to leave. The imperial concubines behind her were flushed with embarrassment at her actions.
Zhang Meiren trembled with rage.
This farce naturally reached the ears of others, eliciting varied reactions.
Yanfu Palace.
Tong Guifei listened as Ruan Pin spoke with a sour tone about Shen Meiren: "Zhang Meiren holds the same rank as her, yet our Shen Meiren truly has no regard for anyone."
Tong Guifei curled her lips and retorted impatiently:
"Knowing full well how foolish she is, yet still provoking her—isn’t that just asking for trouble?"
Shen Meiren was foolish enough to even rebuke Yang Zhaoyi to her face. Could anyone expect her to spare the dignity of a mere Zhang Meiren?
Ruan Pin pursed her lips, feeling that Her Highness was only boosting others’ arrogance.
Author’s Note:
Daughter: Ahhh! How dare she insult me!
[Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.]