After the morning greetings concluded, Lady Li quietly walked to Luo Shuran’s side. “Sister Luo, your complexion looks so poor—are you ill?”
She had been sitting close to Luo Shuran and had noticed her sickly appearance early on. Seeing that the greetings had ended, she approached with concern.
Lady Li had few people she could befriend in the rear palace. As for Luo Shuran, she was still willing to get close, not only because of the cloud embroidery Luo Shuran had gifted her, but also because the two shared common topics and felt comfortable in each other’s company.
Seeing her concern, Luo Shuran smiled and shook her head. “It’s nothing, just a little discomfort.”
Lady Li was about to say more when she noticed someone approaching slowly from ahead—Consort Xian. Dressed in lavish attire, with tassels dangling by her ears swaying gently with each step, she held her chin high, her eyes filled with disdain and contempt, exuding an oppressive aura.
Noticing Lady Li had fallen silent, Luo Shuran turned around and saw Luo Wanling walking toward her. She immediately curtsied.
“Your humble servant pays respects to Consort Xian. May Your Highness enjoy boundless fortune and peace.”
Hearing the commotion, the other consorts couldn’t help but glance back, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of the drama between the two Luo sisters.
Even biological sisters who entered the palace together could turn against each other, let alone sisters from different mothers. True harmony would be considered strange.
Luo Wanling lowered her gaze, glanced at her, and said nothing before walking forward.
Her attendant, Qin Ya, approached Luo Shuran and said, “Talent Luo, Her Highness requests your presence at Yunhua Palace.”
Luo Shuran acknowledged the order and watched them depart. She understood that being summoned was undoubtedly related to recent events—Shu Fei, Qi Zhaorong, and herself.
With Shu Fei pregnant and these matters intertwined, Luo Wanling had likely reached her limit by restraining her temper and not publicly venting her anger.
Lady Li silently observed. Although it was often said that the Luo sisters shared a close bond, she couldn’t help but feel the atmosphere between them was subtly tense, not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.
Turning back, Luo Shuran noticed Lady Li staring blankly toward the entrance and interrupted her thoughts. “Sister Li, Consort Xian has summoned me. I’ll seek you out another day, and we can properly compete in a game of chess.”
The two had previously agreed to play chess together, partly for amusement and partly due to Luo Shuran’s private motives. By spending more time with Lady Li, she hoped to discern whether Empress Dowager valued her for her skills or something else.
Lady Li nodded. As Luo Shuran walked ahead, she couldn’t resist adding a word of caution, “Be careful.” Even though it was her own sister, Lady Li felt uneasy, sensing that nothing good would come of this.
Luo Shuran had already walked ahead. Hearing Lady Li’s words, her fingertips trembled slightly. To be honest, her heart softened for a moment.
Someone she had known for only a short while cared about her safety, while ironically, her own family, whom she had lived with day and night, could discard her like worthless trash.
Luo Shuran did not look back but softly replied, “Mm.” Then, with firm and unwavering steps, she walked forward without fear or hesitation.
In this life, she had long sealed her heart and would never truly open up to anyone, no matter who they were.
Upon arriving at Yunhua Palace, Luo Shuran followed the eunuch into the main hall.
As soon as she stepped through the entrance, she heard the sound of something shattering. Fragments scattered at her feet, bouncing in all directions.
Luo Shuran’s brow twitched slightly as she slowly stepped over the broken shards and walked inside. In the inner chamber, maids and eunuchs knelt on the floor, trembling with fear.
This scene was all too familiar to Luo Shuran.
Shu Fei had a fiery temper, but in truth, Luo Wanling was no different—except she maintained a facade of propriety in public and vented her anger in private.
In her past life, Luo Shuran had believed that as the legitimate daughter, Luo Wanling had been spoiled and grew up with a willful temper. She thought that as long as she avoided confrontation and kept a low profile, she would be safe. But later, she realized that whether she fought or not, she was always in the wrong.
Before Luo Shuran could even finish her greeting, “Your humble servant—” Luo Wanling slammed the table, her voice sharp with anger. “Useless trash, you’ve disgraced the Luo family.”
She knew about Qi Zhaorong’s harassment of Luo Shuran, and the details had been exaggerated by Xi Chun’s complaints. Luo Wanling understood that Qi Zhaorong was one of Shu Fei’s people, which meant she herself had been provoked and humiliated by Shu Fei. Of course, what angered Luo Wanling even more was that Shu Fei was now pregnant.
Before, she could still contend with Shu Fei, but once Shu Fei gave birth to a child, the position of Noble Consort would inevitably fall to her.
Luo Shuran raised her head, revealing a sickly pallor, and pressed her pale lips together. “It is your humble servant’s incompetence that led to Qi Zhaorong’s humiliation. Your servant’s heart is devoted to Your Highness and the family, but that Qi Zhaorong is truly detestable… cough.”
As she spoke, her tone grew heavier, and she began to cough, as if driven by fury.
Luo Wanling sat there, her cold eyes fixed on the pitiful figure below. What use was such helpless anger?
“What does a mere Qi Zhaorong amount to? Who does she think she is to lecture others? Does she think that by clinging to that wretch, she can rest easy? This palace will strip a layer of skin off her.” Luo Wanling’s face was icy with malice. She knew Qi Zhaorong relied on Shu Fei, but to truly dare to step on her head and disrespect the Luo family—it was all because she had a prince to rely on.
Did she think that gave her the right to act without restraint?
Luo Wanling lowered her gaze, her eyes filled with venom.
Luo Shuran covered her face, silently shedding tears. She could see that Luo Wanling was genuinely furious. With just a few words, she had already placed Qi Zhaorong squarely in Luo Wanling’s sights.
Given Luo Wanling’s temperament, she was unlikely to let Qi Zhaorong off easily.
As for the rest, she only needed to quietly observe the situation.
Yi Momo, clearly understanding her mistress’s thoughts, subtly shifted the topic. “Your Highness, now that Shu Fei is pregnant and has sent her personal maid to the Emperor—even though His Majesty refused—it may still be unfavorable for us.”
Her meaning was clear: the Emperor’s refusal could either mean he favored Shu Fei too much to accept her maid, or he was angry with Shu Fei. However, given how frequently the Emperor had been visiting Le’an Palace lately, the former seemed more likely.
Moreover, the palace was rife with gossip, often comparing this incident to Your Highness sending your half-sister to the Emperor, mostly in a mocking tone.
From this perspective, it was hard to say what Shu Fei’s true intentions were in sending her maid. Was it to secure favor and seize power, to test the Emperor’s feelings, or to tarnish the Luo family’s reputation?
Last time, when Talent Luo was summoned to serve the Emperor with brush and ink, it had already drawn attention. Now, it seemed as though the Emperor had completely forgotten about her.
“A royal heir? She’ll have to see if she has the fortune to keep it.” Luo Wanling’s voice was soft, but the protective nail on her finger nearly pierced the corner of the table, revealing the depth of her anger.
Yi Momo looked at her mistress, and then both of their gazes turned toward the figure below. There, Luo Shuran appeared frail and unreliable, unable to speak, her shoulders trembling as she wept uncontrollably.