Hearing Luo Wanling speak like this, Qi Zhaorong felt somewhat awkward, then forced a smile and said vaguely, “Your Highness, it is this concubine’s fault. Something delayed me.”
Qi Zhaorong was no fool. She quickly sensed that Consort Xian was targeting her, likely due to the incident where she had previously made things difficult for Talent Luo.
Luo Wanling sat in the high seat, idly adjusting the protective nail guards on her fingers, and said nonchalantly, “How could Qi Zhaorong be at fault? This palace dares not reprimand you.”
Qi Zhaorong mustered her spirits to respond, though she remained somewhat nervous inside. But upon careful thought, she hadn’t committed any offense. Even if it was Consort Xian, what could she do to her?
“Your Highness jests.”
All the consorts present were shrewd. When it wasn’t their place to speak, none of them uttered a word, merely watching the drama unfold in silence.
Yu Fei sat to the side. Her gaze swept across the room as she broke the stalemate, “Sister Qi, Her Highness is not blaming you. The weather today is lovely, and appreciating the flowers is what matters. Seeing that you hadn’t arrived, everyone was waiting for you.” After all, she was the one who had invited Qi Zhaorong, and she couldn’t let things become too tense or make anyone lose face.
Yu Fei always spoke eloquently, which explained why she maintained good relationships within the harem.
Hearing this, Qi Zhaorong’s expression softened slightly. But before she could lift her head, she saw Consort Xian stand up and walk to the front steps, where the two faced each other.
Qi Zhaorong clearly saw a cold glint in her eyes.
“Qi Zhaorong, are you so unwilling to join your sisters in appreciating the flowers? Not only did you arrive late, but you couldn’t even bother to dress properly?” Luo Wanling’s voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for everyone present to hear.
“Is it disrespect toward your sisters, or do you look down on this palace?” Luo Wanling’s tone deepened, and her questions grew more pointed.
With each of her words, Qi Zhaorong pursed her lips. She could now be certain that Consort Xian was targeting her.
“Consort Xian, this concubine is wronged.” Qi Zhaorong steadied her mind and looked up at the woman above her. “Your Highness, how could this concubine not want to dress properly? I fear someone deliberately intended to harm me, causing me to appear disheveled and lose face. I beg Your Highness to clear my name.”
Qi Zhaorong was no pushover either. With just a few words, she shifted the blame elsewhere. She had her suspicions—how could she have stumbled for no reason in the palace? Someone must have done it intentionally.
If this escalated, it was uncertain who would suffer.
Seeing her rebuttal, Luo Wanling’s anger grew. The trap had indeed been set by her; she had only intended to make Qi Zhaorong lose face publicly.
Now it seemed this Qi Zhaorong truly thought that with Shu Fei backing her, she could disregard Luo Wanling entirely?
“According to you, someone wanted to harm you? Who does Qi Zhaorong suspect?” Luo Wanling smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes, only a chilling coldness.
Qi Zhaorong only had suspicions, but regardless of who it was, she couldn’t speak recklessly, especially in front of Consort Xian.
Humiliated and aggrieved, she could only swallow her bitterness.
“This concubine truly does not know. I usually get along well with my sisters and cannot think of anyone who would hold a grudge against me!” Qi Zhaorong said, putting on a pitiful expression as if she had suffered greatly. Then, her eyes swept around the room. “Consort Xian, this concubine recalls that some days ago, Talent Luo offended me, and I gave her a small punishment. Could it be that she harbors resentment and seeks revenge against me?”
Qi Zhaorong covered her mouth with a handkerchief, as if terrified.
She understood clearly that Consort Xian was harboring resentment, so she simply voiced it openly in front of everyone.
Everyone present had their own sources of information and knew a thing or two about the matter, but no one had brought it up until now.
Seeing Qi Zhaorong openly mention it, everyone subtly glanced toward Consort Xian, who was seated in the higher position.
Luo Wanling appeared calm on the surface, but her hands hidden in her sleeves were clenched into fists, veins bulging. Suppressing her temper, she said, “If Qi Zhaorong believes so, then present the evidence. I will see justice done for you.”
Qi Zhaorong quickly replied with a smile, “Consort Xian, this concubine merely suspects it. As for the rest, why not summon Talent Luo here and question her face-to-face?” Qi Zhaorong still felt indignant inside.
She knew today’s flower banquet was a trap set by Consort Xian specifically for her, and she suspected Talent Luo had likely complained behind her back.
Given this, while she dared not provoke Consort Xian directly, she could still deal with a mere talent.
At the mention of Talent Luo, everyone’s expressions shifted subtly. Yu Fei turned to Consort Xian and said, “Your Highness, today’s flower banquet is a rare opportunity for us sisters to gather. Why not go and enjoy the flowers properly?”
Yu Fei had agreed to Consort Xian’s invitation partly because she couldn’t refuse and partly because she felt Qi Zhaorong, having given birth to a prince, had grown too arrogant. She was willing to turn a blind eye to a simple reprimand of Qi Zhaorong.
But she didn’t want to involve anything else, especially not let things spiral out of control.
Luo Wanling didn’t look at Yu Fei, instead fixing her gaze on Qi Zhaorong below. She gritted her teeth in anger. “Naturally, I wish to enjoy the flowers with my sisters. However, since Qi Zhaorong claims she has been wronged, I cannot ignore it. Let someone summon Talent Luo here to confront Qi Zhaorong face-to-face.”
She wanted Luo Shuran to come and see if Qi Zhaorong dared to repeat what she had said that day in her presence.
Seeing someone hastily dispatched to summon the person, Qi Zhaorong calmly returned to her seat, a hint of disdain flickering in her eyes.
If this turned into a roundabout accusation, she wondered what face Consort Xian would have left.
Each person had their own calculations. Zhen Fei sipped her tea silently, now realizing that Qi Zhaorong stood behind Shu Fei.
Before long, Yi Momo arrived leading someone. The woman following her wore an emerald-green high-waisted dress, with ornaments weighing down the pleats of her skirt. With each light step, she swayed gracefully, captivating in her movement.
Even walking under the sunlight, one could see Luo Shuran’s fair skin, translucent like flawless jade, especially her clearly defined features and naturally beautiful face.
Her appearance could steal everyone’s attention, outshining even the distant flowers in their delicate beauty.
Comparisons could be infuriating.
Most of the high-ranking consorts present had been in the palace for years. In terms of youthful freshness, how could they compare to the newcomers who had just entered the palace?
A flicker of jealousy passed through Qi Zhaorong’s eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. What she possessed, including the imperial heir, was not something ordinary people could have.
What was there to envy about Talent Luo besides her pretty face?
Moreover, possessing such extraordinary beauty—who knew whether it was a blessing or a curse?
As various thoughts swirled in everyone’s minds, Luo Shuran performed a proper salute, lowering her head and fixing her gaze on the bluestone pavement.
She had guessed that at the flower banquet, Luo Wanling would surely make things difficult for Qi Zhaorong.
And precisely because Qi Zhaorong was no kind soul, she had long prepared herself to be dragged into this.
Luo Wanling looked at her without a smile, speaking calmly, “Qi Zhaorong said you hold a grudge against her and fear your retaliation. Did you scheme against Qi Zhaorong today?”
To be honest, Luo Wanling had placed no hope in Luo Shuran at all; she was merely steering the conversation toward the conflict between Qi Zhaorong and her that day.
Unexpectedly, the usually timid Luo Shuran raised her head and replied calmly, “Yes, I did.”