Night draped over the earth like an inky black curtain, utterly unable to dim the dazzling brilliance of the imperial palace. Yet beneath its golden splendor, undercurrents stirred.
Crack!
The crisp sound of shattering porcelain cut through the silence of the night.
Every palace attendant in Qingle Gong trembled in fear, none daring to approach the main hall’s doors.
Inside the main hall, a white porcelain bowl lay shattered in pieces on the floor, its soup spilled everywhere, soaking into the luxurious carpet.
Li Manman sat in the seat of honor, her eyes bloodshot, one hand gripping the armrest so tightly that the lamplight clearly revealed the bulging veins on the back of her hand.
A group of consorts sat in the hall, all lowering their heads, not daring to look up at her.
Consort De and Consort Hui sat in the lower seats, heads bowed as they twisted their handkerchiefs, exchanging glances with each other. Consort Shu sat near the doorway, arching an eyebrow as she gazed into the distance. Unlike the other consorts, she appeared utterly nonchalant, like a cold-eyed bystander.
“How dare she! I’ve been in the palace for so many years—the Emperor has visited Qingle Gong only a handful of times, and every time he barely sat down before making an excuse to leave… But tonight, he actually stayed overnight at Chang’an Dian! Chang’an Dian… I begged the Emperor so many times, and he never agreed to let me live there…”
Li Manman gnashed her teeth, her face twisted and ferocious from sheer rage.
“Your Grace, at least the Emperor has visited your Qingle Gong. In my palace, the Emperor hasn’t even left a single footprint.” Consort De chimed in.
The other consorts covered their faces with handkerchiefs—their situations were all much the same.
In the past, no one had thought much of it. After all, no one had received the Emperor’s favor, and days passed peacefully enough.
But now…
“That little vixen just has a decent face to rely on. Such favor won’t last!” Consort Hui’s heart was equally bitter, but seeing Li Manman, the Huangguifei, already enraged, she kept her feelings hidden.
Li Manman clenched her jaw, her mind already churning violently.
“I don’t believe the Emperor would favor a sickly thing like her. That wretch is so frail and pallid, irritating just to look at—how could he possibly like her!”
Li Manman ground her molars, her gaze turning vicious as she looked at Consort De. “Consort De, are you certain this is true?”
“I would never dare deceive Your Grace the Huangguifei. The information cannot be wrong…” Consort De kept her head low and answered in a small voice.
“Wretch! That wretch Su Tuan’er! She’s not worthy!” Li Manman’s eyes were bloodshot. “If she were to bear the Emperor’s child in time…”
She didn’t dare think further, her chest heaving rapidly.
Consort Hui quickly patted her chest to soothe her: “Your Grace, that sickly thing is so weak she’d topple over in a gust of wind. Forget bearing children—it’s uncertain she can even endure the Emperor’s favor. The moment he touches her, she cries out in pain. In time, will he still have patience for her?”
Consort De echoed: “Exactly. Now that she’s entered the palace, Your Grace’s rank is above hers, and you have the Empress Dowager behind you. She wouldn’t dare overstep her bounds.”
Li Manman’s brow remained furrowed.
To her, the fact that Su Tuan’er could move into Chang’an Dian—the very place she had always dreamed of—was a tremendous humiliation. Let alone the fact that she was the first to serve the Emperor in bed.
She held the Feng Yin and governed the six palaces, the most honored woman in the harem—and yet she had been trampled underfoot by a sickly newcomer who had just entered the palace!
She shot to her feet, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. “This palace will make her regret ever stepping through the gates of the imperial court! By protocol, she will go to Yangxin Hall tomorrow to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. Every one of you had better be sharp.”
The consorts nodded slightly. Tomorrow, there would be quite a show to watch…