The verdict from the Imperial Punishment Bureau had finally come.
Just then, Wang An entered with two palace servants.
“Your Ladyship, please rise. His Majesty orders you to visit Consort Jiang.”
Consort An froze.
“She’s only a fifth-rank Consort. What gives her the right to have me visit her?”
Looking at the stubborn woman before him, Wang An sighed helplessly.
“His Majesty is still waiting outside. Your Ladyship would do well not to refuse. And do not provoke the Son of Heaven’s wrath. When the Emperor is enraged, corpses can litter the land.”
Consort An’s long lashes trembled.
Proud as she was, she still rose to her feet and followed Wang An to the Palace of Tranquility.
By the time Chu Yi and Consort An arrived, Jiang Yunshu was practicing her calligraphy.
She had intended to go outside to receive the Emperor.
Instead, Chu Yi deliberately ordered no one to announce his arrival and walked straight into the hall.
Not noticing Consort An behind him, Jiang Yunshu stepped forward with a graceful smile and curtsied.
“Your Majesty, you always do this… It must be terribly hot outside. I just had some chilled white fungus soup prepared. It’s been cooled with ice, and it’s very—”
Mid-sentence, she noticed Consort An standing behind him.
She immediately changed her words.
“This concubine greets Lady An. Sister An came at just the right time. Please join us for some white fungus soup.”
Consort An remained silent.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, and faint red marks lingered around her neck.
So… the investigation by the Imperial Punishment Bureau was over.
The Emperor had become furious.
But why had he brought her here?
Jiang Yunshu glanced at Chu Yi.
His expression was indeed frighteningly dark.
She wisely said nothing more.
Seeing that Jiang Yunshu had sensed the unusual atmosphere and become cautious, Chu Yi felt a trace of pity.
Clearing his throat, he said gently,
“Sit down. Bring me your white fungus soup. I’d like to taste it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Jiang Yunshu immediately instructed Erya to prepare it.
She looked toward the still-standing Consort An, intending to invite her to sit as well.
Suddenly—
“Kneel.”
Chu Yi’s cold shout rang through the hall.
Consort An shuddered in disbelief.
“Your Majesty… you’re ordering me to kneel before Jiang?”
With no patience left, Chu Yi barked again,
“Kneel.”
This time, Consort An dared not utter another word.
She hurriedly dropped to her knees.
Jiang Yunshu looked alarmed.
“Your Majesty… what is this? Sister An, she…”
Chu Yi pulled her back beside him.
“Let her kneel.”
Watching Consort An kneeling before her made Jiang Yunshu deeply uncomfortable.
Chu Yi seemed to notice.
“Then let’s go into the inner chamber.”
Taking her hand, he led her inside.
Meanwhile, Consort An remained kneeling outside, her face full of resentment.
Jiang Yunshu cast her a quiet glance.
So this was the Emperor’s punishment.
He could not openly move against the Lin family, nor could he chill the hearts of his officials.
But he still wanted to discipline Consort An.
So he chose the most humiliating method possible.
A tyrant indeed.
In his eyes…
No one was ever an exception.
Inside the inner chamber.
Chu Yi’s expression softened considerably.
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered,
“This matter has wronged you. I can’t openly punish the Lin family, so this is the only way I can make her apologize to you.”
Jiang Yunshu gently smoothed the crease between his brows, preventing him from frowning.
Softly, she replied,
“Your Majesty, this concubine doesn’t feel wronged. Court affairs are countless. There are too many things Your Majesty must consider.
The one who is truly wronged…
is Your Majesty, not me.”
Wronged…
No one had ever asked him whether he felt wronged.
Yet this lovely little woman always thought of him first.
Unable to help himself, he leaned toward her, inhaling the delicate fragrance that lingered on her body.
The past two days had been filled with affairs of state.
Coupled with her poor health, he had refrained from visiting.
Now that he held her in his arms again, his heart began pounding uncontrollably.
Jiang Yunshu sensed his breathing grow heavier.
Remembering that Consort An was still outside, she certainly couldn’t allow him to act however he pleased.
Fortunately, Erya arrived carrying the white fungus soup.
Jiang Yunshu immediately took the bowl.
Placing a finger lightly against Chu Yi’s lips, she smiled.
“Your Majesty, taste the soup. Let this concubine feed you.”
Chu Yi steadied himself and forcibly suppressed the emotions surging in his chest before accepting a spoonful.
The chilled white fungus soup was wonderfully refreshing.
Cool and soothing.
It instantly chased away the summer heat.
Everything here…
Just like its mistress…
was unlike anything else.
Chu Yi was never one to indulge his appetite.
Yet he still finished an entire bowl.
After finishing the soup, he prepared to leave.
Partly because Jiang Yunshu had not fully recovered.
Staying here any longer would only be tormenting himself.
And partly because countless affairs awaited him in court.
Still worried that Consort An might misbehave after he left, he ordered Li Quan to remain behind.
Consort An was to kneel for a full two shichen before she could rise.
Two shichen…
Equivalent to roughly four hours.
That damned Emperor really was ruthless.
He wanted to continue relying on the Lin family without offending them.
Yet he despised anyone who defied him.
So he chose this method—humiliating Consort An while outwardly preserving the Lin family’s dignity and simultaneously warning her.
After seeing Chu Yi off, Jiang Yunshu returned to the main hall.
Consort An glared at her viciously.
“You bitch! How long do you think you can stay smug? I once enjoyed the Emperor’s favor just like you. But in the blink of an eye…
“Haha…
“I’d like to see how long your favor lasts! At least I still have my maternal family to protect me. What do you have?”
Jiang Yunshu merely smiled faintly.
Without responding, she walked straight into the inner chamber and continued practicing her calligraphy.
Seeing her remain so calm despite being insulted, Consort An grew even angrier.
Jiang Yunshu neither mocked nor argued with her.
She simply continued writing in perfect composure.
The resentment in Consort An’s heart only deepened.
After Jiang Yunshu finished the current sheet of calligraphy—
Someone from the Empress’s palace arrived.
Lady Lin had been convicted.
For offending a superior and attempting to poison a fellow imperial consort, she was immediately stripped of her rank, reduced to commoner status, and confined to the Cold Palace for the rest of her life.
She would never leave it again.
The normally quiet Su Xin Courtyard erupted into chaos.
Lady Lin, who usually appeared delicate and gentle, completely lost control.
She screamed and begged desperately.
“Your Majesty the Empress! I beg for an audience! I didn’t do it! I never tried to harm Jiang! I didn’t! I’ve been wronged!”
“Everyone claims they’re innocent,” the palace attendants replied coldly. “But how many truly are? Take her away!”
As she was dragged off, Lady Lin shrieked hysterically,
“Jiang Yunshu! You’re so cruel! You framed me! You framed me!”
Jiang Yunshu’s brush never paused.
She continued writing calmly.
Showing mercy to an enemy…
Was cruelty toward oneself.
Lady Lin had long intended to harm her after failing to gain anything from her.
Now that the opportunity had presented itself—
If Jiang Yunshu didn’t strike first,
she would merely be nurturing a tiger that would one day devour her.
If she chose not to act, then so be it.
But once she did…
She would ensure her enemy could never rise again.
Ziyan had handled this matter beautifully.
Jiang Yunshu’s brush flowed even more smoothly across the paper.
Erya had no idea what had really happened.
She grumbled indignantly,
“That Lady Lin is truly vicious! Earlier she kept calling Our Lady ‘Sister,’ but the moment she turned around, she had Ding Xiang poison you!”
Ziyan said nothing.
Instead, she quietly looked toward Jiang Yunshu by the window.
Slowly, her hand curled into a fist.
I knew it.
I chose the right mistress.
Only a master decisive enough to act like this…
Could go farther.
Could soar higher.
One should never harbor the intention to harm others.
But one must always guard against being harmed.
Lady Lin had already intended to kill her mistress.
Their mistress had merely returned the favor in kind to protect herself.
In the imperial harem…
Speaking of kindness and mercy…
Was the greatest foolishness of all.
Either you devoured others—
Or others devoured you.
At first, Consort An couldn’t understand what had happened.
Then realization struck.
She had been used by Lady Lin.
Growing agitated, she glared at Jiang Yunshu and shouted,
“You knew all along!
“If you knew, why didn’t you tell His Majesty?!
“It was that little bitch Lin who set me up!”