At that moment, Consort De arrived.
Jiang Yunshu quietly sized her up. Consort De had to weigh at least 160 pounds.
Standing about five feet three inches tall and weighing 160 pounds, she was undeniably voluptuous.
Yet judging from her delicate features, it wasn’t hard to tell that she had once been a breathtaking beauty.
Still, Jiang Yunshu found it difficult to imagine that the tyrant had favored her for so long out of genuine love. Searching through the original host’s memories, she learned that Consort De’s father was the Grand Preceptor, making her family one of the most powerful in the empire.
It seemed every concubine the tyrant favored served a purpose—they were all pieces used to strengthen his rule. Even someone as plump as Consort De could become his favorite.
Thinking about it that way, it was no wonder the man possessed such incredible stamina.
Just as Jiang Yunshu reached that conclusion—
“The Empress has arrived!” the eunuch announced.
The atmosphere inside the hall instantly turned strange.
Supported by her maids, the Empress emerged gracefully from behind the curtain. She was dressed in magnificent robes, her beautiful face cold and aloof.
It really was odd.
If that dog emperor wanted to humiliate a princess from a conquered nation, why make her Empress instead of demoting her to a mere concubine? Even giving her the rank of a lowly Talent would have been enough.
Wouldn’t forcing her to endure a life of hardship have been even more humiliating?
Instead, he seated her on the throne of the harem.
Perhaps it was simply another move to balance the forces within the imperial palace.
The madman could afford to be mad because he was brilliant. He manipulated the harem like a master chess player.
Looking at the Empress’s skeletal figure and her distant, expressionless face, Jiang Yunshu couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Once, she must have been a carefree princess, adored by everyone.
Now she had been placed over an open fire by that dog emperor.
She sat there silently, looking down at the gathered beauties beneath her with hollow, lifeless eyes.
Noble Consort Wan was the first to speak.
“Your Majesty, have you changed all your palace servants again? When I entered your palace today, I almost thought I’d gone to the wrong place.”
“Everyone inside and outside has been replaced. Ah… truly, no one in the harem is as blessed as Your Majesty. Every few months, you get an entirely new batch of servants.”
That…
She was deliberately rubbing salt into the Empress’s wounds.
Yet the Empress remained completely expressionless, as though she hadn’t heard a word.
Consort De cleared her throat.
“Sister Wan, I’m sure Her Majesty doesn’t want that either. After all, when the people you’ve grown accustomed to suddenly disappear…”
“It’s difficult to get used to. Even if it were just a cat or dog, anyone would feel a little sad.”
This…
Only these two highly favored consorts dared mock the Empress so openly.
The other concubines didn’t utter a single word.
Jiang Yunshu quietly enjoyed the gossip. According to the original host’s memories, these two women were usually at odds with each other. The only time they ever worked together was when they were attacking the Empress.
As the saying went, one hand alone can’t clap.
The Empress refused to respond.
With no reaction to provoke, the two women eventually lost interest. As long as they’d had their fun, that was enough.
Jiang Yunshu knew there wasn’t a single truly kind person in this harem.
Feeling weary, the Empress dismissed everyone.
Naturally, Noble Consort Wan and Consort De left first.
When they reached the doorway, the two women both tried to pass through at the same time, neither willing to give way.
Noble Consort Wan’s face darkened.
“Consort De! Have you looked at your own figure? How dare you squeeze against me?”
Consort De lifted her chin proudly.
“What’s wrong with my figure? His Majesty likes me just the way I am. Noble Consort Wan, are you questioning His Majesty’s taste?”
Furious, Noble Consort Wan clenched her fists.
“My rank is higher than yours. Shouldn’t you step aside for me?”
Consort De looked ready to force her way through anyway.
Fortunately, one of her attendants quickly pulled her back.
Only then did Noble Consort Wan stride ahead.
Jiang Yunshu watched the petty squabble with boredom.
She thought it was over.
But then—
Just as Noble Consort Wan reached the front, she suddenly let out a piercing scream.
No one knew where it came from, but a crow covered in blood flew straight at her and crashed into her arms.
Terrified, she collapsed onto the ground, her beautiful face drained of all color as she shrieked.
Jiang Yunshu’s rank might be low, but her eyesight was excellent.
She witnessed everything clearly.
The crow was jet black from head to toe, its feathers stained with fresh blood. When it slammed into Noble Consort Wan’s embrace, it soaked her lake-green embroidered gauze dress in crimson blood.
At first glance, the sight was chilling.
More than frightening, it was disgusting—an unmistakably ominous sign.
One of Noble Consort Wan’s attendants threw the crow onto the ground.
It weakly flapped its wings, letting out a mournful cry before blood poured across the floor. Struggling feebly, it finally died.
Noble Consort Wan was furious beyond words, but in front of everyone, she had nowhere to vent her anger.
The beast’s sudden appearance was far too bizarre.
She was so angry that she felt as though she’d punched a sack of cotton—unable to release any of her frustration.
Carrying her maids with her, Noble Consort Wan hurried away.
Meanwhile, Consort De laughed so hard she nearly doubled over.
Aside from Consort De, none of the other concubines dared laugh openly. Covering their mouths, they quietly walked around the crow’s corpse before leaving.
As Jiang Yunshu passed by, she casually glanced at the dead crow before looking toward a corner of the garden.
She clearly caught sight of the hem of someone’s robe.
Was this the Empress’s revenge?
Had she deliberately arranged this to disgust Noble Consort Wan?
Very likely.
In front of the dog emperor, the Empress could endure anything.
Yet afterward, she even dared send assassins after him.
Still…
Jiang Yunshu couldn’t help wondering.
What had the dog emperor been doing at Fenghua Palace in the middle of the night?
Everything had been so chaotic yesterday that she hadn’t dared look too closely.
She was curious.
But only for a second.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Why should she concern herself with that?
After everyone had left the Central Palace, the Empress finally allowed herself a faint smile.
“Has everything been arranged on Consort De’s side?”
Her maid lowered her head respectfully.
“Reporting to Your Highness, everything has been prepared. But… aren’t you afraid of provoking His Majesty?”
“His Majesty?”
The Empress let out a bleak laugh.
“Do you think I’m afraid of angering him? Even if I killed his beloved Noble Consort, he wouldn’t dare do anything to me!”
Her maid, Shuiyue, looked at her with aching eyes.
“Princess… why continue suffering like this? If only you were willing to bow your head to His Majesty, perhaps he would show you mercy.”
“Shuiyue.”
The Empress laughed bitterly.
“He slaughtered my entire family and left only me alive. Do you really think he loves me?”
“Hahaha…”
“The whole world believes he loves me.”
“But none of them know that after three years as Empress, I am still untouched.”
“His so-called ‘favor’ has never been anything but the lash.”
“He intends to torture me until I die.”
Only then would he be satisfied.
Her smile was filled with sorrow and unshakable resolve.
Once…
She had come here carrying sincere affection for him.
But he had trampled that love beneath his feet, crushing it bit by bit.
Then he nailed her to a cross of humiliation, forcing her to endure endless disgrace.
She hated him.
As long as she still had even a single breath left in her body, she would never compromise again.
She would fight him until the day she died.
People always say that spectators enjoy the show the most.
Jiang Yunshu quietly watched all the drama unfold.
Since the Empress had already taken revenge on Noble Consort Wan, surely Consort De would be next.
She couldn’t help looking forward to how the Empress planned to retaliate.
So on her way back, she deliberately took a detour toward Consort De’s Palace of Virtuous Peace.
To get there, she had to pass through the Imperial Garden.
Humming a little tune, Jiang Yunshu strolled leisurely while admiring the scenery.
It was the season when the king of flowers—the peony—was in full bloom.
The other concubines had all returned to their palaces early to escape the sun.
Having the garden all to herself felt wonderful.
She gently stroked a peony’s soft petals.
The silky texture was simply exquisite.
Looking at the magnificent blossoms, she couldn’t help thinking of the Empress again and sighing with regret.
She never noticed that someone had silently approached behind her.
Erya did notice.
But Wang An immediately motioned for silence, and she quietly withdrew.
Chu Yi narrowed his eyes as he watched Jiang Yunshu standing lost in thought before the flowers.
His gaze lingered on her slender, snow-white neck.
Her neck was graceful and perfectly proportioned.
Before he realized it, he reached out and wrapped his hand around it…
Still immersed in thoughts of the Empress, Jiang Yunshu suddenly felt someone seize her neck as if trying to strangle her.
Startled, she instinctively swung her hand and slapped at her attacker.
Even though Chu Yi possessed exceptional martial skills…
He had become so absorbed in admiring her neck that he failed to dodge in time.
Her fingertips brushed across his cheek.
Seeing Chu Yi’s devastatingly handsome face, then looking at her own trembling hand—
Thud!
Jiang Yunshu dropped to her knees.
“Your Majesty, spare my life! I didn’t know it was you… Your Majesty, please spare me!”