dmims Chapter 162 A Reprimand
Chapter 162 A Reprimand
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to say hello."
Her gaze swept over the crowd. "Whatever you want to do, whether it's to harm others or you have some ambition or aspiration, I don't care. These past few days, I've only been temporarily managing palace affairs. I only ask that the palace remain peaceful and quiet, and that you don't cause me any trouble."
So everyone should behave themselves. After this period, you can all use your abilities, and I won't stop you. If we meet, I'll chat with you for a bit, and I hope you'll all remember it.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will heed your teachings!"
Shen Shixi left after she finished speaking.
Xu Murong seemed to be deep in thought, while Su Fuying felt very uncomfortable. They had entered the palace together, but now she was a second-rank concubine, while she was just a lowly concubine.
It's like going to kindergarten together, but after only two years, you've just entered elementary school while your friend, being a genius, has been selected for the national gifted youth program.
It is beyond our reach.
Who could bear such a huge difference?
"What does Consort Chen mean by this? Is she warning us? What have we done that she would say such a thing?" Su Fuying was so angry that her face turned green.
Wang Yuehuai, supported by a palace maid, looked extremely pale. "It's nothing, just a warning to prevent us from making mistakes."
Xu Murong laughed and said, "Yes, let's go back. It's getting windy and chilly."
These were just a few people who happened to come together. After receiving this warning, and seeing that the other party had some ill intentions, why didn't they quickly separate?
Therefore, everyone went their own way when they returned.
Madam Yuan couldn't help but ask Madam Guo, "Sister, who do you think Consort Chen was talking to?"
"It's probably one of those three new concubines. Let whoever she's talking to, we can just listen. Be careful in everything you do. If she doesn't cause trouble these days, she won't be able to get here," said Madam Guo.
"That's right, quite a few people have died at her hands. The earliest ones, Chen and Jiang, only had a brief encounter with her before they were gone. Jiang's grave should be overgrown with weeds by now."
Then there were the two Song families, but they didn't do anything to her, and they themselves disappeared without a trace. As for Xu, she was the birth mother of the second prince and was once a second-rank imperial concubine, yet she died and wasn't even buried in the imperial concubine's mausoleum." Yuan sighed with emotion.
"It's not Xu's fault, she did it herself," Guo said.
"If she hadn't always been targeting Consort Chen, the Emperor might not have bothered investigating her. Don't you know our Emperor? He's always been too lazy to care. Who would have thought she'd enter the palace and become one of the Emperor's women?" said Madam Yuan.
Guo was unwilling to say more, saying, "It's enough for the two of us to just behave ourselves."
Wang Yuehuai finally returned to her residence, Jingxue Pavilion, and was extremely flustered. "Guiqiu, do you think Consort Chen knows something?"
Yuan Zhaoyue was brought down by her fake pregnancy and has been moved to the Cold Palace. Although she is still a concubine, she is living in the Cold Palace. How could the Imperial Household Department possibly continue to provide her with regular supplies?
She could only rely on Wang Yuehuai to help her survive.
Yuan Zhaoyue also wanted to clear her name. She hadn't faked her pregnancy to gain favor; she had been framed. She even asked Wang Yuehuai for help. Wang Yuehuai was also afraid that one day the truth would come out, and then she would be the one living in the cold palace.
Only the dead don't cause trouble.
She sent charcoal to Yuan Zhaoyue twice, and added something to the charcoal each time.
To ensure that the charcoal is used up at once and that no one can detect anything, the amount delivered each time is small.
Shen Shixi knew, of course she did. The Cold Palace was the easiest place for trouble to happen. How could she not know that?
Yuan Zhaoyue was a concubine and originally had a charcoal supply. Now that she was in charge, she forbade the Imperial Household Department from cutting off the charcoal supply for the people in the Cold Palace. During the Spring Festival, even if someone died in the Cold Palace, it would be considered an unlucky thing.
Yuan Zhaoyue knew that someone was up to no good when someone splashed water on her charcoal, rendering it unusable.
It really was Wang Yuehuai.
So there's something fishy about Yuan Zhaoyue's fake pregnancy.
Shen Shixi was able to find out anything he investigated. Sure enough, Chao Yu found out that Wang Yuehuai and Pan Baolin had a close relationship, and that the whole palace had basically discovered that Consort De had been framed by Pan Baolin.
Pan Baolin also conveniently pinned the blame for Yuan Zhaoyue's fake pregnancy to win favor on Consort De.
The purpose is to add another layer of leverage.
To everyone's surprise, the Emperor did not punish Consort De, but instead demoted Yuan Zhaoyue and banished her to the Cold Palace.
Shouldn't Consort De be punished?
Consort De was unharmed.
This is where Pan Baolin's folly lay.
Not to mention that the emperor would not easily punish a high-ranking concubine who had raised three children for him, could he not see that Yuan Zhaoyue had been framed?
However, the imperial heir is a matter of national importance, the most core, sensitive, and inviolable issue of imperial power. A false pregnancy is tantamount to slapping the emperor hard in the face.
Even if he knew that Yuan Zhaoyue was being framed, what did it have to do with him?
Although he is the emperor, no one should expect him to stand up for you and uphold justice when you encounter bullying, injustice, or unfair treatment.
Today, Shen Shixi was clearly targeting Wang Yuehuai, while also giving a warning to the other concubines.
Regardless of whether it was targeted at her or not, Wang Yuehuai had no choice but to back down for the time being.
Shen Shixi doesn't care how many people die in the harem, as long as they don't cause her trouble.
When Shen Shixi strolled into the persimmon orchard, she stared blankly at the persimmons on the branches, which were frozen into ice lumps and looked like large pieces of icy red amber.
There was noise coming from inside; it sounded like faint crying and shouting.
Shen Shixi frowned and told Lan Ying to go in and take a look.
After a while, two people followed her out. They were Princess Yi'an and Princess Xian'an, Li Yuanke's half-sisters.
Princess Yi'an still had tears on her face, her skirt was wet, and she was shivering from the cold because of her thin clothes.
In contrast, Princess Xian'an, wearing a large fur cloak, suppressed her arrogance and came over to greet Shen Shixi with a fawning expression.
"Greetings to Consort Chen!"
"You are princesses, there's no need for such a curtsy to me." Shen Shixi offered a gesture of support, already knowing the situation, but still smiled and asked, "What's going on? Did the two sisters quarrel over sharing the fruit?"
Yi'an lowered her head and remained silent, while Xian'an smiled charmingly, "Your Highness Consort Chen approved it right away, but it's not about sharing fruit. I saw that Yi'an was dressed so thinly and ran out into the snow, so I was afraid she would get cold and said a few words to her."
"Really? You're such a good older sister."
Shen Shixi didn't say much, but told Lan Ying, "Go to the Imperial Household Department and tell them to prepare more winter clothes for Princess Yi'an and send them over properly. Also, go to her palace and see what's going on. The princess is wearing so little and running out. It's no joke if she catches a cold."
She said to Yi'an, "Go back and change your clothes. There's not enough charcoal. Tell Lanying."
Yi'an is the daughter of the late Consort Yin, so Shen Shixi couldn't possibly treat her well. He wiped her out, making them natural enemies.
But this girl is only twelve years old; it's not worth watching her freeze to death.
Just as Shen Shixi was about to leave, Princess Xian'an caught up with her, "Your Highness Consort Chen, may I come to your palace to play?"
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "No, Princess, my palace does not usually welcome anyone other than the Emperor."
Finished talking and left.
Further ahead is the plum garden, with its beautiful red plum blossoms amidst the snow.
Shen Shixi went inside and browsed around, picked out a few pretty plum branches, cut them off and took them back to put in a vase. When she came out, she saw Li Yuanke coming over with his men.
Shen Shixi stood still, smiling as she watched the emperor approach her.
(There will be an extra chapter in the next chapter; I've saved up all the drafts for you!)