Free Web NovelChapter 116: Chapter 58: The Emperor Just Can’t Stand to See Me Doing Well
"I’ve also heard a little about An Fangyi’s situation."
"She lost favor back then for talking back to His Majesty, and later she was at odds with Consort Shu and the others. That’s how it is in the palace—one wrong step and you lose at every turn." Han Jinyi shook her head. "I heard she has a terrible temper. I was even worried she’d give me trouble yesterday, but I didn’t end up seeing her at all."
Song Yunzhao replied, "It’s good that she didn’t cause you any trouble. An Fangyi is a fallen tiger now, and she knows your family’s standing, so she wouldn’t pick a fight with you so easily."
’In the book, this An Fangyi was a true tiger of a woman—stubborn, hot-tempered, and unwilling to bow her head. But in the later parts of the story, she joins forces with Qin Xiyue to take down Consort Shu, so she’s not to be underestimated.’
"That makes sense." Han Jinyi sighed. "I just feel so on edge living with her. I really have the worst luck."
With her current status, Song Yunzhao couldn’t do anything about the situation. "Just wait for now," she said. "You can try to move to a different palace when you get the chance."
Han Jinyi nodded, then looked at Yun Zhao and said in a low voice, "Last night, Consort Shu was feeling unwell, so His Majesty went to visit her. I heard he left right after dinner."
Song Yunzhao chuckled at this, looked at Han Jinyi, and said, "What a waste of Lady Shufei’s indisposition."
Han Jinyi couldn’t help but laugh. "Isn’t it, though?"
As the two were talking, Xiangxue rushed in. "My Lady, I heard that Consort Zhuang punished Beauty Zhen! She’s kneeling in the West Garden as we speak."
Song Yunzhao and Han Jinyi were both taken aback.
"Why was she punished?" Song Yunzhao asked.
"I heard that Beauty Zhen was admiring flowers in the Imperial Garden with Chen Guoji and Dong Guiren and accidentally offended Consort Zhuang."
’The word "offended" is such a versatile excuse,’ Song Yunzhao thought. She looked at Han Jinyi and asked, "Want to go take a look?"
’It’d be a crime to miss out on such good drama.’
"Let’s go." Han Jinyi immediately got to her feet.
The two of them rose and headed out. Song Yunzhao was determined to watch the commotion unfold because this event also happened in the book: Qin Xiyue would speak out righteously for Beauty Zhen, confronting Consort Zhuang, and this noble display would win her the Emperor’s praise.
’It wasn’t that she wanted to steal the protagonist’s thunder. She just wanted to witness a scene from the book play out in person. Besides, there was something fishy about this whole affair. Consort Zhuang’s established persona was that of a virtuous and empathetic woman. How could someone with her disposition punish another so impulsively?’
’She had a feeling there might be a hidden subplot.’
’When you’re reading a novel, all that matters is that the plot is exhilarating; you don’t really question the logic. A lot of things don’t hold up under scrutiny.’
’Now that she was part of the harem, she had to root out any potential threats for the sake of her own future and safety.’ fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Song Yunzhao’s Wangyou Palace was diagonally opposite the West Garden where Consort Zhuang was punishing Beauty Zhen, a journey that spanned nearly half the harem. By the time they arrived, the West Garden was already bustling with people.
It was early summer, and the Imperial Garden was a riot of blooming flowers. When the various beauties stood among them, people and petals enhanced one another’s splendor, making for a truly stunning sight.
"My Lady..." Xiangxue’s gaze pulled back from Beauty Zhen, who was kneeling in the distance. The sun was scorching, and in just a short time, Beauty Zhen’s face was already flushed red, her skin glistening with sweat.
Song Yunzhao also withdrew her gaze from Beauty Zhen. Her eyes discreetly swept over the crowd around her, pausing for a moment on Qin Xiyue before she slowly said, "Looks like this has caused quite a stir."
Han Jinyi’s palace maid, Ying Chun, had already gone to gather information. She pulled Song Yunzhao to an inconspicuous spot to the side. "Let’s just watch for now. It seems Consort Zhuang isn’t here."
’Consort Zhuang held herself in high regard; why would she stay here and let people gawk at her like she was some kind of street performer?’
At that moment, the stabbing pain in her knees snapped Beauty Zhen to her senses. This was the harem, not her family home. She was a mere Beauty; anyone in the harem with a higher rank could crush her underfoot.
The stabbing pain in her knees intensified her regret over her earlier rashness. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain. ’I’ll remember what happened today.’
"Greetings, An Fangyi."
When Beauty Zhen saw a palace maid next to her bow in greeting, she didn’t immediately know who An Fangyi was. But just by hearing the rank of Fangyi, she knew this person was above her. She gritted her teeth, took a sharp breath, and then lowered her head and said, "This concubine greets An Fangyi."
"To be punished on your very first day in the palace... Truly an eye-opening experience."
Beauty Zhen’s expression darkened at these words, but she didn’t dare to retort. She could only hang her head in silence.
To the side, Qin Xiyue’s brow furrowed slightly. However, her rank was lower than An Fangyi’s, so it would be inappropriate for her to interject. She pursed her lips, forcing down her annoyance, and looked at Beauty Zhen with a frown.
