Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“Replying to Your Majesty, aside from Attendant Fang having a bit of cleverness, Attendant Xi and Attendant Kang are as timid as mice.”

Jian Qiu shared what she knew. “They’re useless. This servant thinks Attendant Fang is worth trying. And she lives in Sui Yu Pavilion with Noble Lady Wan.

Perhaps Your Majesty may even receive a pleasant surprise.”

“That’s a good idea.” The Empress nodded. “Later, have the people around Attendant Fang guide her properly.” “Yes, this servant will remember.”

… Yong Shou Palace. “One-Zhang Red, huh!” Li Si Qi only found out this news at the very end. Noble Consort Hua had stayed in Yong Shou Palace for half the day.

Even if the people around Li Si Qi heard about it, they didn’t dare mention it in front of Noble Consort Hua. Now that she finally had time to chat with Xiao Hu Zi, she said, “I thought this iconic scene would disappear. I saved Xia Dong Chun, but I didn’t expect Yu Ying’er to crash right into it. Noble Consort Hua’s famous moment really won’t disappear.”

“Yu Ying’er never had much of a brain,” Xiao Hu Zi replied. “She finally clawed her way up to Attendant, and now she caused a disaster with that broken mouth. This ending is completely self-inflicted. After His Majesty heard about it, he didn’t even care.”

“That dog of an emperor was always a dog,” Li Si Qi sneered. “In his eyes, Yu Ying’er was just a plaything, something to amuse him. She doesn’t matter at all. Besides, Yu Ying’er really did it to herself. Whether it’s my dragon-phoenix twins or Noble Consort Hua, in the emperor’s heart they’re far more important than a toy like her. Not to mention, the first person Yu Ying’er provoked was his favorite doll, Zhen Huan. Of course he won’t care whether she lives or dies.”

“Heh heh, His Majesty doesn’t care, but the Empress cares a lot.” “Oh?” Li Si Qi raised an eyebrow. “What ghost scheme is the Empress cooking up now?”

“Master, after the Empress heard about it…” Xiao Hu Zi shared what he knew. “Looks like she’s preparing to stir up trouble again.”

“When is she not stirring up trouble?” Li Si Qi laughed coldly. “If it weren’t for me locking her in Jing Ren Palace for months for the twins’ safety, do you think she’d be willing to behave? She just didn’t have the energy to keep causing trouble.”

“That’s true,” Xiao Hu Zi said, then asked, “Master, should we make a move?”

“Make what move?” Li Si Qi rolled her eyes. “Just protect the dragon-phoenix twins for me. Everyone in Yong Shou Palace has taken the Puppet Pill. I don’t care who’s backing them. Once they’re in Yong Shou Palace, they can only be loyal to me.”

“Don’t worry, Master. They all took it.”

Xiao Hu Zi smiled. “If Master didn’t have the Puppet Pill, Yong Shou Palace would be a sieve. Only two or three have fairly clean backgrounds. The rest all have someone behind them.

The Empress and the Empress Dowager each have six or seven people here. They practically treat Yong Shou Palace like their own territory.”

“That’s normal.”

Li Si Qi didn’t get angry at all. She even smiled. “In that mother-in-law and daughter-in-law’s eyes, the harem is their territory, so of course they think they can do whatever they want. Besides, one of them wants to seize the dragon-phoenix twins, and one of them wants the dragon-phoenix twins dead.

Of course they’ll think up every way to stuff people into Yong Shou Palace. The more they send in, the easier it is for them to make a move. To them, that’s ‘normal arrangements.’”… The next day. Zhu Xi personally went to the Imperial Study.

In the afternoon. The Emperor appeared in Kang Shou Palace.

“Your son greets Imperial Mother.” “The Emperor may rise. Sit.” The Empress Dowager’s attitude was decent today.

She didn’t smile, but her tone was much gentler than before. “Thank you, Imperial Mother.” The Emperor rose and sat to the side. He lifted his eyes to look at her, then said, “Imperial Mother looks better.

Now I’m at ease.” “What could possibly be wrong with me?” The Empress Dowager’s expression cooled again. “The Emperor is busy with state affairs, but you can’t neglect the harem either.

Recently, Noble Consort Hua has been acting out again. In a moment, you will go to Jing Ren Palace. The Emperor must still give the Empress some face. You can’t just watch the inner palace fall into chaos.

With the Empress managing the harem, the high-ranking consorts won’t dare act however they please, cruel and reckless.”

“I understand what Imperial Mother means.” The Emperor nodded. “I’ll go to Jing Ren Palace afterward.” “You’ll go in a moment.”

The Empress Dowager didn’t give him a chance to refuse. “The Empress has been ill for months. Now that she’s well, the Emperor should give her some respect. We can’t have consorts daring to disrespect the Empress again!”

“As long as the Empress behaves, I will naturally grant her honor. But if she-” “Emperor, let the past be the past.”

The Empress Dowager frowned and cut him off, her tone turning firm. “You’re not unaware of the grudge between the Empress and Noble Consort Hua. If you ask me, they were both at fault. You’ve already compensated her with the rank of Noble Consort, so don’t keep counting old debts.

For the harem’s stability, the Emperor should stop indulging Noble Consort Hua’s nonsense. If a consort acts so brutally and viciously, where will the Emperor’s dignity and the imperial family’s reputation go?”

“Noble Consort Hua does have a harsh temper.” The Emperor couldn’t help offering a small defense. “In this matter, Attendant Yu spoke out of turn first. She deserved punishment.”

“Emperor, you just keep protecting her!”

The Empress Dowager grew even more displeased. “She’s like a child who never grows up, spoiled beyond measure. Emperor, it’s not appropriate to give the dragon-phoenix twins to Noble Consort Hua to raise. In my view, they should be given to the Empress-” “Imperial Mother, don’t say any more.”

This time, the Emperor cut her off. “The Empress has never told me she wants to raise the children. Her body isn’t strong either, and she often suffers those wind headaches. Sixth Prince and Princess Wen Ning will be raised jointly by Noble Consort Hua and Consort Xin.”

“If the Emperor won’t agree, then forget it.” The Empress Dowager was angry and helpless, but she didn’t show it on her face. Instead, with other plans in mind, she patiently chatted with the Emperor about this and that. Several times the Emperor wanted to leave, but she kept him there.

Only when the sky grew late did the Empress Dowager finally let him go. “I prepared a pot of wine for the two of you as husband and wife. Go drink a cup with the Empress. Let the past be the past.

Nothing can happen in the palace again.”

“Yes. Your son will follow Imperial Mother’s instructions.” For once, he felt the faintest trace of motherly warmth from her. The Emperor was willing to indulge her little thoughts.

In the end, it was all for the harem’s peace. So the Emperor decided to go to Jing Ren Palace…. No need to mention how happily the Empress received the Emperor’s arrival. Xiao Hu Zi was already shouting excitedly inside Li Si Qi’s mind, “Master, it’s here, the chance is here!”

“What chance?” Li Si Qi didn’t know what he meant. “What happened in the harem again?”

“The Empress Dowager told the Emperor to go to Jing Ren Palace,” Xiao Hu Zi explained excitedly. “And she even gave the Emperor and the Empress a pot of Affection-Warming Wine to drink together. Hahaha… Master, isn’t that a perfect chance?”

“Not bad. It really is a perfect chance.”

Li Si Qi nodded. “I knew the Empress Dowager would make a move. I didn’t expect her to move this fast. She actually personally bestowed Affection-Warming Wine for the Emperor and the Empress to drink together.

Looks like she wants to use this to dissolve the distance between them. I just don’t know if it’ll backfire.”

“Master, should we make a move?” “Give the Empress the Girl-Conception Pill.” Li Si Qi asked again, “If I remember right, you have a defective batch of the Girl-Conception Pill. Let the Empress take the defective one.”

“Defective?” Xiao Hu Zi couldn’t help saying, “Master, if it’s defective, it’s very likely something goes wrong. In a few months, it could naturally miscarry, or the fetus could be deformed…”