Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

She really dared to say it! She really had no scruples. She really told it like it was. After a long moment, the Emperor finally came back to his senses.

He looked at the innocent, completely unconcerned woman before him, and his feelings turned complicated. Of course, he knew there were no truly pure souls in the inner palace. In his mind, the person in front of him was sweet and blunt, but she also had her own ways to stay alive and protect her child. He had never believed the women in his harem were simple.

Anyone who could stand firm here had at least a few tricks. Concubine Wan was the same. He knew Concubine Li had bullied Concubine Wan. If Concubine Wan struck back, he did not think she was wrong.

But… He knew Concubine Wan had gone too far. She had dragged in far too many innocent people. That was something he would not allow. Li Si Qi waved her hand in front of him a few times.

“Your Majesty, are you angry? You were the one who told me to speak honestly. You’re not allowed to have a problem with me.”

“No.” The Emperor came back to himself and raised an eyebrow slightly. “I remember you and Concubine Wan haven’t had any conflict. Why do you seem to dislike her?”

Li Si Qi admitted it openly. “Yeah. What she’s done really makes it hard for me to like her.”

“Tell me.”

“Your Majesty really wants to hear it?”

“I do. Say it however you want.”

“Alright, then.” Li Si Qi nodded. “I’ll just mention a few things casually.”

“First, when we first entered the palace, the new girls went to Jing Ren Palace to pay respects to the Empress. Concubine Wan, as a First Attendant, stood in front of two Manchu and Mongol Noble Ladies. Your Majesty has heard about that, right?”

“I have,” the Emperor replied. “I did hear about it.”

“And what did Your Majesty think about it?” Li Si Qi smiled. “Did you think it was nothing? Just a small matter?”

“Concubine Wan had just entered the palace and moved into the main hall of Sui Yu Pavilion. With the rank of First Attendant, it was only natural for her to live in the main hall. Your Majesty, you also know Concubine Wan is a smart person. Before entering the palace, she was taught by a guiding matron. Even someone as stupid as me knew these rules. She had no reason not to know them.”

“Then why did Concubine Wan act like it was only natural to do something like that? This is what I mean when I say she’s proud, arrogant, and full of herself. She thought she was better than the other new concubines, so of course she didn’t take the other new girls with status seriously.”

“Noble Consort Hua only punished her because she made a mistake. Of course, I’m not denying Noble Consort Hua was jealous too.”

At that, Li Si Qi deliberately stared at the Emperor. Under her gaze, his expression turned a little stiff. He flicked the beads in his hand. “Noble Consort is just like that.

Everyone knows it.”

“Whoever gets Your Majesty’s favor, Noble Consort picks on them. Everyone knows that too.” Li Si Qi rolled her eyes and went on. “Back when the new concubines entered the palace, Noble Consort was jealous and envious of the pretty newcomers. Concubine Wan made that mistake, so of course Noble Consort wouldn’t let her off.”

“Concubine Wan has always resented Noble Consort for bullying her. But she was the one who was wrong first. Concubine Wan never thinks she did anything wrong. It’s always someone else’s fault.”

“That includes her feud with Concubine Li. When Concubine Wan first clashed with Concubine Li, she was only a First Attendant and a Noble Lady. Everyone knows low-ranking concubines should respect those above them. But when it comes to this Concubine Wan, I’ve never once seen her respect higher-ranked concubines.”

“Right or wrong, her personality is the same – she fights to the end. She never lowers her head or backs down. Your Majesty, think about it carefully. Isn’t she exactly like that?”

The Emperor fell silent. The beads in his hand still swung, showing he was clearly recalling the past three years.

“That is true,” the Emperor had to admit. “Concubine Wan really is proud and arrogant.”

“With those words from Your Majesty, I can finally relax.” Li Si Qi smiled sweetly. “Then I’ll talk about this time.”

“There’s only one truth. Concubine Wan wanted revenge. She wanted to teach Concubine Li a lesson, so she set up that whole ‘ghost’ scheme. She used her favorite little sister, First Attendant Fang.”

“Everyone in the palace knows she treats First Attendant Fang like a real little sister. Your Majesty has seen how close those two sisters are, right? Haven’t you even said that Concubine Wan is kind and takes care of the people around her?”

“But when it came to drugging First Attendant Fang, she didn’t go easy at all. Your Majesty, don’t you find that ironic?” The Emperor knitted his brows and said nothing.

Li Si Qi did not mind and continued. “In this whole matter, the one I feel most sorry for is Princess Wen Yi. She’s only three or four years old. She was woken up in the middle of the night, and then there were screams everywhere, throwing all of Qi Xiang Palace into chaos.”

“Forget a child – even an adult couldn’t take that kind of fright. Your Majesty, when your Concubine Wan moves, she really has no scruples at all.”

“That’s why I say Concubine Wan is vicious. For the sake of revenge, she doesn’t care about anyone’s life or death. She doesn’t care how many innocent people she drags into it. To her, nothing matters more than getting her revenge.”

“In fact, in her feud with Concubine Li, Concubine Wan must have been wrong too. But of course I know Concubine Wan would never think she was wrong. She only remembers how much she suffered…”

“Your Majesty, isn’t that right?”

The Emperor looked over, studying the delicate little face before him, and then he smiled. “I always thought you were a fool. Now I’m realizing I may have misjudged you.”

“Your Majesty, I’ve always been like this, alright?” Li Si Qi put on a sulky look. “It’s clearly because Your Majesty underestimated people. Besides, if I were really stupid, would you have handed the children to me to raise?”

“What you said just now really surprised me,” the Emperor said with a smile. Then he asked, “Do you know why Concubine Wan would lay hands on the Empress?”

“Your Majesty, you should go ask Concubine Wan, alright?” Li Si Qi was both annoyed and amused. “I’m not a deity. How could I possibly know what she’s thinking? Usually, Concubine Wan also shows the Empress a lot of respect. If you want the real reason, go ask Concubine Wan for the answer.”

“Mm.” The Emperor said nothing more. In truth, he did not even need to ask – he would know anyway.

Li Si Qi smiled at him. “Your Majesty, I said so much. You’re not angry, right?”

“Not angry.” She spoke clearly and with reason. Even if he wanted to be angry, he could not find an excuse.

Besides, the Emperor also knew she was telling the truth. In the past, he had not taken what Concubine Wan did to heart. Now that it had all been dragged out into the open, Concubine Wan truly was not as flawless as he had imagined. The Emperor’s feelings were complicated, and he truly had no intention of blaming the person in front of him.

“Good, as long as you’re not angry.” Li Si Qi beamed. “Your Majesty, shouldn’t you reward me? Only a dummy like me would dare say anything in front of you. If Concubine Wan finds out, she’ll hate me to the bone. To keep me from suffering too much, Your Majesty has to reward me properly.”

“Nonsense.” The Emperor was amused. “How would Concubine Wan possibly know? I promised you I wouldn’t tell her.”

“Paper can’t wrap fire. What’s been said will be found out sooner or later.” Li Si Qi huffed twice, then said, “Our Concubine Wan doesn’t even take Your Majesty’s brothers – those princes – seriously. What do I, Consort Xian, amount to? Sooner or later, she’ll step on me and grind me under her feet.”