Chapter 9: Sent to the Cold Palace?

In Jingxi Palace.

Concubine Shu was in a good mood. The Emperor had actually favored a noble consort from a Duke’s family, the two consorts must be furious.

This was going to be a good show.

Empress Zhuang equally disliked all the concubines, and was prepared to give Ning the Noble Consort a good scolding when she arrived.

She had no memory of Ning the Noble Consort…

She didn’t even remember what she looked like.

But everyone waited for a long time, and the main character never appeared.

Until Lianrui arrived late to report:

“My mistress is unwell and cannot greet the Empress Dowager. This servant has come to ask for leave.”

The entire palace was silent.

“What?” Concubine Shu couldn’t believe it. This little noble consort was too audacious.

Empress Zhuang also widened her eyes. Even she dared not offend the Empress Dowager, how dare this little noble consort!

The entire Jingxi Palace was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Concubine Xue immediately looked at Concubine Cen, wondering if the Cen family was behind this, deliberately trying to humiliate their Xue family?

But seeing Concubine Cen’s face also filled with surprise, she immediately felt a sense of annoyance towards Ning the Noble Consort.

Without the Cen family’s support, this little noble consort, a mere nobody, was seeking her own death, and she was also causing her Xue family to lose face.

What a fool.

Concubine Shu suppressed her shock and said, “It’s getting late, we should go to greet the Empress Dowager. Ning the Noble Consort is unwell, I will explain to the Empress Dowager. You go back and take good care of your mistress.”

She didn’t punish Ning Wanyin.

It was the Empress Dowager’s face that was being slapped, why should she be in a hurry?

Lianrui seemed not to understand the expressions of everyone, bowed and retreated.

Concubine Shu, in a good mood, led a group of concubines with various expressions to Cining Palace.

Everyone arrived at Cining Palace.

Concubine Shu led the group of concubines to greet the Empress Dowager.

Empress Dowager Xue glanced at the group of concubines and, using the same trick, asked, “Which one is Ning the Noble Consort, come forward and let this old woman have a look.”

The atmosphere became quiet.

Concubine Shu stepped forward and replied, “Ning the Noble Consort said she is unwell, so she won’t come to greet you…”

The entire palace was silent.

All the eunuchs and maids in Cining Palace were dumbfounded.

Not to mention the person involved, Empress Dowager Xue, she was stunned for a moment before she reacted and became furious!

Dare to not greet her, this was a blatant slap in her face!

In front of the entire palace, she didn’t put her, the Empress Dowager, in her eyes.

If she didn’t punish her severely, wouldn’t all the concubines think that she, Empress Dowager Xue, and the Xue family were kind and easy to bully?

“This old woman has never seen such a rude woman!” Empress Dowager Xue’s face was gloomy.

Concubine Xue stepped forward and continued, “Aunt, Ning the Noble Consort is disrespectful to the Empress Dowager, her rank should be revoked, and she should be banished to the Cold Palace.”

“Concubine Shu, go and send her to the Cold Palace.” Empress Dowager Xue coldly ordered.

Concubine Shu glanced at Concubine Cen, seeing that she was noncommittal, she respectfully accepted the order.

Although the Cen family was opposed to the Xue family, they had an unspoken agreement, which was to eliminate the third party together.

…

Concubine Shu led the eunuchs to surround Lingxue Pavilion.

The eunuchs and maids who were serving were all stunned.

“Miss—” Lianrui looked at Ning Wanyin in panic. Although the miss told her to do something, she would do it without question…

But she was also very uneasy about not greeting the Empress Dowager.

“Don’t worry, help me up and go to greet Concubine Shu.” Ning Wanyin had just been napping for a while, she wasn’t feeling well, and her expression was languid.

Danli, who was beside her, was about to die of anxiety. Now was the time to greet Concubine Shu, but…

“Are you talking about greeting the Empress Dowager? You’re about to be sent to the Cold Palace!”

“I don’t know if the Empress Dowager is merciful, whether she will punish those of us who serve her.”

The morning light streamed in, illuminating Lingxue Pavilion, the windows sparkling clean.

A woman in a light pink dress, her long black hair loosely tied, walked out with the support of a maid.

She wore no makeup, her eyes filled with weariness, but you could still see that she was a beautiful woman.

Concubine Shu glanced at Ning Wanyin, thinking to herself, she is indeed a beauty, but the palace is never short of beauties, and countless beauties have been buried.

“This concubine greets Concubine Shu, it’s a great honor that you came to visit this concubine in person—” Ning Wanyin smiled sweetly.

Concubine Shu didn’t bother to waste words on this fool, and said directly, “The Empress Dowager has decreed that you are disrespectful to her, so you are to be sent to the Cold Palace to reflect!”

Ning Wanyin looked surprised, “Concubine Shu, what are you saying? This concubine has always respected the Empress Dowager.”

“You are arrogant and rude, you didn’t greet the Empress Dowager, that’s a great disrespect!” The head eunuch from Cining Palace, who was accompanying them, angrily accused.

Ning Wanyin looked wronged, “This concubine is unwell, I am not being rude or arrogant. Besides, His Majesty exempted this concubine from greeting the Empress Dowager… Could it be that this concubine shouldn’t listen to His Majesty’s words? Is that what Concubine Shu means?”

Concubine Shu choked, this was really using the Emperor’s casual words as a shield…

She didn’t know whether to call her arrogant or foolish.

She wouldn’t take the bait, “This concubine has no such intention, I am only acting according to the Empress Dowager’s orders.”

Just then, a hurried sound of footsteps came from outside. Wang Degui, with a group of eunuchs, rushed over, seeing the scene before him, he quickly bowed and said:

“This servant greets Concubine Shu and Ning the Noble Consort! It’s all because this servant is incompetent, he didn’t manage to get to Cining Palace early to convey His Majesty’s decree to the Empress Dowager. His Majesty has a decree, Ning the Noble Consort has worked hard serving him, so he specially allowed her to be exempt from greeting the Empress Dowager today, please be lenient, Empress Dowager.”

He looked at Concubine Shu with a face full of apology, “It’s a bother that Concubine Shu came all this way, Ning the Noble Consort has no intention of being disrespectful, she is only following the Emperor’s decree. It’s all because this servant was slow, he didn’t manage to get to Cining Palace in time to explain the situation to the Empress Dowager, causing this misunderstanding.”

The truth was…

The Emperor heard that Cining Palace had sent people to arrest Ning Wanyin, so he had him convey the decree to the Empress Dowager.

As a servant, how could he say that it was the Emperor’s negligence, that he didn’t inform Cining Palace in time, so he could only say that he was too slow…

Wang Degui thought to himself, the Emperor didn’t seem to be negligent, it was as if he was deliberately waiting for the Empress Dowager to make a scene, then personally slap her face.

Concubine Shu’s casual expression became more serious after seeing Wang Degui.

So, this was the Emperor’s intention.

She knew that the Emperor was at odds with the two dukes.

The year the Emperor ascended the throne, he had hinted to her to distance herself from the Cen family. After all, her family was only related to the Cen family by marriage, they weren’t surnamed Cen and bound together.

She had a son and power, she was the most suitable person in the palace to suppress the Xue and Cen families.

But Concubine Shu pretended to be stupid and didn’t understand.

Her position was stable, why should she take such a risk and become the target of hatred?

Smart people always like to hide behind the scenes, watching others fight and benefit from it, they wouldn’t put themselves in the spotlight.

This Ning the Noble Consort, it seemed, was the target the Emperor had set up.

Concubine Shu couldn’t help but look at Ning Wanyin, she had almost misjudged her, thinking she was a fool.

It turned out that everything was coordinated with the Emperor.

However, not everyone could be a pawn.

One wrong move, and you’d be dead.

She had the guts to be a target, but she also had to have the brains to survive.

Concubine Shu naturally wouldn’t interfere in the Emperor’s and the Empress Dowager’s battle, she looked at Ning Wanyin as if she were looking at a dead person, and smiled at Wang Degui:

“You’re exaggerating, Eunuch. Since His Majesty has a decree, then this concubine will go back and report to the Empress Dowager.”

Concubine Shu’s expression remained unchanged as she turned and boarded her palanquin. The head eunuch from Cining Palace, however, looked resentful, and glared at Ning Wanyin fiercely.

After bowing to Ning Wanyin, Wang Degui also followed her to Cining Palace.