Chapter 114: The Grand Drama of Harem Fighting
“That’s a given. Cultivation is really tough, but once your level gets high enough, all that hardship will pay off,” Qin Bei said, as he affectionately ruffled Qin Xuan’s chubby head.
“But brother, it seems like you haven’t worked hard at all, yet your cultivation is still advancing so quickly,” Qin Xuan remarked enviously.
“Ah… well… I’m an exception; I can cheat,” Qin Bei replied with a grin.
As the two continued their banter, they soon arrived at the residence of Empress Chen.
Meanwhile, in Empress Chen’s courtyard, a grand drama of palace intrigue was in full swing.
“Sister, since you’ve been promoted to concubine, you haven’t had time to see me. So today, I came to congratulate you in person!” Noble Consort Shu said cheerfully, grabbing Empress Chen’s hand.
“That’s entirely my fault; I shouldn’t have kept you waiting,” Empress Chen deftly withdrew her hand, not leaving a trace.
“Since you’re here, I should apologize on behalf of Xiaoxuan for injuring Prince Qin Ke. Kids will be kids; they get playful, and it’s just a little accident,” Empress Chen said as she got up and bowed respectfully.
“Oh~ It’s nothing. It’s normal for kids to play rough. Ke’er doesn’t have the strength; how can we blame Xiaoxuan? He was just being a little rough; it’s only a minor scrape, nothing serious,” Noble Consort Shu rushed to support Empress Chen, acting the part of the concerned sister.
“Oh~ I remember when you were just a commoner girl; now, look at you, you’re already an Empress, and you have two such admirable princes, Qin Bei and Qin Xuan.”
“Then I owe much thanks to you, sister. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to serve His Majesty in the palace,” Empress Chen said, continuing their cheerful conversation.
Ling Fei is a distant branch of Noble Consort Shu’s family. So distant, in fact, that she might as well be unrelated.
She used to live in a small town, and it wasn’t until a family reunion that Ling Fei came to the capital.
Upon her arrival, Noble Consort Shu’s family immediately took an interest in Ling Fei’s beauty.
With the help of Noble Consort Shu, they successfully brought Ling Fei into the palace, where she later bore two princes for Emperor Xia.
Of course, the family had their own agenda in sending Ling Fei to the palace.
They had repeatedly asked Ling Fei to assist Noble Consort Shu in gaining favor within the harem.
In the past few years, it was manageable; Ling Fei was grateful for her family’s assistance and had helped Noble Consort Shu quite a bit.
This allowed Noble Consort Shu to rise to the rank of Second-Rank Noble Consort in a short time, almost on par with the Imperial Concubine.
As for Ling Fei, despite having such an outstanding prince as Qin Xuan, she only managed to reach Fourth-Rank. It wasn’t until Qin Bei made his debut that she finally became Empress Chen, a Third-Rank position.
Logically speaking, in the harem, it’s about which mother has the favored child.
With Qin Bei and Qin Xuan, they certainly outshine Qin Xiu and Qin Ke.
Yet, Ling Fei’s rank still pales in comparison to that of Noble Consort Shu.
Of course, it also had to do with Noble Consort Shu having a powerful family backing her, while Empress Chen had little support.
Moreover, because she had offended quite a few people over the years, Empress Chen had grown more stable over the last decade.
She no longer wished to involve herself in the struggle for favor; if she did, it wouldn’t just be her suffering but would also drag Qin Bei and Qin Xuan into it.
“Then you should be thanking me. I happen to have a little request,” Noble Consort Shu said, sensing the right opportunity to speak.
Empress Chen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
But after all, it was Noble Consort Shu; she didn’t dare to outright refuse.
“What is it, sister? If it’s something like before, I really can’t help you, as I’m not looking to meddle in these power struggles anymore,” Empress Chen stated directly, trying to shut down Noble Consort Shu’s advances.
Noble Consort Shu merely chuckled softly.
“You misunderstand, sister. I’ve long been indifferent to the petty fights of those young girls back in the day.”
“Then what is it?” Empress Chen pressed.
“It’s this: Sister heard that Lord Ying wants to take Xiaoxuan as his disciple. You know, our Xiu’er has always greatly admired Lord Ying and has dreamed of being his disciple.”
After relaying this, Noble Consort Shu carefully observed Ling Fei’s expression. Noticing it remained relatively unchanged, she continued:
“Therefore, I’d like you to persuade Xiaoxuan to reject Lord Ying’s offer. It would be even better if you could recommend Xiu’er in his place.”
Empress Chen’s face showed no reaction.
Seeing this, Noble Consort Shu thought Ling Fei was still as clueless as before when it came to refusal.
No matter what she was asked, even if it seemed foolish, Ling Fei would still comply.
“If you don’t say no, I’ll just assume you agree,” Noble Consort Shu said with a smile.
She reached out to grab Ling Fei’s hand.
However, Ling Fei remained expressionless and replied, “You’ve misunderstood. I don’t mean to give my consent. Xiaoxuan will manage his own affairs. No matter what choice he makes in the end, I’ll support him. But I certainly won’t impose any constraints on him, so I can’t fulfill your request.”
There was no trace of emotion in Ling Fei’s tone; it was almost icy.
Most importantly, there was no mention of sisterly affection.
It was “you” and “me,” making it clear this obedient little girl had no intention of yielding this time.
This revelation snapped Noble Consort Shu back to reality; she understood that Ling Fei was going against her this time.
Fortunately, Noble Consort Shu was aware this issue would be tricky to handle; thus, she had a contingency plan.
“Sister, don’t be so quick to reject me. Why don’t you take a look at this first?”
With that, she pulled out an item, placing it in front of Ling Fei.
Ling Fei’s previously expressionless face now displayed a hint of anxiety.
“This is your father’s sachet; it’s said you gave it to him before entering the palace. He has carried it with him ever since.”
“He’s still in a small town by the border and refuses to come to the capital. I’ve sent people to persuade him many times, suggesting he be brought to the city to enjoy life. But he simply won’t budge. Sigh~ I suppose when people get old, they forget how to enjoy life; they just become stubborn. You know, you’re quite similar to him in that regard,” Noble Consort Shu stated, looking at Ling Fei with a slight smirk.
“What do you mean by that?”
Ling Fei appeared calm, but inside her, worry began to bubble.
She realized this was a threat from Noble Consort Shu.
“Sister, remember before you came to the palace, your father told you that in the palace, you must listen to your sister about everything. So, sister, think it over,” Empress Chen smiled.
Ling Fei felt a fire of anger within her, but she couldn’t express it.
All she could do was maintain a calm facade and say, “I’ve spent twenty years in the palace; I’ve long stopped involving myself in outside matters. All that’s on my mind now is His Majesty and Xiaobei and Xiaoxuan. As for my father…”
Ling Fei wanted to assertively say that her father has his own fortune.
But the words stuck in her throat, unable to come out.
Because once said, it would mean giving up on her father.
“My father is getting old, and today, I will petition His Majesty to send someone to bring my father to the capital for his retirement.”
“Is sister really insisting? I’m trying to negotiate here,” Noble Consort Shu frowned.
Was Ling Fei trying to use His Majesty as a scare tactic?
After all, Ling Fei’s father was a royal relative, so nobody dared to act carelessly.
Noble Consort Shu was merely using this as a scare tactic against Ling Fei.
“If your request exceeds my capabilities, I can’t assist you. Please take your leave; you are no longer welcome in Qing Ling Palace,” Ling Fei stood up and said coldly.
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