Two faced Imperial Noble Consort Xi

Even though Imperial Noble Consort Xi left so arrogantly, no one dared to say anything. The Empress also had no energy left to deal with the Royal Consorts and directly dismissed them.

Later, when Jiang Yunyao learned about this from He Shiyi, she just laughed heartily.

She felt that she did the right thing by not going. If she did, she would have been schemed against by someone, just like Imperial Consort Shu!

Imperial Noble Consort Xi, Imperial Consort Chun and Imperial Concubine Yu, weren't they all just targeting Imperial Consort Shu and pitting the Empress against her?

One implied that her son was stronger than the Empress's son and Imperial Consort Shu was better than the Empress. Another one implied that the Fifth Prince's illness was passed down from the First Prince and the last one implied that the bad deeds of the Empress are affecting her son.

Jiang Yunyao already knew before entering the palace that the Empress, who was the main wife of the Emperor when he was still the Third Prince, was the first to spread the good news about her belly in the Third Prince's residence.

However, she had bad luck. She fell at the door of her own courtyard when she was five months pregnant, and the good child was lost just like that.

Because of this, the Emperor had always felt indebted to her. After her body recovered, his favor for her was even greater than before and she had another child within a year.

But after the Empress gave birth, the Emperor gradually distanced himself from her and started favouring Imperial Noble Consort Xi and Imperial Consort Shu.

Imperial Noble Consort Xi is the Emperor's cousin and they grew up together. She also had powerful maternal family, so there was nothing the Empress could do to her.

Imperial Consort Shu was different. Even though her maternal family also had some power in the capital, it could not compare with the Empress's maternal family and the Empress also had evidence that Imperial Consort Shu's brother killed someone. So, when Imperial Consort Shu was pregnant, Empress blackmailed her using her maternal family's power, forcing her to give her son to the Empress to raise.

Imperial Consort Shu had no choice and she herself had to tell His Majesty that she wanted to give her son to the Empress to raise.

The Emperor had no problem with the arrangement and agreed. He felt that it was appropriate for his main wife to raise his first born son and after the Empress gives birth to a legitimate son, they will be close since they will be raised by the same mother.

Later, when the Empress was unable to get pregnant, the Emperor even wanted her to adopt the First Prince.

But the Empress Dowager immediately objected when she heard this and she ordered the First Prince to be sent back to his birth mother stating that the Empress would still have her daughter by her side without the First Prince, but Imperial Consort Shu who was still a Noble Consort back then, was truly alone.

After that, the Empress Dowager directly promoted Noble Consort Shu to Imperial Consort Shu.

Even though the Empress was discontent, she had no other choice but to accept it.

After that, Imperial Consort Shu, who was separated from her son for many years, started spoiling First Prince. When he did not want to study, she taught him to fake illness and when he did not want to practice martial arts, she taught him to fake injuries.

In the end, the First Prince was spoiled rotten and lazy. All day long, he slacks off and enjoys and is unable to surpass his younger brothers in anything.

Naturally, the Empress is happy about this situation.

But today, someone pointed out the Empress's flaws and praised Imperial Consort Shu and her son, making the Empress feel that Imperial Consort Shu was plotting against her.

The Empress, who has a suspicious nature will definitely think that all the previous actions of Imperial Consort Shu are acts meant to deceive her. The Empress will never let Imperial Consort Shu have a moment of peace now!

Thinking of this, Jiang Yunyao felt that Imperial Noble Consort Xi was indeed amazing. With just a few words, she caused the empress to be suspicious of her most prominent chess piece!

Empress is restless, Imperial Consort Shu is scared and Imperial Noble Consort Xi is satisfied. In current situation, no person with a sane mind would cause any trouble.

So, Jiang Yunyao felt that she would be able to enjoy some days of peace.

But she couldn't be more wrong.

Because, the show orchestrated by Imperial Noble Consort Xi was far from over.

***

Imperial Noble Consort Xi, who left the Jingyang Palace early returned to her palace, changed her clothes into something plain and rushed to the Shoukang Palace of the Empress Dowager.

Outside the palace gate, she was still fine. But once she entered and saw the Empress Dowager, her tears started flowing like river water, and forgetting all the etiquette, she rushed into the Empress Dowager's arms, crying like a child who has suffered a great injustice, with her tears staining the Empress Dowager's clothes.

No matter how many times the Empress Dowager asked her, Imperial Noble Consort Xi refused to say anything and just continued to cry.

Finally, Xiuxia couldn't bear it any longer and opened her mouth to speak, "Your Majesty, today is Old Madam Feng's birthday and Her Highness just wanted to celebrate by distributing gifts. But the Empress felt that Her Highness was celebrating Fifth Prince's illness and scolded Her Highness! She even ordered her men to throw the gifts away!"

Old Madam Feng is Empress Dowager's birth mother who passed away a long time ago. The Empress Dowager was infuriated to know this. "Ziyun, do not worry. As long as your aunt is here, no one can do anything to you. The Empress is too much! She even dares to disrespect my dead mother in this way!"

Imperial Noble Consort Xi saw the perfect opportunity to fan the flames. Sniffling, she said, "Your Majesty, this Concubine lost my mother when I was young. It was my grandmother who raised me. This Concubine just wanted to celebrate her birthday to remember her existence. But the Empress called me heartless and even threw all my gifts away, labelling them as trash! This Concubine doesn't understand it, Your Majesty, just because the Fifth Prince is ill, we cannot celebrate anything?"

"It is New Year in a few days. If the Fifth prince doesn't recover till then, will the banquet be stopped? Won't we celebrate New Year?"

Seeing her niece cry made the Empress Dowager's heart ache. Wiping her tears gently, the Empress Dowager replied, "Who said we won't? Just because the Empress's son is sick, we have to refrain from being happy? Where did such a rule come from? How come this Grieving One didn't hear of it?"

Mentioning the Empress made Empress Dowager grit her teeth in fury. "Who does the Empress think she is? How dare she disrespect my dead mother? Does she think her son is precious just because she couldn't give birth for a long time? She can't give birth, but all the women in the palace can do that!"

Suddenly, as if remembering something, the Empress Dowager smiled. She held Imperial Noble Consort Xi's hand and said, "Ziyun, if you give birth to a son, the child will be more precious than the Empress's son."

Hearing these words caused Imperial Noble Consort Xi to blush deeply.

The Empress Dowager stopped teasing her niece. She turned to her Lady in waiting and said, "Tonight, the Shoukang Palace will be hosting a banquet. Tell the Emperor, Empress, Royal Consorts, Prince's and Princess's that no matter how busy they are, they have to attend. Since the Fifth Prince is sick, he is spared from attending. But all the others must attend."

The Lady in waiting bowed and left to convey the Empress Dowager's message to everyone.

After the maid left, Empress Dowager heard Imperial Noble Consort Xi mumble, "Maybe we should spare the First Prince too? I heard that the poor child was sick and missed classes for a few days, making him fall back in his studies."

Empress Dowager was surprised to hear this news. "What did you say? First Prince is sick? How come I did not hear anything about it?"

Imperial Noble Consort Xi also acted confused. Shaking her head, she said innocently, "This Concubine does not know, Your Majesty. Earlier, at Jingyang Palace, this Concubine heard someone say that First Prince had a cold few days ago and right after he recovered, Fifth Prince fell ill. That's how I found out that he was ill. Else I wouldn't know too."

After saying that, Imperial Noble Consort Xi watched as the Empress Dowager's Expression soured immediately.

Great! Now, all she had to do is to watch from the sidelines.

***

When news came out that Shoukang Palace was hosting a banquet, the entire inner palace was in chaos.

The Empress, who was watching over her son, flipped all the food her maids brought in for her to eat.

"The Fifth Prince is like this now, yet the Empress Dowager won't have any kindness? She wants this Palace to leave my sick child alone and attend her banquet?"

Chun Er, who was standing on the side was afraid that the Empress would resent Empress Dowager and the rift between them will increase, so she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please don't blame the Empress Dowager. This servant thinks that this matter is related to Imperial Noble Consort Xi. She must have provoked the Empress Dowager…"

The Empress's eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears. She weakly leaned against the chair and closed her eyes. "Chun Er, why do they have to do this? All of them are plotting against this Palace! They all wish for this Palace to die, so that they could have the Empress's position. Imperial Noble Consort Xi, Imperial Consort Shu and how many more are hiding in the dark, waiting to strike when the time is right?"

The Empress opened her eyes suddenly and there was a bit of craziness in her eyes which scared Chun Er. "But they will never succeed! This Palace will not let them! Chun Er, no matter what happens, the position of the Crown Prince must belong to this Palace's son. If Jinye cannot do it, then another Prince has to be born and whoever comes in between must die."