Shi Muyuan and her entourage had been here for several days, but there was no sign of activity from Concubine Rui. Even Ze Ze was quite surprised.
"Could it be that our Concubine Rui has had a change of heart? She hasn't come to cause trouble for our mistress."
As soon as he said this, he received a cold stare. "If you can't speak properly, shut your mouth. Don't upset our mistress."
Shi Muyuan raised her eyebrows and didn't take this matter to heart.
"She won't wait too long. It's only been a few days. Don't underestimate this concubine."
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao frowned and disagreed.
"The disaster in the South hasn't ended yet. If Concubine Rui causes trouble for our mistress at this time, isn't she digging her own grave?"
"Who can say for sure? Our Concubine Rui is never one to keep quiet."
As the saying goes, mention the devil and he will appear. Some people just can't stand being talked about.
No sooner had she finished speaking than a familiar laugh came from outside.
"Oh, sister, you haven't gone out to care about the victims? Are you not going to fulfill your previous promise? Or have you grown tired of these victims?"
Concubine Rui's words were full of traps, but for Shi Muyuan, a time - traveler from modern times, they were nothing.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you this question, sister? You've been here for several days, but you don't seem to have visited the victims at all. Are you still holding a grudge against what the victims said to you that day?"
Concubine Rui had to dig her own pit and jump into it. Unwillingly, she changed the topic.
"Sister, you've misunderstood. By the way, I heard that you sent someone to fetch a batch of supplies from the Shi family. Could you take me to have a look?"
When something seems out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy. This woman never cared about such things unless she had an ulterior motive.
Shi Muyuan understood immediately and calmly said, "I've already sent someone else to check. Since you're so concerned, you can take charge of this matter personally."
Thinking of her next plan, Concubine Rui's smile almost froze on her face.
"Sister, I haven't dealt with such things for a long time. You can handle them much better than I can."
Hearing this, Shi Muyuan was almost certain that there was something wrong with that batch of supplies.
In that case, she didn't need to worry about anything else.
A smug smile suddenly appeared on Shi Muyuan's lips, as if she was in a good mood because of Concubine Rui's words.
Concubine Rui bit her lips tightly. Bitch, let's see how long you can be so smug. After today's matter is over, I'll be able to take your place.
...
The large group of people arrived beside the supplies in a grand manner, naturally attracting a lot of attention.
As the Empress Dowager, Shi Muyuan was kind and amiable to the common people.
"Everyone, there's no need to follow me. I just want to check if there are any problems with the supplies sent by my family. If there are, I can deal with them in time."
She deliberately used the word "I" instead of the high - sounding self - address she used in front of others, which made her seem very approachable.
The common people who followed her immediately began to praise.
"We're so lucky to have the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in charge of our Great Liang."
"That's right. It would be great if the Empress Dowager could stay in the South all the time. It's a pity."
Someone beside them immediately sneered.
"What are you daydreaming about? What you said is an insult to the Empress Dowager."
Seeing that the two were about to fight, Shi Muyuan quickly stopped them.
"I'm just here to check the supplies today. You can go about your business. Don't mind me."
Hearing this, those people had no choice but to turn around and leave. But just as they turned around, a scream came.
Curiously, they turned back and saw a scene that made them angry.
Shi Muyuan was standing beside the carriage, holding a handful of beans in her hand. Somehow, the supplies on the carriage had turned into stones. This was related to the future of the South.
The people who saw this quickly reported it to the official.
"My lord, what are we going to do in the future? We were counting on these supplies to last until the next autumn harvest."
The official was very troubled by what they said. He knew how important these grains were, but the matter hadn't been investigated yet, and their reactions were a bit too extreme.
The common people didn't care about that. They only knew that their interests had been violated.
Suddenly, they thought that the last two people to come into contact with the supplies were two of the most important people in the harem. They quickly pointed it out.
"The first and the last people to come into contact with these supplies were the Empress Dowager and Concubine Rui."
As soon as these words were said, the atmosphere immediately became quiet.
After the official reacted, he scolded them, "Bold! You don't know the truth. How can you slander the current Empress Dowager and Concubine Rui? I don't know where you got your courage from."
Although the common people were scolded, they still insisted on what they had said.
"My lord, many people here saw it. By the way, the Empress Dowager deliberately sent us away just now. Maybe she did this on purpose."
The official looked embarrassed. Looking at the increasing number of common people around, he had no choice but to pluck up his courage and ask, "Empress Dowager, what's your opinion on this matter?"
Although these common people were very bold, he didn't have that much courage.
He still wanted to keep his official position. Only a reckless person would dare to question the Empress Dowager.
Fortunately, Shi Muyuan understood their feelings and didn't take it to heart.
"It doesn't matter. Since no one believes me, take me back for questioning."
Her generosity was beyond everyone's expectation. Suddenly, the common people began to doubt. The next moment, everyone's eyes fell on Concubine Rui, hinting at something.
Concubine Rui really didn't want to go back with the official. She thought her plan was perfect and wouldn't be discovered by anyone. Going back with the official was just a waste of time.
However, the common people's gazes wouldn't let her go. She had no choice but to go to the government office with them.
When the cry of "All rise" rang out, the common people were concentrating on observing the situation inside.
"Do you think this matter has something to do with the Empress Dowager?"
"I don't think so. At least the Empress Dowager was kind to us before. On the contrary, this concubine claimed to atone for her sins, but she hasn't had much contact with us since she came. She seems more like the one who caused trouble."
Since the outer hall and the inner hall were connected, Concubine Rui naturally heard what they said.
Unfortunately, she still had to maintain her surface image. She still kept a gentle smile, as if the common people weren't mocking her at all.