Shi Muyuan felt annoyed. This woman had been scheming against her for so long and still didn't repent. But at the moment, her own safety was the top priority.
Seeing the woman getting closer, the young girl felt a bit flustered.
Although her combined age from two lifetimes was several times that of the woman in front of her.
No matter what, she had never been so close to death.
With great effort, she forced herself to calm down and tried to negotiate with the woman in front of her.
"You've done all this just for the position of the Empress Dowager. Anyway, I've been in this position for so long and have already grown tired of it. If you want it now, you can just take it."
After scheming for so long today, she finally heard the words she wanted. Seeing that she was just one step away from that position, Concubine Rui couldn't hide her excitement.
Even her voice was trembling as she spoke, "I did have such a goal before, but now I've changed my mind. Since you're in my hands, if I only aim for that position, wouldn't it seem like I'm wasting this hard - won opportunity?"
As she spoke, the greed in her eyes looked extremely terrifying under the sunlight.
The young girl endured and sized up her surroundings from the corner of her eye, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"Don't get excited. I know you were favored by the late emperor and should have been in my position. But because of the power of my family, you had to take a lower position. What you've done is just to get what you deserve."
Concubine Rui, who had been moving forward, stopped in her tracks because of these words.
"Why do you think so?"
Surprise appeared on her face. She had never thought that this woman, who she had always regarded as an enemy, would one day say such heartfelt words to her.
However, it was precisely because of these words that her vigilance dropped a little.
Shi Muyuan noticed the relaxed look on her face. Knowing that she had found the right approach, she let out a soft sigh and continued.
"Of course I think so. After all, the hardships you've endured are no secret."
Hearing this, Concubine Rui put away the knife in her hand.
She temporarily gave up the idea of killing Shi Muyuan.
"I thought that since you were about to die in my hands, you would either break down at this moment or blame me for all the hardships I've endured, saying that I deserved it."
Shi Muyuan certainly wanted to do so, but she knew it would be useless and would only fuel the woman's madness.
The young girl swallowed hard and moved slowly, trying not to let Concubine Rui notice.
She nervously grabbed something and felt a bit more at ease in her heart.
With a calm face, she continued with what she had just said.
"You've just done what an ordinary woman would do. Moreover, in the harem, those who are most favored by the emperor gain power. You clearly won the heart of the late emperor but didn't get the power you wanted. This is really unfair."
"Since you understand all the reasons, why didn't you give me the position of the Empress Dowager back then? The late emperor even gave you a chance. As long as you had spoken up, the position of the mistress of the harem would have been mine."
As she spoke, her emotions began to get excited again, and this time the knife in her hand was also trembling constantly.
Shi Muyuan was constantly paying attention to her condition. Seeing this, she panicked.
"Don't be impatient. I haven't finished speaking yet. I didn't agree back then because my family elders forced me. Now that there are only the two of us here, I can also tell you some heartfelt words."
Concubine Rui blinked her eyes and indeed calmed down because of her words.
"So you didn't take this position voluntarily back then?"
"Of course. Otherwise, do you think I would like to scheme against others in the palace? I not only didn't receive the late emperor's favor but was also framed everywhere."
As if to prove the truth of her words, she started crying while speaking.
"Sister, you and I are both women. Can't you understand my situation? Or do you look down on me because you had the late emperor's favor?"
Concubine Rui quickly shook her head. Her mind was now full of what Shi Muyuan had just said. So it had all been forced on her. In that case, she could forgive her.
So, she sighed and did something unexpected to Shi Muyuan.
"Sister, it turns out I wronged you. Anyway, there are only the two of us here. If you have anything else you want to say to me, just say it all."
Shi Muyuan stared intently at the hand on her shoulder. She never thought that one day her relationship with Concubine Rui would be so close.
However, she didn't ignore the knife that Concubine Rui still held in her hand.
For her own safety, she still had to do some superficial things.
Tears glistened in her eyes.
"Sure enough, an enemy can be another kind of friend. Since you can understand my situation back then, you must know I had no choice. Now that I'm willing to give you that position, you should let me go, right?"
She had thought everything was going as she had planned, and she clearly saw Concubine Rui being moved. But things always took an unexpected turn.
Concubine Rui refused her, "It's not that I don't want to help you, sister. But you have to write the edict of abdication first and hand over the court's power to me."
This concubine had become extremely smart after what had happened before. Normally, if she had said this before, she would have surely deceived her. But now, she was starting to be more cautious.
However, she had promised the young emperor the throne of the Great Liang, and she would never go back on her word, even though the knife was now at her throat.
She rolled her eyes and immediately thought of a counter - argument.
"There's nothing here to write the edict of abdication with. Moreover, my imperial seal is still in the harem. I'm afraid I can't fulfill your wish today."
After saying this, she felt her body relax. She had escaped a disaster.
But then, Concubine Rui took out a bunch of things from somewhere. When she saw those things, her face changed quickly, and she couldn't even maintain the pretense.
"You... How did you get these things?"
Hadn't she left people in the palace? Concubine Rui had no other power now. Logically, she shouldn't be able to enter the Shoukang Palace.
And what Concubine Rui enjoyed most was seeing the Empress Dowager change her face. She liked to have everything under her control.
"Sister, you promised me before. Now you just need to do it. There should be no problem, right?"
There was a problem, a big one.