"Miss Qiao, please follow this servant first."
When they arrived at the Kunning Palace, the timing was just right.
Qiao Meng took out the things she had prepared in advance as she walked.
"As long as Your Ladyship quietly puts this in the Princess Consort's food later, even the best doctors from the Western Regions won't be able to detect it."
Hearing this, Concubine Rui showed a sly smile at the corner of her mouth.
"This is our first alliance. I wonder if it will succeed. If it does, this palace will surely use you for a long - term and help you achieve your wishes."
"Thank you, Your Ladyship, for your favor. How about I go with you? In case there's any mistake, I can handle it in time."
"Fine."
The group set off in a grand manner. Since the Princess Consort was placed under house arrest last time, she had moved to the current Kunling Palace. Although it was a homophone, the meaning was quite different. At first hearing, people who didn't know might think the Princess Consort was a concubine.
Even after being under house arrest for so long, the Princess Consort showed no sign of repentance. When she saw Concubine Rui coming, she didn't hesitate to order her servants to drive her out.
Concubine Rui rolled her eyes and took out the Phoenix Seal that the King of the Western Regions had just given her yesterday.
At the sight of this, the Princess Consort almost fainted from anger.
"You! How did you get this? Logically, this should be kept by the King. Did you steal it? Bold! Do you know what the crime of stealing the Phoenix Seal is?"
"Sister, you've misunderstood. Yesterday, this younger sister was so worried about you that she asked the King to come and visit you. Who would have thought that I'd be met with hostility as soon as I came. Fortunately, the King was farsighted and gave this to me in advance."
She couldn't hide her pride no matter what.
A maid who had served the Princess Consort for a long time couldn't stand it.
"Is Concubine Rui here to show off this thing in front of the Princess Consort?"
"Ah, how could you say that? This palace just wants to stay and have a good talk with sister."
"But you don't have to take out this thing, do you? Isn't this just to anger our mistress?"
The maid was so straightforward that everyone's expressions changed. The maids who came with Concubine Rui didn't even dare to breathe loudly, for fear that they would be the next to suffer.
However, the speaking maid didn't think she had said anything wrong at all. The Princess Consort still looked a bit proud.
Her disdainful look was a reminder to Concubine Rui that a concubine would always be a concubine, and this was an unchangeable fact.
But Concubine Rui showed no reaction at all. She looked calm, as if the maid wasn't talking about her.
However, what she did next made the maid wish she could bite off her own tongue and take back what she had just said.
"Since you don't even respect the Phoenix Seal, there's no need for you to stay in the harem. Guards, drag this insolent maid out."
In a panic, the maid rushed to her mistress, hoping for protection.
"Mistress, save this servant! This servant doesn't want to die."
She had thought that Concubine Rui would take her status into account and restrain herself in front of the Princess Consort. In the end, she was wrong.
The Princess Consort had no say in the harem now. She herself was still under house arrest and couldn't protect anyone, not even this maid who had served her for so many years.
She weakly tried to protect the little maid.
"Sister, don't go too far. Clearing the people around this Princess Consort won't do you any good."
"Sister, you're wrong. This younger sister is just exercising the power of holding the Phoenix Seal. Or do you mean that if the Phoenix Seal were in your hands, you would definitely not punish this maid today?"
This was a dilemma. If the Princess Consort followed her words today, it would mean she was unworthy of her position. But if she insisted on the harem rules, the little maid who had served her for so many years would lose her life today.
It was like choosing between her left and right hands. Now she could only choose to remain silent.
This was exactly the situation Concubine Rui wanted to see.
"If sister can't make a decision, then let this younger sister decide. Guards! Drag her out! Flog her, and then take her to the inner - affairs office so that they can see what kind of people they've found to serve the mistress."
The Princess Consort watched helplessly as the little maid was taken away, but there was nothing she could do.
She really wanted to do something, but her status determined everything.
In the end, she could only clench her handkerchief tightly and stare at the people not far away.
"Everything you've done to this Princess Consort today, one day, this Princess Consort will make you pay a hundred times over."
The hatred in her eyes was so intense that it couldn't be ignored, but Concubine Rui didn't take it to heart at all.
"Hehe, if sister looks down on this younger sister so much, there's nothing I can do. Who made this younger sister the King's favorite concubine now?"
These words almost made the Princess Consort vomit blood. She had been in the harem for so many years and had given so much to the man on the high throne, yet the words "beloved concubine" had never been hers.
She clenched her fists tightly. "Did you come here today just to mock this Princess Consort?"
"Sister, you've misunderstood. This younger sister just came to visit sister and wanted to say something on behalf of the King."
"If the King has something to talk to this Princess Consort about, why doesn't he come in person?"
She regarded that man as the sky, but she wasn't stupid enough.
Concubine Rui thought this woman was difficult to deal with, but she still explained patiently.
"The King has so many things to do every day. How can he have time to come to sister's place? Besides, the King is still a bit angry about sister's matter."
"Then tell me. What on earth does he want with me?"
"It's very simple. The King thinks that sister must be too busy with so many things, so he wants to share the burden for sister. Moreover, sister's maternal family has been in this land for long enough."
The Princess Consort's eyes widened. Her emotions were starting to get unstable.
"What do you want to do? Everything behind this Princess Consort was built by her maternal family. It has nothing to do with the court. Besides, if he came to talk to me in person, this Princess Consort would also help him. Don't have any other ideas about this Princess Consort."
Hearing this, Concubine Rui's eyes turned cold.
"It seems that sister doesn't intend to listen to this younger sister's advice today."
"Since you know that, then quickly take your people and get out of here."
"Very well, sister, don't forget your attitude today. This younger sister will surely report it to the King truthfully when she gets back."
Hearing this, this was the first time the Princess Consort was so determined. She didn't waver at all and didn't worry about whether that man would be angry or not.
"Of course. If he's so capable, why does he rely on the forces behind me? Does he think he can really manage this country well? He still has to rely on my maternal family."
"If sister is so capable, why don't you take that position yourself?"