He Hui's face was as pale as a sheet. Shi Muyuan clearly meant something more than what she said.
But He Hui seemed unable to figure out exactly what she meant.
"Your Majesty, please just get to the point," He Hui said.
"Didn't you go through all that trouble just to stay in the harem, at the very center of power in the Great Liang Empire? I've helped you achieve that. What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"
As soon as these words left Shi Muyuan's mouth, He Hui shot up from her stool. Her usual meek demeanor vanished in an instant.
"If you've known everything all along, why didn't you just kill me? Instead, you went through so much trouble to keep me here."
"I love watching shows. And I've been so bored lately. You do have some tricks up your sleeve. Don't let me down."
"You! I never thought that after being so smart all my life, I'd end up being manipulated."
"Isn't that normal? There's always someone better. I just want to know what your real goal is. Is it me? The Emperor? Or the whole empire?"
Shi Muyuan fixed her gaze on He Hui, hoping to detect the slightest hint of unease.
But in the end, she was disappointed.
Once He Hui realized that all her efforts had been in vain, she simply tore off her mask.
"Humph, since you already know, do whatever you want with me. As for what I want to do, even if you kill me, I won't say a single word."
Her tone was resolute. Shi Muyuan knew that she had achieved her goal for the day, so she decided not to continue this confrontation.
"Smart people shouldn't let their own cleverness get the better of them. Alright, I'm tired. Remember to come and pay your respects to me every day, Lady Hui. You may leave."
This unexpectedly lenient outcome left He Hui stunned. She had done so many things and almost caused this young woman's death. Now that Shi Muyuan knew her true identity, she still let her off.
She suddenly couldn't figure out what Shi Muyuan was up to.
With a million thoughts swirling in her head, He Hui returned to her palace. As soon as she stepped in, she almost got hit on the head by something.
Looking at the cup that landed not far from her, she gritted her teeth. "Sister, you're being a bit too presumptuous. This is still my territory."
That's right. The one who had just thrown the cup was Ye Xinxin.
Ever since she returned to her own quarters, she had been seething with anger.
Why did He Hui, of all people, get privileges that even the Queen didn't have?
Moreover, the honor of paying respects to the Empress Dowager. How dare a mere merchant's daughter have such audacity?
She must have used some other means to please the Empress Dowager.
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. That's why she had come here.
When Ye Xinxin heard this "little slut" talking back to her like that, she didn't even think twice. She stepped forward and slapped He Hui across the face.
"So what if this is your territory? If I want to, I can smash this place to pieces today, and no one will dare to question me."
She was right. He Hui knew that no one would come to her rescue. The Empress Dowager already knew her identity, and although she might not know everything, it was enough to condemn her.
She was walking on thin ice now. She couldn't afford to offend anyone in the harem. So she had no choice but to swallow her pride.
"Sister, you didn't come here just to vent your anger, did you?"
"Smart girl. Starting tomorrow, I'm going with you to pay respects to the Empress Dowager."
He Hui was taken aback for a moment, and then she refused without hesitation.
"Sister, please don't make things difficult for me. No one can go against the Empress Dowager's orders."
"Then tell me what kind of seductive tricks you used to catch the Empress Dowager's eye."
He Hui rolled her eyes in her mind. If she really told Ye Xinxin the truth, she might not even have a chance to survive in the harem.
She also realized that Shi Muyuan probably wouldn't do anything to her for the time being. Maybe she was keeping her around for some other purpose.
"I'm always under your nose, sister. If I had really done something secretly behind your back, would you not have known? If sister really wants to visit the Empress Dowager more often, you can go and talk to her yourself."
Ye Xinxin never expected He Hui to reject her so straightforwardly.
Thinking about the reports from the people she had planted, there had indeed been no news of He Hui secretly meeting the Empress Dowager.
So why was the Empress Dowager so fond of her?
Ye Xinxin just couldn't figure it out.
And He Hui felt that just sitting there waiting for trouble wasn't a good idea. She rolled her eyes and came up with an idea.
"Sister, don't you just want to gain the Emperor's favor? It's not that difficult."
These words immediately piqued Ye Xinxin's interest, but she wasn't a fool. She wouldn't believe it without any evidence.
"Do you really have a good idea?"
"Sister, you don't know this. Before I became a concubine in the harem, I had a brief encounter with the Emperor. Only the current Empress Dowager knows about this. Maybe that's why the Empress Dowager thinks highly of me."
When she said this, a flash of jealousy crossed Ye Xinxin's eyes, followed by a hint of suspicion.
"Can I trust you? And if the Emperor already took a fancy to you back then, why did you only end up as an ordinary concubine?"
He Hui had already guessed that Ye Xinxin would ask this question, and she had come up with a countermeasure before she even opened her mouth.
"Sister, you don't know. I had a fight with the Emperor a while ago. Neither of us was willing to back down, so he wanted to teach me a lesson. But I'm really tired of this. If sister wants, I'm willing to help you. As long as sister becomes powerful in the future, don't forget about me."
He Hui's words gradually lured Ye Xinxin in, and she even forgot her initial caution.
"Since that's the case, I'll leave this matter to you. Don't let me down."
After saying that, she discussed it with He Hui for a while and then left in high spirits.
One of the maids couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to persuade her mistress.
"Your Highness, you know the Emperor well and can please him. Why don't you take this opportunity for yourself?"
He Hui shot the maid a cold look. Of course, she hoped that Shi Muyuan and the young Emperor would quickly shift their attention away from her.
But she certainly wouldn't tell a lowly maid about this.
"It's not your place to interfere in my decisions, you little maid. This is the first and last time. I'm tired. Get out."
The maid never expected that her attempt to flatter her mistress would end up like this. She didn't dare to say a single word of protest. She could only retreat, her face red with embarrassment.
After the door closed, the maid went to a corner to vent her dissatisfaction.
"Humph, she really thinks she's something just because she's a concubine. There will be so many new girls in the harem in the future. If it weren't for following you now, I wouldn't have bothered to speak up for you."