Consort Wei sighed, "If you hadn't mentioned Empress Xiaoxian, I might have spared your life. But you..."
She looked regretful.
Consort Lu paused, knowing she was doomed. Gritting her teeth, she pointed at Wang Qingyao, "Your Ladyship, this shrew disregards palace rules, is disrespectful, rebels against superiors, and slanders you. She deserves to die too!"
Consort Lu was determined to drag someone down with her.
Consort Wei looked at her as if she were insane, scoffing, "What are you talking about? This is the Princess of Ding'an. She is the superior, and you are the inferior!"
The last few words were spoken with a sharp edge, clearly showing Consort Wei's extreme anger at Consort Lu.
Consort Lu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, staring blankly at Wang Qingyao.
The Princess of Ding'an?
She was actually the Princess of Ding'an!
Wang Qingyao, unseen by others, secretly made a face at her.
Consort Lu's beautiful eyes widened, and she suddenly understood.
Wang Qingyao had deliberately concealed her identity, provoking her step by step, calling for people, and exposing her.
Was it true, as she had said, that she had guessed it?
"Consort Lu has engaged in illicit affairs within the palace, a crime unforgivable. In consideration of her service to His Majesty, she is granted poisoned wine and her body will be intact."
As Consort Wei calmly and emotionlessly issued the order, Consort Lu's life came to an end.
She never understood how she had ended up like this, even in death.
The guards dragged Consort Lu and Bi Cha away. Wang Qingyao watched their retreating figures, a faint sense of guilt stirring within her.
Two lives were gone just like that...
She sighed softly, shaking her head. She shouldn't have such compassion.
If she hadn't exposed Consort Lu today, it might have been Consort Chen who died.
And since Consort Lu had deliberately sought trouble with her, a feud had been established. From now on, she would be a thorn in her side, and every visit to the palace would be fraught with unease.
Therefore, she had no reason to feel guilty.
Noticing her expression, Consort Chen reached out and squeezed her hand. Though she said nothing, Wang Qingyao instantly felt a surge of strength.
Consort Wei's complexion was also grim after handling the matter. Although the Emperor said he didn't blame her, he must surely resent her for not managing the harem well.
The Emperor had always disliked schemes and intrigue. Whether it was the old consorts or the new ones, except for her, no one had truly understood the Emperor's thoughts.
How could they expect to remain favored by the Emperor for long?
However, in order to survive in the harem, who could truly be without any schemes?
Her gaze fell upon Wang Qingyao's face, and she smiled gently, chiding, "Why didn't you visit my palace when you came to the capital?"
Wang Qingyao: "Hahaha..."
How would she dare? What if she encountered the Wei sisters, Wei Qing and Wei Yu, again? Who knew what drama would unfold then.
Even if Consort Wei genuinely wanted Wang Qingyao to visit her palace, after what had happened, she had lost the mood.
"You must be frightened," she said. "Go back and drink a bowl of calming tea, and you'll be fine after a good night's sleep. This has nothing to do with you; you should just carry on as usual."
Wang Qingyao didn't dwell on the matter. When she returned, she mentioned it to Xiao Yun, who, as expected, didn't seem to care much about Consort Lu's fate, only concerned if she had suffered any losses.
"I am the Princess of Ding'an, how could I possibly suffer losses?"
Indeed, once she revealed the title of Princess of Ding'an, few would dare to provoke her.
Oh, except for those from the Wei family.
They were practically begging for it.
"I didn't get any useful information. I only learned that Consort Chen greatly respected and liked Empress Xiaoxian. I haven't had a chance to ask about the Empress's difficult labor yet." Wang Qingyao summarized the news she had gathered that day.
Xiao Yun nodded, "Take your time, no rush. If you ask too much, others will become suspicious."
"I think Consort Chen really likes me," Wang Qingyao recalled Consort Chen's words and actions.
Xiao Yun kissed her neck and murmured, "Everyone loves you, who wouldn't like you?"
"It's different," she pushed him away and said seriously, "Consort Wei also likes me, but it's different from Consort Chen's liking. Consort Chen looks at me with such relief."
"I look at you with relief too. Come, look, look." Xiao Yun wrapped his arms around her waist and stared into her eyes, "See? Am I relieved enough?"
Wang Qingyao playfully pinched his cheek, "I'm telling you something important. I want to pay respects to my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Find some time, and we'll go together."
"There's no need to find a specific time, we can go now. The memorial tablets of my father and the others are enshrined in the ancestral hall; we can pay respects anytime."
"Not just the memorial tablets. I mean at their graves, at the Xiao family's ancestral graves."
Xiao Yun was taken aback, "Why would you suddenly want to visit the ancestral graves? Qingming Festival has long passed, and it's not the death anniversaries of the three elders either."
"The other day when I was out, I asked grandmother. Grandfather and great-grandfather died unexpectedly, and father died of a cold. I want to go to their graves to sense if it's true."
Xiao Yun frowned, "Hey, you can sense that too?"
"Yes."
"Didn't you say you can't sense men? Even if they've turned to bones and are buried in the earth, you can't take their pulse, can you?"
Wang Qingyao extended her fair fingers and lightly tapped his forehead, "Are you silly? Once they're bones, does it matter if they're male or female? In my eyes, bones are just lifeless objects, no different from pearls in a box or clothes in a chest."
"Really?" Xiao Yun was half-convinced.
"Yes," Wang Qingyao nodded with a serious expression, then hugged his neck and kissed him on the lips, "You still don't believe me?"
Xiao Yun was like a match in front of Wang Qingyao, igniting instantly, "Believe, believe, whatever you say is what it is." As he spoke, he leaned in to kiss her.
Wang Qingyao pushed him onto the bed, her silk robe half-undone, her eyes alluring, and whispered, "Tonight, I'm on top."