Wang Qingyao’s reminder made Consort Wei pause.
She suddenly realized that the hairpin had indeed gone missing without her noticing.
But as Wang Qingyao said, how could a hairpin on her head be snatched away without her awareness?
Unless someone used the excuse of tidying her hair to take the Shenghua hairpin!
Coincidentally, Tuan’er had indeed tidied her hair!
Thinking of this, she looked at Tuan’er with disbelief.
Tuan’er was her head palace maid, who had served her for many years and knew her disposition inside out.
Consort Wei’s gaze was no longer asking her to take the blame, but genuinely suspecting her.
“Your Majesty, I didn’t, I didn’t, it wasn’t me!” Tuan’er knelt and cried out her innocence.
But at this moment, it wasn’t just Tuan’er crying out, Consort Wei was also protesting her innocence.
Whether it was Tuan’er or not, it had to be Tuan’er.
“Silence!” Consort Wei pointed at Tuan’er, feigning heartbreak. “I treated you so well, yet you betrayed me! Tell me, who instigated you to sow discord between me and the Princess of Ding’an?”
At this moment, Consort Wei wished Tuan’er would confess Consort Chen!
But Tuan’er was only concerned with crying out her innocence and begging for mercy, completely lacking her usual quick-wittedness.
Consort Wei felt a pang of regret.
Wang Qingyao sneered, “Your Majesty, stop acting. My relationship with you and the Wei family has always been poor. Do we need instigation?”
Consort Wei: “……”
The Emperor: “……”
Everyone: “……”
Was that something that could be said?
The Emperor coughed twice and exchanged a look with the Empress Dowager.
In fact, regardless of whether Tuan’er did it, making her take the blame was the best solution.
Even if Consort Wei had indeed framed Wang Qingyao, it was a minor matter.
An insignificant, trivial matter.
The Emperor would not punish his favored consort, the mother of the Crown Prince, for such a small issue.
If Wang Qingyao continued to be so insistent, she would seem rather unreasonable.
At this moment, Wang Qingyao said again, “Never mind, it’s just a small matter. I haven’t lost an arm or a leg, so let’s just say this maid did it.”
She sighed and muttered, “Consort Wei has always been pure and kind, with a simple heart. And she clearly liked me so much before… It’s understandable that she’s resentful, but why be one way to my face and another behind my back?”
Although she said it as a mutter, everyone in the hall heard it.
Consort Wei gritted her teeth fiercely, but pretended not to have heard.
She didn’t notice that upon hearing these words, the Emperor slightly furrowed his brow and looked at Consort Wei with an unreadable expression.
After such an incident, how could Wang Qingyao still have the appetite to eat?
If she wanted to leave, no one could stop her, and Consort Wei couldn’t save face.
Wang Qingyao left the palace with Zhenzhu.
Zhenzhu was somewhat perplexed.
With her martial arts prowess, it would have been easy to take the Shenghua hairpin from Consort Wei’s head without anyone noticing.
She just didn’t understand, after all this effort by Wang Qingyao, Consort Wei received no punishment from the Emperor, not even a verbal reprimand. What was the point of this matter?
Wang Qingyao smiled.
It was not a wasted effort.
She had never intended for Consort Wei to be punished.
She knew very well that such a small matter would have no impact on a favored consort, especially one who was the mother of the Crown Prince.
She simply wanted to let the Emperor know that Consort Wei was not as naive and pure as she appeared.
Like other consorts vying for favor, Consort Wei had her methods and schemes.
She was not simple at all.
Wang Qingyao could vaguely guess why Consort Wei was favored.
It was probably because the Emperor had a penchant for that type.
He liked innocent, kind, and guileless women.
Consort Wei catered to his preferences.
Of course, not all women could act innocent.
Consort Wei not only had good acting skills, but she also possessed a peerlessly youthful face.
All these combined, reflected in the Emperor’s eyes, made her seem like a woman of simple disposition, completely reliant on the Emperor.
How could the Emperor not love her?
And today, Wang Qingyao intended to tear away her disguise in front of the Emperor.
She wanted the Emperor to know that Consort Wei was no different from other consorts.
After the palace banquet concluded.
In the sleeping quarters.
Consort Wei slapped Wei Yu.
Wei Yu looked at Consort Wei in shock.
“Aunt!”
“You fool, who told you to act on your own and scheme against Wang Qingyao? You’ve ruined the image I’ve painstakingly cultivated in front of the Emperor for so many years!”
Consort Wei was so angry that her eyes turned red.
She couldn’t forget the indifferent and disappointed look the Emperor had given her.
Wei Yu was even more shocked. “Aunt, I didn’t, it wasn’t me. I thought you were the one scheming!”
“What?” Consort Wei was taken aback. “Not you?”
“Not me.”
“Really not you?”
Wei Yu’s eyes welled up with tears. “Aunt, how could I lie to you? It really wasn’t me, I always thought it was you!”
“If not you, then who?” Consort Wei was momentarily bewildered.
Consort Chen?
Or some other consort?
Consort Wei, having navigated the harem for over twenty years, had always believed she had the entire inner court under her control.
But today, something had happened that exceeded her expectations!
Consort Wei could not tolerate this.
Her gaze turned cold. “No matter who this person is, I will find her out!”