Spring had only just begun, and there was still a lingering chill in the air.

  The white marble tiles were cold and unforgiving. Feng Yiyue knelt upon them, her entire body trembling uncontrolbly.

  Her knees hurt, her body was cold, and her heart was filled with fear.

  Though her background was humble, she had been doted on by her parents since childhood. She had never suffered a single beating. Now, just the thought of being spped in front of the newly inducted consorts made her feel such overwhelming shame that she wished she could bash her head against the ground and die.

  And yet… she feared pain and feared death...

  Feng Yiyue felt utterly useless, only capable of causing trouble for Her Highness.

  Her eyes grew hot, and tears began to fall silently as she lowered her head.

  “Feng Yiyue!”

  A familiar, anxious voice rang out nearby. Feng Yiyue looked up at once and saw Jiang Fei, resplendent and graceful, her hair adorned with flowers, rushing toward her in arm.

  Her tears instantly flowed even harder.

  Jiang Shuyi had been so focused on Jiang Wanqing and Pei Yu after her rebirth that she completely forgot about such an important event! She had been worried Feng Yiyue would repeat her tragic fate. The memory struck her just as she neared Kunning Pace, and she didn’t even have the heart to sit in her sedan. She ordered the eunuchs to stop and left her attendants behind, running the rest of the way herself.

  Seeing Feng Yiyue kneeling there, her cheeks still pale and unbruised, still capable of crying, only then did Jiang Shuyi feel a heavy weight lift from her chest.

  To hell with that so-called “sister”—she wasn’t worth even a fraction of her Yiyue!

  Jiang Shuyi hurried over, emotions crashing over her. Her apricot eyes wide with distress, her voice trembled as she scolded, “Get up! What are you crying for? Worthless girl!”

  How could she push herself to such an end?

  Even Jiang Shuyi herself had been betrayed by her own sister and son, yet she never once considered death!

  Feng Yiyue hadn’t expected to be scolded while already so miserable. Her heart swelled with grievance, but she dared not argue. She obeyed and started to rise, but before she could fully stand, she was suddenly pulled tightly into Jiang Shuyi’s embrace.

  Stunned, she tilted her head and caught a glimpse of shimmering tears in Her Highness’s eyes.

  A sharp ache tugged at her heart. Feng Yiyue hurriedly broke free, panicking. “Please don’t cry, Your Highness! It’s all my fault! I’ll take the punishment—I won’t implicate you!”

  Jiang Shuyi’s heart ached even more. She wiped her tears away and had half a mind to kick the girl twice just to relieve the pressure in her chest.

  “Oh my, so this is why you haven’t gone in—you’re out here putting on a show of sisterly love.”

  A sarcastic voice rang out.

  Jiang Shuyi turned to see Wu Guifei emerging from the hall, leaning lightly on a pace maid’s arm, eyebrow raised, smiling at them.

  Behind her followed Shufei, Jin Pin, Qian Guiren, and others. At her words, they all ughed.

  Jiang Shuyi looked at them with complicated emotions.

  Many of these women had died by her hand in her past life. Those who hadn’t died had suffered terribly. And now here they were again, still flouncing about as if nothing had happened.

  It was like seeing ghosts in daylight.

  But Jiang Shuyi wasn’t afraid of ghosts. Pei Yan had once told her: He was the Son of Heaven—an emperor. With him watching over her, no evil spirit could ever harm her.

  She swept her gaze over the group, let out a soft ugh, and gently pulled Feng Yiyue’s hand into hers. Holding it tightly, she said with feigned innocence, “How is it a performance? Yiyue and I are as close as sisters, bonded like sworn kin. Such deep affection—surely Your Highness isn’t saying that you’ve never had a true sister in this pace? That can’t be, right?”

  Feng Yiyue stared, stunned. She looked down at the soft, fair hand holding hers, and her eyes turned red again.

  Her Highness actually thought of her as a sister. She had always assumed she was just a loyal little ckey...

  Wu Guifei scoffed dismissively.

  Sisters? In the inner pace? What a joke. Everything was just mutual exploitation—who was she trying to fool?

  “No need for your glib tongue, Jiang Fei. Feng Meiren insulted Jin Pin in front of everyone. I ordered her to kneel here and reflect. Since you cim to share such sisterly devotion, why not take the punishment in her pce?”

  Jiang Shuyi lifted her gaze, coldly smirking. “If I kneel—do you dare have me spped?”

  She didn’t dodge the subject or veil her words. Her gaze locked directly with Wu Guifei’s, unwavering.

  Wu Guifei burned with fury, her gold-cquered nail guards trembling as she pointed a finger at her. The words “Insolent!” reached her lips—but she couldn’t say them.

  Yes, even if Jiang Shuyi really dared to kneel… she didn’t dare to have her spped.

  His Majesty might appear easygoing and kind, but in truth, his temper was unpredictable. Punishing his favored consort? That could easily spell disaster.

  Wasn’t the Empress herself proof of that? Even she no longer dared to involve herself with Jiang Fei.

  And yet, if Wu Guifei let this go now without consequence, she’d lose face entirely.

  So Wu Guifei and Jiang Shuyi remained in a silent standoff.

  It wasn’t broken until Qingpei, the head pace maid of Kunning Pace, stepped out, bowed politely, and smiled as she delivered the message: “Her Majesty the Empress asks all consorts to return to the main hall.”

  Inside Kunning Pace, Empress Shen Suzhen was already seated on the phoenix throne.

  Perhaps because she was receiving the new consorts today, her appearance was especially dignified and eborate. She wore a nine-phoenix coronet adorned with red-gold and kingfisher feathers. Her earlobes glittered with rge eastern pearls, and her ceremonial robe was a bright imperial yellow embroidered with golden phoenixes. Her makeup was heavier than usual.

  When Jiang Shuyi and the others entered, the consorts were still in mid-salute, yet Empress Shen simply sat there serenely, as though she had been waiting.

  Wu Guifei, Xue Shufei, Jin Pin, and the others quickly knelt and offered greetings.

  “Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal peace!”

  Jiang Shuyi only gave a light curtsey when Empress Shen’s gaze nded on her, her tone casual and detached: “This concubine greets Her Majesty the Empress.”

  Empress Shen acted as if she hadn’t noticed, calmly withdrawing her gaze.

  “Rise, all of you.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  Once the consorts had all returned to their seats, Empress Shen’s expression darkened. Her voice turned cold as she questioned Wu Guifei:“Wu Guifei, what were you just making a fuss about?”

  Wu Guifei’s head snapped up, stunned. She said I was making a fuss? Has the old woman gone mad?!

  She was about to talk back when the Empress’s voice grew sharper.

  “Jiang Fei is highly favored. As the Empress, even I must tread lightly in matters concerning her. You are merely a Guifei—can’t you learn to act with more discretion?”

  This comment directly pinned the bme on Jiang Fei while casting the others, herself included, as powerless victims of His Majesty’s favoritism—unable to afford offense and forced to swallow grievances.

  Wu Guifei caught the subtext instantly. She quickly changed her tone and sighed pitifully, dabbing nonexistent tears with her silk handkerchief.“Your Majesty is right… this concubine was simply too upset on behalf of younger sister Jin Pin. I let my emotions cloud my judgment. I forgot my words carry little weight.”

  A Guifei ciming her words “carry little weight” compared to a Fei? That was almost comical.

  Most of the consorts present were visibly indignant. They had all come from the crown prince’s residence, enduring years of hardship just to climb the ranks. But now, status meant nothing in the face of imperial favor—who could accept that?

  Especially Jin Pin, who looked like she was grinding her teeth to dust.

  Jiang Shuyi, on the other hand, didn’t mind at all.

  This was ideal. Let them all stay away from her. That way, she wouldn’t be tempted to get her hands dirty again.

  She suddenly sensed someone’s gaze on her. Turning her head, she saw Feng Yiyue staring at her with sparkling, admiring eyes—her face full of awe, like she couldn’t believe how easily Jiang Shuyi had resolved the situation.

  Jiang Shuyi’s lips curled faintly.

  Every time she looked at Yiyue, she felt lighter, more at ease. But whenever she was with Jiang Wanqing, she always hovered on the edge of madness.

  That thought reminded her of something important.

  She completely ignored the Empress, casually pointed at a nearby eunuch, and said, “You—go to Zhaoyang Pace and tell Yuzhu to lock up the eastern wing. This consort has other pns for it. Then inform the Household Department that Jiang Guiren will be assigned new lodgings.”

  The entire hall froze. Everyone stared at her in stunned silence.

  Wasn’t Jiang Guiren her own blood sister? Just a month ago, Jiang Fei had begun renovating the pace wing for her with grand fanfare. Everyone in the pace knew it. What was this sudden reversal?

  Empress Shen’s expression turned curious as she asked, “Jiang Fei, the new consorts have likely already entered the pace. Why are you suddenly moving Jiang Guiren? What exactly do you mean by this?”

  Jiang Shuyi leaned zily against the back of her chair and smiled. “It’s nothing. I came across a Buddhist scripture in Qianqing Pace st night. I flipped through a few pages and found my six senses miraculously purified. From now on, aside from His Majesty, I don’t want to live with anyone else. Not even my dear sister. So—if any of you have a vacant room in your pace, let Jiang Guiren stay with you.”

  The consorts were struck speechless by her shamelessness.

  Most people cim “six senses purified” to avoid men. She used it to avoid her own sister?!

  And now she wanted to send Jiang Guiren to live in someone else’s pace? She clearly had something up her sleeve.