Chapter 269: Volume 1, Chapter 269 — Stop Right There for This Palace

Consort Xu steadied herself, took the list and scanned it. There were two names she was quite familiar with, so she smiled and said, "All right, then I'll make arrangements in advance. Although Lady Zhenshen is assisting Her Majesty the Empress Dowager in managing affairs this time, Lady Zhenshen has been behaving too arrogantly of late and has provoked Her Majesty's displeasure. She's already been reprimanded several times, and some duties have been assigned to me as well, to keep Lady Zhenshen in check."

Rong Luoge's eyes curved into a smile as she listened. "That's actually a good thing. Get more experience now. Once the draft selection is over and I've finished my confinement, whatever needs to be done about Lady Zhenshen will be done, and your responsibilities will increase."

Consort Xu's heart skipped a beat at these words. The Noble Consort was plainly telling her that the draft selection was merely a process, and once it was done, the one to reap the rewards would still be the Noble Consort — and she, as someone who followed the Noble Consort, would also gain more authority.

Consort Xu said immediately, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I will certainly arrange everything properly and won't let you down."

Rong Luoge smiled. "I naturally trust you. The few people I've given you must be arranged well."

"Yes, rest assured, Your Highness." Consort Xu rose to her feet. "Then I'll take my leave first."

"Go ahead. Thank you for your trouble."

Consort Xu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Being able to share Your Highness's burdens is my honor."

Rong Luoge was amused too. "Let's skip the pleasantries. Go on, go on."

Consort Xu left Yuzhao Gong in a happy mood, carefully tucking away the list the Noble Consort had given her, mulling over how to handle the matter.

Su Ying had already made arrangements long ago. When the candidates entered the palace for the selection, by custom they all had to first stay at Yurui Gong to await selection. Yurui Gong was so large that the living quarters were divided into the main hall, side halls, flanking halls, and rear halls. Whether a room got sunlight, whether it was ventilated — these might seem like small things, but comfort once actually living there was important.

The main hall would not house anyone; it was where affairs were managed.

But the eastern side hall would certainly be given to Su Ying. The east was the position of nobility, and her identity as the Empress Dowager's niece also entitled her to it.

The western hall was where Lady Zhenshen had arranged for those on good terms with the Marquis of Anding's household. Right now she was a notch below Lady Zhenshen and couldn't openly oppose her, but she could still have a say over the eastern flanking hall.

The eastern and western side halls could each only house one person, but the eastern and western flanking halls could accommodate several more. The list Her Highness had given her had four people — two in the eastern flanking hall and two in the western flanking hall. Arranging them separately like this would be proper.

"Mistress." Mingyue came hurrying over from the direction of Guanju Gong.

Consort Xu looked at Mingyue's anxious expression and asked, "What happened?"

"Lady Zhenshen sent someone to Guanju Gong with a message, asking you to go to Yunhua Gong."

Consort Xu frowned slightly at these words. "The candidates enter the palace tomorrow to await selection, don't they?"

"Yes. This servant also heard that this morning Her Majesty the Empress Dowager summoned Lady Zhenshen, and Lady Zhenshen looked very displeased when she returned."

Consort Xu gave a scoffing laugh. So she'd swallowed her anger at the Empress Dowager's place and wanted to take it out on her. "Then let's make the trip."

In Yunhua Gong, Lady Luo Ronghua and Lady Zhou Jieyu were also present. Seeing Consort Xu walk in, the two rose to greet her — after all, their ranks were lower than hers.

Consort Xu had no intention of making things difficult for them. She smiled and bade them rise, then stepped forward to pay her respects to Lady Zhenshen.

Song Huihe was in a foul mood at the moment. Seeing Consort Xu, she didn't even tell her to rise, and simply said, "Wanting to see you, Consort Xu, is truly not easy. It took three or four summonses before you'd show your face."

Consort Xu rose to her feet on her own, paying no mind to Song Huihe's expression. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "Lady Zhenshen, you misunderstand me. I'm afraid the person who delivered the message to Guanju Gong didn't make things clear to you. Early this morning I went to Yuzhao Gong to report back, and on my way I learned that Lady Zhenshen had summoned me, so I came straight away."

Song Huihe's expression turned even uglier hearing Consort Xu use Rong Luoge to press her. Her face darkened, and she said, "Is Consort Xu using the Noble Consort to pressure this palace?"

Consort Xu frowned slightly, then said, "Lady Zhenshen, I wouldn't dare accept such words. I'm only speaking the truth. If you don't believe me, you can naturally send someone to Yuzhao Gong to ask."

Consort Xu had rebuffed Song Huihe neither softly nor harshly. Song Huihe was about to fly into a rage when Lady Zhou Jieyu saw things were going badly and immediately stepped in to smooth things over. "My Lady, please don't be angry. That palace servant who relayed the message was truly detestable — she actually passed on the message incorrectly. You can punish her later. Right now there are more important matters. Please don't be angry, My Lady."

Song Huihe swallowed her anger, looked at Consort Xu, and said, "You must know about the candidates entering the palace tomorrow to await selection, Consort Xu?"

Consort Xu nodded. "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has long since issued her edict to all the palaces. Naturally, I know."

Song Huihe choked on her words, her gaze at Consort Xu growing even colder, and said directly, "In that case, the duty of receiving and guiding the candidates tomorrow will be your responsibility."

The smile on Consort Xu's face vanished immediately. She said nothing, simply standing there quietly.

Yunhua Gong fell silent all at once.

A duty like receiving and guiding candidates was generally carried out by the palace's female officials. Lady Zhenshen telling her to do it was clearly a slap to her face!

"What, you're not willing, Consort Xu?" Song Huihe said angrily.

Consort Xu smiled. "If there truly is no one in the palace who can do this, then naturally I would not shirk my duty. It's just that I don't understand why you would want me, a third-rank consort, to do a task that is the duty of female officials of the Hou Gong. Since Lady Zhenshen humiliates me so, I have no choice but to ask Her Majesty the Empress Dowager to uphold justice!"

Having said that, Consort Xu turned and left immediately, giving Song Huihe no face whatsoever.

"You… stop right there for this palace!" Song Huihe had originally wanted to blunt Consort Xu's sharp edges, but who knew she'd be so bold now, leaving her not the slightest bit of face. Utterly outrageous!

Consort Xu naturally wouldn't stay. Staying would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth. She rubbed her eyes hard until they were red, then headed straight for Funing Gong.

The Empress Dowager and Song Huihe each had their own calculations, both wanting to keep their own faction's people in the palace. Their interests naturally conflicted. The Empress Dowager had long been dissatisfied with Song Huihe but had never had a proper excuse to deal with her. Now that Consort Xu was delivering the opportunity right to her lips, how could the Empress Dowager not take a bite?

Could the Empress Dowager not know that Consort Xu was using someone else's knife to kill?

She knew, but even knowing, she had to serve as that knife. If she didn't suppress Lady Zhenshen early on, the Empress Dowager would be in a very passive position once the candidates entered the palace.

By the time Rong Luoge received the news, the Empress Dowager had already sent someone to give Lady Zhenshen a merciless scolding, and had also reassigned half of the duties from her hands to Consort Xu.

Rong Luoge hadn't expected Consort Xu to be quite so clever at playing the game. How interesting.

Rong Ling Shan looked at her eldest sister and smiled, then asked, "Eldest Sister, what's making you so happy?"

Rong Luoge said, "Just some trivial matters in the palace. It's nothing. Go on with what you were saying — what happened with Rong Yan?"