Chapter 17: Trampling Li Shi and Her Daughter Down

Others might fear these Grand Concubines in the deep palace, but Cheng Xi did not.

Furthermore, she had reason on her side.

Li Shi wanted to use Li Taifei to suppress her, so she would simply tear off her mask in front of Li Taifei; she wanted to see whether Li Taifei would protect her own reputation or protect Li Shi.

This is quite interesting, isn't it?

Although they both share the surname Li, they are merely distant clan relatives.

Li Taifei frowned, her expression displeased as she said, "What is the meaning of this?"

Cheng Xi looked at Cheng Fenglan, "Your Highness, you may not know, but the residence the Cheng family lives in is my mother's dowry. My father, as a Vice Minister, has his own mansion; naturally, he cannot continue to live in his first wife's house with his successor wife and children. After all, I have grown up, and it is time for things to be returned to their rightful owner, is it not?"

Cheng Fenglan looked as if she were about to cry, "Cheng Xi, my mother raised you with such hardship, how can you be so ungrateful?"

"Ungrateful? Living in my mother's house, spending my mother's dowry—do you not have a home of your own? You must crowd into my residence. Oh, of course you cannot leave; if you left, how could you have an affair with Jiang Weiran and make him break off his engagement with me?"

Boom— Cheng Fenglan's face flushed red, and she said angrily, "Cheng Xi, stop spouting nonsense! What does your engagement with Jiang have to do with me?"

"If it is unrelated, why are you running everywhere begging people to reattach his severed arm? If his arm wasn't severed because of you, why are you fawning over him?"

What?

Jiang Weiran severed an arm?

Everyone in the hall was stunned.

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion had kept this matter well-hidden, and Cheng Xi had not had time to deliberately spread it after returning to the Cheng family, but since Cheng Fenglan and Li Shi insisted on making things difficult for her and even brought out Li Taifei to suppress her, then they should not blame her.

This was the first time Li Taifei had heard of such a thing, and her expression instantly turned unpleasant; she had always been someone who cherished her reputation, and her standing in the palace had always been excellent.

At this moment, her face darkened slightly as she looked at Cheng Fenglan, "Feng Lan, is this true?"

Cheng Fenglan had already coordinated her story with the Zhenguo Duke Mansion, so even though she was ashamed and annoyed, she remained calm and said, "Your Highness, my eldest sister is merely venting her anger on me because Jiang broke off the engagement. The reason Jiang broke off the engagement with her is that she did not awaken her talent.

It just so happens that I have awakened my talent, and since our two families already had a marriage contract, the Duchess of Zhenguo, mindful of the ties between our families, thought to have me marry into their house. Unexpectedly, my eldest sister grew resentful, and thus targeted me everywhere, even dealing a ruthless blow to Jiang and severing one of his arms."

Cheng Fenglan had learned this skill of twisting black and white from Li Shi quite perfectly.

Li Taifei's expression softened, and she looked at Cheng Xi again, "Cheng Xi, what else do you have to say?"

Cheng Xi chuckled, "Your Highness, just because she says I haven't awakened my talent, does that mean I have no talent?"

"Cheng Xi, if you want to lie, you should at least check the place; you clearly tested it before, and you have no talent at all," Cheng Fenglan said in a deep voice. "You should take back such a lie that can be punctured with a single touch."

"If Your Highness does not believe me, you can test it right here in the hall," Cheng Xi said.

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingyao frowned, "Eldest Miss Cheng, the Spirit Testing Stone is enormous and cannot be easily moved; how can we waste manpower just for you? Besides, the Spirit Testing Stone is only opened once a year. Could it be that you are only daring to make such a big claim because of this?"

To test for talent, one must go to the Tongtian Ta; there is a massive Spirit Testing Stone inside the Tongtian Ta, and it has never been moved since it was placed there.

Furthermore, the Spirit Testing Stone requires Spirit Essence accumulation and is only opened once a year.

Cheng Xi frowned; it was actually this troublesome?

In her world, testing for talent was something that could be completed with a spirit orb the size of a palm.

It was her oversight.

Meeting Cheng Xi's expression, Cheng Fenglan's eyes held a hint of triumph, and she let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "Your Highness, my parents have already moved house, which can be considered fulfilling my eldest sister's wishes. It is just that it is heartbreaking for one family to be split into two."

Li Taifei looked at Cheng Xi, "What else do you have to say?"

Cheng Xi had not intended to keep locking horns with Cheng Fenglan, but since she was so tactless, she should not blame her.

"Your Highness, in a few days it will be the enrollment exam for Qinghe Academy, and I will participate then. Whether I have talent or not will be known at that time," Cheng Xi said.

The hall went silent instantly. Cheng Fenglan looked at Cheng Xi in disbelief and immediately laughed, "Eldest sister, this is no joking matter. You must know that the Emperor will personally attend to observe the exam; there will be absolutely no opportunity to cheat."

For Cheng Xi to insist on claiming she has talent—isn't this just seeking her own destruction?

Whether one has talent or not is not something you can just say with your mouth.

Cheng Fenglan instantly felt that victory was in her grasp; she had thought Cheng Xi had become smarter, but she hadn't expected her to be even stupider.

"Cheng Xi, this palace will give you one more chance; you must think carefully," Li Taifei looked at Cheng Xi and asked in a deep voice.

"Thank you, Your Highness, I have thought it through," Cheng Xi said.

If it weren't for her current physical body being too weak, she would never allow these petty people to be so arrogant.

Whether it was making Incense Bait or carving small figures, neither required much magic power.

But if she were to draw a Talisman in the void, it would require drawing the Spirit Essence of heaven and earth into the Talisman, and the magic power required was immense; her current body could not withstand it.

It was like a raging fire trapped in a paper shell—she had the will but lacked the strength.

Fang Huiru frowned slightly, and feeling displeased after glancing at Cheng Fenglan, she stepped forward and smiled at Li Taifei, "Since that is the case, I would also like to join in the fun that day, if Your Highness permits."

Anyone could take the spotlight, but not Cheng Fenglan.

Cheng Fenglan looked at Fang Huiru, who had stepped out, and the smile on her face stiffened slightly.

Li Taifei did not know the grudge between the two women and smiled, "Of course you may. If you can also pass the exam into Qinghe Academy, it will be the fortune of our dynasty."

"Your Highness, I am also willing to participate," Jiang Miao also stepped out.

Seeing this, Lu Mingyao wanted to support Cheng Fenglan, so she stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I am also willing."

Those who awaken talent are extremely rare; since the founding of the dynasty, there have only been a few hundred, and those who achieve success in their studies are even fewer.

If she could truly produce a few students with outstanding talent from her hands, she would have another merit before the Emperor. With the Empress Dowager and the Emperor having more and more conflicts, she might not be without a chance to compete.

It was precisely because the marriage between Cheng Fenglan and Jiang was a certainty that Li Taifei was willing to manage the affairs of Li Shi and her daughter.

Now that there was an unexpected joy, the way Li Taifei looked at Cheng Xi softened a little.

Yan Shengyu's expression grew increasingly solemn. Xuan Nongying and Fan Mingxin, who were sitting beside her, both looked at her. She shook her head slightly, and the two women did not step out.

Yan Shengyu was the Empress Dowager's own niece. Everyone thought Li Taifei and the Empress Dowager had an excellent relationship, but she knew their relationship was very subtle.

The Empress Dowager certainly would not want Li Taifei to steal the limelight again. Yan Shengyu looked at Cheng Fenglan with some annoyance, then looked at Cheng Xi.

Perhaps she could win over Cheng Xi and trample Li Shi and her daughter into the dust once and for all.