Chapter 11: Ruthless Slaughter

  The two words "concubine" were like a series of heavy slaps in the faces of the three women, causing heart-wrenching pain, as if needles were pricking at their hearts.

  If they could, who among them would be willing to become someone else's concubine? The position of legitimate wife was the status they had been vying for all these years, and Cold Xue Yue's words sent them straight to hell.

  And the man in the dominant position also made them feel cold, he actually allowed Leng Ziyue to be rude to them, and they were women who had accompanied him for nearly twenty years, with no merit but hard work. Even when they pretended to be affectionate and flirtatious in front of him more often than being genuine, their feelings for him were real.

  Madam Luo was so angry that her teeth itched, and her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand, bleeding without realizing it. The servants in the Hou Mansion called her Madam Luo instead of Lady Luo, which was what she had worked hard for many years to achieve, but now it was all gone. She had a taste of falling from heaven to hell.

  She regretted not killing Leng Ziyue earlier, otherwise she wouldn't have let her trample on her head and run wild. Not only did she have to move out of the East Wing, but so many good things didn't belong to her either. How could this not make her furious enough to vomit blood?

  At that time, Zhangsun Youyou married into the Zhong Junhou Mansion with a dowry of over a hundred sedan chairs. Even if you casually pulled out one from the Moon Palace and asked, everyone would know.

  She had to think of a way to hide all those dowries and absolutely could not give them to Leng Ziyue.

  "Shut your mouths, all of you go back to your own courtyard, and don't provoke her again." Leng Zhen said, seemingly tired, waving his hand to signal Zhang the housekeeper to send them all out.

  The three sisters of the Leng family saw that their mother, although her face was pale and white with anger, did not pull their father to cry and complain, and they all did not make a sound, only fearing that they would be affected by the aftermath.

  There are many ways to deal with Leng Xueyue, they don't have to show off their eloquence and suffer more punishment.

  Led by Mrs. Yi, Hua Yiniang, Qiao Yiniang, Leng Fengling, Leng Yinling, and Leng Jiling all stood up, their faces filled with sorrow, on the verge of tears, they bowed to Leng Zhong and quietly left the house.

  They expressed their discontent and accusation towards Leng Ting with silence.

  "Master Wang, within ten days, tidy up the West Wing to make it a place fit for a legitimate daughter. The courtyards of the three madams and the three misses must be arranged according to Fourth Miss's requirements, no mistakes allowed." Cold Jing was extremely strict in his handling of affairs; what he said went, and others couldn't say otherwise. In modern terms, he was the epitome of male chauvinism.

  The women in the backyard, regardless of whether they are beautiful or ugly, and regardless of their surname or name, have only one name, that is, Leng Zhong's woman. Anything else can be forgotten, as long as you remember to listen.

  At the same time, several women who had been openly and secretly vying with each other for years tacitly formed an alliance, because they had a common enemy they wanted to get rid of - Leng Ziyue.

  No matter what they want to achieve in the Zhongjun Houfu, they must get rid of Leng Ziyue, she is the biggest obstacle. The cold and oppressive aura she showed today has already made them feel that their status is threatened, and unity is the only thing they can do for now.

  Qiao Yiniang furrowed her brow all the way, she understood in her heart that Leng Zheng's tolerance of Leng Ziyue must have had its purpose, and this was also one of the reasons why she didn't cry out loud. What she needed to do was to cooperate with the other two women on one hand, and blow pillow wind to Leng Zheng on the other, to see what he was really thinking.

  Leng Ziyue's status as the eldest daughter, her piano skills, will surely shine brightly at the Linglong banquet in the future. Is it all for this? In those years, the Empress Dowager chose Leng Ziyue, first because of her beauty, no one could surpass her; secondly, because of her piano skills, which attracted hundreds of birds to sing and hundreds of flowers to bloom.

  There are many people who play the piano well in this world, but those who can compare to Leng Ziyue are few and far between, and it's even more rare to find someone as perfect as her. She is beautiful and delicate, making people love and pity her, she is timid and weak-willed, which makes her easy to control, when others say one, she doesn't dare say two, truly a nearly perfect pawn.

  Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, your thoughts are truly far-reaching.

  "Miss, Luo Yiniang and Hua Yiniang are smashing things in their own yards. That miss is the same, scolding and beating the servants, it's really unbearable." Shui'er told Qiao Yiniang what she had heard, looking at Qiao Yiniang's calm face, the little maid didn't know what else to add, and nervously swallowed her saliva.

  "Hmm." Aunt Qiao nodded, if things were really as she thought, then Leng Ziyue was the one who couldn't move, she had to be careful, otherwise, it would be a loss to gain nothing by trying to steal a chicken.

  Dongmei supported Qiao Niang as they walked through the garden, taking slow steps. Shui'er bit her lip and followed closely behind them at a quick pace.

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  Palace

  Hui Xiang Pavilion is located in the Imperial Garden, with a jade table and white jade chairs inside, luxurious and noble. The four pillars are made of marble, situated amidst a sea of peonies.

  "Can my sister find out something from the emperor?" A pale blue palace dress with a clever design, intricate embroidery on the edges of the collar, and a dreamy blue that gradates to a light pink. The beauty is like a landscape painting. Although the craftsmanship is exquisite, in the midst of the Hundred Flowers Palace, it seems slightly ordinary. Her hair is lightly styled in a beautiful bun, with a single jade pin inserted at an angle. Her eyebrows are delicately painted, and her makeup is elegant and refined. Her lips seem to hold a pearl, matching the crystal earrings that hang from her ears. The subtle makeup is enchanting, bewildering those around her.

  Jiang Guifei gave birth to the eldest son, Han Wang Bailichangqing, and the second son, Ming Wang Bailichangjian. Although she was already forty-four years old, due to her good maintenance over the years, she looked like she was only in her thirties, with a lingering charm.

  Apart from Empress Xiao, her status in the harem can be said to be second only to one person and above all others, her nobility is imaginable.

  The princess wore a moon-white embroidered jacket with a lake-blue skirt, and on top of that, she wore a dark green wide-sleeved robe. The cuffs were embroidered with white silk thread in a auspicious cloud pattern. Around her neck was a ruby necklace, which set off the snow-whiteness of her skin. On her wrist lay quietly a white jade bangle. Three thousand strands of black hair were coiled up with one hairpin, paired with a magnificent golden hairpin, and silver tassels hung down beside it. A red plum blossom was painted on her forehead, adding a few points to her proud demeanor. A faint touch of rouge had been applied, and on her pale face, a faint hint of pink could be seen.

  "Sister, the Emperor never mentions the Crown Prince's opposition. It's really hard for me to ask about the Emperor's intentions." The Empress Dowager responded lightly after taking a sip of the newly offered fragrant tea. Although she had gained imperial favor, she was unfortunately unable to bear children. She knew that in this ruthless palace where people were devoured without being spat out, if she wanted to become someone important, she must be prepared.

  Although Jiang Guifei is old and faded, she knows how to dress herself up, always looking elegant and refined. The Emperor occasionally spends time in her palace once a month. Zhuang Fei can only rely on her to survive in order to stand firm. After all, there are women who are younger and more beautiful than her every year, it's hard to ensure that the Emperor won't forget her.

  "Empress Dowager is well, and so is Princess Zhuang." Ba Li Chang Jian was stuck in his own mansion, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off. Leng Ziyue's sudden change in temperament, she actually directly told those words to Zhong Jun Hou Leng Zheng, taking back everything that her legitimate daughter deserved, which made him have no choice but to enter the palace once again.

  "Jian'er is here, I see you don't look well, what's wrong?" Jiang Guifei didn't avoid mentioning Zhuang Fei in front of her, they were on the same boat, her nephew had made such a great sacrifice, she wasn't petty-minded.

  Baili Changjian spoke out about Leng Zuo's abnormality and looked at the two of them again: "What does the Empress think?"

  In Jiang Guifei's mind, she vaguely recalled the appearance of Leng Ziyue. Although she often entered the palace to accompany Empress Dowager, she always kept her head down and her body trembling whenever she saw anyone, so how did she become so majestic?

  "She can't stay." Jiang Guifei's voice dropped, she wouldn't allow any mistakes in her plan. A woman who couldn't be controlled absolutely couldn't live. "Make a clean move, take care of her while she's at Jingyue Temple. By then, it will be easy to push the blame away, no one will know it was their doing."

  The Empress's delicate eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and after a long while, she finally spoke up: "Your Highness Ming Wang, don't let Zhang Xiao know about this matter."

  After all, it was her own nephew, how could she not understand the reason. If Zhang Xiao knew that they were behind it, he might never listen to her again.

  "Alright, I'll arrange it now." Baili Changjian understood Zhuang Fei's meaning. He was also worried that Zhang Xiao would be affected, which is why he had the intention to kill Leng Zhiyue.

  As long as Leng Xueying is dead, Zhang Xiao will never be able to turn back.