Chapter 639 - 417: You Reap What You Sow

Chapter 639: Chapter 417: You Reap What You Sow

Consort Shu watched as the Empress Dowager’s brow furrowed slightly, and she felt utterly sick of it all. At a turn of her head, she saw An Shutong looking at her. An Shutong wore a lotus-green, cinched-waist brocade gown today. Her figure was slender, and she looked even thinner than before, with a waist so small one could wrap their hands around it.

’It seems the affair with Xu Mingying hit her hard,’ Consort Shu thought, feeling not an ounce of pity for her.

’You reap what you sow.’

An Shutong met Consort Shu’s scrutinizing gaze, offered a faint smile, and then lowered her eyes.

Qin Xiyue sat bolt upright, observing coldly from the side. She could have sworn she saw a hint of disdain in Consort Shu’s eyes, as if she were looking at a fool. The thought alone soured her mood.

Qin Xiyue felt she ought to say something, but when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she knew they would be inappropriate. She forced them back down, feeling utterly stifled.

’Ever since I entered the harem, I haven’t had a single day of peace.’

"Consort Shu, what do you mean?" the Empress Dowager asked slowly.

Hearing the Empress Dowager, Consort Shu turned back with a faint smile. "I naturally heed Your Majesty’s wishes. I was just thinking how pleasant our time at the traveling palace was last year. If Your Majesty is willing, I would be happy to serve you on another trip to escape the summer heat this year."

The Empress Dowager’s eyes glinted. ’Go to the traveling palace?’

The memory of last year still displeased her. They had escaped the heat and enjoyed themselves at the traveling palace, but what was the point if they couldn’t see the Emperor?

’As concubines, winning favor in the palace should be their priority.’

Then she looked at An Shutong, which made her head ache. ’She’s completely useless. She still hasn’t even received the Emperor’s favor.’

"I will think on it. You may go back for now." The Empress Dowager now got a headache just from looking at the three high-ranking concubines. An encounter with any one of them was enough to ruin her mood.

Being dismissed by the Empress Dowager didn’t upset Consort Shu in the least. She rose cheerfully. "Then I shall return and await Your Majesty’s decree. There is no rush. We still have some time before the summer retreat, so please, take your time."

Consort Shu left decisively, without another glance at An Shutong or Qin Xiyue.

Once Consort Shu was gone, An Shutong remained silent. Seeing that An Shutong had nothing to say, Qin Xiyue had no intention of speaking either. For a time, the hall fell quiet.

The Empress Dowager grew even more displeased as she looked at the two of them. She spoke directly, "Qin Wan Yi, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Addressed by name, Qin Xiyue raised her eyes slightly to meet the Empress Dowager’s and began to speak slowly and deliberately. "To answer Your Majesty, I am of low rank and my words carry little weight; I have no place to speak on such important matters. However, since Your Majesty has asked, I can only be honest. In all honesty... I don’t really have any opinion on it."

The Empress Dowager’s expression soured further. ’What a useless answer.’

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Qin Xiyue continue, "Where we concubines go to escape the heat is not important. What’s important is where the Emperor will go. I suspect that Lady Shufei came here today to probe for that very information."

An Shutong had always been a composed person, but ever since the incident with Xu Mingying, she had become more volatile. If she hadn’t, Qin Xiyue likely wouldn’t even be here.

"Probe for what? Could it be the same as last year?" An Shutong asked, her voice turning slightly shrill.

Qin Xiyue glanced at her, her smile growing more earnest. "It certainly looks that way."

An Shutong fell silent. ’So the Emperor plans to keep Ming Fei and her son by his side, alone, once again?’

If things continued like this, An Shutong knew her chance would be gone forever. This was her second year in the palace, and she hadn’t even been able to touch the hem of the Emperor’s robes. In another year, there would be a new selection of concubines. By then, women like her would be nothing but a laughingstock.

The Empress Dowager’s gaze grew colder. She let out a sneer. "If that’s the case, then no one is going this year."

Both An Shutong and Qin Xiyue were taken aback, not expecting the Empress Dowager to say such a thing.

A glint appeared in Qin Xiyue’s eyes. "I’m afraid the three high-ranking concubines will have other plans."

The Empress Dowager snorted. "If I’m not leaving the palace, would anyone else dare to go?"

The remark was a serious one. Qin Xiyue quickly rose to beg forgiveness, but the Empress Dowager waved her hand dismissively. "You may go back as well."

Qin Xiyue took her leave.

Once she was outside Shouci Palace, the placid expression on her face vanished, replaced by a look of grave solemnity.

’The Empress Dowager and An Shutong have suffered a major setback, and now they want to pull me into their camp,’ she thought. ’Since Shutong and I live in the same palace, I can’t avoid her even if I try.’

She knew accepting the Empress Dowager’s patronage was risky, but she had no choice but to accept.

「Inside Shouci Palace」

The Empress Dowager said to An Shutong, "You need to put in more effort yourself. If this continues, you’ll have no chance of getting ahead once the new women enter the palace."

The Empress Dowager had originally planned to leverage her maternal bond with the Emperor to make him accept An Shutong. But last time, while An Shutong had managed to go with him, she was sent back almost immediately. The whole affair was utterly humiliating.

She had finally realized it: her son had no intention of elevating anyone from her side of the family.

The Empress Dowager was furious. Furthermore, because she had been in the wrong regarding the Xu Mingying affair, the Emperor now had leverage over her. This made it difficult for her to bring up the matter of An Shutong again.

So, all she could do was tell An Shutong to take the initiative herself. When she thought of the ruthlessness Song Yunzhao displayed in her fight for favor, she couldn’t help but feel that if her niece had half of that shamelessness and cunning, she wouldn’t still be unable to get anywhere near the Emperor.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated and angry she became. When she looked at An Shutong again, much of her former warmth was gone.

How could An Shutong not understand the implication in the Empress Dowager’s eyes? Her expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she was deeply resentful.

’Don’t I want to rise above the rest?’

’Of course I do.’

’But I can’t even get a glimpse of the Emperor. What am I supposed to do?’

’I’ve never seen anyone more self-disciplined than the Emperor. Matters of state are far more important to him than the beauties of the harem. Even Ming Fei, who is so favored, has only seen him a few times a month since the new year.’

’If that’s the case for Ming Fei, what hope is there for unfavored concubines like us?’

’Besides, the Emperor resents me because of what happened with Xu Mingying, so why would he want to see me? I was just thinking I should keep a low profile for a while. It would be better to show my face again once the incident has blown over.’

But clearly, the Empress Dowager did not see it that way.

An Shutong couldn’t argue with the Empress Dowager, so she could only stand there and endure her grating words. Only after the Empress Dowager had finished venting was she allowed to leave Shouci Palace.

An Shutong’s steps were heavy on her way back. Walking along the palace path, she gazed at the distant sky. She didn’t want to live like this.

’Anyone can walk all over me, anyone can curse me, and I can’t fight back. I can only submit.’

’I want to live freely like Ming Fei. Even though the Empress Dowager despises her, she’s still wary of her.’

’If only I were Ming Fei.’

An Shutong’s expression gradually darkened. The Empress Dowager blamed her, her parents blamed her—everyone called her useless.

’But who remembered that in the beginning, she never wanted to enter the palace at all?’