Chapter 749 - 526: Zhao Ling’e Is Certain She Can Bring Down the Imperial Concubine

Chapter 749: Chapter 526: Zhao Ling’e Is Certain She Can Bring Down the Imperial Concubine

Zhao Ling’e acted with a quiet yet brazen arrogance. After entering the palace, she had made a point of visiting Shouci Palace and never bothered to hide it from An Shutong, a deliberate display of dominance.

At the time, An Shutong had avoided a direct confrontation, not wanting to clash with her, but in truth, she had been simmering with unspoken rage.

Power and influence have always been a matter of one side waxing as the other wanes.

The moment An Shutong backed down, regaining the upper hand became incredibly difficult.

The Empress Dowager’s wavering attitude was a particular hurdle for An Shutong. All this time, it wasn’t just An Shutong who felt aggrieved; the palace attendants serving her were also filled with pent-up frustration.

Back when Qin Xiyue was the main consort of Huayang Palace, their mistress had never suffered such indignities.

Now that their mistress had given the word, they were more than ready to show Yingxue Hall exactly who was in charge of Huayang Palace.

Each palace’s allotments were fixed. According to regulations, they were delivered to the main concubines of the palace, who would then distribute them.

Previously, An Shutong had used her poor health as an excuse to never manage these affairs. But now? She was all better.

And so, An Shutong took charge of all matters in Huayang Palace.

From monthly stipends to clothing, jewelry, food, and drink, everything had to pass through the main hall first. With that, life in Yingxue Hall was effectively strangled.

It wasn’t that An Shutong was deliberately giving her a hard time. It was just that previously, the Six Departments delivered Zhao Ling’e’s supplies directly to her. Now, they passed through An Shutong’s hands first, which meant Zhao Ling’e was getting An Shutong’s leftovers.

Even if the items themselves were the same, the implication was completely different.

Zhao Ling’e sat in her inner chamber in Yingxue Hall. Even through the window, she could hear laughter drifting from the main hall, and it sounded exceptionally grating.

’A tiger stranded on the plains is tormented by dogs.’

Suhua entered with the day’s meal, setting it gently on the table. Seeing her mistress’s dark expression, she dared not speak.

Though her mistress had always presented a warm and smiling face to the world, in private, her attendants knew better than to be impertinent.

"Mistress, it is time for your meal," Suhua said after arranging the bowl and chopsticks.

Zhao Ling’e had no appetite. She looked up at Suhua. "Has the letter been sent out?"

A troubled look crossed Suhua’s face. She bit her lip before replying, "I’ve already submitted it to Cuiwei Palace, but there’s been no reply. On my way back, I ran into a palace attendant from Zhaoyang Palace and asked her about it. She just said we have to wait, that the palace has its own rules."

Zhao Ling’e’s expression darkened. When she first entered the palace, everything had gone so smoothly that she had never even considered writing to her family.

Now that she had made one misstep, she wanted to get word to her family, but she never imagined it would be this difficult to send a letter out of the palace.

"Is someone deliberately making things difficult?" Zhao Ling’e asked, looking at Suhua.

Suhua quickly shook her head. "No, I’ve already asked around. Letters sent outside the palace must first be submitted to the three concubines. Since Lady Wanfei doesn’t involve herself in such matters, they are usually sent to Lady Shufei and Princess Consort Zhuang. Normally, we should hear back in two or three days. Please wait a little longer, Mistress. It’s only the second day."

Zhao Ling’e pressed her lips together. ’So much for "following regulations." The three concubines and the Imperial Concubine can send letters whenever they please. Who would dare to oversee them?’

The thought made Zhao Ling’e lose what little appetite she had left.

But at a critical time like this, she absolutely could not afford to fall ill. She took a deep breath and rose to have her meal.

Once she stepped outside, the laughter from the main hall was even clearer.

Zhao Ling’e’s hand tightened around her spoon. "Any word from Shouci Palace? Does the Empress Dowager have time to see me?"

Suhua shook her head slightly. "Nanny Yao says the Empress Dowager has caught a chill and has been suffering from a headache for the past few days. It’s not convenient for her to receive visitors."

Zhao Ling’e lowered her head, sipping the broth one spoonful at a time. It was just a simple vegetable broth—the kind she would never have even seen back in her family’s home.

But after her demotion to a mere concubine, her official allotments had changed. Her three daily meals were much plainer. If she wanted anything better, she had to secretly spend her own silver to have the kitchen prepare it.

She did have silver on hand, but she didn’t want to be too conspicuous. For the past few days, every meal had been an agonizing experience.

’I thought entering the palace meant a life of unparalleled luxury and honor. Who knew it would be even worse than my life back home?’

For the first time, Zhao Ling’e felt a pang of regret for ever entering the selection, but she quickly suppressed the thought.

After finishing her meal, she deliberated for a long time before rising and returning to her inner chamber. She took out a palm-sized box, summoned Suhua, and instructed in a low voice, "Take this to the Empress Dowager. Tell her I was very worried to hear her headache has returned, and that this is a small token of my filial concern."

Suhua nodded eagerly and tucked the box into her sleeve. "I will wait until everyone is napping this afternoon and then go quietly to Shouci Palace. It will be less conspicuous that way."

Zhao Ling’e nodded. "I’m sorry to trouble you. Instead of enjoying good fortune with me, you’ve only suffered."

"Please don’t say that, Mistress! Ups and downs are perfectly normal in the harem. Even someone as honored as Lady Shufei once had her title revoked, and Princess Consort Zhuang lost her rank of concubine entirely. But look, haven’t they gotten them back now? Mistress, you are both beautiful and talented. This was just a bit of bad luck. There will be other chances."

Zhao Ling’e remained silent. She found herself constantly replaying every moment of her confrontation with the Imperial Concubine.

She analyzed it word by word, but she still couldn’t see what she had done wrong. Her words had been reasonable and well-founded; it wasn’t as if she had openly framed the Imperial Concubine. Logically, she shouldn’t have met such a fate.

’Even if it involved Zhao Liangren, what was wrong with me visiting her?’

Zhao Liangren was confined to her quarters, but there was no rule forbidding other concubines from visiting. She had done nothing wrong.

’If there was any fault to be found, it would be Zhao Liangren spreading those rumors. But so what? The Imperial Concubine had no proof, only suspicion.’

But that suspicion alone, even without evidence, was enough. The Emperor trusted the Imperial Concubine.

After mulling it over for several days, Zhao Ling’e finally understood where she had truly failed.

She hadn’t been defeated by a lack of beauty or talent. She had been defeated because she entered the palace too late, and because she had come after the Emperor’s heart already belonged to the Imperial Concubine.

That day, she had watched carefully from the corner of her eye; the Emperor’s gaze had almost never strayed from the Imperial Concubine.

That was the trickiest part. The Emperor cared for the Imperial Concubine too much, trusted her too much.

Even if someone else was in the right, the Emperor would still side with the Imperial Concubine.

And that was why, in this confrontation, she had been so utterly defeated.

If she wanted to turn the tables, she would have to think very carefully.

Zhao Ling’e tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The most important thing now was to figure out how to destroy the Emperor’s trust in the Imperial Concubine. Otherwise, trying to take her down would be next to impossible.

Even as she told herself not to be rash, Zhao Ling’e felt a familiar sense of impatience rising within her.

She couldn’t end up like Qin Xiyue, throwing her life away in this harem.

Nor could she become one of those fleeting beauties of the harem, each one broken at the hands of the Imperial Concubine.

’If the Imperial Concubine could achieve her current status, then I, Zhao Ling’e, can do it too.’

Song Yunzhao, of course, had no idea what Zhao Ling’e was thinking. If she had, she would have had to give her some credit.

’That fighting spirit... As expected of the woman who will one day make her daughter the Crown Princess Consort.’

Too bad for her, Song Yunzhao was no pushover. At that very moment, she was holding the family letter Zhao Ling’e was trying to send out of the palace—delivered to her by Consort Shu.