My stepsister tried to steal the prince's hand in marriage, but little did she know I had been

Chapter 166 The Turmoil of the Former Dynasty

With the Thousand Autumns Gathering approaching, the Thousand Autumns Banquet is also being arranged in full swing.

The Empress was busy with affairs, and the harem was full of intrigue. In order for the Thousand Autumns Banquet to proceed smoothly, the Empress thought for a moment and decided to summon Wen Shuyao to the palace.

"You grew up with your stepmother since you were little, so you probably don't know how to handle these mundane matters." The Empress held Wen Shuyao's hand and said softly, "Today I will teach you, using this Thousand Autumns Banquet as an example."

Wen Shuyao has lived two lives. In her previous life, she was the mistress of the Chen family, which was poor but she had to pretend to be rich. She was very good at such mundane affairs.

Seeing the care and pity in the Empress's eyes, Wen Shuyao ultimately didn't say what was on her mind. Instead, she lowered her head obediently and said, "Thank you, Empress Sister-in-law."

"Good child." The Queen smiled and patted her head, then guided her through the account book.

However, this tranquility did not last long before it was broken by a palace maid.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" A young palace maid stumbled in, ignoring the guards trying to stop her. "At the welcoming banquet today, the Northern Di princess actually proposed to marry the prince!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately realized it was Xie Jinghan.

She immediately noticed Wen Shuyao's change in demeanor, fearing that Wen Shuyao would be saddened by this matter, and then coldly glanced at the little palace maid: "Who let you in?"

The young palace maid trembled, and before she could utter a word, the head palace maid beside the Empress twisted her hands behind her back.

"To trespass into the Empress's palace without permission is utterly despicable!" she said coldly. "Drag him away and kill him immediately."

In this palace, there is only one person who dares to act in this way.

The Empress frowned. It seemed that her control over the harem had been too lenient, which had led to these events.

What is Consort Zhang's intention in doing this? Could it be to avenge her sister, Lady Wen?

"You don't need to worry." The Empress patted Wen Shuyao's shoulder. "His Majesty is a wise man and would never separate you. Although that Northern Di princess is a princess, she is not even half as good as you."

"Besides..." The Empress pondered for a moment, then said, "In Jinghan's heart, there is only you. When I raised Jinghan, he was only four years old. Back then, he was just like he is now. Only when he sees someone close to him will his cold face show any other expression."

"Look at him," the Queen comforted softly, "Is he really as I described him to you?"

Xie Jinghan was usually as cold as an iceberg to others, but in front of Wen Shuyao, his expression became more lively, a fact that the Empress clearly saw.

Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao felt helpless.

She felt no unease about whom Xie Jinghan intended to take as a concubine or whom he intended to marry.

Because Xie Jinghan's marriage to her was a transaction, what feelings could there be between them?

However, since the Empress meant well, she couldn't reveal the truth and could only obediently nod: "I understand what you said, sister-in-law, and I also believe in the Prince."

She opened her big, sincere eyes and said, "I believe that the prince will never abandon me."

Xie Jinghan is indifferent to women and hates the Northern Di to the bone, so why would he marry a Northern Di princess?

This is one of them.

The Northern Di princess's outrageous remarks at the welcoming banquet suggest she may have ulterior motives. How could Xie Jinghan, being so intelligent, not guess it?

This is the second.

In conclusion, Wen Shuyao had complete confidence in Xie Jinghan's character.

Her expression was completely natural, and her eyes were sincere. Seeing this, the Empress finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the Empress still summoned the head palace maid and whispered a few words of advice to her.

The head palace maid looked surprised, glancing at Wen Shuyao from time to time.

"Your Highness, are you really going to do this?" The head palace maid lowered her voice. "You've always been the most tolerant of that person..."

"Everyone has a bottom line." The Empress's face was cold, her gentle expression gone. "My bottom line is my family. She did this intentionally!"

The head palace maid remained silent for a moment, then nodded firmly: "This servant will go and do it right away."

……

Consort Zhang sat on the chaise longue, lazily playing with the jade bracelet on her wrist.

This was just sent to her by the Emperor; the water content is excellent, almost as good as the one the Empress has.

"Her Majesty is still resting! You cannot go in!"

"Be bold!"

Just as she was in a wonderful mood, she heard a stern shout from her personal maid.

Then came a series of strong footsteps.

It was Green Robe, the Empress's head maid, who led in with several tall and slender female guards. There seemed to be something behind those female guards.

Consort Zhang said coldly, "What? Is this how the people around the Empress behave? This is..."

Before she could finish speaking, the last female guard threw the person she was dragging at her.

"what!"

Consort Zhang screamed and retreated repeatedly.

The one thrown out was none other than the young palace maid who had just gone to the Empress's palace to deliver a message.

Her face was covered in handprints, and blood was slowly trickling from the corner of her mouth; she was barely breathing.

"What do you mean by this?" Consort Zhang was startled, her beautiful face contorted into a grimace, but she quickly suppressed her expression.

Seeing this, the woman in green sneered: "She's from the Imperial Concubine's palace. She just delivered a return gift to His Majesty at Wanchun Palace on behalf of the Imperial Concubine, and that's why she overheard the conversation at the welcoming banquet."

"As luck would have it, after hearing this, she went to the Empress's palace after visiting the Noble Consort, and deliberately told Princess Jing about the rumors from today's welcoming banquet."

"What does Your Highness mean by this?" The woman in green glanced coldly at Consort Zhang, exuding the aura of an empress.

Seeing the green-clad woman's appearance, Consort Zhang's face turned extremely ugly. What she hated most were the palace maids around the Empress. They were all arrogant and disrespectful. Even as a consort, she was looked down upon by them.

Today, the woman in green even adopted the demeanor of an empress.

"How dare you!" Consort Zhang pointed at the woman in green. "How dare you speak to me like that? I'm going to see His Majesty!"

"It's too late." The woman in green interrupted Consort Zhang coldly. "His Majesty said that all matters in the inner palace are to be handled by the Empress. Although you are a Consort, don't forget that the inner palace is not allowed to interfere in politics!"

"You harbor resentment towards Princess Jing and deliberately spread rumors from the court to the inner palace, disrupting the palace's order," the woman in green said, raising her head. "I am here on the Empress's orders to inform the Noble Consort..."

"Her Majesty the Empress is the head of the inner palace; how dare you be so presumptuous?"

After saying this, the woman in green coldly ordered under Consort Zhang's indignant gaze, "Twenty taels of silver, a half-year salary deduction, and a month of confinement."

These twelve simple words brought this whole saga to an end.