Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

The following morning, An Lingrong once again brought a bowl of soup to Jiuzhou Qingyan to request an audience.

Xia Xiazi was guarding the door, and he immediately came to greet An Lingrong.

"This servant greets Noble Lady An."

An Lingrong glanced around at the people without making it obvious, then deliberately took a few steps forward to get closer to Xia Zi and said, "Eunuch Xia, no need for formalities. Is His Majesty still busy?"

Xiazi stood up, stood three steps away from An Lingrong, and bowed in response.

"Your Excellency, His Majesty is currently discussing state affairs with several senior officials. Would you please wait here?"

An Lingrong's eyes flashed, and she turned to take the food box from Baoque behind her, then slightly handed it towards Xiaxiazi.

"Since Your Majesty is busy, I will not disturb you any longer. This is a heat-clearing and nourishing soup that I had prepared. Please have Eunuch Xia present it to Your Majesty on my behalf."

An Lingrong has been the most favored concubine lately, so Xia Xiazi naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Ah, don't worry, Your Majesty, I will present it to you as soon as you are done with your business."

As she spoke, Xiazi stepped forward and took the food box from An Lingrong's hand.

Just as he raised his hand, a gentle breeze swept by, and An Lingrong caught a familiar yet faint scent in the breeze.

It's honey-scented!

An Lingrong's pupils contracted; Shen Meizhuang's guess had actually come true!

She took a few deep breaths, barely managing to calm her wildly fluctuating emotions.

"Then I'll have to trouble Eunuch Xia."

Upon closer listening, her voice sounded somewhat ethereal.

But Xiaxia didn't notice.

An Lingrong left Jiuzhou Qingyan and immediately went to Xianyue Pavilion.

Upon seeing Shen Meizhuang, An Lingrong grabbed her arm.

She applied considerable force, and Shen Meizhuang let out a muffled groan of pain.

"Little Master!"

Caiyue and Caixing rushed forward anxiously, one supporting Shen Meizhuang and the other holding An Lingrong's elbow, trying to pull her away.

Shen Meizhuang looked at An Lingrong, who seemed rather absent-minded, shook her head at the two maids, and then put a hand on An Lingrong's shoulder and said softly.

"Lingrong, don't be anxious. Let's sit down and talk about it slowly."

An Lingrong was soothed by her calm voice and loosened her grip slightly.

After being helped to sit down by Shen Meizhuang and drinking half a cup of tea, she finally calmed down and said uneasily, "Sister, I can smell it!"

Shen Meizhuang's expression changed instantly, her calm demeanor turning into astonishment. "It's actually true!"

Her back was straight, and her whole body was stiff.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, he... he actually..."

Shen Meizhuang felt extremely stifled and depressed. Although she might not love the emperor that much, he was still the man beside her.

Although the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" and "Women's Rules" she learned in elementary school taught her to unconditionally obey and submit to her husband.

But when her husband did such an absurd and immoral thing, Shen Meizhuang couldn't help but feel disgusted and repulsed.

At that moment, the emperor's glorious, majestic, and unapproachable image collapsed in her heart and ceased to exist.

Disgusting, absolutely disgusting...

An Lingrong grabbed Shen Meizhuang's sleeve: "Sister, why would the Emperor...why would he..."

An Lingrong found it difficult to speak.

Leaving aside the fact that Zhen Yunshi was already a wife and mother, she was nearly forty years old, her youth and beauty gone.

As the emperor, he had three thousand beauties in his harem. What kind of young and beautiful women didn't he have?

They actually disregarded human ethics and morality in order to obtain Zhen Yunshi.

Shen Meizhuang also wanted to know why.

"This issue……"

Shen Meizhuang took a sip of tea to suppress the churning in her stomach.

"Lingrong, there are probably some secrets behind this that we don't know about."

Although she found the emperor's behavior disgusting, Shen Meizhuang had to admit that he was neither a foolish ruler nor a lecherous devil who couldn't resist a woman of some beauty.

There must be a reason why the emperor would disregard human ethics and risk his reputation to obtain Zhen Yunshi.

"Lingrong, this matter..."

Shen Meizhuang spoke hesitantly, her face full of solemnity.

"If we continue the investigation, it might easily alert others."

The implication is that this cannot continue.

Since the emperor decided to keep Zhen Yunshi in the dark, he certainly did not want anyone to know about this matter.

If the emperor were to find out about their actions, they would either fall out of favor and live a life of obscurity, or die of illness, bringing ruin upon their families.

Such consequences are beyond their ability to bear.

At this moment, Shen Meizhuang deeply regretted her previous rash actions.

At this moment, Shen Meizhuang suddenly remembered her mother's warning: The more you know, the more dangerous it is!

An Lingrong thought differently. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy and you will win every battle." If you want to prosper for a long time, the emperor's will is naturally the most important thing. But if you can't control it, it is also possible to suppress your competitors.

The Emperor disregarded human ethics in his desire to obtain Zhen Yunshi, which shows how much he adores her. If we don't nip this potential favor in the bud, we may never have such a good opportunity again!

An Lingrong looked at Shen Meizhuang's furrowed brows and said earnestly, "Sister, although I am not well-educated, I know that once the arrow is released, there is no turning back."

Shen Meizhuang's heart tightened. If the sachet laced with honey and incense were discovered, she...

Cai Xing and Cai Yue, who were serving nearby, also changed their expressions. What did Consort An mean? Was she threatening their mistress?

Shen Meizhuang clenched her fists under her sleeves, the hard nails piercing her tender skin, but she felt no pain.

It was too late to stop now; she had already left her mark.

The scent of honey blend is unique; once you've smelled it, you'll never mistake it for something else.

Although the spices were not exclusively hers, the sachet was personally given to her by Caiyue, who was by her side.

"Lingrong, let me think about this before I say anything."

She looked at An Lingrong's pitiful little face, a dark light flickering in her eyes.

While those traces cannot be erased, it is not a bad idea to cut losses in time.

After An Lingrong left, Shen Meizhuang remained sitting quietly at the table.

Caiyue and Caixing exchanged a glance. They were Shen Meizhuang's confidantes and knew all of Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong's schemes.

“My lady,” Caiyue whispered, “You must not listen to what Miss An said. We can’t get involved in Madam Zhen’s matter anymore.”

Caixing chimed in, "Yes, my lady. That Mistress An seems so close to you, but she's using you as a pawn in every situation. If it's advantageous, she benefits along with you; if it's harmful, you'll be the first to suffer!"