Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

Xiazi carried the snacks and ran all the way back to Jiuzhou Qingyan. When she saw her master, she hurriedly ran over to him.

Before he could speak, Su Peisheng slapped Xia Xiazi's hat, "Are you out of your mind?! In your haste, you've offended an important person, you'll be in big trouble!"

Xia Zi handed the food box to the person next to her, glanced at the still closed doors of the council hall, straightened her hat with one hand, and pulled Su Peisheng to a secluded spot with the other.

"Master, I have something important to tell you."

Seeing the anxious look on his face, Su Peisheng frowned, instructed the other eunuchs guarding the door to follow Xia Zi to the side.

Once they were alone, Xia Xiazi immediately sniffed all over Su Peisheng.

Su Peisheng shoved her away, "What are you doing, you little brat? Speak quickly if you have something to say. The Emperor is almost done with his official duties and can't be left alone."

Xiazi leaned closer and tugged at Su Peisheng's sleeve. "Master, something's really wrong. You smell of honey incense! Not just you, I smell it too. If you don't believe me, smell it carefully yourself."

Last night, the Emperor favored Lady Yun. All those around him, including her master Su Peisheng, were busy all night long and didn't have time to go back to their quarters to change and sleep. When they were too tired and sleepy to stay up any longer, they would just lean against a pillar and take a nap.

Su Peisheng's expression changed. They served the emperor, who often used ambergris, so it was impossible for him to have any other fragrance on his body.

He lifted his sleeve and smelled it carefully. It really did have a sweet but not cloying scent, which was the fragrance of honey!

Xiazi blurted out the story of what happened in the Imperial Kitchen to Su Peisheng: "This servant remembers that His Majesty bestowed this honey-infused incense upon Consort Qi, Noble Lady Fucha, Noble Lady Shen, and Consort Zhen."

The Empress and Consort Zhuang did not like to use fragrances. Consort Hua only used Huan Yi Fragrance back then, while Consort An, who is now highly favored, had not yet emerged.

Xiazi knew it, and Su Peisheng couldn't possibly not know it.

But from yesterday until now, he has never seen any of these four concubines who have the fragrance of honey, so it is impossible for them to have been tainted by this fragrance.

Besides serving the emperor, Xiazi would occasionally fetch meals, so it was impossible for her to have been exposed to the scent of honey.

wrong!

Su Peisheng's expression changed. "Go to Natural Painting immediately and find out what Consort Shen has sent to Madam Yun and Miss Zhen these past few days."

Su Peisheng was anxious, and An Lingrong on the other side was also secretly anxious.

An Lingrong also received two of the honey-scented sachets.

After handing the tray containing the sachets to Baoque, Caixing, who came to deliver the sachets, took another tray covered with a brocade handkerchief from the maid behind her.

“Young Mistress An, these are some second-rate sachets. The materials and workmanship are slightly inferior to those used by the ladies, but they are perfect for giving as gifts.”

An Lingrong glanced at it but didn't look at it again. Instead, she asked about Yun Xinluo, "Caixing, has Sister Shen thought about what I just talked about with her?"

Looking at the sachets in front of him, Anling felt a sense of unease.

Cai Xing's answer indeed confirmed her intuition.

"This servant was just about to tell you about this, Your Highness. When you went to Peach Blossom Village to report to the Empress about palace affairs, the Empress entrusted you with the task of purchasing for the Imperial Kitchen. You are currently busy reviewing the previous account books and will probably not be able to attend to anything else lately."

An Lingrong clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her smile somewhat forced. "Palace affairs are of utmost importance, and Sister Shen should naturally be more attentive to them."

Cai Xing glanced at An Lingrong's tightly clenched knuckles and politely took her leave.

After she left, An Lingrong angrily grabbed the sachet from the tray and threw it hard on the ground.

Baoque dismissed the palace servants serving in the room and stood cautiously beside her, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness, Consort Shen is unwilling to continue. Shall we continue?"

An Lingrong pursed her lips and answered irrelevantly: "My aunt Chen once said, 'A concubine is not as good as a stolen woman.' Isn't that exactly what the Emperor and that Lady Yun are like now?"

Men like beautiful women, they like novelty, but they like excitement even more.

There is only one emperor, but now there is another woman, Yun, who can greatly excite the emperor, so the favor of others will be diluted.

Without sufficient favor, when will she be able to conceive? When will she be able to ascend to the rank of concubine?

Moreover, Lady Yun is Zhen Huan's birth mother. Zhen Huan is already favored enough. With Lady Yun's help, where will An Lingrong have a place in the harem in the future?

Even if she gives birth to a prince in the future, with Zhen Huan and her three generations of grandchildren standing in front of her, the emperor is very likely to ignore her child.

Baoque hesitated, looking at An Lingrong's cold expression: "But my lady, if we take matters into our own hands and expose this scandal, the Emperor might trace it back to us, and then..."

At that time, the emperor would likely be furious and, at best, dislike his concubine; he might even lose favor and be sidelined. Conversely, the other concubines in the harem would be able to enjoy the benefits.

An Lingrong was well aware of this, otherwise she wouldn't have encouraged and instigated Shen Meizhuang.

Shen Meizhuang didn't want to stand out, but there were plenty of people who wanted to get rid of Zhen Huan!

"Because of Zhen Huan, Lady Fei was repeatedly demoted to a lowly concubine without a title. She must have wanted to skin Zhen Huan alive. Moreover, her family background was considered above average among the concubines, and she had been a concubine for so long. She must have a lot of connections and influence."

Baoque thought about it for a moment. Although her mistress's words made sense, but...

“But Your Highness, Consort Fei has already been demoted to the rank of Consort. It’s common for people to fawn over the powerful and bully the weak in the palace, so there’s no guarantee that anyone will still be willing to work hard for her. I think it would be better to let Consort Hua take action.”

Mentioning Consort Hua, An Lingrong's expression grew even colder. "Have you forgotten that Consort Hua summoned me not long ago?"

Baoque immediately shut up. Last time, when Consort Hua found out that the young lady had used Princess Wenyi to threaten Consort Jin into taking action in order to deal with Consort Zhen, Consort Hua summoned the young lady and made her kneel down and scold her severely.

An Lingrong snorted coldly, "Didn't Consort Fei get close to Consort Qi a while ago? Everyone in the palace knows that Consort Qi is jealous of Zhen Huan. If Consort Fei has no one else to rely on, let her go to Consort Qi. If Consort Qi is incompetent, there is still the Empress. If the Empress is not good, there is still the Empress Dowager in the palace."

She refused to believe that the Empress would remain indifferent to the Emperor's disregard for human ethics and his affair with Zhen Huan's mother.

If the Empress cannot persuade the Emperor to change his mind and abandon Lady Yun.

Then let the Empress Dowager step in. She is the Emperor's birth mother, and the Emperor cannot disobey her.

and……

As she pondered, a terrifying look flashed in An Lingrong's eyes.

She could easily have secretly fueled the flames, spreading rumors that Lady Yun was inherently base, licentious, and seducing the emperor, attempting to disrupt the court.

At that time, not only the Empress Dowager, but even former court officials will petition the Emperor to execute Yun Shi and Zhen Huan, the mother and daughter who seduced the Emperor and violated human ethics and morality.

If handled properly, it might even be possible to eliminate Zhen Huan's illegitimate child as well.

At that time, no one in the harem will be able to compete with her for the emperor's favor!

An Lingrong's eyes lit up with excitement.