Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

Su Peisheng returned quickly, and as he passed Yun Xinluo, he gave her a pitying look.

Su Peisheng entered the room and cautiously glanced at the emperor's expression: "Your Majesty, this servant has investigated the matter at the banquet."

The emperor sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable, and slowly uttered a single word as he looked up at Su Peisheng: "Speak!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have found out that the nanny whom the Empress Dowager sent to Suiyu Pavilion to take care of Consort Zhen's unborn child is not skilled in childbirth, but is proficient in the Dance of the Startled Swan. For the past three days, that nanny has been teaching Consort Zhen the Dance of the Startled Swan."

Su Peisheng secretly raised his eyes to observe the emperor's expression. Seeing that the emperor remained calm and composed, his heart tightened.

He swallowed hard and continued, "In addition, after the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet began, Lin Xi, a eunuch in Shou Kang Palace, was ordered by the Empress Dowager to deliver the clothes and jewelry of Empress Chun Yuan to Consort Yun and Consort Yun, and took Consort Yun to the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

"The fireworks during the banquet were also arranged by the Empress Dowager."

The more Su Peisheng spoke, the lower his head became.

"hehe--"

The emperor chuckled, "The Empress Dowager is indeed worthy of being the daughter of the Uya family."

Su Peisheng's heart skipped a beat. The Emperor actually addressed the Empress Dowager as Empress Dowager!

In Shou Kang Palace, Empress Dowager Wuya was also listening to the news that Sun Zhuxi had found out.

"Your Majesty, I have already sent someone to investigate. In June, because Consort Zhen was pregnant, the Emperor, in order to ease Consort Zhen's longing for her family, ordered that Lady Zhen and Miss Zhen be allowed to enter the garden to keep her company."

"During the banquet, the Emperor saw Consort Yun at the Bitong Academy. On the same day, he had Su Peisheng settle her in the Natural Painting Studio, and a few days later he summoned her to his bedchamber. When Prince Guo went to Ningguta to take up his post, Consort Yun left the Yuanmingyuan Garden but did not accompany him. Instead, the Emperor kept her in his presence as a nanny."

As Sun Zhuxi spoke, he couldn't help but feel regretful. If it weren't for Yun Changzai, Zhen Ying's stunning dance today would surely have won back the Emperor's favor and helped her speak up for the Empress Dowager and the Wuya family.

Sun Zhuxi knelt before the Empress Dowager, "Please punish me, Your Majesty. If this servant had not failed to investigate Consort Yun's matter, Your Majesty's plan would not have failed."

The Emperor was already resentful of the Empress Dowager's favoritism towards the Uya family, and now, due to a series of unforeseen events, he has lost face in front of the imperial family and a group of key ministers. I'm afraid...

Sun Zhuxi's heart sank to the bottom of the lake.

The Empress Dowager was also filled with resentment! How could Consort Yun have suddenly appeared out of nowhere!

"Stop kneeling! It's too late to say anything now. Quickly think of a way to make amends. The Emperor will surely be furious after tonight's events. He won't do anything to me, but the Uya family..."

The Empress Dowager knew her son, the Emperor, very well. He was a typical man from the Aisin Gioro family, and they were best at taking their anger out on others.

The Empress Dowager felt a tightness in her chest and a suffocating feeling of not being able to breathe when she thought about the consequences.

When the Empress Dowager and her servants were anxious and upset, the Empress and her servants in Jingren Palace were just as anxious and upset.

When the Empress saw Yun's clothes and jewelry at the banquet, she had a bad feeling. After the banquet, she immediately rushed back to the palace, opened the storeroom, and searched the place with her trusted servant Jianqiu and a few others.

Empress Chun Yuan's dowry consisted of nearly a hundred loads, plus later additions, gifts from the palace during festivals, and daily presents from the emperor. All of these became her belongings after her death.

Although it was divided into three parts, kept by the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress respectively, each person still held quite a few.

The master and servants searched until midnight, turning over all of Empress Chun Yuan's belongings, but they still couldn't find the few items that were exactly the same as those on Yun Shi's person.

"Your Majesty! The things are gone!"

Jianqiu's face turned pale. "What do we do?"

Although Jianqiu was unwilling to believe it, the things were now gone, and Yun Changzai was coincidentally wearing the exact same clothes and jewelry.

"This servant thinks that Consort Yun's appearance today is very suspicious, and it is definitely not at the Emperor's behest. I'm afraid it was arranged by the Empress Dowager."

Although Jianqiu did not finish her sentence, the Empress already understood.

The Empress's face turned ashen, and she said through gritted teeth, "The Empress Dowager is truly my good aunt!"

They actually planted such a well-hidden spy in her Jingren Palace!

If it weren't for Yun Shi's attire today, she doesn't know when she would have discovered it!

The empress's chest heaved violently, looking extremely angry.

Jianqiu stepped forward with concern, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The Empress Dowager is your aunt after all, she shouldn't harm you."

Although she couldn't understand why the Empress Dowager was doing this night, as far as her master and the Empress Dowager's relationship was concerned, their honor and disgrace were intertwined.

Feeling stifled and irritable, the Queen accidentally knocked a small box to the ground with a thud, scattering colorful gems into various corners.

Hearing this sound, the Empress became even more displeased and turned to walk out of the storeroom.

"The Empress Dowager certainly wouldn't harm my life, but she might still scheme against me to achieve her goals."

The Empress's eyes turned cold. "Zhen Huan's 'Dance of the Startled Swan,' Yun Xinluo's promotion to the rank of Consort, weren't they all orchestrated by the Empress Dowager? Weren't they all stabbing me in the heart?"

Jianqiu remained silent. In fact, there was also the Yun family's attire. If the Emperor thoroughly investigated, their Jingren Palace would inevitably be implicated.

"Your Majesty, what should we do? It's already late tonight. If His Majesty suppresses this matter for now, I'm afraid he will unleash his wrath tomorrow."

The Empress took a deep breath, a glint of light flashing in her dark eyes. "Go, immediately conduct a thorough investigation of all the palace staff in Jingren Palace!"

Zhongcui Palace.

Yu Ying'er threw herself at Xi Qiao, her face flushed with excitement: "Sister, sister, tonight's show was so exciting! So unexpected!"

She stared intently at Xi Qiao, her shifty eyes darting left and right, before whispering, "Sister, tell me quietly—or rather, give me a hint. Did you already know?"

Xi Qiao chuckled and pushed her away. "What are you implying? You've already asked, what's the difference between that and telling me directly? That's right, I already knew, and I even took action. Is there anything else you want to know? Hurry up, ask and then go get some rest. There's a good show waiting for us tomorrow."

Yu Ying'er stared at Xi Qiao with sparkling eyes, letting out a fangirl's exclamation: "Wow, sister, you're so amazing!"

Xi Qiao chuckled.

Yu Ying'er giggled and pounced on her arm again, "Sister~ do you think Zhen Huan might miscarry? What happened at the banquet tonight must have been quite a shock for her, hee hee~"

Xi Qiao raised his chin slightly and said confidently, "No, after Suiyuxuan called the imperial physician yesterday, I secretly gave her a pregnancy-preserving pill."

Yu Ying'er's excitement grew exponentially. "Sister, what do you think we should call Consort Yun our maternal grandmother or Lady Yun after Zhen Huan's child is born?"

In the palace, imperial heirs often addressed their stepmothers as "Niangniang" (娘娘).

Xi Qiao narrowed his eyes. "This child won't face such an embarrassing situation."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Yu Ying'er didn't understand what her older sister meant by that.

Xi Qiao looked at her mysteriously, "You'll find out tomorrow."

Yu Ying'er's curiosity was instantly piqued, and she felt an itch in her heart, as if a cat was living inside her.

"Sister, sister~ dear sister~ please tell Yingying~"