Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

In Zhongcui Palace, Xi Qiao was frowning and full of worries when he suddenly heard Xiao Lianzi's report coming from the main hall.

"Your Majesty, Consort An has come to pay a visit."

Yu Ying'er's slightly surprised voice rang out, "Consort An? What are you doing at Zhongcui Palace at a time like this?"

It's already past midnight. If the emperor hadn't seized power today, we would have been at Jingren Palace by now to wake up.

"Please come in, and while you're at it, go ask your aunt if she's free."

Dealing with someone like An Lingrong made Yu Ying'er feel uneasy. Her sister had said that An Lingrong was extremely sensitive and insecure, and that one wrong move could easily earn her her wrath.

Although Zhongcui Palace is not afraid of any important person, they would rather avoid trouble.

Moreover, An Lingrong was a pawn that my sister had chosen long ago. Today, my sister has been racking her brains about their future all afternoon, so maybe An Lingrong will be of some use.

Even if it doesn't work, it would be good if it could keep my sister from being cooped up in her room.

Meanwhile, when Xi Qiao heard An Lingrong's name, she suddenly had an idea.

Yun Xinluo's favor was truly snatched away from An Lingrong.

Given An Lingrong's personality, she must have already come to hate Yun Xinluo.

Now, in order to counterbalance the Empress Dowager and the Empress, the Emperor has registered the Fourth Prince under Yun Xinluo's name. An Lingrong doesn't understand the reason behind this—but Xi Qiao thinks that even if she did understand, she still wouldn't be able to let it go—she must have already turned into a vengeful monster.

She can't be moved, but An Lingrong can still be used to some extent.

Moreover, there is also Shen Meizhuang, who was angered by the emperor and stripped of her power because of Yun Xinluo!

Shen Meizhuang may be somewhat useless, but she has one advantage: she maintains a dignified appearance, befitting the kind of well-bred young lady the Empress Dowager likes.

The Empress Dowager was single-mindedly devoted to the glory of the Uya and Ulanara families. To this end, she did not hesitate to commit crimes against the wind and secretly harm Consort Qi, all in order to completely turn the Third Prince into the possession of the Uya and Ulanara families.

The return of the Fourth Prince will inevitably threaten the Third Prince's unique position.

After Consort Qi, the Empress Dowager's next targets are the Fourth Prince and Yun Xinluo.

If Shen Meizhuang were to actively align herself with the Empress Dowager at this time, the Empress Dowager would certainly not let go of such a readily available helper.

These two people could be put to good use.

Before Xiao Lianzi could knock on the door, Xi Qiao opened it with a smile and personally went to the small kitchen to serve two bowls of the stewed summer-cooling sweet soup and took them to the main hall.

When she arrived, Yu Ying'er was sitting next to the iceberg, awkwardly chatting with An Lingrong.

It's only the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the summer heat in the palace hasn't subsided yet. Without ice to cool off, these days are really hard to bear.

The two men breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Xi Qiao enter.

Having known her for so long, An Lingrong had long since realized that Consort Zhuang was a real blockhead, with an empty mind that only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun.

Not only did all the affairs in Zhongcui Palace depend on Chunrong, the head maid, for management, but even Consort Zhuang would consult Chunrong repeatedly before making any decisions.

Consort Zhuang is ostensibly the mistress of Zhongcui Palace, but in reality, it is Chunrong who truly holds the reins.

An Lingrong felt nothing but contempt and disdain for this, yet she couldn't help but feel endless envy.

There was no other reason than that, although Consort Zhuang was rotten wood and mud, Chunrong did not despise her at all and treated her as her master, offering her her wholehearted loyalty.

Not only did she take good care of her every need, but she also kept all the conspiracies and schemes out of Zhongcui Palace, never letting Consort Zhuang worry about anything or suffer any harm. Most importantly, Chunrong could also help Consort Zhuang consolidate her favor with the emperor.

She came from Shou Kang Palace, and with the Empress Dowager's support, the Emperor would never forget Zhong Cui Palace.

Who wouldn't want such a capable, well-connected, and loyal lackey?

"This servant greets Miss An. Please have a bowl of lily and mung bean soup to cool down and relieve the heat."

Xi Qiao stepped forward with a smile and placed the soup on the tray in front of the two of them.

An Lingrong smiled as well, "Thank you, Aunt and Consort Zhuang. I've been craving this. The mung bean and lily soup in the Imperial Kitchen doesn't taste as good as the one here, sister."

Upon seeing her older sister, Yu Ying'er immediately relaxed, and the tension in her mind eased. She casually replied to the question.

"Those people in the kitchen are greedy and opportunistic. If you give them real money, they won't send anything inferior to Zhongcui Palace. These soups may seem simple, but they are actually made with the finest ingredients. If you use good ingredients, the taste will naturally be better."

When the topic of money came up, Yu Ying'er was filled with resentment. "Sister An, you don't know, in the short half month that Shen Meizhuang was in charge of the kitchen, I almost spent half a year's salary just to eat a few bites of food that suited my taste."

"Fortunately, the Emperor was wise enough to strip her of her power in the palace, otherwise we don't know how many times we would have suffered under her. Oh, by the way, Sister An, I'm now in charge of the Imperial Workshops. If you need any flowers or plants, just tell me."

At the end, she even patted her chest with considerable pride.

Her older sister had already told her what the Imperial Workshop did. Although it didn't have much power, it happened to include the flower and grass room. Every palace was decorated with green plants and potted plants, and they were replaced quite frequently.

However, flowers and plants also have different levels of value, and the flowers and plants that can be placed in the palaces of concubines of different ranks are naturally different.

Even among the same type of flowers and plants, there can be differences in appearance due to factors such as pruning, growth, and transportation.

The best plants will naturally be sent to the more favored ones, while the less favored ones will just be given one or two pots as a perfunctory gesture. Anyway, no one is skimping on your quality, it's just that they are not as good as they seem.

Therefore, although her power was not great, within the permitted scope, it was not a problem for her to send An Lingrong some of the best quality green plants that she could use.

An Lingrong's smile froze, and she almost couldn't maintain it.

"Thank you for your care, Consort Zhuang."

Xi Qiao also wanted to cover her face for a moment. Good heavens, she exclaimed!

The three sentences were a relentless jab at An Lingrong, repeatedly slapping her in the face and then back again, while also thoroughly crushing her.

The sentence, "flattering the powerful and belittling the weak," and the suggestion that An Lingrong ask her for a green plant, are blatantly blatant and overtly provocative, repeatedly mentioning An Lingrong's lack of favor.

He also mentioned that he spent half a year's salary on food in just half a month. Isn't that blatant flaunting of wealth? He even mentioned palace power at the end.

Unfortunately, An Lingrong had indeed fallen out of favor recently, and it was even obvious that she had already lost favor. Moreover, she was living a very poor life. Apart from her allowance as a noblewoman and the gold, silver, jewels, fabrics and ornaments that the emperor had previously bestowed upon her, she really had no money.

As for palace power, An Lingrong never managed to get a piece of it from beginning to end; she could only watch helplessly as Shen Meizhuang, Cao Qinmo, Yu Ying'er, and others made their way around it.

Her words offended people deeply, no wonder An Lingrong still went to the Cold Palace to have Xiao Xiazi strangle her even though Yu Ying'er had never harmed her in the original story.

Xi Qiao glanced at her with a cool look in his eyes, then placed a plate of pastries from the tray in front of her with a forced smile.

"Your Majesty, this is a freshly made mung bean cake from the small kitchen. It has some mint leaves added, which gives it a unique flavor."

Shut your mouth!

Yu Ying'er instinctively looked at her older sister, and seeing the emotionless, professional fake smile on her face, she belatedly realized that she might have said something she shouldn't have.

She looked at Xi Qiao with a somewhat confused expression, then at An Lingrong, and tried to salvage the situation by laughing awkwardly and pretending to be clueless: "Oh, it's a new pastry, with mint in it. I just woke up and my mind isn't quite clear yet."

As she spoke, she picked up a light green pastry and put it in her mouth, lowering her eyes to savor the pastry.

An Lingrong: ...

Xi Qiao's lips twitched, and he pushed the plate of snacks on the table toward An Lingrong. "Young Master An, would you like to try this? The mint is refreshing, and eating it in this weather can relieve some of your irritability."

An Lingrong took the opportunity to pick up a piece and take a small bite. The soft and glutinous texture of the mung bean and the coolness of the mint exploded in her mouth. It was indeed an excellent summer dessert.

only……

Her eyes were clouded for a moment, then she put down the pastry in her hand and sighed, "Auntie's pastries are good, they can relieve the restlessness that lingers in my body, but they can't get rid of the restlessness in my heart."

Xi Qiao leaned forward slightly, adopting a posture of listening attentively. "Is Your Highness facing some difficulties? If Your Highness doesn't mind, perhaps you could tell me. Although I don't have many skills, I have been in the palace for a long time and may be able to offer Your Highness some small assistance."

An Lingrong raised her eyes, which seemed to hold mist and rain, and looked at Xi Qiao. Her eyes were bright and lively, and they were beautiful eyes that made people feel sorry for her.

At this moment, her eyes and her small, fair face were filled with fear and hesitation. After a while, An Lingrong finally spoke slowly under Xi Qiao's encouraging gaze: "Aunt, do you know who Consort Yun is?"

Xi Qiao immediately understood An Lingrong's intentions: this ungrateful wretch had come to borrow a knife!

Tsk, how naughty of them, actually setting their sights on her and Yu Ying'er.

She was a little unhappy.

An Lingrong stared intently at Xi Qiao's face, trying to discern the doubt and interest she desired from her expression.

But no!

Instead, she watched as a slightly mocking smile slowly appeared on the face so close to hers.

An Lingrong's pupils contracted involuntarily, and at the same time, a chill seemed to rise up her spine, causing goosebumps to instantly appear all over her body.

Xi Qiao looked at An Lingrong with a half-smile, without restraining his imposing manner.

"Does Your Highness mean that Yun Chang should actually be Yun Changzai?"

Xi Qiao stopped short of making a point, but An Lingrong's forehead was already beaded with cold sweat.

She knew! Chunrong actually knew!

An Lingrong shivered for no reason, her carefully prepared plan now in complete disarray.

While at Yuanmingyuan, Consort Zhuang and the people of Anlan Garden never liked to go out and inquire about news. She originally thought that Consort Zhuang and Chunrong did not know Yun Xinluo's true identity.

Furthermore, under the guise of planning for the future of the Sixth Prince, they wanted to incite Consort Zhuang and Chunrong to deal with Yun Xinluo. Even if they didn't take action out of caution, they should at least persuade them to ask the Empress Dowager to intervene.

what do you think...

An Lingrong's eyes darkened. She blinked hard and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. When she spoke again, she found her voice was hoarse.

"It was Lingrong who showed off, not expecting that Aunt had already seen through everything. If she had known earlier, how dare Lingrong try to teach her a lesson in front of Aunt?"

Xi Qiao felt a moment of amusement when he heard her refer to herself as Ling Rong again.

Although An Lingrong had been blinded and infatuated by the emperor's favor and the glory of power and wealth since entering the palace, her core values ​​had never changed.

Timid, cowardly, insecure, and selfish.

She merely revealed a hint of danger, and An Lingrong, like a turtle hiding in its shell, retreated into its shell.

Boring!

"Your Highness need not be modest. This matter is no secret among the high-ranking concubines. I know that Your Highness's distress and worry stem from your admiration for the Emperor and your concern for his reputation."

"But Your Highness should know that His Majesty possesses the entire world. Although Your Highness and my lady are His Majesty's bedmates and are extremely close to him, in essence, we are nothing more than His Majesty's subjects."

"There are many things that Your Highness and Your Highness can only accept; they have no right to comment, much less the right to offer guidance. Let alone interfere with the Emperor's decisions!"

"Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but that is not something you are qualified to touch. Even the Empress Dowager and the Empress would not dare to even think about it. Otherwise, the Emperor would not have handed over the power of the palace to Consort Hua in Jingren Palace today."

Hearing these heartfelt words, An Lingrong's mind strangely calmed down a bit.

No one had ever explained these things to her so sincerely and empathetically.

Aunt Chunrong is still as kind as when she entered the palace!

An Lingrong's head, which had been retracted, involuntarily peeked out a little more.

She looked at Xi Qiao with a slight shift in her eyes, "From what Aunt is saying, the Emperor seized power from the Empress today because the Empress interfered in Yun Chang's affairs?"

Xi Qiao was very satisfied with her reaction; her hard work in acting had paid off.

"Not bad!"

An Lingrong sat up straight, looking at Xi Qiao with a pleading expression, "I'm afraid I'm being presumptuous, but could you please tell me the whole story, Aunt?"

Xi Qiao looked troubled. "This... Your Highness, please forgive me. This matter involves a great deal, and it is not appropriate to speak of it. If others find out and it reaches the ears of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, it may bring about my death."

"Furthermore, I know very little about this matter. I have only made some unfounded guesses based on what I have heard over the years. It is not appropriate to tell you, Your Highness, for fear of misleading you."

Listen to that, listen to that, Xi Qiao felt that his speaking skills had improved remarkably.

It seems like everything has been said, but in reality, nothing has been said at all.

The main selling point is sincerity, uselessness, and keeping people in suspense!

But the more she acted this way, the more An Lingrong felt she was about to come across a sensational and extremely beneficial event.

"Aunt!" An Lingrong pleaded desperately, tugging at Xi Qiao's sleeve.

"Please have mercy, Aunt. I swear here that I will never leak any information and will not cause you any trouble."

Xi Qiao, however, still refused to budge and flatly rejected her pleas.

And she said meaningfully, "It's not that I don't trust Miss An, but nothing is absolute. This matter concerns my life and livelihood. If it is leaked even slightly, not only will my own life be in danger, but everyone in Zhongcui Palace will also be in danger of being silenced."