Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

Sun Zhuxi looked conflicted, as if hesitating whether to report the truth.

The Empress Dowager pursed her lips and said impatiently in a low voice, "Speak quickly!"

Sun Zhuxi steeled her heart and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report that I have discovered rumors circulating outside the palace that you have an affair with Lord Longkodo."

The Empress Dowager's pupils dilated in shock. How could this be!

"These are just some absurd rumors. I'll have someone investigate. I want to see which audacious dog dares to slander me like this!"

The Empress Dowager quickly calmed down. Her affair with Longkodo could not have been widely known to the outside world; someone must have stumbled upon it by accident.

Sun Zhuxi looked troubled. “Your Majesty, you may not know this, but Lord Longkodo’s favorite concubine, Li Si’er, often goes out to socialize in place of Consort Tongjia. Those who have seen her say that her appearance is indeed very similar to yours when you were young.”

Not to mention that every princess consort of the imperial family is shrewd and clever, which of the ministers' wives doesn't have a clever mind?

If he didn't have substantial evidence in hand, how could he dare to stare at the Empress Dowager so brazenly in the palace?

Could it be that they really think their lives are too long?

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt a wave of dizziness. If even baseless rumors could be a deadly weapon, now with this blatant evidence, wouldn't it be a matter of life and death?

"Where did this news come from?"

Li Si'er has been in Longkodo's backyard for quite some time now, so why did these rumors have to spread at this particular time?

Sun Zhuxi revealed a complicated expression: "At the beginning of the month, the Minister of Rites held a banquet at his home. When Wuya Fujin saw that Li Shi at the banquet, she was extremely surprised and inadvertently let slip the matter."

Uya's house!

The Empress Dowager was experiencing waves of dizziness; it turned out to be the Uya family!

If it were any other family, it wouldn't matter, but it just so happens to be Wuya's family, and it just so happens to be her maternal family!

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment; any explanation would be futile now.

Meanwhile, the Empress, Consort Jing, and others learned the whole story from their confidants, and were quite bewildered as they looked at each other.

Consort Hua, who was dealing with the imperial concubines, caught a glimpse of the Empress Dowager and the Empress's predicament and felt an unparalleled sense of pleasure.

She turned her head to look at her sleeping daughter in Songzhi's arms, a happy smile curving her lips: "My darling, look, your maternal grandfather is avenging us, mother and daughter."

The Empress Dowager fell ill immediately after returning from Princess Fengshenge's full moon celebration. Instead of visiting her, the Emperor sent someone to deliver a sarcastic and blaming message.

Su Peisheng bowed to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, I am well. The Emperor is currently preoccupied with many affairs of state and has no time to visit me. Therefore, I have been sent to convey his message."

"His Majesty requests that Your Majesty rest and recuperate, and not to have any wild thoughts. Your health should be the priority. His Majesty has already instructed that the ladies of the harem will attend to you from tomorrow onwards."

The Empress Dowager leaned against the headboard and coughed violently. Listen to what the Emperor is saying.

"Cough cough cough~~"

Too many affairs of the previous dynasty? Perhaps it's time for quiet contemplation and self-cultivation?

Ah, if there were truly so many things to do, how could there be any time today to hold such a grand banquet for Consort Hua and Feng Shengge?

I'm afraid she just finds her birth mother too troublesome!

What "quieting down and cultivating oneself" was nothing more than a warning to her, the Empress Dowager, not to meddle in things she shouldn't, and not to do things she shouldn't!

Isn't all her painstaking efforts for the emperor's benefit?

The Nian family is powerful, and Consort Hua is so arrogant and domineering. If we don't find a way to eliminate her, how can the throne be secure?

"Queen Mother, calm down."

Sun Zhuxi, who knew the Empress Dowager well, immediately stepped forward to comfort her, "Your Majesty, the Emperor may not have meant anything by it; he is simply worried about your health."

This is just empty talk; not only would the Empress Dowager not believe it, but even Su Peisheng wouldn't believe a word of it.

When the Emperor ordered someone to investigate this rumor, he feared that they might accidentally learn of the Empress Dowager's frequent interactions with Consort An, so he instructed the person to pay extra attention.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that many of the jewelry pieces bestowed upon Consort An by the Empress Dowager had been soaked in medicines that harmed the blood and qi, causing great harm, especially to postpartum women.

Unfortunately, the Imperial Concubine was bored during the month, so Consort Jin and Noble Lady An would often go to Yikun Palace to keep her company and pass the time.

"Cough cough~" The Empress Dowager's cough subsided, and she said to Su Peisheng while panting, "Go back and tell the Emperor that I will rest and recover. Also, I am aware of the rumors outside the palace. Consort Wuya has always been dull-witted, so please tell the Emperor not to take it to heart."

This was to tell the emperor not to make things difficult for the Uya family.

Consort Wuya was the Empress Dowager's elder sister-in-law.

Previously, many men from the Uya family were dismissed from their posts and exiled. Only two descendants of the Empress Dowager's brother's family retained their official positions in the capital. If Uya Fujin were to pass away at this time, they would have to observe the mourning period.

If that's the case, the Uya family will have no one left in the court.

Therefore, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to swallow her anger and dare not argue with the Emperor, no matter how furious she was.

"As for those rumors—" The Empress Dowager paused slightly, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression.

"I will issue an edict to execute Lady Li and reprimand Consort Wuya."

With her imperial decree, the rumors among the people might not stop immediately, but at least the imperial family and official families would no longer dare to get involved.

Su Peisheng breathed a sigh of relief; he no longer needed to waste his breath trying to persuade the Empress Dowager.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will go back and report to Your Majesty immediately."

Zhongcuigong

Upon receiving the emperor's decree to attend to the ailing Empress Dowager, Yu Ying'er and Xi Qiao exchanged a glance, their eyes both revealing joy.

Very good, now that the Empress Dowager has fallen, they are safe.

No sooner had the eunuch in front of the emperor left than Huichun from Jingren Palace arrived, to inform Yu Ying'er of the arrangements for the people attending to her illness.

"Consort Zhuang, Her Majesty the Empress has arranged for you and Noble Lady Fucha to go to Shou Kang Palace in two days to attend to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."

“I’ve noted it down,” Yu Ying’er nodded slightly, then asked, “How are the other sisters being arranged?”

"Your Majesty, tomorrow the Empress and Consort Fang will attend to your illness, the day after tomorrow Consort Hua and Noble Lady An will attend to you, followed by you and Noble Lady Fucha, Consort Jin and Noble Lady Shen, and Consort Xin and Lady Fei."

"Consort Jing and Consort Qi are not among those attending to the sick because they need to take care of Consort Zhen's unborn child and the Third Prince."

When Yu Ying'er heard that there was such a person as Fang Jia Changzai, she thought for several seconds before she remembered that there was indeed such a person in the palace. Because she was only fourteen years old when she was selected to enter the palace, she was not suitable to serve the emperor. This year, she should have come of age and it was time for her to serve the emperor.

However, even Consort Fang Jia was brought out to make up the numbers, while Consort Yun Xinluo, who had recently been extremely favored, was so blatantly excluded.

"Why does it seem like Yun Changzai isn't here?"

Unable to hide her thoughts, Yu Ying'er bluntly asked the question. This shouldn't be happening; the Empress Dowager and the Empress, aunt and niece who always maintain a facade of respectability, shouldn't be so openly ostracizing Consort Yun.

Eichun: ...

"Your Majesty, the matter of attending to the sick was decided by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. Other servants were unaware of it."

"Oh fine."

Yu Ying'er was a little disappointed that she didn't get a reply, as she had thought she could at least get a piece of the melon.