Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

The Fourteenth Princess's voice was clearly choked with sobs, and her eyes held an unconcealable weariness and worry. Even her once radiant face now showed signs of haggardness, making it clear at a glance that she must be having a difficult time.

The Empress Dowager's heart skipped a beat. She had someone help her up while anxiously asking, "Don't be so polite, get up quickly. What happened? Tell me quickly."

That shouldn't be the case. Since the emperor has agreed to let the fourteenth prince's children study in the palace, the relationship with the fourteenth prince should have improved.

But if that were really the case, the Fourteenth Prince's family shouldn't be like this!

The Fourteenth Princess Consort hurriedly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. After glancing at Fang Ruo out of the corner of her eye, she said in a low voice, "I'm sorry to have worried you, Mother. Don't worry, everything is fine in the manor and with the children. It's just that I haven't seen you for a long time and heard that you are unwell. I was so excited and worried that I couldn't help but cry."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty, there should be no crying in the palace."

The Empress Dowager was not comforted by her words; instead, her expression changed instantly, becoming extremely unpleasant.

She and Wanyan had been mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for many years and knew each other very well.

Wanyan knew perfectly well what she cared about most and what she wanted to know, yet Wanyan, who knew her so well, didn't mention the fourteenth prince at all!

The Empress Dowager glanced at Fang Ruo with a grim expression, and Fang Ruo felt as if she had fallen into an icy pool, her whole body turning cold. At the same time, a wave of bitterness welled up in her heart.

She can't go back to the Emperor's court, and the Empress Dowager will never trust her no matter what. How is she going to live in the future?

The image of Zhen Huan reappeared in Fang Ruo's mind.

Although Consort Zhen made some mistakes that caused the Emperor to neglect and disappoint her, she possessed a beautiful face and talent that rivaled that of Empress Chun Yuan. She was destined for a future resurgence.

Moreover, Consort Zhen is not fighting alone; she has Consort Yun as her helper.

Although Consort Yun is like a reincarnation of Empress Chun Yuan, she is still quite old. How can she compare to Consort Zhen, who is in her prime and looks almost exactly like Empress Chun Yuan in the Emperor's memories?

What man isn't attracted to beautiful women and prone to getting bored with the old and seeking the new?

Besides, she was just an old substitute. The Emperor, with his status, would never remain chaste for her.

While young people like Consort Zhen are also stand-ins, they have one advantage: they are young and can have children!

The Emperor has always regretted that he could not keep the Second Prince who was with Empress Chun Yuan back then. Once Consort Zhen has a prince, the Emperor will definitely transfer his affections and will surely dote on the little prince.

Such a special prince is unmatched by any other prince in the palace. In the future... Consort Zhen's chances are extremely high.

At that moment, many thoughts flashed through Fangruo's mind, and she firmly decided to bet on Zhen Huan's plan.

She is also a human being, with her own family, and she has to think about herself and her family.

At the head of the table, the Empress Dowager and the Fourteenth Prince's wife, taking advantage of their mutual understanding, openly and honestly exchanged information about their situations, keeping it from Fang Ruo, an outsider.

But the Fourteenth Princess Consort talked about many things, including the children in the mansion, the concubines, and even the social interactions, but she didn't mention the Fourteenth Prince at all.

How could the Empress Dowager not understand her meaning? The more she listened, the uglier her face became, and she no longer had the joy she had felt when she heard that the four princes of the Fourteenth Prince's Mansion had entered the palace to study.

Her emotional turmoil caused her breathing to quicken considerably, which terrified Chunmao and the others serving in the palace.

"Please take good care of yourself, Your Majesty, and do not get angry easily."

Chunmao anxiously tried to comfort the Empress Dowager, and the imperial physician repeatedly instructed them, the servants, that the Empress Dowager should not be overly happy or angry at this time.

Seeing the palace maid so nervous, the Fourteenth Princess Consort felt extremely uneasy and anxious.

Since the emperor ascended the throne, the empress dowager had been frequently ill. This time, both she and those outside the palace assumed that the empress dowager was as ill as ever.

However, what she saw at this moment, coupled with the recent rumors circulating in the palace that the Empress had lost her virtue and might be deposed, made the Fourteenth Princess Consort think more deeply.

Could it be that the Empress Dowager's health is really failing?

After taking several deep breaths, the Empress Dowager exhaled a breath of stale air. Although she was still in a very bad mood, she managed to suppress her anger.

She raised her hand and waved it gently to Chunmao to indicate that she was alright, then looked at the Fourteenth Prince's wife: "It's good that everything is alright in the manor. You can rest assured that the four brothers Hongchun are in the palace. Even if I am not well enough to take care of them, there is still Consort Zhuang. She would not dare to be negligent."

Chunrong is a good-for-nothing!

After so much time, the emperor's resentment towards the fourteenth prince has still not been eliminated.

The Fourteenth Prince's wife was stunned for a moment. What did this have to do with Consort Zhuang?

But then she thought again that Consort Zhuang and her newly promoted sixth sister-in-law both came from the Empress Dowager's side. Although the two sisters' status was no longer what it used to be, and they were now incomparably noble, no longer servants who could be beaten and humiliated at will.

However, they still had some connection with Shou Kang Palace. The Empress Dowager might not be able to get the two sisters to do anything harmful, but they should be able to help take care of the children.

"Yes, I understand. I will definitely go and thank Consort Zhuang in person later."

The Fourteenth Prince's wife was not as assertive as the Empress Dowager.

After her plea for help from the Empress Dowager proved fruitless, she specially sent a generous gift with profound meaning to the Yu residence. She didn't have much hope, but unexpectedly, the palace sent an imperial physician that very night, along with an antidote.

Afterwards, she specifically sent someone to investigate and found that on the day her sixth sister-in-law received the congratulatory gift, she had sent someone into the palace.

Although the emperor's sudden softening of heart may not have been entirely due to his sixth sister-in-law and Consort Zhuang, she remembered their kindness and also gained a certain understanding of their importance in the emperor's eyes.

It's best not to offend these two sisters if you can avoid it.

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, not quite agreeing with the Fourteenth Prince's words of thanks.

In the Empress Dowager's view, Consort Zhuang was the younger sister of her youngest son's concubine and also a concubine of her eldest son, so it was only natural for her to help take care of her youngest son's child.

But considering that the Fourteenth Prince's wife was, after all, a mother who had recently almost lost her child, and was now being very careful in everything she did, fearing that she might not be able to take good care of the children, he didn't say anything more.

"As you wish."

The Fourteenth Prince's wife has always been prudent in her actions, so she doesn't need to worry about anything. Furthermore, Chunrong might not be able to bear children, and even if the Fourteenth Prince's wife takes good care of her out of respect for Consort Zhuang, she's not afraid of causing chaos in the inner court and endangering the Fourteenth Prince's offspring.

After subtly explaining the affairs of the household to her powerful backer, the Fourteenth Princess Consort asked with some curiosity, "Mother, I heard that Sixth Sister-in-law came to the palace early this morning to pay her respects, but I didn't see her. Or was I too lazy to come and Sixth Sister-in-law has already paid her respects and left?"

That shouldn't be the case. The people at the palace gate said she and Sixth Sister-in-law arrived one after the other.

Even a heated sedan chair wouldn't be this fast.