Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

"When you go to see Sun Pinghai, also try to find out what he thinks. The Princess Consort once told me about the palace maids and eunuchs who are ranked in the palace, and this Sun Pinghai is one of them."

While she spoke of her plans, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly: the Princess Consort had helped her so much.

“He was assigned to this position after the Empress Dowager moved the palace. Yonghe Palace is special. Ambitious people with connections may not be willing to retire here. I think it is unlikely that Sun Pinghai is a spy for the clan.”

Consort Zhao patted Lulu's hand: "I don't ask him to side with us, as long as he doesn't have any bad intentions towards us. If he really has no intentions, don't say anything. Just ask him to recommend a few people with clean backgrounds to us."

She now resides in the main hall, and Sun Pinghai would never refuse her request to recommend people.

As long as she has the manpower, she can try to evade the control of the Juechan family and make contact with the Imperial Noble Consort.

Before entering the palace, she specifically asked her family to inquire about the current situation of the Tongjia family. The Tongjia clan is now entirely supported by Longkodo. Once Longkodo falls, the Tongjia clan will wither as well.

The Imperial Noble Consort was born into the Tongjia clan. Even though she had no affection for her clan, as a consort, she had no children and was also under the supervision of the Empress Dowager. Without the support of her family, how could she guarantee her future honor?

She will definitely rack her brains for the sake of the Tongjia clan!

Zhongcui Palace also sent people to the Imperial Household Department to make arrangements; neither Xi Qiao nor Yu Ying'er were the type to swallow their anger.

Unfortunately, Consort Hua blatantly showed favoritism, not only pushing the punishment to the extreme, but also finding two more pretexts to add two more crimes to Xiao Yunzi's record. In the end, he was punished with fifty strokes of the cane and a one-year salary deduction.

The Suiyu Pavilion is no longer as luxurious as it used to be. Zhen Huan herself is living frugally, and sometimes Xiao Yunzi has to use his own monthly allowance to make up for the money she gives to the servants.

This fine of a year's worth of monthly salary is really going to break Xiao Yunzi's heart.

Zhen Huan knew that Xiao Yunzi would be severely beaten as soon as he returned from his failed operation. She even took a gold bracelet from her dressing case for him to use to bribe his way out of the torture.

Unexpectedly, when the Imperial Household Department sent someone over, Pei'er rushed in in a panic to report that Consort Hua had punished Xiao Yunzi with fifty strokes of the cane.

Fifty strokes of the cane!

Zhen Huan, pale and looking like a ghost, leaned against the headboard. Upon hearing the news, she jumped up in a panic and weakly instructed Pei'er:

"No, stop them! Consort Zhuang is ruthless and must have bribed these executioners. Ten strokes of the cane will be fine, but fifty strokes will cripple Xiao Yunzi even if he doesn't die."

Pei'er felt bitter: "My lady, how can I stop them? The people of the Imperial Household Department always think too highly of themselves. How can they listen to me? Besides, they are just following orders. Even if you were to step in, they might not stop."

She bit her lip and pleaded with Zhen Huan, "Your Highness, please find a way to save Xiao Yunzi. I heard that Consort Zhuang and Noble Lady Zhao have sent people to the Imperial Household Department to make arrangements. They are determined to take Xiao Yunzi's life."

Pei'er was extremely flustered. Xiao Yunzi had done a lot of dirty work for her mistress and was extremely loyal to her.

Now that your scheme has failed, Xiao Yunzi's life is in danger. If you can't even protect a loyal servant as useful as Xiao Yunzi, what will happen when it's her turn in the future?

At that moment, Pei'er felt a chill run through her body.

Perhaps she should try to find a way to survive.

Looking at Pei'er's eyes, which revealed a hint of dissatisfaction and coldness, Zhen Huan felt a surge of hatred and anger.

But she knew very well that now was not the time to lose her temper and lash out at these disloyal servants. If she did not find a way to protect Xiao Yunzi, who would dare to serve Zhen Huan in the future?

In this palace, favor, money, and connections are all indispensable; otherwise, one cannot move an inch.

Her face was cold and heavy as she mentally reviewed the people who could help her. She closed her eyes tightly and said to Pei'er with resentment:

"Go and invite Consort Jing!"

It was clearly Consort Jing who owed her, but now that she was asking for protection, it was as if she owed Consort Jing a favor. But now she had no choice.

Even now, among so many concubines in the palace, she has not made friends with a single one.

Shen Meizhuang, whom she had known since childhood, entered the palace together as concubines. They should have been working hand in hand and watching over each other, but after the Huanbi incident, their relationship deteriorated. Later, when Yun Xinluo entered the palace, they completely cut off all contact.

Whether during her pregnancy, or after giving birth to her daughter and being reinstated as a noblewoman, no one ever sent anyone to inquire about her well-being; they simply followed the crowd and sent a standard congratulatory gift.

An Lingrong continued to associate with her as always, and would often send her some tonics. However, An Lingrong herself had been out of favor for a long time and only managed to maintain her dignity by relying on the Empress Dowager.

The people in the Imperial Household Department are the most snobbish. Knowing that the Empress Dowager is ill and can't even take care of the Empress, why would they flatter and fawn over An Lingrong because of her?

Yun Xinluo was able to offer some help.

However, ever since Yi Yu Rao threatened Yun Xin Luo last time, Yun Xin Luo has become completely indifferent to her. During the two weeks that she was in confinement after giving birth, she not only did not come to see her, but she also did not send her anything.

After much deliberation, the only person she could rely on was Consort Jing, who had adopted her daughter!

Regardless of whether Consort Jing's reputation for loyalty and righteousness is true or false, she had Zhen Huan's daughter, and protecting Zhen Huan was simply what Consort Jing should do.

Consort Jing could take action against her in private, but in order to protect the reputation and status she had painstakingly built, she also had to show enough goodwill to her, the princess's birth mother.

Pei'er's eyes lit up, and she immediately got up from the bed: "Yes, this servant will go right away."

Before she could finish speaking, she had already run out.

She didn't even notice the way Zhen Huan was looking at her from behind.

In the rear hall of Xianfu Palace, Hanzhu, who was beside Consort Jing, stood outside the door with an unpleasant expression and knocked twice. Her knocks were not strong, and the sound was not abrupt, just enough for the person inside to hear.

Consort Jing, who was tending to the little princess at her bedside, heard the knocking. She turned to look at the door and, through the embroidered screen, saw Hanzhu carefully lifting a corner of the curtain, revealing half of her face.

Although it was only half of her face, Consort Jing, who knew her well, could see an unusual emotion on her face.

Anger, indignation, irritability, and so on.

Even without asking, she knew perfectly well that something big had probably happened in the palace that might involve her.

Consort Jing looked back at the frail little princess. Because of her premature birth, the little girl was already half a month old, but the red marks on her body had not completely faded.