Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

If someone were to whisper something vague or ambiguous in her ear beforehand, such as the Fourth Prince threatening the Third Prince's position, then when the matter of the Fourth Prince "reached" Consort Qi's ears, she would certainly be eager to report it.

Zhen Huan, who had been kneeling by the table with her head bowed and secretly grieving, suddenly looked up when she heard Consort Qi's words.

Her eyes were sharp as she stared at Consort Qi, completely unlike the weak and helpless woman she had been a second ago.

Such a coincidence?

She was plotted against and prevented from serving the emperor and becoming pregnant again. Consort Qi then revealed that the Fourth Prince colluded with the deposed concubine in the Cold Palace to harm the concubines.

Moreover, she didn't know how many deposed concubines were in the Cold Palace, but she had a grudge against two of them.

Huanbi, needless to say, is nothing but a useless piece of trash, but the Xia family has a clan.

A bondservant captain would have no shortage of palace maids under his command.

If the Xia family really was involved, then it's no wonder she couldn't find out anything after investigating for half a month.

In the open space at the very center of the banquet, Consort Qi, immersed in her beautiful daydreams, was completely unaware of the Emperor's sudden gloomy expression and Zhen Huan's fleeting glances.

She recounted with smug satisfaction how she discovered this scandal: "Several times when I went to the princes' quarters, I saw unfamiliar palace maids coming and going in the Fourth Prince's courtyard."

The Fourth Prince lived next to the Third Prince. The noise from either courtyard could be heard by the neighbors. The Fourth Prince often visited the Third Prince's courtyard to ask for advice on his studies.

Consort Qi was initially very happy, as her Third Prince was just too diligent and didn't have time to play and relax with his cousins.

Therefore, the Fourth Prince was given more care, and when someone was sent to deliver things to the Third Prince, a portion would also be sent to the Fourth Prince.

After visiting the Fourth Prince's courtyard so many times, Cuiguo naturally came to recognize all the people serving the Fourth Prince.

"I originally thought that some palace maids were trying to climb the social ladder, so I quickly sent someone to investigate, just in case those shameless licentious people ruined the prince's health."

When she said this, Consort Qi felt somewhat guilty.

Because her original intention in doing so was not out of concern for the Fourth Prince.

She simply wanted to find something wrong with the Fourth Prince, then go to the Emperor and complain about him, so that the Emperor would be completely disappointed in the Fourth Prince and he would no longer be able to compete with her Hongshi.

"Alas, to my surprise, my people have discovered that the palace maid who associates with the Fourth Prince is actually connected to Consort Xia in the Cold Palace, and that Consort Zhen was poisoned with infertility-inducing and blood-activating drugs during her postpartum period—this was their doing!"

At this point, the emperor's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

However, Consort Qi, oblivious to the situation, continued relentlessly: "Your Majesty, you are unaware that the Fourth Prince resorted to such ruthless measures simply because the birth of the little princess had diverted your attention from him."

"Your Majesty, you have always valued and doted on Hongshi the most. Isn't it possible that the Fourth Prince also harbors ill intentions towards Hongshi? Your Majesty, you must protect Hongshi and not let him be harmed by the Fourth Prince!"

Qi Fei launched into a rapid-fire monologue, speaking loudly and clearly, sounding just like someone accusing someone of wrongdoing.

Before she could finish speaking, Consort Yun knelt down behind her, her face deathly pale: "Your Majesty, please understand, Fourth Prince, Fourth Prince—"

She wanted to say that the Fourth Prince was innocent, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Based on her understanding of the Fourth Prince, these things were not impossible.

Meanwhile, Consort Qi had already instructed Cui Guo to submit the signed and sealed testimonies.

Yun Xinluo instantly lost her strength and collapsed to the ground, feeling utterly powerless.

"evil creature!"

The emperor was furious after reading it and slammed his fist on the table in front of him with a deafening roar.

Hearing the emperor's furious voice, Yun Xinluo felt a chill run through her body. She looked up at the emperor on the main seat through her tear-filled eyes and saw that his face was colder than ever before. She then realized that what Consort Qi had said was no lie.

Yun Xinluo shut her mouth, which she had wanted to plead for, and only managed to kneel properly, banging her head heavily against the cold, piercing ground: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this matter has nothing to do with the Fourth Prince."

The prince is of noble birth, how could he be wrong?

If the prince is wrong, then wouldn't the emperor also be wrong?

Therefore, the prince is neither wrong nor can he be wrong.

But someone must be at fault, and the only one who can be at fault is Yun Xinluo.

"It was the concubine who was immoral and jealous, resenting Consort Zhen's joy at having a princess. So she colluded with the Xia family in the name of the Fourth Prince to murder Consort Zhen."

Yun Xinluo raised her head, revealing a noticeable bruise in the middle of her fair forehead, a testament to the force she had exerted.

She glanced at Zhen Huan on her right and saw that Zhen Huan's jaw was clenched and her upper body was trembling slightly, so she knew that Zhen Huan must be extremely angry.

Yun Xinluo suddenly wanted to laugh for a moment. Zhen Huan, even you have times when you are schemed against and hurt.

She looked away and then banged her head on the ground twice more, until her forehead bled profusely.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please spare my life, Your Majesty, considering that Consort Zhen is unharmed and that the Fourth Prince is too young to lose his mother."

Nothing else matters, as long as she can stay alive, that's enough for her; she never asks for much.

She was very insistent on the idea that "one should not lose their mother at a young age."

The emperor has been favoring Consort Zhao and hasn't summoned any other concubines to his bedchamber for a month. However, Yun Xinluo is still occasionally summoned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to accompany the emperor.

She didn't need to do anything; she just needed to change into the clothes and jewelry of Empress Chun Yuan and sit quietly to the side.

The emperor's feelings for Empress Chun Yuan were ingrained in his very being; he could not bear to part with her.

That is why the emperor would never let Yu Rao go.

Yu Rao is strong-willed; if she knew that the emperor had ordered her death, she would rather die than live in dishonor.

The emperor's eyes flashed with a deep, unfathomable light, revealing emotions that were difficult for others to discern.

The banquet pavilion was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone carefully concealed their presence, afraid of offending the emperor.

After a long while, the emperor finally spoke: "Consort Yun, of the Yun clan, is immoral, jealous, and plots against other concubines. She is hereby stripped of her title and demoted to the rank of Lady-in-Waiting. She is confined to Chengqian Palace and is not allowed to leave without an imperial edict."

Yun Xinluo breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't care if the nobleman agreed, and being confined to her quarters wasn't a big deal either, as long as she was still alive.

Before she could express her gratitude, the emperor continued, "The fourth prince, Hongli, is utterly incorrigible. He is disrespectful to his superiors and immoral to his inferiors, and his conduct is depraved and morally corrupt. He shall be adopted out immediately..."

Regardless of why Hongli plotted against Consort Wan, if he dared to harm his stepmother today, wouldn't that be detrimental to his father, the Emperor, in the future?

However, he still had to think about who to adopt such a prince, lest he bring disaster to his close clan.

Yun Xinluo expressed her gratitude with deep thanks: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness."

After announcing the punishment for Hongli, the emperor turned to Zhen Huan and said, "Consort Zhen was innocent and has been wronged. Her title will be restored. From now on, she will be called Consort Wan and will enjoy the treatment of a concubine."

Zhen Huan glanced at Yun Xinluo, who was being helped up from the ground by a palace maid, and reluctantly thanked the emperor: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for standing up for me."

If she forces the emperor to severely punish Hongli, that bastard child, Yun Xinluo will surely not survive.