Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

Cui Jinxi looked at the room full of palace maids and eunuchs, each of them casting meaningful glances at her.

The blatant scrutiny and subtle disdain felt like needles pricking her.

Cui Jinxi lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly and replied through gritted teeth, "Replying to Your Highness, according to custom you can only have two palace maids and one eunuch to serve you."

Zhen Huan pursed her lips and remained silent, while Huan Bi and Liu Zhu stared wide-eyed in surprise. When their young mistress was at home, there were eight maids in her room, not to mention the maids who swept and did rough work in the courtyard.

Zhen Huan was a very clever woman. With just a thought, she understood why Cui Jinxi and the others had lowered themselves to flatter her. They simply saw her as a rare commodity and were certain that her beauty would win them favor.

A complex mix of emotions welled up within her.

On one hand, there is anger and sadness, feeling that these people are not genuinely following and serving, but are just sycophants who use them as stepping stones to climb the social ladder.

On one hand, there was a secret excitement. These palace eunuchs and maids had seen countless concubines, yet upon seeing her, they were certain she would be favored and came to flatter and fawn over her. Didn't this prove that her appearance was truly exceptional?

But Zhen Huan didn't get carried away. She just glanced at the head eunuch Kang Luhai, who had a bad complexion, and the head maid Cui Jinxi, who looked worried, and said sincerely, "I was ignorant before. I didn't know that I shouldn't have troubled you two with my position. If I have offended you, Zhen Huan apologizes to you here."

Kang Luhai's expression softened slightly, and he quickly stepped aside, repeatedly saying, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

This is the only newly arrived concubine with a title. Although she is currently being punished by Consort Hua to copy books, there will always be a day when she finishes copying all the palace rules, and Consort Wan will eventually be favored.

At that time, Kang Luhai will be one of the most important figures in the palace.

Zhen Huan continued, "Since I can only have two palace maids serving me in this room, then my two dowry maids will do it. As for the eunuchs..."

She glanced at Kang Luhai's apprentice, Xiao Yinzi, then turned to Kang Luhai and asked, "I wonder if Eunuch Kang would be willing to let me use your apprentice?"

Kang Luhai said with a big smile, "Your Highness, what are you saying? If it weren't for the palace rules, I would be happy to serve you personally and run errands for you."

Zhen Huan smiled upon hearing this, "In that case, Xiao Yinzi will serve me from now on. Everyone else, you may leave."

She ignored Cui Jinxi. She was new to the palace and didn't know the palace rules. Did Cui Jinxi, the head maid, not know them?

When she gave Juqing to her younger sister An, Cui Jinxi was right there and didn't even remind her, which caused her to be punished by Consort Hua and lose face in front of all the concubines in the palace.

It's really hard for Zhen Huan not to take her anger out on others.

At the same time, she felt a little guilty towards An Lingrong.

Although she understood that this matter had little to do with An Lingrong, since she was the one who was to deliver the person, and the rules were set in stone, even if no one noticed today, someone might notice tomorrow, she just couldn't control herself.

Even Zhen Huan so irrationally blamed An Lingrong, and Huanbi even verbally blamed her in front of Liu Zhu, "It's all An Lingrong's fault. If she hadn't been acting pitiful and aggrieved in front of the young lady, how could the young lady have pitied her for having no one to serve her and given Juqing to her, causing the young lady to be punished with a reduced salary and forced to copy palace rules!"

Zhen Huan somewhat agreed with Huan Bi's words, but she still told Huan Bi not to speak carelessly, "Ling Rong is sensitive, it would be bad if she heard these words."

Huanbi was furious and wouldn't listen to anything. She pressed her advantage, saying, "Hmph, no wonder she comes from a humble family, she's just not presentable. If it weren't for our Zhen family, where would she be today? And yet she still drags the young mistress into being punished."

Zhen Huan sighed, "Never mind, Ling Rong's humble origins are different from mine and Sister Mei's. Say less and hurry up and help me grind the ink; who knows how long we'll have to copy these palace rules."

An Lingrong, who had rushed over, overheard these words outside the door.

After returning to her residence from Yikun Palace, An Lingrong felt increasingly uneasy.

He immediately instructed Juqing to take the brocade that Consort Hua had just bestowed upon Zhen Huan to Suiyu Pavilion to apologize.

To her surprise, there was no one guarding outside the Broken Jade Pavilion, so she led Juqing straight to the main hall. But as soon as she arrived at the door, she heard Huanbi insulting her behind her back.

Instead of scolding or punishing Huanbi, Sister Zhen even looked down on her.

An Lingrong suddenly felt her hands and feet turn cold. It turned out that Sister Zhen and Sister Mei had never treated her as a sister!

Juqing glanced worriedly at the room and then at An Lingrong's back. Just as she was about to speak to comfort An Lingrong and remind Wan Changzai and others in the room, An Lingrong suddenly turned her head and looked at her with reddened eyes. Juqing immediately changed her mind and shut her mouth tightly.