Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

On the other hand, after leaving Anlan Garden, An Lingrong seemed rather absent-minded.

As she walked along the quiet, deserted tree-lined path, two sentences kept echoing in her ears:

Wen Shichu and Zhen Shi grew up together; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were childhood sweethearts.

— Wen Shichu and Zhen Shi were of one mind, so naturally he pleased what Zhen Shi pleased.

An Lingrong seemed to be bewitched, her mind filled with the words "growing up together", "childhood sweethearts", "innocent childhood friends", "liking what Zhen Shi likes", and "disliking what Zhen Shi dislikes".

Baoque held her wrist, and just as they were about to step onto the next step, An Lingrong was still deep in thought, so Baoque had to remind her, "My lady, be careful of the steps."

An Lingrong snapped out of her daze, and after letting out a somewhat confused "Ah," she suddenly realized that she and Baoque were almost at Consort Jin's Bamboo Fragrance Pavilion.

Yesterday, at Princess Wenyi's birthday celebration, Consort Jin drank quite a bit of wine, so An Lingrong thought she should come and visit her.

Who would have thought that he would hear such shocking news from Consort Zhuang.

Zhen Huan had an affair with the imperial physician Wen Shichu!

Regardless of whether this affair is between a man and a woman or between siblings next door, it is something a palace concubine should not have. It is a great disrespect and could even lead to the extermination of her entire clan!

She stood at the bottom of the steps, her eyes gleaming. "Baoque, you heard what Chunrong said in Anlan Garden just now. What are your thoughts on that?"

Baoque's eyes changed, and she quickly looked around. Seeing that no one was around, she lowered her voice and said, "My lady, I think this is a rare opportunity."

That Consort Wan—no, no, it should be Consort Zhen—and Consort Zhen and the woman from Biguan appeared to be friendly to their mistress, but in reality, they held her in contempt. There was no need to hold back against such people.

An Lingrong smiled and said, "Although I don't know if Chunrong said those things simply out of anger or to lure me in and use me, you're right, this is indeed a rare opportunity."

Baoque frowned slightly. "My lady, do you suspect that Aunt Chunrong's words were malicious?"

An Lingrong gave a soft hum, her expression unreadable, "Although I don't want to instigate Chunrong and Consort Zhuang's words and actions with malice, I have to be careful in order to protect myself in this deep palace."

Although Chunrong and Consort Zhuang helped her a lot, there was no true affection in this deep palace; it was all about self-interest.

Perhaps at first, Chunrong and Consort Zhuang did have some pity for her because of her weakness and lowliness, and were happy to lend a helping hand before she rose to prominence. But now, she no longer needs anyone's charity.

She has the emperor's favor and the rank of a noblewoman; in time, she will also have princes and princesses.

She was no less capable than Consort Zhuang.

Moreover, Consort Zhuang developed postpartum bleeding, so the Emperor would no longer summon her to his bedchamber. A concubine without the Emperor's favor has no status in the harem.

Her relationship with Consort Zhuang has undergone a dramatic change.

Now, the one sitting on top is her!

Baoque had always been An Lingrong's confidante, so she naturally noticed her change. Although she didn't think Aunt Chunrong would set a trap for them, she didn't say anything.

He simply asked obediently, "So, what do you think, my lady? Do you want to take advantage of this great opportunity?"

An Lingrong stared straight ahead. Hidden among the trees was the Bamboo Fragrance Pavilion, the residence of Consort Jin, Cao Qinmo, and Princess Wenyi.

"Such a rare opportunity is naturally not to be missed, but it cannot be made by me. The Emperor's favor towards Zhen Huan is so great that even the Empress Dowager has to be wary of it. I, a mere noble lady, would not stand a chance."

Baoque immediately understood her meaning, "However, Consort Jin is not easy to persuade."

As she spoke, she pointed in another direction, "These days, I've been watching closely, and that person is also very dissatisfied with Consort Zhen. Moreover, she still holds power in the palace. If we can instigate her to take action, we can certainly make Your Highness's wish come true."

The person Baoque was referring to was naturally Shen Meizhuang.

An Lingrong chuckled softly, "Of course I'll go there too. There's still hope with Consort Jin. She's always hoped that I could gain more favor so that she and her daughter could benefit. Consort Jin is a smart woman, so she should understand the principle that you have to give before you can receive."

Baoque's eyes lit up. "Your Highness is so clever! In this way, we can take a two-pronged approach against Consort Zhen, ensuring she has no chance of turning things around!"

The two women, mistress and servant, entered Zhuxiangzhai. After exchanging greetings, An Lingrong recounted everything she had heard from Xi Qiao to Consort Jin. Finally, she asked Consort Jin in a pretentious manner, "Consort Jin, what are your thoughts?"

Consort Jin's eyelids twitched, feigning ignorance of the hidden meaning in her eyes, and she said with a forced smile, "Aunt Chunrong and Consort Zhuang both came from the Empress Dowager's palace, so the Empress Dowager would not hide it from them."

Exposing that the emperor has been cuckolded is no easy task; one wrong move and you could face the consequences.

It doesn't matter if she completely falls out of favor, but her Wenyi cannot be without the emperor's favor and love.

Even for her daughter's sake, she couldn't get involved in this mess.

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong understood that Consort Jin did not want to get involved in the matter.

However, now that she was sitting here, how could she allow Consort Jin to fool her?

An Lingrong picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked up at Consort Jin with her bright eyes. "Consort Jin, when I was at home, I often heard people say that fortune favors the bold. We have all seen how favored Zhen Huan is. If she were to give birth to a princess one day, given her favor and methods, how much weight would Princess Wenyi still hold in the Emperor's heart?"

Consort Jin clenched her handkerchief, her face showing a mixture of excitement and fear. "Sister, please go back first. This matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it carefully."

An Lingrong's eyes lit up. "Then you'd better hurry, sister. I'll go to Consort Shen's place first."

She specifically mentioned Shen Meizhuang to let Cao Qinmo know that the two of them weren't the only ones involved. With more people involved, the risk would be less for each individual.

Cao Qinmo got up and personally escorted An Lingrong to the door. Once An Lingrong's figure disappeared from sight, the smile on her face vanished immediately, replaced by a cold expression.