Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

Xi Qiao took a deep breath. She hadn't been unaware that Zhen Huan would use Huan Bi to take the blame, but the Emperor and Empress Dowager weren't stupid. How could they just accept whatever Zhen Huan said?

But Zhen Huan was pregnant. As long as she could prove that there were no problems with her pregnancy, the Emperor and Empress Dowager wouldn't do anything to her for the sake of the child in her womb.

but--

Xi Qiao smiled slightly. Zhen Huan's idea was good, but she needed time.

As an "innocent" person, Zhen Huan shouldn't have known about that letter, so naturally she didn't dare to explain it to the emperor. She wanted to shift the blame onto Huan Bi, and needed some time to guide the emperor to discover it himself.

And this time difference...

Xi Qiao curled his lips with ill intent, somewhat wanting to see Huanbi and Zhen Huan turn against each other completely.

Huanbi's biggest wish is to have her birth mother enter the Zhen family ancestral hall and receive incense offerings; perhaps she could try to start from this point.

While Xi Qiao was secretly plotting in his heart, Zhen Huan wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and continued, "Your Majesty, I know this violates the palace rules, but I have been in the palace for almost a year and I really miss my parents and family."

This sentence was enough to gloss over the fact that she and Wen Shichu had spent time alone in a private room.

At this moment, Jianqiu returned with Tongshi.

The Empress took the document and a smile immediately appeared on her face. "Your Majesty, it matches up. You see, in early April, Consort Zhen served the Emperor for seven days."

A slight smile appeared on the emperor's face. The seventeenth of April had not entered the palace, and there were many palace servants. This child must be his without a doubt.

He coughed lightly, took the official document from the Empress's hand and examined it closely. "Not bad, it matches."

In March, amidst the sparse shadows of apricot blossoms, we first met; in April, our love deepened and we rejoiced together.

Not only in early April, but also in the middle and late April, it was mostly Zhen Huan who served the emperor. At that time, Consort Hua was already pregnant, and her aura of ruthlessness and aversion to love had already taken effect. Without Consort Hua's jealousy and vying for favor, Zhen Huan stood out alone in the harem.

Looking at the records in the annals of history, the Empress's displeasure flashed briefly in her eyes, unnoticed by anyone.

"Ha ha--"

The emperor's anger turned to joy, and he laughed a few times. However, when he glanced at Zhen Huan out of the corner of his eye, the shadow in his heart spread again. It was true that the child was his, but it was hard to say whether Zhen Huan and the seventeenth prince had feelings for each other.

The emperor turned to look at Zhen Huan, his gaze filled with undisguised scrutiny.

Zhen Huan's heart tightened, she gripped the handkerchief in her hand, maintained her expression, and let the emperor scrutinize her.

Seeing that the Emperor had clearly believed Zhen Huan's sophistry, Xia Dongchun unwillingly crawled forward and hugged the Emperor's leg, "Your Majesty, please don't be deceived by this unfaithful slut, this slut, ah—"

Before Xia Dongchun could finish speaking, the emperor kicked him to the ground.

"Insolence!" the emperor roared angrily. "Shut up! Who gave you the audacity to slander the royal bloodline!"

Xia Changzai clutched his chest where he had been kicked, his face turning pale with pain, unable to utter a single word.

Seeing that things had escalated to a certain point, the Empress leisurely stepped forward to take charge. She picked up the letter from the side and said, “Your Majesty, I have practiced calligraphy for many years and have seen Consort Zhen’s calligraphy before. Although the handwriting on this letter looks similar to Consort Zhen’s at first glance, it is quite different upon closer inspection.”

Her face was solemn, and she looked dignified: "I believe this letter is a forgery."

The emperor naturally knew better than she did that this letter was forged, but the one addressed to the seventeenth prince might not be.

The Empress was surprised. She had already offered a way out, but the Emperor hadn't taken it.

What happened? Could it be that Sun Zhuxi said something to the Emperor?

At this moment, the Empress suddenly panicked, feeling that things were developing in a way that was beyond her expectations.

She originally intended to use Xia Dongchun's actions today to make Zhen Huan hate Consort Hua completely.

Consort Li was Consort Hua's person. Although Xia Dongchun had pledged allegiance to the Empress, she was still close to Consort Li. Xiao Yinzi, a double-traitor, also came forward to testify against Zhen Huan.

With just a little guidance, the blame can be shifted to Consort Hua's faction. Zhen Huan, with her proud nature, is not one to tolerate such behavior. She will inevitably clash with Consort Hua.

However, things went wrong right from the first step. The emperor was not happy about Zhen Huan's pregnancy, nor did he say anything about restoring her rank or lifting her confinement.

If Zhen Huan can't come out, how can she fight against Consort Hua?

The Empress's expression was a little stiff. She was about to change the subject and evoke the Emperor's past affection for Zhen Huan when Xia Dongchun, after recovering, hurriedly interrupted her.

"Your Majesty," Xia Dongchun's voice was weak, but her words were filled with desperation: "Your Majesty, even if this letter is forged, it is true that Zhen Huan and Wen Shichu had an affair. Didn't she just admit it herself? A palace concubine, yet she had so much contact with men outside the palace and even exchanged messages with them—this is tantamount to adultery!"

"Besides," Xia Dongchun suddenly turned her gaze to Yu Ying'er, "Although the Emperor has kept quiet, who in the entire palace doesn't know that Wen Shichu poisoned Consort Zhuang? If it weren't for that vile woman Zhen Huan's instigation, why would Wen Shichu, a mere imperial physician, poison Consort Zhuang?"

Xia Dongchun's mind seemed to suddenly start working, "No wonder that bitch Zhen Huan wanted to harm Consort Zhuang, she was paving the way for herself and the child in her womb! Now that the positions of consorts in the palace are full, if Zhen Huan wants to rise to the top, she must drag someone down with her!"

That makes a lot of sense. There were five concubines in the palace: Consort Jing, Consort Li, Consort Zhuang, Consort Jin, and Consort Xin. There was also Consort Yu, the birth mother of the Fifth Prince, in the Yuanmingyuan.

"Moreover, the Sixth Prince is the Emperor's first son after his ascension to the throne. His noble status naturally brings auspicious omens. With such a prince standing in front of them, how could Zhen Huan's child possibly be valued!"

"Your Majesty, that vile woman Zhen Huan dares to instigate her lover to murder Consort Zhuang even though she is only pregnant. What will she do in the future? Won't all the concubines in the palace fall victim to her poisonous hands?"

When Zhen Huan heard her point out Consort Zhuang's affair in such a way, her heart skipped a beat. Then she gritted her teeth and said, "Xia Chang, stop making baseless accusations. You said I bribed Fuling, but don't you know who really bribed Fuling?"

Although Ling Rong overheard Xia Changzai's words, they still couldn't find out which part of the incident at Xian Yue Pavilion went wrong. They even only learned about Fu Ling, the spy, because Xia Dongchun revealed it today.

But this just happened to suit her perfectly!

Zhen Huan was calculating in her heart, but on the surface she was resentful and said, "Your Majesty, you were indeed plotted against in Sister Mei's Xianyue Pavilion that day, but it was definitely not me who did it."

When Xi Qiao heard Zhen Huan bring up the topic of Xian Yue Pavilion, he looked over with some curiosity. The Empress's methods were very subtle. Apart from what An Lingrong had told her, Zhen Huan should not have been able to find any other clues.

Originally, the Empress intended to use a combination of aphrodisiacs, mixing the powder into the Emperor's tea and having him drink it, while applying a fragrant powder to Huanbi's body as a catalyst, so that it would not be easily discovered after the two had consummated their relationship.

However, in order to test the love potion, Xi Qiao used his mental power to replace the powder in the tea with the love potion. The pills produced by the system had almost no odor, were soluble in water, and were very easy to ignite.

Moreover, the person who complained that An Lingrong encountered in the garden with Juqing that day was not Xia Dongchun herself.

Although Xia Dongchun did go to stroll in the garden that day, the person who spoke was a young eunuch who knew ventriloquism, arranged by Consort Jin.

Therefore, Zhen Huan shouldn't have known too much.