The Abused Female Protagonist In The Angst Novel Is Actually A White Lotus - Chapter 29.1

No matter how Consort Yu tried to explain, the Emperor’s expression remained one of disdain. “We have favored you so greatly, yet you abuse this favor by mistreating the daughter of an official family. It seems you are unfit to manage the Six Palaces. Return this important duty to the Empress.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Consort Yu collapsed to the ground. She tried to cling to the Emperor’s robes, but it was useless. Perhaps even her own palace attendants found her disgraceful, for they helped her up and led her away.

“You are… Ling Qingyi?” The Emperor’s favor came and went like the wind. He had once doted on Consort Yu, lifting her to the heavens, but now he dismissed her with a few curt words. His attention had already shifted to Ling Qingyi, who could alleviate the nation’s burdens.

Ling Qingyi stepped down from the wooden bench. Since she hadn’t received more than a few strikes, she could still stand and reply. “Your Majesty, I am indeed Ling Qingyi, the third daughter of the Ling family.”

“Come with us. We must discuss these strategies in greater detail.” The Emperor could no longer conceal his delight. He led Ling Qingyi to Chenguang Hall, where he reviewed memorials—usually a place even imperial concubines were barred from entering.

Shen Sijing, unfamiliar with the intricacies of these methods, chose to stay behind with the Empress Dowager rather than follow the Emperor and Ling Qingyi. She glanced around the palace, but the familiar figure described in the book was nowhere to be seen.

This person had once helped Ling Qingyi, and judging by the timeline, they likely hadn’t yet arrived at the palace.

“What’s on your mind, so lost in thought?” the Empress Dowager asked, taking Shen Sijing’s hand and pulling her back toward the palace. She noticed the young woman’s distracted demeanor.

Shen Sijing shook her head and forced a smile. The Empress Dowager, seasoned by years navigating the palace’s complexities, immediately saw through the forced cheerfulness.

“Is it because of what Consort Yu said earlier? Still dwelling on it?” The Empress Dowager’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she gazed warmly at Shen Sijing. The young woman dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief before clinging to the Empress Dowager’s arm, acting coquettish.

It was as if a granddaughter had found her grandmother. Though the palace housed several princes and princesses, their fear of the Empress Dowager’s authority kept them distant. Having never met her relatives in her previous life, Shen Sijing craved this familial affection, though somewhat awkwardly.

Even if she was the Empress Dowager, what difference did that make? As long as she treated Shen Sijing well, regardless of her motives, Shen Sijing should be grateful for her kindness.

The Empress Dowager seemed to relish Shen Sijing’s affection. She drew the girl into her arms as casually as one might pick up a kitten, pinching Shen Sijing’s nose. “I’ve heard about the recent troubles outside the palace,” she said. “You had a falling out with Chen Yao over that Third Young Miss Ling, Ling Qingyi. Did you actually dunk her in the water vat?”

The Empress Dowager spoke without any reproach, even impressed by Shen Sijing’s decisiveness and bravery. As long as she had no ill intentions, she considered her a girl of excellent character.

Shen Sijing, however, felt somewhat embarrassed. She buried her face in the Empress Dowager’s lapels, her voice tinged with guilt. “Your Ladyship, it was actually Young Miss Chen… she was trying to trip me. My health is so fragile—if I’d fallen hard, who would I have gone to for justice? Waaah…”

The more Shen Sijing spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, tears welling in her eyes. Her gesture of raising her handkerchief moved the Empress Dowager to embrace her tightly.

“I never imagined… that our Shen Sijing would suffer such injustice! With Consort Yu of the Chen family in the palace and this Dowager here in the Shen family, they truly overestimate their position. Now, the Chen family’s actions at court have drawn countless contemptuous glances and made numerous enemies. So… the Chen family is not an invincible tree. What you need to do is temper your ambitions and wait for the right opportunity.” As the Empress Dowager spoke, a calculating glint flashed in her eyes, her voice sharp yet dignified, befitting one who had witnessed countless lives come and go.

“I will heed Your Ladyship’s teachings,” Shen Sijing nodded obediently. She then began to chatter about other interesting matters, seemingly carefree. Yet, she would firmly commit these words to memory.

Ling Qingyi remained in Chenguang Hall for an entire day. Shen Sijing, worried, occasionally paced outside the hall, but Ling Qingyi showed no sign of emerging.

The matron sent by the Empress Dowager smiled reassuringly at Shen Sijing. “Young Miss Shen, please don’t be impatient. Since the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have both approved this plan, it must be sound. Perhaps by the time Third Young Miss Ling emerges, she’ll have brought great honor to her family and achieved remarkable success.”

Shen Sijing naturally hoped that Ling Qingyi would receive approval, gain prestige, and improve her situation. But although she possessed the script, her own actions had already altered many details, even if the overall direction remained the same. Small details often determine success or failure, and she feared that someone might spot a flaw in these subtle changes.

If Ling Qingyi were to fall into irreparable ruin, Ling Yunliu might have already stolen this method and sought further guidance elsewhere.

Resigned, Shen Sijing nodded and followed the matron back, glancing back repeatedly. The Empress Dowager stood in the palace hall, observing her return and sensing her distress. She took Shen Sijing by the arm and suggested a stroll in the Imperial Garden, where the concubines often gathered after their meals.

Shen Sijing initially wanted to refuse, but then she remembered how lonely the Empress Dowager must be in the palace. She paused before saying, “Since Your Ladyship is in the mood for such an elegant outing, I would be remiss not to accept.”

A genuine smile finally appeared on the Empress Dowager’s face. She took Shen Sijing’s hand and walked through the moonlight toward the Imperial Garden. The palace corridors were lit with lanterns, yet as they walked, an increasing sense of chill and loneliness pervaded the air, making it impossible to feel warm.

Shen Sijing’s arm grew closer to the Empress Dowager’s with each step. The Empress Dowager didn’t notice anything amiss, but the trembling of the maid beside them caught her attention. “Could it be you’re afraid of this long palace corridor?”

Shen Sijing didn’t bother to hide it. She simply nodded. Even though she was grown, she wasn’t so frightened she couldn’t move. They continued walking for a while. They were about to turn the corner and reach the Imperial Garden when…

Shen Sijing witnessed a scene that would haunt her for a lifetime.

At the corner, hanging from a ceiling beam, was a woman dressed in dark red imperial robes—the ceremonial attire reserved for investiture ceremonies. The Empress Dowager, upon seeing her, recoiled in horror, backing up several steps. She pointed at the hanged woman, her face paling with shock. “Yu… Consort Yu?!”

The moment this name escaped her lips, the palace maids accompanying her froze in terror. Only the Matron mustered the courage to step forward and push aside the long hair obscuring the face. To everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t Consort Yu’s face that emerged, but that of her attendant, Qing Zhu.

Why would Qing Zhu be hanged here, wearing Consort Yu’s robes? Though the sight of death still commanded reverence, the real headache lay in the tangled web of power and intrigue that such a death would inevitably unravel.

So… Qing Zhu was dead, but for the imperial court, there would be no significant upheaval.

“What exactly is going on here?!” The Empress Dowager’s voice brimmed with fury. She kept Shen Sijing at a distance as the surrounding palace maids knelt, awaiting her commands.

Only the Matron and Shen Sijing remained standing near the Empress Dowager. The Matron leaned in to whisper something, and the Empress Dowager nodded. “Go quickly and summon the Empress and all the concubines to the Empress’s Palace for an urgent meeting. The Emperor detests supernatural talk. If he learns of this, the consequences will be dire.”

The Empress Dowager wasn’t truly afraid of the Emperor; she was merely using his name to intimidate the concubines into attending promptly and on time.

Shen Sijing never imagined that simply accompanying the Empress Dowager to the Imperial Garden for a stroll would lead to this. It was clearly another power struggle within the Inner Palace. Perhaps Consort Yu had orchestrated this whole affair herself, willing to sacrifice a palace maid to escape her own predicament.

After losing her position as head of the Administration of the Six Palaces, she must be desperate for a solution.

In this eerie atmosphere, Shen Sijing couldn’t even manage a smile. With no hope of returning home tonight, she reluctantly followed the Empress Dowager toward the Empress’s Palace. Meanwhile, the palace maids and eunuchs had already removed the corpse of the dead maid and placed it on a sedan chair, which they carried along the same path.

Looking up at the night sky, Shen Sijing saw the moon obscured by dark clouds, casting an even more ominous shadow over the surroundings.

A chill ran through her. Yun Nian, walking beside her, clung to her arm, abandoning all formal etiquette. She simply wanted to offer Shen Sijing some warmth against the biting cold.

Shen Sijing cast Yun Nian a grateful glance before lowering her head and continuing to walk slowly. The Empress’s Palace, having received the news earlier, was brightly lit. Inside, the Empress was still at her bronze mirror, meticulously grooming herself. No matter how urgent the matter, she insisted on being perfectly composed before appearing.

When the Empress entered the small side hall, it was already packed with people. As usual, she first paid her respects to the Empress Dowager, after which the others followed suit. Only then did they begin discussing the day’s topic.

“Is Consort Yu present?” the Empress Dowager asked, taking the initiative. Consort Yu knelt before her, looking dazed and pale. “Your Ladyship, I truly know nothing about this,” she said. “When I returned to my chambers, she was nowhere to be found. I assumed she was unwell and planned to check on her after dinner, but then I received this terrible news.”

The Empress Dowager, of course, anticipated this response. She remained seated aloof, not immediately contradicting Consort Yu. “The Analects say, ‘The Master did not speak of the supernatural.’ The Emperor detests such matters. Tonight’s events are indeed strange, but if I hear you gossiping behind my back, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”

Though the imperial concubines dutifully agreed, their expressions made it clear they hadn’t fully grasped the meaning of her words—some even looked frightened.

“This matter will not be allowed to continue unchecked. Now that someone from Consort Yu’s quarters has died, you should come and tell me if anything unusual has occurred recently.” The Empress Dowager’s question was perfunctory, her eyes devoid of any trust, her tone tinged with mockery.

But this was exactly the opening Consort Yu had sought. She cared nothing for the Empress Dowager’s disdain as she sobbed uncontrollably, her face tear-streaked and disheveled. “We hadn’t noticed anything amiss either, except that Qing Zhu had been unusually despondent these past few days. I was negligent and didn’t think much of it, but before coming here, I discovered a letter in her room.”

Between sobs, Consort Yu retrieved the letter from her sleeve. The paper was of poor quality, and the handwriting was crooked and illegible, perfectly fitting the literacy level of a palace maid.

But… Shen Sijing observed coldly. Anyone with a shred of sense would see through this. The Empress Dowager, of course, saw through it too. She gripped Shen Sijing’s hand tightly as she watched Consort Yu’s melodrama unfold below. The truth was becoming increasingly clear, like water revealing the rocks beneath its surface. Yet without evidence, no one dared accuse her of putting on a show.

Most people couldn’t understand what was written on the letter, but since it was Consort Yu’s palace maid, Consort Yu began to interpret it. According to the letter, Qing Zhu had been bullied to death by an eunuch from the Empress’s Palace. The letter also explained why Qing Zhu had hung herself wearing Consort Yu’s clothes. Everything seemed so logical and well-reasoned, making it all the more likely to stir sympathy and tears.

But Shen Sijing and the Empress Dowager had already seen through her schemes, so they remained completely unmoved.

“But if you’re claiming it was an eunuch from the Empress’s Palace who bullied her, how should the Empress respond to this?” The Empress Dowager, aware that this was Consort Yu’s attempt to slander the Empress, chose not to expose her outright. Instead, she manipulated the situation subtly, step by step.

The Empress naturally knew she hadn’t done any such thing, and that the Empress Dowager had no intention of punishing her. She already knew what was coming. So, the Empress followed Consort Yu’s lead. “If this is true, then it shows my failure in disciplining the eunuchs in my palace. But we can’t throw every pot and pan at me just because of this. If anyone has objections, they should bring it before the Emperor for a proper investigation. If it turns out one of my eunuchs truly acted improperly… I will willingly accept any punishment.”

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