The Poisonous Consort, the Regent's Beloved

Chapter 131 Imperial Concubine

General Ji also came over, his face pale and exhausted, his voice weak.

"Father, why are they here? Where is Mother?"

Ji Zhiyun asked anxiously, seeing her father's appearance, it really was as Zhang Shi said, that her father had brought them here.

There's only one possibility that they were able to get here: something must have happened to her mother.

There was no time to think about anything else, so Ji Zhiyun hurriedly walked out of the palace.

General Ji did not stop her, but looked at her with a guilty expression.

"and many more."

Su Fuying caught her just in time, took a porcelain bottle from his pocket and handed it to her, saying in a low voice, "This can save your life in a critical moment."

Ji Zhiyun gave her a grateful look, then immediately turned and walked away.

"Princess Yongle, please forgive my poor appearance."

General Ji looked at Su Fuying with an apologetic expression.

"It doesn't matter."

"Princess Yongle has quite the airs; even court officials have to bow and scrape before her."

Zhang looked at her with disdain, sizing her up and down with a disgusted gaze.

However, this woman with only a pretty face actually harmed her daughter so badly that Ji Nanqing now feels terrified whenever she mentions Su Fudi's name.

She used some magic today to see just who this powerful person was.

Now it seems that's all there is to it. Seeing that Su Fuying didn't say a word, he felt even more smug.

"Snapped."

"Ouch."

With a crisp sound, Zhang fell to the ground, covering her face with one hand, her expression one of disbelief, while her other hand trembled as she pointed at Su Fuying.

"You, you bitch, how dare you hit me?"

"Biro, slap yourself."

Su Fuying's gaze was indifferent as she coldly looked down at the woman on the ground, who was dressed in a flamboyant manner.

"you dare!"

Zhang couldn't believe that Su Fuying would dare to hit her in the main hall.

"Princess Yongle..."

General Ji!

The woman interrupted him coldly, and the undeniable authority in her calm tone made General Ji's heart tremble.

He didn't expect Su Fuying to actually hit someone, but Zhang Shi was insignificant to him.

The others were taken aback by this sudden turn of events and remained silent for a moment.

Zhang covered her face, her eyes filled with shock and anger. She never expected Su Fuying to dare to attack her in front of everyone, and to do so so viciously.

She covered her cheek, glaring at Su Fuying, and cursed, "You bitch, how dare you hit me! I am the lady of the Ji family..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Su Fuying interrupted her again.

“Madam Ji, watch your words. You are nothing but a concubine.” Su Fuying’s voice was icy, carrying a hint of warning.

Zhang was intimidated by Su Fuying's imposing manner and dared not speak for a moment. However, she was still filled with resentment and unwillingness, feeling that she had been greatly insulted.

Su Fuying looked at Zhang Shi's expression and sneered inwardly. She knew that Zhang Shi had come here today to provoke her and see her reaction.

Since that's the case, then don't blame her for being impolite. She turned to look at Biluo and ordered, "Continue slapping her."

Biluo responded, walked up to Zhang Shi, and slapped Zhang Shi again without hesitation.

Zhang cried out in pain, and several red handprints immediately appeared on her face.

"Woooooooo..."

Zhang's face was swollen, her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked at General Ji with a wronged expression. She never expected that General Ji would be so heartless to her and had no intention of helping her at all.

However, General Ji decisively turned his head away and ignored her.

He then stepped forward, bowed slightly to Su Fuying, and said, "I am truly sorry for causing trouble for Princess Yongle today."

Su Fuying smiled slightly and said softly, "It's nothing."

At this moment, Su Fuying glanced at the mother and daughter on the ground. She saw that Ji Nanqing was already pale with fright and could not say a word. She could only cry and keep trying to pull Zhang Shi up.

"Guards, drag this disgraceful thing away immediately!" General Ji roared. Two guards rushed in and dragged Zhang away.

Before leaving, Zhang glared at Su Fuying with resentment, but Su Fuying simply smiled and nodded at her, a gesture that almost made Zhang faint again.

Soon, the farce ended, and the people around who had been gossiping about Su Fuying gradually quieted down. They no longer dared to make a loud noise, but instead lowered their voices and continued to pay attention to the situation on the field.

After all, Su Fuying, that crazy woman, has dealt with people several times; when she gets ruthless, she doesn't care about your status.

Therefore, no one wanted to run into bad luck at this time, and everyone was being very careful.

Today's banquet is attended by everyone. If one were to embarrass oneself like Zhang, one might as well just kill oneself.

Having sat there listlessly all morning, Su Fuying was almost asleep when she suddenly heard a few noises outside the door.

"The Queen has arrived."

With a eunuch's shrill shout, a woman dressed in a red palace gown, exuding elegance and nobility, slowly walked in, surrounded by a crowd.

"See the Queen."

"Get up."

The Empress smiled, but her gaze froze slightly when it swept over Su Fuying.

Following them were the concubines of the harem, including Consort Li, who had not appeared for a long time.

"The osmanthus flowers in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom. Why don't you all come with me to take a look?"

As soon as she sat down, the Empress spoke, her words carrying a question, but her tone was certain.

No one dared to disobey, and they all stood up and agreed: "We will obey Her Majesty the Empress's decree."

So, the group went to the Imperial Garden to admire the osmanthus blossoms.

Along the way, the concubines vied with each other in beauty and elegance, their laughter and chatter never ceasing.

Su Fuying, however, seemed somewhat distracted; she was not interested in these insincere social niceties.

But to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, she tried to remain calm and followed the group.

After walking for about 15 minutes, the faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms lingering around the nose became increasingly strong.

Looking up, the garden is full of osmanthus trees, all of uniform height after being pruned, making it a truly pleasing sight.

"They're so beautiful! I heard His Majesty planted them especially for the Empress."

"Yes, it smells so good. His Majesty is so kind to the Empress."

......

Flattery surrounded the Empress, who proudly raised her head and glanced disdainfully at a concubine who had remained silent.

The latter simply lowered her eyes, looking like a lifeless doll.

Seeing that she had not achieved the desired effect, the Empress was somewhat unwilling and directly raised her voice, "Noble Consort, what do you think?"

Imperial Concubine.

Su Fuying was startled. In the Southern Xia Kingdom, there was only one imperial concubine, who was the birth mother of the fourth princess and the sixth prince.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully examining the legendary imperial concubine.

She was dressed in a light purple palace gown with plain embroidery on the hem.

She didn't wear an elaborate crown, and although she had a beautiful face, her expression seemed somewhat cold and distant.

The Empress's voice drew the attention of those around her, and everyone turned to look at the Imperial Concubine, awaiting her reply.

However, the Imperial Concubine did not respond immediately. She merely glanced at the Empress indifferently before lowering her eyes again.

Upon seeing this, the Empress's face showed a hint of displeasure, but she still forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, what do you think of this garden?"

The imperial concubine remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, "Very beautiful." Her voice was as sweet as a young girl's, like a refreshing stream that soothed the mind and body.

Upon hearing this answer, the Queen's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

She had hoped to take this opportunity to flaunt her status and power, but she never expected to be treated so coldly by the imperial concubine.

But since it was a public place, she couldn't show her displeasure and could only suppress her dissatisfaction as she continued to lead everyone on a tour of the garden.

Su Fuying looked at all this and sighed inwardly. This imperial concubine looked no different from a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl; it was impossible to tell that she was a woman who had given birth to two children.

Rumor has it that since the Ren family gained power, Empress Ren has held absolute power in the harem, and any concubines who have gained even a little favor have been killed on various pretexts.

Concubines with influential family backgrounds were impeached by Ren Zhong in the court and exiled to their homes. Empress Ren then dealt with the remaining orphaned girls in the palace.

Why has this imperial concubine been able to remain in power until now?

The reason for this is a long story. Back then, her father was the Minister of Works, a first-rank official among the Three Dukes, and he wielded immense power.

However, life is unpredictable. The late emperor suddenly passed away, and the battle for the throne among the princes began.

It is said that this Minister of Works was unwilling to get involved in this dispute, and was reported by a group of people before the current emperor even ascended the throne.

Ultimately, letters revealing his secret dealings with foreign powers were found in his residence, leading to his house being confiscated and him being exiled.

From that time on, the Imperial Concubine lost the protection of her family, her status plummeted, and she was no longer favored.

After the emperor ascended the throne, he remembered their past relationship and bestowed upon her the title of Imperial Concubine, but he never stepped into her palace.

Seeing this, the Empress felt that she was no longer a threat and didn't bother to provoke her.

However, such public provocation today is truly perplexing.

Everyone couldn't help but wonder what had happened that made the usually low-key Consort dare to openly challenge the Empress.

"Since we have nothing to do today, the beautiful scenery in this courtyard is quite charming. Why don't you all compose a poem about this scene?" The Empress said with a smile, her eyes sweeping over everyone's faces as if she could see through them all.

The Empress walked gracefully ahead, her voice soft yet dignified, captivating all who heard it.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that Princess Yongle is incredibly skilled at composing poetry!" At this moment, Consort Li's voice rang out beside the Empress, and everyone's gaze fell upon the woman standing at the back.

"Oh? Is that really so? Then I'll have to listen carefully." The Empress showed a hint of surprise and anticipation, seemingly very interested in the talent of this Princess Yongle.

All eyes were on the woman at the very back, who was wearing a light blue dress that swayed gently in the breeze, making her look like a fairy descending to earth.

Her face was beautiful, her eyes clear as water, radiating a unique charm. At this moment, she was slightly bowing her head, appearing somewhat shy.

At this moment, Su Fuying only wanted to say one thing: "What the hell are you pretending for?"

Princess Yongle was given the title of Princess Yongle because she wrote a poem for Consort Li when she first entered the palace.

After that, her reputation for poetry spread throughout the capital, not to mention that she had even written poems for the Regent, so how could he not know about her?

These two seem to have been in cahoots, working together to set a trap for her.

"Your Majesty, I only have a slight understanding of it."

Su Fuying concealed the coldness in her eyes and said in a low voice.

"It's good that you know a little bit. I heard that you were praised by His Majesty for your poetry. Why don't you have a competition today? The winner will be rewarded with a thousand-bird phoenix crown."

"what?"

"Thousand Birds Phoenix Crown!"

"My God, such a precious item! This was a gift from His Majesty when he first ascended the throne."

The young ladies from official families who were initially hesitant to compete with Su Fuying suddenly became interested and eager to try.

The Thousand Birds Phoenix Crown was bestowed upon the Empress by His Majesty upon his ascension to the throne; it is of utmost preciousness.

It is truly a pleasant surprise that Her Majesty the Empress is giving it away as a reward.

Everyone knows that the person who can obtain the Thousand Birds Phoenix Crown must be exceptionally talented. Winning the competition not only brings the precious crown but also represents unparalleled honor.

At this moment, the young ladies of official families who had been hesitant due to fear were now inspired and eager to try their skills.

They secretly thought that if they could win this competition, they could not only obtain the Thousand Bird Phoenix Crown, but also make themselves famous and become prominent figures in the capital.

So these daughters of officials began to rub their hands together, ready to show off their talents and compete with Su Fuying.

Everyone had witnessed Su Fuying's prowess in poetry, and upon hearing of the upcoming contest with him, many were already considering backing down.

The rewards were unexpectedly generous. Today, all the women present were about to reach marriageable age and had come to the palace banquet to find a suitable spouse.

Having received this phoenix crown, one's wedding day will be incredibly glorious.

"Your Majesty, may I go first?"

A woman dressed in a green smoky dress was the first to step forward.

The Empress had no particular interest in this matter and simply gave a curt reply.

"When will the Mid-Autumn Festival arrive? The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms fills the air everywhere."

Immediately afterwards, one after another, people stepped forward.

Even after almost everyone had left, Su Fuying remained standing at the back, looking completely at ease, as if she had nothing to do with the matter.

"Princess Yongle?"

The Empress frowned slightly. She was already displeased after being humiliated by the Consort, and Su Fuying still dared to be so disrespectful.

Just as the Empress was about to lose her temper, Su Fuying chuckled and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was just thinking about what kind of poems I should write to win Your Majesty's favor."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's brows relaxed slightly, and she immediately felt much better, thinking that the Empress was sensible.

"Your Majesty, I have another matter to discuss."

Upon hearing this, the Empress became nervous again. Seeing that the plan was progressing as she had anticipated, she wondered what kind of trouble the Empress was about to cause.

"what's up?"

The Empress's voice carried a hint of displeasure; no matter what request Su Fuying made, she would not agree.

"Since it's a competition, it's too boring for me to be up there alone. How about I find someone to compete with me?"

The woman's voice was languid, and her expression was leisurely.

The Empress straightened up slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Oh? I wonder who Princess Yongle wishes to compete against?"

"I remember when my former sister, Su Wan'er, competed with me, she suffered a crushing defeat. Today, I'm in a good mood, so I might as well give her a chance to redeem herself."