Could it be the Princess Consort playing tricks behind the scenes?
That doesnât seem right either.
Arenât the Princess Consort and Concubine Ya on good terms?
At the time, the East Palace was responsible for hosting the Silla diplomats, and the Princess Consort had gone to great trouble to accommodate Concubine Yaâs acclimatization. When Concubine Ya invited the Princess Consort for tea, she happily accepted.
Not long ago, they were still laughing and talking when they met at the Empressâs place.
Could it be that their smiles were fake?
Were they hiding knives behind their laughter?
Many concubines recalled that scene with some lingering fear.
It was terrifying.
Source: novgo.co
The young Princess Consort could smile like a spring breeze to oneâs face, and then stab them in the back the moment they turned around.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
They also thought about the âachievementsâ of the Princess Consort in the past few years, and they couldnât help but shudder.
Those who had offended her all came to a bitter end.
But what had Concubine Ya done to offend the Princess Consort?
One was the Emperorâs concubine, and the other was the Crown Princeâs Main Consort. There shouldnât be any conflict of interest between them.
Unlessâ¦
All the concubinesâ hearts skipped a beat.
Could it be that Concubine Ya was pregnant?
Only if Concubine Ya was pregnant could she possibly threaten the interests of the East Palace.
Word soon reached the Empress. She sent the Imperial Physician to check on Concubine Ya.
After all, the Emperor had said that Concubine Ya was unwell, and needed good care. As the head of the harem, it was the Empressâs duty to show concern for Concubine Ya.
However, the diagnosis revealed that Concubine Ya was not pregnant.
Not only was she not pregnant, but her health was also quite good, and there was no need for her to rest.
In that case, Concubine Yaâs sudden fall from favor had to be the Princess Consortâs doing.
The Princess Consort was formidable indeed.
Despite the Emperorâs extreme favor for Concubine Ya, the Princess Consort had only needed to say a few words in front of the Emperor to make him abandon her.
It seemed that a womanâs pillow talk was powerful, being able to casually report the young wifeâs matters to the Empress Dowager.
However, when everyone thought about Jiang Ningâs family background, they felt that it wasnât surprising at all.
After this incident, all the concubines in the harem once again realized that they could offend anyone, but they could never offend the Princess Consort.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Princess Consort would be the future Empress. For those concubines without any princes or princesses, their future would depend on the future Empressâs whims, wouldnât it?
There were many smart people.
Sure enough, in no time, Jiang Ning noticed that the usually quiet Crystal Clear Manor had suddenly become bustling with visitors.
The Emperorâs numerous wives and concubines, like a flock of birds, loved to visit the East Palace during their free time, either bringing food or unique little gifts.
At first, Jiang Ning didnât understand what was going on, thinking that these concubines were too lonely in the palace and were trying to get close to the Crown Prince.
Was that a joke?
Although she was greedy, she wouldnât dare to help with such matters even if she was bribed with a mountain of gold!
However, after Concubine Yuâs reminder, she quickly understood.
It turned out that they were trying to build a good relationship with her.
But Jiang Ningâs previous thoughts werenât entirely wrong either.
Among the visiting concubines, there were indeed some who came for the upcoming selection.
All major families would choose outstanding girls from their clans to enter the palace, not wasting any opportunity to participate in the selection process.
This time, the Emperor might keep a few for himself, but he would also choose some concubines for the Crown Prince.
After all, the Emperor was getting older, and following him wouldnât provide much of a bright future.