Like Pearl and Jade

Chapter 74

"Why are you here?" Dowager Consort Sun looked coldly at Dowager Consort Qian who walked in openly. "Nonsense."

"Am I speaking nonsense, or are you thinking nonsense?" Dowager Consort Qian did not care about Dowager Consort Sun's hostile attitude. She walked to a chair and sat down. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "I know what you are thinking. Originally, I did not plan to be involved, but this does not mean that I am willing to be dragged down by you."

"I drag you down?" Dowager Consort Sun said coldly. "In these years in the palace, you have had everything going your way, and benefited from all sides. Who is able to drag you down?"

"Look at what you have said." Dowager Consort Qian snorted. "There is no meaning in mentioning past matters." At this, her smile faded. She looked at Dowager Consort Sun with some sympathy in her gaze. "The empress dowager and the empress have decided to send us dowager consorts to Jingan Palace. I have thought it through. This place is not much better than Jingan Palace. There is no difference for us consorts where we live."

Dowager Consort Sun stilled. She looked suspiciously at Dowager Consort Qian, not knowing if the other was acting or sincere. At the start, the one who had been most unwilling was Qian shi. So why was she the first one to think it through?

Women of the previous emperor like them did not have many feelings between them, but did have a lot of grudges. For example, back when Wei shi had been favored, she had tormented old members of the palace like her. So after the previous emperor died, they treated Wei shi so.

But as time passed, the desire to get revenge for past grudges would fade. Women like them, for the interests of their families, for a man like the previous emperor, schemed endlessly, but in the end, they still received such a cold end.

"You think so clearly." Dowager Consort Sun spoke after a moment of silence. "You came today to say this to me?"

"No matter what, you and I have known each other for nearly twenty years. I do not want to watch you jump into a hole, so I came to warn you." Dowager Consort Qian stood up. She wiped the corner of her mouth and said, "Do not get together with Prince Rui. This man has ambitions too great. Thinking too much is of no benefit to you."

Dowager Consort Sun looked at Dowager Consort Qian and did not speak.

Seeing her like this, Dowager Consort Qian did not want to persuade her more. She left behind a "do as you want" and then left.

"Dowager Consort." The person serving Dowager Consort Sun saw that she did not have a good expression. She hurriedly supported the dowager consort and asked carefully, "Are you fine?"

"I am fine." Dowager Consort Sun expressionlessly shook her head. "Who is the eunuch watching the door today? He was negligent in his duties, and will be punished by twenty blows." What was the use in a doorwatching eunuch who did not stop Qian shi or come to report?

"Yes." Her personal palace maid changed expression and bowed her head to acknowledge.

Not long after Dowager Consort Qian left, she heard that Dowager Consort Sun had punished the person watching the door. She smiled in scorn, and then had the palace servants pack up her bags.

Since going to Linan Palace was a decided matter, she would rather think how to live comfortably there, and not waste unnecessary effort.

But one had to admit that the empress was someone with a good fate for the emperor to do this for her. Even though she was jealous and felt hate, she could not obtain this.

When she first learned that Dowager Consort Sun wanted to use Yang Liu to get close to the emperor, she had meddled as well because she wanted to watch the liveliness. But the emperor did not look at the beauty even once. He felt no pity, and made her kneel by the path, waiting for the empress to discover her.