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With a blanket pulled over her head, Su Peijiu was still wondering why Qi Mo had suddenly become so ambiguous towards her. After considering how closely related the Linglong Spine was to her, she felt that no man would be uninterested in the throne.
Just moments ago, he had sent someone to inform her of the cause of a palace maid's death, and it turned out that Consort Shu and the Empress had colluded in this matter.
Thinking about how someone sent by her senior brother had met an untimely end made her feel cold all over; she wished she could immediately deal with Consort Shu and the Empress properly. She would make them pay for their lives!
…………
Days passed uneventfully, and during this time, surprisingly, no one had visited the palace where Su Peijiu stayed.
On the third day, a Eunuch knocked on the door of her palace and brought a set of clothes—a peony-colored dress embroidered with blooming peonies, with an extremely revealing neckline.
“What does this mean, Eunuch?” Su Peijiu did not take the clothes.
The Eunuch stood there slightly bent over, speaking gently: “This is a gift from His Majesty to Second Sister. You should change quickly and follow me to a place.”
“What place?”
“You will know when you get there,” the Eunuch evaded the question.
Su Peijiu looked at the dress for a moment and then silently took it from the Eunuch's hands, politely saying, “Please wait a moment.”
She deliberately put on an extra undergarment and then donned the peony palace attire over it. Seeing a large expanse of skin exposed at her chest made her frown; she asked a palace maid to bring her a piece of peony-colored sheer fabric to tie around her neck.
No matter how she dressed today, she would be the center of attention. So she had the palace maid style her hair into a complex updo and adorned it with brocade hairpins. She wore minimal earrings and applied rouge. If there was no retreat, she would use her beauty to carve out a path; how many men in this world could resist such beauty?
Extending her hand, painted with cardamom, she touched the reflection of her face in the mirror. Her gaze wandered as she barely heard the palace maids praising her beauty.
“Second Sister is ready! Today Second Sister is simply more beautiful than anyone in this world.” The palace maid released her grip and held up a mirror in front of Su Peijiu. It was only then that she came back to herself and focused on the person in the mirror—she was stunningly enchanting, with charm radiating from her brows, skin as white as porcelain, water-like eyes that seemed to hold a spring within them, and lips red as blood, dripping with allure.
She truly resembled a fairy.
"Let's go, don't keep the Eunuch waiting." Su Peijiu stood up with the help of the palace maid, realizing that whether it was a blessing or a curse, she could not escape her fate.
Once outside, she indeed saw the astonished expressions of the Eunuch and those eunuchs. She remained expressionless: "Eunuch, please lead the way."
"Yes, Second Sister, this way please." As expected from the most astute eunuch by the Emperor's side, even in a daze, he was still sharp.
Unlike her previous visit to the palace, this time the Eunuch led her along wide paths, with rows of palace maids and eunuchs lined up in an orderly fashion.
Su Peijiu exchanged glances with the palace maid beside her, who immediately pulled over a nearby eunuch and quietly slipped him a silver coin. Then she smiled and asked, "What's going on in the palace today? It feels different from usual."
The eunuch took the money, glanced at the leading Eunuch ahead, and leaned closer to the palace maid's ear to whisper, "Today is the day for selecting consorts for the princes."
Upon receiving this information, the palace maid hurriedly leaned in to share what she had learned with Su Peijiu.
Selecting consorts... this was bound to be an exciting event. She subtly curled her lips into a smile.
Indeed, it was royal business; the atmosphere for selecting consorts was grand. As soon as Su Peijiu entered, she noticed that all the eligible young ladies had arrived, even Su Xingyan, who had been confined, stood smiling among the official daughters. Beside her was Su Mengyun, whose eyes were filled with mockery.
The hall was filled with blooming flowers in various shades of purple and red—some shy, some bright, some flamboyant—each showcasing their unique charm. Power truly is a wonderful thing; isn't it true that men go to great lengths to obtain power just so they can dominate and possess beautiful women?
After leading Su Peijiu into the palace, the Eunuch went to serve the Emperor, leaving behind one eunuch and one palace maid. It was unclear whether they were there to serve her or to watch her; however, Su Peijiu had no intention of doing anything improper, so she let them be.
Finding an empty spot, she sat down and stared blankly at one place. Since it was a secluded corner, no one noticed her for a while.
"Who exactly is that Su Peijiu? How could she be so fortunate as to be chosen as the Phoenix Maiden?"
"I think that rumor might have been spread by her herself. This woman is truly unscrupulous in her desire to marry into the royal family!"
"Exactly, it's shameless. She should take a look at herself and stop dreaming about the royal family."
"…"
Most of the women in the hall were discussing her, with the majority feeling jealousy and resentment, while a few envied her. Amidst these trivial yet insulting remarks, Su Peijiu squinted her eyes and rested her chin on her hand, pretending to doze off.
Just as she closed her eyes, she heard Su Xingyan's hypocritical voice rise: "You shameless women dare to speak ill of my Second Sister? Just wait until she becomes Empress and deals with you all!"
"Empress?! Don't make me laugh! What makes Su Peijiu worthy of being Empress?!"
Su Xingyan snorted coldly: "Being chosen as the Phoenix Maiden means she is destined to be Empress. You can only envy and resent her."
Zhang Xiaoliu had long been tired of Su Xingyan's show-off demeanor, so she pushed forward and mocked Su Xingyan: "Su Xingyan, you must be feeling terrible right now, knowing your sister is doing better than you. You're probably going crazy with jealousy."
"Zhang Xiaoliu, stop talking nonsense. I, Su Xingyan, am not someone as narrow-minded as you. My Second Sister having the fate of an Empress is something our Su Manor could never hope for in eight lifetimes."
"Who knows…"
Why was Su Xingyan not at all flustered? This was also what puzzled Su Peijiu. How skilled was her disguise? Seeing herself, who should have been executed, suddenly become a coveted figure in the royal family—logically speaking, Su Xingyan should be the one who couldn't stand it the most.
Beside her, Su Mengyun also showed no signs of anger or jealousy; she seemed completely indifferent.
She opened her eyes and looked over, only to see Su Xingyan wearing a satisfied expression, and Su Mengyun looked just as pleased. Did Su Chi give them something?
Before she could think further, a sharp shout from the eunuch outside rang out: "All princes enter the hall."
The first to arrive was Crown Prince Qi Rong. After surveying the surroundings, his gaze finally landed on Su Peijiu, and after giving her a meaningful look, he walked towards his seat.
Next was Prince Qishen, whom Su Peijiu was meeting for the first time. He had a gentle appearance, like jade, and wore a blue robe that exuded elegance. He walked into the palace with unwavering focus.
Qi Mo, usually mild-mannered, today radiated an aura of coldness, as if anyone who approached him would perish under this low pressure. However, this atmosphere seemed to have no effect on Prince Qi Che, who cheerfully stood beside his Fourth Brother.
Typically, such a selection of consorts would be presided over by the Empress or at least a favored consort. However, unexpectedly, not only did the higher-ups of the harem fail to appear, but even the other consorts and noblewomen were absent.
Su Peijiu felt increasingly uneasy. She fixed her gaze on Su Xingyan, who was sitting gracefully in her place while sipping tea from the table.
The situation grew stranger, and out of suspicion, she instinctively looked at Qi Mo, only to find him gulping down wine one cup after another, his face clouded with gloom.
What had happened to him?
The palace felt like a swirling vortex of dark conspiracies that enveloped her bit by bit, leaving her helplessly waiting for her fate as she sank deeper and deeper!
Just as Su Peijiu furrowed her brows in thought, the maid beside her suddenly moved, thrusting a dagger directly into the chest of the girl sitting next to her with swift precision.
By the time Su Peijiu reacted, the hem of the peony-colored palace dress was already stained with blood, resembling a shattered flower blooming in a seductive manner.
"Ah—!!!"
Screams erupted one after another. Su Peijiu couldn't comprehend her own thoughts; at that moment, her mind was unusually calm. She decisively stood up and quickly ran towards the distance. In that fleeting moment, the maid had already claimed three lives of young ladies from official families, including Zhang Xiaoliu from the Minister's Family who had targeted her.
The sudden outbreak of violence left everyone present stunned. By the time they reacted, the sharp dagger was already before them. Crown Prince Qi Rong snorted coldly and leaped into action to confront the maid.
Yet this maid's skills were evidently not weak; she was able to hold her own against a prince trained by martial arts masters.
After dozens of exchanges, the Crown Prince suddenly felt exhausted and angrily spoke up, "Are you all just planning to watch the show from the sidelines?"
Prince Qi Che innocently shook the wine cup in his hand and said, "Brother thinks that the Elder Brother Crown Prince is having a great time."
Qi Rong, exasperated, replied, "Enough with the sarcastic remarks; hurry up and help!"
Qi Che sighed, then leisurely placed the white porcelain wine cup on the table. When he turned around, his expression had already changed. He slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair and leaped out, instantly joining the fray to fight against the palace maid.
With Qi Che's assistance, Qi Rong clearly found it much easier, while the palace maid began to struggle. After a few exchanges, Qi Che struck her in the chest, sending her crashing into a pillar, blood spewing from her mouth.
"Where is your master?!" Qi Rong stepped forward and placed a foot on the palace maid.
Su Peijiu found it strange; why was the first question after an assassination attempt not about who sent her but rather about her master? If Qi Rong had foresight or if they already knew this would happen.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, Su Peijiu looked up and met the gaze of the palace maid assassin. Her heart sank; this maid wouldn't be trying to drag her down too, would she?
Facing Qi Rong's interrogation, the palace maid let out a cold laugh before her eyes widened in shock. By the time Qi Che arrived to subdue her, she had already tilted her neck and died.
Su Peijiu was filled with rage. Who could be so repeatedly intent on framing her? The previous palace maid had made eye contact with her; everyone present had seen it!
Indeed, Su Peijiu noticed suspicious glances coming from all directions. The hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly, sharp nails digging into her soft palm as she felt a chill run through her body. One move after another, entangled in a web—who could have such malicious intent to bring about her demise?
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