Xing was sitting in the inner area surrounded by her maids who were serving her tea and snacks. They were asked to stay here until the results are announced. Sitting with her legs crossed majestically, her eyes glances around making note of every single woman there. As usual Xiao Mei was dressed better than every other woman and her other maids were dressed as well as those women.The other women felt the burning glare of the Princess Consort who usually is mild in public and were even scared to sit in front of her and stood around forming groups among themselves. Even wearing the best dresses they had, the consorts maids were even more well dressed than them and they felt like they all were lacking. They just felt like they were in a pot of water slowly boiling and cooking them. All they wanted to was just leave and be somewhere else and not be in front of the Consort and her horde of maids looking down on them.
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Xing usually doesn"t go on the offensive but these women did try to get her husband and she won"t be merciful towards them.
"Young miss Lei, had fun copying me?", Xing asked with her leg swaying and the silk of her dress made a rustling noise along with the anklet she wore that gave a sweet jingle.
"Ah.. Me...I Didn"t", she stuttered and bit her lip. The entire place became silent and the girls surrounding her split away from her leaving her in plain view. Official Lei
These girls were are always the same. They"d form those gangs mostly as they agree with whom they hate. There usually would be one or two girls in those group who is of higher status and the others will be those who aspire to be of higher status and would just agree to the leader girl and would be minions to her.
Xing looked at all the girls. All go them were pretty young. The eldest one of them must be seventeen year old. They were all adorable with their baby fat still on their cheeks.
If it was her of the past, with golden braided hair and crimson robes, she"d be standing in the midst of those girls saying cheesy lines making them blush and giggle while they"d be fawning over her.
Good old times....
But now... Present is thousand times better than the past! And I will not let my happiness be threatened.
"Is that so?", Xing spoke in a mocking tone and stood up while the Palace maids stood in front of Xing, politely reminding her not to create tensions.
Xing is the one with the highest authority in the place and so the maids had no intention of offending Xing but they cannot let the other girls harmed too. The head maid who is in charge of governing the maids of the selection process came forward politely trying to mediate. The maids were like the invigilators of the compet.i.tion and to provide a.s.sistance to the compet.i.tors.
"You there...", Xing pointed at one of the Palace maids in uniform who was having her chin up and looking determined.
"You can speak now", Xing said and she stepped forwards and everyone was looking
"I saw fourth young miss Lei taking a look at Princess Consort Jin"s embroidery. I was immediately going to report her and disqualify her from the compet.i.tion but the Princess Consort stopped me and asked me to continuously monitor her. I did as per the Consort"s wish but reported about it to my immediate superior before continuing to watch the fourth young miss",the maid pointed at another maid and she nodded in agreement.
She continued,
"The Young Miss of Lei family then asked for another piece of cloth and purposefully embroidered...like a bodger. I still have the first piece of cloth she embroidered. It was pretty good", she pa.s.sed the half completed piece to the head maid and the head maid was surprised.
"I"ll ask the eunuch to remove fourth young miss Lei"s piece from the compet.i.tion", the head maid bowed to Xing. She was asked by Consort Jiang to be fair in her a.s.sessment and so she will do just that.
"No need!", Xing waved her hand off.
By now everyone have realised that the Princess Consort"s embroidery wasn"t that good and that"s why miss Lei changed her piece.
But why?
Does this mean I have a chance to win?
The Emperor will judge based on the skills, right? So the Consort loses?
Why did the Consort partic.i.p.ated then?
Everyone had their own thoughts and Xing just smirked.
"Her behaviour is utterly disgusting. I wonder where she learned dishonesty... Tsk.. Tsk... Tsk..", she walked slowly towards Miss Lei who now was sweating buckets. She didn"t expect her little plan was exposed by the Princess Consort.
"Who taught you this?", Xing snorted and her tall figure loomed over Miss Lei who only reached her shoulder and she trembled with fear, "To even think your father is handling the treasury! Such a shame...."
"No! Your highness! My father is a good man. Please don"t doubt him. I was the one who did wrong. I"ll accept capital punishment for that. Please don"t investigate my father!", she knelt and tried to touch Xing"s shoes and she stepped back while her maids covered her.
No one working in the government has a clean hand. Her father is no exception and if the Justice Department investigates, that would be the death sentence for the entire family.
Xing looked at the little girl kneeling and sobbing at her feet.
"Why not? I know your father was the one who pushed for the investigation on the Huang family years back! "If there is nothing to hide, why aren"t you letting your family to get investigated, Prime Minister?", I heard he asked, that day in court. It is a valid point, I agree. The Huang family proved they are loyal to the throne. So, why can"t it be the same for your family? Is your family more special than a High n.o.ble"s family? Is your father that formidable that the Prime Minister? ", Xing spoke each word gritting her teeth.
" Send for someone from the Justice Department! ", she commanded and a couple of maids ran out. The Princess Consort carried the White Tiger Token and she has the power to launch investigations on anyone.
Xing never goes against anyone herself. She wouldn"t have cared about Official Lei"s campaign against the Huang family the year she was Empress. But he had to go and arrange this f*cking compet.i.tion and his daughter had to cheat to get her husband! Like she"d let it go!
Xing didn"t want Miss Lei out if the compet.i.tion... She wanted her entire family out of the Capital city! She always was ruthless against those who try to harm her.
Xing didn"t bother about the pitiful cry of Miss Lei and just advised the official from the Justice Department to launch an investigation on Official Lei and report to the Emperor directly.
"You are one jealous woman, aren"t you, Princess Consort Jin?", Miss Lei sneered. She knew she was doomed. Her father would probably throw her under the bus to stop him being investigated. She is a dead person walking.
"Just because I wanted to enter your Manor, you are ruining my family. I really wish Prince Jin got himself a virtuous wife. Not some... "
Before she completed her sentence, Xiao Mei slapped her hard, she fell on the floor flat. Xing didn"t stop Xiao Mei as she lectured everyone.
After being reprimanded by the maid of the Princess Consort everyone were genuinely scared as to what might happen to their families.
Xing who was calm till then looked at everyone around her and they all took a step back unconsciously.
Xing"s voice resounded in that small side hall. "Which one of you is better than me to be jealous of, huh? Who thinks they are better than me? Which one? I dare you to step forward!"
Her voice was authoritative, menacing but calm and unhurried too making it more scary. She had no need to answer them. But she did, to make these stupid girls scared enough to pa.s.s this message to every other girl. She didn"t want to go through this every year.
Everyone must know : "The Princess Consort cannot be shaken! She will never share her husband!"
No one stepped forward. In fact everyone knelt immediately.
" Let me tell you something.... A prophesy of you could say... You all think the Emperor would be the one judging, right? I say it will be my husband. And guess who will win?", she smirked.
Xing"s eyes then fixed on Miss Lei who was on the ground.
"I bet you all think that there is some previous arrangements made or something. I can a.s.sure you the integrity of the compet.i.tion is not spoiled by me in any way. I even let the copied work get on the compet.i.tion. Let"s see how it will end... I know! No one can come in between me and my husband. I will never share my husband. Let it be known", Xing said as a proclamation and went back to her seat.
"Dear husband, please recognize my embroidery! " She wished in her heart and she was oddly calm.
She wasn"t sure if that would happen but as she knew about the Emperor, she just guessed. He won"t take a risk and leave it to his brother.
Her gambles always paid off in her favour, she knew.
As Xing was talking in the side hall, the Emperor who was confused by the identically terrible pieces, had the brilliant idea.
"Since it is Prince Jin"s concubine selection compet.i.tion, it will be him selecting the winner", he declared.
Good or bad, let it be brother"s decision!
Chenglei only then realised what his wife said in the morning, "It all depends on you"
With Xinxin holding his right hand and carrying Lianlian in his other hand, he went to the table where all the embroidered pieces were kept.
With one sweep, he could see the embroidery his wife made.
"This one", he pointed at a piece and the Emperor urged him with his eyes to look at the other one similar to this one. But chenglei didn"t even mind and picked that piece right from the tray, revealing....
"It"s the Consort"s piece", the Eunuch announced since the Emperor"s heart was beating in his throat out of antic.i.p.ation and fear.
"But it is terrible. On what grounds did the Prince choose such a terrible embroidery", Official Lei objected not knowing that there is an order on him to be investigated.
Chenglei just wanted to stuff the dagger he had in his forearm band right between Official Lei"s eyes. But since his wife told him to be patient for today and use his words, he decided to answer him with his words.
"Do you think I lack money to have the need to get my next meal selling my wife"s embroidery?", he spoke in a cold and sneering voice and as he spoke he placed the embroidered cloth in his nose and his face immediately calmed.
"My beloved Consort knows this and doesn"t waste her energy with this stupid hobby"
"Then choose someone else too... There is another one similar to this and why didn"t you choose that... That"s a night Orchid I suppose", he described the embroidery.
"Well, I don"t k ow what that is. But the one I have is "Wolf howling at the Moon". And for me this one is enough", Chenglei stood there unmovingly like a mountain and like a tree who had its root so deep that no hurricane can topple.
A smile bloomed in his lips. He had told her that day he was a wolf howling at her - the moon and she tried to embroider it. That was the day they made love for the first time after he forgot her and she wanted to remind him that.
My Xing, my Moon! I love you!
Official Lin didn"t let go and still tried to change his mind and at that time the official from the justice department entered the hall to inform the Emperor about the investigation tasked by the Princess Consort.
The entire hall was shocked and so was the Emperor.
Isn"t she escalating the tensions? he thought and Official Lei screamed of him being attacked purposefully by the Consort.
But it was AoTian who repeated the exact same words, official Lei used to investigate the Huang family and no one could answer him. The Huang family complied to that unreasonable request and so the Lei family must too.