Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 168 still has changes.

Xie Jiu's words stunned Wei Jieyu.

She had never even considered the possibility that the Empress might want to reclaim her power.

"Think about it carefully. Even if the servants below are dissatisfied with your control, who would dare to openly rebel and cause trouble, let alone take it to Weiyang Palace? They must have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard," Xie Jiu continued to advise.

This time, Consort Wei immediately understood, her brows furrowing. "You mean, the servants' earlier disturbance was deliberately instigated by someone?"

"If no one is backing you up, who would dare to step forward?" Xie Jiu picked up his teacup and took a sip. "When the Empress Dowager summoned you to Fukang Palace, didn't she give you any hints?"

In Xie Jiu's view, the Empress Dowager really liked Consort Wei.

Upon hearing this, Consort Wei carefully recalled what the Empress Dowager had said to her when she met her.

I hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now that I've been reminded, I've realized something was wrong.

"The Empress Dowager said that I should think things through myself when I encounter problems. She said that the Empress is very busy and I should not bother her too often. She also said that these servants have been serving in the palace for a long time and have their masters backing them up, so they have become arrogant and do things like dogs relying on their masters' power. She told me not to take it to heart and just to do my own job well, but I should not leave them any room for personal gain, otherwise it will definitely arouse public anger."

After saying this, Consort Wei continued.

"I was too stupid. It turns out that the Empress Dowager was already reminding me back then, but I didn't realize it."

She only thought of it when someone explained it to her so clearly.

Xie Jiu and Liu Cairen exchanged a glance, but neither of them responded to that sentence.

Wei Jieyu raised her head, looked at the two of them, and couldn't help but purse her lips, "Why are you helping me?"

She and Consort Liu used to live together, but they rarely interacted. However, Consort Liu had visited her at Yinmei Pavilion several times in the past two days. Today, Consort Liu had also invited her to come to Jingming Palace to congratulate Xie Jiu on her housewarming.

Of course, Wei Jieyu agreed to come because Liu Cairen told her that she might be able to ask Xie Jiu for help with the account books she couldn't understand.

Having practical experience is different from just having theoretical knowledge. Xie Jiu had served as the mistress of the Weiyuan Marquis's mansion for several years, so she was naturally more skilled in these areas than Wei Jieyu.

"I wouldn't say I'm helping you; I'm mainly helping myself." Xie Jiu put down his teacup. "The Empress dislikes me and has made many underhanded moves. Of course, I don't want to see you hand over the power to her."

As for whether he wanted to win over Consort Wei, that's not the case.

Xie Jiu disliked people who couldn't think things through. Wei Jieyu was far too inept at surviving in the palace, and allying with her would only bring more trouble. Xie Jiu only hoped that Wei Jieyu wouldn't side with the Empress's faction.

However, Wei Jieyu clearly didn't like Xie Jiu's answer.

“I am not a bargaining chip for you in your struggle against the Empress.”

"Of course you are not." Xie Jiu said calmly. "In the Empress's eyes, you and I are the same. The Empress dislikes me and hates you just as much. Don't think that if you stay quietly in Zhongcui Palace, you won't become a thorn in her side. As long as your maternal family is powerful, the Empress will not let her guard down against you."

Wei Jieyu frowned. "I have always been respectful to her and have never had any improper thoughts about her."

"Then go tell the Empress, and see if she believes it or not." Xie Jiu raised her chin. "When I first entered the palace, I thought the same as you, that we should keep to ourselves and protect ourselves. But look at me now, I'm being swept up in the tide and can't escape the strife." Hearing Xie Jiu's words, Consort Wei lowered her eyes, pursed her lips tightly, and her face stiffened.

She thought of how Consort Yi had framed her before.

There might have been some unpleasantness between her and the Empress. If the Empress had harmed her, she could still find a reason. But at that time, she and Consort Yi, Zhang, had barely exchanged a few words and had almost no interaction. How could they have become enemies?

But she was still framed, simply because the other party needed this link in their plan, so she became a pawn.

This palace is indeed not a place where you can simply open your mouth to distinguish right from wrong, let alone easily gain the trust of those who are wary of you from the bottom of their hearts.

"What exactly do you mean by saying all this to me today? Do you want me to join you in dealing with the Empress?" Consort Wei pondered for a moment before asking directly.

When she asked this question, Liu Cairen, who was standing next to her, spoke up for Xie Jiu.

"When has Consort Jin ever taken the initiative to do anything to the Empress? How could she possibly be trying to deal with the Empress?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Xie Jiu's expression and, seeing that she didn't object, continued.

"Today, Consort Jieyu has come to ask for help. Consort Jin's frankness in offering assistance shows that Your Highness and the Empress are definitely not the same kind of people. Consort Jieyu must have guessed from the beginning that I had ulterior motives in contacting you, but Consort Jieyu did not reject me, nor did she refuse my suggestion to come to Jingming Palace together today. This shows that Consort Jieyu has some trust in both Consort Jin and me."

Wei Jieyu didn't speak, only her eyes moved slightly.

Seeing this, Consort Liu chuckled and continued, "In that case, let's be frank. Consort Jin only doesn't want you, Jieyu, to be schemed against and used by the Empress. We are on good terms, not forming any factions or trying to rival the Empress. We are just both feared by the Empress, and I hope you can distinguish between friend and foe."

After she finished speaking, Xie Jiu sat up slightly and looked at Wei Jieyu with a serious expression.

"The affairs of the court and the harem are unrelated, and the affairs of our fathers are also unrelated to us. However, with the Empress gaining power and influence, our lives will likely not be peaceful. I have no intention of harming anyone; I only want you to hold onto your power and not let the Empress easily take it back. Think this through carefully. If you need anything, I can help you."

After saying that, he gently pushed the cup of tea that was placed next to Wei Jieyu a little closer to her.

Looking at the teacup in front of her, after a moment of silence, Wei Jieyu seemed to have made up her mind, picked it up and took a sip.

He then stood up and said, “I understand what you mean. Don’t worry, since the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have entrusted you with the management of the six palaces, I will definitely do this job well and share the Empress’s burdens.”

After speaking, he gave a farewell bow and left Jingming Palace.

Watching her walk away, Consort Liu said in a low voice, "People do change. If this were before, she probably wouldn't have agreed, but would have scolded her, saying that Your Majesty and I don't know our place and don't know the rules of hierarchy. She might have even gone to the Emperor to complain that we disrespected the Empress."

Hearing Liu Cairen's words, Xie Jiu chuckled and shook her head, her tone somewhat helpless.

"You know what, it might really be true. I can just picture her righteous and indignant. Sure enough, people only learn to be flexible after they've suffered losses, felt pain, and been afraid."

Xie Jiu didn't think her approach was necessarily good or right, but in the palace, the way Consort Wei used to do things would certainly not have been very comfortable.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. There's something else I need to tell you." Xie Jiu snapped out of her thoughts and spoke up.