On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Consort Zhou didn't respond to that question, but instead looked at Lin Yi.

The latter was sitting on the golden nanmu chair, legs crossed, holding a teacup.

Actually, he quite enjoyed the scene.

It's not about watching the spectacle, but about a sense of control.

These two women, one an empress and the other a noble lady, are worlds apart in status, but at this moment they both have to be mindful of his mood.

That's nice.

Lin Yi pointed to the chair next to him: "Consort Zhou, please sit down since you're here."

"Yes." Consort Zhou nodded obediently and went over to sit down.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Shuyu's expression turned even more unpleasant.

Kunning Palace is her territory, yet she has allowed a noble person to sit down there.

And it was Lin Yi who offered me the seat!

This clearly shows they don't take her seriously.

"Lin Yi! What exactly do you mean? You dare to let a lowly—"

Lin Yi interrupted, "Your Majesty, watch your words."

Zhao Shuyu immediately shut up and dared not curse anymore.

She still vividly remembered what Lin Yi had done at Kunning Palace last time.

Moreover, this man changes his mind faster than turning the pages of a book; he may talk a good game, but he's ruthless when it comes to his actions.

The warm room was quiet for a few seconds.

Consort Zhou turned slightly toward Lin Yi and said, "Your Highness, I have something to tell you."

"explain."

"Regarding some things Her Majesty the Empress has been doing in the palace recently."

Zhao Shuyu's pupils contracted.

Lin Yi put down his teacup: "Speak."

Consort Zhou nodded, looking at Zhao Shuyu with a half-smile, and said, "The Empress had two bolts of silk confiscated from Consort Shuyu the day before yesterday, saying that they were being uniformly allocated by the palace. However, those two bolts of silk were issued by the Shenji Battalion according to rank and are not under the jurisdiction of Kunning Palace."

Zhao Shuyu's expression changed.

Consort Zhou continued, "And yesterday, you sent your maid to Yonghe Palace to take away Consort Rong's pair of coral earrings, saying it was for safekeeping. Consort Rong dared not offend you and could only endure it."

"In addition, a few days ago you had someone send a letter to Moxianzhai in Tongluo Lane, Zhuque Street, in the south of the city."

Everything else was fine, but when those words came out, Zhao Shuyu completely lost her composure.

I've already been discreet enough in delivering the message.

Liu Jing was sent out to deliver it, and it went through another person in between, so how could anyone possibly know?

unless……

Zhao Shuyu suddenly turned her head to look at Lin Yi.

Understood.

Consort Zhou knew these things not because she was particularly capable, but because she was Lin Yi's spy planted in the harem.

Zhao Shuyu felt a chill run through her body.

She thought she had some influence in the harem, believing that although Lin Yi controlled the city's defenses and the imperial court, the harem was still her domain.

But now she realizes that the harem is no longer hers.

It belongs to Lin Yi; his people are right under my nose.

"You..." Zhao Shuyu's voice trembled as she pointed at Consort Zhou, "Since when did you start..."

Consort Zhou said calmly, "From the day the Prince first came to the inner palace to reorganize it."

Zhao Shuyu was stunned, as if she had been slapped in the face.

Lin Yi got up and walked to Zhao Shuyu.

The latter looked up at him, her eyes already red, not from sadness, but from anger.

"You already knew?"

"Know what?"

"They know I had Liu Jing deliver the letter."

Lin Yi chuckled: "Hehehe, what does Your Majesty think?"

Zhao Shuyu did not answer Lin Yi's question.

Because the answer is already obvious.

Everything she did was right under Lin Yi's nose. Ironically, she thought she had kept it a secret very well, and that using Liu Jing to deliver the message was a perfect cover-up.

It's all a joke.

Zhao Shuyu's legs went weak, and she sat on the edge of the phoenix couch, supporting herself with both hands on the couch surface.

Lin Yi stopped pursuing her and turned to look at Consort Zhou.

To be honest, Zhou Guiren was quite a surprise to Lin Yi.

When he first came to the harem to reorganize things, he summoned all the concubines to Kunning Palace for a lecture.

About thirty people came that day. Most of them kept their heads down and dared not look at him. A few of them had angry expressions but dared not show them.

Only Consort Zhou was different.

She stood in the last row, dressed in old clothes, with very little jewelry on her head, but she stood very straight.

It's not the kind of toughness that's deliberately put on, but a kind of composure that comes from the very core of one's being.

Lin Yi glanced around and then lingered on her for a couple more seconds.

After the reorganization was completed, the concubines dispersed in twos and threes.

Consort Zhou waited outside Kunning Palace for Lin Yi and Zhao Shuyu to finish.

An hour later, she finally saw Lin Yi and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to keep an eye on the palace for you."

Such proactive siding with power is all too common in the arena of power.

Every time there's a change of dynasty or a shift in the political winds, there are always people who rush to pledge their loyalty.

Such people are either opportunists or have nowhere else to turn.

So Lin Yi asked her, "Why are you helping me?"

Consort Zhou's answer was very direct.

"Because Zhao Shuyu forced me to sell things."

Lin Yi didn't understand.

Consort Zhou explained that during the years that Consort Zhao had been in charge of the harem, her favorite thing to do was to plunder.

They not only plundered property, but also people.

Consort Zhou has been in the palace for ten years, always behaving herself dutifully, neither vying for favor nor causing trouble.

Nangong Xiong would visit her every month, say a few words, and then leave.

She was indeed beautiful, but not in a seductive way, so she lived a relatively peaceful life in the harem.

But Zhao Shuyu had her eye on her.

This has nothing to do with her appearance; it's because she has a white jade bracelet that her mother left her before she died.

Zhao Shuyu took a liking to the bracelet and sent someone to ask for it, saying that it was being registered and recorded in the palace.

When Consort Zhou refused, Zhao Shuyu began to think of other ways.

First, they cut off her monthly allowance, then they transferred away the maids who served her and replaced them with two spies.

Later on, things got even worse. They started cutting back on food, delivering meals only once every three to five days, and always cold.

Consort Zhou endured this for more than half a year.

Finally, Zhao Shuyu sent someone to say that either she should hand over the bracelet or report to the emperor that she was practicing witchcraft in the palace.

Witchcraft and sorcery were capital offenses in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Consort Zhou knew that Zhao Shuyu was capable of such a thing, because this woman had already driven more than one concubine to death. Her methods were extremely vicious, and she always managed to do it perfectly, so the emperor could not find out.

So when Consort Zhou was waiting for Lin Yi outside Kunning Palace that day, she thought to herself, rather than be forced to death by Zhao Shuyu, she might as well take a gamble.

She was betting that Lin Yi could protect her.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi glanced at Consort Zhou.

She remained seated quietly in the chair, her hands folded and her back straight.

Ten years of life in the palace did not turn her into a timid person; instead, it made her more composed.

In modern society, this kind of woman would be a mid-level manager in the workplace.

He doesn't steal the spotlight, doesn't cause trouble, is reliable at work, and can step up in crucial moments.

So Lin Yi agreed to her request not only because she offered herself to him, but also because he really needed someone in the harem to keep an eye on Zhao Shuyu.

This is all Zhao Shuyu's fault for being too restless.

"Consort Zhou".

"I am here."

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days."

Consort Zhou lowered her head slightly: "It's no trouble at all, it's all what I should do."

Zhao Shuyu listened from the side, her teeth itching with hatred.

She finally understood why Lin Yi had known everything she had done all this time: there was a traitor by her side.

It wasn't even right next to them, it was right under their noses.

Consort Zhou was practically invisible in the palace; Zhao Shuyu never paid her any attention.

What kind of trouble can a penniless, powerless, and unfavored nobleman cause?

As it turns out, this transparent person is the most dangerous.

Zhao Shuyu stared at her and asked, "Who did you bribe?"

Consort Zhou did not answer.

Zhao Shuyu stood up, walked up to her, and looked down at her, shouting, "I'm asking you a question!"

"Your Majesty, this issue is no longer important."

"Not important? You planted spies around me, and you say it's not important?"

"I did not plant any spies; it was someone close to Your Majesty who said so willingly."

Zhao Shuyu was stunned for a moment.

Consort Zhou continued, "Your Majesty is too harsh on the servants. You punish them with a beating at the drop of a hat, and sometimes you don't even give them food. The palace maids serve you with trepidation, afraid of being punished for saying the wrong thing. I only brought them some snacks a few times and said a few kind words, and they told me everything."

Zhao Shuyu remembered that the palace maids around her did treat this wretched woman quite well.

On several occasions, after she had lost her temper, she saw the palace maids sneaking out.

I didn't pay much attention at the time, thinking it was just for getting some fresh air.

Who would have thought that he would go to see that bitch!

"Okay...you're very good..."