The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

After serving her for some time, all the palace servants understood that Consort Zhao was the one who truly had the final say, and even the Empress had to give way to her.

That afternoon, Shen Qingruo was enjoying the cool air in the pavilion by the water, while Granny Yan fanned her from the side.

Across the artificial hill and layers of flowers and trees, a few palace maids, taking a break, gathered in the shade and gossiped. Their voices were not loud, but they drifted over faintly on the wind.

A palace maid's voice, tinged with envy and bewilderment, said, "Tsk, it's true that different people have different fates."

"Tell me, how come His Majesty favors a woman like the Imperial Concubine, who doesn't follow the rules very well, so much so that even the Empress is relegated to a secondary position?"

An older-looking palace maid chuckled in a low voice:

"You don't understand, do you? No matter how noble His Majesty is, he is still a man."

"What do men want? Look at the Imperial Concubine's appearance and figure, I blush just looking at her."

"I'm afraid she's keeping His Majesty so engrossed every night that he can't get out of bed."

Another palace maid's voice was full of agreement, "Perhaps that's really the case."

"I heard that at the Empress's birthday banquet, when the Imperial Concubine was still Princess Qingruo, she performed the Dance of the Flying Swan in front of everyone, and everyone who saw it praised it."

"That's right!" another voice chimed in, carrying a hint of either jealousy or disdain that was hard to decipher.

"I heard that dance is amazing, wow, her waist is supple and graceful, her eyes are captivating and mesmerizing."

"Since then, many wealthy and powerful young men in the capital have specifically requested girls who can dance when they go to brothels, and even want them to learn the dance moves of the Imperial Concubine to serve and seduce them!"

"Is that so?" someone exclaimed.

"Of course!" the voice said, even more smugly.

"Back then, the Imperial Concubine's status was awkward; she was merely an unfavored illegitimate princess. Those noble ladies might have fantasized and lewdly indulged in their desires, but who cared?"

The topic gradually veered off course.

The experienced palace maid initially concluded, "If you ask me, it's probably because the Consort can dance, is flexible, and knows... cough, knows some tricks for pleasing men in brothels, and has made His Majesty comfortable, which is why she has her current status."

Another voice immediately joined in the laughter, echoing:

"So, in that case, our Imperial Concubine is no different from those top courtesans in brothels; aren't they all just good at seducing men..."

On the other side of the artificial hill, Granny Yan was so angry that her face turned pale. She gripped the fan handle tightly and was about to shout a reprimand.

Shen Qingruo raised her hand and gently pressed down on her arm.

Her face remained expressionless, as if those foul words hadn't been directed at her.

Shen Qingruo stood up and said calmly, "Granny, let's go back. It's getting a bit noisy."

After saying that, she took Granny Yan's hand and left the pavilion, never once glancing in the direction from which the murmurs came.

Following behind her, Granny Yan watched her mistress's slender back, feeling both angry and pained.

-

Back at her temporary residence, Shen Qingruo dismissed all the palace servants, leaned lazily against the soft couch, and held a folk tale book in her hand, but her fingertips did not turn a single page for a long time.

Within her sea of ​​consciousness, Xiao Jiu's ball of light thrashed about in anger, its brightness flickering.

"Aruo! Why don't you teach them a lesson?"

"A bunch of lowly palace servants, how dare they talk about you like that behind your back? They're courting death!"

Shen Qingruo calmly replied to Xiao Jiu, "What they said is true, isn't it?"

"That's not true at all!" Xiao Jiu was so anxious she was pacing around in circles.

"Your beauty is just a hook to attract him, that's true, but Shen Wangxi likes you now."

"Look at the way he looks at you, how indulgent he is towards you."

"And then there's guilt, pity, and an unconscious heartache—aren't these emotions all more profound than simple liking?"

"They simply don't understand."

Shen Qingruo looked at the ball of light spinning frantically in her mind and found it somewhat amusing.

She put down her storybook, picked up the warm tea beside her, and took a sip: "Don't be angry. Just take those words as a compliment."

"To be able to capture His Majesty's heart and soul, to make him make exceptions for me, to feel sorry for me, isn't that a skill? It's not something to say badly."

"As for the price of gossiping, they will naturally pay for it later."

Shen Qingruo paused, her expression slowly turning cold: "But there is one thing I really mind."

"What?" Xiao Jiu's ball of light paused for a moment.

"Go and investigate. What have those powerful young men in the capital been doing and saying in private since that breathtaking dance at the Thousand Autumn Banquet? Let me see."

Xiao Jiu's aura flickered a few times, appearing somewhat hesitant: "Aruo, those filthy things are better left unseen..."

"I want to see it," Shen Qingruo said firmly.