That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, all the concubines in the hall were taken aback.

Everyone knew that Consort Yuan was the emperor's favorite, and they all thought that the emperor would definitely favor her.

However, the current situation is quite different from what was expected.

Then, everyone saw the emperor suddenly stand up, his eyes filled with an unyielding disappointment, so intense it was almost overflowing.

Xiao Yan strode up to Song Shuangning, his voice as cold as ice: "You have truly disappointed me. It seems I have been too indulgent in your daily life, which has fostered such an unruly nature in you. An'er is only five months old, still in swaddling clothes, innocent and ignorant. How could you bear to hurt her? How could you be so heartless? I remember you used to be a kind and gentle person. How did you become such an ugly person?"

Song Shuangning bit her lip hard, trying to suppress the sobs rising in her throat.

But tears still streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably, her almond-shaped eyes turning red like peach petals from crying, gazing at Xiao Yan with misty eyes, full of grievance.

Xiao Yan frowned, his fingertips twitching slightly as he suppressed the urge to wipe away her tears.

The other concubines couldn't help but feel a pang of pity when they saw Song Shuangning's weak, helpless, and pitiful appearance.

But then they thought again and hoped that the emperor would not be deceived by appearances and would not be soft-hearted.

Consort Yuan has monopolized the Emperor's favor for too long. For people like her who have lived deep in the palace for so long, even seeing the Emperor is a luxury.

If Consort Yuan loses favor this time, they will have more opportunities to meet the Emperor and more chances to win his favor.

"Your Majesty, don't you believe me?" Song Shuangning's voice was broken and choked with sobs.

"It really wasn't me. I have no grudge against An'er, so why would I hurt her?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Shu immediately replied:

"When you first entered the palace, I had a falling out with you. Isn't that your reason for holding a grudge and seeking revenge? More than a year has passed, and I thought you had long forgotten the past, that we might be able to make peace. But you still remember this grudge, and even extended your poisonous hand to my infant An'er! Zheng Shuangning, you are truly wicked to the extreme!"

"Your Majesty, I beg you to do justice for me, to do justice for An'er!" Consort Shu said, and was about to kneel down when she was quickly helped up by the palace servants beside her.

Xiao Yan pressed his thin lips together, his jawline taut, and after a long while said in a deep voice, "Consort Yuan is confined to Yaohua Palace. Without my decree, she is not allowed to step out of the palace gates even half a step."

Just a stay-at-home order?

The surrounding concubines were all stunned.

Even Song Shuangning herself was stunned for a moment, and her crying paused for a beat.

In an instant, her cries grew even more heart-wrenching, and her grief made her seem as if she had suffered a great injustice.

The concubines all felt a chill in their hearts, thinking that the punishment was far too lenient and too lenient on Consort Yuan.

"You should stay in Yaohua Palace and reflect on your actions, and pray for An'er's safety. If anything happens to An'er, I will not be lenient."

After speaking, Xiao Yan flicked his sleeves and left, bringing with him a gust of cold wind, making the atmosphere in the hall even more oppressive.

As soon as Xiao Yan left, Consort Shu could no longer contain her anger and raised her hand to slap Song Shuangning across the face.

Consort Shao and the others reacted quickly, rushing forward with Consort Xu to grab her arm, fearing that she might cause trouble again in a moment of impulsiveness.

"Sister Shufei, you mustn't!"

Consort Shao looked troubled and gently advised, "After all, Consort Xian is pregnant. If she were to have a miscarriage, it would be difficult to explain to the Emperor..."

She choked up and didn't dare to say anything more.

The Emperor has already convicted Song Shuangning, and any further words from them would only make it seem like they are trying to exonerate the criminal, so they have no confidence to back down.

Consort Shao and Consort Xu exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

They simply couldn't understand it. The relationship between Song Shuangning and Consort Shu had clearly been gradually improving recently. Not long ago, they had even been enjoying the flowers and chatting together in the Imperial Garden, laughing and talking happily.

How could they suddenly turn against each other?

Shuang Ning adores the Third Princess, so why would she harm a baby princess?

Could there really be a misunderstanding here?

But no amount of doubt could change anything; the Emperor had already made his decision. What could these people possibly do to change it?

Consort Shu struggled fiercely against her gripped hand, her gaze fixed on Song Shuangning, and gritted her teeth, saying, "You just wait! If anything happens to An'er, I will risk my life to make you pay for this in blood!"

Just then, Consort De slowly stepped forward.

He gently pressed his hand on Consort Shu's shoulder, his voice soft: "Consort Shu, please calm down. Since His Majesty has already sentenced Consort Xian to confinement, it can be considered an explanation for An'er. An'er is blessed with good fortune and will surely be safe and sound. Please don't upset yourself. An'er is still young and needs your careful care."

Consort Shu's eyes were red, filled with grievances and anger that had nowhere to go. She leaned against Consort De's chest, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, and tears rolled down her cheeks again.

"Okay, I'm not angry... An'er is still waiting for me to take care of her..."

Song Shuangning is to return to Yaohua Palace to receive the punishment of confinement.

As soon as she stepped out of the main hall, Consort Qiu hurriedly chased after her, grabbing her hand tightly and choking back tears, "Sister Shuangning, this must be a misunderstanding! Is there anything I can do for you?"

Song Shuangning gently patted the back of her hand and shook her head.

"Go back, don't let me drag you down with you."

"Sister, how could you say that?" Consort Qiu cried out in distress. "You've always protected and helped me in every way. How can I just stand by and do nothing? I don't believe you would harm the Third Princess. This must be a frame-up; there must be a misunderstanding!"

It is said that true friendship is revealed in times of trouble. At this moment, everyone else was afraid of being implicated by her and kept their distance. Only Consort Qiu, as well as Consort Shao and others who had spoken up to dissuade her earlier, were willing to stand up and help her with such sincerity.

Song Shuangning advised again, "Go back and take care of yourself."

Consort Qiu stood there, watching Song Shuangning's figure gradually walk away, disappearing step by step at the end of the palace road, until it shrank into a tiny dot and could no longer be seen. Finally, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

She's really useless.

There's nothing we can do.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The news quickly reached Fengyi Palace.

The Empress, who was resting on her bed, slowly raised her eyes upon hearing this, her gaze filled with astonishment: "Such a thing has happened?"

Qingdai bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely true. I heard that the Emperor was furious and immediately punished Consort Xian by confining her to Yaohua Palace. He also said that if anything happens to the Third Princess, he will not be lenient or lenient towards Consort Xian."

"After the Emperor left, Consort Shu was so angry that she almost hit Consort Xian. Fortunately, Consort Shao stopped her in time, preventing a bigger mess."

The Empress frowned, puzzled.

How could Consort Yuan, who was so confident just a few days ago and said to her that she would fight to the end, suddenly suffer such a misfortune?

Moreover, the Emperor has always doted on Consort Yuan, even to the point of favoring her exclusively.

In the past, he had done many improper things for her sake, so why wasn't he protecting her this time?

The Empress pondered for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes, and slowly said, "This matter is very strange. Let's not act rashly for now, but wait and see how things develop."

*

Consort Shen's confinement was lifted half a month ago. Since then, she has gone to Shou Kang Palace every day to apologize to the Empress Dowager and pay her respects, with a respectful and humble attitude.

However, the Empress Dowager's attitude towards her remained lukewarm, and her distant demeanor clearly indicated that she still resented her previous actions.

Consort Shen knew in her heart that the incident had not only made the Emperor despise her, but had also indirectly created a rift between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

But now, in the harem, her only reliance is on the Empress Dowager. Even though she suffers this indifference every day, she can only cautiously cling to her and dare not utter a single complaint.

The Empress Dowager stood before the Buddha statue, offering incense and praying for blessings, the incense and candles curling upwards.

Amidst swirling smoke.

She glanced sideways at Consort Shen, who was bowing and standing beside her, and said in an icy tone, "I warn you, from now on, behave yourself in the palace and don't do anything rash, especially don't do anything to harm Consort Yuan. If you dare to disobey my advice and insist on courting death, I will directly give you three feet of white silk to end your life, so as not to offend the Emperor's eyes."

Consort Shen was so frightened by the Empress Dowager's words that her face turned pale and her body trembled slightly.

"Don't worry, Aunt, I would never dare to do anything foolish again. From now on, I will be careful with my words and actions and behave myself properly!"

The Empress Dowager gave a cold "humph," her gaze returning to the Buddha statue, her tone indifferent: "That would be for the best."