Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Luo Yi’er wore a faint smile on her brow, calmly watching the exchange between the Empress and Madam Chu. She sighed inwardly, thinking that Madam Chu was still holding back due to certain considerations. As she raised her hand to lightly touch her still warm cheek, she saw the Empress looking at her.

“Yi’er doesn’t seem as enthusiastic about seeing her aunt as she used to be.”

Luo Yi’er smiled gently, “Your Highness shouldn’t mind. I just stood outside for too long and got a bit dizzy from the sun. I haven’t fully recovered yet.” As she spoke, she raised her pale hand to her forehead, looking a bit uncomfortable with her charming eyes lowered, evoking sympathy.

The smile on the Empress’s face faltered, and she gazed at Luo Yi’er with deepening eyes. Luo Yi’er smiled softly and met her gaze. After a moment, the Empress slightly furrowed her brow, looking uneasy.
“Did Yi’er say something wrong? Why is Your Highness staring at me?”

The Empress sighed softly, “Yi’er’s beauty is captivating. I was momentarily dazzled. No wonder…” She didn’t continue, leaving people wondering what she meant.
Then she spoke again with an enigmatic smile, “When Ling’er came of age, he wasn’t in the capital, and as his mother, I couldn’t do much to help him. So, I sent a few people to his mansion.”

Her smile deepened as she looked at Luo Yi’er, enunciating each word. “Now that he’s back, I wonder if he’ll like them.”

Although she didn’t say it outright, everyone knew what she meant. Sending people to the prince’s mansion could only mean one thing.

Luo Fu behind her wore a shocked expression, her head bowed tightly, not daring to look up, intimidated by the atmosphere in the hall. The Empress didn’t like Third Sister?
But… wasn’t the Empress Third Sister’s aunt?

Luo Fu’s eyes darted quickly, her mind racing with this thought, and she felt a hidden excitement. If the Empress truly disliked Third Sister, then after Third Sister married Prince Jing…
She thought of Luo Yi’er’s past dominance in the mansion, and her eyes lit up slightly.

Luo Qian didn’t have the same thoughts as Luo Fu. Prince Jing was a strong-willed person, and his marriage was hardly something others could interfere with. He would naturally protect the person he was interested in.

However… Luo Qian’s eyes flashed with a hint of thought. In her past life, the relationship between Prince Jing and Luo Yi’er wasn’t like that of husband and wife; it was more like strangers. Yet, Luo Yi’er hadn’t been troubled by the Empress back then because…

Luo Qian glanced imperceptibly at the Empress. The Empress hadn’t lived much longer after Luo Yi’er married into the royal family. On the second day after the marriage, Luo Yi’er had come to the palace to pay her respects. There were rumors of something happening, and she had gotten injured that day.

Luo Qian had still felt grateful towards Luo Yi’er back then and was worried. Not long after, the Empress’s health began to decline, and she passed away within three months.

In her past life, Luo Qian hadn’t known what caused the Empress’s death. Now, in this life, she secretly suspected that the Empress’s death might be related to Fang Jinyu. Luo Qian’s expression turned cold; that person wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her!

Madam Chu’s expression had completely turned cold. Luo Yi’er’s smile faltered, and she raised her eyes to look at the Empress. The Empress’s expression remained unchanged, with a hint of a smile.

Madam Chu suddenly sneered, “The Empress’s preferences truly remain the same!”

The Empress’s face changed, and she turned sharply to Madam Chu, her fingers, adorned with protective nail guards, tapping on the table. Her face turned stern. “How dare you!”

The teacups on the table rattled, and the servants in the hall knelt down in unison, their heads deeply bowed, not daring to make a sound.

Luo Fu’s face turned pale, and she almost couldn’t help but kneel down with the servants. Luo Yi’er glanced back calmly, and Luo Fu steadied herself by gripping Bai Zhi’s arm.

Luo Qian lowered her head deeply, but her body didn’t move. She knew that at this moment, if Madam Chu didn’t move, neither she nor Luo Fu could move. Otherwise, they would lose face for Madam Chu, and upon returning, they would face consequences.

“What’s gotten into the Empress? Why is she so angry?” Madam Chu raised her eyebrows lightly, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone, but the coldness in her eyes didn’t diminish.

“You, Chu Yilian! Don’t go too far!” Madam Chu’s words seemed to have touched on a taboo, causing the Empress to instantly change from her previous composure. She stood up, slamming her hand on the table, her shoulders trembling slightly with rage, her eyes filled with cold fury as she glared at Madam Chu.

Madam Chu wasn’t intimidated at all. She looked at the Empress with a cold gaze. “Since the Empress dares to do it, why be afraid of others talking about it?”

Wang Momo stepped forward to support the Empress’s trembling body and couldn’t help but glance at Madam Chu. “Madam, don’t say anymore! That matter from back then…”

Before she could finish, Madam Chu interrupted her, “Shut up!”

The sudden turn of events caught Luo Yi’er off guard. She subtly furrowed her brow and turned to look at Madam Chu. Unexpectedly, she saw Madam Chu’s fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve, her fingertips turning white and even trembling slightly.

Luo Yi’er’s eyes flashed with concern, almost imperceptible. She had never seen Madam Chu so angry. Without drawing attention, she grasped Madam Chu’s hand, which brought Madam Chu back to her senses.

Madam Chu’s eyes had turned red from recalling the past incident. She looked at Wang Momo.
“If I hear those words from your mouth again, don’t blame me for not cherishing the years you’ve served the Chu family.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it seemed to contain bone-chilling coldness, piercing Wang Momo and making her face pale. Although she was no longer a servant of the Chu family, her brother and grandchildren still served the Chus. She felt a pang of fear, supporting the Empress’s arm and no longer daring to be reckless.

After all, Madam Chu had harbored resentment towards her since that incident. Wang Momo felt a twinge of fear, knowing the Empress’s power was more nominal than real. The Emperor had taken away her authority to manage the six palaces, leaving her with little actual power.

Not to mention… the Emperor might not necessarily help the Empress. Back then, she thought Madam Chu wouldn’t be able to flip the situation, but who knew… If she had known this would happen, she should have stopped the Empress from acting recklessly!

The servants in the hall knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. Although they didn’t know what had happened in the past, they knew that four years ago, the Empress had somehow incurred the Emperor’s wrath, and the entire Kunning Palace was purged, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people. Only Wang Momo remained from the Empress’s trusted aides back then, and these servants were just later additions.

The hall was silent, with the Empress’s fingers tightly gripping the table, her nail guards scratching against the surface and making an ear-piercing sound. She looked at Madam Chu, enunciating each word, “Chu Yilian, you are so arrogant!” The coldness in her voice was unmasked, like ice in the twelfth lunar month.

Wang Momo frowned, wanting to persuade the Empress but couldn’t bring herself to speak. How could she ask the Empress to back down to a mere Furen? Moreover, given the Empress’s resentment towards Madam Chu, how could she swallow her anger?
The Empress would rather Madam Chu made a mistake so she could be punished.

However, Madam Chu was not the type to meekly accept punishment. She had managed to make the Empress suffer greatly back then and had caused her to lose the Emperor’s favor permanently. The Emperor hadn’t slept in the Kunning Palace since that day, which was why the Empress harbored such deep resentment towards Madam Chu.

Despite the scorching sun outside, the people in the hall felt a chill run down their spines. The two young maidservants, Baizhi and Biyu, had never seen such a scene before, and their faces had turned deathly pale. They couldn’t control their trembling legs.

Luo Qian quickly supported Biyu, but Baizhi wasn’t so lucky. Her legs gave way, and she knelt down with a thud. Luo Fu lost her balance and stumbled, almost falling to the ground. Both of their faces turned pale instantly.

Their sudden fall seemed to change the atmosphere in the hall slightly. Madam Chu’s cool gaze fell upon them, and they looked terrified. Luo Fu anxiously called out, “Mother, I…”

Before she could stand up with Baizhi’s support, the Empress coldly declared, “Loud talking is prohibited in the palace. The two of you have violated palace rules with your improper etiquette. Drag them away and give them twenty strokes of the cane!”

Luo Fu’s pupils suddenly constricted, and she looked at the Empress in disbelief. The palace servants stood up, exchanging nervous glances. They were all slaves of the Kunning Palace, and no matter how imposing Madam Chu was, she couldn’t compare to the Empress’s authority.

Luo Fu instantly realized the Empress was serious and panicked, turning to Madam Chu for help. “Mother!”

“Shut up!” Before Madam Chu could speak, the Empress reprimanded her. In her palace, she wouldn’t allow anyone to undermine her authority, even if it was just a minor punishment for a servant girl. The Empress’s eyes swept over the servants with a stern gaze. “Drag them away!”

The Empress didn’t dare punish Madam Chu, but she had no qualms about punishing a lowly servant girl. With her anger burning, she needed an outlet.

However, if the Empress got her way and Luo Fu and the other girl were punished, it wouldn’t just be a loss of face for Madam Chu; it would also bring shame to the Marquis Qi Mansion. If news spread, others would criticize the daughters of the Marquis Mansion for their lack of etiquette.

“Wait!” The servants froze, and Luo Fu’s eyes lit up with hope. She knew that if she were punished today, it wouldn’t just affect her; it would tarnish the reputation of her sisters and potentially harm her marriage prospects. She looked toward the source of the voice with excitement.

Not just Luo Fu, but the Empress also looked over, smiling coolly, “Yi’er, why are you intervening? Do you think the punishment is unjust?”

It was Luo Yi’er who spoke up, standing up and facing Luo Fu before turning to the Empress with a smile. “Violating palace rules deserves punishment.”

The Empress hadn’t fully smiled yet when Luo Yi’er suddenly changed her tone, “However, my sister has always had a weak constitution. She stood outside for a long time and already felt unwell. She was forcing herself to listen to Your Highness’s teachings, but unexpectedly, Your Highness’s sternness caused her to lose her composure momentarily, which wasn’t her intention.”

The Empress’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Yi’er, are you implying that this is my fault?”

Luo Yi’er covered her mouth with her handkerchief and smiled. “I wouldn’t dare.”

After speaking, she raised her eyes to look at the Empress. “However, if Your Highness insists on punishing them, please ensure that a royal physician is sent to my sister afterward. After all…” She smiled lightly, enunciating each word. “I’m worried that my sister might not survive.”

Whether Luo Fu was punished or not didn’t matter to her, as long as the reason wasn’t due to a lack of etiquette that would tarnish the Marquis Mansion’s reputation. As for Luo Fu’s weak constitution and potential marriage prospects, that wasn’t her concern.

Moreover, she glanced at the Empress, whose expression had changed slightly, and smiled faintly. The Marquis Mansion had come to congratulate Prince Jing on his return, and if a concubine daughter died in the palace due to the Empress’s actions, it would offend the Marquis Qi Mansion and the Qiu family, not to mention embarrassing Prince Jing. Would the Empress dare to take that risk?

The Empress’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Luo Yi’er. She knew Luo Yi’er was threatening her. Weak constitution? She didn’t believe it, but she couldn’t take the risk. Luo Yi’er might not hesitate to let the concubine daughter die, and there were many ways to manipulate the situation. In the end, the blame would still fall on her.

The Empress mentally cursed Luo Yi’er for her ruthlessness but couldn’t do anything about it.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall seemed to be reaching a standoff, a low, cold voice echoed from the entrance, “Let them go.”