Unlimited Save System for Palace Intrigue

Chapter 347: Consort Xian’s Scheme Instigated by the Empress, the person chosen as the scapegoat was none other than Consort Xian. After all, if a scapegoat was to be found, it had to be someone of high status; otherwise, the Empress Dowager would never believe that person had the capability to harm Lin Wanxian. Consort Xian had long wanted to eliminate the child in Lin Wanxian’s womb; she had previously sent Zhang Yuniang to carry out the deed, but the attempt had failed. Naturally, there were the Empress’s people close to Consort Xian. With just a little instigation from them, Consort Xian took the bait immediately; however, she lacked a well-thought-out plan, which is why she hadn’t acted so quickly. Several months later, Consort Xian had everything meticulously planned. Although her influence within the palace might not match that of the Empress, as one of the Four Consorts, she was not to be underestimated, so the likelihood of success remained quite high. Even if Consort Xian failed, it wouldn’t matter; the Empress still had a backup plan. After all, the child in Lin Wanxian’s womb posed too great a threat to the Empress, so she could not possibly stake everything on Consort Xian alone. She simply hoped Consort Xian would succeed on the first try, so she wouldn’t have to play her trump card. After all, the more she did, the easier it would be to expose herself. The Empress Dowager might pick up on the slightest clue and become suspicious of her. Even if she were confident she could clear her name later, the Empress did not wish to burn her bridges with the Empress Dowager just yet. “Consort Xian, are we really going to go through with this? If we do and the Empress Dowager finds out, we’ll likely face certain death,” said Lady Zhang. “What are you afraid of? You’re utterly useless. If you’d succeeded earlier, would I have to step in now?” Consort Xian said with a touch of disdain. “In truth, this servant would very much like to assist Your Grace, but as you well know, my influence within the harem is weak. No one heeds my commands. Though I wish to help, I am powerless to do so,” said Lady Zhang. “I knew you were useless. Fortunately, I don’t have to rely on you entirely; otherwise, the opportunity would have passed us by. But you needn’t worry. I’ve planned this operation to be foolproof. If there were any chance the Empress Dowager might discover it, how could I possibly risk taking action myself?” said Consort Xian. “Is there anything this humble servant can do to assist Your Highness?” asked Lady Zhang. Consort Zhang knew Consort Xian wouldn’t have summoned her for no reason. If Consort Xian were truly capable of handling this matter alone, she wouldn’t have told her at all—after all, the more people who knew, the greater the risk of exposure. The Consort Xian’s intention in summoning her was clear: she certainly had a task to entrust to her, and a dangerous one at that. Although Lady Zhang could refuse now, she knew she could not. Just as with her previous intervention, the Third Prince was still in the Consort Xian’s care. Moreover, the Third Prince’s well-being depended on the Consort Xian’s own. Even if only for the sake of the Third Prince, she had to assist the Consort Xian. Zhang Meiren was still deeply concerned about the Noble Consort taking matters into her own hands. What if the Noble Consort were exposed and the Empress Dowager found out? How could she protect the Third Prince if he were implicated? Yet she had no way to dissuade the Noble Consort, for she knew that the child in Lin Wanxian’s womb posed a significant threat to the Third Prince’s position. Since the Noble Consort was willing to take action to eliminate this threat, it would be ungrateful of her to try to dissuade her—after all, it was all for the sake of her son. Even if Xianhui had ulterior motives, hoping to leverage the Third Prince’s status to elevate her own, when it came to the Third Prince’s immediate interests, they were on the same side. “ I summoned you here, naturally, to assign you a task. Although I have already instructed my own people to handle this matter, and I can guarantee it will be executed flawlessly, we still need a scapegoat. Of course, I did not call you here to make you that scapegoat, but rather to have you deliver this item to Yonghe Palace. After all, you used to have a good relationship with Consort Li of Yonghe Palace, so if you go there, she shouldn’t suspect you,” said the Noble Consort. Zhang Yuniang understood the Noble Consort’s words. It seemed the Noble Consort intended to frame Ruyi for this. Zhang Yuniang hesitated; it was Ruyi who had extended a helping hand back then, saving her from certain death. Now, if she were to scheme against Ruyi, she would feel deeply guilty. But seeing the expression on the Noble Consort’s face, she knew that if she refused to do it, someone else would be sent in her place. However, if someone else were to carry it out, the plan might be exposed, and all their efforts could come to naught. Therefore, she had no choice but to accept the task. Though she felt guilty toward Ruyi, for the sake of her child, she had no other option but to let Ruyi down. Still, she understood that although Ruyi had saved her life back then, it didn’t mean Ruyi trusted her completely. So Zhang Yuniang said, “It’s not that it’s impossible for Her Royal Highness the Xian Fei to frame Li Zhaoyi, but Consort Li is currently pregnant and about to give birth. Even if I were to visit her now, she might not receive me. What if she refuses to see me? And even if she does see me, with everyone watching, I wouldn’t be able to leave this item at Yonghe Palace. Even if I were to visit Consort Li, the palace maids at Yonghe Palace would be watching me closely.” Consort Xian hadn’t anticipated that Zhang Yuniang would refuse, but what Zhang Yuniang said made sense. At this critical moment, when Consort Li was about to give birth, she certainly wouldn’t receive visitors. If Consort Xian couldn’t even get through the gate, it would be nearly impossible to place the item she intended to give Consort Li in Yonghe Palace. “You have a point. I never intended for you to handle this in the first place. I originally planned to bribe someone at Yonghe Palace, but I’ve found it far too difficult to win them over. If I were to bribe even one of them now, I fear they would inform Consort Li of the bribery that very same day. Wasn’t that exactly how Consort Xiao met her downfall? That is why I cannot bribe the palace maids or servants—which is why I thought of having you slip it in when the opportunity arises,” said Consort Xian. “Then I shall give it a try,” said Zhang Yuniang. “If I can slip inside, all the better. If not, we’ll simply choose a different target. After all, Consort Li of Yonghe Palace is no simple woman. If we try to frame her and end up muddying the waters, it would be a losing proposition.” In truth, if she could switch targets, Zhang Yuniang would be willing to do so. Although she was willing to frame Ruyi for her son’s sake, when she thought of the kindness Ruyi had shown her in the past, she felt much better about her conscience if she could avoid framing Ruyi and target someone else instead. Upon hearing Zhang Yuniang’s suggestion, the Noble Consort found it reasonable. There was no need to go head-to-head with Ruyi; otherwise, if Ruyi sensed something and turned against them, the consequences would not be worth the cost. Ruyi’s current influence was even greater than her own, and the Noble Consort was quite wary of her.