Chapter 490: The Beauty Plan (Part 2)
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After casting a glance at Yuwen Long, Ping Nushi turned her gaze away without paying much attention to him and instead focused on observing Yuwen Chu, then reported to Mingzhu, “His Highness’s complexion does indeed look bad.”
Mingzhu nodded expressionlessly, looking at Yuwen Long, whose face had already shown his usual disgusting expression, as if he couldn’t wait to fix his gaze on Ping. Disgusting things should be looked at and not touched. Mingzhu withdrew her gaze and noticed Yuwen You standing behind Yuwen Long, staring at her intently with undisguised contempt and hatred in his eyes.
Mingzhu couldn’t be bothered to pay him any attention. She lowered her head to leisurely adjust her clothes, listening to Empress Dowager Min trying to mediate between the Great Empress Dowager and Emperor Yuwen Bai. After much persuasion from everyone, the Great Empress Dowager and Emperor Yuwen Bai finally agreed to compromise. They allowed the troupes to enter the palace for performances and promised to confer princely titles to two unsealed younger brothers after the New Year.
The atmosphere was lively with various performances, and the palace entertainers were preparing to take the stage. Mingzhu got up to go to the restroom when Fu Zifei hurriedly approached her. Fu Zifei looked at her earnestly and said, “Aunt, may I have a word with you?”
This was the first time Mingzhu had seen Fu Zifei since she entered the palace. She noticed a difference in her demeanor compared to when she first arrived in the capital. Gone was her initial cautiousness, replaced by the dignified air befitting someone of her status. Mingzhu smiled and asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be serving the Great Empress Dowager?”
Fu Zifei looked at Mingzhu with pleading eyes and said softly, “Aunt, I’m afraid. Please help me.” Tears welled up in her eyes before she even finished speaking. She remembered the palace maid who was forced into a radish and tortured to death, around her age, but it was so terrifying! Entering the palace wasn’t as glamorous as she had thought!
Mingzhu’s heart clenched. Fu Zifei must have known everything by now. In the hands of someone like Emperor Yuwen Bai, her fate wouldn’t be any better. But Mingzhu couldn’t help Fu Zifei much; at most, she could offer some advice to help her protect herself as much as possible. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the right time or place for a conversation, and she couldn’t be too explicit. So she whispered, “It’s New Year’s, don’t cry. Let’s talk slowly.”
Fu Zifei said, “I don’t want to stay here. Aunt, please talk to the Great Empress Dowager for me and let me go back.”
Mingzhu fell silent. If only Fu Zifei hadn’t entered the palace in the first place.
Fu Zifei saw her silence and the light in her eyes dimmed gradually. She said coldly, “Aunt, you’re heartless. You’re watching me jump into the fire pit without offering a helping hand.”
She looked at Mingzhu and said each word slowly, “Wenwen is your true niece, not me. I’m just a disposable pawn. You enjoy luxury while stepping on my bones.” The Great Empress Dowager might seem good to her on the surface, but she couldn’t compare to how good she was to Mingzhu. If the Great Empress Dowager really cared for her, she would have found her a good match like Ying Wang, Yuwen Chu, instead of throwing her into this palace to die.
“This girl is really funny.” Zhou Nushi finally found an opportunity to please Mingzhu and said coldly, “What does it have to do with our Wangfei? Even our Wangfei has to listen to the Great Empress Dowager. If you’re angry and dare not confront the Great Empress Dowager, you come to our Wangfei instead? It seems like you’re taking advantage of our Wangfei’s good temper. Is the bracelet you’re wearing still our Wangfei’s? You dare to criticize her even when you’re wearing her things? What kind of logic is this?”
Tears welled up in Fu Zifei’s eyes, and she choked, “Who are you? Do you have no manners? Why are you talking to me like this?”
Mingzhu furrowed her brows. Such is fate; no one can blame anyone else entirely. Fu Zifei was chosen by the Great Empress Dowager to enter the palace not solely to replace Wenwen’s suffering; it was mainly to fulfill the Great Empress Dowager’s selfish desires. Despite this, the people in the Fu family had not given up on Fu Zifei, hoping to avoid internal strife and tragedies. But Fu Zifei’s reaction could only be understood after she had suffered.
Therefore, Mingzhu didn’t stop Zhou Nushi and let her deal with Fu Zifei. She took Donghui and Su Lan to solve the restroom problem.
No matter how shrewd Fu Zifei was, she was still young and inexperienced. How could she be a match for someone like Zhou Nushi? Fu Zifei felt resentful but had no way to retaliate. Wanting to demand an explanation from Mingzhu, she saw Mingzhu already heading to solve the restroom problem, leaving only a threatening remark, “You’re just a common concubine of Ying Wang’s mansion. How dare you offend me? Just wait and see.”
Zhou Nushi calmly saluted her, “Walk safely miss.”
Fu Zifei, with red eyes and a heart full of sadness, walked away. Seeing that there was no one else around, Ping Nushi leaned against a pillar with a bewitching smile and asked Zhou Nushi, “Oh my, Sister Zhou, when did you become the lapdog under Wangfei’s seat? Aren’t you afraid of causing trouble for yourself or being expelled by the Wangfei when Changxin Palace comes to settle the score?”
Zhou Nushi replied calmly, “His Highness has always been fair in rewards and punishments. Just for standing up for Wangfei today, he won’t casually push me out. And Wangfei is also clear about right and wrong. She keeps me because I’m useful, and she won’t harm me.”
“Yo yo yo, talking as if you know His Highness and the Wangfei so well, but you just want to flatter His Highness. You think I don’t know? Hmph! Let me tell you, you don’t look as good as the Wangfei, and you’re even older than His Highness. It’s just wishful thinking to have any chance with him in this lifetime. Just now, the Empress Dowager even asked who I was, saying she wanted to talk to Wangfei and give me an opportunity.” Ping Nushi, flirtatiously waved her handkerchief in front of Zhou Nushi, creating a fragrant breeze.
Suddenly, she saw someone dressed in the attire of a prince standing far away, peering in their direction, unmistakably the lecher she had seen earlier. Ping Nushi was startled, afraid of being noticed by Zhou Nushi, so she quickly straightened up, pretending to be dignified and unapproachable, staring straight ahead and refusing to look at the lecher.
But she happened to run into Zhou Nushi, who was a person of cunning and opportunism. Seeing Ping Nushi suddenly transform into a dignified appearance, Zhou Nushi felt something was amiss. Glancing around, she spotted the lecher not far away, still pretending to be righteous, but slyly passing by, Yuwen Long.
Zhou Nushi wasn’t like Ping Nushi, who was temporarily brought in by Consort Zhou from outside. Having served in the Imperial Court, she was well aware of the intrigues in the palace and naturally recognized the person. Eighth King Yuwen Long might seem decent at first glance, but according to what Zhou Nushi’s friends had said, he was not a good person from a young age—lecherous, greedy, and deceitful.
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