After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 654: Advantage

The clear, ringing voice lingered above the grand hall.

Consort Li realized she was being manipulated by the Empress, and her gaze towards the Empress carried a hint of coldness.

"Though it’s uncommon for a maid to wear a golden hairpin, it’s not unheard of. Sister, are you looking at the maid’s golden hairpin and suspecting that the Princess Consort Zhenbei couldn’t part with a mere golden hairpin and hid it in the maid’s hair?"

This retort didn’t even curve, directly stumping the Empress.

However, the Empress had many loyal palace maids.

Seeing the Empress in distress, one stood out and said, "This servant saw with my own eyes the maid taking the golden hairpin from the Princely Heir’s wife’s head and placing it in her own hair."

Consort Li laughed, "When the maid of Princess Consort Zhenbei saved Princess Shouning, I saw the golden hairpin on her head. Could it be that I was mistaken?"

Princess Fu Yun looked at Consort Li and said, "When I entered the Imperial Garden, I saw the maid wearing the golden hairpin. Many people must have seen it."

The palace maid turned pale.

Still, loyalty doesn’t always guarantee a good outcome.

Consort Li was in a fit of anger, and this palace maid happened to run into her wrath.

The palace maid belonged to the Empress, and although Consort Li held the Phoenix Seal, she couldn’t overstep her bounds. She said, "I always thought the palace maids by my sister’s side were exceptionally smart. Who would have thought they twist words at will? Keeping such a palace maid, aren’t you afraid of tarnishing your status, sister?"

The Empress clenched her teeth, raised her hand, and ordered, "Thirty lashes and throw her out of the palace."

The palace maid knelt and begged for mercy, but before she could say much, she was dragged away.

The noblewomen exchanged glances.

They had long known that the Empress and Consort Li were not on good terms and often witnessed their verbal sparring.

But before, it was mostly the Empress who had the upper hand. Who would have thought Consort Li would prevail now?

Of course.

One instance doesn’t mean much.

Especially this time, the Empress was targeting the Princess Consort Zhenbei, and both the Empress and Princess Shouning had stumbled with her more than once.

Consort Li’s advantage might just be because of the Princess Consort Zhenbei.

Looking at the Empress, Xingxing regretted not forcing more water down Princess Shouning’s throat.

Next time, she would ensure there was only a breath left!

It infuriated her!

Xingxing removed the golden hairpin from her head and placed it into the tray held by a palace maid.

Even though she was reluctant to part with it.

Even though the young lady clarified it was given to her from the beginning, it was her possession.

But Xingxing was loyal and was unwilling for the young lady to be questioned over a golden hairpin.

This action by Xingxing was undoubtedly a slap in the face of the Empress.

Because by picking a quarrel, she caused a maid to give away a birthday gift she just received.

If the noblewomen and young ladies gave up something, it wouldn’t matter. But for a little maid to lose a rare golden hairpin under such pressure...

Moreover, Xingxing had just saved Princess Shouning. It was an act of utter ingratitude in everyone’s eyes.

The Empress looked gloomy.

Consort Li hosted the banquet, but unfortunately, the smiles on everyone’s faces were faint.

A perfectly good banquet was thus overshadowed, and without their splendid adornments, the glamor of the noblewomen and young ladies faded significantly.

The banquet ended on a sour note.

The maid supported Consort Li’s hand as she returned to the chamber.

Consort Li was furious.

The palace maids and eunuchs dared not make a sound.

Then Marchioness Wu entered.

She was the first to donate at the banquet, and her expression wasn’t good either.

Upon seeing her, Consort Li’s anger flared, shouting, "Does my sister-in-law think my days in the harem are too smooth, trying all sorts of ways to trouble me?!"

Marchioness Wu was alarmed, "Why would you say that, Your Highness?"

"Who told you to take the lead in donating?!" Consort Li angrily demanded.

"It was you, Your Highness," said Marchioness Wu.

Consort Li laughed in anger.

Not only did she cause a major scandal, but she was also trying to pass the blame onto her?!

While Consort Li was simmering with rage, Marchioness Wu said, "I was sitting there drinking tea when your palace maid conveyed your message, asking me to lead the donations. I dared not disobey."

"When did I ever tell a palace maid to pass that order to you?!" Consort Li snapped.

As the words left her mouth, Consort Li realized she had been set up.

Because the one who passed the message was Consort Li’s palace maid, recognized by Marchioness Wu, along with the earlier intention Consort Li indeed had of fundraising to please the Emperor.

With so many people at the banquet, Marchioness Wu could not openly question it and merely complied.

Who could have imagined someone would set a trap right under Consort Li’s nose?

The culprit was obvious! 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"The Empress!"

Consort Li wanted nothing more than to flay the Empress alive.

Now she needed to find that palace maid and force a confession out of her to incriminate the Empress.

Consort Li, fuming, paced within the chambers.

She had to restore her image in the hearts of those noblewomen and not let the Empress’ scheme succeed!

Soon enough, that palace maid was brought before Consort Li.

Consort Li wished she could cut the palace maid into a thousand pieces.

She was not unkind to her, and yet she colluded with the Empress against her?!

The maid knelt on the ground admitting her mistake, not denying the Empress’s manipulation.

Consort Li, in her anger, was about to take the maid to the Emperor to file a complaint, but was stopped by Marchioness Wu.

"You mustn’t go," Marchioness Wu cautioned.

Consort Li looked at her, visibly displeased.

Marchioness Wu, looking at the palace maid, said, "This wretched servant was used by the Empress to set you and me up. Now, without even being flogged, she’s implicated the Empress."

"The Empress is too shrewd to leave any witnesses for you to take before the Emperor to accuse her, don’t you think?"

"If this wretch truly stood before the Emperor, she would surely turn against you and claim it was you who instructed her to slander the Empress."

By that time, not only would the situation not be clarified, but it would also become a bigger mess.

Having offended those noblewomen already, even knowing it was a scheme by the Empress, few would likely believe it.

It would be better to greatly curry favor with the Emperor and minimize the damage.

Marchioness Wu was much more composed, and upon analyzing, Consort Li came to her senses.

She couldn’t bring this wretch to accuse.

But she couldn’t stomach such betrayal and scheming.

Even beating her to death would be showing her leniency!

Consort Li ordered the palace maid to be dragged out, gagged with a cloth, and hung on a tree.

In such scorching weather, even walking under the sun was unbearable, let alone being exposed directly to it.

The palace attendants in Changchun Palace were terrified, chilled to the bone.

Phoenix Palace.

The Empress, in a good mood, sat in the Phoenix Chair sipping tea.

She had set up Consort Li beautifully, with a resounding victory that was deeply satisfying.

While enjoying her tea, a little eunuch came running in and said, "Your Majesty, that palace maid has been hung on a tree by Consort Li to be scorched."

The Empress frowned.

"She didn’t go to the Emperor to complain about me," the Empress remarked with disappointment.

She had left the palace maid alive to ensure that Consort Li, in her rage, would latch onto her and not let go, thereby falling deeper into the trap.

Unexpectedly, Consort Li hadn’t lost all her senses.

But it didn’t matter.

If Consort Li didn’t complain, she would.

"To the Imperial Study," she ordered.