vrcanaries Chapter 289 Cruel
Chapter 289 Cruel
The Queen Mother's eyes were stern. "You want to use that hairpin to make a fuss?"
Although the Queen did not tell her the true situation of the hairpin, she knew that there was something wrong with the hairpin because the Queen had not troubled Concubine Wan in the past two years.
An Lingrong uttered a few words calmly: "I dare not!"
She knew in her heart that the hairpin had been in Ganlu Temple for two years and countless people had seen it. Even if she revealed that there was musk hidden inside, it would be difficult to put the blame on the Queen. However, at least the hairpin had protected Zhen Huan for two years and had completed its mission.
The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with majesty and unquestionable, and she said coldly: "No matter what, I will never allow another Cao Qinmo to appear in the palace!"
After saying this, she slowly raised her eyes, her sharp gaze fixed directly on the man before her, as if to see through her. But to the Queen Mother's surprise, the man before her looked calm and composed, his eyes devoid of any fear, and even his body steady, not moving an inch. It was as if he hadn't understood the meaning of her words.
An Lingrong parted her red lips, her eyes clear and resolute. She spoke neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother is comparing me to Cao Qinmo. I beg your pardon. Everything I did was to protect the people I care about. If I were as unscrupulous, cruel, and perverse as she is, the harem would not be in its current state long ago!"
Her voice was clear and resonated throughout the palace. Even when facing the most noble woman in the world, there was no fear on her face. She simply stated her views in an orderly manner.
The Queen Mother frowned, her tone filled with displeasure: "What's the current situation? The Queen has already been sidelined by you, how much worse can it get?"
An Lingrong shook her head slightly and said slowly, "The Queen Mother is overthinking. The Queen is always the Queen. Whether it's Consort Hua, the former most favored concubine in the palace, or Consort Hui, who has given birth to a prince, or even Consort Wan, who lives outside the palace, none of them has ever had any ambition to covet the position of Queen."
The Queen Mother snorted coldly, her eyes becoming sharp. "That's because I'm here. What if I'm gone?"
An Lingrong raised her chin slightly, met the Empress Dowager's gaze, and responded without flinching, "If the Empress has to rely on your blessing to secure her throne, then isn't she a failure as Empress? As the sages say, 'If virtue doesn't match the position, disaster will surely follow.' The Empress Dowager is discerning and insightful; how could she not know this truth?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the empress dowager's face instantly turned gloomy, and there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. The atmosphere in the palace instantly became tense.
The two fell into silence.
An Lingrong had a slender figure, and the plain palace dress made her look even more fragile, but her back was straight as she stood quietly, and she actually exuded a sense of toughness, and looked a little taller than usual.
The Queen Mother frowned, her face full of wrinkles, and she pondered An Lingrong's words over and over in her heart.
The Empress, Ulanara Yixiu, hadn't seen a single action in the harem over the years. Her narrow-minded and jealous nature, her ruthless tactics of harming the heirs of the throne and suppressing the concubines for the sake of the Empress, even though he sometimes felt disappointed and angry at her actions, for the sake of the family's interests, he could only hold on and protect her behind him.
After a moment, the Queen Mother suddenly realized what was happening, secretly regretting how she could have been so easily drawn into the other person's thoughts. She hadn't called An Lingrong here to discuss the Empress. She raised her eyes, and their clarity and sharpness instantly returned, like a deep, unfathomable pool, its calmness revealing a perceptive majesty.
The Queen Mother shifted slightly, then took her poise and said calmly, "How can a mere concubine like you have the right to meddle in the Queen's affairs? The peace and stability of the harem is my highest priority."
"The Empress Dowager's so-called harem stability, I think it can be described in another way!"
"What statement?"
An Lingrong smiled softly, but the smile only touched the corners of her mouth, not her eyes. "For the Queen Mother, as long as the power of the palace is firmly in the hands of the Queen, the harem is stable, isn't it? As the Queen and the mistress of the six palaces, she cannot be suppressed by others. As for what she has done, it is not within the Queen Mother's consideration."
Her gaze passed past the Queen Mother, seemingly gazing at the endless darkness behind the harem's walls, and she continued, "But, Queen Mother, have you ever considered whether stability under the oppression of power is truly stable? It's like a pot of boiling tea. If you don't remove the lid, it will explode sooner or later."
"The Empress has made many enemies in the palace over the years. You think that as long as she holds the reins of power, the harem will remain peaceful and stable. You are gravely mistaken. The support of the people is the true foundation of the harem. Once everyone's patience reaches its limit, this seemingly peaceful harem will inevitably erupt into turbulent waves. And then, how can the Empress's power suppress it?"
The Queen Mother was a little angry when she said that. "How can you, a shallow person, interfere in the affairs of the harem? I protect the Queen, which is to protect the dignity of the royal family and the order of the palace."
An Lingrong knew that the women of the inner palace had been deeply ingrained with family values from childhood, believing that everything should be based on the interests of the family. The Empress Dowager's years of experience in the harem had ingrained this mindset, and attempting to change her mind with just a few words was like trying to shake a tree with an ant trying to shake it.
No amount of arguing would be effective at this point, so she slowly closed her lips. Her eyes, once gleaming with stubbornness, now lost their edge, leaving only a calmness.
The Empress Dowager's gaze was as sharp as a torch, fixed on An Lingrong, as if she wanted to dissect her soul. After a long pause, she said, "Since you are so insightful and understand my thoughts, you should also know that I will take your life. In this harem, no one who breaks the rules or disturbs the peace will be tolerated. Since you have been involved in this incident, please do not blame me for being cruel."
"Then what crime does the Queen Mother intend to punish me for?"
The Queen Mother spoke in a cold tone, without hesitation, "You are confusing the emperor's mind and causing chaos in the government."
An Lingrong smiled lightly, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "This is a crime only a concubine who has brought disaster to the country and the people could bear. Your Majesty, you truly think highly of me. If I die for this crime, my life will not be in vain. However, I have a question, and I hope Your Majesty can clarify it for me."
"you say!"
An Lingrong looked directly at the Empress Dowager, her eyes frank yet inquiring. "How will the Empress Dowager explain to the Emperor how you have dealt with me?"
The Queen Mother frowned, and after a while, she slowly spoke. Although her voice was not loud, it was filled with unquestionable majesty: "I don't want Wanpin to return to the palace, but the emperor is of a temperamental nature. Once he makes up his mind, no one can stop him. I am powerless now and can only let him go. But if she returns to the palace, the three of you will unite, and the harem will be in turmoil. So I must deal with you before she returns!"