Consort Li was already displeased with Shen Yun for implicitly and explicitly siding with Prince Chen.
Initially, following Prince Zhou's wishes, she had intended to try and win Shen Yun over.
After all, everyone could see that Emperor Yongxing trusted him in court.
If she could secure his assistance, Prince Zhou's chances of becoming the crown prince would be greater.
Unfortunately, after summoning Prince Zhou to the palace and questioning him, she discovered her son had already been attempting to bribe Shen Yun.
It was just that Shen Yun had consistently refused to cooperate with him.
The beauties he sent were turned away before even entering his residence.
The money he sent was outright refused.
The farmlands and manors he offered were all returned without exception.
Wasn't such an attitude clear enough?
He simply refused to give him face and cooperate.
After the mother and son conferred, they reasoned that since they couldn't utilize him properly, they would use underhanded tactics to place their own people by his side and cripple or kill him.
This was to prevent him from becoming a threat.
The first target would be his woman, Su Xiaoqi.
Consort Li's intention to deal with Su Xiaoqi remained.
Furthermore, when Princess Yi Jiang approached her, she readily agreed without hesitation.
The two of them planned to lure Su Xiaoqi into the palace and thoroughly teach her a lesson.
However, Consort Li feigned illness and ordered people to summon Su Xiaoqi, only to find she was not in her residence.
Consort Li initially didn't believe it, but then Prince Zhou sent someone to inform her that she was indeed absent.
This was because, in the evening, Shen Yun had audaciously taken her out of the city.
As for where they went, his people couldn't keep up, so they couldn't ascertain the specifics.
Consort Li was not in a hurry. Shen Yun held an official position.
He couldn't possibly avoid returning to the palace forever.
So, she waited patiently.
To her surprise, she ended up receiving an imperial edict from Emperor Yongxing.
Su Xiaoqi had actually been conferred the title of princess.
A princess!
This was a title only a daughter of the emperor could hold.
Why her? Why?
How could this be?
Consort Li couldn't comprehend it. She sulked in the palace for a long time, then couldn't resist visiting Emperor Yongxing to inquire.
As it turned out, Emperor Yongxing insisted on bestowing the title of princess upon her, listing her contributions to the Daliang Dynasty and the fact that she had saved his life multiple times.
Upon hearing this, Consort Li became even more displeased.
Because it made her think of a terrible possibility.
She mused, "Could it be that Emperor Yongxing is so good to Su Xiaoqi because she is his illegitimate child born outside the palace?"
"No, they don't resemble each other at all."
Regardless, the fact that both Shen Yun and his wife were so trusted by Emperor Yongxing created a sense of crisis.
She couldn't just let them continue like this.
Upon returning to her palace, Consort Li pondered the situation and then summoned Princess Yi Jiang to the palace to instigate her. The two of them immediately came up with a plan.
Thus, the next day, Su Xiaoqi received word from Consort Li, sent through her people, inviting her and Shen Mingzhu to the palace.
Today, Shen Yun was absent, leaving Su Xiaoqi alone.
She looked around and remained silent for a long time.
Zhang Yu was direct, telling her not to go.
"I wouldn't want to go, but she is, after all, a Noble Consort. How can I defy her?"
"She's a Noble Consort, and you are a princess. Why should you fear her?" Zhang Yu clenched her fist.
Su Xiaoqi burst into laughter.
"It seems Consort Li really wants to target me. Look, even you can see it."
Zhang Yu couldn't tell if her mistress was praising or criticizing her, but she didn't need to worry about that. She merely grumbled, "Her desire to eliminate you is as obvious as lice on a young monk's head – plain for all to see."
Su Xiaoqi laughed even harder.
She said, "She has her schemes, and I have my countermeasures. We'll just have to wait and see."
In fact, it wasn't just Consort Li who wanted to deal with her; she also wanted to deal with Consort Li.
The position of Concubine Ming in the palace needed to be adjusted.
However, she wasn't worried about herself, only about Shen Mingzhu, who would accompany her.
She thought to herself that Consort Li had become smarter this time.
Knowing that if Su Xiaoqi went alone, with her temperament, she would surely act recklessly.
Now that Shen Mingzhu was going with her, Su Xiaoqi would have more reservations.
After getting ready, Su Xiaoqi had Zhang Feng send a message to Shen Yun.
She then entered the palace with Shen Mingzhu, accompanied by palace attendants.
Consort Li met Su Xiaoqi in a side hall.
At that time, Princess Yi Jiang was by her side.
Perhaps due to her long stay in Daliang, she had changed into a cross-collared, chest-wrapped ruqun, a style favored by the people of Daliang.
Her dress was worn lower than others', revealing a large expanse of skin below her collarbone.
Then, she wore a large collar adorned with eight treasures and inlaid with red rubies.
Su Xiaoqi glanced at her. Her skin was a bit dark, and when paired with the bright red, it looked, how to put it, darker the more one looked.
It even gave a rather dog-chain-like impression.
Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Yi Jiang asked impolitely.
She saw Su Xiaoqi glance at her and then laugh.
She realized Su Xiaoqi might be speaking ill of her.
Su Xiaoqi immediately suppressed her smile and remained silent.
Princess Yi Jiang was displeased.
"Hey, you are so rude. I'm asking you a question, why aren't you answering?"
Su Xiaoqi completely disregarded Princess Yi Jiang's anger and slowly opened her lips, "Oh, it's because I have a natural smile. I'm afraid I'll laugh if I speak."
As she spoke, Su Xiaoqi also smiled at her.
On the surface, she appeared to be smiling, but the smile carried a heavy mockery, which was infuriating to behold.
"You, Su Xiaoqi... How dare you disrespect a princess?" Before they had exchanged many words, Princess Yi Jiang, angered, began to assert her status to Su Xiaoqi.
Shen Mingzhu, listening beside them, was startled. She looked nervously at her sister-in-law.
Good heavens, the palace is too terrifying. I want to go home.
Seeing that she was frightened, Su Xiaoqi gently patted her hand and then, facing Princess Yi Jiang, said coldly,
"Princess Yi Jiang, how dare you disrespect a princess?" She returned Yi Jiang's words to her verbatim.
Princess Yi Jiang stared at her blankly. When she finally understood, she was overcome with rage.
Su Xiaoqi, with a cheerful grin, then said,
"Oh, what a coincidence. Due to the Emperor's favor, I, this princess, was also conferred the title of princess just yesterday."
Su Xiaoqi's face broke into a triumphant smile.
The implied meaning was clear: You are a princess, and so am I.
What kind of status are you trying to use to oppress me?
"You, you, Noble Consort, look at her! You are the mistress of this palace, please manage her!"
Consort Li's face twitched. This was the first time she had seen Su Xiaoqi behave so arrogantly.
Before meeting her, she had been full of confidence, believing she could easily handle her with her methods.
But after witnessing her sharp retorts and provocations with Yi Jiang, she felt she might not be able to do anything about her.