The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 39 - A Round of New Arrivals

In the palace, the long-standing discord between Lin Guifei and Yi Fei was no secret. Now that Lin Daying had crippled Yi Fei's lackey, Chu Guiren, no one in the palace dared to underestimate her anymore.

Although Chu Guiren didn't face any substantial punishment, the humiliation was undeniable. Even if she walked out of her palace in the future, she would be met with whispers and scorn. Her once-feared influence in the harem had evaporated, and even Yi Fei's reputation had been slightly tarnished.

Luckily, the courtesy visit to Linzhi Palace had been postponed for now, or else Yi Fei might have had to confront Lin Daying directly. Lin Daying had anticipated all this before she made her move. However, the mistreatment her people suffered left her with no choice but to retaliate.

This was completely different from what she experienced in the Xiang mansion. There, her grandfather didn't interfere with household matters, and everything was controlled by Princess Rongkang, which forced her family to live submissively. But now, in the palace, the one in charge was either the Emperor or Lin Guifei.

If she held such strong cards and still allowed others to walk all over her, she would truly be incompetent. That's why she acted as she did, but she also ensured she had a way out, reporting the matter through Eunuch Qin to reach Dong Yuzhong.

Knowing the ways of the palace eunuchs, she was certain the Emperor would "take the bait." However, she hadn't expected Dong Yuzhong to act so swiftly, bringing the Emperor to her just hours later.

In the end, it worked out well, perfectly in line with her plan—to strike hard and send a message. While she humiliated Chu Guiren, it also served as a warning to those in the palace who harbored ill will toward her. She had learned the rules of survival in this brutal world at a young age.

After hearing what Qinhe said, Lin Daying didn't try to cater to her, merely offering a faint smile. Seeing Lin Daying's lack of response, Qinhe wasn't bothered. She clapped her hands, and soon, an imposing older woman with a sharp, capable appearance entered.

"Servant Cui Mengyun greets Lin Daying. Wishing you peace and good health, My Lady."

"Who is this?"

Lin Daying's heart sank—here it comes.

Qinhe, with an even more ingratiating smile, quickly explained, "This is Cui Momo, a second-rank palace maid from Linzhi Palace. She previously served closely by Lin Guifei's side. After hearing about what happened, Lin Guifei sent Cui Momo to serve Lin Daying. With her here, other ladies in the palace will show some respect, and Lin Daying can focus on recovering in peace."

As expected, her action had set off a chain reaction.

While Lin Guifei approved of how she dealt with Chu Guiren, she was also wary of the Emperor's growing favor toward her. So, while Cui Momo appeared to have been sent to assist, she was actually there to monitor and rein her in.

Lin Guifei didn't want Lin Daying to rise too quickly and become a threat. After all, if Lin Daying were to grow in power and challenge Lin Guifei, that would be like nurturing a tiger that could later turn on her.

Lin Daying glanced at Cui Momo, who definitely wasn't an easy person to deal with. She withdrew her assessing gaze and was about to speak when someone else arrived.

"Servant Qiu Ming greets Lin Daying. Wishing you peace and good health."

"Eunuch Qiu, please rise. How come you're here so soon?"

"I've delayed two days due to personal matters. Otherwise, I would have come the night before, as Lin Daying instructed."

"Eunuch Qiu, you are too kind."

Qiu Ming, as someone who served directly before the Emperor, held a much higher rank than the second-rank Cui Momo. Even Qinhe, who had been smiling confidently, now found herself putting on a more humble face.

As Lin Daying and Qiu Ming spoke, Qinhe, unable to follow the conversation, tentatively asked, "Eunuch Qiu, did you also receive the Emperor's orders to deliver something here?"

Qiu Ming, calm and collected, responded without revealing too much. After years of serving in the Emperor's presence, he had been well-trained by Dong Yuzhong. So, when addressing Qinhe, he remained neither arrogant nor humble.

"The Emperor, out of care for Lin Daying, has sent me to take charge of her palace as the head eunuch. I should have arrived two days ago but was delayed by personal matters. Now I'm here to formally greet Lin Daying, and it seems I've come just in time to meet Miss Qinhe as well."

Hearing this, Qinhe's face fell. The Emperor had even assigned one of his personal eunuchs to Lin Daying, meaning from now on, no one would dare to disrespect her. They had intended to plant Cui Momo here, but now Eunuch Qiu had shown up!

It was truly a misstep.

Just as Qinhe was about to say something, Qiu Ming respectfully addressed Lin Daying, "Lin Daying, now that I'm here, I will take care of all matters in this palace. If there's anything I do wrong, please don't hesitate to punish me."

Lin Daying smiled. "Eunuch Qiu has served before the Emperor and knows the palace rules better than I do. You may handle things as you see fit. If anyone disobeys, just deal with them according to palace regulations—there's no need to report to me."

The new master and servant pair worked in harmony, effectively sidelining Qinhe and Cui Momo.

"Currently, both Xiaolu and Chunqi are recovering from their injuries, so they can't serve Lin Daying. However, palace regulations and Lin Daying's rank must be respected, so I've borrowed two people from the Inner Court to assist for half a month. Once the time is up, they will be sent back to the Inner Court."

"Yes, Eunuch Qiu's arrangement is perfect, truly thoughtful."

Qinhe, feeling increasingly sidelined, quickly spoke up, "Lin Daying, about Cui Momo...?"

Feigning a look of difficulty, Lin Daying turned to Qiu Ming and said, "Eunuch Qiu, what should we do? Lin Guifei has kindly sent Cui Momo to assist me, but now it seems we have too many people in the palace."

Qiu Ming, keeping up a formal demeanor, promptly replied, "Lin Daying, the people I borrowed have already been recorded by the Inner Court. Sending them back now might cause some issues. As for Cui Momo, does her file still remain under Lin Guifei in Linzhi Palace?"

"Yes, it does. My file is still with Lin Guifei," Cui Momo quickly interjected, trying to remain deferential.

"In that case, let's leave things as they are for now. Qinhe, you know as well as I do that tampering with palace records is no small matter."

Qiu Ming's every word referenced palace regulations, leaving Qinhe with no room to argue. Forced to smile, she conceded, "Eunuch Qiu is right. Then let's delay Cui Momo's arrival for the time being."

Qiu Ming, pretending not to notice, maintained his lowered gaze, ready to serve as commanded.