The Beloved Imperial Consort

Chapter 13

On the second day of Xizhao festival, the noble consort started the investigation about the dormant spiders' origin. They soon found out the connection with Yuzhou xiunus due to the uniqueness of these spiders. Together with the assistance of the palace punishment department, the culprits were soon after caught.

Strangely, the two xiunus confessed to carrying the dormant spiders into the palace but denied vehemently the allegation of framing xiunu Jiang Pin Ting. Since the two understood the principle 'one ought to choose the lesser of two evils', they did not reveal the fact that they wanted to frame Mu Xi Yao as it would only add them more serious charges.

Ultimately, the case ended with two Yuzhou xiunus being stripped of their xiunu identities and sent back to re-educate themselves as they lacked virtue and broke palace etiquettes.

Mu Xi Yao did not ask them what was the reason behind their enmity against her but she could guess that it was more or less induced by the despicableness of the human's nature. Some people just couldn't stand others being more outstanding than themselves. They would rather destroy such people than let them hinder them. It did not matter that these people were total strangers to them or that they held no grudges against each other.

Mu Xi Yao expressed a gratification to the outcome of this case. According to her words, those two xiunus went back to the stove to remold themselves.

The following days went on tranquilly. Having the example of killing the chickens to warn off the monkeys set prior on, even the wildest monkeys cowered in fear and did not dare to make any further moves.

The re-selection was held in the imperial noble consort's Yaohua Palace. Xiunus were to go through an assessment which included a display of their talents and testing their knowledge of palace etiquettes.

With song《The floating goblets》played on the guqing Mu Xi Yao successfully passed the initial inspection and got the praise of 'a beautiful maiden with an exceptionally elegant guqin skill and passion'.

On the other hand, Mu Xi Yao's elder cousin's card has been turned down, thus leaving only Mu sisters to participate in the final selection that would take place in three days. At the time Yuancheng Emperor will grace the event with his presence and personally select mates for imperial princes and members of the imperial clan. Naturally, there were also some private interests he sought to gain during the process.

Zhong Zheng Lin stood silently inside the Weiyang House, his eyes gazing toward the direction of Wangxiu Palace. In the morning his secret agents had reported to him that when fifth princess consort went to specially pay a respect to her Ladyship consort De yesterday, she voiced her wish to let Mu xiunu of Qingzhou enter fifth prince's residence as shufei.

This was truly unexpected. That rabbit indeed knew how to make troubles and attract problems! The fifth princess's idea? Without even meeting the actual person how could she know that Mu shi was 'dutiful and well-behaved and able to bear children'?

Moreover, when did Zhong Zheng Ming notice that rabbit? Well, there were still few days. He will settle matters with her once the imperial edict passes down.

He has again recalled the two Yuzhou xiunus who were kept under surveillance on his orders. Before he could find any clues, the two were already disposed of. It was too much of a coincidence. If she truly had hands in it...........Zhong Zheng Lin remembered the saying: If you make rabbit anxious, it will bite you back. A smile flashed in his eyes.

Mu Xi Yao did not know that she has turned into a rabbit in Zhong Zheng Lin's eyes. She was currently lamenting her failing memory. Yesterday, she has seen in the imperial garden Zhong Zheng Lin's 'favorite consort' from the previous lifetime, the shufei Yi Ru of Tang House.