Chapter 6: The Harem of Southern Chu

  "Master, it seems she has something to say." A sharp, fine voice suddenly rang out in the air, especially eerie and discordant amidst the desperate cries. A white-faced man wearing a dark blue servant's uniform slowly approached the big red-dressed coquettish girl, speaking fawningly.

  "Oh? What else is there to say?" The young girl sat on a Nanmu golden silk back long chair, wearing a large red peacock embroidered robe, with a purple gold double phoenix coronet on her head, and a deep purple North Sea pearl at the center of her eyebrows. Her lips were as red as blood, and her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings. She glanced slightly to one side, looking at the pale-faced woman in blue clothes who was dazed and lethargic, and said disdainfully: "Useless thing, what else is there to say?"

  "Uh..." The servant in the green robe leaned closer to the woman in blue, putting his ear close to her pale cherry lips. After a while, he replied with a confused expression: "Master, I don't know what Princess Lan said either, it seems like she mentioned something about some kind of drawing?"

  "Blueprints?" The woman in red raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice, "Eight out of ten chances she's scared silly, who would have thought that such a timid and fearful thing would actually dare to privately meet with BeiPan Huang Shang, isn't she asking for death?

  "Yes, yes." The servant nodded repeatedly with a flattering smile on his face.

  At this moment, a chaotic footsteps suddenly came over, the red-clothed woman frowned and turned her head to see that at the end of the grand hall, three brocade-clad women were walking quickly. The first one wore a large red deep dress, with slightly raised eyebrows and high-piled hair, her long white neck proudly raised, shouting loudly from afar to the red-clothed woman: "The Crown Prince's wife is seriously ill, the five families of the East Palace jointly hold the Phoenix Seal, such a big thing has happened now, Sister Dan Fei alone is in charge, do you want to monopolize power?"

  The Empress Dan gave a cold laugh, her narrow and long phoenix eyes slightly narrowing as she looked at the woman who came in a flurry, saying in a deep voice: "I didn't dare to, it's just that I heard three days ago that Concubine Rong had a miscarriage, so I didn't dare disturb your highness."

  "Hmph!" The gentle imperial concubine, Ruo Fei, was not as gentle as her title suggested. She gazed coldly at the grand procession behind Dan Fei and said in a chilly tone, "I may be weak from childbirth, but I'm not dead yet! Even if I were bedridden, I wouldn't let you have your way! Someone, come and help Lan Fei up! In the emperor's presence, within the Eastern Palace, there is still justice and law. We can't let shameless people trample on human life!"

  "Halt!" Dan Fei suddenly stood up, her eyes cold and stern as she said loudly: "With me here, I'll see who dares to make a move!"

  "I dare!" Consort Lan stepped forward, her words sharp as a needle. "Zhu Dan, although the Crown Princess is bedridden with illness, I, Shangguan Ruolan, am still here. The Eastern Palace has seven palaces and thirteen halls, not just your Yunxiang Hall dominating everything. If you want to use someone else's knife to kill, first ask if I agree!"

  "I had forgotten, the Up Official's family has fallen and scattered, but there is still you who dares to die trying to hold up appearances! Well done, today I will fulfill your wish and let you see clearly, who in this Eastern Palace can cover the sky with one hand!" The Empress Dowager Dan raised her hand and slapped twice, more than a dozen eunuchs rushed forward, the Empress Dowager coldly smiled and said to the other two consorts: "Consort Chen, Consort De, you'd best move aside, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless!"

  "Zhu Dan Chen, don't be too presumptuous!" The gentle concubine saw the blue-clad woman lying on the ground unconscious and pale, and was supported by several rough-handed servants. She was extremely angry and shouted: "Lan Fei has always been uncompetitive, if you want to use your tricks, come at me directly, why must you implicate innocent people!"

  "What is this nonsense, Concubine Ruo?" Consort Dan raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "Concubine Lan's quarters have been found to be secretly storing men's belongings. According to the laws of Southern Chu, this constitutes adultery. The Crown Prince has given me full authority to handle this matter, so why are you using such underhanded tactics? On the other hand, you come here shouting and yelling, not knowing the facts, people would think I'm being biased and unjustly framing Concubine Lan. What is your intention in slandering me like this?"

  Having said that, he turned to the several attendants beside him and said: "You few, help Empress Rong up. She just miscarried and her body hasn't recovered yet. If anything happens to her, even if you add your heads together, you won't be able to make it up!"

  "Yes!" The uniform and loud response instantly covered up the angry shout of Rong Fei. Dan Fei ignored Rong Fei's furious gaze, slowly walking towards Lan Fei who was still unconscious and being held by the guards, coldly saying: "This is so pitiful and touching, I've seen it before, but you insist on doing such despicable and shameless things, younger sister, what's the point of this?" After speaking, she slightly turned her head to the side, her eyes coldly staring at Rong Fei who was being tightly held by the guards, a sinister smile rising from the corner of her mouth: "It's only natural that I'm worried, given how close you two are and how beautiful she is."

  The Empress's eyes widened suddenly, and she saw the Imperial Concubine Dan slowly raise her pale hand. The palm was white as jade, with a red bean-sized mole on it. Between her fingers, a flash of silver light appeared, and the wind from both sides of the grand hall swept in, lifting a strand of black hair from Imperial Concubine Dan's temple and brushing against her crimson lips, drawing up an evil smile. A fierce glint flashed across Imperial Concubine Dan's eyes, and she let out a cold snort. With the knife-edged palm, she slapped the delicate face of Consort Lan!

  "Ah!" In the grand hall of Lanting, a terrified cry suddenly rang out from Rong Fei.

  Her slender hands fluttered, her eyebrows and eyes were sharp, the corners of her mouth curled up in a cold smile, as if she was a female Rakshasa.

  Everyone's pupils suddenly enlarged, Chen Fei couldn't bear to turn her head away, De Fei's face was calm, but the hand hanging down on one side involuntarily trembled slightly.

  In the midst of chaos, Lan Fei's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she fanned herself.

  Time whizzed by, traversing life and death, all around was a dead silence, like the desolate wilderness of JiMO, filled with an eerie stillness. The soul floated gently in the dark sky, everywhere was a desperate horror, all the strength in her body suddenly drained away, was it life or death? A pale-faced woman slowly opened her eyes.

  A fierce gust of wind arrived in an instant, and the eyes that had just left the darkness could not adapt to such a piercing sunlight. The pale-faced woman in blue clothes frowned slightly, but her body reacted quickly before she was aware of it. She suddenly took a step back, her right palm heavily striking down, grabbing the opponent's wrist with a slight force. Suddenly, there was a cracking sound of bones shattering, and a small grappling hand followed instantly. With a hook of the ankle, the deep red dress of Dan Fei Hong let out a loud thud as she crashed to the ground!

  "Ah!" A piercing scream filled the grand hall in an instant. Everyone was stunned, staring at this shocking turn of events, Rong Fei's beautiful eyes were wide open, speechless.

  "Niang niang! Niang niang!" Several eunuchs rushed forward, hastily pulling up the fallen Dan Fei, who was wailing and crying on the ground, causing a commotion in the scene.

  Rou Fei took the opportunity to shake off the restraints of the two lower servants, and rushed forward quickly, just about to grab Lan Fei's hand. "Sister, how are you?"

  "Who are you?" After a brief moment of confusion, Lan Fei's gaze suddenly became sharp and clear. She cautiously took a step back, looking coldly at Rong Fei who had rushed to her side, and said in a low voice: "What is this place?"

  This time, not only Rong Fei was shocked, but also Dan Fei, who was still lying on the ground. Rong Fei faced Lan Fei's sharp and icy gaze, feeling as if she had been cut by a knife, and hastily said: "Qing... Qing Xia, I am Rong Lan, what's wrong with you?"

  "Qing Xia?" Lan Fei furrowed her brow, and a rare look of contemplation and caution appeared on her pale face. Her gaze slowly turned to the surrounding crowd, filled with inquiry and vigilance. Finally, she fixed her eyes on Dan Fei, who was being helped up by others, and said in a low voice: "Don't play tricks, call your leader over, I have something to say!"

  "Older brother?" Dan Fei's beautiful eyes widened suddenly, then she suddenly realized and said in a low voice: "You're referring to the Emperor?"

  "What is a constitutional monarchy?" Princess Lan murmured, then suddenly stood up straight, her eyes scanning the surroundings and spotting a guard beside her with a dagger at his waist. With a swift movement, she stepped forward, her hands agile and quick as the wind, snatching the dagger from the guard's waist and unsheathing it with a whooshing sound. The gleaming blade flashed in the pale light of Princess Lan's face, causing the surrounding crowd to gasp in unison.

  Roufei's eyes widened in shock, staring at Lanfei with her mouth agape as she held a long knife to Danfei's neck, letting out an incredulous cry.

  "No matter who you are, let's make a deal. I have something on me that will interest you. Bring out someone in charge. Otherwise, every three minutes, I'll kill one person here, starting with you!"

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