Ning Wanwan had no idea she was so influential; she simply hadn't expected Pei Jinxiu to actually release Zhong Qing based on a single word from her.
"The Zhong Family and the Lin Family have contributed significantly to the imperial court during the recent floods in the south. Out of consideration for you and the Zhong Family, I have decided to release her. I will consider restoring her rank once she demonstrates better behavior," Pei Jinxiu said gently, holding Ning Wanwan’s hand.
Ning Wanwan had been going through her monthly cycle for the past few days, during which Pei Jinxiu had been visiting others, a fact that still left her feeling somewhat bothered. It was a strange irony; she had never wanted to be involved with Pei Jinxiu to begin with, yet after it happened, she had to console herself by remembering he was the Emperor. She was but one of many concubines in his harem, and a consort had to possess the awareness befitting her station.
After Pei Jinxiu left, Lüqiu walked in to find Ning Wanwan lost in thought.
"Your Ladyship, while you were indisposed these past few days, His Majesty has been at the Yangxin Palace reviewing memorials the entire time," Lüqiu said, suppressing a smile as she offered comfort.
"Is that so?" Ning Wanwan replied, sounding skeptical.
"Eunuch Li told me himself. The floods in the south have been giving His Majesty such a headache that he hasn't had the heart to favor anyone else."
Hearing this, Ning Wanwan felt a weight lift from her heart. "How are things with Zhong Qing?" she asked. She hoped that in freeing Zhong Qing, she wouldn't be disappointed.
"Talented Lady Zhong knows that her framing case was inextricably linked to Beauty Chan, so she is already preparing a counterattack. However, when the Zhong Family heard about her situation in the palace, they sent her younger half-sister into the palace to curry favor."
Ning Wanwan couldn't help but glance aside.
"Your Ladyship, you might have backed the wrong horse. You’d better get your money ready to pay up," Lüqiu remarked.
"Who exactly is the mistress here?" Ning Wanwan asked, caught between laughter and tears.
"Naturally, it is you, Your Ladyship," Lüqiu said with a grin.
Lüqiu walked over to massage Ning Wanwan’s shoulders, whispering ingratiatingly, "I heard that Talented Lady Zhong and her half-sister are like fire and water. If that sister enters the palace and joins forces with Beauty Chan, tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"Then what should I do? I was counting on her to help me fight Beauty Chan and Talented Lady Lin; those two are bent on dragging me down with them," Ning Wanwan said anxiously, pressing a hand onto Lüqiu’s.
"I have a plan, but I don't know if Your Ladyship has the heart for it," Lüqiu said.
"What is there to lack heart for? I can let go of anything. If we don't act now, it will be even harder to deal with them once Beauty Chan gives birth." Ning Wanwan was truly afraid; she had been forced into the cutthroat life of the harem.
"Let me ask you first: is the Ning Family more important, or is His Majesty?"
"What do you mean by that?" Ning Wanwan asked, puzzled.
"Exactly what I said."
Ning Wanwan answered without hesitation, "The Ning Family, of course." She wasn't a fool; without the backing of the Ning Family as a giant tree to shelter her, she and Pei Jinxiu would likely have had nothing to do with each other.
"I hope you truly mean that," Lüqiu said, clearly unconvinced. In her eyes, Ning Wanwan was hopelessly love-struck.
"Just tell me what the plan is," Ning Wanwan urged, overcome with curiosity.
"To catch the wolf, you must be willing to sacrifice the cub. You must help Talented Lady Zhong regain favor and restore her rank, but the price is that you must be willing to let His Majesty visit her."
"Once Talented Lady Zhong topples Beauty Chan, wouldn't it be far more logical for the child she bears to be raised at your knee? We wouldn't just be eliminating those who intend to drag you down; we would also gain a child for free. It’s killing two birds with one stone, Your Ladyship."
Ning Wanwan felt that Lüqiu’s proposal required further consideration. To her surprise, Lüqiu mistook this for a reluctance to share Pei Jinxiu’s exclusive favor, and sighed in frustration. "Your Ladyship, you must think of the Chancellor's Estate! You are currently unable to conceive. Are you just going to sit back and watch those women give birth to His Majesty’s children one by one? Once they gain status through their offspring, we won't stand a chance."
"Mountains crumble, and trees fall; we can only rely on ourselves to stand tall in the inner palace," Lüqiu urged earnestly.
Ning Wanwan understood this all too well. Having been here so long, she felt her own mindset slowly being assimilated. In an era like this, what difference was there between a consort who could not bear children and someone completely useless, if she also lacked imperial favor?
"Then let it be done as you say," Ning Wanwan said, feeling a weary heaviness. At times, one truly could not measure everything here with modern thoughts; one's survival was dictated by the environment.