"Who knows? It might be something else entirely."
Another Imperial Consort in the hall answered indifferently.
"In any case, won't we find out once Her Highness the Princess arrives?"
After finishing discussions with the Phoenix Emperor and the officials of the Phoenix Clan at the Council Hall, Li Xuanyue returned to witness this very scene.
She paused with one foot raised for a split second, then stepped inside without the slightest hesitation.
"We pay our respects to Your Highness the Princess."
Upon seeing Li Xuanyue enter from outside the hall, the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants all abruptly stopped their discussions.
After taking her seat of honor, Li Xuanyue cast her gaze over all the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants standing in the hall.
"You may all rise."
This was only the third time Li Xuanyue had summoned her Imperial Consorts and junior attendants.
Whenever they had been summoned in the past, these Imperial Consorts and junior attendants would always leave the palace either covered in bruises or unconscious.
Li Xuanyue really preferred not to recall the reasons behind this.
"I wonder for what matter the Princess has summoned us here today?"
The numerous Imperial Consorts and junior attendants exchanged glances until finally, one Imperial Consort could no longer contain his impatience and stepped forward to ask.
Li Xuanyue straightened her posture and slowly spoke, "All of you must have heard yesterday that this Palace summoned Imperial Physician Fang last night, right?"
Confusion flickered in the eyes of the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants.
What did this have to do with Imperial Physician Fang?
For the Princess to bring this up now—could it be related to Imperial Physician Fang from last night?
Who in the Phoenix Clan did not know that Imperial Physician Fang was the personal physician bestowed upon Li Xuanyue by the Phoenix Emperor herself?
For Li Xuanyue to mention this physician now...
Could something have happened to the Imperial Physician's health?
None of the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants in the hall suspected that the health issue lay with Li Xuanyue herself.
She was the eldest princess of the Phoenix Clan and very likely to become the future Crown Princess of the Phoenix Clan.
Who would dare cast suspicion upon her?
Unless that person had grown tired of living.
"Last night, Imperial Physician Fang informed this Palace that my body is unlikely to conceive heirs."
Li Xuanyue's words were like a time bomb that went "boom" right before their eyes.
Unlikely to conceive heirs!
The faces of all the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants turned pale.
What did the Hundred Clans value above all else?
Undoubtedly, it was heirs.
And now Li Xuanyue was telling them that she was unlikely to have children.
How was this any different from casting them into an abyssal abyss?
After saying this, Li Xuanyue said nothing more.
Instead, she simply observed the reactions of the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants in detail.
She noticed that apart from a trace of astonishment on the faces of the five newly entered Imperial Consorts, the rest of the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants wore varying expressions: some frowned, some had joy flickering in their eyes, and others displayed a look of utter indifference.
It was clear that these Imperial Consorts and junior attendants held no genuine affection for Li Xuanyue.
Most of them had chosen to stay here solely because of the prospect of heirs.
"This Palace has thought it over."
Seeing that all the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants had regained their initial composure, Li Xuanyue slowly continued.
"My actions in the past were wrong, but starting today, this Palace will no longer restrict you."
"If any of you wish to leave the palace, you may do so now, and this Palace can immediately have someone prepare travel funds for you to leave."
"However, let's make our terms clear beforehand: if you choose to stay, and hereafter you go behind this Palace's back to do anything detrimental to me, this Palace will immediately have people take your lives."
"Think it over carefully!"
Silence suddenly descended upon the surroundings.
The various Imperial Consorts and junior attendants secretly wondered to themselves whether they had misheard, or if this Princess Xuanyue had not woken up properly and misspoke.
Back then, hadn't she gone to great lengths and dragged them back to the Phoenix Clan against their will, disregarding their wishes?
Wasn't it all out of greed for their good looks?
And yet now she was saying she would let them leave—was this what they thought it meant?
Dissolving the inner court?
"Does Your Highness truly mean these words?"
After a long moment, an Imperial Consort with delicate and graceful features suddenly stepped forward to ask.
It wasn't that they were unwilling to believe what Li Xuanyue had said.
Rather, this decision of hers was simply too incredible for the Imperial Consorts to fathom.
Just because she was unlikely to have heirs, she was going to dissolve the inner court?
No matter how they looked at it, it sounded somewhat impractical, almost as if she were toying with the present Imperial Consorts and junior attendants for amusement.
If word of this matter were to reach the ears of the Phoenix Emperor, it would undoubtedly provoke thunderous fury.
"It is absolutely true."
Drinking the warm tea handed to her by Yinxin in her cup, Li Xuanyue answered without the slightest hesitation.
The various Imperial Consorts and junior attendants all kept their eyes fixed on their noses and their noses on their hearts, maintaining a strict silence.
"You do not need to doubt this Palace; every single word I just said was in earnest."
Li Xuanyue put down her teacup and looked toward all the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants in the hall.
"Previously, it was this Palace who was rash and failed to consider things thoroughly, which is why all of you became trapped in this inner court."
"Now this Palace has awakened to reality, and if you still refuse to believe it, there is nothing more I can do."
In her previous life, she had been muddle-headed, soft-hearted, and most fond of listening to Li Qinghe's slander.
In the end, she had been schemed against by the other party and died a miserable death.
Now, living her life over again, Li Xuanyue naturally could not repeat the same mistakes; in this lifetime, she would be a diligent princess of the Phoenix Clan, and even the Crown Princess.
The throne of the Phoenix Emperor was destined to be hers and hers alone!
As for... these Imperial Consorts and junior attendants in her palace.
In her previous life, didn't they curse her behind her back one by one, clamoring to leave her?
Now she would simply grant their wish.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, she would follow the vine to unearth the roots.
Let her see just how many chess pieces Li Qinghe had planted within her palace.
"Princess, we've caught someone."
Just after Li Xuanyue had revealed her intention to dismiss the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants of the palace, Yinxin's people apprehended someone.
"Kill them."
Useless informants were a waste of time to keep around.
"She really did that?"
The news that Li Xuanyue was going to dismiss the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants of the inner court spread throughout the entire Phoenix Clan in less than a quarter of an hour.
Confined to Chaoren Hall to reflect on her misdeeds, Li Qinghe was somewhat stunned upon hearing such an absurd piece of news.
"How could Her Imperial Majesty agree to this?"
Putting aside how ridiculous the dismissal of the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants was, she wouldn't even be able to get past the powerful ministers of the Phoenix Clan.
"Ruyue, go secretly invite Imperial Physician Fang for this Palace; I want to ask him what on earth is going on."
Li Qinghe had long since known about Li Xuanyue summoning Imperial Physician Fang for a medical consultation last night.
Could it be that this old thing was keeping something from her in private?
Otherwise, how could all of this be such a coincidence?
Li Qinghe's dark eyes sank, and the breath in her chest grew heavy along with them.
Li Feng, who had likewise heard the news, felt a boundless rage burning in the depths of her eyes.
Before lunch even arrived, she had someone summon Li Xuanyue to her presence.
"Your daughter pays respects to Her Imperial Majesty."
Ever since Li Xuanyue had made up her mind in her heart last night to dismiss the Imperial Consorts and junior attendants of the inner court as part of a scheme, she knew this matter would undoubtedly provoke Li Feng's fury.
Therefore, when she received Li Feng's summons, she behaved with the utmost submissiveness and respect.
So much so that the female official who came to summon her could not pick out a single fault.