Except for An Ningxiang, whose promotion in rank was something Xuanyuan Mo willingly granted, everyone else’s promotions were mentioned by Tang Guo, and Xuanyuan Mo simply approved them along with hers.
He was quite happy with this arrangement. Only this way, An Ningxiang would not stand out.
To rise from a concubine to Honorable Consort An in just a few years was a shocking pace of promotion when you thought about it carefully.
However, with everyone being promoted together, many people instead felt that An Ningxiang was not valued. Otherwise, how could it be that every time her family contributed to the empire and her rank was elevated, others were promoted alongside her? It was clear the emperor did not hold her in high regard.
The harem was a place filled with countless women. Over the years, many had been selected to enter, and various petty intrigues and scandals frequently surfaced.
Regardless of their rank—whether they were high-ranking consorts or lower-ranked newcomers—they all secretly vied for favor, although they weren’t quite sure what they were competing for.
After all, for so many years, the emperor had only ever visited the palace of the Imperial Noble Consort.
One peculiar phenomenon was that no matter how fiercely the high-ranking consorts fought, they never directed their schemes toward Tang Guo.
As for the lower-ranked ones, they naturally didn’t dare target her.
There was a particularly strange situation. Rumors often spread that many high-ranking consorts would visit the Imperial Noble Consort’s palace early in the morning.
When they left, their eyes were red as if they had suffered great grievances. Strangely enough, the next morning, they would return, and when they left again, many had flushed faces.
Sometimes, several high-ranking consorts would leave the palace and immediately start quarreling with each other.
“Concubine Meng De, you’ve gone too far! Just looking at the smug smile on your face makes me nauseous.”
“Concubine Yin Shu, let me warn you, if you dare pull those stunts again, I will not let you off easily.”
He Zhaoyuan chimed in at just the right moment, “If we’re talking about going too far, who can compare to the Imperial Noble Consort?”
Hearing this name, both Concubine Meng De and Concubine Yin Shu turned red-eyed and gritted their teeth in frustration, saying, “Yes, the Imperial Noble Consort is the worst! There’s no one in this palace more detestable than her!”
Recalling what had happened before, Concubine Meng De’s eyes practically spewed fire. That Imperial Noble Consort was utterly infuriating.
All she did was switch one card during a game! Yet she was punished by being banned from playing mahjong in the palace for three days. It was practically a death sentence for her!
“Concubine Meng De’s situation isn’t even the worst,” He Zhaoyuan said with a pout of grievance. She had gambled away all her savings and even made a military pledge to bet her undergarments. Normally, the Imperial Noble Consort played casually, neither winning nor losing excessively, but that day she won every round until He Zhaoyuan actually lost her undergarments. It was utterly humiliating.
Concubine Yin Shu clutched her chest in frustration. “Ah, she’s maddening.”
All she had done was boast about her winning streak one day and casually remark that the Imperial Noble Consort’s mahjong skills were merely so-so. The next thing she knew, everything she had won over three days was lost in an hour.
The three consorts exchanged glances and spat simultaneously, “Let’s go! We’ll visit the Imperial Noble Consort again tomorrow.”
They clenched their fists as they left, their expressions so filled with hatred that anyone watching would think they had a deep grudge against Tang Guo.
Meanwhile, Tang Guo sipped her tea leisurely as she surveyed the results of her efforts, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Meilan was already in complete awe, utterly impressed—her mistress truly was amazing!
“Tomorrow, He Zhaoyuan will likely bring at least two extra sets of undergarments before daring to play cards again,” Mei Lan remarked, stifling her laughter.
“Indeed,” Tang Guo replied. “And Concubine Yin Shu won’t dare to mock my card-playing skills again.”
Naturally not. Her lady’s mahjong skills were unparalleled. Who could compare?
“And to think that Concubine Meng De would stoop to cheating by switching cards. Did she really think I wouldn’t notice?”
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