A sharp, searing pain exploded across Hua Jing’s face.
Her head snapped to the side, a loud ringing echoing in her ears. The sheer force of the slap nearly sent her stumbling, but she caught herself at the last mont, her fists clenching at her sides.
The tallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
She spat onto the floor, crimson droplets staining the pristine tiles of her courtyard.
Slowly, deliberately, she lifted her gaze, her burning eyes locking onto the group of won who had dared to barge into her compound.
The first consort.
The third consort.
The fourth consort.
The fifth consort.
The sixth consort.
All of them stood before her, still dressed in the elegant robes they had worn at the emperor’s banquet. But the regal grace they once carried had been replaced with sothing much uglier—rage, resentnt, and raw hostility.
Hua Jing’s eyes darkened.
And the one who had slapped her?
None other than the first consort.
The woman stood tall, her face twisted with fury. "What did you do to the prince?" she demanded, her voice shaking with barely restrained anger.
Hua Jing wiped the blood from her lips, her expression turning cold. "What do you an?" she asked, her voice deadly calm.
The fourth consort scoffed.
"What do we an?" she sneered. "You were the one sitting next to him! You were the one who spent days alone with him on your honeymoon! And now, the mont he returns, he collapses? If you didn’t do sothing to him, then who did?"
Hua Jing let out a humorless chuckle.
"So, your logic is that because I was the last person to be with him, I must be responsible?"
The sixth consort folded her arms, her sharp gaze narrowing. "Isn’t it obvious?"
Hua Jing sighed. She was beyond exhausted dealing with these brainless won.
"And if I had truly done sothing," she asked mockingly, "do you think I would still be here, sitting calmly, waiting for you all to march into my compound and slap like so cheap palace drama villain?"
The fourth consort’s face twisted with rage. "How dare you speak to us like that?"
Hua Jing tilted her head.
"Am I not speaking to you?" she said dryly. "Or was I having a conversation with the air?"
The insult hung in the air, sharp as a dagger.
The fourth consort visibly bristled. The third consort, though mostly silent, stood in quiet agreent, her presence only adding weight to their numbers.
The first consort stepped forward, her expression cold and severe. "You have a lot of sins to atone for."
Hua Jing remained still, unmoved by the empty accusation.
"In the palace," the first consort continued, her voice dripping with condescension, "there are rules. You are the youngest, the newest consort. You should be respectful to those above you."
Hua Jing’s lips curled into a smirk.
"As far as I’m concerned," she said slowly, "you and I hold the sa title. Or did the emperor secretly grant you the rank of empress while I wasn’t looking?"
The first consort’s face drained of color before flushing an angry red.
"You insolent—"
"Oh, and another thing." Hua Jing tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If I recall correctly, the only reason you were made the first consort is because you were married first, correct?"
The room fell into a stunned silence.
The first consort’s hands clenched at her sides, shaking with barely controlled fury.
She shouted, "Who do you think you are talking to?!"
Hua Jing sighed, growing tired of the theatrics. "Why do you all keep asking ’who do you think you are speaking to’? I’m obviously speaking to you." She rolled her eyes. "Or would you rather I just remain silent?"
The tension in the room thickened.
The consorts’ faces burned with a mixture of anger, humiliation, and sothing else—resentnt.
Resentnt that they had to kneel before Hua Jing in front of the emperor.
Resentnt that Zhao Yan had held her hand so tightly during the banquet.
Resentnt that she had been given the special phoenix robe.
Resentnt that, in just a few weeks, she had already gained more attention from the prince than they had in years.
Hua Jing took a step forward, her eyes glinting dangerously.
"What do you want from ?" she asked flatly. "If you have nothing useful to say, then get the hell out of my compound!"
The first consort’s expression twisted into sothing dark and dangerous.
"What we want from you?" she repeated, stepping closer. "What we want is simple."
Her voice lowered, thick with venom.
"We want to know what you did to the prince to make him collapse like that."
Hua Jing let out a short, exasperated laugh.
"I did nothing."
"If you did nothing," the first consort sneered, "then you will have no problem coming in for questioning."
Hua Jing’s eyes narrowed.
Questioning?
Her stomach twisted at the word.
What kind of questioning did they an?
Before she could respond, Xia Lin, who had been standing behind her, suddenly pushed forward despite her injured leg.
"My lady," Xia Lin warned, her voice urgent. "Do not listen to them! Do not accept the questioning!"
She hadn’t even finished speaking before a hand grabbed her roughly by the arm, yanking her back.
The fourth consort.
Hua Jing’s expression darkened instantly.
Without thinking, she shoved the fourth consort away, sending the woman stumbling backward.
"Do not touch her."
Her voice was low, filled with quiet, burning fury.
The fourth consort, who had been so bold just monts ago, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
That look...
It wasn’t the look of a re consort.
It was the look of soone who could tear her apart.
Hua Jing quickly bent down and helped Xia Lin up, her grip steady, her entire body radiating protectiveness.
Just then—
"Guards!"
The first consort’s sharp voice cut through the tense silence.
Heavy footsteps thundered from outside as palace guards stord into the courtyard.
Hua Jing turned to face them, her back straight, her eyes blazing with defiance.
The first consort pointed an accusing finger directly at her.
"Take her to questioning!" she ordered.
"She is the one who poisoned the prince!"
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