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The situation turned in an instant.

"Good!" A shout of approval rang out in everyone’s ears.

The crowd saw Consort Xu De wearing a calm smile, slowly walking forward from the group, "clap clap" beginning to applaud, step by step.

The remaining servants in the Huaqing Palace started to step backwards as if some danger was approaching.

Consort Xu De was genuinely applauding Noble Consort Xue, these steps and traps, true or false, were all just to ensnare her and leave her with nowhere to go.

She thought to herself, Xue Wanjun was not one to be easily manipulated. Why else would there be all talk and no action after her arrival, looking anxious but actually doing nothing?

With such noise, she had not dealt with it discreetly. The Huaqing Palace and Huaying Hall were not far from each other, the Noble Consort had received the message early. If she had really cared, wouldn’t she have arrived earlier instead of waiting until half the people were dealt with?

More suspiciously, before Granny Gan started shouting loudly, the Noble Consort was being supported by someone walking towards this side, moving very slowly, not appearing as if critically ill.

If she were really in a hurry, why move so slowly?

She only started to move quickly when she saw her whipping Granny Gan, and only then did she call for it to stop.

After her people stopped her, Noble Consort Xue only scolded loudly, and when the whipping was almost done, she ordered her people to barge in. After coming over, she even leisurely joined the fight like playing Tai Chi, no longer caring about Granny Gan’s life or death.

Looking back, she realized that although Noble Consort Xue appeared furious, she hadn’t actually done anything significant so far.

It wasn’t until the servant being tied to the tree was nearly killed that the Noble Consort suddenly ordered to save him.

Once it was certain the person was dead, Noble Consort Xue’s demeanor changed entirely, switching from being on the defensive to taking the offensive.

Xue Wanjun truly was a master of manipulation, acting opportunistically, blending reality with deceit so convincingly, as if it were all an act, yet also real.

Regarding the grand spectacle she orchestrated today, Xue Wanjun wanted neither to stop nor let it go entirely; her true intention was never just to stop it, but to permanently disable her from any comeback, thus resolving her as a problem once and for all.

If there was a chance for Xue Wanjun to leave her dead, would she still care whether to stop the spectacle or not?

Does Xue Wanjun care about the servant who was beaten to death? Not in the slightest; on the contrary, she is pleased, allowing her to shoulder a reputation for bloodthirstiness!

Does Xue Wanjun care about Granny Gan who was beaten? Not at all, but it helps tag her with a reputation of cruelty!

All these people kneeling and waiting to be dealt with, these Managers scared out of their wits, does Xue Wanjun care? She cares and yet she does not!

Xue Wanjun cares about the value these people bring her, not their lives.

As long as Xue Wanjun brings her down, how these people are handled is still up to Xue Wanjun.

If these Managers do not comply then, Xue Wanjun has hundreds of methods to make them obey, and replacing them with someone more compliant would be effortless.

With Xue Wanjun’s tactics, she just couldn’t believe these Managers didn’t have some vulnerable points left in her hands!

How brilliant, she strikes at the core of the problem, and the remainder is not formidable. Probably she began to plan as soon as she received the news; her intellect truly is extraordinary, devising such a strategy in just a short time!

If this conflict hadn’t seemed prepared and deliberate, even she might have been fooled.

If her guesses were correct, these last two eunuchs were probably the finishing touch...

Consort Xu De, full of smiles, crouched down to pick up the weapon clenched tightly in Sha Qiandao’s hand, who then climbed up, glaring furiously at her.

Ming Jing and Ming Xin closely followed behind Consort Xu De, on guard for any changes.

Upon picking up the weapon, she recognized it indeed: it was an arrow from her father’s troops. The arrow looked old, not new, but its blade was still in good condition.

She stood up and walked a few steps to the center, displaying the arrow in front of everyone and asked the Noble Consort, "Consort, how did you come by an arrow from outside the palace? How long have you hidden it? Did you know there was an archery target in my palace and planned to play a thief crying ’catch the thief’? "

Arrows, as weapons, should not easily be brought into the palace.

With the weapon being an open-bladed arrow used to injure someone in the Huaqing Palace and originating from her father’s troop, she would be unable to clear her name when the time came. The Noble Consort indeed played her cards well.

Consort Xue glanced at Sha Qiandao and then said coldly, "This palace does not know what you are talking about."

Consort Xu De played with the arrow in her hand with a chilling tone, "Then, you should at least recognize these two. How did they come into possession of General Xu’s arrow and even attempted to assassinate me, what explanation does the Consort have for this?"

At that moment, Sha Qiandao suddenly burst into tears, "Consort Xu De is arrogant and brutally fierce, ruthlessly beating my Master Rong to death. Heaven is blind! Master Rong, your servant is useless, unable to avenge you for many years, I might as well follow you in death!"

"No!" Consort Xu De turned her head to stop him.

But it was too late. Sha Qiandao and the eunuch had already collapsed to the ground, spitting black blood.

Ming Jing quickly crouched to check them and shook his head at Consort De. These two had hidden poison capsules in their molars and had bitten through them to commit suicide.

The crowd in the hall trembled, feeling the situation become increasingly complicated and incomprehensible.

Consort Xu De’s expression was stern. She hadn’t anticipated that the Noble Consort would take such drastic measures for today’s event, cold-hearted and brutal enough to force people into suicide to avoid implicating herself.

If her guess was correct, these two must have had connections with a palace concubine she had whipped years ago. She had forgotten the concubine’s full name and status, not expecting to be reminded of it today.

Master Rong, eh!

The Noble Consort had really been wary of her, planning for many years and gathering people around her for this very moment!

Very well played. In doing so, the Noble Consort has managed to extricate herself neatly!

As Consort Xu De had predicted, the Noble Consort explained herself cleanly, claiming that she was deceived by traitors, fortunate that the plot hadn’t resulted in severe consequences.

"Consort De, I was misled and nearly wronged myself. However, since the culprits are now dead, and you were unharmed, let’s leave it at that."

She did not accuse Xu Rong Ying of being cruel or bloodthirsty, and Xu Rong Ying, in turn, no longer pursued the matter of the arrow.

Consort Xu De wiped her whip again and again, remaining silent. As long as she kept quiet, no other voices would rise in the hall, making the Noble Consort seem like she was performing a solo act.

She knew she could only swallow her pride and endure, unable to contend with the Noble Consort.

Finally, she said, "Consort, if you are so easily deceived, it must be a disturbance in your mind, no wonder you harbor so many cunning servants. Since you want to drop the matter, so be it. I still have duties to attend to, so I won’t detain you any longer, preventing you from catching a chill. Please return."

The Noble Consort smiled faintly. Indeed, today had not gone as planned, but what of it?

She had not been defeated yet and wasn’t about to leave so easily.