The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 198 The Past of Lingxi

Changning Hall.

"Sister Jiang, do you think my lotus embroidery is good?"

The speaker was a beautiful young woman with her hair draped down her back. She wore a light pink palace dress and had large, bright eyes. She was very well-behaved and cute. She was a concubine who entered the palace last year and her name was Shen Mengru.

A woman dressed as a concubine walked over. She had beautiful features, fair skin, and slightly parted lips. "Oh, the embroidery is so beautiful. I only knew that you were good at playing the zither, but I didn't expect that your embroidery skills were also so outstanding." She took the embroidery and examined it carefully.

This person is none other than Consort Jiang, who was newly appointed this year. Although her appearance is not the most outstanding among the newly appointed concubines, she has a unique temperament.

"Sister, you flatter me. Your embroidery skills are truly superb. I'm just making a fool of myself," Shen Mengru said, feeling a little embarrassed.

They both entered the palace last year, but now one is still a concubine, while the other is already a noble lady in a high-ranking position. Logically speaking, one is the mistress and the other is the servant.

“Why belittle yourself, sister? I’m just lucky. You’ll definitely be chosen by His Majesty this year.” Jiang Qing knew that Shen Mengru was down because she wasn’t selected last year, so she comforted her.

Shen Mengru felt a little aggrieved. "Besides that, I feel stifled in the palace, and I also want to be with my sister all the time."

Consort Jiang smiled and said, "We became fast friends the day we entered the palace. If you hadn't saved me that day, I'm afraid I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."

Not long after entering the palace last year, the concubines all had to pay their respects to the former Consort Yu. But for some reason, a bead slipped off the road that day.

Jiang Qing didn't see clearly and stepped on the beads, almost falling into the pool next to her. Fortunately, Shen Mengru behind her caught her quickly and saved her from disaster.

"Given Consort Yu's former glory, my falling into the pond is a minor matter, but my misconduct during the selection process will forever disqualify me from entering the palace."

Jiang Qing took Shen Mengru's hand and said warmly, "I also hope you can be selected, so we can have a companion."

Shen Mengru was deeply moved and said, "Sister has taken good care of me, helped me manage the palace servants and smooth things over. If I am fortunate enough to receive your favor in the future, I will never forget your kindness."

After saying that, Shen Mengru looked up at the window, blinked and said, "It's getting late, I have to go back to Lingxi Palace, otherwise the head aunt will be checking the rooms."

Jiang Qing was a little reluctant to leave. "Why don't we stay here tonight and have a heart-to-heart talk?"

“I know my sister treats me well, but this is against the rules of the palace, and I don’t want to be a burden to my sister.”

“Mengru…”

Seeing that Shen Mengru was very insistent, Jiang Qing did not try to stop her any longer and instructed his personal maid, Xiao Zhao, to personally escort her back to Lingxi Palace.

Shen Mengru then agreed.

Lingxi Palace.

This is where the young women stay after entering the palace. Those who are not selected in the first year are called "selected attendants" and are kept until the second year. If they are still not selected, they can be released from the palace to marry on their own.

Shen Mengru was one of the selected concubines. There were eighteen other selected concubines like her this year, and everyone wanted to rise to prominence and bring glory to their ancestors, so they all harbored their own ulterior motives.

As soon as Shen Mengru stepped into the inner courtyard of Lingxi Palace, she heard a strange, sarcastic voice.

"Oh, isn't this Consort Shen from Puyang Township? What brings you to curry favor with Consort Jiang again today?"

Then another concubine's voice came, "It's only because Consort Jiang is kind-hearted that she could form a bond with Consort Jiang, otherwise, how could someone from such a small place like her?"

That way, Shen Mengru would hear it every time she went to Changning Palace, so she simply ignored it and quickened her pace toward her room.

She slammed the door shut before she dared to relax, a tear sliding down her cheek. Why? Why did they all have to laugh at her?

Although she was just the daughter of a minor official, she was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and cooking, and was the pride of her parents. Therefore, she was determined to make something of herself. But how come she became nothing here, and was targeted and ridiculed at every turn?

Shen Mengru walked to the dressing table, took out a wooden box from the drawer, which was filled with beads of various sizes.

That's right, it was she who caused Jiang Qing to slip and fall that day.

All the talk of sisterly affection was fake. When she first entered the palace, she was assigned to share a room with Jiang Qing. Jiang Qing was beautiful and kind, and not only that, she was also of noble birth, being the daughter of a scholar from the capital.

Despite her humble status and outstanding abilities, she was overshadowed by Jiang Qing's brilliance.

It's human nature to fawn over the powerful and flatter the weak, especially in the imperial palace. Shen Mengru couldn't stand it anymore; she wanted Jiang Qing to disappear, which was why she scattered beads along the way beforehand. Unexpectedly, she stepped on a bead herself that day. She desperately tried to grab the railing, but by a twist of fate, Jiang Qing mistook her for someone else saving her.

The two got along "good" like this. Shen Mengru hated Jiang Qing's appearance, but she couldn't refuse Jiang Qing's advances because no one wanted to travel with her. Moreover, Jiang Qing's relationship could indeed bring some convenience.

Shen Mengru originally intended to continue pretending, but she never expected that Jiang Qing would be chosen as a noble person. How could she bear it?

She asked herself, aside from family background, that she was no less capable than Jiang Qing, so why was fate so unfair to her? She was unwilling to accept it. Therefore, she often sought opportunities to go to Jiang Qing's palace, hoping to run into Emperor Jing.

However, Emperor Jing was not fond of beautiful women, and apart from the day Jiang Qing was conferred her title, he never saw her again.

"What I want, I must have. Jiang Qing, what gives you the right?" Shen Mengru's face in the mirror was full of hatred, a stark contrast to her obedient demeanor in front of Jiang Qing today.