...

Outside the palace.

Zui Yichun sat in the carriage with Madam Zui.

"Mother, why hasn’t elder sister sent someone yet? Look how the sun is blazing. Could it be she deliberately wants to tan my skin so the Emperor won’t fancy me? Why is her heart so vicious?"

Zui Yichun lifted the carriage curtain with one hand, glaring towards the palace gate and loudly criticizing Zui Yiming’s malicious actions.

"Hush!"

Madam Zui nearly raised her hand to cover her daughter’s mouth upon hearing her words.

In the end, she only made a silencing gesture, not doing anything to her daughter.

"Chun’er, are you crazy? Ming’er may be your elder sister, but she’s the Empress. How can you speak like this? It’s a crime of great disrespect!"

Not that she thought her daughter was wrong, as she herself believed Zui Yiming had ulterior motives, deliberately keeping them waiting at the palace gate for so long.

But what does that matter?

Others wouldn’t think so. The guards at the palace gate wouldn’t care what they felt inside.

If they heard Zui Yichun speaking ill of Zui Yiming, they might report these words back to her ears just to earn merit.

Then, the notion of relying on Zui Yiming to get her daughter into the palace would be impossible.

But Zui Yichun didn’t consider much of this. Hearing her mother’s words, she instead scoffed dismissively, not feeling her words warranted caution.

"Mother, what are you afraid of? No matter how capable Zui Yiming is, isn’t she still a daughter of the Zui Family? If you ask her to do something, won’t she obediently do it?

Now we’re just asking her to mention to the Emperor about making me a consort. Can she really refuse?

I’m not aiming to take her position as Empress right now. I’ll heed you and father’s words and let her keep it a few more years. What’s there for her to be dissatisfied about?"

"You—"

Madam Zui was almost frightened to death by her daughter’s words.

"Shut up!"

Were these words appropriate at this time? Speaking without a filter—is survival in the palace even possible?

"Chun’er, the whole inner palace is filled with your elder sister’s people. If you keep talking recklessly, your elder sister won’t spare you, do you understand?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

She warned Zui Yichun.

"Hmph."

Zui Yichun scoffed even more dismissively.

"Mother, you’re just too cautious. Can Zui Yiming really stir up any big trouble? Once I enter the palace, this inner palace will be mine. What is Zui Yiming worth? She’s not even fit to carry my shoes.

If she dares to harm me, I’ll reveal her secret origins... uh!"

Zui Yichun’s words weren’t finished before Madam Zui quickly covered her mouth.

"Zui Yichun, do you want to get yourself killed?"

Madam Zui’s heart pounded fiercely, nearly leaping out of her throat.

"You fool, your father and I have paved the way for you all this time. Was it easy? Yet you’re still unrestrained. At this rate, even if you enter the palace, you won’t survive long!"

"Mother—"

How could Zui Yiming comply? Hearing her belittling remarks, she immediately felt displeased.

"Shut up!"

Madam Zui didn’t give her a chance to speak.

"Do you really think Zui Yiming spent all those years in Prince Niu’s Mansion doing nothing?"

"Then what can she do?"