The gossip-loving badgers present: ??!!
Cuckolded??!!
Consort Xian had cuckolded the emperor!!
The Retired Emperor was already dead, so no one would pursue the matter of the Empress Dowager cuckolding him.
But Emperor Deyuan was still alive!
Cuckolding the emperor was a grave crime of deceiving the sovereign!!
The consorts were so shocked their eyes nearly popped out!
Consort Zhuang-oh, no, Consort Xian-hadn't she always been deeply devoted to the emperor?
Back when they were still princes' consorts at the Yi Residence, they had heard Consort Xian boast endlessly about how she and the emperor were childhood sweethearts, innocent playmates with a deep bond.
Although Consort Xian wasn't his greatest favorite, the emperor still spent the night in her quarters every few days.
Even with such deep feelings, she had cheated?!
Who had she cheated with?
Was the Third Prince really the emperor's son?!
The entire Cian Palace suddenly fell silent, as though all the consorts had been frozen in place.
The consorts' eyes burned with curiosity, but the titled ladies trembled with fear.
The gossip was delicious-one bite only made them crave another-but this melon was far too explosive. What if they were killed to keep them quiet?!
Never mind how devoutly the Empress Dowager worshipped Buddha, with "Amitabha" on her lips every day. To reach her current position, she had taken no small number of lives.
The road to the pinnacle of power was often strewn with corpses.
Consort Xian was the Empress Dowager's niece, and they were in Cian Palace. Wiping them all out in one sweep would be child's play for the Empress Dowager.
In the eyes of those above them, their lives were worth no more than ants'.
The titled ladies dared not look around. They lowered their heads and stared at their toes; the