The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

"Is that so? Furen Mu made you kowtow like this?" Consort Jia asked with a darkened gaze.

Those who were unaware of the situation looked at each other discreetly. Initially, they believed that Furen Mu had indeed punished this ignorant person by ordering her to kowtow. After all, such punishment was quite common. Even some of the furens present used this method to discipline their servants.

However, when it comes to others being punished, it feels different. Seeing a servant cry from another woman’s punishment suddenly evoked sympathy, even though they themselves had imposed harsher punishments on their own servants!

Such is the depth of human nature. No one truly knows what others think or decide. In the presence of others, expressing pity for the punished serves to enhance one’s image, a practice that has always been prevalent.

"Yes, Furen ordered me to punish myself, so I had to obey her command."

"So, you knew the severity of your crime, didn’t you?" Upon hearing this question, the court lady began to realize that the one asking showed no mercy towards her. From sitting with her back facing, she slowly turned to look at the person behind her, her head drenched in blood.

"C-Consort Jia!" The young court lady suddenly felt an inexplicable chill. Seeing the stern and rule-abiding Consort Jia made her feel as if she was facing the worst day of her life!

Consort Jia’s reputation was no small matter. Even the court ladies serving the Emperor feared her. Everyone knew how much the Emperor admired Consort Jia’s decisions.

He often spoke about it to the Empresses and even the concubines, urging them to take Consort Jia as an example in managing people. Such orders instilled fear among the court ladies.

Whenever they saw Consort Jia, they immediately corrected their posture, avoiding any deviation that might displease her. But having ridden the tiger, how could they dismount? Despite trembling with fear, the young court lady continued with her planned words.

"I-I am guilty of not knowing that Furen Mu was still injured, so..."

"You didn’t know? As a court lady in the palace, you didn’t know this? Were you unaware of the selection process for sending court ladies to assist at Mu manor? If that’s the case, you must have been neglecting your duties and the orders of your superiors." As soon as Consort Jia arrived, she immediately listed the court lady’s offenses, not giving her a chance to defend herself.

"And then there’s the matter of making a loud protest while being punished, knowing full well that you were guilty. This shows disrespect towards the orders of important individuals. For these two offenses, you deserve 150 lashes."

"Furthermore, your intent to distort the truth is evident. I’ve listened to everything from start to finish and know that you’ve twisted the facts, causing discord among the officials. This offense merits 200 lashes and being sold into the slave market. Altogether, your punishment amounts to 350 lashes. If you survive, you’ll be sold into the slave market. Of course, I am not the master of this household, but I will report this to your superior."

Upon hearing this, the young court lady’s fear turned into a glimmer of hope. If Noble Consort Wei handled the matter, perhaps she might survive.

Seeing the spark in the court lady’s eyes, Consort Jia understood that this action of the young court lady had been secretly supported by someone. So, she intentionally crushed her hopes with a cold tone.

"After reporting to Noble Consort Wei, I will also inform His Majesty. The palace must have court ladies who are more diligent in their duties. If someone like you slips through with malicious intentions, it will cause even greater trouble in the future."

As soon as Consort Jia finished speaking, the bright sky of the court lady’s hopes collapsed in front of her. The young court lady could only sit there, mouth agape, watching Consort Jia walk away after sentencing her to death!

Yes! 350 lashes—how could she survive that? She was human, not some immortal demon. How could she possibly endure such a beating? Even if she survived, what choices would she have other than death? Being sold into the slave market? How could that be possible?! It would be better for her to die!

Who would have thought that a small attempt to please her superior today would ultimately lead to her death?!

"Consort Jia, please have mercy. I was wrong. Please..." The young court lady hurriedly knelt and begged. But everyone knew that Consort Jia’s punishments were final. Even if it were the Second Prince, her husband, or even the Emperor, they would need a good reason to intervene. She was confident that she was following every rule of the palace to the letter. Anyone who wanted to challenge her would have to present the rule book to do so.

Given this, who would dare dispute her punishment of a servant? In the end, the young court lady was dragged away by the guards, and the incident became a small, widely discussed joke.

Rumors quickly spread that a court lady of Noble Consort Wei had attempted to frame Furen Mu but was decisively dealt with by Consort Jia. Because Furen Mu and Noble Consort Wei had a history of conflict, people paid a lot of attention to them. However, in the end, once inside the tea party garden, everyone kept their mouths shut, wary of offending anyone.

It wasn’t like the old days when she was just Eldest Young Miss Wei. Now, as Noble Consort Wei, if she were displeased and reported them to the Emperor for disrespect, it could bring disaster upon them.

Yueqian had also arrived at the banquet venue. The garden was grand and well-suited for such events. Unlike typical banquets with wide-open areas for women to sit upright and scrutinize each other, this garden offered much privacy. There were several small pavilions and cozy nooks for relaxing.

In the center stood a large pavilion where the host sat, elegantly and calmly welcoming everyone. Upon arrival, everyone had to pay their respects. Those whom the host wished to converse with were invited to stay in the central pavilion. Those of lower rank or lesser acquaintance were directed to various spots where court ladies were prepared to greet them.

This truly was an invitation to eat and drink together. Every seating area had a clear view of the central performances, making it a perfect place to relax.

Unfortunately, this place was off-limits. Normally, unless it was a reception hosted by His Majesty himself, no one could use this place to hold a banquet. Even the Empress had only used it once for a gathering. So, when everyone heard that Noble Consort Wei had been granted permission to host her event here, they were all filled with envy.

Given that the position of Noble Consort is significantly lower than that of the Empress, it was quite remarkable that Noble Consort Wei received the same privileges as the Empress. This was a clear indication of true favor, which could easily shake the Empress’s position.

Yueqian, being a guest at the event, had to greet Noble Consort Wei out of courtesy. The beautiful woman walked slowly and gracefully, with the gentle breeze adding to her ethereal presence, making her seem almost otherworldly.

Such a captivating display naturally drew the attention of the concubines and even the noble consort herself. The eyes of the beautiful hostess fixed on her slender rival. Previously, Yueqian had a large belly from pregnancy, but now, after childbirth, she had regained her slender figure. This demonstrated excellent care, a topic of conversation among the concubines and furens from various families.

Some even expressed a desire to ask Furen Mu about her postpartum care methods. Yueqian was always known for her beauty, which people initially thought that it was because she was born beautiful. However, now everyone’s opinion was changing.

It was impossible for a woman to regain her pre-pregnancy figure so quickly. Furen Mu’s skin was as good as before, and her face wasn’t pale and gaunt like those who had recently given birth. The most intriguing aspect was her weight—how could she return to her original shape so quickly after giving birth? Some women, less fortunate, gained weight after childbirth, unable to lose it no matter how little they ate, while others were lucky enough to shed the weight in a few months.

Unbelievably, the hottest topic recently was Yueqian’s figure and her postpartum care routine, second only to the royal decree aiding refugees.

"Greetings to Noble Consort Wei," Yueqian gave a slight bow. She didn’t bow deeply, not just because she had recently given birth, but also because her current status was arguably higher than Noble Consort Wei’s. Nevertheless, she adhered to etiquette, not wanting others to think she had become the Honored Furen and was oppressing others.

Meanwhile, the furens around her also rose to show their respect when Yueqian arrived. Even Noble Consort Wei, who greatly disliked Yueqian, had to adhere to the Emperor’s decree appointing Yueqian. She couldn’t oppose it because doing so would only harm herself. Even if Yueqian acted magnanimously, people would still talk, causing Noble Consort Wei harm regardless.

"Don’t stand on ceremony, Furen Mu. You are now an honored furen; there’s no need to treat me like a stranger," Noble Consort Wei, having become more skilled in her speech since entering the palace, spoke with flowery words. She no longer carried herself with the arrogance she once had, having learned many things here.

"You are the noble consort; how could I not pay my respects?" Yueqian was equally adept at such performances, though she often found them tiresome and thus chose to present herself as a headstrong woman.

"In terms of rank, I should be the one bowing to you. Shall we take turns bowing to each other then?" Noble Consort Wei smiled playfully, as if teasing a friend. She acted as if the matter of her wanting to become Yueqian’s husband’s concubine had never occurred.

The corner of Yueqian’s mouth twitched slightly. She waved her hand lightly. Internally, she wanted to say, "Wrong. I don’t need to bow to you; you should be bowing to me." However, the image of her husband depended on her actions. Yueqian would not display a narrow-minded attitude. A nobleman’s wife should not be seen as petty, lest her husband’s character be questioned and deemed as narrow-minded as well. This could lead to the public assuming they were corrupt, even without any wrongdoing.

Indeed, the voices from the inner quarters often reach the front!

However, before Yueqian could respond, someone else acted on her behalf. Naturally, it was none other than Consort Jia, who valued protocol above her own reputation.

"Furen Mu," Consort Jia greeted Yueqian first upon her arrival, a scene that left everyone momentarily stunned, though they quickly understood its significance.

Earlier, Noble Consort Wei’s flowery language made it seem as though nothing had happened between her and Furen Mu. However, when someone made such a comparison, look at Consort Jia... she immediate bow to Yueqian upon her arrival. As the First Ranked Furen, Yueqian’s position was comparable to the Empress. If the Empress were present, everyone, including the prince’s consorts and the noble consort herself, would have to pay their respects.

However, earlier Noble Consort Wei had not even stood to wait for Furen Mu. The seating arrangements were not properly ordered, with Furen Mu’s position clearly of higher rank. Yet, Noble Consort Wei had placed herself at the head of the table, with others surrounding her, relegating Furen Mu’s seat to the outer circle.

What was this behavior called? Wasn’t it a clear indication that she considered Furen Mu inferior to herself?

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