Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 84: Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger

Having received praise from the Noble Consort, Nanny Chen was very pleased, yet she did not show it on her face, still bowing her head respectfully and saying, "This servant only discovered this now and does not deserve Consort’s praise, this servant truly feels guilty."

The Noble Consort gave a slight smile, knowing that the old servant was still afraid that she would blame her for previous inefficiencies, and thus declared, "Nanny has worked hard, it is your merit, and this palace will not forget it."

Nanny Chen was relieved, knowing she had passed this test, and with a flattering smile, she said, "Thank you, Consort, this servant is willing to work tirelessly for you."

At that point, she hesitated slightly and added, "Consort, there are still a few unclear points. One is that this Daying Lian seems to have appeared out of nowhere; my people have asked around and no one knows her background or why she has entered the palace; the second is why Lian Bingcheng, who was living well, suddenly moved—there must be some unspeakable secrets involved that need further investigation before I can report back to you."

It was better to clarify these matters with the Consort in advance to avoid being questioned later and unable to respond, which would result in punishment.

Having had a string of bad days, today finally brought some good news, and the Noble Consort relaxed completely, picking up her cup of tea and slowly taking a sip, saying,

"No worries, just carefully investigate. Since it has been confirmed that this Little Daying has forged her identity to enter the palace, finding out these matters is a matter of time. However, these alone are not enough; her real identity and background must also be uncovered."

This way, no potential threats would be left, and they could firmly grasp all the cards, ensuring that if they decided to accuse her, they could do so thoroughly.

Upon receiving this command from the Noble Consort, Nanny Chen promptly responded, "Yes, yes, yes, since we have a lead, there are surely more clues. I am already scheming; Lian Bingcai, the inept brother of Lian Bingcheng, is under my watch. I’ve ordered people to set a trap for him to fall into, and once we have him in our hands, extracting his words should not be difficult."

The Noble Consort nodded in satisfaction and said, "Hmm, very good, I entrust you with this task. If well done, you will be richly rewarded by this palace."

Overjoyed by these words, Nanny Chen bowed and said, "Thank you, Consort, this servant will not disappoint your expectations."

The Noble Consort "hmmed" in acknowledgment, put down her tea cup, and said, "If there is nothing else, you may leave."

Nanny Chen remembered she had to report about Beauty Li, and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Consort, this servant has another matter to report. Just on my way here, I learned something, but thought to report about Daying Lian first, and then talk to you about it."

With the Consort in a pleasant mood, leaning back in her chair, she said, "What is it, speak."

With the Consort’s permission, Nanny Chen continued, "Yes, this servant heard that just this afternoon, His Majesty went to the Imperial Garden for a stroll..."

Before she could finish, the Noble Consort interrupted, "What? His Majesty went to the Imperial Garden just now?"

Upon hearing the words ’His Majesty’, the Noble Consort exclaimed in surprise, wondering why His Majesty was in the mood to visit the Imperial Garden.

Nanny Chen nodded repeatedly, "Yes, it’s true, His Majesty went to the Imperial Garden, and just happened to be seen by Beauty Li, who attempted to win His Majesty’s favor. Failing to do so, she became upset with her servants beside her and scolded them all the way, which our people happened to hear and reported to me just now."

It was that foolish Beauty Li again, ruining the Noble Consort’s good mood, who then frowned and said, "Hmph, it seems the punishment last time was too lenient. To think that she, of all people, would also try to seduce His Majesty. Fortunately, she did not succeed, or I could not have tolerated her."

Nanny Chen knew that any matter concerning His Majesty would certainly be of concern to the Noble Consort, and she had reported correctly this time.

With such thoughts in her mind, she continued to speak, "Yes, Beauty Li got ahead of herself. Last time, His Majesty already showed impatience with her, and had it not been for Your Highness’s mercy, the punishment for Beauty Li would not have been so light. But rest assured, Your Highness, this time too, His Majesty surely did not show her any favor. A Young Eunuch who witnessed the scene told me that Beauty Li’s face looked extremely embarrassed, surely she had faced a significant setback."

Noble Consort laughed mockingly, "That fool!" She will be taken care of sooner or later.

Nanny Chen hesitated a bit and said, "Your Highness, it’s strange to say, but the area where His Majesty often strolls through the Imperial Garden is near Canglan Court. According to the Young Eunuch, from what could be pieced together from Beauty Li’s cursing, she was there to trouble Little Daying from Canglan Court, and just as she was about to find Little Daying, she ran into His Majesty. It’s said that His Majesty left in the same direction as that of Little Daying, which servant finds very suspicious."

Upon hearing this, the Noble Consort could not sit still any longer. She stood up and took a few steps before asking, "Does that not imply that Little Daying was near His Majesty at that moment?"

This Little Daying had always caused her unease; for some reason, she very much disliked the idea of His Majesty encountering her.

Before Nanny Chen could answer, the Noble Consort asked again, "Did His Majesty encounter Little Daying afterwards?"

"That—servant does not know," Nanny Chen shook her head. She had asked the Young Eunuch this question, and he said he did not hear anything about it from Beauty Li; perhaps Beauty Li didn’t know either.

The Noble Consort’s expression darkened as she pondered deeply. Why would His Majesty want to go walking so far away without any reason?

Star Palace is situated right in the middle of the former court, backed by the Imperial Garden, with most of the Harem to the east, while Canglan Court, the scattered palaces and the Cold Palace are all on the west side.

Therefore, if His Majesty intended, he could reach Canglan Court without needing to go through the eastern part of the Harem at all.

How could there be so many coincidences in the world? Once or twice might be dismissed, but this time was the third instance, and behind each incident, whether seemingly insignificant or not, the shadow of that Little Daying from Canglan Court was always present, which made her overthink.

Seeing the Consort’s unpleasant demeanor, Nanny Chen did not dare to breathe a word, simply standing with her head bowed in respect.

The more the Noble Consort thought about it, the colder her expression became. Suddenly, she remembered the handkerchief from His Majesty, and she instructed Nanny Chen, "Bring me the handkerchief from Daying Lian for another look."

She wanted to confirm once more, to see if there was any connection between that Daying Lian and His Majesty’s handkerchief.

"Yes, servant will fetch it immediately." Nanny Chen hastily left to retrieve the handkerchief, fortunate that she had kept it at hand; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to present it now had the Consort asked.

Once Nanny Chen brought the handkerchief, the Noble Consort took it, suppressing her discomfort as she scrutinized it closely, growing more alarmed the more she examined it.

The stitching of the handkerchief, although messy, bore some resemblance to that of His Majesty’s in several parts.

The Noble Consort suddenly considered a possibility—could this Daying Lian be playing the fool to catch the wise? Thinking of this possibility, the Noble Consort sneered repeatedly. Initially, she thought this Little Daying was a complete simpleton, but it turns out she was a master of deception. The hunter nearly became the hunted; she almost got tricked by her.